Netanyahu: Gaza Will Become a Base for Terrorists

Leader · 08-06-2005, 04:07 AM

Netanyahu: Pullout will endanger West
Caroline Glick, THE JERUSALEM POST Aug. 5, 2005

Finance Minister Binyamin Netanyahu believes that in the aftermath of Israel's upcoming departure, "Gaza will be transformed into a base for Islamic terrorism adjacent to the coast of the State of Israel."

In an interview with The Jerusalem Post on Wednesday, Netanyahu said the terror threat that would develop in a post-withdrawal Gaza would be a danger not only for Israel but for the Western world in general.

"This it isn't just our problem," he claimed.

"It's the West's problem as well because forces that are controlled, deployed and cooperate with Iran - and today Hizbullah and Hamas are controlled in a significant way by Iran - will receive an additional base of operations not only in close proximity to Israel's cities but also on the coast of the Mediterranean Sea not far from Europe."

Netanyahu, who said the majority of the public supported the withdrawal, defended his decision to remain in the government in spite of his strenuous opposition to the withdrawal of IDF units and the expulsion of the 10,000 Israelis who live in the areas.

He argued that the plan enjoyed an automatic majority in the Knesset and the government that would not be affected by his resignation.

The implementation of the plan would cause a deterioration in the security of the communities in the western Negev, Netanyahu warned.

He said the relinquishment of Israeli security control over the international passages to Gaza will "create a highway for the transfer of terrorists and terror materiel" to the area. The finance minister expressed his dismay at the decision taken by the police to block protesters en route to demonstrations against the withdrawal in Netivot and Kfar Maimon two weeks ago and to the police intention to repeat the process in the days which preceded this week's demonstration in
Sderot and Ofakim.

"I thought that the decision to stop vehicles in distant cities [ahead of the protest in Netivot and Kfar Maimon] was strange, even bizarre. I am not aware of even one instance where in any democracy forces were used to prevent people from gathering for a protest located far away from where they were blocked," he said.

In light of his opposition to the plan, which in his view the Palestinians interpret as a clear victory of their terror war against Israel, Netanyahu plans to vote against the implementation of the withdrawal in the government on Sunday.

Netanyahu stated that in his opinion, Israel must build in the settlements in Judea and Samaria to enable natural growth, must complete the security fence in accordance with the government's decision that places the major settlement blocs inside the perimeter of the fence and must build up the area referred to as E-1 which connects Ma'aleh Adumim to Jerusalem.

Looking ahead to the post-withdrawal period, he added: "Our security problems are not about to go away with the withdrawal, they will only begin. As long as I can influence Israel's security, and of course our economy, I will remain in my position."

http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satelli...=1078027574097

illusha · 08-07-2005, 21:37 PM

Quote:

Finance Minister Binyamin Netanyahu believes that in the aftermath of Israel's upcoming departure, "Gaza will be transformed into a base for Islamic terrorism adjacent to the coast of the State of Israel."

Wow, and it took him this long to realize this? This plan has been going on for many months and it took him this long to come to this conclusion? He was a horrible prime minister too and his policy of cutting welfare benefits is disgusting. I am glad to see him gone from the Prime Minister's cabinet but I am sure he will run for prime minister in Lukid in the next election.

Leader · 08-07-2005, 21:54 PM

"Wow, and it took him this long to realize this?"

Well seeing how he opposed the pull out, he probably realized it from the beginning.

"He was a horrible prime minister"

I disagree, but I don't live in Israel. Kind of like that I like Blair, but if I lived in England I probably wouldn't like him so much.

"his policy of cutting welfare benefits is disgusting"

Cutting welfare...Sounds good to me in abstract.

"I am glad to see him gone from the Prime Minister's cabinet"

"[Netanyahu] defended his decision to remain in the government in spite of his strenuous opposition to the withdrawal of IDF units and the expulsion of the 10,000 Israelis who live in the areas."

Has something changed in the last two days?

