European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - February 2, 1988, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Page 10 the stars and stripes tuesday february 2.1988 columns Jim Fain Surprise of confrontation was Bush s ineptness the National  Over thai link screaming contest Between Dana incr and vice president Bush says vol Umes about the state of politics in inc 80s. No that Media bashing is anything new. When i covered Jov. Eugene Tol Madge or Georgia father of sex sen. Her Man Tel Madge in the 1940s, he had a hired plaque to yell at rallies Tell pm Abdul them lying Atlanta papers. Gene i m a coming Chep per com Felt with distinction. Bush whined and later crowed much As he did in the debate with Ferraro. He seems to equate manhood Wilh Petu Lance. He knew of course he would be nil Wilh Iran Contra. It s interesting that he handled the substance so clumsily. Readmitted embracing arms for hostages out of concern for the Cia station chief who was being tortured to death and said his reservations consisted of Little More than anxiety Abom the fact we were let Ting Israel Lead us around. He stonewalled Sajnin on the Shutlz Weinberger opposition and on knowl Edge of the details. In his own version he appears weak. Ineffectual and inattentive. Polls show most americans be Lieve both Reagan and Bush were full briefed and arc lying about their roles. Actually that s the More comforting View. Otherwise out government is a headless wonder. The Ama ing thing is thai the cover stories have held up so Well Casey s death helped bul the principle of White House Den lability has been observed with far More discipline than washing Ion usually musters. Most voters Are weary of Iran Centra and ready to go on to other matters. Bush May be Able 10 ignore in by Yelling at the Media As he did Wilh rather and with Jim Gannon editor of the pcs Monics Register in inc Iowa debate still its the most shameful of the Reagan record Bush will have to carry into inc fall Campaign if he is nominated. He May be Able to ignore it like an elderly Uncle who belches at the table taut it will be in everyone s consciousness. That s just As Well. H la help us decide whether we really want a paganism with out Cagan. Co new a Mideast foes must meet in conference room Xcvi Llan president Mubarak was in Washington last week trying to get the administration to get actively involved in the search for Arab israeli peace. He and a Central message delivered with Pas Sion. What is important he said is to get Israel and the others into the conference room. Things look very Dif Fernl when people get to the practical work of negotiating. All inc panics would gain so much from peace. Once they arc Ai the table the logic of peace would take hold. It must sound visionary Given the complexities of the Middle East and now the intensified bitterness Between palestinians and israelis. But the one treaty that Genisis by tween Israel and a neighbor resulted from a visionary gesture inc visit to Jerusalem by Mubarak s predecessor the late Anwar Sadat. When i was in Israel recently an american diploma made a comment thai echoed for me in Mubarak s message. The moral equivalent of a Sandal visit the Diplomat said is getting arabs and israelis around a table. Until you get a negotiation started people won t focus on  bul getting to a negotiation is the problem. All the Arab parties now Are ready to go to an International conference hat would Lum inc real work Over to Bilat eral talks Between Israel and a jordanian palestinian delegation for a Sample. Israel s foreign minister. Shi Mon Peres favors the idea. Bui the prime minister in the coalition government Yitzhak Shamir is utterly unyielding by opposed. President Mubarak cannot break the stalemate As president Sandal did. What made the Sadat visit so powerful a drama was that a major party to the conflict was taking an enormous risk for peace bul Egypt is at peace Wilh Israel now Mubarak commendable As is his Effort is an outsider to the conflict. Nor is there any real possibility of a dramatic gesture from any Leader of the conflicting parties. The palestinians Are politically divided and neither Jordan nor Syria can speak for them. Israeli politicians arc too worried about the upcoming election to do anything risky. What then Mubarak talked about a moratorium on violence in the West Bank and Gaza on palestinian protest and israeli repression and building of settlements. Those ideas look like non starters. How would icy assure peace negotiations and without thai Assurance How would they persuade the Young palestinians to Slop protesting the occupation the other possibility. Inc one that brought Mubarak to Washington is american leadership. He wants president Reagan and Secretary of slates Liz 10 Lake some risks for peace in the Middle East. Though he would never put it this i politely he wants them to be serious. The Reagan administration s recent performance on Arab israeli peace has been frivolous. Secretary of state Shufu apparent / promoted the idea that prime minister Shamir and King Hussein of Jordan should come to Washington during the Reagan Gorbachev Summit meeting. 11 would have amounted to a photo Opportunity now president Reagan is sending Philip Habib to Sec King Hussein. That at least shows american inter est. Bul what is needed it a real Effort in Israel an Effort to make Clear what i he opportunities Are in negotiation and the risks in holding on to territory inhabited by a hostile people. In the distance in the abstract peace negotiations Wilh an enemy look dangerous. Countries do not enjoy the Prospect of giving things up which is what negotiation entails. But the negotiations with Egypt helped crucially by inc United Stales gave Israel enor Mous gains. That Frontier is tranquil. The Sinai demilitarized. Once you get Inlo a negotiation an israeli lawyer said realism must take hold perhaps in a sense that is Why prime minister Shamir is so adamantly opposed to an International peace conference. He has an ideological construct perpetual israeli control Oral the land West of the Jordan River. He fears hat if negotiations started his people would prefer the real ism of a smaller but safer country tin indisputably jewish state. There is one other source of Hope i think the Amer ican jewish Community. Its leaders have naturally been reluctant to speak out about the Wisdom of this peace approach or that preferring to leave the Deci Sions to the people and government of Israel. Bul now in the scenes in the West Bank and Gaza icy Sec a mortal threat to the future of Israel. Ameri can jews on the whole do not want an Israel Wilh a Large and growing palestinian population. They do not want to let things go on As they Are with Arab radicalism becoming More menacing. Many see inc urgency of peace and their voices could make a difference. The opinions expressed in the column us cartoon on this Pige represent Thow of the minors and ire in no Way to be considered As representing the views of the Sun and so rpm or the untied stale government