Israel Has Lost "Moral Superiority": Barak

AFP

[RCW2001]

Israel has lost "moral superiority": Barak

Copyright 2002 by Agence France-Presse (via ClariNet) / Wed, 3 Apr 2002 4:00:06 PST

</CLARI-ITEM HEADER>

HAMBURG, Germany, April 3 (AFP) - Former Israeli prime minister Ehud Barak warned in an interview released Wednesday that Israel has lost its "moral superiority" during the escalating conflict with the Palestinians.

"We have lost our moral superiority in the last few months," Barak told the German weekly magazine Stern in an interview released ahead of publication on Thursday.

"We cannot only be the stronger side. We must also be right."

Barak said a tarnished international image could diminish Israel's political power, adding that a military operation would not resolve its dispute with the Palestinians.

"(A military operation) can only be part of a more comprehensive policy. The other elements include the fight for unity among Jews and international legitimation for what we are doing."

He said it was not Israel's right to topple Yasser Arafat as leader of the Palestinians.

Barak said Israel must make it clear that its aim is not to "push Arafat to the wall and crush him...it is not our role to replace Arafat but rather that of the Palestinians themselves."

Peace talks between Barak and Arafat in the summer of 2000 sponsored by then US President Bill Clinton at Camp David failed to produce an agreement.

Israel has launched an all-out drive against the Palestinian leadership amid an unrelenting series of Palestininian suicide attacks on Israeli targets.</CLARI-ITEM STORY>

[isthisnickcool]

Barak must still be listening to Carville. What a toon!

[veronica]

"We have lost our moral superiority in the last few months," Barak told the German weekly magazine Stern in an interview released ahead of publication on Thursday...

Stern via AFP? Thanks but the sources are too dicey for me to believe. I'm willing to bet he was misquoted. Barak has been all over the news defending Israeli's actions this week.

[veronica]

Consider the source...

[Revolting cat!]

(You stole my thunder, dude! That was exactly my reaction!)

[white trash redneck]

Too bad that Israeli Labor politicians are so similar to our DemocRATs.

[Jeff Head]

A nation, like a person, can be "DEAD" right.

It is not necessary to allow another people or nation to slaughter and destroy you to remain on the "moral high ground".

It is completely moral to defend yourself and protect your life and those of your citizens ... and that is exactly what Israel is finally doing.

[LarryLied]

Why do you post this antisemitic stuff? Barak is a notorious antisemite.

[eureka!]

How Clintonian. Ex-Head of State bashing own country during time of war and crisis....

[CROSSHIGHWAYMAN]

In my book, when one gives aid and comfort to the enemy, that is called

TREASON

[veronica]

Quit being so paranoid Larry. You see anti-Semites everywhere.

[RLK]

Israel has lost "moral superiority": Barak

-------------------------

Yuh, Barak, but the Israelis are surviving unlike they would with you and your friends Carville and Clinton.

RLK

[Dog Gone]

These sound like selective quotes out of context. I'm sure the interview was conducted many weeks ago before the current escalation.

[Tom Jefferson]

Stern via AFP? Thanks but the sources are too dicey for me to believe. I'm willing to bet he was misquoted. Barak has been all over the news defending Israeli's actions this week.

I agree with you. I would like to see a link to the actual article. I don't believe that Barak would ever make a statement criticizing Israel without doing it to the Israeli press first.

Sounds like an April fool joke a few days late.

[StormEye]

"Former Israeli prime minister Ehud Barak warned in an interview released Wednesday that Israel has lost its "moral superiority" during the escalating conflict with the Palestinians."

What an blathering idiot Barak is. A true to form Clinton creation demonstrating to the world why he is unfit to be even elected dog catcher. Try explaining the nobility of having "moral superiority" to the families that have lost a loved one to the savage Arab (not "Palistinian") mass murderers that are now waging a war of attrition against Israel.

[Digger]

Barak = Carville = Dems.... They are all the same. We now can say about Israel that : THE ENEMY IS WITHIN.

[Oldeconomybuyer]

Barak must have attended a Bill Clinton seminar on how to be a pathetic ex-President. Is Barak saying it is immoral to protect innocent Israeli civilians? What a goof.

[lady lawyer]

I'm with the poster who doesn't believe AFP's version of Barak's remarks. I saw him on TV Monday defending Israel's actions and saying that his unprecedented peace offer to Arafat was only to call Arafat's bluff and reveal to the whole world what Arafat was -- someone who didn't want peace. I was stunned, because Barak's own words were so different that the picture the Western press paints of him.

[luvzhottea]

Mr Barak you cannot lose what you never had to begin with.

[demkicker]

The little twit's french accent makes me cringe. He's still apologizing for not handing over Israeli land on a silver platter to the PA terrorists.

Maybe the twerp will blow up from his own hot air.