Israeli pols slam Bill Clinton over Russian immigrant remarks
Bill Clinton managed to offend Israeli politicians across the board with his comments at the Clinton Global Initiative this week disparaging Russian immigrants to Israel.Top Israeli officials, including Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Soviet dissident turned Israeli parliamentarian Natan Sharansky, reacted with disappointment Wednesday to comments by former President Bill Clinton casting Israel's Russian immigrant population as an obstacle to the Middle East peace process. Sharansky even accused Clinton of inappropriately trafficking in ethnic stereotypes about Israelis.I guess that calling 'settlers' an 'obstacle to peace' is okay for most people, even in Israel. But at least Zev Elkin (Likud) acknowledges that they're Zionists.
"If the reports of President Clinton's comments are accurate, I am particularly disappointed by the president's casual use of inappropriate stereotypes about Israelis, dividing their views on peace based on ethnic origins. I must add that these are uncharacteristic comments from a man who has always been a sensitive and thoughtful listener and conversation partner," said Sharansky, according to the Israeli newspaper Haaretz.
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Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu also reacted strongly Wednesday, calling Clinton's comments "distressing," according to the Israeli news wire Ynet.
"As a friend of Israel, Clinton should know that the immigrants from the former Soviet Union have contributed and are making a great contribution to the advancement, development and strengthening of the IDF and the State of Israel. Only a strong Israel can establish solid and safe peace," Netanyahu reportedly said.
Sharansky also denied that he participated in a conversation with Clinton years ago where he used his Russian identity as a reason to oppose a land-for-peace deal with the Palestinians.
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Yisrael Beitenu, an Israeli political party whose supporters are made up of mostly Russian immigrants, called Clinton's comments "crude generalizations." Immigrant Absorption Minister Sofa Landver, one of the leaders of the party, said that nobody should attempt to divide Israeli groups in such a way.
"The immigrants of Russia contributed to the development of the state of Israel in every field, including science, culture, sports, economy and defense. This year, the entire country is celebrating the twentieth anniversary of the Russian aliyah. This shows that the Israeli people are united," the Jerusalem Post reported her saying.
Not all Israeli leaders were upset. Coalition Chairman and Russian immigrant Zeev Elken praised Clinton's remarks. "I am proud of former President Clinton's distinctions. He made the right distinction that the Russian speakers and settlers have been carrying the Zionism banner in the State of Israel in recent years," he told Ynet.
posted by Carl in Jerusalem @ 5:50 AM
3 Comments:
Our old buddy Roger Cohen wants Israel to extend the revanant freeze three months. For peace, of course.
And what is Israel going to receive in exchange for yet another unilateral concession? Nothing.
A Test Of Israel's Character
You will never see Cohen write a piece about the Palestinians' character in their adamant refusal to recognize Israel as a Jewish State.
Like all outside observers, he has it wrong. The conflict has never been about settlements or territory. Its has always been and always will be, about Israel's right to exist. No amount of Israeli concessions will change that basic reality.
And yet it remains one Cohen, Obama and the rest of the international community have chosen to ignore.
The peace talks are going to go nowhere and not because the revanants have resumed building in their communities. They are not and have never been the obstacle to peace in the Middle East.
The revanants are such an obstacle to peace that building a few homes is literally the end of the world.
Like with Clinton's thinking about Israel's Russian Jews, its meshuggeneh.
We live in a time when people who do nothing more than build a family home threaten the plans of nations.
Yup, that is what we have come down to now.
Oh... this americans... I think that Jewish Community must have a good relationship with russian emigrants.
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