[Marxism] Kerry Echoes Bush's Stance on Israel

["David Quarter" <davidquarter@xxxxxxxxxxxx>]

From:                   Impeach Bush

Subject: JPN:Kerry Echoes Bush's Stance on Israel
Date: Mon, 05 Jul 2004

From: "Jewish Voice for Peace" < mitchell@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx >
Reply-To: notice-reply-egsk76rajdwnwm@xxxxxxx

Subject: JEWISH PEACE NEWS: Kerry Echoes Bush's Stance on Israel

Today's Contents:

Kerry Campaign: Strengthening Israel's Security and Bolstering the US-Israel
Special Relationship (From Jews for Kerry website) Kerry outlines his stance
on the Israel-Palestine conflict and it is not encouraging

[While for many, the upcoming presidential election presents an opportunity
to finally remove George W. Bush from office, one still  has to ask what we
are hoping to replace him with. Thereare some issues where Kerry offers a
clear alternative and,while he may not look great on many of them, he is
clearly an improvement over Bush.

On the question of Israel-Palestine, however, Kerry continues to disappoint.
In a statement released to various Jewish groups last month, Kerry makes it
clear that he backs the Bush agenda virtually 100%. In almost every aspect,
Kerry backs the moves Bush has made and endorses the most disastrous of
Bush's decisions. This includes Bush's promise to Sharon of April 14 that
Israel would never have to return to the pre-1967 borders or that it would
ever have to admit any Palestinian refugees back into Israel. While it may
be true that this has been America's view of the eventual outcome for some
time, no US has ever made it explicit before, and for good reason. These
needed to be matters that were negotiated between Israel and the
Palestinians. These are matters at the very heart of Palestinian
nationalism, and they are clearly matters the Palestinians have every right
to press in negotiations. But Bush removed them from that realm, and in so
doing made the chances of moving away from violence in the region much more
remote.

Kerry also supports the absurd decision to isolate Yasir Arafat. Arafat is a
legitimately elected leader of the Palestinians, one who was elected by a
much greater percentage of the total population than either Sharon or Bush
and whose election had no trace of the scandals that dogged the Israeli and
American leaders after their elections. There is no evidence to suggest that
the Palestinians no longer give him a mandate to speak for them. What could
be more anti-democratic than insisting that another people abandon their
duly elected leader at the whim of others? The isolation of Arafat is also
counter-productive, as virtually no one believes there is a single
Palestinian leader who is remotely likely to be as conciliatory as Arafat.

Kerry also endorses Israel's wall. This barrier, which is separating
Palestinians from each other and from their lands, but not from Israelis,
which is already creating enormous hardship and forcing thousands of
Palestinians from their homes and which will only entrench this conflict, is
not a security measure, but an attempt to drive out more Palestinians and
establish permanent Israeli control over more of the West Bank. It is the
very logic behind Bush's agreeing that there will be no return to the 1967
borders that Sharon is following. After all, Israel only had to build the
settlements illegally and leave them there; eventually, the US gave its
imprimatur. The wall, which Israel maintains is a "temporary security
measure" when it is neither temporary nor built for security, is certainly
able to follow the same blueprint.

There can be no doubt that Kerry's pronounced positions are extremely
disheartening. But we cannot say they are truly unexpected. There is no
evidence to suggest that taking an even-handed stance on Israel will gain
Kerry significant votes, while it is clear that such a stance would lose him
votes. And such will continue to be the case until we, as Americans, come
together and create the demand in the political sphere for a change, until
we are willing and able to put our votes and our money where our beliefs
are.

Still, it also makes some sense to bear in mind that campaign promises and
actions once elections are over are often quite different. A Kerry
administration would mean the current crop of neoconservatives and their
allies (Wolfowitz, Perle, Feith, Abrams, Rumsfeld, Cheney, et al) would be
farther away from the center of policymaking power. It may be small
improvement, but this administration was so dramatically worse than even the
extremely pro-Israeli government Clinton administration, that we might
consider it worth our while to at least get them out. -- MP]

John Kerry: Strengthening Israel's Security and Bolstering the US-Israel
Special Relationship
http://ga3.org/ct/Y7aKtZn1uBYm/

John Kerry has been at the forefront of the fight for Israel's security
during his nineteen years in the US Senate. His pro-Israel voting record is
second to none.

