PM to McCain: We can halt Qassams without taking Gaza (But Does McCain Agree?)

Ha'aretz ^ | March 19, 2008 | By Barak Ravid, Haaretz Correspondent

[Cinnamon Girl]

Prime Minister Ehud Olmert told visiting U.S. Republican presidential candidate John McCain that Israel can halt rocket fire from Gaza without a major ground offensive in the densely-populated coastal strip.

McCain agreed with Olmert that the situation in the South is intolerable, and said if rockets were being fired at U.S. citizens, they would demand their government respond, and the government would do so.

(cut)

Earlier Wednesday, McCain told Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni that he believed Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas was committed to the peace process and opposed the ongoing violence in the Gaza Strip.(cut) (cut) "I believe that [Abbas] does not support the kind of activity that is taking place in Gaza. I know that the United States government is fully committed to trying to stop this ... cross-border violence," McCain said.

A Palestinian official said on Wednesday that McCain told Abbas during their phone conversation that he was committed to a peace settlement after President George W. Bush leaves office. (cut) Before his arrival in Israel on Tuesday, McCain said he supports Israel's claim to Jerusalem as the capital of the Jewish state. He told reporters in Jordan: "I support Jerusalem as the capital of Israel."

Later, speaking at a meeting with President Shimon Peres in Jerusalem, McCain said he was concerned by Iran's negative influence on the region - namely, the fact that it trains, finances and otherwise assists radical groups - and that his concern had merely been heightened by his current tour of the region.

McCain was accompanied by Senators Joe Lieberman and Lindsey Graham. Israeli analysts believe that Lieberman, a former Democrat turned independent who was one of McCain's early backers, is a likely choice for secretary of state should McCain be the next president.

[Cinnamon Girl]

It sounds like McCain is selling the same "peace settlement" nonsense as Bush, which is a BIG mistake, by the way. BUT, he also said in Jordan that Jerusalem should remain Israel's capital, and that U.S. citizens would expect the U.S. government to do something if rockets were falling on us. And what exactly is Olmert doing?

[SeafoodGumbo]

Considering that Israel has vastly superior firepower and controls most (all?) of the Palestinians' electricity, getting them to stop firing Qassams would be simple.

Israel just doesn't have the will to face the resulting, unfair condemnation of them for doing what they have to do.

They need to say, "The next rocket that is shot at Israel will result in a loss of electricity for three hours for all of Gaza. You'd better have generators in your hospitals ready because this will be your own doing. The next rocket after that will result in the loss of electricity for Gaza for 6 hours. Each successive rocket will double the amount of time that electricity to Gaza is suspended."

Problem solved.

[jonrick46]

"McCain said he was concerned by Iran's negative influence on the region - namely, the fact that it trains, finances and otherwise assists radical groups - and that his concern had merely been heightened by his current tour of the region.

McCain has nailed it. Go McCain!

[Cinnamon Girl]

Except you know what would happen. The so-called palestinians would go ahead and leave the generators off, let everyone in the hospitals die, there would be a world outcry and condemnation of Israel and the U.N. would demand that the state of Israel be immediately dissolved.

Palestinian children light candles during a demonstration organized by civilians protesting against Israeli sanctions on the Gaza Strip, in front of the United Nation headquarters in Gaza City, Thursday, Nov. 1, 2007. Earlier this week, Israel's attorney general held up the government's plan to cut back electricity supplies to Gaza, demanding more work be done to prevent humanitarian harm. Palestinians in Gaza rely on Israel for all of their fuel and more than half of their electricity.(AP Photo/Adel Hana)

We're dealing with master propangadists here.

[Perdogg]

It doesn’t matter what McCain says or doesn’t say, the MDSers are going to find something wrong. If McCain says somethng 100% right,they would claim he was just lying and bring up borders issues again.

[edcoil]

“Prime Minister Ehud Olmert told visiting U.S. Republican presidential candidate John McCain that Israel can halt rocket fire from Gaza without a major ground offensive in the densely-populated coastal strip.”

Then why have you not done so?

[marron]

Prime Minister Ehud Olmert told visiting U.S. Republican presidential candidate John McCain that Israel can halt rocket fire from Gaza without a major ground offensive in the densely-populated coastal strip.

If you can or you can't isn't even the issue. The issue has to be Hamas. Israel should focus on decapitating Hamas, and finishing it as a force in arab politics. The list of known Hamas leaders should be transferred to a warrant, every one of them to be hunted down and taken out of circulation, either imprisoned or dead, where ever they go to, there should be no refuge.

There will be no peace in Gaza while Hamas is at large.

[SunkenCiv]

McCain Backs Israeli Reprisals in Gaza
AP via SFGate | 3/19/8 | IAN DEITCH, Associated Press Writer
Posted on 03/19/2008 1:23:57 PM EDT by SmithL
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1988251/posts