"The bottom line is that Iran is laboring hard to prevent an Israeli preemption while developing its own option – via Hezbollah – of launching a preemptive attack on Israel’s most vital strategic assets.
 
"It should be noted that the Iranian effort is being pursued despite repeated Israeli warnings and forceful action to stop it. Some in Israel have interpreted this Iranian determination as forced by growing fears of the mullahs and their Hezbollah brethren that...they will not be able to make use of the Tehran-Damascus-Beirut corridor much longer to transport arms and fighters. However, a more important reason is Iran’s fear of an imminent Israeli preemptive attack. In spite of Iran’s public ridicule, it appears it views with mounting concern Israeli statements that 2013 would be a year of decision.

"For its part, Israel, by acting to destroy new additions to Hezbollah’s counter-force capabilities and the means to defend them...signaled its determination to keep its preemptive option open. Further, the operational successes of the IDF’s recent military undertakings in Syria communicate to Tehran the credibility of Israel’s intentions and capabilities in this regard. Thus, as long it races toward the bomb, Iran is likely to persist if not escalate its efforts to block and/or counter the Israeli preemptive option.

"The ongoing conflict over preemption has produced two paradoxes. First, even before any military strike had been unleashed against a nuclear facility, armed conflict has erupted. The Israeli threat to use force as a last resort to stop Iran’s nuclear march had the effect of forcing Jerusalem to exert its military muscle without delay, ostensibly to preserve the final option..."
 
http://www.jpost.com/Opinion/Op-Ed-Contributors/The-war-over-preemption-313261
 
So it's going to get tougher before it's over, but in point of fact, Israel is already at war with Iran.
 
~~~~~~~~~~
 
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Netanyahu took action of another sort in an attempt to prevent an escalation of the situation in Syria with a potential shift in the balance of power:  On Tuesday morning he flew to the Black Sea city of Sochi to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin, with regard to the announced intention of Russia to sell state-of-the-art anti-aircraft S-300 missiles to Damascus.
 
Netanyahu was accompanied by National Security Council Head Ya'akov Amidror, Head of Military Intelligence Maj.-Gen. Aviv Kochavi, and Deputy Foreign Minister Ze'ev Elkin, a native Russian speaker.  Press was not permitted to participate.  Kochavi is believed to have provided Putin with intelligence regarding the situation in Russia.
 
~~~~~~~~~~
 
All we have from that meeting is a joint press conference during which they declared their intention to keep in touch, both personally and between special services.

Credit: alarabiya
 
~~~~~~~~~~
 
As for Putin, it is clear -- and this is hardly new -- that he is motivated at least in part by a desire to subvert Western, and particularly, American involvement in the area.  We might say that he gave the old one-two to Obama with the announcement of intention to sell those missiles, which followed almost immediately an announcement about Russia and the US working together to address the crisis in Syria:
 
Last week Moscow and Washington had announced an agreement to facilitate political dialogue between the Assad regime and rebels, and to facilitate an international conference on Syria. 
 
(A reflection of the tenuous relationship between Russia and the US can be found in the arrest on Tuesday by the Russians of CIA agent Ryan Christopher Fogle, who was working in the American Embassy in Moscow and was caught in a sting operation when trying to recruit Russian double-agents.)
 
~~~~~~~~~~
 
The placement of those anti-aircraft missiles in Syrian hands would be no small matter for Israel, and worse still should they be transferred to Hezbollah.
 
I have picked up reports -- unconfirmed, for example from  Al-Quds Al-Arabi  -- that the missiles may already be in Syria.  In one version, it was said that only Russian technicians were managing them, in another, there was indication that Syrian technicians were already trained.   
 
~~~~~~~~~~
 
For the first time this morning, mortar shells fired from Syria hit Mount Hermon in the Golan.  There were no casualties. 
 

Credit: Greenprophet

And, for the first time it is clear that the mortars didn't cross the border with Syria accidentally, during the course of fighting between Assad's troops and rebels. 
 
This time, a group by the name of (are you ready?) Shahid Brigades of the Abd al-Kajr al-Husseini Jihad Brigades which is part of the "Free Palestine Movement" took credit via a video it released.  It said that the mortars were fired for "Nakba Day," which was just observed by Palestinian Arabs as a day of mourning that marks Israel's founding.: "We tell the Zionists that we are opening a campaign of revenge.”"
 
I have no information about the source of fire being identified and destroyed.  IDF patrols in the area have increased and the IDF is now re-evaluating the earlier determination that the other mortars hit Israeli soil by accident.
 
~~~~~~~~~~
 
It was announced just days ago that the Civil Administration (which means the administration of Judea and Samaria that works under the Ministry of Defense) was working diligently to establish a new Palestinian Arab city near Jericho, reportedly to be called Nu'aimah, which would house tens of thousands of residents and require the transfer of almost 2,000 dunam (500 acres) of land from the Jordan Valley Regional Council to the PA for the project.
 
The Yesha Council responded to this insanity immediately:
 
"The state of Israel is advancing programs for thousands of dwelling units in Area C [which is under full Israeli control] while there are wide sections of Areas A and B [under full and partial PA control] where they can be settled and they are stopping the tenders for building for Israeli settlement in Area C."
 
Before I had the opportunity to write about this, came the announcement that Minister of Defense Moshe Ya'alon has frozen the project.  According to Israel National News:
"MK Motti Yogev (Bayit Yehudi), who heads a subcommittee of the Knesset’s Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee which deals with issues pertaining to Judea and Samaria, contacted Yaalon...asking for details about the project. According to Ma’ariv, Yaalon told Yogev that upon learning of the plan he ordered that it be immediately stopped.

"An Israeli defense official confirmed the details, telling Ma’ariv that the Defense Minister is interested in learning the details of the plan and any consequences that may result from its application, and has asked that it be delayed until he can formulate a position on the issue."

http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/168021

Well then, a small sigh of relief and a tentative "bravo" to Minister Ya'alon.  Now we'll have to wait to see what position he formulates.

~~~~~~~~~~

If truth be told, actions by the government are so schizoid that it's difficult to determine precisely what policy truly is -- or, for that matter, where our prime minister stands.

Here we have some very good news with an announcement that the State is seeking to authorize four communities -- called outposts -- in Judea and Samaria.  The announcement came in a statement to the High Court submitted on Tuesday with regard to a Peace Now petition with regard to six communities.  Good old Peace Now had demanded removal of them all.

The four communities: Givat Assaf, in the Binyamin region of Samaria; Givat Haroeh, one of the largest unauthorized communities, in the Shomron; Maale Rekhavam, in the Gush Etzion region; and Mitzpe Lakhish, in the South Hebron Hills. 

Three had been determined to have been built on State land, so there was no legal barrier to their authorization. 

Some portion of the fourth, Givat Assaf (pictured here), was built on what had been privately owned Arab land, but residents of this community -- some 30 families -- had told the court that they had purchased that land.

Now the State has accepted the residents claims.  According to the JPost, orders had come from the "upper political echelon" to the Civil Administration to "weigh the possibility of legalizing Givat Assaf."

Credit: Flash 90

http://www.jpost.com/Diplomacy-and-Politics/State-seeks-approval-of-four-West-Bank-outposts-313292

The State is working out compromises for the other two communities mentioned in the Peace Now petition, as well: In Mitzpe Yitzhar, near Yitzhar in the hills of the Shomron, two homes built on private Palestinian Arab property have been taken down and a third home will also be demolished; the implication here is that ultimately authorization may be possible for this community as well.  

In the case of Ramat Gilad, some of its homes are on State land and an agreement has been reached with its residents for many of the homes to be moved to a different part of its hilltop location.

~~~~~~~~~~

Contrast the upbeat position by the government, above, with this shameful action.  I had mentioned the issue of an Israeli failure to assert sovereignty the other day, and here we are:

A plan had been set in place to bring Jewish children to the Temple Mount today, as an educational follow-up to Shavuot, which was a time when first fruits were brought to the Temple.

In response to chatter on Islamic websites that the children would be met by rioters, police closed entry to the Temple Mount to all non-Muslims, out of concern for "public safety."

Wrong, wrong, wrong.  I don't care how many police or soldiers would have had to have been called out to protect the children, it should have been done.  To cave before threats of violence, so that Jewish rights are denied, is a bad move.

What is more, Jews who made it to the Mount over Shavuot (yesterday) and the day prior were severely harassed by Muslims and received scant police protection.  At one point Jewish entry at the Mughrabi Gate was blocked by Muslims. When a riot broke out, the Jews were removed from the Mount. 

I am ashamed to write this, but I must.  What is ours must be claimed as ours, and our rights made clear.

http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/168039

~~~~~~~~~~ 

© Arlene Kushner. This material is produced by Arlene Kushner, functioning as an independent journalist. Permission is granted for it to be reproduced only with proper attribution. 
 
If it is reproduced and emphasis is added, the fact that it has been added must be noted.

 http://arlenefromisrael.squarespace.com/current-postings/2013/5/16/may-16-2013-dead-serious.html

Credit: ou

A good time, once again, to mark our priorities: to remember what comes first and what must guide us.  A time to turn our focus heavenward and step away from the political nonsense of every day.

And so, to all, a Chag Shavuot sameach.

~~~~~~~~~~

But for today, there is still that political nonsense...

Right now, we seem to be a whipping boy for the Syrians.  On both sides.  It's a great irony. 

The rebels are saying that we are conspiring to keep Assad in power. The Turkish daily Zaman reports that the claim was made by Abdulkader Saleh, commander of the al-Tawhid Brigade, which, I am reading, has ties with the Muslim Brotherhood:

"The opposition was going to take over arms, so Israel attacked. There is evidence pointing to this. There were some high-ranking officers with whom [the opposition forces] got into contact. [Those officers] were going to defect from [the Assad administration], handing over arms to the opposition. Israel hit these posts in fear that the opposition would take over the arms."

