Word: arafats
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Dates: during 1990-1999
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...Rabin give expression to the intense, yet mixed feelings present in the pro-Israel community. We wished the Palestinian leader who shook Rabin's hand would be a courageous leader, like Sadat, who flouted Arab rejectionism and flew to Jerusalem in pursuit of peace. Instead, we were greeted by Arafat's grinning visage on the cover of Time magazine...
...months, peace is never made with friends, only with enemies. Israel can't choose its negotiating partners--the ineffectiveness of the non-PLO Palestinian delegation to Madrid proved this point. For a negotiating partner with authority and legitimacy in the territories, Israel was forced to turn to Yassir Arafat...
...doing so, it is important to realize that Israel did not accept the PLO on the basis of a profound change in the organization's ultimate goals. Indeed, Arafat has still not moved to revoke the clauses in the PLO charter that call for an armed struggle to destroy the Jewish state...
Moreover, even if the charter is amended, we still can't be certain that the Palestinians will be satisfied with Israel's territorial concessions. Extremist groups like Hamas have stepped up their attacks on Israelis in recent months in protest of the agreement. Even Arafat's own Fatah Hawks have engaged in violence in the past few weeks, in violation of the agreement...
...these reasons, the accord is flawed. Meanwhile, Israel is pressuring Arafat to use force to stifle Palestinian opposition to the plan. Under such Israeli pressure, the Palestinians are being forced to accept a peace that undermines our sovereignty...