America not perfidious

For the first time ever, I need to take issue with the editor of The Jakarta Post on a small matter. The heading Perfidious America (Oct. 11, 1996) was chosen by the editor. In my letter, America was included only to comment on its propensity to claim a sovereign right as the only mediator in the current events in the Middle East.

My message was simply to warn Israel that time is running out for them, and that the Europeans would be well-advised to take the lead without asking America. Chirac has already done this. I fervently hope my own country (UK) will cut loose and follow the French lead. Israel (as currently governed) needs to be isolated from America.

The man in the street in America, France, UK and Israel -- even in Palestine, Libya, Jordan, etc. -- wants peace and not conflict. The Arab countries, to a greatly varying degree, are in the hands of dictatorships (with the exception of Jordan), whereas we in the West presume that our leaders seek an international peace.

Should events in the Middle East result in the destruction of Israel, clearly Europe, China, Russia and the superpower, USA, will be in the "hour of maximum danger," as the great novelist, James Barlow, described the communist threat three decades ago.

Europe: Act now. Take the lead. Protect your interests and isolate Netanyahu, whose own country condemns him as a threat to peace.

The USA is not "perfidious". They simply need the Jewish vote. Europe: Cut loose. Demonstrate support for the Arabic/Islamic cause and seize the opportunity to put America into historical context. Let the USA confine itself to countries geographically near. Cut the USA out of events outside of the Americas.

BILL GUERIN

Jakarta