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Sunday May 24, 2009
The Other View: Is Israel starting to feel US pressure?
Posted by Ziad Khalil Abu Zayyad
Comments: 16
    
Last week, Israel started to feel the pressure from the US as plans for a new peace initiative proposed by Obama were said to be in the works. Obama was said to deliver the contents of the plan on his visit to Cairo next week, but recent reports have suggested that his speech will focus on American ties with the Muslim world and not on the new peace plan which is rumored to refer to east Jerusalem as the future capital of an independent Palestinian State. Since then, Israeli politicians have not stopped talking of the importance of getting Israel out of this situation in any way, including the removal of Israeli settlements in the West Bank. On Friday, Netanyahu said in ceremonies of what Israel calls "Jerusalem Union Day" that Jerusalem will never again be divided and that it will always be the capital of Israel. The French foreign ministry stated on Saturday that Jerusalem must be divided to become a capital for both the Palestinian and Israeli state. A reference was also made to the settlements currently being built in east Jerusalem in which Israel claims that population growth calls for settlement expansion. However, French FM Bernard Kouchner, said that settlement construction must stop immediately as these actions make prospects for reaching peace in the Middle East almost impossible. Despite reports that Obama is to unveil his peace plan soon, the White House has indicated that the sides must work on final status issues and that it was not the place of the president to tell them what to do. According to a White House spokesman, "[...] those are final status issues that the parties themselves have agreed to work out in whatever negotiation would be had. That's not something for the president to intone," said White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs on Friday. These statements could give Israel another opportunity to evade finding a solution to the current situation as the US has signaled that it would be relaxing its grip. However, sooner or later, Israel will have to introduce its view on the Middle East and bring forth a peace plan that would address its conflict with Syria and the Palestinians. The current Israeli government has indicated that neither Jerusalem, nor the refugees' case, nor a Palestinian state, are issues to discuss in any proposed solution with the Palestinians. This means that it will be impossible to reach any kind of comprehensive peace agreement with the Arab world. Therefore, the only choice left for Israel is to try and create a new reality in the Middle East. This can be done, for example, by attacking Iran in order to try and convice the US that the only way to deal with Iran is by force. If Israel continues on the path of its current policy, the future of the Middle East will include wars and violence which will involve every player in the Middle East, not just Israel and Iran.
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Rudy Schunemann,
Monday May 25, 2009
Israel is a welfare state of the USA. This means that Israel cannot stand on it's own 2 feet but needs to be propped us by American Taxpayers. They are supposed to be big allies of the US but I can't think of a single instance where they have helped us other than an out stretreched hand palms up. With allies like that, who needs Isreal?
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Joe - USA,
Monday May 25, 2009
Basics... which faction will be responsible for the leadership of a proposed new Palestinian state, as there is in-fighting among themselves. Initial focus of peace negotiations would have the appointed Palestinian leadership recognize the 1948 UN Resolution establishing the nation of Israel, as an acceptance of the International communities' decision, thereby releasing this burden of responsibility placed on Israel by the U.S. & other international entities for appeasement & concessions towards an unsubstantiated peace agreement. Peace with who? See Zachariah 12:9-10
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Jay California,
Tuesday May 26, 2009
Rudy Schunemann,
I beg to differ, Israel recieved 99% of that aid AFTER 1967. The war immediately after (1973) was as close as 1948, because of US insistance (under KIssinger and Nixon) that there should be no pre-emptive attack i.e. Israel CAN stand on its own two feet!
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D Lahav,
Tuesday May 26, 2009
Netanyahu has proposed strengthening the Palestinian economy as a measure to help the Palestinians build the infrastructure of a state. In Mandatory Palestine, when we struggled to achieve statehood, we built fighting forces, but also the apparatus of effective administration. We did this in spite of the British occupation. If there is to be a Palestinian state, it is essential that the Palestinians work at least as hard trying to build their own country as they work at destroying ours. This means electing leadership that promises something other than endless Jihad.
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JimO USA,
Tuesday May 26, 2009
No matter what path Israel chooses, there will be wars in the middle east and it will be blamed on Israel. Israel should not think of disagreeing with Obama as severing ties with the US permanently. Obama's time in office is limited and his view of Israel is not shared with most Americans. Israel should maintain public relations with the American people by sending spokesman to major news corporations like FoxNews and CNN. Keep repeating your point of view.
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Robert, USA,
Tuesday May 26, 2009
Rudy, Rudy, Rudy... where on earth do you get ideas like that? Israel is the only true ally we have, not just in the Middle East, but anywhere.
Bob
California
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Ziad Khalil Abu Zayyad,
Tuesday May 26, 2009
Joe...this claim is not convincing..The Arab countries including Egypt, Saudi Arabia, and all the other leading countries will not allow any in fighting between the Palestinians once Israel decides to make a real compromise and change. Facts in the Middle East are changing very fast and unless real steps are made we will all be facing a new complete war. For example, the Israeli actions in East Jerusalem which is embodied in buiding new settlements and depressing the Palestinians will cause a new Intifada...imagine what will be the Arab reaction? it is time to think wisely....
