I met Mr.José María Aznar in New York City on 10 April 2014. I have been reading his book entitled "Ocho años de gobierno. Una visión personal de España" these days. (Lily)
1. The Friends of Israel Initiative (http://www.friendsofisraelinitiative.org/article.php?c=132)
(1)(http://www.friendsofisraelinitiative.org/uploads/articles/pdfs/133.03.pdf)
En defensa de Israel y contra el terrorismo
Declaración de los miembros de Friends of Israel Initiative
14 de Julio de 2014
Desde el 8 de julio, las Fuerzas de Defensa de Israel se han visto arrastradas a un nuevo y grave conflicto con Hamás, una organización terrorista condenada internacionalmente y vinculada a los Hermanos Musulmanes. La actual escalada ha estado precedida por el trágico secuestro y asesinato de tres adolescentes israelíes por miembros de Hamás, todavía fugitivos, seguido por el también dramático asesinato de un muchacho palestino por extremistas israelíes, ya detenidos y sobre los que recaerá todo el peso de la ley.
Hamás ha dominado la Franja de Gaza desde 2006, y la lleva controlando por completo desde que, en el verano de 2007, expulsara a los miembros de Al Fatah tras una guerra intestina entre ambas organizaciones. La afirmación de que una “ocupación” israelí de Gaza es el motivo de los ataques con cohetes lanzados desde allí contraciudades de todo Israel carece de base real. Si no se lanzaran cohetes desde la Franja, no habría actos de autodefensa por parte de Israel ni víctimas palestinas. Como demasiado a menudo suele suceder, una gran parte de la opinión pública internacional ha culpado a Israel de una crisis humanitaria que, en su origen, ha sido causada por Hamás y sus letales acciones.
Ante esta distorsión, Friends of Israel Initiative propone, una vez más, que este conflicto sea examinado de manera más objetiva, con honestidad intelectual y un juicio histórico y político consistente. Así, instamos a todas las personas de buena voluntad a que condenen, sin vacilar, a Hamás y a todas aquellas organizaciones extremistas que hacen virtualmente imposible la búsqueda de la paz en Oriente Medio y que, para nuestra consternación, actúan de tal forma que el precio de su extremismo es pagado por los ciudadanos palestinos de Gaza. Es Hamás, no Israel, el principal responsable de la falta de desarrollo económico y cultural en Gaza, pues es Hamás quien desvía la generosa ayuda humanitaria internacional a la compra de cohetes, morteros e infraestructuras militares, mientras fomenta un letal clima de odio contra judíos y cristianos.
Los cohetes de Hamás lanzados contra Israel durante la última década han alterado la vida en el país durante demasiado tiempo. Debido a esos constantes ataques, los niños no pueden ir a la escuela, los negocios no pueden funcionar, y los ancianos y enfermos se convierten en prisioneros en sus refugios. Estos ataques terroristas no tienen más que un objetivo: matar civiles, una intención frustrada en parte gracias a la efectiva defensa civil israelí y a su Sistema antimisiles Cúpula de Hierro.
En cambio, Hamás exige que los gazatíes actúen como escudos humanos, como ha alentado a hacer el portavoz de la organización terrorista, Sami Abu Zuhri, y, al mismo tiempo, oculta infraestructuras militares en escuelas, hospitales y domicilios privados, lo que, por desgracia, ha causado víctimas mortales civiles en Gaza. Cada civil inocente muerto, independientemente de su bando, es una consecuencia terrible; sin embargo, éste es un objetivo buscado por Hamás para defender su arsenal y lograr legitimidad internacional como víctima. Antes de que sus fuerzas ataquen objetivos legítimos, Israel avisa, mediante folletos y llamadas telefónicas personales, a miles de civiles palestinos para que abandonen sus hogares y salven a sus familias. De nuevo, esto contrasta con el proceder de Hamás, que, con la clara intención de engañar a la opinión pública internacional respecto a quién es responsable en última instancia de la muertes de palestinos en Gaza, no ha construido sistemas de defensa civil ni refugios; al contrario: como ya se ha dicho, ha animado a los civiles a desobedecer las advertencias israelíes.
Aunque esperamos que las partes en el conflicto de Gaza alcancen pronto un alto el fuego, instamos también a políticos, instituciones internacionales, Naciones Unidas y a la Unión Europea a que vean la realidad tal y como es: hay un agresor terrorista que no responde ante nadie, Hamás, y hay un Gobierno israelí elegido democráticamente que sí lo hace, y que tiene el deber de defender a su pueblo de la agresión. Las desinformadas condenas a Israel no contribuyen a construir la paz: refuerzan a los terroristas y, con ello, condenan al pueblo de Gaza a más sufrimiento. La comunidad internacional, por tanto, debe adoptar las medidas necesarias para acabar con los continuos ataques de Hamás a Israel, para eliminar la propaganda y el contrabando de armas del grupo terrorista y para exigir responsabilidades a Mahmud Abás, que al admitir al Movimiento de Resistencia Islámico en una coalición de Gobierno ha asumido una responsabilidad que ahora debe afrontar trabajando de manera efectiva por la paz. La comunidad internacional también ha de tener el valor de condenar a Hamás por su evidente voluntad de destruir a Israel, y afirmar el derecho del Estado israelí a defenderse.
