Israel Urges Boycott Of Palestinian Gov't
Prime Minister Ehud Olmert on Sunday ruled out peace talks with the Palestinians, saying contacts will be limited to humanitarian issues until the new coalition government explicitly renounces violence and recognizes Israel's right to exist.
Speaking at the weekly meeting of his Cabinet, Olmert said he would boycott the new government and urged the international community to follow suit. The Cabinet overwhelmingly endorsed Olmert's position.
The rival Palestinian factions Hamas and Fatah installed their new unity government on Saturday, hoping the alliance will end months of infighting and persuade the international community to lift a year of economic sanctions.
Israeli officials fear the new government will cause the tough international stance against the Palestinians to crumble. Israel and the U.S. on Sunday ruled out a resumption of financial transfers to the Palestinians. But Norway announced it would lift sanctions, and Britain and the U.N. also signaled flexibility.
While the coalition's platform is more moderate than that of the previous Hamas-led government, Olmert said it fell short of international demands to renounce violence, recognize Israel and accept past peace deals. He also noted its affirmation of the right to "resistance."
"This is a government that does not accept the conditions of the international community and sees terror as a legitimate goal," Olmert told his Cabinet.
Olmert said he would maintain contact with the moderate Palestinian president, Mahmoud Abbas, who was elected separately and is not a member of the coalition government. But Olmert said the discussions would be limited to "quality of life" issues for Palestinians.
The Cabinet endorsed Olmert's position 19-2, Israeli radio stations reported.
Arab leaders pledged support on Sunday for the unity government.
"We should support this government and reject the embargo imposed on the Palestinian people, which is at the top of the (Arab summit) agenda," said Amr Moussa, secretary general of the Arab League, on Sunday after meeting with Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak in Cairo.
The new Palestinian administration replaced a year-old government led by Hamas, the Islamic militant group that has killed dozens of Israelis in suicide bombings. It capped months of negotiations — interrupted by bursts of violence that killed more than 140 Palestinians — between Hamas and Fatah.
Hamas' rise to power last year provoked Western donor nations to cut off aid to the Palestinians. Israel also has withheld hundreds of millions of dollars in taxes it collects for the Palestinians. The sanctions have devastated the Palestinian economy.
Finance Minister Salam Fayyad warned Saturday that the new government would not be able to function for long unless the boycott is lifted and financial aid is increased.
At Saturday's parliamentary swearing-in ceremony, Palestinian leaders sent mixed messages about their dealings with Israel. But in sum, they appeared to show a softening of Hamas' stance.
Micaela Schweitzer-Bluhm, spokeswoman for the U.S. Consulate in Jerusalem, said Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh of Hamas had missed an opportunity to accept the international conditions and make the Palestinians a "partner for peace."
But in a break from the Israelis, she said the U.S. would likely maintain contact with non-Hamas members of the government.
© 2009 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Speaking at the weekly meeting of his Cabinet, Olmert said he would boycott the new government and urged the international community to follow suit. The Cabinet overwhelmingly endorsed Olmert's position.
The rival Palestinian factions Hamas and Fatah installed their new unity government on Saturday, hoping the alliance will end months of infighting and persuade the international community to lift a year of economic sanctions.
Israeli officials fear the new government will cause the tough international stance against the Palestinians to crumble. Israel and the U.S. on Sunday ruled out a resumption of financial transfers to the Palestinians. But Norway announced it would lift sanctions, and Britain and the U.N. also signaled flexibility.
While the coalition's platform is more moderate than that of the previous Hamas-led government, Olmert said it fell short of international demands to renounce violence, recognize Israel and accept past peace deals. He also noted its affirmation of the right to "resistance."
"This is a government that does not accept the conditions of the international community and sees terror as a legitimate goal," Olmert told his Cabinet.
Olmert said he would maintain contact with the moderate Palestinian president, Mahmoud Abbas, who was elected separately and is not a member of the coalition government. But Olmert said the discussions would be limited to "quality of life" issues for Palestinians.
The Cabinet endorsed Olmert's position 19-2, Israeli radio stations reported.
Arab leaders pledged support on Sunday for the unity government.
"We should support this government and reject the embargo imposed on the Palestinian people, which is at the top of the (Arab summit) agenda," said Amr Moussa, secretary general of the Arab League, on Sunday after meeting with Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak in Cairo.
The new Palestinian administration replaced a year-old government led by Hamas, the Islamic militant group that has killed dozens of Israelis in suicide bombings. It capped months of negotiations — interrupted by bursts of violence that killed more than 140 Palestinians — between Hamas and Fatah.
