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Subscribe to RSSPeace in the Middle East -- probably not going to happen, and it’s Palestinians’ fault, according to Mitt Romney.
That was the sentiment from the Republican nominee for president at a closed-door fundraiser, according to released excerpts of video from the left-leaning magazine Mother Jones. Romney painted Palestinians as “having no interest” in peace and “committed to the destruction of Israel.”
“I'm torn by two perspectives in this regard,” Romney said when asked how he thinks the “Palestinian problem can be solved.” “One is the one that I've had for some time which is that the Palestinians have no interest whatsoever in establishing peace, and that the pathway to peace is almost unthinkable to accomplish.”
This contradicts public comments from Romney that he believes in a "two-state solution." “I believe in a two-state solution which suggests there will be two states, including a Jewish state," he told the newspaper Haaretz.
Romney talks about the difficulty in establishing borders for an independent Palestine that would allow Israelis to thwart the flow of weapons from Iran to the region.
“We have got to keep the Iranians from bringing weaponry into the West Bank,” Romney said.
Related: Leaked video is the latest hit for Romney
He adds: “These are problems that are very hard to solve. And I look at the Palestinians not wanting to see peace anyway, for political purposes -- committed to the destruction and elimination of Israel. I just say there is no way, and so, what you do is you move things along the best way you can and hope for some degree of stability, but you recognize this is going to remain an unsolved problem.
Former Gov. John Sununu talks Mitt Romney's remarks saying his comments were "in response to a president who has decided to run a campaign on class warfare."
“The idea of pushing on the Israelis to give something up, to give the Palestinians to act is the worst thing in the world. We have done that time and time again. It does not work. The only answer is to show strength again, American strength, American resolve and the Palestinians someday reach a point where they want peace or that we are trying to force peace on them. That is worth having a discussion. But until then it's just a political thing.”
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Romney has been sharply critical of President Obama's handling of the Israeli-Palestinian relationship -- in particular, President Obama's urging Israel to halt settlement expansion.
American presidents have struggled for decades to broker peace between Israelis and Palestinians. Though the United States has provided Israel with military support and arms, it has traditionally maintained a role of neutrality when it comes to discussing the peace process.
This is not the first time Romney has found himself in the midst of controversy when it comes to Israeli-Palestinian issues.
Back in July, at a fundraiser during his overseas trip, Romney implied Palestinian “culture” was to blame for lower gross-domestic product in areas controlled by the Palestinian Authority versus Israel.
“Culture makes all the difference,” Romney said. “Culture makes all the difference.”
The Romney campaign did not immediately respond to an email request for response.
A full transcript of the exchange is below:
QUESTION: You were in Jerusalem. And we appreciate you being there. How do you think that the Palestinian problem can be solved? What are you going to do about it?
ROMNEY: “I'm torn by two perspectives in this regard. One is the one that I've had for some time which is that the Palestinians have no interest whatsoever in establishing peace, and that the pathway to peace is almost unthinkable to accomplish. Now why do I say that? Some might say because the Palestinians have West Bank and have security and have set up a separate nation for the Palestinians. And then come a couple of thorny questions. I don't have a map here to look at the geography. But the border between Israel and the West Bank is obviously right there right next to Tel Aviv, which is the financial capital the industrial capital of Israel the center of Israel.
It's what the border would be seven miles from Tel Aviv to what would the West Bank. Nine miles, okay I came close. Nine miles. The challenge is the other side of the West Bank, the other side of what would be this new Palestinian state would be Syria at one point or Jordan. Of course the Iranians would want to do through the West Bank exactly what they did to Lebanon what they did in Gaza, which is the Iranians would want to bring missile and armament into West bank and potentially threaten Israel.
So Israel of course would have to say that can't happen; we have got to keep the Iranians from bringing weaponry into the West Bank. Well that means who, the Israelis would patrol the border between Jordan, Syria, and this new Palestinian nation. Well the Palestinians would say no way we are an independent nation, you can't guard our border with other Arab nations. How about the airport? How about flying into this Palestinian nation? Are we going to allow military aircraft to come in and weaponry to come in, if not who is going to keep it from coming in? Well the Israelis. The Palestinians are going to say well we are not an independent nation if Israel is able to come in and tell us what to land in our airport.
These are problems that are very hard to solve. And I look at the Palestinians not wanting to see peace anyway, for political purposes. Committed to the destruction and elimination of Israel. [inaudible] I just say there is no way and so what you do is you move things along the best way you can and hope for some degree of stability but you recognize this is going to remain an unsolved problem.
