Israel official decries terrorism in Middle East

The peace process between Israel and the Palestinians has reached an impasse, said an Israeli official Friday, but those involved are discussing options to kick-start the negotiations. Ahaz Ben-Ari, legal advisor to the office of the Prime Minster of Israel, spoke to University Law students about these efforts. "We cannot go on unless we witness a serious Palestinian endeavor to cope with terrorism effectively," Ben-Ari said. Ben-Ari said Arafat's Palestinian Authority has failed "to do what is expected as a reasonable way of ensuring security" in Gaza and Jericho. He began his talk with a lesson on the geographical, historical and political problems that comprise the Arab-Israeli conflict. As he spoke about Israel's wars, Ben-Ari drew a map of the Middle East, modifying it according to changes in the region's political and geographic boundaries. He explained that according to international law, Israel was required to set up a military government in the Gaza Strip and West Bank. "This is a sign that the territory has not been annexed," he said. "The territory should be subject to a political solution." Israel is not required to withdraw from the formerly Syrian–controlled Golan Heights until a peace agreement is reached, he argued. Turning from legal to political issues, Ben-Ari focused on the problems Israel faced administering a military government. "The contradiction between democracy and a military government put a constant strain on Israel's domestic policy and public debate," he said. Israel is focusing its attention on the P.A.'s handling of security and economic issues, which Israel views as the main obstacles to peace, Ben-Ari explained. Viewing the P.A. as "an experience in future administration," the Israelis want Arafat to crack down on Hamas -- the Islamic Resistance Movement -- and try to improve the standard of living. "If the people are very impoverished [and] the economic situation deteriorates, this might be the end of the process despite the efforts being made in the political channels," Ben-Ari said. He commented on Israeli disappointment with the government's efforts at peace. "They started in May, which is long enough to start doing things but not enough time to judge the results," he said. "The alternative is a Hamas movement that waits to see everything collapse and brings more members to support the idea of a total destruction of Israel." After his presentation, Ben-Ari commented on his participation in the negotiations between the Palestinians and Israel. Ben-Ari noted that, originally, the Palestinian and Jordanian delegations to the peace talks did not include lawyers. "It seemed as if the feeling was that it was not so important to go into the words, [but] that it was going to be a general discussion without a product," he said. Ben-Ari chaired the Israeli committee that drafted the Gaza-Jericho agreement. "The feeling that maybe you shall be blamed for a failure or part of a success is a burden," he explained. "These are questions that only history will judge with respect to me."