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[This view of the speech by IMRA reflects my own views. The speech was a vile act of appeasement.]

Bush speech based on false premises fails to address serious challenges

Aaron Lerner Date: 24 June 2002

Following in the tradition of President Clinton, US President George Bush opened his speech this evening by asserting that only a minority of Palestinians share the views of the terrorists ("hatred of a few") when in truth polls of Palestinians consistently show that the overwhelming majority of Palestinians support terror against Israel.

This is a fundamental problem, because if the Palestinian public supports terror and a hard line position (e.g. on right of return and other issues) then the introduction of democracy, free speech and proper government will still ultimately be a Palestinian terror state.

The reality of the Middle East is indeed tough.

Mr. Bush may wax eloquently about the "value of tolerance alive in the Moslem world", but he knows full well that this is simply not true. The "tolerant" Saudis are so intolerant that they won't even permit American forces stationed on Saudi soil to openly attend Church. And every Friday those "tolerant" Saudis broadcast sermons on official Saudi TV calling for death to the Jews.

Yes, Mr. Bush calls for the Palestinian state-in-the-making to "dismantle the terror infrastructure". But Mr. Bush oddly leaves out the largest terror group in the area today - Arafat's own Fatah Tanzim - from his list (he mentioned Islamic Jihad, Hizbullah and Hamas).
So what do we have?

A democratically elected terror state with a more efficient Palestine Liberation Army (Mr. Bush said nothing about reducing the size or the arms held by the Palestine Liberation Army) with probably the largest terror militia still intact.

And with the international community - including the US State Department - judging Palestinian compliance, one can count one a "automatic pass" no matter what the Palestinians actually do.

This is not the formula for peace but instead the road map for the destruction of Israel in stages.

Dr. Aaron Lerner, Director
IMRA (Independent Media Review & Analysis)
(mail POB 982 Kfar Sava)
Tel 972-9-7604719/Fax 972-3-7255730
INTERNET ADDRESS: imra@netvision.net.il
pager 03-610666 subscriber 4811
Website: http://www.imra.org.il

This is not the formula for peace but instead the road map for the destruction of Israel in stages.

That's one way to look at it, and it could turn out to be true, but I would like to offer a different interpretation.

Essentially, Bush has pulled the rug out from under Arafat and his cronies in Gaza. It's a shot accross the bow of the Palestinian people, telling them that the ball is in their court and to be real careful to whom they hit it. Having made this speech, and having outlined a reasonable position, if the Pali's keep blowing up Isrealis they know that we won't support them and that they will have to deal with Isreal on Isreals terms.

You are either with us or against us in the war on terror.

Unstated, but clearly implied is that bewteen the two, we clearly side with Isreal.

The speech may be more diplomatically worded than many - including myself - would prefer, but the meaning is there. And we have to remember the wider audience this is aimed at. And subtle threats can sometimes be more effective than overt ones.

Had Bush come out and said, "the peace proccess is dead and Isreal can do as she damn well pleases," we could forget about cooperation in the wider war on terrorism we still need to fight. The muslim world would cry foul, and our more timorous allies would bolt. Its a juggling act.

And since this puts the burden on the Palestinians, if they don't get with the program, they will continue to slip in the eyes of the world. Already, world opinion is beginning to turn on them, especially since the attacks continued after the Isrealis pulled out this last time.

This gives the Palis a little more rope. They will either hang the terrorists or themselves with it.

IMHO.