**ZFBoxcar** · 08-07-2005, 22:24 PM

Netanyahu quit! This is the worst news from Israel since the Intifadah started. He was single handedly rebuilding the economy. The day he took office the stock exchange started recovering. Since he has started as finance minister, unemployment went from near 11% to just over 9%, he has forced the ultra-Orthodox (and some Israeli Arabs) to work for the first time in their lives, GDP growth went from negative to over 4%, he slashed spending by billions of dollars, and investment started booming again. The Likud Party has no other intelligent economists in it. The only party that could be expected to put forward a finance minister half as good as Netanyahu is Shinui (they are secular capitalists), but thats probably not gonna happen. The only silver lining is that politicians don't stay "quited" very long in Israel. They always seem to come back (ie Sharon, Peres, Barak, Ben Gurion, and yes, Netanyahu), so its possible he will return once the Gaza withdrawl has been finished.

Leader · 08-07-2005, 22:31 PM

Netanyahu quits over Gaza pullout
Israeli Finance Minister Binyamin Netanyahu has resigned in protest against this month's planned withdrawal from the Gaza Strip.

The resignation was announced as the cabinet approved the removal of a first group of Jewish settlers from the area.

Mr Netanyahu, a former prime minister, has been a fierce critic of the pullout plan championed by his Likud party rival, Prime Minister Ariel Sharon.

Deputy Prime Minister Ehud Olmert has been appointed to succeed him.

Quote:

I cannot be part of this irresponsible move that divides the people and harms Israel's security
-Binyamin Netanyahu

Mr Netanyahu had threatened to resign last year unless the Gaza plan was put to a referendum but later lifted the ultimatum.

he submitted his resignation letter on Sunday, shortly before the cabinet voted by 17 to five to approve the initial phase of withdrawals.

The three most isolated Gaza settlements - Kfar Darom, Netzarim and Morag - are first in line to be dismantled in 10 days' time.

Mr Netanyahu was quoted on Israeli radio as saying Israel should strive for security - but that withdrawing under fire would only make Gaza a base for terror.

"A unilateral withdrawal without anything in return is not the way," Mr Netanyahu said in his resignation letter.

"I cannot be part of this irresponsible move that divides the people and harms Israel's security and will in the future pose a danger for the wholeness of Jerusalem."

The BBC's Lucy Williamson in Jerusalem says Mr Netanyahu's resignation will give strength to the opposition faced by Mr Sharon but will not in itself stop the pullout from going ahead.

The issue has caused friction between the prime minister and his hardline rival for months, she says.

Mr Netanyahu, 55, is expected to challenge Mr Sharon, 77, for the leadership of the ruling Likud party ahead of the next election.

The Israeli prime minister said the country's economic policy would not be affected by Mr Netanyahu's departure.

Retaliation

Earlier on Sunday, two Israelis were injured in the West Bank when their car came under fire from gunmen north of Ramallah.

One of them, a 10-year-old boy, was reported to be in a critical but stable condition.

A Palestinian militant group, the al-Aqsa Martyrs' Brigade, said it had carried out the attack in retaliation for the killing last Thursday of four Israeli Arabs by an Israeli soldier.

The army said the 19-year-old soldier had deserted in protest at the Gaza withdrawal.

The Israeli government plans to pull more than 8,000 settlers and the soldiers that protect them out of the Gaza Strip.

Israel is also planning to withdraw from four small settlements in the West Bank.

Israel has occupied the West Bank and Gaza since 1967.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/4129448.stm

illusha · 08-14-2005, 22:29 PM

Quote:

Well seeing how he opposed the pull out, he probably realized it from the beginning.

No he wasn't, he was actually supporting it.

Quote:

I disagree, but I don't live in Israel. Kind of like that I like Blair, but if I lived in England I probably wouldn't like him so much.

I guess you don't know a lot about him if you disagree.

Quote:

Cutting welfare...Sounds good to me in abstract.

How does it sound good?

Quote:

Has something changed in the last two days?

