Monday, October 18, 2010

Bibi's Chutzpah Parte Deux...



I swear Bibi knows no bounds whatsoever...


Netanyahu wants loyalty oath bill to include Jews as well

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu instructed Justice Minister Ya'akov Ne'eman on Monday to prepare a new bill extending the loyalty oath, which is currently aimed at non-Jews, to include Jewish immigrants as well.

"We expect that every person wishing to become an Israeli citizen recognize Israel as a Jewish and democratic state," Netanyahu said on Monday evening.

"There is broad approval among the Israeli public regarding the Jewish and democratic identity of Israel, and that is not incidental. The state of Israel was founded as the sovereign state of the Jewish people and as a democratic state in which all its citizens – Jews and non-Jews alike – enjoy equal rights. Any person wishing to become an Israeli citizen must recognize these two key principals."

And if that wasn't galling enough...


PM: New building permits will not affect peace process

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Monday that Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas's preoccupation with the settlement building was "superficial" and that the additional permits will not affect the the peace process. [...]

"If the Palestinians want to find problems then we won't proceed. If they want to solve the problems, I think that there are other ways to get over the gaps and move forward," Netanyahu told the Likud members.

*Aargh* Wtf, over...?

It's not just Bibi, but, a full court press...


Israeli envoy says only peace can halt settlements

Israel will only stop its disputed settlement building when the Palestinians make a peace agreement, its UN ambassador said ahead of new Security Council talks Monday on the Middle East conflict. [...]

"People understand," Reuben declared. "I don't think they agree with the way we are going, but they definitely understand the fact that settlements are not a burden on the peace process and not something that will stop the peace process." [...]

"The other side is only looking for pretexts to put obstacles in the road, because they were never an obstacle in the road" in the past, Reuben said.

That's not even the worst of it...


Israeli ambassador: we're a "long way from discussing settlements"

On why Israel doesn't want to discuss settlements now:

Settlements -- from our perspective -- is a final status issue. It is way down the list of final status issues because settlements from our perspective are a subcategory of borders which are a subcategory of security. And so we are a long way from discussing settlements. By putting them up front, it creates a difficultly -- a political difficulty. And it further augments the skepticism that many Israelis feel about the seriousness of a Palestinian interlocutor if they're making the issue of settlements -- something that the government cannot do right now.

Interestingly, even Abbas said so; “Netanyahu Told Me He Cannot Extend Settlement Freeze."

Please read that whole Cable article on Oren's viewpoints...!

Now, to it's credit, the Haaretz editorial staff blasted Bibi in no uncertain terms...


Building to destroy the peace process

The only explanation for the government's approval of 240 new housing units in East Jerusalem is that it was an attempt to sabotage the efforts to renew direct peace talks between Israel and the Palestinians.


...On the issue of whether the Palestinians view Jerusalem as a settlement, they are not the only ones who hold this position. The United States also regards the territories that have been annexed and incorporated into Jerusalem as settlements, whose final status must be agreed upon in talks between the two sides.

Expanding construction beyond the Green Line puts Jerusalem at the center of international discussion. It also contradicts the government's goal of postponing any talks on the future of the city to as great an extent as possible. This construction is an inseparable part of our disagreement with both the Palestinians and the United States, and it would behoove Israel to recognize this. The government must stop pulling the wool over our eyes and cease taking such unilateral steps, which not only lessen our chances of reaching a deal with the Palestinians, but also cause considerable diplomatic damage.

Even Opposition leader MK Tzipi Livni spoke out, half-heartedly tho...


Addressing the current Israeli government and the peace process, she said: "I do not believe in leadership that is built out of fear, and I do not think it reflects Israel's security interests. Time is working against Israel and in the absence of a decision we may find ourselves with Hamas and unable to even sign a piece of paper. The threats exist and part of the leadership only looks at reality from this angle. Israel is in a situation where it is talking about strong but is actually weakened."

About that fear factor...


Lieberman: Palestinians may try to form autonomous Arab regions within Israel

Foreign minister says there is a possibility the Palestinians may try to delegitimize Israel as a Jewish state.

And even Bibi had to fear-monger...


Netanyahu: Hamas has obtained anti-aircraft missiles

Israel's aerial freedom has been compromised by new weaponry in Gaza, presumably smuggled through tunnels connected to Egypt, PM tells Likud members for the first time.

*gah*

Now, since Bibi has flatly rejected the Makovsky wet dream err... offer, for a mere two month extension even! Does that mean the US offer to veto all I/P related UN resolutions is still on...?


Palestinians plan UN resolution calling for settlement evacuation

The Palestinian leadership, in conjunction with Arab states, plans to submit a resolution to the UN Security Council stating that Israeli settlements in the West Bank are illegal and must be evacuated, Haaretz has learned. This initiative comes in place of an earlier idea of seeking Security Council recognition for a Palestinian state within pre-1967 lines.

The Palestinians believe the United States would veto any resolution recognizing a Palestinian state that was not the fruit of an agreement with Israel. But Washington would have trouble opposing a resolution that declared the settlements illegal under international law.

The prime minister's envoy for talks with the Palestinians, attorney Isaac Molho, has refused to take receipt of a document detailing the Palestinian leadership's positions on all the core issues of the conflict.

A diplomatic source said yesterday that chief Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erekat tried to hand the document to Molho during their meeting in Washington a few weeks ago. Several American officials, including special envoy for the peace process George Mitchell, were also present.

The document detailed the Palestinian positions that had earlier been presented to Mitchell during the months of proximity talks.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's bureau responded that it cannot comment on what happened at a diplomatic meeting, because all parties to the talks agreed to maintain secrecy.

What a crock of crap...! It certainly has been enlightening watching the dribs and drabs that has leaked out from behind that illusory wall of secrecy...!

The US had best abstain, at least, and not veto that meager UN resolution...!

We shall see...!

*gah*

No comments:

Post a Comment