Word: shamir
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Israel, on the other hand, has consistently refused to negotiate with the PLO--which the rabbis concede is the legitimate representative of the Palestinian people. On May, 8, 1988, Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Shamir insisted that "We will never part from Judea, Samaria and Gaza (the Occupied Teritories.)" This should come as little surprise from a man who, only five weeks earlier, likened Palestinians to "grasshoppers" whose heads will be "smashed against the boulders and walls" when they demonstrate for their right to self-determination...
...scenario, of course, is rejected outright by Israel, which regards the P.L.O. as a terrorist group and considers large parts of the occupied territories necessary for its security. "The Israeli government will do everything so that these statements remain empty words, unmatched by deeds," said Prime Minister Yitzhak Shamir. Added Foreign Minister Shimon Peres: "It is not a substitute for dealing seriously with the situation." Ariel Sharon, a former Defense Minister who heads the Industry and Trade Ministry, proposed extending Israeli law to portions of the occupied territories. U.S. officials warned against that move, which would be tantamount to annexation...
Four days later, however, Jordan announced that it was laying off or retiring 21,000 West Bank civil employees, including teachers, health, and utilities workers. Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Shamir responded that Israel would block the P.L.O. from assuming those responsibilities. Jordanian officials said there were no plans to revoke the Jordanian passports held by 750,000 West Bank Palestinians or to close the two bridges that link Jordan and the West Bank...
...last week, two conservative ministers, including Sharon, spoke in favor of annexation, while Labor ministers warned that an expanded Israel would dangerously tilt the balance of the population in favor of the Arabs. No action is expected before the November election of a Prime Minister, which pits hard-liner Shamir against the more moderate Foreign Minister Shimon Peres. Peres, who accepts the concept of a Jordanian- Palestinian delegation at an international peace conference, insisted last week that Hussein's move was "more of a warning than a practical step." One practical consequence, however, may be that Peres could suffer...
Israeli officials accused the British of undermining the Jewish state's security. Yossi Ben-Aharon, Prime Minister Yitzhak Shamir's director general, said the Tornado fighters would allow Saudi Arabia to "hit us in the soft underbelly from the south." But Israeli objections were dismissed by British officials. The Israelis "know full well," said a Cabinet minister, that the weapons will be deployed only as a defense against Iran...