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Serious questions re: Fayyad's Palestinian state.

From Nefesh B'Nefesh: A Chanukah celebration. 150 olim dancing on Ben Yehuda Street, Jerusalem.

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February 7, 2010

 

"Is It Just Me?"

Last week, Syrian president Bashar Assad, in a statement made to Spanish Foreign Minister Miguel Angel Moratinos, which was carried by Syrian media, observed that, "Israel is not serious about achieving peace since all facts point out that Israel is pushing the region towards war, not peace."

This was followed by a statement by Syrian Foreign Minister Walid al-Moallem that "Israel should not test Syria's determination. ... Israel knows that war will move to the Israeli cities. ... Israel has to commit to the just and comprehensive peace requirements."

This is saber rattling, with the message being that we had better start thinking about relinquishing the Golan Heights (which is the Syrian version of "just and comprehensive peace requirements").

~~~~~~~~~~ 

Our Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman, who takes no guff from anyone, responded in a speech at Bar Ilan University on Thursday:

"Assad should know that if he attacks, he will not only lose the war. Neither he nor his family will remain in power.

"Our message should be that if Assad's father lost a war but remained in power, the son should know that an attack would cost him his regime.  This is the message that must be conveyed to the Syrian leader by Israel."

~~~~~~~~~~

Thus my question: Am I the only one who thinks this tough talk is just fine?

Some members of the Knesset were horrified. And Netanyahu's office released a statement indicating, "that the government's policy is clear: Israel's face is directed to peace and carrying out diplomatic negotiations with Syria without preconditions."

Tensions have been high between Syria and Israel, and the Prime Minister was seeking to cool things down. The question is whether "talking nice" genuinely serves our interests better than tough talk does.

Lieberman would say that it does not.  In an interview on Friday, in which he defended himself, he commented that, "I don't work for the media or for public opinion.

"A red line was crossed like we have never seen before. A direct threat to attack population centers.  What I said was at the right time in the right dosage...

"I think that the Golan Heights need to remain a part of Israel..."

"My response, which I made in order to clarify that the situation [with Syria] is unbearable, was immediately met with a hysterical reaction in Israel of 'how dare we anger the nobleman.'

He said that he found it unfortunate the Israeli left tends to react as it does: "I think that in the Middle East, we cannot let grave things go without a response."

To this, I say, Right on!

When he speaks of how the left reacts, he means with an attitude of appeasement, or self-abasement.  What I would questions is whether it's only the left that this is true of. It's a very bad, and fairly mainstream, mode of thinking here in Israel.

~~~~~~~~~~

I far prefer the tone of Lieberman to that of Defense Minister Ehud Barak (and yes, he's on the left), who spoke last week at the Herzliya Conference.  It was critical, he said, to begin negotiations with Syria soon, while Assad perceived us as being strong. "In the absence of a deal with Syria, we could reach an armed conflict that could develop into a full fledged war."

But what does this mean?  He seems to be suggesting that it's not enough to talk to Syria, we must reach a deal. If Syria insists that "a deal" requires us to relinquish the Golan, does that mean we relinquish it to avoid an "armed conflict" that could lead to "a full fledged war"?  Hopefully this is not what Barak meant, but it sure sounds like it -- sounds like he advocates our making concessions to avoid that war.  This sort of talk renders us weak, not strong.

There is an increase in the warlike bombast coming from Syria, and thus unease about the possibility that we're facing war to the north.  Caroline Glick certainly voiced this opinion in her Friday column.

Strong means delivering to Assad the sort of message that came from Lieberman: Don't even think of starting with us, or you'll be the loser.

~~~~~~~~~~

If you agree with me, you can tell Defense Minister Lieberman you're behind him:

Phone: 02-675-3231  (From the US: 011-972-2-675-3231)

Fax: 02-640-8921  (From the US: 011-972-2-640-8921)

E-mail: aliberman@knesset.gov.il

~~~~~~~~~~

Glick, by the way, noted that the "incendiary comments threatening Israel with war" came from the Syrian government on "the same day that the US informed Syria of its intention to send an ambassador to Damascus for the first time in five years."

~~~~~~~~~~

As to our strength, or deterrence power, I note this aside, which I've picked up from a couple of different sources now:

While we are being accused of having assassinated key Hamas figure Mahmoud al-Mabhouh in Dubai last month, we are certainly not taking credit for this, and indications are that there were many others who would have been glad to eliminate him. (Latest news is that those who assassinated al-Mabhouh used Irish passports.)

Whatever the case, the word on the Arab street is that we did it.  And so, whether we actually did or not, the perception that we are capable of this increases our deterrence.  Perception is all important.

~~~~~~~~~~

Yes, I confess, I missed it entirely, even though I had written about this in the past:

Last January there was a fight between the PA and Hamas regarding when Mahmoud Abbas's term as PA president was over.  Hamas said the term was for four years, and Abbas had served for four years, so he was out.

The PA argued that the election for president that placed Abbas in office was held a year earlier than would be the case normally -- at a time that coincided with parliamentary elections, because Arafat had died and his successor had to be chosen. Thus, went the argument, Abbas would stay in office for five years.

Well, as of last month the five years was also over.  But of course no elections were held because Hamas will not permit balloting in Gaza.  So where does this leave Abbas now?  He's a lame, lame-duck president.  Or something.

What, we may ask, gives him legitimacy to negotiate anything?  The issue is moot with regard to the legislature, which is not meeting in any event.  But Abbas is carrying on, as if...

And the Obama administration, which is pushing "peace negotiations," ignores these niceties all together.

~~~~~~~~~~

Abbas, meanwhile has said he is considering the Obama proposal for indirect negotiations and will announce a decision.  He indicated, however, that the PA was not willing to "offer more compromises" to get the process going.

"More"?  Incredible.

~~~~~~~~~~

I refer above to the speech by Barak at the Herzliya Conference and now want to return to discuss what Prime Minister Netanyahu said at the same conference, which offered a generous measure of good news.

 

Netanyahu said -- this is NOT the good news -- that he had reason to believe that within weeks talks with the Palestinian Arabs would begin again, without preconditions.  I have no idea what prompted him to make this announcement, which seems very far removed from the reality (unless he was referring to the "proximity" diplomacy), or why he should consider this a positive.  It seems mostly pro forma, rather than something of import to him.

But what did have import was his statement that:

“Here in the land of our fathers, which is also the land of our children and grandchildren, in order to determine our fate we need to strengthen our collective efforts in three primary spheres: security, economy and education.”

He then spoke about security, and the need to strengthen the IDF, because “The weak do not survive in the difficult geographic region in which we find ourselves.”   And of the need to have a vibrant economy to support the defense needs.

However, he said, what is also needed is a commitment from the people, and an understanding of why we are here.  And for this, we must look to education, with the strengthening and deepening of “all of our connection to each other and this place...I think that this type of education begins with the Book of Books, it begins with the Bible.”

~~~~~~~~~~

He added, with regard to the Bible, that “this is a subject close to my heart these days.”

This is clearly the case, in part, because his son, Avner, 15, just won the Jerusalem Regional Bible Quiz for state schools -- which perhaps tells us something.  But I think, from off-the-record information I've received, that he's coming closer to Jewish tradition for other reasons as well.

Just as he says that the people need the connection to the Bible, to understand why we are here, so is his connection heartening, because it will help point him in the right direction. 

~~~~~~~~~~

Netanyahu is absolutely on the mark in fingering the need for the people of Israel to understand why we are here.  The education necessary for the survival of Israel, he said, starts with the Bible and moves through our history to the Zionist present. 

That he says this is exceedingly good news.  So often I've lamented the fact that our leaders have failed to tell our narrative.  But here he's prepared to recapture it.

Very soon, said the prime minister, he was going to be introducing a "Heritage Plan" to preserve archeological sites and historical sites.  There will also be museums, where documents and photographs and films will be preserved and made available to the public.

Part of this heritage plan, said Netanyahu, would be the introduction of two Trails, to complement the already existing Israel Trail.  Studies show that young people who have walked the land are highly motivated to serve in the military -- they feel connected to the land.

Now there will be a "Land of Israel trail, which will connect between dozens of ancient archaeological sites. Within our tiny piece of land, there are 30,000 ancient sites, 800 of which have clear national importance. Sadly, only 50 of those sites are open to the public, and even they are not in great shape. That is going to change on a huge scale.

"The second trail will be the "Israel Experience" trail. This trail will include the treasures of our country, and will serve as a living Land of Israel museum. It will connect between dozens of stops celebrating the history of the Jewish Yishuv [the Jewish population before the establishment of the State of Israel]. It will include historic buildings, settlement sites, small museums, memorial sites and personal stories - all of which are part of our Zionist heritage."

"I know people will ask: 'This is the topic you chose to speak of here, at a discussion about our national strength?" My answer is yes. Sometimes small steps lead to great things."

This plan, if carried out, is nothing short of marvelous.

~~~~~~~~~~

You can see his entire talk here:

http://www.imra.org.il/story.php3?id=47134

~~~~~~~~~~

Please, thank Netanyahu for his vision. 

Ask him to be sure that the plan will include archeological and historical sites beyond the Green Line, which is where much of our ancient history unfolded:

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

Phone: 03-610-9898 (From the US: 011-972-3-610-9898) 

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

~~~~~~~~~~

 

 

February 4, 2010

 
"Focusing on the Positive"
 
With all of the garbage, with all that we face that causes anger, and angst, there are also good things happening.  And I thought I would begin with these.
 
Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi spent three days here this week. Yesterday, he addressed the Knesset in special session (convened to honor him), offering words of support. He strongly criticized the Goldstone Report, saying it attempted to “incriminate Israel for its legitimate response.”  And he stated forthrightly that the world "cannot accept" a nuclear Iran.
 
He told those assembled:  “We, the free and liberal people across the world, thank you [Israel] for your very existence.”   Now we haven't heard this from the leader of another nation very often (if ever).
 
~~~~~~~~~~
 
The emotional tenor of this event was heightened by the statement made by Prime Minister Netanyahu following Berlusconi's talk:
 
He told the story of a pregnant Italian woman who had the courage to confront a German officer during the Holocaust and, at great risk to her own life, managed to persuade him to release a Jewish woman who had been arrested.

“[This woman] saved the life of the Jewish woman and cast, if only for a brief moment, a scintilla of humanity and courage upon the great darkness that enveloped the whole of Europe at that time.

“That courageous woman’s name was Rosa. And one of her children is called Silvio Berlusconi, today the prime minister of Italy.”

Netanyahu then addressed Berlusconi, telling him that, “We appreciate you. We embrace you. We love you.”

When the two men then embraced, the Italian premier had tears in his eyes. 

 

~~~~~~~~~~

We have another visitor, still here, who is a great friend: Mike Huckabee, former governor of Arkansas; he has brought a very large contingent of people, many visiting for the first time.  This, too, is heartening.
 
The governor ran in the Republican primaries before the last presidential election, and is thinking of trying again.  See here an interview with Huckabee:
 
http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/135853
 
~~~~~~~~~~
 
A follow-up to my report yesterday on the Im Tirtzu report on New Israel Fund (NIF) support for NGOs that provided information for the Goldstone Report:
 
MK Otniel Schneller has now said that he is pushing for government authorization to create a parliamentary investigative committee to review the fund and activities of NIF, the organizations it supports, and other Israeli NGOs.  Schneller believes that the allegations surrounding NIF "made it clear that red lines need to be identified."
 
~~~~~~~~~~
 
Vice Premier Moshe Ya'alon gave a speech at the Herzliya conference yesterday and addressed the issue of Iran:
 
"I think that despite the precious time wasted on diplomatic efforts, the nuclearization of Iran can still be prevented.  The Iranian regime must be told to choose between the bomb and survival...
 
"Iran's extremist regime must be made aware that all options are still on the table and ignoring the international community's demands would likely end in bitter tears for Iran."
 
~~~~~~~~~~
 
On the subject of Iran:
 
Yesterday, French Prime Minister Francois Fillon said that:
 
“The Iranian government has not wanted to accept our offer of dialogue. It has instead rushed forward headlong. So the moment has come to act.”
 
By "act" he means institute serious sanctions. He says he will be bringing this to the UN -- something we shouldn't expect to yield significant results, but is more than Obama has said he would do.  And he expects the EU to assume responsibility as well.
 
~~~~~~~~~~
 
Then we have Daniel Pipes, director of the Middle East Forum, providing advice on "How to Save the Obama Presidency: Bomb Iran."
 
He makes a very good case for how it could be done, and why:
 
http://www.danielpipes.org:80/7921/bomb-iran-save-obama-presidency
 
The question, I think, is whether he's interested in "saving" his presidency, or is so much of an ideologue that he's frozen in his path. (Please, do not write to me about this. I am familiar with all the arguments.)
 
Those of you who feel inclined might want to send the URL for Pipe's article and a comment about how the president can help himself and the country at the same time, via:
 
 Fax: 202-456-2461 (best) or E-mail link:  http://www.whitehouse.gov/contact/ 

 
~~~~~~~~~~
 
Tensions with Syria... 
 
Predictions as to whether there will be "peace negotiations"...
 
A Fatah attempt to push ahead "reconciliation" with Hamas...
 
All of this, and more, will still be with us after Shabbat. Time, I think, to take a deep breath.
 