John Kerry did not wait until he was running for president of the United
States to visit Israel - he has been there on numerous occasions throughout
his public life. Through his meetings with Israeli political and military
leaders - and especially his interaction with ordinary Israelis - he has
experienced the everyday security threat that Israelis face and this has
deepened his understanding of Israel's security needs. In short, John Kerry
will never do anything to compromise that security.

John Kerry believes that particularly in uncertain times like these we must
reaffirm and indeed strengthen our special relationship with Israel, our
most steadfast friend and ally in the region. His commitment to a safe,
secure, democratic Jewish state of Israel is unwavering. It comes from a
personal belief that Israel's cause must be America's cause.

John Kerry understands that anti-Semitism masked in anti-Israel rhetoric is
a dangerous trend threatening both Israel and Jewish communities around the
world. John Kerry has always fought against anti-Semitism and as president,
he will take governments around the world to task for failing to address
this escalating threat.

Israel's Right to Respond to Terrorism:Kerry supports Israel's right of self
defense to eliminate threats to its citizens, including actions taken by
Israel against Hamas, Islamic Jihad and other terrorist groups in Gaza. In
spring 2002, when Israel launched Operation Defensive Shield to root out
Palestinian terrorists and dismantle the Palestinian infrastructure, Kerry
co-sponsored a resolution expressing solidarity with Israel and called for
continued assistance in strengthening Israel's homeland defenses.

Supporting Israel's Plan to Withdraw from Gaza: John Kerry expressed support
for Prime Minister Ariel Sharon's unprecedented plan to withdraw from the
Gaza Strip. He recognizes that in any final settlement for Israel to remain
a Jewish State, Palestinians must settle in a future Palestinian State
rather than in Israel, and that in light of demographic realities, a number
of settlement blocks will likely become a part of Israel.

Israel's Security Fence Is A Legitimate Right of Self Defense: John Kerry
supports the construction of Israel's security fence to stop terrorists from
entering Israel. The security fence is a legitimate act of self defense
erected in response to the wave of terror attacks against Israeli citizens.
He believes the security fence is not a matter for the International Court
of Justice.

New Palestinian Leadership: John Kerry believes that Yasser Arafat is a
failed leader and unfit  partner for peace and therefore has supported his
total isolation.  He has demanded a new, responsible Palestinian leadership,
committed  to ending the violence and fighting terror - in word and in deed
- and will work tirelessly to ensure that this new leadership emerges.

Foreign Aid to Israel: John Kerry has always voted to maintain critical
foreign aid to our ally Israel, resisting any attempts to cut it over his
years in the Senate. In the early 1990s, he fought President Bush when his
administration restricted aid to Israel through the loan guarantees program.

The UN and other International Organizations: John Kerry has always believed
the US must stand solidly behind Israel at the UN and other international
organizations. He recognizes the UN must establish more credibility on
Arab-Israeli matters and would never hesitate to wield a US veto on the
Security Council in the face of anti-Israel/anti-Zionist resolutions.

Fighting to Move the American Embassy to Jerusalem: John Kerry has long
advocated moving the US Embassy to Jerusalem, Israel's indisputable capital.
In 1999, he signed a letter taking President Clinton to task for not moving
the embassy.

Maintaining Israel's Military Superiority: John Kerry understands that
America must guarantee Israel's military superiority and supports carefully
restricting arms sales to Arab countries in the region. He opposed the sale
of Maverick missiles and F-15 fighter planes to Saudi Arabia.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Jewish Peace News Editors:
Judith Norman
Alistair Welchman
Mitchell Plitnick
Lincoln Shlensky
Ami Kronfeld
Rela Mazali
Sarah Anne Minkin
John Wilner
Joel Beinin
> > > > > >
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