Needed: A U.S. politician willing to stand up to...Sharon

While support for Bush has been dropping to its lowest levels since he was SElected by five U.S. Supremes, support for Sen. Kerry has not been growing of late.

The reason for this seeming dichotomy can be found in the following paragraph:

"Greens called the plan backed by President Bush, Prime Minister Sharon, and
Sen. Kerry (Meet the Press, Sunday, April 18) that allows Israel to keep
and continue to settle on land seized in the 1967 war a disastrous setback
to efforts for peace."

Admittedly, I too almost fell off my chair when Tim Russert asked Kerry if he supported Bush's policies vis-a-vis Israel and he responded with an unconditional: YES!

The question then becomes: Is there ANY American politician left who is NOT willing to CAVE to the demands of Sharon and his U.S. "neoconservative" cohorts?

And, given that Sharon's interests are NOT in the best interests of the U.S., the question then becomes: WHY not?


>>GREENS CALL KERRY INDISTINGUISHABLE FROM BUSH ON ISRAEL AND PALESTINE

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Leaders of the Green Party of the United States
strongly criticized President Bush and Democratic presidential candidate
Sen. John Kerry (D.-Mass.) for their identical positions in support of
Israel's policy of assassination, maintenance of illegal settlements on the West Bank
(a reversal of earlier policy), and denial of the right of return for
Palestinians.

"The Green Party and its candidates have called for Israel to adhere to
international law and U.N. directives and to dismantle the settlements in
the Palestinian territories, and for the right of Palestinian refuges to
return home," said Ben Manski, co-chair of the Green Party of the United
States.  An American Jew who grew up in Israel, Manski received and
rejected an IDF draft notice when he turned 18.  "We support efforts toward
nonviolent resolution of the crisis by Israelis and Palestinians who are
dedicated to peace and universal human rights, without which we'll never
see security for either Israelis or Palestinians.  These efforts have been
eclipsed by the unrelenting state violence committed by the Israeli
military on orders from the Sharon government, and by a small minority of
desperate Palestinians -- and now by explicit support from the Bush
Administration, under policies apparently dictated by Sharon."

Greens called the plan backed by President Bush, Prime Minister Sharon, and
Sen. Kerry (Meet the Press, Sunday, April 18) that allows Israel to keep
and continue to settle on land seized in the 1967 war a disastrous setback
to efforts for peace.

"We were especially aghast that Sen. Kerry supported the assassination of
Hamas leader Abdel Aziz Rantisi, which Greens called a summary and
extra-judicial execution," said Julia Willebrand, co-chair of the Green
Party's International Committee.

The rejection of the Palestinian right of return by Bush, Sharon, and now
Kerry comes on the heels of a landmark 'Right of Return and Just Peace
Conference' held in Haifa, Israel at the end of March, at which over 300
Jewish and Palestinian Israeli citizens gathered for the first time to
refute the claim that unconditional support among Israelis for the right of
Palestinian refugees to return does not exist.  Israeli historian Ilan
Pappe, in the final declaration of the 'Haifa Initiative', stated that,
"What the hundreds of people attending the conference showed was that a
growing number of Jews and Palestinians in Israel regard the implementation
of the Palestinian right of return as the only road to a lasting peace and
reconciliation."

"The Green Party continues to support the right of Palestinians to return
to their homes, and regards it as at the heart of the conflict," says
Charles Shaw, media coordinator for the Illinois Green Party.  "Similarly,
Israel must return to its pre-1967 borders as the opener to any peace
negotiations. These are significant differences between our position and
that of the Democrats and Republicans.  John Kerry's views are becoming
indistinguishable from those of George W. Bush."