~~~~~~~~~~

 

 

February 3, 2010

 

"Hypocritical"

Before I begin with the topics for today, I want to provide this announcement and ask that you forward it to anyone for whom it would be appropriate.

There has been a great deal of concern about the fact that J Street founder Jeremy Ben Ami will be speaking at the University of Pennsylvania Hillel in Philadelphia tomorrow -- his talk is entitled "Call to Action" and will advance the J Street "pro-peace agenda."  While calling itself "pro-Israel," the far left J Street, funded to a significant degree by Arab sources, in fact takes positions that are antithetical to Israel's best interests, such as negotiations with Hamas; it supported the Goldstone Report.  The more it is accepted within mainstream circles as representing Israel's position, the more damage it can do.

I have now received a notice from Lori Lowenthal Marcus, co-founder of Z Street, a new and staunchly Zionist group -- http://www.zstreet.org:80/.  Z Street will be holding a program at the same time and in the same Hillel building as the J Street program.  Featured speaker will be Dr. Mitchell Bard -- author of “Myths and Facts” and director of the “Jewish Virtual Library” -- who will expose the J Street plan for what it is.

Steinhardt Hall, University of Pennsylvania Campus, 39th and Walnut Streets, Philadelphia, at 7:00 PM.

~~~~~~~~~~  

Now let's talk about hypocrisy, as epitomized by PA prime minister Salam Fayyad, who addressed the 10th Herzliyah Conference yesterday.  Fayyad, who is touted in the West as clean and moderate -- the PA's best hope for peace -- is not exactly as he seems. 

A brief background, because it's important to know whom we're dealing with: 

[] Before Fayyad worked with the PA, he lived in the US and was with the International Monetary Fund.  In 2002, the EU requested that the Fund do an audit of PA books (because of monies donated to the PA by the EU).  Fayyad was the Fund official who oversaw this audit and declared everything to be in order. The EU subsequently did its own review of PA books and found that something in excess of $250 million in PA funds had  likely been transferred to terrorist organizations.

[] Now as PA prime minister -- functioning, you should note, after the Hamas coup in Gaza of June 2007 -- Fayyad has been paying the salaries of 1,200 Hamas Executive Force members in Gaza.  This is ostensibly because he is honoring a clause in the short-lived Mecca Fatah-Hamas unity agreement of early 2007 -- even though the coup essentially subverted that agreement.  (See Dan Diker and Pinchas Inbari on this for the JCPA.)

~~~~~~~~~~

Fayyad is now advancing his concept of a Palestinian state, and addressed the Herzliya Conference towards that end. According to Herb Keinon, reporting for the Post, Fayyad's tone was "conciliatory," which is tremendously heartwarming for those who care.  But because it's important to sort out truth from blatant distortion, I would like to look more closely at Fayyad's words.

The Palestinian Arabs want to live alongside Israel in peace and security, Fayyad assured his listeners.  However, continued construction in the "settlements" is causing some problems.  In fact, construction in Judea and Samaria is eating up land that the Palestinian Arabs want for a state:  "The Palestinian state is supposed to emerge precisely where settlements are expanding." 

There are serious problems with this statement.

First, it posits as a given that all the land on which Israeli communities are situated in Judea and Samaria would be part of a Palestinian state one day.  That is Fayyad's assumption, and Abbas's, but it sure isn't ours, and we've neither promised nor agreed to any such thing. 

All of the land between the river and the sea is ours by tradition, as well as historical and legal rights.  At a bare minimum, our communities in Judea and Samaria should be retained.  To say, for example, that we shouldn't build in Gush Etzion...or Maaleh Adumim...or Shilo...or Ariel...because it will someday belong to the Arabs is the height of nonsense.

Beyond this, there is the false accusation regarding expansion of communities, when in reality this is not what is happening at all.  When our government argued with the Obama administration about the understanding we had established with President Bush concerning building in "settlements," we made it clear that the agreement permitted no expansion of the perimeter of communities, but only building inside those communities. Even though Obama acknowledged no agreement, we have continued to adhere to this principle, building within existing boundaries. 

The use of the term "expanding" by Fayyad was not a slip.  Rather, it was intended to create an impression of Israel continually "usurping" land.   

~~~~~~~~~~

Fayyad's next lament is that, since we've shown ourselves "unable" to completely stop construction now, there is doubt as to whether we would be able to implement any agreement that might be reached in the future. "The political question I have is how confident can we be that once relaunched, the political process is going to be able to deliver that which needs to be delivered on the permanent status issues, on the key question of ending the occupation." Of course, the unspoken corollary here is that we must stop all construction to prove we can be depended upon.

The question, first, is whether we are "unable" to stop construction completely, or do not chose to do so because of our rights.  But in any event, this is garbage.  In the face of what the government (Sharon's government) did with Gush Katif -- which should never have happened -- raising this issue is mere tactical manipulation.

It's quite clear where this is going, with a "conciliatory tone": These are all efforts to appear quite reasonable with regard to demands being made, and thus to squeeze us into a complete construction freeze (which is what Abbas needs to save face).

~~~~~~~~~~

And, of course, there's more:

It's time, he said, for IDF incursions into Palestinian areas to come to an end. 

The myth that's being promulgated is that the PA security forces are being so well trained by Gen. Dayton, and have improved so much, that they can handle security without the IDF.  I shared a citation yesterday by someone who had worked in PA Intelligence, who says this is not so.  The simple fact is that the IDF does nightly operations in PA areas in order to combat the terrorists.  

~~~~~~~~~~

Here I would like to explain in a bit more depth why the PA security forces are not going to do the job by themselves in a manner that can be relied upon.  Very simply, a Palestinian state is not the first priority for these forces -- even though there are quotes from General Dayton regarding how the troops have been trained in loyalty to the Palestinian flag, etc. etc.

When doing research on the training of PA forces last year, I posed this issue to Maj. Gen. (res) Yaakov Amidror, who was once Director of the Research Division for IDF Intelligence.  His succinct answer:

“You cannot train people to be loyal to what they don’t believe in.”

For many of these people, immersed in a traditional society, the clan (hamula) claims first loyalty, not some notion of a state.  And sometimes there are members of Hamas in the clan.

When my question was posed to Dr. Mordecai Kedar, Arabic-speaking research associate at the Begin-Sadat Center for Strategic Studies at Bar Ilan University, he replied that, yes, the troops can be loyal to the PA now.   

“However, when (not if) there will be domestic problems in the PA/Palestinian State these people will be loyal primarily to their clan rather than to the state, since they will never shoot their brothers or cousins…"

And a prominent Palestinian Arab journalist I met with told me:

"This is Arab society.  You can’t erase a centuries-old tradition -- can’t tamper with culture.  It will never work.  You can’t impose a solution on anyone."

But never mind all that, Fayyad wants the PA security forces to take over, moving even into areas where there is currently no PA jurisdiction.

~~~~~~~~~~

And let us not forget eastern Jerusalem. This, says Fayyad, was no less occupied in 1967 than Gaza or the West Bank.  In his dreams, I say: Jerusalem, undivided, is ours. 

Yet, it should be noted that we didn't take eastern Jerusalem from the "Palestinians," but, rather, from the Jordanians. So it's anybody's guess how Fayyad figures it's his now. 

~~~~~~~~~~

Oh, and one last issue: Gaza.  Fayyad's statements in this regard were strange.  We should lift the blockade, he said, because it would enable the PA to reassert control in Gaza more quickly.

Frankly, this logic eludes me.  It should be noted that the charges of a stringent blockade are much exaggerated.  Not only are humanitarian supplies allowed in, so are many commercial goods. What is being blocked are items -- such as fertilizer and concrete and iron -- that might be used by Hamas for building explosives or rockets or bunkers. Should these things be allowed in, it would only strengthen Hamas. 

~~~~~~~~~~

And so, my friends, please, contact Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu. 

Remind him that he said there would be no more concessions, that it was the PA's turn now.  Implore him not to cave on this for any reason.

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

Phone: 03-610-9898 (From the US: 011-972-3-610-9898)
 

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

~~~~~~~~~~

A third barrel containing explosives was found on a beach -- this time at Palmachim, which is between Tel Aviv and Ashdod.  Reports are that there are more out there.  The Navy is on high alert.

~~~~~~~~~~

But let us turn to items of a more upbeat nature:

The Lobby for Greater Israel came together for the first time in a crowded meeting room in the Knesset yesterday.  There are 39 MKs in the Lobby, including 12 from Likud, as well as members of Yisrael Beitenu, Shas, Habayit Hayehudi, Ehud Leumi, United Torah Judaism and even Kadima. The Lobby is co-chaired by Arieh Eldad (Ehud Leumi) and Ze'ev Elkin (Likud).

Ministers cannot be part of the Lobby, but six Likud ministers -- Gideon Sa'ar, Yisrael Katz, Limor Livnat, Silvan Shalom, Moshe Ya'alon and Yuli Edelstein sent the Lobby letters of support. Additionally, Knesset Speaker Ruby Rivlin and Minister Bennie Begin attended the meeting.   

The Lobby's stated concern at this point is protecting all communities in Judea and Samaria. But some members said they want to hold on to all of Judea and Samaria. 

~~~~~~~~~~ 

Returning briefly to the issue of Israeli help for Haitian orphans: The scope of the tragedy is overwhelming, with many thousands of kids suddenly without parents -- and, I may add, potentially at the mercy of human traffickers who might try to smuggle them out of the country.

 

Here in Israel, 200 couples have offered to adopt children from Haiti.  MK Danny Danon, who chairs the Knesset Committee on the Rights of the Child, has said he doesn't think more than 50 of these orphans should be brought in because it has to be done with exquisite care.  They are traumatized, and the right conditions would have to be in place for them.  Meanwhile clearance is being done regarding the qualifications of those couples who have expressed a desire to adopt, although no formal application has been made to Haiti (in part, as I understand it, because there is no functioning government). 

~~~~~~~~~~

 

 

 

February 2, 2010

 

"False Impressions"

Last week, JTA came out with an article regarding the ostensible moderation of Fatah because it's new charter -- passed at the Fatah Conference this past summer -- didn't call for the destruction of Israel, as had previous charters. When it showed up in the US, a reader (thanks, Michael P.) called it to my attention.  By Sunday it had also appeared in the Jerusalem Post.  Knowing what I do about Fatah, and about the militant tenor of that Conference (which I had previously written about), I didn't buy it for a minute.

I've spent time in the last couple of days checking with people with expertise and then looking more closely at the revised charter itself.  Suffice it to say there that, indeed, there is indeed nothing to it.  I will follow with more information, or, if an article I've written is published, I will provide the URL. 

What's important here is for you to know, should you see the JTA piece -- which would have appeared in a host of Jewish publications, that this is not much more than hot air.

~~~~~~~~~~

PA president Abbas is still demanding that we do a total freeze on building, including in Jerusalem, for a period of three months, and that we agree to the '67 lines for a state, so that he can save face and return to the negotiating table.

Thank Heaven, our government is still refusing to do this.

Abbas claims that this is our obligation under the road map and our refusal here signals a lack of sincerity with regard to beginning negotiations.

Some comments are in order.  First, that Abbas came to the table during Olmert's administration without building having been frozen -- it's clear that this demand is selective. 

And then, that it has been the position of our government (a position rejected by Obama) that when we agreed to the road map (with reservations, it should be noted), there was an understanding between the Israeli government and the US government of George W. Bush regarding what is meant by a freeze on building and what we would be permitted to retain regarding communities past the Green Line.   

~~~~~~~~~~

But Netanyahu's spokesman, Mark Regev, didn't go there in his response.  What he said was:

"The Palestinians clearly fall short of their road map obligations, most recently on the difficult issue of incitement, and they should look in the mirror before accusing others."

And here a comment is called for.  Yes, Palestinian incitement is horrendous.  At bottom it's not even an issue of road map obligations, but rather of the fact that it's illusionary to imagine we can genuinely make peace with a population that is routinely being told that Israel isn't legitimate, Jews are evil, and jihad (terrorism against Israel) is laudatory.

~~~~~~~~~~

But what does Regev mean by "most recently"?  As someone who has been monitoring that incitement for years, I can say unequivocally that there is nothing recent about it. The simple fact is that once we gave the PA autonomy, with Oslo, and Arafat was, for the first time, able to control the media and the schools in Palestinian Arab areas, the people's animosity towards us rose.  This is one more ironic situation.  They resented us less when we administered their lives then when we moved to give them greater independence.  All a question of what they began to hear about us: They were being prepared for war, not peace.

"Most recently" in this context means that this Israeli administration has finally begun -- and I salute them for this!! -- to challenge the PA on the issue of incitement.  Previous governments ignored the issue, because taking it on would have "interfered" with the peace process.  We were told, ludicrously, that once we had peace with the Palestinian Arabs this incitement would disappear. 

(Could it really be that PA incitement was so thoroughly ignored by previous Israeli governments, and the policy of tracking it so absent, that Regev really imagines that this, which is now being tracked, is new? Not sure, but yes, it's possible.)

Whatever...we're on the right track now, and need to stay there. No cutting the PA slack any longer.