Hamas' rise to power last year provoked Western donor nations to cut off aid to the Palestinians. Israel also has withheld hundreds of millions of dollars in taxes it collects for the Palestinians. The sanctions have devastated the Palestinian economy.
Finance Minister Salam Fayyad warned Saturday that the new government would not be able to function for long unless the boycott is lifted and financial aid is increased.
At Saturday's parliamentary swearing-in ceremony, Palestinian leaders sent mixed messages about their dealings with Israel. But in sum, they appeared to show a softening of Hamas' stance.
Micaela Schweitzer-Bluhm, spokeswoman for the U.S. Consulate in Jerusalem, said Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh of Hamas had missed an opportunity to accept the international conditions and make the Palestinians a "partner for peace."
But in a break from the Israelis, she said the U.S. would likely maintain contact with non-Hamas members of the government.
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Posted by atpay1 at 12:17 PM : Mar 20, 2007
There's no sympathy to be had for these people 'cause the fact that they do not have anything is of their own doing. No one's to blame but themselves.
radiob:
As I recall, Ben-Gurian was not in Palestine at the time of the King David Hotel. He may have been at the UN, which was probably in San Francisco at that time. You are right about Begin. But I still don't believe that Ben-Gurian tried to 'call-off' the bombing.
Both Peron and Sharron have been implicated in that bombing ... neither has admitted to it but ... neither has DENIED it either.
My point was that The King David Hotel was the first act of TERRORISM that I ever saw in Palestine ... and ... it was by the JEWS.
In 1947 the Arabs and Jews basically fought with small arm ... they did not have tanks, choppers jets and laser guided bombs (like the JEWS have now ... all supplied by the US).
The Jews carted in cases of high explosives into the basement and first floor of the hotel and set it off with a timing device/s. I never did see a body count of men, women and children ...so I can not answer that part of you question, but I would assume by the nature of the establishment, that women were killed
The point that I was trying to make was that it was a completely INDISCRIMINATE act of TERRORISM.
Today the JEWS are using those high-tech weapons to blow up anything in sight ... including UN Missions and childrens schools in Lebanon, civilians on beaches in Gaza, just look at the number of civilian killed in Gaza and Lebanon ... I do not need to prove this ... just look at the casualty list.
There is no comparison between the armament of the Arabs (rocks) and the high-tech stuff that the US has given to the JEWS ... see above. Calling it a David and Goliath battle isn't even close ... it's more like a lonely ant against Goliath.
Your statement is in direct contradiction to the event as far as Ben-Gurion is concerned.If one is to write a book on factual events then they should be factual. It does qualify as a act of terrorism. It is the primary figures that are incorrect.That was a operation that occured over 50 years ago, and targeted the British. I will not claim Israeli innocence nor Palestinian innocence. What is more important is the wills of both the Israeli and Palestinian people to live side by side. There are numerous studies that support the Camp David Peace Accords. A majortiy of the Palestinians are in opposition to Hamas policys regarding Israel. Read the latest Near East Consulting report done this month.
He was also involved in occasional violent resistance during the short period of time his organization cooperated with Menachem Begin's Irgun, though he refused to be involved in terrorism of any kind, and insisted that violence only be used against military targets. Ben-Gurion initially agreed to Begin's plan to carry out the King David Hotel bombing, with the intent of humiliating (rather than killing) the British military stationed there. However, when the risks of mass killing became apparent, Ben-Gurion told Begin to call the operation off; Begin refused.[1]
Were any of these British Diplomats, Soldiers and Arabs that died in the King David Hotel woman and children?? And if so Did Ben Gurion and Peron deliberately set out to kill woman and children. Tell me where's the honor in these terrrorist bombings and how much closer has it gotten the Palestinian people to realizing their cause? I'll tell you, not one iota!! These people have absolutely nothing left but to celebrate death. What a pathetic existence, but it's an existence that they've carved out for themselves. So as I've stated before let them wallow in their hatred and self pity; let them keep attacking Israel and hiding behind their civilian population in order to to try and conjure world pity. The world is on to them and their cause is no longer an honorable worthy cause but a diabolical evil one.
The definition of TERRORIST:
The JEWS call suicide bombers terrorists.
The 1st act of terrorism that I ever saw in Palestine was in 1947 when the Jews led by a little fat pistol packing runt named David Ben Gurian ordered his hencemen which included Sharon and Peron, to blow up the King David Hotel killing almost 100 people, many of them British diplomats, soldiers and Arabs. Guess what they called themselves ... freedom fighters.
Now the Jews have reduced the Arabs to throwing rocks, so wrapping themselves in a suicide belt is probably the only weapon that they have.
In my book the suicide bombers are the true "FREEDOM FIGHTERS" and the JEWS are still the terrorist, just as they were in 1947.