The idea of pushing on the Israelis to give something up, to give the Palestinians to act is the worst thing in the world we have done that time and time again. It does not work. The only answer is to show strength again, American strength, American resolve and the Palestinians someday reach a point where they want peace or that we are trying to force peace on them. That is worth having a discussion. But until then it's just a political thing.
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TorpedoYou
History you say then how about this:
The "Palestinian" cause predates the 1967 war, even prior to the annexation of Gaza and the West Bank by Israel. The Arabs want Israel gone; the Palestinian's plight is simply a convenient excuse. There has been a Jewish presence in Israel for 3500 years- the Muslims haven't been around for half that long
well said Torpedo!!!
Israel does want peace and to blame it on building homes and settlements is insane!! the Palestinian Children are taught from the time they are born to hate Israel when in fact its the terror group Hamas that is holding the people back. There are tens of thousands of Palestinians living peacefully in Israel. What keeps the bulk of the populous down is that every time there have been concessions made to the Palestinians they have shown their thanks by blowing up women and children. Israel responds by defining moving the lines farther away so no rockets etc.. can hit civilians. When Hamas is tossed out and they change their mantra from "death to Israel" to something more civilized only then can piece be made. Romney did nail this one regardless of what some people think
Domenico Montanaro, Kimberley Barr, and Matt Loffman:
You did not report the whole story here. You shold be on the editorial page, not the news page if you want to express an opinion.
There will never be peace in the ME. These people have been at war with Israel for 1000s of years.
All we can hope to do is stop the bleeding. The only way to do that is by a display of strength in support of our American-Israeli relationship. Romney is not saying "let's go to war..." Romney is not saying " I want WWIII..." Romney is not saying "let's kill all them dirty Palestines..."
The way that we show strength is by supporting the pro American values and freedom of expression that we have in Western, democratic culture. Obama is only encouraging further bleeding with his appeasement policies towards pro-islamic groups with their doctines illustrating to the world that they would rather wipe Israel off the map (and Americans for that matter) then have a peaceful dialog.
I'll give Obama credit for his idealism. It was a nice idea to believe that we could have a peaceful dialog with these people. But with the latest attacks on our embassy and also the increasing anti-American/anti-Western sentiment (The Arab Winter) .... it is becoming clearly obvious that his idealism is not working.
The anti-American sentiment coming out of Libya is in no part because of one stupid YouTube video. There have been 1000s of anti-islamic videos on YouTube, and all of sudden this one video is causing the ME to become unstable? Is it any coincidence that these attacks came (on the aniv of 9/11)? Or is it just that the administration is trying to shift blame towards this one stupid YouTube video in order to hide its own failed polices towards Palestine and the ME?
He's a mealy-mouthed "deer in the headlights" flip-flopper
Theres a youtube video worth watching...it wouldnt let me post it here but you can google it. its called Why Palestinians want this video removed.
Just going for the Jewish vote, that's all. This is an excellent way to insult their intelligence.
Tomorrow he may declare that he and his wife celebrate every wedding anniversary at Taco Bell.
MITT ROMNEY QUOTES:
so any serious Republicans wanting the U.S. to pull our military out of other nations. Good Luck with that.
Hey, let's just elect Romney president, bomb the hell out of the Palestineans and be done with it. After all we Americans are the most powerful nation in the world. We can do whatever we want.
It's not like Israel cares much about peace either.
Mitt, Mitt, Mitt Mitt, Mitt,
Your opinion on mideast is a real hit..
Why don't we talk about how Israel has stopped the peace process? This idea that it's only the Palestians fault is rediculous.
Former Gov. John Sununu : Mitt Romney's comments were "in response to a president who has decided to run a campaign on class warfare." ROFL at the gall of this critique - Wasn't it Romney in comments to fatcat donors released today who said it isn't his job to worry about half of Americans? Romney claims Obama's foreign policy is as bad as Carter, but if I recall it was Carter who got Israel's Begin and Egypt's Sadat to sign a peace treaty that got them the Nobel Peace Prize. I like having a guy willing to talk it out, more than one who will shoot first, then aim (like Romney and Cheney-LOL)
What a effe? this guy is a joke, seriously. he maybe worth 250 millions of dollars monetary talking but as a presidential canditate is worth NOTHING!!!!!!!!!!!!
So what is it Romney Hypocrites
1) Peace IS POSSIBLE, and you AGREE?
or
2) Palestinians don't want peace and it's UNTHINKABLE?