~~~~~~~~~~

According to EU Mideast envoy Marc Otte, George Mitchell's alternate plan for starting negotiations -- a shuttle diplomacy effort being called "proximity talks" (don't you love the diplomatese?) -- may start soon if Abbas agrees.

Mitchell's mediation, it is being reported, would begin with the question of how each side perceives a two-state solution, which would, in theory, lead to some common ground.  Mitchell would then attempt to convince each side that the vision was implementable.  Whose "vision" is being referred to is not clear -- apparently there is supposed to be an amalgamation of visions so that Mitchell emerges with just one.

Well...let's leave aside for a moment the fact that there should be no "two state solution," so that the suggestion that we move ahead with this is painful.  Let's just look at what's being proposed here, at least according to Otte:

Purim, which falls at the very end of February this year, is a time for jesting.  Many papers put out Purim editions that are simply silly. 

If I didn't know better, I would think that the proposal for this mediation was really intended for Purim.  But, alas, that's not the case. 

The simple reality is that the vision of Netanyahu and the vision of Abbas are so far apart that there can be no reconciliation.  The minimum that the PA intractably demands -- everything past the Green Line, including eastern Jerusalem with all holy sites, return of refugees, etc. -- is more than the maximum Israel will give under any circumstances.  In fact, Netanyahu has spelled out parameters, including an IDF presence in the Jordan valley, that give the PA less than what it rejected from Olmert.

The Obama administration, for its part, is proving intractable in its refusal to face this simple fact.  If it continues to promote what cannot be, it raises Arab expectations and when there is failure there is also anger, and very likely violence.

~~~~~~~~~~

It's past time to seek alternatives to a "two-state solution" that might be viable.  Some sort of civilian autonomy for Palestinian Arabs, perhaps, with Israel retaining sovereignty over the land.  That is, once terrorists are eliminated and incitement is halted. 

~~~~~~~~~~

What concerns me now, aside from the very real possibility that Obama may be engendering Arab violence, is this:

According to Otte, Mitchell will be seeking a change in the situation on the ground, with Israel giving the PA additional "physical, political, economic and social space."  This would include extending areas in Judea and Samaria where the PA had full security and administrative responsibility.

Our government has said there would be no more concessions, that now it was Abbas's turn.  Let us pray that Netanyahu holds tight to this. 

It's just one more myth, that the PA security forces are competent enough to take over full security control of areas.  If you saw my report last Friday, you read about the Abu Toameh exclusive, in which he quoted Fahmi Shabaneh, who had worked for PA General Intelligence Service, and said, "Had it not been for the presence of the Israeli authorities in the West Bank, Hamas would have done what they did in the Gaza Strip." 

~~~~~~~~~~

According to Amos Gilad, head of the diplomatic-military bureau of the Defense Ministry, "Hamas must disappear before peace can be reached." 

I would put it differently. The elimination of Hamas (which doesn't seem to be going anywhere) indeed is a necessary condition for peace, but not a sufficient one of itself.  Fatah is not a peaceful movement either. But this is not the official line.

~~~~~~~~~~

Meanwhile, Abu Toameh has a piece in today's Post, in which he indicates that there are signs that Abbas may be ready to climb down from that tree he had scaled -- he might be preparing to enter negotiations.

~~~~~~~~~~

Im Tirtzu, a (secular) Zionist advocacy student group, is about to issue a report of considerable significance, and for which they should be highly praised:

Their claim is that 92% of the negative citations against Israel used in the Goldstone report came from 16 Israeli NGOs that allegedly received $7.8 million from the New Israel Fund in 2008-2009. The NGOs listed include Adalah, B'Tselem, Doctors for Human Rights, Rabbis for Human Rights and Machsom Watch.

Said a representative of Im Tirtzu:

"The Goldstone Report looks the way it does because of these 16 groups and the quotes they provided.  In that vein, our goal is to remove the NIF's mask and show the public what they really are -- which is a fifth column, plain and simple."

~~~~~~~~~~

Im tirtzu means "if you will it" and refers to the famous statement by Zionist visionary Theodor Herzl, "If you will it, it is no dream."  (Im tirtzu, ein zo agada.)

~~~~~~~~~~

Here, too, because of my research on, and experience with, some of these groups, I can attest to their anti-Israel orientation.  While assuming the guise of organizations simply promoting human rights for Israeli Arabs, they actively seek to destroy the Jewish character of Israel. And they miss no opportunity in international forums to criticize Israel.

If you are interested in learning more, see my report on Adalah:

http://www.israelbehindthenews.com/library/pdfs/InsideAdalah.pdf

~~~~~~~~~~

The report by Im Tirtzu is being taken quite seriously, I'm delighted (no, overjoyed) to see. MK Yisrael Hasson (Kadima), who was formerly with the Shin Bet and is now a member of the Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee, said on Sunday that it would be discussed during a special session of the Committee next week.

"I want to clarify what these groups are doing.  I want to check and see, in plain and simple Hebrew, that their activities are legitimate.  I also want to find out where they're receiving their funding from."

~~~~~~~~~~

The fact is that, indeed, NIF is part of the funding picture. But another piece of the picture, which I have alluded to before, is that there is funding by foreign governments (in the EU) for these groups, who should be designated as foreign agents. (There is a bill on this very issue pending in the Knesset now.)

~~~~~~~~~~

Additionally, Hasson said:

"I want to know if these groups are providing names of [IDF] commanders to foreign governments.  It's known that [Israeli] NGOs are also responsible for these arrest warrants, and I want to find out if the groups listed in the [Im Tirtzu] report have played a role in this.

Here, Hasson is referring to instances where "universal jurisdiction" laws in some European nations have been utilized to press charges against Israelis. 

According to the Im Tirtzu report, which has touched on this issue in several respects, "Major NIF organizations signed a letter calling on Britain to prosecute senior IDF officials for war crimes."

~~~~~~~~~~

And then we have another report, or two, actually:

From a British taxpayer watchdog group, Taxpayer Alliance, come "Palestinian Hate Education Since Annapolis" and "Funding Hate Education."  These reports detail the ways in which European taxpayer monies go to the Palestinian Authority and end up funding incitement (a campaign of "demonizing Israel") because of insufficient monitoring of how the money is spent.

~~~~~~~~~~

Issues of terrorism, and the threat of terrorism, continue to loom large on a variety of fronts:

[] Yesterday two explosive devices, floating in barrels, showed up on the beach at Ashkelon and Ashdod.  They were dismantled and the entire shoreline was combed in case there were more.

The two devices were similar in design and the assumption is that they came from Gaza.  According to one source they were intended for a hit on an oil rig, thus fueling (forgive the pun) concerns about terrorist intentions of hitting a strategic facility.  Ali Waked, writing for YNet, said that, according to his information, this was a joint operation of a group affiliated with Islamic Jihad, another connected to Popular Resistance Committees, and a third associated with Fatah's Al Aksa Martyrs Brigades.

[] Mahmoud al Mabhouh, a founder of Hamas's military wing, Izzadin Kassam, was assassinated just hours after he had arrived in Dubai on January 19th; his body was found in his hotel room on the 20th.  He was without his regular contingent of body guards, and reports on the method of killing him have varied, with everything from electrocution to poisoning being mentioned.  News releases on this have been slow to surface.

As Mabhouh was responsible 20 years ago for the kidnapping of two Israeli soldiers, and has been instrumental in the smuggling of missiles and rockets from Iran into Gaza, the charge was being made that Israel was responsible for his death.  There was even a suggestion that members of a delegation accompanying National Infrastructure Minister Uzi Landau, who were in Dubai at the time, were involved -- a suggestion that Landau dismissed as "wild."

What happens when we are accused of assassinating a terrorist -- whether it's actually true that we did or not -- is that there are then additional threats of terrorism to be carried out in "retaliation."  There have even been reports that Hezbollah, which has more extensive overseas connections, might help Hamas in a strike against us abroad.

Actually, there are a great many possibilities for who might have killed this man (who most definitely deserved to die).  Yesterday Abu Toameh wrote that a Fatah-affiliated news agency says the possibility of an "inside job" has not been ruled out.

~~~~~~~~~~

"The Good News Corner"

While the major part of the IDF medical contingent that was in Haiti has settled in at home again, we are still doing good work there.

Israel Flying Aid, in cooperation with 20 Christian nuns, is currently working to rebuild an orphanage that had been destroyed by the earthquake.  It has started by housing 70 girls and will ultimately accommodate 200.  Orange Israel Communications is supporting this effort, and the IDF contributed  supplies -- electric generators, fresh water, tents, etc. -- and some medical services. 

In thanking IFA, Haiti Minister for Culture and Communications said:

"We have been watching you and your team work 24 by 7 since you arrived at the orphanage. Your quick, professional and modest action in caring for these very small and sick children has saved many lives.

"The efforts of Israel Flying Aid should be used as an example to the world that Haiti children can be protected, cared for and provided with everything from essential supplies and housing to children movies and loving hugs."

Israel Flying Aid rebuilt the orphanage in three days.  They took children, all suffering from severe malnutrition, who had been sleeping on the cold ground and brought them to a new house, where they found soft, clean mattresses and colorful balloons. The children are receiving a host of services including nutritional food, medical care, trauma treatment, and educational services.

Said IFA founder, Gal Lusky:

"Israel Flying Aid is based upon the Jewish principles of the prophet Isaiah to: 'Uphold the rights of the orphan; defend the cause of the widow,' and in doing so we do not discriminate by race, nationality or religion."

Israeli Flying Aid is a non profit, volunteer-based, non-governmental organization that seeks to provide humanitarian life-saving relief to communities in areas stricken by natural disaster or territorial conflicts.

_____

When the IDF medical contingent returned home, they brought with them late last week a six year old Haitian boy who requires life-saving open heart surgery.  It is being arranged by the Save a Child's Heart Foundation and will be done at the Wolfsohn Medical Center. He is expected to be "good as new" after the surgery.

See a video on this: 

http://uk.news.yahoo.com/22/20100129/video/vwl-haitian-boy-in-israel-for-surgery-d7f4ae7.html

~~~~~~~~~~

 

 

 

January 29, 2010

 

"Where Is It Going?"

I don't know that anyone but Khaled Abu Toameh could have quite pulled off this interview, which was an exclusive front page story in the Jerusalem Post today:

Fahmi Shabaneh was appointed four years ago as head of the Anti-Corruption Department of the PA's General Intelligence Service and served until very recently.  Now he tells Abu Toameh that Hamas is very likely to take over the West Bank one day, as it did Gaza, because of the enormous corruption of the Palestinian Authority.

"Had it not been for the presence of the Israeli authorities in the West Bank, Hamas would have done what they did in the Gaza Strip," Shabaneh said. "It's hard to find people in the West Bank who support the Palestinian Authority. People are fed up with the financial corruption and mismanagement of the Palestinian Authority."

Shabaneh explained that Abbas has surrounded himself with the same corrupt officials who once worked for Yasser Arafat, Abbas's predecessor.  Many in the West Bank have given up hope that reform of the PA will ever come.

Shabeneh gave several examples of what he alleges to be the corruption of the PA and Fatah (which is the major party of the PA).  Perhaps most startling was his charge that when the US gave a donation of $3.2 to Fatah ahead of the 2006 Palestinian Authority legislative election (which was ultimately won by Hamas) so that the party could improve its image, Fatah personnel stole much of it.

See the entire story here:

http://www.jpost.com/MiddleEast/Article.aspx?id=167194

~~~~~~~~~~

As is often the case in the winter before Shabbat, time is short.  We will return to other matters shortly.  But here I want to request that all US citizens contact their Congresspersons and Senators about this report.

Give the URL and a very brief synopsis. Then explain that this exceedingly corrupt regime is the one that the Obama administration wants Israel to negotiate with.  Point out that, first, the PA does not represent the Palestinians living in the West Bank  -- Mahmoud Abbas has no legitimate constituency. And then, that if the IDF pulls out, as the Obama administration wishes, the PA is exceedingly likely to collapse.  This will not only be bad for Israel and for peace in the Middle East, it will have negative repercussions for the US, which will look very foolish for having promoted this.

For your Congresspersons: 

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

For your Senators: 

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

~~~~~~~~~~ 

Additionally, please share this information very broadly, so that it can be understood what a dangerous and foolish idea Obama is promoting.  People are more likely to sit up and take notice because it is a Palestinian who was involved with the PA who is sounding the warning.  

Use this information to write letters to editors, as well, and place it on blogs. 

~~~~~~~~~~ 

Information I am receiving is that Obama would rather act like he knows what he's doing, in defiance of the evidence staring him in the face, and be a one-term president, than modify his perspective and regain electoral popularity.  (We will leave questions of his motivation, about which several readers have written to me, aside.) 

See, for example, Anne Bayefsky, who has written in "Dangerous Weakness" in National Review Online: 

"President Obama’s message in the State of the Union address confirmed that he is tone-deaf to the grievous threats that exist to American national security and incapable of changing course before those dangers become a terrible reality."
http://corner.nationalreview.com/post/?q=MjhiNTA0MzQ3MjgzNzJmNTM4YTc0YjhjNzlkYzI5MWI=

Thus, there is no reason to believe he can be convinced of the foolishness of his program for promoting "a two-state solution." 

The hope lies with Congress and grassroots reaction.

