Saturday, September 29, 2012

Ya'alon: Setting 'Red Lines' Has Saved Lives

Strategic Affairs Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Moshe Ya'alon welcomes Netanyahu's UN speech.

Minister Moshe Ya'alon
Minister Moshe Ya'alon

Strategic Affairs Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Moshe Ya'alon welcomed on Thursday evening Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu's speech to the United Nations General Assembly.

Ya’alon noted that setting “red lines”, such as the one Netanyahu demands be set for Iran's nuclear development, has in the past proven to have saved lives.

“The Prime Minister made clear the danger of the Iranian regime in general and the danger of the Iranian regime with nuclear capability in particular,” said Ya’alon. “The Prime Minister explained in his speech that despite the agreements between us and the West, led by the U.S., regarding Iran’s nuclear project and the agreement about the strategic goal to prevent Iran from being nuclear, there is a debate about setting a clear red line, so he clarified what he meant in his call to set such a red line.”


He added that Netanyahu’s speech was "based on historical experience in putting red lines in front of rogue regimes. Where red lines were drawn, it was possible to stop the evil, and when this didn't happen, the evil managed to kill no small amount of human life."

“The Prime Minister also made clear the urgency to act against Iran in light of the progress of its nuclear program, and the importance of joining hands with the Western world, led by the United States, to prevent the rogue regime in Tehran from acquiring nuclear weapons which will threaten world peace and stability,” concluded Ya’alon.
At the same time, Ya’alon condemned the speech of Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas, saying, “This is not a speech of peace, not a speech of reconciliation. This speech reflects the avoidance of Abbas from allowing negotiations with Israel as he avoided Olmert's offer and as the Palestinians have avoided in the past.

“Abu Mazen has never prepared his people for peace with Israel, and his accusatory speech tonight at the United Nations is further proof that he does not intend to do so,” continued Ya’alon. “He does not recognize the existence of the Jewish people and the Jewish people's right to exist in its own state, and he prefers to flagrantly violate every agreement by choosing unilateral [actions] over negotiations without preconditions. It's impossible to talk about peace, on the one hand, and on the other to incite in a speech at the UN.”

In his speech, Abbas blasted Israel and said that the Jewish communities in Judea and Samaria are “ethnic cleansing.”

"We are facing relentless waves of attacks against our people, our mosques, churches and monasteries, and our homes and schools," Abbas said.

"They are unleashing their venom against our trees, fields, crops and properties, and our people have become fixed targets for acts of killing and abuse with the complete collusion of the occupying forces and the Israeli government."

Abbas said Israel's tactics could only lead to the conclusion "that the Israeli government rejects the two-state solution."

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