Oslo Accords

President Clinton is eager to hear a credible proposal for further Israeli withdrawals from the West Bank when he meets with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the White House next week, but expectations are anything but high. The Israeli Cabinet, as it prepares an offer to transfer a bit more land to the Palestinian Authority, has drafted extensive guidelines for any future negotiations over the disputed territory.

Texas Gov. Rick Perry waded deeper into the Middle East fray Tuesday with a speech blasting the Obama administration's stance on Israel and essentially blaming it for the Palestinians' decision to push for statehood at the United Nations Security Council this week. "Simply put, we would not be here today at this very precipice of such a dangerous move if the Obama policy in the Middle East wasn't naïve and arrogant, misguided and dangerous," Perry said in a speech delivered at a Manhattan hotel, where he was flanked by Jewish leaders.

The designs of Israel's vast military offensive are etched in the dust and debris of the battered landscape here. The greatest destruction, by far, has been visited on symbols of Palestinian self-rule. The sprawling if ramshackle headquarters of Palestinian Authority President Yasser Arafat is in ruins, its walls toppled and replaced by barbed wire.

Re "Withdrawal From Gaza Will Test Israeli Democracy," (Commentary, Aug. 18): Israeli democracy is alive and well! In fact, more so than in any other country. It is disingenuous of one minority, the left, to complain that another minority, the extreme right, has gotten its way by using the same peaceful tactics that the left uses (such as mass demonstrations and human chains). In addition, the leftists throw in some unproven accusations of planned violence to show that the right is undemocratic.

The Israeli-Palestinian peace process, Secretary of State Madeleine Albright says, is "in grave danger." Why? There are two main reasons. The first should be obvious: The Oslo accords have yet to produce very much peace. More Israelis have died in the 4 1/2 years since Oslo than did during the six previous years, dating back to the start of the Palestinian intifada in 1987.

Re "Fateful Period for Mideast," editorial, Dec. 23: The majority of Israeli Jews and Christians do not now nor ever have supported the Oslo accords. It was only by joining with the Muslims and Communists that Yitzhak Rabin was able to get the Oslo accords through the Israeli parliament. When the people voted 31 months ago, it was the first time that they had the opportunity to voice their true feelings. Fifty-five percent of the Jewish population and 80% of the Christian population voted against Oslo and put the present government in power.

Daoud Kuttab's article, "The Last Palestinian Option" (Commentary, July 21), claims a lack of democracy in Israel and criticizes Benjamin Netanyahu's "demagogy" and "Israeli violations of the Oslo accords." Questions to ask of Kuttab: In Palestinian "democracy," in Arab "democracy," how many Jews are represented in their national congresses, parliaments, etc. There are Arab representatives in Israel's Knesset. Why were more Israelis murdered by Palestinians after Yasser Arafat came into control than before?

Re "Withdrawal From Gaza Will Test Israeli Democracy," (Commentary, Aug. 18): Israeli democracy is alive and well! In fact, more so than in any other country. It is disingenuous of one minority, the left, to complain that another minority, the extreme right, has gotten its way by using the same peaceful tactics that the left uses (such as mass demonstrations and human chains). In addition, the leftists throw in some unproven accusations of planned violence to show that the right is undemocratic.

President Clinton, resuming his role as Middle East mediator, will meet next month in Norway with Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak and Palestinian Authority President Yasser Arafat to spur talks on a definitive peace settlement, the White House said Wednesday. The goal is to conclude an agreement before Clinton leaves office in January 2001 on the difficult issues remaining: final borders of a Palestinian state, the future of Jerusalem and the fate of more than 3 million Palestinian refugees.

The battle for land in Israel makes the headlines. Will Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu build 6,500 homes on the site for the people of Israel or will Palestinian Authority President Yasser Arafat and the Palestinians build the capital of East Jerusalem? Will peace prevail? There is no peace. The battle for land is but another war the Arabs have declared to destroy Israel as a sovereign nation. Netanyahu knows Israel must build the homes to preserve Israel as an independent nation.