"...This assault, of course, was intended to support the Assad administration."

http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/167965

This is, of course, not exactly what was going on with the alleged Israeli hit on Iranian weaponry in Syria.  The Israeli concern was and is that major game-changing weaponry such as sophisticated missiles not fall into hands of terrorists groups, whether Hezbollah or jihadist groups associated with the Syrian rebels, who would then turn those weapons on Israel.  This was not about the sort of weapons defecting Syrian officers would likely be in a position to turn over to the opposition for use in fighting Assad. 

What caught my eye, however, is that this rebel commander said that, "Assad [father and son, actually] has protected Israel's border for 40 years."  This is as I wrote, and is one more indication that if rebels take Syria, they will feel no compunction about attempting to move into Israel.

~~~~~~~~~~

What intensifies the irony is the claim by the Syrian government that they can now go into the Golan whenever they want.  According to the Syria SANA news agency, Syria’s Information Minister, Omran al-Zoubi, claims this right because of Israel's act of aggression against Syria in hitting Syrian sites (that is, storage depots with weapons). 

http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/167962

But, as was made very clear at the time, any Israeli attack on those sites (not officially acknowledged) would be to prevent a transfer of weapons and was not intended as an attack on Syria.

This is mostly saber-rattling, but....

~~~~~~~~~~

Putative PA president Mahmoud Abbas is doing his own version of saber-rattling these days.  His accusation is that Israel is attempting to harm the Al-Aksa Mosque on the Temple Mount:

"If Israel is dreaming about establishing facts on the ground through its daily attacks against the Al-Aksa Mosque, then it is deluded.

"Eastern Jerusalem is our capital city, Al-Aksa belongs to us, the Church of the Holy Sepulcher belongs to us, and we will not accept [the Israelis'] harassment."

http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/167957

This, undoubtedly, is the come-back for recent statements regarding Jewish rights to pray on the Temple Mount.  If our leaders are serious about asserting on rights, on the Mount and elsewhere, we must understand that the battle ahead will not be easy.  But, it is necessary.

~~~~~~~~~~

I say "If" because of news that has broken today that is generating more than a little unease.

The major story is that secret talks were held two years ago between the Israel and the PA.  Avi Issacharoff, writing in the Times of Israel, reports on information he has secured via an interview with the head of PLO Executive Committee, Yasser Abed Rabbo.  And so even as I report on this, we must remember that it all comes from Abed Rabbo. 

Credit: AFP/Abbas Momani

What he says is that there were secret meetings between Israel and the PA in late 2010 and early 2011 either in order to conduct negotiations or initiate them.  A series of meetings was held between Yitzhak Molcho, Netanyahu's envoy, and Abed Rabbo, at Molcho's home in Israel.  And then Prime Minister Netanyahu himself met with Rabbo, after which communication terminated.

"According to Abed Rabbo...Netanyahu seemed ready to renew negotiations within the framework of two states based on the June 4, 1967, lines. But the prime minister subsequently backed away from the contacts and the channel was discontinued."

Not unsurprisingly, there is no comment from the prime minister's office.

~~~~~~~~~~

Abed Rabbo is reported as saying, with regard to his meetings with Molcho:

"We discussed all the issues. But I sat and demanded in those meetings that Israel present its map for a two-state solution concept, and publicly declare its willingness to speak about the 1967 lines as the framework for the meetings. Molcho was not prepared to present a map and the meetings were truly exhausting, a lot of chatter without agreement." (Emphasis added)

http://www.timesofisrael.com/revealed-netanyahus-secret-talks-with-the-palestinians/

Is Abed Rabbo's description of a Netanyahu who "seemed ready to renew negotiations within the framework of two states based on the June 4, 1967 lines" consistent with the picture of a Molcho who would not present a map and talked a great deal with no agreement?

“Molcho," says Abed Rabbo, "was willing to include a military official in the meetings, a map expert who would present Israel’s security demands to me. Molcho emphasized in the meetings the importance of the Jordan Valley, settlement blocs, and early-warning stations on West Bank mountains. I ruled this option out. He claimed that he wanted to show me these considerations on a map, but I told him that Israel’s security concerns are not a starting point — it’s a non-starter and under the pretense of ‘security,’ you can claim anything. I made it clear that, first of all, we need to agree to speak about 1967 lines, and then start debating security issues, or even both in parallel.

"...From our standpoint, it was possible to discuss borders and security issues, but it cannot be that ‘security considerations’ would determine the borders." (Emphasis added here and above)

Was Molcho, on behalf of the prime minister, prepared to talk about giving away the store?  Myself, I would not talk about surrendering a square centimeter, but it doesn't sound like he was conveying a readiness to give it all away.

~~~~~~~~~~

Abed Rabbo describes a Netanyahu who was prepared to begin serious negotiations:

"Netanyahu didn’t rule anything out. He mostly listened. He asked me about the idea of a joint committee to manage issues related to the Temple Mount in Jerusalem — as Olmert had suggested...In the end I said to him, ‘If you want to start something serious, if you agree to the 1967 borders as a basis, including Jerusalem, then we can talk about the other things.'

“He asked if we were ready to start negotiations immediately. I said yes...

"He said to me, 'Give me two days and I’ll get back to you.' We said goodbye. He asked me to send his regards to Abu Mazen. And from that point on, I didn’t hear from Bibi or Molcho. A year later, I relayed him a message through a third party that I’ve been sitting waiting by the phone for a year, but Netanyahu did not respond."

We could speculate unendingly on what was going on here.  Maybe Netanyahu was testing the PA; maybe he was serious and then thought better of it or was dissuaded.  Perhaps Abed Rabbo read more into Netanyahu's words than was intended.  The meetings were not documented.

~~~~~~~~~~

There are those who will panic at this, because Netanyahu allegedly met in secret with a PLO representative and asked about a joint committee for Temple Mount issues, as Olmert had proposed. But what I see in the end is that the prime minister did not pursue those talks and stonewalled Abed Rabbo.  And, in fact, as the meetings were not documented, he left nothing on the record to weaken Israel's position.  And there were no maps.

In point of fact, this interview may have been provided by Abed Rabbo right now as a political tool: a way to make Netanyahu look less than forthcoming on negotiations and thus bring pressure to bear.

I will state here what I have said many times: I do not always trust Binyamin Netanyahu.  He has given me scant reason to do so.  And, demonstrating a particular weakness, he is all too ready to show himself as accommodating -- which leads him down a dangerous and slippery slope. (See more on this below.)

I have never believed, however, that he is an Ehud Olmert clone, simply itching to give our country away.  And, whatever my unease, whatever my distress, I have not yet seen clear evidence that he is that clone.  I pray that I never do.

~~~~~~~~~~

What is disconcerting, annoying, worrisome is the announcement that the prime minister has ordered a delay-- of "at least three weeks" (we shouldn't hold our collective breath) -- in issuing tenders for building 1,500 units in Ramat Shlomo, which is over the Green Line, even though all procedures were in place.

Credit: Ariel Jerozolimski/The Jerusalem Post

According to the JPost, the holdup was because of "political sensitivity."  You may remember when Vice President Biden was here and a routine announcement came out about building plans in Ramat Shlomo.  US officials responded as if Israel had deliberately mortified their vice president, and used this issue to generate quite a scene (with Hillary Clinton doing quite a bit of that generating). 

Ramat Shlomo construction was held up for some time after that, which was unfortunate, because new housing is needed in that neighborhood.  It's not all about politics here, folks -- it's about needing places to live.  If the project was now set to go forward, it should have gone forward.

~~~~~~~~~~

I will add here in closing, with regard to fears of our prime minister "giving away" eastern Jerusalem, that, to the very best of my understanding legislation is on the books since November 2010 that requires approval in a public referendum and the votes of at least 60 Knesset members before any withdrawal from East Jerusalem or the Golan Heights.

http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3988447,00.html

~~~~~~~~~~

© Arlene Kushner. This material is produced by Arlene Kushner, functioning as an independent journalist. Permission is granted for it to be reproduced only with proper attribution. 

If it is reproduced and emphasis is added, the fact that it has been added must be noted.

http://arlenefromisrael.squarespace.com/current-postings/2013/5/13/may-13-2013-life-goes-on.html

I begin with the Borovsky family -- the widow and five orphans left behind when Evyatar was brutally murdered by a terrorist at Tapuach Junction.  Murdered for no reason other than that he was Jewish.

Credit: IsraelToday

An appeal has gone out for funds for this family, and I ask you to consider helping, if you are moved to do so.  

The fund was established by Rabbi David Dudkevich, rabbi of Yitzhar (home of the Borowvskys; Rabbi Elyakim Levanon, rabbi of the Shomron Religious Council and others.

Visit the secure website www.mekimi.org.il and learn about tax deductions and how to donate.  It is essential to specify Fund no. 1515 for the Borovsky family.  The website can be accessed in Hebrew or English (see upper left of homepage).

~~~~~~~~~~
 
And now a number of other issues to which you might want to direct your attention.  We'll start with this from Palestinian Media Watch:

"In a ceremony celebrating its 150th anniversary, the International Red Cross together with the Palestinian Red Crescent planted 150 trees bearing the names of "veteran prisoners." The Palestinian Authority uses the term "veteran prisoners" to refer to those who have been in jail the longest, and in most cases are serving life sentences for murder or multiple murders."

