The Washington Times
  • Subscribe
  • RSS
  • Mobile Headlines
  • e-edition
  • E-MAIL ALERTS
  • REGISTER
  • LOG IN
  • E-MAIL ALERTS
  • WELCOME
  • Your Profile
  • Log Out
  • Front Page Image
  • Classifieds
  • Autos
  • Real Estate
  • Jobs
  • Special Sections
  • Customer Service
  • Home
  • News
  • Opinion
    • Editorials
    • Commentary
    • Columns
    • Water Cooler
    • Letters
    • Cartoons
    • Books
  • Sports
  • Culture
    • Home & Living
    • Family & Kids
    • Travel
    • Health
    • Washington Visitors
    • Books
    • Auto
    • TV Listings
    • Movie Listings
    • Death Notices
    • Entertainment
  • Communities
  • Rebate Shopping
    • Stores
    • Coupons
    • Daily Double
    • Promotion
    • How It Works
  • Photos
  • Podcasts
    • About Headlines
    • Audio and Radio
    • America's Morning News
  • Politics

    Voight, tea party groups plan last-minute protest

  • Politics

    CURL: Obama the Innocent stumps for health care

  • Politics

    Key Democrat Boccieri switches to 'yes' on health vote

  • Commentary

    TURNER: Our lawbreaking Congress

  • Energy

    Obama backs plan to legalize illegals

  • World

    Gitmo suspects allowed laptops

  • Politics

    Health-vote ally Nelson to get new VA hospital for Nebraska

Wednesday, January 31, 2007

Israeli envoy rejects Mideast 'linkage'

Rate this story

Average 0.00
after 0 votes
Login or register to rate this story

  • Font Size -+
  • Print
  • Email
  • Comment
  • Tweet this!
  • Share
  • Article
  • Comments ()
  • Click-2-Listen

More Stories

  • Thousands rally on anniversary of Iraq invasion
  • Voight, tea party groups plan last-minute protest
  • Judge rejects settlement for 9/11 rescuers
  • URS, Minnesota settle suit over bridge collapse

By

Foreign-policy crises in Iraq and Iran will not be eased by pressuring Israel to cut a peace deal with the Palestinians, Israeli Ambassador Sallai Meridor said in an interview yesterday.

Mr. Meridor, in a luncheon with editors and reporters at The Washington Times, firmly rejected the idea pushed by Arab allies of the U.S. that an Israeli-Palestinian accord would reduce ethnic and sectarian violence in Iraq or slow Iran's quest for a nuclear bomb.

"Frankly, we don't see any connection between our dispute with the Palestinians and the level of violence on Haifa Street in Baghdad," said Mr. Meridor, who assumed his post in early December.

"And there is no linkage in my mind between the Israeli-Palestinian question and what Ahmadinejad is planning for the region and the world by pursuing a nuclear weapon."

Meanwhile, Israeli Deputy Prime Minister Shimon Peres said this week that Israel does not intend to use military force against Iran, which Israel suspects is building nuclear bombs.

In addition to Iran's nuclear program, Israel considers the Islamic republic a threat because of repeated declarations by Mr. Ahmadinejad that the Jewish state should be wiped off the map.

Mr. Peres spoke Tuesday during "the Doha Debates," a project in which world leaders discuss current events with students in the Persian Gulf sheikdom of Qatar.The central role of Israel's disputes with its Arab neighbors in fueling regional tensions was a key finding of the Iraq Study Group, the bipartisan panel led by former Secretary of State James A. Baker III and former Rep. Lee H. Hamilton, Indiana Democrat.

Mr. Meridor said in the interview that he saw the beginnings of a realignment in the Middle East, linking Israel and the United States with moderate Sunni Muslim Arab states fearful of the rising power of Shi'ite Iran. But he said it was too soon to tell whether an anti-Tehran coalition would form.

"We think that, yes, there is a convergence of interests of many Arab countries in the region and Israel today in recognition of the threat to the entire region from Iran," he said. "Whether that can be translated into action and a new alliance, we will have to see."

Moderate Arab governments have long argued that the Israeli-Palestinian dispute has fueled tensions throughout the Muslim world, providing popular support to extremist groups.

12Next »

Post a comment

There are comments on this article, submit your opinion!

Commenting is disabled for this entry.
If you feel there is still something worth mentioning about this entry please contact the author or the site admin.

Top Stories

Most Shared

  1. KUHNER: Impeach the president?
  2. EDITORIAL: Obama surrenders gulf oil to Moscow
  3. Obama backs plan to legalize illegals
  4. RUSE: The Girl Scout Sex Guide
  5. TURNER: Our lawbreaking Congress
More Top Stories »
  1. Voight, tea party groups plan last-minute protest
  2. PRUDEN: Into the twilight zone
  3. EDITORIAL: WWII: The most racist generation
  4. Gitmo suspects allowed laptops
  5. STEYN: 'Deemocracy' in action

Most Commented

  1. KUHNER: Impeach the president?
  2. Obama backs plan to legalize illegals
  3. Gitmo suspects allowed laptops
  4. Voight, tea party groups plan last-minute protest
  5. Key Democrat Boccieri switches to 'yes' on health vote
More Top Stories »
  1. EDITORIAL: WWII: The most racist generation
  2. Democrats make final push on health care
  3. TURNER: Our lawbreaking Congress
  4. EDITORIAL: Obama surrenders gulf oil to Moscow
  5. Poll finds stubborn suspicion of census

Listen to Washington Times Radio

  • America's Morning News

    with John McCaslin

Blogs & Columns

  • Water Cooler

    VIDEO: Congressman claims health care bill protesters hurled racial slurs

  • Belief Blog

    Nancy Pelosi invokes the 'wrong' St. Joseph

  • Technology

    Ordering iPad is painless, except for the wallet hit

Advertising Links
TWT Store
  • e-edition
  • Print Edition
  • Weekly Washington Times
TWT Affiliates
  • Middle East Times
  • Golf
  • UPI
  • Arbor Ballroom
  • Washington Times Global
  • About TWT
  • Press Room
  • F.A.Q.
  • Work for TWT
  • Advertise
  • Sponsors
  • Contact Us
  • Privacy Policy
  • Site Map

All site contents © Copyright 2009 The Washington Times, LLC.