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The last Straw By Avi Davis October 1 2001 We all remember the Scarecrow's gallant quest in the Wizard of Oz. Certain that only the Wizard could supply him with the brain he lacked, he joined the journey to Oz in a hopeful search for wisdom. We also know that he was rewarded eventually, not by the Wizard's gift, but by what he discovered within himself. It is a lesson European foreign ministers, wading through the diplomatic swamp of coalition building, would be well advised to follow today. Take, for example, the aptly named British foreign secretary, Jack Straw. His visit last week to Teheran was underscored by an intimation that Israel's actions, not Palestinian incitement, is the cause of Palestinian terror and bears at least partial blame for the events of September 11. No mention that Israel, if number of incidents is any measure, stands at the epicenter of world terrorism and is its most regular victim. No reminder that Israel offers, through its intelligence network and security apparatus, one of the keys to success in the coming struggle. If statesmanship is the art of using words to build confidence in a policy, Straw's odious comments left the impression that wisdom is abandoned when short-term tactical gains are achieved. What an unhappy beginning for a war. Yet if Straw suffered any loneliness after some Israeli leaders canceled meetings with him, he should feel comforted that his journey will carry on in very good company. Throughout Europe, diplomats and the media are scurrying to find ways to distance themselves from Israel and any insinuations of Arab links to terror. Two weeks ago, France's ambassador to Israel, Jacques Huntzinger, clumsily attempted to make a distinction between suicide bombings in the U.S and those in Israel. Belgium's Foreign Minister Louis Michel, currently presiding in the rotating presidency of the European Union, has been the chief sponsor of the argument for sanctions against Israel. Both foreign ministers of Norway and Denmark Raymond Johansen and Mogens Lykketoft have, at various times, joined that chorus. Reuter's News Agency added its own extraordinary contribution last week when it instructed its reporters not to label the attacks on the World Trade Center and Pentagon as "acts of terror." Such a value judgment, a spokesman blithely explained, would appear unseemly for a major news organization. Now consider the context of Straw's visit to Teheran. As he attempted to mollify his Iranian hosts, across town the First Universal Exhibition of Sacred Culture and Defense was opening in the Iranian capital. At this exhibition Hizbullah, the arch terrorist gang of Lebanon, displayed one of the most prominent booths. Here Israeli transgressions were cataloged and an elaborate piece of calligraphy spelled out the words "Death to America. Death to Israel." On the convention walkway visitors could stroll over a Star of David being stamped upon by an oversized blood red footprint. In Syria, another country now being courted as a coalition partner, the first anniversary of the Intifada was celebrated this week with a conference that denounced Israel as the locus of organized terrorism. Speakers exhorted the Arab nations to join in a coalition to confront the world's real enemy: the Zionist entity. All over the Arab world, hatred of Israel, America and the West has become a burgeoning cottage industry. With foreign ministers and their governments scrambling to seduce Arab allies into this increasingly dubious coalition, (a grouping that is beginning to resemble, in its odd composition, more a circus burlesque than a military alliance) a discomfiting trend has begun to emerge: the price of bringing them together will be the isolation of the State of Israel. The ominous signs appearing in Straw's remarks may have their dangerous echo in U.S policy as Colin Powell urges the Israelis to agree to cease-fire negotiations while Israelis continue to face unrelenting acts of Palestinian terror, even while those talks are proceeding. This comes, paradoxically, at a time when world governments are begging Israel to share its secrets for handling airline security and to disclose its successful methods for combating terrorism. No one should pretend that terrorism is going
to be willingly expunged from this planet by those countries that benefit
from it the most. How simplistic and wasteful to trade on the value of
a friendship for the pitiful returns offered by a handful of miscreant
nations. Now as they shuffle down their own Yellow Brick Road, Europe's
men of straw ought to recognize that wisdom takes something more than
just having a brain. It requires the instincts for self-preservation that
the Scarecrow nurtured so well: stay far away from fire, fight off the
crows aggressively and keep your friends close. Very close. Views expressed by the author do not necessarily reflect those of israelinsider.
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