|
Koenig's Commentary
An Incredibly Significant Week –
Bill Koenig
Printer friendly version
April 18, 2004
This was an incredibly significant week for those with an eye on Israel, the Middle East and Bible prophecy. I am still absorbing the significance and impact of all that has transpired. I have provided some commentary tonight and will follow with more later in the coming week.
Egyptian President Hosni Mubarek visited President Bush in Texas on Monday. President Bush humbly faced the White House press corp. in a nationally televised press conference Tuesday evening. Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon visited the White House where he gained support from President Bush on his disengagement plan on Wednesday. President Bush held a joint press conference with British Prime Minister Tony Blair on Friday, where they showed a united front on Iraq and Israel.
Then, Saturday evening in Gaza, Israel assassinated the head of Hamas Abdel Aziz Rantisi.
Sunday, Bob Woodward spoke on his new book, “Plan of Attack,” which — contends that Mr. Bush decided in January 2003 to go to war and informed Secretary of State Colin L. Powell after the fact, in a 12-minute conversation that also covered other matters.
In an interview on the CBS News program "60 Minutes," Mr. Woodward said Mr. Bush first told his senior advisers about his decision in January.
"He told Condi Rice," Mr. Woodward said. "He told Rumsfeld. He knew Cheney wanted to do this. And they realized they haven't told Colin Powell," who was skeptical about the wisdom of invading Iraq.
Condoleezza Rice, President Bush's national security adviser, said today that the president decided in March 2003 to go to war against Saddam Hussein, not in January 2003, as a new book contends.
She said she was with Mr. Bush in Crawford, Tex., in January 2003 when he expressed his frustration with how weapons inspections were proceeding in Iraq. "He said, `Now, I think we probably are going to have to go to war, we're going to have to go to war,' " Ms. Rice recalled today on the CBS News program "Face the Nation." "It was not a decision to go to war. That decision he made in March when he finally decided to do that."
The news above transpired while the situation in Iraq is at a very dangerous and complicated stage.
The Sharon Plan
In the natural, Ariel Sharon’s disengagement plan is a brilliant plan, but it is in opposition to the Word of God, because it has to do with the dividing of Israel’s covenant land. However, it does shift pressure on to the Palestinians to fight terror as a condition to go forward. He also received, for all practical purposes, a "green light" from President Bush on his plan to deal with terror within his country. Last evening’s assassination of Hamas leader Abdel Aziz Rantisi shows that Sharon and Israel is very serious about their terror war.
The Palestinians have negotiated from a position of “we want everything our way” that has dominated the peace negotiations for 12 years. It has virtually been Israel giving and the Palestinians refusing to counter with a viable proposal. Israel is now taking actions without waiting for the Palestinians to agree or make a move. In the past the Palestinians have attempted to make terror cessation contingent on Israel freezing settlement activity, followed by the total dismantling of settlements in Judea and Samaria.
Sharon's plan also received President Bush and Prime Minister Blair's approval.
Summary of President Bush’s Statements
These steps can open the door to progress toward a peaceful, democratic, viable Palestinian state.
Working together, we can help build democratic Palestinian institutions, as well as strong capabilities dedicated to fighting terror so that the Palestinian people can meet their obligations under the road map on the path to peace.
The heart of this vision is the responsibility of all parties -- of Israel, of the Palestinian people, of the Arab states -- to fight terror, to embrace democracy and reform, and to take the necessary steps for peace.
These steps can open the door to progress toward a peaceful, democratic, viable Palestinian state. Working together, we can help build democratic Palestinian institutions, as well as strong capabilities dedicated to fighting terror so that the Palestinian people can meet their obligations under the road map on the path to peace.
The Palestinian people must insist on change and on a leadership that is committed to reform and progress and peace. We will help. But the most difficult work is theirs.
The United States is strongly committed, and I am strongly committed, to the security of Israel as a vibrant Jewish state.
I reiterate our steadfast commitment to Israel's security and to preserving and strengthening Israel's self-defense capability, including its right to defend itself against terror.
