It was inevitable, as things were going with the "flotilla" -- for us there was no choice.  And so I am enormously grateful that we stood our ground.  Had we backed down in the face of extreme provocation that ultimately became physical attack, it would have been horrendous.

A summary of events:

Six boats were in the flotilla -- two carried people and the rest supplies. During the night our Navy sent them multiple messages urging that confrontation be avoided.  They were asked to return to Cyprus or re-route to Ashkelon for unloading of the humanitarian supplies, but the "activists" on board rejected all offers.  One boat -- the Marma -- carrying 600 people, was most problematic in its response.

Yesterday, Al Jazeerah documented the cries of people on that boat:

"Khaibar, Khaibar, oh Jews! The army of Muhammad will return!" 

Explains Palestinian Media Watch, this is a reference to "Khaibar...the last Jewish village defeated by Muhammad's army in 628. Many Jews were killed in that battle, which marked the end of Jewish presence in Arabia. There are Muslims who see that as a precursor for future wars against Jews. At gatherings and rallies of extremists, this chant is often heard as a threat to Jews to expect to be defeated and killed again by Muslims."

PMW put out the Al Jazeerah video report on its website:

http://palwatch.org:80/main.aspx?fi=676&fld_id=676&doc_id=2337

See it, please!  Save it and share it very broadly.  It tells the story of what we faced more vividly than anything else.

Most incredible was the statement of one Arab woman present:

"Right now we face one of two happy endings: either Martyrdom or reaching Gaza." 

Hardly the statement of a humanitarian activist eager to supply food to hungry Gazans. This is the statement of a jihad extremist.  Make no mistake about it.

~~~~~~~~~~

At about 3 AM, Navy commandos, trained and prepared for this, boarded the boat. They were met with premeditated violence.  The IDF called it an attempted lynching.  Those on board had weapons -- guns, knives, iron bars, bats, clubs, slingshots with marbles -- and attacked. In two instances, "peaceful activists" pulled the guns from our soldiers and began shooting.  One soldier was beaten to the floor of the ship and pummeled, another was knifed in the stomach. 

As chaos ensued, our soldiers had no choice but to respond with fire -- something they had hoped to avoid doing.  In light of the circumstances, their response was controlled, and they have since been praised by their superiors for their proper action.  In the end, seven of our soldiers were wounded, two seriously.  Some ten people on the boat were killed.  I have no information on who they were, but there was a large contingent of Turks among these fighters -- the Turks, after all, were instrumental in the planning of this flotilla.

~~~~~~~~~~

"Live fire was used against our forces. They initiated the violence, that's 100% clear," said Mark Regev, spokesman for the Prime Minister's office.

Defense Minister Ehud Barak expressed regret for the loss of life, but said that the flotilla was a provocation sponsored by extremists who support a terrorist organization. 

Indeed this is the case: The flotilla was organized by IHH (Insani Yardim Vakfi - “humanitarian relief fund”), a Turkish aid foundation which has ties to the Muslim Brotherhood, and global jihadi networks, as well as mujahideen groups in Afghanistan.  It openly supports Hamas; members of Hamas had boarded boats at the Gaza coast and were waiting to "receive" the flotilla.

~~~~~~~~~~

At his press conference this morning, Deputy Foreign Minister Danny Ayalon said:

"I want to report this morning that the armada of hate and violence in support of the Hamas terror organization was a premeditated and  outrageous provocation. The organizers are well known for their ties with global Jihad, Al-Qaeda and Hamas. They have a history of arms smuggling and deadly terror. On board the ship we found weapons - prepared in advance and used against our forces.

"The organizers' intent was violent, their method was violent, and the results were unfortunately violent. Israel regrets any loss of life and did everything to avoid this outcome. We repeatedly called upon the organizers, and all those who associated with them, through diplomatic channels and any other means we could - to stop this provocation. The so-called humanitarian aid was not for a humanitarian purpose. Had it been for a humanitarian purpose, they would have accepted our offer to deliver all humanitarian supplies through the appropriate channels which are used on a daily basis, as we make sure that Gaza will not be short of humanitarian supplies. On a daily basis we do that...

"We asked them to send [their supplies] through the proper channels, whether it's the UN, whether it's the Red Cross, whether it's our people - but to no avail. They said it's a humanitarian campaign, but in fact what they said repeatedly is that their intent and purpose was to break the maritime blockade on Gaza. [The blockade] is very legal and justified by the terror that Hamas is applying in Gaza. Allowing these ships to go in a illegal way to Gaza would have opened a corridor of smuggling arms and terrorists to Gaza with the inevitable results of many, many thousands of civilian deaths, and violence all over the area. (Emphasis added)

"After these repeated calls were not heeded by the organizers, we told them that they will not be allowed to break the blockade. According to maritime law we have the right to do that. Unfortunately the people and organizers on the ship did not heed the calls of our forces this morning to peacefully follow them and bring a peaceful closure to this event. (Emphasis added)

"No sovereign country would tolerate such violence against civilian population, against its sovereignty, against international law. And we in Israel call today upon all relevant parties and on all relevant countries to work together in calming the situation."

~~~~~~~~~~

Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman, on TV this evening, said, "Israel is a sovereign state and cannot accept the undermining of its sovereignty. Israel has stopped ships in international waters before and when ships refuse to accede to warnings and obey instructions, we have the right to board them under international law." (emphasis added)  

Additionally, he noted that passengers on board the ship "were not peace activists but terror supporters."

~~~~~~~~~~

Prime Minister Netanyahu, who was in Canada when this transpired, is on his way home.  He has communicated to President Obama the impossibility of meeting him right now. 

Said Netanyahu, "Our soldiers acted in self defense":

"I think both Prime Minister Harper and President Obama understand that Israel has a great security problem and I want to put that into context. The context is that Gaza has become a base for Hamas terrorists backed by Iran. They have fired thousands of rockets into Israel. They are amassing thousands more rockets to fire at our cities, at our towns, at our children.

"...our policy is this -- we try to let in all humanitarian goods into Gaza, all peaceful commodities, food, medicine, and the like. What we want to prevent coming into Gaza are rockets, missiles, explosives and war materials that could be used to attack our civilians. This is an ongoing policy and it was the one that guided our action yesterday. We told the flotilla of ships, we said, 'You can take all your cargo, put it in our port of Ashdod, we'll just ferret out if there are any war materials, and the rest will go through.'

"We succeeded in doing this peacefully with five of the six ships. The sixth ship, the largest, which had hundreds of people on it, not only did not cooperate in this effort peacefully, they deliberately attacked the first soldiers who came on the ship. They were mobbed, they were clubbed, they were beaten, stabbed, there was even a report of gunfire. And our soldiers had to defend themselves, defend their lives, or they would have been killed."

~~~~~~~~~~

The ships have been brought to Ashdod. The "activists" will be either deported or arrested, and the wounded will be treated.  The cargo of the ships will be unloaded and examined, and genuine humanitarian aid will be sent through crossings to the people of Gaza.

Undoubtedly I will have more on this tomorrow.

~~~~~~~~~~

What is of enormous significance now is that each of you reading this should understand precisely what went on, what the true motivations and actions of those on the ship were -- and what Israel's concerns and rights in the matter are.

That we are going to take heat, big-time, is a given now.  We'll hear, of course, from Turkey, the UN, Arab nations, etc., and likely some European nations as well.

Each of us best serves Israel now by spreading this information at every turn, as broadly as you possibly can.  I think you have what you need with the information above.  Please use it.

~~~~~~~~~~

http://arlenefromisrael.squarespace.com/current-postings/2010/8/31/may-31-2010-we-stood-strong.html

Netanyahu (who is in Toronto, where he participated in a pro-Israel rally) is going to the White House this week:  It's a command performance -- commanded by the president, that is.  The prime minister couldn't easily say, "Sorry, I choose not to come." It wouldn't be realistic to expect that of him -- he does not have that sort of resolute stamina.  Though I not only wish he would, but think he should. 

Expectations are that the president will be all "kissy-kissy" as he endeavors to show how he loves Israel and the Jewish people. 

After all, he held a White House reception last Thursday for Jewish American Heritage Month.  What could be bad?  Hall of Fame baseball pitcher Sandy Koufax was his guest.  Doesn't that fix things?

Delegations from various Jewish federations across the country came to Washington in the last few days as well to meet with administration officials and receive assurances of how strong US-Israel ties are.

I find it all rather unbearable. 

~~~~~~~~~~

Theories abound as to why he's doing this: because he's concerned about Democratic success in the November congressional elections, because there's been too much pressure on him for how he's treated Israel, or because he thinks he'll get more concessions from us with regard to the "peace process," and thereby be able to flaunt his success.

It may be one of the above, or all -- I am not going to belabor this now. You may want to see Caroline Glick's take on the situation, in her article, "Netanyahu, Obama's newest prop":

http://www.carolineglick.com/e/2010/05/netanyahu-obamas-newest-prop.php

Her point, basically, is that this is for show -- for whatever reason, and that Obama has not essentially changed his policy towards us one iota.

Not only do I concur, I offer disturbing evidence here of the underlying hostility the president bears us.  He is exhibiting enormous willingness to undermine our security -- and behave deceptively -- even as he opens his arms to embrace Netanyahu.  If I were the prime minister, I'd watch my back.

