Posted on 04/10/2002 1:13:10 AM PDT by kattracks
NEW YORK, Apr 10, 2002 (AP Online via COMTEX) -- Former Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu considers President Bush "a great friend of Israel," but he disagrees with the U.S. leader's call for a swift Israeli troop withdrawal from Palestinian cities.
The former prime minister, who was ousted before finishing his term in 1999, is preparing a political comeback with a possible challenge to Prime Minister Ariel Sharon, a member of his own party.
Speaking to American Jewish leaders in New York, Netanyahu suggested Tuesday that U.S. calls for an Israeli troop withdrawal were motivated by a desire to calm the region before striking at Saddam Hussein.
"I think what the U.S. probably seeks right now ... is an extended cease-fire so they can get on the job of finishing Saddam Hussein before he acquires atomic bombs, a notable and important goal worthy of support without a doubt. But it cannot be achieved by sacrificing these principles that are at the core, the heart of this effort," Netanyahu said.
The Israeli-born and American-reared Netanyahu is riding high in the Israeli polls and has been acting as a public relations spokesman for Israel, accepting interviews and speaking engagements to explain Israel's 12-day-old military offensive in the West Bank.
On Tuesday, 13 Israeli soldiers were killed and nine others wounded in an ambush in a West Bank refugee camp in the biggest blow to the army's offensive. Hundreds of Palestinians and Israelis have been killed in 18 months of violence that culminated in Israel's launching of "Operation Defensive Shield."
Disagreeing with international calls for Israel's withdrawal, Netanyahu, 52, said the operation must continue. He called President Bush "as great a friend of Israel as any president in the history of American-Israel relations" but disagreed with his call for a withdrawal "without delay."
"I would hope that Israel complete the job, as it must, as any democracy faced with this kind of horror must do," Netanyahu said.
Speaking in Cairo, Secretary of State Colin Powell, who arrives in Israel Thursday, said he would meet Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat, who has been under Israeli siege in his compound.
But Netanyahu, who called Arafat a terrorist, doubted such a meeting could yield results.
"I don't think any meeting with Arafat will produce anything. His word is worthless, his signature is worthless, he's violated every single line of every single item of every single provision of every single contract he's signed with us.
"He has ruled himself out and as soon as he is taken out of the areas ... the better."
Netanyahu advocates the deportation of Arafat - an idea which has split the Israeli government. Sharon and many in his Likud Party favor ousting Arafat.
In Washington, Israeli Transportation Minister Ephraim Sneh, of the Labor Party, said any attempt by Israel to oust Arafat as leader of the Palestinians would prompt the party to withdraw from Sharon's coalition government.
By DAFNA LINZER Associated Press Writer
Copyright 2002 Associated Press, All rights reserved
WE are listening to him...our leaders apparently are not.
I watched this man at his address to members of congress and he had such clarity of purpose and mission it's unbelievable. Unfortunately FOX cut away and I was forced to go to CNN to see continued coverage.
Immediately after Netanyahu's address they had the master of double speak from the Pali side to give the "other side".
The old "two sides to every story" angle is about to make me throw up. Of course there's two sides...sometimes it's as simple as one side is good and one side is evil.
"Every nation, in every region, now has a decision to make. Either you are with us, or you are with the terrorists."
Get with the program or shut your hole!
He even had to ask the Euro weenie if he could leave...
Angry is an understatment...!!!!
As the word "is" has yet to be defined, the word "terrorists" has yet to be defined.
Perhaps people are somewhat conflicted or confused when others who are permitted to speak on TV generally use the term "war", and "terrorists" to describe "a police action" and a "human action to struggle for freedom or liberty". When the historical facts are reviewed, a distinction can be made so that clarity surfaces to the masses. However, such clarity apparently is not desired by those who speak on behalf of Israel, with the exception of Peres who cleverly maneuvers his remarks to avoid uncomfortable facts yet maintains his loyalty with Israel.
NetanYahoo always tries to persuade the public in believing that Israel's struggle against the Palestinians is identical to America's struggle against terrorism. He always tries to explain in loose, vague and ambiguous language that the US and Israel are One. My understanding is that Isreal and the US are both sovereign nations. Each enjoys the right of independent action and their representatives can speak for themselves. Benji seems to think he can speak for the US.
Secretary Powell should call upon Mr. Peres to advise Benji Yahoo to adjust his vocabulary so that he does not invoke the name of the US as a nation in support of his agenda. Perhaps his language which tends to blend US actions as consistent with Israel's actions distorts the peoples understanding of US values and policies throughout the world. Among those values is the respect for human and property rights.
The fact is that Israel has violated the property rights of the Palestinians for years. And they appear to want to take over the West Bank and the Gaza strip.
Notice how Benji is now beginning to call upon "G_d" as Israel's authority for the right to occupy the West Bank. Forget the UN resolution 242 and 338, G_d gave us this land. Yet Benji has claimed to be an atheists, doesn't believe in G_d. As I understand it, a jew is a jew by birthright, not by religious affiliation. So Benji, who is not a believer in the jewish religion, is a jew nevertheless because he is the son of a jewish mother. The reason I indicate that is because he has used the authority of a G_d he doesn't believe in to assert hegemony over the West Bank. Benji is an opportunists. Who can trust him?
Read Kissinger's memoirs on foreign relations. Quite telling is the Arab perception of Israel's belief in its own religion - or should I say un-belief.
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