~~~~~~~~~~ 

Tomorrow is Tu B'Shvat.  I had a rare occasion yesterday to ride through some back roads in the hills of Jerusalem. The almond trees, the earliest, are in bloom, and everything is delightfully green because of recent rains.  A blessing.

~~~~~~~~~~

 

January 27, 2010

 
"The Hate That Doesn't Die"
 
Jew-hatred, that is.  Otherwise known as anti-Semitism.  Today it also wears the garb of anti-Zionism. But make no mistake, it is the same hatred.  Don't believe those who say, "I have nothing against Jews, individually, my quarrel is with the State of Israel."  To deny Jews the right to self-determination as a people, and to put that State forever on the defensive, is a form of Jew-hatred.
 
We will not examine here the theories as to why anti-Semitism may wax and wane, but never goes away. There are many, and I have my own ideas.
 
The issue is important now, first, because today is International Holocaust Remembrance Day (or the day for commemorating the liberation of Auschwitz), so designated, some five years ago, by the UN.  In Israel, the Holocaust (the Shoah) is commemorated in April.
 
And then, because it is important to note that anti-Semitism -- often, but not always, in its garb of anti-Zionism -- is increasing.  For a while after the Holocaust it was politically incorrect to say you hated Jews. For some time now, it has become acceptable again in various venues.
 
~~~~~~~~~~
 
What has not been adequately addressed, even amongst many concerned with anti-Semitism more broadly, is that the Muslim/Arab states are probably the greatest purveyors of anti-Semitism today.  (There was a time when I would have been more definitive about this, but with the way Europe is going -- see below -- I am less certain.)
 
When I speak about what is and what is not politically correct, I note that in many circles it is not PC to address the virulent anti-Semitism that is endemic in the Palestinian Authority. 
 
This Jew-hatred should come as no surprise.  The Grand Mufti of Jerusalem, Haj Muhammed Amin al-Husseini, was a Nazi collaborator who hoped that German extermination of the Jews would rid Palestine of its Jewish population. Even earlier, in 1929, he had instigated a pogrom against the Jews of Hevron by spreading false rumors about destruction planned by Jews of Al Aksa Mosque (an inciteful charge that is still leveled at us from time to time). When the Arabs went on their murderous rampage, they shouted "Izbah Al-Yahud!" -- slaughter the Jews! And then proceeded to do so.
 
~~~~~~~~~~
 
Yasser Arafat was of the al-Husseini family.  It is said that the Mufti was his uncle; what is certain is that he was Arafat's mentor.  Yasser Arafat was schooled in Jew-hatred and passed it along to his people, not the least of whom was Mahmoud Abbas, a co-founder with Arafat of Fatah.  Abbas did his doctorate, in Russia, on Holocaust denial.
 
Here I share with my readers something that has stayed with me for years.  Suha was not Arafat's first wife (Islam permitting more than one wife).  The one he married first was left behind in Algeria when he came here with Oslo.  She was bitter at her abandonment and happy to give an interview to someone from the Washington Post.  She explained how she was his support in the difficult years and worked to cheer him.  When he was very down, she would send a boy to say to Yasser, "Give me a gun, please, so I can go kill Jews."  And then, she reported, Yasser would cheer up, and pat the boy on the head, and say,"Ah, this is our future."  Kill Jews, you understand:  Not, fight for our state.  Kill Jews.
 
~~~~~~~~~~
 
According to a report just released by the Jewish Agency's Coordinating Forum for Countering Anti-Semitism, there has been a dramatic increase in anti-Semitic incidents around the world.  This was especially true in West European countries, which had the highest number of violent anti-Semitic incidents recorded since World War II.  The greatest increase was in France, with Britain second. 
 
More anti-Semitic acts were recorded in the first three months of 2009 than were recorded during all of 2008.  This is felt to be because of Cast Lead, our operation in Gaza. Here is where anti-Israel and anti-Jewish sentiment merge.  We are denied the right of self-defense accorded all other nations. And here is where the manipulations and pronouncements of Palestinian Arabs serve to discredit and libel us. 
 
~~~~~~~~~~
 
Not only were there more incidents in 2009, their severity increased, so we also saw such things as the horror of Mumbai, and the killing of a guard at the Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington DC.
 
Additionally, we are seeing the return of blood libels of the sort that were common in the Middle Ages.  Back then, it was the charge that Jews killed Christian children to use their blood for making matzo before Pesach.  Now the charge -- and this came first from the leading Swedish paper Aftonbladet at the end of last summer -- that the IDF kills Palestinian Arabs youth to harvest their organs.   
 
More recently, the Turkish have run a TV series that libels the IDF, with dramatically acted scenes of our soldiers killing old people and kidnapping babies. (Hopefully, I will return to the issue of our relationship with Turkey.)
 
~~~~~~~~~~
 
Anti-Semitism even touched our humanitarian actions in Haiti.  As we all know, the public response to this life-saving operation was incredibly positive, with even media outlets that are routinely biased against Israel, such as CNN, singing our praises. But there were, inevitably, hate-filled blogs, lunatics who cannot be dealt with. Some charged that we did this for self-serving reasons only, to mitigate world opinion with regard to our crimes in Gaza.  As one commentator observed, ours is the only nation in the world that must seek to justify a good deed.
 
And, yes, there were those who said we were harvesting Haitian organs.
 
~~~~~~~~~~
 
Our right to self-defense in Gaza: We are about to release a response to the Goldstone Report, and I will be returning to this.
 
~~~~~~~~~~
 
On a brighter note, we have this: Even as there is increased anti-Semitism in Western Europe, in Central Europe, in the very areas where there was complicity with the Holocaust 70 years ago, there is a new support for Israel today.
 
And so, our leaders have gone to Central European states at this time, to "return its embrace."  Said one senior Israeli diplomat, "We are trying to hug those who hug us."  While all of the visits are timed to coincide with Holocaust memorial events, they are not simply ceremonial but` are also incorporating meetings with major governmental leaders.
 
There are five Central European nations that have offered Israel considerable diplomatic support in the EU. Now, three of them are being provided with much appreciated, high-profile visits by our leaders:  Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman is in Hungary; Deputy Foreign Minister Danny Ayalon is in Slovakia; and Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu is in Poland.  The other two nations that have been supportive are the Czech Republic and Romania.
 
~~~~~~~~~~
 
Today, in Poland, Netanyahu visited Auschwitz, and delivered a talk.  He began in English, and then switched to Hebrew, except for the opening words of the Kaddish prayer (the praise of G-d recited by mourners), which are Aramaic.
 

 
From that talk:

"We will always remember what the Nazi Amalek [Amalek: the tribe in the Torah that hit our people from the rear, seen as a prototype of those who arise in every generation to destroy us] did to us, and we won't forget to be prepared for the new Amalek, who is making an appearance on the stage of history and once again threatening to destroy the Jews.

"We will not take this lightly and believe that these are empty statements. We will not be calm as if threats and denial of the Holocaust were just blank words. We will never forget and always remember to stand guard.

"We the Jewish people have internalized our lesson well after losing a third of our people, and have learned that the only guarantee for our nation is a strong state and the IDF.

"We have learned that we must warn against new dangers standing at the nations' gates and we must be prepared to defend ourselves. I vow that we will never help evil to cut our lives short. Never again."

And so we ask -- as the international community fails to address the threat of Iran with seriousness and strength -- what is he telling us about our self-defense?  What does he intend, to keep us safe?  All other questions recede in the face of this one.

~~~~~~~~~~                                                                                                                                                                                                                              

 

January 25, 2010

 

"Weep for America"

And then stand strong and bring her home again.

In reading Barry Rubin's most recent column, "F for failure," I recognized concerns that have gripped me of late.  And so, while I hadn't intended to post today, I knew I wanted to share this. 

Many of you on this list will understand what he's saying, but across the board I believe his points are more obvious from here in Israel.  A great many Americans are still not seeing the forest for the trees.  And too many cling to that last bit of residual hope in Obama, and won't yet grapple with the enormity of the failures of his government.

~~~~~~~~~~

Writes Rubin:

"We must now face an extremely unpleasant truth: Even giving the Obama administration every possible break regarding its Iran policy, it is now clear that the US government isn't going to take strong action on the nuclear weapons issue. Note that I didn't even say "effective" action, I'm saying that it isn't even going to make a god show of trying seriously to do anything.

"From its behavior, it still seems to expect, incredibly, that some kind of deal is possible with Teheran despite everything that has happened...And it is too fixated on short-term games about seeking consensus among other powers; two of them -- China and Russia -- are clearly not going to agree to anything serious.  This fact was clear many months ago, but the administration still doesn't recognize it...

"Not only is the Obama administration failing the test but it is doing so in a way that seems to maximize the loss of US credibility in the region and the world.  A lot of this comes from the administration's philosophy of unprecedented concepts of guilt, apology, defeatism and refusal to take leadership never seen before among past liberal Democratic governments from Franklin Roosevelt to Bill Clinton.
 
"Yet the British, French and Germans are ready to get tough on Iran, yearning for leadership and not getting it.  (Emphasis added) 

"...After these six failures [documented in the full article], the US is now -- in effect -- resting. And that is the seventh failure.  There are no signs that anything is changing in Washington.

"To believe that the administration has learned anything, we would have to see the following: An angry US government [that] feels that Iran's regime made it look foolish; a calculating administration that believes the American people want it to get tough and [hopes to] gain politically from being seen as decisive; a great power strategy that would make an example of Iran to show what happens to a bunch of repressive dictators who defy the US and spit on its friends and interests; and a diplomatically astute government that understands the uses of threats and pressures to force its opponent into a compromise.

"There is not the slightest indication that the Obama administration holds any of these views.  On the contrary, without any apparent realization of the absurdity of the situation, high-ranking officials keep repeating in January 2010 as in January 2009 that, some day, the US might do something to put pressure on Iran. Perhaps those in the administration who do understand what's wrong don't have the influence to affect the policy being set in the White House.

"This is going to be a case study of how failing to deal with a problem sooner, even if that requires some diplomatic confrontations, will lead to a much bigger and costlier conflict later involving military confrontation." (emphasis added)

Directly implied, but not explicitly spelled out here, is the effect of Obama's non-policy on Israel.

http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1263147967882&pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FShowFull

~~~~~~~~~~

While I'm at it, I want to also share a January 16th NY Post piece by Ralph Peters -- "Hood massacre report gutless and shameful" -- that echoes similar themes. (And thanks to Dave A. for calling this to my attention.)

Wrote Peters:

"There are two basic problems with the grotesque non-report on the Islamist- terror massacre at Fort Hood (released by the Defense Department [January 15]):

" [] It's not about what happened at Fort Hood.

" [] It avoids entirely the issue of why it happened.

"Rarely in the course of human events has a report issued by any government agency been so cowardly and delusional. It's so inept, it doesn't even rise to cover-up level.

"'Protecting the Force: Lessons From Fort Hood' never mentions Islamist terror. Its 86 mind-numbing pages treat 'the alleged perpetrator,' Maj. Nidal Malik Hasan, as just another workplace shooter...

"...Murderous political correctness is pervasive in our military...

"...This report's spinelessness is itself an indictment of our military's failed moral and ethical leadership...

"We agonize over civilian casualties in a war zone but rush to whitewash the slaughter of our own troops on our own soil. Conduct unbecoming."

http://www.nypost.com/p/news/opinion/opedcolumnists/hood_massacre_report_gutless_and_yaUphSPCoMs8ux4lQdtyGM#ixzz0dehDKzxG

~~~~~~~~~~

America is too great -- in its courage and its principles -- to go down this way.  Her come-back (for which I sincerely pray) will depend on the legion of good Americans who do understand what is going on and will, finally, refuse to let it happen.

I hope this makes you spittin' mad, and that you share what is written here broadly.

~~~~~~~~~~

 

 

 

January 24, 2010

 

"Spines Stiffened"

Mitchell's efforts at re-starting negotiations are going nowhere. 

His talk with PA President Mahmoud Abbas was not productive, as he still refuses to come to the table unless we freeze all building in Jerusalem.  The political climate he must deal with internally makes it close to imperative that he hold out for this -- for this is what he set as his stipulation back several weeks ago.  To agree to less now would mean he was either caving to US pressure or making concessions to "the Zionist entity," and neither would play well with his people.

~~~~~~~~~~

Not only is a complete freeze being demanded, PA negotiator Saeb Erekat has declared, not for the first time, that it is "an Israeli obligation..to have negotiations resume where we left them in December 2008 [when Olmert was negotiating]."

And I hasten to declare, also not for the first time, that this simply and unequivocally is not so. Olmert signed nothing. We have no commitment to what he offered to Abbas. 

That offer is reported to have included just over 93% of Judea and Samaria, with a land swap [from inside the Green Line] of close to 6% plus a safe passage between Gaza and Judea and Samaria, to "make up the difference."  What is more, he apparently agreed that the "holy basin" in Jerusalem (the old city and some area outside it) would be administered by a consortium that included Saudis, Jordanians, Israelis, Palestinian Arabs and Americans.  (I cannot write this without a shudder.)

Abbas may now regret that he turned this down, while we must thank Heaven. Please G-d, an offer even vaguely resembling this will not come the way of the PA again.

