Netanyahu: Elections needed to safeguard Golan Heights

[notfullofit]

Netanyahu: Elections needed to safeguard Golan Heights

'God willing, in the upcoming elections we will ensure (Israel's) sovereignty over Jerusalem and the Golan,' opposition leader says
"I believe that the way to protect the Golan Heights and the Jordan Valley is to go to early elections," Opposition leader Benjamin Netanyahu said Thursday.

Speaking at a Likud party event held in the Golan, Netanyahu said that "God willing, in the upcoming elections we will ensure (Israel's) sovereignty over Jerusalem and the Golan.

"What do you find when you dig (into the soil) in the Golan? Syrian ruins? No. You'll find dozens of magnificent synagogues and remnants of (Jewish) communities," he said. "The Israeli nation has been connected to the Golan for thousands of years. The Golan always was and always will remain Israeli."

The Likud chairman continued to say that "before we liberated the Golan 41 years ago, they were on the mountain and we were in the valley; they fired on us for 19 years, and one day we put a stop to it.

"Standing here one can clearly see that the Golan is essential to Israel's security and deterrence - today more than ever before in light of the rise of Iran and its affiliates," he said.

Netanyahu warned that Syria's ties to Iran were only growing stronger. "Only a few days ago Syrian and Iranian defense ministers signed a new defense cooperation pact, and still there are those who suggest we hand over the Golan to Syria and Iran.

"The region is the single largest buffer zone that is preventing any possibility of an invasion into our small country," he added.

http://www.ynetnews.com/Ext/Comp/ArticleLayout/CdaArticlePrintPreview/1,2506,L-3549623,00.html

[notfullofit]

1. I was hoping

someone would share their thoughts as to whether this might turn into another ugly situation anytime soon?

[LeftishBrit]

2. Hard to predict in detail from outside Israel...

but IMO the election of Netanyahu would greatly increase the risk of all sorts of ugly situations!

[bemildred]

3. Nuttyahoo is just using the pump that he thinks will inflate his balloon.

Fear, that is. What he would do if he got elected is something else entirely. We already had one round of his "leadership", which is a likely indicator of what would happen next time.

[notfullofit]

4. Question is...

is it working?

[bemildred]

5. That's what elections are to determine.

I expect there will be a lot of other aspirants this time around. There is a considerable vacuum at the top, and that has been so for some time now. Ms Livni is the only one that does not look like a posturing buffoon to me, but I could not say what her chances are. The question is: will Israelis, if presented with some alternative to the present buffoonery, choose it? I have no idea. Clausewitz said "combat brings clarity" or something like that. Well, elections will bring clarity too, in this case.

[notfullofit]

6. I'd like

to get pelsar's take on this.

Livni sounds good but I'm not sure how she's viewed by the populace.

[number6]

7. looks like another ugly situation to

me

[henank]

8. Assad admits Israel never promised to cede the Golan

So you can all calm down and stop blaming Netanyahu.

Assad admits Israel never pledged to cede Golan

Syrian President Bashar Assad said on Monday that there is no agreement on a full Israeli withdrawal from the Golan Heights.

However, he said, this would remain Syria's demand and Damascus was drawing up plans for the settlement of the areas evacuated by Israel.

"We resumed the talks to regain the Golan Heights, and now we are waiting for Israel's response," Assad told reporters at a press conference held in the Persian Gulf on Monday when asked to address the recently renewed Turkish-mediated negotiations between Syria and Israel after an eight-year hiatus.

The response seems to contradict Assad's statement last month with the disclosure of the talks. In an interview with a Qatari newspaper the president said he had received a personal vow from Prime Minister Ehud Olmert that Israel would cede the Golan in exchange for peace.

Olmert denied the report at the time. Assad, however, only clarified the reports on Monday. "We are waiting for Israel's response, but Israel should bear in mind that Syria will not compromise on the issue of the Golan," he said.

In other words, Assad was lying. As usual.

[bemildred]

9. Nobodies blaming Nuttyahoo.

He is, at least for the moment, impotent, and not to blame for anything.

[LeftishBrit]

10. I don't blame Netanyahu; he's been out of office for too long to be directly responsible

However, I am sure that if he were re-elected, he would escalate the problems.


And of course Assad is a nasty piece of work.

[notfullofit]

11. I doubt

anyone could be as bad as Olmert, even Bibi.

[Vegasaurus]

12. the more rockets that fall

the more Bibi gains in popularity.

Olmert might be a walk in the park in comparison.

But the moderates become more hard line when nothing the country does stops constant militancy and terrorism.

[notfullofit]

13. That makes sense.

Scary implications.