Ariel Sharon has said that there can be no peace for the Palestinians without reform. In essense, Sharon is admitting the fact that the Palestinians are not ready for their own state. Another corrupt, autocratic theocracy in the Middle East isn’t good for anyone. If the Palestinians want a state, they must show that they can create a tolerant and peaceful state that can live side by side with Israel. That means no more bombings, no more martyrs, no more teaching hatred to schoolchildren.
This also means that the ball is firmly in Arafat’s court. If he wants peace, he must start showing real reform. My guess is that Arafat will continue to push for more and more bloodshed in Arabic while calling for peace in English. If the Palestinians want reform, or their own state, they first must remove Yassir Arafat from power.
