PM Netanyahu reveals: PA action forced US to call favors to get Israel in OECD

Dr. Aaron Lerner
IMRA
14 May '10

Consider this revelation:

Netanyahu slammed the PA, especially its Prime Minister Salam Fayyad, for lobbying the OECD member states against admitting Israel into the organization. The PA’s efforts, Netanyahu said, were “a form of economic warfare not compatible with peace, and we view it very gravely. It is a very provocative action, but not something we used to stop the peace talks. We disapprove of it greatly, but it has not been a reason to curtail the talks.”

Netanyahu also said that this form of Palestinian “economic warfare” was incompatible with Israel’s attempts to build economic peace with the PA.

“This is not the idea of peace we have,” he said, “and should not be the idea of peace they have.”

Netanyahu, who was effusive in his praise of OECD secretary-general Jose Angel Gurria for ensuring that the decision to accept Israel would be made on the basis of economic, not political considerations, said he discussed the PA efforts with the Americans. He said the US also used its influence to help ensure Israel’s acceptance into the organization.

Simply put, the United States of America had to call favors with the OECD members to convince them to ignore the Palestinian request to blackball Israel.

Now here are the obvious questions that follow:

#1. Why hasn't the U.S. openly criticized the PA for their action? This when Washington is ready at the drop of a hat to slam Israel?

#2. When will American friends of Israel complain that the Obama Administration is remaining silent about this and other PA activity that undermines confidence in their sincerity to make progress in the "peace process" with Israel?

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OECD entry shows Israel's prominence
By SHARON WROBEL AND HERB KEINON The Jerusalem Post 11/05/2010 02:57
www.jpost.com/Business/BusinessNews/Article.aspx?id=175208

PM: We are on path to become one of the most advanced economies.

Beyond the considerable economic significance of Israel’s acceptance on Monday into the OECD, the move is diplomatically important because it shows that regardless of the political process, Israel has a “place among the nations due to its economic and technological prowess,” Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu told The Jerusalem Post.

(Read full article)

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