Very disappointing
Reader comment on item: Israeli Disengagement Plan

Submitted by Shai R (United Kingdom), Apr 26, 2004 at 13:02

I'm very surprised and disappointed at the responses Daniel Pipes gives. At a time when Arab spokespeople are lambasting Israel over everything from putting out their washing to feeding the cat I think that mr Pipes could have been a little more forceful in his defence of Israel. Taking it one step further he should indeed have attacked Arafat and the PA. Saying that Arafat for example was part of the peace process for 8/10 years gives the impression that the present violence is what pushed Arafat away when in fact throughout the entire Oslo years Arafat, with a lot of help from the Israeli left turned a blind eye to terrorism. Have we forgotten the carnage the suicide bombers left in 1996? How about the bus bombing I personaly witnessed on Dizengoff in 1994?

Another factor that I was disappointed with was his timid response to Mr Manns' assertion that the day in questions' actions had undermine(d) the moderates in the Palestinian community...). I would like to know who were the moderates Mann was referring to? After all, Was Rantisi not labelled a moderate? Not ONE single supposed moderate has ever accepted publicly or privately Israel's right to exist as a Jewish state and the term moderate seems to have a meaning of its own in the Middle East.

This is not the time for polite diplomacy Daniel. Lets call a spade a spade and let the international community know where exactly the blame lays and where progress always falters.

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