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A partnership of equals By Zvi Bar'el Tags: israel "This shows that the Palestinian Authority is not adequately fighting terrorism," said the prime minister in reaction to the Mercaz Harav yeshiva attack. He could just as well have said that "the Shin Bet isn't adequately combating terrorism - indeed, it is failing to do so." Mahmoud Abbas and the PA are not responsible for Israel's security; Israel's own intelligence service is. But this approach, like Olmert's accusation, does not help in any way, either in the war on terror or in reducing the fear of a new intifada arising. If anything, the prime minister's cliche shows that without the Palestinian Authority as an effective partner, there can be no effective fight against terrorism, and that a Palestinian partnership cannot be based only on air or pats on the back. Thus, when the prime minister suggests to the members of the Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee to "consider negotiations with Syria," and that very same day Israel decides to launch a political initiative with Egypt, you have to pinch yourself twice to make sure this isn't a hallucination. Has Israel suddenly discovered the Arab states? Wonder of wonders. Once again, by taking the new political intimations seriously, one finds they are insubstantial - the prime minister knows how to do this better than anyone else. Advertisement The prime minister sees, and rightly so, the negotiations with Syria and the initiative with Egypt as a practical move rather than the implementation of a vision or a dream. Syria can stop Hezbollah if it wishes, or at least block the weapons pipeline from Iran and other sources. Syria also has considerable influence on Hamas and Islamic Jihad, whose leaders it hosts on its territory. Making Syria a partner in Israel's war on terror is the only conceivable reasonable step today. But Israel has the aspirations of a great nation. It is demanding that Syria sever relations with Iran. This is the main fallacy in the prime minister's intimations. Syria, like Turkey, India, Pakistan and dozens of other countries, including moderate Arab states, will not give up relations with Iran, although they are willing to fight terror. By demanding that Syria cut off relations with Iran, Israel is reducing the chance of effective negotiations that could lead to at least a significant reduction in Hezbollah's activities against it. Hezbollah will not stop its activities completely and order a feasibility test for a Beirut-Afula railway line, but it will understand that its connection to Iran, via Damascus, has a price. The political initiative with Egypt, aimed at enlisting its cooperation in securing the Gaza Strip border to prevent militants and explosives from passing through, also requires a fresh approach. Egypt's leadership - in contrast to its knee-jerk intellectuals, which like the Israeli radical right see a peace agreement as a historical disaster - agrees with Israel on maintaining a secure border between the Gaza Strip and Egypt. But Egypt doesn't want to be the only bad guy in the story. Egypt doesn't want to pay the political price for Israel's brutal closure on the Gaza Strip. Egypt loathes Hamas, but understands that without it, no open passage at Rafah is possible. It respects the Camp David agreements, but will not be able to secure the border effectively without expanding them. It is seething at Al Jazeera, which has slammed it for not protesting Israel's attack on Gaza, but is not prepared to be the victim of the Jewish lobby in Washington, which contributed to stopping some of the American aid. Israel has to be interested in a practical partnership with Arab states before any new policy vis-a-vis Egypt, Syria or the Palestinian Authority can be fruitful. This must be a partnership of equals, with no "positions of strength" or "positions of weakness," or the uncle who can drag America along. Unless there is some movement toward such a partnership, please don't bother us with more nonsense about "an effective war on terrorism." Bookmark to del.icio.us   State policy Olmert approves plan for 750 new homes in West Bank settlement of Givat Ze'ev. Sticking to his story Director of 'Jenin, Jenin' swears there are no falsehoods in his movie.   1.   OLMERT IS GUILTY! CANCEL PA,RETAKE GAZA,WIPE OUT TERROR!))))) 11:02  |  VOICE of MOSHIACH))) 09/03/08   2.   arrogance unlimited 11:25  |  ravi 09/03/08   3.   Time for Syria to be generous with Israel. 11:32  |  Jean Van Daem 09/03/08   4.   First, get the hell out of the Golan Heights 11:46  |  Clickfool 09/03/08   5.   Land Above All 12:29  |  MB 09/03/08   6.   Terror supporting nation 12:52  |  Jo Jo 09/03/08   7.   Good article, this one 14:28  |  Johnboy 09/03/08   8.   Clickfool, 100% right 14:41  |  Omar 09/03/08   9.   IF ABBAS DID WHAT ISRAEL TOLD HIM TO DO 14:47  |  indrajaya 09/03/08   10.   Olmert understands things very sloooowly (and he ain`t there yet) 14:58  |  Tosefta 09/03/08   11.   Who is the Abominable Slowman? 15:23  |  Zvi Bar`el 09/03/08   12.   Let every body be happy as they are 15:39  |  Natallie Durson 09/03/08   13.   In simple english 15:45  |  zionist forever 09/03/08   14.   4 15:59  |  zionist forever 09/03/08

Today Online Palestinians: Hamas, Hezbollah cooperated on Jerusalem attack Responses: 183 Shin Bet chief: Chances of fresh Intifada are low Responses: 74 Gideon Levy: Mercaz Harav produced the rabbis who led the vilest form of Zionism Responses: 141 Editorial: Peace now, or eternal conflict later Responses: 53 Kuwaiti analyst: Best if Israel, not U.S., destroys Iran nukes Responses: 59 Jewish Agency to start anti-terror drive in wake of J'lem attack Responses: 43 More Headlines 23:30 Stricken J'lem yeshiva: PM not welcome to visit 23:04 Shin Bet chief: Chances of fresh Intifada in 2008 are low 21:17 FM to U.S. envoy: Conditions not ripe for forming Palestinian state 01:46 Amos Oz: Left wing can return to power in next elections 22:48 Minister Boim accuses IAEA chief of serving as agent for Iran 22:08 'Jenin, Jenin' director tells court film based entirely on truth 00:41 Palestinians protest Goldie Hawn appearance at JNF event 18:03 PM okays 750 new settlement homes, says fits state policy 16:38 Study: Boston's intermarried 'as observant' as Reform Jews 20:21 High Court rejects petitions to overturn Ramon cabinet appointment 00:46 Second victim of ambush on IDF jeep laid to rest in Ashkelon 00:16 Holocaust museum to honor Helena Bonham Carter's grandfather for saving Jews Previous Editions Select Day 09 mar 07 mar 06 mar 05 mar 04 mar 03 mar 02 mar 29 feb 28 feb 27 feb 26 feb 25 feb

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