Posted on 05/25/2003 6:43:08 AM PDT by yonif
The cabinet approved the US-backed 'road map' peace plan Sunday by a vote of 12 to seven with four ministers of Prime Minister Ariel Sharon's Likud Party abstaining.
The decision approved the plan that calls for Palestinians to achieve statehood by 2005, making it the first time Israel formally affirmed a Palestinian right to statehood.
But a number of conditions were attached to the plan, including an insistence that the Palestinians not demand a so-called 'right of return' by refugees to Israel, which passed by a separate vote of 16-1.
Finance Minister Binyamin Netanyahu, Education Minister Limor Livnat, Health Minister Dan Naveh and Internal Security Minister Tsahi Hanegbi abstained in the vote for the 'road map'. Among those who voted against were ministers from the National Religious Party and the National Union.
Justice Minister Yosef (Tommy) Lapid of the Shinui Party, whose five ministers all voted in favor, said he voted yes, because "we cannot continue to recruit reservists for duty in the territories unless they are confident the government is doing the utmost to make peace."
Zevulun Orlev of the NRP called the plan "a gamble on the country's future," since it offers no concrete guarantees of a cessation of terror attacks in exchange for the Palestinians achieving statehood.
The vote followed a five and a half hour long meeting held at the cabinet's routine meeting site at The Prime Minister's Office, just two days after Sharon embraced the "road map" to Mideast peace, after receiving assurances from the US that 14 Israeli concerns about the plan would be addressed.
The Palestinians accepted the plan last month, immediately after it was presented.
Left-wing Israelis gave mixed reactions to the vote. Lawmaker Ran Cohen of the Meretz Party said that unless the cabinet set a detailed timetable for implementing the plan, and the Palestinians set to work cracking down on terrorism, the 'road map' would become an "exercise in futility."
Sharon was quoted as telling ministers at the start of the meeting that Israel needs to back the plan, if only for the sake of helping to cure an economic recession that is worsened by the continuation of a 32-month uprising and terror wave.
"There is a clear link between our political and our economic situation," Sharon said, according to Israel Radio.
He reassured ministers he would not back away from any of the government's objections, according to Benny Rom, spokesman for Infrastructure Minister Yosef Paritzky.
Before the meeting, Sharon convened Likud ministers to muster their support behind the plan. Media reports said it was a stormy session, with hardliners sticking fast to their views.
Uzi Landau, a Likud minister said he would vote against the plan and called Washington's reassurances a "sugar coated cyanide pill."
Deputy Prime Minister Ehud Olmert told the radio before the vote was held that he was not happy with the peace plan, but planned to vote for it.
"I think the document is not a good one, but we have to choose when we battle the US, and now is not the time," Olmert said.
Meanwhile, Sharon was quoted by the Yediot Aharonot daily as saying Saturday that "the time has come to say yes to the Americans, the time has come to divide this land between us and the Palestinians." According to Yediot, Sharon reiterated his belief that a Palestinian state was inevitable.
"No one can teach me about these areas," Sharon said. "I am no less connected to these lands that we will have to leave when the time comes than those who speak in such lofty terms. But you have to be realistic." Sharon has said he envisions a Palestinian state in about half the West Bank with no Palestinian foothold in Jerusalem.
According to media reports, Sharon's bureau chief, Dov Weisglass opened the session with a review of agreements reached with the US regarding the "road map." Later Sharon reportedly spoke, giving his economic rationale for supporting the plan.
An Israeli official told The Jerusalem Post on Saturday that Israel had no interesting in creating a crisis with the US over the plan at this time.
"We are still at the gateway to the road map, and there are certain preliminary steps the Palestinians must take before we even start first stage, like taking steps to stop the violence and halt the incitement. Why create a crisis now?," the official said.
According to this logic, it is not wise to create a political crisis over the road map now, when it is still unclear whether Palestinian Authority Prime Minister Mahmoud Abbas (Abu Mazen) will take the steps to stop the violence which are needed for it to kick in.
Bringing the plan to the cabinet Sunday was made possible because of a statement by Powell and National Security Adviser Condoleezza Rice that was distributed by the White House.
"The United States government received a response from the government of Israel explaining its significant concerns about the road map," the statement read.
"The United States shares the view of the government of Israel that these are real concerns, and will address them fully and seriously in the implementation of the road map." Sharon's office then issued its own carefully worded statement Friday, which read:
"In view of the recent statement of the US regarding the Israeli comments on the road map, which shares the view of the government of Israel that these are real concerns and in view of the US promise to address those concerns fully and seriously in the implementation of the road map to fulfill the president's vision [of June 24, 2002], we are prepared to accept the steps set out in the road map."
An "approval" with a critical pre-requisite such as this is not actually an approval. It is a "counter-offer".
I was hoping that when Bubba left, the USA would no longer spin stuff like this. Alas, some things remain exactly the same.
Also, Netanyahu has given his supporters another example of his lack of backbone. If he wanted people to see his as a man of principle, he should have voted NO instead of abstaining.
now 8:05 AM . . . great jubilation here at FreeRepublic!!!
It is a shame that terrorists are being appeased. Terrorists should never be allowed to have power in any part of the world. With the moves of this administration, the PLO-terrorist regime is getting audience from our American government, a government I thought wanted to defeat terrorist regimes.
It is a dangerous move to Israel's security....and existence.
Once again the lambs (Israel) are being led to the slaughter.
I hope Israel wakes up before it is too late.
This peace map will lead Israel down a path to destruction.
. . .
Sharon was quoted as telling ministers at the start of the meeting that Israel needs to back the plan, if only for the sake of helping to cure an economic recession that is worsened by the continuation of a 32-month uprising and terror wave.
Interesting.
Go to any anti-semitic website, and you will note that one of their ongoing schticks is to claim Israel was born of terrorism. It's revisionist history, not unlike Holocaust denial, and like Holocaust denial, it's a lie. And of course by doing this, they are also trying to mitigate current Islamic/Palestinian terrorism.
Could you please provide some descriptions and details which characterize the just Israeli independence movement as terrorist in nature.
Are you naive enough to truly believe that the Palestinians can live up to the conditions of the "roadmap," and that they'll be given a state in Judea and Samaria? LOL. You seem to be addicted to disappointment.
Understand that the Arab terrorist organizations and their Saudi-bakced sponsors do not want this agreement to succeed, as much as they might (publicly) say otherwise. If this thing ever gets even close to being signed by all parties concerned, expect a wave of suicide/homicide bombing the likes of which we've never before seen to assure that it doesn't happen. Bush and Sharon are smart enough to know this, of course, and that's why they're merely going through the motions.
....And we're going through these motions for two main reasons: 1) to (hopefully) placate the Arab "street" long enough to take care of all our business - next order of business: Syria - in the region relatively unhindered by Muslim fanaticism, and 2) to show the world once and for all that the Palestinians are simply not capable living up to peace agreements. Regarding #2, it's kind of like the "last chance" we gave to Saddam's regime before we annihilated it. That's why Sharon appears so willing to see this thing through --- he knows the Pallies can't handle it.
As far as the Palestinian "right of return" is concerened, I'm all for it ---- a return to their homeland in Jordan, that is.
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