The Myth of the Generous Offer

A favorite talking point of the Israel Lobby is the lie that "inflexible" Palestinian President Yassir Arafat "chose war over peace" by rejecting Israel's "generous offer" at Camp David in July 2000. The truth is the exact opposite. It is the inflexible Israelis who continually choose war over peace as they greedily build settlements on stolen Palestinian land in disregard of UN Resolution 242. The UN 1947 Partition Plan, (shown in the map on page xiii in Jimmy Carter's "Palestine Peace Not Apartheid"), divided historic Palestine into roughly equal Jewish and Arab states with Jerusalem, holy to three religions, left as an international zone. The next map (p. xiv) shows Israel in 1967. Then after the 1967 war, Israel occupied all of Palestine. UN Resolution 242 (see Carter, p. 217 Appendix 1) called for Israel to withdraw from occupied territories "emphasizing the inadmissibility of the acquisition of territory by war" in accordance with the UN Charter. Israel believes that it is the exception and that it is admissible for Israel to acquire territory by war as long as settlements are built on it. In contrast, it was Arafat who was flexible and generous in accepting UN Resolution 242 in 1988 as it only allots 22% of historic Palestine to the native Palestinian Arabs. Israel, however, wants more than 78% as shown in the Camp David negotiations. Arafat was tricked into attending the Camp David summit since Israel and the pro-Israeli-biased US team had no intention of making him a just offer. As is well-documented in Clayton E. Swisher's "The Truth About Camp David," President Clinton falsely promised Arafat he would not be blamed if the summit failed (p.226). Then Clinton tried to browbeat Arafat into accepting an unjust offer consisting of less land than that to which Palestinians were legally entitled, inadequate control or sovereignty over Arab East Jerusalem and Islamic holy sites, lack of solution to the refugee situation, etc. Arafat heroically stood for justice and refused. Furthermore, Arafat pleaded with Israeli Prime Minister Barak to prevent Ariel Sharon from parading himself around the Islamic holy sites showing off Israeli sovereignty, since that was sure to provoke violence. (See Swisher, p. 380) Yet Sharon was allowed to strut up to the holy sites and the second intifada was born. Arafat was then blamed for "choosing war over peace," an outcome pleasing to the Israel Lobby. Meanwhile President Clinton was madly pursuing Jewish votes and money for his wife's senate campaign. (Swisher, p. 361) It is important to remember that Arafat accepted the 2002 Saudi (Arab League) Peace Plan, whereas Israel still steadfastly rejects it.

Primary Sources

Given the omnipresent deceptive media spin, it is always best to go directly to primary sources to determine, for instance, what motivates terrorists. Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, mastermind of 9/11, testified on March 10, 2007 at a Combatant Status Review Tribunal Hearing. He said, "Usama bin Laden, he did his best conference in American media. Mr. John Miller he been there when he made declaration against Jihad, against America. And he said, it is not no need for me now to make explanation of what he said, but mostly he said about American military presence in Arabian peninsula and aiding Israel and many things." (ISN #10024, p.21) This interview with Osama bin Laden is part of a PBS "Frontline" documentary "Hunting bin Laden" and took place in Afghanistan May 1998. Responding to questions from his followers as well as from ABC's John Miller, Bin Laden voiced objections to the presence of American troops in the Muslim Holy Land, saying they were there to support Jewish expansionism. He stated, "For over half a century, Muslims in Palestine have been slaughtered and assaulted and robbed of their honor and of their property. Their houses have been blasted, their crops destroyed." "The leaders in America and in other countries have fallen victim to Jewish Zionist blackmail. They have mobilized their people against Islam and against Muslims." "Your position against Muslims in Palestine is despicable and disgraceful. America has no shame...We believe that the worst thieves in the world today and the worst terrorists are the Americans." "The American government is leading the country towards hell...We say to the Americans as people and to American mothers, if they cherish their lives and if they cherish their sons, they must elect an American patriotic government that caters to their interests not the interests of the Jews."