Kerry's false plan for peace

Charles at LGF links to this editorial from Charles Krauthammer: bq. Kerry's false plan for peace The centerpiece of John Kerry's foreign policy is to rebuild our alliances so the world will come to our help, especially in Iraq. He repeats this endlessly because it is the only foreign policy idea he has to offer. The problem for Kerry is that he cannot explain just how he proposes to do this. bq. The mere appearance of a Europhilic fresh face is unlikely to so thrill the allies that French troops will start marching down the streets of Baghdad. Therefore, you can believe that Kerry is just being cynical in pledging to bring in the allies, knowing that he has no way of doing it. Or you can believe, as I do, that he means it. bq. He really does want to end America's isolation. And he has an idea how to do it. For understandable reasons, however, he will not explain how on the eve of an election. bq. Think about it: What do the Europeans and the Arab states endlessly rail about in the Middle East? What (outside Iraq) is the area of most friction with U.S. policy? What single issue most isolates America from the overwhelming majority of countries at the United Nations? bq. The answer is obvious: Israel. Charles then talks about Old Europe and the Middle East's reaction to President Bush's Israel policy: bq. Why are they so upset with Bush's Israeli policy? After all, isn't Bush the first president ever to commit the United States to an independent Palestinian state? Bush's sin is that he also insists the Palestinians genuinely accept Israel and replace the corrupt, dictatorial terrorist leadership of Yasser Arafat. bq. To re-engage in a ``peace process'' while the violence continues and while Arafat is in charge is to undo the Bush Middle East policy. That policy -- isolating Arafat, supporting Israel's right to defend itself both by attacking the terror infrastructure and by building a defensive fence -- has succeeded in defeating the intifada and producing an astonishing 84 percent reduction in innocent Israeli casualties. Good stuff -- Krauthammer has called it perfectly -- this is the thing that Kerry is relying on and is afraid to speak before the election. As some of Charles commenters brought up, this policy was very much in effect during the 2000 Camp David Accords: bq. ...the concessions offered by Barak included a complete Israeli pullout from the Gaza Strip and the West Bank, the creation of a palestinian state, palestinian control of the "Old City" in Jerusalem, and control of the Temple Mount. Basically, everything that demon could have asked for, they were offering. But instead of accepting it--or even making a counter-offer--he walked away from the table. To quote my wife - if they want a state, give them one... Plasma!