Friday, May 9, 2003
Charles Krauthammer says it'll be the same-old same-old in the Middle East as long as Arafat is still around.
The reason is uncomplicated: As long as Yasser Arafat wields power, there can and will be no peace between Israel and the Palestinians. In 2000 the most dovish Israeli government in history presented Arafat with the most generous offer the Palestinians have gotten from anyone -- a Palestinian state on 97 percent of the West Bank, with its capital in a shared Jerusalem. Arafat, intent on getting land without peace, responded by starting a now 31-month-old bloodbath.[...]
Isn't there anything we can do to hasten that old fossil's departure? Maybe ship him a lifetime supply of Crispy Cremes and Big Macs? Get him started on unfiltered Lucky Strikes? Ironic that, with as much blood on his hands as Arafat has, we have to fantasize about hastening his departure via natural causes.
