As US citizens, we support the United States’ War against Terrorism. However… initiating a plan to create a new terrorist state called Palestine seems completely inconsistent with our goal of eliminating terrorism.

Until Yasser Arafat and the Palestinian Authority stop sponsoring terrorist groups - Tanzim 17, PLO, Fatah, Hamas, Hezbollah, and the Palestinian Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP) - until they hold terrorists accountable and renounce terrorism, there can be no meaningful peace negotiations and should be no Palestinian state.

Background Info:

There are perplexing times.

At the U.N., Peres said, “Yestarday, you would hardly find, for example, support for a Palestinian State. And although this is not yet a formal policy of the Government of Israel, there is support for Palestinian independance, support for a Palestinian state.” In contrast to Arafat’s virulent anti-Israel speech in the same forum a few days earlier, Dr. Aaron Lerner of IMRA notes that Peres did not relate at all to continued Palestinian anti-Israel incitement and refusal to take concrete steps against Palestinian terrorism.

When we read that many Israeli officials oppose a Palestinian state, we applaud them for giving a different message. For example:

Housing Minister Natan Sharansky is outspoken against a PA state. He said today “The P.A. has proven itself to be a terrorist authority. The establishment of a Palestinian state at this time means the establishment of another terrorist state in the world. Who needs that? … When Peres speaks of broad Israeli support for a Palestinian state, it certainly doesn’t include Yisrael B’Aliyah nor, in my opinion, most of the population.”

MK Tzvi Hendel (National Union-Yisrael Beiteinu) explained how his party views its role in a government whose Foreign Minister may announce support for a Palestinian state this afternoon. “We called the Prime Minister’s Office to make it very clear where we stand on this issue. We said very clear things. We have our finger on the pulse, and if we see any [government] actions indicating it is going off the path - such as giving away a millimeter of Eretz Yisrael, or even declarations that pave the way for giving it away - then we won’t be there [in the government].”

The Yesha Council called upon Prime Minister Sharon today to instuct Peres not to raise the issue of a Palestinian state during his speech. The Council also called upon the right wing parties to threaten to resign from the government if Peres does in fact propose a PLO state.

Council member Atty. Elyakim HaEtzni said that Sharon has already violated his promise to two weeks ago to the National Union-Yisrael Beiteinu party, not to concoct secret diplomatic plans. “It turns out that during the Sharon-Peres meeting on Saturday night they secretly agreed on this plan involving a PLO state,” he said.

Former Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu joined the chorus of criticism against the Peres plan. He said that “the Palestinians must not be given a prize for their 14-month campaign of violence against us.” Netanyahu called upon the right-wing to protest “Peres’ attempt to drag Israel into another catastrophic diplomatic escapade.”

Excerpts from Netanyahu’s comments:

“The Likud, offically, is against a Palestinian state, and has never changed this stand… Peres is one of the few remaining Israelis who has any trust in Arafat. To come now, after 14 months of terrorism, and give him a prize of a state?! [British Prime Minister] Blair and others said to the Taliban, “Stop supporting terrorism or be thrown out of power” - and they were in fact thrown out. But here, we’re doing the opposite: Arafat perpetrates terrorism, and then receives a prize of staying in power!”

“This would be a major mistake, because Arafat will be able to control his borders, make treaties with Iran and Iraq, control his airspace - for once he has the status of a state, he will demand these things, and the international community will give them to him.”

“Aside from that, what kind of agreement can be made with him? He violates every agreement. Peres talks about a demilitarized state - Arafat will [certainly not] keep his state demilitarized?”

This entry was posted on Monday, November 19th, 2001 and is filed under action.