~~~~~~~~~~

With it all, I am pleased to report, we're not making any additional concessions to Abbas.  And so there is stalemate. Mitchell was supposed to leave this area after meeting with Abbas yesterday, but requested an opportunity to come back and speak again with Barak and Netanyahu today.  I cannot say exactly what he was trying to do, or what he proposed. But in the end it appears his efforts yielded nothing.

~~~~~~~~~~

Next Shabbat is Tu B'Shvat -- technically a new year for the trees, which determines the age of trees, relevant with regard to when fruit can be harvested.  More popularly it is treated as an arbor day, a time for celebrating and planting trees.

In that spirit, Prime Minister Netanyahu, after his meeting with Mitchell today, went out past the Green Line to  plant a couple of trees. First in Kfar Etzion, which is part of Gush Etzion (the Etzion bloc south-east of Jerusalem in Judea) and then in Maaleh Adumim, which is a major community just outside of and due east of Jerusalem.  Later this week he said he would plant in Ariel, a major community and surrounding bloc in Samaria. 

By planting these trees, said Netanyahu, he wanted to "send a clear message that we will stay here. We are planning and we are building."

These areas, he declared, are an "indisputable part of Israel forever. This is an idea that is accepted by the majority of Israelis."

This is a defiantly political act following a meeting with Obama's envoy, and I salute it as such.  It's worth noting that he selected areas in the south, center and north of the Judea-Samaria region -- clearly no accident.  And so I won't quibble and say that there are a lot of other communities within this region that are also "an indisputable part of Israel forever."  Not now.

~~~~~~~~~~

It's fascinating: the dynamics surrounding the Fatah-Hamas relationship, as well as the face Hamas is seeking to present to the West now.  There are so many aspects, so much that is unspoken, so many different -- and sometimes conflicting -- motivations.

I carried a story the other day, by Khaled Abu Toameh, regarding statements made by Hamas representative in the West Bank, Abdel Aziz Dwaik, who said that Hamas accepted Israel's existence and was prepared to consider changing its charter, which calls for Israel's elimination.

This did not play well with Hamas leadership, and Dwaik was apparently required to take a few hesitant steps back.  There is, first, the distinction, and it's a real one, between recognizing Israel's RIGHT to exist, and Hamas's pragmatic de facto acknowledgement that Israel does exist.  It was the latter, and not the former, that Dwaik was said to be speaking about.

~~~~~~~~~~

As to amending the charter, Dwaik has pointed out that the PLO changed its charter to eliminate calls for Israel's destruction and gained nothing for having done this.  And here I must stop to correct this statement.  In the heyday of Oslo, indeed, Arafat agreed to change the PLO charter.  He even mentioned which clauses had to be amended and appointed a committee that was charged with seeing to this.  But the committee never met, and the charter was never changed.  There is a broad impression that it was -- that Arafat's action in appointing the committee sufficed as evidence that this would happen.  But it's important to know that it didn't.  Even though (then) President Bill Clinton celebrated the fact that changes were made.

This is just one more signal lesson -- not to be forgotten-- in how the Palestinian Arabs conduct themselves.

~~~~~~~~~~

There is also a signal lesson here -- which we Israelis should not forget -- with regard to how we acted in that situation:  The Israeli government conducted itself as if the charter had been amended, and, in point of fact, the PLO got plenty in terms of political autonomy and international support.  The process should have been called to a halt back then.

~~~~~~~~~~

Now, Mahmoud Ramahi, whom Abu Toameh calls "another top Hamas operative in the West Bank," clarified further, saying that while Dwaik said Hamas would accept a Palestinian state within the '67 lines, it was envisioned "only on a temporary basis and without recognizing Israel's right to exist."

This, of course, is worse than nothing.  For such a "temporary state" would be simply a means for weakening Israel -- and that "temporary state" would be used as a base for attacking us.

(I hasten to point out here that this not different from what the PLO aspires to, as part of its "Strategy of Stages.")

~~~~~~~~~~

From Saladh Bardaweel, a Hamas spokesman in Gaza, we had further clarification, clearly designed for Western consumption:

Hamas, he explained on a Hamas website, does not seek to destroy Israel.  (Perish the thought!)  "There is a huge difference between our demand to restore the Palestinian people's rights and the annihilation of Israel.  We haven't said that [we want] to destroy Israel, but we are striving to restore our people's rights and refugees' rights to return to their dwellings and land from which they were deported."

A few points here, briefly:  Hamas is a jihadist movement, not a nationalist movement. Its goal is not a Palestinian state, its goal is the elimination of Israel from land that it sees as Muslim and which would form part of a larger Islamic caliphate.  Here Hamas uses claims of the "refugees' right" to return to Israel precisely as the PLO has used it for many years -- as a means of destroying Israel from within.  What is being pushed is the introduction into Israel of over 4 million so-called refugees, many of whom are Hamas-connected and overtly hostile to Israel.

In light of this, it's hardly necessary to say the movement seeks Israel's destruction -- that is obvious on the face of it.  The Hamas goal hasn't changed, only the tone is different as it seeks international acceptance.

(I will not deal now with the issue of "refugees" having been "deported" from Israel, or who counts as a genuine refugee, or how UNRWA operations fit into this picture -- that is a whole other subject that must be re-visited in a post one day.)

~~~~~~~~~~

So we have Hamas playing to the West. And what do we see?  The PA has warned the EU not to legitimize Hamas via dialogue.

For anyone who's been following PA actions over time, this is nothing short of delicious amusement.  Consider this explanation by a Fatah spokesman: 

"In one voice directed toward our people and Arabs and Muslims, Hamas is saying that it's a resistance movement.  In another voice directed toward the international community, Hamas is talking about its readiness to recognize Israel and accept a long term hudna [temporary truce]."

All this, he said, is "an attempt to deceive public opinion by playing with words."

How about that! This is precisely what the PLO/PA has been doing for some 17 years now. What was Arafat's promise to change the PLO charter that was never really amended?  And what is Abbas doing when he speaks in English about negotiating a "two state solution," while in Arabic he officially declares the three terrorists who killed Rabbi Chai in the drive-by shooting to be "holy martyrs for the Palestinian resistance"? 

Those of us who watch the Palestinian Arabs know clearly: Watch what they say in Arabic to their own people; this is where their truth resides.

And now we have someone from Fatah pointing a finger at Hamas and admitting this very thing.

~~~~~~~~~~

We need to look carefully at the motivations of Fatah leadership as they attack Hamas.

Fatah has agreed to a reconciliation with Hamas, brokered by Egypt.  Hamas, while saying it goes along in principle, actually has not signed on.  It is in Fatah's interest, then, to discourage the international community from legitimizing Hamas as a stand-alone movement.  The stronger Hamas is, the less it requires unity with Fatah in order to be legitimized.

Thus we have Fatah saying that meetings between Hamas and Westerners undermine efforts at reconciliation.

~~~~~~~~~~

But to my mind there is another piece to the puzzle.  The PA is bouncing between two poles:  the West (and particularly the US and EU) and Hamas.  Yes, they play one end against the other, and yes, they there are games with one thing said in private and another publicly.  But ultimately, there are choices they must make.

If they were to renounce the charade of seeking "peace" with Israel, and declare for "resistance," Hamas would embrace them. But as it is, for the sake of the Western largesse and political support, they have continued to play the peace game.  How they speak about and respond to Hamas, it would seem, provides some clues, within a very complex and schizoid situation, as to the nature of PA positions more broadly.

So far, they have not renounced a relationship with the West, and so we see a readiness to criticize Hamas. But we may be close to a change.  For Abbas is expressing grievous disappointment with the US for not sufficiently pressuring Israel, and he now says he doesn't believe there will be a settlement.

However, I am not hearing at this juncture any further statement by Abbas regarding a unilateral founding of a state.  It may be because Obama, after his political blow in MA last week, is less ready to stick his neck out in supporting a position as radical as this. (Could Abbas's disappointment, unspoken, also be with regard to this?)

We have here a major "watch and see" situation.

Let me add to this stew of events the fact that PA Prime Minister Salam Fayyad is seeking to undermine and best Abbas, and it is likely that he will continue to play to the West.  Fayyad, who is the darling of the West and perceived as exceedingly clean and moderate, in point of fact is neither.  He simply plays a very good game.

~~~~~~~~~~

I know I use the word "ironic" a good deal lately, but that is simply because the situation abounds in irony.  And the greatest irony of this entire situation is that the US president who came into office determined to court Muslims has made a mess of his relationship with the PA because he elevated expectations unreasonably.

~~~~~~~~~~

 

January 21, 2010

 

"Unbelievable"

Because of the growing anarchy -- the chaos and violence in the streets --- occurring in Haiti, the UN has asked Israel to send a contingent of police.  And so, 100 armed Israeli police officers will be joining a peace-keeping mission there.

You can believe this.  It is real news.  Only unbelievable in the ironic sense of the word.

~~~~~~~~~~

Hamas West Bank representative, Aziz Dwaik, met yesterday in Hevron with influential UK millionaire David Martin Abrahams.  In the course of the meeting, which was covered by Khaled Abu Toameh, Dwaik said that Hamas has accepted Israel's right to exist and would be prepared to nullify its charter calling for Israel's destruction.

Now this is unbelievable in a literal sense. Anyone who is familiar with Hamas ideology, and who realizes that even the PLO and Fatah have not removed calls for Israel's destruction from their respective charters, would have trouble swallowing this.

Dwaik sits in a different climate, in the "West Bank."  It's different from Gaza, where Ismail Haniyeh -- senior Hamas political leader recognized in Gaza as prime minister -- sits, and from Damascus, where Khaled Mashaal --Hamas politburo head in exile -- maintains his office.  How much this affects the apparent moderation of what he said is difficult to determine.  He is in touch with both Haniyeh and Mashaal, but did not explicitly say he was speaking on their behalf. What he did say is that both men have made statements agreeing to a Palestinian state within '67 lines.

~~~~~~~~~~

This is a dangerous ploy, for while I consider what Dwaik said to be unbelievable, and so will many of you, there are those willing to accept his word, and that of Haniyeh, and Mashaal.  Dwaik's statement can be seen, as Abu Toameh pointed out, within the context of Hamas attempts to gain international recognition.  And there are those, particularly within the EU, who may swallow this whole -- eager to see the problems in this part of the world miraculously resolved.

Dwaik, I will assume, understood whom he was addressing, for Abrahams is one of those eager to believe.  This is what he said:

"The fact that there is a possibility for recognition of Israel is a symbolic gesture.  We can all look for good in people, and can all look for bad in people. I always look for the good.

"People might say that I'm naive, so let them. But I'm prepared to give them a chance because I've got faith in Dwaik and Haniyeh,  We cannot allow 1.5 million to be festering in the Gaza Strip while the majority of them are good and well educated."

Oi vey.  The thinking represented here (also unbelievable) is what has gotten the world into so much trouble. The refusal to grapple with unpalatable truths -- to understand that there is evil that must be named evil.  The eagerness to try, with blinders on, to transform what should be into reality that is. 

~~~~~~~~~~

Before someone from the UK comes knocking on our door, telling us that Abrahams has said that Hamas leaders have moderated, and we should start talking to them, allow me to point out that recognition of Israel is never "symbolic."  It is a very very real issue, and the recognition must extend to us as a Jewish state.  I am quite safe in assuming neither Haniyeh nor Mashaal has ever offered this.

Is Abraham's desire to help the people in Gaza dependent upon his perception of them as "good and well educated"?  Would he be less eager to help if they were illiterate? 

You have, undoubtedly, noted the connect: because he wants to rescue them from their plight, he "trusts" Haniyeh.  Unfortunately, he shies away from the fact that Haniyeh has major responsibility for the situation that the Gazans find themselves in.  (That would require him to think bad of someone.)

~~~~~~~~~~ 

The issues raised here extend far beyond what Abrahams, as one individual, neglects to recognize with regard to Hamas.  Regrettably, his thinking is typical of a far broader mindset.

I recommend a briefing for the Global Law Forum of the Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs, by Justus Reid Weiner and Dimitri Teresh.  What they address is Amnesty International's predilection for "Forgetting the Real Culprits in Gaza."  Amnesty International, of course, points its finger at us, without due attention to our rights under international law (for example, our right to close our own border) or Hamas's embrace of violence.

This merits a read, as well, in order to gain a more accurate picture of life in Gaza, which is not the horror it is routinely represented as being. 

http://www.globallawforum.org:80/ViewBlog.aspx?ArticleId=49

~~~~~~~~~~

Jibril Rajoub, deputy-head of the Central Committee of Fatah, and former head of the PA security apparatus in the West Bank, has given an interview to a Tunisian newspaper.  In this interview, he charges that when Fatah was negotiating reconciliation with Hamas, several American officials threatened that the US would boycott Fatah and the PA, should that unity with Hamas be achieved.

As there is no outside corroboration, I cannot attest to the accuracy of this charge, but found it significant enough to share here.

Do the Americans understand what is at the heart of Hamas well enough to recognize that its joining with Fatah would further undermine and not enhance chances (already close to non-existent) for peace?  Perhaps.  It's an interesting concept to ponder.

