Bush endorses Israel's West Bank plan

[Fishbone]

this should really help matters:

Bush endorses Isreal West Bank plan

[phantom]

Based on what I know of the situation, I'd say Bush is wrong on this one.

[Fishbone]

Originally posted by phantom@Apr 14 2004, 02:31 PM
Based on what I know of the situation, I'd say Bush is wrong on this one.

QFA. This particuilar quote is disturbing:

Bush urged the Palestinians to match Israel's "boldness and courage."

[Moe_Szyslak]

just beautiful...how to win friends and influence people...maybe they'd get the message if he appeared with Sharon and the carcass of the guy Isreal recently assasinated...

Bush's endorsement of Sharon's plan came with no Palestinian leaders present — in what was sure to be seen by the Arab world as a strong favoring of Sharon and a slight to the Palestinians. Palestinian leaders had previously said they had been assured by the Bush administration that they would be consulted before any Bush endorsement of Sharon's plan.

[Iowa_Card]

Bush, the Uniter.

[lazydaze]

He said final decisions about Israeli settlements in the West Bank had to wait for "final status" negotiations between the Israelis and Palestinians on a Palestinian state.


Bush emphasized that Israeli settlements "should be temporary rather than permanent, and therefore not prejudice any final status issues, including final borders."

towards a greater goal of;

"If all parties choose to embrace this moment, they can open the door to progress and put an end to one of the world's longest-running conflicts," Bush said.

Sharon is hoping Bush can help him persuade hardliners in his Likud Party to back a withdrawal. Some 200,000 Likud members are to vote on the pullout plan, and approval is not assured.

[Moe_Szyslak]

yeah, lazy, Bush's really doing it to secure long term peace and stability...

Past U.S. administrations had anticipated only minor changes in the old borders as part of a final peace deal between Israel and the Palestinians. Bush's statement went much further, amounting to a clear endorsement of Sharon's proposal that some large Jewish settlements must remain on the West Bank temporarily, and a backing of the Sharon position that some Jewish settlements must always remain there.

[lazydaze]

Well, it may be a stretch...but...

Originally posted by Moe_Szyslak@Apr 14 2004, 12:43 PM
yeah, lazy, Bush's really doing it to secure long term peace and stability...

Past U.S. administrations had anticipated only minor changes in the old borders as part of a final peace deal between Israel and the Palestinians. Bush's statement went much further, amounting to a clear endorsement of Sharon's proposal that some large Jewish settlements must remain on the West Bank temporarily, and a backing of the Sharon position that some Jewish settlements must always remain there.

with the last opinion in that sentence refuted by bush's own words,

He said final decisions about Israeli settlements in the West Bank had to wait for "final status" negotiations between the Israelis and Palestinians on a Palestinian state.
Bush emphasized that Israeli settlements "should be temporary rather than permanent, and therefore not prejudice any final status issues, including final borders."

Sounds like to me he is saying don't let this obstacle stop final peace negations, especially when Sharon is attempting to withdrawal substantially from the west bank and gaza.

Keep moving forward.


But I am sure this action is open to interpretation.

[Iowa_Card]

I'd like it just as well if the White House's Foreign Policy include a note that Isreal doesn't exist.

As in, we should act like it's their problem and their problem alone to resolve. Siding with one group is going to piss the other group off. It's a no-win situation unless the US isn't involved in the situation.

[Airshark]

Umm, I'm not here to add or detract from this topic in either direction, but can anybody explain why people are purposely misspelling the word "Israel"? It's happening far too frequently to be a typo - is there some hidden protest I don't know about?

[Moe_Szyslak]

I chronically misspell it. Don't know why...

[Reggie Cleveland]

As in, we should act like it's their problem and their problem alone to resolve.

This sentence kind of contradicts itself, because if we make it "their" problem, they won't have any problems because there won't be any Israel.

[Iowa_Card]

Originally posted by Reggie Cleveland@Apr 14 2004, 03:37 PM

As in, we should act like it's their problem and their problem alone to resolve.

This sentence kind of contradicts itself, because if we make it "their" problem, they won't have any problems because there won't be any Israel.

Fine by me!

Let them blow themselves and their warring country up.

[Moon Man]

This sentence kind of contradicts itself, because if we make it "their" problem, they won't have any problems because there won't be any Israel.

Oh please give it a rest. The majority of Palestinians are more than willing to recognize Israel. Hezbollah and Hamas are not willing, and will do whatever they can to destabilize the peace process. Moderates have an uneasy relationship with Arafat (who many of them hate), and the militant groups, because they sincerely believe that without the threat of bus bombings, terror, etc. they have absolutely no chance of ever getting a state of their own. I am inclined to agree with them.

To say that Israel would not exist if we backed out is ridiculous. They could (and did) take on several Arab states all at once and crush them. Remember 1967? Remember 1973? And now they have nukes, poison gas, and bio weapons. Anyone who fucks with Israel will be reduced to a smoldering and very radioactive crater in short order. This tired crap about defenseless Israelis and the necessity to retain the occupied territories to ensure their continued security is blatantly false.

Moon

[Reggie Cleveland]

To say that Israel would not exist if we backed out is ridiculous. They could (and did) take on several Arab states all at once and crush them.

That being the case, why doesn't Israel just "crush" the Palestinians to a man, and then look at that weak-assed Arab world and say, "Next?"