See the full story here: http://palwatch.org/main.aspx?fi=157&doc_id=8965

~~~~~~~~~~

Barry Rubin has written an important piece called "Why Benghazi Is Overwhelmingly Important" (emphasis added):

"There is something terribly and tragically and importantly symbolic about the Benghazi attack that may be lost in the tidal wave of details about what happened on September 11, 2012, in an incident where four American officials were murdered in a terrorist attack. This point stands at the heart of everything that has happened in American society and intellectual life during the last decade.

"And that point is this:

"America was attacked once again on September 11, attacked by al-Qaeda in an attempt to destroy the United States — as ridiculous as that goal might seem. Yet: the U.S. government blamed the attack on America itself.

"Other reasons can be adduced for the official position that what happened that day was due to a video insulting Islam rather than a terrorist attack, but this is the factor of overwhelming importance. It transformed the situation in the following ways:

– "Muslims were the victims of American misbehavior, a point emerging from the administration’s wider worldview of U.S. aggression and Third World suffering...

– "'Hate speech' and racism (as 'Islamophobia' is often reconfigured) were the cause of troubles.

– "While freedom of speech and such liberties should be defended, they must be limited in some ways to prevent further trouble.

– "America’s proper posture should be one of apology, as in the advertisements that Secretary of State Hilary Clinton made for the Pakistani and other media.

– "The 'misblaming,' to coin a word, of the video showed terrorist groups that not only can they attack Americans, but they can do so without fear of punishment … or even of blame! As the House of Representatives’ hearings show, the misattribution of responsibility also delayed the FBI’s investigation, perhaps conclusively so.

– "The exercise of American power has been the cause of America’s problems, not an excess of appeasement...

– "The solution to these Middle East conflicts required a change in U.S. policies in order to avoid further offense. This meant distancing from Israel and even historic Arab allies, showing respect and encouragement even for “moderate” Islamist movements, and other measures.

"In short, this is the stance of blaming America and exonerating its enemies that has seized hold of the national consciousness. Of course, parallel responses met the Boston bombing, as the mass media and academics scrambled to give alternative explanations to the terrorists’ motives.

"The truth is, however, extremely simple: the United States faces a revolutionary Islamist movement that will neither go away nor moderate itself.

"To understand this movement and its ideology, how it is and is not rooted in Islam, its weaknesses and divisions, the forces willing to help combat it, and the ways to devise strategies to battle it is the prime international need for the moment. It is as necessary to do these things for revolutionary Islamism today as it was to do the same things regarding Nazism in the 1930s and 1940s and for communism in the 1940s and 1950s.

"Yet the U.S. armed forces and other institutions are forbidden from holding this inquiry."

http://pjmedia.com/barryrubin/2013/05/09/why-the-benghazi-issue-is-overwhelmingly-important/

~~~~~~~~~~

I do not know if Rubin had in mind the case of Lt. Col. Matthew Dooley when he wrote this last sentence.  But perhaps not coincidentally, at the same time that I read Rubin's article, I encountered information about Dooley's very disturbing situation.

Lt. Col. Allen West (ret.) served one term as a Congressman from FL, and then lost his re-election bid in what has been seen by some as dubious circumstances.  Congressman West has moved on to a new venture: Next Generation TV.  West has just run a program on what happened to Lt. Col. Dooley.   See the genuinely frightening story here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8HlL1zQZtg8&feature=youtu.be

This merits your careful attention.

~~~~~~~~~~

And let me end with end with this information, provided by Lori Lowenthal Marcus, on the IRS punishing conservative non-profits in the US:

http://www.jewishpress.com/news/irs-punished-conservative-non-profits-perhaps-also-pro-israel-groups/2013/05/11/0/

~~~~~~~~~~

© Arlene Kushner. This material is produced by Arlene Kushner, functioning as an independent journalist. Permission is granted for it to be reproduced only with proper attribution. 

If it is reproduced and emphasis is added, the fact that it has been added must be noted.

http://arlenefromisrael.squarespace.com/current-postings/2013/5/12/may-12-2013-calling-your-attention.html
 

Yesterday, during an AFSI reception at the Knesset, Deputy Minister of Transportation Tzipi Hotovely (Likud) shared her intentions to fight for the right of Jews to pray on Har Habayit (the Temple Mount).

While at a celebratory plenum session of the Knesset, Speaker of the Knesset Yuli Edelstein (Likud) expressed the hope that the issue of Jewish prayer on Har Habayit would be resolved by the next Yom Yerushalayim:

"All of us must make sure that the city of three religions, which we are proud of for having freedom of worship, should be open to every Jew in every place that they want to pray."

And the Knesset Internal Affairs Committee held a special meeting about Har Habayit in honor of Yom Yerushalayim.  Elhanan Glatt, director general of the Ministry of Religious Services, told the Committee that his office was examining ways to arrange for Jewish prayer on Har Habayit.

Credit: Bibleplaces

~~~~~~~~~~

Yes, and yes!  Jewish prayer on Har Habayit. Enough voices speaking out so that one begins to hope that maybe, maybe at long last there will be action.

It's such a no-brainer -- that Jews should be able to pray at the place that is holiest for them, the site of the Temples.  And an outrage of such immense proportions that we Jews cannot pray there.

~~~~~~~~~~

There is, of course, a convoluted history to this situation, as there often is with what goes on here.  No matter what their claims, the issue for Muslims regarding Jewish prayer on Har Habayit is political and not religious.

If Israel were not a power with which they contend, you think they'd care if Jews prayed there?  For a long time, before Israel liberated Har Habayit, the Muslims paid it little heed.  Their holiest city is Mecca, with Medina second.  But let Jews have it?? Never.

Perhaps the comment by MK Ibrahim Sasour (United Arab List -Ta'al) during yesterday's Knesset Internal Affairs Committee meeting says it all: 

"Jews in Israel need to understand that one day Jerusalem will return to Palestinians and Muslims.  The solution is to maintain the status quo."

~~~~~~~~~~

MK Moshe Feiglin (Likud), Deputy Speaker of the Knesset, explained the situation:

"The Wakf's problem isn't prayer, but the sovereign symbolism of prayer.  As far as they are concerned, [Jewish prayer] eats away at the total Muslim rule over the Temple Mount."  (Wakf = Islamic trust, an administrative body)

~~~~~~~~~~ 

"Total Muslim rule over the Temple Mount" in a Jerusalem that is under Israeli sovereignty?

Very quickly after we liberated Har Habayit in 1967, Defense Minister Moshe Dayan made an exceedingly foolish decision.  Meeting with members of the (Jordanian-controlled) Islamic Wakf, he ceded day to day administrative control of the Mount to the Muslims.  This was done, presumably, as a "good-will gesture," (a loaded term) following the war.

Whatever Dayan's "good-will" in the matter, and hopes of cementing good relations with the Arabs, it has to be noted that he was not a religious man. Thus, he viewed Har Habayit as having "historical" significance and not religious -- his own words make this clear.  For him, personally, a Jewish presence on the Mount had limited import.

"Day to day administrative control" does not mean sovereignty, however. This was retained by Israel. And this is what is constantly being undermined by the Wakf, which acts as if it does have full sovereignty there.

~~~~~~~~~~

Part of Dayan's mistake was in assuming that there would be an appreciative attitude on the part of the Muslim Arabs for what he had acceded, and that they would sit with Israel in a cooperative spirit.  He did not understand the Arab mentality, did not anticipate what was going to transpire, and did not imagine, certainly, that the Muslims on the Mount would do everything they could to destroy archeological artifacts that document the ancient Jewish presence there.  Dayan greatly valued such artifacts.

At any rate, Dayan did not permit the Israeli flag to fly on the Mount (stupid, stupid, stupid) and was opposed to Jewish prayer there.  IDF Chief Rabbi Shlomo Goren attempted to institute prayer, holding a service on the Mount on Tisha B'Av.  Dayan intervened and the status quo of no Jewish prayer on the Mount was on its way to being established.

~~~~~~~~~~

There are, I must note, further complications: Because Har Habayit -- the site of the Temples -- holds special sanctity, and because it cannot be determined with absolute certainty where the Temples stood (in the location of the Dome of the Rock, it is commonly thought), and because there are those who believe that the Shekhinah (presence of the Almighty) still resides there, some rabbis believe it should be forbidden to Jews to ascend to the Mount.  Others maintain that ritual immersion is necessary before ascending.

Certainly, when ascending the Mount, a Jew should be guided so as to avoid walking where it is believed that the Temples once stood.

It is my observation that over time more rabbis have begun to permit ascension to the Mount.  The religious issue cannot be separated from the political one, and the presence of Jews on the Mount in order to establish Jewish rights to this holiest of places is of great importance.

~~~~~~~~~~

The Wakf, when Dayan dealt with it, was Jordanian-controlled, and remained so for many years.  But with the Oslo Accords in 1993, the Palestinian Arabs asserted themselves, gaining further influence over matters. 

Then with the peace treaty with Jordan in 1994, according to the Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs, "Jordan conditioned its signature on inclusion of a clause which gave Amman a preferred status in future Israel-Arab talks about the Temple Mount." ( http://jcpa.org/jpsr/s99-yc.htm )

It is not clear precisely how extensive this "preferred status" is, but this is particularly troublesome.  I have observed instances in which Israeli decisions that impinged even indirectly on Temple Mount issues were influenced by Jordan. 

In particular that was the case with regard to the building of a permanent bridge to the Mughrabi Gate of the Mount.  Israel was going to build that bridge in 2011, and then halted when Jordan protested.  One had to wonder why the prime minister was so intimidated by Jordanian demands -- especially with regard to a gate that approaches the Mount but isn't even on it.

~~~~~~~~~~

For some period of time, I've been told, there were actually two Wakfs -- the Jordanian and the Palestinian Arab, with rivalry between the two.  But very recently the PA acceded authority to Jordan.

And just in the last couple of days, we've seen tension with Jordan over Mount-related issues:

For Yom Yerushalayim, the number of Muslim worshippers on the Mount was limited so that there would be opportunity for Jews to ascend for celebration of the day.  What is more, the Mufti was detained for a period (ultimately not arrested) because of suspicion that he was involved in throwing a chair at Jews on the Mount. 

This so enraged the Jordanians that their Parliament passed a non-binding resolution calling for the Israeli ambassador to be sent back and their ambassador to Israel to be called home.  President Shimon Peres then rushed to reassure them that all agreements on holy sites would be respected, and that we should be friends, etc. etc. 

What he actually said -- "We respect all religions' holy places" -- was meant to assure the Jordanians that Arabs would have access to the Mount.  But it could, however also mean that we will respect OUR rights to Jewish holy places. 

