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 ...
The knock on Bush running for 2000 was he had no foreign policy experience...through the Neocons he wound up with Condi...it’s been her policies for the most part IMHO...
I know one guy as disillusioned as we are....John Bolton.
Statehood...
You can declare war on a state. Sanction a state. Put embargoes on a state.
We have the same situation in Pakistan with Musharraf...he’s in our employ, and that keeps the Taliban in chack for the most part...
Seems they are trying to set up the same thing in a Palestinian state with Abbas and friends...
Stupid, push the button Mr. Persident.
It’s not like we weren’t warned after he was re=elected and pronounced that he had been given alot of clout and he intended to spend it. shrug
The State Department has won again. He had no experience in foreign affairs going into the job...
But we will....:)
Ask the Arabs when it stops...
Israel is a modern democracy made up of more than Jews. Christians and Palistinians live there too. The land is extremely important to those of Judeo-Christian faith in the US. Want open revolt aginst the government....let the Arabs overun Jeusalem. I bet even those bed-wetters in Europe would find something to object to in that....
Bush says Israel must end “occupayshun” ping!
Ping!
No, he really can’t.
For once, I agree with the lefties - January 2009 can’t get here soon enough.
>>Once they have it, and the violence and death wish for Israel contine, then, maybe, the world would have a clear cut excuse to unleash on them?<<
No, they’ll just demand more land.
Give a mouse a cookie...
What an idiotic statement. They deserve the severest of national rebukes, for they have let continuous terror occur and have taken NO steps besides the teaching and harvesting of hatred to act as a nation.
How long until China asks the US to end its recent occupation of Hawaii and Alaska?
Ping!
“occupayshun”
LOLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL!!! I pert near spit out my coffee on that one!
I don't worry much about how history will look on us, but I do worry about how God will look on us.
“occupayshun”
From one fiery woman to another. Thank you and keep them coming.
LOL! Thanks, I stand corrected! :)
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