~~~~~~~~~~

As many of you are aware, Obama was tremendously supportive of, and even promoted, the international non-proliferation treaty review conference, which has just finished meeting at UN headquarters in New York.  On Friday, the review conference passed a resolution, with 189 signatories, that calls for a conference in 2012 to push for a nuclear free Middle East, and speaks of appointing a special coordinator to visit the region and prepare for such a conference.

The resolution singles out Israel  -- the only country mentioned by name -- calling upon her to sign the NPT and open herself to international inspection.  But it does not mention Iran, which is a signatory of the treaty and in violation as it seeks to develop nuclear weapons. 

~~~~~~~~~~

To no avail in recent weeks, Netanyahu implored Obama not to pursue this path: At the conference on Friday, the US delegation voted for the resolution.

Then, after the fact, Obama had the unmitigated gall to declare the resolution unfair to Israel. Yes, he said, he is for a nuclear-free Middle East, but first the nations of the region must recognize Israel's right to exist, sign peace agreements, enter into security arrangements, limit arsenals of weaponry, etc.

There is no one, but no one, who imagines that all of this will happen by 2012.  So, then, if these are necessary precursors to a nuclear-free Middle East, why sanction a conference in two years?

This time he cannot play it both ways at the same time: his actions are too public and too blatant.  What he has done is to betray Israel. As Yossi Melman put it in Haaretz: Obama sacrificed Israel for the success of the conference.

~~~~~~~~~~

The official response put out by the Israeli government said:

"This resolution is deeply flawed and hypocritical: It ignores the realities of the Middle East and the real threats facing the region and the entire world.

"It singles out Israel, the Middle East’s only true democracy and the only country threatened with annihilation.   Yet the terrorist regime in Iran, which is racing to develop nuclear weapons and which openly threatens to wipe Israel off the map, is not even mentioned in the resolution.

"The real problem with Weapons Of Mass Destruction in the Middle East does not relate to Israel but to those countries that have signed the Nuclear Non Proliferation Treaty (NPT) and brazenly violated it – Iraq under Sadaam, Libya, Syria and Iran.

"That is why the resolution adopted by the NPT Review Conference not only fails to advance regional security but actually sets it back.

"As a non-signatory state of the NPT, Israel is not obligated by the decisions of this Conference, which has no authority over Israel.

"Given the distorted nature of this resolution, Israel will not be able to take part in its implementation."

~~~~~~~~~~

The statement also says that the prime minister will discuss this with the president when they meet on Tuesday.   Unfortunately, it additionally notes "the important clarifications that have been made by the United States regarding its policy."

That is, we've closed our eyes, at least publicly, to the duplicity of Obama, nodding in his direction with a note of appreciation for his objections after the fact.

~~~~~~~~~~

And so, let's go my friends.

In the US, please, contact President Obama and tell him you are not fooled by Jewish receptions in the White House.  With the US support for the NPT review conference resolution, he has gone further in undermining Israel's security than any US president ever has.  There is no way that objections after the fact mitigate what he has done:  He has betrayed Israel. Let him know that you are watching him closely and will spread the word everywhere you can.

Numbers, my friends!  Numbers count, so get this out to undermine Obama's complacency.

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

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

~~~~~~~~~~ 

These are only disparate hints, and yet... 

First, last week there was a report in the NYTimes indicating that last September General Petraeus signed a  directive, the Joint Unconventional Warfare Task Force Execute Order:

"The seven-page directive appears to authorize specific operations in Iran, most likely to gather intelligence about the country’s nuclear program or identify dissident groups that might be useful for a future military offensive. The Obama administration insists that for the moment, it is committed to penalizing Iran for its nuclear activities only with diplomatic and economic sanctions. Nevertheless, the Pentagon has to draw up detailed war plans to be prepared in advance, in the event that President Obama ever authorizes a strike.

“'The Defense Department can’t be caught flat-footed,' said one Pentagon official with knowledge of General Petraeus’s order."

No promise of anything, but nice to know.  Means it's true, at some level, that nothing is off the table.

~~~~~~~~~~

Then, a report in today's JPost alludes to an article -- "Can a Nuclear Armed Iran be Deterred?" -- that appears in the current issue of Military Review.  It is by Amitai Etzioni, American-Israeli professor at George Washington University.  Attacking Iran's nuclear facilities might be very difficult, he says, because they are so well hidden and protected, in addition to which, some are in heavily populated areas.  However, there is a "different military option": "The basic approach seeks not to degrade Iran's nuclear capacities...but to compel the regime to change its behavior by causing ever-higher levels of pain."

What Etzioni is suggesting is bombing of military bases, airports, bridges, railway stations and other infrastructure.

Notes the Post: "Neither Israel nor the United States has ever publicly spoken about the targets that they would bomb if they decide to attack Iran."

All very interesting.

~~~~~~~~~~

Finally, today, the Sunday Times (London) reported that Israel is planning to permanently station at least one  submarine carrying nuclear cruise missiles (we have three) in the Persian Gulf, within striking distance of Iran.

Well...news from London is not authoritative.  But this too provides a spark of hope.  Maybe we won't be sitting ducks after all. It occurs to me that simply knowing the sub was there might have deterrence value sufficient to give Iran pause on certain matters such as unleashing Hezbollah on us with unconventional weapons.

If this story is true...

~~~~~~~~~~

You may have seen a May 24th article in The Guardian (UK), or references to it, claiming that in 1975, then defense minister Shimon Peres offered to sell nuclear weapons to the apartheid regime in South Africa.

Since I've been asked about this, I would like to offer my conclusion that there is nothing to this charge.  The office of president Peres put out an unequivocal denial in response to the article:
"There exists no basis in reality for the claims published this morning by The Guardian that in 1975 Israel negotiated with South Africa the exchange of nuclear weapons. Unfortunately, The Guardian elected to write its piece based on the selective interpretation of South African documents and not on concrete facts.

"Israel has never negotiated the exchange of nuclear weapons with South Africa. There exists no Israeli document or Israeli signature on a document that such negotiations took place.

"The Office of the President regrets The Guardian’s decision to publish such an article without requesting comment from any Israeli officials."

~~~~~~~~~~

Elsewhere, as well, I've seen material that refutes this claim.  My impression is two-fold:  First that this charge is being made in part out of an attempt to link Israel, as an "apartheid" state, with the state that was apartheid.  And two, I believe the South Africans may well have sought nuclear weapons from us -- there is talk of "South African documents" -- but that they did not receive a positive response from us.

~~~~~~~~~~

According to Khaled Abu Toameh, over the weekend PA president Mahmoud Abbas declared that the PA considers the US and not Israel to be its negotiating partner.

According to Abbas Zaki, member of the Fatah Central Committee, Abbas told US envoy George Mitchell that the PA does not believe that the government of Netanyahu is a real peace partner.

Well, we knew this because of the dynamics that are clear for all to see.  But here it is explicitly said.

What nonsense.  The PA cannot make "peace" with Israel by negotiating with the US, even though this is what it clearly hopes to do.

~~~~~~~~~~

The Flotilla is apparently on its way. Stories vary with regard to how many ships actually departed; they apparently left Cyprus yesterday and traveled a way and then stopped -- either because of malfunctions or some convoluted plans in terms of how to proceed.  Arrival is projected for tomorrow.

~~~~~~~~~~

http://arlenefromisrael.squarespace.com/current-postings/2010/8/30/may-30-2010-give-us-a-break.html

Yesterday was basically for activism; today I provide additional information even before we've reached the "finale" of the Flotilla fiasco.  (With thanks to multiple readers who sent me material.)

At first I was not certain that the government would actually move to block the boats, because of the negative PR (and a demonstrated hesitancy to do so in the past).  Now I am pleased to be able report that the septet, the inner cabinet of seven Israeli ministers, has indeed made a decision to block the movement of the Flotilla  -- which is carrying a total of some 700 - 800 nationals from Turkey, Greece, Cyprus, Sweden and Ireland -- and either turn it back or direct it to the port of Ashdod, even if by force. 

A confrontation is anticipated.  The IDF calls the flotilla a provocation in the guise of a humanitarian act, and there are plans being laid for that provocation to be met.  Commandos will board the ships -- armed because no one knows who is actually on board. The "activists" will be brought off the ships in Ashdod to a tent where each will meet with a representative of the Ministry of the Interior.  He or she will be provided with the alternative of signing a paper that includes a pledge to stay away from Israel, in which case the individual will be flown home at Israel's expense, or being arrested and brought to a detention center in Beersheva.

The intent right now is to act with sensitivity, but with full determination to meet the challenge.  A major operation is being mounted, with military and diplomatic personnel involved, security checks and medical checks.  Diplomats, journalists, etc. will be handled appropriately.

Once the humanitarian aid is unloaded at the port and inspected, the United Nations would be permitted to transfer the material via land crossings into Gaza -- there is no intention of preventing the aid from reaching people.

This is all proper and necessary.

~~~~~~~~~~

The parents of Gilad Shalit asked the organizers of the flotilla to take letters and packages into Gaza for their son.  They said that in return they would even ask the government of Israel to allow the ships through.

These "human rights" activists refused.  They said that "their main purpose in organizing the convoy is to break the blockade and to deliver the humanitarian aid. They refused to make the transfer of the aid conditional on anything having to do with Gilad Shalit."  This means they don't want their way paved so that things are smooth and the "humanitarian aid" can be delivered.  They want to tussle with the Israeli navy: how else will they make the figurative splash that they hope will embarrass Israel?  People who imagine the flotilla is a genuine humanitarian effort should be advised of this.