But never mind....

~~~~~~~~~~

As to our Jewish rights to pray on the Mount, the High Court of Justice has upheld that right (#2955/07).  There is a proviso, however, that the police can restrict this right for reasons of security.  What has happened then is that the Israeli police have determined that in order to avoid Arab unrest, riots and who-knows-what, it is better to deny Jews their rights to pray.  It is actually Israeli police who will arrest a Jew who attempts to pray on the Mount.

Would Arabs riot if Jews attempted to pray there regularly?  No doubt, as things stand now.  But there comes a point at which it doesn't matter.  Jews cannot be routinely denied essential rights out of fear of what the Arabs will do, or say about us.  This must be worked out, or confronted. 

~~~~~~~~~~

This issue of asserting Jewish rights on Har Habayit is only one of several involving our sovereignty in the land of Israel.  I will be returning to this topic again and again.

Before moving on to other subjects, however, I want to tell a short, related story:

I mentioned above the special meeting yesterday of the Knesset Internal Affairs Committee.  Before the Committee began its business, a short film in honor of Yom Yerushalayim was played, which showed the liberation of Har Habayit by Israeli paratroopers in 1967.

Some Arab Knesset members who were present grew incensed, saying that the film was "insulting," and demanding that it be stopped. 

When I first learned of this story, via a news report, it was not clear if their demand was met.  I investigated, and learned, to my considerable relief, that it was not, and that, in fact, Jewish MKs turned and yelled at the Arabs.

~~~~~~~~~~

I won't deal here with the issue of what Arabs who think thus are doing in the Israeli Knesset.  I simply want to use this incident to demonstrate the chutzpa of Israeli Arab so-called leadership.  Their attitude, as reflected here, is not unusual.      

And this permits me to make a very significant point that is often lost:

Jews have NATIONAL rights in Israel. Political rights.  For Israel is a Jewish state.  Arabs, as Israeli citizens, have individual rights: Civil rights, human rights, religious rights. They do NOT have national rights, rights as a people.  But, deliberately confusing the issue, they often act as if they do.

~~~~~~~~~~

Yesterday, when writing about the freeze that the prime minister is apparently instituting at some level, I mentioned that Deputy Defense Minister Danny Danon had said, the day prior, that he hadn't heard of any freeze. 

Yesterday, in a public gathering, Danny Danon said, "We must unfreeze the freeze."  Ooooh...

I was not there, but I spoke with highly reliable sources that had heard him.  The irony for me was that he was making this statement at just about the same time that I was writing in my posting that he said there was no freeze.  So quickly did his position shift, so quickly is this situation shifting.

The full parameters of what Netanyahu has instructed or intends are still not clear -- although the JPost is now reporting that what is involved are tenders for public housing projects in four communities in Judea and Samaria: Efrat, Ariel, Givat Ze’ev and Karnei Shomron. 

Nor is it clear how Danon would like to go about unfreezing the freeze. 

~~~~~~~~~~

The good news, as reported by the JPost, is this:
The Defense Ministry on Wednesday approved for deposit plans for the construction of 296 homes in the West Bank settlement of Beit El with the Higher Planning Council of Judea and Samaria.

The Civil Administration must now advertise the plans in a newspaper, after which begins a 60-day period for the public to register objections, before the plans receive final approval from the council...

"Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu promised to build the homes in June, as part of a deal reached with 33 families living in the Ulpana outpost located at the outskirts of the settlement, whose homes were slated for demolition as the result of a High Court of Justice ruling.

"The settlers agreed to leave their homes without physical resistance, in exchange for a pledge by government officials to build 296 new homes."

http://www.jpost.com/Diplomacy-and-Politics/Plans-deposited-for-296-new-settlers-homes-in-Beit-El-312606

Defense Minister Moshe Ya'alon will have to sign off on this, but I do not anticipate this as a problem.

~~~~~~~~~~

This news about building follows other news of 90 units in Beit El that have been fully cleared for construction.  This is also part of the Ulpana compensation package.

~~~~~~~~~~

I really don't want to make too much of Steven Hawking's decision to boycott Israel. But this information is worth sharing:

“Hawking’s decision to join the boycott of Israel is quite hypocritical for an individual who prides himself on his whole intellectual accomplishment. His whole computer-based communications system runs on a chip designed by Israel’s Intel team. I suggest if he truly wants to pull out of Israel he should also pull out his Intel Core i7 from his tablet,” said Nitsana Darshan-Leitner of Shurat HaDin, an Israeli law center that represents victims of terrorism. 

"Hawking, 71, has suffered from motor neuron disease for the past 50 years, and relies on a computer-based system to communicate." Darshan-Leitner says the equipment has been supplied by Intel in Israel since 1997.

http://pjmedia.com/tatler/2013/05/09/hypocritical-hawkings-boycotts-israel-but-depends-on-israeli-technology/

~~~~~~~~~~  

© Arlene Kushner. This material is produced by Arlene Kushner, functioning as an independent journalist. Permission is granted for it to be reproduced only with proper attribution. 

If it is reproduced and emphasis is added, the fact that it has been added must be noted.

http://arlenefromisrael.squarespace.com/current-postings/2013/5/9/may-9-2013-hold-fast-to-the-hope.html

Credit: JerusalemShots

May we never forget the blessing that has been restored to us.  This is a time for prayers of gratitude for the gift of this city, which truly is the soul of the Jewish people.

The Jerusalem Day parade leads people through the streets of the city and into the Old City for dancing with flags at the Kotel:

Credit: IsraelHayom

~~~~~~~~~~

In celebration of the unification of Jerusalem:

http://www.aish.com/jw/j/90565359.html

~~~~~~~~~~

On the 28th of Iyar, the third day of the Six Day War, when Lt. Gen. Motta Gur. IDF Chief of Staff -- and the paratroopers he led in the capture of the Old City -- reached the Temple Mount, he sent out a message:

"Har Habayit b’yadenu! Ani chozer: Har Habayit b’yadenu! 

"The Temple Mount is in our hands! I repeat, the Temple Mount is in our hands!"

Credit: Flickr

You can hear an historic recording of this event, which includes prayers by Rabbi Shlomo Goren, IDF Chief Rabbi -- including prayers for those soldiers who fell in taking the city and a Shehechayanu, prayer of thanksgiving for reaching that day -- and shofar blasts. 

Credit: UnitedwithIsrael

A translated transcript is provided:

http://israelperspectives.blogspot.com/2006/05/jerusalem-day-broadcast-of-liberation.html

~~~~~~~~~~

Today my prayer is that every Jew should take to heart the meaning of "Har Habayit b'yadenu! "

~~~~~~~~~~

In the 3,000 years since King David first made Jerusalem his capital, the only time it was divided was during the 19 years that Jordan controlled eastern Jerusalem following the War of Independence. 

When Israel liberated that part of the city, Jerusalem was reunited -- never, ever to be divided again.

The myth is that "east" Jerusalem is "Arab."  But this only appeared to be the case because Jordan rendered it Judenrein -- not only banishing all Jews, but destroying synagogues and desecrating cemeteries.  The reality is that the very heart of ancient Jewish heritage is in the eastern part of the city.

~~~~~~~~~~

Today, almost half of the population of eastern Jerusalem -- more than 225,00 people -- is Jewish.  Any notion of being able to divide the city -- with western Jerusalem for the Jews, and eastern Jerusalem for the Arabs, is pure nonsense.

In fact, the notion that the Palestinian Arabs have a legitimate claim to any part of Jerusalem is equally nonsense.  And let it be clearly understood:  They say they want the eastern part of the city for their capital.  But a serious analysis of statements made by the Palestinian Authority makes it clear that they intend to have all of the city.

We made a grievous error, in turning over the daily administration of the Temple Mount to the Muslim Wakf after we had liberated it. Let there be no more mistakes.

To surrender the very heart of Jewish heritage would be to seriously weaken our national resolve, and to rob us of our deepest purpose. And don't imagine the Arabs are not aware of this. 

Under no circumstances may Jerusalem be divided.

~~~~~~~~~~

Any so-called Jewish leader or thinker or writer, whether here in Israel or outside, who proposes such a division -- imagining it to be somehow necessary either in the interests of "peace" or to satisfy international demands -- does a serious disservice to Am Yisrael and the State of Israel.  Such a move would serve only to weaken the Jewish people and to subvert the cause of true peace.

~~~~~~~~~~

Almost immediately after the city was reunited, a law was passed for the protection of holy places; it reads:

"The Holy Places shall be protected from desecration and any other violation and from anything likely to violate the freedom of access of the members of the different religions to the places sacred to them or their feelings with regard to those places..." 

It must be noted that only under Israeli sovereignty will Christian holy places in Jerusalem be guarded.   

In July 1980, the Knesset passed the Jerusalem Law, declaring, "Jerusalem, complete and united, is the capital of Israel."  Eastern Jerusalem is indivisibly part of the capital.

~~~~~~~~~~

If you have never visited Jerusalem, I urge you to do so.  There is no way to truly value her in your heart without knowing her. When you come, be sure to take a tour of the ancient Jewish sites in eastern Jerusalem.

Of course, the Kotel, and the tunnel adjacent, and the nearby archeological gardens. And go up on the Mount -- an important thing to do -- with a guide.

Not to be missed, as well, is Ir David -- the City of David, outside the city walls. This is the original ancient city, and archeologists regularly uncover new evidence of life there:

But it doesn't end with these sites. A guide can show you old Jewish neighborhoods, and much more. 

