IMRA'S WEEKLY COMMENTARY ON ISRAEL NATIONAL RADIO - 21 August 2003

Aaron Lerner Date: 21 August 2003

I understand that this is the last week that the commentaries will be
broadcast live on Arutz 7's English programming and that recordings of
future commentaries will be made available on their website. I want to take
this opportunity to thank Baruch Gordon and his wonderful team at Arutz 7
for broadcasting my weekly commentaries all these years. The Thursday night
deadline was both a challenge (we broadcast each week regardless of where I
was in the world) and an important push to get me to produce this weekly
commentary. I look forward to working with Baruch and the rest of the Arutz
7 team in the new format and invite listeners to hear the weekly commentary
at the Arutz 7 website www.IsraelNationalRadio.com or read it in print on
the imra website www.imra.org.il .

#1 Powell Shows Roadmap A Farce

Even now, when Powell and Bush are bending over backwards trying to preserve
the Roadmap we can see the farce that is the Roadmap.

Consider what US Secretary Powell said just a few hours ago at a press
conference at the UN:

"I call on Chairman Arafat to work with Prime Minister Abbas and to make
available to Prime Minister Abbas those security elements that are under his
control".

That's "make available. . . security elements that are under his control",
not "transfer".

Mr. Powell publicly dropped the key precondition of America's launching of
the Roadmap (that Arafat be essentially out of the picture) and a key
element of the Roadmap (a unified Palestinian security force).

Arafat isn't out - Mr. Powell recognizes he is very much holding
considerable power.

The existence of security forces beholden to Arafat isn't put to an end -
Mr. Powell recognizes that Arafat continues to have "security elements
...under his control" and only wants that Arafat be so kind and generous as
to make his forces "available to Prime Minister Abbas", much as the United
States wants many nations to make available forces to the American lead
coalition in Iraq.

#2 America Not Serious About Smuggling

Is Powell or Bush really serious about stopping the weapons smuggling?

Ask a simple question: Is there any American pressure on Egypt to stop the
smuggling tunnels that start at Egyptian army positions?

No.

#3 What is Next?

It is with a heavy heart that I say that all the indications are that the
nightmare we have been living for almost a decade is far from over.

And there is simple reason for this: none of the actors appear to be aware
of the horribly costly mistakes they have made nor are they willing to learn
from them.

Twenty were murdered Tuesday night in Jerusalem because Prime Minister
Sharon succumbed to pressure from President Bush and transferred control of
Bethlehem to the PA and dropped many security roadblocks, thus making it
possible for a terrorist bomber to easily travel from Hebron to PA
controlled Bethlehem and from there to Jerusalem.

Sharon doesn't recognize that, once again, people were murdered because he
sacrificed their security to please America. Bush doesn't recognize that by
pressing Israel to forfeit its security he also bears responsibility for the
consequences.

We have suffered from close to a decade of deadly dangerous experimentation
yet the experience has had literally no impact on the long-term decision
making process.

A decade of Palestinian lies. A decade of deadly Palestinian noncompliance.
A decade of Palestinian activity to implement the program of "stages" to
ultimately erase Israel from the map.

And yet none of this has had any impact on Israel's negotiating position. If
anything it has deteriorated.

Even before we buried our latest dead Israeli officials were promising that
Israel would return to the Roadmap - that means the creation of a sovereign
terror state before the end of the year - if the Palestinians would just
behave themselves for the next few months.

Let's not forget: just a few days ago Defense Minister Mofaz apparently
agreed to grant immunity from prosecution and punishment to any terrorist
who takes refuge in a city handed over to Palestinian control. That's
regardless of what they did and when they did it - as long as they behave
themselves - or at least don't get caught misbehaving - after they take
refuge.

And if, when things cool down, we return to this insanity, the terrorists
who were involved in arranging for the Jerusalem bombing will no doubt be
able to enjoy refuge in a city handed over to Palestinian control under a
similar deal.

We must get our leaders to understand: So long as there are no long-term
consequences to Palestinian terror the nightmare will continue.

Here's hoping the nightmare won't.

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
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Website: http://www.imra.org.il