Israel: Proper behavior of an ally?

It seems as though according to the Associated Press, Israel is going to somehow "remove" Arafat (remember months ago they surrounded his bunker & basically locked him in along with his cabinet). So here you have a US ally publically stating that they are going to remove Arafat. US tells Israel not to do so, and how quick they are to disagree with us. And yet we are supposed to trust their fabricated cover story regarding the intentional bombing of the USS Liberty?

It just doesn't seem like appropriate ally behavior, is Ariel Sharon on some kind of warpath? Why, just a week or two ago Israel was trying to turn the US onto eradicating the Iranian "threat" to the world.

If they forcefully remove Arafat, then they can deal with Iran on their own.

JERUSALEM (AP) - Over strong U.S. objections, Israel insisted Friday it will remove Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat as an obstacle to peace, and one Cabinet minister said Israel "doesn't take orders" from Washington. Israeli leaders, however, left their statements intentionally vague and put off immediate action to avoid a direct clash with the United States, leave their options open and keep the Palestinian chief wary and guessing.

customwire.ap.org...

If they kill him it will be the single biggest mistake in made by any country in the past 50 years.
There would be SUCH a violent response.

This subject is already being discussed elsewhere.

And there is a huge difference between saying that they are going to remove Arafat and actually doing it. It is far more likely that they will tighten the ring of steel around his compound and put him into an enforced solitary confinement.

Do you really belive that Israel can take on Iran?

They really cant, as even US would/will have hard time doing so.

i get the feeling that iran would kick the shyte out of the israelis. but there you go

sharon thinks he is some kind of untouchable

Israel does have nukes given to them by the U.S., or so I've read. They can handle themselves really well.

Originally posted by heelstone
Israel does have nukes given to them by the U.S., or so I've read. They can handle themselves really well.

No, they have been building these by themselfs, with mostly french tech.

But Israel really cant nuke nobody, as they will be erased from the face of the earth if they do that.

They will not get no more "pitty points" because of holocaust at that point.

At the same time Arafat, does not help matters by saying the only way they can remove him is to kill him.

Not that I agree with the Israel stance, they are supposed to be a democratic country and after what both sides have done in the past they must know by now that fighting cannot solve the problems

I can tell you right now that if the Israelis were to kill Arafat that would be the start of World War 3. If you think the palestinians are pissed off now ... imagine if Arafat was murdered by the Israelis.

I have my own thoughts on the removal of Arafat and when I finish school today, I will be more indepth. The "removal" of Arafat will not cause WWIII. It is all in the manner of "how" the removal is accomplished. Anyone dealing with the political situation over in the Middle East will say the same thing....Arafat is a hinderance to the peace process.....but hey, don't worry, really, things "happen" or so they say......

regards
seekerof

Who cares if Arafat the Rat gets kicked out. He is lucky be alive today. He is an indicted terrorist wanted for the murder of Israeli citizens. Arafat himself is not an Israeli citizen, therefore, he has no right to be in the West Bank to begin with. The Israeli government has been willing to look the other way over this issue for many years in the hopes the Arafat would grow weary of terrorism without substantial gain. After rejecting a generous deal brokered by President Clinton which was accepted by the Israelis, Arafat the Rat has returned to his old ways. He and his entire gang of cronies represent the old way for the Palestinians, and they should all be forcibly removed from the West Bank and sent into exile. That is being kind.

If the Israelis decided to execute Arafat, no one will stop them and no one will do anything. Most western nations know Arafat for who he is(a killer), and privately they have been expecting this since Arafat has rejected the peace process (repeatedly) and embraced terrorism (repeatedly).

It might piss off the other Arab nations, but what will they do? The moderate ones wont do anything, especially go to war over the death of one man. Leaders comes and go, and by the looks of the Old Rat he doesnt have much time left in him anyways. The radical ones dont have a military capability to engage Israel and would get their asses kicked within a week.

WWIII? Gimme a break. Israel would only ever use it nukes if it was being invaded and was in danger of being overrun. And if the Israelis unleashed a few J-2 missiles angainst its invaders, who do you think is gonna jump in against them? Us? The Russians? The Chinese? Like any of those 3 nations would want to get involved in a nuclear exchange. Lets set this straight: nuclear weapons are so devastating that no country (in their right mind) would ever thionk of using them for any other reason other than to defend themselves or to threaten a potential aggressor. Nuclear weapons are the single most important factor in preventing the Arab countries from becoming "adventurous" again and try to gang up on Israel...again.

Arafat is a mudering, hating terrorist who by all rights should be dead. And I believe that he will eventually become the victim of the old addage:

What goes around, comes around.

Originally posted by Seekerof
I have my own thoughts on the removal of Arafat and when I finish school today, I will be more indepth. The "removal" of Arafat will not cause WWIII. It is all in the manner of "how" the removal is accomplished. Anyone dealing with the political situation over in the Middle East will say the same thing....Arafat is a hinderance to the peace process.....but hey, don't worry, really, things "happen" or so they say......

regards
seekerof

If you are suggesting that mossad hit squad will deal with him, and makes it look accident.. i really dont think that it possible..

It's the singlemost idiotic thing I've EVER seen the Israeli government do (and they've had some pretty good whoppers).

What is to stop Hamas from dressing up some guys in big rubber jew masks and ear tassles and disemboweling Arafat and then blaming it on Israel? If ANYTHING bad happens to Arafat now, Israel will be blamed.

A frickin meteor could hurtle from the sky and strike Arafat's compound and half the world would scream that Mossad was involved.

It just goes to show you that those in government aren't necessarily smarter than your average person. Sometimes far, far stupider.

