Jerusalem Cloakroom #172: Should Abu Mazen be Invited to the White House?

Should Abu Mazen be Invited
to the White House?

December 31, 2004

A teacher poses the following question to his sixth graders: "If we define a dog's tail as a leg; how many legs would that dog have?" "Five" responded one of the kids. "Wrong", said the teacher, "it doesn't matter how we define dogs' tail; it always remains a tail, and dogs always have four legs!"
It doesn't matter how one defines next week's Palestinian election. Election held by a totalitarian/terrorist regime is not free!
It doesn't matter how one defines Abu Mazen. A deputy/confidant (since the 1950s!) of a terrorist leader - who has been the role model of international terrorism - is no more of a legitimate leader than are the deputies/confidants of the Taliban and of the Ba`th leaders.
Therefore:

Would the US invite to the White House the architect of PA-Hamas series of understandings?!
Would the US welcome to Washington the engineer of PLO ties with ruthless E. European regimes and the USSR?!
Would the US host in DC, the home of the most impressive Holocaust Museum, a Holocaust Denier (thesis of his Ph.D.)?!
Would the US tolerate a co-founder of the most obscene anti-Jewish and anti-US Hate-Education system in modern history?!
Would the US Kosherize Card #2 of the PLO/PA regime, which has been the role model of Bin-Laden's terrorism?!
Would the US appease Arafat's right hand man, who co-supervised the March 1973 murder of two US ambassadors in Sudan?!
Would the US placate the person who handled the financing of the 1972 Munich Massacre?!
Would the US accord legitimacy to Arafat's deputy and top confidant of the last 50 years?!
Would the US Administration undermine its own moral values and strategic principles, by inviting Abu Mazen to Washington?!
Would you invite Abu Mazen to your private home?!
Why would Abu Mazen be invited to the US?!