THE IRAQ-ISRAEL CONNECTION

In a recent column, Nicholas Kristof of The New York Times offered a helpful, step-by-step approach for improving the situation in Iraq. Chief among his suggestions were to add 25,000 soldiers to the U.S. forces already stationed in Iraq and to not invade Fallujah and Najaf, thereby inflaming those who are opposed to insurgent leader Moktada al-Sadr but feel they must stand up for Iraqi nationalism. Other steps are to give Iraqis full sovereignty, not limited as the Bush administration is now suggesting, on June 30 and, perhaps the most difficult, to back away from Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon.

Some may ask what Israel has to do with Iraq. The answer is a lot.

Many Americans have a hard time understanding that many in the Middle East view events in the region through the lens of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. With this perspective, the United States is seen as the supporter of an oppressor (Israel) of the Muslim people (the Palestinians). As long as the United States is viewed as throwing its support behind Israel, there will be terrorists willing to blow themselves up in the hope of harming America and its interests.

The U.S.-drawn “road map” that called for Israeli withdrawal from occupied Palestinian territories in exchange for a stop to Palestinian attacks on Israel was a positive step. The fact that no one followed the map was disheartening. Further roadblocks were thrown up when President Bush called Mr. Sharon “a man of peace” even though his forces have killed two Palestinian leaders and threatened a third within the matter of a month.

Supporting the dismantling of Israeli settlements in the disputed territories remains important, but so too does the reining in of Israeli force. Reassuring Palestinians that the United States is concerned about their plight is necessary after President Bush was seen as placating the prime minister during his visit to Washington earlier this month.

As for what to do in Iraq, Mr. Kristof may be right that more soldiers are needed, at least in the short term. With a continued strong insurgency and growing discontent among military families about the unexpectedly long deployments, especially of National Guard and Reserve soldiers, sending more troops to the region for a few months makes sense. He is also on track in urging restraint against

Mr. al-Sadr and in pushing for a real handover of power to an Iraqi authority on June 30.

However, as these actions may be futile if the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is further inflamed.