Gilad Sharon
Photo: Alex Kolomoisky
3 questions for candidates
Kadima leadership candidates must clarify their positions on Syria, Palestinians
A note to whoever is elected to lead Kadima,
either a man or a woman: You do not need to continue on the rotten path of your predecessor. It is your right and duty to get rid of this excess baggage and change policy in several areas.
Syria was ostracized all over the world, yet with our great stupidity we helped end its isolation, so that our leader can get his picture taken with pathetic dictator Assad’s rear-end in the backdrop.
Syria – A terror-sponsoring country that continues to arm Hizbullah, develops weapons of mass destruction, and is a loyal Iranian ally. It also allows terrorists to move into Iraq and hurt our American friends there.
Politics
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We must not give up the Golan Heights, which is an area of immense importance to our security and water reserves.
Gaza Strip – To my regret, we shall pay a heavy price for our disgraceful agreement with Hamas, which is building up and rearming. They are not wasting time and are smuggling immense amounts of weapons through the land and sea. Of course, these arms will be directed at us. They fire at us here and there, but they make sure to explain to us that these are not terrorists belonging to one group, but rather, to another, as if someone should care who’s firing.
The opening of the crossings and continued electricity and fuel supply while Gilad Shalit is rotting in captivity is a moral failure. Gaza and the West Bank are not Lebanon, and it is possible to jail a large number of Hamas men; the more senior they are, the better. This will make it clear to them that abducting soldiers is not worthwhile, but rather, serves to increase the number of Palestinian prisoners instead of reducing it.
Then we would be able to engage in talks on Shalit’s release from a position of power, with Hamas under pressure and wanting to get rid of him, because the price of his continued captivity would be disastrous for them.
Negotiations with the Palestinians – Let go of this farce. A shelf agreement, what nonsense; Mahmoud Abbas is still going through puberty and lacks any power to make even the smallest concessions in the talks. So what are you saying, we’re supposed to go easy on him because he is too weak and scared that he will be killed if he gives up anything? A leader engaged in talks needs some kind of strength, because in negotiations each party is supposed to give up something.
And how can we even talk about a final-status agreement when the basic conditions required for it are not even close to being implemented – the area is replete with terror groups that have not been dismantled, and the many weapons held by terrorists have not been confiscated.
These are minimal conditions that were accepted by the Americans and Palestinians. What folly it would be to waive them, and for what? In order to laud the fact that we’re engaged in some sort of process? As if the process is the essence and goal, rather than a life of peace and tranquility.
You do not have to take this twisted path. Do what is good and right for the country and this will win you all the support you want. And by the way, it won’t hurt if you clarified your positions on those issues. How do you want people to support you if they don’t know what you intend to do in relation to the most important issues on the agenda?
Gilad Sharon is a businessman
