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The extraordinary innovations of Israel.

Why eastern Jerusalem, Judea and Samaria are Jewish

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August 31, 2010

 
"The Blood on Their Hands"
 
I was not going to post tonight.  I wanted to take a rest, because the news causes one to be soul-weary.  But there is no rest, and I must put this out now, with tears in my eyes and a burning fury in my heart.  I hope and pray that none of you will be able to read this without feeling the same -- both pain and rage are called for now.
 
The news is that outside of Hebron, four innocent Jews have been murdered by Arabs.  The murdered couple had ten children.  One woman was pregnant.  Rather than write more, I prefer to simply share a major portion of what David Wilder, spokesman for Hebron, has already written:
 
~~~~~~~~~~

"This morning, speaking with a friend, talking about the renewed ‘piece talks’, I told him that more than likely today or tomorrow terrorists would strike. It was just a question of where – around here, the Shomron, or Jerusalem or Tel Aviv. Tonight we received our answer.

Leaving Ma’arat HaMachpela after evening prayers, the beeper beeped. A car had been shot at. A quick phone call, confirming that Jews had been hit, four critically, and I sped off. I had been at the scene of the shooting only a few hours ago, examining how Arabs were stealing water from Jews in the area.

"By the time I arrived, the description had changed. No longer four critically wounded. Four dead. Four killed, shot by terrorists, on their way home. The terrorists’ lives have been made much easier in the past year or so, with various roadblocks being removed in Judea and Samaria. Now it’s fairly simple to access roads used by Jewish civilians, shoot, and then escape.

"The scene was reminiscent of others I’ve witnessed in the past. Ambulances, jeeps, police, medics, soldiers, officers, red lights flashing….and bodies.

"It’s been a long time since I’ve seen four bodies on the street, murdered by Arabs only because they are Jews, living in Israel.

"I sit here, half numb, almost not believing, but knowing that, yes, it’s real. And what to do?

"The first thing that must be done: Netanyahu has to return immediately, cancelling tomorrow’s ‘festive ceremony’ renewing the so-called negotiations with Obama and Abu Mazen.  Israel must make it as clear as possible: we refuse to accept, under any circumstances, and at any price, murder of innocent people on our roads, in our homes, anywhere.  No excuses, no looking the other way, no ‘ifs ands or buts.’ More than the Arabs, Obama must understand in no uncertain terms that our people are not cattle-feed.

"Two: Netanyahu must unfreeze the freeze now. Not on September 26, not leaving everyone wondering ‘what’s he going to do?’ Tomorrow, as these four pure souls are being buried, building must again begin throughout Judea and Samaria. Here again, the Arabs and the Americans must understand that we will not turn the other cheek; there is a price for murdering Jews in Israel.

"Three: Here in Israel we must comprehend that our own people are continuing to incite; making Jewish blood cheap. Two examples: The continued ‘cherem’ – boycott of Israeli actors and performing artists, refusing to perform in Ariel in the Shomron, is incitement. Our Arab neighbors, seeing and hearing Israelis spout revulsion against their supposed brethren is, in the Arab’s eyes, a green light, opening the door to murderous attacks as we witnessed tonight.

"So too with such organizations as Breaking the Silence and others, who continue to spew hate against Jews living in Hebron and the Hebron area, while identifying effusively with our Arab neighbors. This is also incitement; there is no other word for it. Actually there is: treason. A person or individual abetting the enemy is treason.  These people walk the streets of Hebron freely, regurgitating lies about Hebron’s Jewish citizen’s, while showering praises on the ‘poor palestinians’ whose suffer at the hands of the evil Jews.  These ‘poor people’ are planning on taking our land, destroying our country, and continuing to kill Jews. Such ‘tours’ must be stopped.

"Four: Israel has been ‘returning’ security control to armed, uniformed Arabs in cities throughout Judea and Samaria. This too, must be ended. It won’t be any surprise if we eventually discover that the terrorists who murdered four Jews tonight are actually ‘palestinian police,’ trained and armed by General Keith Dayton of the US army, and set free to roam the streets with the permission of the state of Israel.

"According to the latest reports, a number of terrorists participated in the attack. After the car was shot at and stopped, its passengers were shot dozens of times, ensuring their deaths.  It’s been reported that one of the women was pregnant. The couple killed leaves some ten children orphans. You know what it's like to inform ten kids that their parents aren't coming home anymore, that they were killed by terrorists an hour ago?

"This is pure, unadulterated barbarity, brutality characteristic of our ‘piece partners.’  This may very well only be the beginning."

http://www.hebron.com/english/article.php?id=678
 
~~~~~~~~~~

 

 

August 30, 2010

 
"Countdown"
 
...to those meetings in Washington, which shouldn't be happening at all and can come to no good.
 
Let's look first at the words of peace from PA Minister of Religious Affairs Mahmoud Al-Habbash, taken from his Friday sermon of two weeks ago:
 
"Jerusalem can ignite a thousand and one wars", he warned, and unless Jerusalem "returns" to the Palestinians, "its owners," and unless it becomes the capital of the Palestinian people, "there is no peace.
 
"If Jerusalem is dishonored, if Jerusalem is disgraced, if [Jerusalem] is lost, it may leave the door open to all possibilities of struggle, all possibilities of war. The term 'war' cannot be erased from the lexicon of this region as long as Jerusalem is occupied..."
 
This sermon was delivered in the presence of PA President Mahmoud Abbas.  It ran on PA-TV on August 20, and is reported in translation by Palestinian Media Watch.   http://palwatch.org/main.aspx?fi=472&fld_id=474&doc_id=2965  (includes a video that shows Abbas present)
 
There should be no illusion.
 
~~~~~~~~~~
 
For the record, and to dispel even the slightest doubt: Jerusalem never "belonged" to the Palestinian Arabs.  Never.
 
~~~~~~~~~~
 
I rather like Sarah Stern's citation of Henry Kissinger:
 
“When the pursuit of peace becomes the entire objective of foreign policy, it becomes a weapon in the hands of the most ruthless. It produces moral disarmament.”
 
This, of course, is what is going on with the Obama administration, and Stern, founder of EMET, tracks some significant history relevant to what's happening now and the dangers we face, in her excellent piece, "Here We Go Round the Cactus Bush":

http://www.emetonlineblog.com/2010/08/roundthecactusbush/
 
~~~~~~~~~~
 
On the eve of his departure for Washington, Prime Minister Netanyahu has released a statement via his office:
 
"We have insisted that these talks be held without pre-conditions and thus it will be."
 
So there's a "problem" to begin with, because (as I've noted before) Abbas insists he is willing to come to Washington based on the Quartet statement, which requires an extension of the freeze in building, among other things.  Will things move beyond the "pre-negotiations" meeting on September 2?  Will Abbas walk, or will Netanyahu, who still insists the freeze will not be extended, concede some "creative" solution?
 
Netanyahu says "Our goal is to seriously and responsibly advance a peace agreement that will be based on the following principles: 
 
"First of all, the recognition of Israel as the national state of the Jewish People, the end of the conflict and of claims on Israel, that will stem from recognizing it as the national state of the Jewish People, and the establishment of tangible security measures on the ground so as to ensure that there will not be a repeat in Judea and Samaria of what happened in Lebanon and the Gaza Strip after Israel withdrew from these areas."
 
Not sufficient, but a solid beginning.  If he were to solidly adhere to this, should there be negotiations, we would have no need to fear a "two state solution."   Which does not mean the negotiations themselves are without dangers, as Stern, above, points out.
 
~~~~~~~~~~
 
From this the prime minister launches into politically calculated nonsense about a peace for generations that can be achieved if "the Palestinian leadership approaches these talks with the same degree of seriousness."
 
Right.
 
~~~~~~~~~~
 
It seems the right time, given the Abbas demands, to review once again the reasons why the Arabs cannot claim everything beyond the Green Line -- even though they have much of the world convinced that they can:
 
[] The very areas that the Arabs claim as "theirs" -- eastern Jerusalem and Judea and Samaria -- remain at the heart of ancient Jewish heritage in the land.  No spot on earth is as sacred to the Jews as the Temple Mount, where two Temples stood -- the presence on that Mount of a mosque today in no way changes this. (A mosque, it should be noted, that was placed specifically there with intent.)  Within Judea and Samaria are such sites as Judaism's second holiest city, Hebron, with the Machpela, the Cave of the Patriarchs, and Kever Rachel (Rachel's Tomb) and Shilo, where the Tabernacle was brought.
 
[] The Mandate for Palestine of 1922, confirmed within international law by the League of Nations and never superseded, acknowledges all of the land from the river to the sea to be part of a Jewish homeland.  It was based on a recognition of this ancient Jewish heritage.
 
[] The Green Line was never a border, but only a temporary armistice line at the end of fighting in 1949.  Written into Israel's armistice agreement with Jordan was an explicit understanding that this armistice line would not prejudice future negotiations on a final border for Israel.
 
[] After the war in 1967, when Israel took control of Judea and Samaria, UN SC Resolution 242, recognizing that the Green Line was not a secure border for Israel, required only partial withdrawal from Judea and Samaria.  And this withdrawal only in the context of full negotiations.
 
Israel moved into Judea and Samaria in a defensive war, which provides further legal justification for not pulling all the way back:  It is understood that in a defensive war acquisition of additional strategic depth is often necessary to reduce vulnerability and preclude further attacks.
 
[] All understandings -- Oslo, etc. -- require negotiations for determination of the final borders. No where is it written that the Green Line is the border or that the border should be agreed upon prior to negotiations.
 
~~~~~~~~~~
 
As to the whole business about not building in "settlements":
 
[] The Palestinian Arabs managed to negotiate in 2000 (Arafat with Barak) and then in 2008 (Abbas with Olmert) without a prior stipulation requiring a freeze.  This is a new addition to the Arab demands.
 
[] The bottom-line implication of this stipulation is that a Palestinian state would have to be Judenrein. Somehow the world accepts this, even though 20% of Israel is Arab.  There is no logical reason why Jews could not remain in land that might become a Palestinian state.
 
[] The entire premise of the freeze is to prevent encroachment on what will -- in the PA conceptualization of matters -- soon officially become Palestinian land.  But the parameters of that land must be negotiated and are not yet determined.
 
[] In light of the fact that the borders are not determined, there is an essential injustice at work: Arabs are permitted to continue building in what might, after negotiations, be part of Israel.  Only Jews are inhibited from building.
 
(I trust that my readers understand that the above is hypothetical -- important for the sake of argument -- and in no way an expression of my expectation that a Palestinian state will emerge shortly.)
 
~~~~~~~~~~ 
 
I end with this, one of the most eloquent and thoughtful essays I've read on the issue of the mosque at Ground Zero:
 
"The World Trade Center Mosque and the Constitution," by Mark Helprin, in the Wall Street Journal.
"The plan to erect a mosque of major proportions in what would have been the shadow of the World Trade Center involves not just the indisputable constitutional rights that sanction it, but, providentially, others that may frustrate it.

"Mosques have commemoratively been established upon the ruins or in the shells of the sacred buildings of other religions—most notably but not exclusively in Cordoba, Jerusalem, Istanbul, and India. When sited in this fashion they are monuments to victory, and the chief objection to this one is not to its existence but that it would be near the site of atrocities—not just one—closely associated with mosques because they were planned and at times celebrated in them.

"Building close to Ground Zero disregards the passions, grief and preferences not only of most of the families of September 11th but, because we are all the families of September 11th, those of the American people as well, even if not the whole of the American people. If the project is to promote moderate Islam, why have its sponsors so relentlessly, without the slightest compromise, insisted upon such a sensitive and inflammatory setting? That is not moderate. It is aggressively militant.

"Disregarding pleas to build it at a sufficient remove so as not to be linked to an abomination committed, widely praised, and throughout the world seldom condemned in the name of Islam, the militant proponents of the World Trade Center mosque are guilty of a poorly concealed provocation. They dare Americans to appear anti-Islamic and intolerant or just to roll over.

"...constitutionally...there is unquestionably a right to build...we have principles that we value highly and will not abandon. The difficulty is that the principles of equal treatment and freedom of religion have, so to speak, been taken hostage by the provocation. As in many hostage situations, the choice seems to be between injuring what we hold dear or accepting defeat. This, anyway, is how it has played out so far.

"The proponents of the mosque know that Americans will not and cannot betray our constitutional liberties. Knowing that we would not rip the foundation from the more than 200 years of our history that it underpins, they may imagine that they have achieved a kind of checkmate.

"Their knowledge of the Constitution, however, does not penetrate very far, and perhaps they are not as clever as they think. The Constitution is a marvelous document, and a reasonable interpretation of it means as well that no American can be forced to pour concrete. No American can be forced to deliver materials. No American can be forced to bid on a contract, to run conduit, dig a foundation, or join steel.

"And a reasonable interpretation of the Constitution means that the firemen's, police, and restaurant workers' unions, among others, and the families of the September 11th dead, and anyone who would protect, sympathize with and honor them, are free to assemble, protest and picket at the site of the mosque that under the Constitution is free to be built.

" reasonable interpretation of the Constitution means that no American can be forced to cross a picket line in violation of conscience or even of mere preference. Who, in all decency, would cross a picket line manned by those whose kin were slaughtered—by the thousands—so terribly nearby? And who in all decency would cross such a line manned by the firemen, police and other emergency personnel who know every day that they may be called upon to give their lives in a second act?

"Michael Bloomberg, the mayor of New York, says of those who with heartbreaking bravery went into the towers: "We do not honor their lives by denying the very constitutional rights they died protecting."

"Mr. Mayor, the firemen, the police, the EMTs and the paramedics who rushed into those buildings, many of them knowing that they would die there, did not do so to protect constitutional rights. They went often knowingly to their deaths to protect what the Constitution itself protects: people, flesh and blood, men and women, mothers and fathers, sons and daughters, sisters and brothers. Although you yourself may not know this, they did.

"The choice is not between abandoning them or abandoning the Constitution, for although the liberties the Constitution guarantees sometimes put us at a disadvantage even of self-preservation, they also make it possible for 300 million Americans to prevail—reasonably, peacefully, and within the limits of the law—against provocations such as this.

"They make it possible to prevent the construction of the mosque at this general location...not by force or decree but by argument, persuasion, and peaceable assembly. These are rights that the Constitution guarantees as well, and clearly it is one's constitutional right to oppose the mosque, not to participate in the building of it, and to convince others of the same."

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704147804575455503946170176.html

~~~~~~~~~~

Hopefully Americans are picking up on this theme and preparing now to respond as described.  What a glorious victory it would be if picketing Americans in large numbers stopped mosque construction.
 
(Thanks, Gordon P.)
 
~~~~~~~~~~

 

August 29, 2010

 
"Out in Force"
 
Not military troops, but the Obama-supporting "pro-peace" guys.  Prior to the meetings in Washington, they're working overtime to convince people that everything is going to be just great, and that, with a proper application of "hard work," peace is going to break out any time soon now.
 
Do not believe it for a second.  The facts tell another story.  Whatever these "experts" are saying, it is critical to hold fast to the reality, and share it in all possible venues.
 
Last week, a high profile David Makovsky, director of the project on the Middle East of The Washington Institute for Near East Policy, wrote a piece in the JPost -- “Quiet progress in the long quest for peace” -- in which he described how, in spite of problems, progress was being made by the PA. 
 
One of the issues he touched upon was education in PA supervised schools, something I just happen to have some familiarity with.  Makovsky wrote: "screening is also being conducted [by the PA] to weed out school teachers who support Hamas radicalism."
 
Sounds great, huh? After this effort is completed, all those teachers who support that nasty Hamas radicalism will be eliminated, and only teachers who support the moderate Fatah line will remain.  This clearly is the "between the lines" message here.  Except that there's a really major problem:
 
It is the Fatah-controlled Palestinian Authority, and not Hamas, that produced the textbooks filled with incitement that the PA schools use. The textbooks that say Jews have no roots in the land, and that all of Israel is "Palestine," and that jihad and "martyrdom" are praiseworthy.  So, even if all the Hamas-oriented teachers were eliminated, the message the kids were getting would still be the same.  Some "progress."
 
~~~~~~~~~~
 
Makovsky also wrote that, “The PA has begun reshaping the curriculum of Palestinian institutions that accredit imams..."
 
I don't know about imam education in the PA, and so I went to someone who knows quite well: Dr. Arnon Groiss, Director of Research for IMPACT-SE –- which monitors Arab educational materials; I greatly respect his knowledge and his integrity. 
 
Dr. Groiss told me that he wishes it were so that the curriculum for imams was being revised, but he has heard nothing about this.  The PA Ministry of Religious Affairs oversees ten schools that train imams.  These schools use 25 texts in different religious subjects that are either published by or for the PA, in Jordan.  Bearing the PA logo, they were all originally Jordanian. 
 
More "progress."
 
~~~~~~~~~~
 
Those who saw my letter to the JPost on Friday addressing this subject will find the above a repeat. But I considered this information important enough to merit being shared more broadly.
 
~~~~~~~~~~
 
Then there was another heavy hitter -- Martin Indyk, the director of the foreign policy program at the Brookings Institution -- whose piece in the NY Times appeared at the same time Makovsky's did in the JPost.  His was entitled, "For Once, Hope in the Middle East."
 
No friend of Israel in the best of circumstances, Indyk made a series of dubious statements.  It will suffice to examine a couple of the most significant:
 
"First, violence is down considerably in the region. Throughout the 1990s, Israel was plagued by terrorist attacks, which undermined its leaders’ ability to justify tangible concessions...Israelis came to believe that the Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat was playing a double game, professing peace in the negotiations while allowing terrorists to operate in territory he was supposed to control.
"Today, the Palestinian Authority is policing its West Bank territory to prevent violent attacks on Israelis and to prove its reliability as a negotiating partner...

"These efforts, combined with more effective Israeli security measures, have meant that the number of Israeli civilians killed in terrorist attacks has dropped."

~~~~~~~~~~

The worst plague of terror attacks was not in the 90s, however.  It was beginning in 2000, with the Palestinian Arab war known as the second intifada.  The terrorism in the 90s hadn't inhibited Israeli leaders (such as they were) from making "tangible concessions."  It was in 2000 that huge concessions were made by then PM Ehud Barak, which included such things as the sharing of Jerusalem and a very substantial pull back from Judea and Samaria. Only AFTER these tangible concessions were made did Arafat unleash the new wave of terror.

~~~~~~~~~~

As to the PA "policing its West Bank territory," "policing" is probably the correct word.  I understand, that they do effectively go after car thieves and the like.  However, their ability and desire to pursue terrorists, while improved, is, shall we say, less successful.  The bottom line is that terrorist attacks against Israelis are way down because in 2002 the IDF went back into Palestinian-controlled areas from which we had pulled back.  And since 2002 we have maintained the right to go after terrorists in these areas, even in places where we have in recent times allowed more control by PA security forces.  We operate at night, and, as I understand it (although the IDF has stonewalled my attempts to learn roughly how many operations occur nightly) there are multiple operations each night -- after specific terrorists, as well as weapons manufacturing and storage sites.

Please note that what is at the heart of terrorist control operations is mentioned peripherally by Indyk: "These efforts, combined with more effective Israeli security measures..."

If PA forces are attempting to prevent terror attacks against Israelis at the moment (a questionable proposition at best), it is because it is politically expedient to do so at this particular moment, and not because of any intrinsic concern for bringing peace to their Jewish neighbors.  The bottom line is that Fatah will never move to totally take out Hamas in Judea and Samaria.  In spite of the very real tensions and animosities between Fatah and Hamas, they are also bound together in many ways.  In this traditional society, where allegiance to the clan remains strong, there may be Fatah and Hamas people within one clan.  The fact remains (never addressed by people like Indyk) that more than 50% of the PA budget goes to Gaza, and thus finds its way, in some considerable measure, into Hamas hands.

This reality stands as a strong argument for not giving the Palestinian Authority a state in Judea and Samaria: There are many very savvy analysts who believe that if the IDF were to pull out, Hamas would move in.

~~~~~~~~~~

Enough said here.  The reader of analyses such as those by Makovsky and Indyk are advised to think twice.

~~~~~~~~~~

I have repeatedly said that Abbas worries for his life, literally, with regard to his negotiating with Israel -- because a number of terrorist-oriented groups are opposed to his doing so, and they play very rough indeed. 

Now we have something that gives additional credence to this:

Yesterday, Hamas leader Khalil al-Hayya issued a warning to the PA with regard to negotiations.  He said that "the Izz-a-Din al-Qassam Brigades [the Hamas military wing] will step on the heads of those who dare cede the right of return, Jerusalem, and Palestine." 

I had always sort of envisioned a throat-slitting sort of threat, but stepping on heads makes the point just as graphically, or more so.  What does it avail Abbas to sit at the table if he can safely make no concessions on "return," Jerusalem, or borders -- while indeed the US and the EU will be expecting him to do just that?

~~~~~~~~~~

It's difficult indeed to read reports of the enormous enthusiasm with which Netanyahu embraces the idea of direct negotiations -- even as he adds the proviso that all of this depends on a cooperative PA.  His latest was a suggestion that he and Abbas meet directly every two weeks.  (Netanyahu has said he himself will head talks.)

Not only has Abbas already nixed this, he is attempting to set a scene that will make failure of those talks (that haven't started yet) our fault.  Claiming that "Israel's security can't continue to be the excuse for continued occupation," he says he has already notified US and other international leaders that Israel will bear full responsibility for the failure of the peace talks if we don't extend the freeze on building.

Habayit Hayehudi leaders have said they will likely pull out of the coalition if the freeze is extended.

We're coming down to the wire, and all bets are off in terms of how this will play out.

~~~~~~~~~~

I categorize this still in the realm of rumor, but one having significant enough import to merit a mention here:  According to the Daily Telegraph (UK) yesterday, Obama will be visiting Israel as part of his "peace" push. Nothing official from either the US or Israel.

Fervently do I hope he stays away.  I have no desire to see him curry favor at our expense. The major impact for me of his being here would be that his entourage and accompanying security would cause unbearable traffic snarls.

~~~~~~~~~~

Another rumor making the rounds: That Obama intends to advance a "peace plan" that would be signed in a year but wouldn't be implemented for ten.  This, if true, suggests that he knows darn well that the situation is not ripe for peace now, but that he wants the credit for having promoted it.

A very dangerous plan, reminiscent of the plan to be put on a shelf from the last administration.  If the situation doesn't permit an agreement, no agreement should be made.  Period.  Who knows what will be in ten years?

A watch and see situation...

~~~~~~~~~~

Let me return briefly to the issue of the string of photos that has been broadly sent out by e-mail, without attribution,  represented as pictures showing a more upscale Gaza.

My original impression that all was not legit has been confirmed in a variety of ways.  Let me pass by the fact that I located a photographer's name on one, but found, when googling him, only pictures he had taken of Dubai, and that the name of the hotel seen in another picture cannot be located on the Internet as being in Gaza. 

One reader wrote to say that a very reliable acquaintance of hers identified one photo as being in Casablanca, where she grew up.

The British-Israel Group (BIG) has also issued a proviso, very similar to mine, with regard to these photos. Said BIG:

"These photos had NO context and NO description and were highly suspect.

"From research by Tom Gross, a correspondent whose articles we have used in the past, it appears that some of the photos are actually from Damascus or Beirut, and one we know for certain is from a beach in Ashdod."

Lastly I note that there has been a claim that there was a documenting source: that Arutz Sheva had presented this list of photos.  But none of the e-mail transmissions I saw mentioned Arutz Sheva, and with good reason: Arutz Sheva showed 13 photos.  The anonymous e-mails showed 36.  Seems the original Arutz Sheva list of photos was borrowed as a starting point, with some creative additions then made. 

~~~~~~~~~~

A return, as well, to the issue of Z Street being held up on receiving status as a 501(c)(3) non-profit, which would permit  tax exemptions for donations, essentially because Z Street's position on Israel doesn't comport with Obama's.  This is a situation that has prompted Z Street co-founder Lori Lowenthal Marcus to bring suit against the IRS for interference with First Amendment rights.

According to Z Street:  "An IRS agent told Z Street’s lawyers that the application was delayed because of a Special Israel Policy that requires greater scrutiny of organizations which have to do with Israel, in part to determine whether they espouse positions on Israel contrary to those of the current Administration."  These cases are referred to a "special unit in the DC office."

If this doesn't scare the hell out of you, you're asleep at the wheel.  Involve your organizations in protesting, without delay!

~~~~~~~~~~

 

August 26, 2010

 
"The Good Fight"
 
That's what we -- Israelis and all those who love Israel -- must take on. The situation is enough to make one tear one's hair out.  But the antidote is hard work to combat the threats and the insanity.
 
~~~~~~~~~
 
Let's begin with a piece on the dangers of the US training of PA security forces, which I wrote with David Bedein, and which has now been put up in the JPost.  It is exceedingly relevant with regard to current prospects for "peace negotiations" and the issue of demilitarization of a Palestinian state.
 
There is considerable evidence that the PA forces, no matter how trained, will not reliably take on Hamas. What is more, there is genuine concern that these forces might in time actually turn on Israel.
 
http://www.jpost.com/Opinion/Op-EdContributors/Article.aspx?id=185979
 
~~~~~~~~~~
 
I spoke yesterday about contacting your elected officials in Congress regarding incitement in PA textbooks.
 
The issue of the US training of PA forces is yet another one about which they are lacking information.  In the main, they have been told that this training is going swimmingly well. Anyone seeking more information, after reading the article, is invited to contact me.
 
For your Congresspersons: 

http://www.house.gov/house/MemberWWW_by_State.shtml 

For your Senators: 

http://www.senate.gov/general/contact_information/senators_cfm.cfm 

~~~~~~~~~~ 

Please see an excellent "tell-it-like-it-is" article by Khaled Abu Toameh, writing in Hudson-NY: "Abbas & Fayyad: Do They Have a Mandate?"

 
The answer, of course, is that they do not.  Says Abu Toameh:

"A president whose term in office expired a long time ago, and a prime minister who won about 2% of the vote when he ran in an election, have now been invited by the US Administration to hold direct peace talks with Israel on behalf of the Palestinians.

"...The 18-member PLO Executive Committee, which met in Ramallah last week to approve the Palestinians' participation in the direct talks with Israel, is dominated by unelected veteran officials.

"Only nine PLO officials attended the meeting. The PLO constitution requires a minimum of 12 members for a quorum. This means that, contrary to reports in the Palestinian and international media, Abbas and Fayyad do not have the support of the PLO committee to negotiate directly with Israel.

"With regards to the Central Council of Fatah, it remains unclear whether its 21 members ever endorsed the US invitation to hold direct talks with Israel.

"So here is a president whose term in office expired in January 2009 -- and who has won the backing of only some of his traditional loyalists -- preparing to negotiate with Israel about extremely important issues such as borders, refugees, Jerusalem, settlements and security.

"As if it is not enough that Abbas and Fayyad do not have a real mandate from their people, now they are going to lose what is left of their credibility as they appear to have "succumbed" to the outside pressure.

"...Over the past few months, Abbas and Fayyad had been telling their people that there would be no direct talks with Israel unless their conditions are fulfilled. Now, however, they...and are being pressured to the negotiating table by Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama.

"...How can any Palestinian buy an agreement from them after they told their people that they are going to the talks only because the Americans and Europeans threatened to cut off financial aid?

"Any agreement Abbas and Fayyad bring back home will be seen by many Palestinians as the fruit of 'extortion' and 'threats' and not as the result of peace talks that were conducted in good faith.

"Leaders who do not have a clear mandate from their people will not be able to strike any deal with Israel, particularly when it concerns explosive issues such as Jerusalem, refugees and settlements...

"Abbas and Fayyad are nonetheless not stupid. The two are well aware of the fact that they do not have a mandate to sign any agreement with Israel. This is why they will search for any excuse to withdraw from the direct talks and blame Israel for the failure of the peace process."

www.hudson-ny.org/1502/abbas-fayyad-mandate

~~~~~~~~~~

For a taste of PA intransigence, it would be hard to beat this.  The PA cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Fayyad met, reports WAFA (the PLO news agency,) and approved the decision to go ahead with negotiations, based on the Quartet statement.

The full cabinet statement included condemnation of all Israeli "violations."  Included was condemnation of "the settlements' plans in East Jerusalem such as building a huge elevator system which connects the Jewish square in East Jerusalem's
Old City' and the western wall."

Of course it is nonsense to call these "the settlement's plans" -- this phrase is meaningless. But there is talk (by the Municipality?  a ministry?  not sure) about putting in an elevator between the Jewish Quarter (the Rova) and the plaza in front of the Kotel.  Anyone who has been there knows what a huge set of steps there is between the two -- steps that inhibit movement for the elderly or disabled.  What a lovely thing this would be.

~~~~~~~~~~

One particular e-mail has been forwarded to me in recent days more frequently than any other e-mail I've ever received.  I've been astonished at the frequency with which it has come into my In-box. 

The e-mail I'm referring to says at the top something like "Can you guess where these pictures were taken?"  Then after a string of some 20 or more pictures, the "answer" is provided: "Gaza."

The problem is that there is no person's name attached to this, no organization or site. No identification that might be used to confirm what is being said.  And, quite simply, there is no way to know if these really are pictures of Gaza.  I myself, and some others I consulted with, have some doubts.

The idea, of course, is to show how luxurious Gaza is, even as there are claims of suffering there.  Certainly I know Gaza in its totality is not as dreary, as slum-like and down-and-out as some would have us believe.  And I have readily shared pictures of a Gaza market filled with goods, the new swimming pool and more.  But in all of these instances I confirmed their validity.

What it seemed to me is that some of the pictures in this sequence were from Gaza, while others -- of the more "glitzy' and upscale buildings -- seemed likely not.

And yet, thousands upon thousands of people are accepting this as a given veracity.  One of the dangers of the Internet.

My advice, across the board, is not to share material unless it can be validated and confirmed. There is enough legitimate material that can be confirmed to combat the lies coming from the other side without relying upon what is dubious and may be fallacious.  Our integrity in fighting that good fight depends upon our reliability as we present information.  If we are not careful, we can -- inadvertently and unintentionally -- undermine our own case

~~~~~~~~~~

"The Good News Corner"

Certain parts of the country are currently adrift in storks, and will be for some time yet.

Israel is the crossroads for many birds in migration, and right now it's stork migration time, with the birds heading south.  At the moment, at the height of the migration, some 31,000 storks are in the south.  They flew over the Beit She'an valley and then landed in the Negev, where they will rest before continuing on to east Africa for the winter. By the end of the migration, which takes six weeks, some 350,000 storks will have been in Israel.  This is an annual event.

When the birds were expected over the Beit She'an area, experts from the Society for the Protection of Nature in Israel advised farmers to plow their fields to uncover rodents so the birds could prey on them -- thereby benefiting both birds and farmers. 

The SPNI, working with the Air Force, is monitoring the flight of these birds, which can cause a hazard if they collide with air craft.

 

Incredibly, all of the various species of birds who will migrate over Israel this fall and winter will total 500 million.

~~~~~~~~~~

 

 

August 25, 2010

 
"Flippant to Furious"
 
Yesterday it was easy to allow myself a touch of flippancy in writing my post.  Perhaps a way of mocking occurrences; certainly a way for me to handle their insanity.
 
Today, there is only a slow, deep fury:
 
A "senior American official" here in Jerusalem -- apparently the same one I cited yesterday as saying that both sides are ready to negotiate -- is being quoted as also having said that "the US administration expects that neither side will take any measure to poison the atmosphere or derail the talks."
 
All this talk by Clinton about how the US is extending the invitation for Netanyahu and Abbas to come to Washington to talk, "without preconditions," was predictably just that: talk.   Of course what the "official" is saying constitutes the imposition of "preconditions." 
 
And, I might add, while he speaks of "both sides," it is Israel he is referring to.  Why?  Because it is only the PA that says, "If Israel does thus and such we'll not be at the table."  Our eager prime minister, in contrast, declares, "I've been waiting for these talks to begin, this is great."  Period.
 
~~~~~~~~~~
 
If I were in charge of our government's response, I'd say something like this:
 
"I so want to start talks.  But I want them to really succeed. And we all know, for them to succeed, the Palestinian people must be prepared for peace.  But this hasn't happened.  To this very day, the young people in the PA schools are being taught that jihad is praiseworthy.  We cannot come to the table until we have solid evidence that the PA textbooks are being republished with all of the incitement excised.  Mr. Abbas needs to know:  He can have incitement or negotiations, but not both."
 
~~~~~~~~~~
 
Then at a press conference I would provide samples -- in the original Arabic, and translated to English -- from textbooks produced and used by the Palestinian Authority.  Samples such as these:
 
Reading and Texts, Grade 8, part 2, page 16:
 
"Your enemies seek life and you seek death...
 
"These drops of blood that flow from your bodies will be transformed into red fiery shooting stars that will come down on the heads of your enemies."
From Our Beautiful Language, Grade 7, Part 1, p. 97. A section from a poem, called "The Martyr" that is to be studied:

"I shall carry my soul in my palm

"And toss it into the abyss of destruction

"...Hearing [weapons'] clash is pleasant to my ear

"And the flow of blood gladdens my soul."

This material can be found at: http://www.impact-se.org/research/pa/index.html -- the Institute for Monitoring Peace and Cultural Tolerance in School Education.
 
~~~~~~~~~~
 
Netanyahu may not raise this issue with Obama.  More's the pity.
 
But each of you can raise it with your elected representatives in Congress.  Please share one or both of these poems with them, and implore them to do everything in their power to stop President Obama from leaning on Israel with regard to concessions so that PA president Abbas will come to the negotiating table.  Explain that Abbas is not a legitimate partner for peace, and that it does Israel a severe injustice to apply pressure.
 
For your Congresspersons: 

http://www.house.gov/house/MemberWWW_by_State.shtml 

For your Senators: 

http://www.senate.gov/general/contact_information/senators_cfm.cfm

 
~~~~~~~~~~
 
If you really want to help, write letters to the editor and call in to talk shows as well.  Expose the hypocrisy of the PA, via these poems, and the unfairness of putting pressure on Israel.
 
~~~~~~~~~~
 
There is yet another source of fury that has been exposed.  And in this case my anger is directed at my own government.  According to an AP report carried by YNET:
 
"Israeli officials confirmed...that the government is in quiet talks with the United States in search of a 'creative' solution that will allow at least some limited construction to take place after Israel's 10-month moratorium ends on Sept. 26.
 
"The officials said Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is well aware of the high stakes ahead of the September 2 date marked for the launching of negotiations between Israel and the Palestinians.
 
"'Many options are being discussed. It's not that simple,' said Foreign Ministry spokesman Yigal Palmor."
 
~~~~~~~~~~
 
"Allow at least some limited construction to take place...after the moratorium ends"?  How shall I describe this?  Disgusting? Shameful?  We are going to take instruction from Obama's government with regard to where we can build?
 
Precisely where is the quid pro quo here?  What are we going to get for all of this "cooperation" and loss of integrity?  More demands, more loss of control, is what we'll get.
 
~~~~~~~~~~
 
The PA has begun its counter-attack with regard to preconditions.  Saeb Erekat is now charging that we have put out our own list of preconditions, demanding forces in the Jordan, a united Jerusalem, and recognition as a Jewish state.
 
I would like to clarify this, because he is misrepresenting.  A precondition means, "I won't talk to you unless..."  The PA is saying they won't meet with us unless we freeze construction in settlements.  They won't sit down at the table. 
 
We have said nothing of the sort.  For better or worse, we are saying, "Sure, we'll sit down.  No demands of you up front.  And we can discuss everything. But please know that we have our positions on these issues -- a united Jerusalem, etc. etc.  Sitting down with you does not mean we agree to all your demands."
 
Very clearly, the PA has staked out its positions:  Eastern Jerusalem, everything over the Green Line, etc.
 
~~~~~~~~~~
 
I share this rather hair-raising information from Z Street:
 
"Z STREET, a pro-Israel non-profit corporation, filed a lawsuit in federal court today charging that the IRS violated the organization’s First Amendment rights.  The suit was filed after Z STREET was told by an IRS official that its application for tax-exempt status has been delayed because an IRS policy requires consideration of whether a group’s views on Israel differ from those of the current Administration.
 
"'...it is...a clear violation of the First Amendment for a government agency to penalize an organization because of its political position on Israel or anything else,' said Z STREET president Lori Lowenthal Marcus, a former First Amendment lawyer." 

http://www.main4.org/newsletter/display.php?M=28842&C=9635ed607f0a8870463721146545e1ee&S=95&L=11&N=46
 
~~~~~~~~~~

 

 

 

August 24, 2010

 
"Beyond Ludicrous"
 
It's gotten so that I cannot deal with the news -- both with regard to what key figures are saying and how the media present it -- without feeling colossally irked.  Stupidity is irritating.
 
Take this, from today's JPost, front page:
 
"For a second straight day, Palestinian Arab eaders have threatened to walk away from upcoming talks if Israel does not extend the settlement construction moratorium on September 26.  This has led a government official on Monday to question if the Palestinians "were not looking for excuses to pull out of the talks even before they began.'"
 
Gasp!  How perceptive this official is.  
 
Never mind that Abbas's reluctance to sit at the table has been smacking us in the face.  No, let me rephrase this: Abbas may be reflecting more terror than reluctance.  A whole slew of Palestinian Arab groups, as well as some members of his own Fatah, are adamantly opposed to his participating in direct talks.  In fact, hundreds of politically-connected Palestinian Arabs have signed a petition warning him not to succumb to pressure to continue if his demands are not met.  Explicitly because of the planned direct talks, Hamas indefinitely postponed a meeting with Fatah that had been scheduled for Sunday night.
 
Abbas at one point had appeared to consent to come to the table (with PLO Executive Committee consent), but then backtracked in face of almost blanket condemnation, and charges of having sold out.  He has been given no wiggle room.
 
~~~~~~~~~~
 
On Sunday, Abbas drafted a letter to representatives of the Quartet stating that the PA would pull out if Israel did not extend the freeze; it was delivered by negotiator Saeb Erekat.  Israel has a choice, said Abbas:  Peace or settlements. And, it must be noted, Abbas is now also demanding a total building freeze in Jerusalem past the Green Line, which he has indicated has prime importance.  (This "freeze" apparently includes a cessation of all evictions of Arabs, even if they are illegally occupying their quarters.)
 
Yesterday -- according to the Arab language daily Al-Quds Al-Arabi (London), as reported in the JPost -- Abbas asked the PLO Executive Committee for one month to try negotiations before deciding what to do next.  He won't move without at least the PLO Executive behind him.  
 
According to this report, Executive Committee member Hana Amira said that Abbas believes the talks "will fail" after the building freeze expires on September 26.  Now, I understand that this is a translation, but the passive voice here fascinates me.  As if he will have no part in what will occur.  And, more significantly, he speaks as if he has no hope that things will work out, but is simply biding his time until he can pack up and leave.
 
The report further said that, according to Amira, no official decision was made to give Abbas permission to proceed last Friday -- as the news had announced and as I had subsequently written -- because there was no quorum present during the discussion.
 
~~~~~~~~~~
 
And here we have the most ludicrous statement of all.  According to YNet, a US official here in Jerusalem told reporters that Washington expects the parties to "overcome difficulties" and come to a full agreement in one year.  A partial deal "will not satisfy Washington."
 
Excuse me?  Is satisfying Washington what this is all about?
 
Said this official, Washington believes that both leaders are ready to confront the difficulties in order to reach peace. 
 
This leaves one speechless.
 
And so, my friends, if I am a tad flippant on occasion, even though the issues are very serious, it's because I've come to see quite clearly that the inmates are running the asylum.
 
~~~~~~~~~~
 
But here my flippancy ceases.
 
The US has indicated that it does not expect Israel to agree to any additional freeze prior to the start of negotiations.  After all, didn't Secretary of State Clinton say that talks should begin without pre-conditions? The time to discuss the settlements, we're being told, is during those direct talks.
 
And so, the limited time period between September 2 and September 26 will be critical, for that is when the squeeze will be put on Israel most intensively by the US.  Focusing even more:  State Department spokesman JP Crowley said today that the time to discuss a freeze was on September 2, when the two leaders came together.  This is actually prior to the beginning of actual negotiations.
 
