In the letter, a Hebrew version of which was provided to The Jerusalem Post by Katz's parliamentary aide, Katz wrote: "For many Israelis, this report is a cause for worry because it reveals a condescending attitude toward our prime minister and Israeli public opinion. This is an attitude that Israel does not expect from a real friend such as the US, and all the more so from an Israeli Jew who has succeeded in being appointed White House chief-of-staff."
Katz went on to compare Emanuel to the biblical Esther, who ended up at using her influence with Persian King Ahashverosh to intervene on behalf of the Jews of the Persian Empire. "For if you remain silent at this time, relief and deliverance for the Jews will arise from another place, but you and your father's family will perish. And who knows but that you have come to royal position for such a time as this?" Katz wrote, quoting from the Book of Esther (4:14).
Katz was hinting that Emanuel should use his influence to protect Israeli interests, which, he believes, are best served by preventing the creation of a Palestinian state in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip.
In November, Emanuel said US President Barack Obama did not need his influence to "orientate his policy toward Israel."
Meanwhile, the National Union said it was never officially notified by the Likud that it would not be entering the new government coalition.
"Basically, we are still waiting for a telephone call," Harel Cohen, secretary of the NU's rabbinic council, said on Sunday.
"Up until the swearing in of the new government, we were still receiving signals from the Likud that we were wanted in the coalition," Cohen said.
He also said that in principle, there was nothing in the Netanyahu government's platform that would prevent the NU from joining the coalition.
"Obviously, if the present government adopts a 'two-states for two peoples' solution, that would be problematic. But so far that has not happened."
The NU's rabbinic council, which gives final approval for all of the party's political decisions, released a letter of support for Katz.
The council, whose members include Hebron-Kiryat Arba Rabbi Dov Lior, Beit El Rabbi Zalman Melamed and Rabbi Ya'acov Yosef, son of Shas spiritual mentor Rabbi Ovadia Yosef, responded to claims that Katz had made "outrageous demands" that kept the NU out of the coalition.
Rather, according to the rabbis, it was a sudden, inexplicable change of mood in the Likud.
Very interesting that this story coincides with the following story:
The Obama Administration will put forth new peace initiatives only if Israel wants it to, said Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman in his first comprehensive interview on foreign policy since taking office.
"Believe me, America accepts all our decisions," [Avigdor] Lieberman told the Russian daily Moskovskiy Komosolets.
From the first source is it clear that many Israelis don't want a two-state solution. Yet, their politicians have hypocritically been claiming for years that they do want a two-state solution, under the pre-condition that the Palestinians would recognize Israel. In my opinion, not such an unreasonable pre-condition, but it now seems they have only been saying this to keep the world quiet. With other others, by showing that it is not them who don't want peace, but the Palestinians.
I am extremely happy and surprised that the US really seems to change it policy towards Israel. I don't have high hopes, as the Israeli lobby is the most powerful in the world and very much influences America's foreign policy, but it is a start. The over-desperate people of Palestine deserve a future, give them economic freedom and their own state, give them a future!
www.jpost.com
(visit the link for the full news article)
[edit on 22-4-2009 by Mdv2]
