Palestinians' Misery Self-inflicted

Craig Weiss in the Arizona Republic describes how the Palestinians have brought their own misery on themselves.

Palestinians have a long history of preying on Israel's humanity. Palestinians have often used Red Crescent ambulances to transport terrorists past Israeli checkpoints. In the past three years alone, Palestinian terrorists have been captured at Israeli checkpoints, posing as ambulance drivers, doctors and patients.

Palestinian terror groups have hidden explosive suicide belts under gurneys carrying sick children and in the garments of pregnant women.

As a direct response to these Palestinian abuses of international law and human decency, Israel has been forced to establish checkpoints and search ambulances. Palestinian complaints about what happens at checkpoints should cause us to think of the story of the child who murders his parents and then throws himself on the mercy of the judge because he is an orphan.

Palestinian atrocities are why checkpoints were created. Virtually all of the checkpoints in the territories were dismantled 10 years ago, after the signing of the Oslo accords. Israelis were filled with hope in the peace process, and the belief that the Palestinians would use their freedom of movement to tackle terrorism and begin the task of responsible nation-building.

It was only during the last three years, which has seemed to Israelis like one long Sept. 11, that these checkpoints needed to be re-established. Yet, Palestinians never accept responsibility for the reality that they have brought upon themselves.