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A dangerous masked ball By Gideon Levy Tags: Gideon Levy Click here for more articles by Gideon Levy The rules of decorum are binding: Welcome - to the U.S. Secretary of State and United Nations secretary-general, who have come here, and to the German chancellor, who is due next week. But the rules of logic are no less binding, and we must ask: So, why have you come? All three have declared that they are coming here to further a solution. But this whole show, we must tell them, is no more than a ridiculous masked ball: In their pointless and fruitless visits, they only perpetuate and entrench the conflict that most threatens world peace. Advertisement The fact that all three boycott the elected Palestinian prime minister predetermines that there is no chance for progress. This blind trio is looking in the wrong place. If they really wished to contribute, they would have to do two things: meet with Ismail Haniyeh and pressure him to recognize Israel, and meet with Ehud Olmert and pressure him to put an end to the occupation. Without these two elements - nothing will move forward. It is hard to understand how once again Israel manages to coerce the international community to dance to its tune. After it dragged the world into a futile boycott of Yasser Arafat, it now drags them into a boycott of Haniyeh, and thus only serves the desired aim of the government, which holds the key to ending the conflict: to reject any negotiations. Europe and the United States must understand that the Palestinian unity government has created a partner. They must also understand that it is impossible to make peace with half the leadership and that it is precisely the presence of Hamas in the government that will ensure that every solution reached can be implemented. Boycotting the elected prime minister only because this is what the rejectionist front in Israel and Washington want is an act of folly. A visit to the Palestinian Authority while boycotting the prime minister is pointless. Democracy is an exalted value for the United States. Yet, when the PA became the only place in the Arab world in which free elections were held, the rest of the world turned its back on it. What does the world wish to signal to the Palestinians? That elections are a just mechanism, but only if the results are predetermined? This is a blatantly anti-democratic message for the budding Palestinian democracy. It is also a negative message with respect to nonviolence: Hamas, which adopted a cease-fire, is not receiving any political return. If it is possible to understand this boycott visit of Condoleezza Rice, the mother of the boycott doctrine, and also perhaps that of Angela Merkel, whose country needs to tread carefully concerning its policies vis-a-vis Israel - it is impossible to understand the boycott on the part of the UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon. Who appointed him to boycott an elected prime minister? Was there a decision by the UN General Assembly that the world should boycott the unity government? Is this how an honest broker behaves? It is no less revolting that PA Chairman Mahmoud Abbas is playing along with this charade. If he were a leader of some standing, he would tell his guests: "Ahlan wa sahlan [welcome] - but no boycotts." And he would say: I also have an intense debate with my prime minister, but that argument needs to be settled with dialogue, not by boycott. You wish to meet with me? Then also meet with Haniyeh. You want to invite