Yes.... something has changed, but apparently you are too slow to notice.

**ZFBoxcar** · 08-14-2005, 22:37 PM

Quote:

No he wasn't, he was actually supporting it.

And he should have continued to do so because it is in the best interests of the State of Israel. Netanyahu's flip-flopping was purely a political move designed to bolster his image and make him leader of the religious/nationalist right. He was a great finance minister, but he's being selfish.

Quote:

How does it sound good?

Welfare should not exist, except MAYBE for the disabled. Anyone who is physically and mentally capable of working should be working, and if they don't work they should suffer the consequences instead of having the productive pay for their failures. And thats just the moral argument. There's also the fact that welfare (because of taxation) is a drain on the economy which kills jobs (making more people dependent on welfare), overburdens working people with taxes, making them consume less which kills MORE jobs.

Quote:

I guess you don't know a lot about him if you disagree.

So anyone who disagrees with you doesn't know much? Stop being so defensive.

Leader · 08-14-2005, 22:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by illusha

No he wasn't, he was actually supporting it.

Proof?

Quote:

I guess you don't know a lot about him if you disagree.

Not true.

Quote:

How does it sound good?

I would support it in the abstract. So, it sounds good to me.

Quote:

Yes.... something has changed, but apparently you are too slow to notice.

Well then F*ck you too. I'm sorry I missed a story that broke a few f*cking hours before I posted. Some one resigning from the Israel cabinet isn't exactly earth shattering stuff in America. So when I saw ZF's post I found a story on it and posted it. What the f*ck is your problem?

Ray · 08-23-2005, 13:12 PM

Now compare the above with what is perceived by teh Moslems.

Quote:

Looking beyond Gaza evacuation

By Mahdi Masud

PUBLISHED on April 30, 2003, the roadmap for a Middle East settlement, sponsored by the Quartet (comprising the US, the UN, Russia and the EU) called for a comprehensive settlement based on a two-state solution. The roadmap specified that “the settlement will end the occupation, which began in 1967, on the basis of the Madrid Conference, the principle of land for peace, UN Security Council resolutions, 242, 338, 1397, agreements previously reached between the parties and the initiative of (then) Crown Prince Abdullah, endorsed by the Beirut, Arab League Summit...”.

The roadmap envisaged three phases in which the hoped for settlement was to be reached involving, in the first phase, reform and security on the part of the Palestinian Authority and the lifting of Israeli siege; in the second phase, the establishment of a Palestinian state “with provisional borders” and in the third, the settlement of “all permanent status issues” which would involve the question of permanent borders, the status of Al Quds, the rights of Palestinian refugees, security arrangements and the formal ending of the conflict.

That the roadmap is way behind schedule is clear from the fact that the settlement of all permanent status issues, scheduled for 2005 in the roadmap, is nowhere in sight. Meanwhile, the ongoing pullout from Gaza, initiated unilaterally by Sharon’s government, is seen by many independent observers as a ploy to relieve pressure for the main pullout from the West Bank, where most of the 250,000 Jewish settlers reside.

Since all major issues had been left over for the third phase under the roadmap, the Palestinian leadership had been calling for moving over to the final phase, which alone could give substance as well as finality to the proposed settlement.

Far from considering this possibility, Israeli spokesmen, commenting on the ongoing evacuation in Gaza, have insisted that the Palestinians performance on political reforms and security measures would determine the question of any progress towards the second and the final phases, thus calling into question Israeli intentions about the establishment of a viable Palestinian state and an agreement on permanent borders, Al Quds, refugees and security provisions.

In considering any real prospects for a final settlement on the above major issues, it would be useful to recall the Clinton proposals which were the most explicit, far-reaching and comprehensive ever advanced by any United States administration. Furthermore, in the judgment of many independent observers, the Clinton proposals “approximated the ultimate compromises which would be required on both sides, if an agreement had to be reached.”