~~~~~~~~~~

Lest there be any misunderstanding about this:  the Israeli navy prevents ship access to the coast of Gaza because it is run by Hamas, a terrorist organization intent on stockpiling weapons to be used against us.  Weaponry and other equipment useful to Hamas could -- and would -- be transported via the Mediterranean.  And, in point of fact, no one really knows what is in the holds of those ships in the Flotilla.

This is not a blockade to prevent humanitarian assistance or basic commercial goods, for use by ordinary residents, from reaching Gaza.  That material is transported into Gaza via crossing on land.

~~~~~~~~~~

The staunchly pro-Israel group StandWithUs has announced that it is launching its own flotilla.  Three boats, each carrying 12-15 passengers, are due to depart from Ashdod port today.  The boats will carry massive banners along their sides stating "Free Gaza From Hamas."  The goal is public attention and education.

~~~~~~~~~~

For a deeper look at the issues, please see this briefing from the Global Law Forum of the Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs:

http://www.globallawforum.org/ViewBlog.aspx?ArticleId=49

~~~~~~~~~~

On a different subject, I'm just now getting to an excellent piece by David Wilder, spokesman for Hevron, "Caliph Abu Bama in the City of Al-KooKoo":

It brings home a good deal of information that we seldom grapple with (or never knew):

http://www.hebron.com/english/article.php?id=653

~~~~~~~~~~

http://arlenefromisrael.squarespace.com/current-postings/2010/8/30/may-28-2010-more-on-the-flotilla.html

To hear certain parties tell it, the poor people of Gaza are suffering so horrendously because of the Israeli "siege" or "blockade" that they can barely live.  Particularly problematic, we're told, is the refusal of Israel to let in building supplies, so that houses destroyed in the Operation cannot be repaired.

We'll get to those "certain parties" in a moment... 

I have already provided information put out by our Ministry of Foreign Affairs that puts the lie to this:  Since our Operation Cast Lead, which ended in January 2009, we have permitted approximately a million tons of humanitarian supplies to enter Gaza -- almost a ton per person there.

~~~~~~~~~~

You can see a detailing, week by week, of what goes into Gaza here:

http://www.mfa.gov.il/MFA/Government/Communiques/2010/Increased_humanitarian_aid_Gaza_after_IDF_operation_Jan_2009

According to the spokesman for the Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories (COGAT) goods go into Gaza via two different avenues. 
 

Some goods go under the auspices of humanitarian organizations -- UNRWA, World Food Plan, etc.  Israel makes every effort to allow through all humanitarian supplies (food and medicines, etc. ) that these organizations seek to bring in -- although sometimes there are items that are questioned or prevented from going in.

Totally aside from the goods transported by humanitarian organizations -- which are distributed to those in greatest need -- are those permitted in commercially.  The PA cooperates here in determining what the needs of local merchants are, and those goods are shipped by truck.  On an average week, roughly 500 trucks will go into Gaza with such merchandise.  Products allowed in include meat, fish and chicken; grains; staples such as sugar, salt, flour and yeast; spices; dairy products; legumes; fresh fruits and vegetables; cooking oil, a variety of other foodstuffs; animal feed; medicines; clothing; and hygienic supplies. 

What is notable is that there are also specialty items that are permitted in:

Last November, for example, Israel permitted in 12 new transformers and other pieces of electrical equipment for the power plant in Gaza and 7,000 heads of cattle were imported for the Eid al-Adha holiday.  While in December, six advanced water desalination systems were transferred to the Gaza Strip; glass was brought in for home repairs before the onset of winter; 750 tons of aggregate were transferred for maintenance of the North Gaza Wastewater Treatment plant.

~~~~~~~~~~

But let's move now beyond even this. 

Tom Gross, writing in the National Post (Canada) on Tuesday, describes middle and upper class life in Gaza -- which the media routinely avoid mentioning. 

http://fullcomment.nationalpost.com/2010/05/25/fancy-restaurants-and-olympic-size-pools-what-the-media-won%E2%80%99t-report-about-gaza/#ixzz0p0XIKArN

Within this article, Gross mentions two luxury facilities that I want to call to your attention.

One is the Roots Club in Gaza, frequented, says Gross, by UN and NGO personnel, Hamas officials and journalists (who neglect to inform their readers about this place).  Nor is this the only nice restaurant in Gaza.  See here a promotional video in English for this place.  Gross verified its legitimacy:

http://www.rootsclub.ps/movie.php

At about 2 and 1/2 minutes into the video you can even see Hamas's Haniyeh and Fatah's Abbas dining together, apparently unconcerned about starving people.

~~~~~~~~~~

And then you have the news about Gaza's first olympic-sized swimming pool, which was inaugurated at the As-Sadaka club on May 18.  The opening was attended by "Gaza government ministers, members of the Palestinian Legislative Council, leaders of Islamic and national governing bodies."  And we know this is so, because Gross secured information on this from the Palestinian Arab news agency Maan:

http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=285242

 
~~~~~~~~~~

One has to ponder how this pool was possible, when the charge is that no construction material is getting into Gaza, and that water is in horribly short supply.

~~~~~~~~~~

And so, kol hakavod (well done!) to Gross for this excellent work.

And now it's our turn.  Since those promoting this "Freedom Flotilla" are out to make Israel look bad, it's our job to make sure the realities are known. 

Please! Circulate this as broadly as possible.  Write letters to the editor.  Post this on blogs. Share it with everyone you know.

Also, in the US, contact your representatives in Congress.  No big explanations are necessary.  Tell them, simply, that Israel is being maligned by those promoting the "Flotilla" going to Gaza, and that you want them to know the truth about conditions in Gaza.

Whether by fax or e-mail communication, include the URLs I've provided here:  from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, documenting what does go in, and then for the video of the restaurant and the Maan article on the swimming pool.  See for yourselves, tell them. 

If you want to include more, copy and paste the information I provide above from COGAT.

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

~~~~~~~~~~
 
Now, as to those seeking to malign Israel with charges of humanitarian suffering in Gaza.  We are looking at a conglomeration of anti-Israel activists who, describing themselves as "human rights activists," work under the rubric of the "Free Gaza Movement."  The movement, with international assistance -- from Turkey, Greece, Sweden, Malaysia, etc. -- has put together a flotilla of seven ships that will be headed towards Gaza in the next few days.  The claim is that they are bringing "humanitarian goods" to the people of Gaza, to alleviate their suffering. The reality is that they are out to do Israel damage.

Our navy says they will be stopped, but I am not altogether certain of this.  For those on board take every advantage of this outrageous situation to make Israel look bad.  We are so vile, would go the press, that we even stop humanitarian supplies from reaching the people.

~~~~~~~~~~

What I wanted to particularly address here is the key role that UNRWA -- that ostensibly humanitarian organization responsible for the so-called Palestinian refugees -- played in this action.

Key personnel in UNRWA routinely bad-mouth Israel.  For example, in April, UNRWA commissioner-general Fillipo Grande declared that the problems faced by Gaza – as a result of the “blockade” – “are not just humanitarian,” but “encompass every aspect of society.”  He pronounced the situation as being “increasingly dire.”While John Ging, head of operations in Gaza, spoke about the people's "struggle to survive."

And it was Ging, in an interview in early May with a Norwegian newspaper, who kicked off the idea for this flotilla:

“Israel refuses to act reasonably,” he declared. 

“Therefore we ask the international community: Bring us the supplies we need to rebuild schools and run them, bring us the equipment we need to hospitals and health centers. Everybody knows how desperate the situation is in the Gaza Strip after almost three years of blockade. We need action now…

“And who would stop the ship with such things as teaching materials and materials to building schools? In that case we would get a new reality for the international community. Then the purpose of the blockade would be to destroy Gaza, not to protect Israel.”

Nice guy.  But let's best him!

~~~~~~~~~~

Prime Minister Netanyahu has been invited to the White House next week.  I will follow with more on this and other matters in due course.

~~~~~~~~~~

http://arlenefromisrael.squarespace.com/current-postings/2010/8/29/may-27-2010-the-restaurant-and-the-swimming-pool.html

Yesterday the IDF put out an announcement regarding "gestures" to the PA that are about to be instituted: removal of some 60 (no this is not a typo) dirt roadblocks, opening of a checkpoint near Hevron, and unrestricted movement for Palestinian Arabs on the Kedar Road south of Ma'aleh Adumim. As always, these "gestures" present security risks to Israeli civilians.

But hey, the Palestinian Arabs have been so peaceful, so conciliatory in their outreach to us that they deserve this.  Right?  Those threats of violence, their boycott of our goods, their failure to even pretend to be negotiating in good faith -- none of this matters.

I titled this post "Inexplicable," but actually it might better be called "Disgusting."  In point of fact, what has happened is quite explicable:  We are not "negotiating" with the PA at all, and not doing this for them.  We are negotiating with the US administration, and moving to keep Obama happy.  This is clear.

~~~~~~~~~~

In fact, on Sunday Netanyahu actually complained that Mitchell is talking about different things to each side -- allowing each side to raise the issues it wants.  This means there is no give-and-take back and forth between the two sides, which is what "negotiations" are all about.  It's a farce of considerable proportions.  But, I am assuming, at some level this makes the man in the White House happy because he has "restarted" negotiations.

~~~~~~~~~~

In the course of his statement concerning "negotiations," Netanyahu denied that he discussed a land swap (which is what Abbas had claimed).  In truth, we have no way to be certain, but if the two sides are talking about different things, maybe Abbas discussed this with Mitchell, and that's as far as it went.

