Posted on 01/10/2008 1:44:39 PM PST by Wiz
JERUSALEM (Reuters) - U.S. President George W. Bush, hardening his tone towards Israel on Thursday, urged an end to "the occupation" of the West Bank and pushed for a peace treaty to be signed within a year to create a Palestinian state.
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The United States rarely uses the politically charged word "occupation" to describe Israel's hold on lands captured in a 1967 war. It is a term Palestinians seeking a state in the West Bank and Gaza Strip employ frequently to describe their plight.
"The establishment of the state of Palestine is long overdue. The Palestinian people deserve it," Bush said in a statement he read to reporters in a Jerusalem hotel.
Bush's language, after he traveled to the West Bank city of Ramallah past Israeli checkpoints and settlements, could cause political pain to Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, whose right-wing coalition partners usually bridle at such remarks.
"There should be an end to the occupation that began in 1967," Bush said. He had earlier met Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and visited Bethlehem, also in the West Bank.
Bush pressed the Palestinians to rein in militants. He said any negotiations must also ensure Israel has "secure, recognized and defensible borders" alongside a "viable, contiguous, sovereign and independent" Palestine.
Challenging skeptics of his new push for peace on the first U.S. presidential visit to Ramallah, he told a news conference with Abbas: "I believe it's going to happen, that there will be a signed peace treaty by the time I leave office."
An Israeli official said Bush's remarks were the basis for moving forward with negotiations.
"We accept them. We see them as consistent with understandings with the Americans and as a positive foundation for moving forward," said the official, speaking on condition of anonymity.
(Excerpt) Read more at news.yahoo.com ...
All the signs point to we have a lot more financial problems then are being talked about. And I suspect that there are more issues that have forced him into this.
That is actually part of the plan I suspect.
No, Israel needs to fight for Israel first, if they want to convince us that it is worthy of our blood. As long as the Iraeli people sit on their ass don't expect us to jump up and defend them.
>I am pissed at Bush for this, think hes wrong on several things, but hes basically a nice guy.<
The Arabs thinks he’s just great!
And we just spent a lot of blood and treasure to build up an islamic state near by.
History will not look kindly on our foolishness.
Care to show us the numbers?
Yeah, arabs also worship a giant vagina with a meterorite in it.
Then we must also LET them....Bush and America continue to interfere and dictate THEIR foreign policy....and continue to encourage the cutting up of Israel. (I do agree with you, in principle, that Israelis MUST ALSO fight for their country...and not have us LEAD their fight.)
The other alliance of the anti-Christ.
ALERT
Bush is turning into Jimmah Carter.
Reading your Ron Paul pamphlets again, I see.
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I received a Rudy mailing 2 days ago ,, it went into the trash unopened ,, thought I was done with it ... then my mother (80+) stopped by today with the same mailing saying how wonderful this mans policy proposals sounded asking if I knew anything about him...
The Arabs thinks hes just great!
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Any chance the house of Saud had a hand in this betrayal?
This land was given to the Jews by God. President Bush has no right to deny the word of God. I thought he claimed to be a Christian.
I also understand the frustrations of those about the stance on Turkey, allowing these Islofascists attacking our allied Kurds, not supporting the Armenian Genocide bill, trying to normalize relations with the terrorist supporting N Korea which is providing WMD technology to Syria, and not doing much about the unfair trade by China. It all changed when Bolton and Rumsfeld left the White House. I wish President Bush will return to the days when Bolton and Rumsfeld were still in the White House, and those old days when President Bush still was strong with his hawkish stance. Maybe if Rice leaves the White House and if Bolton and Rumsfeld returns, things may improve. Our government needs more Reaganomics.
Oilmen have their loyalties .....
which lead them to other oilmen .....
of course.
Did you tell Your Mom the truth?
No doubt the house of Saud has a large role in Bush’s position. The Bushes are never far from the house of Saud.
And the number one statement/concept/word/definition is that Hashem is one. If the author is saying this while clinging to the trinity doctrine, he's merely rearranging deck chairs on the Titanic, with absolutely no clue that the ship is sinking like a millstone.
I love ya’ Mr. President, but really, this is too much. How naive can you be? Do you actually think that the Palestinians will declare piece if Israel abandons the West Bank? Really? Do you??
Even Bill Clinton never went this far. Good Grief...
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