The PA, however, has more at stake here than the issue of Jerusalem--the extent of Israeli withdrawl from the West Bank. Initially, Israel planned to withdraw from only 2 to 3 percent of the West Bank. The Israeli cabinet decided yesterday to withdraw from 9 to 10 percent of the West Bank. It is apparent that the Palestinians have again successfully used the threat of violence to gain more concessions from Israel. So much for standing firm against terrorist threats...

Here we have a straight-forward case of Israeli and Palestinian national interests clashing. International law, the Oslo Accords, American law and precedent are clearly on the Israeli side. Yet President Clinton, a self-proclaimed friend of Israel, has rebuked Israel, not the Palestinians. It seems that the United States expects more restraint and abnegation of national interest from Israeli democracy than from Arafat's murderous dictatorship.

Indeed, what concessions have the Palestinians really made? They have yet to even take the simple steps of recognizing Israel's right to exist or renouncing violence as a negotiating method. The original idea of land-for-peace has become land-for-nothing. Is this the sort of people that any state, much less Israel, would want for a neighbor?

The Oslo accords were originally designed to appease Palestinian national interest. Now, however, the Palestinians are hungry again.

The Oslo Accords have effectively boxed Israel into a corner without bringing peace. How many concessions, how much appeasement is necessary to satisfy Arafat? It is time that Israel renounced the Oslo Accords as hypocritical. Peace in the Middle East will come through true reciprocity and respect, and not through appeasement and the cynical use of sadly idealistic treaties.

Adam J. Levitin '98 is a Near Eastern Languages and Civilizations/History Concentrator living in Currier House.

Palestinians have again used the threat of voilence to gain concessions.

How much appeasement is necessary to satisfy Arafat?