Posted on 08/09/2005 10:21:52 AM PDT by anotherview
Tuesday, August 09, 2005
by Caitlyn M. Martin
Palestinian Foreign Minister Nasser al-Kidwa yesterday became the latest Palestinian official to claim that Gaza will still be "occupied" even after every last Israeli departs. The Palestinians want to have full control of their borders. (The border between Gaza and Sinai, the Philadelphi Road, will be turned over to Egypt under an agreement made between Israel and Egypt.) The want full control of the sea lanes off the Gaza coast and the airspace. In other words, they want free and unfettered access to arms to use against Israel. The Palestinian demands are reasonable under a peace agreement, not when the two sides are still effectively at war.
Claiming Gaza is still "occupied" even without an Israeli presence is also a way for the Palestinians of attempting to escape any responsibility for what follows after the pullout, at least in the eyes of a largely sympathetic world community. If Gaza descends into chaos Israel will be at fault. If Hamas takes over it will be because Israel failed to cooperate sufficiently with the P.A. and failed to "end occupation". If al-Quaeda sets up shop in a major way that, too, will be blamed on Israel. Never mind that there have been reports of links between Palestinian terrorist groups an al-Qaeda for years. The Bush administrations bizarre turn in taking the Palestinian's side in these issues, led by Secretary of State Condoleeze Rice's recent calls for Israel to make the concessions the Palestinians demand doesn't help matters any.
Not taking any responsibility is nothing new for the Palestinians who seem completely unready and perhaps incapable of running a country. The Palestinian Authority demanded that settlements be destroyed rather than using the housing for their own impoverished people. Hothouses and other agricultural development in Gush Katif is being removed rather than being used to feed Palestinians now dependent on international food aid, again as demanded by the Palestinians. The Palestinians have turned down every opportunity to truly end occupation and to have an independent country, preferring war to the incredibly generous offers made by Prime Minister Barak at Camp David and later at Taba in 2000. 97% of the West Bank, all of Gaza, redividing Jerusalem, desalination plants to insure adequate water, and compensation for refugees was simply "insufficient" according to Yasser Arafat and no counteroffer was ever made. The Palestinians preferred to go to war. For what?
The Palestinian media often refer to Netanya or Haifa or Ashdod or even Tel Aviv as the "occupied Palestinian coast". Once again the Palestinians offer Israel only one kind of peace: the peace of the grave.
Now, like it or not, through unilateral Israeli action the Palestinians find themselves forced to govern themselves, at least in Gaza and northern Samaria. They want "occupation" to end? OK, let's give them what they say they want. Israel should stop supplying water, electricity, and health care at a set date. Give the Palestinians enough time to build their own hospitals, power stations, and desalination plants. After all, they receive billions in foreign aid that, up until now, have gone to line the pockets of corrupt officials and to fund their war. If Israel is going to take blame for Palestinian suffering anyway then let Israel stop supporting the Palestinians in any way.
The Palestinians want occupation to end. Fine. Let them start taking responsibility for themselves for once.
pinging the pingers
just never really could pay close attention to anyone named "caitlyn."
just never really could pay close attention to anyone named "caitlyn."
just never really could pay close attention to anyone named "caitlyn."
What a wonderful new form of bigotry, judging someone by their first name. I'm sure Irish women everywhere (and those who just happen to have an Irish first name) will appreciate your judgement.
Did you even read the article and what she had to say?
The Palestinians will never make a go of it on their own. Every place they move into turns into a garbage dump. This move will be no different. Nothing will change except for the fact that Israel turned on their own people. For What? Peace? Not gonna happen. There is no appeasement with these people. They want it all. They will be crying and bombing for Jerusalem next. It will never end.
Oh, and thank you for your posting of an attack on a family member's first name three times. That was really necessary I'm quite certain.
..................
August 10th sounds good to me.
nahhh.
Of which year? 8/10/05 there will still be Jews in Gaza so that can't be it. 8/10/06 is about 90 days before the next Israeli election. That would be interesting timing.
"My duck is on fire"???? I looked at the cartoon and I'm sorry, but I don't get it. What is supposed to be funny here?
1) The cartoon is part of a story arc, and is hilarious in context.
2) The cutoff for services should be 5 minutes after the last Jew is exiled from Gaza.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.