~~~~~~~~~~
 
Vice Premier Silvan Shalom (Likud) yesterday told Quartet envoy Tony Blair that Arafat didn't demand pre-conditions, and neither did Abbas when negotiating with Olmert.  He said was "pleased about the renewal of direct negotiations with the Palestinians," but indicated that adding pre-conditions could derail the process before it even took off.
 
Does Shalom's statement constitute a guarantee that Netanyahu will not cave?  The prime minister may hold tight.  I'm praying he will.  He has repeatedly pledged to do so.  But a guarantee?  Nope.  Netanyahu is known for buckling in the face of US pressure.
 
In part it's a question of what he thinks his coalition will bear.  And so the possibility exists that he'll offer some compromise.  Walking that tightrope is Netanyahu's style -- trying to keep both his own people and the PA/the US happy at the same time, without actually taking a firm, clear, principled stand.
 
There are two likelihoods in terms of compromise. The first was proposed by Minister of Intelligence Dan Merridor (Likud):  Begin construction only in the main settlement blocs that we'd be likely to keep in a final settlement. That would mean, certainly, continued building in Jerusalem.
 
The second involves subterfuge: Make no announcement that the freeze is extended, but, de facto, don't build.
 
My guess is that, thankfully, neither of these options would satisfy Abbas. He has as much as indicated so already.  The pressure on him not to cave is so great that nothing less than a full and public concession on our part is likely to allow him to face his critics and also come to the table.  Here we have a case (as we would in the negotiations) of the maximum our prime minister can give being less than he can accept.
 
~~~~~~~~~~
 
Now's the time:  Let's help keep Netanyahu strong by contacting him:
 
Fax: 02-670-5369 (From the US: 011-972-2-670-5369)
E-mail: Memshala@pmo.gov.il and also pm_eng2@it.pmo.gov.il (underscore after pm) use both addresses

~~~~~~~~~~

Keep the message very short and simple.  The impact is less if the message is too long or involved. 

He promised that the freeze would not be extended.  The security and the integrity of Israel require that he honor this.  Otherwise he is surrendering what should not be surrendered and opening himself to even more demands.  Implore him to stand tight.  Assure him that you are with him if he does.

Send this out as broadly as you can and ask others to do the same.

It takes three minutes to do this, and it can make a difference.  If you care, please take the time to act.

~~~~~~~~~~

My own guess is that Abbas, who has his running shoes on already and is prepared to take off, is likely to do so.  But this should not prevent us from doing what we can to foster strength in Netanyahu.  Nothing is to be taken for granted here because the stakes are too high.  Even if there are no negotiations, if our prime minister agrees to an additional freeze, in principle he is surrendering territory, and a precedent will be set.
 
~~~~~~~~~~
 
There are readers who are writing to ask me about how negotiations are going to go -- where the borders might be, etc. Not for a second do I believe there will be serious negotiations that will go that far.  (Heaven forbid!)  I am more focused on how Abbas et al might play things after he opts out of talks:  How he will spin it so that it's our fault, whether he will attempt to bring this to the Security Council or push for a "one state solution" instead, or foster additional violence.
 
~~~~~~~~~~
 
One other issue here:
 
Daisy Kahn is the wife of Imam Feisal Abdul Rauf, and is working with him on the Cordoba Initiative to put the mosque near Ground Zero.  Statements she has made in response to opponents of the mosque are greatly disturbing and indicate much about how these people operate.  In an ABC news program on Sunday, she said, with regard to the opposition:
 
"We are deeply concerned, because this is like a metastasized anti-Semitism.  It's beyond Islamophobia. It's hate of Muslims."
 
This is very clever and very dirty.  "Hate of Muslims."  You are a bigot if you don't support this project.  Who wants to be a bigot?  Especially in politically correct America.
 
And far dirtier:  "Metastasized anti-Semitism."  Socking it to the Jews.  You don't like it when people hit on you.  If you oppose us, you're just like them.  And metastasized?  Even worse than anti-Semitism. 
 
Unfortunately, there are many American Jews who buy into this, and into the "if we can build synagogues, we must let them build that mosque" argument. They fail to differentiate, fearful of saying: "Wait a second, we Jews never initiated an attack on America, so it's not the same."  "Hold it, there are sensibilities involved here."
 
And finally, they are sold on the "constitutional argument" that says there is "freedom of religion" in America. The constitution does not promise a particular locale for constructing a house of worship.  The point is missed that the imam would be perfectly free to build his mosque elsewhere.
 
It's not without reason that I worry about America.
 
~~~~~~~~~~
 
I understand, by the way, that Daisy Kahn is now about to travel at US tax-payer expense to join her husband, who's off in some place like Dubai, supposedly singing the glories of Muslim life in the US. But she's sour on how Muslims are treated in the US, so the US is about to be short-changed.
 
~~~~~~~~~~
 
"The Good News Corner"
 
Prof. Marshall Devor and Prof. Ariel Darvasi of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, working with international researchers, have discovered a gene associated with chronic pain caused by nerve injury.
 
While it has long been understood that some people are more susceptible to pain than others, no one knew why. "The immediate significance is the mere awareness that differences in pain perception may have a genetic predisposition," says Prof. Darvasi.  "Our discovery may provide insights for treating chronic pain through previously unthought-of mechanisms."
________________
 
The Israel Museum, Israel's largest museum, which houses the largest art collection in the Middle East, has just completed a two-year renovation  project that was financed by 21 worldwide donors and carried out by architectural firms in New York and Tel Aviv.
The Museum, which is situated on 20 acres overlooking the western entrance to Jerusalem, houses 500,000 objects arranged, says museum director James Snyder, to convey "a narrative from the beginning of time till today."

The Museum has three reconstructed collection wings for archaeology, the fine arts, and Jewish art and life, which are now connected: Visitors can move from the museum's archaeology holdings to permanent galleries for Israeli art, and on to a newly designed Synagogue Route, that includes a display of four reconstructed synagogues from around the world.

The Museum also includes the Shrine of the Book, and the Billy Rose Sculpture Garden. 

The full new, sleek facility reopened this month.

 

~~~

 

 

 

 

August 22, 2010

 
"On What Premises?"
 
I wrote yesterday about the fact that the Quartet had, in the end, not mentioned pre-conditions in its call for negotiations released on Friday.  Almost.  But this turns out not quite to be so.
 
In today's JPost, Khaled Abu Toameh writes that the PLO Executive Committee, which met Friday night, supported talks because they were being held on the basis of a Quartet statement made earlier this year.
 
The Quartet statement referred to was made in Moscow on March 19, 2010. And, indeed, the Quartet statement released on  Friday states:
 
"The Quartet reaffirms its full commitment to its previous statements, including in Trieste on 26 June 2009, in New York on 24 September 2009, and its statement in Moscow on 19 March 2010 which provides that direct, bilateral negotiations that resolve all final status issues should 'lead to a settlement, negotiated between the parties...'" 
 
This is the old "inclusion by allusion" technique. The Quartet did not have to declare that there were pre-conditions, it merely had to declare its commitment to an earlier statement that implied there were such pre-conditions.  Friday's statement simply says that there should be direct bilateral negotiations to resolve all issues, etc.  This is slippery (and not accidentally so).  One must look at the Moscow statement in its entirety to know what's really being referred to.
 
The text of that statement can be found here:
 
http://sofiaecho.com/2010/03/19/875958_middle-east-quartets-march-19-statement-in-moscow
 
While it specifically says there are no pre-conditions to negotiations, it also says:
 
"The Quartet urges the government of Israel to freeze all settlement activity, including natural growth, dismantle outposts erected since March 2001; and to refrain from demolitions and evictions in East Jerusalem."
 
And, further, that:
 
"Recalling that the annexation of East Jerusalem is not recognized by the international community, the Quartet underscores that the status of Jerusalem is a permanent status issue that must be resolved through negotiations between the parties and condemns the decision by the government of Israel to advance planning for new housing units in East Jerusalem."
 
The readiness of the PLO Executive Committee to move ahead with negotiations is premised, then, on these statements. 
 
And understand that when "East Jerusalem" is referred to, this is not a geographic designation but a political one, referring to everything over the Green Line, so that new housing units in Gilo or French Hill would be prohibited.
 
~~~~~~~~~~
 
Meanwhile, MK Ophir Akunis has released an official Likud statement saying that the American statement calling for talks without pre-conditions is a huge victory for Israel:
 
"It took a year and a half to persuade the international community and the Palestinians that direct dialogue is the only way to reach a solution to the conflict.  This is further proof that when you stand up for your principles and do not give in, you can attain diplomatic achievements."
 
Well... I'm totally on board for our standing up for our principles, and I do believe that standing strong can lead to diplomatic achievements.
 
But I am not yet convinced that we've genuinely achieved a diplomatic success here.  It seems to me, rather, that there is a stalemate -- because the premises on which the two ostensible negotiating partners will be proceeding will not be the same.  We will proceed under the assumption that there are no pre-conditions.  But the first time we begin to build in eastern Jerusalem (may it be!) Abbas and the PLO will scream and holler that the Quartet said we should not be doing this and we've undermined everything (and perhaps made it impossible to proceed).
 
This, I would suggest, is a paradigm for the entire anticipated "negotiating process."  We and the PA are so far apart on our goals and intentions that there will be neither a meeting of the minds nor genuine negotiations of any meaningful sort.
 
~~~~~~~~~~
 
At today's Cabinet meeting, PM Netanyahu made the following statement:

"We are coming to talks from a real desire to achieve a peace agreement between the two peoples, while safeguarding Israel's national interests, foremostly security. I know that there is a considerable skepticism after 17 years having passed since the beginning of the Oslo process. It is possible to understand why this doubtfulness exists. We are seeking to surprise the critics and the skeptics, but in order to do this we need a real partner on the Palestinian side. It is possible to succeed with a hand extended in peace, but only if someone on the other likewise extends one. If we discover that we have a real partner on the Palestinian side, sincere and serious in negotiations, negotiations which will require both sides to take necessary measures, not only the Israeli side but also the Palestinian side, if we discover we have such a partner, we will be able to shortly reach a historic peace agreement between the two peoples.

"This agreement will be based on three initial components: First of all, on real and sustainable security arrangements on the ground; secondly, upon recognition of Israel as the national state of the Jewish People, and this means that the solution of a problem like the demand for return will be realized in the territory of the Palestinian state; and the third component, the end to the conflict. We are discussing a peace agreement between Israel and a demilitarized Palestinian state. This state, if it should be established after this process, is due to end the conflict and not to be a façade for its continuation by other means...."

~~~~~~~~~~

While it is difficult indeed at times to accept with equanimity the apparent eagerness of our prime minister to negotiate with the Palestinian Arabs, I remain convinced that he is -- as I have discussed on several previous occasions -- playing a very calculated game, walking a tightrope.  He does not wish to appear to be the "stumbling block to peace" before the international community -- although the Arabs will do all in their power to counter with charges that make it appear that he is.  He plays the game, while setting out stipulations that he very clearly knows are not only important for us but will be rejected outright by the Arabs, thereby insuring that their state does not come into being. 

The insistence, alone, of our being recognized as a Jewish state, with "refugees" to be resettled outside of Israel, is a deal-killer.  While, by expressing intention that any deal must be end of conflict and not "a façade for its continuation by other means," he is demonstrating awareness of the devious PLO "strategy of stages" and his determination that we not become enmeshed in these Arab plans.

While Netanyahu will be charged with setting out unreasonable demands, it is not because he is genuinely intransigent, but because he is calling the Arabs' bluff.  They are totally without sincerity with regard to establishing a peaceful state that would exist at our border.

The trick here is for him to remain strong in his stipulations and red lines, and to avoid falling into a trap devised by either the Arabs or Obama.  A tall order, which requires us both to pray a great deal and to express support in a variety of ways.

~~~~~~~~~~

Another way to play this would be to simply say that the PA is still inciting jihad among its young people and supporting Hamas financially, and thus we cannot negotiate now. But this -- which would require great courage and nerves of steel -- is not Netanyahu's style and we would be ill-advised to expect this of him.

His desire to appear before the international community as the cooperative party does have a logic:  There is a possibility that when talks fail, the Arabs will charge us with being uncooperative and head for the Security Council.  Netanyahu wants to be able to say:  Us?  I was pushing for direct talks but they dragged their feet. They have no legitimate right to claim redress.

~~~~~~~~~~

One additional comment from Dr. Aaron Lerner, of IMRA.  Security interests may be very important in our considerations now, but he is a bit uneasy in finding too much emphasis on this.  He wrote today:

"Israel's 'national interests' go well beyond security.

"Israel has a 'national interest,' for example, that for generations to come, Jews will continue to be able to pray at ancient sites sacred to Judaism in places such as Jerusalem, Bethlehem and Hebron...

"Put simply, if the IDF had a special gizmo that could satisfactorily protect Israel's national security interests with Israel finding itself on the '67 lines - including the complete division of Jerusalem, Israel still would have national interests to address on the other side of that line.'  

http://imra.org.il/story.php3?id=49109

Let us never forget this!

~~~~~~~~~~

The New York Times the other day informed its readers that the US had "convinced" Israel that there is at least a year until Iran would be able to go nuclear, and that thus there was no reason to rush in bombing Iran.  Obama's chief nuclear advisor on nuclear issues, Gary Samore, was quoted as saying, "A year is a very long time."
 
Well, never mind that a year is a very short time indeed.  I read the report from the Times and thought it strange, for this is, as I've been reading it, pretty much what our intelligence has been indicating for quite a while.  So now the US has "informed" us of this? Actually, as I've been reading it, the US estimates gave Iran more time, and our people have been saying, no, only a year to two more.
 
Then along came Jeffrey Goldberg, writing in the Atlantic, confirming my sense of the situation.  Goldberg observes that there is no Israeli quoted in the Times article, confirming or denying what it says.
 
I mention this here only because the Times article created something of a splash.
 
~~~~~~~~~~
 
The IDF has announced that Chief of Staff Gabi Ashkenazi will be replaced by Major General Yoav Galant, currently head of the IDF Southern Command.  Galant will be the first Chief of Staff to have begun his military career in the Navy.  He moved over to the IDF, however, when he was appointed commander of the Jenin Brigade and then later became commander of the Gaza Division.
 
According to Yaakov Katz, writing in the JPost:  "A strong charismatic commander with vast field and combat experience, Galant is well respected throughout the IDF."  Galant was organizer of the Cast Lead operation in Gaza, during which time "he insisted on visiting the Gaza Strip during the operation and spending time with battalion and company commanders in the field."  He clashed with a more hesitant Ashkenazi, pushing for movement deeper into Gaza.
 
We can only hope that this report rings true (especially in the light of a major "incident" within the IDF regarding the replacement for Ashkenazi, which I will not explore here, but which had the regrettable effect of tarnishing the IDF image).  We desperately need a well respected, highly competent and courageous leader at the helm of the IDF.
 
~~~~~~~~~~

 

 

August 21, 2010

 
Motzei Shabbat (After Shabbat)
 
"Up to No Good"
 
The US plans afoot to bring Netanyahu and Abbas to Washington to kick off direct negotiations are most definitely not a harbinger of anything good. 
 
Yesterday, in a briefing for the press, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, accompanied by special envoy George Mitchell, announced that:

"Since the beginning of this Administration, we have worked with the Israelis and Palestinians and our international partners to advance the cause of comprehensive peace in the Middle East, including a two-state solution which ensures security and dignity for Israelis and Palestinians. The President and I are encouraged by the leadership of Prime Minister Netanyahu and
President Abbas and fully share their commitment to the goal of two states - Israel and Palestine, living side by side in peace and security.

"After proximity talks and consultations with both sides, on behalf of the United States Government, I've invited Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu and Palestinian Authority President Abbas to meet on September 2nd in Washington, D.C. to re-launch direct negotiations to resolve all final status issues, which we believe can be completed within one year.

"President Obama has invited President Mubarak of Egypt and King Abdullah of Jordan to attend in view of their critical role in this effort. Their continued leadership and commitment to peace will be essential to our success. The President will hold bilateral meetings with the four leaders followed by a dinner with them on September 1st. The Quartet Representative Tony Blair has also been invited to the dinner in view of his important work to help Palestinians build the institutions of their future state, an effort which must continue during the negotiations. I've invited Prime Minister Netanyahu and President Abbas to join me here at the State Department on the following day for a trilateral meeting to re-launch direct negotiations."

See here for the full briefing with press questions:

www.state.gov/secretary/rm/2010/08/146156.htm

~~~~~~~~~~

Also on Friday, the Quartet (the US, the UN, the EU, and Russia) issued a statement, which said in part:

The representatives of the Quartet reaffirm their strong support for direct negotiations between the Israelis and the Palestinians to resolve all final status issues. The Quartet reaffirms its full commitment to its previous statements...which [provide] that direct, bilateral negotiations that resolve all final status issues should "lead to a settlement, negotiated between the parties, that ends the occupation which began in 1967 and results in the emergence of an independent, democratic, and viable Palestinian state living side by side in peace and security with Israel and its other neighbors.

"The Quartet expresses its determination to support the parties throughout the negotiations, which can be completed within one year, and the implementation of an agreement. The Quartet again calls on both sides to observe calm and restraint, and to refrain from provocative actions and inflammatory rhetoric. Welcoming the result of the Arab Peace Initiative Committee in Cairo on July 29, the Quartet notes that success will require sustained regional and international support for the negotiations and the parallel process of Palestinian state-building and the pursuit of a just, lasting and comprehensive regional peace...The Quartet Principals intend to meet with their colleagues from the Arab League in September in New York to review the situation. Accordingly, the Quartet calls on the Israelis and the Palestinians to join in launching direct negotiations on September 2 in Washington, D.C. to resolve all final status issues and fulfill the aspirations of both parties."

www.state.gov/r/pa/prs/ps/2010/08/146146.htm

~~~~~~~~~~

What does one say to this except "Oi vey"?

Anyone who has even a modicum of genuine understanding of the situation here (which leaves out a whole lot of people) is able to recognize that this latest effort towards a "two-state solution" is going to go nowhere, but is likely to cause many headaches for us and possibly generate additional violence before it arrives.

An independent, viable, democratic Palestinian state living in peace and security next to Israel, to be established within a year...

The PA is not peaceful, continuing as it does to utilize textbooks that promote jihad and otherwise honor terrorists.  Not to mention that a major part of its budget goes to Gaza and ends up in Hamas hands.

It is not democratic. One or two elections do not a democracy make.  Never mind that the PA is past due for elections, and that Abbas's term has expired.  There is no free press in the PA, next to no human rights.

And viable?  This is a joke, when we're talking about the entity that receives more funds per capita than any other group in the world.

But these problems will all be corrected within a year. 

Oh, and the small matter of Hamas -- which controls Gaza and is eager to take over a PA state in Judea and Samaria as well -- will be dispensed with.  I've lost track of how many times Abbas said that a deal has to include all the Palestinian people?

Can it truly be that the Quartet is doing anything but spouting words here?  Can they possibly take their own declaration seriously?

~~~~~~~~~~

From the Israeli perspective, what I see most troubling is the Quartet reference to the Arab Peace Initiative, which -- in supporting, among other things, "right of return" -- is a plan for the slow destruction of Israel, and to the end of the "occupation," which means Israel pulling back to pre-67 lines.

I am further unhappy with a kick-off in Washington, which puts our prime minister under additional pressure.

~~~~~~~~~~ 

The PLO Executive Committee met on Friday night and, according to WAFA, the official PLO news agency, voted to accept Secretary Clinton's invitation, based on the Quartet statement.

However, the PLO also noted that if Israel didn't "halt all settlement activities, it consequently threatens the continuity of direct negotiations."

http://english.wafa.ps/?action=detail&id=14669

~~~~~~~~~~

And here I stop to note that the Quartet statement did not include this pre-condition, as earlier rumors predicted it would.  What had been said is that the US would then follow with a statement without pre-conditions.  My assumption is that matters were resolved this way, instead, with no separate US statement.

But the PLO has implicitly laid out that same pre-condition in any event.  And negotiator Saeb Erekat, according to the Palestinian news agency Ma'an, was explicit about this today:

"The Palestinian leadership will pull out of peace talks if the Israeli government announces additional settlement construction projects [outside] the 1967 borders (sic), senior Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erekat confirmed Saturday.

"'If the Israeli government decides, on 26 September, to continue to permit the submission of settlement bids, then there will be no talks,' Erekat said, adding that the stance was reached during the PLO Executive Committee meeting Friday that formally accepted the US invitation to re-start direct talks.

"...Erekat's statement appeared to broaden the demand, however, in stating that any settlement announcement in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, would be considered provocation. The initial partial moratorium did not include the occupied holy city."

www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=309683

~~~~~~~~~~

And so here's the deal:  If indeed the meeting takes place on September 2, the Palestinians may be counting on Obama to pressure Netanyahu into extending that freeze -- which would be an unmitigated disaster for us.  This is one reason why the fact that the meeting is in Washington is such bad news. The turf on which a meeting is held has significant psychological impact.

Or, alternatively, they may simply plan on using this as their out, while blaming us for the failure of the talks.

A great deal will fall to us in the next couple of weeks, with regard to all of this -- and you'll be hearing from me about it.  It is imperative that Netanyahu stay strong with regard to not continuing the freeze.  The sense I'm getting is that he knows that this would not be a politically viable move here in Israel, but nothing can be left to wishful thinking or chance. 

~~~~~~~~~~

What I find interesting is that there has been no direct public statement regarding the talks (that I've uncovered) by PA president Mahmoud Abbas himself, although Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu put out a statement welcoming this opportunity.  Perhaps more on Netanyahu's approach later, but here I focus on Abbas. 

Clinton said there was consultation with both parties before the invitation was extended.  And indeed this is the way such things are done, to insure success of an event of major proportions.  But Mitchell, at the press conference, made it clear that "consultation" didn't mean securing acceptance in this instance  -- if was, rather, more a matter of letting the parties know what was coming.  The PLO didn't even meet to decide whether to accept the invitation until Friday night. 

We will presume for the moment that Abbas ultimately will show up in Washington by September 2.  But his failure to  demonstrate public enthusiasm about this meeting is a large piece of the story.  If Abbas does show up, he will have come kicking and screaming.

I hate being tiresome and repeating what's been said before, but it seems I have no choice here: Abbas's reluctance, in and of itself, assures failure.  While he may be pushed to sit at the table, he is not going to negotiate anything that includes reasonable compromise, and the net result of the talks will be only failure.  More's the pity that Obama et al don't -- or choose not to -- comprehend this.

~~~~~~~~~~

 

 

 

August 20, 2010

 
"Short and Sweet"
 
Short, because my time pre-Shabbat is limited this week, and not because there is little to write about -- there's plenty.
 
Sweet because I begin with a great piece by commentator George Will -- "Skip the lecture on Israel's 'risks for peace.'"  He speaks on our behalf with exquisite understanding:

"In the intifada that began in 2000, Palestinian terrorism killed more than 1,000 Israelis. As a portion of U.S. population, that would be 42,000, approaching the toll of America's eight years in Vietnam. During the onslaught, which began 10 Septembers ago, Israeli parents sending two children to a school would put them on separate buses to decrease the chance that neither would return for dinner. Surely most Americans can imagine, even if their tone-deaf leaders cannot, how grating it is when those leaders lecture Israel on the need to take 'risks for peace.'

"During Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu's July visit to Washington, Barack Obama praised him as 'willing to take risks for peace.' There was a time when that meant swapping "land for peace" -- Israel sacrificing something tangible and irrecoverable, strategic depth, in exchange for something intangible and perishable, promises of diplomatic normality...

"The creation of Israel did not involve the destruction of a Palestinian state, there having been no such state since the Romans arrived. And if the Jewish percentage of the world's population were today what it was when the Romans ruled Palestine, there would be 200 million Jews. After a uniquely hazardous passage through two millennia without a homeland, there are 13 million Jews.

"In the 62 years since this homeland was founded on one-sixth of 1 percent of the land of what is carelessly and inaccurately called "the Arab world," Israelis have never known an hour of real peace. Patronizing American lectures on the reality of risks and the desirableness of peace, which once were merely fatuous, are now obscene." (emphasis added)

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/08/18/AR2010081804691.html?wpisrc=nl_pmopinions

~~~~~~~~~~

After Shabbat there will be more to say about Quartet plans for "peace" negotiations and the issue of our hitting Iran.

For now I leave you with a link to a lovely video about the atmosphere, with regard to Jewish-Arab relations, in Hadassah hospital.  I've written from time to time about how a visit to one of our hospitals most vigorously puts the lie to charges that we are an apartheid state.  This video is from the video newsmagazine "Israel Up Close": http://www.israelupclose.org/

~~~~~~~~~~

 

 

August 19, 2010

 
"Searching Facts"
 
These times are fraught with genuine danger, coupled with confusion and frustration.  And so, balanced reactions seem to be in short supply.  Sometimes -- perhaps because of a sense of being powerless or overwhelmed -- there is a dangerous tendency to downplay or ignore a situation that merits genuine attention and action.  But, paradoxically, at other times responses to a situation of serious import become overwrought.  Not infrequently, the media promotes these latter responses.
 
~~~~~~~~~~
 
For a very long time, the world has been lamentably apathetic with regard to Iran's intention to become a nuclear nation.
 
But in recent days --  certainly in the US and here in Israel -- there has been a media explosion of reports regarding statements made by John Bolton, former US Ambassador to the UN and a senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute. 
 

 
Bolton has been speaking with regard to the Russian-built nuclear reactor at Bushehr, Iran, into which Russia is now scheduled to place low level radioactive rods, ostensibly for purposes of generating energy for peaceful domestic purposes.
 

 

The possibility exists that Iran will utilize the rods -- which are supposed to be given back to Russia when spent -- for further uranium enrichment on the way to making a bomb. This would not turn Iran into a nuclear nation, but it is potentially another step along the way.  However, I note that there is an alternate opinion maintaining that Russia's own reputation would be on the line if Iran did not return the rods, as per written agreement, so that Russia will monitor the situation closely.  In addition to which, the very public visibility of this reactor is said to make it more difficult for Iran to utilize its rods for devious ends.
 
In any event, it is, as Bolton has pointed out, a "victory" for Iran that Russia -- which had contracted with Iran in 1995 to construct the Bushehr reactor, but stalled for a considerable time in completing the facility -- is finally about to place those rods. 
 
There is no ready clue as to why Russia decided to go ahead just now.  To many, this is an abysmal signal with regard to Russia's willingness to cooperate in blocking a nuclear Iran.  It may simply be, as some maintain, that Russia -- which wishes to sustain a reputation as a vendor of nuclear reactors for peaceful purposes -- concluded, in a predictably self-serving move, that it could afford to stall no longer.  
 
~~~~~~~~~~
 
Bolton has made some very specific statements with regard to Bushehr, which have been picked up and inflated by the media.  (Some of you have already written to me about this and received private responses.)
 
Bolton's contention is that we are facing a deadline only days away. For, he says, once the fuel is loaded into the reactor (with loading scheduled to begin August 21), Israel would no longer hit it for fear of releasing widespread radiation.
 
Many people -- aided by some of those media reports -- are drawing the conclusion from this that if Israel doesn't attack Iran in the next couple of days, all chance to do so will have been lost.  Yet Bolton hasn't said this -- if you pay careful attention to his words, you see that he only addresses the issue of this one reactor. 
 
See, for example:  http://www.newsmax.com/InsideCover/John--Bolton--Iran--Nuclear--israel/2010/08/13/id/367449
 
It would be reasonable to conclude that Israel's opportunity to effectively strike Iran at all would be lost after this deadline only if destruction of that particular reactor were a critical and necessary part of Israel's attack plans. 
 
Right now, shining a bit of light on this issue is of considerable importance.
 
~~~~~~~~~~
 
A fact that is frequently neglected when there is talk of an Israeli attack on Iran, is that Israel does not have the ability military to completely destroy Iran's capability to become a nuclear power.  I've heard this directly from Israeli generals here.  The best that we could do would be to cripple that capability for some (disputed) period of time.
 
There may be multiple ways to cripple Iran, with hitting Bushehr not necessarily critical at all. 
 
Among those of the opinion that it is not critical is Ilan Berman, who is vice president of the American Foreign Policy Council; editor of The Journal of International Security Affairs; and author of Tehran Rising: Iran's Challenge to the United States. 
 
Berman says that the enrichment plants are the real backbone of Iranian efforts to develop nuclear weapons capability; his own well-informed speculation is that these facilities would be Israel's primary targets.
 
"It's not at all clear that Bushehr would be a high value target, because it's only tangentially related to any conceivable Iranian nuclear weapons program. My suspicion is that this is not a game-changer. This isn't going to give Iran enough fissile material for a bomb overnight."
 
On this, see: http://www.jpost.com/IranianThreat/News/Article.aspx?id=185060
 
Berman told me that he hasn't "talked to anyone who even thinks Bushehr is high up on the target list."  What is more, he has spoken to "technical experts [who] say there are ways to get at a facility of that type without unleashing radioactive fallout."
 
He believes the main "victory" for Iran in having this reactor up and running is PR.
 
~~~~~~~~~~
 
The remaining question for me, then, is where John Bolton, a highly knowledgeable man whom I respect enormously, is going with this.  I have already made the point that the media, for its own purposes, inflated Bolton's statements.  But Bolton's comments, on their own, seem uncharacteristically inflammatory rather than straight-talking.
 
According to the JPost, which had communication directly with Bolton, he referred to the start-up of the reactor as "a huge threshold."  But -- as I have reflected above -- that's not what I'm hearing elsewhere.
 
I am particularly unsettled that, according to the JPost, he also said, "If Israel was right to destroy the Osirak reactor [in Iraq in 1981], is it right to allow this one to continue?  You can't have it both ways."
 
If this is an accurate quote, it is also grossly unfair.  The situation vis-a-vis Iraq 29 years ago was vastly different from what we face with regard to Iran now, and nowhere is it written that our response must or should be the same.
 
~~~~~~~~~~
 
As Prime Minster Netanyahu does not confide state secrets to me, I do not know whether or not Israel will be attacking Iran in the next several months or more -- if indeed Netanyahu, who is undoubtedly in the process of measuring a number of shifting factors (such as the imminent departure of Secretary of Defense Gates), knows with certainty himself yet. 
 
But what I can say with a reasonable degree of assurance is that if we decide to (and my own inclination is to hope that indeed we do), it is still possible -- the hysteria of the last few days notwithstanding.
 
~~~~~~~~~~
 
I wrote here about the self-serving attitude of Russia, but, while the stance of Russia may be a tad more blatant, it is hardly alone within the European community.
 
In spite of a direct request from Obama, German Chancellor Angela Merkel remains resistant to closing the Hamburg-based Iranian bank (EIH), which, according to the JPost, "has reportedly funneled over $1 billion into Iran's military and ballistic weapons programs."
 
The EIH bank, which is banned in America, is classified by the US Treasury Department as a terrorist entity because of its involvement with nuclear proliferation and terror activities. 
 
Germany's defense, transmitted to the JPost by a spokesman for Merkel, is that the bank, located in Hamburg as it is, is subject to very strict controls by the German bank monitoring authority. 
 
Right.  Germany is Iran's number one trading partner, and is charged by critics with putting short-term trade profits ahead of the security of the West. The governments of France and the UK have joined with the US in pressuring Germany to close down the bank.
 
~~~~~~~~~~
 
Netanyahu has just returned from a visit to Greece, part of a process of courting this nation as a stronger strategic Mediterranean ally in the face of the rupture of our long-standing relationship with Turkey.  The warming of our interaction with Greece, which has been fairly pro-Palestinian in its stance, is seen as promising.
 
There is the issue of tourism, as, until very recently, Israelis were in the habit of vacationing in Turkey in large numbers; Greece presents what is in many ways an attractive low cost alternative.  Of significance beyond this is the possibility for increased shared intelligence and Greek purchases of Israeli military hardware, as well as growth in commercial trade.  Additionally, Greece might serve as an intermediary with certain Arab nations.
 
~~~~~~~~~~
 
The Greek Orthodox church has considerable holdings in Israel, and expresses deep interest in this region.  In light of the decades of enmity between Turkey and Greece, the Greeks can only be pleased with Israel's expressed interest in an enhanced relationship.
 
Greek foreign minister, Dimitris Droutsas, while seeking to reassure the Arab world in a radio interview, sustained a refreshingly positive tone towards Israel:
 
Improved Greek-Israeli ties were "for the good of Greece and all of the Middle East region... and do not exclude our close cooperation with the Arab world, and particularly our Palestinian friends.

"Our rapprochement with Israel is not opposed to our traditional relationship of exceptional trust with the Arab world," he said, noting that the improved ties with Israel had been discussed with "all our friends in the Arab world."
 
Droutsas indicated that meetings with Netanyahu were "very useful and entirely successful because we achieved the fixed objectives: deepening of relations and cooperation with Israel."

~~~~~~~~~~ 
 
Another ship bent on "breaking the Gaza blockade" has plans to leave from Lebanon on Sunday.  This ship, the Miriam, will carry some 50 to 75 female "activists" who declare themselves set on delivering "cancer medication, books and toys."   These "humanitarian" items, according to organizer Samar al-Hajj, would be carried only in "symbolic" amounts -- which automatically makes clear the true intention of the "activists."
 
This ship, however, is one we are not likely to have to deal with, as the Cypriot ambassador to Lebanon has already told AP that the ship will be turned back when it reaches Cyprus.  "We decided that such a ship will not be allowed to enter Cyprus and if such a Gaza-bound ship docks in a Cypriot port the crew and the passengers will be deported to their country of origin," Kyriacos Kouros said.  Cyprus has a "moral and legal responsibility" to those ships in its waters; there is concern that a ship intent on challenging the blockade could endanger lives, as well as "regional peace and stability." 
 
~~~~~~~~~~
 
This is "cute," metaphorically speaking:
 
Islamic officials in Jerusalem had obtained permission recently to enter the ancient Mamilla Muslim cemetery in order to clean and restore tombstones.  While there, the Muslims erected 300 "fictitious graves" on a neighboring plot of land, in what the Jerusalem Municipality is calling "one of the largest deceptions in recent years," perpetrated in order to "illegally seize state lands."  The Municipality, saying it has "indisputable evidence," has released documentation that includes both photos and a time line.
 
The fake tombs and headstones are being demolished under the supervision of the Antiquities Authority, which sent experts to the site. 
 
In an act of enormous chutzpa, the Islamic Movement is holding a demonstration denouncing the Municipality for "desecration of a holy site."  They are without shame.
 
For me, this relatively minor incident is one more signal lesson regarding the games that the Muslims have no compunctions about playing.
 
~~~~~~~~~~
 
A fire broke out in Bucharest's Giulesti Maternity Hospital in Romania on Monday, killing four premature babies and seriously injuring others. Yesterday, Dr. Yosef Hayek, head of the burns unit at Sheba Hospital in Tel Hashomer and two other staff members flew to Romania to treat seven premies, weighing between 1 and 2.5 kilos (2.2 to 5.5 pounds) who were burnt on some 40% to 80% of their bodies.  (How horrible!)
 
The doctors brought basic medical equipment with them, will call for more as needed, and may bring some of the babies back to Israel for further care.
 
And here we have a signal lesson on how Israelis routinely respond, lending succor and assistance to suffering individuals within the international community.
 
~~~~~~~~~~
 
Forty year old mathematician Prof. Elon Lindenstrauss, of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, was on today awarded the 2010 Fields Medal.  Considered the "Nobel Prize" of mathematics, it is granted to world’s leading mathematicians aged 40 and below.
 
~~~~~~~~~~

August 16, 2010

 
"One Thing and Another"
 
Whom does Abbas fear more? 
 
Eleven "militant" groups in Syria -- including the Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine, and the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine -- met at the home of Hamas politburo chief Maashal Khaled to discuss the pressure being put on Abbas to agree to direct talks.
 
Warning against "concession and compromise," they came out (as would be expected) solidly against those talks.  In a joint statement they released, they charged that "the U.S. and the 'Zionists' were aiming to wipe out the national rights of the Palestinians and to cover up the practices of the occupation, settlement expansion and Judaizing the land."
 
Putting aside for a moment the actually physical danger to Abbas from an infuriated member of one of these groups, should he agree to talks, consider how he would appear to the Palestinian street:  As a sell-out, a traitor, someone who cooperated  in wiping out Palestinian national rights.
 
And consider, even beyond this, whether he would have any sort of latitude whatsoever to actually negotiate a deal in this climate.
 
Abbas has met with an assistant to George Mitchell, and plans to meet with the PLO Executive Committee, either later today or tomorrow, before making his decision.
 
~~~~~~~~~~

Defense Minister Ehud Barak has made a decision (to be brought to the Security Cabinet) to purchase F-35 Joint Strike Fighter planes from the US. The F-35 is a fifth generation stealth jet that reportedly is able to evade all radar and anti-aircraft missile systems.
 
Said Barak, "The F-35 will provide Israel with continued air superiority and help retain its qualitative military edge in the region."
 
The Pentagon has agreed to sell us 75 planes, but for the first stage, we will be purchasing 20, at a price tag of $2.75 billion, including simulators, spare parts and routine maintenance.  Delivery is expected to begin in 2015. 

This purchase has been a long time in coming: a major stumbling block was the opposition of the US to integration into the planes of Israeli systems.  The first stage of planes that will be delivered will be configured roughly according to US Air Force specifications, but planes in the second stage will be designed according to Israeli specifications, and will include Israeli designed and manufactured systems.
 
~~~~~~~~~~
 
The purchase of the planes will be offset by an agreement by the US to purchase $4 billion worth of military supplies from Israel.
 
~~~~~~~~~~
 
While Israel will be the first foreign country granted permission to purchase these planes, but it is anticipated that in time nations such as Saudi Arabia and Egypt might also be permitted to purchase them.  Thus there are those in the Air Force who favored the deal because this was deemed necessary for maintaining our strategic balance.
 
However, there is another perspective advanced by some critics:  If Saudi Arabia and Egypt might also have these stealth jets in time, it might be more important for us to spend money designing a system that would provide defenses against this plane.
 
~~~~~~~~~~ 
 
Speaking of selling weaponry to Saudi Arabia, Lee Smith writing in Newsweek , addresses the upcoming sale by the US of additional F-15s.  At one time, he says, this would have been greatly distressful to Israel.  But now, once we were assured that the planes would not be equipped with certain long-range offensive capabilities, we "relented.":
 
"The balance of power in the Middle East has changed and may yet change again before long. If Israel and Saudi Arabia aren’t exactly headed toward rapprochement, the old enmities are not what they used to be."
 
And the bottom line here is mutual concern about Iran:

"A few months ago, Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Saud al-Faisal explained to Secretary of State Hillary Clinton that sanctions against Iran did not offer the immediate solution required to stop the revolutionary regime’s push for a nuclear weapon. This sentiment was echoed a few weeks back by the United Arab Emirates’ ambassador to Washington, Yousef Al Otaiba, who calculated that bombing Iran was preferable to an Iranian bomb. Even as the ambassador later backtracked, the Middle East’s worst-kept secret was now in the public record: the Arabs are even more concerned than the Israelis about an Iranian bomb. After all, the Jewish state allegedly has its own nuclear deterrent, while Arab nations finally depend on Washington to protect them—no matter how many arms we sell them...To preserve the American-backed regional order, Arab nations expect us [the US] to stop the Iranians, a security arrangement that has been clear since the Carter administration. What’s new is that if we don’t step up, the Arabs’ unlikeliest ally, Israel, may have to do it."

http://www.newsweek.com/2010/08/13/the-israeli-saudi-american-alliance-against-iran.html

~~~~~~~~~~

This echoes what I've encountered from a number of sources, including the editorial in today's JPost, which says that "Israel and the Saudis are on the same page as far as Teheran is concerned."  The JPost cautions, however, that "it should not have to fall to Israel to act alone on behalf of Saudi-US-Israeli interests."

