Janet Fortune (8 Mar 2003)
"[TNS] "BEWARE, PAX AMERICANA AHEAD""

BEWARE, PAX AMERICANA AHEAD
Michael Freund
[The Jerusalem Post, 4 March 2003]

In between statements last week putting Iraq on notice that they are 
about to get walloped, U.S. President George W. Bush chose to put 
Israel on notice, too. In what were perhaps his most clear-cut, and 
frightening, remarks to date, the leader of the free world made plain 
last Wednesday that once Saddam is gone, his top priority will be to 
establish a Palestinian state alongside Israel.  

Speaking at the annual dinner of the American Enterprise Institute 
in Washington, Bush insisted that "Success in Iraq could also begin 
a new stage for Middle-Eastern peace and set in motion progress toward 
a truly democratic Palestinian state."  

The president went on to describe his objective as being "two states, 
Israel and 'Palestine', living side by side in peace and security. 
It is the commitment of our government and my personal commitment to 
implement the Road Map and to reach that goal."  

Now, whatever one may think of Bush, there is no questioning the fact 
that he is a man of his word. Unlike many politicians, when he says 
something, he usually means it.  

And that is what makes this latest speech so downright terrifying. 
For Bush went beyond the usual diplomatic jargon, using the phrase 
"personal commitment" to indicate that he is absolutely serious 
about bringing about the creation of 'Palestine'.  

In so doing, he transformed the issue from the lowly realm of the 
political to the highly charged one of the personal. That spells 
trouble, big trouble, for Israel.  

It means that George Bush has now positioned himself, and his 
presidency, on a clear trajectory. He aims to knock Saddam out 
of the box in the next few weeks, after which his goal will be 
to fulfill Yasir Arafat's lifelong dream of establishing an 
independent 'Palestine'. 

Of course, Bush did stress that the new Palestinian state should be 
"truly democratic," but given its track record of violence and corruption 
over the past decade, chances are that the Palestinian entity-in-the-
making will be little more than just another old-style dictatorship.  

This cannot be allowed to happen. But unless Israel acts now, it most 
certainly will. And here's why: The outcome of America's eminently 
justifiable invasion of Baghdad will be quick and decisive. Saddam 
will fall fast and he will fall hard, for the simple reason that no 
sane person in Iraq will be willing to fight to the death for a tyrant 
who has oppressed him and his family for the past three decades.  

The victory in Iraq will likely usher in a period of unprecedented 
American dominance in world affairs, akin only to the Pax Romana 
inaugurated by Augustus Caesar, Rome's first emperor, in the year 
27 BCE.  

For nearly two centuries, Rome was the unrivalled global superpower, 
throwing around its weight at will, expanding its empire and enjoying 
a period of peace and prosperity.  

America looks set to do the same once Saddam and his evil regime are 
removed from power. The Arabs will be livid with rage, the Europeans 
will again feel slighted, and Russia will no doubt be irritated. The 
easiest way for Bush to patch up America's relations with the world, 
and bring down the price of oil, will be to impose a peace settlement 
on Israel and the Palestinians, bringing about an end to the century-old
Middle East conflict.  

And that is precisely what he aims to do: Pax Americana, or keeping 
the empire quiet. Sounds unrealistic? Just remember those two little 
words Bush used last week: "personal commitment." They say it all.  

It is therefore essential that Israel act now to rally its supporters 
across the United States and prevent such a scenario from unfolding.  

Reelected by an unprecedented margin, Prime Minister Ariel Sharon 
has a clear mandate from the Israeli public, the overwhelming majority 
of whom do not subscribe to the Bush plan. A February 26 poll found that 
Israelis oppose the establishment of a Palestinian state by a whopping 
61% to 31%. Sharon is known to have close personal relations with 
Bush, and it is safe to assume that the president has already informed 
the prime minister about what he plans to do next. But even if he hasn't, 
that too was made clear in Bush's speech last Wednesday.  

"The new government of Israel," said the president, "will be expected 
to support the creation of a viable Palestinian state." That sounds 
more like marching orders than advice from a friendly ally. Sharon should 
therefore start by reaching out to Israelis, warning them of the dangers 
that lie ahead. He must unite the public behind him, filling us in on as 
much as he can without compromising his relationship with President 
Bush.  

He needs to explain to the country that removal of the military threat 
from Iraq will pave the way for an unparalleled diplomatic assault on 
Israel, led by none other than the US State Department. It will seek 
to bring about the fulfillment of the failed Oslo Accords through the 
establishment of Palestine.  

Simultaneously, Sharon should reach out to American Jewry, as well as 
to the masses of American Christians who are among the Jewish state's 
most fervent supporters. Groups such as Esther Levens National Unity 
Coalition for Israel, and Rabbi Yechiel Eckstein's Stand For Israel 
have the ability to bring together millions of American Christians 
on Israel's behalf.  

These people form the backbone of Bush's support in the Republican 
party, and they must be mobilized at once to work against the creation 
of an independent Palestinian state.  

Sharon should therefore address American Christian supporters of Israel 
directly, tapping into their political savvy and Biblical commitment to 
help save the Jewish state from the fate that awaits it after the war in 
Iraq is complete.  

Establishing a Palestinian state, it must be made clear, will endanger 
Israel and undermine American interests in the region. It will reward 
decades of Arab intransigence as well as Palestinian terror, and weaken 
the only democracy in the Middle East. Now is the time for Israel to 
undertake such a campaign, before the impending post-war diplomatic 
pressure becomes too heavy to resist.  

It may just be a matter of weeks or months before the Pax Americana 
arrives, seeking to force Israel to make dangerous concessions.  

If Israel fails to act now, it may just wake up one morning to find an 
independent 'Palestine' at its doorstep. And that is a risk we simply 
cannot afford to take.  

[The writer served as Deputy Director of Communications & Policy 
Planning in the Prime Minister's Office from 1996 to 1999.]

..............................................

FAIR USE NOTICE: This page contains copyrighted material the use of 
which has not been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. 
Tzemach News Service distributes this material without profit to those 
who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the included information 
for research and educational purposes. We believe this constitutes a fair 
use of any such copyrighted material as provided for in 17 U.S.C  107. 
If you wish to use the copyrighted material for purposes of your own that 
go beyond fair use, you must obtain permission from the copyright 
owner.  

.....................................................................

"For Zion's sake will I not hold my peace and for Jerusalem's sake I will 
not rest." Isaiah 62.1

Tzemach News Service [TNS] is a ministry of Tzemach Institute for 
Biblical Studies (http://www.tzemach.org)

TNS may be reproduced and distributed in any form. Please give proper 
credit.

Comments and suggestions may be sent to the Editor, Lee Underwood, 
at: lee{at}tzemach.org
Web site: http://www.tzemach.org/fyi/

                          -==-

Source - http://www.fivedoves.com/letters/mar2003/janetf38.htm


Cheers, Steve..

---