Abbas: Jewish NATO soldiers could defend future Palestinian state
Aide denies reports that Palestinian president opposes any Jewish presence in an international force to protect new borders under emerging peace proposals.
By Haaretz Service Tags: Mahmoud Abbas Middle East peace PalestiniansMahmoud Abbas is not opposed to including Jewish soldiers in an international NATO force to be deployed along the borders of a future Palestinian state under a potential permanent peace agreement, the Palestinian president's political adviser said Saturday.
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Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas speaking at a press conference in Ramallah on July 22, 2010 |
| Photo by: Reuters |
Nimar Hamad told the Palestinian news agency Wafa that "Abbas is open to an international force along Palestinian borders of any religion or origin."
Hamad was responding to earlier reports that Abbas opposed the deployment of Jewish soldiers along the future borders.
Hamad told Wafa that the American media had quoted Abbas as having said that he would refuse to allow Jewish soldiers on the border between Israel and the Palestinian state. "The remarks attributed to the president are baseless," Hamad said. "The president said in his meetings with AIPAC and with Israeli journalists and world leaders that he welcomes the deployment of an international force regardless of the troops' religion."
Hamad added that Abbas refuses outright to have Israeli soldiers deployed along the borders, regardless of their religion, as "it is common knowledge that there are many non-Jewish soldiers serving in the Israeli army."
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Israel is devouring Palestinian land everyday. Where does Mr Abbas envision a Palestinian state? What the hell is Abbas doing meeting with AIPAC, the supporters of US military aid to Israel, endless war and occupation!
All the Druse are 150,000 including women, children, and elderly.... The Bedouins, few handful Thousands, including women, children and elderly.... Many Non-Jews? That is a blatant Exageration!
palestinians being the one who were occupied then externimated and villages wiped out . thats our beef with israel
zionist want it all
There are Jewish soldiers in the NATO force in Afghanistan. There is even an American Jew who is a Command Sergeant Major who happens to also be Israeli who has served in Afghanistan.
Why not Israeli soldiers guarding your borders, Mr. Abbas? They have a lot of experience guarding borders (Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon) and ceasefire lines (the West Bank). And yes, Mr. Abbas, if your bosses, the Arab League ever allow you to agree with Israel on borders, and see that your people honor those borders, Israeli soldiers will guard it faithfully, for the sake of both our peoples.
Israelian friends, listen Abbas proposals. He is a moderate Palestinian. Don't confound his leadership with that come from Hamas and other radical entities. Democracy and Honoured Peace must prevail in the Holy Land. Luiz Felipe Haddad.
Presumably Jewish NATO soldiers could guard the inside of New Palestine. But Israeli Arabs could not. Or is Abbas talking about who guards the Israel side? Not clear. And what are New Palestine soldiers guarding against? They would have no fear of Israel, unless they launched missiles into Israel. And they would never do that, right? Actually, New Palestine would have much more to fear and defend against attacks from a few dozen Islamic countries which collectively forbid Abbas to ever make a peace deal with Israel.
Mr. Abbas -- Why don't you come down off your high horse and reconcile with your multiple factions first before you worry about who is going to defend a future Palestinian state?!
Hes an Israeli puppet.
Never gonna happen in a million years. Only crazy Leftist Jews would believe in an Arab handshake. This is a 100 year war for all the Land. Get used to it..Build Israel.
Jewish NATO, aka American.
lover ,Abbas. And trying to adapt to it .
Abbas, please just fade away...
Combining IDF forces with NATO forces on the border is a recipie for disaster. Such an explosive situation needs one commander and there should be no doubt in anybodys mind who it is. Israel simply refuses to give up the complete control they have exerted over the lives of the Palestinian people.
If Abbas is is referring to Israeli troops in the Jordan valley after statehood he is making a big mistake. Might as well have no state than a state with occupying Jewish forces between it and another country. UN troops no problems because there are economic benefits and they wont shoot people who dont deserve it. I think Abbas has got soft in his old age.
Of course not, they wouldn't have anyone to throw rock at otherwise !
What a theater of the absurd. How nice of him not to dictate to NATO that they have to be racists like the Palestinians.
International Peace Forces will not defend Israel from terrorists and Iranian backed killers. Only the IDF can do this and should remain in the Jordan Valley as well in All of Jerusalem. We have seen Israeli's (Civilians and Military) killed and wounded after the ID was removed from Gaza and border areas
How is this even a story? Have Israelis just realised that others aren't as judeo-obsessed as they are?
No need to follow Israel's lead and descriminate by religion. So NATO forces of all religions are welcome. But Isreali forces are a different matter. The main protection that the Pals need is AGAINST incursions by Israel. So using Israeli troops to protect them against an Israeli attack would make them even more vulnerable to attack.
What are a bunch of propagandists and influence peddlers doing in the peace process?
I remember reading in Haaretz several moths ago that Abbas threatened to resign. What happened with that? Perhaps no other job requires such low qualifications as Palestinian president?