The Israelis had decided they had had enough of Suicide Bomb (SB) attacks. Decided that asking Arafat to denonounce SB attacks (and say it publicly in Arabic) was getting nowhere, if anything the opposite was occuring.

Jenin was a known major source for building the SB weapons & human triggers.

Remember that Israel had tried to negotiate with Arafat over a number of years - had agreed to formation of PA & passed control of much of West bank to PA. Allowed PA to re-arm (with great trepidation that these weapons would eventually be turned on Israelis - Hmmm). Israel was moving forward despite its justified fears.

In fact both sides seemed to be moving forward - the world watched & hoped. No one expected the process to be easy.

Extremeists on both sides were at work whipping up hysteria. In Lebanon it was said that there could be no peace while Israel was in Lebanon so the Israelis (in acknowledgement) withdrew.

The 1st intafada focussed attention on the need for peace but had the bad effect of increasing suspicion & hate between Jews & Palestinians - the anti peace groups on both sides swelled. In Israel they became so intense that a plot was hatched to halt the Prime Minister's path to peace.

The PM was murdered. The came Netanyahu then Barak - Barak attempted to keep the peace process going.

Clinton did an outstanding job in the last days of his presidency to wrap up a deal for a Palestinian state. They got to within inches of agreement but it can be argued that the 1st intafada had so undermined the will to peace that Arafat didn't have the will to agree on the compromises both sides had reached.

Arafat probably quite rightly feared he would be lambasted by the wider Arab world for not getting greater concessions over Jerusalem. Arafat blinked & wouldn't sign. His fears re wider Arab condemnation were not unreasonable. The recent Saudi proposal was a way to give Arafat that support this time round.

But by now the harm done from the 2nd intafada seems to have beeen close to irreparable. The SB attacks pushed the Israelis to the extreme.

Now we have a new blot on the peace process - Jenin & the accustations now flying. The Israelis sure cop a disproportionate amount of barefaced emotion when Arabs are the victims vs innocent Israelis being blown apart. Jenin was a war base. There was always going to be one hell of a fight there - the defenders had planned this for months & the streets were set up as a trap (along the lines of Chechen trapping the Russinas in Grozny). The Arabs had perfected their Mirva busting mines & they were in place.

For my part I blame Arafat for unleashing his 'Puppies of War' on Israel after he turned down the Camp David concessions.

Now the facts will get buried in ranting wailing and gnashing of teeth.

Doug Marker