I do not contend with Sanna Ansari's point published on Oct. 21, that the United States should help the Palestinians (Palestinians need American support, too). As a moderator of the conflict, it is the United States' responsibility to act fairly and in harmony with both Israel and the Palestinians.
However, in attempting to build this point, Ansari makes many unfair and inaccurate claims. Furthermore, Ansari forgets to mention a key point: The United States has been helping the Palestinians for years, but the assistance continually has been abused.
From the beginning, Ansari fails to acknowledge Palestinian acts of terrorism. The Israeli violent responses all come as results of terrorism. The United States, in its role as moderator, has recognized that Israel has a right to defend itself. Israel is not attacking Gaza; it is responding to terrorist threats.
Ansari conveniently pointed out how Amnesty International condemned the Israeli demolition of Palestinian homes. Although, I'm not defending these actions, half the story will do no good. Amnesty International has also said in the past, \Palestinian armed groups must put an immediate end to such crimes and to their policy of deliberately targeting civilians.""
Ansari's contention is that the United States is guilty of one-sided support. However, it is Ansari who, in fact, has fallen victim to this. The United States, according to a May 13, 2003, U.S. Agency for International Developmen press release, had given ""$50 million in assistance to Palestinians living in the West Bank and Gaza"" which were to ""go directly toward improving Palestinian lives: rebuilding infrastructure, creating jobs and reinvigorating the Palestinian economy.""
According to the same press release, ""this $50 million was in addition to $75 in US assistance programs in the West Bank and Gaza, and over $700 million the U.S. has provided since 1996.""
The United States may have been even more generous if Arafat could somehow prove that the money he was receiving was not going directly into his pockets. A September 2003 International Monetary Fund report claimed that an ""IMF audit of the Palestinian Authority revealed that President Yasser Arafat diverted $900 million in public funds to a special bank account he controlled.""
Ansari's claims of one-sided U.S. support are bogus. The United States has always worked very closely with the Palestinians as soon as they have begun to demonstrate a willing partnership for peace.
It is precisely the Palestinian tendency to walk away from peace that has impeded the existence of peace.
