It is true that in hindsight, and to a minority of observers, the Palestinians, and Arabs, appear to have sacrificed one "generous" offer after the other, but that is not only a harsh judgment to make but a simplistic one as well.

Those who pontificate about Palestinians not honoring their agreements and turning to terror to achieve political goals only demonstrate their ignorance, or their use of other people's ignorance, of Palestinian history. The bare truth is that the Palestinians have been let down time and time again by the powers of the day.

Ariel Sharon knows that history very well. He believes the world could very well afford to abandon the Palestinians to their fate, and he sees a rare opportunity to carry out a fantastic scheme to rob the Palestinians of all of their land and of all of their rights.

Global and regional realities have given him that chance. The tanks surrounding the dilapidated building in Ramallah underline these realities. The failure of the UN to investigate what happened in Jenin refugee camp earlier this year has enticed Sharon to pursue such scheme with impunity.

This is really not a war between Sharon and Arafat, nor is it about Israel's right to defend itself against Hamas and Islamic Jihad. This is a colonial war to finish off Palestinian aspirations for statehood, to usurp the last plot of their land and to drive them into exile for good. It would be foolish to read this war in any other way. Sharon will not offer anything to the Palestinians, not after Arafat, not after he turns his guns against Hamas and others.