Amir Peretz Begins As Defense Minister by J. Zel Lurie

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Amir Peretz Begins as Defense Minister by J. Zel Lurie While this three-day symposium [at AJ Committee — with Yehoshua] was going on in Washington, Ehud Olmert was introducing his new government in Jerusalem. Most newsworthy are the two of the five new Labor ministers, Amir Peretz, minister of defense and Yuli Tamir, minister of education. Peretz confronts a large group of army officers and bureaucrats who have been coddling and cooperating with the settlers for decades They are accustomed to running the West Bank arbitrarily and no one dared question their decisions. Here is one small example of what Peretz is up against: A couple of Saturdays ago, the Jewish settlers in Maon, south of Hebron, wearing masks, attacked Israeli soldiers who were escorting 18 Arab kids to the regional school in at-Tawani. On the following Saturday, Peace Now received the army’s permission to send two busloads of peaceniks to a demonstration in at-Tawani. At Gush Etzion junction the buses were stopped. “Since we gave permission, the area has been declared a closed military zone,” the Peace Now demonstrators were told. “You cannot proceed.” Ran Cohen, a Meretz M.K., was on one of the buses. He called Peretz who must have raised the roof with his army subordinates. After an hour the buses were allowed to continue on their journey and hold their demonstration. Brigadier General Ilan Paz, who recently retired after 28 years in the army, seven of which were in the West Bank. commented: “For 18 months the settlers in Maon have been harassing kids passing their farm on their way to school. Now they are attacking their army escort. How many residents are there in Maon Farm, Can’t they be stopped?” Peretz made one very important decision on May 16. He reopened the Karni crossing to Palestinian goods and produce. It had been closed for months which prevented the export of the fruit and vegetables grown in the former Jewish hothouses. “Our war is against terror and not the residents of Gaza,” he announced. As for minister of education Yuli Tamir, …. she has inherited a peculiar situation with the four Jewish-Arab bilingual schools. All of them have an equal number of Jewish and Arab students but three are classified as Jewish and one comes under the section for Arab schools. I have written her a letter pointing out that the Dovrat Report last year recommended that the Ministry further develop Jewish-Arab education. Her Likud predecessor ignored the recommendation. I urged that she follow it and as a first step she inaugurate a Jewish-Arab Department for the four existing schools and develop new ones in mixed towns such as Jaffa, Haifa and Akko, I’ll let you know what she replies..

Copy Link

Recommended publications

7. Politics and Diplomacy
Hoover Press : Zelnick/Israel hzeliu ch7 Mp_119 rev1 page 119 7. Politics and Diplomacy as israeli forces were clearing recalcitrant settlers from their Gaza homes on August 16, 2005, Khalil Shikaki, director of the Palestinian Center for Policy and Survey Research (PSR) in Ra- mallah, published a column in the Jerusalem Post headlined, “How Sharon and Abbas Can Both Win.”1 Shikaki, a pollster and political analyst respected in Israel and the west, questioned the wisdom of Israeli unilateralism in Gaza and on the West Bank as opposed to Lebanon, where no one on the other side wanted to talk. Here, he argued, Hamas may be as close-minded as Hez- bollah, preferring to paint Israel’s withdrawal as a victory for Pal- estinian resistance, but Abu Mazen, supported by Palestinian pub- lic opinion, wanted to reduce tensions and negotiate. Make him look good by easing restrictions on Palestinian trade and move- ment, and he will help Sharon and Israel by defeating Hamas and talking about the terms for settling the conﬂict. In other words, let the PA rather than Hamas control the Palestinian narrative of withdrawal. Shakaki updated his survey data two months later for a con- ference at Brandeis University hosted by Shai Feldman, director of the Crown Center for Middle East Studies and former director of the Jaffee Center for Strategic Studies in Tel Aviv. By that October conference, 84 percent of Palestinians were convinced that violence had played a role in the Israeli withdrawal. Irre- 1. Khalil Shikaki, “How Sharon and Abbas Can Both Win,” Jerusalem Post, August 16, 2005.
