AUTHOR:G.
DATE:5/07/2002 08:15:00 PM
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Bethlehem - The never-ending story
Israeli and Palestinians have finally negotiated an agreement to end the standoff at the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem. Acording to that agreement 13 terorrists will be deported to a third country. But there seem to be a slight problem. In this all world there isn't one state who till now said it agrees thos murderers to enter their country!
Italy, which was supposed to be the country of refuge for the 13 terrorists, refuses to let them in.
Another proposal was that until a final decision is reached regarding the country of destination for the terrorists, they will be transferred to Egypt. But the Egyptians are also unwilling to accept the Palestinian deportees, citing the fact that they had not been given any guarantees that the deportees would be in Egypt on a temporary basis.
Will see if the Italians are smart enough to stay away from this trouble. They already have to deal with local Muslim terrorists, member in al Qaeda. Why should they agree to have 13 murderers to moving freely in their country?
Even Egypt, an Arab Muslim state, doesn't want them. No Wonder. Maybe the Vatican, who made so much noise blaming Israel for the siege on those murderers, would like them to stay in its chapels.
The only ones who agree to take care of them are The Israelis. Only in Israel they will be brought to justice and face the outcome of their crimes.
I think that Italy would let them in eventually. The American pressure on them is intense. U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell telephoned Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi Today, in a bid to resolve Italy's objections to a deal to end the standoff. Like all others the Italian will listen to the Americans.
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AUTHOR:G.
DATE:5/06/2002 08:37:00 PM
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BODY:
Corruption as usual in the Palestinian Authority
Lets put aside the political issues for a brief moment and take a quick look over the Palestinian Authority concern to its own people, the Palestinians. Here are some findings from a report based on information gathered by the Israeli security services.
While the Palestinian public endures economic deprivation, one can learn from the report that the Palestinian leadership is not really concerened about that.
Palestinian parliament speaker Ahmed Queria (Abu Ala) just built a villa in Jericho worth $1.5 million.
Arafat distributed $50,000 as a wedding gift to the son of Parliamentary Affairs Minister Nabil Amer.
Agricultural supplies transferred from Israel to the Palestinian Aauthority as part of a humanitarian aid package were eventually sold back to Israel. Profits from the sale were pocketed by PA officials.
Minister Nabil Shaa'th son, who studies in France, got his "allowance" doubled by Arafat.
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The information minister deputy was granted 100 thousand dollars to build a house. (Let me remind you that the average Palestinian family will not earn that sum of money in 50 years).
Tens of millions of dollars that were provided to the Palestinian Authority by donor states have been allocated to finance terror and incitement, or to fatten the pockets of top Palestinian Authority officials
The above seem to be known to the American as well. U.S National Security Adviser, Condoleezza Rice, said yesterday that the Palestinian Authority "has got to reform". Rice said the Palestinian leadership must be "democratic, transparent and incorrupt ... what we ask of every government in the world. And we are going to start demanding (that) of the Palestinian leadership."
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AUTHOR:G.
DATE:5/05/2002 11:18:00 AM
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Do you remember the "Jenin Massacre"? It was not so long ago when every Arab in the world was crying, shouting and blaming Israel for killing hundreds of Palestinians in Jenin. The World media embraced those claims and presented the Israeli estimate, of 60 dead Palestinians, as pure propaganda.
Three weeks passed and behold: the Palestinians reduced the numbers from 500 to only 54 Palestinians killed in the fighting. Again, the Palestinians lied and the media bought it, Israel told the truth but no one would listen.
Most of those killed were terrorists. Jenin, "the suiciders capital" "exported during the violent confrontation 28 suicide attacks (most were implemented and some were foiled), and many more terrorist attacks. This terrorism, perpetrated by the Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ), Fatah and Hamas, resulted in the death of many dozens of Israelis and the wounding of hundreds. That is the reason for the Israeli military action.
Always suspect Palestinians claims, they tend to be far away from the truth.
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AUTHOR:G.
DATE:5/03/2002 12:10:00 AM
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People tell me that they don't support Palestinian terror against Israel but they understand it. As they see it the Palestinians have a right to their own state, Israel is preventing it from happening so that leaves no option to Palestinians other than fight against Israel with terror as they do not have the military power to stand up to the Israeli army. I guess that is a very popular opinion around the world.
