FresnoZionism.org — ציונות פרסנו

By Vic Rosenthal

Ehud Olmert has an interview in today’s Jerusalem Post. It’s a long interview, and quite interesting. For now I want to quote his response to the refugee issue in the Arab initiative, about which I wrote yesterday.

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By Vic Rosenthal

Iran, as everyone knows, is still holding the 15 British sailors captured a week ago. They’ve not released the one female captive, Leading Seaman Faye Turney, as it was thought that they were about to, and in fact have dressed her up in Islamic garb and displayed a letter allegedly written by her which ‘apologizes’ for the British vessel’s presence in Iranian waters (which Britain categorically denies). They also broadcast a taped ‘confession’ by one of the Royal Marines among the captives.

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Some people will never get it, especially Yossi Beilin, chairman of Israel’s left-wing Meretz-Yachad party, who said recently,

The rejuvenated Arab initiative, the Arab Quartet (Egypt, Jordan, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates), and US willingness to help the process along are making possible a diplomatic step forward. Rejection is liable to cost Israel heavily. Olmert, who entangled Israel in a failed war in Lebanon, is now taking it upon himself to pass up a rare opportunity for significant diplomatic progress. This is unforgivable. — Yossi Beilin, on the Meretz USA web site

The Arabs say that the proposal must be accepted as it is written, with no changes. Olmert has called the original Saudi initiative ‘interesting’ and has indicated that he would be willing to talk to the Arabs about it. Why is this position unforgivable? Does Beilin want him to say “yes, I agree with the Arab proposal as written, send the 5 million refugees over tomorrow?”

Beilin, one of the prime movers of the failed Oslo peace process, has been consistently wrong in assuming that concrete concessions by Israel will lead to peace. In 1995 he signed an extra-governmental peace agreement called the ‘Geneva accord’ with Palestinian Authority minister Yasser Abed Rabbo. The Geneva accord, financed primarily by European nations, called for almost complete Israeli withdrawal to the 1967 lines, and included a fiendishly ambiguous statement about the right of return of Palestinian refugees to Israel. It never received government (or even opposition) support.

Technorati Tags: Israel, Arab initiative, Beilin

What about the al-Aqsa martyrs brigade?

The declared “military wing” of Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas’ Fatah party took credit for two of seven rockets fired into Israel on Tuesday, vowed to break a Gaza ceasefire and told WND that US financial aid pledged for Fatah security forces will be used to “attack the Zionists.” — Aaron Klein, YNet

Has anybody asked ‘moderate’ Mahmoud Abbas, whose Fatah party we in the US are supporting — the US announced Tuesday that $59 million was being transferred to his organization — why this terrorist militia is allowed to remain part of this ‘moderate’ organization?

The al-Aqsa brigades shared credit for the suicide bombing in Eilat in January which took three lives, and has been involved recently in fighting with Israeli troops in the West bank.

Technorati Tags: al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigade, Abbas, Israel

By Vic Rosenthal

Arab leaders, including Mahmoud Abbas, have been trying to pressure Israel to accept the Arab initiative:

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