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Jewish World Review March 26, 2001 / 2 Nissan, 5761

David Limbaugh

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Consumer Reports


Bush seeks Israeli security,
not a peace prize


http://www.jewishworldreview.com -- ISN'T it amazing how much difference a few short months can make, especially in terms of geopolitical events on the world stage?

Not long ago, President Clinton, frantically seeking some foreign policy legacy -- anything that might earn him an award for his peace efforts -- was presumptuously intermeddling as a peace broker in the Middle East. His Third Way counterpart in Israel, Ehud Barak, was all too anxious to allow Clinton to impose his will and dictate the terms of a settlement with the Palestinians, a settlement that would have greatly reduced Israel's national security.

But that was December. Now it's March, and Bill Clinton is making speeches when they're not canceled and stinging from his last minute scandals. Mr. Barak has also been replaced.

President George Bush and Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon are now calling the shots, and there is a world of difference in their collective approach to the peace process.

Bush and Sharon just concluded an "extremely positive" meeting at the White House concerning Middle East stability, bilateral relations and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. The two leaders are said to have a "similar ideology and approach to the Middle East."

In fact, the men hit it off when they met in 1998 when Bush was visiting Israel and Sharon acted as his tour guide on a helicopter ride over the West Bank and Jordan Valley. Bush told Sharon as the two were meeting recently, "You didn't think you were going to be the prime minister, and you probably darn sure didn't think I was going to be the president."

In a dramatic departure from Clinton's policy, President Bush announced that under his stewardship "the United States will not try to force peace."

Bush, who is already proving himself to have considerable foreign policy savvy, has made it clear that he feels no pressure to win any peace prizes and will not compromise the security of Israel in order to patch together a settlement worth no more than the paper it would be written on.

Bush is more interested in shoring up Israel's security than in reaching a nominal peace agreement. And Prime Minister Sharon is of the same mind. "The first thing, and the most important one, is to bring security to the citizens of Israel," said Sharon. "Once we reach security and it will be calm in the Middle East, I believe that we'll start with our negotiations to reach a peace agreement." Indeed, a true peace deal is much more likely if the Palestinians understand that the United States is committed to Israel's security and will not undermine her best interests for the sake of an agreement.

Whereas Clinton and Barak were pressing for an agreement even as the Palestinians were unleashing terrorist attacks, Sharon has stated that there will be no talks so long as these acts of aggression continue.

Can you imagine what Clinton's response would have been had he been president when Sharon made such a statement? Clinton doubtlessly would have used U.S. muscle to pressure Sharon into being more "diplomatic."

Consistent with his foreign policy pronouncements, Bush will not preside over an arrogant United States; one that imposes its will even on its allies. But he also won't assume a stance of neutrality toward Israel and the Palestinians, a Clinton policy that was diametrically opposed to our generations-long commitment to Israel as our ally.

Clinton's purporting to serve as "an honest peace broker" was as fraudulent as it was misguided. How could the United States credibly serve as a broker when we have an unequivocal commitment to the Israeli nation? Or worse: How could the United States properly broker a settlement when President Clinton was motivated by securing a legacy rather than securing the integrity and safety of Israel?

Also unlike Clinton, Bush is already acting on his policy statements. He has ended the CIA's role as a mediator between Israeli and Palestinian security forces and has urged the two sides to negotiate directly, without U.S. intervention.

President Bush's approach to the problem and his abandonment of Clinton's quixotic policies toward Middle East peace are infinitely more likely to lead to a lasting peace in the region. More importantly, they offer greater assurances to the security of our eternal ally, Israel.



David Limbaugh, a columnist and attorney apracticing in Cape Girardeau, Mo., is the author of the just-released exposé about corruption in the Clinton-Reno Justice Department, "Absolute Power." Send your comments to him by clicking here.

