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| Middle East |
| Israel Defies Bush, Claims Separation Wall "Necessity" |
| 2003-07-26 |
| EFL - Since it’s Islam Online, of course, the byline was from "Occupied Jerusalem" but there’s a cool pic of the wall on the site link. Taking down the wall is reaallllyyy bad idea. One look at it and you know why the Paleos want it down - a permanent separation stopping the boomers will force them to live in their own squalor without Israel as an excuse In clear and immediate defiance of U.S. President George Bush’s criticism of the controversial Israeli separation wall now under construction in the West Bank, an Israeli official claimed Saturday, July 26, it was a "necessity." "The building of this security fence has no political connotations. It’s a necessity dictated by the security imperative of preventing Palestinian suicide bombings against Israel," the official, who asked not to be named, told Agence France-Presse (AFP). In landmark talks with Palestinian Premier Mahmoud Abbas at the White House Friday, July 25, Bush dismissed as a "problem" the wall which Israel started building in June last year. "I think the wall is a problem, and I have discussed this with (Israeli Prime Minister) Ariel Sharon," Bush said, adding it was very difficult to "develop confidence between the Palestinians and the Israelis ... with a wall snaking through the West Bank." The Israeli official took issue with Bush’s use of the word "wall" even though the barrier does take that form for part of its length. "It is a shame that President Bush did not use the correct term security fence," argued the Israeli official. "Israel is not constructing a wall -- it’s the Palestinians who use that term in a bid to persuade the world it’s some sort of Berlin Wall. "This fence is a necessity and not a choice. Sharon will explain that to President Bush when he meets him" in Washington Tuesday, July 29, the official alleged. He recalled that in the past the U.S. leader had "always championed Israel’s right to defend itself." The separation wall, which incorporates a network of earthworks, trenches and patrol roads, also cuts a whole string of Palestinian communities in two. Planned to snake some 900 kilometers (550 miles) along the West Bank, the wall has infuriated Palestinians as it leaves large swathes of the occupied territory on the Israeli side and is seen as a bid to preempt negotiations on the final borders of the Palestinian state promised by 2005 under a U.S.-backed peace roadmap. Israeli Foreign Minister Silvan Shalom admitted after his meeting with U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell Thursday, July 24, that a "misunderstanding" is developing between the U.S. administration and Israel over the construction of the wall. |
| Posted by:Frank G |
| #10 I think a Berlin-style Wall would be a GREAT idea Bring it on! I will go over there and personally help them mix the concrete! Perfect solution. Paleos on one side sitting in their squalor until they decide to restructure their society and solve their own problems, Israel on the other. Only way for suicide bombers to get in is through a heavily fortified gate at which they are subject to searches. End of suicide bombings, end of problem! NMM: You'll BET Israel gets more direct aid because you DON'T KNOW why don't you do some research before you spread your opinions? Zhang Fei: You are a legend |
| Posted by: Anon1 2003-7-26 11:34:01 PM |
| #9 If you think there will ever be any type of peace while Israel occupies the West Bank you're delusional. This is the land-for-peace argument that has been persued for 30 years, and has been a dismal failure. I could give a hundred examples of where Arabs/Muslims will NOT STOP until they removed/converted/liquadated all non-Arabs/non-Muslims, and this includes the West Bank where the christian community has shrunk to close to zero. It is in the West's vital interests to stop this process and Israel looks as good a place as any to start. |
| Posted by: Phil B 2003-7-26 7:03:05 PM |
| #8 Does this "aid" come with a stipulation that 50% of it has to be spent on American goods? I think it does. In which case, think of it as transfer payments, to use an economic term. |
| Posted by: Rafael 2003-7-26 6:27:28 PM |
| #7 Zhang I'll bet Israel gets more direct aid than any of those countries--not to mention all the indirect aid re: those "Israel Bond" fund drives here in the US. Anyway, I only care about American interests and peace in the M.E. is in America's interest. If you think there will ever be any type of peace while Israel occupies the West Bank you're delusional. |
| Posted by: Not Mike Moore 2003-7-26 5:23:08 PM |
| #6 For the life of me - and I love GWB and most of the things he's done - I don't understand why we would EVER ask Israel to lower defenses against the krazed loser killer cults of the Paleos. Let them rot on the other side of a great big fucking wall. Settlements will either be disbanded or left to their own means of defense, but Israel proper should be a fortress. Move the embassy to Jerusalem now |
| Posted by: Frank G 2003-7-26 4:07:58 PM |
| #5 And, BTW, when did Israel ever do as told by the US? Just keep the money coming, suckers! And, BTW, when did any of our other aid recipients ever do as told by the US? Korea, Japan, Germany* - which one of them does as they're told? In their eyes, that would be demeaning to them. Just keep the money coming, suckers! We spend a lot more money on those other allies than we do on Israel. The difference is that Israelis can defend themselves without having our troops on their soil. Not to mention we subsidize our enemies, such as Jordan and Egypt, to keep their crazies under control. |
| Posted by: Zhang Fei 2003-7-26 3:15:47 PM |
| #4 And, BTW, when did Israel ever do as told by the US? Just keep the money coming, suckers! |
| Posted by: Not Mike Moore 2003-7-26 11:56:39 AM |
| #3 It's going to take a generation before the Israelis and Palestinians can talk to each other on a civil basis: Separation is a necessity. |
| Posted by: Hiryu 2003-7-26 11:08:01 AM |
| #2 Well, hell. If all the noise I've heard today is true (all I get are the Beeb & CNN, sigh) I guess I'll hafta go create a quicky hotmail acct and go to a 'Net Cafe and send the WhiteHouse an email begging Dubya to retract any notion of pressuring Israel to stop building the wall. It's a fucking GREAT idea - and Dubya's overstepping his bounds to presume tell Israel they can't defend their borders as they see fit. Way too stupid to believe, but stupider things happen every day. |
| Posted by: PD 2003-7-26 10:06:27 AM |
| #1 The fence is a great idea -- if only the Israelis would electrify it! |
| Posted by: Anonymous 2003-7-26 9:30:59 AM |