Netanyahu: Continue war
By Christine Reid
January 17, 2002
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DENVER — The United States must continue its war against terrorism or the world's future is sure to be bleak, former Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Wednesday in Denver.
Netanyahu told a crowd at Temple Hoyne Buell Theater: "Keep it up, America. You will secure our future."
His visit was sponsored in part by the University of Denver's Institute for the Study of Israel in the Middle East. Netanyahu's father taught at the university from 1968 to 1971, but Netanyahu never got a chance to visit because he was serving in the Israeli military.
"I like Colorado. I wish I could stay," he told the audience before charging into a talk about terrorism.
America's response to terrorist attacks Sept. 11 has been handled "brilliantly" so far, Netanyahu said.
With the Taliban government in Afghanistan dismantled, he said, some terrorist networks should "collapse into the dust."
But there must be efforts to topple all governments harboring terrorists, Netanyahu said, singling out Iran and Iraq.
Until the entire threat is eliminated, "the battle against terrorism cannot be completed," he said.
He called the World Trade Center and Pentagon attacks a "wake-up call" for America. And if the war against terrorism isn't won, Netanyahu said, U.S. history will change forever as nuclear weapons enter the equation.
Netanyahu, 53, began fighting terrorism in his early 20s as a special forces soldier called to help with a hijacked plane that was forced to land in Tel Aviv. His commando group, disguised as mechanics, was able to take over the plane, killing two terrorists. A civilian passenger also died.
"He's done it personally on the ground, man-to-man," said Gov. Bill Owens
Owens
after an afternoon meeting welcoming Netanyahu to Denver.
Netanyahu grew up in Jerusalem, but spent his high school years in the United States. He served in the Israeli Embassy in Washington, D.C., was Israel's ambassador to the United Nations and in 1996 became his country's ninth and youngest prime minister. He was defeated for the post in the 1999 election, but he said Wednesday he plans to run again.
Speaking of Israel's longtime turf war with Palestinians, he said civilian casualties that have come from Israeli military strikes are unfortunate — but not as unfortunate as civilian casualties from terrorist attacks at discos, pizzerias and other buildings.
"Terrorism is defined by the nature of the attack," he said. "Nothing, absolutely nothing, justifies terrorism."
About 50 protesters, organized by the Colorado Campaign for Middle East Peace, staged a mock Israeli military checkpoint outside the Buell Theater. Demonstrators said they were illustrating the repression of Palestinians wishing to travel within their own land.
"I had no idea until I experienced the day-to-day humiliation and frustration," said Boulder resident Nadya Waziri, who visited Israeli-occupied areas last month. She said Palestinians have lost jobs, and some have lost their lives, waiting for as long as three hours at checkpoints in their own lands.
"When an Israeli dies, it's terrorism. When a Palestinian dies, it's collateral damage," Waziri said.
Contact Christine Reid at (303) 473-1355 or reidc@thedailycamera.com.
January 17, 2002