See www.keepjerusalem.org .

~~~~~~~~~~

Im eshkachech:

If I forget thee, O Jerusalem, let my right hand lose its cunning; let my tongue cleave to the roof of my mouth, if I do not set Jerusalem above my greatest joy.

From Psalm 137

~~~~~~~~~~

Ya'akov Shwekey singing Im Eshkachech: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YJBJnOO7Eck

~~~~~~~~~~

Celebrations were held last night at the Mercaz Harav Kook Yeshiva in Jerusalem.  One of those who spoke was Defense Minister Moshe Ya'alon, who said:

"We build Jerusalem physically and spiritually. It is the duty of our generation to protect Jerusalem, keep it, develop it and build it. One does not divide one’s soul." (Emphasis added)

~~~~~~~~~~

Trade Minister Naftali Bennett (Habayit Hayehudi) also spoke, and he said (emphasis added):

"In recent days we hear about initiatives from the Saudis and from America. Some say openly that they are in favor of splitting Jerusalem. I have an argument with them, and I will never give in when it comes to this argument! But there are also these 'invisible divisors' - those who say they are against the division of Jerusalem, but they are in favor of a Palestinian state. These 'invisible divisors' are against the splitting of Jerusalem, but they freeze construction in our capital city.

"These invisible divisors do not tell us that they will cause us to give up the Temple Mount and the Old City – which are the heart of the Jewish people – and a heart is indivisible. And I ask all these invisible divisors: Excuse me, but where exactly will be the capital of the Palestinian state be? In Jericho? In Bethlehem? In Berlin?

"Already when President Obama visited here I said that a nation cannot be an occupier in its own country, and I say now that a nation cannot be an occupier in its own capital. We are not occupying Jerusalem. Jerusalem is ours! Jerusalem belongs to my grandfather’s grandfather and to my grandson's grandson. Neither I nor anyone else has the right to split it."

http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/167825 

~~~~~~~~~~

How I wish that on this day, there would be nothing to fill this post but rejoicing about Jerusalem.  But wishing does not make it so.  

I mention here matters of concern, to which I will return for further discussion.  The very first was alluded to by Bennett, above, when he spoke about "'invisible divisors' [who] freeze construction in our capital city." 

It has come from a multiplicity of sources that our prime minister is instituting some sort of building freeze past the Green Line. None of this is confirmed in its details, but the fact that something is going on seems very likely -- and is deeply disconcerting, indeed, infuriating, if so. 

Part of the problem in verifying this information is that we're being told that Netanyahu is giving instructions not to put out tenders for construction (invitations for contractors to bid on jobs). This means that construction already begun will continue: there will not be a freeze on this.  Not putting out tenders would mean that in the future there would not be any new construction contracted. 

Today Army Radio reported that Netanyahu had instructed House Minister Uri Ariel (Habayit Hayehudi) regarding the tenders for construction projects in certain Judea and Samaria communities.  When asked about this, Ariel is reported to have responded that he does not talk about private discussions between himself and the prime minister.  This is hardly a denial. I consider Ariel one of the good guys, and I ask, what is going on? 

~~~~~~~~~~ 

Deputy Defense Minister Danny Danon was subsequently quoted by Army Radio as saying that he was unaware of any silent freeze on housing: 

"The Prime Minister clearly said that he is willing to negotiate, but without preconditions, and a silent freeze is a precondition."

 Yea, yea. But what the prime minister says and what he does are not always the same thing, are they?

Then PLO chief negotiator Saeb Erekat told Maan, the Palestinian Arab news agency, that the PLO had not been informed of any change in "Israel’s colonial plans."

http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=593212

But Justice Minister Livni is scheduled to meet with Secretary of State Kerry in Rome today.

~~~~~~~~~~

The situation to our north is also deeply worrisome:

Three shells from Syria have hit in the Golan in the course of 24 hours.  It is believed that these were strays from the on-going civil war and were not deliberately aimed at Israel.  But Minister of Defense Ya'alon has made it clear, once again, that the IDF has a policy of immediately responding to such shelling whenever the source can be identified.

Israel, he said, is not "interfering in the Syrian civil war, but we've warned what our interests are, and we have called it 'red lines,' whether it's transferring quality weapons to a terrorist organization or violating our sovereignty along the border.

"...We will act to protect the security of Israel," he warned, and any Syrian cross-fire will be answered.  Forces in the north are under orders to return fire without seeking approval.  "Should they identify the source of fire, they will destroy it."

~~~~~~~~~~

More significant are reports of Assad's possible intentions towards Israel right now. 

He continues to make noise about the attacks on Iranian weaponry, without taking direct action -- that is not the problem.  Rather, Assad is considering permitting Palestinian Arabs in Syria to attack in the Golan.  Khalid Abd al-Majid, secretary-general of the Palestinian Popular Struggle Front, has said that his faction will be meeting with Syrian authorities about this.

http://www.jpost.com/Defense/Report-Syria-to-permit-Palestinians-to-attack-from-Golan-312365

This might set a precedent for allowing other radical groups -- stronger or better armed than the Palestinian Front -- to enter the Israeli Golan.  Assad has scrupulously guarded against this possibility until now. But should his policy change, the IDF would be immediately and necessarily more involved.

~~~~~~~~~~

Peacekeepers from a Philippine battalion of the U.N. Disengagement Observer Force, were seized near al Jamlah, by Yarmouk Martyrs Brigade, part of the Free Syrian Army -- clearly not from the Army's secular arm.

~~~~~~~~~~

The US and Russia are now said to be advancing an international conference to address the situation in Syria.  I'm sure the speeches at a conference will have a huge effect.

~~~~~~~~~~

It is good that Prime Minister Netanyahu went to China, primarily, as I read it, to forge an enhanced trade relationship. But...  

While he was there, so was the PA's Abbas.  And the Chinese greeted him with a "four point peace plan" based on the '67 lines, and the capital in eastern Jerusalem.  So what else is new?

~~~~~~~~~~

A Turkish negotiating contingent was just here to finalize arrangements for compensation that Israel will provide with regard to the Mavi Marmari incident.  Reports are that it went well and that -- surprise! -- after this is achieved there may be an exchange of ambassadors.

The diplomatic/security situation requires a closer relationship between Israel and Turkey. But it remains pro forma for Turkish diplomats to attack Israel.  Erdogan -- participating in a very large club --just issued criticism of Israel's alleged attack on Iranian weapons in Syria.  Such hypocrisy, when Iranian weapons in Syria make him very uncomfortable.

~~~~~~~~~~

Steven Hawking, world renown British theoretical physicist, has just demonstrated just how stupid someone exceeding brilliant can be:  According to the Guardian today, he has decided not to attend a conference to be hosted by President Shimon Peres here in Jerusalem, as a protest of the way Israel treats the Palestinians.  He was to headline the conference, scheduled for next month, but pulled out on the unanimous advice of his British academic associates. 

I would venture to say he knows next to nothing about the political/security realities here, and I point my finger at the British academic community, whose position comes as no surprise.  The Guardian says Hawkings has been bombarded with an intense campaign by backers of the boycott against Israel.  Regrettably, he serves as their unwitting tool.

~~~~~~~~~~

© Arlene Kushner. This material is produced by Arlene Kushner, functioning as an independent journalist. Permission is granted for it to be reproduced only with proper attribution. 

If it is reproduced and emphasis is added, the fact that it has been added must be noted.

http://arlenefromisrael.squarespace.com/current-postings/2013/5/8/may-6-2013-the-eternal-city.html

A Syrian government official has indicated that Syria would not be responding "immediately:  "Syria will respond to the Israeli aggression and will choose the moment to do so. It might not be immediate because Israel now is on high alert.  We will wait but we will answer."

It has been suggested that statements by Israel regarding the need to prevent Iranian weaponry from making its way to Hezbollah provides a possible out for Syria. While indeed, the strikes were on Syrian soil, they weren't intended as attacks on Syria -- which would require a response. 

~~~~~~~~~~

The situation with Hezbollah is somewhat more complex, and there has certainly been some saber-rattling, with talk about responding to aggression.  However, according to YNet:

"Lebanese media published Monday that certain circles within Hezbollah say that there is a need to wait before setting any position beyond condemnation."

Said one operative who was cited: "'The situation is sensitive and there cannot be any quick steps against the aggression due to the sensitivity of the matter, and since a response is related to contacts and consultations between Syria, Iran. Hezbollah and Russia." 

http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4376769,00.html

~~~~~~~~~~

Not certain how significant this is, but I found some of the Times of Israel reporting on the Syrian response to the attacks, from a purely non-governmental perspective, to be interesting.

Yesterday I had written that even among people you might intuitively think would be glad that Israel had hit, the need for a politically correct stance was so strong that there was criticism across the board.  But the Times has found exceptions to this:

"Israel is still my enemy -- but when my enemy does a neat job, I admit it," wrote one commentator cited by the Times. 

Another wrote: "I’m sorry, but I can’t make up my mind between the Syrian army and the Israeli. The latter never harmed me, but the Arab inside me hates it; whereas everything inside me hates the former."

http://www.timesofisrael.com/israel-strikes-a-blow-to-conventional-arab-thinking/

Dare we derive even a modicum of hope for the future from such messages?

~~~~~~~~~~

Repeatedly I'm seeing analysis suggesting that what Israel has done puts pressure on Obama to also act in Syria.  And it is this that I would like to focus on here.

Last Thursday, in "The Flip Side," I wrote:

"Israeli interests here are not the same as US interests.  This is a critical point...the Israeli red line is not Assad's use of such weapons against his people but the transfer of...weapons to terrorist groups that might use them against us...." 

I expressed confidence then that Israel would act in this regard as it was perceived necessary, and, indeed, that is precisely what happened.

But Obama?  Precisely what would be his goal, were he to decide to act in a significant way now? 

Would he send in major contingents of ground troops to secure all non-conventional weapons identified by intelligence and currently controlled by Assad troops -- because his goal is to prevent the use of gas? 

Would he seek to bomb Assad sufficiently so that he would be deterred from or rendered incapable of continuing to kill his own people -- because that would be his essential goal? 

That would mean, essentially, taking Assad down.  And if he were to do that, what would he then need to do to assure that radicals didn't seize control?

