John Paul II as a Sign of Hope in Israel
The Jerusalem Post printed a dour opinion column by Efraim Inbar on March 2, 1998. Called “Peace is a Mirage,” it was filled with predictions of difficulties ahead around the world. He did identify one sign of hope, however. The article began:
“Saddam Hussein will continue to preoccupy us for some time, since his capacity for mischief and hegemonic ambitions remain unchanged. Even if he is somehow removed-an unequivocal blessing … we will not see the emergence of a more benign Middle East.”
He continued, “The unipolar movement where the United States is the hegemonic power in the Middle East will not last for long; the Russians are coming back,” and noted Russian insurgency in several different regions and issues.
Israel must carefully guard itself in the new world context, in order to avoid being on the short end of future developments, he argued. The one sign of hope?
“Eventually, [even such bullies as] revolutionary Iran will grow up. All revolutionaries mature sooner or later. Even the fiery Castro joined the Pope in a Catholic Mass recently,” he wrote.
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