4/3 Extra: Palestinian Girl

[Lost Viking]

Originally posted by Undertoad
<i>George Jr has given Sharon the Green Light to annex the West Bank and ethnic cleanse the land. There are no reasons to believe this is not true.</i>

Except of course for the UN resolution where we voted to demand they leave Ramallah. You must have missed that one?

Action speaks louder than words. So far only empty words, no action. Ariel Sharon is known as a supporter of annexing the West Bank. His slogan is "Palestine lies east of the Jordan river", suggesting that the Isrealies should drive palestinans further into Jordan. (The West Bank is/was Jordanian territory)

He has been pushing the hardest to support Isreali settlers (currently 200,000!) on the West Bank. Because it gives "proof on the ground" and effectivly forcing the outside world to accept the West Bank as Israeli territory once it's emptied by force.

Without Bush more openly opposing that, it will happen. It took Bush several weeks of international condemnation to finally speak out against the Isreali "lebensraum" policy. But he need to take action when they keep doing it again and again. (The "security" excuse, is just that, an excuse. Has Isreal gotten more secure with aggressive military action? No. And it will not work in future either, even Sharon knows this)

US threats to stop the millions of $ in military support would be a start. Preferably along with threats to stop the uncoditional polical support it has given Isreal in the last 50 years. Punisment for the Sabra and Shatila massacre (2700 innocents killed by Isreali trained christian forces, supported by IDF soldiers): 3 months of no free arms from Uncle Sam! Again, all empty words. No action.

I think there is a misconception that Europeans support the Palestians. We don't. We support peace. There is a difference. Suicide bombings are disgusting and Arafat is a coward for not accepting the Palestian state he was offered. But two wrongs don't make a right, blunt reprisals against an entire society for the actions of few create nothing but hate.

Unless peace means killing everybody on the other side, which is not exactly a foreign concept to Sharon considering that he allowed the massacre in Sabra and Shatila. (Minister of Defense at the time.)

Too bad Clinton is gone, he had the best (and most critized by US right wingers) middle east policy of any US president. It resulted in historic peace talks and two years of cease fire. Without that kind of commitment from the US the savagery will continue, because it's the only nation powerful enough to pressure both side to the negotiating table.