Ali
10-27-2004, 04:29 AM
So, Sharon's pulling out of Gaza and the Palestinians are going to get some peace, at last?
Don't bet on it. (http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?pagename=JPost/JPArticle/ShowFull&cid=1098771479820)
Jordanian government officials expressed fear yesterday that the unilateral withdrawal from the Gaza Strip signifies that Israel plans to annex the West Bank and transfer Palestinians to Jordan.
"The government and the public fear that the main purpose of the withdrawal is to occupy the West Bank and try to push the Palestinians in Jordan," said Abdul Rahim Malhas, an independent deputy elected to Jordan's Parliament.
The transfer would not be direct, say Jordanian politicians. "By making [Palestinians'] lives unbearable and unlivable they would be forced to try to find a way out of there," said Malahs, adding that "Israel would probably annex the West Bank and make it official [part of Israel]."
Mamdouh Abbadi, an outspoken deputy who was also elected to Jordan's Lower House of Parliament believes agrees.
"If this is only a withdrawal from Gaza without any intention of withdrawing from the West Bank it's very bad for our country because we are under threat of transfer of Palestinians to our country."
Jordanians fear that if there is no future intention to withdraw from the West Bank then Palestinians will lose hope and fortitude and leave themselves. Jordan's population is composed of a high percentage of people whose families are Palestinian refugees. Yet, the country tries to maintain a separate – Jordanian – identity. Jordanian officials fear that the relocation to Jordan of the over two million Palestinians living in the West Bank would destabilize the rule in that country.
"Maybe [the Israelis] won't try to transfer them like in 1967," said Abbadi, "but they put restrictions on their daily life – travel, work, kids can't go to school - so that as a parent with children you will have to leave."
Jordanian politicians and analysts site a recent interview with Dov Weisglass, the advisor to Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon in Ha'aretz Magazine. Weisglass said that the Gaza withdrawal was meant to strengthen the West Bank settlements and end the Roadmap – the US-backed plan for peace based on a two-state solution.
"Everyone heard what Sharon's advisor [Dov Weisglass] said," said Mustafa Hamarneh, the director of the Center for Strategic Studies at the University of Jordan. "[The withdrawal from Gaza] is basically a tactic by Sharon and the Likud to expand settlements in the West Bank and to isolate Gaza which is making trouble for them," said Hamarneh.
Hamarneh adds that current situation in the Occupied Territories suggest that a future Palestinian state is not in the cards. "There is no hope and no optimism in light of what is happening on the ground: the wall, the unilateral withdrawal of Gaza, and the expansion of settlements." Don't expect any peace in the Middle East, or the rest of the world, for that matter, as long as the US continues to support Israel's oppression of Palestine.
And it doesn't look like anything's going to improve if Kerry gets in (http://www.johnkerry.com/communities/jewish_americans/strength_security.html).
“The people of Israel should also know that, as president, my commitment to a safe and secure Jewish state will be unwavering. For nineteen years, this is a pledge I have kept in the United States Senate – whether through my votes on economic aid, military security, or the location of the U.S. Embassy. And it is one I will continue to keep.”
--John Kerry, Speech to the Anti-Defamation League, May 3, 2004I know he's pandering to the Jewish voters in the US, but he'll have to stand by his words if he gets in and that means more misery for Palestinians and more Arab hatred for the US, regardless of what happens in Iraq.
Supporting Israel’s Right to Respond to Terrorism. John Kerry and John Edwards support Israel’s right of self defense to eliminate threats to its citizens, including actions taken by Israel against Hamas (http://www.larouchepub.com/other/2002/2902isr_hamas.html), Islamic Jihad and other terrorist groups. In spring 2002, John Kerry and John Edwards co-sponsored a resolution expressing solidarity with Israel’s efforts to provide security to its citizens by dismantling the terrorist infrastructure in Palestinian areas. The resolution called for continued assistance in strengthening Israel's homeland defenses and reaffirmed a commitment to Israel’s right to self-defense. As Kerry said in April 2004, appearing on Meet the Press, “I believe Israel has every right in the world to respond to any act of terror against it.”
Yasser Arafat: A Failed Leader Unfit to be a Partner for Peace. John Kerry and John Edwards believe that Yasser Arafat is a failed leader unfit to be a partner for peace. :mad: They support Arafat’s isolation. :mad: John Kerry and John Edwards will work tirelessly to ensure that new, responsible Palestinian leadership -- committed in word and deed to ending the violence, fighting terror and promoting democracy -- emerges.
