Romney: Palestinians don't want two-state solution, they want to eliminate Israel
The Republican candidate was prompted by a question posed by a Palestinian-American at a Florida debate; opponent Gingrich said in same debate he would move U.S. embassy to Jerusalem as president.
By Natasha Mozgovaya Tags: Mitt Romney Newt Gingrich US elections Barack ObamaGovernor Mitt Romney said on Thursday that the Palestinians are not interested in a two-state solution to the Arab-Israeli conflict, rather that they are interested in the elimination of the State of Israel.
The Republican presidential candidate was prompted by a question posed by a Palestinian-American Republican at a CNN-sponsored debate in Jacksonville, Florida on Thursday night.
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Republican presidential candidates former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich (L) and former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney share a smile in CNN debate, January 26, 2012. |
| Photo by: Reuters |
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"Israelis would be happy to have a two-state solution. It's the Palestinians who don't want a two-state solution; they want to eliminate the State of Israel,” Romney said.
Romney was responding when the man asked, "How would a Republican administration help bring peace to Palestine and Israel, when most candidates barely recognize the existence of Palestine or its people?"
Romney went on to say that “whether it's in the political discourse that is spoken either from Fatah or from Hamas, there is a belief that the Jewish people do not have the right to have a Jewish state."
"I believe the best way to have peace in the Middle East is not for us to vacillate and to appease, but is to say we stand with our friend Israel; we are committed to a Jewish state in Israel; we will not have an inch of difference between ourselves and our ally Israel," he added.
Romney attacked President Barack Obama's policy saying,"This president went before the United Nations and castigated Israel for building settlements. He said nothing about thousands of rockets being rained on Israel from the Gaza Strip.”
"This president threw Israel under the bus with regards to defining the '67 borders as the starting point of negotiations. I think he disrespected Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Bibi Netanyahu. I think he has time and time again shown distance from Israel, and that created, in my view, a greater sense of aggression on the part of the Palestinians," Romney added.
Former Speaker of House Newt Gingrich, who was asked to comment on his statement calling Palestinians “an invented people,” stood by his controversial remarks.
"It was technically an invention of the late 1970s," Gingrich explained. "Prior to that they were Arabs.”
He went on to talk about the issue of rocket fire from Gaza into Israel.
“There were 11 rockets fired into Israel in November. Now imagine in Duval County that 11 rockets hit from your neighbor. How many you'd be for a peace process and how many of you'd say, you know, that looks like an act of war?" he said.
In a rare instance of harmony in this intense battle among the Republican candidates, Gingrich said Romney was right in his answer.
"On the first day that I am president, if I do become president, I will sign an executive order directing the State Department to move the embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem to send the signal we're with Israel," Gingrich said.
The National Jewish Democratic Council released a statement regarding what Romney said about President Obama.
"Governor Romney said that the President castigated Israel during his speech at the United Nations in September. He did no such thing," the statement said.
Mr. Romney said the President made no reference to the 'thousands of rockets being rained in on Israel from the Gaza Strip;' indeed, President Obama specifically cited how 'Israel’s citizens have been killed by rockets fired at their houses and suicide bombs on their buses' on the world stage of the United Nations in September. Enough is enough. The outright lies, smears and distortions of President Obama's stellar Israel record must stop," National Jewish Democratic Council President & CEO David A. Harris wrote.
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Of the quality and extemely limited worldveiw of the GOP´s candidates. Somebody needs to fill the coffers of their superpac.
palestine has been home to an arab population since the 7th century only to have its demographic completely changed in 1948, when zionists eliminated palestine. But i get it you have to appease the jewish crowd
Shame, Shame, Shame. Their ignorance is terrifying. given that they presume to be President of the United States of Israel ... oops of America (excluding Canada, Central and South America that is) These men are incapable of being honest brokers in any serious diplomatic enterprise. As an Australian whose country is increasingly becoming an outpost of the USA who becomes President is a matter of great concern.
WHY R AMERICANS SAYING THIS OUT LOUD YET JEW SCARED TO SAY IT!!!!
is that the Israelis them selves know Romney doesn't even know what he's talking about.
Whoever thinks of eliminating Israel, and there are a few around, forget it! Even Obama will not let that happen! Nor would the Europeans. Much too much responsibility of the free West!
