The firing of the National Union ministers was due to US pressure (translation)

Eihud Leumi ^ | 6/5/2004 | NFC

[yonif]

Translation from Hebrew to English by me

Prime Minister Ariel Sharon decided to fire the ministers Lieberman and Elon, due to heavy US pressure, directly from President George Bush: fulfill the disengagement plan fully, without cuts, and without any new scenarios that could delay its execution.

A senior government source told NFC that Sharon had no other choice but to lead to the passing of the disengagement plan fully. It is therefore that he decided to "bet it all" and to work to fulfill this guarantee to President George Bush. The only way that the plan would pass was to fire the two ministers, therefore achieving a majority in the government for passage. This relates to, as was said, to pressure coming directly from the US asking Sharon to fulfill the guarantees without straying away.

It was revealved that in a meeting the head of the PM's office, Dov Weisglass, met with the National Security Advisor, Rice, who made it clear to Sharon, through Weisglass, that President Bush would not agree to any new compromise plan dealing with the disengagement plan. Weisglass was made clear directly: The president stood upon the execution of that very same plan that was presented by Sharon, during their meeting in Washington.

President Bush told Sharon that he objected to the internal compromise plan between the Israeli government coalition partners, that would allow the option of continuing the building in certain circumstances. This option, which was being used on the "rebel" Likud members, was pushed aside by Sharon as a result. The White House stands for stopping the building (of Jewish communities) completely, even if it is done with Israeli money and not using US aid.

[yonif]

Benny Elon intends on coming to the cabinet vote today, saying that he still is in his position until tomorrow. Let's see what happens.

[yonif]

Ping.

[yonif]

Quote from Elon:

"I will not give Sharon a pass in his quest to achieve a artificial majority, and to destroy the Land of Israel"

[SevenofNine]

OOHH Yonif no word YET?

Everybody talking about death of our former Prez Reagan

So I haven't hear jack

[Southack]

Elon is a good man, and he doesn't want Israel to give up what is rightfully hers...and I know that you don't want to hear this, but Elon wants what the PLO wants in this matter right now, though for radically different reasons.

The PLO wants Israel to keep her forces from withdrawing so that the PLO will still have ultra-convenient targets to bomb and shoot at.

In contrast, Sharon and Bush want to withdraw Israeli forces so as to be able to completely isolate those Palestinian areas without worrying about massive Israeli casualties.

So even though you are going to hate the outcome of this vote, as will Elon (and the PLO - for obviously more sinister reasons, though), what you will see *after* the Israeli withdrawal will please you as the whole plan comes together and becomes more evident.

Have faith. This and other things will work out for all of us in the end.

[Honestfreedom]

How ridiculous. This was Sharon's plan not Bush's. Bush did not even like the plan at first. There are also crazily different motivations for doing this. The Israeli left could not make the Arabs nice by retreating so now this is their way of getting tough with them. Like the classic old snake oil, retreat works for whatever ails you. Need to be nice, withdraw. Need to get tough, withdraw. The Americans still see this as a sweetener to sweeten the viper hearts of the savages. The only thing for sure is that 8 thousand Jews are getting screwed in the deal the rest is bs.

[adam_az]

Netanyahu returning as PM after a unilateral Israeli Oslo II.

The irony is terrible.

[adam_az]

Israel's weak leadership is the reason why more American Jews do not make aliyah.

[yonif]

The PLO will be loving this move. Their main reason for all the racket about it is so that they can get more out of it, as they are lying scum, in the form of aid or other assurances from various countries. They cry and cry out, and they always get something in return. They intend on destroying Israel in stages. Giving them more land does that very same thing:

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1122629/posts Farouk Kaddoumi, the PLO's hard-line "foreign minister,"

Commenting on Prime Minister Ariel Sharon's plan to withdraw from the Gaza Strip, Kaddoumi said: "If Israel wants to leave the Gaza Strip, then it should do so. This means that the Palestinian resistance has forced it to leave. But the resistance will continue. Let the Gaza Strip be South Vietnam. We will use all available methods to liberate North Vietnam."

This is one big mistake which will cost Israel who will become much weaker. The terrorists will get stronger. Nothing will happen after Israel gives up the 2% of the land it controls in Gaza, and after it gives up northern Samaria, but an increase in terror attacks and the increase in murder of Israelis. There is no plan here but something that shows terror works.

