Monday, September 26, 2011

Get Serious, Abbas

Nadene Goldfoot
I think Benjamin Netanyahu is a wonderful politician.  I recall my cousin, Stanley Goldfoot's Letter to the World, where he said,  "Because I am not a  diplomat, I do not have to mince words."  This is how Netanyahu has to differ from any pundits critical of him.  Even so, he certainly spoke his mind about what he thought of the U.N.  It was a much needed truth.  Ann Curry (usually my favorite)  tried to pin him down on how he viewed Obama as being a friend, and how he viewed Bill Clinton.  Netanyahu's skills as a politican came into the forefront and he did now allow himself to get caught in that tangled web, but insisted that the USA was and always has been Israel's best friend.  My, how these interviewers can get hard-nosed with people.  If she had been that way with Ahmadinejad in Iran, I would have applauded.  Instead, that turned into a very meek and mild interview.  The lives of the two hikers were still on the line at that point.   

In order to do his job, he has to be ever mindful of the lives of the 7 plus million citizens he is responsible for.  In talks with different TV stations after the U.N. speech, he answered their many questions and made it clear that:

He welcomes the Quartet's efforts to restart the peace process.  (His call to Abbas there went unheeded.)
He puts at the top of the list for starters, the Arab's recognition of Israel as a Jewish state.
To understand that Israel must maintain security.
Israel agrees that a Palestinian state will be in selected parts of Judea and Samaria. (Israel has large cities there, too large to dismantle) and no apartments or room for relocation.  However, as said before, Israel is for a two state solution.

The main body of Israel lies just a few hundred meters from the Palestinian controlled areas in Judea and Samaria.  This must have security.  Israel has already seen what happened in Gaza, which is now happening in the Sinai as well.  (The Sinai was given back in the name of peace with Egypt). Security for all of Israel is a must. 

You don't predetermine negotiations before they've begun, which is what Abbas expects to happen.  That's not a serious move towards peace. 

Netanyahu's policies have been responsible for removing 400 roadblocks.
They froze construction for 10 months without any needed input from Abbas or his cabinet who were all given that time frame beforehand with the deadline.

No other Prime Minister has given more towards peace.  What are they waiting for? 

Resource: http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/148230#.Tn8mQmHfbJY
Letter to the World, Stanley Goldfoothttp://www.icjs-online.org/index.php?eid=3461&ICJS=5849&article=1387
http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/headlines/2011/09/transcript-israeli-prime-minister-benjamin-netanyahus-interview-with-abc-news-anchor-david-muir/

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