Up

03/21/01: Bush tax cuts and Dem distortions
03/19/01: Celebrating disbarment
03/14/01: Campaign cold feet and Democratic hypocrisy
03/12/01: Missiles, berets, morale and diplomacy
03/07/01: The GOP and race revisited
03/05/01: Dems and the ghost of 2002
02/28/01: Common threads in Clinton pardons
02/26/01: Clinton defenders should apologize
02/22/01: Clinton woos media as Bush governs
02/20/01: Liberal idealism: Where have all the flowers gone?
02/14/01: The Clintons and selective media outrage
02/12/01: Bush's tax cut challenge: A historical view
02/07/01: Democrats' Dubya dilemma
02/05/01: Dubya is confounding the media
01/29/01: The Teamsters, the DNC and the reformers
01/29/01: The Old Limey
01/25/01: Clinton’s disgraceful departure
01/22/01: Ashcroft: Principle above self
01/17/01: Justice for Riady?
01/15/01: Ashcroft: A hill to die on
01/10/01: Returning to the supply side
01/08/01: Reasons for optimism
01/03/01: Bush's daunting challenges
12/28/00: Ashcroft: A triumph for the rule of law
12/26/00: A tinge of revenge?
12/20/00: GOP: Breaking the race barrier
12/18/00: Civility doesn't require surrender
12/13/00: Al Gore: Innocent victimizer
12/11/00: Judicial restraint and ordered liberty
12/06/00: The four years war
12/04/00: Debunking Gore myths
11/29/00: Defending the smaller principles
11/27/00: Albert O'Gore and the little people
11/22/00: Doing 'anything to win'
11/15/00: Enough is enough, Mr. Gore
11/13/00: Al Gore: Thy country or thyself?
11/08/00: Bill and Al: Your time is up
11/06/00:The impending Bush mandate
11/01/00: Can't stop thinkin' 'bout tomorrow
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10/25/00: Mr. Gore: A few more questions
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10/11/00: Gore: Fuzzy math = dirty politics
10/10/00:Gore: Renaissance man or unbalanced?
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10/02/00: Clinton’s fragmented presidency
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09/25/00: AlGore: Turning dreams into nightmares
09/20/00: Something fishy's going on
09/18/00: It's the liberalism, stupid
09/13/00: An open letter to open-minded cynics
09/11/00: The virtues of going negative
09/06/00: On a mission for marriage
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08/30/00: Lieberman and the paradox of liberal 'tolerance'
08/28/00: A campaign divided against itself
08/23/00: Al Gore's trickle-down populism
08/21/00: Prosperity without a clue
08/16/00: AlGore can run but he can't hide
08/14/00: When hate speech is OK
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07/24/00: The raging culture war
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07/17/00: How dare you, George?
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06/05/00: Who, which, what is the real Al Gore?
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05/24/00: Not so fast, Hillary
05/22/00: Gore's risky, fear-mongering schemes
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03/22/00: Media to Bush: Go left, young man
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03/13/00: Deifying of the center
03/08/00: The media, the establishment and the people
03/01/00: McCain's coalition-busting daggers in GOP's heart
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12/06/99:The lust for power
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11/29/99: Are Republicans obsolete?
11/24/99: Say you're sorry, Mr. President
11/22/99: Architects of victory
11/17/99: Trump's tax on freedom
11/15/99: GOP caves again
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11/08/99: Sticks and stones
11/03/99: Keyes vs. media lapdogs
11/01/99: Signs of the times
10/27/99: The false charge of isolationism
10/25/99: A matter of freedom
10/20/99: Clinton's mini-meltdown
10/18/99: Senate GOP shows statesmanship
10/13/99: Senate must reject nuclear treaty
10/11/99: Bush bites feeding hand
10/06/99: Jesse accidentally opens door for Pat
10/04/99: Clinton and his media enablers
09/29/99: Reagan: Big-tent conservatism
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09/22/99: Have gun (tragedy), will travel
09/20/99: Hillary's blunders and bloopers
09/15/99: GOP must remain conservative
09/13/99:Time for Bush to take charge, please
09/10/99: Bush's education plan: Dubya confounds again
09/07/99: Pat, savior or spoiler?
09/02/99: Character doesn't matter?
08/30/99: Should we judge?
08/25/99: Dubyah's drug question: Not a hill to die on
08/23/99: Should Dubyah start buying soap ... for all that mud?
08/16/99: 'W' stands for 'winner'
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08/09/99: Hillary: Threading the needle
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07/30/99: Hate Crimes Bill: Cynical Symbolism
07/26/99: It’s the 'moderates', stupid
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07/19/99: Smith, Bush and the GOP
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06/10/99: Victory in Kosovo? Now What?

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