Bush Offers Abbas Public Support
President George W. Bush today pledged millions of dollars in direct American aid for the Palestinian Authority, providing a tangible lift and a verbal endorsement to its leader, President Mahmoud Abbas, during a symbolically important White House visit.I am far from sure I approve of this. Abbas has indeed made some baby steps toward a democratic Palestine, but that is about all so far. I am still waiting for signs that he is a real reformed and commited to leading the Palestinians toward Democracy and abandoning terrorist tactics. Clinton famously invited Arafat to the Whitehouse, and gave him his symbolic support. Arafat repaid Clinton by launching the current intifada. Reform first, commit to democracy first, then you get your invite to the Whitehouse. Still, if it works, it works, and I'll be the first to admit I was wrong. I hope it does, but I wouldn't place any money on Abbas being the real deal yet.
posted by Dave Justus | 5/26/2005 02:41:00 PM
8 Comments:
Dave,
As you probably suspected, I completely agree with you. Abu Mazen has done virtually nothing in order to bring neither democracy to his people nor quite to the region. Bush's endorsement can only make things worse.
I don't know the details of the promised aid. Maybe there are some strings tied to it which will bribe Mazen somewhat. However, it doesn't really make a damn until the Palestinian people disavow the terrorists group and start polic ing themselves.
A Israeli friend once told me that the solution to the problem in the Palestine was simple. All the Palestinians had to do was quit killing Israelis and there would be peace and a Country call Palestine. However, if the Israelis laid down their weapons there would no longer be a country called Israel. I tend to concur.
I don't totally disagree with that GuyK, although there is a minority of Israelis who call for the expulsion of all Arabs from greater Israel. They want the conflict to continue as much as Hamas and Hezbollah do.
Dave, I am glad that you added that last comment. I was getting all outraged and upset. I camer in here with fire in my belly to point out that successive Presidents had also invited Sharon to the White House and Camp David.
To the point Sharon had responded to the kindness by allowing new, illegal, Jewish settlements in occupied Palestinian territory and the murder and displacement of even more Palestinians.
The one certainty (in my mind at least) is that America has sure bought itself a whole heap of trouble on very wide fronts through the support of Israel's actions. That support has been both overt (in the supply of arms, training and technology) and covert (in for example refusing to criticise the Israeli government for clear breaches of the Geneva Conventions).
Rant over...
Certainly the U.S. has been a strong ally of Israel.
Let me be clear though that while I think Israel has made mistakes, that country is far more blameless than the other Arab countries in the region and the Palestinians.
I would take critics of Israeli settlement policy more seriously if they spent even a tenth as much time criticizing the Arab nations who have explelled their Jewish population and treat Jews far worse than Israel has ever treated Palestinians.
The settlement issue is complex, and as I have stated Israel has made mistakes. It is important to remember though that there have been legal Jewish settlements in the occupied territories that date back to before the founding of Israel. The Palestinians seek to destroy these settlements, and drive there inhabitants from their homes as much as they wish to get rid of the new settlements.
Probligo...
"Showing Sharon kindness"...In God's name, do you have any idea of what you're blabbering about? Since you don't please let others handle the issue at hand. Let me remind you that Mr. Bush has taken things into his own hands more than any so called "settlers" (I suggest you read up on the history of the place people like yourself call "Palestine")ever have. He has, entirely ignoring world opinion as well as the sovereignty of Iraq, gone off on a campaign to diligitimize radical Islam and smash terrorism everywhere. And...good for him! What he has not done is give Israel the green light to defend itself from enemies much more serious than anybody America is dealing with. Anyhow pal...since I have no more time to waste on you and since you obviously don't have the slightest clue when it comes to the Middle East, I suggest you back of with "camering in here" with "fire" in your belly.
As for you, Dave, I didn't expect such blunt disregard for Israel's well-being as you showed when stating that a "minority" of Israelis who "call for the expulsion of all Arabs from greater Israel want the conflict to continue as much as Hamas and Hezbollah do. As you, yourself have admitted, you know little about the Arab-Israeli conflict and think I do a good job of letting people know what's going on. As you're aware of having read my latest post, I call for the expultion of all Arabs from Greater Israel because they pose a grave danger for Israel's future, not, as you're aware, out of hatred for each and every single one of them. Yes, and now you're comparing me with Hamas and Hezbollah. Please explain.
Greg,
I did not say, nor do I think I implied, that the Israeli extremists have used the same tactics as Hamas or Hezbollah.
However, those who either through hatred of Arabs or greed for more territory wish to expell all Arabs from Greater Israel, will inevitably find tactics just as bad, if not worse, if they get their way. They wish the conflict to continue until their enemies are exterminated.
I believe that you feel that for the safety of your countrymen all Arabs need to be expelled from greater Israel. While that goal is certainly more noble, I do not believe the means you would have to employ will be ammenable to any good cause. I do not think that the Israeli's will find any safety by following those means.
I believe that in the conflict every Israeli and every Palestinian must choose one of two goals. To either fight to the bitter end, twisting themselves into evil to spite their enemy, or to work toward peace, even when it seems impossible.
I stand with everyone who chooses that latter, and in the end, I must oppose everyone who chooses the former.
That doesn't mean one cannot defend oneself.
Dave,
I must first and foremost apologize to the proligo for having taken the argument to a personal level. That was uncalled for. I realize the majority of people have opinions different from mine and I must learn to deal with that. As for your last comment(s), I understand how you feel. It probably seems outright genocide to force Israeli Arabs out of their homes, thus sparking mass violence on the parts of both Arabs living in the territories and the ones being evicted. Such violence, as both you and I know will lead to an escalation in the conflict and may lead to only more bloodshed. However, when considering the matter strictly from the point of view of what's best for Israel, without taking into account others' suffering, an expulsion of Israe's Arabs would ultimately help Israel in the long run. We would have no problem as far as demographics are concerned (Arabs are projected to take over as the majority in Israel in another 20 years if I'm not mistaken), and in general, the stronger the measures the Israeli government excercises, the better the results. Even the international community responds more positively; take as an example Israel's brilliant victory in the Six Day War and the glory and world regognition it brought to the Jewish State.
Despite all this, I cannot say for certain that even I would fully support a transfer of Israeli Arabs as I have stated in my posts. You see, my positions, based more on personal feelings and emotions than clear facts(please don't quote me later:), change with time. The fact that I've befriended several Arab students makes me doubt whether I'd really be willing to stand by idly while these people were being evacuated.
In any case, though comparing even militant Jews to Hamas and Hezbollah is, in my mind, proposterous.
Thanx for letting me voice my opinions, Greg.
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