~~~~~~~~~~

My point here, which is essentially the point I made last week, is that there may be little Obama can do now that would be constructive.  Even, I wrote last week, providing armaments to non-jihadist rebels from the Free Syria Army might simply prolong the war without providing this Army the means to genuinely secure the country.  They are fighting a force that is backed by Iran and Hezbollah and Russia.

What is more, the nature of the rebel forces has changed over time, as they have become infiltrated by Islamists.  Thus, if assistance via weaponry and training did make it possible for rebel forces to take down Assad, the net result would not be positive.  It is reasonable to expect that the radicals would gain control, probably even seizing weapons meant for secular rebels.

I am not trying to give Obama a pass here.  I think he blew it big time and that he has a great deal to answer for.  Had he acted decisively early in the civil war, providing significant support to secular rebels, the outcome might have been reasonably constructive. But he dithered, and dithered...and we see what the situation is now.

Thus I suggest that, at this point, the pundits who say Obama should finally DO something should first analyze precisely what they think he should be doing and what outcome they might expect from this action.

~~~~~~~~~~

Col. (ret.) Dr. Jacques Neriah has written a briefing for the Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs entitled "Stalemate in the Syrian Civil War" (emphasis added):

"On the second anniversary of the Syrian civil war, those who hurriedly announced the demise of the Assad regime realize that the existing power structures are strong enough to endure a war of attrition with the rebels...

"The coalition of minorities around Assad has not disintegrated and the pillars of the regime remain in place. Assad has proved that he has the resolve to conduct effective campaigns against the rebels in a very hostile international environment, while continuing to rule and provide for the daily life of the population under his control...

"The United States and Europe face an impossible dilemma: on the one hand, they would like Assad to fall; on the other, they do not want an Islamist regime that is worse than the ones that succeeded Mubarak in Egypt and Ben-Ali in Tunisia...

"The same dilemma confronts Israel. On the one hand, Jerusalem would like to see an end to the Iranian-led 'axis of evil.' On the other, the prospect of a militant Islamic regime, linked to al-Qaeda and possessing the Syrian military arsenal, is a nightmare Jerusalem cannot live with..."

http://jcpa.org/article/stalemate-in-the-syrian-civil-war/

~~~~~~~~~~

This truly is a "no-win" situation.  There will be no "Spring" in Syria, with democracy and freedom bursting out all over.  There will not even be relative stability for some long time to come.

What we need to keep in mind is that some possible resolutions are decidedly more horrendous than others.  Before there is intervention, all parameters and all potential consequences must be seriously considered.  As in medicine, the by-word must be, "First do no harm."  

~~~~~~~~~~

I recommend "The Fourth Great War," an incisive analysis on this subject, with a different slant, by Shoshana Bryen of the Jewish Policy Center (emphasis added):

She tells us that in this war we are confronting a battle of "Sunni expansionists vs. Shiite expansionists":

"Neither is an appealing partner for the United States in the region, and neither has a natural claim on our politics or our interests. For reasons having to do with Iran itself, the U.S. will not choose to support Iranian-backed Shiites. However, Sunni expansionists are simply no better; Saudi and Qatari-supported Islamists run from the unacceptable Muslim Brotherhood to the even more unacceptable Wahabis, al Qaeda or Jabhat al Nusra – it is like a choice between cancer and a heart attack.

"...If American policy in Syria seems feckless, it is because it is feckless.

"...The administration's policy on Syria has been a series of visceral reactions to graphic events and horrific casualties, offset by a gigantic distaste for confrontation. Without a definition of America's strategic interests, such as a defeat for both Iran and the Sunni jihadists, the chance remains that America might be dragged into another front in the Fourth Great War. A war in which neither side is our friend."

http://www.jewishpolicycenter.org/4230/the-fourth-great-war

~~~~~~~~~~

Hopefully, onward in my next posting to a host of other issues.

But here, please, take a look at this unusual article.  It tells a great deal about who we are, and who the Arabs in Gaza are:

http://www.israelhayom.com/site/newsletter_article.php?id=9055

~~~~~~~~~~

© Arlene Kushner. This material is produced by Arlene Kushner, functioning as an independent journalist. Permission is granted for it to be reproduced only with proper attribution. 

If it is reproduced and emphasis is added, the fact that it has been added must be noted.

http://arlenefromisrael.squarespace.com/current-postings/2013/5/6/may-6-2012-following-through.html

Israel officials -- government and military -- have repeatedly said that we will not permit a situation in Syria in which "game changing" weaponry -- whether WMD or missiles -- is passed to terrorist forces.  And we have shown, again and again that we do mean what we say and are willing to act on it.  In the last few days, we've apparently (shall we say, "allegedly") demonstrated this not once, but twice.

Because -- as would be expected! -- there is no official report from Israeli sources, I cannot provide precise information on what was (allegedly) entailed.  Along with everyone else, I am relying on secondary sources -- US and other foreign media -- which secure their information in a variety of ways; and an unnamed Israeli official speaking off the record, after the news broke in foreign media. Many of these sources are referenced in Israeli media.  Not all agree on particulars. 

However, while it cannot be confirmed, that we have hit in Syria seems fairly certain. 

~~~~~~~~~~

The first hit came very late Thursday night or early Friday morning.  It was reportedly accomplished from Lebanese airspace, it is believed without entry into Syrian airspace.

According to Israel National News, pairs of Israeli planes entered Lebanese airspace three times, each time remaining for two to three hours.

http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/167698

According to Reuters, as reported by YNet, Israel's air force possesses so-called "standoff" missiles that, once fired, are able to coast dozens of kilometers across ground to their targets.

http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4375921,00.html

For more information on Israel's standoff missiles, see Haaretz here:

http://www.haaretz.com/news/diplomacy-defense/the-israel-air-force-s-popeye-and-spice-missiles-a-primer.premium-1.519290/

~~~~~~~~~~

The most specific information -- which was cited extensively elsewhere -- came from yesterday's NYTimes, which reported that what was hit were Iranian surface-to-surface missiles -- Fateh 110 missiles, which carry a 600 kg. warhead, have considerable accuracy, and can reach most of Israel from southern Lebanon -- that were being stored at the airport in Damascus and were likely due to be transferred to Hezbollah; the warehouse where they were held was believed to be under the control of Hezbollah and Iran's Quds forces.

~~~~~~~~~~

Citing foreign sources, who received information from Syrian rebel intelligence, YNet today also reported that a convoy that was in the process of transferring weapons to Hezbollah was hit on the road between Damascus and Beirut -- in three separate strikes by Israeli F-16s, pictured below.  Again, it is thought that these attacks were initiated from Lebanese airspace.  And it may well be that the reference by Israel National News to sets of planes entering Lebanese airspace refers to these attacks, as well as the attack on the airport in Damascus.  We might call these two prongs of one attack.

Credit: AFP/Jack Guez

There was some thought that what was hit in the convoy were anti-aircraft missiles, but the best estimate seems to be that in this attack, as well, it was surface-to-surface missiles that were taken out.

~~~~~~~~~~

Now very early this morning, there were media reports of major explosions near Damascus, as a military research center in Jamraya was attacked by rockets, with possible hits on two nearby sites as well -- an ammunition depot and Republican Guard battalions. 

At Jamraya, also, it is believed that Iranian missiles were targeted, but it seems less clear at the moment whether Israeli jets may have entered Syrian airspace.

If the name Jamraya rings a bell it's because Israel hit there in January of this year. 

Referred to as a "scientific research center," this is a site of major military significance, where research is done and weapons are stored; its location near the Lebanese border makes transfer of weaponry easier.

For more on Jamraya: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-22421732

~~~~~~~~~~

Last night a Cabinet meeting was called to discuss the situation, and for the first time there was official comment of sorts:

In a couple of different venues, Deputy Defense Minister Danny Danon said, "The State of Israel is protecting its interests and will continue doing so. I am not confirming or denying the reports...We have said on various occasions in the past that we will do everything anywhere in order to protect those interests."

http://www.haaretz.com/news/diplomacy-defense/live-blog-israel-launches-second-syria-strike-in-two-days-sources-say-1.519250

Another Security Cabinet meeting was held this afternoon.

~~~~~~~~~~

In the end, the precise process by which we accomplished the attacks, and the precise armaments that have been destroyed, are less important than the fact that we did act, and successfully.

The message being sent to Syria and Hezbollah, and by extension to Iran, is considerable.  In fact, the most important message is to Iran, with regard to our meaning it when we speak about Red Lines. 

At first, I read disclaimers by Syria and Iran saying they had no information on an Israeli attack. That's one way to attempt to handle matters.  No need to respond if nothing happened.

But in more recent hours there have been threats from both quarters:  Syrian Information Minister Omran Zoabi says Israeli air strikes against targets outside of Damascus "opens the door to all possibilities."  And Syria's Deputy Foreign Minister Faisal al Mekdad told CNN that the attack on a Syrian facility near Damascus is a "declaration of war."  While Lebanese media quoted Seyed Hassan Firouzabadi, the chief of staff of the Iranian armed forces, as saying: "Resistance forces will respond to the Israeli aggression… Iran will not allow to Israel destabilize the region."

The IAF is carefully monitoring our northern skies, which have been closed to civilian air traffic, and we are on alert more broadly.

But as far as Syria is concerned, I do not believe there will be a direct attack.  Assad may be ruthless and amoral, but he's not irrational or stupid.  His resources are sorely depleted, and if he wants his regime to survive, he will not take on a new battle with a stronger enemy.

~~~~~~~~~~

Nor do I believe that Iran would attempt to hit Israel directly now.  But in this instance, use of its proxy Hezbollah is a possibility (the threat by the Iranian chief of staff did come via Lebanon) -- although I suspect there is only a small possibility with regard to a direct missile attack.  Here, too, we are looking at an entity that is somewhat weakened and depleted.  Hezbollah forces are in Syria fighting, and Shia/Sunni tensions have generated a downward spiral for Hezbollah. 

See: http://www.worldaffairsjournal.org/blog/michael-j-totten/beginning-end-hezbollah .