Clinton had claimed that his proposals “responded to the essential needs of both sides if not to their desires.” Former Israeli Prime Minister Ehad Barak was said to have “provisionally” acquiesced in the proposals, while Yasser Arafat’s aides were said, at one stage, to have given qualified acceptance, while hedging their acceptance with a number of reservations.

However, the Clinton administration passed into history without grasping the opportunity, in spite of last minute frantic efforts by both sides.

In presenting his proposals, Clinton had said inter alia that they “contained the outlines of a just settlement, giving the Palestinians the ability to determine their own future on their own land, a sovereign and viable state, recognition by the international community, Al Quds as the state’s capital, sovereignty over the Haram and a new life for the Palestinian refugees.”

However, while the Clinton proposals were the most far-reaching and comprehensive — and his efforts to wrap up a deal was a tribute to his involvement in the Middle East issue as well as to his intellectual dynamism — these made a different reading in fine print. The details, as spelt out, raised question marks over the proposed Palestinian state’s viability and sovereignty.

Although Clinton had spoken of maximum contiguity for the new state, this objective was marred by the proposed retention of part of occupied territory by Israel, together with further swaps of one to three per cent to facilitate inclusion of 80 per cent of the Jewish settlers in Israel, proposed retention by Israel of 15 per cent of the West Bank’s border with Jordan as a security zone and the planned incorporation of Jewish and Armenian neighbourhoods of East Jerusalem into Israel.

On the issue of territory, while at Camp David in mid-2000 the Israelis had not gone beyond offering the return of 80 per cent or thereabouts of the West Bank, and US representatives had spoken of return of 90 per cent of the occupied territory, the former president had gone beyond this in his final offer to Palestinian and Israeli representatives (on December 23, 2000, barely a month before the scheduled relinquishment of his presidency) by proposing return of 94 to 96 per cent of occupied territory.

As for the issue of the Palestinian refugees ‘right to return’, the belief of the PLO and the Palestinian diaspora throughout their history, this was for the Israelis a non-starter since the inclusion of three million Palestinians in a country with five million Jews and one million Arabs would have changed the Jewish character of the Israel state.

In the words of Yousuf Sered, chairman of the Israeli Meretz Party, “we can survive without sovereignty over Temple Mount. We cannot survive with the right of return.”

Clinton, while acknowledging “the moral and material sufferings” of the Palestinian refugees had spoken, while ruling out the “right of return” to Israel, of the latter’s readiness to join in an international programme of refugee rehabilitation. Clinton had proposed a right of return to the proposed Palestinian state as well as settlement in the present host countries with the latter’s agreement and admission of a limited number to Israel, subject to the latter’s decision.

On Jerusalem, Clinton had proposed the general principle that all Arab neighbourhoods would go to the Palestinian state and all Jewish and Armenian neighbourhoods to Israel.

It should, however, be mentioned here that this principle was enunciated only in respect of East Jerusalem occupied by Israel in 1967 and not for West Jerusalem which had been incorporated in the state of Israel on its founding in 1948.

On the issue of Haram al Sharif/Temple Mount, Clinton proposed Palestinian sovereignty over ‘the Haram’ and Israeli sovereignty over the “Western wall and the space sacred to the Jews, of which it is a part”, thus leaving a seemingly unavoidable ambiguity about sovereignty over the Al Aqsa compound.

It may be mentioned here, that the PLO had in recognition of historic Jewish interest in Al Quds, proposed (in the context of Palestinian sovereignty over the whole of East Jerusalem), the declaration of Jerusalem as an open city as well as special arrangements for the holy city which would guarantee access to religious sites for people of all faiths.

The security provisions proposed by the Clinton administration made a considerable extent in the sovereign nature of the Palestinian state. In addition to an international force which could only be withdrawn with the consent of both the parties, the plan proposed the phasing out of Israeli withdrawal over as long a period as 36 months; while the international force was gradually inducted.

There was also to be a small Israeli force stationed in fixed locations in the Jordan valley for a period of another 36 months after the expiry of the 36 months period of the main Israeli withdrawal. Israel would also have three early warning stations on Palestinian territory and the option of emergency deployment on Palestinian territory in case of a declaration of national emergency by Israel.