Indeed, but what "should not be" and what may yet be are not necessarily the same.

~~~~~~~~~~

Hezbollah is in the news in couple of different contexts:

The IDF is continuing to release information on Hezbollah's new border deployment, in which it is setting up a network of bunkers, arms warehouses, and fighters in command posts in villages in south Lebanon (where, according to UNSC Resolution 1701, it is to have no presence).  This reflects a change in strategy for Hezbollah from the 2006 war, when it operated mainly in wooded rural areas.

Just a month ago, we released details of a Hezbollah takeover of the village of Khiam, and now the IDF is making similar charges regarding the village of Aita al-Shaab.  According to an officer in our Northern Command, several civilian buildings (perhaps most notably a home for mentally handicapped children) are being used as guerilla command posts -- with fighters able to move between buildings via underground tunnels.

According to this officer, the guerillas now have 5,000 fighters between the border with Israel and the Litani River, and an arsenal of some 40,000 rockets.

~~~~~~~~~~

There is speculation that this information is being released for two reasons: First to let Hezbollah know exactly how much intelligence we have. And then, to let the world know that if hostilities break out civilians will die because of these actions by Hezbollah.

Scant documentation is being provided by the IDF because this would compromise its sources -- although some maps and photos were released with regard to Khiam.  Information probably comes from surveillance flights, spy satellites, and Lebanese agents. 

UNIFIL, unsurprisingly, says there is "no evidence" for the Israeli charges.

~~~~~~~~~~

Meanwhile, Meir Javedanfar, an Iranian-Israeli Middle East analyst, has written a piece regarding his sense that "something ominous is in the air, involving Hezbollah."  It may that Hezbollah is gearing up for a confrontation with Israel, but it may be something else very different:  "the Shi'ite organization could be about to launch a domestic power grab...Hezbollah has the military capacity to do this, as it's the only militia in Lebanon."

See the analysis in detail here:

http://www.realclearworld.com/articles/2010/08/12/why_hezbollah_chooses_war_99110.html

~~~~~~~~~~

I've gotten a large number of enraged e-mails concerning what appears to be Harvard's divestment from all Israeli companies, as reported by Globes.  The full picture seems to be more complex, however, than what one might assume at first glance.  (There is certainly an anti-Israel atmosphere prevalent on many US campuses, and Harvard's predilections in certain regards seem consonant with this atmosphere.)

The story, however, as it's come to me from reliable sources, is this: The Harvard fund in question -- MSCI fund for emerging markets -- is one that invests in "developing nations."  Since Israel joined the OECD, it is no longer "an emerging market."  The Harvard investment fund still has Israel holdings in its developed markets sections that were not covered by its recent filing to the US Securities and Exchange Commission -- which is what Globes was reporting on. 

(With thanks to Bob G. for the informative running commentary, and research, on this.)

~~~~~~~~~~

"The Good News Corner"

Because we desperately need to hear good news.

[] Five physicians and 12 nurses who were trained in Jerusalem in a collaborative effort, are now doing circumcisions on adult males in South Africa for HIV prevention.  Circumcised males are considerably less likely to become infected with HIV.

[] It has been known for some time that dogs can be trained to sniff out cancer because of certain molecules created by a tumor are exhaled in a person's breath.

A researcher at the Technion-Israel Institute of Technology has developed an "electronic nose" -- which is very close to a dog's olfactory system -- that is able to detect early stages of lung, breast, colon and prostate cancer. Not only can the device accurately detect minute amounts of chemicals emanating from tumors, it can also track improvement in patients' condition as they undergo treatment.

The value of this device is now being recognized, as it was described in the British Journal of Cancer; it has potential to save many lives.

In both of these instances, it occurs to me how something very simple in conceptualization can make an enormous difference.

~~~~~~~~~~

 

August 15, 2010

 
"Maybe"
 
That's what we're hearing: that the pressure on the PA has been such that it's likely that Abbas will agree in the next few days to come to the table.  I'm not going to speculate about this unduly, preferring to wait to see what evolves.
 
I think Sarah Honig, writing in the JPost magazine on Friday, assessed the situation very well:  "[If] Obama and crew did indeed twist Abbas's arms, we ought to be outraged.  The very notion of dragging an unwilling interlocutor to the negotiating table should be unthinkable. 
 
"...The bottom line result will be the same whether Abbas is coerced into a talkathon or whether he is allowed to avoid the ordeal.  No peace will emerge in any case...You can pull Abbas to a conference room somewhere but you can't make him sign on the dotted line, and more so, you can't make him deliver."
 
http://www.jpost.com/Opinion/Columnists/Article.aspx?id=184537
 
~~~~~~~~~~
 
Part and parcel of the expectation that Abbas will agree to negotiate is a plan that the Quartet (the US, the EU, the UN, and Russia) is slated to release shortly. Our government believes that this plan is an attempt to provide him with the cover that will allow him to agree to direct talks.  It is anticipated that three things are likely to be mentioned by the Quartet: the need for an extension of the building freeze, acknowledgement of the '67 line as the border of a PA state, and a time limit for negotiations.
 
Our inner cabinet (septet) met for three hours today in order to discuss this situation.  The decision, according to several news sources, is that we will not to accept any preconditions.  Please G-d let this hold!  This is of more than a little significance.
 
According to at least one source, there is expectation that the US will subsequently be releasing a plan that does not set out preconditions.
 
Maybe.
 
~~~~~~~~~~
 
I would like to recommend another opinion piece from the JPost, this one by Shalom Helman, who is director of Hadar-Israel: "Reclaiming Israel's Narrative of Freedom."
 
"Israel has lost the plot. To be precise, we have lost our plot. We are like tragic characters trying to find the story line in an absurd existentialist play. We have forgotten our narrative. Whether from self-imposed amnesia or a wistful yearning for “normality,” we are no longer able to articulate our remarkable story to ourselves or to the world.
 
"...Public diplomacy will not succeed until we can unabashedly declare the story of who we are and why we are here."
 
http://www.jpost.com/Opinion/Op-EdContributors/Article.aspx?id=184754
 
~~~~~~~~~~
 
In closing today, I provide the juxtaposition of two different video-recorded statements on the mosque at Ground Zero.
 
First a dignified and straight-talking Muslim, Raheel Raza, an author ("Their Jihad...Not My Jihad") and board member of the Muslim Canadian Congress.  How, she asks does building a mosque on the site where Muslims killed so many Americans show sensitivity.  It's a slap in the face of all Americans.  Mayor Bloomberg and other "bleeding heart white liberals" make it harder for moderate Muslims, she says.

 

 
http://www.youtube.com:80/watch?v=KHg9gzo9o-U
 
(Thanks Stephanie W.)
 
~~~~~~~~~~
 
And then, the president of the United States defending the building of that Ground Zero mosque, because it reflects American values.
 
He later qualified his position, saying that he was defending the right of Muslims to build, but this didn't mean that he was advocating it.  He does a lot of qualifying.  But his statement here is vintage Obama, replete with the history of how Muslims have always participated in America.
 
http://gatewaypundit.firstthings.com:80/2010/08/obama-lectures-american-on-ground-zero-mosque-plans-video/
 
~~~~~~~~~~

August 12, 2010

 
"Weary"
 
I hate to go into Shabbat with this sort of message, but it's a simple fact: What's going on around me has been making me soul weary. It's not just that things are tough.  It's that there is stupidity and malice, and a good deal of self-serving behavior.  Just sometimes, it feels a bit like standing at the center of Maelstrom (a whirlpool) with events moving about me faster than I can keep track of them all -- some of those events foolish and some deadly serious.
 
~~~~~~~~~~
 
I thought, after my last post, I was done for a while with Ground Zero mosque issues, but it seems not.
 
From Daniel Halper in the Weekly Standard , I have learned that a statement by Mayor Bloomberg defending the construction of a mosque at Ground Zero was run verbatim on a website affiliate with the State Department.  And his comment was the only one that ran.
 
After a "no comment" from a State Department representative, State's spokesman, P.J. Crowley (whom I seem to be citing frequently these days) has now offered an explanation:
 
The State Department does "not take a position" on the Ground Zero mosque but merely wanted to help people abroad "understand" the debate on the issue:
“The posting on www.america.gov was geared toward helping people elsewhere understand both an issue of some debate in this country, but most importantly that we were going to be guided in resolving this issue by our values...And we thought it was useful for them to hear directly from one of the participants in this issue, Mayor Bloomberg.”

Commented Halper: "Considering the myriad opinions on this topic, picking a single set of remarks, and choosing to publish those but not others, could be considered an endorsement of sort of that particular position. But Crowley vigorously denied this was the case."

You didn't expect balance from the State Department, did you?

http://weeklystandard.com/blogs/state-dept-defend-publishing-bloomberg-remarks-ground-zero-mosque

~~~~~~~~~~   

And then there's the flotilla incident and the never-ending news about it.  Two matters with regard to this to report here. One is the fact that Turkey is now starting its own investigation.  Sigh...

But then, the Turkel Commission testimony -- which, as I've indicated, is an internal Israeli affair -- and related issues, for me far more soul-wearying than Turkey's decision: 

When PM Netanyahu testified, he said that he was out of the country at the time (in Canada) and Defense Minister Ehud Barak was in charge.  The seven-minister inner cabinet, he said, discussed only public relations aspects of the situation.

When Barak testified before the Commission, he said, contradicting the prime minister, that, "The decision to stop the flotilla, which was made by the prime minister and the seven-minister forum, was arrived at after examining the entire situation and the dilemmas...the discussion that was held by the seven-minister forum dealt not only with the media aspects of stopping the flotilla, but also with the military aspects." 

Barak reported that Chief of Staff Gabi Ashkenazi was present, and, while raising PR concerns, said, '"It won't be easy, but we will carry out the mission."

According to Barak, while it was understood that this would be tough, no one imagined that there would be violent resistance aboard the Marmara.  If major problems were anticipated, he said, it would have been up to the IDF to raise them.

~~~~~~~~~~

When finally Chief of Staff Ashkenazi spoke, he said, forthrightly, that he takes responsibility for what happened.  "The commandos exhibited calm, bravery and morality in accordance with IDF values...From the moment the operation began, it was clear that the circumstances were unprecedented."

Ashkenazi then spoke about what was not anticipated and what mistakes were made, adding that, "The IDF is a transparently controlled organization which studies from its mistakes and is committed to examine its actions and investigate every operation."

~~~~~~~~~~

Herb Keinon, writing in the JPost, made an additional point:  This testimony was for the Commission.  Both Netanyahu and Barak -- whose Commission testimony was filled with "yes, but" qualifiers -- then changed their stories when speaking to the press, or having their PR people to do so.  For the Commission, it seemed wise to them to avoid responsibility for the flotilla mistakes as much as possible.  For the public, they deemed it wiser to seem to be leaders of strength.

Ashkenazi, said Keinon, was the only one who didn't change his story.  He was the "man's man" in this situation, and came out looking the best.

~~~~~~~~~~

OK, now enter Minister of Strategic Affairs Moshe Ya'alon.  Lt. Gen. Ya'alon was once chief of staff himself.  I consider him both tough minded and relatively speaking (all these guys are self-serving to some degree) very much a straight shooter.

In a closed forum, in a private home, he made comments about the testimony, which have now become public.  Naturally.  "He didn't let anyone get involved and now he's shifting responsibility on everyone," said Ya'alon, referring to Barak.  Agreeing with Netanyahu, he said that the inner cabinet did discuss only PR issues.

Then he added, "the events of the past week emphasize what I have been saying about the snakes in the Kirya base (the IDF and defense minister's headquarters)."

[Note: in Netanyahu's absence, Ya'alon was acting PM at some basic level, but my impression is that he had no opportunity to call the shots and that Barak rather steam-rolled him in controlling the meeting.]

~~~~~~~~~~

So, we must first cry out with the most obvious of questions: Dear Heaven, where are our leaders in this difficult time for Israel? 

Then we have to wonder if and how this will weaken or tear apart the coalition.  Severe tension between Barak and Ya'alon is inevitable.  Especially is this so because of other tensions (which I won't explore here) involving Barak and Ashkenazi, who is to be replaced as chief of staff shortly. 

Already Labor is saying that if Netanyahu doesn't either publicly chastise Ya'alon or relieve him of his position, Labor will consider leaving the government. The vast likelihood is that Netanyahu will do his best, in his style, to smooth matters over. But I ponder as well how completely he is willing to swallow Barak's duplicity (as Barak blatantly and fallaciously contradicted Netanyahu's testimony to protect himself) in order to keep his government together.

~~~~~~~~~~

One thing I will say without equivocation.  Barak IS a snake in the grass.  He has been behaving abominably with regard to communities in Judea and Samaria, eager to flex his leftist muscles. If there were a way to get rid of him as defense minister, without a collapse of the coalition that would end up bring in Livni, it would be a great blessing for the nation.

The ideal would be to place Ya'alon in that position, but that's a pipe dream and will not happen.

~~~~~~~~~~

Switching to another "fun" subject:  PM president Mahmoud Abbas was in Cairo this week, and reported to President Mubarak, and then Jordan's King Abdullah, who was also in Egypt, that he is under huge pressure from the US and the EU to come to the negotiating table. 

Abbas is worried that he is going to suffer loss of funds from both the US and the EU, if he doesn't go along. There are hints, no more than hints at this point, that he thus may be caving.  Not now...but headed in that direction.  JPost editor David Horovitz says Abbas was in Egypt to consult with Mubarak and Abdullah about "bowing to the inevitable."  There are some suggestions that talks might begin after Ramadan, which has just begun. 

It seems to me that if Abbas does move forward he will expect some sort of face-saving concessions, even if he doesn't get everything he originally demanded. Saving face is no small matter in the Arab culture.

A report from Reuters has it that the Quartet is working on a statement that would set a basis for direct negotiations. 

~~~~~~~~~~

Let's end with something good:

A plan is soon to be approved by PM Netanyahu, reports the JPost, that would turn Israel into a space superpower.

This is a multi-year plan that would have the government increase support of space research and development by large sums. The focus would be on developing new platforms for Israel's niche market -- "mini satellites -- that would hopefully yield billions in sales.

According to Professor Haim Eshed, head of the Defense Ministry's Space Division, who participated in drafting the plan, Israel is one of the few countries that can independently develop, manufacture, and launch satellites.  Investment would go towards miniaturization of satellites and their payloads.

That is our specialty:  We recently launched the Ofek 9 satellite, which weighs just a few hundred kilograms, compared to the satellites of the US and Russia, which weigh several tons.

~~~~~~~~~~

 

 

 

August 11, 2010

 
"Nothing Short of Enraging"
 
I've picked up several different versions of this story, some more infuriating than others.  But the accurate version is quite enraging enough on its own.
 
Kuwaiti-born Feisal Abdul Rauf is today an American citizen.  He is imam of Masjid al-Farah, a New York City mosque and founder and CEO of the American Society for Muslim Advancement.  Perhaps most significantly, he founded the Cordoba Initiative in 2003 and is behind the current plans to erect Cordoba House at Ground Zero.  In fact, he wants to be the imam there.
 
While he claims to be working for Western-Muslim understanding, his views on terrorism generally and 9/11 most specifically are deeply unsettling at best.
 
A few years ago he called for the US President to give an "American Culpa" speech to the Muslim world, because there is "an endless supply of angry young Muslim rebels prepared to die for their cause and there [is] no sign of the attacks ending unless there [is] a fundamental change in the world." (Can't say if he directly influenced Obama, but it sure sounds like it.)
 
As to 9/11, he claimed that "United States’ policies were an accessory to the crime that happened."  (As has been noted: 9/11 "happened.")
 
~~~~~~~~~~
 
Additionally, according to the NY Post:
 
"Imam Feisal Abdul Rauf is a key figure in Malaysian-based Perdana Global Peace Organization, according to its Website.
"Perdana is the single biggest donor ($366,000) so far to the Free Gaza Movement, a key organizer of the six-ship flotilla that tried to break Israel's blockade of the Hamas-run Gaza Strip..."

And that flotilla was connected to the IHH, a Turkish group with terrorist links.

http://www.nypost.com/p/news/international/imam_unmosqued_0XbZMwCvHAVdRZEKgx29AK#ixzz0wKPXU2jS

~~~~~~~~~~

All of this is relevant now because Abdul Rauf is about to take an international trip at the behest of the US State  Department.  He will be traveling to such Muslim Arab countries as Saudi Arabia, Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Bahrain and Qatar to "foster greater understanding" of Islam and Muslim communities in the US. So says State Department spokesman P.J. Crowley. 
 
Understand, please, this will be government funded, with your money (if you are American) and mine (yes, I still pay US taxes) covering the cost.
 
Is your blood boiling yet?
 
~~~~~~~~~~
 
This is most clearly a White-House inspired venture.  Part of the president's nauseatingly inappropriate outreach to the Muslim world. 
 
As JINSA -- which summarized the situation with great effectiveness -- wrote:
 
"We know a lot of rabbis, some ministers and a few priests. We would be appalled to have the government of the United States, which by law favors no religion, sending a rabbi to Israel - or the former Soviet Union or France or Argentina, where there are communities of Jews - to talk about how Jews live in the United States. Having a priest travel to the Vatican, Honduras, Ireland or the Philippines to describe the lives of American Catholics would be outrageous. Likewise, ministers to Sweden.
 
"What business is it of the American government to send a Muslim to Muslim-majority countries to talk about Islam? How offensive is it to think that the American government is using American tax dollars to fly a non-government person around the world to promote the activities and lifestyle of a particular religion."
 
http://www.jinsa.org/node/1974
 
~~~~~~~~~~
 
Some of the stories I encountered said that Abdul Rauf was being sent abroad to fund raise for the mosque at Ground Zero.  Technically, however this is not the case.
 
Said Crowley, when asked about this: "That would not be something he could do as part of our program."  
 
Responded JINSA:  "We're so relieved. And we're so sure he will do only as the American government desires."
 
JINSA goes on to quote Debra Burlingame, a 9/11 family member, who told The NY Post:
 
"We know he has a fund-raising association with Saudi Arabia [which has underwritten programs by the American Society for Muslim Advancement]. He's going to the well, and how can they say they do or don't know what he's doing?"  (emphasis added)
 
~~~~~~~~~~
 
A government sanctioned charade is what it is.  My guess, actually, would be that his involvement with the proposed mosque at Ground Zero was a factor in Abdul Rauf's selection for this task.  He'll be able to tell everyone over in Saudi Arabia how accepting New Yorkers are. (I'll have more on that below.)
 
~~~~~~~~~~
 
The question now is what will each of you do about this, besides have your blood pressure checked.  This information needs to be put out broadly -- share it, post it, write letters to the editor about it, speak on radio talk shows about it. 
 
And then, let your elected officials know how enraged you are.  Demand that this be stopped forthwith!
 
For your Congresspersons:

http://www.house.gov/house/MemberWWW_by_State.shtml

For your Senators:

http://www.senate.gov/general/contact_information/senators_cfm.cfm

For the president:
 
Fax: 202-456-2461   White House Comment line:  202-456-1111

e-mail form via:  http://www.whitehouse.gov/contact/

She's not elected, and probably will pay no heed, but contact Sec. of State Clinton as well:

Public Communication Division (accepts opinions from the public): 
 

Phone: 202-647-6575   Fax: 202-647-1579 

~~~~~~~~~~

As always:  numbers count.  Please be polite and succinct, but firm.  State your demands clearly.

~~~~~~~~~~

Now, as to New Yorkers and the Ground Zero mosque:

The JPost carries columns by one Ray Hanania, an Arab American who is a stand-up comedian as well as a journalist.  I rarely actually agree with him, but he's reasonable.  Today's column was interesting. He laments the fact that Arabs and Muslims do not come to the defense of Jewish people as the Jewish community has spoken on behalf of Muslims.  Very nice.

His example of an instance in which Jews have come forward for Muslims is Jewish defense of the Muslim right to build a mosque at Ground Zero.  He specifically refers to New York mayor, Michael Bloomberg, "whose eyes welled up with emotion while he declared that Muslims have every right to build a mosque just as Christians and Jews could build a church or synagogue nearby."

Quoting Bloomberg, "Let us not forget that Muslims were among those murdered on 9/11, and that our Muslim neighbors mourned with us as New Yorkers and Americans.  We would betray our values and play into our enemies' hands if we were to treat Muslims differently than anyone else.  In fact, to cave in to popular sentiment would be to hand a victory to the terrorists -- and we should not stand for that."

I think my eyes are about to well up with emotion as I read this -- that this man could be so obtusely politically correct and get it so wrong.

Let us not forget that it was neither Christians nor Jews who perpetrated the horror of 9/11, and that Muslims routinely place mosques on sites of historical significance as signs of victory and dominance.  That is why there is a mosque today on the Temple Mount.  I cannot help but wonder how Bloomberg KNOWS that New York Muslims (as a community) mourned that event. My Muslim neighbors here in eastern Jerusalem danced in the streets in celebration on 9/11; that rather traumatized me.  And how does he know they (as a community) identify as Americans, even if they have citizenship, when we have the words of someone like the American born Major Nidal Malik Hasan, the perpetrator of the Fort Hood terrorist attack, who lamented the impossibility of being a good Muslim and an American at the same time.

Naiveté can be sad or even charming, but in an elected official it is frightening. 

~~~~~~~~~~

I am not prescient.  I simply know my customers and have developed an eye for the MO of Barack Obama.  Remember, yesterday, I said that the holds placed on US military assistance to Lebanon may be only temporary, in spite of the appropriate instincts of the Congresspersons involved.  Wait, I wrote, the government may yet say that continuing this assistance -- in the face of threats by certain members of the Lebanese parliament to go to Iran instead -- is in America's interest.

And guess what?  Our friend Crowley, speaking for the State Department, has now said that assistance to the Lebanese Armed Forces is "in our national interest and contributes to stability in the region."

Does it really?  Giving arms and training to a force that is allied with Hezbollah is a good thing?

Crowley had this answer:  "Hezbollah is a fact within Lebanese society and much of our effort in supporting the Lebanese military is in fact the very professionalization that we think helps mitigate that risk."

Huh?  What he's trying to say is that making the Lebanese army stronger helps protect it from the influence of Hezbollah.

And I say, more frightening naiveté.  It seems to be endemic.

We need to watch this closely.

~~~~~~~~~~ 

At least the IDF is reconsidering its attitude towards the Lebanese army. Says the JPost:

"The IDF has traditionally viewed the Lebanese army as a relatively neutral force that lacked the hostile intent of Hezbollah.  But last week's unprovoked attack on Israeli soldiers...and the Lebanese Army's failure to take action against the officer who ordered the attack, has dramatically altered the IDF's perception of Lebanon's army."

Congresswoman Lowey and her subcommittee are said to be waiting on a Lebanese response before deciding whether the hold should be lifted.  I wonder if the refusal of the LAF to discipline the officer who promoted the attack on the IDF will be taken into consideration.

~~~~~~~~~~

One other brief review.  Remember how just a few days ago Netanyahu said that he was going to cooperate with the UN inquiry panel on the flotilla incident because it would help smooth our relationship with Turkey.  At the time I pondered how he could possibly say this.

We are currently in the midst of our own inquiry by the Turkel Commission, which is separate from the IDF inquiry that was completed recently.  (This is obviously such a major incident in the world that it requires all these investigating bodies.)  Prime Minister Netanyahu testified before the Turkel Commission. This particular testimony is an internal Israeli affair, understand, but one that made considerable press.

What our prime minister said on Monday was that Turkey did nothing to stop the flotilla, in spite of contacts between Israel and Turkey at "the highest levels."

And already the Turkish foreign minister, Ahmed Davutoglu, has declared that:

"Nobody can place the responsibility of killing civilians in international waters on the other party...First of all [Israel] should bear that responsibility.

"Turkey bears no responsibility in this case and is determined to protect the rights of its own citizens."

Sitting on a UN panel with these guys is going to make things a lot better, I'm sure.

~~~~~~~~~~

 

 

August 10, 2010

 

"Where's It All Going?"

Wish I could say I knew, in this lunatic world.  There are, for me, only two givens:  There is not going to be a "two state solution" and we are here to stay.

~~~~~~~~~~ 

US envoy George Mitchell was here again, to no particular avail from his perspective.  In spite of a three-hour meeting and his best efforts, he was unable to convince PA leaders to come on board for direct talks.

To put it boldly, my friends, Abbas is running scared.  I don't mean simply worried about his political viability (though there is that).  I suggest that he is frightened for his life.  It is this essential fear that gives him the backbone to continue to say no to the Obama administration.

Yesterday, according to Khaled Abu Toameh and Herb Keinon, writing in the JPost, "representatives of dozens of Palestinian factions and organizations...warned Abbas against succumbing to pressure to open direct talks unconditionally."  Trust me, they can be quite "persuasive."  And these representatives included members of Abba's own Fatah party, so he doesn't even have a solid home base supporting him.  Abbas is not crazy.

What these groups want is exactly what Abbas has been demanding: They want the negotiations decided before there are negotiations.  They want us to agree to the borders of the projected Palestinian state before Abbas will sit down with us. Well...Netanyahu is not crazy either.

~~~~~~~~~~

The question is how long this will go on, before Obama throws in the towel and admits he cannot promote "peace" here at this time.  Or, at the very least, allow the effort he's expending to that end now to just slowly dissipate, without admitting anything. 

Then there is the question as to whether he would ever be honest enough to say that Palestinian Arab intransigence got in the way.  This is undoubtedly a rhetorical question.

Mitchell, on talking about his intention to return again soon, spoke, according to Reuters, about "difficulties and obstacles" the sides are facing.  "The sides"? There is always a moral-equivalency scenario waiting to be trotted out. 

~~~~~~~~~~

As to why there will not be a "two-state solution," you've heard from me several times. But here I share Minister Bennie Begin on the same issue:

Says Begin:  "The Palestinians are after a ‘two-stage solution’ and not a two-state solution."  First stage is pushing us back to pre-'67 lines, and the second is our destruction.

He reminds us that Article 19 in Chapter One of the Fatah charter states: "Armed struggle is a strategy, not a tactic. The armed revolution of the Arab Palestinian people is a crucial element in the battle for liberation and for the elimination of the Zionist presence.  This struggle will not stop until the Zionist entity is eliminated and Palestine is liberated."

Thus has the PLO refused to give consent to an article in a final agreement that would state "that this agreement puts an end to the conflict and concludes all claims by the parties."  And thus does the PLO deny the historic connection between the Jewish people and the land of Israel.

Begin's historical tracking of prior negotiations is instructive:

http://www.jpost.com/Opinion/Op-EdContributors/Article.aspx?id=184217

~~~~~~~~~~

The newly constituted UN panel charged with investigating the flotilla incident --  consisting of former prime minister of New Zealand, Geoffrey Palmer; outgoing Colombian President Alvaro Uribe; Israeli representative Joseph Ciechanover; and Turkish representative Özdem Sanberk -- will be holding it first meeting tonight at the UN in NY.

Unless there is a fifth participant from the UN itself, unmentioned, this may be a fairly balanced panel.

UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon told the press that the panel was "not designed to determine individual criminal responsibility, but to examine and identify the facts, circumstances and the context of the incident, as well as to recommend ways of avoiding future incidents."

We'll see.

Unfortunately, Ban has denied that an agreement was struck with Israel stipulating that military commanders would not be questioned.  Netanyahu has countered by saying that "Israel would not participate in any panel which wants to question IDF soldiers."

~~~~~~~~~~

 

The good news for today is that Congresswoman Nita Lowey (D-NY), who chairs the House Appropriations Subcommittee has acted (at least for the moment) to freeze $100 million in US military aid to Lebanon for 2010; the funds had been approved but were not yet dispersed.  This action was prompted by the recent sniping attack on IDF officers by the Lebanese army, which Lowey calls an "outrageous incident."

"This incident was tragic and was entirely avoidable," she said. "US assistance is intended to enhance our safety and that of our allies."

The subcommittee is said to now be watching the Lebanese response. 

~~~~~~~~~~

Interestingly, Howard Berman (D-CA), Chair of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, had put a hold on this disbursement before Lowey did -- before the sniping incident even occurred, actually.

Berman has concerns about Hezbollah influence on the Lebanese armed forces (LAF).  "Until we can...assure that the LAF is a responsible actor, I cannot in good conscience allow the United States to continue sending weapons to Lebanon."  His office is now investigating such matters as how diligently the LAF keeps track of weapons received from the US and how well it works with UNIFIL.

~~~~~~~~~~

Both of these Congresspersons are to be saluted for proper action here. 

But it is not all a done deal, as ultimately the investigations may be deemed to have secured satisfactory information and the assistance may be reinstated.

It's hard to imagine that an investigation that is diligent and on the up-and-up with regard to Hezbollah involvement with the Lebanese military could lead to reinstatement of assistance.  Just two days ago, member of the Lebanese parliament Mohammed Raad, declared:  “All calculations from now on will be built upon the notion that the Lebanese Army is ready to engage in confrontation, backed by the embrace of the Lebanese people and the support of the Resistance [Hezbollah].” That sounds pretty clear to me.

But matters are never that simple, and I can imagine a situation in which the Obama administration would claim that lending this assistance to the Lebanese was in the best interests of the US.

Nawwaf Moussawi, a senior Hezbollah leader and also a member of the Lebanese parliament today advised the Lebanese government to tell the US to keep its money and to seek military assistance from places such as Iran instead.  Cynic that I am, I can see the Obama administration jumping at the bait and pushing for the reinstatement of the assistance under the badly mistaken impression that this would help ensure US influence in Lebanon.  (That is his MO, is it not?)

~~~~~~~~~~

In closing, I share this, taken from MEMRI, without comment:

"A senior commander in the Iraqi military told the Qatari daily Al-'Arab that, in the last two months, the US has deployed over 7,000 troops along the Iraq-Iran border, as well as radars and batteries of anti-ballistic missiles. According to the source, this has convinced the Iraqi leaders that the US intends to launch an airstrike against Iran from Iraqi territory, and that the US will not withdraw before this strike takes place."

http://www.thememriblog.org:80/blog_personal/en/28976.htm

~~~~~~~~~~

 

 

 

August 4, 2010

 
"An Ominous Scene"
 
Yesterday witnessed the most serious clash on the border with Lebanon since the 2006 Lebanon war; it lead to the death of one member of the IDF and the wounding of another.
 
~~~~~~~~~~
 
A bit of background:
 
The de facto border between Lebanan and Israel, known as the Blue Line, was set in place and sanctioned by the UN in 2000 as the demarcation between Israel and Lebanon: In 2000, Israel called an end to Operation Litani -- an operation of 20 years standing, during which the IDF maintained a presence in southern Lebanon as a bulwark against terrorist attacks into Israel's north by Palestinian Arabs.  At that time, the UN certified that Israel was no longer in Lebanese territory when the IDF had pulled south of the Blue Line.
 
(The history of this line -- presumably going back to 1923 -- is not highly relevent in this context: What matters is that the UN officially sanctioned this as the demarcation between Israel and Lebanon in 2000.)
 
A fence runs along the border between Israel and Lebanon, but it is not in all areas absolutely contiguous with the Blue Line.  In certain areas because of topography (perhaps rocky, hilly terrain), the fence runs south of the Blue Line, inside of Israel.  Israel however, has never relinquished claim to the enclaves between the fence and the Blue Line, where it runs north of that fence. In fact, the IDF routinely moves into those enclaves, for maintenance and to consistently clarify the fact of Israeli sovereignty there.  Israel's unqualified position is that land south of the Blue Line is Israeli territory.
 
UNIFIL (the UN Interim Forces in Lebanon) was a presence in Lebanon before 2006. But with the end of the Second Lebanon War and UN Security Council resolution 1701, its numbers were increased and its mandate enhanced:  It was to operate between the Blue Line and the Litani River (i.e., in southern Lebanon), essentially at the bidding of/to provide assistance to the Lebanese army, in an effort to prevent Hezbollah from re-arming and operating in southern Lebanon.  My readers are well aware of the farce that this has been and we need not visit this issue right here.  The essential point is that the UNIFIL is in the area north of the Blue Line and cooperates with the Lebanese army. 
 
What is also of significance here is that when the IDF moves into an enclave between the fence and the Blue Line, it routinely notifies UNIFIL, which apparently routinely notifies the Lebanese army. 
 
~~~~~~~~~~
 
Yesterday began with a routine movement of the IDF into an enclave between the Blue Line and the fence. UNIFIL had been notified of IDF intentions to remove some trees (that were blocking a surveillance camera on a lookout post in a nearby Kibbutz); this was scheduled to begin at 9:00 AM. UNIFIL notified the Lebanese army, and then, on instructions from the army, requested that the IDF delay a couple of hours.
 
That delay provided time for one or more officers in the Lebanese army to lay an ambush and to invite media.  As the IDF entered the area, snipers began to shoot.  Bullets aimed at the head of  Lt. Col. Dov Harari killed him. A second officer was seriously wounded but has since been moved out of intensive care.
 
Israel retaliation was swift: shelling of a military vehicle in the Lebanese border town of Adaisseh killed three Lebanese soldiers; one Lebanese journalist was also killed.
 
Today, the IDF went back to the area and proceeded with the removal of the trees, not only because those trees required removal, but to make the point clear that Israel was within its jurisdiction to operate there.
 
~~~~~~~~~~
 
Several point are noteworthy with regard to this lethal incident.  Perhaps most significant is that this is not terrorist Hezbollah we are speaking of, but the regular Lebanese army.  While undoubtedly Hezbollah, which is dominant in the area, knew of what was about to take place, it was not directly involved.  The implications are huge. 
 
What is more, the presence of the media speaks to the deliberate premediation of the attack on the IDF.
 
In a departure from the norm, the UN stands with Israel in this case.  UNIFIL, the eyes of the UN in that area, has verified that Israel remained south of the Blue Line in Israeli territory.
 
The question has been raised, however, as to whether UNIFIL, though not directly complicit, knew about the planned attack and did nothing. The possibility most certainly exists, as, over the years, the UN forces in Lebanon have closed their eyes to a great deal indeed (such as the rearming of Hezbollah by Syria).
 
The irony is that, amidst considerable controversy about UNIFIL's failure to fulfill its mandate, that mandate was just extended by the Security Council in late July.
 
~~~~~~~~~~
 
The defense of Lebanon with regard to this incident is that some land below the Blue Line is actually Lebanese territory, and that the IDF had entered Lebanon in defiance of Resolution 1701.  They have not a leg to stand on, but Hezbollah and the Lebanese government (which today are one and the same) make claims as it suits them.
 
~~~~~~~~~~
 
A position of strength from us is imperative at this point.
 
From Egypt sources comes the charge that the Grad rockets fired at Eilat and Aqaba were fired by an armed Palestinian faction from Gaza, operating in the Sinai. 
 
Speaking at a press conference today, Southern District Police Commander Yohanan Danino said that Eilat has now been  placed on the list of areas threatened by terror.   
 
~~~~~~~~~~

 

 

 

August 3, 2010

 
"Getting to Truth"
 
Sometimes it's possible to do this, but at other times motivations are so complex and hidden factors so compelling, that it's near impossible. Especially is this the case when the truth is ugly.
 
I wrote yesterday about Netanyahu's decision to participate in the UN investigation of the flotilla incident.  Now we have two different explanations about why he made the decision he did.
 

The JPost reported today, on the front page, that a key factor for the prime minister was the hope of reducing tensions with Turkey.  This made me more than a little queasy, and I want to be certain I have things straight:
 
A ship came from Turkey carrying Turks associated with a Turkish terror organization. Ostensibly intending to deliver "humanitarian supplies" by sea, even though we offered to deliver them by land, the ship attempted to break the legal blockade of Gaza -- with at least implicit Turkish approval.  We maintain that blockade because we are at war with Hamas, which seeks to import weapons to be used against us.  When ordered to stop, the ship refused and persons on board shouted vile anti-Semitic comments.  When our people attempted to board the ship, to stop it, they were viciously attacked.  In the course of defending themselves, our soldiers killed some nine of the ruffians/terrorists on the ship.  And so now, the world points a finger at us, accusing us of all sorts of illegal acts and demands an "investigation."  This in spite of the filmed documentation available that gives evidence that some on the ship expressed a desire to be "martyrs," which has precious little to do with delivering humanitarian supplies and a great deal to do with Islamist ideology.
 
About right?
 
If so, how can an honest query help us improve our relationship with Turkey?  Are the Turks going to own up to the impropriety of their actions and beg our pardon?  Rhetorical question.
 
If the query is less than honest, then the Turks might be happy, but what we will have gained?
 
~~~~~~~~~~
 
Besides which, there is another point here:  The Turks were badly out of line -- infringing on our legal right to defend ourselves via that blockade and provoking us.  So, is it up to US to work to improve the situation?  What shall we say?  "Oh, this wasn't right, but we realize you didn't mean it"?  The need to "make nice" smells to me like what I refer to as "galut mentality."  This is the sickness exhibited by many Jews because of 2,000 years of being powerless and under the thumb of others.  Even native born Israelis are not always immune.
 
~~~~~~~~~~
 
But making nice with Turkey may be the least of it: Netanyahu may be floating this rather silly reason for agreeing to the investigation because he needs a cover for the real reason he agreed, which is to appease Obama.  The implications here are far worse than if he were simply stroking Turkey.
 
Anne Bayefsky, of Eye on the UN, has written a piece for FoxNews in which she addresses this issue.
 
"President Obama has now blackmailed the government of Israel into submitting its defense forces to the toxic oversight of the United Nations...

"Despite the fact that Israel has already launched an inquiry with international participants, the Obama administration insists that the Israel Defense Forces, and the Israeli legal and political establishment governing their actions, must be subject to UN supervision. U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. Susan Rice welcomed Ban’s announcement.

"Obama’s move is a far cry from claims of a recent rapprochement with Israel. Instead of pressuring Israel in front of the cameras, the administration is now using the U.N. as its foil. The sword of Damocles that hung over Prime Minister Netanyahu’s head was withdrawal of American veto protection in the Security Council, a United States sitting on the sidelines in the General Assembly and the other U.N. bodies where new forms of anti-Israel censure are always percolating, and a firm U.S. no to any Israeli military effort to stop an Iranian nuclear weapon." (emphasis added)
 
http://www.foxnews.com/opinion/2010/08/02/anne-bayefsky-israel-hamas-obama-gaza-netanyahu/
 
~~~~~~~~~~
 
Our prime minister walks a tight rope.  Whatever the threats leveled at us by Obama, the implications of agreeing to participate with the probe are themselves exceedingly serious.  One longs for Ben Gurion and his attitude of "Oom Shmoom" ("oom" meaning UN in Hebrew).
 
This is how Evelyn Gordon, writing in Commentary, put it:
 
"...this would be an atrocious precedent. As Haaretz noted, it would be the first time Israel has ever agreed to a UN probe of an Israel Defense Forces operation. As such, it would legitimize the UN’s insane obsession with Israel.  (emphasis added)

"After all, I haven’t noticed Ban suggesting UN probes of any other country’s military operations — say, Turkish operations against the Kurds, Iran’s attacks on its own citizens...to name just a few of the dozens of armies engaged in combat worldwide every single day. Many of these operations result in far more civilian casualties than Israel’s flotilla raid did — even if you deny the evidence provided by video footage of the raid and assume these casualties actually were civilians rather than combatants.

"But aside from setting a terrible precedent, this probe clearly has one, and only one, purpose: to excoriate Israel."

Gordon says that it is US Ambassador to the UN, Susan Rice, who promoted this idea of pushing Israel to agree to the probe. Rice says that it is “critical to U.S. interests at the UN." whatever that means.

"But whatever this alleged interest is, if furthering it requires investigating Israel alone, of all the countries engaged in military activity worldwide, it clearly also requires the probe to conclude that Israel was guilty of some heinous crime. Any goal that requires singling Israel out as uniquely suspect clearly can’t be served by ultimately acquitting it."  (emphasis added)

By Gordon's calculations, the way Ban will appoint people to the investigation, Israel is being set up.

http://www.commentarymagazine.com:80/blogs/index.php/evelyn-gordon/336436
 
(Thank you, Stephanie: I had missed the Gordon piece.)
 
~~~~~~~~~~
 
And so, once again, my friends, I am seeking your assistance if you are a US citizen.  Your elected representatives in Congress need to know about this, and Obama himself must hear -- in large numbers! -- how unacceptable this is.
 
