NEW YORK -- Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon's decision to keep Palestinian Authority President Yasser Arafat under siege in the West Bank city of Ra- mallah shows an utter disrespect for the Palestinian leader and for the Palestinians. While Sharon insists that Arafat will not leave the city until the assassins of Israeli Tourism Minister Rehavam Zeevi are apprehended, those in Israel responsible for assassinating scores of Palestinian leaders in state-sponsored terrorism go free, with no Israeli commitment to capture and punish them.

Coming on the heels of the destruction of the runway of the Palestinian-controlled international airport in the Gaza Strip and the destruction of the road between the towns of Rafah and Khan Younis, Sharon's decision can only have ominous consequences for the chances of peace in the region.

The latest Israeli moves follow the Jan. 3 seizure of an arms-loaded boat that Israel alleges was Palestinian-owned and a serious threat to the Israeli population. Yet the United States sends Israel weapons worth about $2 billion a year, weapons that are used for attacking and killing Palestinian soldiers and civilians in unequal battles pitching high technology against stones.