Israel Matzav

The Poodle barks

In the early 1990's, Yitzchak Rabin referred to leftist politician Yossi Beilin (pictured), then an MK of his own Labor party, as "[Shimon] Peres' poodle." Beilin is currently an MK from the far left Meretz party. Here's the part of his bio that makes him anathema to much of the Israeli right:

Beilin's association with the peace process is the most notable element in his career. Backed by Shimon Peres, he initiated secret negotiations (then illegal according to Israeli law) in 1992 which led to the Oslo accords in 1993. Together with Mahmoud Abbas, another architect of the Oslo accords, he signed in 1995 the Beilin-Abu Mazen agreement, a 'non paper' of guidelines for a permanent solution to the conflict. During 1992-1995 he headed the Israeli delegation to the Multilateral peace process working groups. In 2001 he participated in the Israeli-Palestinian Taba talks and, the initiative that he is currently most famed for, signed the Geneva Accords with Yasser Abd Rabbo.

Beilin is one of the few politicians in Israel who continues to openly support the discredited Oslo Accords.

Yesterday, Israel's ambassador to the UN Danny Gillerman made headlines by calling former US President Dhimmi Carter a bigot (Hat Tip: Hot Air).

Carter, a Nobel Peace Prize winner, "went to the region with soiled hands and came back with bloody hands after shaking the hand of Khaled Mashaal, the leader of Hamas," Ambassador Dan Gillerman told a luncheon briefing for reporters.

In fact, Gillerman said even more:

The ambassador called last weekend's encounter "a very sad episode in American history."

He said it was "a shame" to see Carter, who had done "good things" as a former president, "turn into what I believe to be a bigot."

Telephone calls by The Associated Press to two Atlanta numbers for Carter were not immediately returned Thursday.

During Carter's visit, Gillerman said, Hamas "was shelling our cities and maiming and injuring and wounding Israeli babies and Israeli children."

The ambassador noted that Hamas is armed and trained by Iran, whose president once called for Israel to be "wiped off the map."

"The real danger, the real problem is not the Israeli-Palestinian conflict; the real threat is Iran," he said.

Now the Poodle, Yossi Beilin, is demanding that Gillerman be recalled from his position in New York:

"It is Gilman's [sic] prerogative to criticize Carter," Beilin said. "However, Israel has is perpetually indebted to a person who saved many Israeli lives by bringing peace with Egypt with his own hands."

Beilin is far enough outside the Israeli consensus and Carter is so reviled here for meeting with Hamas, that I believe that Beilin will be ignored.

posted by Carl in Jerusalem @ 2:25 PM