Please!  short and to-the-point messages work best.
 
~~~~~~~~~~

For your Congresspersons:

http://www.house.gov/house/MemberWWW_by_State.shtml

For your Senators:

http://www.senate.gov/general/contact_information/senators_cfm.cfm

~~~~~~~~~~
.
For the president:

Fax: 202-456-2461   White House Comment line:  202-456-1111

e-mail form via:  http://www.whitehouse.gov/contact/

~~~~~~~~~~

And for everyone, but in particular Israelis:

Tell Prime Minister Netanyahu that he must stand strong in the face of extortion, and that involvement of the UN in Israeli military affairs can only weaken us.

Fax: 02-670-5369 (From the US: 011-972-2-670-5369)

E-mail: Memshala@pmo.gov.il and also pm_eng2@it.pmo.gov.il (underscore after pm) use both addresses

~~~~~~~~~~
 
War looms closer.  Things are heating up in Gaza.  Hezbollah is making threats with regard to gas fields we've uncovered.  It's only a question of when and where. 
 
For us to be weakened before the fact by UN probes that make us timid about acting is a terrible prospect. 
 
~~~~~~~~~~
 
Yesterday there was a Grad Katyusha rocket barrage coming from the Sinai, and aimed at Eilat and nearby Aqaba in Jordan.  One Jordanian was killed, and several wounded.
 
~~~~~~~~~~
 

 

 

August 2, 2010

 
"A Slow Caving?"
 
It's certainly not beyond the realm of possibility that PA president Mahmoud Abbas, even as he continues to insist that his conditions for entering direct talks have not changed, will ultimately cave in the face of huge US and EU pressure.
 

 
But it is no where near certainty yet, even though PM Netanyahu, addressing Likud ministers before the Cabinet meeting yesterday, made a statement about peace talks likely beginning in two weeks. 
 
Netanyahu seems to be working on a hunch, rather than any definitive information.  Thus he said, "I think that the international community, at least an important part of it, and certainly the US, expects the Palestinian Authority to put aside the claims, excuses and conditions -- and enter into peace talks."
 
~~~~~~~~~~
 
However, as we witness this unfolding drama, we must keep in mind the broader impact of the pressure that has been exerted by the Obama administration on the PA.  I would guess that the Americans calling the shots are fairly oblivious to certain factors at play here.
 
The Palestinian Arabs are not taking the pressure lightly.  In fact, at least in the short term, they are holding tight, rather than agreeing to demands.  Hanan Ashwari, a member of the PLO Executive Committee (and the antithesis of a submissive Palestinian Arab woman in any event) came out slugging this week.  “The pressure was tantamount to extortion,” she told Al-Quds Al-Arabi  in London.  “I never saw such pressure on the Palestinians in the history of negotiations with Israel.”  With her comments, one begins to feel the tenor of the current US-PA interaction.
 
There is a question of pride here (and I'll come back to that in a second).  But it seems to me there is also grievous disappointment with Obama in the PA camp, which makes the response more bitter. Remember, the very first international leader Obama called after his inauguration was Mahmoud Abbas. This was followed by a studious courting of the "Muslim World" by the new American president.  Can't blame Abbas for thinking that he had Obama in his pocket.  What a shock then, to find that Obama had shifted gears and that it wasn't so.
 
~~~~~~~~~~
 
But there's more:  The PA cannot afford to appear to be closely allied with, or doing the bidding of, the Americans.  We saw this not long ago in another context.  The Americans had been investing large sums of money in building up the PA security forces.  General Keith Dayton was sent to head up this operation and for a time was involved in every aspect of the program.  So much was this the case, that the security forces became unofficially known as "Dayton's troops."  In response, first the PA told the Americans, give us money, but stay out of planning.  Now Dayton is gone from the program.
 
For the PA, the problem with "Dayton's troops" was that Hamas utilized it as a way to attack Fatah in the street: the charge was that its leaders were traitors who do the bidding of the Americans and do not represent the best interests of the Palestinian people.
 
~~~~~~~~~~
 
All the more so is this the case here.  Abbas has said it doesn't serve the interests of the Palestinian people to sit down in face to face negotiations unless Israel has already agreed to return to '67 lines, etc. etc.  Never mind whether this really does serve the interests of the "Palestinian people," Abbas is on public record here.
 
Then along comes Obama, saying that he doesn't care what Abbas has stipulated, he doesn't believe preconditions are necessary, and Abbas better sit down at the table now or else.
 
Well, he's causing Abbas to lose face, which is a major thing in Arab culture and one very big reason why he cannot agree to negotiate now -- even if he finds a way to do so later.  But Obama has also strengthened Hamas in the street.  In a recent article, Khaled Abu Toameh quoted a PA official thusly:  "The pressure on President Abbas undermines the PA’s standing among Palestinians. The Americans and Europeans are making us lose our credibility.” 
 
Should there be PA elections, Hamas is more likely to win.  Should there be a terrorist attack, it is more likely to be celebrated in the street because it shows Palestinian "pride" and "power."  Should negotiations actually take place, Abbas would be even more obstinate than might otherwise have been expected, in order to show he doesn't cave for the Americans. Should it happen (it won't) that Abbas should come to an agreement with us, it would be more difficult for him to sell it in the street.
 
So what has Obama accomplished? 
 
~~~~~~~~~~
 
Saeb Erekat is claiming that some weeks ago the PA gave Mitchell a full PA plan for peace, but has not received a response from Israel.  Netanyahu has said he received no such proposal.
 
~~~~~~~~~~
 
It's not clear where Netanyahu got his estimate of "two weeks." Other rumors suggest talks might start after Ramadan, which would be mid-September.  And it is at about the same time -- September 16 -- that the foreign ministers of the Arab League are due to meet again.
 
Of course, this is just a week before the all-important freeze on construction is due to end.  Our government has adamantly and consistently declared that this freeze will not be extended.  But now we have something a tad closer to the truth:
 
Deputy Foreign Minister Danny Ayalon just made a statement regarding the fact that when the freeze is over this doesn't mean there will be a massive building boom.  Instead construction would be aimed at maintaining "normal life."  Uh oh.  Been there, done that.  What is needed for "normal life" keeps getting defined down.  Normal life should mean that your  married children are able to buy a new apartment in the area where you live.  Is this, pray tell, what Ayalon means?
 
Ayalon hasn't spelled this out, but he says "political, security and foreign affairs" would be factored in when deciding when and where to build.  That, he maintains, is what a "responsible government" has to do. Responsible to whom, is the question. This is the Netanyahu administration playing both ends against the middle -- denying that there is a freeze extension in an attempt to keep the right wing from being up in arms, while instituting something akin to a de facto freeze to keep Obama happy.
 
~~~~~~~~~~
 
Just possibly, the one exception to what Ayalon is describing may be in Jerusalem, where our feisty mayor, Nir Barkat, announced yesterday that permits for building in all parts of the city will continue to be issued.  Today 40 more units were approved for Pisgat Ze'ev; after 32 apartments were approved there two weeks ago.  Let's see it continue!
 
Jerusalem was never supposed to be part of the freeze anyway, but it was de facto frozen.  Remember the furor because we announced building in Ramat Shlomo when Biden was here -- a furor that implied we weren't supposed to build there, when, according to original understandings, we were.
 
~~~~~~~~~~
 
A regular reader has just written to ask me if Netanyahu has lost his mind.  Sorry that I'm not qualified to make a definitive judgment on this, but I do understand the question. 
 
The issue is the decision Netanyahu has just made to cooperate with the UN inquiry on the flotilla incident (this is separate from the UN Human Rights Council investigation).  This is after he had said we did our own inquiry and this was enough, and in face of the UN reputation for nailing us.
 
It is not a coincidence that the decision was made right after Barak visited with UN Secretary-General Ban Ki Moon, who urged this decision.  (Some press reports have it that he "demanded" this -- which rather puts my back up.)  The decision was made after consultation with the inner cabinet or septet.
 
The argument being advanced is that the government has learned from the Goldstone report, which was so enormously biased -- what was learned is that it's better to have input.  Said Netanyahu: "Israel has nothing to hide. Quite the opposite: The State of Israel's national interest is to ensure that the factual truth on the entire raid incident will be known to the world."
 
We are seeking clarification on several matters including the precise authority of the investigating committee, and action to prevent Palestinians from bringing this to the Hague.  Decisions still have to be made regarding how much technical material, if any, to turn over to the committee; Netanyahu has said that the soldiers who were involved would not be queried.
 
The investigating committee will be chaired by former Prime Minister of New Zealand Geoffrey Palmer. with outgoing President of Colombia Alvaro Uribe serving as vice chair.  Israel and Turkey will then each have a member participating.  Deliberations are to begin on August 10, with a preliminary report expected mid-September.
 
Time will tell if this was a sane decision. Someone will have to come pick me up from the floor if the findings turn out to be unbiased.
 
~~~~~~~~~~

 

 

July 31, 2010

 

Motzei Shabbat (After Shabbat)

"Heating Up"

It's been fairly quiet on our border with Gaza, until the last couple of days.  It was, of course, only a matter of time.

It began on Friday morning when a Grad Katyusha rocket fired from Gaza hit central Ashkelon; thankfully there were no injuries but there was property damage and a number of people were treated for shock (which should not be minimized). 

We responded with an aerial attack on three different Hamas-connected sites in Gaza: a site where Hamas commandos were trained, a weapons manufacturing warehouse, and rocket-smuggling tunnel.  Issa al-Batran, a commander in Hamas's Al-Kassam Brigades, was killed in one of the strikes and eight others were wounded.

~~~~~~~~~~

Hours after the Grad was launched, two mortars landed in the Eshkol Regional Council (which lies roughly south of Ashkelon).

Then tonight, a Kassam hit an educational institution, outside of Sderot, in the Shaar HaNegev Regional Council.

~~~~~~~~~~

Whether this is the beginning of a sustained series of attacks, or will abate, it is too soon to say.  Some analysts are connecting this to the prospect of direct talks between Israel and the PA -- that is, an attempt to derail this by stirring up matters.

~~~~~~~~~~

Speaking of those direct talks, news has just broken of a letter that was sent to Abbas by Obama two weeks ago, in which he said, “it is high time to resume direct negotiations with Israel” as Netanyahu “is ready to resume direct negotiations.”

According to a PA official, the letter said that, “Obama will absolutely not accept the rejection of his recommendation to move to direct negotiations and that there will be consequences for such a rejection in the form of a lack of trust in President Abbas and the Palestinian side.”  Obama promised that he would work to extend an Israeli freeze on building in  Jewish settlements due to expire in September if Abbas resumed direct negotiations. “But in case of a refusal its assistance on that issue will be very limited.”

PA negotiator Saeb Erekat confirmed the existence of this letter to AFP (Agence France Presse).

~~~~~~~~~~

There are several points of interest with regard to this letter.  It was, you will note, sent before the Arab League meeting this past week, and may have had something to do with the response of the foreign ministers at that meeting with regard to (ambiguously) signing on for direct talks. 

But what has not happened is that Abbas himself was so intimidated by Obama's threats that he jumped to come to the table.  There are other things that are frightening him a good deal more, I would say. 

What is more, if this report is accurate, it does indicate that Netanyahu has not caved with regard to extending the freeze. Although it tells us (as we have already guessed) that there will be huge pressure on him to do so, should Abbas cave in the end and come to the table.

~~~~~~~~~~

Of course (and also no surprise whatsoever), UN Secretary General Ban Ki Moon is pumping for a freeze extension.  The subject came up when Defense Minister Ehud Barak met with him on Friday.

Said Barak to Ban:

"We are hoping to start direct negotiations with the Palestinians soon, in order to move forward with an agreement which will be based on two nations for two peoples.  The negotiations will not be simple, and courageous decisions will be required on our part and the Palestinians...We will need the help of the UN to go forward with the negotiations."

This man needs to be muzzled!  Bad enough to speak about the "courageous decisions" we have to make (= going back to the '67 lines), but for him to seek UN "help," with the UN's anti-Israel reputation?  We are our own worst enemies.  Barak should hang his head in shame.  But then, the evidence of the past is that he's shameless.

~~~~~~~~~~

Barak then went into what might be seen as a comedy routine, if it were not so serious.  He told Ban that the UN must act to prevent weapons smuggling by Hezbollah and to implement Resolution 1701.  Come on!  There will be no implementation of that resolution, and it's rather after the fact anyway.  Under the nose of UN troops Hezbollah has already re-armed to a strength greater than it had before the Second Lebanon war. 

~~~~~~~~~~

Meanwhile, that fine upstanding UN Human Rights Council -- which devotes more time and energy to investigating Israeli human rights "violations" than all of the other human rights violations in the world -- is going to investigate the flotilla incident.  Word from our prime minister's office is that we are not likely to cooperate.  I would hope not.  Not only is the mandate stacked against us, but UN war crimes prosecutor Desmond de Silva, who has been chosen to head the panel, spoke against our actions before his appointment.

At the same time, Ban is pumping for yet another UN investigation.

~~~~~~~~~~

Please see and broadly share "Hypocrisy's finest hour," by Shaul Rosenfeld.

Rosenfeld exposes the world's hypocrisy when it comes to criticism of Israel: 

"...during Operation Just Cause in December 1989, US troops in Panama killed 300 to 1,000 civilians...in October 1993, a UN force (mostly comprising US units) killed more than 500 Somali civilians, while 'carrying out an operation,' of course.

"Elsewhere, 460 to 2,000 civilians were killed during NATO bombings in Kosovo in 1999; in December 2004, in a campaign against Islamist forces in Iraq’s Fallujah, the Americans killed more than 6,000 civilians and obliterated about 10,000 civilian homes. Yet those who determine Israel’s guilt in advance have no use for such humdrum information."

http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3927180,00.html

~~~~~~~~~~

 

 

July 30, 2010

"Yes, But..."
 
It's nothing but political theater that we're witnessing, but theater with heavy implications.
 
Setting the scene:
 
Netanyahu has been grandly announcing to the world, "We're ready.  We'll begin negotiations with the PA tomorrow, without preconditions."  This has felt more than a bit cavalier to me (I wince inwardly at his demonstrated eagerness), but I see our prime minister walking a tight rope.  He believes it important that the world see Israel as the willing partner.
 
It has been Abbas who has been obstructionist -- refusing to come to the table unless Israel first agreed to certain by now well-known parameters, and realizing, surely, that we would never agree.  This man really really doesn't want to negotiate.  I mean really: the talks hold out the promise only of major tsuris (real trouble) for him.  But he has been trying to structure it so that it's Israel's fault, since we won't agree to some perfectly reasonable things -- such as all the land beyond the '67 line being Palestinian land.  If we don't agree upfront, he argues, it's pointless to sit at the table because the talks will go nowhere, and they want the talks to genuinely progress.
 
Anyone with half an eye (half an eye?) can see that the PA leaders don't want to negotiate a compromise settlement at all.  Their maximalist demands remain and they simply want us to sign on to them.  Is Obama (or the EU for that matter) lacking that half an eye?  Or does it just suit his political agenda to ignore the obvious?
 
~~~~~~~~~~
 
And so, enter Obama from stage left.  He had been courting the PA so effusively that had he simply strengthened the obstinacy of this group.  Finally it dawned on him that this wasn't working, and he switched tactics.  Be clear: it's only tactics, not his ultimate goal or his underlying attitude that changed.  He began publicly courting Israel in a love fest.  Great theater.
 
And, for the first time, he began applying real pressure on Abbas, with regard to finally coming to the table.
 
Note that he hadn't pressured Abbas to stop incitement -- something he was committed to attending to.  And he was still making nice to the PA with regard to a change in the status of the PA/PLO mission that now permitted a flying of the flag in Washington DC.  This was a reflection of closer relations between the PA and the US, a State Department spokesman said.  Huh?  What it represented was a step towards PA statehood, perhaps a psychological step or an inducement.
 
If you don't negotiate, said Obama, I can't promise to help you found your state.  Implicit here is the PA threat to found that state unilaterally. At least try, it seems Obama was saying, and then we'll see what happens next.
 
On top of that, the EU was applying unprecedented pressure on Abbas.
 
Uh oh.  The heat was getting intense. And if Abbas fell out of favor with the EU, some of the European largesse upon which the PA depends might be withdrawn.
 
~~~~~~~~~~
 
Abbas, who had already received sanction from his Fatah party to refrain from negotiations, went to a meeting of Arab League foreign ministers in Cairo yesterday, hoping that this group, as well, would back his refusal to negotiate.  But this is not what happened, in part because of intense pressure also being brought to bear on the Arab states.  They played their role with, I must admit, a certain cleverness.  They didn't want to appear to be obstructionist -- they were warned by Obama (for whatever that is worth) that they'd better not be.
 
So they came out with a position that gave a semblance of supporting negotiations.  See, they're good guys after all. 
 
However, what they actually delivered was a "Yes, But..." position that was hardly unequivocally supportive of direct negotiations.  Talks have their blessings, they said, in a statement that was deliberately vague.  But it is up to Abbas to decide when to start those talks and under what conditions.
 
Cute, no? 
 
~~~~~~~~~~
 
At this point, Abbas is saying nothing has changed, and he's holding out for those same parameters.  The question is whether he can hold on, or, now that the Arab League has given a tentative nod, he will ultimately cave and come to the table.
 
He knows that his Fatah party thinks he shouldn't negotiate directly.  Additionally, Hamas has come out with a statement condemning movement towards those talks.  And we should not minimize the effect that Hamas has on the thinking in the street -- this radical terrorist group actually sets the tone of political discourse in the PA areas.  Abbas's fear is being branded a traitor, if he sits with a Netanyahu administration and then makes any concessions.  He's got reasons for his reluctance.
 
~~~~~~~~~~
 
I'm reading some predictions that Abbas will agree to negotiate by the beginning of September. But something else must be considered: The end of September marks the end of the 10-month freeze on construction.  As one of his preconditions, Abbas has demanded that this freeze be extended everywhere including Jerusalem.  Netanyahu has pledged that the freeze will not be extended, and it would be difficult to overestimate the fury likely to ensue within his own coalition and within the nationalist community here, should he renege on this pledge.  Just as Abbas is afraid of the anger in the street, it is possible that Netanyahu's hands may be tied to some degree with regard to how much latitude he has here if he wishes to sustain his coalition.
 
What we may be looking at are mutually exclusive political constraints that preclude negotiations at this time.  We'll have to wait for the next act, mindful that things can change in an instant.  But I continue to ponder precisely what it is Obama thinks he's doing and imagines he can achieve (that would accrue to his political benefit).
 
~~~~~~~~~~
 
A comedy interlude here: There was a big hullabaloo with regard to something Haim Ramon (Kadima) is alleged to have said to PA chief negotiator Saeb Erekat at the American Colony Hotel, earlier this month:  Don't agree to negotiations, a witness claims Ramon -- who was acting like an advisor -- said, "because Bibi won't agree to anything."
 
Both Erekat and Kadima are denying this discussion took place, which, of course, does not mean that it necessarily did not.   There is one sentence attributed to Ramon that I consider particularly enlightening (if, indeed, he said it):  "There is no way the prime minister of Israel would agree to accept 100,000 to 2000,000 Palestinian refugees."
 
Well, why in hell SHOULD we accept these so-called refugees, who are likely to be highly radicalized (thanks to UNRWA policies)?  If there were to be a Palestinian state, it is there that these people would belong. Acceptance signals a token acknowledgment that the refugee situation (the "Nakba") was our fault, and not the fault of the Arabs who attacked us. 
 
And why does someone significant to the Kadima party think we should do this?
 
~~~~~~~~~~
 
Of course, the whole issue of "right of return" is non-negotiable for Abbas, and one of the reasons he won't come to the table.  This is a no-win situation for him.
 
~~~~~~~~~~
 
This allows me to turn to an excellent article by Sol Stern on that very issue of the "Nakba" and how Arab obsession with it is the stumbling block to peace.  It touches a good many important points:
 
http://www.city-journal.org/2010/20_3_nakba.html
 
(Thanks Craig K.)
 
~~~~~~~~~~

 

 

July 26, 2010

 

"Churning Wheels"

I am here and functioning.  Intense summer heat, grandchildren sleeping over... other writing to be done... With it all, I took a look each day at what there was to write about and thought, this can wait another day.  :-)

But today I felt it was time.

~~~~~~~~~~ 

Those churning wheels are moving (if at all) very slowly.  Abbas is playing the same game, in spite of pressure from Obama.  He is refusing to come to the table for direct negotiations unless we agree upfront to the '67 lines as borders, freeze additional construction in Jewish communities past the Green Line, etc. etc.  We all know the litany.

He has now received the backing of both Fatah and the PLO for this position.

~~~~~~~~~~

But never mind!  Obama is apparently pleased with Abbas and sees the U.S.-PA relationship as "improving."  At least this is what we're hearing from the State Department:

Just days ago, the State Department announced that the status of the  Palestinian Authority/Palestinian Liberation Organization Mission in the United States  will be changed from “bureau” to "general delegation.”  This will allow the mission to fly the PLO/PA flag outside of its office. State Department spokesman P.J. Crowley said the change represented an improvement in the U.S. relationship with the Palestinian Authority.
 

In light of that refusal by Abbas to go to direct talks -- even as this is being strongly urged by Obama -- it is difficult to understand on what basis the “improvement” is being assessed.  There has been no mention by the U.S. of “tough decisions” the PA is being expected to make (in parallel with the tough decisions we are expected to make), and there has not even been a stipulation that the PA terminate its blatant and pervasive anti-Israel incitement.

Here we can learn a great deal about U.S. intentions:  For anyone hoping that Obama's love offensive with Israel might be serious, this provides food for thought.

~~~~~~~~~~

Abbas made a statement the other day that caught my eye:  He said that Israel was creating stumbling blocks to peace; in fact, he claimed, the IDF had entered the West Bank (i.e., Palestinian Arab areas of Judea and Samaria) 900 times in the last three months.

Now, I know that the IDF does nightly incursions into these areas to catch terrorists and uncover weapons caches.  But according to Abbas's figure, the IDF is averaging 10 operations per night.  This struck me as a bit high, and I currently am awaiting an official answer from the IDF on this.  It is a stunning figure if it is true.  But in any event the point I want to make here stands:

The very fact that the IDF has to do many operations nightly (be it 10 or 6) into PA areas is one more reason why we cannot pull out.  The PA security forces are not, by themselves, equipped (or motivated) to stop terrorism as we do.  There would be a serious increase in terrorism, were the IDF to withdraw.  This, obviously, is not the case Abbas intended to make. But it stares us in the face.

~~~~~~~~~~

Recently, Foreign Minister Lieberman made a suggestion:  Let's wash our hands of Gaza entirely.  Build a fence at the border with Gaza so nothing goes in, stop the naval blockade, and permit the EU and whoever else to build electric generators and desalination plants in Gaza.  Then tell the people there they're on their own.  They'd generate their own electricity (we now supply 70%!), produce their own water (we help in that respect now too), bring in their humanitarian and commercial goods via the sea (instead of our supervising and monitoring by land), and we'd have no more responsibility for anything, and -- in theory -- no headaches.

While I understand the desire to be rid of this situation, I consider this a terrible solution.  For the most important goal in monitoring what goes into Gaza is to stop the transfer of weapons.  That's what the sea blockade is all about.  Were we to take down that blockade, Iran would have a field day, freely transferring sophisticated weaponry to the terrorists of Gaza.  The rockets and missiles would sail easily over that fence and we'd have headaches aplenty.

~~~~~~~~~~

I mention this because of a piece written by Yonaton Halevi, a senior researcher on the Middle East and radical Islam for the JCPA, on this very subject.  Halevi is looking at an entirely different, and very important, aspect of this situation. For it seems that the PA and Hamas-- who, says Halevi, have an identical goal -- are opposed to setting Gaza free in the fashion described by Lieberman.  The Palestinian Arabs, suggests Halevi, want to "keep the lava of the refugee problem at full boil, as this constitutes the key to the ultimate objective of the historic Palestinian odyssey-- the liquidation of the State of Israel as a Jewish state.  This is the real reason behind the Palestinian love affair with the "Israeli occupation." (Note: the Palestinian Arabs claim that Gaza is still "occupied.")

This merits a careful read.

http://www.globallawforum.org/ViewPublication.aspx?ArticleId=131

~~~~~~~~~~

A two ship flotilla may be leaving soon from Lebanon, to try, once again, to break the Gaza blockade.  In response to a letter addressing this matter sent to the UN by Israeli Ambassador to the UN Gabriela Shalev, UN Spokesperson Martin Narisky said: 

“There are established paths for the transfer of goods into the Gaza Strip by land. This is the proper way to transfer aid to the residents of Gaza. We prefer that any additional aid will be sent via land, especially during this sensitive time following the recent proximity talks between Israel and the Palestinians.”

A switch.

~~~~~~~~~~

With regard to the blockade, you might want to see this:

"The Legal Basis of the Blockade of Gaza," by Ruth Lapidoth, Professor Emeritus in International Law at Hebrew University:

http://www.jcpa.org/JCPA/Templates/ShowPage.asp?DRIT=1&DBID=1&LNGID=1&TMID=111&FID=442&PID=0&IID=4402&TTL=The_Legal_Basis_of_Israel’s_Naval_Blockade_of_Gaza

~~~~~~~~~~

I have never found arguments for our retention of the land in Judea and Samaria that are based exclusively on security issues to be satisfactory.  For they totally overlook the legal right we have to the land, our history in the land, and all the rest.  If doing so doesn't put us at risk from a security perspective, it's OK to give away our heritage? 

That said, I concede that there is a certain power (forgive the pun) to this bottom-line argument.  It is valid as one reason for not surrendering the land -- one very serious and solid reason.  And it has impact in places where arguments about our heritage might not carry the day.

The Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs, and Director Dore Gold in particular, have actively promoted the argument for secure borders. 

Recently, the JCPA put out "Israel's Critical Security Needs for a Viable Peace."  This is a study of the issues that brought together a group of senior IDF generals.  The link below brings you to a page that includes a video, a summary of the study, the assessment of each of the generals independently, and an opportunity to download the full study. 

http://www.defensibleborders.org/security/

~~~~~~~~~~

 

July 21, 2010

 
"Irrefutable Evidence"
 
I begin today with a link to a shortened version (a trailer) to a new video called, "For the Sake of Nakba," produced by the Center for Near East Policy Research. 
 
http://forthesakeofnakba.blogspot.com/
 
Please!  Take five minutes to see it, bookmark it, and share it absolutely as widely as you can. 
 
Regularly I receive links to various videos that are referred to as "must see."  Or, "this will blow your mind."  All of this, and more, applies to this trailer.  Let's get the movement started, and let's see this making the rounds of the Internet.
 
~~~~~~~~~~
 
"Nakba" means catastrophe in Arabic, and it is how the Arabs refer to the founding of Israel.  In this film you will see how UNRWA -- that purportedly benign humanitarian agency that cares for the poor suffering refugees -- promotes "the right of return" and the destruction of Israel via jihad. 
 
Everyone but everyone needs to have this information in order to be well informed.
 
In fact, while you are sharing this, please make certain that your elected officials in Congress have the information.  Provide the link, and the one short paragraph of explanation, above, about Nakba and what you will see in the film.  Ask your elected officials what they are doing to block UNRWA's current policies.  The US provides UNRWA with more than 30% of its budget -- Congress has clout, if it chooses to use it.
 
For your Congresspersons: 

http://www.house.gov/house/MemberWWW_by_State.shtml 

For your Senators: 

http://www.senate.gov/general/contact_information/senators_cfm.cfm 

Ask everyone you send this to, to do the same. A groundswell of protest can make a difference and Congressional action on UNRWA would have a huge impact on the situation here.
 
~~~~~~~~~~
 
Just because something is anticipated doesn't mean it needs to be accepted with equanimity.
 
We knew that Obama's lovefest with Israel was just an act, that his intentions towards us had changed not an iota.  Now, already, we are confronting the confirmation of this.  And it is enraging.
 
This came through yesterday from JINSA -- one of the most trustworthy and on-the-mark agencies around -- in its Report # 1007: 
 
"Andrew J. Shapiro, Assistant Secretary of State for Political-Military Affairs, was dispatched last Friday to the Brookings Institution to advance the charm offensive that seeks to convince Israelis and American supporters of Israel that the Obama Administration is Israel's best friend. He worked hard, but his bottom line was that Israel - not the Palestinians and not the Arab states - needs to do more for peace, specifically the 'two state solution' to which the administration is wedded but which appears increasingly unlikely."
 
JINSA cited a "sometimes reliable source" as having said: "Officials acknowledged that the White House, which endorsed $20 billion worth of arms sales to the Middle East in 2009, has not approved any Israeli requests for combat platforms or other major military sales in 2009 and 2010." JINSA will be confirming this.
 
~~~~~~~~~~

What the US has provided is $205 million for Israel's Iron Dome rocket defense system.  But lest you imagine that this was motivated by a genuine concern for our security, take a look at what JINSA tells us Shapiro said about it, not once, but twice:

First: "It is our hope that the Administration's expanded commitment to Israel's security will advance the process by helping the Israeli people seize this opportunity and take the tough decisions necessary for a comprehensive peace."
 
And then:  "Bolstering Israel's security against the rocket threat will not by itself facilitate a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Conversely, a two-state solution will not in and of itself bring an end to these threats. But our support for Iron Dome and similar efforts do provide Israel with the capabilities and the confidence that it needs to take the tough decisions ahead for a comprehensive peace."
 
In case anyone was in doubt, JINSA clarified what is meant by the term "tough decisions": "a euphemism for ceding territory, ceding political rights, ceding security control to others."
 
"There was more in the speech that is worth noting," wrote JINSA, "and we will, but it will take a while before we get over the idea that Obama Administration support for Israel's defense - such as that support is - is a function of the administration's determination to have Israel take actions that increase the risk to its people."  (emphasis added)
 
http://www.jinsa.org/node/1948
 
~~~~~~~~~~
 
I am not exactly happy about what follows here, either.  But in this instance we are doing it to ourselves:
 
Israel has provided a response to the UN regarding the Goldstone Report.  Commitments have been made by us regarding ways to reduce civilian casualties in future conflicts.  Most notably, these include:
 
[] Restricting the use of white phosphorous as a smoke screen.  This use of phosphorous is legal under international law -- it is not using the phosphorous as a weapon.  But, OK, it can inadvertently cause civilian damage sometimes.
 
[] Integrating a Humanitarian Affairs Officer into each combat unit.
 
This is particularly bad news.  In all instances -- whether taking on Hezbollah in Lebanon, or Hamas in Gaza, or terrorists in Judea and Samaria -- we are dealing with those who do not play by the rules and could not care less about loss of civilian life.  Yet it is our forces that will be monitored every step of the way and forever held accountable. 
 
This inhibits our ability to defend ourselves, for we will be afraid of being second-guessed after the fact. Not only is this not a way to win a war (and winning is the critical point here), there is no other fighting force in the world held to such standards.  No one imagines that the US military must have a "humanitarian affairs officer" in each combat unit -- not in Iraq, not in Afghanistan -- in spite of civilian casualties. While the irony is that we are the most ethical fighting force in the world. 
 
~~~~~~~~~~
 
The report to the UN further speaks about investigations into the actions of our soldiers, with specific mention of two IDF soldiers who have been indicted for putting a Palestinian minor at risk, and a soldier who is suspected of killing a Palestinian civilian.
 
It is appropriate for us to stay on top of such incidents, and to levy charges and penalties where appropriate.  But what sticks in the craw is our need (or perceived need) to report this to the UN.  Fighting is not a clean endeavor, and even in the most humane of forces incidents will occur (sometimes because of maliced motivations and sometimes because of poor judgment in a difficult situation).  Not only are we making ourselves accountable to some of the biggest bums going -- representatives of nations who have no regard for human rights -- this all feels as if it's a sort of acknowledgement that there was some merit to the Goldstone Report.  Or so it will be interpreted.
 
The standards to which we are being held, and to which we are permitting ourselves to be held, exceed the standards applied anywhere else.  It is a part of the international effort to deprive us of legitimacy.
 
~~~~~~~~~~
 
Speaking of holding Israel to a different standard, we have an article by Khaled Abu Toameh, written for Hudson NY, which asks:
 
"When was the last time the UN Security Council met to condemn an Arab government for its mistreatment of Palestinians?
   
"How come those who call themselves 'pro-Palestinian' turn a blind eye to the fact that Egypt, Syria, Lebanon, Jordan and many more Arab countries continue to impose severe travel restrictions on Palestinians?

"A news story on the Palestinians that does not include an anti-Israel angle rarely makes it to the front pages of Western newspapers.

"The demolition of an Arab-owned illegal building in Jerusalem is, for most correspondents, much more important than the fact that hundreds of thousands of Palestinians living in Lebanon are denied the right to own property, do not qualify for health care, and are banned by law from working in a large number of jobs."  (emphasis added)
 
http://www.hudson-ny.org:80/1422/palestinians-in-arab-world
 
~~~~~~~~~~
 
This report, written by Joe Klein, which first appeared in Time Magazine, has now been picked by several other sources.
 
"An Attack on Iran is Back on the [US] Table":
 
"...when Secretary of Defense Robert Gates told Fox News on June 20, "We do not accept the idea of Iran having nuclear weapons," he was reflecting a new reality in the military and intelligence communities. Diplomacy and economic pressure remain the preferred means to force Iran to negotiate a nuclear deal, but there isn't much hope that's going to happen. So the military option is very much back on the table.

"Intelligence sources say that the U.S. Army's Central Command, which is in charge of organizing military operations in the Middle East, has made some real progress in planning targeted air strikes - aided, in large part, by the vastly improve human-intelligence operations in the region. 'There really wasn't a military option a year ago,' an Israeli military source told me. 'But they've gotten serious about the planning, and the option is real now.' Israel has been brought into the planning process. One other factor has brought the military option to a low boil: Iran's Sunni neighbors really want the U.S. to do it."
 
http://www.time.com/time/nation/article/0,8599,2003921,00.html
 
This, my friends, is good news.
 
~~~~~~~~~~
 
So is the fact that Russia has decided not to deliver to Iran the S-300 surface to air missile defense system -- it has already been sold to Iran, but the most recent sanctions preclude delivery.
 
~~~~~~~~~~
 
Evelyn Gordon has written a fascinating piece in the Commentary blog on how Israel can win the PR war.  In essence, it recommends going on the defensive instead of being defensive.  You've heard this theme here before. 
 
Gordon cites PR guru Frank Luntz: 
 
"...when people have preconceived notions about Israel, it’s very hard to dislodge those notions — to convince them, for instance, that Israel did not wantonly target civilians in last year’s war in Gaza, or has not created a humanitarian crisis there by its blockade. But it is possible to persuade them that no matter how bad Israel is, its enemies are much, much worse — and therefore even someone who dislikes Israel should nevertheless back it against those enemies."
 
Says Gordon, another PR expert, Sarah Kass, explains it thus:
"Israel’s enemies are conducting a classic PR offensive, designed to keep the focus relentlessly on Israel and away from themselves. Thus they never talk about themselves; they talk only about Israel.

"Israel, however, does the opposite: it talks almost exclusively about itself, constantly trying to defend its own actions rather than focusing on its enemies’ actions. And to listeners, this just sounds like 'whining.'

"What Israel should be doing is exactly what its enemies do: focusing relentlessly on the other side. For only in that context — a battle against a truly evil enemy — can Israel’s defensive measures ever be understood."

~~~~~~~~~~

This approach works.  Luntz told of a meeting he had with “high income, high education, politically connected” Brits who were “so hostile to Israel” that “I’d given up … There was no message that resonated remotely well with them. And I finally said ‘to hell with it. We’ll give them the Hamas Charter’.”

At the end, “28 of the 30 said, ‘How dare Israel negotiate with these people?’” 

(Note: We're not negotiating with Hamas, but never mind, the sentiment is what counts here.)

http://www.commentarymagazine.com/blogs/index.php/evelyn-gordon/330276

(Thanks BudnPhyl)

~~~~~~~~~~

The Turks are strengthening its ties to Hamas, as the Turkish FM has met with Mashaal.

But there seems to be a trade-off here:  We are now hosting a Greek prime minister for the first time since 1992, as  George Papandreou (son of Andreas) is moderating his stance towards Israel. Analysts feel that the tensions between Israel and Turkey (historical rival, if not arch enemy of Greece) is a factor in what's happening. 

~~~~~~~~~~

Fatah officials are saying they will back direct talks between the PA and Israel, provided that Abbas's terms are met.  We are already familiar with those demands, which include an understanding about borders and security up front.

Muhammad Dahlan, a member of the Revolutionary Council of Fatah (that name has a moderate ring, does it not?), says that "Fatah wants to see real progress on the issues of borders and security.  We also want a complete freeze of settlement construction, including natural growth, especially in occupied East Jerusalem."

Especially, huh?

~~~~~~~~~~

The best response is Ari Harow's piece, "Why Jerusalem Matters," from the JPost, on eve of Tisha B'Av.

"On this Tisha Be’av day, as we approach direct talks with the Palestinian Authority, it is imperative that we state loudly and clearly that Jerusalem is our heart and soul, our national raison d’être. Guaranteeing a united Jerusalem without one iota of hesitation or equivocation is not a matter of choice, but rather a national obligation."

http://www.jpost.com/Home/Article.aspx?id=181940

Amen!

Harrow, by the way, until quite recently was bureau chief for PM Netanyahu. Hope his former boss is paying attention.

~~~~~~~~~~

 

 

 

July 20, 2010

 
"Messages for the Day"
 
Tisha B'Av is a complex day. 
 
A time for mourning, with the very painful recitation of Eicha (Lamenations) and the reading of Kinnot (mournful elegies or poetic dirges) that paint near unbearable pictures of the tragedy of the destruction and other suffering that has befallen us.
 
A time for contemplation regarding our own behavior.  Today I attended a teaching about sins that are all the worse because we convince ourselves we have not sinned, but have done good.
 
A time for hope.  We are told, after all, that the Moshiach will be born on this day.  In the weeks following there will be haftorot (prophetic readings after the reading of the Torah) that provide consolation. 
 
Twice our Temples were destroyed, and for close to 2,000 years there was only a remnant on the land.  Now our people are returning, as it was prophesied that we would.  We are not nearly where we should be yet.  But we are returning.   There is a Jewish nation established here again, and this time it will be different.
 
~~~~~~~~~~
 
I do not intend to do a full posting now that examines a variety of political matters.  I wanted simply to take this opportunity to share one small item that struck me as a mark of hope:
 
The Arch of Titus was built at the edge of the Forum in Rome to celebrate the Roman conquest of Jerusalem by Titus.
 

 
It bears a number of "commemorative" friezes, the most famous of which is the one below.  It shows Jews taken captive and the carrying off of the Menorah from the Temple.
 

 
~~~~~~~~~~
 
Last night, the eve of Tisha B'Av, our Chief of Staff, Lt. Gen. Gabi Ashkenazi participated in a ceremony held before the arch, in Rome. He delivered a short address, and he said:
 
"We are here, at the Arch of Titus in Rome on the eve of Tisha B'av, the day the Jewish Temple was destroyed by Titus, and together with the Jewish Community we say: 'The people of Israel live!' (Am Yisrael Hai)"
 
Am Yisrael Hai.
 
Two-thousand years ago, facing down the mighty Roman Empire, how many among our people would have predicted such a turn of events?  We rest in the hand of the Almighty.
 
~~~~~~~~~~

 
 
 
 

 

July 19, 2010

 
"Balancing the Scales"
 
Tonight begins a time of fasting, and of mourning.  This is primarily for the destruction of the two Temples in Jerusalem, but our tradition tells us this was also the day on which multiple other calamities have befallen us over the centuries, such as the Jewish expulsion from Spain.
 
It is a time of introspection for the nation.  Especially is this the case today, as we face threats and must examine our actions in several regards.  Yes, we must be strong.  Yes, we must make proper decisions with regard to our security and our rights.  But we are taught that we must also look inward at our own behavior.  Baseless hatred (sinat hinam) is said to have been the reason for the destruction of the Second Temple
 
~~~~~~~~~~
 
Perhaps of particular note here is the linkage of this day with the sin of the spies.  The Torah tells us that Moshe sent 12 spies into Caanan, which had been given to the people by G-d, to check it out.  Ten returned with a report that was dire, causing the people to be afraid to enter.  The gift that G-d had given the people was defamed: there was no trust that G-d would keep us in the land, and no confidence in our ability to manage ("we were as grasshoppers").
 
