It's rhetoric like "the Jews will be driven into the sea" which prevents me from having complete sympathy for the Palestinians. I agree that the Israeli's are reacting badly, but I honestly believe that Barak's offer at the last peace conference was amazing, considering how badly Arafat has done when it comes to making peaceful co-existence a cultural possibility among the Palestinians. Publishing schoolbooks that don't even acknowledge the existence of Israel and distributing them to children who are going to grow up having to deal with their neighbors is irresponsible at the very least.

This round of violence didn't start with Sharon. Yes, he visited the Temple Mount area. That's where the Wailing Wall is. Yes, he brought soldiers. He's heartily hated among Palestinians with cause and he'd be an idiot to go there without protection. But I've not seen a single report from anyone that says that those soldiers were anything but behaving themselves, or not going to leave the area along with Sharon after a speech. A temporary inconvenience at the worst. Hurt feelings from the speech.

If the Palestinians had responded with words they'd have my sympathy. They responded with rocks. Lots of rocks being thrown at a bunch of young guys who have guns and a fifty year history of listening to Arab politicians gain points by saying "We will drive the Jews into the sea." How long do you think you can be the target of a lot of a rock throwing mob before you try to get them to back off with the means you have in hand? Particularly when your experience says that the leaders of the mob want to annihilate you and everyone you love?

Israeli paranoia is grounded in Arab rhetoric and propaganda. And rhetoric is something that the Arafat can change.