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Pres. Katsav's Journey to America: The Triangular Complex

by Gad Nahshon

Continued...

Answering questions, Moshe Katsav remarked: "Arafat controls the situation. If he does not control, he is not a leader. He can control the situation. Furthermore, he leads the terrorist attacks! He meets the heads of the terrorist organizations! They do obey his orders. We must stop terrorism. We cannot go on and compromise on that issue. Israel always was willing to compromise. We put strategic assets on line. We gave in to Arab countries in order to achieve peace. Arafat tends to lie. He lied to us many times. Would you accept a check from him or would you ask for cash only?" said Katsav. He also pointed out that Israel does not target civilians, and that its F-16 did not kill a civilian: "I know it looks bad but we must use any means in order to defend Israeli civilians," Katsav pointed out. Katsav did everything that he could to increase the good relations between Israel and the U.S. Israel is a natural ally of this country. American public opinion tends to support Israel especially after the Dolfinariam Massacre which exposed the true face of the P.L.O. and its supporters.

Katsav met the American Jewish leadership in a special lunch event. Many leaders came to this gathering. Among the guests were Secretary Kofi Annan, Congressman Jerry Nadler, Israeli Minister Salah Tariff, Dr. Yehuda Lancry, Alon Pinkas, Leon Levy, Peter Vallone, Elliot Spitzer, Leon Levy, Rabbi Arthur Schneir, Abe Foxman, Mel Salberg and Malcolm Hoenlien. In this major event Moshe Katsav reinforced the Triangular Complex. He called on the American Jewry to be united behind Israel. He also urged them to visit Israel since many Jews and Jewish students canceled their visit to Israel. Jews should demonstrate their solidarity especially when Israel is in trouble suffering from trauma and low national moral. Katsav pointed out that the future aliyah can take place from the western countries and he is aware of the fact that only approximately 2500 Olim are immigrating annually to Israel from North-America. He suggested a new idea: to establish a global Jewish Parliament in order to unite Jews with Israel. He also told the leaders that Jews should help him to fight against poverty in Israel, his national domestic priority. Katsav said that we must develop new linkages to the American young Jewish generations: "It is time in which Jewish leaders need to lead and the best expression of solidarity is for the Jewish leader to encourage members of their community to go to Israel," said Katsav.

As to the situation in the Middle East, Katsav repeated his notion about Arafat saying that: "...if he is no leader, he is also not our partner. But I believe he can control the situation and he must stop the violence," Katsav also said that the U.S. understands the Israeli position: Israel cannot tolerate more bloodshed. Katsav also pointed out especially to the U.N.'s Secretary Kofi Annan, who was sitting near him, that Israel always was willing to make compromises whenever Arabs dismantle violence as a means to achieve their goals." Remember Saadat who said no more wars, no more bloodshed. "Mr. Annan, we evacuate southern Lebanon as an act of compromise and peace and not because we are weak. We are not weak. We are a strong nation. Mr. Annan, we left Lebanon because you urged us to do so as a gesture of peace. We are strong and not always the strong one is the guilty one and the weak one is the innocent one," remarked Katsav. "Arafat must make a decision - is he a leader of just a chairman of the terrorist organization? We will not sacrifice more people. We asked Arafat many times to stop the bloodshed. We call on the international community to fight terrorism. Arafat risks the life and well-being of his own people, it is their disaster. We ask him to stop the violence, not because we are weak. We are a strong nation. Personally I am an optimist, I believe that peace will come," said Moshe Katsav, injecting a note of optimism into his first successful journey into the American continent when Israel was traumatized by the unprecedented waves of Palestinian terror.

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