At the time of his killing the Washington featured an editorial, "THE KILLING OF KHALIL WAZIR." (April 19, 1988). The editorial is notable for its moral confusion. However it started well:

KHALIL WAZIR, or Abu Jihad (''father of the holy war''), lived by the gun, had one in his hand, in fact, when he was assassinated in Tunis, reportedly by the Israelis. As the No. 2 man in Yasser Arafat's PLO and the head of its main military arm, he qualified as a terrorist, someone using violence indiscriminately, against civilians and for political effect. He believed armed struggle in this form was essential for Palestinians claiming nationhood. There can be no loose romanticizing about the man.

Khalil Wazir was also something besides a terrorist. He had a second role. He had established himself as a respected leader of his people and as one who personified their dream of national redemption in a land of their own. This is the difficult but undeniable fact about the PLO. It uses terrorism and, at the same time, evidently seeing no contradiction, presumes to speak for a people's dignity.

Palestinians are outraged at the thought that not only does Israel refuse to acknowledge their leaders, it kills them when it can. Others are left to wonder whether there are any leaders the Palestinians can put forward who are both able to speak for their people and acceptable, as nonterrorists, to the Israelis. The latest sequence tightens this question and underlines the urgency of the American peace initiative, which has not found an answer but which is the one diplomatic operation actively looking for one.

If I were to tell you that when a Middle Eastern country was founded in the first half of the 20th century it created thousands of refugees and is now building a fence on its disputed border to prevent terrorist infiltrations, you might think that I was talking about Israel. You would be wrong. I am referring to Saudi Arabia. When the modern Saudi state was founded in the 1930's it conquered two provnices - Jizan and Najran - from Yemen. The Jews living in those areas were escorted out of the new kingdom and their property confiscated. What brings this to mind is Clifford May's article, "The High Cost of Gaza Housing that documents the displacement of many Jewish communities in the Middle East by the Arabs. (HT: Crossing the Rubicon2) Unlike those who have become known as Palestinians, the displaced Jews were not in any theater of combat. But they wer expelled simply because they were Jewish. Somehow that doesn't evoke the same outrage that Palestinian displacement does. And somehow, even when someone worthy like Clifford May gives this sordid history, Saudi Arabia escapes mention. (It's probably because Saudi Arabia's expulsion occurred before 1948.)

Not Quite Perfect "never get[s] tired" of making fractal art. I never get tired of viewing it. I don't wish her ill but some of she produces some of her best stuff when she's had a bad day. Her work's still quite good when things are better too.

Crossposted on Israpundit and Soccer Dad.