Friends of Israel Initiative cree que estas acciones por parte de las organizaciones internacionales contribuirán a construir la paz en Gaza y a hacer frente al desafío que supone el terrorismo antidemocrático en todo el mundo, el cual se cobra nuevas víctimas a diario.
JOSÉ MARÍA AZNAR, expresidente del Gobierno de España.
JOHN R. BOLTON, ex representante de Estados Unidos en la Organización de Naciones Unidas.
LORD WILLIAM DAVID TRIMBLE, ex primer ministro de Irlanda del Norte (1998-2002) y
premio Nobel de la Paz (1998).
LUIS ALBERTO LACALLE, expresidente de Uruguay.
KARL-THEODOR ZU GUTTENBERG, exministro de Defensa de Alemania.
GIULIO TERZI, exministro de Asuntos Exteriores de Italia.
RICHARD KEMP, excomandante del Ejército británico.
GEORGE WEIGEL, miembro del Ethics and Public Policy Center.
ANDREW ROBERTS, historiador y escritor británico.
ROBERTO F. AGOSTINELLI, director ejecutivo del Grupo Rhône, Rhone Capital.
FIAMMA NIRENSTEIN, política, periodista y escritora italiana.
CARLOS BUSTELO, exministro de Industria de España.
CARLOS ALBERTO MONTANER, Escritor y periodista cubano.
RAFAEL L. BARDAJÍ, director ejecutivo de Friends of Israel Initiative.
(2)Declaration by the Board In Defence of Israel and Against Terrorism
14 July 2014
Since 8 July, the Israeli Defence Forces have been drawn into another major conflict against Hamas, an internationally condemned, terrorist organization, affiliated with the Muslim Brotherhood. The current escalation, though, has been preceded by the tragic kidnapping and killing of three Israeli teenagers by Hamas members, still fugitive, and followed by the also dramatic killing of a Palestinian boy by Israeli extremists -who are already arrested and under the full extent of the law.
Hamas has dominated the Gaza Strip since 2006, and has fully controlled it since in Summer 2007 expelled al-Fatah members after a civil war between two organizations; the claim than an Israeli “occupation” of Gaza is the reason for Gaza-based rocket attacks on cities throughout Israel has no basis in reality. Were there no rocket fire from Gaza, there would be no acts of selfdefense by Israel, and there would be no Palestinian victims. As is too often the case, too much of international public opinion has blamed Israel for a humanitarian crisis that is, at root, caused by Hamas and its lethal actions.
In light of this distortion, the Friends of Israel Initiative proposes, once again, that this conflict be examined more objectively, with intellectual honesty and sound historical and political judgment. Thus we call on all persons of good will to unhesitatingly condemn Hamas and those other extremist organizations that make the quest for peace in the Middle East virtually impossible, and that, to our great sorrow, act in such a way that the price for their extremism is paid by the Palestinian citizens of Gaza. It is Hamas, not Israel, that is primarily responsible for the lack of economic and cultural development in Gaza, for it is Hamas that diverts generous international humanitarian aid to the purchase of rockets, mortars, and military infrastructure while fostering a lethal climate of hatred against Jews and the Christians.
Hamas’s rocket attacks against Israel over the past decade have disrupted life in Israel for far too long: because of these constant attacks, children cannot go to school, business cannot function,and the elderly and sick become prisoners in shelters. And these terror attacks have but one purpose: to kill civilians – an aim frustrated in part by Israel’s effective civil defense system and its “Iron Dome” system of missile defense.
Hamas, by contrast, demands that the people of Gaza act as human shields, as the Hamas’spokesperson Sami Abu Zuhri has encouraged, and at the same time is hiding military infrastructure amidst schools, hospitals, and private homes, which has led, sadly, to civilian deaths in Gaza. Every innocent civilian killed, regardless on which side, is a terrible outcome, however it is a goal pursued by Hamas in order to protect its arsenal and to gain international legitimacy as victims. Actually, before Israel forces attack legitimate targets,Israel, through leaflets and personal telephone calls, has asked thousands of Palestinian civilians to leave their homes and to save their families. Again, by contrast, and with clear intent to deceive international public opinion as to who is ultimately responsible for Palestinian deaths in Gaza, Hamas has built no civil defense system and no shelters, on the contrary, as noted, has encouraged civilians to disobey Israeli warnings.
Even as we hope that the parties to the Gaza conflict will come to a quick cease fire, we also urge policy makers, international institutions, the UN, and the European Union, to see reality for what it is: there is an unaccountable terrorist aggressor, Hamas; and there is a democratically elected and accountable government in Israel that has a duty to defend its people from aggression. Illinformed condemnations of Israel do not contribute to building peace; they do strengthen the hand of terrorists, and by doing so, condemn the people of Gaza to further suffering.
