Giuliani On Arafat

I recommend to you "Leadership", by Rudi Giuliani, one of the great leaders of our time. Giuliani "gets it", and he truly understood Arafat. Here are some extracts I dug out where he discussed Yasir Arafat.

In 1990 the United States felt it had to negotiate with Palestinian Authority President Yasir Arafat - but we needed to require more of him, not less, because he was somebody who wouldn't "stay bribed". He'd be given territory, but wouldn't do what he said he would, and would say he couldn't unless he got more territory. We would make concessions, as would he, we'd live up to ours, he wouldn't live up to his. He would promise to expel or arrest terrorists - then fail to do so. For years I had been saying that we were negotiating with the wrong person. Let me return to my earlier analogy. If you're buying a house and arrive at a price, you expect your new home to be delivered once you've met your side of the bargain. If it turns out that whoever took your money does not represent the seller, you know you've been had. That's what happened time and again with Arafat. We've repeatedly received assurances that he was no longer going to provide haven for terrorists, then discovered that in fact Palestine was a breeding ground for them. There were those in power in the 1990s who, instead of refusing to deal with Arafat, helped promote him for the Nobel Peace prize! The situation had grown eerily similar to the 1930s, when misguided sympathizers refused to see the world for what it was.

Giuliani then proceeds to write about a dinner he hosted in 1995 for all heads of state at the World Financial Centre, held as an event to honour the 50th anniversary of the United Nations. The Palestinian delegation was specifically excluded from the invitations list, as were many other leaders of pariah nations. Yet on the night of the event Arafat was there. Somehow he managed to get an invitation. Giuliani's response? "Throw him out, he's not invited." At great political risk, Giuliani stuck to his scruples, and against the advice of his advisors, refused to proceed with Arafat in the building. Eventually Arafat left.

To my mind, US foreign policy on the Middle East lost any constructive agenda once we began believing that our involvement there was like some sort of chess game, in which each side had to move its pieces one at a time and were roughly morally equivalent. I even hear such thinking now about how "both sides have to reduce the violence." That is true - but there are meaningful distinctions between the kinds of violence on each side. None of this means that we don't negotiate with people who are maybe evil. We may have no choice. But we shouldn't treat him the same way as Rabin or Peres or Barak or Sharon or Netanyahu. I admit that some of these men are personal friends; but they share roughly our set of values. You can negotiate with them. With Arafat you have to require him to deliver before you do. If you deliver first, he's going to make you deliver again and again before he holds up his end of the bargain, if he ever does. There are some people who should be completely avoided. It's counter productive to deal with them, and will just drag you down. There are many times in which leaders think they have to deal with someone who doesn't meet their standards, when the reality is that they can just say no. As mayor, I would meet with any constituency, visit any neighbourhood, help any community; there was no group of people I didn't want to reach. But I insisted on dealing only with people who kept their word. In the end, that makes everyone operate at a higher standard.

Comments

[DA mal]

Guiliani's very impressive, isn't he? It's very sad that his contribution to the world is so much shortened because of his illness.

[Steve]

He is very impressive. I remember that when Hillary ran for senate he had to pull out because of illness, but I cant remember exactly what the illness is. Also, didnt he overcome the illness. I am still hoping that he would run for president one day???

[Vaz Lube]

I remember well, the time Giuliani forcibly ejected Arafat from an event. When Giuliani was attending an event (I think a performance or something), He noticed that Arafat was entering the hall, Rudy told his officials to eject this persona non granta pronto. Arafat was unceremoniously led out. Fellow attendees applauded Giuliani. The media reported that Arafat was "victimized" by Giuliani!

Giuliani gets my respect.

[Bethel Bennett]

Rudy Guiliani is no backslapper. He actually lives his beliefs.

He's a REAL man!

[mondo]

Giuliani is a terrorist. He and members of his security company were not only involved in setting up explosives in the World Trade Center, but also the London bombs. Like on 9-11, this was a joint venture between Israel, the U.S. Bush/Bilderberg's, and the UK.

See for yourself...
http://www.whatreallyhappened.com/

[mondo]

YOu people who ra-ra Israel need to open up your closed and fearful minds and deal with the real facts.... A poertion of Israel's government is evil. The only proven Al Qaeda cells ever actually caught were found to be terrorists from Mossad and IDF. Just like the 2 Mossad agents that were caught trying to bomb the Mexican Congress one month after 9-11 on 10-11.
http://www.prisonplanet.com/articles/july2004/190704greatillusion.htm

[Ariel]

It's 3 years too late, but what utter garbage mondo. There is not a single 9/11 conspiracy theory that has not been scientifically obliterated.