September 11, Crisis Resolution

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"Olmert's Bubble "

Dennis Sandole
Prof. of Conflict Resolution and International Relations and Fulbright Visiting Professor of International Studies, Diplomatic Academy of Vienna

Sunday, December 10, 2006

It is disingenuous for Prime Minister Ehud Olmert of Israel to critique the Iraq Study Group's conclusion that the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is intimately linked to other problems in the Middle East and certainly to global terrorism ("Olmert takes issue with panel's findings," Dec. 7).

Even the most ardent of Israel's supporters have noticed that for Muslims worldwide the Israeli occupation of Palestinian territory is an egregious assault on the identity, dignity and security of Muslims everywhere.

This fact regrettably feeds the perception among Arabs and Muslims that the Israeli occupation of Palestine, along with the American occupation of Iraq and Afghanistan, and Russian occupation of Chechnya, are among the indicators of "proof" that the "Crusader" is intent on his 1,000-year struggle to marginalize and eventually eliminate Islam as a force to be reckoned with anywhere on the planet.

Dennis J.D. Sandole Arlington, Virginia

-- DENNIS J.D. SANDOLE
Professor of Conflict Resolution and International Relations
Institute for Conflict Analysis and Resolution
George Mason University

© 2006 The International Herald Tribune