The first and only Arab minister in the Israeli cabinet, Saleh bin Tarif, has voiced his astonishment at Palestinian remarks criticizing US President George Bush's speech at the UN on Saturday for "bias" in favor of Israel.
In an interview with Albawaba.com over phone, Tarif said that Bush's reiteration of US support for a Palestinian state was something positive that "shouldn't anger anybody."
He added, however, that it was natural that Israel should rejoice over the president's remarks on terrorism.
Bush said in his address that national aspirations should not justify the killing of civilians, alluding to operations carried out in Israel by resistance groups like Hamas, Islamic Jihad and the mainstream Fateh movement, among others.
In another interview with Albawaba.com, Arab MK Mohammad Baraka described Bush's speech as an attempt to fool the Arabs, calling it a copy of Israel's official stand regarding the Palestinian national resistance.
"The international community has now left behind the question of whether there will be a Palestinian state or not, and the question now is: what state? Is it the state that Sharon wants? Will it be a UN member, but without sovereignty, rights, power or economy and totally dependent on the needs of the occupation and the Israeli security?" he said.
For his part, Tarif said that the US was sensitive to military attacks and had criticized Israel for its re-occupation of Palestinian towns.
"It is strange that Bush's statement is seen as biased [in favor of] Israel; his is a wrong judgment.
"How do they expect Bush to see things under the circumstances? However, I agree that there should be a distinction between what is happening on the Palestinian side and the terrorist acts in the US."
The minister added that Israeli Foreign Minister Shimon Peres had not agreed with Prime Minister Ariel Sharon on a peace plan with the Palestinians, or even proposed one to his Labor Party.
He said that what was on the table now were no more than unripe ideas.
Commenting on a series of laws adopted by the Knesset, seen as designed to negatively impact Arab members, as well as the procedures taken against Arab leaders in Israel, Tarif said that the Intifada had "destroyed the [Israeli] peace camp" and opened way for total domination of the political scene by far-rightist extremists.
He added that the Arab MK had said things that were "useless if not harmful"- Albawaba.com
© 2001 Al Bawaba (www.albawaba.com)
