Palestinian demonstrators wave their guns and chant patriotic slogans at a rally.
On a breezy afternoon last July, President Clinton walked through the woods of his weekend retreat at Camp David in Maryland. This was no ordinary stroll in the park, though. Clinton faced a major challenge: helping two leaders, Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak and Palestinian Yasser Arafat, make peace between their people.
| Palestinian demonstrators wave their guns and chant patriotic slogans at a rally. |
The Palestinians, who are mostly Muslim, and the Jewish Israelis have been involved in a long struggle over land in the Middle East. During their 15-day meeting, the two leaders inched closer to a deal. They smiled. They shook hands. They didn’t sign a deal, but there was great hope.
Now that hope has been shattered. By last Friday a new round of fighting between Palestinians and Israelis had left nearly 100 people dead and 2,000 injured. Most of the victims were Palestinians, but both sides have had a heavy hand in the worst violence between the two groups in more than 30 years.
Sparking the Violence
The fighting was triggered by the visit of an Israeli politician, Ariel Sharon, to a religious site in Jerusalem that is holy to both Jews and Muslims. Most Palestinians dislike Sharon because he speaks out against letting the Palestinians have their own country. To them, Sharon’s visit symbolized Jewish control of this holy site—a sore point for Muslims. It sparked an angry rampage by Palestinians.
Demonstrators carrying guns took to the streets. Last week two Israeli soldiers were taken hostage and killed by Palestinian rioters. Israel quickly got revenge by dropping rocket bombs on a Palestinian police station and a broadcasting center. One Israeli rocket fell just 150 feet away from Arafat’s home while he was inside.
As the two sides battled, religious sites were destroyed, and cars were set on fire. Travelers were warned to avoid Israel and the Palestinian territory. "The peace process is over," said Palestinian Mouhib Barghouti. "The whole thing has gone too far. There is fault on both sides."
Israel accuses Arafat of letting the Palestinians riot. He "does not appear to be a partner for peace at this time," said Barak. Arafat told a group of Palestinian officials, "Barak had this confrontation in mind." Each side refuses to meet until the other stops the violence.
The Fight for Land
Israel and the Palestinian Arabs have a long history of conflict. Their struggle goes back more than 50 years. When Israel was created as a Jewish state in 1948, many Palestinians felt they had to leave their homes. Now Palestinians control the Gaza Strip and the West Bank, where violence has been the worst. But they still do not have their own country. Both groups want to have Jerusalem as their capital.
|  Israeli soldiers watch for stone-throwing Palestinians in a West Bank town. |
No End in Sight
The U.S. also fell prey to tension in the Arab world last week. A U.S. Navy ship was bombed near Yemen, a small Arab country. Seventeen U.S. sailors were killed in what appears to be a terrorist attack.
After the events of the past two weeks, it is unlikely that peace will come to the region any time soon. World leaders will have enough trouble just getting both sides to stop fighting. United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan traveled to the region to meet separately with Arafat and Barak. "I appeal to all—leaders and citizens alike—to stop and think about what they are doing today and what kind of tomorrow they want for their children," he said.
President Clinton has also spoken to Arafat and Barak over the phone several times a day, pleading for an end to the violence. "I call on both sides to undertake a cease-fire immediately," he said.
But neither side showed any indication of letting up first. "Our struggle is only beginning," chanted Palestinian protesters last Thursday, as Israeli army helicopters hovered in the distance.
Key Events in the Middle East Conflict