Free Palestine?

Palestinian bombers killing Israelis once again occupies the front pages of the Washington Post, and New York Times and other leading papers today. It is a truism that democratic countries do not go to war with one another. One of the chief problems with trying to make peace with the Palestinian National Authority is that it is not a democratic government. Palestinian President Yasir Arafat dictatorially rules by decree and constantly interferes with efforts to establish the rule of law. Arafat has consistently refused to implement the Basic Law drafted by the Palestinian Legislative Council which would set democratic limits on his authority. Both President George W. Bush and Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon recognize that the undemocratic character of the current Palestinian regime is a major problem for peaceably establishing a Palestinian state on the West Bank and Gaza. Until Palestinians are governed by a regime which can be held accountable by Palestinian voters, peace is likely to remain a chimera. In the meantime, Americans, whose own memories of terrorist attacks is still fresh, overwhelmingly support Israeli efforts to protect their country from attacks by Palestinian terrorists. As columnist Michael Kelly writes in the Washington Post today:

"Imagine that the government of the United States believed, on evidence, that a certain Islamic leader was responsible for directing a campaign of murder against Americans… what would we do? Actually, the answer doesn't require much imagination, does it? We would mount an army against that leader and all his followers, and we would bomb them and shoot them and chase them and arrest them and ship them to Guantanamo Bay. If we had the leader in question trapped in a room, we would not let him out and set him up again as a partner for peace."

The conflict in the Middle East brings forcefully to the fore the question: What aid ought one free society offer another free society under siege?