[Show full text]
AMIR PERETZ Member of Parliament, State of Israel
SESSION 3 • Saturday, October 16, 2010 page 1 AMIR PERETZ Member of Parliament, State of Israel First of all I would like to thank the IFRI organization for the conference that is taking place here in Morocco. Here with me, are two other members of the Israeli parlimant - Meir Sheetrit, former minister of justice and Ahmad Tibi who represents the Arab – Israeli citizens. I was born in Morocco and feel that a big part of my values as a person were acquired here. Even though I left as a young boy, the strengths that I received here have been a part of me all through the way. I want to send a message of peace to his Majesty the king of Morocco and wish him all the very best. For a big part of Israeli citizens his majesty and the Kingdom of Morocco, remains a lasting symbol and example of possible coexistence, rooted deep in our hearts. Ladies and gentlemen, I could have talked about many issues which occupy many countries around the world - Financial crisis, human rights and poverty. I could have talked about security threats, Iran and it’s race for obtaining unconventional weapons, sources of terror and their effect on personal security in each and every country. But today I want to focus in the chance for an optimist future in all the Middle East states, especially a better future between Israel and the Palestinians. Members of the conference, Some of us are experienced in war, and we all know that war comes at a heavy price for all sides.
[Show full text]
The Saban Forum 2005
The Saban Forum 2005 A U.S.–Israel Dialogue Dealing with 21st Century Challenges Jerusalem, Israel November 11–13, 2005 The Saban Forum 2005 A U.S.–Israel Dialogue Dealing with 21st Century Challenges Jerusalem, Israel November 11–13, 2005 Jaffee Center for Strategic Studies Tel Aviv University Speakers and Chairmen Shai Agassi Shimon Peres Stephen Breyer Itamar Rabinovich David Brooks Aviezer Ravitzky William J. Clinton Condoleezza Rice Hillary Rodham Clinton Haim Saban Avi Dicter Ariel Sharon Thomas L. Friedman Zvi Shtauber David Ignatius Strobe Talbott Moshe Katsav Yossi Vardi Tzipi Livni Margaret Warner Shaul Mofaz James Wolfensohn Letter from the Chairman . 5 List of Participants . 6 Executive Summary . 9 Program Schedule . 19 Proceedings . 23 Katsav Keynote Address . 37 Clinton Keynote Address . 43 Sharon Keynote Address . 73 Rice Keynote Address . 83 Participant Biographies . 89 About the Saban Center . 105 About the Jaffee Center . 106 The ongoing tumult in the Middle East makes continued dialogue between the allied democracies of the United States and Israel all the more necessary and relevant. A Letter from the Chairman In November 2005, we held the second annual Saban Forum in Jerusalem. We had inaugurated the Saban Forum in Washington DC in December 2004 to provide a structured, institutional- ized annual dialogue between the United States and Israel. Each time we have gathered the high- est-level political and policy leaders, opinion formers and intellectuals to define and debate the issues that confront two of the world’s most vibrant democracies: the United States and Israel. The timing of the 2005 Forum could not have been more propitious or tragic.
[Show full text]
Withdrawal from the Withdrawal Plan?
One Hundred Days After the Elections: Withdrawal from the Withdrawal Plan? Lars Hänsel / Katharina von Münster Executive Summary Israel's one-sided withdrawal from Gaza in the summer of 2005 has brought the country a period of profound changes. The evacuation of Israeli settlements on the West Bank, the historic motherland of Eretz Israel, which was initiated by the Sharon administration, constituted for many a breach of a national and religious taboo for which, however, there were reasons. On the one hand, the failure of the Oslo process had destroyed the trust between Israelis and Palestinians; on the other, demographic forecasts had already prognosticated that the Jewish population would lose its numerical majority in the region between the Mediterranean and the Jordan. After Sharon's retirement from policy, the subject of withdrawal – Tochnit HaHitkansut – became the central campaign issue under his successor, Ehud Olmert. Mr Olmert's convergence plan not only envisaged a complete evacuation of the settlements scattered all over the West Bank, but also the integration of all settlements situated close to the border into blocks belonging to Israel. The withdrawal has also changed the country's party landscape for good. At the end of November 2005, Ariel Sharon announced his resignation from the Likud and the foundation of his own party called Kadima, resulting in the collapse of the Likud. When the 73-year-old retired from politics after an apoplexy in January, Mr Olmert, a former mayor of Jerusalem who was little known until that day, took over the business of government– an administrator who represented a political style which differed greatly from that of the general.
