Friday, October 17, 2003

Perle Panic over Palestine Peace Plan: "Pentagon adviser Richard Perle yesterday denounced an unofficial peace plan negotiated between Israeli opposition leaders and moderate Palestinians, saying it would damage Israel's security, undermine its government and "would be illegal in the United States." [Richard Perle] added: 'In a democracy we elect people to represent us and [opposition groups negotiating with external opponents of the state] seems to me fundamentally undemocratic.' The pact would commit both sides to renounce any new claims for territory and would replace all previous U.N. resolutions. It foresees the creation of a Palestinian state conforming to the boundaries of the Palestinian territories before the start of the Israeli occupation in 1967, with some modifications."

"Mr. Perle was speaking to reporters and delegates at the inaugural "Jerusalem Summit," a gathering of Israelis and mainly American Jewish and Christian analysts and politicians opposed to conceding a Palestinian state. Mr. Perle, who was honored at the event, commended Israel for striking last week at a Palestinian camp inside Syria in response to a suicide bombing of a cafe in Haifa that killed 20 persons."

"Rather than offering to share Jerusalem and hand the Palestinians a demilitarized state, any discussions should have focused on getting the Palestinians to "address the practice of teaching Palestinian children to hate Israelis," he said."

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