IRVINE, CA--Yasser Arafat, murderous terrorist and brutal tyrant, deserved execution decades ago for his crimes. Yet, upon the event of his death, this monster became an object of veneration by Western politicians. What is responsible for such a gross abrogation of justice?

Despite Arafat's responsibility for the slaughter of Israeli athletes at the Munich Olympics, the assassination of American diplomats in Sudan in 1973, the hijacking of the Achille Lauro and subsequent murder of Leon Klinghoffer, and numerous similar crimes, President Bush publicly wished, "God bless his soul." Far worse, Jacques Chirac lauded Arafat as "a man of courage and conviction," and the French gave him a military salute as his body was sent to Egypt for a funeral.

So long as moral principle is viewed as an impediment to practical success--as it is by most of the West's politicians--such massive injustices will continue. Our pragmatic leaders believe that moral neutrality is the key to achieving peace in the Middle East. Get both sides to the negotiating table, and ignore the fact that on one side of the table sit ruthless killers--Arafat and his henchmen--and on the other side sit his innocent victims--the Israelis. In reality only evil can profit from such moral evasion--and Arafat did, throughout his life--as our politicians showered him with millions of dollars, political clout and a Nobel Peace Prize, while he worked toward Israel's destruction. 
       
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Dr. Andrew Bernstein, a senior writer for the Ayn Rand Institute, is available for interviews.

Contact larryb@aynrand.org or (800) 365-6552 ext. 213.