[Show full text]
CRS Report for Congress Received Through the CRS Web
Order Code RL33476 CRS Report for Congress Received through the CRS Web Israel: Background and Relations with the United States Updated July 26, 2006 Carol Migdalovitz Specialist in Middle Eastern Affairs Foreign Affairs, Defense, and Trade Division Congressional Research Service { The Library of Congress Israel: Background and Relations with the United States Summary On May 14, 1948, the State of Israel declared its independence and was immediately engaged in a war with all of its neighbors. Armed conflict has marked every decade of Israel’s existence. Despite its unstable regional environment, Israel has developed a vibrant parliamentary democracy, albeit with relatively fragile governments. Most recently, the Kadima Party placed first in the March 28, 2006, Knesset (parliament) election, and Prime Minister Ehud Olmert formed a four-party coalition government. Israel has an advanced industrial, market economy in which the government plays a substantial role. The economy is now doing very well, and increased social spending is expected. Israel’s foreign policy is focused largely on its region, Europe, and the United States. The government views Iran as an existential threat due to its nuclear ambitions and support for anti-Israel terrorists. Israel concluded a peace treaty with Egypt in 1979 and with Jordan in 1994 but never reached accords with Syria and Lebanon. It negotiated a series of agreements with the Palestinians in the 1990s, but the Oslo peace process ended in 2000, with the intifadah or uprising against Israeli occupation. Israeli and Palestinian officials resumed contacts after the November 2004 death of Yasir Arafat. Both sides accepted but have not implemented the “Roadmap,” the international framework for achieving a two-state solution to their conflict.
[Show full text]
Thomas Mitchell: Rebuilding Labor
Thomas Mitchell: Rebuilding Labor In a previous article, I wrote about lessons from the Northern Ireland peace process for the Middle East. I wrote that Israel’s parliamentary peace camp will need rebuilding in order to implement those lessons and make peace with the Palestinians. Since the formation of the second Rabin government in June 1992, Israel’s parliamentary peace camp—Labor and Meretz—has lost half of its representation. The rebuilding of Labor—or a new center-left party—is more critical than the fate of Meretz, because the latter is the junior partner. Meretz is the missionary party that has already succeeded in selling the concept of the two-state solution to Labor. But unless Labor rebuilds to the point that it can head a coalition government without Likud or other right-wing elements, there will not be peace in the Middle East. Labor is a middle-aged party suffering from several problems. First, it is overly dependent on former generals to fill the upper slots on its Knesset list. This has been the situation since Labor was formed in 1968 and the problem has only gotten worse over time. Second, it allowed itself to become too dependent on a few key leaders and did not replace them as they retired and left the party. Third, it has served in too many national-unity governments and so has not sufficiently differentiated itself from the center-right parties, Kadima and Likud. Fourth, it is suffering from the fallout of both a failed peace process and a failed war. A major characteristic of Labor is its dependence on former generals.
[Show full text]
The People Have Spoken: Elections and the Future of Israeli-Palestinian Peacemaking Speech to Australian Institute of International Affairs, Queensland, 4 April 2006
= éÉêëéÉÅíáîÉë qÜÉ=mÉçéäÉ=Ü~îÉ=péçâÉåW== bäÉÅíáçåë=~åÇ=íÜÉ=cìíìêÉ=çÑ=fëê~ÉäáJ m~äÉëíáåá~å=mÉ~ÅÉã~âáåÖ= ^åíÜçåó=_ìÄ~äç= ^éêáä=OMMS= = The Lowy Institute for International Policy is an independent international policy think tank based in Sydney, Australia. Its mandate ranges across all the dimensions of international policy debate in Australia – economic, political and strategic – and it is not limited to a particular geographic region. Its two core tasks are to: • produce distinctive research and fresh policy options for Australia’s international policy and to contribute to the wider international debate. • promote discussion of Australia’s role in the world by providing an accessible and high quality forum for discussion of Australian international relations through debates, seminars, lectures, dialogues and conferences. Lowy Institute Perspectives are occasional papers and speeches on international events and policy. The views expressed in this paper are the author’s own and not those of the Lowy Institute for International Policy. The people have spoken: elections and the future of Israeli-Palestinian peacemaking Speech to Australian Institute of International Affairs, Queensland, 4 April 2006 Anthony Bubalo Introduction Since Christmas, in the space of three short months, Palestinians and Israelis have gone to the polls. It is something of a unique situation – where an Israeli and a Palestinian election have been held so close together and at such a crossroads in terms of the future relations between the two peoples. In fact, I would go so far to say that the two elections, taken together, were a kind of a referendum on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict – albeit a referendum of a peculiar sort.
