U.S. Eyes Cutting Israel Loan Guarantees Over Fence

Reuters ^ | 08/05/03 | Staff Writer

[bedolido]

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The United States is weighing reducing U.S. loan guarantees to Israel because of a fence it is building in the West Bank, U.S. officials said on Tuesday. Israel is constructing what it calls a security fence -- in parts a concrete wall and in others metal fencing -- to keep out Palestinian suicide bombers. Palestinians describe it as a new "Berlin Wall" that grabs territory they want to be part of an independent state in the West Bank and Gaza Strip.

U.S. officials said they have to consider trimming the loan guarantees because of a U.S. law requiring that none of the money be spent to help Israeli settlements in the West Bank or Gaza Strip. They said the law requires the loan guarantees be reduced dollar-for-dollar for money spent in this way.

"It's something that's being looked at," said one official who asked not to be identified. "There's a legal requirement to look at that because of how it ties into settlements."

Israeli newspaper Haaretz first reported that the United States was considering trimming the loan guarantees.

A State Department official sought to play down reports about reducing the loan guarantees, calling them premature.

"We have urged them (the Israelis) to consider the route that the fence is taking. They have affirmed that they are considering the route of the fence and are taking our views under consideration," said the State Department official. "All talk of deduction of loan guarantees is premature."

The State Department fears that the barrier could make Israeli-Palestinian peace negotiations more difficult and Secretary of State Colin Powell revived his cautious criticism of the barrier in an interview on Monday.

"A nation is authorized and it is within its rights to put up a fence, as it sees the need for one," Powell told the U.S.-funded Arabic language Radio Sawa.

"But in the case of the Israeli fence, we are concerned when the fence crosses over on to the land of others, and if it is constructed in a way which makes it more difficult to move forward on the road map, this causes us a problem," he added, referring to the U.S.-backed "road map" peace plan.

[dirtboy]

Instead of yelling at the Israelis, we should be looking at building one of these ourselves.

[DittoJed2]

"But in the case of the Israeli fence, we are concerned when the fence crosses over on to the land of others, and if it is constructed in a way which makes it more difficult to move forward on the road map, this causes us a problem," he added, referring to the U.S.-backed "road map" peace plan.

Having suicide bombers cross over into Israeli territory causes the Israelis a problem. Whose problem is bigger Colin? The problem caused by Israel-hating leftists to the political aspirations of the administration or the life/death situation the Israelis live with every day?

I swear Powell can be such a MORON!

[sdk7x7]

How can two huge fences with two patrol roads, barbed wire, and a 10-ft ditch prevent terrorism?! What a stupid idea. </sarcasm>

Putting one of the near Mexifornia might not be a bad idea...

[bedolido]

Putting one of the near Mexifornia might not be a bad idea...

True... I'd like to see a similar fence and military patrols.

[DoughtyOne]

U.S. officials said they have to consider trimming the loan guarantees because of a U.S. law requiring that none of the money be spent to help Israeli settlements in
the West Bank or Gaza Strip. They said the law requires the loan guarantees be reduced dollar-for-dollar for money spent in this way.

And just where does it say we shouldn't continue to provide funding for the Palestinian Authority if those funds are going to find their way to suicide bomber efforts?

One really has to begin to ask what's really going on here?  Israel this, Irael that, Irael the other... where's any talk about the PA disarming the terrorist groups?  Where's the talk about sniper attacks continuing to take place against Israel?

Sheesh, even a remote flicker of balance would be appreciated once in a while!  Just damn... this is pathetic.

This is Reuters so I'll take this with a grain of salt. No named sources are give, but if this is true, enough is enough. Get off Israel's back!

[Akira]

The entire thing is unbalanced, all because so many leftists try to see a moral equivalency between Israel and the poor mistreated PLO/PA.

For crying out loud, part of the peace plan calls for the PA to stop the killing only if Israel frees the PA killers they have locked up! Does anybody need to read any further than that?

[goldstategop]

The State Department has always been pro-Arab. This move does not surprise me in the least and with regards to the fence, nothing in the "road map" forbids Israel from building one.

[thoughtomator]

I don't really think we should be giving all these loan guarantees to Israel anyway. Israel is an economically and technologically successful nation and can get by without them. In the meantime, it provides way too much cause for the State Department to meddle in internal Israeli affairs. Since when is it State's business to whom Israel grants citizenship or whether it decides to build a wall on its own territory?