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Proud Zionist, Modi'in,
Tuesday May 26, 2009
Ziad,
Your statement to Joe is demonstrably false. Israel offered peace in 2000. Arafat refused, didn't counter-offer, and then launched a terror war. Not a single Arab coungtry stepped up to fix the situation and "prevent in-fighting." You must stop presenting Arab propaganda as "fact." Time to be honest, that is what will bring real peace.
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Jen USA,
Tuesday May 26, 2009
JimO, Most Americans would disagree with your statement regarding how we feel about Israel. We are disappointed in Israel's lack of regard for the Palestinians. We are disappointed in Israel's lack of regard for US. In the event of a major conflict in the ME, we are also smart enough to know that there is blame on all sides, including but not only Israel. Don't play the "poor Israel" game. Obama won because most of us were sick & tired of Bush's world view. Obama is giving us change. Israel doesn't need to send anyone to FoxNews, that would be preaching to the choir.Your arguments are silly.
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Ziad Khalil Abu Zayyad,
Wednesday May 27, 2009
Proud Zionist...The open check which Bush gave to Israel and the weak and affected policy of Bill Clinton do not exist anymore!! This time the free world is really convinced that the national security of America, and real security of Israel can only be obtained if the Palestinians are given a state to live in. Israel never offered a fair solution to the Palestinians and what you call a terror war is a natural reaction of the Palestinians since they have been under occupation since fifty two years at that time. Time to be ready to compromise, that is what will bring REAL peace.
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du yisa,
Thursday May 28, 2009
Ziad, the Arab terror war against Jews isn't a reaction to being "under occupation". It's a continuation of an Arab attempt to kill the Palestinian Jewish population and steal their assets. Otherwise, why would the PA still be calling Tel Aviv an Arab city, and denying the Jewish connection to Jerusalem? How is this a "natural reaction" to "occupation"? Your attempt to rationalize terror against Jews is singularly unimpressive, and the fact that it's good enough for you speaks volumes.
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Ziad Khalil Abu Zayyad,
Thursday May 28, 2009
du yisa...I am sorry for your wrong information...the PA admits Tel Aviv as an israeli city and is even ready to consider West Jerusalem a capital of Israel on one condition which is that Israel admits the Palestinian's right in East Jerusalem and the 1967 occupied lands. I do believe that a government which agrees on laws that imprison people because of their opinions is an act of terror and racism exactly like the current Israeli government which wants to forbidden Israeli Arabs from their right in speaking freely...This is the worse law in modern history = to judge people because they speak
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du yisa, china,
Thursday May 28, 2009
Ziad, you should be sorry for your wrong information. The documentation maintained by groups such as Palestinian Media Watch amply contradicts your statements. The PA continues to define "Palestine" as including Israel and refuses to recognize any legitimate Jewish claim of sovereignty - particularly in Jerusalem. Btw, it's dishonest of you to state that Israeli laws "imprison people because of their opinions". Israel isn't an Arab country, after all. Can you name a single country in which sedition is not a crime? Can you name a country in which public calls for its destruction are tolerated?
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Ziad Khalil Abu Zayyad,
Saturday May 30, 2009
du...Google some information about the new laws which the current Israeli government is trying to pass in the knesset: one is that every palestinian who celebraes the Nakba is to be imprisoned and the other is that anyone who says that Israel is not a jewish state is to be sent to prison for a year! Even Begen who is a right israeli politician criticized these laws because they contradict with Democracy and free speech.. Do not run from facts by claiming that Arab countries are not democratic...Beside this trust me the PLO and the PA admits the existence of Israel but Israel denies us.
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du yisa, china,
Wednesday Jun 03, 2009
Ziad, 'Nakba Day' isn't a celebration. People don't celebrate it. Moreover, iit's disingenuous to refer to 'Nakba Day' as a free speech issue, as it 1) specifically rejects the creation of the Jewish state, which is seditious, 2) is promulgated by a large group of people, rather than as an expression of individual opinion, and 3) as defamation and threats against individuals are not considered protected speech, why should the standard be different vis-à-vis the state? To your other point: Of course Abbas "admits the existence of Israel". He and the PA do not accept its continued existence.
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du yisa, china,
Wednesday Jun 03, 2009
Moreover, it's nonsense for you to close your comment with the claim that 'Israel denies us'. Israel created the PA, after all - not quite a denial. Conversely, Abbas has openly stated that he does not accept Israel as a Jewish state, and that he only advocates peace as a "strategic option" - not as an end in itself. The fact is that Israel has a greater legal, historical and ethical claim to sovereignty in Jerusalem and the West Bank than any other group. The only argument you yourself have presented in ths blog for creating yet another Arab state is the threat of violence should it not occur.
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