Thus do I write about balancing the scales, which is what Rav Kook said we were obliged to do.  Balancing the scales:  Accepting and appreciating this land as the gift from G-d that it is.
 
Books can be written -- and undoubtedly have been written -- on what this means.  I ask that you contemplate this for yourselves.
 
~~~~~~~~~~
 
For a special video from Aish that addresses these issues and the lesson of Tisha B'Av:
 
http://www.aish.com:80/h/9av/mm/98394544.html
 
~~~~~~~~~~
 
I would also like to share here a moving video called "Home Game."
 
Five years ago, the Israeli citizens of Gush Katif were forcibly removed from their homes.  This is a story of one of those communities -- Netzer Hazani.  The expulsion was planned for the day after Tisha B'Av.  Three weeks earlier, the annual Gush Katif basketball tournament -- in which the youth of the communities participated -- was begun.  The final game, traditionally scheduled for right after Tisha B'Av, was to take place the very day that the expulsion was to happen, in Netzer Hazani -- with the community's kids competing for the championship.  The game was not cancelled. These kids, with an incredible spirit of courage (defiance?) played amidst what was happening about them.
 
See this film made by the kids.  Remember what happened. And then vow -- in the spirit of Tisha B'Av -- that something like this should never happen again.
 
http://wejew.com/index.php?view=HomeGame
 
~~~~~~~~~~
 
Last night I attended a panel discussion, sponsored by The Legacy Heritage Fund, in conjunction with the Global Law Forum at the Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs (JCPA), the Menachem Begin Heritage Center, and the South African Zionist Federation in Israel (Telfed).
 
The subject was "Combating Israel's Delegitimization: Debunking the Apartheid Myth."
 
The program began with a video clip designed to show us what we are up against:  Azmi Bishara -- former Israeli Member of Knesset who fled the country when accused of aiding Hezbollah during the war -- charging Israel with apartheid.
 
In the course of the program, it was noted more than once that Bishara was himself evidence for the ludicrousness of the charges he was leveling.  In a genuine system of apartheid, he could never have been elected to the Knesset.
 
~~~~~~~~~~
 
Professor Gideon Shimoni -- originally from South Africa, and former head of Hebrew University's Institute of Contemporary Judaism -- then examined the true nature of apartheid, as it existed in South Africa.  In doing so, he was able to clarify how different it was from anything that goes on here. 
 
The manifestations of apartheid within the society of South Africa existed for over 100 years, even though it was not institutionalized more formally by the National Party until 1948.  The conflict that developed over this had nothing to do with nationalism.  The issues were inclusion and sharing, and were predicated purely on race.  A white minority manipulated the conditions of all non-whites, while refusing to negotiate any of the pertinent issues. 
 
More was involved than exclusion from democratic electoral rights of anyone who was not white:  whites determined which schools non-whites could attend, and what hospitals would treat them. Non-whites were sometimes forced to move to specifically designated areas.
 
~~~~~~~~~~
 
Here in Israel, tensions are not racial at all, but ethnic -- regarding peoplehood.  And the basis of those tensions is a struggle between two national movements.  The tension arises with Palestinian Arabs who are not seeking inclusion within our system. What they want is separation, via their own state. This in no way parallels what transpired in South Africa, and is emerging from an entirely different set of circumstances.
 
What is more, Arabs who are Israelis have full entry into the system.  It's not just with regard to democratic process: Arabs in this country are treated by the same hospitals that treat Jews.  In fact, Arab doctors, who may have been trained in the same medical schools Jews attend, often practice in the same hospitals.  This totally puts the lie to the charges that our system is race-based.
 
There are semantic distortions involved in apartheid charges leveled against Israel.  Apartheid becomes a code word, a generic pejorative label separated from context.
 
~~~~~~~~~~
 
Dr. Dore Gold -- former Israeli Ambassador to the UN, and head of the JCPA -- made different arguments.  There are two parts to the apartheid charge, he noted.  The first part involves a white minority that suppresses a non-white majority, but the second part of the charge involves colonialism.  The white minority in South Africa was European (Afrikaners, who were originally Dutch or Huguenot) -- occupiers enforcing their will upon the majority indigenous population.
 
It is this that is the most serious charge made against Jews in Israel: We are said to be outsiders, occupiers, enforcing our will on the indigenous majority population.  And it is this that must be most vociferously refuted.  It is not remotely the truth, and carries with it serious implications.
 
The Mandate for Palestine of 1922 recognized our pre-existing right to this land. Actually, since 1863, Jews have been the majority in Jerusalem.  The rise of Israel is anti-colonial.
 
This is part of the attempt to delegitimize Israel:  it is representing Israel as alien here, without rights.
 
~~~~~~~~~~
 
DJ Schneeerweiss -- originally from Australia, currently Coordinator of the anti-boycott strategy of the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs -- says he prefers to turn around what Dr. Gold referred to with regard to the delegitimization of Israel.  He doesn't wish to do our detractors' work for them, and so refers to the assault on Israel's legitimacy.
 
The assault, he said, is broad, as there are attacks on supporters of Israel, as well as on Israel.  Words count and there is currently an attempt to brand us.  This is not about facts, it's a PR barrage. They merely have to make the label stick, and they know what will follow.  It's a case of the malevolent leading the ignorant.
 
A variety of strategies are necessary:
 
There is loss of context today, as Jewish history is less well known.  We must educate, telling our story.
 
There is an attempt to dismiss our humanity.  Stories must be told that redress this, showing the human side of Israel.
 
Explain to people how ostracizing Israel can effect their lives because of all the helpful scientific and medical innovations that come out of Israel.
 
Expose the truth about those who oppose us, who are themselves anti-human rights.  (Note: the nations making the claim of apartheid against are not exactly paragons of a modern, liberal society that support human rights.)  
 
Reclaim liberal language:  Refer to the rainbow character of the Israeli people (i.e., make the point that we are not all white).  Promote our peace credentials.
 
Refute arguments, as appropriate.  Engage via dialogue and argument.
 
Using the "virus" analogy, we must inoculate society against these charges so that they don't become mainstream. We shouldn't delude ourselves that every instance of such charges can be eradicated.
 
It is important not to over-react.  Sometimes ignoring a charge is the best way to go, as making a fuss leads to more press for the "apartheid" accusations.
 
We must stay our course and build our resources via speakers, writers, etc.  We can win this!
 
~~~~~~~~~~
 
To those who are fasting: an easy and meaningful fast.
 
~~~~~~~~~~

 

 

July 16, 2010

 

 
"Gaining Strength?"
 
A correction:  Congressman Mark Kirk of IL is running for the US Senate, but he has not yet achieved that position.  Thus, my reference to him as Senator Kirk the other day was premature.  (Thanks for catching this, Jeff.)
 
~~~~~~~~~~
 
What sort of strength am I seeing?
 
Let's start with the rally against the mosque being planned for Ground Zero.  I thank the many people who wrote to me about this.  Seems the mainstream media didn't see fit to report on it in any significant way (which tells us a great deal about mainstream media).  But last month there was a major rally at Ground Zero protesting the building of that mosque.  It was organized by the founders of Stop the Islamization of America: Pam Geller of Atlas Shrugs and Robert Spencer of Jihad Watch, and other groups.
 

 
Fern Sidman, described this rally, which brought out in excess of 5,000 people, in Frontpage magazine:
 
http://frontpagemag.com/2010/06/08/rally-against-the-ground-zero-mosque/
 
There have been other sorts of protests since, and there is a movement to declare the building on the site where the mosque is slated to be erected an Historic Landmark, which would prevent its demolition.  Americans in large numbers, it seems, are not prepared to sit still for the construction of that mosque, and this is an encouraging sign.
 
~~~~~~~~~~
 
I have just learned of a group called Idahoans United for Israel.  Director Allen Gorin wrote to me that, "You should know that even in states like Idaho, with very few Jews, Israelis are viewed as the guys with the white hats!"
 
All right!
 
~~~~~~~~~~
 
A new right-wing, staunchly pro-Israel group, “Emergency Committee for Israel,” has been established under the leadership of Weekly Standard editor William Kristol and American Values leader Gary Bauer.  Its members say they are tired of "political correctness" and polite criticism of the Obama administration.
 
For starters they are taking on Joe Sestak, a Democratic congressman from PA who has demonstrated something less than staunch support for Israel; he is supported by J-Street, which has contributed $75,000 to his campaign.
 
Additionally, Kristol has questioned whether AIPAC has been treading too softly with regard to Obama.
 
You can read more about this group here:
 
http://dyn.politico.com/printstory.cfm?uuid=C836810D-18FE-70B2-A8458AC95E84BDD5
 
~~~~~~~~~~
 
Leaders of several American Jewish groups are said to be expressing concern that this new organization might be "polarizing."  Head of ADL, Abe Foxman, is quoted as saying, "I think it will have an effect on the political debate. That's troubling in the sense that what we've always striven to do is make sure that support for Israel in the US is a bipartisan effort."
 
Give me a break!  This group was formed because the "bi-partisan effort" has been insufficiently supportive of Israel during difficult times.  Apparently Fox thinks being wishy-washy on Israel is all right as long as everyone hangs together.
 
Maybe (it should only be) the new group, rather than polarizing, will open dialogue that will eventually move other groups to be more forthright and dynamic in their support of Israel.
 
~~~~~~~~~~
 
We may not always know what we're doing, but we're not stupid:  A poll here in Israel indicates that Obama's recent "charm offensive" (in the words of the JPost) had very little effect.  Only 10% of Israelis think the administration is pro-Israel. That's up from 1% before the offensive.  Perhaps it's Obama who is stupid for thinking that we might be so easily swayed.
 
~~~~~~~~~~
 
Mitchell is back in town, and he has his work cut out for him.  For Fatah is urging PA president Abbas to continue to refuse to enter direct talks with Israel in spite of the pressure the US is applying.
 
Fatah put out a statement, reported by AFP, that said:
 
"The lack of credibility and confidence resulting from the Israeli rejection of the indirect talks, which have achieved no progress, will become entrenched as 'givens and facts' if there is a transition to direct talks.
 
"That is something the Fatah leadership has not and will not accept."
 
The next step?  Undoubtedly, leaning on Netanyahu to accede to some of the PA demands in order bring it to the table.
 
~~~~~~~~~~
 
See commentator Moshe Dann on "Why peace won't happen":
 
http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3920255,00.html
 
~~~~~~~~~~

 

 

 

July 14, 2010

 
"More That's Good"
 
As I write, it appears that we have won the day with regard to the Libyan ship that had been headed for Gaza.  Last report is that it changed course during the night, and that the captain had indicated he would dock in the Egyptian port of El-Arish.  The ship is being watched closely, in the event that it again shifts course and heads for Gaza.
 
Apparently there had been some indirect communication between Israel and the Gaddafi International Charity and Development Foundation, the organization headed by Moammar Gaddafi's son, Saif, that underwrote this venture.

 
~~~~~~~~~~
 
What our government found particularly satisfying was the international support received for our refusal to let this ship proceed.
 
US State Department spokesman Phillip Crowley said yesterday:
 
"We have urged the Libyan government to avoid unnecessary confrontations...

"We, along with our partners in the in the Quartet, urge all those wishing to deliver goods to do so through established channels so that cargo can be inspected by the government of Israel, and transferred via land crossings into Gaza."

The EU issued a similar statement.

Deputy Foreign Minister Danny Ayalon called this a victory for Israel.

~~~~~~~~~~

A word about Saif al-Islam Gaddafi and his Foundation:  According to the IsraelMatzav blog, citing CBS, "the Obama administration" has committed to a grant of $200,000 for this organization. Senator Marc Kirk (R-IL) wants it withdrawn because Saif was responsible for securing the early release from prison of the Lockerbie bomber and bringing him back to a hero's welcome in Libya.

http://israelmatzav.blogspot.com/2010/07/libyan-ship-heading-for-gaza-sponsored.html (thanks, Cheryl H)

Based on my experience in these matters, however, I would like to make an educated guess about something here.  While I certainly don't quarrel with the Senator's objection to providing a grant to this foundation, it seems to me that saying it came from "the Obama administration" is a bit vague.  My hunch would be that this came from US AID and Obama knew nothing about it.  US AID, which operates with shocking lack of accountability, does just fine on its own, thank you, with regard to funding of dubious projects.  Not long ago I wrote about US AID underwriting of a PA Tourist Ministry booklet that described the "State of Palestine" as if it were a reality. 

~~~~~~~~~~

There were Arabs, waiting at the Gaza coastline and expecting to be able to welcome the Libyan ship, who are a tad disappointed.  Hamas prime minister Ismail Haniyah called the ship "our sailing hope at sea," and had urged that it not be diverted by "tricks" from its original course. 

~~~~~~~~~~

Statements made by Hanin Zoabi -- shortly after she entered the Knesset as a member of the (Arab) Balad Party -- made it clear that she was big trouble.  Last March, for example, she said she welcomed Iran's development of nuclear weapons because it was "more useful to the Palestinian issue and more standing against occupation than a lot of the Arab countries. This is our interest..."

Israel has an enormous (I would say, excessive) tolerance for Arab dissidents within the Knesset who make anti-Israel statements and sometimes act in ways that are not in Israel's interest.  But yesterday Zoabi got her comeuppance.  Because she had traveled as a passenger on the Turkish flotilla ship, the Marmara, and referred to the blockade of Gaza as "the big crime of Israel," she was stripped of her Knesset privileges, including such things as use of a diplomatic passport and enhanced freedoms regarding international travel.  She was accused by some Knesset members of being a traitor, and I would say that was fairly accurate.

~~~~~~~~~~

Israeli courts have tended to work against actions to chastise and limit the participation of Arab MKs who are clearly not interested in Israel's wellbeing as a Jewish state.   

The former head of the Balad Party, Azmi Bishara, resigned from the Knesset and fled the country after he was accused of assisting Hezbollah during the 2006 Lebanon War.  Until now, he has actually (I kid you not -- I couldn't make up anything this perverse) been receiving his Knesset pension because the court ruled that Israeli law does not permit it to be revoked.  Well, the Knesset is in process of changing that law.

A new law, referred to as the "Bishara law," has passed through the Ministerial Committee on Legislative Affairs and is expected to pass in the Knesset, but has not yet. It would prevent Bishara from receiving Israeli funds, but would also apply to others within a defined category.

~~~~~~~~~~

A correction from yesterday:  I wrote that Jerusalem and the Golan, where civil law has been applied, are "fully Israeli" and have a different status from Judea and Samaria.  I have been advised -- and I appreciate this advice -- that while, indeed, civil law does apply to both Jerusalem and the Golan, Jerusalem has been officially annexed and the Golan has not.

~~~~~~~~~~

We've been hearing about a consistent drop in Obama's popularity on the part of the American electorate.  But here is information -- encouraging indeed -- regarding the degree to which American Jews in particular have become disenchanted with the president.

Says commentator Marc Thiessen, writing in the Washington Post:

"The drop in Hispanic support [12%] is dwarfed by the astounding 36-point drop in support for Obama from one of the most reliable Democratic constituencies: Jewish voters. Jewish Americans are outraged with Obama, says former New York Mayor Ed Koch. And it's not because Obama's middle name is Hussein."

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/07/12/AR2010071202539.html?hpid=opinionsbox1

(Thanks Craig K.)

~~~~~~~~~~

We probably can count this as good news too:

Riad al-Maliki, foreign minister of the Palestinian Authority, during a visit to Bulgaria today, said negotiations with Israel without the participation of an international party would be meaningless.

"We have always said, we need a third party. Without the presence of a third party it would be a waste of time." (Translation:  We don't believe we can get what we want unless the US leans on Israel for us.)

We don't know, of course, if this is going to be official PA policy, although we do already know this is the way PA officials think.  If Abbas does refuse to come to the table, then Netanyahu's (potentially risky) "I'm willing and eager to negotiate" approach will have paid off.

~~~~~~~~~~

The IDF has now declassified information on how Hezbollah has turned south Lebanese villages into military bases.

Since the 2006, Hezbollah has focused on moving military installations from open areas to 100 civilian villages, in contravention of the Fourth Geneva Convention.

It is exceedingly important for the world, and in particular journalists, to understand this process.  When there is war with Hezbollah (and it's likely coming) the deliberate large scale use by Hezbollah of human shields is going to generate more civilian deaths -- whatever precautions Israel may take.  Everyone needs to understand, up front, where the fault will lie.

The IDF spokesman's site below provides maps and a 3-D video explaining how Hezbollah has been going about this. 

http://idfspokesperson.com:80/2010/07/08/intelligence-maps-how-hezbollah-uses-lebanese-villages-as-military-bases-7-july-2010/

~~~~~~~~~~

As to that impending war, Gal Luft, executive director of the Institute for the Analysis of Global Security, writing in the Washington Times, says:

"The discovery of a gigantic natural-gas reservoir less than 100 miles off Israel's coast seems like great news for the diplomatically and militarily embattled country. The gas finding will strengthen Israel's energy security, enable it to become an important gas exporter and contribute wealth to its economy.

"It also could be the pretext for the next Middle East war.

"Ten years after Israel's withdrawal from southern Lebanon, Hezbollah is struggling to find a cause that would enable it to continue its 'liberation war' against Israel.

"...days after Israel announced its gas discovery, Hezbollah claimed that the deposit extends into Lebanese waters and that it would not allow Israel to 'loot' Lebanese gas resources.

"The discovery blows fresh wind into Hezbollah's sails, giving it a new cause to fight for and a new opportunity to hurt the Israeli economy. Furthermore, by opening a new front in the Mediterranean, Hezbollah is gaining legitimacy for holding onto its arms. Even non-Shiite sects in Lebanon accept Hezbollah's role in protecting Lebanon's waters. Druze leader Walid Jumblatt recently said that Hezbollah's 'weapons are important to defend the oil in the Sea of Lebanon and national resources in the country.'"

http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2010/jul/13/hezbollah-finds-new-anti-israeli-cause/

~~~~~~~~~~

Luft speaks of Hezbollah in this regard, but keep in mind that Hezbollah is now part of the Lebanese government.  And it was Lebanon's Speaker of Parliament, Nabih Berri, who claimed that part of Israel's newly discovered gas field lies within Lebanon's territorial waters.

The field, called "Leviathan," was discovered in June off the coast of Haifa.  It is estimated to contain 15 trillion cubic feet of gas, enough to potentially enable Israel to become an energy exporter.  Earlier, a field called "Tamar" was discovered not far from this latest field.  "Tamar" alone is believed to contain enough gas to supply Israel for the next twenty years, and "Leviathan" is thought to be twice as big.

In response to the Lebanese challenge, about three weeks ago, Uzi Landau, Minister of Infrastructure, replied, "We will not hesitate to use our force and strength to protect not only the rule of law but the international maritime law."

~~~~~~~~~~

A recent edition of the JPost magazine had a feature article on the Jewish community of Toronto, considered to be one of the most vibrant Zionist communities outside of Israel.  In that context, I would like to mention one energetic group, Canadians for Israel's Legal Rights.  They have a brand new website: http://www.cilr.org:80/.

~~~~~~~~~~

 

 

 

July 13, 2010

 

 

July 12, 2010

 
"Swallowing Hard"
 
That swallowing is necessary before taking in information on all the things our prime minister is saying as he pursues peace -- or the illusion thereof.  Pursues it with a vengeance.
 
I remain convinced that he is confident that Abbas will not come through -- the evidence for this smacks us in the face! -- and that there will be no meaningful negotiations, and that in the end there will be no Palestinian state.  As I have indicated previously, I believe that he sees this charade as the smartest way to make Israel come out on top at the end of the day.  He will be able to point to himself as the person ready to cooperate and to Abbas as the stumbling block.
 
At one point, in an interview, he even said that he is prepared to take "surprising" risks for peace, but that he needs a partner -- he cannot go out on the trapeze alone.  His analogy is clear, as Abbas's hands are not outstretched to us.
 
But yet, the things he says!  That he believes we can have peace in a year.  Really?  Under ideal conditions I don't believe this would be the case.  Of course, he qualifies this by saying implementation would take a lot longer. 
 
And then there were these unsettling words:
 
"We have differences of views with the Palestinians. We want a united city [Jerusalem]. They have their own views. This is one of the issues that will have to be negotiated. But I think the main point is to get on with it, what are we wasting more time for?"
 
~~~~~~~~~~
 
I myself remain unconvinced that this is the best way to go.
 
If I correctly understand what he suggests regarding the time lag between laying out parameters and actually implementing everything, he's going down a very dangerous road.  You don't agree to anything (especially not on paper) unless you are certain that implementation is possible.  We must protect ourselves, making certain that when the whole thing does fall apart, we're not committed to parameters that might come back to haunt us later.
 
Netanyahu is able to reject PA demands that we begin negotiations where Olmert left off because Olmert had put nothing in writing.  It must remain thus. 
 
~~~~~~~~~~
 
I deeply regret our failure, even now, to hold PA feet to the fire.  Netanyahu will advance to the table for face-to-face talks (if Abbas will show up) even though there has been no movement at all towards re-publishing PA textbooks without the message that jihad is good.  The time necessary for peace to be implemented is actually decades.  There can be no genuine peace until we have a generation of Palestinian Arabs that wasn't raised on hatred for us.
 
This is the party that Netanyahu is prepared to negotiate with:
 
Last week, Grand Ayatollah Muhammad Hussein Fadlallah, a Hezbollah "spiritual leader," died.  Fadlallah was on the US list of terrorists. He had issued a fatwa (religious ruling) sanctioning suicide attacks on US troops and on Israel. According to Reuters, a doctor treating Fadlallah before his death reported that, while he was still conscious a nurse him asked if there was anything she could bring him.  His reply: "I ask for nothing except that the Zionist entity should pass from the world."
 
Palestinian Media Watch reports -- http://palwatch.org/main.aspx?fi=157&doc_id=2566 -- that Abbas sent an emissary to the hospital to wish Fadlallah a speedy recovery, and then sent condolences to the family after his death.  Additionally, Fatah has set up a mourning tent for Fadlallah in Jenin.

~~~~~~~~~~
 
Meanwhile, as I indicated above, Abbas is still balking.  Two days ago, he said:
 
"We have presented our vision and thoughts and said that if progress is made, we will move to direct talks, but that if no progress is made, it [direct talks] will be futile.
 
"If they say, 'Come and let's start negotiations from zero,'that is futile and pointless."
 
Even statements from Obama regarding the need to move to direct talks are not having an effect, at least not yet.
 
~~~~~~~~~~
 
But what are we doing?  In a "been-there, done-that" action, following Netanyahu's meeting with Obama, we are talking about some "good will gestures."  When you read about this, you made need to do more than swallow hard.  You might be inclined to bang your head against the wall.
 
Why are we doing this?  Because Obama wants us to, clearly.  But this is after statements had come from our side (pre-Obama meeting, admittedly) declaring that we have made enough concessions and it was the PA's turn.  How foolish this makes us.
 
There is the usual litany of possibilities -- varying slightly with the source -- regarding taking down of checkpoints, increasing security cooperation, release of some prisoners, etc.  Ostensibly what will these get us? Why, they'll provide incentives for Abbas to come to the table.
 
Forgive me, but this is very very stupid.  If Abbas genuinely wanted a Palestinian state he'd be rushing to the table to firm up details.  (And we must thank Heaven that he's not doing this!)   
 
As it is, Abbas has some very big problems.  If he comes to the table he is going to be expected to make some accommodations towards a settlement, and he has neither the inclination nor the latitude to make them.  The political climate in the Palestinian Arab areas of Judea and Samaria won't allow it, and he has Hamas breathing down his neck as well.  Any concessions and he'll be labeled a traitor.  Why does he publicly salute a terrorist such as Fadlallah? Because the street expects this.
 
It's terribly foolish to imagine that the concessions we would make will convince the street to embrace negotiations.  Because we release some prisoners, or take down some checkpoints is no guarantee that the "refugees" will be able to "return," or that the PA will get all of eastern Jerusalem.  And these are non-negotiable items for them.
 
~~~~~~~~~~
 
We're are also seeing here in Israel a great deal of press regarding the changes in Obama.  As I believe the changes are tactical and do not represent a change of heart, I do not intend to belabor this matter unduly.
 
You might find this piece by Yisrael Harel, "Obama sobers up," interesting:
 
http://imra.org.il/story.php3?id=48712
 
~~~~~~~~~~
 
A great deal more to follow soon...
 
~~~~~~~~~~

 

 

July 8, 2010

 

"This, or That?"

So, what is the difference between agreeing secretly to an extension of the construction freeze, but -- for domestic political reasons -- not declaring it... And not formally extending the freeze but agreeing secretly that if there is significant progress on the "talks" before the end of the freeze then there will be no announcement of resumed construction that would threaten the process or upset the US?

There is a difference, buried in this somewhere.  But it's a fine line, and in part a matter of semantics.  The difference lies in the fact that the first is formal, even if secret.  Things would be frozen.  The second, which would depend upon a certain state of affairs to be put in place, is informal, de facto, and could be reversed at any time.  

~~~~~~~~~~

Yediot Achronot is saying that the second set of circumstances is what we can expect: That Netanyahu has agreed not to publicly announce a resumption of building at the end of the freeze.  That is, if direct talks are already under way or there has been such progress in the "proximity talks" that direct talks are expected to begin very soon. 

This is how Yediot interprets the statement made by Obama, when asked about an extension of the freeze, that he hopes that face-to-face will begin before the freeze expires.  He hopes this, presumably, because it would preclude an announcement of renewed building.

The major question to be asked, of course, is what it means to not "announce publicly" so as to not "sabotage the talks" (i.e., give the PA a reason to walk away)?  Does "not announcing" mean not building?  Or would it be understood that some quiet building would take place?  If, that is, "quiet" is possible with Peace Now watching every nail that is hammered and running to let the press know about it.

And, if the direct talks have not yet begun, how "serious" do the proximity talks have to be -- what is it they will have had to achieve -- for this agreement to go into effect?  I can see potential for serious disagreement on this, with Obama declaring any one of a number of statements to be "progress."

~~~~~~~~~~

None of this goes down very well. The whole notion of face-to-face talks that might set (first, if the PA has its way) the future borders of a Palestinian state generates some severe indigestion.  And this is so, even as I remain convinced that it is not really going to happen -- that there will not be a resolution of issues that will lead to a "two-state solution."  As I have written multiple times, Abbas is not going to sign off on anything -- he cannot.  And I believe that Netanyahu is proceeding firm in the conviction that Abbas will stall.  He is marking time.

And yet...  To give the whole procedure credence.  To set precedents with regard to borders to a Palestinian state. To give the PA more latitude in terms of managing security.  Not a happy prospect.  

~~~~~~~~~~

At any rate, right now, in spite of a renewed eagerness on the part of Obama to see face-to-face start almost immediately, Abbas is still saying that there's nothing doing because we won't agree upfront to what those borders would be.  He may, very deliberately, kill the whole thing before it proceeds further -- counting on that UN resolution instead. 

And there is, as well, the response of our right wing that Netanyahu will have to contend with once he's back home. This is why the Yediot version of matters has a certain ring of truth.  Netanyahu may well have told Obama that there has to be another way -- that his coalition might not stand in the face of an announcement of a freeze extension, and that he would be considerably weakened politically.  This way he can say,"What?  Me agree to a freeze extension?  No way."

Would the right wing sit still for an understanding that resumption of building will not be announced?  Depends on what it means and how it is spun, I imagine.  But right now the right wing is gearing up for major construction at the end of September.  

~~~~~~~~~~ 

A great deal has been made in the media of the fact that Netanyahu, in his Washington meetings, managed to successfully convey to US leaders a major Israeli concern. 

To wit: Times are not what they were in 1993, when Oslo was negotiated.  Previous Israeli withdrawals have led to takeover of territory by terrorist groups, so that our security has been reduced and our population threatened.  Both south Lebanon and Gaza have become bases for rocket launchings and stockpiling of weapons.  All of this has caused a shift in Israeli perspective: We ask why we should surrender more land.

What further exacerbates the situation is deep concern about the fact that the US intends to leave Iraq soon.  This greatly increases the possibility of Iranian forces making their way through Iraq, and then Jordan, to our eastern border (which would mean going through a vulnerable and possibly cooperative Palestinian state if it were established to our east).  We need to have a presence in the Jordan Valley for defensive purposes.

Thus, we cannot negotiate as we once did, we need guarantees with regard to security. And we are less willing to simply trust.  We've learned that we cannot depend on the international community to protect us (see how UNIFIL failed to do so).

All absolutely true. 

It seems to me that what's going on here is that Netanyahu is giving the American government, in the most rational of terms (Jackson Diehl, called it a "pragmatic and non-ideological position"), a heads up regarding the fact that we will be tough in negotiations and will not settle easily. That we CANNOT settle easily and, in fairness, should not be expected to.

~~~~~~~~~~

What I ponder -- given the fact that I'm reading that the Americans, including Obama, "got it" -- is how we might look for the Americans to adjust their expectations or recalibrate their demands in light of this.

Demands will remain demands, I think. They care not a fig about what's secure for us.  But this approach might have an effect on their expectations.  A modicum of real politic may have been introduced, so that they understand that we can be pushed just so far and that certain factors must be in place.  Maybe.

~~~~~~~~~~

In the meantime, it's business as usual, even though incitement is rampant in the PA and the issue of Hamas is not resolved.

~~~~~~~~~~

For the latest evidence that Abbas is not a "partner for peace" see this from Palestinian Media Watch:

The PA daily Al-Hayat al-Jadida reported on July 6, that when Abbas was in Jordan recently, he made this statement to journalists while at the home of the Palestinian ambassador to Jordan:

"...We are unable to confront Israel militarily, and this point was discussed at the Arab League Summit in March in Sirt [Libya]. There I turned to the Arab States and I said: 'If you want war, and if all of you will fight Israel, we are in favor. But the Palestinians will not fight alone because they don't have the ability to do it.' He [Abbas] said: 'The West Bank was completely destroyed and we will not agree that it will be destroyed again,' in addition to 'the inability to confront Israel militarily.'"

http://www.palwatch.org/main.aspx?fi=157&doc_id=2543

~~~~~~~~~~

I just wrote about how a "hint" from Obama is worthless because he reverses himself at the drop of a hat.  And now he has provided another example of just that.  When with Obama, Netanyahu publicly invited him to Israel, and the president responded that he was looking forward to the visit.  Already, since then, his office has announced that there are no plans for the president to visit Israel this year.

In this instance, we have to be thankful that he is reluctant to displease the Palestinian Arabs, or perhaps the larger "Muslim World."  If he were to visit here his popularity might go up.

~~~~~~~~~~

 

 

July 7, 2010

 
"Speculation Galore"
 
That there should be an enormous amount of speculation today regarding what took place at the White House yesterday is rather inevitable.  And, beyond a certain reasonable point, becomes a futile exercise.
 
From one source I learned that, while this was not mentioned during the "press availability" time yesterday, Obama people have since leaked the fact that during their meeting Netanyahu and Obama discussed possible ways to institute an extension of the freeze.  This is not exactly a startling revelation.
 
This particular source concluded that this may mean a secret de facto agreement that does not require Netanyahu to make an announcement.  Sure, it could be.  But it may also mean that the two men might not have been able to reach a mutually satisfactory arrangement.  Perhaps Netanyahu did suggest that Obama acknowledge the Bush letter, in return for a freeze outside of major settlement blocs, only to find that Obama wouldn't buy into this. 
 
~~~~~~~~~~
 
And that evasive non-response by Obama last night -- when asked about whether he wants to see an extension of the freeze -- that he hopes face-to-face negotiations start before the freeze ends in September?  It caught my eye, and a great many other eyes as well, but without unanimity regarding what it means.  There were analysts who felt this meant that Netanyahu was off the hook with regard to continuing the freeze -- that is, that progress would proceed independent of an extension. And then there was those who thought it meant that further progress would be stymied if there weren't an extension, and that direct talks would provide the motivation for instituting it.
 
And so it goes, ad infinitum.
 
~~~~~~~~~~
 
One thing that there was a considerable amount of agreement about was the fact that Obama was posturing -- that his good words towards Netanyahu should not be embraced at face value because the president is a man who is not to be trusted. 
 
Staunchly right-wing Deputy Minister for Negev and Galilee Development Ayoub Kara put it bluntly:  "He doesn't sound evil now because he needs Jewish votes and money...But I won't forget the pressure he put on Netanyahu and the stress I saw in the prime minister the last time he came back from Washington...I hope he will stay this way, but I doubt it."
 
The outspoken MK Aryeh Eldad, Chair of the Land of Israel Caucus in the Knesset, echoed this sentiment: "Obama doesn't sound wicked now, but he was merely buying time. Obama is betting on getting the entire pot. Our job [in the Caucus] will be to put pressure on Netanyahu so he won't make concessions that threaten Israel's future."
 
These sound to me like reasonable assessments.  Genuine trust in Obama would be exceedingly naive in the face of this man's stated positions and acts to date.
 
~~~~~~~~~~
 
In fact, journalist David Bedein has uncovered an instance of Obama administration duplicity that is concrete and not speculative. 
 
In his statement during the press conference, in the presence of Netanyahu, the president mentioned incitement.   First our prime minister stated that peace "requires that the Palestinian Authority prepare its people for peace -- schools, textbooks, and so on."  (Remember, I mentioned last night the urging of Knesset Education Committee Chair MK Zevulun Orlev that this issue be raised.)  Then, Obama said: " I think it's very important that the Palestinians not look for excuses for incitement, that they are not engaging in provocative language."
 
The official press release from the White House Press Office, however, does not mention incitement.
 
In fact, I will carry this further than Mr. Bedein did:  If you look at the entire official White House "Readout of the President's Meeting with Prime Minister Netanyahu of Israel" --
 
http://www.favstocks.com/readout-of-the-presidents-meeting-with-prime-minister-netanyahu-of-israel/0620086/

-- you will not find any reference to anything the PA has to do to bring peace.  It's all about us, about what it's good that we've done so far, and what we still should do (such as work to make the lives of the Gazans better).  Plus there is discussion of US-Israeli cooperation, US guarantees, etc. (More on this below.)
 
~~~~~~~~~~
 
What is this business of needing to do more for the people of Gaza?  Even after clear evidence has been presented of the fact that there is no humanitarian crisis there, coupled with a willingness by Israel to open the crossings for even more goods.  There is an international obsession with the Palestinian Arabs and the obligation to attend to them.
 
~~~~~~~~~~
 
An article by Ben-Dror Yemini that ran in Maariv in Hebrew, with regard to the situation in Gaza, and presented in translation here (thanks to Daily Alert www.dailyalert.org), is not only eye-opening, it is mind-blowing:
 
"Turkey was the most prominent country in the recent flotilla, but according to a number of indicators, the humanitarian situation in Turkey is worse than it is in Gaza.

"Infant mortality in Gaza is 17.7 per thousand; in Turkey it is 24.8. Life expectancy in Gaza is 73.7, whereas in Turkey it is 72.2.

"Most of the world's inhabitants are - according to objective data - in a worse situation than the residents of Gaza. This includes those who live in Turkey under Erdogan's rule.

"Even by other indicators, such as personal computer use or Internet access, the situation of the residents of Gaza is much better than most of the world's inhabitants.

"Two years ago, a British politician claimed that life expectancy in Glasgow East was much lower than in Gaza. The claim caused an uproar. Britain's Channel 4 carried out a scrupulous check and found the claim to be true.

"Thus, it is a little strange that humanitarian aid comes from people whose situation is worse. It is Turkey that needs the help.
   
"American aid per capita to Gaza is 7.5 times higher than aid per capita to Haiti, though by any possible indicator, the residents of Gaza are incomparably better off than the residents of Haiti.

 "What is true is that, thanks to the 'brutal' occupation, the Palestinians in Gaza are better off than most of their brethren in neighboring countries."
 
Will you please share this information broadly -- copying and pasting, as necessary -- with full attribution to Maariv and Daily Alert.
 
The Hebrew original is here:
http://www.nrg.co.il:80/app/index.php?do=blog&encr_id=f2b4c1b55be76d1e6d7b777256ea0370&id=1414
 
~~~~~~~~~~
 
Then from MEMRI (Middle East Media Research Institute) we have this citation from Muhammad Hamadi, in his column in the Egyptian daily Rooz Al-Yousuf, dated June 29, 2010.  Drawing information from a Hamas website, Hamadi shows that despite talk of a Gaza siege, produce, poultry and beef are cheaper in Gaza than in Egypt:
 
"What Siege Are They Talking About?"
 
"If this is what it's like in Gaza under siege, then the Egyptian people, who have been burned by the fire of prices and who peel off part of their limited income to save the besieged Gaza residents, [should] pray to Allah to smite them with [such a] siege, if the siege will lead to lower prices and make it possible for every common citizen to buy eggs, meat, and poultry like the Gaza residents do."
 
http://www.memri.org:80/report/en/0/0/0/0/0/0/4427.htm
 
~~~~~~~~~~
 
One good thing that does seem to have come from the Obama-Netanyahu meeting:
 
Some weeks ago, the US voted for a UN resolution calling for a nuclear non-proliferation conference in about a year.  The resolution singled out Israel alone by name, and undermined the policy of "nuclear ambiguity" that the US had traditionally accepted.
 
Now Obama said the US would not encourage this conference unless all nations "feel confident that they can attend” and that Israel will not be singled out.
 
What is more:  Army Radio has reported that the US sent Israel a letter indicating that it respected our status as a non-signatory of the Non-Proliferation Treaty.
 
This is major with regard to our deterrence power.
 
~~~~~~~~~~
 
Also good news, this from yesterday's Washington Times:
 
"The United Arab Emirates ambassador to the United States said Tuesday that the benefits of bombing Iran's nuclear program outweigh the short-term costs such an attack would impose.

"In unusually blunt remarks, Ambassador Yousef al-Otaiba publicly endorsed the use of the military option for countering Iran's nuclear program, if sanctions fail to stop the country's quest for nuclear weapons.

"'I think it's a cost-benefit analysis,' Mr. al-Otaiba said. 'I think despite the large amount of trade we do with Iran, which is close to $12 billion … there will be consequences, there will be a backlash and there will be problems with people protesting and rioting and very unhappy that there is an outside force attacking a Muslim country; that is going to happen no matter what.'

"'If you are asking me, "Am I willing to live with that versus living with a nuclear Iran?," my answer is still the same: "We cannot live with a nuclear Iran." I am willing to absorb what takes place at the expense of the security of the U.A.E.'"

http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2010/jul/6/uae-ambassador-endorses-bombing-irans-nuclear-prog/

~~~~~~~~~~

There are other Gulf (Arab Sunni) states that feel the same but that do not consider it politically prudent to say so publicly.  Is it too much to hope, that this might break the ice and make it possible for others to be more candid?  This would change the dynamic and move Obama in the direction of considering an attack -- which, it would clear, is what the "moderate" Muslim world he is courting wants.

~~~~~~~~~~

This news report will either sicken you, or send you into gales of laughter. Take your pick:
 
According to YNet, members of the Nobel Committee in Oslo have been approached lately by associates of PA president Mahmoud Abbas, including former PA prime minister Ahmed Qurei, in a bid to have the Nobel Peace Prize awarded to Abbas.
 
I've written several times about how Abbas seeks to emulate Yasser Arafat, and here you are.  Of course, as ridiculous as it was for that old obdurate terrorist Arafat to receive the award, he had at least made a pretense of peace, and had signed the Oslo Accords with Israeli PM Rabin.  What, pray tell, has Abbas done?  He won't even meet face-to-face with Netanyahu.
 
I have no serious expectation that the Committee will honor this request.  It may, in fact, have sent it members into gales of laughter, as well.  But there is a way in which this provides comfort for me: It is evidence of the fact that Abbas is out of touch with reality, and has expectations that are unrealistic.  Let his expectation that the UN Security Council will vote a Palestinian state into being turn out to be just as unrealistic.
 
~~~~~~~~~~
 
Mentioned in passing:  The other day Defense Minister Ehud Barak met with PA prime minister Salam Fayyad.  Subsequent to the meeting Hamas charged him with caving to the enemy.
 
The point here is one of political climate, which tone Hamas very much sets.  Fayyad does not remotely have the political clout or the prestige in the street to counter the Hamas position.
 