Here is my response:
The Palestinians have the right to their own independent state. The overwhelming majority in Israel and the last 4 Israeli governments agree on that. Since 1993 Israel has been negotiating peace talks with the Palestinians and Yasser Arafat. That historic turn was made after Arafat, a notorious terrorist, declared that after 30 years of terror he had abandoned that way. Arafat said, for the first time, that he is willing to accept the existence of Israel.
For seven years there was progress made in the peace process. It didn't go smoothly from either side but still it kept on going. In 1999 Ehud Barak was elected to be the prime minister of Israel. Israelis have never made such a clear pro-peace choice.
On august 2000 Israel and the Palestinians met in Camp David USA to crucial discussions. Barak wanted to end the conflict. He offered Araft the most generous peace agreement that was ever suggested to the Palestinians. Israel was willing to give more than 96% of the West bank and Gaza, the other 4% were to be replaced with Israeli lands that will be annexed to the Palestinians state. More then 95% of the settlements were to be evacuated. Barak agreed to divide Jerusalem, the capital of Israel, in to half. The temple mount, holy both to Jews and Muslims was to be held in an international status.
Israel was willing to do what no one had never done for the Palestinians - give them a state of their own, including east Jerusalem. There was never an Arab state in the land of Israel, Jerusalem was never the capital of an Arab state.
Do you ask your self: why did Arafat decline the deal?
Arafat wanted the one thing Israel would never be able to give him. Arafat insisted on "The right of return". That means that millions of Palestinians, decedents of Arabs who lived in 1947 land of Israel and left the country after the failure of the Arab attack on the newly born state of Israel, will be allowed to return to Israel. I repeat to Israel, not to the new Palestinian state. Israel population today is 6.5 million people, one million of them are Israeli Arabs. Letting those Palestinians in to Israel would mean the end of Israel as a Jewish and democratic country.
Arafat wants to eliminate the Jewish state demographically. He wants a Palestinian state and a mixed Israel, soon to become Part of the Palestinians state. No sane Israeli would ever agree to that.
So Arafat declined the peace deal. His true intentions were clear now both to Israel an to U.S president Clinton. But Israel didn't give up on peace talks with the Palestinians got renewed on a low level basis.
October 2000 - Arafat decided to go back to his old way: the way of terror. Under his orders and approval a vicious attack was launched against Israel. Israel was drawn unwillingly in to this war. Arafat don't care about his people suffer. He wants to gain political profit through terror and bloodshed.
Israelis crave to peace and they are willing to pay a high price for it. Peace is made through negotiating not trough terror.
Things were going on the right way. The Palestinians and Israel were thriving economically, Palestinians worked in Israel, and Israelis visited Palestinians villages and bought goods. Things were going just fine, until Arafat made his strategic choice in terror.
If the Palestinians would stop their terror attack, Israel will meet them around the negotiating table.
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AUTHOR:G.
DATE:5/01/2002 05:52:00 PM
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Saudi Arabia - if they wouldn't have been floating on oil…
The Saudis contribute nothing to this world except for oil and terror. Their corrupt royal family is paying billions of dollars as ransom to Muslim terror organizations around the world. In return those Islamic extremists don't kick them out of power. And what about the rest of the world, were those Saudi funded terror groups acts? Well the Saudis don't really care.
Recently they came up with a peace plan. I believe that the purpose of the Saudi initiative (which didn't offer any new ideas) was to rebuild the relations with the U.S. After the September 11th attacks those relations were severely damaged. Not only that most of the terrorists were Saudis, a few weeks later the American investigation discovered the outflow of Saudi funds to terror organizations, including al Qaeda.
During Operation Defensive Shield Israel discovered Documents that revealed the extent of financial support Saudi Arabia has provided to the families of Palestinian suicide bombers and to the Hamas and Islamic Jihad terrorist organizations.
Just recently the Saudi crown prince Abdullah met in Washington with president Bush. Abdullah had the nerve to apply pressure on Bush to act against Israel. Sadly the Saudis have tremendous economic power and thus a lot of influence on the U.S, bush had to listen to Abdullah - sad sad world.
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