People like simplicity, they like to be able to say "These are the good guys, these are the bad guys". With something like this, Israel is blurring those lines and appearing every bit as bloodthirsty as an extremist (this kind of pronouncement was the DEFINITION of an extreme response).

The sad thing is, of all the countries in the world, I believe Israel would be the first country to start dropping nuclear bombs.

If Israel does assassinate Arafat, God help us all.


jako

Arafat is a thug! I think he should have been removed long ago. In my opinion, he's a BIG obstacle. Not to mention all the aid money he collects from Europe/US as his own which should go his people. A peaceful west bank is NOT in Arafat's best interest. He needs the struggle to stay in power.

Not that Israeli is w/ out fault but perhaps Arafat may now put an end to suicide bombings knowing what 'could' happen to him, though I doubt it.

Arafat has made a career out of killing Jews for fourty years. All those terror groups in the West Banks, Arafat founded them. The only thing that makes Arafat less of a bad guy than Saddam is that he never had the same resources.

I don't know if Israel will try to kill him or not, but if they do, as an ally of Israel, it would be improper for the United States to intervene.

I agree every single things said about arafat but... When you say that he's an obstacle to the peace process ... Just take a look at Sharon, he commited murders on palestinian civilians and he still running the Likud ... If you think that removing arafat while his alter ego version, ariel sharon, still remains in power will help the peace process... Then make me a favor and stop smoking stuff stronger than tobaco. Sharon and Arafat wear old hatred, they are old school and they need to be removed, only then their will be hope for the peace process. But both must be removed, not only the palestinian.

And as for the "superiority" of the israel army... Just remember the Yom Kipur war...

[Edited on 12-9-2003 by Salem]

I agree with everything Salem said. In the first post, though. The rest are lies.

Who in their right mind believes that Arafat is behind 40 years of Palestinian violence? He's useless.

Do you think he gets on the phone and says "Okay, Hamas, I need a suicide bomber on Bus 18 in Jerusalem right now. Thanks."

He's marginalized WITHIN his own community. Doesn't anyone remember how many portests AGAINST Arafat there have been? Protests BY Palestinians against Arafat?

The best way to make him look like a fool is to keep him alive so he can keep messing up. Eventually his own ineptness will be his downfall.

CHECK OUT WHAT THE JERUSALEM POST SAID;

"The Jerusalem Post took a strong editorial stand today, calling on Israel to kill Yasser Arafat:
"The world will not help us; we must help ourselves. We must kill as many of the Hamas and Islamic Jihad leaders as possible, as quickly as possible, while minimizing collateral damage, but not letting that damage stop us. And we must kill Yasser Arafat, because the world leaves us no alternative." "

www.israelnationalnews.com...

THAT kinda #e doesn't help ANYTHING. How does that make all those Palestinian collaterals out there feel?

Israel messed up big time on this one, if they assassinate Arafat, this is the beginning of the end for the State of Israel, mark my words. The US will pull out funding based on mammoth public outcry.

The more they hate Arafat the more the fringes love him. Not because he's effective, but because the enemy hates him. Take that away and he's a doddering old fool.

All you people who credit him with creating ALL Palestinian terror organizations are practically deifying him. Pure paranoia.

jakomo

If they kill him it will be the single biggest mistake in made by any country in the past 50 years.
There would be SUCH a violent response.

Take a look at the past few weeks....is that not violence? There can never be peace in Isreal as long as Arafat draws breath.... That's something the Isrealis have known for quite some time, but have been reluctant to do, for world opinion (which somehow, miraculously, sees him as a "politician" instead of the terrorist that he is...) Will there be more violence? Yes, most assuredly, but at some point, you've got to do something about the pink elephant in the room.... I don't think this will be a "surround the compound" action this time. That accomplishes nothing, and they know it. He can still direct the PLO and Fatah with runners, phones, etc. If the Isrealis are serious this time, then we'll see the issue of an ultimatum to leave in voluntary exile....and then when Arafat doesn't leave, we'll see them level the compund....and then weeks of violence as well as hardcore IDF crackdowns and containment....but that will pass (but it will be a bloddy few weeks).... It's time to # or get off the pot for Isreal....

Yes but the world opinion is objective; they consider Sharon as a polititian instead of a murderer too.

I'll be back later, got school today !
[Edited on 12-9-2003 by Salem]

[Edited on 12-9-2003 by Salem]

The world considers Ariel Sharon a politician and head of state because he was ELECTED to the post by a DEMOCRATIC GOVERNMENT, which represents a society of free people.

Unlike Arafat, who has muscled his way into power by killing all who opposed him, both internal and external to his AL-Fatah and PLO.

When Peres and Rabin and Barak were Prime Ministers, Israel had real hopes of negotiating peace with the Palestinians, and offered many concession time and time again. At Camp David in July 1999, Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak offers Arafat 92 percent of the West Bank, all of Gaza, Arab neighborhoods of East Jerusalem, Palestinian statehood and the dismantling of most settlements, but Arafat REJECTS this and the Palestinians launch violence. In December, Barak agrees to negotiate a Clinton proposal for an Israeli withdrawal from 95 per-cent of the West Bank. Again, Arafat rejects the proposal.

Yes, Ariel Sharon is a hard-line, no BS ex-military man who has killed his fair share of Arabs. But you know what? The Palestinians are getting EXACTLY WHAT THEY DESERVE. Just like Saddam Hussein is getting exactly what he deserves in the form of GWB.

If you push a democratic society far back enough into a corner and continue to murder it's citizens, don't be surprised when the Devil is elected president.