More on Hezbollah soon.

~~~~~~~~~~

President Obama, while saying that it is not his position to verify whether it was Israel that hit in Syria, was quick to say that Israel has a right to act to ensure that sophisticated weapons don't reach Hezbollah.

My own guess is that this man who prefers not to act himself, and still hasn't even decided whether to send arms to the Free Syrian Army, is delighted that Israel is acting.

~~~~~~~~~~

True to form, UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon, who should be shipped out permanently, has taken his standard line:  He is "gravely concerned" about the news of possible Israeli strikes in Syria, and he urges respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity.  The head of the international agency that has turned a blind eye to the deaths of 70,000 Syrians has nothing to say with regard to what Israel does.

What both fascinates and bewilders me (it shouldn't, I know) is that criticizing Israel is so politically correct in certain Muslim/Arab circles that it proceeds even when doing so is counterintuitive. Rebel forces have come out with criticism, when they should be delighted at anything that weakens Assad.  But welcome an attack by Israel and appear to be -- shock! -- on the same side?  Never.   

The Arab League has issued a condemnation of Israel's actions -- and specifically, it should be noted, have Egypt and Turkey, both supporters of Syrian rebel forces, done so.

~~~~~~~~~~

After a delay of some hours generated by the situation with Syria, PM Netanyahu has flown to China, where there will be discussions regarding Iranian issues and economic ones.  A visit with major implications. 

In his stead, Defense Minister Moshe Ya'alon is acting prime minister.

~~~~~~~~~~
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What I cited yesterday was what he himself emphasized, and what I felt was most important to share. But I would be remiss if I didn't also allude to this.

What he said was: "I want to solve the conflict with the Palestinians because I don't want a binational state."

http://news.yahoo.com/netanyahu-wants-deal-prevent-binational-state-181450882.html

What this implies is that, if the Palestinian Arabs in Judea and Samaria are not separated from our population via a state of their own, they will ultimately be absorbed into Israel, affecting the Jewish nature of the state.

It is an argument used by some who are promoting a Palestinian Arab state and it is thus disconcerting to hear it coming from our prime minister.

~~~~~~~~~~

What I wish to emphasize is that his position here is simplistic and not well founded.  Thinking on this issue remains frozen in that same either/or box and it's unfortunate that he did not offer more creative or dynamic thinking. 

There is, first of all, a body of opinion regarding the demographics of the region that indicates that even if Israel were a sovereign state across all of Judea and Samaria, its Jewish population would remain solidly in the majority. 

See Yoram Ettinger, on "Defying demographic projections":

http://www.israelhayom.com/site/newsletter_opinion.php?id=3913

To begin with, the PA has over-estimated its population by about a million (via double-counting of population and more). And then, projections for Arab growth are based on inflated expectations: the Arab birthrate is decreasing significantly, just as the Jewish birthrate is increasing.  Actually the two birthrates are beginning to converge. Add to this the fact that Israeli Jewish population is enhanced by aliyah, while Arabs are leaving the area.  Ettinger sees the possibility of an 80% Jewish majority by 2035.

~~~~~~~~~~

And there are, as well, other potential ways to deal with the issue, and it's time we began considering the alternatives seriously.  One proposal, of many: The Palestinian Arab population might be provided with autonomous enclaves, in which they would determine the parameters of their own civil society -- electing mayors, running schools, etc.  These enclaves would establish significant connections with Jordan -- which has a Palestinian Arab majority now and via which they would be fully enfranchised.

However it might be ultimately worked out -- and it's impossible for me to address all possibilities here -- the presence of Muslim Arabs in Judea and Samaria is not a valid reason to surrender this area, which represents Israel's heritage.

~~~~~~~~~~

Perhaps what struck me as most interesting about the prime minister's statement is that it deviates from his Bar Ilan speech of 2009.  Then he spoke about:

"...two free peoples living side by side in this small land, with good neighborly relations and mutual respect, each with its flag, anthem and government, with neither one threatening its neighbor's security and existence." (Only the violins are lacking here.)

This is the quintessential "two-state" vision, highly idealized and predicated on the notion that the Palestinian Arabs deserve their own flag, their own culture, freedom in their own state, etc. etc. It implies an obligation to the Arabs. 

Now Netanyahu talks about giving them a state in order to divest ourselves of them -- to do it for our sake only.  Is this because he knows how impossible is the vision he laid out a mere three years ago?  Is it because he's tired up to the top of his head with any notion that we owe these corrupt and terror-supporting people anything?

Whatever his rationale, what he has done is erase any suggestion of obligation to the Arabs.  If it can be shown that his argument has holes, there is nothing left for him to stand on.

~~~~~~~~~~

There are, without question, people very nervous about this statement by Netanyahu.  They see in this a slide to the left -- it's a leftist argument, embraced by Livni, for example -- and are afraid that this is meant as a prelude to going to the table.

What mitigates the concern, for me, is my expectation that Abbas is so totally allergic to any notion of negotiating with Israel that, one way or the other, he will sabotage the possibility.  This is not exactly the same as saying I fully trust my prime minister to do what's right for our nation. But I'll take what I can get.  Heaven works in many ways.

I refer to an article by The Tower.  It says that, while the PA assured Kerry that they would postpone any initiatives regarding taking Israel to the International Criminal Court or applying to UN agencies for full membership -- actions which Kerry feared would interfere with his initiative -- they have now reconsidered.   They are telling US officials that this applies only until June 3, and in the interim they demand (demand?) that the US pressure Israel into accepting the 1949 armistice line as the basis for negotiations and submitting a map verifying that understanding.

http://www.thetower.org/palestinians-issue-new-negotiation-ultimatum-despite-u-s-objections/

I have checked this with a highly reliable source who tells me it is true, and that the PA stance may yet change many more times. 

We can only ponder what Kerry must be thinking about all of this.

~~~~~~~~~~

Consider this, as well: The seven Arab nations present as the delegation representing the Arab League in Washington has just agreed to the possibility of minor land swaps in a "peace deal."  But there 21 nations in the Arab League and my information is that this tentative offer still must go back to an Arab League Summit for a final decision.  And if that decision is negative, as is likely the case, then nothing will have changed, no matter the hoopla. 

~~~~~~~~~~

Now, Syria.  What I offer is my own brief, tentative assessment, based on much reading, communication with Arabic-speaking persons in the know, and my own understanding of the situation.

It's a modest attempt to provide a bit of clarity in a situation that is a political morass.  A horror in which there are no good guys and it's quite a trick to figure out who is the least bad.

~~~~~~~~~~

I believe there are certain factors that stand out as givens, all the confusion notwithstanding:

The most obvious is that Obama is all talk and no action.  US forces are not going into Syria, his statements about the "red line" that would be crossed if Assad's troops used gas notwithstanding.  What he's now done is to up the definition of the "red line" -- with requirements of tangible evidence beyond intelligence -- so that it will never be crossed. 

From this, we can readily extrapolate with regard to what Obama means when he says he will never let Iran acquire nuclear weapons.  Consider the difference of opinion between Israel and the US with regard to how late in the process it would be possible to stop Iran.  Netanyahu says it must be during the enrichment process.  Obama says it can go longer, until the stage at which a weapon is about to be assembled.  Imagine him saying, well, we don't really know for sure yet that they are going to assemble a weapon.

~~~~~~~~~~

While we want to imagine -- we feel compelled to believe -- that moral considerations should play a role in how the international community makes decisions regarding Syria, and while there have been many calls for moral action here, the reality is something very different.  Over 70,000 Syrians, including women and children, have been killed in the last two years, and the international community chooses not to intervene.

~~~~~~~~~~

Israeli interests here are not the same as US interests.  This is a critical point.  Israel by itself, sitting at the border of Syria, cannot assume the position of moral arbiter in Syria -- intervening to stop the loss of life.  Whatever our own exceedingly high moral standards in warfare, we are unable to do this and will not do this.  This is properly a US and international responsibility.

Thus, the Israeli red line is not Assad's use of such weapons against his people but the transfer of non-conventional weapons to terrorist groups that might use them against us.  I cannot certify this with absolute certainty, but I do believe the Israeli military will act in this regard if it is perceived as necessary, even if it means going in -- and it is certainly being watched very closely.

~~~~~~~~~~ 

Obama's indecision regarding whether to intervene and, if so, how -- without actually going in -- means that he has missed an opportunity to affect the outcome of the civil war positively.  The rebel forces -- known as the Free Syria Army, actually a coalition of groups -- that are reasonably secular and might have secured a somewhat saner and more democratic regime -- are overwhelmed by radicals now. 

When strengthening the Free Syria Army might have made a decisive difference, Obama dithered, providing some intelligence via the CIA and some training outside of Syria, but withholding arms. Now, in the face of evidence of use of gas by Assad, Obama is thinking about -- but had not yet decided on -- providing arms to the rebels.

There is huge concern about this, particularly among the Israelis.  If such armaments -- being referred to as "lethal supplies" --  are provided to rebels without extreme caution, they will likely end up in the hands of the al-Qaeda associated radicals -- Jabhat al-Nusra, or the Nusra Front --  who are fighting intensely in Syria and are often mingled with the Free Syria group. It may be too late.

~~~~~~~~~~

My own absolute conviction is that the fierceness, deviousness and motivation of the radical group is such that it is likely to assume control of the anti-Assad forces, or to push its way into control of a new regime, should Assad be toppled.

This, my friends, is what concerns Israel the most.  Assad is evil to the core with regard to how he has conducted himself towards his own people.  But he has kept his border with Israel quiet --  actually, I'm being told, taking care that shooting across the border is kept to an absolute minimum.  I'm also being told that it is not his intention to use his non-conventional weapons against Israel.

The al-Qaeda affiliated jihadists would be thrilled to do just that, and would have no compunctions about moving across our border at the Golan to challenge us.

~~~~~~~~~~

This is also what I'm being told:  Assad is not losing the war -- such predictions were premature.

