Monday, December 16, 2013

Bennett: No to Security Arrangements from US

Bennett: No to Security Arrangements from US

Economics Minister responds to reports of Abbas rejecting US proposal own rejection, citing historical evidence that US involvement fails.

By Tova Dvorin

Economics Minister Naftali Bennett released a statement on his Facebook page Friday, discussing the talks which have resumed between Israel and the Palestinian Authority (PA).
Bennett cites history once more in his statement, and explains the extent of the US's involvement in a possible peace deal.
"Recently we’ve been hearing a new tune: an international guarantee will 'safeguard Israel's security'," Bennett stated. "We are told that they found the answer to all of our security problems. We can evacuate Samaria, Judea and the Jordan Valley (they won’t dare speak about the Golan Heights). We can place cameras, lasers, helicopters, and especially - rely on international forces and the security guarantee of our friends."
The statement follows news that PA Chairman Mahmoud Abbas rejected the US's proposal for security arrangements in the critical Jordan Valley region, which would provide a buffer zone between the two countries in the event of a two-state solution. Abbas originally made statements to that effect in a radio interview; PA officials confirmed the news to Kerry and to AFP Friday.

While AFP reports that US Secretary of State John Kerry was set to meet with Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu at 6:30 am in Jerusalem for follow-up talks, no information has yet been released about that meeting - which may have been cancelled, delayed, or postponed in light of the massive snowstorm sweeping across Israel.
Bennett notes that similar security arrangements in Lebanon, Iran and Syria have actually worked against their aims.
"In 2006, at the end of the Second Lebanon War, the Security Council passed Resolution 1701, which prohibits the entry of all weapons into southern Lebanon. Result: Hezbollah has since smuggled in over 100,000 missiles into southern Lebanon."
"In 2006, the Security Council passed Resolution 1696 that determined that Iran must stop all enrichment and may not build any additional centrifuges," he continued. "Result: Since then, Iran has increased the amount of its centrifuges from only 164 to 18,500."

"Over a year ago, the President of the United States determined if Syria will use chemical weapons against its people that this would be crossing a red line which would lead to military action. Result: Syria has killed hundreds of residents with chemical weapons (no one is disputing that), and military action did not happen."
"This has happened dozens of times around the world. Guarantees are words, they are not actions," he concluded. "We will continue to defend ourselves, by ourselves. It has worked not badly at all for the last 65 years." 

Guest Comment:
Israel MUST defend herself by herself, without any interferences by international babysitter guards, i.e. American guarantees written on ice and America soldiers patrolling her borders. It has worked well these past 65 years.

Hezbollah is playing its wrong cards again, today killed an Israeli.... 

To a large extent Israel has failed politically, its politicians change their intent and direction faster than then speed of light. They are acting like a chameleon. Hardliner turned Dovish Netanyahu himself proves the point, as did Ariel Sharon who was considered “the hawk” then unraveled the entire government and divide Israel with his idiotic “disengagement.”

Now we have an new rising Israeli political star, Economics Minister Naftali Bennett, an observant Jew who left the business world where he became successful and wealthy and entered politics. Bennett (ostensibly) stands squarely on the nationalist Right heading his party Bayit Yehudi-Jewish Home. In the coming months we are going to see political jolts in the Israeli government as well as more jarring instability in the neighborhood that could include a clash with Hezbollah and Iran (even Hamas nay try its luck). We hoe that Bennett can resist the Oslo and other temptations that have flipped so many of his political predecessors or made fast obsolete. Israel has not developed a healthy cadre of political leaders. It has way too many clueless bureaucrats and it is almost starving for genuine leadership, which she so badly needs. So I personally hope Bennett goes from strength to strength because no other political start is showing on the Israeli political horizon. I know, I know, some will tell me Bennett is an opportunist not to be trusted, so please point to who else?! Right now it is all foggy and time will tell as you can be a political start one day and the following day you can be trashed and forgotten. NG

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