me to Washington? Then include my senior partner. In the absence of a courageous stance, Abbas appears to be a weak leader. Perhaps not a chick, but surely a puppet - just like Israel and the U.S. wish him to be. This is all the more true regarding the economic boycott. Those who want to see political progress need also to seek improvement in the inhuman living conditions in the territories. The world has to dull the pain of the occupation. By preventing aid to the Palestinians, the boycotters become full-fledged accomplices to the injustice of the Israeli occupation. An ostracizing world cannot make any demands of Israel when it comes to occupation. Israel should be the main interested party in ending the boycott. If it truly wished for peace, it should have welcomed the establishment of a unity government, and it should encourage world leaders to meet with its leadership. Whom does the boycott - which is pushing Hamas into the arms of Iran - serve? Not Israel and not the chances for peace. Today, when the red carpets are being unrolled in Ramallah and Jerusalem, it has become clear: This is a dangerous masked ball. Bookmark to del.icio.us   Disturbing trend Jewish Agency says Anti-Semitic acts in Jan. 2009 triple last year's records. After the war IDF gains in Gaza have softened Israel's stance on Shalit deal.   1.   Why waste time with Hamas when their stated endpoint is NO peace? 11:54  |  PETER SM 26/03/07   2.   THE NEW FORCE OF DARKNESS 12:03  |  indrajaya 26/03/07   3.   Brutal Truth 12:05  |  Arnie 26/03/07   4.   Gideon Levy 12:06  |  Walid 26/03/07   5.   stupidity,,,, 12:12  |  ravi 26/03/07   6.   Levy has a good - and obvious - point 12:22  |  dana 26/03/07   7.   hope and failure... 12:29  |  ravi 26/03/07   8.   very simple Ban is answerable to Rice, Rice is 12:41  |  KA 26/03/07   9.   Ban Ki Moon is right on 12:49  |  Lynn 26/03/07   10.   May be they are simply disgusted? 12:52  |  Shlomo from Tel-Aviv 26/03/07   11.   Gideon Levy 13:15  |  FinanceDoc 26/03/07   12.   MOBOCRACY V. DEMOCRACY AND BOYCOTTS 13:42  |  B 26/03/07   13.   A dangerous masked ball 13:50  |  k.herzallah 26/03/07   14.   # 13, K. HERZALLAH 14:03  |  indrajaya 26/03/07   15.   Gideon should run for PM 14:17  |  Abu Firas AL Qudsi 26/03/07   16.   Sample column of Levy 14:28  |  Xaxam 26/03/07   17.   Indrajaya 14:28  |  Lynn 26/03/07   18.   # 13 herzallah 14:31  |  Lynn 26/03/07   19.   # 17, LYNN 14:52  |  indrajaya 26/03/07   20.   dana if barbarians elect a barbarian government 14:53  |  iliveinny 26/03/07   21.   It would be a sin to endorse the current Hamas Leaders! 15:02  |  TYREW 26/03/07   22.   ana "ELECTED AND DO HAVE AND POSITIVE" 15:02  |  ILIVEINNY 26/03/07   23.   Israel Mainstream And US neocon Axis. 15:13  |  Ibrahim 26/03/07   24.   Innocent Hamas 15:16  |  Tony Anthony 26/03/07   25.   Hey, Gideon, read Hamas` charter! 15:24  |  Nathan 26/03/07   26.   Gideon Levy`s true colors 15:28  |  Guy 26/03/07   27.   # 6 dana 15:37  |  Lynn 26/03/07   28.   New form of "democracy" with armed militias 15:43  |  McQueen 26/03/07   29.   Gideon Levy 15:56  |  Abushanan 26/03/07   30.   WORRYING SIGNS 16:11  |  Arik Silverman 26/03/07   31.   ravi why do you run away 16:18  |  dalit 26/03/07   32.   ravi"stupidity and arrogance" 16:22  |  dalit 26/03/07   33.   ravi "big macs" 16:23  |  dalit 26/03/07   34.   Levy, one reason just might be the fact that they are TERRORISTS 16:38  |  Ari ben Yisrael 26/03/07   35.   #23 Ibrahim 16:50  |  Neal 26/03/07   36.   Hello Gideon, Mass Deception 17:16  |  Dutch 26/03/07   37.   