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Posted on 10/25/2001 4:35:06 PM PDT by Asmodeus

Friday, October 26, 2001
U.S. delivers a clear message to a host of Israeli visitors
By Aluf Benn

Foreign Minister Shimon Peres returned yesterday from a trip to the United States with many impressions. "The Americans have moved from one era to another," concluded Peres. "We haven't even begun to understand what happened there. They aren't thinking about how to defend Israel, but how to defend themselves in a crazy war."

Peres was the most senior of Israeli visitors to hold meetings with U.S. officials in Washington this past week. Among others were Minister without Portfolio Dan Meridor, envoy Zalman Shoval, national security adviser Uzi Dayan, director-general of Israel's Atomic Energy Commission Gideon Frank and about a dozen other officials and senior officers.

The U.S. administration was prepared for the air convoy from Israel and formulated a political message that was relayed to Jerusalem in numerous ways. The Israelis were told that America has changed. It is under attack from the anthrax bacteria and is busy attacking Afghanistan so it does not have time to deal with localized problems between Israel and the Palestinians. The administration is convinced Osama bin Laden is planning another big attack in the United States, and it is preparing to absorb the blow. The main parts of the three-pronged message are:

Calmness. At this moment, U.S. President George W. Bush supports Israel, and the U.S. government has no intention to harm Israel or to "pay the Arabs with Israel." Bush promised Peres: "Even if you want to, you won't be able to ruin our relations." U.S. officials said they know Palestinian Authority Chairman Yasser Arafat and do not consider him trustworthy. They also don't plan to give him any special breaks. Bush also will not meet with Arafat before the PA leader takes some tangible steps against terrorism and changes his ways. Washington had hoped that Arafat would improve his behavior after the June terrorist attack at the Dolphinarium in Tel Aviv, which led to the declaration of a cease-fire.

The United States expects to win the war against terrorism and impose a new international order, from which Israel can benefit.

America has no illusions that the accomplices of terrorism in the Arab world have turned over a new leaf. Washington is continuing to carefully monitor Syria and Iran, and in coming days, new names will be added to the list of terrorist organizations and wanted terrorists.

Among the newly listed will be those fighting against Israel, such as members of Hezbollah.

U.S. officials tried to calm Israeli fears that a new diplomatic plan will be released, with guidelines for a final status agreement, a move that would put Prime Minister Ariel Sharon in a corner. What the Americans are thinking about is not a detailed plan but only general ideas, such as the vision of a Palestinian state.

Concern: All senior U.S. officials expressed concern of an escalation in Israeli-Palestinian violence and worry that Israel is trying to cause the PA to collapse. Jerusalem was sent a strong warning that the United States would not support such a move, which it believes would endanger the region's stability. That is America's "red line" vis-a-vis Israel. Sharon has tried to assure U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell that Israel will not bring down the PA or harm Arafat. The Americans considered the Israeli-Palestinian conflict to be a serious problem even before the September 11 attacks, because it caused friction in its standing among moderate Arab states. The administration's greatest fear is of regional deterioration and the danger of a war that would threaten American strategy.

Expectations: Washington believes that Ze'evi's assassination cut short positive developments between Israel and the Palestinians that had emerged from the Peres-Arafat meeting at Gaza's Dahaniyeh Airport a month ago. This week's Israeli guests in Washington were asked to return the situation to the way it was before the assassination and to discuss ways to implement the Tenet understandings and the Mitchell Report.

According to Peres, "They [the Americans] had three requests: Get out of Area A, be careful of human life and create a cease-fire. They are anxious to get back to the Dahaniyeh process. They don't understand what we want, and here we live on another planet." The Americans explained to the visiting Israelis that comparisons between Palestinian terror and that of Osama bin Laden are not appropriate. The explanation for this is simple: The Americans fly thousands of kilometers to strike Afghanistan, but when all is said and done they come home. But Israelis will have to continue living alongside the Palestinians in the future and therefore they cannot afford to break the rules.

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