While some of these security provisions were understandable as a short-term measure, they needed to be materially changed in scope and duration, if the PLO’s acceptance had to be secured.

In the wake of the Gaza evacuation, efforts are being made by the Israeli lobby and neocon elements in the US establishment to hold up progress towards the international conference envisaged in the US-Sponsored roadmap “for launching a process for a final settlement of permanent status issues including borders of the Palestinian state, Jerusalem, refugees, settlements and security”. This is being done on the ostensible ground that all the pre-requisites mentioned in phase one of the roadmap, relating to political reforms, security and other measures required on the part of the Palestinian Authority have yet to be fulfilled.

Another period of drift is likely to reignite the tense and explosive situation, nullifying the progress made with the Gaza evacuation. It is up to the US administration to use its weight in accelerating progress towards a final settlement.

The Palestinians and Israelis, on their part, should realize that no agreement would be possible without giving due weight to each other’s genuine needs and legitimate concerns.

The writer is a former ambassador.
http://www.dawn.com/2005/08/23/op.htm#2

illusha · 09-10-2005, 02:55 AM

Ray, apparently the U.S. media doesn't care how the muslims really think because they don't show it in the U.S. news. They show the peaceful arabs who have enough brains to talk in english as a kind people who have been invaded and slaughtered but then they go talk in arabic to their media and their people and say death to Israel and that they want Jerusalem and the rest of "Palestine". They only show one version of the peaceful arab and not the other side like Mahammad Abbas, Arafat and others. Bush needs to finally tell the truth to the American people, we are not fighting a war on terror but rather it is a War against Islam(moderate or extreme Islam is your choice to decide but there is conclusive evidence that Islam and it's founder is not moderate). Let's hope the rest of us find out the truth before it is too late until then we shall have to fight back. I would like to quote a great man and hero.

"In every generation, there are always a few who understand.
Always understand... even if you remain among the few." Rabbi Meir Kahane

08-06-2005, 04:07 AM	#1 (permalink)
Leader Ubi dubium ibi libertas *Senior Contributor* Join Date: 09-04-03 Location: Boston, MA, USPRA Posts: 5,124	Netanyahu: Gaza Will Become a Base for Terrorists Netanyahu: Pullout will endanger West Caroline Glick, THE JERUSALEM POST Aug. 5, 2005 Finance Minister Binyamin Netanyahu believes that in the aftermath of Israel's upcoming departure, "Gaza will be transformed into a base for Islamic terrorism adjacent to the coast of the State of Israel." In an interview with The Jerusalem Post on Wednesday, Netanyahu said the terror threat that would develop in a post-withdrawal Gaza would be a danger not only for Israel but for the Western world in general. "This it isn't just our problem," he claimed. "It's the West's problem as well because forces that are controlled, deployed and cooperate with Iran - and today Hizbullah and Hamas are controlled in a significant way by Iran - will receive an additional base of operations not only in close proximity to Israel's cities but also on the coast of the Mediterranean Sea not far from Europe." Netanyahu, who said the majority of the public supported the withdrawal, defended his decision to remain in the government in spite of his strenuous opposition to the withdrawal of IDF units and the expulsion of the 10,000 Israelis who live in the areas. He argued that the plan enjoyed an automatic majority in the Knesset and the government that would not be affected by his resignation. The implementation of the plan would cause a deterioration in the security of the communities in the western Negev, Netanyahu warned. He said the relinquishment of Israeli security control over the international passages to Gaza will "create a highway for the transfer of terrorists and terror materiel" to the area. The finance minister expressed his dismay at the decision taken by the police to block protesters en route to demonstrations against the withdrawal in Netivot and Kfar Maimon two weeks ago and to the police intention to repeat the process in the days which preceded this week's demonstration in Sderot and Ofakim. "I thought that the decision to stop vehicles in distant cities [ahead of the protest in Netivot and Kfar Maimon] was strange, even bizarre. I am not aware of even one instance where in any democracy forces were used to prevent people from gathering for a protest located far away from where they were blocked," he said. In light of his opposition to the plan, which in his view the Palestinians interpret as a clear victory of their terror war against Israel, Netanyahu plans to vote against the implementation of the withdrawal in the government on Sunday. Netanyahu stated that in his opinion, Israel must build in the settlements in Judea and Samaria to enable natural growth, must complete the security fence in accordance with the government's decision that places the major settlement blocs inside the perimeter of the fence and must build up the area referred to as E-1 which connects Ma'aleh Adumim to Jerusalem. Looking ahead to the post-withdrawal period, he added: "Our security problems are not about to go away with the withdrawal, they will only begin. As long as I can influence Israel's security, and of course our economy, I will remain in my position." http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satelli...=1078027574097 __________________ "Above all, we must realize that no arsenal, or no weapon in the arsenals of the world, is so formidable as the will and moral courage of free men and women. It is a weapon our adversaries in today's world do not have." "The nine most terrifying words in the English language are, 'I'm from the government and I'm here to help.'" NEVER FORGET

