Posted on 06/19/2005 6:20:40 AM PDT by SJackson
Where Israel's withdrawal from all major Arab population centers in Judea, Samaria and Gaza over the past decade failed to elicit “Palestinian” reciprocity and cooperation, Prime Minister Ariel Sharon's “disengagement” plan was sure to succeed.
So said US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice during a joint press conference with PLO chief Mahmoud Abbas in Ramallah Saturday.
She repeated that assertion in an official statement released prior to her meeting with Sharon in Jerusalem Sunday morning.
“A successful disengagement will enhance the security of Israel, and it should give a sense of confidence and trust between the Israelis and Palestinians as they look to a better future,” the statement read.
That, Sharon replied, would depend “on the Palestinians stopping the terror, violence and incitement, dismantling and disarming terror groups, and implementing the needed reforms.”
Since the start of the “Oslo” peace process in 1993, Israel has relinquished large swaths of its biblical heartland and transferred control over the lives of some 98 percent of Palestinian Arabs to the PLO-controlled Palestinian Authority.
During that same time, the PA has categorically failed to fulfill its primary obligation – repeated in every subsequent agreement – to disarm and dismantle the anti-Jewish “Palestinian” terrorist infrastructure.
Rice used her 48-hours of high-level talks to urge Israel and the PA to work together to ensure the Gaza-Samaria withdrawal took place in the absence of violence.
“Both parties will have to do their part if this is indeed to be a peaceful and orderly withdrawal,” she said Saturday.
Rice said Washington viewed the expulsion of some 10,000 Jews as a promising opportunity to rejuvenate and accelerate its Road Map peace plan, and hoped her hosts were on the same page.
“We must all focus on the disengagement as our best chance to re-energize the Road Map plan for peace,” she stated.
Rice reiterated her government's determination to help birth a Palestinian Arab state on ancient Jewish lands, and said the Bush Administration was “proud to be the number one donor to the [PLO-controlled Palestinian] Authority.”
She also again assured Israel it had no support from the Bush Administration to unilaterally annex large Jewish settlement blocs in Judea and Samaria, including Jewish neighborhoods in eastern Jerusalem.
Any such permanent changes to the pre-1967 borders would have to win the consent of the PLO, Rice said.
Why Islamic terrorism is not going to go away is the religion requires confrontation with non- believers, Infidels.
It can be tamped down but it will always rise up again. I interpret the Koran the same way Osama bin Laden and the rest of the the murderous Islamists do.
I'm sorry the Koran doesn't say something I could live with, but it is very clear what God (Allah) wants done. Kill the non-believers or get them to submit and pay protection money. - Tom
Alas, nothing in the history of either the region or the Pali leadership supports your optimistic outlook.
As P.J O'Rourke said "Give War A Chance".
If the Muslims keep on chanting "Death to America" they might just convince Americans that there really is a religious war going on.
If so, within a decade or two, children will be asking "Daddy, what was a Muslim?"
HellO, I so agree. Condi is NAIVE and frankly STUPID to think that concessions will help. "If there were no Jews" is, I am afraid, the only thing the Muzzies want. And this takes care of some of the problem, in their eyes. Being hopeful is FOOLISH.
Thus to deal ever with evil.
Arabs never lose? the expression "born losers" comes to mind..
Really, ain't that the truth!
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