Rightists flood King David hotel with faxes in protest of Bush visit

Letters addressed to US president urge him to release Pollard and refrain from advancing Israeli territorial concessions in Jerusalem as part of peace agreement with Palestinians
Roi Mandel Published: 01.10.08, 17:03 / Israel News

The King David Hotel in Jerusalem, which is hosting US President George W. Bush and his entourage, has been flooded with faxes sent by right-wing activists protesting the negotiations on the establishment of a Palestinian state and a possible agreement on certain territorial concessions in the capital.

Important Guest Palestinians indifferent to Bush visit / Ali Waked Ramallah residents unmoved by important guest visiting their city. Sharing complaints about traffic and insult to Arafat's memory, most say they believe visit will do no good. 'My grandmother, who can't read or write, can also talk about the need for a vision and state of our own,' Palestinian waiter tells Ynet Full Story

The faxes also urged the Americans to release Israeli spy Jonathan Pollard.

On Wednesday rightists were asked to send their letters directly to president Bush through the hotel's fax number, which was posted on the internet.

Hotel staff passed the letters on to the American delegation.

"I asked President Bush to free Pollard," Ilana Atiya told Ynet, "I wrote to him that there was no point in having dinner with Minister Rafi Eitan – who sent Pollard on his mission (during his days as a Mossad handler) – while Jonathan is still imprisoned. All Pollard did was send us information that was vital to our security; this information should have been sent to Israel by the American government in accordance with the pact signed between the countries."

Atiya sent a second letter asking Bush "to refrain from advancing Jerusalem's division and not place Israel at the center of all the Mideast's problems.

"I told Bush that if Jerusalem were to be divided, my neighbors and I will be attacked with suicide bombers and missiles," she said.