Israel is not without blemish. There have been acts during the past weeks for which we are not proud. But as a country in this part of the world, only Israel rests upon a foundation of democratic rule of law. The spiral of violence which has erupted in Israel for the past few weeks represents a clear decision by Yasser Arafat to use it as a negotiating strategy. Scenes of Palestinian youth dying and Israeli firepower being used against civilian demonstrations serve the interests of Arafat, not Israel.
Violence breeds death - which breeds retaliation and revenge and more death.
Prime Minister Barak immediately telephoned Arafat to offer condolences and to repeat that it was a tragic, unintentional result of the raging violence. The savage lynch of two IDF reserve soldiers in Ramallah was a brutal reminder to all of us that human beings, fed by mob passions, can be reduced to animal-like behavior. Israel's retaliation included advance warnings to preclude loss of life. The IDF helicopter missile which destroyed the Ramallah police station entered the very same window out of which the soldier's body was thrown just hours before. The message was not lost on anyone.