Posted on 08/18/2005 4:21:25 PM PDT by Alouette
As Israel struggled Thursday to evacuate the Gush Katif settlements, US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said it must take further steps.
"Everyone empathizes with what the Israelis are facing," she said in an interview with The New York Times. But, she added, "It cannot be Gaza only."
Rice said this is "really quite a dramatic moment in the history of the Middle East," and praised Sharon for proving himself "enormously courageous."
According to the Times, Rice said that while the withdrawal would take several weeks, Israel must take further steps soon afterward, including loosening travel restrictions in the West Bank and withdrawing from more Palestinian cities.
She also said the Palestinian Authority must disarm Hamas. "That is their obligation under the road map," she said.
Rice's comments prompted Agriculture Minister Yisrael Katz, a disengagement opponent, to call on Sharon to hold an emergency cabinet discussion on the matter.
"Rice's comments prove there is no basis to the prime minister's statement that there will not be an additional disengagement," he said.
"To my dismay, the unilateral evacuation of settlements from Gaza and northern Samaria creates a dangerous precedent which endangers the legitimacy of Israeli settlement in Judea, Samaria, the Jordan Valley, the Golan Heights and neighborhoods in east Jerusalem," Katz said.
But a senior official in the Prime Minister's Office warned against blowing Rice's words "out of proportion."
The official said that whereas some would automatically want to interpret her words as evidence that the US would now begin pressuring Israel to begin a second stage of disengagement, this was not what she said.
He said Rice was interested in seeing the implementation of the security plan put together by her envoy, Lt.-Gen. William Ward, which called for Israel to transfer control of the West Bank cities to the PA, but which Israel halted because of security considerations.
The official said Israel would transfer the cities to the PA when the security situation on the ground would make such a step possible. Furthermore, he repeated the government's well-known position that Israel would move ahead with the road map when the Palestinians fulfilled their obligations under the plan, first and foremost the dismantling of the terrorist infrastructure.
Some officials in Jerusalem have warned in recent weeks that once disengagement was complete, the US would once again begin pressuring Israel to remove the unauthorized settlement outposts in the West Bank. The US backed off of this issue in recent months, so as not to create any additional domestic problems for Sharon as he was gearing up for disengagement.
While Rice said she expected Israel to take further steps immediately, Foreign Minister Silvan Shalom told the Kuwaiti newspaper Al-Rai Al-Aam that Gaza would serve as a "model," and if the PA dismantled the terrorist infrastructure and "peace and quiet reign in the region, we will be able to move forward and return to the road map."
But, he said in comments published Thursday, "If Gaza turns into a base for shooting missiles at Israel and increasing Palestinian attacks, it will be impossible to move on to another step and take a new risk."
During the interview with the paper, conducted in Shalom's office on Wednesday, he said Israel was now expecting Palestinian "actions," not excuses. He said Israel was focused on the day after disengagement, and waiting to see whether the PA would rise to the occasion and – when it gains control of Gaza – dismantle the terrorist infrastructure and govern responsibly.
Shalom said PA Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas's first order of business after disengagement should be to arrest Hamas activists. "Abbas should do this not to protect Israel, but to safeguard his own power," he said.
Shalom's interview with the Kuwaiti paper was one of four interviews he gave key Arabic media outlets over the last two days to signal to the Arab world that the disengagement momentum should be seized upon, and that Israel was serious about peace.
He told the Kuwaiti paper that Gaza would not become a "prison," and that negotiations with the Palestinians regarding border crossings and safe passage were ongoing.
Asked about the long-disrupted peace talks with Syria, and whether Israel would be willing to give up the settlements in the Golan Heights as it did in Gaza, Shalom said: "Every party can come to the negotiation table with the topics they want, and we have to talk about everything."
AP contributed to this report.
If somehow you mean by they, Israel, will be defended by the US, you're dreaming. Nixon did, Truman bailed out, as did Ike and Johnson. That's a losing record, better to let Israel defend herself.
"Today my wife and I watched the settlers being forcibly removed from their homes. Horrible.
Disengagement is wrong and rewards terrorists. Rice and the administration are dead wrong on this."
The land as one poster mentions it, is the spoils of war. Israel did not ask to be attacked. We in America would never give the Indians the land back, even though it was morally wrong to disposses them of it in the first place. It is more then wrong, it is now disgusting.
