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America in the Middle East

ZOA to Bush: Elected terrorist still a terrorist


By Jerusalem Newswire Editorial Staff
December 03, 2004

The Zionist Organization of America (ZOA) took President George W. Bush to task Thursday for stating the establishment of a genuine “Palestinian” democracy should be the focus of peace efforts, while appearing to sideline the need to eliminate anti-Jewish terror.

“As we negotiate the details of peace, we must look to the heart of the matter, which is the need for a Palestinian democracy,” Bush told reporters after meeting with Canadian Prime Minister Paul Martin.

The president echoed the long-held claim that the absence of an independent Arab state on lands originally promised to the Jews was an excuse for Islamic terrorism.

Meanwhile, State Department Spokesman Richard Boucher said Washington’s goal was to facilitate smooth “Palestinian” elections, and not dwell on the fact that known and convicted terrorists were competing for Yasser Arafat’s vacated chair.

Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon insisted even if jailed Fatah terror boss Marwan Barghouti were victorious in the upcoming PA election, he would not be released.

‘Heart of the matter’

“Achieving peace in the Holy Land is not just a matter of pressuring one side or the other on the shape of a border or the site of a settlement. This approach has been tried before, without success,” said Bush.

The president stressed that the quest for genuine “Palestinian” democracy was the key to solving the Israeli-Arab conflict.

“Our destination is clear:two states, Israel and Palestine, living side-by-side in peace and security. And that destination can be reached by only one path, the path of democracy and reform and the rule of law,” he said.

Bush asserted that achieving the “worthy goal” of birthing a Palestinian Arab state would “remove an excuse for hatred and violence in the broader Middle East.”

Anti-Jewish Islamic terrorism and Arab efforts to stamp out the “Zionist entity” predate Israel’s conquest of Judea, Samaria and the Gaza Strip, which were previously possessions of Jordan and Egypt, and not a “Palestinian” state.

While Bush points to an end to the hatred, popular Arab leaders vow to carry on the violence until all Israel again lies under the thumb of Islam.

A terrorist is a terrorist

Responding to Bush’s remarks, ZOA President Morton Klein stated:

“Democracy is not the heart of the problem; the heart of the problem is Palestinian Arab
terrorism, the Palestinian Arabs' commitment to the destruction of Israel, and the Palestinian Authority's promotion of an entire culture of anti-Jewish hatred and violence in its official media, schools, and mosques.”

Klein noted, “This 'hate process' is succeeding - polls show the vast majority of Palestinian Arabs support suicide bombings and other violence against Israel.”

“Although democratic elections are important,” Klein said, “they are not enough when dealing with candidates, and a society, that promote hatred and violence.”

The ZOA chief pointed out both of the leading candidates in the upcoming PA chairmanship election are “mass murderers.”

“How can the election of one of these killers serve the cause of peace?”

Independent candidate and jailed Fatah official Marwan Barghouti is currently serving a life sentence in an Israeli prison for his direct involvement in the terrorist murder of numerous Israeli Jews.

Frontrunner and newly appointed PLO chief Mahmoud Abbas co-founded Fatah with Yasser Arafat, and was the deceased arch-terrorist’s right-hand man for more than four decades.

Violating the ‘Bush doctrine’

But the US State Department said the identity of the candidates was unimportant, and that the administration’s focus was ensuring a smooth election process.

During a Q&A session Thursday, spokesman Richard Boucher evaded a question on the legitimacy of Barghouti’s candidacy.

“I think we need to remember what the big issue is here. And that's working with the Palestinians to ensure that the January 9th presidential election results in an outcome that produces a credible and clear result, that it goes as smoothly as possible,” Boucher said.

At one point Boucher was asked whether or not the administration was concerned that some candidates in the PA election were “convicted murderers.”

Who leads the PA “is ultimately up to the Palestinian people,” he responded.

Boucher said Washington’s interest was in seeing a “Palestinian leadership that can take responsibility, that can stop the terror and violence, that can represent them in discussions and move forward” emerge through “a smooth election.”

“Our goal is not to choose presidential candidates in the Palestinian election. It's not to judge the presidential candidates in the Palestinian election.”

In his June 2002 Middle East policy speech, Bush insisted the “Palestinians” replace their leadership with one “untainted” by terrorism and financial corruption.

Following Thursday’s press conference, it appeared that condition had been dropped in favor of ensuring the appearance of democracy was preserved through January 9.

Prime Minister Barghouti won’t go free

In Jerusalem, Sharon told an annual gathering of newspaper editors that even if Barghouti were elected, Israel would not set him free.

Should Barghouti emerge victorious on January 9, he will be constrained “by the conditions of the prison in which he sits,” Sharon was quoted as saying by the Jerusalem Post .

Sharon said he hoped the “Palestinians” would elect an leader who would confront anti-Jewish terrorism.

However, the only other serious candidate – Abbas - has publicly and repeatedly stated he has no intention of honoring the PA’s commitment to disarm and dismantle the terrorist organizations.

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