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President George W. Bush (file)
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| By Israel Insider staff July 17, 2007 |
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President George W. Bush, in a special address on Monday, called on the Palestinians to choose between moderate rule and terrorism. The president reiterated his support for an eventual two-state solution and endorsed Palestinian Authority Chairman Abbas' government as the Palestinian people's chance at statehood.
He denounced Hamas as a terror organization and an insurmountable obstacle to negotiations. Bush announced plans for a summit in the fall that will include Israel, the Palestinian Authority and some Arab states, to restart peace talks and discuss democratic institutions in the Arab world.
"We will continue to deliver a firm message to Hamas. You must stop being a safe heaven for attacks against Israel. You must accept the legitimate Palestinian state. And you must reject violence and recognize Israel's right to exist and commit to previous agreements between the parties," Bush said.
"There is the vision of Hamas, which the world saw in Gaza? with summary executions.... By following this path the Palestinian people would guarantee chaos. They would surrender to Hamas' sponsors in Syria and Iran. And they would crush the possibility of a Palestinian state," Bush continued. "There is another option, a hopeful option, of a peaceful state called Palestine as a homeland for the Palestinian people," Bush went on, adding that the Fatah government was "working to strengthen the security services to confront the terrorists and protect the innocent."
"By following this path, Palestinians can reclaim their dignity and establish a state of their own," the president concluded.
Hamas spokesperson, Sami Abu Zuhri, slammed the president's speech as a "plot to start a crusade against the Palestinian people." He continued, calling "on all Arab nations to stand against his threats with determination."
The president also made demands of Israel, asking Prime Minister Ehud Olmert to take measures that Bush believes will bring the PA and Israel closer to a two-state solution.
"Israel has a clear path. Prime Minister Olmert must continue to release tax revenues to the Palestinian Authority?Prime Minister Olmert has made it clear that Israel's future is in development of Negev and Galilee, not through occupation in the West Bank," Bush said. "The US will never abandon its commitment to Israel as a Jewish state," the president vowed, "and a homeland to the Jewish people."
Olmert lauded the speech, saying President Bush's goals for the region were in line with his own.
"There's no doubt the speech confirms Israel's stance on most of the Palestinian issues. Dismantling illegal outposts also matches the stance of the prime minister and his party," an official from the prime minister's office told Ynet.
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