Understanding Abba Eban's quip

Submitted by Mladen Andrijasevic (Israel), Mar 5, 2003 at 11:47

I am embarrassed for White House spokesman Ari Fleischer when I hear him express 'concern' with Israeli actions where Palestinian civilians are accidentally killed. Why? Because in the context where Israeli civilians are deliberately slaughtered by the Palestinian suicide bombers as was the case today in Haifa where 15 bus passengers were deliberately murdered, Fleischer's statement gives the impression that he is more concerned with Israel not being perfect and at times allowing accidents to occur where innocent Palestinian civilians get killed, than he is with the Palestinian side deliberately and consistently killing as many innocent Israeli civilians as they can.

It takes a long time to really comprehend Abba Eban's quip about the Palestinians never missing an opportunity to miss an opportunity. In reality all these opportunities were missed not because the Palestinians wanted a better deal, more territory or a modification to some clause in the agreements they failed to accept. The opportunities were missed because for the Palestinians they were not opportunities. The only opportunity which would have counted was the one after which Israel would have ceased to exist.

This was the case until now. Perhaps this will change after the fall of Saddam Hussein . Until president Bush understands this there is little hope that his ideas on solving the Israeli Palestinian problem will give any result.

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