~~~~~~~~~~

One of the so-called "gestures" that was advanced was permission for 50 licensed Israeli tour guides to bring groups into Jericho and Bethlehem, areas under the control of the PA. But the Israeli Tour Guide Association has put out a statement "forcefully" objecting to this and demanding the cancellation of this provision.  Tour guides would be exposed to danger, the statement says.  Besides which, they would be confronting additional competition, as a commensurate number of Palestinian Arab tour guides would be permitted to lead tours inside of Israel.

Is anyone thinking, when these "gestures" are proposed?

~~~~~~~~~~

There is increased movement in the international community to make nice with Syria.  French foreign minister Bernard Kouchner has just called on Syrian president Bashar Assad.  While German foreign minister, Guido Westerwelle, who visited two days ago, went on record as saying, "Whoever wishes to support the peace process in the Middle East must also seek talks with Syria."

Considering Syria's role in smuggling weaponry to Hezbollah, this is a decidedly bad turn of events.  And it is the US we have to thank for it.  For it was a shift in US policy that took Syria out of diplomatic isolation.  Among those visiting Syria in the last few days was Senator John Kerry, chair of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and a strong proponent of engagement with Syria; this is his third visit since 2009.

~~~~~~~~~~

If you doubt that a shift in US policy has radically effected the situation vis-a-vis Syria, please consider Assad's words:

In an interview with the Italian paper La Republica, yesterday, he said that Americans have lost their influence.  Now he blames it on the fact that they "don't do anything for peace," but put more broadly, it means that Obama has pulled back, declining to be a strong force in this part of the world. 

Said Assad:  "Out of this failure, what's emerging out of necessity is another alternative -- a geostrategic map that aligns Syria, Turkey, Iran and Russia linked by politics, common interests and infrastructure."

Scary stuff, and this is not about "peace" but power.  Russia is eager to be a counterweight to US influence,  while Syria is more closely allied with Iran than ever, and the Turks also see the handwriting on the wall.  No "engagement" with Kerry is going to change this.

~~~~~~~~~~

Meanwhile we are engaged in our fourth annual nationwide civil defense drill -- this simulates the situation we would have to deal with if attacked by Iran, Hezbollah, Syria and Hamas.

Syria responded with unease to this, seeing in it a bit of saber-rattling.  Netanyahu was quick to offer reassurance: 

"I would like to make it clear that it is not the result of any exceptional security development.  On the contrary, Israel wants calm, stability and peace.

"However it is no secret that we live in a region that is under the threat of missiles and rockets.  Israel's best defense against this threat is -- first of all -- maintaining deterrence and the IDF's decisive capability, and these we develop without letup."

But, said our prime minister, it was "important to bolster citizens' awareness vis-a-vis the protection issue..."

~~~~~~~~~~

Myself, I'm not adverse to a bit of muscle flexing -- this seems to me part of deterrence.  What is deplorable for me -- and many others -- is the sense of our being "sitting ducks," with Hezbollah acquiring those rockets and missiles in the north.  Such acquisitions are not intended for peaceful purposes, we can be sure. Sooner or later...

Material has come out on the Internet, some of which has been shared with me by deeply worried readers, indicating a possibility that we will get hit by Hezbollah -- using non-conventional weapons -- this summer.  I've checked several sources, and all confirm my gut feeling on this, which is that such predictions are very "iffy."  One knowledgeable source said that Iran wants things to remain quiet right now and is unlikely to stir up Hezbollah within the next few months.

Bottom line for me here is that whatever intelligence has been acquired by sources predicting such attacks is also in the hands of our IDF -- such intelligence and a great deal more.  At the end of the day, nothing I can write, or encourage my readers to promote, will make an iota of difference with regard to this.  It falls to the IDF and our intelligence services to stay on top of the situation and to respond with appropriate force when the time comes. I trust that they will.

Would I like to see a pre-emptive attack on our part at the appropriate time?  Oh yes!  But, needless to say, this is not in my hands.

Our leaders, our defense decision-makers, our intelligence brass, all have to do their utmost -- with fierce determination to protect our people and our nation.  But at the end of the day, it's in the hands of Heaven.

~~~~~~~~~~

A "Freedom Flotilla" of ships is in the Mediterranean headed toward the coast of Gaza, with the declared intention of breaking the (non-existent) "blockade" being maintained by Israel.  I want to address this is some more detail tomorrow, for the PR being put out misleads severely. 

The goal of this project, very clearly, is political and not humanitarian. See this statement by Yigal Palmor, Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesman:

"Since the ceasefire in January 2009, well over a million tons of humanitarian supplies entered Gaza from Israel - that is almost a ton of aid for each man, woman and child in the Strip.

"The land crossings remain the most efficient system to transfer goods to Gaza, and the flotilla organizers are well aware of this fact. The organizers also know that since December 2008, their ships have been denied permission to land.

"Israel has invited the organizers of the flotilla to use the land crossings, in the same manner as all the reputable international organizations.

"However, they are less interested in bringing in aid than in promoting their radical agenda, playing into the hands of Hamas provocations. While they have wrapped themselves in a humanitarian cloak, they are engaging in political propaganda and not in pro-Palestinian aid.

"If the organizers were truly interested in providing humanitarian aid - as opposed to engaging in publicity stunts - they would use the proper channels to ensure delivery of any supplies."

http://imra.org.il/story.php3?id=48136

~~~~~~~~~~

See also, with thanks to Jacob G., this link to a Palestinian magazine from December 2009, which shows some of the products in generous quantities, agricultural and otherwise, available to Gazans, who are said to be totally without:

http://www.paltoday.com/arabic/News-64161.html

 
~~~~~~~~~~

It's good news, and way past due, that we are likely to see a bill passed by the Knesset that would severely limit the perks provided to security prisoners (largely Hamas) in our prisons.  What we offer them now -- which is insane -- far exceeds what is required by international law.  There are different versions being proposed, but support for this is strong and whatever final version emerges is highly likely to pass, with three readings required.

This is, to begin with, simply the right thing to do.  There is no reason why Arabs who killed Jews or attempted to do so, or are allied with those who seek to do so, should be able to acquire degrees while in our prisons, or watch television, or have parties in their cells. 

Beyond this, the desire to secure the release of Gilad Shalit is motivating this legislation.  The  hope is that families of those in our prisons will pressure Hamas to let Shalit go, in order to secure more leniency in the conditions for their relatives.  Keeping Shalit becomes, at least in theory, a liability.

~~~~~~~~~~

Astrophysicists at the Weizmann Institute of Science in Rehovot, and some of their associates abroad, have identified a new type of exploding star.  Prior to this, two kinds of supernovae had been identified -- hot, young giants that collapse under their own weight, and old, dense white dwarves that blow up.  The newly discovered supernova fits a different pattern -- with high levels of calcium and titanium being thrown out as the star explodes, suggesting a nuclear reaction involving helium. It is believed that this discovery may shed light on some previously unexplained phenomenon in the universe.

~~~~~~~~~~

http://arlenefromisrael.squarespace.com/current-postings/2010/8/29/may-25-2010-inexplicable.html

My desire to set the record straight, when it's possible to do so, makes me a bit compulsive.  Having worked on another project all day, I was not planning on posting today.  And yet... this is important.

The distortion I respond to today is not an Arab one, but from an Israeli official.  Inadvertently or not, it covers up some harsh realities.

~~~~~~~~~~

Once again writing jointly, Khaled Abu Toameh and Herb Keinon reported in today's JPost that Fatah is warning of a return to "armed struggle" if the "proximity talks" fail.

Abbas Zaki, a member of the Palestinian Legislative Council and the Fatah Central Committee, made threats during an interview with Al Ghad, a Jordanian newspaper.  Besides keeping open the option of "armed struggle," Zaki said that the Palestinian Arabs might also demand the implementation of UN Resolution 181, of 1947, which called for the partition of Palestine, with Jerusalem (joined with Bethlehem) controlled internationally as a Corpus Separatum.

The second threat can be dispensed with.  For this resolution came from the General Assembly and is thus only a recommendation without force within international law; it cannot be "implemented."  What is more, the Arabs rejected it in 1947.

What concerns me is the first threat, of violence: "We shouldn't give Israel more time.  We must start thinking of all forms of struggle and taking measures to make Israel pay a price for its aggressive practices."

~~~~~~~~~~

And here's where things get problematic:

According to this report:

"A senior Israeli official characterized Palestinian threats about a return to violence as a 'serious problem.'

"'The whole peace process with the Palestinians was based on a commitment by Yasser Arafat and the Palestinian leadership that the Palestinian national movement was going to abrogate violence and pursue engagement through negotiations.  If they return to violence they are taking us back to the days before the Oslo process.'"

~~~~~~~~~~

And I'm here to tell you that he's wrong. 

Sure the process was based on the illusion of a commitment by Arafat to renounce violence.  Undoubtedly our leaders believed it at the start. Or so I assume.

But it was never, ever Arafat's intention.  And Israel continued to pretend it was, long after there was reason to know better.  When should Israel have first begun to realize what was afoot?  A mere ten days after the signing of the Gaza-Jericho First agreement that was a follow-up to the original accord.  That is, until May 10, 1994.

