Foreign Minister Livni is in Washington and yesterday met with Sec. of State Rice. When a joint press conference was held, Livni made the statement that: "…stagnation is not Israel’s government’s policy." And there you have it: the perfect expression of what I frequently describe — the strange notion that when one political initiative vis-a-vis the Palestinians fails, it’s essential to start on something else immediately. No sense, ever, of the possibility that sometimes sitting tight for the moment is the smartest thing to do. In fact, Livni offered assurances that Israel will find ways to revive the peace process. What peace process? We’re dealing here with a new PA unity government in process of formation, one of whose major partners openly declares that it will not recognize Israel’s right to exist.
I have a dream: That a government of Israel will tell it like it is — speaking out at every turn to expose the hypocrisy of the PA and insisting on our right to refuse to deal with them. A government of Israel that will put the onus on the Palestinians. But, alas, it is no more than a dream.
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Aaron Lerner writes today (http://imra.org.il/story.php3?id=30925) about a live interview that Livni gave from Washington that was broadcast here in Israel this morning. When asked about Israel’s 14 Road Map conditions, she conceded that this was not an essential part of the dialogue with the Americans. But it should be. On May 23, 2003, when the Israeli Cabinet accepted the Road Map, it was only conditionally, with the addition of these qualifications. You can access the full text of the conditions on IMRA, but, briefly, let me note here that the conditions included calm from the start of the process, collection of all illegal weapons, cessation of weapons smuggling, complete cessation of terror and incitement, clear declaration of Israel’s right to exist and waiver of all claims of Palestinian "right of return.
You know, and I know, that these conditions will not be met. But how does the Olmert government proceed while ignoring them?
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Remember the Arab members of Knesset who took themselves to Syria illegally? They’ve now gone to Lebanon to express solidarity with the victims of the war. If they don’t get theirs when they return, something is very very wrong indeed.
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Families of terror victims are upset by, and protesting, reports that Israel is about to release Palestinian prisoners in exchange for Gilad Shalit.
Meir Eindor, director of Almagor Terror Victims Association, made this statement: “We are very worried by the Arab media reports, and especially by Olmert’s statements that he wants to release prisoners in any case in order to ‘strengthen Mahmoud Abbas’. His statements reveal that he is planning on preparing the public opinion for the terrorists’ release.
“Olmert is kicking dirt in the public’s eyes, because the whole public, aside from Olmert and including the Palestinians, knows that it is a Hamas victory. First, Hamas kidnaps, then it is rewarded by our government for it. The attempt to represent this to the public as a release of terrorists into the hands of Mahmoud Abbas is a way of masquerading a bad act as being good, and not only as a farce that makes the other side laugh.”
Indeed.
On a relevant note: There has been a delay in the release of the Hamas ministers.
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At the annual conference of the Counter-Terrorism Institute in Herzliya today, Islamic History Professor Moshe Sharon declared that "There is no possibility of peace between Israel and the Palestinians whatsoever – ever." This is because the Islamic world sees the creation of the State of Israel as a "reversal of history." From the Islamic perspective "Islamic territory was taken away from Islam by Jews. You know by now that this can never be accepted, not even one meter." As to various treaties with Islamic/Arab nations, he referred to them as "pieces of paper, parts of tactics and strategies…with no meaning."
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