False tears and moral bankruptcy

Shmuley Boteach, Jerusalem Post

From the way world leaders reacted to the death of Yasser Arafat, you could be forgiven if you had mistakenly believed that Mother Theresa had died. Kofi Annan declared himself "deeply moved" by Arafat's death and ordered the UN flag flown at half mast. This is the same Annan who overruled UN General Romeo Dallaire in April 1994 and ordered him not to use his UN forces to disarm the Hutus and prevent them from hacking to death 800,000 Tutsis.

Annan is undeniably corrupt (he is currently blocking US Senate efforts to investigate the UN's Oil-for-Food program in Iraq). His leadership of the UN exposes it for the farce it has, tragically, become.

Then there was French President Jacques Chirac, whose stomach-turning pronouncement on the death of the godfather of modern terror – whom Chirac praised in death as a man of "courage and conviction" – was that he was all choked up and could barely speak.

"It is with emotion that I have learnt of the death of president Yasser Arafat."

Of course, one wonders if Chirac was incapacitated by his devastation at Arafat's death or from ordering his troops to fire on innocent civilians in Ivory Coast this week, after unilaterally deciding – without any UN approval – to destroy the tiny country's air force.

Of course, the US continues to be embarrassed by Jimmy Carter, a man with a penchant for protecting tyrants, from Kim Il Sung and Kim Jon Il of North Korea, to Fidel Castro of Cuba.

Carter said that the PLO chief had provided "indispensable leadership to a revolutionary movement" and had been "a powerful human symbol and forceful advocate" who united Palestinians in their pursuit of a homeland.

It is time that the world recognized these three despicable men – Kofi Annan, Jacques Chirac, and Jimmy Carter – as constituting a Western "Axis of Evil," three leaders whose long careers have been devoted to apologizing for tyrants, propping up dictators, demonstrating contempt for their victims and, above all, espousing an irrational hatred of Israel that would normally be called anti-Semitism.

But the most painful reaction of all to Arafat's death, from a quarter where it was least expected, came from Pope John Paul II. His spokesman Joaquin Navarro-Valls declared: "At this hour of sadness at the passing of President Yasser Arafat, His Holiness Pope John Paul is particularly close to the deceased's family, the [Palestinian] Authority, and the Palestinian people. While entrusting his soul into the hands of the Almighty and Merciful God, the Holy Father prays to the Prince of Peace that the star of harmony will soon shine on the Holy Land."

In a second statement, Navarro Valls said in the pope's name that Arafat was "a leader of great charisma who loved his people and sought to lead them towards national independence. May God welcome in His mercy the soul of the illustrious deceased and give peace to the Holy Land."

That an elderly man of acknowledged saintliness could pray for God to welcome Arafat in heaven, rather than send him to the pit of hell, is confusing to all who look to the pope for guidance. How could the Vicar of Christ ignore Arafat's theft of billions from his impoverished and desperate nation? Is not what Arafat did an affront to everything Jesus stood for, which was primarily a dedication to the oppressed, the poor, and the persecuted? I have long loved this pope for his devotion to the poor of the Third World. Why would he suddenly turn on all those who have been blown to pieces by Arafat's bombers over a 40-year career?

How ironic that only one world leader showed true morality and grit in condemning Arafat for what he was. That man is not a priest or a religious leader but Australian Prime Minister John Howard, who savaged Arafat as a man whom "history will judge very harshly." How ironic that the pope should have to learn his morality from down under.

The writer is a nationally syndicated radio host in the US and an author. His latest book is Face Your Fear: Living with Courage in an Age of Caution. False tears and moral bankruptcy