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Politics >> News Letters NEWSLETTER DECEMBER 2001
First, let me wish you and your loved ones a very Happy New Year. I hope and pray this year will be far better than the last we had. In the world scene, the bone of contention has shifted to Pakistan/India. The US should strive to calm down any hostilities. The potential for destruction emanating from uncontrolled eruption in that area is immense. The US campaign in Afghanistan proved to be more successful than many had envisaged. Unfortunately, there were far too many innocent casualties, and the whereabouts of Bin-Laden are still obscure, but the war did not turn to be another Vietnam-like fiasco as many feared. The war gave a lot of food for thought for those analysts who try to evaluate the strength of the Soviet army vis-?-vis the American. The decision of the Bush administration to freeze the assets of the Holy Land Foundation for Relief and Development is a step in the right direction. This is a front organization for Hamas, which is linked to worldwide terror networks. I hope that the US will continue its efforts to curb worldwide terrorism that is sponsored chiefly by Sudan, North Korea, Syria, Iraq and Iran. Once any one of them would achieve nuclear capacity, the twin tower episode would become a footnote in the history of destruction of world being. The way to go about this is piecemeal, and the US is advisable to continue with the sate that is closest to having nuclear capacity. This after the Pakistan-Indian tension is calmed down. The world's stability, of course, does not benefit from the presence of leaders like Saddam Hussein, who is lurking and waiting for an opportunity to rock the boat further. From world affair to the Israeli corner: The Labour Party has a new leader: Benjamin Ben-Eliezer (Fuad). A hard-working man, bulldozer, former general who understands that a two-state solution is inescapable. His leadership is questionable by prominent figures in his own party. You should have seen the frozen handshake between Fuad and Peres on the night of Fuad’s election. Burg, who lost the election, pledged to give Fuad hell. He began on the night of the formal announcement of Fuad’s victory, and will continue his undermining efforts. Bejlin voiced his dissenting voice and declared his lack of confidence in Fuad’s leadership. That’s for starter. I assume that Ramon and Ben-Ami are not too happy either. They are licking their wounds, have a lot to loose hence keep quiet, but they will come out strong when the time would seem ripe. Fuad is in a political catch. He, I assume, knows that he lacks leadership charisma. To have a chance against either Sharon or Bibi in the coming election he has to fortify his position in society and show that he has the ability to lead the nation forward. To establish a credible opposition to the Likud he needs to retire from the government, but then he would loose his main strength: being Minister of Defence. My guess is that the countdown for divorce between the Likud and Labour had started. The official divorce will take place when Fuad would come to realize that he looses more by remaining in the coalition. Meanwhile, the
tireless Peres is now trying to convince Sharon to accept the formula
he sorted with Abu-Ala. I admire Peres for his conviction, but I think
he’s wrong. I do not think Sharon will accept the formula, and I think
Peres, and the Labour Party, are playing to Sharon’s hands. The Israeli
people back Sharon’s decision and Labour is loosing further points
by this move. To speak of giving up most of the West Bank now seems
imprudent. Next month I am invited to England and Italy to present the Plan. I am also invited to the Rockefeller Center in Bellagio for one month to work on my new ms., The Scope of Tolerance. Talk to you next year,
Rafi PS. As some of
you know, recently my most important work to date, The Right to Die
with Dignity, was published. You are welcome to visit my website and
acquire information (and a discount form) about this book as well
as about other publications.
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