Brothers In Arms

During the struggle for American independence, Thomas Paine wrote: "These are the times that try men's souls." He knew that the "summer soldiers" and the "sunshine patriots" would not withstand the harsh demands of the Revolutionary War. That quest demanded a commitment to liberty so strong and a belief in freedom so persistent that brothers would take up arms not only against the mother country, but against their Tory neighbors as well.

Recent suicide bombs in Israel bring Paine's words to life once again. The peace process and all the fundamental assumptions that accompanied it have been called into question. Even the steadfast, dovish soldiers of the Left are unsure of the future. The viscious, remorseless behavior of Hamas terrorists tries the souls of those of us who want to believe in the possibility of Middle East peace.

In an effort to rebuild Israelis' shattered sense of security, Prime Minister Peres has declared war on Hamas, vowing to bring the terrorist organization to its knees. In the past few days, hundreds of weapons have been confiscated, suspected bombers have been rounded up. Homes have been sealed off and some of them have been destroyed.

Peres needed to take these steps for reasons of national security. Yasir Arafat cannot alone implement a crackdown of the necessary scale and it would be unfair to expect him to be able to. With nothing more than a beefed up municipal police force, he can hardly carry out what is in effect a military operation.

But regardless of how many bombs they discover and how many suspected villains they arrest, the Israeli army can never change the fundamental attitudes of the Palestinians. An Arabic daily, shortly after the Tel Aviv bombing this week, ran an editorial saying, "Hamas is a mass movement and it will disappear only when Israel stops its hostility toward us."

The statement is callous and reeks of an apologist approach to violence. To suggest that bombings are warranted against a people who have taken courageous steps towards peace, to the point of compromising their own security, is contemptible. No one is to blame for the evil of blowing children to pieces except those that perpetrate that evil.

But the editorial should remind us all that Hamas has been tolerated as a "mass" movement for a long time. Only a small sector of the Palestinian population carries out these bombings and condemnations of such acts have come quickly from Arafat, Palestinian intellectuals and student leaders on our own campus.

It is one thing, however, to condemn an act. It is quite another to disown an ideology. Peres is correct to forestall Israeli withdrawal from Hebron until the Palestinian National Covenant is amended. Though the Covenant is symbolic, it is an important symbol. If Arafat and other Palestinian leaders do not have the courage to expunge that record of hate from their past, they surely will not have the nerve to push on for peace in the months ahead.

Even Arafat's leadership will not be enough. He must facilitate a serious peace movement among Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza, one that is well-organized and which can compete with Hamas for the soul of the people. Where are the leaders of Islam who should be portraying Hamas as a religious disgrace? Without their voices, violence will continue.

So far, there is reason for hope. Arafat has moved to crack down on terrorists. Over a thousand Palestinians gathered for a peace rally in Gaza. There is reason to think that if the Palestinian people truly believe in peace and nonviolence that they can yet bring them about.

It will not be easy. When Baruch Goldstein savagely murdered Islamic worshippers in Hebron a few years ago, those of us with any ethical sense severed our connection to him. For me, he is not my brother; he is not of my people. Palestinians must do the same.

These are times that try our souls. In the face of absurd and senseless tragedy, I still have hope that the murderous voices will be drowned out. But it will take unprecendented resolve. And brothers may yet take up arms against one another.

Ethan M. Tucker's column appears on alternate Wednesdays.