[Show full text]
Partners for Progressive Israel Condemns Labor Party Joining Netanyahu Coalition
Partners for Progressive Israel Condemns Labor Party Joining Netanyahu Coalition Partners for Progressive Israel Condemns Labor Party Joining Netanyahu Coalition Partners for Progressive Israel joins the Israeli Meretz Party and the World Union of Meretz in condemning the reported decision of the chairman of the Israeli Labor Party, MK Amir Peretz, to join the coalition-in-preparation to be led by Benjamin Netanyahu. The formation of this coalition betrays innumerable promises that Peretz made in the recent election campaign that he would never join a coalition with Netanyahu as Prime Minister. Peretz’s decision dissolves the electoral coalition between Meretz and Labor, whose primary object was to prevent Netanyahu from leading a new government. Meretz is thus the sole Zionist party which espouses no annexation, an end to the occupation, narrowing of the horrendous income inequality, and equal rights for all Israeli citizens. We call on all those who still uphold these bedrock values to support Meretz, Partners for Progressive Israel, and affiliated organizations in order to return Israel to the path of liberal democracy and civil liberties, and to oppose the new Netanyahu government in its attempts to stifle dissent and expand settlement in the occupied territories. We recognize that Israel, in common with the rest of the planet, faces the immediate coronavirus crisis, and we will support all necessary measures to limit its spread and protect the Israeli population, as well as Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza, whose success in combating Covid-19 is necessarily entwined with that of Israelis. Nevertheless, we will rigorously insist that all measures involve the minimum interference with civil liberties and that they not be perpetuated any longer than necessary to combat the virus.
[Show full text]
Outgoing Delegations—20Th Knesset
The Knesset Outgoing Delegations—20th Knesset Participation by the Director General of the Knesset in Events Marking 100 years of Democracy in Georgia Participants: Director General of the Knesset Albert Sakharovich Destination: Georgia Dates: 10–14 March 2019 Details: The Director General of the Knesset, Albert Sakharovich, was invited by his Georgian counterpart, Mr. Givi Mikandadze, to take part in a series of events marking the 100th anniversary of democracy in Georgia. During the visit, work meetings were held in Parliament, including a tour of the training center and a visit to an information and reception area for people with disabilities. In addition, a tour was held of the National Parliamentary Library of Georgia, which is housed in the parliament, and the Book Museum. Conference of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Mediterranean (PAM) in Belgrade Participants: MK Amir Peretz (Labor), MK Eitan Broshi (Labor) Destination: Belgrade, Serbia Dates: 20–24 February 2019 Details: MK Amir Peretz, the Knesset representative in the PAM, was elected by secret ballot as vice president of the organization with a large majority of 80% of the vote and was given the second slot after Italy. MK Peretz: "This is an important moment in strengthening the international standing of the Knesset in the international arena. It provides an opportunity to advance economic and political issues in a complex arena that includes representatives of the Mediterranean basin and representatives of Arab countries in our region." MK Peretz called on the organization to serve as an umbrella for bilateral talks, including between Israelis and Palestinians. Conference of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) Participants: MK Anat Berko (Likud) Destination: Vienna, Austria Dates: 20–23 February 2019 Details: The OSCE's Winter Meeting was held in February 2019 inVienna.
[Show full text]
Histadrut Elects Amir Peretz Hersey's "Wall" Revis Ted Lza
$3.00 Frontier MY ALIYA Was It Worth It? Bizarre Case o HISTADRUT Lord Gordon ELECTS AMIR PERETZ HERSEY'S "WALL" REVIS TED LIONHEARTS Heroes of Israe AWA Tisha B Av LZA CONVENTION Ashes and Hope HIGHLIGHTS S I N C E 1 9 3 4 • A LABOR ZIONIST JOURNAL National Committee for Labor Israel congratulates Amir Peretz on his election as chairman of Israel's General Federation of Labor H istad rut PMV 57 President Executive ~~~Director 275 Seventh Avenue • New York, New York 10001 Laborlsrael@jon .cjfny.org • www.laborlsrael .org JEWISH CONTENTSVol. LXV, No. 4 (633) JULY/AUGUST 1998 Frontier Israel 4 SINCE 1934 NETANYAHU'S DILEMMAS Susan Hattis Rolef 7 A LABOR ZIONIST JOURNAL PRESIDENT AND PREMIER Misha Louvish Histadrut 9 Founders ISRAEL'S WORKERS VOTE Jerry Goodman Hayim Greenberg Marie Syrkin Tribute 12 GOLDA AT 100 Editorial Board Essay 15 Henry Feingold, Chairman WAS IT WORTH IT? Yosef Criden Saul B. Cohen Hyman Faine American Scene 16 Jonathan J. Goldberg FROM OPEN ENROLLMENT Emanuel S . Goldsmith TO REMEDIATION Henry L. Feingold Jerry Goodman Rabbi Mark W. Kiel Review Essay 19 Chava Lapin HERSEY'S WALL REVISITED David Rosenthal Jeffry V. Mallow Daniel Mann History 21 Mordecai Newman LORD GEORGE GORDON Joseph Adler Samuel Norich Michael S . Perry Days of Sorrow 25 Mark Raider TISHA B'AV and YOM HASHOAH Amnon Hadary Eduardo Rauch Ezra Spicehandler Notebook 27 Phyllis Sutker BETWEEN ASHES AND HOPE Nahum Guttman David Twersky In the Movement 28 THE LZA CONVENTION - HIGHLIGHTS Nahum Guttman Reinventing Labor Zionism Bennett Lovett-Graff Editor The Seventh "C" Fradie Kramer Books 24 LIONHEARTS : Heroes of Israel NOTE TO SUBSCRIBERS ed.
