Word: palestinians
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...Hamad's propaganda piece clearly illustrated an issue that is at the heart of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Hamad conveniently didn't note that the security checkpoints did not go up until years of Palestinian suicide bombings left the Israelis no choice. He failed to mention that during the recent peace conference, Palestinians gathered in the tens of thousands to denounce peace and chant "Death to Israel." Muslims and Christians were free to travel throughout Israel and practice their religion in peace until radicals began attacking Israeli civilians. Hamad's need to blame someone for the horrid situation is understandable...
...President Bush arrived on his first substantial tour of the Middle East Wednesday, he was saying many of the right things. He's touting the fact that he is the first American President to publicly support the establishment of a Palestinian state. All but some right-wing factions in Israel accept that a Palestinian state is essential for peace in the region. Bush is also promoting his "freedom agenda." That should be music to the ears of millions of Arabs, who have suffered under dictatorial rule for decades...
...Helping the Palestinians. Bush should get some credit for officially supporting a Palestinian state in 2002. Arabs are skeptical that this is the landmark breakthrough the White House makes it out to be. As far as they are concerned, the U.N. voted for Palestinian statehood as long ago as 1947. Palestinians felt let down and rose up in the second intifada in 2000 when the Oslo Accords of 1993 failed to deliver the statehood they expected after Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat recognized Israel's borders within 78% of the original territory. Arabs cynically see Bush's endorsement of Palestinian statehood...
...venturing into the Palestinian West Bank was another matter. Palestinian militants are no friends to Bush, who is viewed as fervently pro-Israeli and a "vampire" out to suck Muslim blood. Nor did it help that an al-Qaeda member - a Jewish American convert to Islam - had issued a communique urging Muslims to greet the President "not with roses and applause, but with bombs and booby-traps...
...doesn't feel that he'll be able to respond persuasively to the question 'What's in it for us?'" Heller maintains. "The obvious answer is peace and security, but he has to convince Israelis that a deal is a real deal. He's got to have an authoritative Palestinian leadership signing on the back of the check: 'This is the end. There are no further claims.' Abbas may be inclined to go in that direction, but he doesn't speak authoritatively for the Palestinians...