The 40th President of the United States, Ronald Reagan, is being buried today - and in the Middle East, Israel has been the only country to pay him tribute as a fond friend. "President Reagan was a friend to Israel," Prime Minister Ariel Sharon's office said in a statement, "and during his presidency, relations between the two countries were based on both understanding and cooperation." Sharon extended his condolences to the Reagan family after Reagan died at the age of 93 on Saturday. The former president was diagnosed with Alzheimer's in 1994.
On Sept. 17, 1982, Reagan made an important speech in which he said, "The United States will not support the establishment of an independent Palestinian state in the West Bank and Gaza. The final status of these lands must, of course, be reached through the give and take of negotiations. But it is the firm view of the United States that self-government by the Palestinians of the West Bank and Gaza in association with Jordan offers the best chance for a durable, just, and lasting peace. We base our approach squarely on the principle that the Arab-Israeli conflict should be resolved through negotiations involving an exchange of territory for peace."
A review of Reagan's presidency vis-a-vis Israel by
Ariel Natan Pasko can be read here.
On Sept. 17, 1982, Reagan made an important speech in which he said, "The United States will not support the establishment of an independent Palestinian state in the West Bank and Gaza. The final status of these lands must, of course, be reached through the give and take of negotiations. But it is the firm view of the United States that self-government by the Palestinians of the West Bank and Gaza in association with Jordan offers the best chance for a durable, just, and lasting peace. We base our approach squarely on the principle that the Arab-Israeli conflict should be resolved through negotiations involving an exchange of territory for peace."
A review of Reagan's presidency vis-a-vis Israel by
Ariel Natan Pasko can be read here.