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By Way of Deception

By Way of Deception

By Way of Deception

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334 BY WAY OF DECEPTIONthe PLO to be its parliament in exile, had proclaimed theestablishment <strong>of</strong> an independent Palestinian state, and voted forthe first time to accept key UN resolutions that implicitly recognizeIsrael's right to exist.* * *During this prolonged period <strong>of</strong> unrest, Israel's image abroad hassuffered serious harm. Despite increasing efforts by Israeli <strong>of</strong>ficialsto muzzle the reporting <strong>of</strong> West Bank and Gaza unrest, the images<strong>of</strong> armed troops beating and shooting unarmed Palestinian youthshave begun to upset even some <strong>of</strong> Israel's staunchest allies.Three days after Shamir lost in the non-confidence vote, formerU.S. president Jimmy Carter, on a tour <strong>of</strong> the region, said therevolt was "being perpetuated partially by the abuse <strong>of</strong> thePalestinians" by Israeli soldiers, including unjustified killings,house demolitions, and detention without trial."There is hardly a family that lives in the West Bank that has nothad one <strong>of</strong> its male members actually incarcerated by militaryauthorities," said Carter.Israeli army figures show that between 15,000 and 20,000Palestinians have been wounded and up to 50,000 arrested. About13,000 <strong>of</strong> them remain in jail.In what seemed a deliberate attempt to provoke the Christiancommunity, on April 12, 1990, during Easter week, a group <strong>of</strong> 150ardent Jewish nationalists moved into a vacant, four-building, 72-room complex known as St. John's Hospice, in the heart <strong>of</strong>Jerusalem's Christian quarter. The hospice is within yards <strong>of</strong> theChurch <strong>of</strong> the Holy Sepulcher, revered by Christians as thetraditional site <strong>of</strong> the tomb <strong>of</strong> Jesus Christ.For 10 days, the Israeli government denied any role in the event.Finally, it admitted that it had secretly funneled $1.8 million to thegroup, 40 percent <strong>of</strong> the cost <strong>of</strong> subletting the complex.U.S. Senator Robert Dole, during an interview while he touredIsrael, suggested that the United States should consider cutting itsmassive aid package to Israel to free up funds for emergingdemocracies in Eastern Europe and Latin America.

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