Tuesday, December 27, 2005

Netanyahu outlines platform

From Jerusalem Posat Dec. 26, 2005 19:14 Updated Dec. 27, 2005 0:28 By GIL HOFFMAN

Likud chairman Binyamin Netanyahu started off his party's campaign on Monday ...(he) outlined his positions on diplomatic and socioeconomic issues ...

"The time has come for a party to say what Israel will keep and not what we should give away," Netanyahu said. "There are three different approaches: Keeping all the land, which I think would be a mistake; withdrawing from nearly all the land, which Ehud Barak, Sharon and Amir Peretz support and I think is dangerous; and our policy, which is defensible borders for Israel."

...Netanyahu said his "defensible borders" would include the Jordan Valley, the Golan Heights, an undivided Jerusalem, settlement blocs in Judea and Samaria and the hilltops overlooking Ben-Gurion Airport, the Gush Dan region and Route 443.

On economic issues, Netanyahu proposed a series of measures to stimulate the economy, including cutting NIS 4 billion from the defense budget, cutting the value added tax (VAT) to 14 percent, extending train lines to the Negev and the Galilee and building homes in the two regions for recently discharged soldiers.

Netanyahu accused Sharon of harming Israel's security by withdrawing from the Gaza Strip....

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