EXPAND JEWISH HEBRON SAYS ARENS
MER - Washington - 25 Oct:
The man who brought Bibi Netanyahu into politics and positioned him to take over the
Likud Party is the former Defense Minister of Israel, Moshe Arens. Speaking in the days
leading up to the recent "Oslo III" addendum to previous agreements, here is
what Arens had to say, interviewed by the right-wing news organization
"Arutz-7". And it is likely in fact that the Netanyahu/Sharon government will in
the weeks and months ahead expand Jewish settlement in Hebron and in other key areas
throughout the occupied territories. Meanwhile, more American funds for
"by-pass" roads and still ongoing Israeli efforts to consolidate their actual
hold over all the territory west of the Jordan river will be flowing even more freely than
ever before -- another result of the latest Arafat agreement. For always remember: the
Israelis are not actually seeding land to the Palestinians. They are instead
"redeploying", turning over Palestinian population centers to
"autonomous" Palestinian control, and surrouding all Palestinian autonomy areas
with the "redeployed" Israeli miltary and the still-growing network of
settlements and "by-pass roads". Indeed, the most glaring absence from the
latest Wye River memorandum is any prohibition on Israeli settlement expansion throughout
the occupied territories, and especially in the fast-expanding Jerusalem area. And that is
no accident.
ARENS: PM SHOULD FIRST LOOK AT HEVRON AGREEMENT'S MISTAKES
Moshe Arens, former Defense Minister, said today that he advised PrimeMinister
Netanyahu to look at the Hevron Accords and their consequencesbefore signing another
withdrawal agreement with the PLO. Speaking with Arutz-7 today, Arens said, "The
Hevron agreement was definitely a mistake. Instead of being a milestone on the road to
peace, it has become a millstone around the neck of the peace process. The lives of the
Jewish residents there are endangered every week, if not every day." When asked if he
is against the scheduled 13% withdrawal, Arens said, "It depends where. I am totally
against a withdrawal from the Judean Desert. Even if they give it a new status of 'nature
reserve,' this means nothing; it will be the first step towards our losing control over
the all-important Judean Desert, and Gush Etzion and nearby areas will find themselves in
real danger. I am not against a withdrawal from densely-populated Arab areas that will
sooner or later come under Palestinian control."
Regarding Hevron, however, Arens said, "I am in favor of expanding theJewish
presence in Hevron, if only to rectify the injustice caused in 1929 when the Arabs
slaughtered the Jews and ended the Jewish presence there. The Arabs should learn that they
cannot liquidate Jewish presence by force." Arens said that we must build in Hevron
despite the Palestinian threats: "We must simply do what is right."
When asked whether Netanyahu, whom Arens originally brought into politics, had changed
his ideology over the years, Arens said, "Everyone changes over the years, and he has
developed, and maybe changed to some extent since then. His great achievement is that he
defeated Shimon Peres in the previous election." "Maybe his only
achievement?" asked Arutz-7's Haggai Segal. "No, I wouldn't say that,"
responded Arens. "That was an achievement that is not to be sneezed at."
