Hypocrisy in the Mideast

Israel is being criticized for expanding two settlements in the so-called occupied territories. The Housing Ministry is planning to add 496 new homes in Ma'ale Adumim, which is to the east of Jerusalem, and 212 in Alfei Menashe, close to Nablus.

Settlements in the territories are a flashpoint in the dispute between Palestinians and Israel, seen by the Arabs as a sign that Israel does not intend to cede the land any time soon. The expansion of these two settlements is seen as an act of bad faith by Israel and was criticized last week by the American administration as having the possibility of "further inflaming" the situation in that troubled place.

However, the construction is to take place in existing settlements in response to what Israeli officials call natural population growth. Moreover, the two settlements are in areas that are likely to remain part of Israel, should a Palestinian state ever become a reality. Critics will say we can't presume which parts of the occupied territories will remain part of Israel, because no firm map has ever been created to determine which territory would be Palestinian and which would be Israeli.

Yet the criticism would be laughable, were the issue not so critical. If Israel's actions are in bad faith, how on earth would we characterize Palestinian actions?

This intifada is the ultimate act of bad faith. As the two sides were closer than ever to attaining a settlement that could result in a lasting peace, Palestinians - incited by their religious and political leaders - picked up rocks and pummelled the peace process to death.

Under the circumstances, all bets are off. Palestinian authorities lost their moral right to call Israel's kettle black when they launched this latest round of violence.

The United States can say what it wants about the situation, but Israel has no obligation to abide by the tenets of the abandoned peace proposals.

Had the peace efforts prevailed, there might have been a rudimentary Palestinian state emerging right now. Had Yasser Arafat had the courage to transform himself from a terrorist to a political leader, this whole story would have a diametrically opposed conclusion.

If all those things had happened, we would have enthusiastically joined the United States in criticizing Israel's expansion of the two settlements. Then Israel would have been in the wrong.

They didn't. We won't. It isn't.

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