My own take, however, is different.  If this is true, I would suggest that it has to do with the Dayton-trained forces. The US is investing millions, as well as putting its prestige on the line, in training PA security forces under the direction of US Lt.-General Keith Dayton.  These PA/Fatah security forces are supposed to combat Hamas.  What happens if Fatah joins with the very group it is supposed to fight?  It makes the brains in Washington who dreamed up this idea look like total idiots, and it represents a loss in terms of money and effort.  I can see that the specter of this happening might move some US officials to make threats. There is no clue as to which "officials" were allegedly involved, and it is not clear as to whether Rajoub is suggesting their threats were official or off-the-record.

~~~~~~~~~~

Egypt has been central to negotiating efforts to bring reconciliation between Hamas and Fatah, but in recent weeks Hamas-Egyptian tensions have flared considerably. 

There has been a built-in tension for some time, that was long kept on a back burner, because Egyptian interests are complex:  There is enormous enmity between Egypt, which is Sunni, and Shia Iran (whose influence Egypt  fears).  And Iran backs Hamas.  For a long time Egypt was more content than not because Hamas was making difficulty for Israel.  For Egypt also has great enmity for Israel. 

Now the tensions with Hamas have erupted.  What receives little press when there is talk about an Israeli  blockade of Gaza is the fact that there is a crossing between Egypt and Gaza, as well, at Rafah -- with Egypt disinclined to permit free movement there.  In fact, Egypt has been so concerned about a Hamas presence undermining Egyptian stability that a decision was made to install an impermeable steel fence at the border with Gaza, a fence that would go underground (but in fact not as deeply into the ground as the more serious of the tunnels).  Earlier this month, violence erupted at the border, with one Egyptian soldier killed -- when Egypt refused to allow into Gaza "peace activists."

~~~~~~~~~~

George Mitchell met with Barak for two hours this morning with regard to security issues and restarting "peace" negotiations.  The release from the Defense Ministry said nothing of consequence.  Mitchell is scheduled to meet with Netanyahu and then Abbas, this evening and tomorrow morning.

Reportedly, Mitchell is carrying to Netanyahu the request from Abbas for a total short term freeze.  I hope and trust that I will be able to report that this request was summarily rejected, and that no other concessions were offered. To make any concession would be absolutely the most unwise of steps for Netanyahu to take, and I'm betting he knows it.

~~~~~~~~~~

More significant, it seems to me, is that Obama may be starting to back down.  He has given an interview to Time Magazine, in which he said that his administration had overestimated the possibility of getting Israel and the PA to re-start negotiations. 

"Both sides — the Israelis and the Palestinians — have found that the political environment, the nature of their coalitions or the divisions within their societies, were such that it was very hard for them to start engaging in a meaningful conversation. And I think that we overestimated our ability to persuade them to do so when their politics ran contrary to that." 

Obama, admitting that expectations were too high, instead of insisting that we must proceed starting yesterday.  How about this! 

What is more, according to French sources, in an interview with Al-Sharq Al-Awsat in London, Mitchell will not be providing Abbas with guarantees regarding pressure on Israel to freeze all building.  According to this report, there seems more concern about what Israel will accept than we've seen before.

According to once source cited:  "Washington cannot provide guarantees if it is unsure Israel will accept them, especially on the issue of Jerusalem." 

~~~~~~~~~~

Ending on a light note:  A 17 year old boy praying with tfillin -- phylacteries -- on a US Airways flight that had left from LaGuardia (NY) and was bound for Kentucky, caused the plane to be aborted in Philadelphia.  The tfillin consist of two leather boxes containing parchments with biblical passages that are strapped to the head and the arm during weekday prayers. The boy tried to explain to the crew members, who were alarmed about the possibility that the boy was sporting bombs on his body during prayer.  The pilot thought better of continuing the flight.

 

Seems some airline crew education is in order. 

~~~~~~~~~~

 

 

January 20, 2010

 

"Still More"

Every time I write about our mobile medical hospital in Haiti, I think I've provided enough information... and then there's more. 

The clip below is from NBC, and describes, again, what only the Israelis have done.  The reporter, who is herself a doctor, calls our hospital "A model for crisis care."  The equipment includes neo-natal units and monitoring equipment that can transmit information to hospitals elsewhere for assessment by other doctors.  Each incoming patient has an electronic record, and an ethics team helps with tough decisions.  This is top-flight medicine in any terms, but in this case, set up within 48 hours of an emergency, in a field, inside canvas tents, with equipment and personnel brought half-way around the world, it is nothing short of breathtaking.

This is being done, plain and simple, because it's the right thing to do: because we are commanded.  One doctor says, in this clip, "We believe that when we save a life, we've saved the world.  We've saved the world several times in the last few days."

But think, how many millions are seeing us in this light for the first time.  How people might, just might, begin to appreciate who we are. Who we are: first our compassion and the speed with which we run to help others.  But also our skills and capacity to make a difference.  The interviewer asks a doctor, "You have electronic records of the patients?" and the doctor answers, "Of course."  "Of course," she then mumbles to herself, meaning, to him it's a given, but I'm astounded.

 Click here for NBC Report: Israeli Field Hospital a Model for Crisis Care

~~~~~~~~~~

With it all, we must remember that our capacity to respond in an emergency has been honed by our long and painful experience responding to terrorist attacks.  But what is important is that we share these skills for the sake of the world -- not just in Haiti now (which is suffering the worst of catastrophes) but wherever there is a crisis.

~~~~~~~~~~

Today is the first anniversary of Barack Obama's inauguration as president, and today, for the first time in a long time, I begin to feel hope for America. That is because of the stunning upset in the senatorial race in Massachusetts -- the bluest, the most liberal state in the Union -- in which Republican Scott Brown emerged as  victor.

That this was an anti-Obama (and anti-ObamaCare) vote is clear.  The president now must circle his wagons and decide how to proceed next.  There is talk of going slowly with regard to pushing through the health care bill, both because some Democrats are pulling back and because the addition of one more Republican to the Senate makes it no longer filibuster-proof.  And it is being said by some Democrats that the emphasis now has to be on jobs and economic matters (presumably with a decrease in unemployment, if achieved, giving the party a boost).

I think the best thing I've read on the subject today is Jeff Jacoby's assessment,"A blessing in disguise."
"It really is the people's seat, and on Tuesday the people of Massachusetts took it back.

"But in electing Scott Brown instead of Martha Coakley to replace Ted Kennedy in the US Senate, the Bay State's voters did more than hand the GOP its most improbable and thrilling come-from-behind victory in a generation....And they did more than prove that no political party has a permanent lock on any state's electoral loyalties.

"They also gave President Obama and the Democratic left a blessing in disguise -- if only they are wise enough to recognize it.

"Brown ran explicitly against Obama's polarizing domestic agenda -- especially the radical health-care overhaul that the president has made his No. 1 priority...

"Politically, ObamaCare has backfired. No president in the modern era has ended his first year in office with disapproval ratings so high. Much of the goodwill with which he entered the White House has been squandered, and any effort to try to force the health bill through Congress now would drive what's left of that goodwill right over a cliff.

"But that isn't going to happen. Brown and the voters of Massachusetts have killed ObamaCare for good. In so doing they have given the president a priceless second chance to adjust his political course, move toward the center, and deliver at least some of the bipartisan cooperation that was at the heart of his once-enormous appeal..."

http://www.jeffjacoby.com/6851/a-blessing-in-disguise

~~~~~~~~~~

What I wait to see is if the Obama "readjustment" will affect his push for the "peace process": if he will be too busy attending to domestic matters to give it his attention now, or otherwise think better of it.

This is particularly relevant right now as Mitchell will be here tomorrow.

Aluf Benn of Haaretz believes, with some good justification, that the political dynamics following yesterday's election will work in our favor:

www.haaretz.com/hasen/pages/ShArtVty.jhtml?sw=Aluf+Benn&itemNo+1143891

~~~~~~~~~~

Word today was that Abbas was asking for a "short term" (three to six month) total freeze on all building, including in Jerusalem.  This was supposed to be a face-saver for him and allow him to come to the table.

I find this interesting because it suggests that the reports I received last week-- from sterling sources with a great deal of inside information -- regarding the fact that Abbas has decided to simply declare a state unilaterally, and thus is not even thinking of returning to the table, may turn out not to be correct. 

Speculation: Could it be that in his present political bind Obama will be far more reluctant to back a unilateral move by Abbas then he once indicated he would be?  Is this slow-down time?

~~~~~~~~~~

Netanyahu held a press conference this evening and forthrightly rejected any notion of freezing construction in Jerusalem, even informally. 

Abbas had suggested that if this face-saving "gesture" from Israel is not forthcoming (and it isn't), then there might be shuttle diplomacy, with Americans moving between Jerusalem and Ramallah.  The PA would provide the US with specifics of what it was demanding: '67 lines with a 3% exchange of land possible. There has been no comment on this either from the US or our government that I am aware of.

~~~~~~~~~~

But Netanyahu said something else at the press conference, as well:

"We are surrounded by an ever-growing arsenal of rockets placed in the Iranian-supported enclaves to the north [Hezbollah in Lebanon] and to the south {Gaza]...We cannot afford to have that across from the center of our country.

"In the case of a future settlement with the Palestinians, this will require an Israeli presence on the eastern side of a prospective Palestinian state."

He is alluding to the Jordan Valley, and an Israeli presence on the eastern border of a Palestinian state to block bringing in of rockets and other weaponry that could endanger us.  This is the first time that he has made such a demand specifically.

He is absolutely correct, of course, that such an Israeli presence would be necessary.  But making this a requirement for negotiating a state more or less guarantees that there will be no negotiations. And in point of fact, there should be none.  With all of the myriad other reasons why not, this fact alone makes formation of a Palestinian Arab state not a good idea.

~~~~~~~~~~

I was fascinated to see a piece by Yossi Alpher in today's Post, called, "The peace process will resume, but why?"  Alpher's orientation is to the left, and he has been a staunch supporter of the formation of a Palestinian Arab state.

But in this article, he writes, "Regardless of whether the end result is a unilateral, bilateral or multilateral process, without a functioning Palestinian state apparatus there can be no two-state solution."

What is more, he observes, "There is little...prospect that Abbas will succeed in bringing Gaza and Hamas back into the fold of a single Palestinian partner for Israel. Hence he can negotiate only on behalf of the West Bank. But Gaza won't go away."

Alpher does not address the fact that a "single Palestinian partner" that included Hamas would actually be no partner at all, but he does come part way in recognizing the futility of imagining that a "two-state solution" can be negotiated now.

~~~~~~~~~~

And so, maybe Abbas will come to the table, and maybe he will not.  But even should he sit at the table, there will be no meaningful negotiations. This much is clear.

Now we wait for Mitchell's visit.  And, as time allows in upcoming postings I would like to look at Fayyad-Abbas tensions, and Egyptian-Hamas tensions -- all of which play into the broader dynamic.

~~~~~~~~~~

A notice here for Israelis: 

The Moskowitz Prize for Zionism was established by Irving and Cherna Moskowitz as an expression of support for people who put Zionism into action in today's Israeli society.

The need for this special prize arose from the feeling that the true Zionist heroes in today's Israel do not always receive the institutional recognition and public praise they deserve. These are Israeli men and women acting from a feeling of personal responsibility, vision and national mission, each in his field, and often while sacrificing their personal welfare and even endangering their personal security.

This Lion of Zion prize is awarded to Israeli citizens, residents of Israel, who best personify modern Zionism in Israel in their actions, addressing the challenges that face Zionism today, in spheres such as education, research, settlement, culture, defense and security. Winners receive cash prizes.

You have the opportunity to nominate someone who inspires you. Deadline is January 29. 

Go to www.moskowitzprize.com for details and to submit your nomination.

~~~~~~~~~~

 

 

January 19, 2010

 
"Up and Down"
 
I wrote yesterday about Peace Now as one of several organizations that take money from international sources -- with the Knesset considering a bill that would require such organizations to register as foreign agents.
 
I apologize that I did not adequately specify what I was referring to:  It's not money from international sources that is the problem, but, rather, from foreign governments.  Peace Now and others receive funding from European governments that have an agenda not compatible with Israel's.  Organizations, for example, such as Magen David Adam, which takes money from American Friends of MDA, are not foreign agents.  (Thanks to Nan for asking the right question.)
 
~~~~~~~~~~
 
I had also written yesterday that I had it from a reliable source, but could not absolutely confirm, that Israel was the only nation that had a field hospital in Haiti.  Almost correct, but not quite.  There apparently are some other hospitals set up, but they are meager facilities.  (Improvement is expected, but up to this point, the US showing is pathetic; it's appropriate to ask why.)
 
Israel's hospital was the first, and is the largest; most significantly, it is the only one equipped with proper surgical facilities and life-saving equipment.  It's a serious place.  Dying patients from other places are being transferred to the Israeli hospital.  Additional medical staff and supplies are on their way to Haiti from Israel today.
 