1.) Yes peace is possible....as soon as Hamas is dissolved and Fatah no longer support terrorist activities.
2.) The majority of Palestinians support Hamas, therefore until the moderates take control and marginalize the thugs who support Hamas, or change their loyalties then peace will not be possible.
Tracy, the Israeli mossad created Hamas to go against Arafat and the PLO. Please God hates liars.
The number of inaccuracies by both Dems and Reps in the thread is nearly epic. That said, I'm going with a non sequitur. Here's a reasonably accurate description of many (not all, but many) low-income inhabitants of Palestine, Saudi Arabia, in the Gulf and North Africa - they hold to their Koran and their guns, are not well educated, and most of their education comes from their clergy who tell them a bunch of half truths and myths to keep them ignorant and effectively cowed. Their leaders (both political and religious) consistently manipulate them by blaming various "Satans" for their plight, thereby keeping the uneducated permanently angry but (importantly) angry at the persumed "Satans." In pursuit of vengance against those "Satans," those people regularly sacrifice their life, health, and/or prosperity at the behest of of the leaders while the leaders live on easy street, benefiting greatly at the expense of their poor followers. Does this sound familiar to anyone? Talk to a poor white guy in Mississippi and maybe it will strike a chord.
these republican dumbasses are chomping at the bit to get us into another war.american voters,use your head and vote the idiots out of office.and by the way mitty boy,you're toast anyway so shut the fu@@ up!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Another republican wanting to be president so he can start a war. If Romney became president he would continue the republican policy of endless wars. Lets force romneys sons to be on the front lines of any war and you will see no war, as long as Romney's coward sons continue to hid behind dads money. These boys have to be real losers, they look like dorks.
These videos are devastating to Romney because they cast doubt on his character. Obviously,the man says one thing for the camera and another for the "hidden" camera. Wonder what's in those tax returns Mitt? Wonder what you will say in a "quiet room"? The impression one draws of Romney...HE CAN'T BE TRUSTED....
The Republicans can.... "Turn out the lights,the party is over".....
After Mitt blurted out his comments and "expert " opinion on isreali palestinian conflict, a journalist asked him his views on China-taiwan conflict..
And his response was, "WTF happened over there?"...
Journalists also pressed him on Russian-Chechen cnflict;.. Mitt said, "Don't tell me they got issues too, do they?"Jourmnalists said, "You know the soviets and the break-up and all.." Mitt said, "You got to fill me up a little... Who are soviets?"
Lastly, journalists asked Mitt what he thinks about native-americans' rights..
Mitt said, "WTF are they?"
With man all things are ....... IMPOSSIBLE........
With GOD all things are........POSSIBLE.............
The word say it clear...........I'M POSSIBLE.....
Obama/Biden 2012
Another day, another ignorant, irresponsible comment by someone who thinks they can lead this nation. NOT. Romney may be successful in business, but he is an unquestioned failure as a politician. God help this Country if this guy gets voted into office.
He really, really needs to shut up now...
“I believe in a two-state solution which suggests there will be two states, including a Jewish state,"...was he channeling "W"
Add fuel to a smoldering fire, what an idiot...
cmash - also add extreme nepotism and hypocrite to the list...
Seventy years ago Adolf a German convinced the Jews if they were to survive as a race they should have their own homeland and millions move to Palestine controlled by the British. Who became alarmed when the Jews desired to establish their own government and allow more Jewish immigration. The residence Arabs were being marginalized out of power by immigrants and were decidedly upset or should I say outraged. Even though the Jews were willing to buy Palestinian land, kind of like the old block busting used here in the States move in a black and offer to buy out the Whites. You got to love what happened next a war broke out between to political fractions one representing the established residence and the new immigrants from Europe when the British left in 1948. The Jews having just witnessed first hand the light at the hands of the Germans and other European states overrun by Germans and all to willing to comply with the Jewish problem. So desperate for a home from oppression the Palestinians gave way to a more desperate single minded foe. Israel was reborn in a military image. So through three wars Israel grows and thrives with an alliance born in the 1950's with America to stem the USSR influence in the area. Before this Arab and Jew got along just fine neither was a threat to the other and both were oppressed equally by the occupiers. So can there be peace? I doubt it, only if a third party takes over completely and if you remember that was not even cost effective for the Romans and I would say things are worse today. We can hope the Jews go down using there nukes and the world can resettle the whole area with Chinese atheist. So how great would that be to have peace in our time? an old old joke line from the Brits.