2005-10--28-Iran_Islamic

By Ira Sharkansky

Two items are worth commenting about: First, the suicide bombing in Hadera, and Israel's responses. Second, the comments of Iran's president advocating the destruction of Israel, and responses.

The first may turn out to end the career of Mahmoud Abbas as the head of the Palestine National Authority. Currently senior Israeli officials are expressing different views. Some say he is useless and must go; perhaps there is a younger, more realistic generation of leaders that is willing to meet Israel's minimum conditions for good relations, i.e., work seriously to curtail the terrorists. Others say that Abbas is the best available; perhaps one day we can work with him; until he acts seriously, however, Israel must work against the sources of terror.

The prime minister has said that the pressure will continue until terror ends. He has said that more than once and more than twice during the past five years. We will see how serious he is this time. So far the army is blocking off areas of the West Bank and picking off individuals for questioning and confinement. The head of Islamic Jihad in Jenin was snared as he was being interviewed via telephone by an Israeli TV channel. The interviewer asserted that the channel did not help the military locate its target. Let's hear it from those who wish to defend the independence of journalists.

Prime Minister Sharon is also saying that he will not meet with Abbas until he begins to work against terror. The United States State Department says that Israel has the right to defend itself, but that it should ponder the implications of its actions. It also says that Israeli officials should meet with Palestinian officials. Dialog can advance the peace process.

I will sign on to American platitudes with somewhat more enthusiasm when American officials start dialogs with the sources of violence in Iraq and Afghanistan. Okay. I know they have a problem. I am not sure they know who are the sources of that violence.

The air force is bombing empty areas of Gaza used as the launching sites of missiles, and the roads to those sites. It is also flying fast over Gaza and frightening the residents with sonic booms. Perhaps more practical was last night's targeted killing of an Islamic Jihad figure who has been involved in sending missiles into Israel. His organization promised retaliation, and claimed to have fired four missiles toward Israel. None of them, apparently, made it out of Gaza's airspace. Maybe we got the right guy.

The proclamation of Iran's president, that Israel has no right to exist, is depressing. It conveys the depth of hatred and indicates once again that Jews' struggle for acceptance is not yet close to its end.

On the other hand, the proclamation is the best thing that has happened for Israel's public relations since the United Nations voted that Zionism is racism. Once again the idiots have gone too far. Official condemnation has been very widespread. We have yet to see that condemnations will end Iran's nuclear and missile programs.

All told, five Israeli deaths in Hadera and the Iranian declaration make this a bad week for us. But they may make it a worse week for those who want to destroy us.

Sharkansky is a member of the political science department at Hebrew University in Jerusalem