January 10, 2008
IT'S THE MARK OF A TRUE FRIEND...:
Occupation of Palestinian land must end, Bush tells Israel (Donald Macintyre, 11 January 2008, Independent)
President George Bush last night called for Israel to end what he unequivocally called its "occupation" of territory seized in 1967 and proposed "compensation" as a means of solving the issue of Palestinian refugees.As his first presidential three day visit to Israel and the West Bank neared its end, the US President went his furthest yet in publicly promoting what he had bullishly predicted would be a "signed peace treaty" between Israel and the Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas "by the time I leave in office" in January 2009.
Mr Bush's – for him – unusual choice of the word occupation, a term still widely disliked on the Israeli right, came after a day on which he had sought after a meeting here with Mr Abbas to show he understood Palestinians' frustration at hundreds of Israeli checkpoints and closures in the occupied West Bank. He also warned Israel of its obligations to negotiate a "contiguous" independent Palestinian state, adding: "Swiss cheese isn't going to work when it comes to the outline of a state."
Bush calls for end to Israeli occupation (Rory McCarthy, January 11, 2008, The Guardian)
"The point of departure for permanent status negotiations to realise this vision seems clear: there should be an end to the occupation that began in 1967," he said.He insisted it would be possible to reach a peace agreement within a year. The future borders of a Palestinian state, he said, would "require mutually agreed adjustments to the armistice lines of 1949 to reflect current realities".
The armistice lines mark where the boundary stood on the eve of the six-day war in 1967 before Israel captured East Jerusalem, the West Bank and Gaza. His phrase "current realities" suggests he favours Israel keeping some of the settlement blocs in the West Bank, in line with a letter he sent to the former Israeli prime minister Ariel Sharon three years ago.
...that he demand you live up to your own ideals. Posted by Orrin Judd at January 10, 2008 9:34 PM
All Palestinian media and political figures have, since the birth of Israel, spoken of Israeli's using the same language as the Nazis. What delusion is this?
Bush should be prodding the Kerry-like Israeli PM to find a pair and expand the empire. Do not be merciful until a secured state is achieved. If missiles/rockets/suiciders keep coming from territory X, seize it -- forever -- and impose a police state on the occupants until they either leave or shape-up.
Let's stop pretending the Palestinian culture is anything to cheer, enourage, or, if it cannot be civilized, even exist. These are a population of Nazis that will always be a left-wing righteous cause.
Posted by: Palmcroft at January 11, 2008 5:21 AMAbsolutely, but occupied people have a moral right to attack their occupiers, so you're hoist on your own petard.
So long as Israel is willing to accept both casualties and a betrayal of its own morality it can occupy Palestine for ever.
Posted by: oj at January 11, 2008 8:50 AM