Word: shamir
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None of the announced candidates can top Mario Cuomo, who scores a perfect 10 on the Pander Meter. Some highlights: in 1988 Cuomo unsuccessfully advised Michael Dukakis to break with the 30 Democratic U.S. Senators (most of them strong supporters of Israel) who had urged Prime Minister Yitzhak Shamir to negotiate with the Palestinians. In June 1990 Cuomo praised Shamir for "correctly refusing to offer any guarantees that would limit the settlement" of Soviet Jews "anywhere in Israel." Last month Cuomo derided President Bush's Middle East maneuvers, saying, "I don't believe you should be evenhanded between the people...
...insult to the prime minister is an insult to all Israelis. A weak response by Shamir would undermine the population's confidence in him as a strong leader able to defend Israel in the international arena...
Indeed, the U.S.'s brash behavior towards Israel could backfire. By emboldening the more radical elements of the Israeli government, U.S. impudency encourages opposition to Shamir's goal of reaching peace accords with neighboring Arab states...
...first stage, when the rules of the game are established," said Justice Minister Dan Meridor, a close adviser to Shamir. "Establishing the rules of the game is very important to us, because the balance of power is not so much in our favor...
That is why Shamir had to say no to the U.S. now. Otherwise, Israel would be expected later on to simply accept imposed solutions with much graver consequences...