Most of the terror attacks occur in Tel-Aviv and other places like that, not the Jewish areas in Gaza or northern Samaria. These attacks will increase and those rockets we always hear about will be falling in Ashkelon and other major Israeli cities. There will be no real chance to go back into Gaza after this occurs, as there is no real chance of going back into southern Lebanon nowadays.

The US policy in the ME remains the same as previous administrations. It is a mistaken one.

[yonif]

5.5 million Jews in Israel are getting screwed, not just those 8 thousand Jews in Gaza

[yonif]

This is just like those I heard saying the roadmap was some plan by Bush to show that the Arabs can't fulfill their promises, and then it would be abandoned. Countless months have passed, more dead Jews have piled up, and one would think this proved something. But it hasn't, and this "peace" process with this roadmap continues to be US policy. The Roadmap is just another Oslo.

[Southack]

No, the roadmap isn't Oslo. Oslo didn't let Israel engage in unending targeted assasinations of terrorists.

Israel will get to strike even harder soon. Have patience.

[yonif]

Oslo didn't have anything in it forbidding Israel for taking action against terrorists. It is Israel's right to do whatever it wants to terrorists. In fact, during the Olso years Israel did target terrorists whenever it saw fit. It is the government, not a document, which influences how many terrorists will be targeted. Israel doesn't need the green light from anyone or any document to strike terrorists. Now if we look at the US, US policy remains the same that they oppose these targeting of terrorists, but its not like they are going to do anything physically about it, just like previous administrations had a policy of.

The roadmap is like Oslo as it gives legitmacy to the PLO, finances the PLO, sees those post-1967 lands as "occupied," and believes in land for peace.

Israel will get to strike even harder soon. Have patience.

After Israel leaves the 2% of Gaza and northern Samaria, it will be a turn for the worse, just like it was when the roadmap was launched. Terror will increase and more Israelis will be murdered.

[Southack]

The roadmap sets the Palestinians up to fail spectacularly, for all the world to see, in order to justify or mute world criticism of what will come next, *after* the Palestinians have used their new nation in an abhorrent (and entirely predictable) way.

[The Scourge of Yazid]

If only 'Benny' Begin were prime minister of Israel, or perhaps, Natan Sharansky.

There are many choices that are preferable to Netanyahu, though I doubt that we'll be seeing any of them sitting in Sharon's seat in the immediate future.

To be perfectly honest, I think the Israeli's fixation with electing former IDF generals is becoming detrimental to the survival of their state.

[Southack]

I disagree. IDF generals (not Barak!) are perfect to lead Israel in the required military solution to their problem.

[American in Israel]

There should be a fair trade, Kennedy Kerry and Powell and I will call it even.

Sharon is acting above the law and the principles of democracy. As a Freeper has said, it is a demockery now.

[The Scourge of Yazid]

Well, I don't believe Ehud Barak was a general, though I could be mistaken.

I do know that he was probably the most highly decorated army veteran in the history of Israel, though I don't think that had much bearing on his brief and ineffective tenure as prime minister of Israel.

The facts buttress my case. They apply not only to men who became prime minister, but to men who tried unsuccessfully to attain that post.

-Shahak

-Mordechai

-Dayan

-and so on...

My point is that the misplaced faith of the Israeli electorate in high-ranking military officers-at least as it relates to their qualifications to hold high public office-has led them down the primrose path.

If you don't believe me, I suggest that you read some columns by Zev Chafets or check out some poignant editorials written by Stephen Plaut.

The Israelis are aware of this better than anyone else, they just cannot come to admit their prior mistakes and chart a different course for their nation.

[Southack]

Bah. No course could be charted that would appease Israel's foes.

The solution is a military one, with slight political manuevers thrown into the mix for effect...something that generals are quite well equipped to deliver.

[The Scourge of Yazid]

That's my point exactly!

Once they've accepted the designated duties of a prime minister, they're no longer generals.

In fact, even ministerial positions inhibit the IDF freedom of movement. Just look at what happened when Sharon was Minister of Defense during the 'Peace for Galilee' campaign back in '83.

Believe me, if Sharon were simply a "general", the situation in the suburbs of Beirut would have been resolved in a completely different manner.