Netanyahu Wants More Wars

In March, Israeli warplanes bombed some trucks in Sudan, and a Sudanese spokesman said that more than 100 people were killed in the process: "a genocide, committed by US forces." Asked why he thought it was committed by the US, the spokesman replied, "we don't differentiate between the U.S. and Israel. They are all one." (The New York Times 3/27/09) And therein lies our problem.

In its refusal to negotiate a fair peace with the Palestinians, Israel has made enemies world-wide and we bear the consequences, as on 9/11. The Obama administration hopes to change that. As The New York Times editorialized on 5/12/09, "We have seen how former President George W. Bush's delay in engaging seriously on Israeli/Palestinian peace efforts sabotaged United States interests in Afghanistan, Pakistan, Iraq, and Iran by giving Al Qaeda and other extremists a rallying point for anti-Americanism."

Unfortunately, Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu wants to procrastinate forever on Palestinian statehood as he expands Israeli settlements and pushes for war with Iran, claiming that removing Iran will lead to Israeli/Palestinian peace. We've heard that one before. This is just what we were told regarding Iraq, i.e., that "the road to Jerusalem leads through Baghdad." As Yogi Berra said, this is deja vu all over again.

On ABC-TV's "This Week with George Stephanopoulos"(5/10/09), National Security Advisor James Jones made the key point that Israel could blunt the Iranian threat by working toward a two-state solution to the Israeli/Palestinian crisis. (The Wall Street Journal 5/12/09) Whereas the Obama administration calls for a two-state solution; whereas Pope Benedict XVI calls for a two-state solution (The New York Times 5/14/09); whereas the UN Security Council unanimously supports a two-state solution and backs the Arab Peace Plan which calls for Israel to end the occupation in return for Arab recognition (The Boston Globe 5/12/09); and whereas Iranian President Ahmadinejad has said that Iran would accept peace with Israel and a two-state solution if endorsed by the Palestinian people (ABC-TV's "This Week With George Stephanopoulos" 5/10/09); nevertheless Netanyahu says no. Netanyahu wants more wars.