Until now, Israel has been the one forced to compromise. The argument that this is justified since the U.S. will be tough on the Arab states in the multilateral round of the talks is ridiculous.

How can an Administration be expected to come down hard on a nation it rewards for terrorist activity?

The U.S.'s indictment of Libya in the bombing of Pan Am flight 103 over Lockerbie, Scotland completely ignored significant evidence of Syrian involvement. Not only was Syria let off the hook, but Bush complained that Syria was getting a "bum rap" due to suspicion that it was involved in the mass murder.

Now Syria wants to be removed from the list of terrorist-sponsoring nations and the U.S. has proposed Israeli return of the Golan Heights.

No pressure is being placed on Syrian leader Hafez el-Assad, and why Bush wants the Golan to be in Assad's hands is a mystery. Is Assad going to plant Dutch tulips on the mountain's rolling slopes or would it be more along the lines of the 24 North Korean scud missiles Syria purchased in the wake of last year's Gulf War?

Bush should stop pressuring Israel. Not attending Wednesdays session was the least the Israelis could do to show they will not accept imposed solutions later. Bush doesn't know that living in the shadow of the Golan or anywhere in the Middle East is no Broadway show.

Israel should get some say in how it conducts its foreign policy.