DeLay Says Palestinians Bear Burden for Achieving Peace

[NNN0LHI]

http://www.nytimes.com/2003/07/30/international/middleeast/30CND-MIDE.html?ex=1060228800&en=80223f4a330cc7c5&ei=5062&partner=GOOGLE

JERUSALEM, July 30 — Calling himself "an Israeli at heart," Tom DeLay, the House majority leader, told Israeli legislators today that the burden for achieving peace here rested with the Palestinians, who he said must eradicate terrorism.

Speaking a day after President Bush met at the White House with the Israeli prime minister, Ariel Sharon, Mr. DeLay said that Mr. Bush "made clear that the prospects of peace are the responsibility of the Palestinian Authority," which must "fight terror and dismantle terrorist capabilities."

Mr. Bush also urged Mr. Sharon to ease restrictions on Palestinians and to restrain Israel's own actions. Yet Mr. DeLay, while declaring that Palestinians "have been oppressed and abused," said that the culprit — and "their enemy" — was Yasir Arafat, not Israel.

"Israel is not the problem," he said. "Israel is the solution."

An evangelical Christian, Mr. DeLay is a leader in Washington of the Christian Zionist movement, a bloc of conservative Republicans whose strong support for the Jewish state is based on their interpretation of the Bible. Before leaving Washington for his trip to the region, Mr. DeLay was sharply critical of the international peace plan known as the road map, which envisions a Palestinian state alongside Israel in three years.

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[IDUDOYOU]

1. maybe he can send them some assault weapons

More guns, more peace.

[seemslikeadream]

2. Moonies to the left of me

Zionists to the right onward christian soldiers

[leesa]

3. Well I guess as soon as they crawl out from under the Israeli tanks

that have run them over, they can get right on that!