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08-07-2005, 21:54 PM	#3 (permalink)
Leader Ubi dubium ibi libertas *Senior Contributor* Join Date: 09-04-03 Location: Boston, MA, USPRA Posts: 5,124	"Wow, and it took him this long to realize this?" Well seeing how he opposed the pull out, he probably realized it from the beginning. "He was a horrible prime minister" I disagree, but I don't live in Israel. Kind of like that I like Blair, but if I lived in England I probably wouldn't like him so much. "his policy of cutting welfare benefits is disgusting" Cutting welfare...Sounds good to me in abstract. "I am glad to see him gone from the Prime Minister's cabinet" "[Netanyahu] defended his decision to remain in the government in spite of his strenuous opposition to the withdrawal of IDF units and the expulsion of the 10,000 Israelis who live in the areas." Has something changed in the last two days?

08-07-2005, 22:24 PM	#4 (permalink)
ZFBoxcar Moderator Join Date: 08-03-03 Location: Montreal, Canada Posts: 2,125 Country:	Netanyahu quit! This is the worst news from Israel since the Intifadah started. He was single handedly rebuilding the economy. The day he took office the stock exchange started recovering. Since he has started as finance minister, unemployment went from near 11% to just over 9%, he has forced the ultra-Orthodox (and some Israeli Arabs) to work for the first time in their lives, GDP growth went from negative to over 4%, he slashed spending by billions of dollars, and investment started booming again. The Likud Party has no other intelligent economists in it. The only party that could be expected to put forward a finance minister half as good as Netanyahu is Shinui (they are secular capitalists), but thats probably not gonna happen. The only silver lining is that politicians don't stay "quited" very long in Israel. They always seem to come back (ie Sharon, Peres, Barak, Ben Gurion, and yes, Netanyahu), so its possible he will return once the Gaza withdrawl has been finished.

09-10-2005, 02:55 AM	#10 (permalink)
illusha Banished Join Date: 03-20-05 Posts: 151	Ray, apparently the U.S. media doesn't care how the muslims really think because they don't show it in the U.S. news. They show the peaceful arabs who have enough brains to talk in english as a kind people who have been invaded and slaughtered but then they go talk in arabic to their media and their people and say death to Israel and that they want Jerusalem and the rest of "Palestine". They only show one version of the peaceful arab and not the other side like Mahammad Abbas, Arafat and others. Bush needs to finally tell the truth to the American people, we are not fighting a war on terror but rather it is a War against Islam(moderate or extreme Islam is your choice to decide but there is conclusive evidence that Islam and it's founder is not moderate). Let's hope the rest of us find out the truth before it is too late until then we shall have to fight back. I would like to quote a great man and hero. "In every generation, there are always a few who understand. Always understand... even if you remain among the few." Rabbi Meir Kahane

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