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***message from Japan
5/16/2002 (12:07) |
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Letter to Ha'aretz
Exiling Arafat
May 09, 2002
Dear Ha'aretz
Ariel Sharon wants a quiet Palestinian leader. He wants to set Arafat aside and appoint a general manager to run the Palestinian territories. The business of strengthening the settlements must go on so Israel needs a Quisling or a Petain (even a Mussolini) for the Palestinians, a local strongman to keep the natives in their place. This delusion is now part of Israeli government policy.
Sharon is not a 10 year old. He is not a hot headed 20 year old reserve sergeant. He is the leader of a nation of 6 million people which possesses nuclear capacity. Fantasy has no place in diplomacy. Get rid of Arafat and see what happens. The shekel will be the first victim. Economic security for Israel will be the next.
The problem is not Arafat- the problem is the occupation. For 35 years you have ruled the Arabs according to the words of Dayan- treat them like dogs - those who want to can leave. The dogs are staying. Who is leaving? Just your international investors, your businessmen who want a stable political backdrop , your foreign reserves. Gaza will stay because Gaza has nowhere to go. If no country in the world will accept 13 Bethlehem militants where will you be able to put 3.5 MILLION Palestinians? Think about it.
There is an old joke about how to put an elephant into a fridge. Open the door. How do you put butter into the fridge? Open the door? No, first take out the elephant. The settlers are your elephant . Peace is the butter. If you want peace you have to take out the settlers. Sharon is loyal and he is a man who tries to live up to his word in so far as it relates to Israel. He has ravaged your economy and so far he hasn't had to dismantle a single settlement. For how much longer? His last 2 cards are exiling Arafat and ethnically cleansing the West Bank and gaza. All other avenues are exhausted. He can only defend the settlers for so much longer. International monetary transactions will take care of the rest. Sharon can promise the world to Maaleh Adumim but when Wall Street takes the shekel in its sights not even the mighty F-16 will save it.
In reality Sharon is the weaker party. He will probably be taken aside quietly in the next few months and told gently that he has to go for the sake of the Israeli economy. Israel needs a quiet leader who will do the bidding of the business community. Ultimately business comes before Zionism. Shekels are more important than settlers. That is life. It is a tragedy that it may take another 2000 deaths and more failed strategies before you realise this.
Kimiyo Nakamura
Ichida apt 402
Yoshida 2204-25
Shimoina-gu
Nagano-ken
Japan
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