Bill Sykes' Newsletter from America.
(May 2002)
An ex-Brit gives his views-(without fear
or favor)---of the American Scene
The Israelis at last realize their goal to take over
the West Bank.
 Ever
since the partition of Palestine and the creation of Israel
in 1948, the Israelis have commandeered not only the fertile
coastal strip from Haifa in the north to Tel Aviv in the
south, but have also coveted the Arab hinterlands from Nazareth
in the north to Beersheba in the south, including the West
Bank.
Now Mr. Sharon and the Israeli Government have achieved
their long sought after objectives and have taken over Arab
lands with impunity, which I'm afraid will take a lot of
political maneuvering and military power to remove them.
The Israeli settlements on Arab territory on the Golan
Heights, (captured from Syria in the 1967 war), overlooking
the Sea of Galilee, (Lake Tiberias), have always been regarded
by Israel as prime defensive positions and a matter of national
security. What next Mr. Sharon, another attempt to take
over Lebanon!
Mr. Bush's initial mild chastisement of the Israeli take
over of the West Bank makes no mention of the total withdrawal
from Palestinian Arab lands to the 1967 borders as stated
in Crown Prince Abdullah's peace proposal, but instead refers
to the Tenet and Mitchell plans and the only reproach given
by Mr. Bush at that time was for "Israel to stop new
settlement activities."
 Stronger
words from Mr. Bush followed when the Israelis totally disregarded
United Nations Resolutions 242 and 338, calling for the
complete withdrawal of Israeli forces from the Arab lands.
In fact Sharon and the Israeli Government went further and
occupied the cities of Jenin, Tulkarm, Nablus, Qalqilllya,
Ramallah, Bethlehem, Hebron and cities in the Gaza strip.
I would suggest that there is only one way to stop the
complete take over of Palestine by the Israelis and that
is the cut off of all financial and military aid to Israel
and the establishment of a United Nations Peace Keeping
Force in the Holy Land.
The Jewish people have always recognized the power of monetary
wealth, and the complete cut off of American funds, which
have been handed over on a yearly basis to the tune of several
billions of dollars, for the last fifty odd years, would
certainly bring to their notice that America means business
and that this is NOT a "business as usual" approach.
What action, if any, is being taken by Mr. Bush and the
White House?
Mr Sharon appears to be dictating the terms of the pullout
of Israeli forces from Palestinian Arab lands, much to the
embarrassment of Mr. Bush and the White House.
 Sharon
has already told Bush that a separate meeting of Secretary
of State Colin Powell with PLO Chairman Yasser Arafat would
be a tragic mistake and demanded that the United States
refrain from pressurizing Israel to withdraw from the Palestinian
lands.
The United States, Russia, the European Union and the United
Nations, demanded a immediate halt to the Israelis current
offensive and the immediate withdrawal of Israeli Forces,
and urged both sides of the conflict to work towards peace.
The Secretary of State Colin Powell's mission appears to
be a high level attempt at negotiating a peaceful solution
to the escalating Arab/Israeli conflict.
Apparently Mr. Powell received a cool reception at his first
stop on the Middle East mission in Morocco.
It was reported that in a meeting with King Mohammed VI
Colin Powell was asked why he hadn't made his first stop
in Israel as that is where the conflict is occurring.
The press of several countries suggested that Mr. Powell,
was buying time in order to allow the Israelis to make token
withdrawals. !!!
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