Tuesday, 29 July 2014

Why Kerry's ceasefire proposal was shot down by Israeli politicians.

July 28. Why Kerry's ceasefire proposal was shot down by Israeli politicians across the board.

Here is what Israeli politicians were saying about the Obama/Kerry demand for Israel to immediately ceasefire on terms favored by Qatar and Turkey, two implacable Israel haters and supporters of the Islamic terror regime in Gaza, and my assessment;
Knesset Members from the right and left criticized recent statements and pressures on Israel from the White House and US State Department.

Israel’s Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, said Kerry’s proposal “does not address Israel’s security demands in Gaza.”
Agriculture Minister, Yair Shamir, said, “Maybe it’s because they have a problem with the regime in Eqypt and they thought by going through Turkey and Qatar they’d be seen as honest brokers. Instead, they lost the allies they had and didn’t make any new ones. Kerry lost credibility in the eyes of everyone.”
Tzipi Hotovely, Likud MK, said that US proposals only served the interests of Hamas.
Danny Danon, called on Obama and his government to “cease firing at Israel. Would America ceasfire on al-Qaida when it is being attacked? John Kerry is disconnected from reality and ignores the security concerns of Israel.”
Eli Yishai said that Israel owes much to America but “that obligation cannot come at the expense of Israel’s future. The free world must support Israel not weaken it.”
On the left, Nahman Shai said Obama’s demand on Israel to stop the fighting prevents Israel from maximizing its military and diplomatic achievements. He doubted America’s ability to demilitarize Gaza and prevent future wars there.
The only voices praising US pressure on Israel to immediate stop fighting was from Israel’s far left.

There are worrying signs that the Obama Administration has adopted an “even-handed” policy in the Middle East that offends and endangers America’s allies, and emboldens the Islamic states, namely Qatar and Turkey, which have supported the Hamas/Islamic Jihad Palestinian branch of Islamist terror in Gaza.
Their failure to perceive the current conflict as a liberal democracy in the region under daily terror attacks from its implacable enemies across its border, and to stand unequivocally with its ally, Israel, has been damaging to Israel and Egypt who have merged in a shared determination to remove Islamic terror from their doorsteps.
It is worrying that Obama, Kerry, and others seem committed to have this fight shudder to a draw. They talk about asking Hamas to disarm itself after a ceasefire, as ridiculous a proposal for any diplomat to make, let alone the leaders of America.
This is the worst possible result that will condemn Israel to face yet another round of violence and death in a few years’ time. Better to allow Israel to plough and cleanse the soil of Gaza that will allow a more fertile political future there.

Barry Shaw,
Special Consultant on Delegitimization Issues,
Strategic Dialogue Center,
Netanya Academic College,
Israel.

Author of 'Israel reclaiming the Narrative.'
www.israelnarrative.com







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