~~~~~~~~~~
 
See and share this great YouTube video addressing Israel's stunning innovative success.  We are a nation like no other:
 
http://www.youtube.com:80/watch?v=zHStBGk_D8Y
 
~~~~~~~~~~~ 

 

 

 

July 6, 2010

 

"Behind Closed Doors"

So we waited patiently -- or impatiently, as the case may be -- to hear what would come out of the Obama-Netanyahu meeting today.  We knew going in that it was going to be cordial: that was a given because Obama is trying to repair damage he's done with his hostile attitude towards Israel.

Look how happy they appear to be as the photographers' shutters click:

 

But what did they actually SAY to each other?

Well, they met in the oval office for just under two hours and then had a "joint press availability" with a press pool.  Not quite a full-blown press conference. 

Netanyahu spoke about how any suggestion that the relationship between the two nations was failing was "flat wrong."  And Obama said that Netanyahu had convinced him that he "wants peace" and is serious about moving forward to direct negotiations with the PA. 

My next question, then, is precisely what did Netanyahu do to "convince" the president?  This is what we don't know.  Whatever it was, it was behind closed doors.

The president said a bit more: He expressed pleasure at the new rules established by Israel for goods permitted into Gaza via the land crossings (and I'll get to that below).  And there was mention of Iran sanctions.

~~~~~~~~~~

The president also declared that "the US would never ask Israel to undermine its security."  I consider this the biggest joke of all.  The US asks this of us all the time, in a dozen different ways.

~~~~~~~~~~

When questioned as to whether he would like Netanyahu to extend the freeze on construction in Judea and Samaria, he  avoided a direct answer and segued into a comment about how he hopes direct negotiations will begin before the freeze ends in late September. 

So, my final question here: Is there some linkage between an extension of the freeze and progress made in the talks by late September?

~~~~~~~~~~

The two heads of state then moved on to a (fully kosher) working lunch, also behind closed doors.  No further meeting of the two leaders with the press was scheduled. 

~~~~~~~~~~

Here in Israel, the issue of the freeze has been a major focus of concern.  As Netanyahu was preparing to take off for the US yesterday, the faction chairmen of Likud, Yisrael Beitenu, Shas, UTJ, Habayit Hayehudi (all part of the coalition) and National Union (which is not) signed a joint declaration that they "strenuously oppose an extension of the building freeze past 18 Tishrei, September 26.

"Ending the freeze at the date that was set is the minimum needed for keeping Israel an independent state and for safeguarding its vital interests.  We will use all of the parliamentary tools at our disposal and the full extent of our political influence so that this commitment is honored and implemented."    

Additionally, there was talk from Habayit Yehudi of quitting the coalition if the freeze was extended.  And Foreign Minister Leiberman has made a direct statement about our not paying for direct talks with an additional freeze.

~~~~~~~~~~

On the flip side, an attempt to push through legislation that would have required Knesset approval for any additional freeze after September was just defeated.  I was surprised, as were many -- it had looked like a pretty sure thing at one point. 

The prime minister had pushed hard for its defeat.  His position was that this would have motivated Obama to lean even harder on him with regard to a freeze.  But I'm not sure I buy that: it might have provided Netanyahu with the perfect out -- the ability to advance a freeze would no longer have been in his hands. 

His position did not inspire a great deal of confidence as to his readiness to hold tight on resuming construction.  But this does not necessarily mean that he did cave; he may have simply wanted the latitude to do bargaining on the issue. 

~~~~~~~~~~

A rumor was floated in the past couple of days with regard to a proposal that Netanyahu might offer Obama for a partial freeze:  Obama would "hint" at the fact that Israel would retain major settlement blocs in Judea and Samaria, in line with the letter sent by (then) President Bush to (then) PM Sharon.

The letter stated:

"It is unrealistic to expect that the outcome of final status negotiations will be a full and complete return to the armistice lines of 1949, and all previous efforts to negotiate a two-state solution have reached the same conclusion.

"It is realistic to expect that any final status agreement will only be achieved on the basis of mutually agreed changes that reflect these realities."

The sentiments expressed in this letter were endorsed by both houses of Congress, and there is solid legal opinion in at least some quarters that this is a binding executive agreement.

Enormous tension developed between Israel and Obama in the early days of his administration over this.  Obama -- as well as his mouthpiece Secretary of State Clinton -- denied that there was an obligation to honor what was perceived by Israel to be a commitment.  Obama was plugging for Israel to move back to the '67 line, per PA demands.

You might like to see the JINSA Report (#1003) on this:

http://www.jinsa.org/node/1936

~~~~~~~~~~

At any rate, the proposal was that in return for a nod in the direction of this letter by Obama, Netanyahu would agree to freeze construction in all communities in Judea and Samaria outside of the major settlement blocs.  We may never know if such a proposal was advanced.  We simply know that to this point there has been no nod from Obama (which would have to be public), and no apparent reciprocal commitment from Netanyahu.

What particularly disturbed me with regard to how this proposal was structured in news reports is that it called for a "hint" from Obama.  A hint?  How easy to backtrack on a hint, to say that he was misunderstood.  Remember the statement by presidential candidate Obama, who declared to AIPAC that Jerusalem must be undivided (which is code for remaining under Israeli sovereignty), only to explain a day or two later that he was misunderstood -- that what he meant was that the Israeli and Palestinian portions of Jerusalem should be open to each other.  With this man, very explicit clarifications are necessary.

~~~~~~~~~~

As to the new rules for goods into Gaza:

What Israel has done now is to shift from an official list of what can go in, to an official list of what may not be permitted in -- items that might be used for building weapons, etc. 

A big deal has been made about all of the things that Israel had prevented from going in -- things like potato chips. The point ostensibly being that Israeli officials were mean and hard-hearted and arbitrary.  But no.  Potato chips weren't permitted in because of how the previous list was fashioned.  Officials had drawn up a list of what people reasonably needed:  meat, fish, dairy products, legumes, basic hygiene items, flour, cooking oil, fresh produce, etc. etc.  No one ever saw fit to include potato chips as a reasonable basic need.  I would bet potato chips were never discussed.  Now they can be brought in.

This new approach is what Obama was praising.

~~~~~~~~~~

So where are we?  My take, based on what I'm seeing and what I understand about how Netanyahu functions:

He is making the case that he really, really wants to proceed with seriousness in peace talks, and that this is only possible in face-to-face talks. This, hopefully, puts the onus on the PA: he is representing himself as the party more eager to proceed.

While he is doing this, he knows, knows full well, that Abbas will find reasons not to proceed, just as he will never  accept any deal that Israel would offer.  But all the while Israel's desire to proceed must be apparent to the world, and most particularly to the president of the United States.

~~~~~~~~~~

Right now Abbas is saying that there has been no progress in the proximity talks.  The PA, actually, expressed bewilderment at the recent US statement that there had been considerable progress.  And, says Abbas, until there is progress (which he defines, at least in part, as an Israeli acknowledgement of the PA borders, up front), there will be no movement to face-to-face.

Then comes the next part of the PA plan.  They are still making the assumption that they don't have to bargain and can use diplomatic means to get what they want, on the way to destroying Israel.  The PA declaration is that if there is no progress by September, then they will revert to the Saudi Peace Plan (otherwise known as a plan for destroying Israel), and take this to the UN Security Council and ask the Council to recognize a Palestinian state on all the land beyond the Green Line. 

I still have reservations as to how serious this is, and how much idle threat.  I also have doubts as to whether, according to international law, it is even possible for the Security Council to "recognize" a state.  There is no precedent for this.  What is more, this would require overturning of earlier Security Council resolutions that call very specifically for a setting of borders via negotiations.  So it is all a bit dubious.

Netanyahu's plan, then, would seem to be two-fold. First, to be able to strongly make the case that we were ready to proceed with those negotiations, as required by earlier resolutions.  This would seriously call into question the legal propriety of seeking to overturn them.  And then, to be on sufficiently solid terms with Obama so that a US veto in the Security Council on this would be a sure thing. 

~~~~~~~~~~

I hasten to assure one and all that I am not advocating a caving to Obama's demands by Israel so that we can keep him happy.  Never!  I advocate strength and a solid expression of our sovereignty.  I am speaking here of what may be Netanyahu's approach.  He's walking a fine line.  And as he typically tries to please both sides, his policies lack a certain clarity.

A position of clarity would be one in which our prime minister comes to the White House armed with well documented evidence of why the PA cannot be trusted: of how it supports terrorism and promotes incitement.  MK Zevulun Orlev (Habayit HaYehudi), who is chair of the Knesset Education Committee, suggested, for example, putting PA textbooks, rife with incitement, on the president's desk.  And then, following this, a position of clarity would require a statement about Israeli rights, coupled with a refusal to deal with the PA as a legitimate and trustworthy negotiating partner.

But this will never be Netanyahu's style.

~~~~~~~~~~

Not for a moment do I minimize the difficulty of being the Israeli prime minister today.  I will not make specific criticisms of Netanyahu now.  Whatever the speculation, I do not know yet what went on behind those closed doors.  It's possible that, mindful of domestic demands and the risk of a crumbling coalition, he held strong.

A great deal will yet emerge both via leaks, and actions that follow from whatever may have been agreed upon.  Then it will be time for further comment.

~~~~~~~~~~

 

July 5, 2010

 

"This Must Be Said"

As I write, we are perhaps 24 or 36 hours from the meeting Obama will have with Netanyahu at the White House.  There is much that could be said, with regard to politics here, and attempts to prevent our prime minister from caving to the president.

But it's a holiday in the US, and my post yesterday was lengthy, and I am going to focus on just one news item here, because it is revelatory, and thus significant.  The rest will keep.

~~~~~~~~~~

Many of you -- depending on age -- will remember (with horror and pain) the Palestinian Arab terrorist attack on the Israeli Olympics team at Munich in 1972.  The man who claimed to be the mastermind of this obscene attack was Abu Daoud, who has just died.

The death was reported by the Palestinian Authority news agency, WAFA. CNN is now carrying that report, which says that PA President Mahmoud Abbas sent condolences to the family.  He wrote a letter to them in which he said:

"He is missed. He was one of the leading figures of Fatah and spent his life in resistance [against the occupation] and sincere work as well as physical sacrifice for his people's just causes."

http://edition.cnn.com/2010/WORLD/meast/07/03/munich.mastermind.dead/?fbid=j3Jv_IzaTWK

~~~~~~~~~~

I have just written about how Abbas has donned a suit of moderation for purposes of political expediency, but that he is not to be trusted.  Providing evidence of the real Abbas is important, and so I provide it here.

Abbas is not a partner for peace.  It is nothing more than a charade, eagerly accepted by the Obama administration.

Holiday or no holiday, take a minute to do something for Israel.  Send a message to the president, including the link above and the words of praise that Abbas just wrote to the family of the man who planned a horrendous terror attack. Tell Obama that to push Prime Minister Netanyahu to make concessions to Abbas is simply wrong and an injustice against the State of Israel.  Tell him peace cannot be achieved in this way, and that, as a US citizen who votes, you are watching. 

Fax: 202-456-2461   White House Comment line:  202-456-1111
 

e-mail form via:  http://www.whitehouse.gov/contact/

Offices are closed now, but will open in the morning.  Let the e-mail messages and the faxes be waiting.  I suspect phone calls to the comment line will need to wait until the morning.

~~~~~~~~~~

Then, please, send a similar message to your elected representatives in Congress, imploring them to do what they can to stop Obama from pressuring Netanyahu to make concessions to a man who has just praised a terrorist.

For your Congresspersons:

http://www.house.gov/house/MemberWWW_by_State.shtml

For your Senators:

http://www.senate.gov/general/contact_information/senators_cfm.cfm

~~~~~~~~~~

Please share this broadly with others who might act, without delay.

~~~~~~~~~~

I end this with a link to a video that is a joy and delight to view (and with thanks to Nan A).

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lESRt8CYjhg

~~~~~~~~~~

 

 

 

 

July 4, 2010

 
"Say It Isn't So!"
 
Happy Independence Day to America!

 

 
May Americans be mindful on this day of the values of the founding fathers.
 
~~~~~~~~~~
 
Before I pick up with decidedly unsettling news, I want to share some responses to the posting of last night, regarding Israeli and American Jews -- as well as some of my comments.  These issues are too important and too relevant to our current situation to ignore.
 
I cited Dr. Rettig regarding the 1.4 million Jews who served in armed forces in WWII but had no power.  Commented one reader:  Far more relevant to the fact that Jews failed to have an impact on military policy to save those threatened in the Shoah was the refusal or reluctance of American Jews of prestige and those who were even in government service to take a stand for saving fellow Jews.  My reader specifically mentioned Supreme Court Justice Felix Frankfurter, I would add by way of example Rabbi Stephen Wise.  And of course there were others.
 
My immediate response to this was that in spite of their positions of power and prestige, these Jews may have in some sense felt powerless in a time that was prior to the founding of Israel. (Of course, this was no excuse morally, where saving Jewish lives was concerned -- they had a moral imperative to try.)  My thought was -- and to some considerable extent still is -- that the existence of Israel has empowered Jews in the US.
 
~~~~~~~~~~
 
But I have since thought of situations that give me pause.  Not so many months ago, Obama called a meeting with (carefully selected) key American Jews leaders.  This was the beginning of his politically motivated courting of American Jewish community.  One leader in particular had critical comments after the meeting, and he shared these with a journalist. But anonymously.  His unwillingness to come forward by name disturbed me greatly.  What was he afraid of?  Falling out of favor with the White House?  Losing perks of his position?  Was a climate set up within the meeting that worked against honest criticism?
 
Here I see the essential conundrum of American Jewish power.  In some instances, American Jews on the inside become co-opted by the system.  This is definitely and sadly the case today.  But, at best, to make a difference, one hopes to have influence with the powers-that-be -- the president and his staff, members of the cabinet, etc.  Thus, crossing those powers might result in (and is certainly perceived as carrying the risk of) a loss of influence.  A sort of catch-22. 
 
This is a function, I think, of not having a Jewish national power base, while having become thoroughly immersed within and identified with the larger US power base.  We might ask the question as to whether American Jews have attained success in integrating within the corridors of power to an extent that sometimes actually works against the interests of the Jewish people. 
 
I am generalizing, of course, and there are exceptions.  Jewish members of Congress -- I think in particular of Congressman Eric Cantor (R-VA), and Congressman Eliot Engel (D-NY), but there are also others -- are sometimes forthright in their public support of Israel. Their source of power is their constituency and their seat in Congress.  Grassroots community -- organizational and religious -- leaders who command a base can have influence on power, best wielded by affecting, or threatening to affect, voting patterns or major donations.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~
 
Other thoughts:
 
The American Jewish community survives because of traditionally observant segments of that community.  It is here that we find the least opting out, the most fervent support of, the Jewish people and of Israel.
 
I would add this, as well: Israeli society is considerably more child-oriented.  There is a broad mental set that encourages having more children  -- this is not the case among American Jews, who are more concerned with recreational opportunities, freedom to live a good life, ability to maintain a certain standard of living, etc.  I don't have statistics, but I would bet that young American Jews are barely reproducing themselves.  In Israel, our numbers are growing.  It wasn't until I came to Israel that I found, for example, that it was routine for young couples to bring their babies with them when attending a wedding.  A totally different mental set.
 
~~~~~~~~~~
 
Now as I begin to explore the news, I remind one and all that we are in the time period of "pre-Netanyahu visit to Obama."  Thus we find multiple rumors and considerable posturing.  Statements from credible sources should not be treated lightly, but neither should they taken as gospel. Sorting truth from fiction, and innuendo from forthright statement, is a difficult if not impossible task.
 
~~~~~~~~~~
 
Last week, two news reports emerged that were particularly disturbing -- as they indicated the possibility of a caving by the Israeli government.
 
First, news broke that Maj. Gen. Eitan Dangot, the coordinator of government activities in the territories, had met with  Hussein al-Sheikh, the PA's minister for civilian affairs.  They established a number of joint committees in order to coordinate on issues, it was said. 
 
One of these issues was renovation of the crossing into Gaza at Keren Shalom.  This would include construction of infrastructure that would allow for the PA to take over control of the crossing. 
 
What???
 
Seems the US and the PA have pressured us for some time to allow the PA to control the crossings.  This has been perceived as a way to give the PA a foothold in Gaza, which is Hamas-controlled.  Until now, the IDF has opposed this because of security concerns. 
 
~~~~~~~~~~
 
But, according to an "exclusive" on Friday in the JPost, "Since the government's decision last week to ease the blockade on Gaza (more properly: to allow more goods in via the crossings, as there was no "blockade" on land), the IDF understands that this is likely to be one of the next steps that Israel will have to take."
 
"...that Israel will have to take."  This deplorable mental set is what brings concession after concession.  I write about lack of Jewish power in the US, but where is our sense of power?  There is no "have to," there is only caving to demands.  Undoubtedly, this is just one more thing that will make Obama happy when our prime minister comes calling.  Making Obama happy should not trump security concerns.  Ever.
 
~~~~~~~~~~
 
Then there was this flap:
 
Last week Netanyahu, circumventing Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman, who was kept in dark, sent Industry, Trade and Labor Minister Benjamin Ben-Eliezer, a certified left-winger, to Brussels for a clandestine meeting with Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu in order to clear the air or somehow improve the relations between the two nations.
 
From two different Turkish newspapers, Zeman and Huriyyet, came different reports regarding Turkish demands for an apology regarding the flotilla, and then an alleged concession by Ben-Eliezer to consider making an apology and providing compensation for families of the injured. 
 
Ben-Eliezer's office subsequently denied that there was any promise of compensation, saying, "No one intends to do that, and the minister did not promise anything."  Not anything?  Not even a willingness to consider an apology? 
 
At any rate, Netanyahu presumably resolved the issue on Friday, when he told Israeli TV that there was no intention of offering either compensation or apology: 
 
“Israel cannot apologize for our soldiers being forced to defend themselves against the mob that almost slaughtered them.
 
“We are sorry over the loss of life.  This is clear.”
 
He then said that the idea of compensating those injured “...is not up for discussion.”
 
~~~~~~~~~~
 
As to Lieberman -- the straight-talker in the government -- he had smoke coming out of both ears when he learned that he had been circumvented.  He has no intention of quitting, he said, but will "make them pay" for his having been excluded.
 
Netanyahu claims that he "explained" the situation to Lieberman, and everything is OK.  Spin is everything.  Netanyahu says, reassuringly, that his coalition is not in danger.  Lieberman says he wouldn't give them the satisfaction of quitting.
 
~~~~~~~~~~
 
We may have heard the last on this issue, but then again, we may not.
 
At a Labor party meeting today, Ben-Eliezer exploded at Ehud Barak, claiming that because he, Barak, was opposed to the meeting Ben-Eliezer had with the Turks, he had leaked false information about the meeting.  A hot-blooded Iraqi, Ben-Eliezer told Barak's media person, "I'll skewer you. You don't know whom you're dealing with."
 
Great.
 
~~~~~~~~~~
 
While...according to Al-Hayat in London (whose reports are not necessarily reliable), Obama intends to try to convince Netanyahu to accept Turkish demands for an apology.  If this is true, we must fervently hope that our prime minister has the strength to stand strong on what he's said.
 
The full Al-Hayat report alleges that Obama, in an effort to calm things down, has warned Turkey that its demand for a full international probe of the flotilla incident would be a "double-edged sword," as such an investigation would expose the relationship of Turkish passengers on the Marmara to the terrorist IHH.
 
Who knows?
 
~~~~~~~~~~
 
Today, there were headlines alleging that PA president Mahmoud Abbas has agreed to forfeit claims to the Kotel and the Jewish Quarter of the Old City of Jerusalem.  These claims were reported by the same Al-Hayat in London.

According to this report, Abbas presented in writing to Mitchell an offer based on the proposals discussed at Camp David in 2000 (which Arafat rejected).  This is said to include giving the PA 100% of the land area of Judea and Samaria, with a 2.3% land swap, and all of eastern Jerusalem except the Kotel and the Jewish Quarter.  Additionally, a passageway from Judea and Samaria to Gaza would be opened.  (That would be lovely: it would give Hamas greater access to Judea and Samaria.)
 
The Prime Minister's Office had no comment on this report. 
 
Chief PA negotiator Saeb Erekat, according to the news agency Ma'an, did have comment:  He denies that Abbas handed a written proposal to Mitchell.  I believe he also denies the concession by Abbas of the Kotel and Jewish Quarter to us, even verbally.
 
~~~~~~~~~~
 
This I would definitely categorize as "pre-Netanyahu visit" hype:  On Friday "senior US officials" said that "significant progress" had been made in the "proximity talks." 
 
Right.
 
Dan Shapiro, a Middle East advisor to the (US) National Security Council, said both sides have engaged in all core issues.  Last I heard, the two sides were discussing different things with Mitchell, with Netanyahu declining to discuss core issues until there were face to face meetings.
 
~~~~~~~~~~
 
One thing PM Netanyahu is holding out on is a refusal to concede more to Hamas in order to secure Shalit's release. This in spite of enormous public pressure being put on him.  And I salute him for this.
 
See here his press conference on the issue on Friday:
 
http://imra.org.il/story.php3?id=48631

"The call to pay any price is a natural cry from the heart of any father, mother, grandfather, sister or brother. As a brother and son, I understand this cry from the bottom of my heart. But before me and before every Prime Minister in Israel, must also be the security of all the citizens of the state.

"The State of Israel is prepared to pay a heavy price for the release of Gilad Shalit but is unable to say 'at any price.' This is the truth and I state it here."

~~~~~~~~~~

You might like to see Caroline Glick's latest satirical Latma piece on this subject.  Tough and incisive, it makes the point that the huge outpouring of public concern does not help convince Hamas to release Shalit but, rather, convinces his captors that Netanyahu will have to cave in the face of the publicity and that holding firm is the thing to do:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_vMd7MGawV0&feature=player_embedded

~~~~~~~~~~

Tomorrow Netanyahu flies to Washington for meetings on Tuesday.  After this long posting, I likely will not write again until after there is news from that meeting, such as that may be.

Caroline Glick has written that the best our prime minister can do is buy time, by saying things such as, "Well, I'm willing to take this into consideration and discuss it with my cabinet when I return home."

Hopefully, I have not made you all crazy with this posting, which at least provides a clear pictures of how frenetic and lunatic the situation is.

~~~~~~~~~~

 

 

 

July 3, 2010

 
Motzei Shabbat (After Shabbat)
 
"Israeli and American Jews"
 
A change of pace -- there is time tomorrow for a return to the news, which certainly brings no great joy to the heart these days.  Here I would like to share thought-stimulating highlights of a lecture delivered at the Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs on Thursday by Rabbi Dr. Edward Rettig, acting director of the American Jewish Committee, here in Jerusalem, on the differences between the Jewish identity of Israelis and Americans.
 
~~~~~~~~~~
 
Background summary:
 
The Shoah (Holocaust) destroyed the cultural and demographic center of the Jewish world of that time period.  What we are looking at today in terms of Jewish community is discontinuous from that earlier time -- in that sense, revolutionary.
 
Today 80% of Jews live in either the US or Israel, roughly 40% -- give or take -- in each place, with some 2/3 to 3/4 of diaspora Jewry living in the US.  (As was noted during discussion, however, the Jewish population of Israel is on the increase, while the number of American Jews is decreasing.) 
 
These two Jewish population centers are very different from each other (and from the Jewish world of the past 2,000 years) and are working with entirely different language in terms of what it means to be Jewish.  The language is shaped by values: the experience of being Jewish is different in Israel and America.
 
Thus, while Israeli and American Jews need each other, they are lacking a common language for effective communication.  There is a disconnect that has serious consequences.  I touch here upon key differences.
 
~~~~~~~~~~
 
1) Power.
 
The Zionist movement is about Jewish power, and Israel today displays power as a nation, with all that this signifies.  This means, to a large extent, physical power and the military.
 
In America, Jews see power in terms of such things as political influence.  Right now the American Jewish community is flowering.  But there are concerns about continuity and the specter of Jewish powerlessness.
 
~~~~~~~~~~
 
My comment: It seems to me that some sold percentage of American Jews -- even as they worry about powerlessness --are not quite comfortable with the idea of Jewish military power.  That discomfort -- which may not even be totally conscious -- makes progressive or liberal American Jews, in particular, vulnerable to unease or embarrassment in the face of anti-Israel charges.  It leads to a sense of alienation or disassociation from Israel.
 
We Jews, in a world that is witnessing growing anti-Semitism, do not have the luxury of imagining, ever, that relative powerlessness is "OK."  And I sometimes wonder if American Jews born since 1948 fully comprehend the increased reflected power that accrued to the American Jewish community by virtue of the founding of Israel. 
 
Dr. Rettig provided a significant perspective with this information:  During WWII, 1.4 million Jews served in Allied armed forces.  But those 1.4 million were spread among various forces of the allied nations.  Thus, they found that they did not have the power to influence military thinking so that saving the Jews became a military priority -- even with regard to such matters as bombing the railway tracks leading to the camps.  A stark reminder of a crisis of powerlessness.
 
~~~~~~~~~~
 
2) Religious legitimacy.
 
America was founded as a Protestant nation.  This means the center of religious legitimacy is seen as residing with the individual. American Jews absorbed this approach founded in individuation.
 
Israel was founded by Jews who came out of a world that was untouched by the Reformation.  Religious legitimacy is found in tradition and the words of religious leaders.  Religious authority is normative.
 
This merits some contemplation -- it explains a great deal.
 
~~~~~~~~~~
 
3) Constructing Jewish identity.
 
In the US, this is seen as a choice.  You don't want to be Jewish any more?  You can opt out, assimilate, lose that identity.
 
In Israel, it is seen as fate.  You are Jewish.
 
Fascinating:  Israeli educators sent to the US to work with and motivate Jewish kids there have trouble speaking in terms they can understand.  These educators know well how to speak to disaffected Israeli Jewish youngsters -- how to get them to grapple with their Jewishness, which is a given, and to turn it into something positive.  But reaching kids who have the option of simply walking away from their Jewishness is something else.
 
~~~~~~~~~~
 
4) Secular Jews.
 
This follows from the above. 
 
In the US, Jews who are devoid of religious feeling face a quandary as to who they are and what defines them.  They are likely to meld into the majority, non-Jewish, culture.
 
In Israel, a secular Jewish identity is not uncommon.  For those who are secular, Jewishness is still part of their identity, as they are part of the Zionist culture.
 
~~~~~~~~~~
 
5) Sacrifice and Memorialization
 
Dr. Rettig's perceptions here stimulate not insignificant insights.
 
In the US, Jews seek Judaism as a way to be happy or fulfilled.  It's supposed to give the individual something.  Women, for example, are exhorted to light Shabbat candles because they will find it a beautiful experience.  American Judaism, additionally, is centered to a considerable degree in the present.
 
In Israel, Jews see their Jewishness as an inheritance (the "fate" I spoke about above) that requires both looking backward, and the need for making sacrifices.  American Jews have difficulty understanding or relating to this.
 
American Jews at 18 and 19 are often having the time of their lives.  Israelis at this age are in the military, undergoing rigorous training, and facing the fact that they may one day die in battle.  The society as a whole accepts this reality.
 
Dr. Rettig provided this startling statistic:  The number of Jews in Israel who stand in silence for two minutes when the siren blows on Yom HaZikaron (Memorial Day for those who have fallen for the State of Israel) is greater than the number of Jews in the world who regularly light Shabbat candles.  The memorialization is a significant part of the Israeli cultural ethic.
 
~~~~~~~~~~
 
Other thoughts raised in discussion following the lecture:
 
In the US, Jews have to work against the majority culture to be Jewish.
 
This statement resonated deeply with me -- it's something I speak about frequently.  Here in Israel, we are on Jewish time and in sync with Jewish mores.  A large clock on a wall at the entrance to Jerusalem announces the time when Shabbat begins. Someone who has lost an immediate relative is automatically given time off from work for the shiva week (immediate mourning period).  And on, and on... No conflict between living fully in the society and living fully Jewishly.  There is an element of struggle in Jewish identity that disappears here -- it's part of a more natural flow.
 
~~~~~~~~~~
 
The individuation of religious identity that is valued in American Jewry carries within it the seeds of this community's destruction.  The American Jewish community is diminishing in numbers.
 
~~~~~~~~~~ 

 

 

July 1, 2010

 
"Listen with Care"
 
In my last posting, I referred to PA president Mahmoud Abbas wearing his "moderate" suit.  Well, he's still wearing it.  Abbas, reaching out to the Israeli public, is currently engaged in what Herb Keinon of the JPost refers to as a "charm offensive."
 
I caution you to be on your guard with regard to the sincerity of his words.  They are no more than politically expedient surface, devoid of depth that will translate into action.
 
In a briefing for Hebrew media given in Ramallah on Tuesday night, Abbas said he thinks of Netanyahu as a partner for negotiations: "My first and last partner is the Israeli government, that is the government that was elected and the one we will work with."
 
Asked about his (Holocaust-denying) doctoral thesis, "The Secret Connection Between the Nazis and the Leaders of the Zionist Movement," he responded, "You say that six million were killed, I don't deny it."
 
~~~~~~~~~~
 
At the press briefing, Abbas declared himself ready for face to face negotiations when Netanyahu provides "answers" with regard to borders and security.  Explaining his position, he said, "Answers like these are necessary to see if we are speaking the same language, and then it will be possible to continue.  It is preferable that direct talks will not explode after 10 minutes, and then who knows when we will be able to renew negotiations again...Is there an agreement to discuss the border and security issues?  We don't know."
 
This may provide a semblance of reasonableness, but on examination it is not reasonable at all.  He is not insisting that he needs to know if Israel will discuss borders and security should the two parties come face to face.  He, rather, wants to know if Israel will, up front, agree to his preconditions.
 
He has made it clear that the PA call is for a Palestinian state along the '67 border (sic).  So "discussing" this means drawing the exact line, with alternations in the line based on a one to one ratio.  That is, for every square kilometer of land Israel kept past the Green Line the PA would get an equivalent area inside Green Line Israel.  That is what would need to be discussed.
 
Similarly with the issue of security:  Netanyahu has spoken about the need to station Israeli troops on the eastern border of a future Palestinian state.  Abbas says nothing doing -- this is not what's up for discussion.  Rather, what could be discussed is which international party, such as UNIFIL (try to control your laughter), might be stationed there to provide Israel with security.
 
Abbas further said he would not compromise on the issue of Jerusalem, i.e., eastern Jerusalem as their capital.
 
~~~~~~~~~~
 
It should be noted that in broad terms what Abbas is demanding is an agreement by Netanyahu to go back to the place where negotiations with Olmert left off.  Netanyahu made it clear from the beginning that he would not do this.  As nothing was signed, we have no obligation to do so.  Not only is Netanyahu, for all his faults, not Olmert (praise Heaven), the current government would not sit still for this, nor would the populace of this nation. 
 
Netanyahu -- with his eye undoubtedly on the upcoming visit with Obama -- is expressing great eagerness for face to face talks.  But without preconditions.
 
Stay tuned.
 
~~~~~~~~~~
 
Khaled Abu Toameh is a journalist whom I cite often, because I rely on the solidness of his research and his professional integrity.  An Israeli citizen, he is an Arabic-speaking Muslim who identifies as Palestinian -- he can go places I cannot and secure information directly that I cannot.
 
Here I would like to share with you what he has to say about the peace talks and questions Washington should be asking:
 
"Even if Israel and the Palestinian Authority were to reach a peace agreement sometime in the near future, it is certain that the Palestinian Authority would not be able to implement it or sell it to a majority of Palestinians...
 
"Frankly, there is no way that Palestinian Premier Mahmoud Abbas could accept anything less than what his predecessor, Yasser Arafat, rejected at the botched Camp David summit in the summer of 2000. Back then, Arafat refused to sign a document pledging to 'end the conflict' with Israel unless he got 100% of his demands.
 
"In addition, there are serious doubts as to whether Abbas would be able to persuade a majority of Palestinians living in refugee camps in the Arab world to accept any peace agreement with Israel that did not include the 'right of return' to their original villages in pre-1948 Israel.
 
"...Further, Abbas could not sign any deal that excluded the Gaza Strip; he would then be accused of 'solidifying' the split between the West Bank and Gaza Strip.
 
"Moreover, although the Palestinian Authority has said it would consider land swap, apparently many Palestinians are opposed to it.
 
"...Washington needs to ask...Do Abbas and Palestinian Prime Minister Salam Fayyad have enough credibility and support among Palestinians to be able to sell to a majority of them a peace deal with Israel?

"Abbas and the Palestinian Authority cannot go to the Gaza strip; they have limited control over the West Bank, and are still lacking in credibility, at least as far as many Palestinians are concerned.

"...Just recently Hamas declared that Abbas would not be allowed to enter the Gaza Strip unless he receives permission from its government. This means that when and if Abbas strikes a deal with Israel, he would not even be able to travel to the Gaza Strip to implement it or try to sell it to the Palestinians living there.

"Even though Abbas lives and works in the West Bank, many Palestinians have long been questioning whether he really has full control over the area. Moreover, it remains to be seen whether he and Fayyad, enjoy the support of a majority of Palestinians in the West Bank.

"...So what is the point in launching 'proximity talks' between the Israeli government and the Palestinian Authority while ignoring the fact that the partner in Ramallah would not be able to deliver his side of an agreement?

"Also, why do the Americans and the Europeans continue to turn a blind eye to the fact that the Palestinians already have two states – one in the Gaza Strip under Hamas and the second in the West Bank under Fatah?

"...The only way to move forward with any peace process is by insisting that the Palestinians first get their act together and end the infighting between the two Palestinian states..."

"Proximity Talks: Questions for Washington"

http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/138364

~~~~~~~~~~

This, my friends, should be sent to every elected representative in Congress.  Ask them why the government is investing time and prestige in a process that is doomed to fail.

For your Congresspersons:

http://www.house.gov/house/MemberWWW_by_State.shtml

For your Senators:

http://www.senate.gov/general/contact_information/senators_cfm.cfm

~~~~~~~~~~

Back in the winter, at the Jerusalem Conference, Netanyahu advisor Ron Dermer spoke; I then shared a line of thinking he had advanced that I thought had considerable validity:  Many progressives or centrist-left people in the US, he said, ardently support the Palestinian Authority, while ignoring, or remaining oblivious to, the fact that the Palestinian Arab culture embraces values that are the antithesis of what they -- the progressives, etc. -- support: women's rights, rights for homosexuals, etc.

What is required, he suggested, is a PR campaign that exposes the values of the Palestinian Arab culture, and promotes the liberal approach of Israel with regard to these issues.  This, he thought, would turn around at least some progressives, etc. with regard to their attitudes towards Israel.

Now it turns out that Wall Street Journal foreign affairs columnist (and former editor of the JPost) Bret Stephens is thinking along the same lines.  I share here a video in which he explains the approach he uses when speaking to groups that tend to be supportive of the Palestinians. 

The advantage of Stephen's approach is that it can be activated by individuals and does not depend on a major PR campaign.  Many of us may find that his technique is useful and that it yields positive results.  We need every approach  that is available to us in these difficult times:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UN-JJreC4JQ

~~~~~~~~~~

 

 

 

June 30, 2010

 
"Oh Joy"
 
Special Envoy George Mitchell is here, and resuming "proximity talks."  There are reports that even now -- why wait until he comes to Washington? -- pressure is going to be put on Netanyahu to extend the construction freeze, allegedly  in return for a PA agreement to enter direct talks.
 
All of this simply exacerbates a sense of frustration and extreme exasperation.  Netanyahu has been pushing for direct talks with the PA, saying that this is the only way to make progress.  But the question that hangs in the air is, progress on what?  The two sides are so far apart that talk of "progress" is nonsensical game-playing, no more than a charade.
 
Will Netanyahu, who pumped for those "direct talks," now have the courage to refuse to extend the freeze if this is the quid pro quo offered to him?  Will he fear being accused of being a stumbling block to peace if he refuses to "facilitate" those "direct talks" when presumably given the opportunity to do so? 
 
~~~~~~~~~~
 
Netanyahu met with the Septet, the inner Security Cabinet, last night to discuss both Mitchell's visit and the trip to Washington.  Members of the Septet are not all of one mind on this issue of extending the freeze.
 
Mitchell was scheduled to meet with Netanyahu and Barak, as well as PA prime minister Salam Fayyad today, and with PA president Abbas tomorrow.
 
~~~~~~~~~~
 
At the same time that this is going on, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has been visiting. 
 
Following a meeting with his Russian counterpart, two days ago, our foreign minister, Avigdor Lieberman, put out a statement that:
 
"[in spite of the fact that I am] an optimistic person, I don't think there is any chance that a Palestinian state will be established by 2012. It is possible to imagine, it is impossible to dream, but the reality on the is that we are still very far from reaching an agreement."
 
I may not agree with Lieberman about everything, but I consistently admire him for his readiness to tell it like it is.
 
~~~~~~~~~~
 
Lavrov, for his part, is of a different mind. After meeting with Abbas in Ramallah he declared that reaching a peace agreement by 2012 was a "realistic objective."
 
"If everyone shows goodwill and mutual trust, if all international negotiators actively push the sides towards reconciliation, this is quite realistic."
 
A whole lot of "if"s, with the idea of international negotiators actively pushing being the most unsettling.
 
The only observation I can make in Lavrov's defense is that it is exceedingly likely that Abbas was on his best behavior, wearing his "moderation" suit and spouting all sorts of peaceful intentions.  But then one must ask if Lavrov gives a damn if Abbas happens to not be on the level.
 
I would imagine that the "goodwill" Lavrov would seek from Israel would be a willingness to move back to the pre-'67 line, turn eastern Jerusalem over to the PA, accept at least some "refugees," and proceed without a recognition by the PA that we are the Jewish state.  Oh! And we should look the other way with regard to continued PA incitement and the existence of Hamas in Gaza.
 
In other words, if we are willing to commit suicide, we would have the opportunity to sign on the dotted line.
 
~~~~~~~~~~
 
In a piece in today's JPost, Khaled Abu Toameh reports that a recent attempt to bridge the gap between Fatah and Hamas has been abandoned.  Members of a committee put together by businessman Munib al-Masri right after the flotilla incident have thrown up their hands after Hamas refused to receive the delegation and Fatah was not forthcoming in making certain adjustments.
 
http://www.jpost.com/MiddleEast/Article.aspx?id=179956
 
~~~~~~~~~~
 
This news is of major significance with regard to the so-called peace process. 
 
I hasten to assure my readers that I do not imagine for a nanosecond that if Fatah and Hamas were to come to an understanding and form a coalition of whatever kind, that this would pave the way for good things to happen.  Fatah leaders have made it quite clear -- in a ludicrous two-step that dances around the heart of the matter -- that they do not demand of Hamas acceptance of major Quartet stipulations such as recognizing Israel or complying with former agreements.  All that would matter, they say, is that the representatives for negotiations jointly agreed upon would accept these stipulations.  Makes no real sense, but never mind.
 
The point is that if there were a Fatah-Hamas merger or, more accurately, coalition, there would be a semblance of unity within the Palestinian Arab world and ostensibly one representative body that would speak for all Palestinian Arabs.  It would increase the heat on Israel.
 
~~~~~~~~~~
 
But as matters stand, we are left with what I refer to as the elephant in the room: Hamas ruling in Gaza while the world conveniently pretends this is not happening.  Abbas most certainly does not represent all Palestinian Arabs, and the PA cannot negotiate for all Palestinian Arabs.  So what is being aimed for?  It isn't a "two-state" solution, really, at all, is it?
 
It would be nice if those involved with negotiations were candid enough to acknowledge this major stumbling block.  Properly, aside from all other considerations, there should be no talks until the Palestinian Arabs themselves get their act together and until Hamas is out of the picture.
 
