What Day Is It?

Tom Friedman says that "[Saudi Crown Prince] Abdullah wants to ignore yesterday, Sharon wants to ignore tomorrow, and Arafat wants to ignore today." The Saudis, he says, are refusing to acknowledge their own responsibility for the rise of Wahabism and the consequent rise of terrorism. Sharon doesn't have a plan for establishing a Palestinian state and living in peach with it. Arafat--well, Arafat, is a skilled PR man. He won't agree to anything that might make him responsible for leading a true government. All he knows is the game of bait and switch, always changing the subject to the Palestinian suffering as justification for terrorism. He knows how to survive and little more. Terrorism is the source of his power and riches. What would he do with a real country?

I think Friedman is expecting too much from Sharon. How can he do anything to help create a Palestinian state when Arafat is blocking every approach. Sharon is a warrior. That's why he is heading the Israeli government now. Planning for the future is probably less important to Israelis right now, than making sure there will be a future. The nice thing about democracy is that when Sharon is no longer the man for the moment, a new leader will be elected. But it is unrealistic to talk about a peace as long as Palestinian society is a terroristocracy. That's why the U.S. needs to keep the pressure on the Arab states and stand up for Israel against all its critics.

The best future for the Palestinians would be to become Israeli citizens, but they can't and won't see that until they free themselves from the hate culture that dominates Islam in the Middle East.