The Geneva Discord

They ran a much advertised Academy-award-type theatrical production in Geneva starring Arafat’s negotiating lackeys and an Israeli fellow who seems to consider himself to be the King of the Jews--really don’t know whether the authors were trying to depict the main characters as Israel’s protectors or museum directors, but the play’s theme was a how-to approach to peace also known as surrender.

For site selection, they chose Geneva, which, at the time was without a United Nations commission in session geared to pass resolutions condemning Israel for one reason or another. Actually, Switzerland was a perfect venue for this type of comic-tragedy since the Swiss are noted for their chocolate, watches, theft of insurance and bank monies from holocaust beneficiaries [Jews and non-Jews] and for the financial support they very willingly provided the Nazis in WWII for the murder of American troops in Europe.

Well, the play’s preview got raves from Secretary Powell. You undoubtedly remember that he, together with the leaders of the three most defined anti-Semitic countries on the Continent [France, Germany, and Russia] put together a Road Map approach to peace between Israel and the PA, which Powell then completely ignored while fawning over the play’s nongovernmental approach to peace.

Powell’s background is interesting—as Chairman of the Joint Chiefs in Gulf I, he restricted intelligence information from being provided to Israel while Israel was being bombed with Iraqi scuds while sitting still at America’s request.

He then stopped the one-hundred-hour Gulf I just outside of Baghdad without regime change so as to satisfy our then-coalition allies who didn’t want to see their economic interests endangered. He then allowed Saddam to freely attack the Kurds and Shiites without interference from us. This, of course, led to Gulf II with its costs and American deaths, which can be laid, in part, at his front door. To his credit, he did help obtain a regime change at the FCC with his son, as chairman, for creating media monopolies that allow for the free expression of, at least, the owner’s philosophy or political views.

After the play’s preview presentation got the necessary acceptance from Powell, the actors then went ahead to hold another session for a final act signing. Arafat initially held back his people from going and then changed his mind when he saw that the publicity from the play was much more acceptable to the international community than that which he was able to secure from suicide bombers.

For a world-class media event, the authors brought in some added star power to attract publicity. Knowing that the play is the thing, they brought in the Savior of Teheran, Jimmy Carter, to address the audience with his usual incisive intellect on the importance of reaching a “final solution.” Unfortunately, no one seems to have told him of the meaning or intent of those words—as though it would have even mattered to him—and no one, not even the sophisticates, objected to it. So, it can be construed that Carter let the cat out of the bag that the peace being sought by the play’s authors was the downsizing of Israel to the point where a “final solution” could easily be accomplished with the ultimate elimination of Israel and its Jews. Sort of a Peace at any Price.

Once again, Powell said “fine” and then had the players over to his office so that he could tell them how much he admired their play; after which he told the media that it didn’t affect his committed support for the Bush Road Map approach.

You have to realize that all this came after his politically publicized embarrassing failures in obtaining his Quartet Road Map buddies to support his loyalty to them and provide personnel or financial support to the reconstruction of Iraq. That sort of left him no choice other than to attack America’s friend in the Middle East by being even-handed, or, is the proper word duplicitous?

Powell now had his preferred Geneva peace treaty and must now proceed with the time-consuming Road Map approach which allows the two parties in contention to pursue the appearance of a negotiation between themselves with Powell’s pressure on Israel to concede its security.

Then along came Israel’s PM suggesting a Bush-type preemptive unilateral approach to Israel’s peace and security, which offended the Geneva  boys who were incensed that the PM would not roll over to accept their unilateral  approach. After all, they said, one-third of the Israelis polled found the general concepts of their Geneva final act acceptable. That  sort of left two-thirds who found it unacceptable or were undecided. But, what the hell, why should they consider democracy’s majority opinion in their equation. In their own minds, they seem to have felt that they were too important for that.

The final act should, at least this time, be one which results in a peace or a truce under which the parties can coexist without terror.

By the way, American-made watches tell the correct time, and have you tried a Hershey bar recently—they’re good.