[Show full text]
Revival Volume3 Issue 1.Indd
Published by the Israeli Labor Party © 2006, all rights reserved Subscriptions, enquiries, and feedback: [email protected] Editorial committee: Colette Avital MK, Guy Spigelman (Editor), Marcus Sheff February 2006 Volume 3 REVIVAL Issue 1 The English News Magazine of the Israeli Labor Party General Elections on March 28 Amir Peretz: Only Labor will bring Peace and Social Justice “Israel is at one of the most important moments in its history, a moment that will deﬁne its future. Unfortunately, over the years, many have known how to diagnose the strategic threats facing Israel, and suggest merely tactical measures, which do not offer an overall solution to the ills of Israeli society. I intend to act differently, and offer the Israeli public a complete moral road map that includes Party Chairman Amir Peretz with King Mohammed VI of Morocco at a recent a political chapter and a social-economic meeting in Fez. The two discussed chapter, which will guide the entirety of the regional developments and Morocco’s political and economic measures I propose. role in the peace process. The chapters are interconnected because there will be no peace without social justice and there will be no social justice without progress in the peace process.” Party Chairman Amir Peretz at the Herzliya Conference on the Balance of Israel’s National Security, 24th January 2006 Election Special Guy Spigelman on the upcoming campaign.................................... page 2 Speech by Party Leader Peretz to SI Council in Athens................. page 3 Ephraim Sneh on the challenge posed by Hamas ......................... page 4 Labor’s candidates for the 17th Knesset........................................
[Show full text]
Israel-Palestine
6 Anexos ingles ES07:00 Med. en cifrasgraf 13/9/07 11:19 Página 337 Chronologies Chronology of events: Israel-Palestine 2006 is a year of legislative elections end to the political and financial crisis. January 2006 in Israel and the occupied Palestinian Despite the implicit recognition of the territories. Hamas wins an absolute existence of Israel by Hamas in June Israel Appendices majority at the elections for the Pales- and the start of talks in August to cre- tinian Legislative Council in January ate a government of national unity, • On 4th January, Prime Minister Ariel and forms a government in March. The which promises to be a difficult task, Sharon suffers a severe stroke and goes new Palestinian National Authority, re- internal Palestinian confrontations con- into a coma. On the following day, Ehud fusing to give up violence and recog- tinue through to the year’s end, killing Olmert, Deputy Prime Minister and Min- nise the State of Israel as well as the more than 300 people. On 16th De- ister of Finance, is appointed as acting 2007 agreements signed earlier between the cember, Mahmoud Abbas calls early Prime Minister. On 16th January, Kadi- Palestinian Authority and Israel – three elections to resolve the situation in ma, Sharon’s political party, appoints Med. prerequisites for recognising the Hamas Palestine. Olmert as interim party president. administration imposed by the Quartet The internal problems in the occupied • On 11th January, 3 Ministers of the on the Middle East – faces interna- territories notwithstanding, violence Likud party resign from government. On tional diplomatic isolation, a suspension between Israel and the Palestinian fac- 13th January, the last Likud minister re- of international aid and the freezing of tions intensifies over the course of maining in the government, Silvan the transfer of taxes and customs du- 2006.
[Show full text]