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Topic: Sharon: Division of western Israel will happen
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Miguel
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Member # 47
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All I can say at this time is, let us be a witness of the perfect will of God.
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Romans 9:11-24
Our Eschatology may vary even our Ecclesiology may be disputed among us but our Soteriology most assume a singularity and exclusivity which in biblical term is known as Quote; "The Narrow Way" and Quote!
Posts: 2792 | From: Stockton,Ca | Registered: Jun 2002
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Trafield
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JNW News
Sharon: Division of western Israel will happen
By Jerusalem Newswire Editorial Staff
Jerusalem - April 14, 2003
Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon further entrenched his position on endorsing the eventual creation of a Palestinian state in the "cradle of the Jewish people" during an interview with Israel's ultra-leftist daily newspaper, Ha'aretz, over the weekend.
Sharon's comments during the interview suggested a sudden shift in the prime minister's position on pushing for a final settlement, which the interviewer quickly picked up on.
When asked why he now appeared ready to reach a final agreement rather than go with a long-term interim plan - as he had previously suggested - Sharon said he believed "opportunities have currently been created that did not exist before. The Arab world in general and the Palestinians in particular have been shaken. There is therefore a chance to reach an agreement faster than people think."
The aging premier said the US-led invasion of Iraq and the swift defeat of Saddam Hussein's regime had sent shockwaves through the Arab world, fostering an atmosphere more conducive to "peace."
Asked whether his promises to reach an agreement with the Palestinians were not just hollow rhetoric, Sharon responded:
"Definitely not. It comes from the depth of my soul. Look, we are talking about the cradle of the Jewish people. Our whole history is bound up with these places. Bethlehem, Shiloh, Beit El. And I know that we will have to part with some of these places. There will be a parting from places that are connected to the whole course of our history. As a Jew, this agonizes me. But I have decided to make every effort to reach a settlement. I feel that the rational necessity to reach a settlement is overcoming my feelings."
In what the international press latched onto as a "first" for Sharon, he indicated a preparedness to dismantle and abandon key Jewish settlements he had helped to create, "if we reach a situation of true peace, real peace, peace for generations."
The Israeli national camp has long warned that if Israel's claim to the millennia-deep Jewish-rich heritage of Judea and Samaria could be so easily relinquished, it would not be long before the enemies of the Jewish state demand Tel Aviv and Haifa - areas with a much weaker historical link to the Jews.
These Israelis believe their prime minister's repeated references to Israel's need to take "painful steps" for peace indicates an acceptance of the Palestinians' fraudulent claims to the land as legitimate.
Sharon stressed he remained unwilling to make any concessions prior to a complete cessation of Palestinian violence, a halt to anti-Jewish incitement, and the dismantling of terrorist organizations such as Hamas and the Islamic Jihad.
But critics questioned the sincerity of his commitment in the light of Sharon's readiness to continue backing the appointment of Mahmoud Abbas (Abu Mazen) as Palestinian prime minister, only days after Abbas offered a top cabinet spot to Hamas leaders.
The Ha'aretz interview was published as senior Prime Minister's Office official Dov Weisglass headed to Washington to discuss some 15 changes Israel wants made to the current draft of the "Quartet's road map to Middle East peace."
The road map lays out a set timetable leading to the creation of a fully sovereign Palestinian state by 2005.
© 2002-2003 Jerusalem Newswire
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