That's when Arafat went to Johannesburg, South Africa, and gave a speech in a mosque, in English.  He spoke off the record, but his talk was discreetly recorded by a South African journalist and then made public. 

Arafat said, famously:

This agreement, I am not considering it more than the agreement which had been signed between our prophet Muhammad and Quraysh...

That should have rung some bells, somewhere.  Islamic academics would have understood, and everyone else should have rushed to find out what it meant.

The short of it is that in 628, Muhammad, who was not yet powerful, made a 10-year peace pact with the Quraysh tribe that controlled Mecca.  Two years later, when he had garnered sufficient strength, he abrogated the treaty, attacked the (unsuspecting) Quraysh with overwhelming force and took Mecca.

~~~~~~~~~~

That, my friends, was the model for how Arafat viewed the Oslo Accords.  This should be noted well, because Arafat set the tone for what is proceeding to this day.  Understand: He was Mahmoud Abbas's mentor.

They pretend peaceful intentions (although they're not even doing that very well today), but remain prepared to hit us whenever it suits them.  As Dennis Ross, who was a special envoy to the Middle East for President Clinton, later wrote, Arafat never relinquished the "terrorism card."

~~~~~~~~~~

The lesson we refused to learn back in the mid-90s was that it was time to call a halt to Oslo as soon as it was clear the Arabs weren't sincere.  But we kept moving along as if...

"As if..." is very dangerous.  It is not a luxury, or a foolishness, we can afford right now.

~~~~~~~~~~

And then there is the statement, from this Israeli official, that if the Palestinian Arabs return to violence it is taking us back to before Oslo.  Now, perhaps he had no clue about the Quraysh.  But he knows about what was called the "second intifada," and therefore, surely, he must know that his statement is in error.

Briefly:  In 2000, then prime minister Ehud Barak offered Arafat a deal, which, thank heaven, he rejected, even though it would have given the Arabs almost all of Judea and Samaria, all of Gaza, eastern Jerusalem and sharing of the holy sites, etc.  Details are not relevant here, except to say that they weren't to Arafat's liking.

So he didn't request further negotiations.  He fell back to plan B: He resorted to violence.  That's the pattern.  

The pretense was that this was a "spontaneous" uprising in response to the "provocation" of a visit to the Temple Mount (OUR Temple Mount, which they insist is theirs) by Ariel Sharon.  In point of fact, and I have documentation, it was premeditated.  Arafat had put out the word and they were simply waiting for the hook to hang it on, to make it "our" fault.

Arafat surely intended to teach us a lesson. But instead, by 2002, as things got very ugly, he got hit with Operation Defensive Shield, which quieted matters down and took the IDF back into areas from which we had pulled out.

~~~~~~~~~~

The painful reality is that more Jews died from terror attacks AFTER Oslo than before.

~~~~~~~~~~

Now, have we learned nothing?  Does our government not see that we're headed that way again? They'll pretend to negotiate, and break it off in discontent with protests about our unreasonableness, and they'll hit us again.

We can squash them again, but be aware, good old General Dayton is in there, training PA "security forces." So they'll be better equipped this time.

~~~~~~~~~~

There was news last night and today about an ostensible agreement between Israel and the PA concerning the principle of a land trade (meaning we would keep some communities in Judea and Samaria and give them some land inside the Green Line).  Abbas, who is the one who announced this, is not saying how much he would agree to swap, and Israel is saying that it's not good to talk publicly about what's being discussed.  Which leaves us no where in terms of anything definitive.  Maybe Abbas is making it up, maybe Netanyahu doesn't want it know what he's saying.  I do not intend to belabor this here.

~~~~~~~~~~

Instead I will close with a good news item, as promised yesterday, and with thanks to Joel K., who shared this with me.

You have here a link to footage from the Steven Spielberg film archives that shows incredible scenes from our pre-state history, our founding, and much more.  Enjoy and share, as it is moving and stunning:

http://w3.castup.net:80/JFA/FilmsScreen.asp?NFilm=format%3Dwm%26s%3D8F442B3337034892ACC92596201F5E81%26ci%3D17509%26ak%3Dnull%26ClipMediaID%3D23331

~~~~~~~~~~

http://arlenefromisrael.squarespace.com/current-postings/2010/8/26/may-23-2010-countering-distortion.html

Motzei Shabbat (After Shabbat)

Last Wednesday night, Nabil Shaath, a member of the Fatah Central Committee and a close associate of PA president Mahmoud Abbas, spoke at a conference in Ramallah, at which he said:

"There is a need to create and endorse new struggling tools, such as the popular resistance, and to increase our efforts in the international arena to isolate and punish Israel, prevent it from deepening its relationship with the European Union and attempt to expel it from the United Nations." 

By Thursday, according to news reports, our government was "furious," and denouncing Shaath's words.   

So what do we learn from the Friday report on this in the JPost by Khaled Abu Toameh and Herb Keinon?  That we will be raising this with Mitchell -- just as, on Thursday, we had raised the issue of the PA attempting (unsuccessfully) to block our admittance into the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development.

~~~~~~~~~~

Beyond exasperating.  Beyond comprehensible. 

Why are we continuing with this ridiculous game-playing called "proximity talks" if our ostensible partner, which claims to seek establishment of a state at our side that will live in peace with us, is trying to destroy us?

Where is our national dignity?  Our instinct for national self-preservation?  Why aren't we calling a halt, saying boldly and publicly that we have no one to negotiate with in good faith?

You don't suppose Netanyahu's fear of displeasing Obama has anything to do with it, do you?  Or Barak's concern that the international community might not like us? 

~~~~~~~~~~

Perhaps there's one "redeeming" element here.  If we "must" continue these talks, at least the PA behavior should stiffen backs of our government officials somewhat and make it easier to refuse more concessions.  You would think so, would you not? When they're acting this way, we should do more? 

After all, Minister of Strategic Affairs Moshe Ya'alon (Likud) on Thursday evening, speaking at a celebration to mark the completion of a small new neighborhood in Maon, in the South Hebron Hills, insisted that we would start building after the freeze ended in September:

"We will renew building after the moratorium ends.  We will not evacuate settlements. We will not move Jews. We will not sacrifice Jews from any place in Israel.

"The settlements have never been a stumbling block to peace. The absence of that peace is for reasons that are not connected to us. Our neighbors do not recognize the right of Jews to their land. They do not recognize the right of Israel to exist as a national homeland for the Jewish people.”

~~~~~~~~~~

But, alas, it turns out that this statement from Ya'alon was only Ya'alon speaking -- I seriously doubt that he was speaking for the government.

For, also on Thursday, after Prime Minister Netanyahu (who DOES speak for his government) had met with Mitchell, his office released a statement regarding what had been discussed.  And, incredibly, one of the things it is said they talked about in the first part of the meeting was "gestures Israel might make to the Palestinians."

Nah!  That can't be.  But apparently it is.

Let's get the chronology straight here:  This discussion took place after Shaath had made his speech and our government was reportedly "fuming."  After this, in a talk with Mitchell, Netanyahu was willing to discuss possible gestures we might make to the bums who want to destroy us.

If he won't quit the talks, could he not at least say, "Nothing. Zero. Effes. I will not even consider a single gesture, unless and until they clean up their act"?

Apparently not.  I am ashamed, on behalf of Israel.

~~~~~~~~~~ 

There is a great deal of analysis in the media regarding a turn-around on the part of Obama, who is doing a mea culpa and admitting he handled Israel badly at the start of his efforts to promote peace.  He's learned now, he and his flunkies are telling Congresspersons, Jewish leaders and even some rabbis.  Things are different. 

Well, I don't buy it for a second.  And I don't trust Obama a bit more now than I ever did.  That would make me very foolish indeed, although I imagine many will.

I believe that Obama is playing it the way he thinks will work.  It is being said that the new, kinder Obama is what convinced Israel to enter those talks.  But if he suddenly decides again that "throwing Israel under the bus" (Melanie Phillips' words) is the way to go, he'll revert back to where he was.  Because his heart is not with us and his intentions towards us haven't changed.  Just wait until it is September, and he wants us to continue that freeze in building.

One sure way to gauge Obama's intent is to note that while he is now "nicer" to Israel, he has not come down tougher on the PA in any visible way.  It's obvious that PA leaders are still counting on him, and that he hasn't sent Mitchell to tell them, enough of this garbage already, get real.  Mitchell met with PA officials in Ramallah on Wednesday and Wednesday night Shaath gave his talk.

It's extremely likely that this "nicer" Obama has something to do with why Netanyahu won't quit the talks now, when he should.  And is even willing to discuss "possible gestures."

Those of a certain age and American cultural background will remember these words:  "What a revolting development this is."

~~~~~~~~~~

Just to show you how revolting it all really is:  After Mitchell met with Abbas this past week, Khaled Abu Toameh reported that Abbas complained about Israeli "provocations."

Abu Toameh cited one "senior Israeli official," who said Jerusalem hoped the Palestinians were not looking for an excuse to scuttle the talks. “We want this process to succeed.”

How's that again? They full well KNOW it won't succeed.

~~~~~~~~~~

Rahm Emanuel, a key Obama aide, and most definitely no friend to Israel, has arrived here on a private visit, during the course of which his son will celebrate his bar mitzvah.  Ain't that great?

~~~~~~~~~~

We end Shabbat with the traditional greeting, Shavua tov, good week.  And so will I end it here.  Perhaps in my next post there will be something encouraging to report.

