DAVID TWERSKY
595
Arafat asked the Israeli journalists if they were going home
soon. "Yes, tonight," was the reply.
"You think you have the right to return to there and I don't?
Very simply, I am also a human being. I want to return to my home–
land. "
The Israeli journalist asked, "When you say Palestine , which
part of it do you mean?"
"For all of us .... All of it. ... Together, why not?"
" You don't mean a separate state?"
"You are familiar with our famous slogan: a secular democratic
state for Moslems, Christians and] ews.
And
if
this solution is unaccept–
able, two separate states."
(Emphasis added.)
On this slender reed Avneri built his "P.L.O. Recognizes
Israel" case, which was broadcast over the television in Israel and
around the world. Given the importance of the question, and its his–
tory, Avneri might have insisted on some precision . But no , a smile,
an autograph in a picture book, an exclusive first-Arafat inter–
viewed by Israelis-and all sense goes out the window. The vague
hint in the direction of a separate PLO state alongside Israel , the
formula long advocated by the Avneri/Eliav doves-this flirtation is
taken as a successful seduction.
Avneri's groveling stance in the interview session can best be
illustrated in the following exchange: Arafat doesn ' t understand why
the Israelis support this war; Avneri explains that it is "because
many of the Israelis, who are essentially a peace-loving nation, were
convinced by the one-sided propaganda of our government that the
P.L.O. doesn't want peace." Wasn't Arafat a charter member of the
War Resister's League?
And Arafat's constant reference to the Israeli "military govern–
ment ," and later to the PLO's "democratic regime far more demo–
cratic than [Israel's]," elicits no response . The master has favored
his servant with a visit. That the meeting took place under the threat
of the gun, that even the faint nod in the direction of rational moder–
ation by Arafat was made possible only in a time of great pressure,
escaped Avneri's attention.
As it did Paul McCloskey's and his Congressional Traveling
Show. The Cowboy from California rides into the Mideast, meets
with Arafat and-presto changeo!-gets the impossible out of him, a
signed statement recognizing Israel. Or almost: he recognized the
U. N . resolutions dealing with the Palestinians; and that means he
