08/09/2002
EDITORIAL NUMBER=0-10057

MIDEAST TERRORISM

On July 31^st, a terrorist bomb killed seven people and wounded more than eighty others at the Hebrew University in Jerusalem. This attack transformed a friendly multinational cafeteria into a scene of devastation and death.

"The target," said U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations John Negroponte, "was carefully chosen." This was a crime committed not only against Israel and the Jewish people, but also against all those Israelis, Palestinians, and others, who want to live together in peace.

In an address to the U-N General Assembly, Ambassador Negroponte said the U-N should condemn "the terrorist organizations, like Hamas, that are clearly out to sabotage any effort to achieve Arab-Israeli peace, and. . .call on countries of the world to fulfill their obligations to root out all terrorist networks, wherever they are."

As Ambassador Negroponte put it, "For too long, the U-N General Assembly and the U-N Security Council have been silent when Israelis are victims of terrorism. Member states must reject the rationales given by Hamas, Palestinian Jihad, and others that their terrorist bombings are somehow justified by the state of affairs in the Middle East."

The U.S. is working hard to assist Palestinians and Israelis to reach a peaceful settlement. And, said Ambassador Negroponte, "We are emphasizing to the Israeli government its responsibilities...to assist not only humanitarian relief, but the restoration of economic activity within the West Bank and Gaza."

The U.S. supports the legitimate aspirations of the Palestinian people. But, as President George W. Bush said, "Terror has to be stopped. No nation can negotiate with terrorists. For there is no way to make peace with those whose only goal is death."