If you re-read that TIME article, you'll note that the Israelis are still (at least as at the date of the article) trying to gather intel on Arafat to link him to terror groups. This suggests to me that they have none.

I can't cast any opinion on Israel's folder of info, since I haven't seen it. They're no fools though - I'm sure it had something of interest to the Americans in it. Certainly America's attitude towards Arafat has changed since then.

On Israel's peace proposal: the general consesus seems to be that Arafat blew it with Barak. Others (partisan pro-Palestinians) have commented that Arafat could not agree to a peace plan which provided for the Palestinian nation to be criss-crossed by Israeli military rights of way. Others still (more moderate commentators) have pointed out that although Arafat blew it, Sharon would never have let the peace talks occur in the first place.

Germany sued for peace with the French after the invasion, and imposed the Vichy government on the French. While most French accepted the peace, some French fought on - de Gaulle for example. I've been to Arc d'Triumph, and seen next to plaques commerating Napoleon and others a plaque setting out de Gaulle's inspirational speech from "Londres". De Gaulle would not give up until the Germans were forced out of their rightful country, and France was ruled by the French, on French terms. I have a lot of sympathy and admiration for this sort of courage. Other Europeans do too. And I think the parallel extends to Palestinians.

Obviously, I don't condone suicide bombs on buses. I do understand the hatred behind it though, especially in settlements in Pal. territories - its as if German settlers were occupying French lands, which were previously owned by French people. Israel has done little other than make token efforts to remover those people.

Finally, on Irish-Americans supporting the IRA: I know of prominent Irish-Australians who funded the IRA, so its odd that you think at least some of the 44 million Irish-Americans would not.

Here is something from Global Security.org, a respected international relations thinktank:

http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/library/report/1991/RAC.htm

quote:

TITLE: THE ROOTS OF TERRORISM IN NORTHERN IRELAND

I. Purpose: To provide a concise history of the sectarian
trouble in Northern Ireland, and an understanding of the
different perspectives of the Catholic and Protestant
communities, in order to highlight the exploitation of Irish
nationalism by terrorists.

II. Problem: Among Americans, particularly of Irish descent,
there remains a belief that Irish terrorists are "freedom
fighters". This misconception has resulted in significant
financial and moral support for the Provisional IRA in its
current campaign of violence.
Here is an article from the Cincinnatti Post (although it says Sinn Fein raised millions, from Irish-Americans, after pledging no violence, but then reneged)

http://www.cincypost.com/2001/oct/29/will102901.html

An Indian business site puts it succinctly:

quote:

In one way we are all fortunate that September 11 happened. It focussed the American mind to terrorism. Without their support, many countries, including the UK and Spain, suffered from terrorist attacks financed from both the US and other Western nations. Now the US has even clamped down on the IRA funding in the US. For decades, Irish Americans had financed the IRA.