~~~~~~~~~~
 
It must be mentioned here that according to Abu Toameh, a Hamas official is claiming that both Egypt and the US are working behind the scenes against a Fatah-Hamas merger.  The desire, according to this report, is to avoid strengthening Hamas. 
 
~~~~~~~~~~ 

In light of this situation, the unconfirmed report below is of particular interest:
 
Last Thursday, the London-based newspaper Al-Quds Al-Arabi reported that a senior Hamas official -- said to be close to Ismail Haniyeh -- claims that senior American officials have requested contact with Hamas, but have asked that this remain secret "so as not to rouse Jewish lobby."  Maintained this official: “This is a sensitive subject. The Americans don't want anyone to comment on it because this would catch the attention of [US] pressure groups and cause problems.”
 
This report was carried by multiple media sources.  Following this, an Arabic newspaper located in Washington DC quoted a "senior official" who said that an American envoy, carrying a letter for Hamas, is scheduled to meet with a Hamas representative in an Arab country.
 
The rationale presented for these alleged plans is that Hamas is a factor that must be contended with.  Given Obama's predilection for "dialoguing" even with the most problematic of groups, this would not come as a major surprise. 
 
However...Assistant White House Press Secretary Tommy Vietor, has denied this report, calling it "inaccurate."  He said he regretted that Al Quds had neglected to request a comment by the US administration.
 
All of this leaves us...nowhere.
 
~~~~~~~~~~
 
That UNRWA has Hamas connections (e.g., the UNRWA teachers union in Gaza is controlled by Hamas-affiliated people) is hardly news.  But this is a different wrinkle, which also involves the US: 
 
According to a report by Israel National News that was released just a week ago, UNRWA is giving a financial boost to Hamas:  The currency utilized in Gaza is Israeli shekels.  But when UNRWA receives donations to cover its salaries in Gaza -- the great bulk of which is from the US -- it requests dollars.  Those dollars are then deposited in the Gaza Postal Bank, which is controlled by Hamas, so that a currency exchange can be made and UNRWA employees can be paid.
 
The bank (i.e., Hamas) charges a significant fee for making the exchange.  Then, according to this report, Hamas sells the dollars on the Egyptian black market for an inflated price. 
 
This is the same UNRWA, please understand, whose spokespersons become highly indignant at the suggestion that there must be controls on certain materials going into Gaza that might be used by Hamas in constructions of rockets and bunkers. "What's the problem?" is the standard response. "If it's in UNRWA hands it's controlled."
 
~~~~~~~~~~
 
Please see this important piece by Efraim Inbar, director of the Begin-Sadat (BESA) for Strategic Studies, on the issue of Israel's right to close its border with Gaza, and the need to do so.
 
So great is the misrepresentation with regard to the situation in Gaza, says Inbar, that it is not understood that the standard of living in Gaza is generally higher than that of Egypt.
 
http://www.jpost.com/Opinion/Op-EdContributors/Article.aspx?id=179925
 
~~~~~~~~~~
 
From Sarah Stern of EMET in Washington has come good news:
 
The US government has officially dismissed its deportation case against Mosab Hassan Yousef -- about whom I wrote recently -- after a hearing at a federal detention center in San Diego. Mosab, who credits the efforts of EMET with making this victory possible, will be given political asylum.
 
Stern in particular thanks Representative Doug Lamborn (R-CO), who authored a letter to DHS secretary Janet Napolitano, co-sponsored with 21 other Representatives, and former Ambassador R. James Woolsey, who also wrote a letter on Mosab’s behalf.
 
~~~~~~~~~~
 
Apologies.  When I recommended -- and provided the URL for -- the very fine interview of Itamar Marcus by Richard Landes it was up on the PJTV website free for the viewing.  I had no idea that it was about to be placed in the PJTV archives, and that there would be an announcement that it could be seen only by paying for a subscription -- I was not recommending that anyone pay to see this.
 
I have been in touch with the Palestinian Media Watch office and they are attempting to secure a way for this interview to be viewed without cost.  If I receive information on this, I will, of course, share it.
 
~~~~~~~~~~

 

 

June 28, 2010

 

"Still Determined"

Jerusalem Mayor Nir Barkat, that is, with regard to carrying out the municipality's development plan, which will include the demolition of 22 illegally-built houses in Gan Hamelech, in Silwan.  This in spite of major Arab rioting last night.  Good going for the mayor, at least so far.

~~~~~~~~~~

Sorry that I cannot say the same for Prime Minister Netanyahu. 

The Border Police, it was reported today, will be holding a massive drill in Judea and Samaria this week aimed at dealing with an escalation in Israeli and Palestinian Arab violence.  One of the scenarios being rehearsed is the situation that will ensue if the building moratorium is extended.

I would not say with certainty that Netanyahu has already decided that the freeze will be extended -- that he already knows he will give the nod to Obama when he visits Washington next week.  That decision, one would guess, is going to be played out within a larger dynamic -- with various factors to be considered, such as how supportive the president shows himself to be on other issues and how hard Netanyahu's arm is twisted.  But it is clear that a scenario in which the freeze is extended is being given weight as a distinct possibility.

How nice it would have been to read, simply, that the police were preparing for the eventuality of increased Palestinian Arab violence in response to the resumption of building in Judea and Samaria in late September.  That, of course, is what should have been the case, given the prime minister's repeated insistence that the freeze will not be extended.

~~~~~~~~~~

If Netanyahu does cave, my guess is that we will not know it right away: Our prime minister is not likely to return and say, "My fellow Israelis, I know I gave my word, but the threats were so ominous, or the deal offered so attractive, that I reversed myself while sitting in the Oval Office."  Nah...

The pertinent information will come to us slowly, piecemeal.  Perhaps there will be leaks and innuendoes. Or maybe the freeze will be continued de facto, with approvals for building held up, and awareness dawning after some measure of time. 

While Netanyahu is in Washington, he will have a photo op with Obama and will smilingly tell reporters how wonderful his visit with the president was.

~~~~~~~~~~

Indeed, the prediction is that Netanyahu will find a very warm welcome at the White House, for Obama is trying to undo the political damage that ensued as a result of his hostile attitude to Israel.  There is a multitude of signs indicating a shift in how the administration is conducting itself with regard to Israel.  Yet it's imperative that form and substance not be confused.

Commentator Isi Leibler, in his recent piece, "Netanyahu, Place not your trust in princes," addresses this very issue:

"Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is likely to receive a red carpet reception from President Barack Obama at the White House combined with a reaffirmation about the 'unshakeable US-Israel alliance.' However we should not delude ourselves. It is clear that Obama’s recent charm campaign was primarily in response to pressure from the American people and in particular from Jewish Democratic supporters shocked into action by the administration’s increasingly negative approach toward Israel and the crass reception accorded to Netanyahu during his last visit.

"The bonhomie was intended to assuage domestic anger to avert loss of votes and funding for the forthcoming congressional elections. Even though administration officials, including Rahm Emanuel, conceded that they 'had screwed up the messaging' and are unlikely to repeat their previous boorish humiliation of Israel, there are no signs that the US administration is about to modify its policy."

http://israelinsider.ning.com/forum/topics/isi-leibler-netanyahu-place

~~~~~~~~~~

One more dumb move:

Mosab Hassan Yousef is the son of Hamas leader Sheikh Hassan Yousef.  But he is also a convert to Christianity who worked with the Israeli Shin Bet (Security) for nine years, providing information on terrorists that averted attacks and saved numerous lives.

In the US for three years, he has had his request for asylum rejected because he alluded in his memoirs to the fact that he worked with Hamas.  His book, "Son of Hamas," was published earlier this year; when he wrote it, he had no idea that it would sabotage his appeal for asylum.  In spite of his explanation that his association with Hamas was undercover and that he was working to subvert Hamas, authorities came to the conclusion that he was a Hamas-supporting terrorist.  Thus he is threatened with deportation.

Mosab was honored Wednesday night at a Washington DC dinner, at which the pro-Israel organization run by Sarah Stern, Endowment for Middle East Truth (EMET), granted him a "Rays of Light in the Darkness" Award. 

Mosab faces a death threat because of his renunciation of Islam.

This past week, his former Israeli handler, G. Ben-Itzhak, a Shin Bet agent, revealed his identity for the first time in order to speak on behalf of Mosab Yousef.  "Mosab is not a terrorist!  He risked his life every day in order to prevent [violence]," he told those present at the EMET dinner.

Ben-Itzhak is in the US in order to testify at Mosab's deportation hearing on June 30.  "I need to come to the courthouse," he said, "and tell the judge the truth."

~~~~~~~~~~

According to one documentary about Mosab Yousef, when he was asked if the Palestinians and Israel can live together, he replied: "There is no chance. Is there any chance for fire to co-exist with the water?"

It has been suggested that Obama would benefit from reading his book.

~~~~~~~~~~

~~~~~~~~~~

While I believe that the Lebanese ships may still be on their way, Iran has cancelled plans to send a flotilla to attempt to break the blockade of Gaza. 

According to Hossein Sheikholeslam, secretary general of the International Conference for the Support of the Palestinian Intifada:

"The Zionist regime has made the blockade a political issue and we do not wish to politicise this kind of humanitarian aid because the most important thing for us is to break the blockade of Gaza."

Cute, no? 

He said the voyage was cancelled as Israel "had sent a letter to the United Nations saying that the presence of Iranian and Lebanese ships in the Gaza area will be considered a declaration of war on that regime and it will confront it.

"In order to deprive the Zionist regime of any excuse, the aid collected for the oppressed people of Gaza will be delivered to them by other means without mentioning the name of Iran."

There is a great deal going on behind the scenes, and I do not wish to speculate on exactly what did discourage the Iranians.  Not yet, at any rate.  What I will say is that things may not be as bad as we often feel they are.  The fact of the matter is that Iran pulled back, unprepared to confront us -- our deterrence power must be OK.

~~~~~~~~~~

With the emphasis on Gaza in recent weeks, there has been a resurgence of publicity here to bring home Gilad Shalit. Right now, a march for Shalit, from the north to Jerusalem, is underway, led by Noam Shalit, who is accompanied by thousands.

I will not belabor this here.  I've made my position clear over time.  I, too, would dearly love to see this man brought home.  But not -- not ever -- at the cost of releasing a thousand terrorists who would put many other Israeli civilians at risk and increase the likelihood of further kidnapping of soldiers to boot.  We must not be blackmailed this way, and it cannot be Gilad Shalit at any cost.

So far, thankfully, no movement from our government on this.  It has been made clear that a deal was offered six months ago, which would permit the release of 600 prisoners, but would not include those responsible for major terrorist operations.  Certain Hamas people who would be released would be required to go somewhere other than Judea and Samaria -- it is felt their release to this area is sought in order to strengthen Hamas operations there. 

This deal is not to Hamas's liking.

Unfortunately, the pressure on the government to bring Shalit's release at any cost may serve to strengthen Hamas resolve that if they hold out they can get what they want.

~~~~~~~~~~

Obama is opposed to the release of prisoners in this deal.  Not because he cares one iota about endangering Israelis, but because this would give Hamas a victory that would weaken Abbas.  It would be very ironic indeed if Obama's opposition helped to maintain the starch in Netanyahu's spine on this issue.

~~~~~~~~~~

I strongly recommend the video provided here:

http://www.pjtv.com/v/3779

This is an interview of Itamar Marcus, who heads Palestinian Media Watch, here in Israel, by Richard Landes, academic and author who is an associate professor at Boston U and spends part of his time in Israel.  Landes coined the term "Pallywood, which means "productions staged by the Palestinians, in front of camera crews, for the purpose of promoting anti-Israel propaganda." Ignore the pitch to become a subscriber to PJTV and wait for the interview. The 16 minutes is well worth it.

In the course of discussing the need to pay attention to what PA leaders say to their own people in Arabic (something that the Obama administration apparently does not at all!), Marcus touches upon a great many important facts.  The video ends with a clip of PA president Mahmoud Abbas, speaking in Arabic recently, and putting the lie to all the sweet and lovely "moderate" things he said while in the US to see Obama.

Save this, and share it.

~~~~~~~~~~

 

 

June 26, 2010

 
Motzei Shabbat (After Shabbat)
 
"Where to Start?"
 
There are times, and this is one of them, when I feel pulled in multiple directions as I consider what to address in a particular posting.  
 
~~~~~~~~~~
 
First, an announcement with regard to the destruction of the Od Yosef Chai Yeshiva at Yitzhar, which was the single focus of my last posting:
 
American Friends for a Safe Israel (AFSI) is leading a protest on Monday, June 28, from noon to 2 PM at the Israeli Consulate at Second Avenue and 42nd Street, New York City.
 
To dramatize this decision, a flat-truck and bulldozer will be driven south on Second Avenue to 42nd Street, in front of  the Israeli Consulate. The bulldozer will be moving slowly around the block and passing in front of the Consulate as often as possible, depending on traffic. Signs and banners will emphasize that NEVER AGAIN must Israel take destructive action against its own Jews as it did five years ago in Gush Katif.
 
Those who wish may walk along the sidewalk carrying their signs, following the bulldozer on its path and spreading the message.
 
~~~~~~~~~~
 
It is, indeed, essential that this wrong-headed decision be reversed.  This is understood by all those who care about a strong and Jewish Israel.  Thus I salute AFSI for its decisive action in publicizing this.  And I confess to great heaviness of heart that this announcement and AFSI's action should be necessary.
 
~~~~~~~~~~
 
The Likud Central Committee met on Thursday and voted to resume construction in all parts of Israel once the 10-month freeze in Judea and Samaria expires in late September.
 
Absent from this meeting -- conspicuously so -- was chairman of Likud, Binyamin Netanyahu.  His public rationale is that he has already stated that building would commence at the end of the freeze, and so there was no point to be made at the meeting.  Others, however, saw in this stance a deliberate attempt by the prime minister to distance himself from his party's decision.
 
MK Danny Danon, who initiated this meeting, which had been delayed from March at Netanyahu's urging, was among those expressing great unease at his no-show position.  "It’s a bad sign,” Danon said. “It means he is more worried about pressure from Obama than from the Likud.”  Netanyahu, it should be noted, is scheduled to meet with Obama on July 6.
 
One does not have to be the diplomatic equivalent of a rocket scientist to recognize that Obama will be applying enormous pressure on Netanyahu.  He'll accuse him of being a stumbling block to peace negotiations if he doesn't agree to continue the freeze before there has been progress, or just when progress is starting, or whatever. 
 
We know as well how many times Netanyahu has caved in the face of such pressure, and thus unease is justified.
 
~~~~~~~~~~
 
In an interview after the vote, Danon said that the message to the prime minister was that his party was behind him and he should be strong.  The vote, he added, was also intended to deliver a message to the White House, which must respect our democracy.
 
Minister-without portfolio Benny Begin, who did attend the meeting, noted that the freeze would end during the holiday of Sukkot, which is known as our time of joy.
 
~~~~~~~~~~
 
According to Gil Hoffman, JPost political analyst, Netanyahu let it be known among his ministers that "he would not look fondly upon their attendance."
 
This, it seems to me, of itself puts the lie to Netanyahu's contention that he didn't need to attend because he was already committed to not extending the freeze.  If this were the case, why would he care if his ministers did attend?
 
Thus, it's worth noting the few ministers who did show up in addition to Begin: Communications Minister Moshe Kahon, who chairs the Central Committee; Diaspora Affairs Minister Yuli Edelstein; and Minister-without-portfolio Yossi Peled.  Minister-without-portfolio Michael Eitan arrived at the end of the meeting.
 
Where, I wonder, was Minister of Strategic Affairs Moshe Ya'alon.
 
Begin, the only minister to address the Committee, read the original Security Cabinet decision regarding the freeze, emphasizing that it said that construction would continue at the end of the 10-month freeze.
 
Flyers distributed at the meeting by the Judea and Samaria branch of Likud featured words Netanyahu had spoken during his campaign. It included this:  "The supreme test of any elected official is whether he keeps his promises to the public."
 
Sigh...
 
~~~~~~~~~~
 
From the time of the announcement about it the other day, there were ways in which I considered what happens in Gan Hamelech, in Silwan in eastern Jerusalem -- with regard to the demolition of illegal Arab housing as part of a major Jerusalem redevelopment plan -- a litmus test for Netanyahu's strength and our ability to stand strong as a sovereign state. 
 
Netanyahu postponed action on this in March, because the international fuss was too great and the moment considered by him to be too sensitive.  Did the mayor run this by him first now?  I would suspect so, but am not certain.  Will the decision hold?  Don't hold your breath.
 
~~~~~~~~~~
 
When originally writing about this, I alluded to the furor that was mounting, but it has since grown greater. 
 
On Thursday, Jerusalem Mayor Nir Barkat's office clarified a matter with regard to providing new housing for the 22 families whose illegal homes are slated to be taken down to make way for public space.  Originally, it had been said that there were plans to provide such housing.  Now the clarification is that private -- international and specifically NGO --money will be sought for these homes, and that public money will not be used.
 
Quite frankly, this is a relief.  For there was reason to question why Jerusalem should build housing for those whose homes had been constructed illegally.
 
Explained a spokesman for the mayor:
 
"...I would remind you that these are 22 illegal buildings, and while the municipality is putting significant capital into the planning and zoning process, it will not be using public funds to construct residential units.
 
"It would be illegal, and it could be challenged in the courts."
 
Well...OK.
 
~~~~~~~~~~
 
But not OK with the secretary-general of the UN, Ban Ki-Moon.  In a statement of unmitigated gall he called the plan illegal and "unhelpful to the peace process."
 
Well, sure, because PA president Mahmoud Abbas has said that "Israeli practices in east Jerusalem hinder peace talks."  In fact, they "put the peace efforts in danger."  If we weren't talking about taking down illegal housing he'd be signing on the dotted line any minute now. How fortunate for Abbas that he has this excuse to fall back on.
 
You know how ridiculous this has become?  Morocco -- Morocco! -- issued a condemnation of the plan and urged "the major powers and the UN to immediately intervene to dissuade Israel from going ahead with this illegitimate decision and put an end to the Judaization plans in east Jerusalem." 
 
The world truly is insane, and this is nothing short of incredible.  Especially since the plan does not call for the illegal Arab housing to be replaced with Jewish housing, but with public spaces -- parks, etc. -- that would benefit all the residents of the area, most of whom are Arab. While the evicted Arabs would have new housing with superior services, if the funds can be raised.  (And believe me, there are pro-Arab Israeli NGOs that could help raise that money in a flash if they wished to help provide Arabs with housing.)
 
Facts have nothing to do with this hysterical situation.  And when I think of all the crises in the world that genuinely require international intervention, I am left breathless by this.
 
~~~~~~~~~~ 
 
More than ever does it seem to me that it's important to stand strong here.
 
Watch the fireworks when Arab squatters are evicted (let us hope!) from an old Yemenite synagogue in this same area, so that it can be returned to its rightful Jewish owners -- either by the police, as ordered by the court, or, if the police fail to act, by local Jewish residents, assisted by at least 10 MKs.
 
~~~~~~~~~~ 
 
While on the subject of Ban Ki-Moon, I would like to recommend an article, "Ban Mischief at the U.N.," by John Bolton, a true friend, clear thinker, and former US ambassador to the UN:

"United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon is close to making an enormously significant misjudgment about his role and authority. Mr. Ban has repeatedly called for an "international" inquiry into the May 31 clash with Israeli commandos, provoked by supporters of Hamas on a Turkish-flagged ship off the Gaza Strip, resulting in nine killed and dozens wounded. According to the media, he is seriously considering launching such an inquiry by his own personal decision.

"For Mr. Ban to act without express U.N. Security Council authorization, however, would far exceed his legitimate authority. It would create a troubling precedent, with implications not just for Israel but for the United States, extending well beyond Israel's blockade of Gaza or the May 31 events. Nonetheless, President Obama has not moved decisively to quash the idea, and his inaction is understood in U.N. circles as implicitly consenting to Mr. Ban's illegitimate initiative."

http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2010/jun/23/ban-mischief-at-the-un/

(With thanks to Marta W. on this.)

I had thought Kofi Annan was deplorable and that Ban would be an improvement.  Goes to show how wrong I can be.  Undoubtedly a certain anti-Israel edge comes with the job.

Just as significant as the error in Ban's thinking -- perhaps considerably more significant -- is the position of Obama on this.  Americans, take note!

~~~~~~~~~~

YNet has reported that Malaysia is pushing for a discussion in the General Assembly on the flotilla incident.  Another Muslim country getting into the act.  General Assembly resolutions have no impact within international law, but this would bring Israel aggravation from a PR perspective, which is undoubtedly what is being sought. 

~~~~~~~~~~

Let me note in passing, while on the theme of the UN, that in September Gabriela Shalev will be completing her two-year term as Israel's ambassador to the UN -- a thankless job if ever there was one.  She is returning to academia and there is much speculation as to who her replacement will be.

~~~~~~~~~~

I focused on the theme of the disconnect between American Jewry and Israel in a recent post.  Now I am pleased to report on a new and broader mission for the Jewish Agency that has been approved unanimously by its Board of Governors, and has been announced by Chairman Natan Sharansky. 
 
While the Agency will still be devoted to its traditional task of aliyah, it will take on as part of its agenda heavy investment in providing identity-forming experiences for Israeli and Diaspora youth.
 
Said Sharansky:
 
"There is a time to nurture the tree and time to collect the fruits.  Aliyah, support for Israel, these are the fruits. But they only come as a result of solidarity, commitment or connection of Jews to Israel.  That's the tree."
 
The Agency's new mission statement reads: "Inspire Jews throughout the world to connect with their people, heritage and land, and empower them to build a thriving Jewish future and a strong Israel."
 
Blessings upon this venture, and may it progress well.  Much is at stake.
 
~~~~~~~~~~ 
 
Good to end this posting on an upbeat theme.  Much more to follow shortly
 
~~~~~~~~~~

 

June 24, 2010

 

"First Things First"

 

What you see above is a picture of the Od Yosef Chai Synagogue and Yeshiva (place of Jewish study) in Yitzhar in Samaria.  I wrote about this on May 20 and repeat the information here:

On May 9, the IDF's Civilian Administration (the administrative body for Judea and Samaria, overseen at the top by Defense Minister Barak) issued a demolition order against this building.

So volatile is this situation that Arutz Sheva cited a warning from MK Aryeh Eldad (National Union) that bloodshed would ensue.  He called it a "declaration of war against the Jewish communities of Judea and Samaria."

"Local residents believe that authorities are purposely punishing the yeshiva because of a confrontation with the IDF that took place on Independence Day, and also because security forces hold the yeshiva's students responsible for various attacks against Arabs in recent months and years."

~~~~~~~~~~

Note of clarification: Yeshiva head Rabbi Yitzhak Shapira was held by authorities this winter with regard to an arson attack on the Kafr Yassuf mosque. Reports the JPost: "A Jerusalem District Court judge forced the police to release Shapira for lack of evidence."

As to Independence Day, Yitzhar residents say that IDF troops began harassing visitors who wanted to tour the area and prevented them from entering the springs near the settlement.  When the soldiers tried to hold back one of the residents, other settlers became agitated. The residents say that one of the soldiers stationed in the area fired a warning shot into the air. When he refused to give his name, the residents demanded that he remain in the area until he agreed to do so.

The IDF says that residents attacked soldiers with stones, lightly hurting three.

~~~~~~~~~~

According to the Arutz Sheva report:

"'...the authorities are making special efforts to hurt the yeshiva in an unfair and vindictive way,' a yeshiva spokesman said... 'It should be noted that the building is an ornate permanent structure, with an area of 1,300 square meters, which was built with the aid of the Ministry of Housing and was approved by the various authorities to serve as an educational institution.'

"The destruction order, the residents said, cited an 11 year old work-stoppage order – one that they had never heard of until now. The building took years to build and cost over $1 million.

~~~~~~~~~~

Further clarifications from the JPost :

The IDF administration in Judea and Samaria claimed that the construction was done outside the zoning area for this type of building. The Yitzhar treasurer, Itamar Posner, however, maintains "that the building was within an appropriately zoned area of the settlement...

"...he noted that the ministries of Construction and Housing as well as Transportation had invested heavily in the project. They would not have done so if it was illegal, he reasoned.

"Posner added no one at the yeshiva has any record of a demolition order from 1999. Nor had they heard anything about it in past years.

"...The yeshiva...posted a response [on its website] that said, in part, that the legal status of the yeshiva was stronger than many other structures in Judea and Samaria."

I will add here that this must also be considered in light of the reluctance of the government to demolish illegal Arab homes, and the furor that ensures over an attempt to do so (which I addressed yesterday).  

~~~~~~~~~~

Yesterday, I also wrote about how problematic Barak's positions are: how he fails to protect Jewish interests, instead showing an eagerness to make concessions.

He's fond of muscle-flexing, but in the wrong way.  He likes to show one and all that he's really tough with the people on the right, courting approval from the left and, need I add, the international community. Obama and Abbas would be so pleased with him if he demolished this Yeshiva.  But what a shameful and obscene act it would be. 
 
The date for demolition is just days away. 

This cannot be permitted to proceed. 
 
~~~~~~~~~~
 
I am asking you to write to Prime Minister Netanyahu (not Barak himself).  The demand is that Netanyahu stop Barak.  We need a huge outpouring of protest. As always, numbers count.
 
Make your message short and to the point, please. 

If you are writing from outside of Israel, note that the world is watching and if Barak succeeds he will do Israel considerable harm among the very people who are Israel's biggest supporters.   
 
If you are inside of Israel, let the prime minister know that he is being watched and will be held responsible.  What happens will affect his support now and in the next election.

The heart of the message: Jews do not destroy synagogues.  This is a shameful thing to do and gives great comfort to our enemies.

Share this and encourage others to act.
 
~~~~~~~~~~
 
Fax:

02-670-5369  Write: "Attention Tzvi Hauser, Cabinet Secretary."

Please, also fax to 02-670-5369 and 02-649-6659

(From the US: 011-972, drop the 0 before the 2 and proceed with the rest of the number.)

E-mail:

Please, send to both addresses. 

Memshala@pmo.gov.il and also pm_eng2@it.pmo.gov.il (underscore after pm).

For the first address, above, put in subject line: "Attention: Cabinet Secretary, Zvi Hauser."

For the second address, above, put "No Demolition at Yitzhar," "Don't destroy the Yeshiva," "Stop Barak now," or something similar.

Please!  Take the time to do this.

~~~~~~~~~~

 

 

 

 

June 23, 2010

 
"A Tight Place"
 
I asked the question in my last post as to whether there will be gain with regard to the Security Cabinet's decision to allow all goods but those weapon-related into Gaza via the land crossings from Israel.
 
This remains a dubious proposition.  Whatever the rationale for what was decided, there is the clear danger that Israel will be seen as weak, and having caved to Hamas and terrorist forces.  On the one hand, Blair has made positive statements about our rights, without question, to keep weapons out of Gaza -- a nod to the sea blockade.  On the other hand, already we're hearing -- not just from the UN but also from Obama -- about how this isn't enough for the people of Gaza.  It's the old story, with which we are well familiar:  Give them a finger, and they want our hand.  It's never enough.
 
 
When statements are made about the need for the situation to improve for the people of Gaza, always implicit is that it's on Israel to do something about this.  Never is there a clear and forthright statement that Hamas, which controls Gaza, is responsible for this situation.  In fact, neither is there any direct statement about responsibility on the part of Egypt -- which is to Gaza's south and controls the Rafah crossing -- to do more for the Gazans.
 
~~~~~~~~~~
 
We clearly see how ludicrous -- and maliced -- this whole situation is when we read the Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs briefing, "The Myth of the Siege of Gaza," by Lt. Col. (ret.) Yonatan Halevi, a senior researcher on radical Islam:
 
"[In addition to all of the goods brought in from Israel via the crossings] there is also an established economic system of Palestinian imports from Egypt via hundreds of tunnels operating under the control of a Hamas government that grants approval for operating them and collects taxes from their owners. The tunnel network has increased imports from Egypt to Gaza from $30 million annually during the years 1994-2006 to more than $650 million annually. Given the abundance of supply, the price of diesel fuel and gasoline, delivered to Gaza through pipes from Egypt, is half that of the price in Israel.
 
"Farid Zakout, director of the Gaza Construction Association, told the Palestinian newspaper Al-Ayyam that the price of a ton of cement now stands at NIS 800 as opposed to NIS 1,200 two months ago, and over NIS 3,000 more than a year ago. Cement prices fell after some 80 percent of tunnel owners began to import cement. The renewed surge in construction activity has fostered a rise of 25 percent in the number of those employed in the industry."
 
Mind-boggling, is it not?  UNRWA would maintain that it will not deal with the cement black market of Hamas tunnels and thus needs cement brought in via the Israeli crossings to build schools.  But to say there can be no reconstruction of Gaza without unfettered access to building material via the crossings is nonsense.
 
Halevi further says:
 
"Gaza is not cut off from the outside world. In the last year, the markets of Gaza have been flooded with produce and merchandise. In fact, in 2009, a total of 30,576 truckloads of humanitarian commodities passed from Israel into Gaza. From June 2007 (the date of the Hamas military takeover of Gaza), overall monetary transfers to Gaza have totaled over $5 billion from governmental and extragovernmental sources. The governor of the Central Bank of the Palestinian Authority, Jihad al-Wazir, confirmed that 56 percent of the PA budget is designated for Gaza. Gaza receives additional aid funds directly from Iran, and the Arab countries."
 
http://www.jcpa.org/JCPA/Templates/ShowPage.asp?DRIT=2&DBID=1&LNGID=1&TMID=111&FID=443&PID=0&IID=4123&TTL=The_Myth_of_the_Siege_of_Gaza
 
~~~~~~~~~~
 
The reality of what is happening in Gaza simply bears no resemblance to "the myth" -- as Halevi refers to it.  That myth is designed to damage Israel, as well as to court international sympathy and support.  Unfortunately (once more) our government has not been forceful enough in promoting the truth and countering that myth.
 
~~~~~~~~~~
 
I call your attention, as well, to the fact that over 50% of the PA budget is allocated for Gaza.  This explodes another myth of major proportions: that the Palestinian Authority and Hamas are completely separate.
 
If you are in the US, you might want to contact your representatives in Congress and ask them why your government is supporting Hamas.  Money is fungible: If money allocated by the US to the PA is not designated by budget line item to go to Hamas, it still frees up other money that can be sent.  Besides which, there is legitimate reason to ask why the US should support the PA at all, if it is so closely allied with Hamas.
 
Include the URL above for the article by Lt. Col. Halevi.  The Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs, headed by Dore Gold, is a highly credible institute, and Halevi is a superbly reliable source.
 
For your Congresspersons:

 

http://www.house.gov/house/MemberWWW_by_State.shtml

 

For your Senators:

 

http://www.senate.gov/general/contact_information/senators_cfm.cfm

 

~~~~~~~~~~

 

Among those strongly of the opinion that loosening the restrictions on materials permitted into Gaza was a bad idea is Caroline Glick.  One point that she makes is worthy of particular note:

 

"The economic sanctions the government is now cancelling were not simply legal, they were required by international law. Binding UN Security Council resolution 1373 requires states and non-state actors to deny support of any kind to terrorist organizations. And here, in a bid to win international "legitimacy" for its lawful blockade of Gaza, Israel has bowed to US pressure to unlawfully facilitate the economic prosperity of an area controlled by an illegal terrorist organization."
 
http://www.carolineglick.com/e/2010/06/the-high-price-of-coalition-st.php
 
Glick also fingers Defense Minister Ehud Barak in regard to this:
 
"According to sources close to the cabinet, the main advocate for the latest capitulation was Defense Minister Ehud Barak. Barak is the serial bungler."
 
She's right on mark here, and its worth reading her full comments on this subject (which I will return to it in due course).  What I ponder now is exactly who is running the show.  Does Netanyahu cave to Barak as well as to Obama? Or is Barak convincing him to cave to Obama?
 
Perhaps most damning at present is her charge that Barak allegedly convinced Netanyahu to send the naval commandos onto the Marmara equipped only with paintball guns, as this would garner greater support from Obama.
 
~~~~~~~~~~
 
Commentator Moshe Dann, writing in YNet, addresses the same concerns. 
 
Dann writes of, "Barak's failure to anticipate the danger to IDF soldiers sent to stop the Gaza flotilla, his stubborn refusal to consult military and intelligence experts..."
 
http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3906261,00.html
 
The fault for what happened, then, would lie not with poor intelligence, but with the arrogance of a minister who thought he didn't need to rely on that intelligence.
 
~~~~~~~~~~
 
So, it seems to me that it's time to write to Prime Minister Netanyahu as well.
 
Be forceful but courteous. Using your own words, tell him that he wears the mantle as prime minister of the nation of Israel and he must be relied upon to make decisions with courage and backbone.  Say that relying upon the advice of Ehud Barak serves the nation ill. It's time for him to make decisions more consonant with the will of the people, who voted for the right wing.
 
Fax: 02-670-5369 (From the US: 011-972-2-670-5369)

 

E-mail: Memshala@pmo.gov.il and also pm_eng2@it.pmo.gov.il (underscore after pm) use both addresses

 

~~~~~~~~~~

 

The next round of confrontation with foreign ships seeking to break the blockade of Gaza indeed does seem to be around the corner.

 

The ship I wrote about last, the Julia, has not left port, but a second ship was given permission to go by the Lebanese government and is on its way, first to Cyprus and then -- if it receives clearance in Cyprus -- towards Gaza. Last week Defense Minister Barak warned the Lebanese government that it is responsible for these ships.  But in a turn-about maneuver, the Lebanese have sent a letter to the UN holding Israel responsible for anything that happens to the ships.

 

Israel is preparing vigorously for this next confrontation, both from a military and a PR perspective.

 

~~~~~~~~~~

 

Is this true?  It's huge if it is. According to the Islam Times website -- which is being cited in various quarters -- Israeli jets landed in Saudi Arabia last week and unloaded military equipment at an airport in the northwest. This is said to be in advance of a strike on Iran.

 

IMRA is carrying a report from the Arabic FARS news agency, in poor translation, that says the same thing. This report further says that, "the Zionist entity has created for himself a military base in Tabuk North West Saudi Arabia." 

 

~~~~~~~~~~

 

About three months ago, Jerusalem mayor Nir Barkat announced a development project for the city that involved the demolition of illegally constructed Arab homes in Silwan, in eastern Jerusalem.  At that time, Netanyahu put a stop to it. 

 

But now the municipality's Local Planning and Construction Committee has given the go-ahead. In all, there were 88 structures that were built illegally on land that was "green": zoned for a park and extensive recreational area.  But the owners of 66 of these homes will be given the opportunity to apply for retroactive legalization.  Twenty-two structures within the area known as Gan Hamelech (King's Garden), all built without permits in an area for which housing was not zoned, will come down.  In a gesture of enormous magnanimity, the municipality will provide those whose homes will be demolished with new, legal homes elsewhere in the area.

 

~~~~~~~~~~

 

Needless to say, there are objections in many quarters: from the left wing here, from the PA, from the US government.  This is being represented as an "anti-Arab" move that is destructive to the "sense of trust" that needs to be developed between Israel and the PA.  The old, familiar line.  This project is even being called "ethnic cleansing," although it is not remotely that.

 

PA chief negotiator Saeb Erekat announced yesterday that, "I sent a notice this morning from the Palestinian president to the US, in which he asked the American administration to intervene directly so that the Israeli project is cancelled.

"We vehemently denounce the decision, which will result in the demolition of 22 houses in Silwan."

Give me a break!

~~~~~~~~~~

Residents claim to be against the demolition of their homes (never mind that they'll get new ones).  But most enlightening was what one person involved with this municipal planning told the JPost:  "What the residents say to the press and what they say to us are two different things."

The betting is that these residents are coached from the outside, by persons eager for an opportunity to stir things up and make Israel look bad for the international media. 

In point of fact, the Jerusalem administration has negotiated with individual residents, to reach a place of understanding with as many of them as possible.  They addressed issues of concern such as roads, parking, and fire fighting equipment.

~~~~~~~~~~

Among those who registered distress over this plan was Ehud Barak, leveling his criticism from the US, and ever eager to please the US.  Showing his true colors once again, he said the plan "lacked common sense" and a "sense of timing."  He indicated that he would take this up with the prime minister on his return. And there we are.  It will be shameful indeed if Netanyahu caves on this.

While at first there was no word from the prime minister's office, there was then a statement that the prime minister "hopes to solve" the dispute.

~~~~~~~~~~

Mayor Barkat, however, has had his say in response to Barak: 

"Rather than support the municipality's effort to strengthen the city and tackle the serious neglect the eastern part of the city has inherited over the years, the defense minister acts without checking the facts.

"The new plan for Silwan allows for thousands of additional housing units for the Arab sector and the resolution for hundreds of construction violations.  Barak should be the first to support the plan."
 
Jerusalem City Councilman Hilik Bar, a member of Barak's own Labor party, then released a statement as well:
 
"The King's Garden plan is an important project that could have an impact on both the value of the land and the houses in Silwan, and improve the quality of life for its residents.
 
"...Understand that instead of just destroying the houses -- as the courts would have it -- the plan proposes to regulate the building in an orderly fashion, and for all, and in a proper and responsible manner. 
 
~~~~~~~~~~
 
This bears close watching. Either we are a sovereign state that follow the rule of law, or we are not. 
 
If you are contacting Netanyahu, as I suggested above, it would be prudent to mention this as well:  Do not cave to Barak's demands that the Gan Hamelech project be put on hold again!
 
~~~~~~~~~~
 
In a related issue, Arab squatters -- some 40 people comprising three families -- are living in an old synagogue building in Silwan.  This is not "merely" a Jewish building, it is a hundred-year old building that has historical, religious and cultural significance.  Known as the Hechel Shlomo Synagogue, at one time it served the Yemenite community of the area, which was forced to leave after violence in 1938.  It is 500 feet from the contested Beit Yehonatan.  The non-profit organization Ateret Cohanim claims ownership of the synagogue building as well as Beit Yehonatan.
 
According to a court ruling, additions made to the building by the Arab family holding it must be destroyed, and the  building must be returned to its original owners.  But the police have not acted on this.
 
Jewish residents of the area, who maintain that Arab residents are favored, say they will evacuate the building themselves on July 4, if the police fail to act.  Ten members of the Knesset, from National Union, Habayit Hayehudi, Shas, Likud, and UTJ, have said they will assist the Jewish residents with the evacuation if the police fail to act. They have sent a letter to this effect to the prime minister.
 
In an entirely different context, Netanyahu has just made the statement, "No one is above the law."  Let's see if he means it.  Will he see to it that the court ruling is carried out, or will be he -- fearful of manipulated world opinion and accusations of being "anti-Arab" -- back off?
 
~~~~~~~~~~

 

 

June 21, 2010

 
"A Partial Surrender?"
 
For supporters of Israel, it was exceedingly difficult to read the news that the Israeli government has reversed itself with regard to restrictions on items going through land crossings into Gaza.  Now all civilian goods will be permitted through, with only weapons and "war supporting materiel" being blocked.  Being cute, one government representative announced, "Yes to coriander, no to Kassams." 
 
This decision was made by the Septet, or (inner) Security Cabinet.
 
The most difficult part of the announcement concerned the fact that it was made with the cooperation of Tony Blair, envoy to the Middle East for the Quartet.  Blair, it was said, vetted the announcement.  As if we have surrendered our sovereignty (have we?) and require the approval of the Quartet for what we do.
 
~~~~~~~~~~
 
Before we come to that conclusion, I'd like to take a closer look.  The situation is extremely tense and complex:
 
The original restrictions on what went into Gaza had a dual purpose.  One, most definitely, was keeping weapons and materiel that could be used in making weapons and bunkers for weapons (fertilizer, concrete, etc.) out of the hands of Hamas. 
 
The other, however, was to weaken Hamas, which is an illegitimate terrorist entity at our border, by restricting certain items. Thus, in the main, what went through the crossings were basic goods that filled humanitarian needs: medicines, basic foods, fuels, etc.  Sufficient quantities of these items went in so there truly was not the humanitarian crisis we have been charged with creating.  All in all, close to a ton of goods per person was permitted into Gaza between the end of Cast Lead, our military operation in late 2008 and early 2009, and recent weeks. 
 
Other specialty items went in as well.  I've written about this over time: Glass to repair windows before winter, salt for operating water purifiers, large numbers of cattle to be slaughtered prior to a holiday, etc. 
 
