PA silently supports Kerry in US election
Palestinian officials are quietly pinning their hopes on Democratic candidate John Kerry winning the US presidential election.
Former US Middle East envoy Denis Ross is likely to be reappointed should Kerry win the American elections, a Palestinian Authority source said.
Ross has contacted with Palestinian Prime Minister Ahmed Qurei and other Palestinian officials during recent visits to the region. He unofficially briefed the Palestinians on the potential new administration's Middle East plans, the source said.
Palestinians expect Kerry's Middle East policy to be closer to that of former US president Bill Clinton.
During the presidential election, senior Palestinian officials openly endorsed George W. Bush against Al Gore. The same PA officials who were outraged when Clinton placed the blame for the failure of the Camp David peace talks on PA Chairman Yasser Arafat now admit they have been disappointed and say any other administration "can only serve their interests better."
"We don't want to repeat the same mistake so let's wait and see who will win the elections and how they will deal with the Middle East," a PA Foreign Ministry official said. "I do not believe Kerry wants to publicize any plans for the Middle East or any contacts with the Palestinians so as not to hurt his election campaign," the official added.
He did not think Kerry's outlook will be very different from Bush's policies. Kerry might appoint former national security adviser Sandy Berger as secretary of state, in which case Ross is likely to be appointed Middle East envoy, another PA source confirmed.
"We believe the [pro-Palestinian Authority] State Department will play the major role again, instead of the national security adviser and secretary of defense," another source reported.
Qurei is trying to convince the American administration and Democrats of his proposal to deploy armed policemen in Palestinian cities in the West Bank to enforce law and order and enable an IDF withdrawal.
Israel has not yet responded to a PA demand for a senior security meeting to coordinate the deployment of PA policemen and agree on the type of weapons they would be allowed to carry and their numbers.
Interesting that a Jewish group is more concerned with the results of a poll than which candidate would be best for the group's interests.
How could such an educated and responsible group of people be so politically stupid for so long?
You have GOT to be kidding me! Kerry will do his damnedest to fork Israel over to the Palestinian terrorists faster than you can say "suicide bomber"!
I know what Kerry's plan for the Middle East is!
He is going to attempt to broker a peace between Palestine and Israel by disarming Israel.
This will bring out the Israeli Zionists, who are for the most part quiet compared to the Palestinian militants.
Kerry's diplomatic efforts in the past have always focused on disarming our friends first, hoping that the enemy would take that as a sign of good faith and follow suit.
Kerry's foreign policy efforts are all failures.
Please dont take this as being Anti -Semitic, but if 76% of American jews like Kerry over Bush there are some dumb-assed American jews.
You know something? It will serve them right if something really horrible happens to Israel if Kerry gets elected. Sad to say but sometimes people need a painfull reminder of who their real friends are.
If and when something bad happens, tell the Jewish voting block that while we are sorry for the damage done, Israeli blood rests on their hands this time around.
Also be sure to remind them that they have also found something to agree on with the people sworn to eradicate their race:
Kerry for President in 2004
In my 43+ years on this earth, this is one thing for which I cannot figure an explanation. How could so many reject the one guy who is more committed than just about anyone else to maintaining Israel's strength in the Middle East?
What the heck is wrong with these folks? Talk about an ostrich brigade! They are the ultimate example of appeasment and where it gets you.... I wonder if they will have regrets, if a President Kerry ends all aid and comfort to Israel?
Very disappointing numbers. Do Jews not follow politics? I dont get it.
Isn't it odd that the one thing a majority of Palestinians and American Jews agree on is Kerry?
I wonder what percentage of Jews in Isreal prefer Bush over Kerry?
What can possibly be the reason for this? Are Jews more anti-Christian than pro-Israel?
It is as amazing to me that Jews would vote for the party of anti-Semitism as it is that blacks vote the party of racism. They've all lost their minds.
All you have to know to determine that the results of that poll are statistically biased is to see who conducted it.
The only question is what percentage of the Jewish vote will Bush actually get. An intuitive guess is somewhere in the 30s. Although that might not seem like much, if Bush had done that in Florida in 2000, there would have been no recount circus.
I can't stand how they want their cake and eat it too. Let these groups finally bear the consequences of their actions. We are damned if we do, damned if we don't. If these groups don't have negative consequences put upon them by their choices, then they will continue to support Democrats at no cost to their pork. The Reps in the pass ignored such block voting against them and not there is a good chance Bush will lose in Nov b/c of it.
That needs a self-genocide alert!
Can a people really be that dumb at times?
According to this poll, yes.
Makes me understand what Moses was put through coming down from the mountain with the 10 commandments.
Even his own brother was doing the wrong thing, so this is a historic pattern of getting things wrong at times.
How can a people known for good business sense seem to lack total common sense at times?
I don't buy it. Consider the source!
Well isn't this a kick in the junk! If they got their wish it would be hard to feel any empathy for the adverse consequenses they would suffer.