(Jerusalem Post) Rafael D. Frankel - To defend itself against future threats, Israel must retain control of the Jordan Valley and all West Bank border crossings in any future arrangement - whether negotiated or initiated unilaterally - that defines the state's borders, a panel comprised mainly of former military men told the Herzliya Conference Monday. Israel must assume there will be global and local threats that stretch decades into the future, and should not draw borders that compromise Israel's ability to defend itself from a ground- or air-based attack. All major Israeli population centers and Ben-Gurion Airport were already within the range of rockets if fired from the West Bank, the panel reported. Former ambassador to the UN Dr. Dore Gold said international law and numerous agreements with the U.S. specified that Israel was not required to return to the pre-1967 borders. Citing the April 2004 letter from President Bush and UN Security Council Resolution 242, he said international law supports Israel's entitlement to "secure and defensible borders" that did not directly correlate to the pre-1967 lines.
2006-01-24 00:00:00Full ArticleBACK Visit the Daily Alert Archive