OSLO REDUX

Oslo Redux By Joel Mowbray
Reality notwithstanding, a revival of the pre-Oslo mindset—minus the delusional optimism—appears to be underway. The Sharon government is resurrecting the most ominous pre-Oslo ghost: picking a Palestinian “leader” for the sole purpose of having someone with whom the Jewish state can “negotiate.”

In a coronation ceremony masquerading as an election on January 9, the Palestinians will go to the polls with one real choice on the ballot: longtime Arafat crony Mahmoud Abbas, also known as Abu Mazen. To paraphrase a popular leftist catchphrase about America’s 2000 presidential race, Mr. Abbas is being selected, not elected. His true base of support—Israel, the U.S., the E.U.—is essentially the same bunch that pulled him and Arafat out of Tunis and foisted them upon the Palestinian people a decade ago.

Just as Arafat delivered an accord as expected at Oslo, all indications are that Abbas will soon sign on the dotted line. Sharon’s speech hinted at this when saying that he wanted to hand off security enforcement in the territories to a Palestinian government “which is ready and able to take responsibility.” To which one conference attendee remarked: “Most likely Abu Mazen will be ‘able’ to stop terrorism, but will Arafat’s former partner be ‘ready’ to?”