The world condemns Israeli terror The world reacted with horror and grief at television footage of the 12-year-old Palestinian child, Muhammad al-Durrah, dying in his father's arms. He was one of 48 Palestinians who have died so far, 13 of them children. This is the bitter fruit of former Israeli Defense Minister, Ariel Sharon's provocative visit to Jerusalem's Temple Mount where he snarled that Israel would claim sovereignty over Islam's third holiest sites "forever." Sec. of State Madeleine Albright, in the understatement of the year, called Sharon's action "counterproductive." The U.S., for the first time, endorsed a draft statement by the U.N. Security Council condemning "the acts of provocation, the violence, and the excessive use of deadly force against Palestinian civilians in the past few days." This was a reference to Israel's use of helicopter gunships, tanks, armored personnel carriers, missiles, grenades, and rubber-coated steel bullets. Demonstrations erupted across the U.S. - at the Israeli Consulate in New York, Connecticut and San Francisco. The demand was for termination of U.S. aid to Israel as long as it is being used to shoot down innocent Palestinians. More protest actions are needed. It is time for Pres. Clinton to get negotiations re-started. But this time, he should clearly state U.S. support for a Palestinian State in the West Bank and Gaza with east Jerusalem as its capital. As part of recognizing this new state of Palestine, Israel should withdraw from the Arab lands it occupied in the 1967 war. The Israeli peace movement calls it "trading land for peace." It will lay the basis for peaceful coexistence not only between Israel and the new state of Palestine, it would set the stage for comprehensive peace in the Middle East. Call the White House comment line (202) 456-1111.