Time and again, Romney as well as the rest of the Republican candidates have displayed lack of understanding, voicing aggressive and confrontational ideas that ill suit them to conduct intelligent and nuanced foreign policy in an increasingly difficult and complex world. But not to worry. None will replace Obama.
Well, it's not a secret for anybody that the Palestinians want only one state between the Jordan river and the Mediteranean sea. How can there be a debate on this question? Surely Obama thinks the same thing, but Obama is a president, not only a candidate...Only candidates can say the truth.
Racist states, religious states, monarchies, states that place one gender over the other, and the like are anachronisms. They should be erased from the pages of history.
Poor Israelis--Poor Palestinians and Poor Americans. How much longer does the world have to tolerate this madness that is the Greater Israel project.
It is absolutely frightening to see what kind of morons are running for presidency in the US. It really shows the decline of the country.
Israel is in a state of war. They refuse to declare their own borders. Hence the PEACE negotiations. In a state of war you should expect the odd rocket attack.
They will soon declare that they have a kosher Jewish grandmother...
the fact is that THIS process doent work.. the process which has israel being forced to take on a border based on war lines... od 67 which are actualy 47 borders.. this process of suggesting that israels and jews are foreigners in this land.. is not working. Every country who has ever been attacked took land..even the us with peurto rico.it is up to the victor to negotiate with the other party of what will be the status of the now "disputed" land. Israel is that process.. but that process doesnt start with the old borders.. it starts with secure borders.. then from there 1 for 1 land swaps if so desired.
Lets the best servant win! Amen.
“BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the members of this body support Israel in their natural and God-given right of self-governance and self-defense upon their own lands, recognizing that Israel is neither an attacking force nor an occupier of the lands of others; and that peace can be afforded the region only through a united Israel governed under one law for all people” - This is the RNC position - One State for All with Equal Rights for Arabs.
As an American, it makes me glad in my heart to know that this man will not become our president! Our embassy does not move, punto final!
Operation Cast Lead: not even 1% of the casualties was Israeli and more than 99% Palestinian. The charter of Likud says that there will never be a palestinian state West of the river Jordan. Israel's image as that of a victim has expired. Face the facts. Get a life.
"... There was this one Roman who by essence of being the speaker of the House Of Rome, the mighty Republican Empire of ancient times, declared our land as far as the eye can see to be called, 'Syria Philistinia', or simply 'Palestine' for those of you who have a hard time with Latin, little one." Question from the five year old child listening in bed, "But Baba, 'Philistinia' should translate to "Philistine', not 'Palestine', right? But you say we're called 'Palestinians" and wouldn't the Roman mean we are actually Philistines?" "Yes, yes son, you're right, well actually no, that's wrong, ... you know that Roman was a soldier in his day job and received a blow to the head so he meant what I'm er, trying to say to you. Anyhow, the story of our ancient ancestors being great sea-faring people is actually another story for another night. Now tesbahey ala khear little one, and enjoy your sweet dreams of the conquest of the Zionists." ... "But Baba, isn't Zion a mountain in Jerusalem? I heard ..." "HALAS, I said goodnight already!"
How things and opinion change so quickly, in the morning we prefer Ginrich the man with the Invented people slogan, come the afternoon we do not hate Romney anymore actually we like him very much,come the night we have sweet dreams, only very early in the morning we have a nightmare , spread all over the papers Obama won, we hate him. You guys can not make up your mind.
The settlers of the West Bank have no need to worry. They will have friend in the White House who will ensure the situation always works out for them. President Obama has consistently supported settlements, so it doesn't matter who wins. Human rights are only for some.
This is the thing about Romney that gives me the creeps. Hell say anything to suck up to the evangelical Christians controlling the Republican Party. It's the Far-right Iraelis who no longer want a two- state solution and are doing everything can to redraw the map, get the best resources, and bull doze Palestian homes on lands they want for themselves. The U.S. stands by helplessly watching because of AIPAC, and lunatic groups like Hamas ,that play into Isreal's hands by doing dumb things like launching rockets into Isreal.
this was written when the Palestine Exploration Fund was founded in London in the 1860's... really sounds like the holly land then was awfully full with people...
It was disgusting to see two republican candidates kiss up to the Israeli lobby, while making the Palestinians look like they were the only ones to be blamed. It also should have made the Palestinian gentleman aware that these clowns are not bothered about helping both sides in this terrible situation. The people of Palestine, the real victims, as usual got the short end of the stick. When will US leaders talk like they want peace for BOTH sides?