You clearly missed my point, or misunderstood what I was trying to convey. My post was in response to post #25. I've NEVER stated that taking over Sinai, Gaza, West Bank, etc was wrong, as they were the spoils of victory and needed for security
LOL, perfect!
"Bush and Rice know full well that the Arabs are not to be trusted, that this unilateral step on the part of Israel will lead to more terrorist violence, but they cannot help themselves. They are only seeing the public relations coup of "progress" in the Middle east conflict. These activities will be no honor either to them or the United States and will most likely bring catastrophe to our ally Israel."
Exactly. We went into Afghanistan to kill the terrorists, not negotiate with them. In Iraq, our boys are dying fighting the same kind of islamic jihad nutballs. Why do we push Israel to restraint and giving up land instead of pushing them kill the terrorists? It is an obvious double standard. Between failed energy policy and failed foreign affairs policy to do nothing about the borders, I am getting sick of this stupid administration. It went from brilliant to moronic.
If they step anymore, they will step into the sea.
ACtually, Jews were a mjaority in Roman occupied Israel for a long time afterwards. They were a majority in 135 for the bloddier Bar Kokhba uprising. Frankly, there were enough Jews to try to retake Israel in 619, during the last Byzantine Persian war.
"Here we go... They touch that third rail, Israel, and everyone here sends Bush and Condi down the river. Jesus Christ, this says a lot about you all. Either support Israel blindly no matter what, or you all withdraw all support for Bush and his team. How pathetic, what's even more pathetic is that so many other FReepers are so silent it's deafening."
Look man, the smart Americans pubby or democrit know that Israel has taken it in the ass for 11 years now on this "peace deal" crap. The more Israel offers, the more the terrorist jihadist take. Yes, Hamas and the PA are terrorists and support all of their actions on the ground. So are we disgusted that Condi Rice, acting as an official spokeswomen for our President is pushing this crap? YES! As I said though, this administration has gone from brilliant to moronic.
"I have a real problem with the Christian witness of George W Bush & Condi Rice.
G-d gave the land of Israel to his chosen people forever.
The land extends from the sea on the west to the west bank of the Euphrates.
George is now working for the Evil One just as willi clinton did.
The land of Israel belongs to G-d!
The L-rd gave it to Abraham and his children forever; the Chosen People.
Anyone who denys this is not a follower of the Christ, Y'shua
b'shem Y'shua"
I will take it one step farther. Reading the bible cover to cover and knowing God's grace and mercy I would speculate that He would allow the palestinians land if they really wanted to live in peace. They don't, they want to murder and murder and get more and give nothing back then murder then murder...
1. domestic policy of increasing size and cost of government particularly in health and education programs
2. support for the blatantly unconstitutional "Campaign Finance Reform"
3. utterly wrong-headed policy regarding immigration
4. casting the war as one against terrorism rather than against militant Islam.
Terrorism is a means by which our enemy is fighting the war; it is not the enemy. His repeated uterances of "religion of peace" have not been helpful to force us to see the true enemy in this battle of civilizations.
5. foreign policy towards supposed allies such as Taiwan and Israel.
I supported Bush with money and time, organizing a march in Richmond, Virginia when Gore was trying to steal the election. Like you, my enthusiasm for his policies has waned.
1. domestic policy of increasing size and cost of government particularly in health and education programs
2. support for the blatantly unconstitutional "Campaign Finance Reform"
3. utterly wrong-headed policy regarding immigration
4. casting the war as one against terrorism rather than against militant Islam.
Terrorism is a means by which our enemy is fighting the war; it is not the enemy. His repeated uterances of "religion of peace" have not been helpful to force us to see the true enemy in this battle of civilizations.
5. foreign policy towards supposed allies such as Taiwan and Israel.
I supported Bush with money and time, organizing a march in Richmond, Virginia when Gore was trying to steal the election. Like you, my enthusiasm for his policies has waned.
If Rice's words are open to such diverse interpretations, the fault is hers and it behooves her to clarify.
"I just don't see how there was ANY other option other than a 2 state solution..."
There is a solution, it's just ugly and violent. The arabs are committed to violence, not a road map to peace, so why not follow our example and destroy the entire Hamas and Palestinian leadership? Then, the next leadership may actual realize that Israel AND the US mean business. We all want to live in peace without being threatened by terrorists.
Incrementalism. I knew it.
Evacuation of Gaza was just the tip of the camel's nose under the tent.
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