As a strong supporter of the state of Israel, I read with interest Shlomo Avineri's piece on the Geneva Accord, "Fatally Flawed Peace Proposal" (Opinion, Jan. 4). Avineri argues that the accord fails to resolve two issues at the heart of the conflict: Israel's right to exist and the Palestinian refugee problem. He claims that there is no explicit Palestinian acceptance of Israel as a Jewish state [in its present location]. In fact, the accord states: "The state of Palestine shall immediately recognize the state of Israel" (Article 2, Sec. 1)

JERUSALEM -- The Israeli army planted mobile homes and water tanks in the West Bank city of Jenin on Wednesday, the first sign of the government's potentially far-reaching plan to capture and keep Palestinian territory in response to acts of terror. Other than the Jenin maneuvers, however, it remained wholly unclear how the new policy will play out.

The designs of Israel's vast military offensive are etched in the dust and debris of the battered landscape here. The greatest destruction, by far, has been visited on symbols of Palestinian self-rule. The sprawling if ramshackle headquarters of Palestinian Authority President Yasser Arafat is in ruins, its walls toppled and replaced by barbed wire.

Searching for the root causes of the Palestinian revolt that exploded here last September, some Israelis think they've found a clue between the brightly colored covers of newly published elementary school textbooks. The first Palestinian-authored textbooks were distributed to children in the West Bank and Gaza Strip just a few weeks before widespread riots erupted in the Palestinian-controlled territories.

President Clinton, resuming his role as Middle East mediator, will meet next month in Norway with Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak and Palestinian Authority President Yasser Arafat to spur talks on a definitive peace settlement, the White House said Wednesday. The goal is to conclude an agreement before Clinton leaves office in January 2001 on the difficult issues remaining: final borders of a Palestinian state, the future of Jerusalem and the fate of more than 3 million Palestinian refugees.

Americans have much to celebrate in the overwhelming mandate given to Ehud Barak by Israeli voters. In the last days of the campaign, Benjamin Netanyahu and Barak both made clear that this was a decisive referendum on the peace process, and now the voters have given Barak the power to take decisive action. Dancing in the streets of Tel Aviv, celebrants are calling on Barak to pick up and start where slain Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin left off three years ago.

As a strong supporter of the state of Israel, I read with interest Shlomo Avineri's piece on the Geneva Accord, "Fatally Flawed Peace Proposal" (Opinion, Jan. 4). Avineri argues that the accord fails to resolve two issues at the heart of the conflict: Israel's right to exist and the Palestinian refugee problem. He claims that there is no explicit Palestinian acceptance of Israel as a Jewish state [in its present location]. In fact, the accord states: "The state of Palestine shall immediately recognize the state of Israel" (Article 2, Sec. 1)

Re "Palestinian Statehood Will Happen," by Daoud Kuttab, Commentary, May 10: Will Palestinian statehood happen? Maybe. Should Palestinian statehood happen? Without a demonstration of responsibility, without a substantial indication of a willingness to live side by side in peace and harmony with a secure and safe Israel? I think not. I'd like to be able to change my mind on that point and will when there is a stop to the preaching and teaching of hatred toward Jews and the state of Israel; when the Palestinian people no longer hear promises of a Palestinian state with Jerusalem as its capital--without an Israel; when martyrs who died in the act of murdering innocent civilians are no longer idolized and eulogized.

Re "Fateful Period for Mideast," editorial, Dec. 23: The majority of Israeli Jews and Christians do not now nor ever have supported the Oslo accords. It was only by joining with the Muslims and Communists that Yitzhak Rabin was able to get the Oslo accords through the Israeli parliament. When the people voted 31 months ago, it was the first time that they had the opportunity to voice their true feelings. Fifty-five percent of the Jewish population and 80% of the Christian population voted against Oslo and put the present government in power.