Moral Europe?
John Kerry On Israel
RON KAMPEAS
Jewish Telegraphic Service
Washington
en. John Kerry, D-Mass., the pre-
sumptive Democratic presidential
nominee, has published a num-
ber of talking points on issues of con-
cern to Jewish voters. Here are some of
his stated positions, compiled from his
talking points, the party platform, his
Web site and his speeches.
• On the West Bank security barrier:
"John Kerry supports the construc-
tion of Israel's security fence to stop ter-
rorists from entering Israel. The security
fence is a legitimate act of self-defense
erected in response to the wave of terror
attacks against Israeli citizens. He
believes the security fence is not a mat-
ter for the International Court of
Justice." (talking points)
• Gaza Strip withdrawal:
"John Kerry expressed support for
Prime Minister Ariel Sharon's unprece-
dented plan to withdraw from the Gaza
Strip. He recognizes that in any final
settlement for Israel to remain a Jewish
state, Palestinians must settle in a future
Palestinian state rather than in Israel,
and that in light of demographic reali-
ties, a number of settlement blocs will
likely become a part of Israel." (talking
points)
•Israel's borders:
"The creation of a Palestinian state
should resolve the issue of Palestinian
refugees by allowing them to settle
there, rather than in Israel. Furthermore,
all understand that it is unrealistic to
expect that the outcome of final status
negotiations will be a full and complete
return to the armistice lines of 1949."
(Democratic Party platform)
• Yasser Arafat:
"John Kerry believes that Yasser Arafat
is a failed leader and unfit partner for
peace and therefore has supported his
total isolation. [Kerry] has demanded a
new, responsible Palestinian leadership,
committed to ending the violence and
fighting terror — in word and in deed
— and will work tirelessly to ensure that
this new leadership emerges." (talking
points)
• Anti-Semitism:
"When I sat with [Egyptian]
President Mubarak, I pulled out news-
paper articles and showed him what was
being said in his own papers, I mean, as
if he didn't know, but I wanted him to
know, and I wanted him to answer to
me with accountability for what was
being said about Israel and for what was
being said about Jewish responsibility
for 9-11, and the conspiracy theories
that were allowed to be printed publicly,
and how completely compromising that
was to any suggestion that they were
interested in peace and so forth ..."
(speech in June to B'nai B'rith
International conference)
says he gained a
with the real threats
greater appreciation
there. The words
for the place, the
have been there, but
issues and the peo-
not the involvement.
ple — something
"There's more to
his brother John
do to reach out to
experienced before
European allies to
him in his several
bring pressure on the
visits to Israel.
Palestinians and to
"My brother has
deal with the moder-
had a long personal
ate Arab countries
connection with
and allies, and deal
Israel, and he want-
with the hatred ema-
ed me to experience
nating from schools
that for myself,"
and mosques and the
"It brings home the
Cam says.
controlled press.
Holocaust — but also it
John Kerry also
America needs to
was
very personal to me."
has had a long rela-
command respect in
— Cam Kerry
tionship of support
the world. Israel has
at Yad Vashem
for Israel — 19
to go it alone enough
years of it in the
without the United
Senate, Cam says.
States having to go it
"He has internalized these things
alone as well."
[about Israel]; they're in his heart."
While the visit was too short, Cam
❑
Europeans were the key as Palestinians succeeded
in pressing barrier case at UN
RACHEL POMERANCE
Jewish Telegraphic Agency
New York
E
urope — considered by many
observers to be the United
Nations' moral bellwether —
led the way Tuesday, July 20, as the
U.N. General Assembly overwhelm-
ingly passed a resolution demanding
that Israel comply with the
International Court of Justice. Last
month, the ICJ ruled that Israel must
tear down its West Bank security bar-
rier and compensate Palestinians
affected by its construction.
The next question is whether the
U.N. Security Council, whose resolu-
tions are binding, will take up the
issue. The United States has indicated
it will veto a Security Council resolu-
tion, but the Palestinians have said
they'll push it anyway.
For Israeli officials, the whole
process points to the weakness of the
Europeans. In meetings with
European diplomats this week, Israeli
officials said they'll make that point.
"If this is the position of the
Europeans and the U.N., we will not
be able to give them a role in carrying
out the road map [Middle East peace
plan] , so they are creating a situation
which is unacceptable to us," Mekel
said.
Arguing that it might politicize the
international court and divert the
Israeli-Palestinian peace process,
European countries abstained from
the General Assembly resolution last
December asking the court to judge
the legal consequences of Israel's
fence. On July 9, the court ruled that
the fence was illegal and ordered Israel
to dismantle it.
Israel dismissed the ruling, which
said international legal guarantees of
self-defense were not relevant to Israel's
struggle against Palestinian terrorism.
After the July U.N. vote, Israel's
ambassador to the United Nations,
Dan Gillerman, told delegates,
"Thank God the fate of Israel and the
Jewish people is not decided in this
hall."
The vote was 150 in favor of the
resolution and 6 against, with 10
abstentions. Joining Israel and the
United States in voting against were
Australia, the Marshall Islands,
Micronesia and Paulau. Abstaining
were Cameroon, Canada, El Salvador,
Nauru, Papua New Guinea, the
Solomon Islands, Tonga, Uganda,
Uruguay and Vanuatu.
While the vote was widely expected,
it was postponed twice as the
Europeans sought to inject a mod-
icum of balance into the Palestinian-
led resolution. In the end, the
Europeans unanimously supported
the resolution after modifications.
The first called on the Palestinian
Authority to take action against those
conducting and planning violent
attacks" and on Israel "to take no
action undermining trust," including
attacks on civilians and assassinations
of terrorist leaders.
But Israel's Mekel criticized the res-
olution for not making significant ref-
erence to Palestinian terrorism, for not
specifically noting Israel's right to self-
defense and for making the ICJ opin-
ion, not the road map, the main sign-
post in the peace process.
((
The Road Map
He said the resolution would allow
the Palestinians to condition progress
on the road map on Israel's disman-
tling of the security barrier.
One Israeli diplomat reserved his
harshest judgment for France. "They
did everything they could this week to
guarantee European support for the
resolution."
On July 16, the Palestinian U.N.
representative, Nasser Al-Kidwa,
called on countries to impose sanc-
tions on companies involved in the
fence's construction.
Even as it resigned itself to the reso-
lution's passage, Israel hoped the
debate would shed light on the situa-
tion. Blasting the debate as hypocriti-
cal, Israeli officials noted the events of
last weekend, in which the Palestinian
Authority police chief was kidnapped
by militants from P.A. President Yasser
Arafat's own Fatah faction. That set
off a round of musical chairs during
which Arafat tried to install his cousin
in a top security position.
"These are the guys that want to tell
the international community what is
the rule of law?" Mekel said. ❑
t
7/23
2004
27