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Editorials
Thursday, October 19, 2000Mideast violence put
peace pact out of reachThe issue: Weeks of Israeli-Palestinian fighting have ended in a shaky cease-fire.
THERE is still doubt whether the Israeli-Palestinian cease-fire negotiated with much arm-twisting by President Clinton will hold. The hostility demonstrated by both Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak and Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat that was evident at Sharm el-Sheik made them reluctant peacemakers at best.
What is even more doubtful is that these two men can forge a lasting settlement of the issues dividing their peoples after the violence of the last three weeks.
It is now virtually certain that Clinton will leave office denied the comprehensive Middle East peace agreement that he has worked for since 1993.
Barak is in danger of losing control of his government and his ability to negotiate with the Palestinians. He has already proposed a coalition with the conservative opposition to salvage a measure of power but the opposition refused and seems content to wait for new elections, probably next spring.
Such a coalition, if it materialized, would be highly unlikely to offer any further concessions to the Palestinians. Barak has been strongly criticized by Israelis for offering too much on the issue of the status of Jerusalem at the Camp David summit last July, only to be turned down.
Arafat's rejection of that offer probably was at the heart of the recent rioting. The visit of conservative Israeli leader Ariel Sharon to the much-disputed Temple Mount was provocative but could hardly explain the eruption of violence.
Arafat apparently called the Palestinians into the streets in a show of force to put pressure on the Israeli leadership, but that step only hardened Israel's resolve.
Arafat's status is also precarious. Critics have assailed him for dealing with the Israelis and for corruption within his Palestinian Authority. In the turbulence of Arab politics, Arafat's survival cannot be assumed -- even though he has somehow maintained his position of leadership for decades. Militants are already defying the cease-fire.
The arrest of eight Palestinians involved in the mob killing of two Israeli reserve soldiers is a demonstration intended to show that Israeli forces are not backing off even though they have been ordered to exercise restraint. However, Israel lifted an order that prevented the Palestinians from traveling out of their communities and allowed them to reopen their airport in the Gaza Strip.
Willingness to compromise for the sake of peace was the essential component in the negotiating process, and that willingness has gone up in the smoke of the recent battles. It may take considerable time, and perhaps a new set of leaders, before the effort to make peace can resume.
For the present, the best that can be hoped for is a simmering down, with Israelis and Palestinians keeping each other at arm's length. The danger that this conflict will grow has not passed.
Subway World Series is
downer west of Hudson
THE Big Apple is atwitter. For the first time since 1956 two New York teams will square off in the World Series. While the phenomenon of a subway series may cause yawns across much of the country, New Yorkers will experience the zenith of excitement. For many Hawaii residents, it will be the climactic chapter of the baseball season's thriller, "Benny and the Mets."
After a streaky debut last year, Hawaii's Benny Agbayani seemed to be relegated to the minor leagues when this season began. However, the kind of personnel juggling act that can happen in professional sports brought Agbayani back to the Mets' lineup, sporting the same Hawaii-derived No. 50 that Sid Fernandez wore the last time the Mets won an invitation to baseball's ultimate party.
Agbayani became an important factor in the Mets' success this year, and his 13th-inning home run decided a National League division playoff game against the San Francisco Giants. His presence will make the Mets an overwhelming favorite among Hawaii baseball fans.
But Hawaii's interest in the series pales against New Yorkers' frenzy, unmatched since the Giants and Dodgers departed for California. The New York Times, the epitome of sedateness, mirrored the enthusiasm with a red headline atop the front page, screaming, "It's a Subway Series! Yankees join Mets."
"It will give New York an opportunity to be even more arrogant," Mayor Rudolph Giuliani said. "We'll be able to go around and say we have the two best teams in baseball."
The arrogance to which Giuliani referred will make it impossible for many Americans to cheer for either team, Fox TV's rating goals notwithstanding. Unfortunately for such fans, it is widely agreed that it will be impossible for both teams to lose.
However, the series will not be a lost cause. The lack of interest in most places this side of the Hudson could be a boon for politicians. Public attention may be focused on the final weeks of the election campaign for want of a more compelling arena.
Published by Liberty Newspapers Limited PartnershipRupert E. Phillips, CEO
John M. Flanagan, Editor & Publisher
David Shapiro, Managing Editor
Diane Yukihiro Chang, Senior Editor & Editorial Page Editor
Frank Bridgewater & Michael Rovner, Assistant Managing Editors
A.A. Smyser, Contributing Editor
