By COLlive reporter
At a time when the title pro Israel is blurred – President Barack Obama pressuring Israel, President Nicholas Sarkozy dissing Benjamin Netanyahu and Egypt rethinking the peace deal – one politician is saying it like it is.
Newt Gingrich, leading contender as the Republican presidential candidate for 2012, asserted that the Palestinians are an “invented” people who could have chosen to live elsewhere.
Speaking to The Jewish Channel, a U.S. cable TV network, he said: “Remember, there was no Palestine as a state — (it was) part of the Ottoman Empire.”
He added: “I think we have an invented Palestinian people who are in fact Arabs and historically part of the Arab community and they had the chance to go many places.”
In response to sharp criticism by Palestinian officials and mainstream U.S. political commentators, Gingrich said was speaking as a historian but added that it’s time for a candidate to stand up and call Palestinian leaders “terrorists.”
“When the president keeps talking about a peace process while Hamas keeps firing missiles into Israel, if we had a country next to us firing missiles, how eager would we be to sit down and negotiate?” he said.
His chief rival for the nomination, former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, said the former House speaker made a mistake in the description and has made it more difficult for Israelis and Palestinians to negotiate toward peace.
But Danny Danon, member of the Likud party and deputy speaker of Israel’s parliament, said Gingrich “understands very well the reality we live in in the Middle East” and that the statement on the Palestinians is shared by “most of the Jewish people, not just in Israel.”
With less than 4 weeks until Iowa’s caucuses kick off the nominating contests on January 3, Gingrich remains the front runner in many polls.
He enjoyed the support of billionaire casino mogul Sheldon Adelson, a major donor to Jewish and conservative causes and a friend of Netanyahu.
Ron Paul stands for letting Israel bomb the heck out of Iran if they want. Such a position is highly awesome
Oops meant to say six TEN and eleven
They’re crazy, but crazy isn’t STUPID. Every country know full well that using a nuke marks the endo of them. I say stay out of the middle east and let Israel do what it wants.
Ron Paul 2012 all the way
If the US does not take on Iran then they WILL get a nuclear weapon. Such a position is highly irresponsible.
You said it!
Ron Paul 2012!
BECAUSE he wants to break off all aid and meddling to the middle east. Which means no more two billion dollars to Israel NOR SIX-SEVEN billion going out to arabs in the future. Also, it means letting Israel DO WHAT IT WANTS in any way she sees fit without having the US condemning her
Why can’t we just appreciate that here is a politician who is not ashamed to tell the truth – he deserves our vote. WHY does everything have to be painted in a negative light – get out of the ghetto, really……ein mol far alle mol!
shmuel munkes for president
How is Ron Paul good for Israel? He wants to disasosiate the US from the entire Middle East – not practicle.
So what makes you think Ron Paul is good for President?
Ime voting for Ron Paul. Every “supporter” of Israel gives it with strings attached
i bet if the president had said this you all would not give him credit. you would say he is just pondering to the jewish vote. thats exactly what you would say EXACTLY!!!
Gingrinch was in favor of a two state solution until he started to pandor to the Jewish vote. He’s about as honest as about as far as you can throw him
OBAMA KNOWS IT, THE EU KNOWS IT, THE UN KNOWS IT,CLINTONS KNOW IT, GEORGE BUSH 1 KNEW IT, REAGAN KNEW IT, CARTER KNOW ITS, NIXON KNEW IT, KENNEDY KNEW IT……..WHATS MORE THE EVERY ARAB COUNTRY KNOWS IT. PALESTINIANS THEMSELVES HAVE ALWAYS KNOW IT. TELL IT ENOUGH TIMES AND THE WORLD STARTS BELIEVING IT. ANYONE HEARD OF A PALISTINIAN STATE PRE 1967?????????? ANYONE???
I am very happy that Newt said the truth and didn’t back down, however note hat he’s a friend of Al Sharpton, also how come Chabad leaders can’t stand up speak like Newt did?.
Hashem didn’t ask Avraham twice if he should sacrifice his son,and Newt wonders why we should keep asking Hashem if somehow now we should,in the name of “peace”.
Benven