The international community must take therefore the necessary steps to stop the continuous attack of Hamas on Israel; to eliminate Hamas’s arms-smuggling and propaganda; and to call to account Mr. Mahmoud Abbas, who, by accepting Hamas into a coalition government, has assumed a responsibility that must now to met by effective work for peace. The international community must also have the courage to condemn Hamas for its evident will to destroy Israel while affirming Israel’s right of self-defence.
The Friends of Israel Initiative believes that such by international organizations will both help build peace in Gaza and help meet the challenge of anti-democratic terrorism throughout the world, which daily claims more victims.
José María Aznar, Former President of Spain
John R. Bolton, Former US Representative to the UN
Lord William David Trimble, First Minister, Northern Ireland, 1998 to 2002 Nobel Peace Prize in 1998
Luis Alberto Lacalle, Former President of Uruguay
Karl-Theodor zu Guttenberg, Former Minister of Defence of Germany
Giulio Terzi, Former Foreign Minister of Italy
Richard Kemp, Former British Military Commander
George Weigel, Distinguished Senior Fellow of the Ethics and Public Policy Center
Andrew Roberts, British historian and writer
Roberto F. Agostinelli, Managing Director at Rhône Group, Rhone Capital
Fiamma Nirenstein, Italian politician, journalist and author
Carlos Bustelo, Former Industry Minister of Spain
Carlos Alberto Montaner, Exiled Cuban author and journalist
Rafael L. Bardají, Executive DirectorT8.dpuf
2. The Tower(http://www.thetower.org/0706-statesmen-call-on-un-eu-to-condemn-terrorist-aggressor-hamas/)
Statesmen Call on UN, EU to Condemn “Terrorist Aggressor” Hamas
by TheTower.org Staff
15 07 2014
A group of international notables issued a statement Tuesday condemning Hamas’s terror war against Israel and supporting Israel’s right to defend itself, and demanding that “policy makers, international institutions, the UN, and the European Union” do the same.
The statement came from the Friends of Israel Initiative, founded and headed by former Spanish Prime Minister Jose Maria Aznar.
Hamas has dominated the Gaza Strip since 2006, and has fully controlled it since in summer 2007 expelled al-Fatah members after a civil war between two organizations; the claim than an Israeli “occupation” of Gaza is the reason for Gaza-based rocket attacks on cities throughout Israel has no basis in reality. Were there no rocket fire from Gaza, there would be no acts of self-defense by Israel, and there would be no Palestinian victims. As is too often the case, too much of international public opinion has blamed Israel for a humanitarian crisis that is, at root, caused by Hamas and its lethal actions.
In light of this distortion, the Friends of Israel Initiative proposes, once again, that this conflict be examined more objectively, with intellectual honesty and sound historical and political judgment. Thus we call on all persons of good will to unhesitatingly condemn Hamas and those other extremist organizations that make the quest for peace in the Middle East virtually impossible, and that, to our great sorrow, act in such a way that the price for their extremism is paid by the Palestinian citizens of Gaza. It is Hamas, not Israel, that is primarily responsible for the lack of economic and cultural development in Gaza, for it is Hamas that diverts generous international humanitarian aid to the purchase of rockets, mortars, and military infrastructure while fostering a lethal climate of hatred against Jews and the Christians.
Among the members of the group are Northern Ireland’s former First Minister and Nobel Laureate David Trimble, as wells as former American ambassador to the United Nations John Bolton.
The statement draws a sharp contrast between Israel and Hamas: “There is an unaccountable terrorist aggressor, Hamas; and there is a democratically elected and accountable government in Israel that has a duty to defend its people from aggression.” The statement asks that international institutions “see reality for what it is,” and blasts “[i]ll-informed condemnations of Israel” because “they … strengthen the hand of terrorists.”
Rep. Ted Deutch (D-Fla) ranking member of the Middle East and North Africa Subcommittee, also expressed support for Israel in an op-ed published today, It’s Time to Stand Tall with Israel, in the Sun Sentinel newspaper. After quoting Israel’s President Shimon Peres that Israel affirms a “moral right to life and an equal right of all human beings to be different,” Deutch observed that these are “values … not shared by Hamas terrorists.”
Deutch then put Israel’s right and obligation to defend its citizens into context for his constituents.
I also met with Prime Minister Netanyahu, whose sole determination was keeping his citizens safe and preventing more violence. That is what any leader should think of first, and, if rockets were raining down on Boca Raton, Coral Springs or Parkland, we would expect our government to take action to keep us safe.
The psychological toll incurred by Israelis is difficult to imagine, but if rockets were raining down on South Florida, how would you go about your job, your errands, or driving your kids to school without feeling such trauma?
In September of last year, Aznar led a group that blasted the EU’s policy on boycotting Israeli enterprises in the West Bank as “treating Israel differently,” thus reinforcing “the impression among Israelis that Europe is basically unfriendly to Israel and cannot be relied upon as it once was.”
[Photo: PragerUniversity / YouTube ]
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