Confession for the sins of Oslo By Gerald M. Steinberg (Jpost, September 15,2000) - The High Holy Days is a period of introspection, and confession and atonement are the order of the day. This year, the Left, the self-styled "peace camp," and the enthusiastic supporters of the Oslo process, would be particularly well advised to search their souls, confess their sins, and apologize to their opponents. In the seven years since they pushed a skeptical Yitzhak Rabin to the White House lawn, they have avoided such an accounting. Since then, Peace Now and other groups have consistently blamed other Israelis for the slow progress in implementing the 1993 Declaration of Principles. The onus has been placed on settlers and settlements, on right-wing ideologues and governments, and on the religious communities. However, it is now clear that the real obstacle to peace has always been on the Palestinian side. Under Yasser Arafat's guidance, they have consistently ignored their commitments, making a mockery of the "peace process." They have taken the limited police force they were allowed to create to prevent terrorism and keep order, and turned it into an army. Instead of fighting terrorism, they are giving terrorists a safe haven, conducting sham trials in order to avoid extraditing murderers to Israel. Incitement and support for violence continues without change, as evidenced in Arafat's speeches and in the latest Palestinian textbooks, financed by contributions from the European Union. Nevertheless, at Camp David, Ehud Barak went much farther than Rabin would ever have considered when he offered the Palestinians over 80% (and in some reports, over 90%) of Judea and Samaria. He was prepared to dismantle dozens of settlements, and offered a generous compromise on the issue of refugees. On Jerusalem, Barak seemed ready to contemplate a redivision of the city, even though the Arabs have never acknowledged or apologized for the destruction and desecration of ancient Jewish Jerusalem during the period of occupation from 1948 until 1967. Surely, if the "peace camp" was right, such magnanimity would insure an end to the Arab-Israeli conflict. And yet, none of this has been enough to change the demands and policies of Arafat and the Palestinians. Despite previously unthinkable concessions, which have even drawn criticism from Leah Rabin and Shimon Peres, there is, in fact, no Palestinian partner for peace. Even if Arafat were suddenly to accept the offers tabled at Camp David, it would be too late. After decades of violence and hatred, which has continued for the past seven years as if the Oslo agreement never happened, a last-minute conversion by Arafat would lack credibility, providing the facade of peace, without the substance. Given this blatant historical record, the architects of the Oslo process - Peres, Yossi Beilin, Uri Savir, Ron Punduk and others - owe the public an apology. Similarly, it is time for their supporters in Meretz to confess their sins. The thousands of speeches and interviews in which they denounced settlers, the religious parties, and others for the impasse were all directed at the wrong target. For those who confess and sincerely repent their sins, renouncing the foundation of these errors, Jewish tradition prescribes forgiveness. Humility and introspection are rare but sorely needed characteristics in Israeli politics. If the people who brought us Oslo, with all of its false hopes, empty promises, and misdirected opprobrium were to do the right thing and make full atonement, this would be an important step towards making amends. |
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