Jerusalem delighted, Palestinians distraught:"We see speech as Hebrew words translated into English"

Jerusalem Post ^ | Jun. 25, 2002 | By HERB KEINON

[Cinnamon Girl]

Voices of strong approval from some unlikely sources.

[Cinnamon Girl]

US President George W. Bush as seen on Channel 1, Monday night.

Apparently Arafat's handlers understood what President Bush said.

[goldstategop]

Ther Palestinians are still dominated by a Nazi mindset. I don't expect them to be warm to the President's speech. What's groundbreaking about it is the dismay among Israel's Leftists and their Islamonazi friends. They weren't expecting this.

[Phil V.]

Mr. Arafat, confound everybody. Immediatly call for elections before the end of summer. Announce that you WILL NOT RUN.

[Ciexyz]

Will this translate into more votes for Bush by the American Jewish community? I've never understood how they blindly voted for the Democrats and kissed the backside of ex-Potus who used and humiliated a naive and troubled Jewish girl, Monica Lewinsky.

[Pyro7480]

This is some good news. It's good to know that the people actually involved in defending Israel think that this speech was great.

[Ciexyz]

I applaud Mr. Bush for his speech. He's consistent in his fight against terrorism and his insistence that terrorist attacks end. Our president is showing himself as a great statesman.

[goldstategop]

I hope it does. I've never understood why American Jews kissed the butt of someone who was ready to turn Israel over to the World's No. 1 terrorist, Yasser Arafart.

[B Knotts]

I applaud the president for this speech. He seems
to have hit just the right balance, judging from the
reactions!

[Scott from the Left Coast]

Voices of strong approval from some unlikely sources.

I would amend that, if you don't mind, to one "formerly" unlikely source (American Jewish Committee). The support from Israel is very logical. Heck, I have been a rather vocal critic (here) of the Administration's Israel/Palestinian territories policy, and I too am pleased with the President's pronouncement of policy today. Today he demonstrated the moral clarity he showed on September 17, 2001 and in the State of the Union address. If the follow-through in the [likely] circumstance of future violent rejection of his policy by the Palestinians is as clear in moral terms, then there is nothing more that hard enemies of Islamic terror can reasonably ask for.

[TerryInRiverside]

Arafat is grasping for straws. I thought Arafat didn't have the power to stop terrorism!

[denydenydeny]

Voices of strong approval from some unlikely sources.

And wailing and gnashing of teeth from some very likely ones.

This is a vitally important speech. I have not seen any comment from Jimmy Carter on it, but I guarantee you that he will hate it. The Carter philosophy insists that the foundation for peace is that all points of view must be considered equally valid. Today's speech from the President announces that they are not.

[zeromus]

I've never understood why American Jews kissed the butt of someone who was ready to turn Israel over to the World's No. 1 terrorist, Yasser Arafart.

Apparently, then, they are neither Jews nor Americans.

[goldstategop]

Really? Maybe its me but I thought the Jerusalem Post both in its reporting and editorial commentary thought it endorsed Israel's position.

[Ronin]

Once again, the Arabs are their own worst enemy.

The speech Bush gave was probably a lot different from the one he was planning on giving before the back-to-back suicide bombings.

[MississippiMan]

I really like the positions he took in the speech and will rate this as one of his very best days as President thus far. It will be interesting to see if he will now allow Israel to fully defend herself, for you may rest absolutely assured that the Palestinian obligations will not be met.

They have exactly what they want in place right now, a leadership wholly committed to driving Israel into the sea at any cost. If they replace Arafat at all--which is itself very doubtful--his replacement will work toward that same exact goal. A Palestinian state alongside Israel has never been their goal for one moment.

MM

[PianoMan]

Meretz leader MK Yossi Sarid said Bush's speech was not in tune with reality

Is Meretz some sort of ultra-left party??