Arab MK Welcomes Iranian Nuclear Weapon ‘to Make Israel Afraid’
by Gil Ronen, Arutz Sheva INN, March 31, 2009
MK Hanin Zoabi of Arab Balad Party
In an interview with David Bedein and Samuel Sokol for the Philadelphia Bulletin,”New Israeli Parliamentarian calls for nuclear Iran” the newly sworn-in Knesset Member said she preferred Iran over the more moderate Arab states: “The policy of Iran is more useful to the Palestinian issue and more standing against occupation than a lot of the Arab countries. This is our interest. If anyone is supporting me – so I will not mind this influence, even I would ask for this influence [sic],” she explained.
When the reporter asked her if she is not afraid that an Iranian attack would put her at risk as well, she said: “I’m not afraid from the nuclear Iranians. I‘m more afraid from the Israeli nuclear [sic].”
Asked if she thought Israel might use its reported nuclear weapons, she answered in the affirmative. “I am afraid from real risk rather than from potential risk,” she added. “The Iranian is still in a potential. But the real risk is the Israeli army. I need a power which can make counter [sic] to the Israeli power. It is not supporting me, the fact that Israel will be the only state with a nuclear weapon. It’s more supporting me to have [a] counterpower to Israel [sic].” (Continue Reading this Article)
Fine, then move to Iran!
When any citizen of Israel states that he/she welcomes Iran’s nuclear bomb and especially a member of Parliament, that person’s citizenship should be rescinded and deported. The members of the Knesset can do this.
And yet people call Avigdor Lieberman a racist for daring to suggest that Israeli arabs cannot be trusted to be loyal citizens and should therefore be required to take an oath.
Ms Zoabi is so consumed with hatred, she has completely taken leave of her senses. She should not be tried as a traitor, but committed to an insane assylum. Perhaps a few million Palestinian Arabs, and some Jews as well, who hold to such irrational, suicidal views, should be locked up with them. They certainly should not be allowed to play with matches.
New Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman entered his office with a bang on Wednesday afternoon, saying that while Israel is committed to every aspect of the Road Map; it is not obligated by the Annapolis process.
Israel Beiteinu chair Avigdor…
At a ceremony in the Foreign Ministry where he took the reigns from former foreign minister Tzipi Livni, Lieberman said, “There is one document that obligates us, and it is not the Annapolis document,” in reference to the Road Map.
He said that the coalition agreements it was made clear that the government would accept all previous agreements, insisting, “There is Israeli governmental continuity.” He added that while the government of Israel endorsed the Road Map in 2002, it did not do so to the 2007 Annapolis process.
Lieberman said that Israel would abide strictly by the Roap Map, as well as the two accompanying documents, including the Mitchell Report. “We will never agree to jump over all the clauses and go to the last one, which is negotiations over a final status agreement,” he said. He noted that the agreement includes dismantling terrorist infrastructure and setting up a government that can govern.
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The Road Map peace plan also calls on Israel to cease all settlement construction and dismantle illegal outposts.
In a speech that surprised many of the employees who were expecting generalities, Lieberman also made clear that he believed Egypt is a key strategic partner and an important factor for stability in the region.
“What is important is to maintain world and regional stability,” he said, adding that he was being asked constantly, “What will be with Egypt?”
“Egypt existed in the time of our Patriarchs, and will apparently be in our time as well,” he went on. “Egypt is certainly an important factor, and an important country in the Arab world, and a factor that stabilizes the regional situation, and perhaps beyond it.”
His comments appeared to be an attempt to assuage concerns in Cairo following comments he made in the past about Egypt. Lieberman said that he would both like to visit Egypt, and would welcome their leaders here.
“I will definitely be happy to visit Egypt, and I would be happy for Egyptian leaders to visit us here, and for the Egyptian foreign minister to visit the Israeli Foreign Ministry. I certainly respect them, and I want them to respect us, on the basis of reciprocity,” he said.
Late last year in a Knesset address, Lieberman slammed Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak’s unwillingness to travel to Israel on an official visit, saying “If he wants to talk to us, he should come here; if he doesn’t want to come here, he can go to hell.”
Regarding Israel’s difficult diplomatic standing in the world today, Lieberman noted that this came at a time when Israel was willing to make more concessions than ever before.
In relation to public opinion, he asked, “When was Israel most at its most popular in the world? After the Six Day War, not after Oslo A, B, C and D.”
Lieberman added that in order to be respected in the world, you have to respect yourself.
Livni offered a brief but pointed reaction to Lieberman’s speech.
“This speech proved that I did the right thing when I did not join the government,” Livni said.
Yasser Abed Rabbo, a top aide to Palestinian Authority Mahmoud Abbas and his unofficial spokesman, said that no one could force the Palestinians to sit around the negotiating table with “a racist like Lieberman.”
Jpost.com staff contributed to this report