Posted on 11/16/2010 5:01:23 AM PST by SJackson
Deputy PM Meridor says promises needed in writing following Begin comments that US not to be trusted; Yosef to decide Shas stance.
The security cabinet will not vote on a US proposal for a three-month settlement freeze until the Obama administration's promises are officially delivered to Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu in writing, Deputy Prime Minister Dan Meridor said in an interview with Army Radio on Tuesday.
The comments came after reticence by Likud ministers about the US keeping its promises, and Shas saying it would not make a decision on the freeze until such a written proposal was received.
Meridor stated that there were four major promises that he expected the US to fulfill in exchange for the freeze extension. Firstly, that the three month freeze would not be followed by any additional US requests for further moratoriums in the future. Secondly, that the US would use its position as a permanent member of the UN Security Council to block Palestinian attempts to unilaterally declare a Palestinian state in the international body. Third, a military package provided to Israel by the US that would allow Israel to maintain a military advantage over its neighbors. And lastly, an assurance that the issue of borders would not be discussed independently of other core issues such as security and the right of return.
Earlier Tuesday, Likud Minister-without-Portfolio Bennie Begin voiced his opposition to a renewed settlement freeze, stating that renewing the construction moratorium for three months would "definitely" lead to US calls for an additional freeze in the future.
Begin, believed to be the man who can best rally the Likud’s right wing, said in an interview with Army Radio that "if no agreement is reached - the Americans will ask us to continue the freeze, because they have no other solution."
Begin was also wary of US promises to fund the delivery of 20 F-35 advanced stealth fighter jets to Israel as part of the benefits package meant to convince Israel to extend the freeze. Despite Defense Minister Ehud Barak's Monday contention that the jets were more important to Israel than Likud infighting, Begin said the F-35s were a trap.
"The 20 planes offered by the US constitute an enticement meant to lure Israel into a political trap."
Begin was critical of Shas, who have said that the party may abstain from voting on whether or not to renew the freeze. A Shas abstention from the cabinet vote would likely give Netanyahu a narrow majority in favor of the freeze.
"It's strange that when the issue is being decided, the Shas ministers leave the decision in the hands of others. They didn't even participate in the ministerial committee about the first ten-month building freeze," said Begin. "They explained that their opposition to the freeze was so strong that they weren't even willing to discuss it. Meaning, then they abstained because they were against the freeze, and now they're abstaining because they support the freeze. I don't think that's a worthy public position."
The impending vote on the US proposal was not expected to occur during the security cabinet's next meeting on Wednesday, the Prime Minister's Office stated on Tuesday.
It was unclear when the security cabinet will meet to discuss the US proposal but a cabinet vote is expected in the near future.
On Tuesday, Construction and Housing Minister Ariel Attias said that Shas will either vote against a proposed 90-day extension of the moratorium on settlement construction or they will abstain from such a vote, depending on the opinion of the faction's spiritual leader. Attias's comments came in an interview with Israel Radio.
"We will not support the proposal. We will either oppose it or abstain from voting, depending upon the decision of Rabbi Ovadia Yosef," said Attias.
Attias said that Shas is interested in building in Jerusalem and ensuring that any freeze would not include a moratorium on construction of homes in the capital.
Attias told Army Radio on Tuesday that Rabbi Yosef had not made his final decision because the US had not given Israel its final proposal, laying out benefits the US would give Israel in return for an extension of the freeze.
Finance Minister Yuval Steinitz, who is expected to vote in favor of the freeze, said that he supported the moratorium because of US promises that no further freeze would be requested in the future.
Obama - Hillary promises, as good as their word!
If you’d like to be on or off, please FR mail me.
..................
I wonder why? I wouldn't trust the word of the occupant of the White House either.
I was thinking the same thing. If their word is worth nothing, having it on paper doesn’t change that.
Begin is correct. Do not trust Obama.
America can’t trust Obama. Any country that would trust Obama is foolish.
The Constitution of the United States is spat on by Obama.
That should be all anyone needs to know.
A sad state our country has come to.
I still stand with Israel. 'Pod
One of our greatest foreign alliances—turned to shit by this vile creep.
Imam Obamah has spat upon our friends, Great Britian & Israel to the point they don’t like or trust him or his administration and I don’t blame them.
As a former fighter pilot for the IAF, I have to say 20 of any fighter bomber borders on worthless.
At any given time, 50% are down for whatever reason.
So you have 10 craft, which is basically enough for a small raid somewhere local.
It changes nothing strategically for Israel.
50-100 aircraft is a different matter.
20 or 40 F-22 would be a different matter.
Make the offer 30 F-22, 100 F-35s, and the mothballed B2s and we’d have some business to discuss.
The list, ping
Let me know if you would like to be on or off the ping list
The Israeli's get it. Even the Democraps don't get it about Democraps, but the Israeli's do. Get it in writing, but understand even that from a Democrap means NOT a damned thing. It's just something to shove in their lying faces IF they can be made to stand still for even a second to do so.
Aw...what happened? Somebody couldn’t be fooled twice with the same trick? Good to know some Jews really are smart. I was beginning to think it was just a stereotype.
Begin is correct on both counts -
US not to be trusted. Obama reneged on Pres Bush’s promises on populated areas of Israel not returning to Palestinian hands
and Shas are whores who would return almost anything for the right price
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