(!) Supporting the Security Fence. (!) John Kerry and John Edwards believe that Israel’s security fence is a legitimate response to terror that only exists in response to the wave of terror attacks against Israel. The fence is an important tool in Israel’s fight against terrorism. Kerry strongly condemned the International Court of Justice’s July ruling on the fence, and he has always made clear that he did not believe that the ICJ should even be considering the issue. John Kerry believes our nation is rightly discussing with Israel the exact route of the fence to minimize the hardship it causes Palestinians. Israel’s own Supreme Court has looked at the very same issues and Kerry believes we should respect that process. :mad:
Supporting Israel’s Withdrawal Plan and the Creation of a Palestinian State. John Kerry and John Edwards support Israel’s unprecedented plan to withdraw from the Gaza strip and they support the creation of a democratic Palestinian state dedicated to living in peace and security side by side with the Jewish State of Israel. They believe that the creation of a Palestinian state should resolve the issue of Palestinian refugees by allowing them to settle there, rather than in Israel. :eek: They understand that it is unrealistic to expect that the outcome of final status negotiations will be a full and complete return to the armistice lines of 1949 :eek: —and they understand that all final status negotiations must be mutually agreed on.
(!) Maintaining Israel’s Military Superiority. (!) In a Kerry-Edwards administration, America will continue to guarantee Israel’s military superiority. John Kerry and John Edwards support carefully restricting arms sales to Arab countries in the region. John Kerry opposed the sale of Maverick missiles and F-15 fighter planes to Saudi Arabia, and voted to prohibit the Department of Defense from awarding contracts to any foreign entities that cooperate with the Arab boycott of Israel.
Supporting Aid to Israel. John Kerry and John Edwards have always voted to maintain critical foreign aid to our ally Israel, resisting any attempts to cut it over their years in the Senate. In the early 1990s, John Kerry fought President George H.W. Bush when Bush threatened to veto loan guarantees for the costs of resettling Soviet and Ethiopian refugees in Israel. As John Kerry said of Bush’s attempt to make guarantees dependent on Israeli concessions, “It would be highly unfair to hold Israel hostage to a peace process that it has no control over.” Kerry also co-sponsored legislation to provide the loan guarantees. Any Arab who sees this is going to be as mad as a nest of premenstural vipers!
Don't bet on it. (http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?pagename=JPost/JPArticle/ShowFull&cid=1098771479820)
Jordanian government officials expressed fear yesterday that the unilateral withdrawal from the Gaza Strip signifies that Israel plans to annex the West Bank and transfer Palestinians to Jordan.
"The government and the public fear that the main purpose of the withdrawal is to occupy the West Bank and try to push the Palestinians in Jordan," said Abdul Rahim Malhas, an independent deputy elected to Jordan's Parliament.
The transfer would not be direct, say Jordanian politicians. "By making [Palestinians'] lives unbearable and unlivable they would be forced to try to find a way out of there," said Malahs, adding that "Israel would probably annex the West Bank and make it official [part of Israel]."
Mamdouh Abbadi, an outspoken deputy who was also elected to Jordan's Lower House of Parliament believes agrees.
"If this is only a withdrawal from Gaza without any intention of withdrawing from the West Bank it's very bad for our country because we are under threat of transfer of Palestinians to our country."
Jordanians fear that if there is no future intention to withdraw from the West Bank then Palestinians will lose hope and fortitude and leave themselves. Jordan's population is composed of a high percentage of people whose families are Palestinian refugees. Yet, the country tries to maintain a separate – Jordanian – identity. Jordanian officials fear that the relocation to Jordan of the over two million Palestinians living in the West Bank would destabilize the rule in that country.
"Maybe [the Israelis] won't try to transfer them like in 1967," said Abbadi, "but they put restrictions on their daily life – travel, work, kids can't go to school - so that as a parent with children you will have to leave."
Jordanian politicians and analysts site a recent interview with Dov Weisglass, the advisor to Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon in Ha'aretz Magazine. Weisglass said that the Gaza withdrawal was meant to strengthen the West Bank settlements and end the Roadmap – the US-backed plan for peace based on a two-state solution.
"Everyone heard what Sharon's advisor [Dov Weisglass] said," said Mustafa Hamarneh, the director of the Center for Strategic Studies at the University of Jordan. "[The withdrawal from Gaza] is basically a tactic by Sharon and the Likud to expand settlements in the West Bank and to isolate Gaza which is making trouble for them," said Hamarneh.