~~~~~~~~~~

http://arlenefromisrael.squarespace.com/current-postings/2010/8/26/may-22-2010-beyond-infuriating.html

We need your help here, from those inside of Israel especially, but those outside as well.  I have been focusing on political events that in the main involve Israel in interactions with the international community, such as the "proximity talks" (which I address below.)  
 
But now I raise an issue of a different kind, which cannot pass unnoticed.  Arutz Sheva described the situation:
 
"The IDF's Civilian Administration issued a demolition order [May 9] against the spacious building that houses Od Yosef Chai Yeshiva at Yitzhar, in Samaria. MK Aryeh Eldad (National Union), in an unprecedented statement, warned that bloodshed would ensue.
"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 the 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.

"MK Eldad reacted to the news...by declaring that 'the Defense Minister and his yes-man, the Head of the Civilian Administration, declared war on the Jewish communities in Judea and Samaria when they issued a demolition order against the Yitzhar Yeshiva that was established 11 years ago.'”

~~~~~~~~~~

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've been writing about Barak's positions vis-a-vis the "proximity talks," and his failure to protect Jewish interests, with, instead, an eagerness to run to make concessions.

Well, here he is, our muscle-flexing minister, showing one and all that he's really tough with the people on the right, and thereby courting approval from the left and, need I add, the international community. Obama and Abbas would be so pleased with him.
 
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, please 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.  This has impact. 
 
If you are inside of Israel, please get as many other Israeli citizens as possible to write.
 
~~~~~~~~~~
 
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. 

If you do e-mail, for the first address, above, put: "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. Short and to the point.
 
~~~~~~~~~~
 
Now, to the farce known as the "proximity talks."  Mitchell is here.  He held talks with Abbas in Ramallah yesterday, and is scheduled to meet with Netanyahu today.
 
Right before Shavuot, I read yet another statement by PA negotiator Saeb Erekat, and I thought, ah, the "threat du jour."  Said Erekat:  "Israel is now facing two options: Peace or settlements.  Israel cannot combine the two together."
 
Spoken, once again, with the arrogant self-assurance of someone who assumes that the American president will deliver for the PA. 
 
Personally, I think our prime minister should put out a parallel statement:
 
The PA must understand that peace is only possible if it recognizes Israel's right to exist AS A JEWISH  STATE.  The PA should not delude itself that it can have peace without this.
 
~~~~~~~~~~
 
There were additional statements that Erekat made that I wish to examine here:
 
"He added that according to agreements reached between the PA and the Obama administration, core issues, such as Jerusalem, refugees, water, borders and prisoners, would be resolved on the basis of international law and United Nations resolutions.
 
"'This will eventually lead to ending the Israeli occupation of our land and the establishment of an independent Palestinian state,' he said."
 
I've been writing vigorously about the need to tell our narrative, or, put more boldly, tell the truth, to combat the Arab lies.  And here is an instance in which that truth is very badly needed. For the truth is stretched so badly by Erekat that it is not even recognizable as such.
 
"...resolved on the basis of international law and United Nations resolutions."  UN Security Council Resolution 242, passed after the Six Day War, does not require Israel to return to the '67 lines and does not even mention a Palestinian people or a Palestinian state.
 
Erekat refers to "our" land (which is commonly understood to be everything past the '67 line), but it is not their land.  It never was their land.  We need to talk about the Sanremo Conference and the Mandate for Palestine, which exist within international law to this day, and give all of the land between the river and the sea to the Jews.  Now, as never before, our case must be made.
 
~~~~~~~~~~
 
Even Security Council Resolution 1397, which was passed during the intifada in 2002 and recognizes the "vision" of two states living side by side, calls for "secure and recognized borders."  It says nothing about Israel returning to the '67 line and does not in any way acknowledge that all land on the other side of that line is automatically "Palestinian."
 
What is more, it "demands immediate cessation of all acts of violence, including all acts of terror, provocation, incitement and destruction." 
 
And so, if Erekat is going to refer to UN resolutions, he should be prepared to put his own house in order.
 
~~~~~~~~~~  
 
I would further point out here that there is a difference between Security Council resolutions, which have standing in international law, and General Assembly resolutions, which are no more than recommendations and do not.  Too often, that difference is conveniently ignored.
 
It is important to note that both resolution 181 of 1947, which called for the partition of Palestine, and resolution 194, passed in 1948, which the Arabs use as the basis for a "right of return," are General Assembly resolutions. They carry no weight in international law.
 
~~~~~~~~~~
 
Yesterday, PA president Mahmoud Abbas warned about Israeli "provocations" that are threatening the talks.  He presented Mitchell with a letter detailing Israeli "crimes."  You can see just how far this is going to go.
 
Allow me, please, to note a couple of things the PA, our "peace partner," is doing:
 
According to a Palestinian Media Watch report, the PA TV children's show "Chicks," this past week featured children who had visited places in Israel such as the Kinneret (the Sea of Galilee), Haifa and Jaffa, and they were all identified as being in "Palestine."
 
"The Arabic word chosen to define 'Palestine' was 'dawla' which means 'state'".

"The Palestinian Authority alternates its messages between denying Israel's right to exist and denying Israel's very existence. This is one example of denying Israel's very existence, having it replaced by 'the State of Palestine.'"
 
http://palwatch.org/main.aspx?fi=157&doc_id=2254
 
~~~~~~~~~~

The PA has declared "all out war" against the Jewish communities in Judea and Samaria.  It has now launched a large scale campaign to persuade Palestinian Arabs that they should boycott everything coming from these communities.
 
This is contrary to what is stipulated in the Oslo Accords.
 
What is more, it is particularly galling considering that Netanyahu, since he became prime minister, has worked to strengthen the PA economy. 
 
~~~~~~~~~~
 
Above I refer to the "threat du jour."  Here I have the US idiocy of the week:
 
Reuters reports that according to John Brennan, assistant to the president for homeland security and counterterrorism, Washington is concerned about "some elements" in Hezbollah.   There is a need, he said, "to try to build up the more moderate elements."
 
When you stop laughing, you can finish reading...
 
Brennan, who made his comments at a Washington conference, referred to Hezbollah as a "very interesting organization" that has moved from being a "purely a terrorist organization," to a militia, to a partner in the Lebanese government. 
 
How pathetic these people (not Hezbollah, the decision makers in Washington) are!  I have news for Brennan: Hezbollah, which is bringing in weapons galore, is still a terrorist organization.  My concern is that this sort of thinking may color the US reaction to us when, sooner or later, we take on Hezbollah again.
 
Remember when Obama proposed reaching out to the moderate elements in the Taliban, and members of the Taliban said they didn't know what he was talking about, as they were all the same?
 
~~~~~~~~~~
 
I spoke about the farce that is the "proximity talks."  I haven't the stomach here to also address the farce that is the dealings with Iran.  But it's painful.
 
~~~~~~~~~~
 
Allow me to end with teachings from a shiur, a religious lesson, I attended on Shavuot night.  It was intended to provide us with a vision of hope during these terribly dark times. It did so for me, and I share this with you can you can be buoyed as well.
 
Our teacher used as her model the situation of the parents of Moshe (Moses).  Struggling against the decree of Pharaoh to toss all newborn Israelite babies in the Nile, they hid their son for three months, and then recognizing that it would not be possible any longer, they placed him in a teva (Hebrew for "ark") and set it in the bulrushes at the edge of the river. There, of course, he was discovered by Pharaoh's daughter.
 
After studying the Torah text itself, we looked at two commentaries on this situation.  One was exceedingly grim. Oh, the pain those parents must have felt, the grief...  The other was imbued with faith (emunah) and hope.
 
Consider: Why does the Torah refer to the water-proofed basket in which Moshe was placed a teva?  This word is the same one used for the ark of Noah at the time of the flood. What is a teva, as compared to a ship? our teacher asked? A ship has a steering column.  A teva does not:  It is steered by G-d.  Moshe's mother, Yocheved, was placing her baby son in G-d's care.
 
There is a midrash that tells us that the day on which he was placed in that teva, is the same day (Shavuot) that years later he ascended Har Sinai to receive the Torah from the Almighty.
 
We must never, ever, despair.
 
~~~~~~~~~~

http://arlenefromisrael.squarespace.com/current-postings/2010/8/25/may-20-2010-raising-our-voices-again.html

Tomorrow night at sundown we begin Shavuot, the festival that marks our coming to Sinai and receiving of the Torah.  It is traditionally a time for all-night study, and a time for marking who we are as a people and what our purpose on this earth truly is.

~~~~~~~~~~

I didn't want to go into the holiday without having written.  And yet I am finding it difficult to write, because it seems I deliver so much news that is heavy, and gets increasingly so.

~~~~~~~~~~

Before I move to some of that news, I want to share the link to the Arutz Sheva "Tamar Yonah Show" from Sunday.  I was interviewed with regard to what the PLO and the PA are truly like.  Don't know how long this will be up.

http://www.israelnationalnews.com/Radio/News.aspx/2212

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Saeb Erekat, chief PA negotiator, delivered a talk to the Institute for National Security Studies in Tel Aviv on Sunday.  If we examine his words -- which are cloaked in conciliation and "longing" for peace -- we can see very readily what the PA position is.  He actually said:

 "We, as Palestinians, decided to give Mitchell, Clinton and Obama a chance...I talk with Mitchell about the core issues. 