So Romney is a one state solution man. It's a valid opinion if you think Israel is for Israelis rather than Israel is for the Jews. I mean it's either two states with 1967 borders or one state with equal rights for everyone. Israel just has to deside witch they prefe, everything else means rockets and bombs.
It's good to see some Americans who are honest enough to admit they are supporting genocide.
would present borders before the negotiations to set them? Oh, yeah, sorry.....you would wouldn't you? Moron.
if mitt was former Governor of Gaza and said this in arabic there would be applause... but for some reason arabs dont like to speak honestly in english...
Ron Paul 2012
but the left hates to lose, even if the other side is correct
The right is filled to the brim with people guilty of treason, and the left is little better. Democrats and the, Obstructionists, excuse me, "Republicans" both suck up to the Israel Lobby all the time, trying to see who can sell out the United States of America the most to apartheid Israel. Treason is the name of the game whenever Israel comes up. We need to reclaim our nation, and get rid of the Fifth Column!
Idiotic statement. How can the USA be a fair and honest broker if the POTUS has totally eliminated any validity on the part of the Palestinians? That is not leadership, it is an emotional appeal to AIPAC. Romney is probably hoping that Adleson and wife will throw him a few bones.
Thank you for keeping the record straight Mr. Harris.
...a jewish Democratic Council. We simply need a Democratic Council because we're all Americans regardless of religion!
it is enough to listen to their hate talk and watch their teror actions!
maybe he was not born technically prior to that date.... what a sheer and laughable ignorance!
"In fact, the Palestinians themselves have admitted that the “Palestinian homeland” is a tactical weapon for the destruction of Israel. Listen to Zahir Muhsein, a member of the Palestinian Liberation Organization executive committee, from an interview with a Dutch newspaper given in 1977: “The Palestinian people does not exist. The creation of a Palestinian state is only a means for continuing our struggle against the state of Israel for our Arab unity. In reality today there is no difference between Jordanians, Palestinians, Syrians and Lebanese. Only for political and tactical reasons do we speak today about the existence of a Palestinian people, since Arab national interests demand that we posit the existence of a distinct ‘Palestinian people’ to oppose Zionism. For tactical reasons, Jordan, which is a sovereign state with defined borders, cannot raise claims to Haifa and Jaffa, while as a Palestinian, I can undoubtedly demand Haifa, Jaffa, Beer-Sheva and Jerusalem. However, the moment we reclaim our right to all of Palestine, we will not wait even a minute to unite Palestine and Jordan.” Muhsein’s statement is consistent with the stated aims of the Palestinian leadership for the last half century: to destroy Israel in “stages.” In 1993, on the same day that the Oslo Accords handed over the West Bank to the PLO, Yasser Arafat told Jordanian television, “Since we cannot defeat Israel in war, we do it in stages. We take any and every territory that we can of Palestine, and establish a sovereignty [sic] there, and we use it as a springboard to take more. When the time comes, we can get the Arab nations to join us for the final blow against Israel.” Indeed, before 1967, Palestinians did speak of a homeland, but it was not to exist in the West Bank, but in Israel. The 1964 PLO Charter Article 24 explicitly said, “This Organization does not exercise any territorial sovereignty over the West Bank in the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, on the Gaza Strip or in the Himmah Area.” After 1967, this article was removed for strategic purposes. Thus any content to the notion of a “Palestinian homeland” is inextricably predicated on the destruction of Israel, as Article 2 of the 1968 Charter makes clear: “Palestine, with the boundaries it had during the British Mandate, is an indivisible territorial unit.” Consistent with this principle, Arafat said in 1970, “We shall never stop until we can go back home and Israel is destroyed, peace for us means Israel’s destruction and nothing else.” In other words, the “two-state solution” that Westerners continue to chant like a mantra will not resolve the conflict between Israel and the Arabs."
They say what the people want to hear u mean? Doesn't that show that the American people stand by Israel? I mean if they didn't, then how would saying what they said help them become president?
What nations on earth doesn't want a piece of peace and a piece of land?
The answer to your second question is unfortunately the Palestinians, who reject any piece of land and any piece of peace unless it is all the land and a peace without Israel.
Peace!
that neither one of these two will occupy the Whitehouse!
Goodby, Obama !
But take heart, a dose of reality will soon bring even hardened pro-Settlement Zionists to their senses.
Btw --do you mean--Goodboy Obama. Your posts suggest those of a racist.