Hamarneh adds that current situation in the Occupied Territories suggest that a future Palestinian state is not in the cards. "There is no hope and no optimism in light of what is happening on the ground: the wall, the unilateral withdrawal of Gaza, and the expansion of settlements." Don't expect any peace in the Middle East, or the rest of the world, for that matter, as long as the US continues to support Israel's oppression of Palestine.
And it doesn't look like anything's going to improve if Kerry gets in (http://www.johnkerry.com/communities/jewish_americans/strength_security.html).
“The people of Israel should also know that, as president, my commitment to a safe and secure Jewish state will be unwavering. For nineteen years, this is a pledge I have kept in the United States Senate – whether through my votes on economic aid, military security, or the location of the U.S. Embassy. And it is one I will continue to keep.”
--John Kerry, Speech to the Anti-Defamation League, May 3, 2004I know he's pandering to the Jewish voters in the US, but he'll have to stand by his words if he gets in and that means more misery for Palestinians and more Arab hatred for the US, regardless of what happens in Iraq.
Supporting Israel’s Right to Respond to Terrorism. John Kerry and John Edwards support Israel’s right of self defense to eliminate threats to its citizens, including actions taken by Israel against Hamas (http://www.larouchepub.com/other/2002/2902isr_hamas.html), Islamic Jihad and other terrorist groups. In spring 2002, John Kerry and John Edwards co-sponsored a resolution expressing solidarity with Israel’s efforts to provide security to its citizens by dismantling the terrorist infrastructure in Palestinian areas. The resolution called for continued assistance in strengthening Israel's homeland defenses and reaffirmed a commitment to Israel’s right to self-defense. As Kerry said in April 2004, appearing on Meet the Press, “I believe Israel has every right in the world to respond to any act of terror against it.”
Yasser Arafat: A Failed Leader Unfit to be a Partner for Peace. John Kerry and John Edwards believe that Yasser Arafat is a failed leader unfit to be a partner for peace. :mad: They support Arafat’s isolation. :mad: John Kerry and John Edwards will work tirelessly to ensure that new, responsible Palestinian leadership -- committed in word and deed to ending the violence, fighting terror and promoting democracy -- emerges.
(!) Supporting the Security Fence. (!) John Kerry and John Edwards believe that Israel’s security fence is a legitimate response to terror that only exists in response to the wave of terror attacks against Israel. The fence is an important tool in Israel’s fight against terrorism. Kerry strongly condemned the International Court of Justice’s July ruling on the fence, and he has always made clear that he did not believe that the ICJ should even be considering the issue. John Kerry believes our nation is rightly discussing with Israel the exact route of the fence to minimize the hardship it causes Palestinians. Israel’s own Supreme Court has looked at the very same issues and Kerry believes we should respect that process. :mad:
Supporting Israel’s Withdrawal Plan and the Creation of a Palestinian State. John Kerry and John Edwards support Israel’s unprecedented plan to withdraw from the Gaza strip and they support the creation of a democratic Palestinian state dedicated to living in peace and security side by side with the Jewish State of Israel. They believe that the creation of a Palestinian state should resolve the issue of Palestinian refugees by allowing them to settle there, rather than in Israel. :eek: They understand that it is unrealistic to expect that the outcome of final status negotiations will be a full and complete return to the armistice lines of 1949 :eek: —and they understand that all final status negotiations must be mutually agreed on.
(!) Maintaining Israel’s Military Superiority. (!) In a Kerry-Edwards administration, America will continue to guarantee Israel’s military superiority. John Kerry and John Edwards support carefully restricting arms sales to Arab countries in the region. John Kerry opposed the sale of Maverick missiles and F-15 fighter planes to Saudi Arabia, and voted to prohibit the Department of Defense from awarding contracts to any foreign entities that cooperate with the Arab boycott of Israel.
Supporting Aid to Israel. John Kerry and John Edwards have always voted to maintain critical foreign aid to our ally Israel, resisting any attempts to cut it over their years in the Senate. In the early 1990s, John Kerry fought President George H.W. Bush when Bush threatened to veto loan guarantees for the costs of resettling Soviet and Ethiopian refugees in Israel. As John Kerry said of Bush’s attempt to make guarantees dependent on Israeli concessions, “It would be highly unfair to hold Israel hostage to a peace process that it has no control over.” Kerry also co-sponsored legislation to provide the loan guarantees. Any Arab who sees this is going to be as mad as a nest of premenstural vipers!