See the video clip below from CNN.  Can you believe?  CNN praising Israel!  We have to be damn good to receive such accolades.  I would recommend simply sharing this clip with others.  It says it all.  (Thanks to Wallace and Cheryl for sending it to me.)
 
http://edition.cnn.com/video/?/video/world/2010/01/18/dnt.cohen.haiti.patients.dying.cnn
 
In a similar video from CBS News, the Israeli hospital is called the "Rolls Royce of emergency medical care."
 
~~~~~~~~~~
 
I would like to recommend a piece by Barry Rubin:  "New Failure on Iran Sanctions: Will the Farce Never End?"
 
"It is literally incredible how ineptly the Obama Administration is handling the sanctions on Iran...
 
"This situation provides a vivid case study on the Obama Administration's view of the world, diplomatic skills, and unwillingness to take even a moderately tough stance on handling critical issues." 
 
Rubin makes clear that in spite of Obama's declared intention to start sanctions by this date, or that, nothing is actually happening.
 
It's time for everyone to be very worried.
 
www.rubinreports.blogspot.com/2010/01/new-failures-on-iran-sanctions-will.html
 
~~~~~~~~~~
 
I had a similar response when I read a news report today about what German Chancellor Angela Merkel said, in a press conference with Prime Minister Netanyahu, after an historic joint Israeli-German cabinet session.  Said she:
 
"If Iran's reactions don't change, we will help work on comprehensive sanctions."
 
If Iran's reactions don't change?  What utter nonsense this is.  How long is the world supposed to wait?
 
Netanyahu's response:
 
"If we don't apply sanctions, crippling sanctions, against this Iranian tyranny, when shall we apply them? If not now, when?"
 
The world is highly uneasy about the prospect of an Israeli military attack on Iran, but this same world, which shies away from sanctions, as well, is increasing the likelihood that Israel will attack.
 
~~~~~~~~~~
 
I like it that it has been announced that the theme for this year's independence day (Yom Ha'Atzmaut) celebrations will be:  "If you will it, it is no dream – Achievements of the State of Israel on the 150th anniversary of the birth of Herzl."
 
Of course, this can be turned around to focus on achievements such as stunning hi-tech.  But there is a very definite political message here, and we need to emphasize it:  We cannot be intimidated by the world.  We must hold on to our vision, in order to make it happen.  Judea and Samaria are ours.  We must will it, to make it so.
 
~~~~~~~~~~
 
After weeks of unseasonably warm weather, winter has finally arrived, with chill and wind and heavy rain and sleet.  We need much more -- we're in trouble because of water shortages, but this is most welcome. A blessing.
 
~~~~~~~~~~

 

 

January 18, 2010

 
"Coming from Strength"
 
Before I turn to other matters, I want to mention yet other facts about our medical assistance in Haiti.  Apparently the Haitian system (which was close to non-existent to start with) has broken down entirely.  According to Col. Carmi Bar-Tal, deputy head of the IDF medical unit, cited in the Post today, "There is no hospital around, so the ambulances started bringing patients here."
 
In Port-au-Prince, IsraAID sent a medical support team to its hospital.  As an Israeli nurse described it, "The scenes...were horrendous...The size of the catastrophe is unbelievable.  All the injured were being treated, until we came, by one doctor..."
 
So, we not only do sterling work, we rush to do it, and are critical to medical assistance operations.  It's my understanding that the Israeli mobile hospital in Haiti -- which is extensive and solidly equipped -- was not only the first on the scene, but remains the largest.  In fact, I've received credible (but difficult to absolutely verify) reports that while some international agencies, such as Doctors Without Borders, have brought in portable field hospitals, there is no other government that has done so except Israel.  Shocking, really, if it's so.  Little Israel, a tiny nation, maligned as no other, reaching out in extraordinary ways.
 
~~~~~~~~~~
 
During the course of a press conference yesterday with the Norwegian foreign minister, our foreign minister, Avigdor Lieberman, said:
 
"Since the establishment of the government we have made a large number of gestures [to the PA, to get them to come to the table].

"From our position we are finished with the arsenal of gestures. There will not be any other gestures.

"Right now we are waiting for gestures from the Palestinians."

Up until now, said Lieberman, we haven't seen gestures from the PA.  Instead, there has been, "Palestinian incitement against Israel in every possible international forum, calls for a boycott of Israeli products, suits filed against us in the International Court of Justice in The Hague, and the creation of a fund to convince people to boycott Israeli goods."

Because this is Lieberman talking, and he talks straight and takes no nonsense (thus being seen as 'undiplomatic'), I accept this as a straightforward statement.

The question is whether he is speaking for himself or truly for Netanyahu's government.  This is a particularly significant question as Mitchell is on his way, undoubtedly intending to seek more gestures.

~~~~~~~~~~

I would suggest that if Lieberman is speaking for the government (did run this by the prime minister), it reflects a new attitude that has been precipitated by the information -- which I shared on Friday -- regarding the possibility that PA president Mahmoud Abbas never intends to come to the table, but rather plans a unilateral declaration of statehood to the '67 lines.

In line with this, we see Netanyahu's recent willingness to challenge the PA on the issue of incitement -- an issue that until very recently was "conveniently" ignored, so as to not stop "the process." 

If Netanyahu has, finally and very belatedly, decided to take on the PA instead of courting it, it will be a welcome change.  We should know soon enough if there is a real policy shift.

Only the truth with regard to the Palestinian Arabs -- which is so often obscured and buried -- can serve our genuine interests.  It's time -- past time!! -- to stop pretending they're something they are not, and to challenge the pretense when we encounter it in others.

More's the pity that this change, if it is real, will have been precipitated by Abbas -- that is, will be reactive, coming only at a time when playing the game no longer seemed to Netanyahu a good idea.  It should have come long ago, from a position of strength.  But it would be far better now than not at all. 

~~~~~~~~~~

Looks like Peace Now (Shalom Achshav) isn't doing too well lately, and that is great news.

About 18 months ago, Peace Now petitioned the High Court with regard to the presence of Jewish civilians living on an IDF base in Hevron. Its position was that the civilian residents should be expelled.

~~~~~~~~~~

Some background is in order here: 

Hevron, in Judea, is a very ancient and sacred Jewish city -- site of the Machpela, the Tomb of the Patriarchs.  There was thriving Jewish community there over the centuries, with institutes of Torah learning and more.

In 1929, there was a massacre of Jews by Arabs in Hevron, and the British, who controlled the area as part of the Mandate for Palestine, moved survivors out --"for their own safety," rather than attempting to protect them.  (I add here that the Arab massacre was incited by Haj Amin al-Husseini, the Mufti of Jerusalem, who was a relative and mentor of Yasser Arafat -- and don't minimize the connection here!) An attempt to re-establish the Jewish community in Hevron subsequently failed for similar reasons.

At that point, for the first time in 3,000 years, there was not even so much as a small remnant of a Jewish community in Hevron. When Jordan assumed control of Judea and Samaria in 1949, it maintained a policy of keeping Hevron Judenrein, and destroying buildings in the ancient Jewish quarter there. Thus here, as in eastern Jerusalem, the policy of the Jordanians fostered the myth that this is an "Arab" area.

The situation shifted after Israel gained control in 1967.  In the years subsequent, Jews devoted to the heritage of Hevron worked to re-establish a Jewish community there.  It has been tough going, because many believe it would be easier, and more convenient, and play better with the international community if Arabs were simply permitted to have the whole city.  And leftists, who have swallowed the notion that Hevron is Arab, oppose them.  But in point of fact there IS a small Jewish community there today, and I admire them greatly for their courage.  With the Oslo Accords, unfortunately much of the city was turned over to the PA, but the Jewish enclave, protected by the IDF, remains.

~~~~~~~~~~

With this general background, let me return to the specifics of the case at hand. In 1879, just outside what was then the Jewish Quarter of Hevron, a substantial building called Beit Romano was constructed, which served as a private home, a place of hospitality for travelers, and a synagogue.  About 100 years ago, Chabad (Lubavitch) purchased Beit Romano, as well as land around it, and established a yeshiva there. 

Today, Beit Romano is the name of a neighborhood in Jewish Hevron, in the old city, that encompasses at least part of this area:

 

While there was no Jewish presence for many years following 1929, the land legally still belonged to Chabad.   When the IDF took control in 1967, there was an Arab bus station on the Chabad-owned land just above the Beit Romano neighborhood.  About 25 years ago, the IDF built a base there (with permission, as I understand it).  Then, about 20 years ago, a small Jewish neighborhood -- consisting of caravans -- was established on the base.  This was permitted because Chabad owned this land and had given permission for Israeli civilians to live there. 

~~~~~~~~~~

It is this that Peace Now was objecting to.  But the court told this group that the civilian neighborhood has existed on the IDF base for 20 years, and it's a bit late to start complaining about it now. Petition rejected.

The bottom line is that this is simply one facet of Peace Now's objective of moving Jews out of Hevron, and, in time, all of Judea and Samaria.

Peace Now lawyer Michael Sfard maintains that Peace Now has the right to petition the Court “as a part of the Israeli body politic, all of whom are involved in the political debate regarding the settlement in Hevron.” 

To me, this is laugh-out-loud funny.  Peace Now receives funds from international sources and there is currently a debate in the Knesset about this, with movement towards drafting a law that would require groups receiving such funding to register as foreign agents.  Once such money is received, it is ridiculous to speak about being "part of the Israeli body politic."  They are compromised: promoting the pro-Palestinian Arab perspective of European donors.

And there's more:  Peace Now does not exist. Not here. They are not registered in Israel at all, not as a non-profit or anything else. Only in the US is American Friends of Peace Now registered.

~~~~~~~~~~

Then there was another petition that Peace Now brought to the High Court in 2005, involving a total of 18 homes in the Samaria "outposts" of Hersha and Hayovel. They were labeled "illegal" because allegedly they were built without government sanction -- although there is evidence that this may not be so.

At any rate, at one time the government acknowledged them as "illegal" and there were demolition orders against these 18 homes. But when Peace Now petitioned the Court, saying the demolitions had to take place, the State replied that it would determine when was the proper time to do so.

Now there has been a reversal, with the State, the Defense Minister, the IDF Commander, and the head of Civil Administration (the respondents in Peace Now's suit), saying that the situation would be re-examined with alternatives to demolition being considered.  Depending on lands the homes were built on, etc. etc., it may be determined that they were legal after all.  How about that!

This is of significance because it shows how politicized is the entire concept of "illegal" building. And now, when the PA is yelling about borders to the '67 line, I don't take it as insignificant that the State may be re-evaluating a situation so as to permit houses that were scheduled for demolition to stand.

~~~~~~~~~~

One of the homes that had been slated for demolition, it should be noted, belongs to the widow and two young children of Maj. Roi Klein, the hero of the Second Lebanon war, who -- crying "Shema Yisrael" -- threw himself on a grenade in Bint Jbail to save his men. 

It is worthwhile to note that here in Israel Peace Now was permitted to pursue the issue of speedy demolition of the houses even though it had no standing in the case -- no vested interest.  In the US this would not be possible.

And then, we must ask, what sort of people eagerly pursue the demolition of the home of the family of a war hero (and son of Holocaust survivors)?  The people of Peace Now. That's who.

~~~~~~~~~~

 

January 17, 2010

 

"With Great Pride"

I call it positive.  Incredibly so.  Not happy -- in fact, unspeakably painful.  But a Kiddush HaShem: a blessing on G-d's name.

In the midst of the overwhelming death and destruction that is Haiti right now, there are Israelis who have come to save lives and offer succor.

On Friday, El Al and IDF planes came into Haiti, carrying 250 medical personnel -- doctors, nurses, lab and x-ray technicians and even a psychiatrist -- and supplies for a mobile hospital, including a pharmacy, a surgical unit, and a maternity ward.  A young Haitian mother who was the first to deliver in this ward, early this morning, named her baby Israel.

You can see footage of an IDF rescue team at work in Haiti here:

http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?pagename=JPost/Page/VideoPlayer&cid=1194419829128&videoId=1263147905094

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Members of ZAKA, the Israeli ultra-Orthodox volunteer rescue organization, were on the scene as well.  Yesterday, on Shabbat, they labored, digging in the rubble of a collapsed multi-story university building, where cries were heard.  After hours of effort, they succeeded in pulling eight students from that rubble, alive.

These ZAKA members then took time, in the midst of the chaos, to wrap themselves in their tallitot (prayer shawls) and recite their Shabbat prayers. Undoubtedly most if not all of the Haitians on the scene had never seen such a sight. 

When the men had finished praying, a crowd of people gathered around them and kissed their tallitot.

~~~~~~~~~~

According to one report, head of the ZAKA mission, Mati Goldstein said:

"With all the hell going on outside, even when things get bad Judaism says we must take a deep breath and go on to save more people.

"We did everything to save lives, despite Shabbat. People asked, 'Why are you here? There are no Jews here', but we are here because the Torah orders us to save lives…"

At one point, when things were very grim, Goldstein reported that one mission member started to sing, Heveinu Shalom Aleichem (We bring peace to you.)  "I had tears in my eyes," he said.

The ZAKA mission will be staying in Haiti a couple more days, even though beyond a certain point it is highly unlikely that anyone else will be found alive under the rubble.

What is exceedingly important to the mission is making their Israeli identity very clear.  And so, in this regard, you can help Israel by sharing this broadly and letting the world know what we are all about.

I leave off writing here (and save other news for another day), so this can be circulated, sharing simply this important news.