The barrier being erected by Israel as a part of that security effort should, as your government has stated, be a security, rather than political, barrier. It should be temporary rather than permanent, and, therefore, not prejudice any final status issues, including final borders. And its route should take into account, consistent with security needs, its impact on Palestinians not engaged in terrorist activities.
It seems clear that an agreed, just, fair and realistic framework for a solution to the Palestinian refugee issue, as part of any final status agreement, will need to be found through the establishment of a Palestinian state and the settling of Palestinian refugees there, rather than Israel.
As part of a final peace settlement, Israel must have secure and recognized borders which should emerge from negotiations between the parties, in accordance with U.N. Security Council Resolutions 242 and 338.
In light of new realities on the ground, including already existing major Israeli population centers, it is unrealistic to expect that the outcome of final status negotiations will be a full and complete return to the armistice lines of 1949. And all previous efforts to negotiate a two-state solution have reached the same conclusion. It is realistic to expect that any final status agreement will only be achieved on the basis of mutually agreed changes that reflect these realities.
U.S. Middle East policy is tilted toward peace. And the best way to achieve peace is to fight terror.
And I'm the first American President ever to have articulated the creation of a Palestinian state. And the reason I did so is because I believe a Palestinian state, when properly done, will be -- provide enough hope for people, provide a peaceful avenue for those who aspire for a better future. And I also believe it's in Israel's interest that there be a Palestinian state which develops in a peaceful way.
Now it's up for responsible Palestinians, caring Europeans, Americans, the United Nations to step in and help develop such a state that will be a peaceful state, one in which money will actually end up helping the people of the Palestinian -- Palestinians to be able to grow their businesses and grow their -- find wealth for their families.
And then we can worry about the final status negotiations. In other words, there's a lot of work to do. What the Prime Minister has done is started the work, and we're prepared to help with the work.
Positives for Sharon
The Sharon plan will likely draw out the terrorists which will enable Israel to target them more aggressively.
President Bush, for the most part, gave Israel the “green light” to fight terror (Rantisi’s assassination is a sign Sharon is serious about rooting out Hamas and other terror groups in Gaza).
President Bush’s support gave Sharon a political boost.
Sharon’s plan has Israel keeping six large settlements which would keep approximately 98,000 residents in their homes out of a settlement population of 200,000.
Bush agreed that Israel will not have to absorb Palestinian refugees who will be designated to the new Palestinian state.
Negatives for Sharon
He faces the ramifications and consequences associated with dividing Israel's covenant land.
He still faces a tough political debate but it seems that his Likud party is going to side with him. A majority of Israel, who do not live in the settlements, favor the dismantling of the settlements in trade for peace and security.
He has some alleged scandals to deal with which could disrupt his political endeavors.
Palestinian and Arab Response
Yassir Arafat wants Jerusalem as the capital of the new Palestinian state.
The Palestinians want all the settlements disbanded and are furious over the Sharon plan and Bush endorsement.
The Sharon plan (with Bush’s approval) has angered the Palestinian for the unilateral action between the U.S. and Israel.
Arab moderates will likely, and not publicly, oppose the plan, and some of them are tired of Arafat and have refused to meet with him. Mubarek came to Texas with a shopping list for President Bush. Egypt receives a lot of U.S. aide annually.
Jordan’s King Abullah II has been receiving significant U.S. aide too and has been very concerned about the possibilities of Palestinians fleeing to Israel. The Sharon plan will ease his fears. Abdullah will meet with President Bush on Wednesday at the White House.
Radical Arab and Muslim nations (Iran and Syria), along with the members of radical Islamic terror groups, will likely increase their hateful rhetoric and terror against Israel, and the U.S. and other coalition interests.
Some Arab nations could lower oil production which would further exacerbate U.S. oil prices and the economic recovery.
Printer friendly version
Return to the previous page
Koenig's International News -
http://watch.org/ -
comment@watch.org
|
