Ouch...
Bush's Semantic Nod to a State of Palestine
Compiled by Our Staff From Dispatches AP, Reuters
Monday, November 12, 2001
Arabs Praise Mention of 'Recognized' Borders
WASHINGTON In another sign of the U.S. commitment to an eventual Palestinian state, Secretary of State Colin Powell said Sunday that the word "Palestine" had entered the U.S. government's lexicon after a speech by President George W. Bush to the United Nations General Assembly.
Until now, U.S. officials have referred to the possibility of a "Palestinian state" but have never called it "Palestine." Secretary Powell said that Mr. Bush's use of "Palestine" in his speech Saturday was deliberate and reflected administration policy.
"If one is moving forward with a vision of two states side by side," Secretary Powell said in an interview on NBC, it's appropriate "to call those two states what they will be - Israel and Palestine."
Mr. Bush has been trying to bolster Arab and Muslim support for the U.S.-led war against suspected terrorists and their protectors in Afghanistan.
Saudi Arabia, a key ally, told the administration last week that it was "angrily frustrated" that the administration had failed to begin a promised new peace initiative in the region.
So Mr. Bush's statement Saturday was warmly welcomed by Arab delegates for referring to "recognized" borders and for suggesting that Security Council resolutions implied statehood.
In a speech Sunday at the UN, Yasser Arafat, head of the Palestinian Authority, expressed his "deepest appreciation" for the president's speech. He said that the Bush statement was "a significant step in the path of ending the conflict and the establishment of peace in the Middle East."
[snip]
iht.com
Time for Jewish settlers to pack up and go home... To reduce their removal bill, they can always invite their brand new Palestinian neighbors to a garage sale <g> |
