Problems coming from within
Tuesday, June 26, 2007
Daily Record
To the Editor:
How dare Aref Assaf blame Washington & Tel Aviv for the latest Hamas-Fatah
crisis, as he did in a recent column. His bias clearly shows he is part of the
problem, not part of the solution, and I for one cannot stand by while he
attempts to distort history.
He refers to himself as a Palestinian, yet criticizes what he calls "our"
government for the "little they have done to build Palestinian institutions
capable of dealing with the economic conditions in the occupied area."
Excuse me but when did it become our responsibility to build their institutions?
We're already giving money to the Palestinians who danced in the streets on 9/11
and who burn American flags faster than they can be made. Why? To avoid the
financial collapse of the Palestinian Authority and more violence (which is the
exact result we should be fomenting)?
If you want guidance setting up financial institutions why doesn't he get in
touch with Arafat's wife in Paris or their Arab and Muslim brothers in Saudi
Arabia, Kuwait, the UAE, Egypt, Jordan, Syria and Iran? These oil-rich countries
have plenty of experience in these areas.
Assaf's claim that "successive Israeli governments systematically destroyed
moderate Palestinian governments" is bizarre. There is no question that the
Palestinians have been offered a homeland on three separate occasions: 1937,
1947 and 2000-2001. Each time they have rejected the offer and responded with
increased terrorism. Most recently, Ariel Sharon even took the unprecedented
step of withdrawing from the West Bank. It's time for the Palestinians to step
up -- but they can't. Hamas and Fatah are caught up in a zero-sum war that
cannot be resolved by outsiders. They don't want to compromise and they don't
want peace.
It's time for Assaf to look within to solve his problems and stop blaming others
for his failures.
BILL ROSEN
Rockaway
|
|