But luxury items, such as gourmet foods or high-end furniture -- which would serve primarily the Hamas people who had generous funds at their disposal -- and certain commercial items -- which would increase the money those same Hamas people had -- were not permitted in.  It is not true that no commercial items went in.  Certain basic items for those in need went in via humanitarian, or NGO, groups.  World Food Bank, UN, etc.  But the PA (yes, you read this correctly) also coordinated the needs of commercial vendors, supplying lists of what they required to supply the market.
 
Now all commercial and luxury items will be let in, with the noted weapons-related exceptions.
 
~~~~~~~~~~
 
What this means is that the Security Cabinet has given up on trying to weaken Hamas via this method.  There is no question but that this action will strengthen Hamas -- both in terms of goods and financial gain, and in prestige because this will be touted as a moral victory over Israel.
 
The charge is going to be made, I have no doubt, that if we could do this now we could have done this all along and that we were hurting the people of Gaza unnecessarily or arbitrarily.  I hope that what I've written here makes it clear that this is not the case.  We had very specific goals in mind with regard to weakening Hamas, and those were legitimate goals.
 
What has happened is that the goals, or the strategy, has shifted.
 
~~~~~~~~~~
 
The question, then, is why the shift.  It is related directly and most obviously to the entire flotilla situation -- a situation that is hardly resolved.
 
Since the takeover of Gaza by Hamas, we have maintained a sea blockade of Gaza.  This is legal according to international law, and a legitimate way to defend ourselves.  We are at war with Hamas, which fires missiles and rockets at our civilian population.  A key way to bring in those missiles and rockets would be via the Mediterranean.
 
Anyone who doubts that this is a viable means of bringing in weapons, along with and actually more effective than the use of tunnels between Gaza and the Sinai, need only recall the Karine-A weapons ship the IDF captured in 2002.  That ship was carrying weapons for the PA, which then controlled Gaza.  But consider what it was carrying:  $100 million in arms, including rockets, missiles, anti-tank mines, 700,000 rounds of small arms ammunition, etc.
 
We have no intention of allowing a Karine-A type vessel to successfully make it to the shores of Gaza.  In fact, neither do we intend to allow smaller quantities of weaponry (more sophisticated than what was available in 2002) to be smuggled in the holds of ships that reach Gaza. 
 
Actually, I suspect that it is necessary to stop ships bound for Gaza while out in international waters (it's legal).  For we have the lessons of the Karine-A:  Its weaponry was packed in waterproof containers, so that the military equipment could be thrown overboard and then picked up, piecemeal, by small fishing vessels.
 
~~~~~~~~~~
 
For all the recent ballyhoo about bringing humanitarian aid, the purpose of the flotilla was clearly to break the Israeli siege of Gaza.  Were that to happen, the Israeli population would be at greater risk, because it is certain that weapons would then be brought to the coastline.   
 
Those attempting to aid Hamas played it smart however, charging that insufficient quantities of humanitarian aid were permitted by Israel via land crossings, so that it was necessary to bring additional aid via sea.  (The Turkish ship, the Mamara, if you remember, carried humanitarian supplies -- but supplies that were essentially worthless, such as expired medications.)
 
These charges muddied the waters (forgive the pun) and made Israel's task more difficult.  There was a greater cry against Israel's action because of some suspicion -- on the part of those who weren't simply blatantly anti-Israel and rejoicing at the opportunity to lambaste us -- that maybe there really was a need to bring in additional humanitarian supplies and Israel was being intransigent.
 
~~~~~~~~~~
 
What the Security Cabinet has done, with its decision, is to make the issues more clearly black and white.  If everything except weaponry and military materiel can go into Gaza via land, without limit, there can no longer be a claim that the ships are needed to bring in humanitarian aid.  Those on the ships are unmasked in their intentions.
 
In making this decision, then the Security Cabinet is giving the absolute security need to maintain the sea blockade priority over the desire to weaken Hamas in terms of commerce and access to goods.
 
Consider now what Blair has said:
 
"Let me state right at the outset that Israel has the complete right to protect its security and to keep arms out of Gaza."
 
This is a gambit, a gamble, but the hope, the expectation, is that we will now find more support for our sea blockade within the international community.

 

 
 Moshe Milner, GPO
 
So, is this decision a surrender of sovereignty on the part of Israel, or a clever way to shift strategy and turn the tables on those supporting Hamas?
 
~~~~~~~~~~
 
What is certain is that we are going to need whatever support we can garner in the days and weeks ahead with regard to our right to stop ships from reaching Gaza's coast.
 
The government of Lebanon has given the go-ahead for a ship to sail from Tripoli, stop in Cyprus, and then head for Gaza.  The "activists" on board this ship are all female -- the group's leader called this a "new secret weapon," because Israel won't fire on women.  The French-registered ship is called the Julia, but this particular voyage is dubbed the Mariam.  It is going to Cyprus first in an effort to circumvent violation of SC Resolution 1701, which calls for a cessation of hostilities between Lebanon and Israel.  (This does mean they are anticipating hostilities, does it not?)
 
The organizer of this venture is Yasser Kashlak, a Syrian of Palestinian origin who heads the Free Palestine Movement.  A movement to "free Palestine" is not exactly about humanitarian aid to Gaza; it is suspected that there is a connection between this group and Hezbollah.  The ship is said to be carrying humanitarian aid, but it's not clear what rationale will be presented for its mission in light of Israel's new policy.
 
Following this, we may still have to deal with ships from Iran and perhaps elsewhere.
 
~~~~~~~~~~
 
The other day I shared a short video of Congressman Mike Pence asking the president, "Whose side are you on?"  Now I ask the same of UNRWA, but my question is purely rhetorical.
 
Christopher Gunness, UNRWA spokesman, has told Reuters that, "We need to have the blockade fully lifted." 
 
UNRWA's concern is that the rebuilding of Gaza, following Cast Lead, is difficult because of Israel's restrictions on building materials.  Rest assured, Gunness is not concerned that sending in unmonitored quantities of metal, concrete, etc. might lead to materials falling into the hands of Hamas, which would use it in manufacturing weapons, launching pads, underground bunkers and the like.
 
He registered no satisfaction about the fact that Israel has said that there are plans to meet with international agencies in the next few days to discuss advancing such projects as the construction of schools and hospitals.  The fact remains that there has to be careful monitoring of what goes in and how materials will be used.  And so, Gunness grouses that, "The Israeli strategy is to make the international community talk about a bag of cement here, a project there. We need full unfettered access through all the crossings."
 
~~~~~~~~~~

June 20, 2010

 

"Embracing the Link"

The charges being leveled against Israel are so off the wall, so outrageous, that I think now is the time to begin to address the connection of American Jews to Israel.  For there is the danger  -- no, more than a danger, sometimes it is the reality -- that some American Jews, hearing these charges and fearful that even some small part of them may be true, will see themselves as morally elevated if they separate themselves from Israel.

Those who love Israel, who see themselves as intrinsically connected to the Jewish state, will feel outrage at these perfidious charges.  They will understand that Israel need not be perfect to be embraced, and that where there are problems (not remotely of the caliber that is suggested) they must be addressed constructively and with a willing heart.

But sadly, tragically, this is less the case than it once was.  I've seen the evidence myself and heard much that is anecdotal.  There are Jews, frequently progressive or left in their political orientation, who are not divorced from their identity as Jews and may even be religiously observant, but are devoid of deep concern for or devotion to Israel.  In some cases they actually believe themselves to be functioning at a more spiritual level if they are "just" religious and not involved in the politics or the "dirty business" of running and defending a state.

I make no bones about it: I mourn for this alarming state of affairs.

~~~~~~~~~~

This situation has to be addressed at two levels at once, in my opinion.  As I indicated yesterday, this is long procedure that cannot be corrected with any quick fix.

There is, first, the need to counter the false charges and set the record straight.  American Jews, like just about everyone else, have been subjected to twisted Arab PR and distorted media reports -- the real story of Israel is not making it wide-scale. Thus is there confusion about what Israel is all about, with acceptance of fallacious ideas, such as that we "took" Palestinian land.

~~~~~~~~~~

But there is something else that needs to be addressed.   And that is Israel as our Jewish heritage.  It is here that the essential link is made.  One cannot be conversant with the Tanakh -- the Bible -- without understanding G-d's promise to the Jewish people concerning the land, and the ancient settling of that land.  One cannot know anything about archeological finds without understanding the extensive roots we have here in this land (and most particularly in eastern Jerusalem and Judea and Samaria).  One cannot know history without recognizing that over the course of 3,000 years, Jews alone have had an independent nation here and Jews alone have made Jerusalem their capital.  One cannot know Jewish liturgy without knowing the prayers for Jerusalem. One cannot know Jewish law without recognizing certain mitzvot (commandments) can be fulfilled only in the land.

No other people has ever been banished from its original land for 2,000 years (except for a remnant population), only to return, have an ingathering, and revive its ancient language.  No other people has fought wars repeatedly at such odds, and remained resilient.  For me, the hand of G-d is clear in this.  We have prospered, and settled our incoming refugees, as no other nation in the world, all the while promoting medical advances and academic achievements, maintaining the most humane and moral standards for our fighting forces, and even reaching out to the world to lend assistance (as in Haiti).

How has this essential link been lost? In the face of all of this, how could Israel become relatively inconsequential for some Jews?  I struggle with the question.

~~~~~~~~~~

When Helen Thomas made her obscene comments about how the Jews living in Israel should return to places like Poland whence they had come, there were responses to her that essentially said that this was a terrible thing to suggest because the nations such as Poland had treated Jews horrendously.  I felt that while factually true, this was the wrong answer. This means that if the nations of the world should welcome us with open arms, we would have no rationale for remaining here.  Yes, Israel was a haven after the Holocaust, and yes the existence of Israel prior to the Holocaust would have prevented it from happening. 

But the most essential reasons for being here are deeper and more extensive than this.  This is what Jews -- as well as others! -- are called upon to understand.  And this is precisely what the Arab world does not want people to know, because the truth defeats their aims.

~~~~~~~~~~

Other subjects to follow shortly, but I include here a link to a superb short video on how the Muslim mind works.  It's on the mark, and I encourage you to see it to the end and share it broadly:

http://www.youtube.com:80/watch?v=RxFzFIDbKpg

(Thanks to the many who shared this with me.)

~~~~~~~~~~

 

 

June 19, 2010

 
Motzei Shabbat (After Shabbat)
 
"Forging On"
 
Among the matters I had thought I would address tonight was the deeply disturbing issue of the disconnect from Israel of some (many) American Jews.  I do hope I will find time to write about this before long.  But this is a long-term matter that must be dealt with thoughtfully (and intensively) over time, and it seemed to me that other issues of greater urgency have precedence right now.
 
~~~~~~~~~~
 
The matter of the Flotilla and world reaction to Israel is still front and center.  But I begin with the latest satirical Latma piece produced by Caroline Glick, "The Three Terrors."  It's a hoot:
 
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VmffgIqlAYA
 
Where ponderous words do not seem to be having effect, maybe this approach will make a difference.
 
~~~~~~~~~~
 
Satire does seem to be the best response to world events.  In fact, world events generate their own unintended satire. 
 
Consider: Syrian president Bashar Assad, whose country has smuggled large quantities of weapons to Hezbollah in defiance of Security Council Resolution 1701, said on Wednesday that Syria has been working on preventing a regional war, but that war is now more likely because of the Flotilla incident; it shows, he declared, that the Israeli government is "pyromaniac.
 
~~~~~~~~~~
 
I thank Yoram Ettinger for this material, which comes from his Jerusalem Cloakroom #236, "The Gaza Flotilla of Hypocrisy."
 
Ettinger pointed out that there are 400,000 residents of Uzbek who were made refugees in the course of riots in Kyrgyzstan from June 11-18, 2010, with 2,000 fatalities.  But there have been no special UN sessions to deal with this.
Additionally, he cited Joel Brinkley, nationally-syndicated columnist and Pulitzer Prize winning journalist, who wrote in the San Francisco Chronicle, on June 13, 2010:

“On May 31, the day activists assaulted Israeli troops as they boarded the Mavi Marmara, prompting the Israelis to shoot and kill nine of them.  In Lahor, Pakistan, that same day, gunmen stormed into a hospital, where they shot and killed 12 badly wounded patients...Those victims were survivors of murderous attacks on two mosques a few days earlier, when 93 worshipers were killed…Didn’t that warrant even a nodding acknowledgment? No, Navi Pillay, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, said almost nothing about the dead Pakistanis, but did manage to declaim: ‘I unequivocally condemn what appears to be disproportionate use of force, resulting in the killing and wounding of so many people attempting to bring much needed aid to the people of Gaza…’

"The week before the aid-flotilla incident, international discussions centered on North Korea and its attack on a South Korean naval vessel.  A torpedo sank the ship, killing 46 sailors.  The UN Security Council was to begin discussion of possible action against North Korean.  But then a few days ago, Council members made it clear they were going to drop the North Korea matter and take a resolution condemning Israel…”

~~~~~~~~~~

So, the hypocrisy -- at the UN and its agencies and within a broad swath of the world's governments -- is enough to leave one breathless, but we see that we do have friends who tell it straight, such as Brinkley.

Then there is Rex Murphy, writing in the National Post of Canada, "UN condemns Israel first, investigates later":

"I don't suppose the world needs to remember Rwanda to note how sluggish in the face of imminent horror the UN is and can be. But on one subject, and toward one state, the UN acquires a strange and uniquely transformative power. Bring Israel under its gaze and the diplomatic sloths at UN headquarters morph into the swiftest of gazelles. Quite amazing, really. When the so-called 'freedom flotilla' roared into the headlines, the UN reacted at the diplomatic equivalent of the speed of light. The Security Council issued its 'condemnation,' and in a wonderful reversal of cause and effect also called for an investigation into what it had 'condemned.'

"When Israel is in the dock, protest rage goes epidemic. When Israel acts in its self-defense, the response is extravagantly 'disproportionate.' I truly do not know why this is so. Israel is a sanctuary state established after one almost successful attempt just two generations ago to rid all the world of Jews. And Israel is now in the shadow of a fundamentalist, ferociously anti-Israel theocracy which is about to equip itself with nuclear weapons. Yet somehow Israel is the rogue, the barbarian nation, the only state on earth that can energize the lethargic diplomats in the great tower of hypocrisy on the Hudson River."

http://fullcomment.nationalpost.com:80/2010/06/05/rex-murphy-un-condemns-israel-first-investigates-later/

~~~~~~~~~~

You might also like to see the comments of Dvir Abramovich, writing in the Sydney Morning Herald of Australia:

"The speed and intensity by which the world recklessly rushed to blame Israel, and only Israel over the flotilla incident, and the scale and venom of the reaction, has left me speechless. I don't know how to depict a world that clamors to indict Israel while exonerating its enemies, that uses double standards in promoting false and baseless accusations, and that has forgotten history so as to use the language of the Holocaust to portray Israelis as the epitome of evil. I don't know what to make of a world that is silent when Israelis die in homicidal bombings or rocket attacks. But beyond the actual incident, the blistering demonization, and delegitimization of Israel, and the viciousness of such vilification by the media, and international governments who should know better, is mind-blowing.

"How many journalists have explained that both Israel and Egypt have imposed a naval blockade of Gaza, and that Israel did so to prevent the re-arming of the Iranian-backed Hamas? How many journalists have written about Gaza being used as a base for the launching of thousands of rockets into Israeli towns in a murderous and relentless war of attrition? How many journalists have alerted readers to the brutal Hamas regime in Gaza that violently puts down any political opponents and is slowly imposing fundamentalist Islamic law?"

http://www.smh.com.au:80/opinion/blogs/chutzpah/a-flotilla-of-demonisation/20100611-y0zr.html

~~~~~~~~~~

I provide these pieces not only so that you might take heart from them, but also so that you might utilize and share them.

~~~~~~~~~~

And then I provide this very good piece, "Shouldn't we all be Israelis now," by Kyle-Anne Shiver, a Catholic, writing in American Thinker.  It is going to jolt many, but at this point a jolt is in order:
 
"...About a year ago, I shamelessly berated a dear Jewish friend for becoming paranoid about unfolding events -- not in Israel, but right here in America.  She, naturally, sees things differently from how I do.  She was noticing the telltales in American foreign policy under the new administration.  She was calling my attention to signs I couldn't then read.  Perhaps a part of me simply wanted to believe -- with all my heart and soul -- that nothing whatsoever similar to the Holocaust could ever happen again because we good Americans would never, ever, ever permit such a horror on our watch.  I argued this point with my friend vehemently.  For a while, we were so passionately at odds on the 'Jewish question' that we stopped corresponding and talking on the phone.  Now I shake with guilt and shame over my callous insensitivity, and I wonder where I found such faith in the American people and such naive blindness about human evil.
 
"We have clearly elected an anti-Semitic president. I say this with due trepidation; I take the charge as seriously as any I know. Barack Obama's anti-Semitism is so transparent that I tremble to consider that it may not even be merely an intellectual Israel-vs.-Arab-nation prejudice, but may actually be racist, or even a soul-disordered hate for all things deigned by God."
 
How many other Americans who have been eager to give Obama a chance are ready to confront the inherent bias in how he treats us? 

Shiver makes a potent case.  Read the entire piece:

http://www.americanthinker.com/2010/06/shouldnt_we_all_be_israelis_no.html

~~~~~~~~~~

Congressman Mike Pence (R-IN), a true friend, addresses a similar issue when he says, on the floor of Congress, that the American people are with Israel, and then asks, "Mr. President, whose side are you on?"
 
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c09RyJC0JqI&sns=fb
 
~~~~~~~~~~
 
I cannot confirm this information, but as I have it from multiple sources, and have picked up similar material in the past, it seems to me solid enough, and certainly important enough, to share:
 
According to Hugh Tomlinson, writing in the Times of London just a week ago:
"Saudi Arabia has conducted tests to stand down its air defenses to enable Israeli jets to make a bombing raid on Iran’s nuclear facilities, The Times can reveal.

"In the week that the UN Security Council imposed a new round of sanctions on Tehran, defence sources in the Gulf say that Riyadh has agreed to allow Israel to use a narrow corridor of its airspace in the north of the country to shorten the distance for a bombing run on Iran.

"To ensure the Israeli bombers pass unmolested, Riyadh has carried out tests to make certain its own jets are not scrambled and missile defence systems not activated. Once the Israelis are through, the kingdom’s air defences will return to full alert.

“'The Saudis have given their permission for the Israelis to pass over and they will look the other way,' said a US defence source in the area. 'They have already done tests to make sure their own jets aren’t scrambled and no one gets shot down. This has all been done with the agreement of the [US] State Department.'

"Sources in Saudi Arabia say it is common knowledge within defence circles in the kingdom that an arrangement is in place if Israel decides to launch the raid. Despite the tension between the two governments, they share a mutual loathing of the regime in Tehran and a common fear of Iran’s nuclear ambitions. 'We all know this. We will let them [the Israelis] through and see nothing,' said one.

~~~~~~~~~~

Aside from the significance of Saudi Arabia's alleged readiness to do this, I have a couple of other observations.  One is that Saudi Arabia is apparently being more cooperative here than Obama.  Absorb the full import of this, please.  Obama, still hoping for some combination of outreach and sanctions to stop Iran's nuclear development, has thus far refused to signal that the US would give a go-ahead for Israel to fly over Iraq on the way to Iran. 

Or so he is pretending, wanting perhaps to not "irritate" Iran by seeming to sanction an Israeli attack.  If this sounds ludicrous, it's because it is -- and signals an obtuse unwillingness by Obama to understand deterrence.  But it would be vintage Obama.  He believes in carrots without sticks.

Consider as well that, according to this report, the State Department has sanctioned this position on the part of Saudi Arabia. This suggests several things, some of which would be purely speculative.  What I'd like to ask here is how Obama -- knowing all of this -- can claim that there can be no cooperation with the Arab states on the matter of Iran, unless we make "peace" with the Palestinians.  He full well knows what a crock this is.

~~~~~~~~~~

Last September, Prof. Efraim Inbar, director of the Begin Sadat Center for Strategic Studies, wrote:

"The leaders in all Arab countries know that the American 'engagement' of Iran is hopeless in stopping the nuclearization of Iran. During his August trip to Washington, Mubarak of Egypt tried to inject sense into the young American president. Moreover, Mubarak rejected Obama's offer for a nuclear umbrella. So did other pro-American Arab states. American promises to defend them are simply not credible if the US is reluctant to use military force to stop the Iranian nuclear threat.

"The impending American withdrawal from Iraq and the difficulties in 'fixing' Afghanistan contribute to the general sense of a decline in American influence in the Middle East."

Please note: this is one more case in point of what I've been saying for some time -- Obama's weakness has made the world a less safe place, with the US no longer trusted or depended upon by nations that were considered, broadly, American allies. No where is this more the case than in the Middle East.  Obama has made our part of the world more dangerous.  The Latma video, "The Three Terrors," makes this point, with a thank you extended to Obama for "playing dumb." 

So, indeed, whose side is Obama on? 

~~~~~~~~~~

"The Good News Corner"

Lt. Aharon Karov, commander of a combat company in the Paratrooper Brigade, made news during Operation Cast Lead, the war in Gaza, when he was called up from his leave the day after his wedding.  He subsequently was critically wounded in a booby-trapped house in Gaza, and then flown to Beilinson Hospital in Petach Tivkah, where he underwent six operations on his head and chest in the course of 12 hours.  Karov had hovered close to death.  His morale was incredible and his recovery nothing short of miraculous.

 

Now it has been announced that his wife Tzivia has given birth to a baby girl.  Mazel tov!

What a joy not only to share this good news, but to demonstrate, once again, the resilience of the Israeli people.

~~~~~~~~~~

 

 

 

June 17, 2010

 

"Home!"

Yes, I have returned home, and to my computer, after a hiatus of two weeks.  In fact, I have just returned from a visit to the States that was exceedingly important for personal family reasons, but included participation in a short briefing in a Senate conference room on issues of UNRWA and the PA -- with more to share about these subjects in due course.

While I am extremely glad that I made the trip -- I am ever so glad to be home. 

I had hoped to do quite an extensive posting today -- sort of a catch-up.  But I deluded myself.  I'm still in the process of reorienting myself.  This, I think, will be (relatively) brief, with a great deal more to follow in the days ahead.

A thank you goes to those readers who refrained from writing to me during this time period.

~~~~~~~~~~

During my visit I had occasion to read the Washington Post and the Boston Globe, and, once, the NY Times.  And I was pleasantly surprised at how little press Israel seemed to be getting.  Focus is on the oil spill in the Gulf and other matters, such as how willing Obama is to lead the Democratic party to a November Congressional victory. 

Things being what they are, no press is usually the best we can hope for.  There was a requisite piece or two regarding, for example, how Netanyahu's policies create "problems" for Obama -- as if making things easier for the American president should be our first priority. 

Worthy of note, within the past two weeks, is the fact that apparently twice Reuters cropped pictures of the Flotilla incident, so the knives of "peace activists" were removed.  See:

http://littlegreenfootballs.com/article/36488_Did_Reuters_Crop_a_Photo_to_Remove_a_Peace_Activists_Weapon

~~~~~~~~~~

As the Flotilla incident is still newsworthy -- with cries for international investigations -- I share this video, which has been released by the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs.  If you don't open any of the other links I am providing here, please do take the time to see this, and share it.  Note in particular the response of persons on the Flotilla, who cried such obscenities as "Go back to Auschwitz":

http://www.youtube.com:80/watch?v=_vCIR2N7V6c

(With thanks to Judith N.)

~~~~~~~~~~

What is clear is that the Turkish ship the Mavi Marmara was staffed at least in part by Turkish mercenaries intent on doing damage.  According to the JPost: "The IDF identified a group of about 50 men - of the 700 on board - who were well-trained and were stationed throughout the ship, where they laid an ambush for the IDF soldiers.

"The men wore bulletproof vests and gas masks, and had communication devices.

"The members of this violent group were not carrying identity cards or passports. Instead, each had an envelope with about $10,000 in cash.

"Israeli defense sources suspect the funding for the mercenaries may have come from elements within the Turkish government.

"...Deputy Defense Minister Matan Vilnai told a Knesset hearing that all nine men killed on the Marmara were 'involved in the fighting...There were no innocents among the dead.'"

~~~~~~~~~~

A video has been made available that comes from the ship's security cameras.  It clearly shows the brandishing of weapons and the advance preparations for hitting the IDF:

http://www.youtube.com:80/watch?v=HZlSSaPT_OU

~~~~~~~~~~

That there were present on the Marmara persons associated with Al Qaida has also become clear.  I mention here, for example, Turkish citizen Hussein Aurosh, assistant to the IHH organization, who was supposed to arrive in the Gaza Strip to assist the transfer of members of Al Qaeda via Turkey.

~~~~~~~~~~

While from the Intelligence and Terrorism Information Center there is testimony regarding the members of the IHH who boarded the Marmara in Turkey and essentially controlled the ship:

http://www.terrorism-info.org.il/malam_multimedia/English/eng_n/html/hamas_e112.htm

~~~~~~~~~~

You might want to see a briefing from the Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs -- "The Myth of the Siege of Gaza" -- by Lt. Col. (ret.) Jonathan D. Halevi:

http://www.jcpa.org/JCPA/Templates/ShowPage.asp?DRIT=2&DBID=1&LNGID=1&TMID=111&FID=443&PID=0&IID=4123&TTL=The_Myth_of_the_Siege_of_Gaza

~~~~~~~~~~

All in all, JINSA, in its report #994 of June 4, said it well:

"Israel was victimized twice this week, first by terrorists hiding yet again among the civilian population (one Turkish-sponsored jihadi boat traveling with five more-or-less civilian boats) and second by a world all too ready to blame Israel for the violence engendered by those who sought a bloody death for themselves and any Jews they could take along."

~~~~~~~~~~

Other points to be made here briefly:

-- As I understand matters, the "humanitarian goods" unloaded from the Flotilla, which Israeli pledged to send via ground crossings into Gaza, were rejected by Hamas.

-- The ship the Rachel Corrie, sailing from Ireland, attempted to break the blockade of Gaza, but offered no resistance when it was intercepted by the Israeli navy and brought to Ashdod on June 5.

-- There has been some attempt to further ease the restrictions on what is allowed via the crossings from Israel into Gaza to improve the quality of life for residents.  I understand that now potato chips are permitted in (originally more basic supplies such as meat, dairy products, grains and vegetables were all that were permitted in).  This will undoubtedly make a difference.

-- There is talk of an Iranian ship coming to similarly break the blockade but I have no further details on this.

~~~~~~~~~~

Prime Minister Netanyahu has resisted calls for an international investigation of the Flotilla incident, but, in a bow to international pressure, has agreed to an Israeli investigation.  The evidence is so clear already that I rather regret this. 

This, from MEMRI, demonstrates just how clear it is:

"In a June 7, 2010, article in the Kuwaiti daily Al-Watan, columnist Nabil al-Fadl wrote: "The photos of the Israeli soldiers bleeding after being attacked by the passengers of the Mavi Marmara, published yesterday in the [Kuwaiti] daily Al-Anba, prove that the Israeli soldiers were justified in shooting [their attackers]. Clearly, the assault on the soldiers...occurred before they opened fire, and proves that the passengers on board the Marmara were not civilians [trying to] help their brothers in Gaza, as has been claimed." 

If a Kuwait columnist recognizes this?

~~~~~~~~~~

Most particularly do I regret the inclusion of two "international observers," as if we cannot handle this adequately and fairly ourselves.

From the Israeli side, there is only one matter of concern, internally: why was there an intelligence failure, so that the navy was unaware of who was on the Marmara, and with what intentions.  Netanyahu would like to see the investigating commission also look at what happened from the other side: What was the involvement of the Turkish government, what links were there to terrorists organizations, etc.

The investigating commission is to be headed by retired Supreme Court Justice Jacob Turkel, with participation by  Professor of international law and Israel Prize laureate Shabtai Rosen, and Maj. Gen. (res.) Amos Horev, former president of the Technion-Israel Institute of Technology. The two foreign observers to be present during the  commission's deliberations are Nobel Peace Prize laureate William David Trimble of Ireland, and Ken Watkin, former military judge advocate general from Canada. Originally there was supposed to be US observer, but it was considered inadvisable.

Note, please, that when there are incidents in other parts of the world, rarely if ever are there strident calls for investigating teams, particularly of an international nature.

~~~~~~~~~~

On June 8th, Khaled Abu Toameh, writing in Hudson NY, asked "What About Hamas's Siege of Gaza?"  Take a look at this article which exposes Hamas hostility to NGOs in Gaza:

"As Israeli naval commandos raided the flotilla ship convoy that was on its way to the Gaza Strip, Hamas security officers stormed the offices of five non-governmental organizations, confiscated equipment and documents, and ordered them closed indefinitely...Hamas has brought nothing to the Palestinians in the Gaza Strip other than death and disaster."

If there is going to be talk about suffering in Gaza, it's time to point the finger in the right direction.  This is a story that was poorly covered by the general media. Kudos to Abu Toameh for this piece.

 http://www.hudson-ny.org/1362/hamas-siege-of-gaza

~~~~~~~~~~

According to Haaretz, when PA president Mahmoud Abbas visited Obama last week, he told the president that he's opposed to lifting the blockade of Gaza, as this would bolster Hamas.  How about that? 

Understand, however, that this is the same Abbas who never misses an opportunity to lambaste Israel for causing the people of Gaza great suffering.

It is news about Abbas and the PA that I am most likely to address when next I post.

~~~~~~~~~~

June 1, 2010

 

"The Continuing Story"

Dear friends, before I begin the news of the day, I must advise you that there is going to be a hiatus in my postings.  For good and positive reasons: Family matters.  These matters will keep me occupied and from my computer for some days.

~~~~~~~~~~

Israel made at least two mistakes with regard to the operation in taking on the flotilla yesterday.

One was an intelligence failure.  We were not sufficiently prepared for what hit us.  The commandos who were sent in apparently expected a crowd of rowdy demonstrators, who were to be responded to with all possible restraint, rather than a mob of terrorists intent on killing.  They were sent in insufficient numbers and with insufficient weapons.  They boarded the ship via rope from a helicopter above, and no sooner did they touch down then they were besieged.  The attacks on our soldiers were premeditated and ruthless.  Only when the word came from commanders did they begin to shoot.

Caroline Glick makes it clear in her piece, "Ending Israel's Losing Streak," that there was ample opportunity to figure out what the commandos would be confronting:

"...The fact that these pro-Hamas activists intended to commit suicide to discredit Israel on camera was made clear by the fact that the Turkish organizers named the lead ship Rachel Corrie.

"So too, the fact that IDF forces boarding the ships would be met by trenchant, violent opposition was knowable simply by looking at Turkey’s role in the operation." (see more on Turkey's role below)

http://www.jpost.com/Opinion/Columnists/Article.aspx?id=177082

~~~~~~~~~~

But the other failure has to do with making our case sufficiently.  Glick addresses this in her piece, as well:

"And now, in the aftermath of the lethal takeover of the flotilla, Israel’s leaders stammer. Rather than demand an apology from the Turkish government for its support for these terrorists, Defense Minister Ehud Barak called his Turkish counterpart to talk over what happened. Rather than demand restitution for the terrorist assault against IDF troops, Israel has defended its troops’ training in nonviolent crowd control.

"These efforts are worse than worthless; they make Israel appear whiny rather than indignant. And more depressingly, they expose a dangerous lack of comprehension about what has just occurred, and a concomitant inability to prepare for what will most certainly follow.

"Israel is the target of a massive information war. For it to win this war, it needs to counter its enemies’ lies with the truth."

I could not agree more.

~~~~~~~~~~

Haifa University professor, Steven Plaut, similarly laments our apparent inability to stand resolute in defending ourselves against public opinion:

"The whole world is speaking about the flotilla affair as 'tragic'...

 "It was not tragic.... 

 "The tragedy is that the idiotic Israeli politicians are agreeing to an 'investigation' of the soldiers’ actions, so once again Israel proclaims itself guilty until proven innocent in order to appease the anti-Semites.  Once again the world is demanding a Goldstone-style investigation, one whose conclusions were written before the ships even left Turkey."

~~~~~~~~~~

But we must not confuse issues: neither of these failings detract one iota from the propriety and necessity of our having taken on the flotilla.

The basic story of what happened, I shared yesterday.  You can see footage of the attack on our soldiers here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gYjkLUcbJWo&feature=player_embedded

~~~~~~~~~~

The IDF spokesman has put out information regarding the weapons that were found on the ship:

"Once the activists left the ship, security forces began a thorough search and found a supply of weapons, including knives, Molotov cocktails, detonators, wood and metal clubs, slingshots and rocks, large hammers and sharp metal objects. In addition, gas masks were found, pointing to the prior intention of the ship’s passengers to use violence against IDF soldiers who would then be forced to use riot dispersal methods."

http://dover.idf.il/IDF/English/News/today/10/05/3106.htm

Here you can see very clear footage of the weaponry found:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JvS9PXZ3RWM

~~~~~~~~~~

According to Israel National News, an IDF source reports with regard to the "humanitarian" aid taken from the ship and inspected by the IDF, "the poor condition of the supplies renders most of it unusable...Many of the medicines are expired."

Clearly, delivering aid is not what this was all about.

 http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/137816

~~~~~~~~~~

And then this most important information regarding the legality of our actions.  Aaron Lerner has put up on IMRA material from the Israel Ministry of Foreign Affairs.  I believe this will answer questions addressed by several readers:

"Maritime blockades are a legitimate and recognized measure under international law that may be implemented as part of an armed conflict at sea.

"...A blockade may be imposed at sea, including in international waters, so long as it does not bar access to the ports and coasts of neutral states.

"...The naval manuals of several western countries, including the US and England recognize the maritime blockade as an effective naval measure and set forth the various criteria that make a blockade valid, including the requirement of give due notice of the existence of the blockade.

"...In this vein, it should be noted that Israel publicized the existence of the blockade and the precise coordinates of such by means of the accepted international professional maritime channels. Israel also provided appropriate notification to the affected governments and to the organizers of the Gaza protest flotilla. Moreover, in real time, the ships participating in the protest flotilla were warned repeatedly that a maritime blockade is in effect.

"...Here, it should be noted that under customary law, knowledge of the blockade may be presumed once a blockade has been declared and appropriate notification has been granted, as above.

"...Under international maritime law, when a maritime blockade is in effect, no boats can enter the blockaded area. That includes both civilian and enemy vessels.

"...A state may take action to enforce a blockade. Any vessel that violates or attempts to violate a maritime blockade may be captured or even attacked under international law. The US Commander's Handbook on the Law of Naval Operations sets forth that a vessel is considered to be in attempt to breach a blockade from the time the vessel leaves its port with the intention of evading the blockade.

"...Here we should note that the protesters indicated their clear intention to violate the blockade by means of written and oral statements. Moreover, the route of these vessels indicated their clear intention to violate the blockade in violation of international law.

"...Given the protesters explicit intention to violate the naval blockade, Israel exercised its right under international law to enforce the blockade...."

http://imra.org.il/story.php3?id=48222

~~~~~~~~~~

You might also want to see excerpts from the San Remo Manual on International Law Applicable to Armed Conflicts at Sea, 12 June 1994.  It includes this:

"67. Merchant vessels flying the flag of neutral States may not be attacked unless they:

"(a) are believed on reasonable grounds to be carrying contraband or breaching a blockade, and after prior warning they intentionally and clearly refuse to stop, or intentionally and clearly resist visit, search or capture;
(b) engage in belligerent acts on behalf of the enemy;"

http://imra.org.il/story.php3?id=48225

~~~~~~~~~~

So that there be no mistake about it: we are at war with Hamas, which indeed is the enemy.  We run a blockade of the Gaza coastline to prevent Hamas from securing weapons by sea that would be used against Israeli civilians.  Were the flotilla to have broken the blockade it would have enabled a flow of missiles and rockets into Gaza for use by Hamas.

~~~~~~~~~~

Palestinian Media Watch has now provided additional information on the intentions of those in the flotilla.  Two days ago, speaking on Al-Aksa TV (Hamas-controlled), Dr. Abd Al-Fatah Shayyeq Naaman, lecturer in Shari'ah law at a university in Yemen, who is now visiting Gaza, said:

"The [Gaza] flotilla commander said yesterday: 'We will not allow the Zionists to get near us and we will use resistance against them.' How will they wage resistance? They will resist with their fingernails. They are people who seek Martyrdom for Allah, as much as they want to reach Gaza, but the first [Martyrdom] is more desirable."

http://palwatch.org/main.aspx?fi=157&doc_id=2339

This puts the lie rather conclusively to arguments still being advanced that we attacked a group of humanitarian activists intent on bring supplies to suffering Gazans.

~~~~~~~~~~

The bottom line here is our ability to believe in the rightness of our own position, and to stand tall before the world, unafraid of being censured and secure in the knowledge of who we are. 

And, my friends, one and all -- as difficult as it is if you live where the media is now engaged in a frenzy of attacks on Israel -- I am hoping that you will find ways to stand tall with us.

Our strength is not something to be apologetic about.  As Glick commented:

"Israel is the frontline of the free world. Its ability to defend itself and deter its foes is the single most important guarantee of international peace and security in the world. A strong Israel is also the most potent and reliable guarantor of the US's continued ability to project its power in the Middle East."

~~~~~~~~~~

There are many commentators echoing these sentiments.  The observations of Dr. Mordecai Kedar -- fellow at the Begin-Sadat Center for Strategic Studies, Bar-Ilan University -- in his piece, "A war for the world's future," should be particularly noted: 

"It is clear to anyone with eyes in their head that the battle taking place off the Gaza shore is in fact a clash between an Islamist coalition which Turkey attempts to head – and which includes Iran. Hamas, and Hezbollah on one hand – and forces with a liberal Western orientation, represented by Israel, on the other hand.

"This fight isn’t about Gaza. The battle is about the future of the Middle East: Will it be a future where the existing political order is maintained, or will radical Islamic forces rise and replace the current order as already happened in Lebanon and in Turkey?

"...the big question: Who is the master of this region? It appears that Israel chose to tell the Islamisizing Turkey... no more. The forces of the Ottoman Empire, who aspire to again rule the Middle East as they did almost 500 years ago, will be stopped at Gaza’s shores.

"...The time has come to tell those who live near and far that this battle is not just about the Middle East; rather, it is a fight for the face of this world. At this time, Israel is located at a frontal outpost, where it fights the war of the enlightened, liberal, pluralist, open, and democratic world – in the huge struggle against the Islamic forces that threaten to take over the world and subjugate it to their green flag."

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You can see more on the issue of the Turkish role in the Gaza confrontation in a Ralph Peters article in today's New York Post:

"Yesterday's 'aid convoy' incident off the coast of Gaza wasn't about bringing humanitarian supplies to the terrorist-ruled territory. It wasn't even about Israel.

"It was about Turkey's determination to position itself as the leading Muslim state in the Middle East."

http://www.nypost.com/p/news/opinion/opedcolumnists/turkish_blood_bath_Jean7yjj5Salz75brRSsMJ

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From the Intelligence and Terrorism Information Center, information on IHH, the Turkish organization connected to the flotilla:

http://www.terrorism-info.org.il/malam_multimedia/English/eng_n/html/hamas_e105.htm

All important to know, as you defend Israel against charges that we attacked humanitarians.

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I hasten to add that "peace" between Israel and the PA would do nothing to deflect the intentions of Islamists such as Turkey -- pronouncements by Obama aside.

Here, before closing, I want to single out J-Street's Jeremy Ben-Ami, who put out a statement that said, in part:

"J Street is deeply shocked and saddened by reports that at least 10 civilians have been killed..."

"Civilians?"  Obfuscation to hide the militant/terrorist inclination of those on the ship.  And why mourn their deaths instead of expressing outrage at what their intentions were?

Continues Ben-Ami: "This shocking outcome of an effort to bring humanitarian relief to the people of Gaza is in part a consequence of the ongoing, counterproductive Israeli blockade of Gaza..."

"An effort to bring humanitarian relief"?  He maintains this fiction in the face of all the evidence to the contrary.  So we're the bad guys, right?

Do not, ever, believe representatives of J-Street when they say they are pro-Israel. Ben-Ami stands exposed.

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