New York Times
The suicide bombing at a billiards hall south of Tel Aviv last night that slaughtered at least 15 Israelis coincided, probably not by chance, with the Oval Office meeting between Ariel Sharon and President Bush. The aim of the terrorists is to prevent any effort to negotiate an end to the Middle East conflict. To deny them that power, the United States must seize control of the political agenda in the region and insist that responsible Israeli and Palestinian leaders not let renewed violence sabotage efforts to construct a lasting peace.
Hostages to enmity and afraid of being brought down by their unyielding political rivals, Yasser Arafat, the Palestinian leader, and Prime Minister Sharon seem unable to look beyond the bloodshed that has convulsed the Middle East for the last 18 months. What they must negotiate could not be clearer: dividing the land between the Jordan River and the Mediterranean so that the states of Israel and Palestine can coexist in dignity and security. Instead, each talks about something else. Mr. Sharon is seeking to prove that Mr. Arafat is a terrorist, while Mr. Arafat wants to prove that Mr. Sharon is a war criminal. It is up to the United States and the Arab world to change the subject. ...
The Palestinians, for their part, have failed to acknowledge the poisonous nature of suicide bombings. They seem to think they are "sending a message" about their ability to fight back. They are simply convincing Israelis that the very existence of the Jewish state is under threat. That fear launched Israel's biggest military offensive in 20 years. But as was sadly demonstrated again yesterday, no amount of military action can stop the suicidal madness. That can only come if there is Palestinian moderation, Israeli restraint and progress toward an equitable settlement.
Dallas Morning News
Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon apparently came to the Oval Office Tuesday more committed to dissing Palestinian Authority Chairman Yasser Arafat than to removing any of the obstacles to peace between Israelis and Palestinians. His meeting with President George W. Bush unfortunately broke down over key fundamentals, some of which Mr. Sharon had expressed an earlier interest in pursuing. That includes the creation of a Palestinian state, which must occur if Israelis and Palestinians are ever to find a way forward.
In fairness to Mr. Sharon, he believes that Yasser Arafat is simply incapable of making peace. And Tuesday's horrific suicide bombing in Israel makes one wonder whether Yasser Arafat can control the more radical forces at work within the Mideast. Mr. Arafat's track record is that of a weak, indecisive and untrustworthy leader. The sooner that the United States and other negotiators can find a suitable substitute, the better the chances for stability.
Still, Mr. Sharon needs to understand this point: Palestinians elected Yasser Arafat as chairman of the Palestinian Authority. As such, he is the person with whom American, Israeli, European, Arab and United Nations negotiators must deal, at least for now. ...
The goal must be security for Israel, which Mr. Bush hopes to improve with a new mission to the Mideast by CIA Director George Tenet. It must include a homeland for the Palestinians. And it must involve Arab nations like Saudi Arabia helping build a Palestinian economy.
Mr. Sharon's visit did not move the troubled Mideast closer to those aims. But the process must continue. Senseless killings have gone on long enough. May both sides put aside the past and proceed to the future.
Miami Herald
That an inspiration to all who love freedom is the story of the Arguelles family. They came to this country seven years ago and now have claimed a piece of the American Dream. Miguel, 17, who couldn't understand his English-speaking teacher when he arrived, has been accepted into Harvard. Mom, María Teresa, and Dad, Angel -- professionals from Cuba -- started in menial jobs here. Now she teaches English, and he's a supervisor with a construction firm. The story of this remarkable family was described in rich detail in the Living and Arts section of Tuesday's Herald. The story of destitute or penniless immigrants who come to America to fulfill a longing for freedom has been told, retold and lived so often -- especially in our community -- that it is almost a cliché. But the Arguelles are special, even among that august crowd. There is nothing commonplace or ordinary about them or their achievements thus far. What's noteworthy is this: In Cuba, the Arguelleses' desire for basic expression -- to practice religion, openly espouse an idea or own a business -- was routinely quashed. But the human spirit can never be caged.
Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel
The tragedy of the Middle East is that its parallel universes seem to swallow up everything before them, suspending time. So it was on Tuesday.
In the universe of diplomacy and international affairs, the president of the United States hosted the prime minister of Israel in a talk about what has happened, what is happening now and what will be in the conflict between Israelis and Palestinians.
In the universe of Israel and the territories around it, while Bush and Sharon were meeting, a bomb detonated by another Palestinian bent on suicide and multiple homicide exploded in the town of Rishon Letzion, killing at least 16 people and wounding several dozen. The bombing came a few days after Israel ended its siege of Yasser Arafat's compound in the West Bank city of Ramallah, effectively closing out the broad incursion into Palestinian territory to root out terrorists.
What now? This bombing says one of two things -- that Arafat has no real control over the suicide-homicide bombers or that he does and has sanctioned these acts, as the Israelis have maintained. Either way, it certainly challenges whatever bona fides Arafat can still claim as the partner in peace that Arab nations -- and even the Bush administration -- insist he must be. ...
Israel certainly must demonstrate again its willingness to make peace. But after 20 months of bombings in Israel that have killed on a proportional basis more than twice the number of people murdered at the World Trade Center, the vastly heavier burden falls on the Palestinians.
San Francisco Chronicle
The Burmese military junta's decision to free Nobel laureate Aung San Suu Kyi from house arrest earlier this week was a resounding victory for her supporters at home and around the world.
It is, as she said, "a new dawn" for Burma's long-suffering people. They've been squirming under the junta's jackboot since the military annulled the 1990 elections after her party, the National League for Democracy, won 82 percent of the vote.
Suu Kyi apparently is free to resume political activity and travel throughout Burma. She will have to move carefully, however. It's unclear just what sort of agreement she might have reached with the military during recent months of secret, U.N.-supervised negotiations.
In any case, the dictatorship is still alive and well. No new elections are scheduled, and more than 1,000 political prisoners, including 17 elected members of parliament, remain behind bars. Burma has a long way to go before democracy returns.
Much depends on whether the international community keeps up the pressure. Suu Kyi's freedom can be largely credited to diplomatic and economic sanctions imposed by the United States, the European Union and Canada ...
Suu Kyi is requesting that these sanctions be kept in place until the military regime takes further steps to loosen its repressive grip. It's a wise request. The Burmese people deserve nothing less than real democracy.
Washington Times
Yesterday's suicide bombing at a billiards hall in Rishon Lezion, in which at least 16 people were killed and 60 more injured, is just the latest sign that Israel's war against terror is far from over. It remains to be seen whether the latest suicide bombing, which occurred while President Bush and Prime Minister Ariel Sharon were meeting at the White House, will drive home the reality to Mr. Bush that peace, and with it, an improvement in the lives of the Palestinians, is impossible so long as Yasser Arafat is running the Palestinian Authority. ...
As the horror in Rishon Lezion illustrates, Mr. Bush needs to swiftly repudiate such nonsense: All Mr. Sharon seeks is American support for dealing with the war being waged against his people by the Palestinian version of Osama bin Laden's terror network. He deserves strong American support, not sanctimonious handwringing and demands for more undeserved concessions to Mr. Arafat.
(Compiled by United Press International)