"There's no need for negotiations. There is a need for an agreement. All the alternatives are on the table. This is the moment of truth. We are all experiencing birth pangs. We need leaders ready to make sacrifices. My options are two states according to the 67 borders, with territory exchanges and security arrangements. If you've come to the conclusions that you can't offer this because you don't have anyone to rely on – I'm not afraid.

"... Don't miss the opportunity… The negotiations are over. The time has come to decide. Not interim decisions, not future decisions, not past decisions. A final agreement."

Translation: We don't need negotiations because that implies give and take, and compromise, and we're not into compromising.  We will hold out for what we demand, and we're counting on President Obama to shove what we have demanded down Israel's throat.  That's why we support "proximity talks."  We get to deal with the US and not Israel.  Either Israel takes what we demand, or we'll see what comes next.

Words of genuine peace, no?

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Of course, he flatly refused to consider issues that have been Netanyahu demands:  "We will not agree to a military presence in the Jordan Valley, we will not agree to (Israeli) control of water, we will not agree to settlements there or Israeli industry there."

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Then, please, see this by Khaled Abu Toameh, on the Hudson NY site, with regard to how the "proximity talks" actually benefit Hamas and Iran.

"The Obama Administration is making a mistake forcing Israel and the Palestinian Authority to discuss 'core' issues such as Jerusalem, refugees, borders and settlements when the two sides are crying out that the gap between them on these explosive topics remains as wide as ever. 

"There is no doubt that the talks will fail. Mahmoud Abbas and Fayyad will be the first to pay the price because Palestinians will turn to them and demand that they stop talking about peace and coexistence with Israel. The only ones who will benefit from this are Hamas and its friends in Tehran and Damascus. The “proximity talks” will eventually undermine the moderates and boost the extremists among the Palestinians.

"By insisting on putting the issues of Jerusalem and refugees on the table, the Obama Administration is placing Israelis and Palestinians on the course of collision." 

http://www.hudsonny.org/2010/05/middle-east-proximity-talks-benefit-hamas-and-iran.php

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The news from Barry Rubin -- in his recent piece "Russian traps - and moves" -- is grim as well.

"If America’s Middle East position collapses in the forest will anyone hear it? The answer is either  ‘no,’ or ‘just barely.’ As I’ve predicted, Russia is coming back into the region and it is going to play a very bad role. Moscow is linking up with the emerging Islamist alliance of Iran, Syria, Hamas and Hezbollah.

"Meanwhile, the Obama administration praises Russia for allegedly supporting sanctions against Iran. Russian support, at best, consists of throwing a bucket of fluid over the sanctions’ plan to water it down.

"Back in the real world – the Middle East, not Washington – let’s begin with Syria. The Obama administration says it is going to pull Syria away from Iran, but the two countries are coming closer together. Syria’s open goal is to pull the US away from Israel, but meanwhile it is finding still another ally to back its ambitions.

"The recent visit of Russia’s President Dimitry Medvedev with a huge entourage was a major step toward reestablishing the old Soviet-Syria relationship. There were broad economic talks, including the possibility of Russia building a nuclear reactor for the Syrian dictatorship."

http://www.jpost.com/Opinion/Columnists/Article.aspx?id=175747

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Have you picked up on the common denominator of these two "bad news" pieces?  In both cases the situation is being fueled by an obtuse or damaging Obama policy.

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Defense Minister Barak, who seems to be working as Obama's buddy these days, has delivered a statement to his Labor party faction that literally makes me sick to my stomach:

"The Americans are trying to organize sanctions against Iran, are busy stopping North Korea, and other countries like Somalia and Yemen.

"Therefore, they expect Israel, too, as a friend, to mobilize in the areas in which it can help the overall effort – in other words, in a peace agreement with the Palestinians.

"A fundamental change is required in our relations with the US. We cannot do this without a far-reaching political initiative on our part."

He warned against Israel being depicted as refusing peace, and explained, "Our real challenge is to look over the small things and march toward the challenge and opportunity encased in Israeli political initiative towards negotiation and agreement."

So, in order to be Obama's friend, and to be sure we are not "depicted" as "refusing peace," we should overlook "small things."  What small things?  Like a united Jerusalem and full expression of our rights to the land?

This is the man who offered Arafat an incredible deal in 2000 (from our side, incredibly bad) and was turned down.  But it seems he learned nothing.  How can he see "opportunity" given what Erekat is saying (above)?  How can he even pretend to see opportunity?

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And so, as Shavuot approaches, I pray that the Almighty will protect us not only from our enemies, but from "leaders" such as this.

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Good news:

There is a campaign begun, headed by Eli Avidar, to downgrade perks for Arabs in our prisons to conform with international law.  (Yes, we do much more than is required by the Third Geneva Convention.)  This is long overdue, and I hope the campaign succeeds.

It is hoped that this will help to secure the release of Gilad Shalit:  “If we do not cause a situation in which they [Arab families of those in our prisons] pressure their leaders...the chances to free Gilad will continue to diminish.”

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Israel Military Industries has developed a rocket -- named the Enchanted Spear -- that can hit targets up to 40 kilometers (25 miles) away with a precision of 10 meters (32 feet).   It can carry various heads and is constructed to destroy ground targets.

More significantly, an Israeli start-up, Eltics Ltd, has developed the Black Fox Active Adaptive IR Stealth System.

Night vision equipment is commonly used these days and is certainly in the possession of our enemies, such as Hamas.  This technology renders helicopters, armored personnel carriers and ships invisible to thermal night vision systems and guided missiles. 

As was explained by Israel National News, "The equipment analyzes the thermal signature of the environment, and then screens the exact same signature on to plates fitted on to the machine." 

Pretty neat, and it would be difficult to exaggerate the importance of our having the advantage as we approach prospects of war down the road.  The Black Fox is in the advanced prototype stage and developers are seeking additional funds.

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Let me end here with a YouTube video about Israel.  I picked up this link on a site call "My Israel -- Israel Sheli."  It's in Hebrew, but you can readily get the sense of it without much language.  Stunning and moving footage of our history -- from Ben Gurion's declaration of a state, through early years of our founding, and our wars, to the present.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3M-KpcMmit8

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http://arlenefromisrael.squarespace.com/current-postings/2010/8/25/may-17-2010-as-shavuot-approaches.html

Before I talk about the obscenities, I would like to share news that might put a smile on your face:

Israeli marine scientists were astonished to discover the presence of a gray whale -- a mature male some 39 feet long and weighing roughly 20 tons -- in the Mediterranean off the coast of Herzliya.

There have not been gray whales in this part of the world since the 18th century -- at which time pods here became extinct.  Remaining gray whales live in the Pacific Ocean.  Speculation is that this whale left the Pacific and entered the Atlantic via the Northwest passage, where reduction of ice made movement possible.  The confused whale, instead of turning left into the California Gulf moved left at Gibralter and into the Mediterranean.

Scientists say it seems happy, and will be able to find food here as its eating preferences are flexible.  There is speculation as to whether other whales might follow.

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Having alluded to California, I will segue right into the next subject, which also involves that state; the issue at hand is highly obscene and left me speechless last night.

Author David Horowitz -- who is founder of the Freedom Center and publishes Front Page Magazine -- routinely gives speeches on US campuses as part of his effort to expose the extreme left-wing and radical Islamic strains found there today.

The URL below provides a short video clip in which David, having finished giving a talk at the University of California at San Diego, was taking questions from the student audience. To my mind, even worse than what the Muslim student's opinions are, is the fact that she was not afraid to express them -- within the climate established on that campus she felt free to publicly espouse destruction of the Jews.

The climate?  Of course it is not all students are filled with hate.  But according to what this student says, the Muslim Student Association holds a Hitler Youth Week.

http://www.therightscoop.com/david-horowitz-exposes-muslim-hatred-in-one-question/

I mourn for America.

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But there is hope.  Every time I see decent Americans fighting back, I know there is hope. 

On June 6, 2010, at 12:00 noon, there will be a rally in NYC at Ground Zero -- organized by Stop Islamization of America (SIOA) -- protesting the plans to build a mosque at that site.  Pam Geller of the AtlasShrugs blog is director of SIOA and hosting this event.

SIOA works to defend human rights, religious liberty, and the freedom of speech against Islamic supremacist intimidation.

What I have learned is that the unanimous approval extended by the Community Board for New York City’s financial district -- which I wrote about last -- was not just for a "simple" mosque of a couple of stories in height, but for the construction of a 13-story mosque and Islamic cultural center right across from Ground Zero, which they have dubbed Cordoba House.

This is a projected concept of the exterior.

Imagine the outrage of this looming over Ground Zero.

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Rally speakers will include Nonie Darwash, former Muslim from Egypt, who is courageous in speaking out, and Simon Deng, Christian Sudanese ex-slave, equally courageous in campaigning against Sudanese Muslims who destroy human rights. I am sure you will hear from Geller, and from Robert Spencer, the knowledgeable director of JihadWatch.org, who is associate director of SIOA and co-host of the event, as well as others. 