Actually, if Obama supplies weaponry now to the Free Syria rebels, what this may accomplish is a prolonging of the war, with more fatalities, when, in the end they are likely to lose anyway. 

What is more, Assad is now still in control of his cache of non-conventional weapons.  There have been rumors to the contrary, but I'm being told that Hezbollah does not have them.  Russia has a major presence in Syria, which is likely a significant factor in assuring Assad's strength.  I'm being told that they are watching to be certain that WMD are not transferred to the wrong hands.

~~~~~~~~~~

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If it is reproduced and emphasis is added, the fact that it has been added must be noted.

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Yesterday morning, Evyatar Borovsky, 31, was knifed to death by a terrorist at the Tapuach Junction in Samaria.  Borovsky, who lived in near-by Yitzhar, was the father of five, the eldest of whom is seven. 

Credit: CIFWatch

Borovsky was praised at his funeral -- which was attended by thousands -- as an exemplary son, husband, and father, an actor, an intellectual, and a medical clown who loved to make people laugh. 

"My righteous son was killed just for being Jewish," said his father, "and now five children have no father."

In this picture, you see one of his sons mourning him.

Credit: Flash 90

~~~~~~~~~~

Borovsky's murderer, Salam Al-Zaghal, a Palestinian Arab resident of a village near Tulkarem, approached Borovsky from behind; after stabbing him, he grabbed his gun and attempted to escape. He was apprehended following a gun fight. 

According to reports, he had been released from prison just six months ago, after serving time for throwing rocks as well as Molotov cocktails.

~~~~~~~~~~

Speaking of throwing rocks...

Remember little Adelle Biton?  She, her mother and two sisters were all injured in March when her mother lost control of her car after rocks were thrown at its windshield, breaking it.  Adelle was the most seriously injured and remains unconscious.

At first doctors believed her head injury was a result of the car accident, but it has since been determined that a heavy rock hit her head directly.

Credit: photoblog

Just days ago, Adelle reached her third birthday, and the family held a party for her at her bedside, singing to her.  May she have a good life, her mother prayed, "and may she know that there are miracles."

Sometimes it's impossible not to weep.

Pray for her recovery, please: Adelle bat Adva.

~~~~~~~~~~

Times of Israel reports that the Fatah Facebook page has information about Borovsky's murderer, above.  The terrorist is referred to as, "the hero, the released prisoner."

Pictures of the attack were posted on the Facebook page, each one boasting of its "success" and accompanied by wishes for the terrorist's speedy release. Under a portrait of al-Zaghal, with an illustration of an AK-47 rifle beneath his head, was the caption, "Peace be with you the day of your birth, on the day of your imprisonment, and on the day of your freedom."

http://www.timesofisrael.com/fatah-tapuah-junction-stabber-a-hero/

"Israeli security officials estimated that Zaghal’s attack may have been carried out in order to establish his credentials as a loyal Palestinian after his brother was tried by a Palestinian Authority court Monday for allegedly collaborating with Israel." 

Please note this well: "A loyal Palestinian."

~~~~~~~~~~

While from Israel National News we have this:

"Samaria Regional Council head Gershon Mesika criticized the Israeli government following the fatal terrorist attack Tuesday at a junction in Samaria (Shomron).

"'This despicable murder was the direct result of inadequate action on rock-throwing terrorism, of opening the checkpoints, and of treating daily terrorist attacks as "disturbances,"'Mesika accused. [Note: checkpoints are taken down as "good will" gestures -- and I choke even as I write this.]

"One month ago Mesika urged the IDF to begin responding to rock attacks with live fire, and warned that the lack of a harsh response was creating 'anarchy.'

"Sources in the Bayit Yehudi (Jewish Home) Knesset faction joined Mesika in calling Tuesday for a tougher response to terrorism.

“...'When terrorists with blood on their hands are released after just a short time in prison, they understand that murdering a Jew is OK...

"'We call on the government of Israel to start taking the threat of terrorism seriously. Don’t play with terrorists. The murder of Israeli citizens is not a game.'"

http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/167606

~~~~~~~~~~

There was a very tempered response by the Israeli government to the offer by the Arab League to "possibly" consider "minor" land swaps as part of its "Peace Plan." 

It is significant that Netanyahu released no personal statement; the statement came, instead, from his office:

While it said that Israel welcomed the support given by the Arab League delegation and the US Secretary of State to the diplomatic process, it clarified that Israel was prepared to start negotiations immediately without pre-conditions, and expected the PA to similarly refrain from placing pre-conditions on the process.

Netanyahu would not be overtly obstructionist -- would not say that the Arab League plan is not acceptable in any terms because it fails to recognize Israeli rights.  That would simply not be his style, as he prefers to appear to be a player.  But the statement from his office is anything but a wholehearted endorsement of the League position.

In fact, it represents no change in Israel's position: Yes to going to the table, but without pre-conditions. 

And keep reading for more.

~~~~~~~~~~

Today, speaking at a meeting of the National Public Diplomacy Forum at the Foreign Ministry, Netanyahu -- who is acting foreign minister -- said (emphasis added):

"Our top public diplomacy mission is to explain that the root of this conflict is not territorial.  It is over our very existence in any borders whatsoever.

""Day in, day out, and hour by hour, they have been preaching [that Israel has no right to exist]. So certainly the lie has taken root, and there is no way to fight a lie except with the truth."

http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/167627

He made no explicit reference to the Arab League proposal in his statement here, but the implication is clear. 

Abbas refuses to recognize Israel as the nation state of the Jewish people.

What is more, the Arabs persist in their demand that so-called "refugees" -- now numbering over 4 million because of the bogus way that UNRWA tracks them -- "return" to Israel.  Understand this: If (Heaven forbid) there should be a Palestinian state, these "refugees" would not be counted among its citizens.  This has been made clear repeatedly on the record. The demand that they should return to Israel -- which, it is claimed, is their "rightful" place -- would be sustained. There is absolutely no reason for this other than a desire to overwhelm the Jewish population of Israel and destroy Israel from within.

In the face of these bitter realities, what the hell is an offer -- not even for Israel to retain land that is rightfully hers -- but for a square-meter-by-square-meter exchange of land?

~~~~~~~~~~

Netanyahu's statement on public diplomacy is thus very welcome.  Everyone who cares about Israel, not just Israeli diplomats, must take it to heart.  Day in and day out, hour by hour, the truth must be told.

The mainstream media in the US certainly doesn't talk about these matters.  But people must learn about the terrorists who murder innocents, and about Fatah (the predominant party of the PA!) that praises those terrorists. They should be told as well that "Palestinians poll highest among world's Muslims favoring suicide bombings." 

See: http://www.israelhayom.com/site/newsletter_article.php?id=8987 ,

Peace? A peace process?

I speak for many Israelis, when I say that my heart is heavy with the injustices, and that I am not in a conciliatory mood.  We must pursue our rights and keep our people safe.  Period. Anyone who imagines we "owe" the Arabs anything is morally skewed.

~~~~~~~~~~

And there are good people working for the interests of Israel.  Housing and Construction Minister Uri Ariel (HaBayit Hayehudi) has told the prime minister that his party will not support the 2013 budget if funds are not included to cover construction in Judea and Samaria, particularly construction that was agreed upon after the PA's unilateral move at the UN General Assembly last year. 

This, he said, would be seen by his party as going back on promises "and we will oppose the approval of the budget until a solution to the promised funding is found."

Bravo for this! 

It's easy for Netanyahu to make a dramatic statement of intentions in the midst of a political challenge, and then to let it slide by when time for actualization comes.  Ariel is attempting to prevent this from happening.

Said Ariel, yesterday:

"I turned to the prime minister today and warned him that if the 2013 budget doesn’t include full funding for building projects in Judea and Samaria...Bayit Yehudi will consider its coalition agreement as having been violated, and it won’t support the budget unless a solution is found for the promised funds."

Most controversial is the issue of building in E1, which runs between Ma'aleh Adumim and Jerusalem, and which the PA claims (erroneously) is necessary for a contiguous Palestinian state.

Coalition chairman Yariv Levin (Likud) said that "Likud Beitenu is obligated to the settlement enterprise. We will insist that the new budget strengthens the settlements and ensures their development."

http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4374504,00.html

~~~~~~~~~~

And then there is the legislation that is being moved along that would require approval in a national referendum and a super-majority in the Knesset before any land could be relinquished in a "peace deal." 

The original legislation was promoted in 2010 by MK Ofir Akunis (Likud), and is now being shepherded by Coalition Chairman MK Yariv Levin (Likud), who has drafted a new amendment to the proposed bill.  Naftali Bennett (Habayit Hayehudi) and Yair Lapid (Yesh Atid) are expected to be for this proposal, which was addressed in their coalition agreements.

And...Prime Minister Netanyahu supports this legislation as well: "A peace deal is not just any move, and a peace deal cannot be decided by a simple majority when it affects everyone. We will support it."  His support is a major factor in seeing this pass.

Avigdor Lieberman (Yisrael Beitenu) was opposed in coalition discussions, but I have since read he would go along.

http://www.israelhayom.com/site/newsletter_article.php?id=8965

Not surprisingly, Tzipi Livni is adamantly opposed.  This tells us, clearly, that she does not believe any deal she would be instrumental in striking with the PA would receive public and Knesset sanction.  She is a bit of a hypocrite on this score.  For in 2000, when she was still a Likud member of the Knesset, she supported a bill that would have required a public referendum on any agreement with the Palestinian Authority.

~~~~~~~~~~

The urgent matters I have written about here have again trumped the analysis (such as it will be) of the situation in Syria that I had hoped to offer, as well as other matters to be mentioned.

There is, please Heaven, always the next posting.

~~~~~~~~~~  

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\ 

The peace conference to be held in the US that Haaretz had issued a tentative report on recently -- which I carried -- is being denied by the US government. Maybe they thought better of it.  Maybe Haaretz was too eager. Whatever the case, that, at least is good news.

Next posting, hopefully on Syria.

~~~~~~~~~~
 
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