Sharon, Trusting Bush

The New York Times ^ | 05/27/03 | William Safire

[travelnurse]

Ah, and God made you His spokesman. I see, you must feel so privilaged.

Well, time will tell.

---

LOL... no, God has not made me His spokesman. I'm just giving my opinion, as I see it, like you.

[Consort]

Yes. Give them a state so that there is something to attack, to liberate, to punish,... Or something to help, to aid, to assist, to reward,.... Give them a state so that they know what it means to have one, to defend one, to grow one, to prosper or fall.... Or not.

[onyx]

At this particular hour and because I have a headache (too much company earlier today) I have neither the time nor the inclination to express my various reasons for supporting the 'idea of the road map.'

As I stated before, I have read many of your posts and the posts to you by some of our brightest minds here at FR, wherein they have expounded on their various scenarios and offered you their theories --- olive branch meant for public comsumption --- the final chance for palies to reform (never happen) --- etc. ad nauseum.

Some of the thoughts expressed mirror my own. I got tied-up debating this very issue last night to no avail. Neither my side nor your side is willing to come to any agreement, which mirrors the very problem between palies and Israelis.

I view the Muslim-Arab world as our enemy, and left to me I would nuke 'em. Poor little Israel is thee only nation desiring peace.

Unlike their predecessors Barak and Clinton, Sharon and Bush are not stumping for a Nobel, they're not for peace at any price, and they're sure as hell not about to sell-out Israel. There will be no "right of return" --- what an insidious misconception that is, since palies "right of return' places them back in Jordan, a destination I favor.

As Sharon stated, Israel has to try to make peace (again) and this time with Bush in tow, Israel will be at her strongest. Let the palies play games with Bush --- look at Iraq.

President Bush has had it with Muslim-terrorism and once he steps-in, he won't turn back.

Please understand this one fact: To date, Bush has yet to spend one ounce of his political capital on the mid-east, palie situation. When he does, he'll not settle for anything less than success.

Should the meeting not produce the sought after agreements between the attendees, the whole 'road map' will cease in the first mile. If this blows-up, the next thing to blow-up will be a whole lot of Arab-Muslims.

[dagnabbit]

Especially sticky is the claim of refugees to land fled from a half-century ago, which Arabs call a "right of return." Palestinians want to kick hundreds of thousands of Jewish "settlers" out of a future Palestine while inserting an even greater number of Muslims into Israel. Jews find that a deal-breaker.

Bush: What's the big deal Arik? I let in thousands of Muslims to the United States every day - they only occasionally blow things up, so just sign here. And if you're worried about your parliament giving you any crap about so-called "sovereignty", no biggie. Just shelve your "right-of-return" legislation, and passively let the Arabs come and live in Israel illegally on consular IDs. No one will stop you. Trust me on this one.

[SJackson]

I notice that Safire, who is a firm and reliable supporter of Israel (it's the one thing that never changes with him) does not commit himself on this. I think it means that he trusts Bush but is not 100% sure.

He may trust GWB implicitly, Sharon as well, and simply believe the road map is a flawed plan which entails significant human risks for Israel, and a low probability of success.

Given the nature of the participants on the palestinian side, I'd tend to agree with him.

Does anyone expect Phase to be completed on Saturday?

[MatthewViti]

No, there's a problem there. The land isn't theirs to be had.

[Consort]

The land isn't theirs to be had.

If the British had included them when they were creating countries and drawing arbitrary borders, maybe we wouldn't be having all these problems today. It could have and should have been done.

[MatthewViti]

You are ignoring the fact that the land has never belonged to the Palestinians. The area was named Palestine by the Romans, but there has never been a nation called Palestine, and there is no Palestinian language. Before 1948 these people were Egyptians, Syrians, Jordanians, Iraqis, and citizens of other Arab nations who had moved to the region. They were displaced by the war of 1948, but Israel is not occupying their territory. Israel was created by an act of God! The Royal Land Grant that was given to Abraham and his seed through Isaac and Jacob with an everlasting and unconditional covenant. (Genesis 12:1-3, 13:14-18, 15:1-21, 17:4-8, 22:15-18, 26:1-5 and Psalm 89:28-37.)

[Consort]

I didn't say that Israel was occupying their territory. The Pals might say that, but when the Brits were drawing boundaries, they could have drew them for Palestine, as well (and the Kurds, etc, etc).

[MatthewViti]

right....