According to the release about this rally, "...the planned mosque has clandestine funding sources. Imam Faisal Abdul Rauf is a radical Islamic wolf in sheep's clothing, a seductive practitioner of taqiyya (dissimulation for the purpose of furthering the interest of the Faith) who blames America for the terrorist attacks on 911. Shortly after 9/11 he said in a CNN interview: 'US policies were an accessory to the crime that happened.' Elsewhere he said: 'The US and the West must acknowledge the harm they have done to Muslims before terrorism can end.'"

There is every reason to believe that the radical Islamist hatred that fomented 9/11 would be espoused and disseminated within that mosque, were it to be built.  Not only is this something to be fiercely fought on its own grounds, in this case there is the further issue of the insult to the memory of those killed in the Twin Towers, and the grief this would bring to those who mourn them.

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Edmund Burke first said it, I believe: "All that is necessary for evil to triumph is for good people to do nothing."

As strongly as I ever urged participation at a rally, I urge your participation.  Numbers help to send the necessary message.  Stand up and be counted, here and at every other possible opportunity. 

A reader of mine, responding to my pessimism about America, wrote some months ago, "Don't despair, the posse is coming!"  I was deeply saddened to learn last week that he died after a long fight against a chronic illness.  His words stay with me: "The posse is coming."  America can be saved.  If good Americans care enough.

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A number of groups -- ACT for America, ZStreet, etc. -- are supporting this rally.  If you can get your organization to sign on, that would also be wonderful.

You can contact Pam Geller and Robert Spencer by e-mail via this page:  http://sioaonline.com/?page_id=153

The URL for the SIOA website is:  http://sioaonline.com

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Today, my friends, I concede a point on which I have held out.  Many of you have written, challenging me to deal with Obama's motivation.  Until now I have declined, saying it's complex, and all that I can monitor are his words and acts, and the effects they have.  But now...

The news has broken that the Obama administration is cutting the funding for Homeland Security in New York City.  Yup, in the city where the Twin Towers came down, and where there have been at least 11 terror attempts since, most recently two weeks ago in Times Square.  A 27% cut is projected for mass transit security and 25% for port security.  Additionally, Obama wants to eliminate a $30 million program called "Securing our Cities," that would create a ring of radiation detectors around the city to monitor for nuclear and dirty bombs.  He has even redeployed the Coast Guard's Maritime and Security Team from New York to Boston Harbor.

For the administration to announce these cuts two weeks after the attempted Times Square bombing shows they just don’t get it and are not doing right by New York City on anti-terrorism funding," Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-NY) said.

Rep. Pete King (R-LI), the ranking Republican on the House Homeland Security Committee, said the cuts were "dangerous and unconscionable."

"The threat against New York City, the top target of al-Qaeda, is increasing, not decreasing."

This doesn't feel like poor judgment, or an innocent error.  This feels like calculated malice on the part of the man who throws around trillions without thinking twice but is not interested in protecting New York City.

(Once again, for this tip, I thank Reisa S.)

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Still the rumors persist -- concerning what Netanyahu has promised Obama with regard to no building in Jerusalem over the Green Line.  Can't say for sure that none of these rumors are true, but neither can I stand behind them as if they are fact.  I can only report on the unease, the suspicion, that is in the air.

What I have determined as fact is that construction of housing is going on in Har Homa, that once-controversial Jewish neighborhood in the south-east of Jerusalem way past the Green Line. I qualify by noting that it is likely that the permits and bureaucratic paperwork that provided the go-ahead for this construction were all in place before the recent controversy.  None-the-less, it has not been halted, as construction that had prior approval was halted in Judea and Samaria once that freeze went into effect. 

And so, we now wait to see if anything new will be approved.

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MK Aryeh Eldad (Ihud Leumi -- National Union) wrote a piece in yesterday's JPost that touches on this issue.  Eldad is a medical doctor by training and experience.  He says that he recognizes post-traumatic syndrome when he sees it, and that after his first meeting with Obama, Netanyahu exhibited symptoms of that syndrome; he was in a state of shock.

On his own, argues Eldad, Netanyahu would succumb to the pressure coming from Washington. But, thankfully, he is also confronting pressure from the opposite side:   

"...there is pressure, and it will grow stronger...A few months ago, a 'Lobby for the Land of Israel' was established in the Knesset. It is led by a Likud Knesset member, in fact the chairman of the governing coalition, Zev Elkin, and by me...with the opposition in the Knesset. Forty-one members of Knesset, government ministers and deputy ministers joined this lobby whose goals are to stem the leftward tide, to prevent the establishment of a Palestinian state in Judea and Samaria, to prevent the dilution of Jewish settlements and to strengthen such settlement. Within this lobby are represented the National Union, Jewish Home, Shas, Israel Beitenu, Likud and even Kadima parties."

Says Eldad:

"Obama’s error is that of a proud novice in foreign policy: he has stretched out his hand towards Jerusalem.

"The Israeli slanderers of the extremist left, who run to report to the U.S. embassy in Tel Aviv every time a house is built in Judea and Samaria, misled him. J Street misled him. Rahm Emanuel and David Axelrod misled him. Obama figured, if there are Jews who support giving half of Jerusalem to the Arabs, it shouldn’t be a problem to force Netanyahu to go along.

"But Netanyahu can be beaten down only when there is no counter pressure. In this case, Netanyahu is not operating in a vacuum."

http://www.jpost.com/Opinion/Op-EdContributors/Article.aspx?id=175298

Three cheers for Aryeh Eldad and the Lobby. This, too, is standing up: in this case, against the evil that Obama intends for us in Jerusalem.

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Public Security Minister Yitzhak Aharonovitch (Yisrael Beitenu) announced yesterday that illegal Arab houses in eastern Jerusalem that the court has ordered be taken down would soon be razed.  There had been a delay in this action because of "diplomatic concerns."

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To clarify the picture a bit -- or perhaps, better, to give you a more realistic sense of how convoluted and highly politicized it all is -- I would like to provide a description of one such case:

The buildings in question in this case were constructed by one Ahmed Sheikh on land he owns in Silwan.  Back in 2000, the Jerusalem Planning and Building Committee gave him permission to build one two-story structure on that land.  In 2001, authorities realized that he had constructed one building of two-stories and had already laid the foundation for a second building.  They issued a stop-work and demolition order.  A hearing was scheduled and the municipality agreed to postpone execution of the order until after the hearing. In return, they secured a promise from Sheikh that he wouldn't continue building.

At some point, in the course of various legal delays, authorities discovered that Sheikh hadn't honored his promise to not continue building.  This matter was bounced around from one court to the other, with Sheikh seeking postponements and cancellation of the orders.

In the course of all of this, the two buildings were completed, and occupied.

Ultimately, the court ordered that the demolition proceed.  Deadline was set for May 2009 -- a year ago.  Sheikh appealed again and the court turned him down.

But, a year later, this court-order demolition has not been effected. That's because the owner -- and undoubtedly the residents -- are Arab.  It causes an international furor when we demolish illegal Arab housing; headlines lament the suffering of the expelled occupants.  Many authorities here thus prefer to simply look the other way.

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Now, not far from the houses built by Sheikh is a seven-story residence called Beit Yehonatan, built for Jews.  It too, was lacking certain permits because it was supposed to have fewer stories. The court ordered that it should be sealed up and the occupants evacuated, but this was not done. Certain legal authorities (the municipal attorney, for example) were most perturbed by this and demanded that the mayor take action.  Sure, said Nir Barkat, I'll do it -- but then I'll take down the illegal Arab houses that are sitting in the area as well.  That, these same authorities were not so eager to see happen.  Barkat proceeded with his plans, but was stopped by Netanyahu because it was "too sensitive" an issue following the Ramat Shlomo "crisis."

Now, Aharonovitch says illegal Arab housing will be razed.  I will celebrate if this happens, because it would mean we have an administration that is not running scared of what the world says (see more on this below).

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I fully expect that, if we really do raze those illegal Arab houses, we'll hear from Obama about how we are being obstructionist with regard to "peace."  The fact that there is less than no regard for our due process of law within our democracy is as infuriating as anything else.

Also infuriating, however: Twice this past week, the message delivered on PA TV was that this land belongs only to the Arabs -- this has been reported by Palestinian Media Watch. On one occasion the narrator said we should go back to Europe and Ethiopia, "your original homeland." On another occasion the camera zeroed in on a map from which "Israel" had been erased.

But for all of Obama's talk about holding both parties responsible for obstructions to peace, and in spite of the talk about Abbas trying to prevent incitement (which we knew was a crock), I notice Obama has not seen fit to hold Abbas accountable.

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And then, lastly, Heaven help us, we have Defense Minister Ehud Barak, who called upon people to "act responsibly and avoid harsh or provocative statements on Jerusalem."  He was concerned, you see, about "an attack by senior ministers in the Israeli government against US attempts to restart the peace process."

An attack by ministers against US attempts for peace?  Well, he was referring, for example, to Interior Minister Eli Yishai (Shas), who said there will never be a freeze in Jerusalem: "We will build everywhere in Jerusalem, the eternal capital of our homeland, and this is my clarification to our allies and friends the Americans." 

But Barak was worried: "These words hurt Israel's interests with the US and the entire world. They can present Israel as a peace objector and thus cause its global status to deteriorate."

Saying Jerusalem is ours means we object to peace?  Expecting us to put US demands before our legitimate rights? These remarks are not only disgusting and the sign of a self-hating man, they are also dangerous for Israel.  

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http://arlenefromisrael.squarespace.com/current-postings/2010/8/23/may-12-2010-the-obscene-state-of-the-world.html