November 20, 2008

Is Israel a Banana Republic?

By Daniel Tauber
Is the State of Israel a banana republic? The Israeli Left seems to think so. After Barack Obama's victory in the U.S. Presidential Elections, the Israeli political parties Kadima and Labor were quick to argue that Likud Chairman Benjamin Netanyahu "was too Republican" to work with Obama and therefore should not be elected prime minister.Kadima leader and Israeli Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni said Netanyahu would put Israel "into a corner" diplomatically. Labor MK Ophir Paz-Pines said that Obama would "try to advance the peace process from day one," but "Netanyahu would say no to the Saudi peace plan, no to dividing Jerusalem, no to withdrawing from the Golan."[The Saudi plan, proposed in 2002, calls for a complete Israeli withdrawal from all disputed territories including East Jerusalem and the Golan in exchange for wide Arab recognition of Israel. The plan has been recently endorsed by President of Israel and former Labor Chairman Shimon...(Read Full Article)