How Does Palestine’s Statehood Ambitions Affect Israel, U.S.?
Published September 19, 2011 | Hannity | Sean Hannity
Special Guests: Michael Ghouse, Lisa Daftari
This is a rush transcript from “Hannity,” September 19, 2011. This copy may not be in its final form and may be updated.
SEAN HANNITY, HOST: And the 66th session of the U.N. General Assembly is now underway and that means, of course, that the world’s most depraved dictators are parading through the streets of New York City.
According to the New York Post, Iran’s Mahmoud Ahmadinejad may use the opportunity to dine with Columbia students. I guess for that Ivy League institution one run in with the biggest terror sponsor in the Middle East was not enough, now they are back for more.
Meanwhile, Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas will use his time in New York to lobby the U.N. for a Palestinian state. Given the amount of energy that they’ve put into terrorism, suicide bombing over the past several years, I think we can all admit they deserve to be given this? I don’t think so.
The U.S. plans to veto any bid for a Palestinian statehood despite Jimmy Carter’s pleas to the contrary.
Joining me now with reaction to all of this, the president of America Coming Together, Michael Ghouse is back with us. Journalist, also is with us.,Lisa Daftari is here.
Guys, thanks for being with us. Michael, let me start with you.
All right, here you have Abbas, aligned with Hamas. Hamas’ charter calls for the destruction of Israel. Hamas involved in all this terror. They deny the right of Israel to even exist.
You tell me, based — basically what we are describing as a terror organization. Why should they be allowed by the United Nations, why should there be a Palestinian statehood, unless and until, they denounce terror and disassociate themselves from terror groups, why?
MIKE GHOUSE, AMERICA COMING TOGETHER FOUNDATION: Well, it is a legitimate thing to Israel and Palestinians have been talking with each other as Israelis and Palestinians. It is given.
HANNITY: Michael, you’re not answering the question. Michael, simple question. If they support terror groups that deny Israel the right to exist, why should they be recognized with a Palestinian state?
GHOUSE: Well, why shouldn’t they?
HANNITY: Because they support terror. That’s why.
GHOUSE: Sean, we have to find peace. If you keep hanging on to those words that Hamas is a terror organization, when are you going to achieve peace?
HANNITY: So you want peace with the terror group. Do you think you can have peace with terrorists that want to wipe Israel off the map like Ahmadinejad? What are you going to say to them if you meet with them? You’re going to say please be nice?
GHOUSE: Israel is a very strong country and they got our full support they don’t need to worry. There is nothing wrong in extending the hand of friendship. If they fail, we have the power to deal with it. But by stretching our hands, we have an opportunity to bring peace.
HANNITY: The United States would not sit down with a group of people that call for our destruction. Lisa, will they?
LISA DAFTARI, MIDDLE EAST EXPERT: No, they wouldn’t. You know what? Coming to the U.N. and declaring statehood does not make a state. You have negotiations you have to sit down with two equal parties that are coming there wanting it and then there’s going to be agreement.
HANNITY: Why do you think that there’s a willingness for so many people to overlook state sponsor terrorism out of Iran, Hamas, Hezbollah, the Muslim Brotherhood, the Islamic Jihad. Why are people so unwilling to recognize these groups for what they are, terror organizations that want to destroy the west?
DAFTARI: Right, so we’re in this —
GHOUSE: Because their drive is to bring peace.
HANNITY: I asked Lisa that question. Hang on. Lisa —
DAFTARI: No, because — right now, we are trying to be politically correct and everyone has to be fair. Israel has a nuclear bomb, Iran needs one too. I mean, Israel is a state and now the Palestinian need to be a state also.
But what we are not understanding here is that, you know, coming to the U.N. and declaring statehood is not going to be beneficial to anybody. It’s going to be negative even for the Palestinian people.
I wonder if Mike could agree to that because what is going to happen is that there is going to be more frustration because we are not coming to it out of an agreement.
For 2-1/2 years we haven’t had any progression in the peace process. We’ve had President Obama asking for freezing in settlements. We’ve had him asking Israel to go back to ’67 borders.
Now Mahmoud Abbas feels compelled, why shouldn’t I come and ask for statehood? What is going to happen, the Palestinians, almost Christmas Eve for them thinking they are going to get a state.
HANNITY: But the question is, look at the New York 9th election, the second biggest voting constituency for the president was Jewish-Americans. He’s losing that vote. So is the president going to try to make a big show supporting Israel? And is it a show considering how badly he treated Netanyahu, the prime minister?
DAFTARI: Well, it is a show and it’s not a show. It is a show because he’s doing it because he wants to be reelected. I absolutely agree with you with that. He has to scale back now that he has called for the ’67 borders, and that was a huge mistake as everybody knows. But also I think no one else is going to support it. I mean, not within the Security Council.
HANNITY: You are right.
DAFTARI: But in the general assembly, we are actually going to pick up a few enemies this week because within the general assembly there will be people.
HANNITY: Michael, I’m going to give you the last word here.
Explain to me again, Michael, what you would say to Abbas, to Fatah, to Hamas in their charter they call for the destruction of Israel? Why should the Israelis sit down with them unless and until they recognize Israel’s right to exist, the simple basic fundamental principle if you want if get along?
GHOUSE: First of all, Abbas, they do recognize Israel’s right to exist.
HANNITY: No, they do not. Hamas does not. In their charter calls for their destruction.
GHOUSE: But Abbas is representing the whole Palestinians —
HANNITY: But Abbas and Hamas are aligned.
GHOUSE: Abbas is supported by the United States and Israel.
HANNITY: A mistake.
GHOUSE: We need to listen to him. He’s trying to bring a change in Hamas.
HANNITY: You’re dreaming. You’re dreaming.
GHOUSE: We have to try to give him all the tools we can — I’m not dreaming, Sean. It’s going to happen.
HANNITY: You have lost your mind.
GHOUSE: We cannot push people, if we push them, they’re going to take a stand. We need give them an opportunity to bring peace.
HANNITY: All right, thank you Michael. Thank you, Lisa.
GHOUSE: Good thing for U.S., good thing for Israel, good thing for America.
HANNITY: All right, guys, good to see you.
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