Replacing Yasser Arafat?

by Southland 4 Replies latest jw friends

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  Southland

  Today "President Bush urges Palestinians to replace Palestinian Authority leader Yasser Arafat in a step toward creating a Palestinian state."

  What are your thoughts on this?
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  ItsJustlittleoldme

  I didn't hear the speech.. Did he actually come right out and say that they should replace Arafat, or was it just implied?
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  Southland

  I didn't hear the speech either. On MSNBC.COM, they posted the following:

  IN THE SPEECH, postponed from last week because of the wave of suicide attacks in Israel, President Bush said he expected Israel would respond as the Palestinians reached for these goals but clearly placed the onus on the Palestinians to change first.
  Today, the elected Palestinian legislature has no authority, and power is concentrated in the hands of a few, Bush said.
  True reform will require entirely new political and economic institutions, he said, vowing that the United States, the World Bank and the international community would help Palestinians organize and monitor elections and set up an accountable judiciary and an independent legislature.
  As NBCs David Gregory noted, the president made clear that Arafat had time and again disappointed him by failing to crush terrorist attacks on Israeli civilians.

  CNN made it clear the message was implied:

  WASHINGTON (CNN) -- President Bush called on Palestinians Monday to replace Palestinian Authority President Yasser Arafat and other top officials because they are "encouraging, not opposing, terrorism."

  "The United States will not support the establishment of a Palestinian state until its leaders engage in a sustained fight against the terrorists and dismantle their infrastructure," Bush said.

  He did not mention Arafat by name, but said he was calling on the Palestinian people to "build a practicing democracy based on tolerance and liberty."

  From the Rose Garden of the White House, Bush warned that a "Palestinian state will never be created by terror."

  Bush said the United States, the European Union and Arab states were willing to help the Palestinians improve their political and economic systems.

  The president also called on Israel to halt settlements, pull back to pre-September 28, 2000, positions and release frozen Palestinian revenues.
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  Amazing

  Hi Southland: Thanks for providing the clarifying news articles on this. Fundamentally, I believe that Bush is correct in addressing the systemic issues regarding Palestine, and how it relates to their entanglements with Israel. However, I don't think replacing leaders, or land for peace will ever accomplish anything with these two ancient peoples ... only in their own hearts as human beings can they together decide to get along and work things out ... and that is something no other nation can do for them ... not the USA or the EU or even the UN or any other well-meaning political institution ...
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  Carmel

  The primary reason both sides want the US involved in brokering a peace deal is our tendancy to fork over bundles of cash to help heal the wounds of war. In this case, I am willing to see us do that to begin the multi-generational transition to a peaceful region. I see the internet and international commerce breaking down the curtain of hatred between the Jews, Muslims and Christians but it will take longer than one generation to accomplish. We may see UN peace keepers in the Gaza and West Bank just as there are UN troops stationed on the northern boarder Israel. I see a difinite move toward accord within the year and within five years a major opening of commerce between Isreal and its present enemies to the north and east.

  If spending a few billion $ by us primes the pump, I can see no better use of our tax monies..

  carmel