Cut the baby in two 17:43  |  Yaakov Sullivan 26/03/07   38.   Gideon, give them a little time and they will change 18:03  |  Tosefta 26/03/07   39.   38.tosefta is right about the road map being a road block 19:24  |  vijaya 26/03/07   40.   Yo Neal 19:30  |  Ibrahim 26/03/07   41.   Its not Israel`s tune, it`s the Quartet`s 19:33  |  Fortuna Benmayor 26/03/07   42.   What happened to all the posts? 19:34  |  Gideon Levy 26/03/07   43.   39 - the PA must reject terrorism, accept Israel`s existence 19:43  |  Bruriah Sarah 26/03/07   44.   Kudos to UN Sec Ban 19:48  |  Gina 26/03/07   45.   "israel" not serious about peace with palestinians 20:07  |  arab 26/03/07   46.   dangerous masked ball 20:41  |  Ralph 26/03/07   47.   #27 Lynn - what are you talking about? 20:46  |  dana 26/03/07   48.   Levy`s (and other`s) distorted definition of democracy 20:48  |  Dov Bienstock 26/03/07   49.   Gideon Levy would have demanded Roosevelt meet Hitler 20:49  |  Ken Jurist 26/03/07   50.   Sec Ban 20:55  |  pal 26/03/07   51.   To #45 Arab 21:03  |  Dov Bienstock 26/03/07   52.   dana "picking the cherries as we speak" 21:04  |  iliveinny 26/03/07   53.   dana "the topic here in case you did not notice" 21:06  |  iliveinny 26/03/07   54.   Ken Jurist and Sensationalistic Claptrap #49 21:10  |  Yaakov Sullivan 26/03/07   55.   #1 it works both ways old chap 21:37  |  alan 26/03/07   56.   opinions 21:40  |  chaim 26/03/07   57.   Barbarian? iliveinny 21:50  |  Shlomo 26/03/07   58.   US preaches what it doesn`t practice - today`s news 21:52  |  dana 26/03/07   59.   Dov Bienstock/Missing Peace (#51) 21:55  |  Adi-Patriot Israeli 26/03/07   60.   illiveiny #52, 53 - what is the topic/ 22:01  |  dana 26/03/07   61.   Arnie, you can`t handle the truth. 22:06  |  Jake 26/03/07   62.   dana,you are right and here are the stats. 22:08  |  sara 26/03/07   63.   20 iliveinny,you are a racist 22:16  |  lakshmi 26/03/07   64.   indrajaya,herzallah may be right,here`s why 22:37  |  sara 26/03/07   65.   If Only Is Was As Simple As Levy Contends 22:44  |  Jane 26/03/07   66.   #8 KA KA - We have a difficult time in 22:45  |  * BEN JABO 26/03/07   67.   Tosefta #38 roadmap = roadblock, good equation 22:55  |  dana 26/03/07   68.   #58 dana 23:06  |  Labhras 26/03/07   69.   #60 dana re #52#53 23:13  |  Labhras 26/03/07   70.   dana "precise yardsticks and measurement rubrics" 23:17  |  iliveinny 26/03/07   71.   Why Merkel comes to Israel? 23:23  |  christoph 26/03/07   72.   dana "i believe this is when the mathematicians 23:25  |  palheaven 26/03/07   73.   yaakov sullivan i beg to differ 23:27  |  sainthood 26/03/07   74.   International Agreements and Gideon Levy 23:35  |  Alex 26/03/07   75.   dana "classic case of resistance" in iraq war against the usa 23:35  |  palheaven 26/03/07   76.   A dangerous masked ball 23:35  |  17 26/03/07   77.   dana "not only that" 23:36  |  palheaven 26/03/07   78.   The Roadmap is even worse (Dana #67) 23:52  |  Tosefta 26/03/07   79.   56 haim have you noticed ? 00:10  |  lakshmi 27/03/07   80.   a masked ball 00:25  |  yuval 27/03/07   81.   Americans, Germans,Israelis,UN are all wrong...only Mr Levy is 00:44  |  Mr. Ami Goldman 27/03/07   82.   note tosefta`s vindictiveness 00:56  |  hamlet 27/03/07   83.   tosefta "something rotten in the state of the union" 00:57  |  hamlet 27/03/07   84.   tosefta,you make good sense 01:10  |  sara 27/03/07   85.   Well Said Sir 01:23  |  An Honest American 27/03/07   86.   Thanks, Gideon Levy... 01:31  |  Ben Alofs 27/03/07   87.   "nothing will move forward ...." 01:42  |  steve dill 27/03/07   88.   #63 lakshmi 02:20  |  * BEN JABO 27/03/07   89.   US preaching (Dana #58) 02:59  |  Tosefta 27/03/07   90.   Right on Gideon (Gideon for PM) 03:23  |  peacelover 27/03/07   91.   # 23 Ibrahim 03:27  |  Lynn 27/03/07   92.   #47 dana 03:35  |  Lynn 27/03/07   93.   US preaching (Dana #58) 03:43  |  Tosefta 27/03/07   94.   iliveiny - #58 on yardsticks and rubrics 04:53  |  dana 27/03/07   95.   Good Honest Article 05:16  |  wally 27/03/07   96.   Tosefta - re iliveinny/palheaven/flushman/hydra 05:20  |  dana 27/03/07   97.   8. Ban is answerable to Rice...... (KA) 05:25  |  Arnie Stewart 27/03/07   98.   What`s the purpose of the boycott... 06:11  |  Willy 27/03/07   99.   what would they do without levy? 06:41  |  JfromC 27/03/07   100.   Mr Ami Goldman is scary 07:01  |  Marilyn 27/03/07   101.   Sanction must never be lifted ..... 07:11  |  Infidel 27/03/07   102.   Gideon Levy is like a member of former Communist Party of USSR 07:29  |  Vital 27/03/07   103.   Alas, Gideon Levy is the last sane man in Israel. 08:44  |  Fortinbras 27/03/07   104.   Who really pulls the Palestinian strings? 08:49  |  Esther 27/03/07   105.   Vijaya #7: Don`t you know that there is no longer a Hamas Gov`t? 08:58  |  Mimi 27/03/07   106.   Because they`re not ignorant savages 09:24  |  David Teich 27/03/07   107.   a dangerous masked ball 09:53  |  jef moonen 27/03/07   108.   Gideon Levy is absolutely right 09:58  |  European 27/03/07   109.   Democratic elections 10:30  |  Sarah 27/03/07   110.   democratic elections 16:23  |  L 27/03/07   111.   "Rules of Logic"? If logic ruled the day, there`d be no conflict 15:55  |  Robert 28/03/07   112.   #109 Democratic Elections 17:24  |  * BEN JABO 28/03/07

Read & React Livni: Israel should strike Hamas again to halt arms smuggling Responses: 45 Amir Oren: 'Decisive' Gaza offensive merely rehearsal for next crisis versus Iran Responses: 10 Netanyahu: Likud-led government wouldn't build new settlements Responses: 38 Akiva Eldar: Saudi plan offers Israel united front with Arab states against Iran Responses: 12 More Headlines 14:22 Livni: Obama can use Gaza op success to alter Mideast reality 11:52 Egypt to Hamas: Take Gaza truce before Netanyahu is PM 12:30 Veteran ultra-Orthodox MK Avraham Ravitz dies aged 75 11:24 Iran MPs plan Gaza visit to praise Hamas resistance against 'Zionist offensive' 12:54 Sky News joins BBC in refusing to air Gaza fundraiser 13:16 Lecturers say IDF officer who justified Gaza strikes should not teach law 10:14 Nine held for allegedly attacking Israeli Arabs in Upper Nazareth 10:36 Netanyahu: Likud-led coalition wouldn't build new settlements 13:17 IDF rabbinate publication during Gaza war: We will show no mercy on the cruel 14:23 Archaeologists in Jerusalem unearth figurine from time of emperor Hadrian 12:12 Survey: Most Israelis want Benjamin Netanyahu to be prime minister 10:35 Haaretz probe: Unknown overseas sources paid MK Lieberman NIS 2.5m 10:51 2 hurt, 1 seriously, after light plane crashes near Beit She`an 04:42 EU presses Egypt to take action against Gaza arms smuggling 11:27 Number of laid-off Israelis set new high in December 07:41 U.S. businessman Guma L. Aguiar gives $8m to Nefesh b'Nefesh 07:43 Program launched to bring all Jewish teachers worldwide to Israel Previous Editions Select Day 25 jan 23 jan 22 jan 21 jan 20 jan 19 jan 18 jan 16 jan 15 jan 14 jan 13 jan 12 jan

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