Posted on 09/09/2008 4:04:27 PM PDT by Ziva
Democratic vice-presidential candidate, Sen. Joseph Biden (D-DE), has a pro-Israel reputation and, in a recent interview with Shalom television, even identified himself as "a Zionist," but it is open to question what the late Menachem Begin would have to say about that designation for the Delaware senator.
According to reports in the Jerusalem Post by Moshe Zak and another in Time magazine, Messrs Biden and Begin had a serious confrontation in the summer of 1982 in the Senate Foreign Relations Committee on the issue of Jewish communities in Judea, Samaria, and Gaza.
According to Mr. Zak, a former editor of Ma’ariv who followed Mr. Begin’s career closely, during the committee meeting, which took place at the height of Israel’s first incursion into Lebanon, Mr. Biden attacked the Jewish settlements and threatened that if Israel did not immediately shut down the Jewish communities in the territories, the US would cut economic aid to Israel.
Banging on the Desk
According to Mr. Zak, Mr. Biden raised his voice to Mr. Begin and angrily banged twice on the table with his fists in an attempt either to intimidate the Israeli Prime Minister or to convince him of the seriousness of the situation and its ramifications.
Mr. Zak made his comments in a piece entitled "Master Negotiator Menachem Begin," which was written in March 1992 as a tribute to Mr. Begin, who had just died. In that piece, Mr. Zak discussed the incident with Mr. Biden, which had occurred some ten years earlier.
The piece in Time magazine detailing the confrontation between Messrs Biden and Begin was published in July 1982.
Echoing Carter
Some pundits at the time wondered if Mr. Biden was emboldened by the American left-wing media’s campaign against the settlements and Mr. Begin himself, including the informational line emphasizing that "Begin rhymes with Fagin," the negative Jewish character in Charles Dickens’s Oliver Twist.
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According to Mr. Zak, Mr. Biden raised his voice to Mr. Begin and angrily banged twice on the table with his fists in an attempt either to intimidate the Israeli Prime Minister or to convince him of the seriousness of the situation and its ramifications.
Typical. I'm surprised he-man Jew didn't threaten to take Biden behind the barn.
Yup. The British put a price on his head, searched his house and came within inches of finding his hiding place, and rounded up his closest lieutenants. If only they had tried pounding on the table, he would have surrendered immediately./s
Biden got a booboo on his knuckles, and Jill had to kiss it.
The link to the source does not work. Can you fix it?
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