IN THE HIT MUSICAL "Les Miserables," Marius sings an emotional ballad titled "Empty Chairs at Empty Tables." The audience applauds the performance en route to an enjoyable night at the theater.

But the same subject matter receives a chillier reception in Washington D.C. Leaders who fail to take their pre-arranged seats on a pre-set date at the negotiating table are met with anything but applause.

There are some things that Broadway and international diplomacy just don't have in common. Israel's decision to leave her chair empty until December 9 at the newest round of the Mideast peace talks has been met with a chorus of condemnation.

Syrian Foreign Minister Farouk al-Sharaa said, "Where to meet and issues like timing are only a cover for a lack of a desire by Israel to make peace." Accusations that Israel has abandoned any plans for peace with her Arab neighbors are not based on an accurate view of the ongoing situation.

Israel's critics choose to disregard the facts, and that leads them to blatantly misinterpret Israel's action.

Everyone seems to have forgotten what happened in the White House less than two weeks ago. Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Shamir traveled to the United States for a meeting with President Bush. Shamir planned to argue his case for locating the next round of peace talks at a site closer to the Middle East.

But, before he could get to the Oval Office, the issue was moot. Just a few hours before Bush was to meet with Shamir, the invitations were sent out. Date: December 4. Place: Washington D.C. Previous discussion with Israel: None.

To expect the Israeli leader not to be upset is unrealistic. He woke up to television interviews with Arab leaders already responding to the president's call. The Administration's action was an unwarranted slap in the face.

Notice also how no one is blaming the White House mailroom for sending off the envelopes too early. With all the disarray among the President's advisers, it's not inconceivable that former Chief of Staff John H. Sununu occasionally stamped postage on packages behind Bush's back. No, this was a concerted attempt to humiliate Shamir.

UNLIKE THE OTHER leaders participating in the peace talks, Shamir must answer to a voting constituency. Coming from the only democracy in the Middle East, the Israeli delegation represents not only the government, but also the larger population which elected it.

An insult to the prime minister is an insult to all Israelis. A weak response by Shamir would undermine the population's confidence in him as a strong leader able to defend Israel in the international arena.

Indeed, the U.S.'s brash behavior towards Israel could backfire. By emboldening the more radical elements of the Israeli government, U.S. impudency encourages opposition to Shamir's goal of reaching peace accords with neighboring Arab states.

Bush's behavior, representing what Israeli Health Minister Ehud Olmert called "an administration that doesn't try or pretend to show, even for appearances, some amount of friendship" to Israel, only serves to threaten the current peace talks.

ISRAEL'S DISAGREEMENT over procedural details, while portrayed by some as a quarrel over petty semantics, has much greater significance in terms of the negotiations' overall dynamics.

"We are now at the first stage, when the rules of the game are established," said Justice Minister Dan Meridor, a close adviser to Shamir. "Establishing the rules of the game is very important to us, because the balance of power is not so much in our favor."