~~~~~~~~~~

 

 

January 15, 2010

 

"Deep Concern"

I wrote the other day about Hillary's statement that the Palestinian Arabs "deserve" a state -- which led to my piece about why such a state is not a good idea.

Now I share with you a Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs paper by Dan Diker regarding Abbas's intentions to declare a state to the '67 lines unilaterally:

http://jcpa.org/JCPA/Templates/ShowPage.asp?DRIT=2&DBID=1&LNGID=1&TMID=111&FID=443&PID=0&IID=3271&TTL=The_Palestinians'_Unilateral_%22Kosovo_Strategy%22:_Implications_for_the_PA_and_Israel

~~~~~~~~~~

I've already been in touch with several Arabic-speaking analysts who concur that this is the way things are headed.  What is more, there is feeling in several quarters that Obama is actually on board for this.  The statement by Hillary leads us in this direction, and, as one analyst pointed out, Abbas would not pursue this had he not gotten the word that he would have US backing ultimately.  Of considerable concern, as well, is the concerted effort to delegitimize Israel within the international community -- a part of Abbas's overall plan.

~~~~~~~~~~

This comes now simply to provide this basic information, which I address with utmost seriousness.  There will be times when my postings are brief, or when days go by without postings, because I'll be doing other writing or research.  But I will keep my readers informed. 

Ultimately what matters is hard work to convince various decision-makers that -- not only is formation of a Palestinian Arab state not a good idea -- backing for such a state would lead to a disaster that makes supporters look very foolish: they would have contributed to a worsening situation in the Middle East.  (And, indeed, that would be the case.)

In the US, the focus must be on Congress; communicating with Obama and his advisors or with Hillary is likely pointless, as they have their agenda.  They are oblivious to problems that are inherent in what they envision, and it is exceedingly unlikely that grassroots communication will affect their perception or their goals.

In Europe, of course, the address is the EU, or European Commission, actually. 

In due course, there will be much more to say about this.

~~~~~~~~~~

I will add here in passing that it is possible (just possible) that this figures into Netanyahu's current stance, with his maddening eagerness to come to the table.  I'm getting mixed opinions on this at present.  He may be working overtime to show the world that unilateralism is not the way to go, as other options are possible.  Whether this is the most productive approach is debated, and depends in part on what goes on behind the scenes.

~~~~~~~~~~

 

January 13, 2010

 
"For the Record"
 
A dear friend has suggested that in the context of my discussion yesterday regarding the very erroneous impression that there is a Palestinian Arab "entitlement" to a state, it is important for me to provide basic facts once again -- even though I've run this information before. And she is correct. 
 
Trusting that those of my readers who are already conversant with this information will understand, I proceed here. You may want to retain this material; anyone who wishes additional information is invited to contact me.
 
~~~~~~~~~~
 
By way of background: When I speak of Palestine, I am referring to the area, approximately, of Greater Israel today, between the Jordan River and the Mediterranean Sea.  With borders that shifted somewhat in different time periods, this roughly circumscribes what had been ancient Israel/Judea.  After the expulsion of Jews almost 2,000 years ago, the Romans re-named the area Palestina -- anglicized as Palestine -- to eradicate the Jewish connection to the land.  Over the centuries, the region was controlled by a substantial number of occupiers but was always treated as no more than an appendage to a larger empire or holding, administered by outsiders from elsewhere. From the end of the Second Jewish Commonwealth to the establishment of modern Israel, there was never a state known as Palestine.
 
As of 1922, this entire area was turned over to Great Britain by the League of Nations, for the Mandate for Palestine. Britain was mandated with promoting close Jewish settlement in this land, for purposes of establishment of a Jewish Homeland.  This has never been superseded in international law.  (The UN assumed the obligation of the League in its charter.)
 
~~~~~~~~~~
 
REGARDING TODAY'S CLAIM BY PALESTINIAN ARABS THAT THEY HAVE A RIGHT TO ESTABLISH A STATE ON THE LAND OF PALESTINE OR ANY PART OF IT: 
 
A necessary component for the establishment of a state is a people. 
 
The Arabs who are known today as "Palestinians," however, are not legitimately a people.  They have no distinct culture, language, or extended history.  In fact, the Palestinian Arabs who live in Gaza are culturally and linguistically more closely allied to the Egyptians than to the Palestinian Arabs in Judea and Samaria. There is no unified "peoplehood," with which all identify. 
 
Some Palestinian Arabs give their first allegiance to the hamula, or extended clan. To further complicate the picture, Hamas, which is broadly supported in Gaza, is not a nationalist movement at all, but an Islamist movement that promotes an international Islamic Caliphate.
 
Until the middle of the twentieth century, those Arabs who lived in Palestine identified as part of the Arab nation or as part of Greater Syria.  NOT as Palestinians.  Palestinians were the Jews who lived in Palestine.
 
Many of the Arabs who lived in Palestine were actually recent arrivals, having come from neighboring Arab areas to secure work. Their roots were elsewhere, not in Palestine.  As Jews developed their state-in-the-making, job opportunities increased, and Arabs came.  Yes, certainly some had been in the area for extended periods, but the image that is painted of a whole people with roots in the land for millennia is false.  There is an enormous invented history that Palestinian Arabs have promoted to "prove" their ancient existence in the land.
 
~~~~~~~~~~
 
Identification of Arabs in the area as "Palestinians" -- subsequent to the founding of Israel, when the Jews became Israelis -- was done for purely political purposes. This term served to cement the image that they were the original indigenous inhabitants of Palestine, while the Israelis were interlopers or "occupiers."
 
This self-identification caught hold, so that the Arabs of what had been Palestine began to see themselves as "Palestinians" and the world began to perceive them this way.  Literally, a people invented, only decades ago. 
 
~~~~~~~~~~
 
Note: From 1949, after the War of Independence, until 1967, Israel existed within the Green Line, with Gaza to the west and Judea and Samaria to the east.  Israel did not assume control of all of Palestine (even though the Mandate extended to the whole area) because the Jews had agreed to abide by a 1947 (non-binding) UN General Assembly recommendation that Palestine be partitioned for a Jewish state and an Arab state; the Arabs declined to accept their allocated portion. The resolution called for an "Arab" state within partitioned Palestine -- there was no mention of a Palestinian state for a Palestinian people.
 
Sometime after the end of the War, Arabs who had remained inside of Israel were given citizenship.  Legally, Gaza -- controlled by Egypt, and Judea and Samaria -- controlled by Jordan, were unclaimed Mandate land, or contested land.  Arabs who had lived in these regions continued to do so.  In addition, many of those who fled from Israel during the war (and were termed "refugees") now also lived there.  When international relief began for the refugees, some Arabs from neighboring areas moved in, as well, to benefit from the assistance.
 
Again, note: There was no talk of Egypt and Jordan turning over the regions they controlled so that it might become a Palestinian state for a Palestinian people.  Historically, as recently as 43 years ago, the notion of a Palestinian state for a Palestinian people was not remotely on the international radar screen.
 
In fact, UN Security Council Resolution 242, passed after the war in 1967 -- when Israel gained control of Gaza, and Judea and Samaria -- did not mention either a Palestinian people or a Palestinian state.  It was understood that Israel would be dealing with the existing Arab states.   
 
~~~~~~~~~~
 
ISRAEL'S RIGHTS TO THE LAND CLAIMED FOR PALESTINIAN ARABS:
 
These rights have several bases, the first of which is ancient heritage. 
 
Judea and Samaria, and eastern Jerusalem, form the core of the ancient Jewish presence in the land.  It is here that we find Hevron, with the Cave of the Patriarchs; ancient Shilo, where the Tabernacle rested; Beit El, where Jacob had his dream of the ladder; Shechem, where Avraham first entered the land and where Joseph's Tomb sits.  In eastern Jerusalem is Har Habayit, where the Temples stood.
 
Outside the old city, Ir David (City of David) -- the original Jerusalem, which is 3,000 years old.  In 3,000 years Jerusalem has never been the capital of any political entity other than Jewish.  It is the quintessential Jewish city.
 
This makes the Jewish claim to the land very strong. A people does not surrender its own heritage.
 
A note here:  The claim is often made that eastern Jerusalem and parts of Judea and Samaria are indigenously Arab, but this is fallacious.   It is exceedingly important that people understand that in 1949, when Jordan took over these areas, they were made Judenrein :  Areas where Jews had lived for centuries unending was suddenly forbidden to them, and the Arabs moved in.  (And Jordan destroyed synagogues and Jewish cemeteries.)
 
~~~~~~~~~~
 
A second basis for Israeli rights to the land is physical presence.  Although most of the people were banished, there has been a continuing, unbroken Jewish presence in the land.  In Jerusalem, in modern times, Jews have represented the majority since the late 1800s.
 
~~~~~~~~~~
 
Yet another basis is legal. I have already alluded to the Mandate for Palestine, which specified the land for a Jewish Homeland. 
 
This fact makes charges that we are "occupiers" in Judea and Samaria ridiculous.  Occupation takes place when the army of one sovereign state moves into the territory of another.  Judea and Samaria, however, are not part of a sovereign state, but rather represent part of the Mandate land promised to the Jews.  How, then, can it be said that Jews are "occupiers" there?
 
And there are other legal factors as well:
 
The Green Line, which is widely touted as the "proper" border of Israel, was never a border at all:  It was an armistice line from 1949.  When Israel signed the armistice agreement with Jordan, written into that agreement was a statement that the armistice line would not prejudice future negotiations on a border.  In light of this, it is amazing how so much of the world has come to see the '67 line as Israel's border.
 
UN SC Resolution 242, mentioned above, acknowledged that Israel required secure borders and that the Green Line would not comprise such a border -- it was implicit in the wording of the resolution that Israel would remain in at least part of Judea and Samaria and not be required to pull back all the way.
 
Lastly, here, is the fact that Israel acquired control of Gaza, Judea and Samaria in a defensive war. This makes a significant difference and makes Israel's case stronger.  It happens frequently that nations fighting defensive wars acquire territory and this is accepted: the case is made that to return to the original border would put the nation in a position that was not defensible.  Only in Israel's case is this so overtly challenged.
 
~~~~~~~~~~
 
THE TRUE GOAL OF THE PALESTINIAN ARABS IS ISRAEL'S DESTRUCTION, NOT A STATE:
 
The Muslim Arab world simply does not accept the presence of a Jewish state here. The land we sit on is considered by them to be Muslim land, which must be reclaimed.  Consider:
 
The Palestinian Liberation Organization was founded (by Egypt) in 1964, BEFORE Israel controlled Gaza, Judea and Samaria.  So, what was the PLO going to "liberate"?  Israel within the Green Line. 
 
Please note carefully: At that time, assurances were written into the PLO charter that there was no claim made on Egypt and Jordan that Gaza and Judea and Samaria should be turned over for a Palestinian state.  After Israel acquired these areas, then the PLO charter was changed, and the demand was made that Israeli give up the land for a Palestinian state.  The true interest was not in the state, but in weakening Israel.
 
Israel has fought several wars with her Arab neighbors who were intent on her destruction. After multiple defeats, the Arabs recognized that they would not be able to take down Israel in one fell swoop. And so an alternate plan (it is a written plan), called the Strategy of Stages, was put forth by the PLO.  It envisioned weakening Israel one stage at a time, through combined diplomacy and military action. A state on part of Palestine was seen as a stage, not a final goal.  It would provide a base for attacking Israel.
 
The Palestinian Arabs could have had their state already if this is what they truly wanted. But their demands are always maximalist, and they have turned down two stunning offers (for which we must be most grateful) -- made by Barak when he was prime minister in 2000, and then by Olmert in 2009. 
 
The so-called refugees have been used as a weapon to weaken Israel, as well.  All other refugees in the world are settled as quickly as possible, even in a third country if necessary.  Only the Palestinian Arab refugees have been allowed to fester in a state of limbo for four generations now, because it is said that no solution for them is possible except "return" to Israel.  The goal is to move sufficient numbers of refugees into Israel to make a Muslim majority. This is why the PA won't acknowledge Israel as a Jewish state.  If there were sincere desire to establish two states for two people, this would not be happening.  Logically, refugees would go to the new Palestinian Arab state.
 
Once Oslo Accords were signed, the Palestinian Authority devoted itself not to state building but to supporting terrorism and promoting incitement.  This itself is clear evidence of what the priorities are.  To this day the PA supports terrorism and promotes incitement, and it is still lacking the essential underpinnings necessary for a state.
 
To this day, as well, the charters of both the PLO and Fatah (the controlling party of the Palestinian Authority) call for Israel's total destruction by violent resistance (terrorism).  This past summer, Fatah held its first convention in 20 years.  It voted NOT to remove the clause on violent resistance.  For Western consumption, the PA alludes to "occupation" as Israeli presence in Judea and Samaria.  In internal documents, "occupation" refers to any Israeli presence in the land.
 
THE NEGATIVE EFFECTS OF A STATE, FOR ISRAEL AND THE WORLD:
 
The PA is not prepared to establish a stable state, never mind one remotely resembling a democracy.  Underpinnings are not in place.  It does not have a vibrant economy, as commerce is stifled severely by corruption and nepotism. (Mahmoud Abbas and his buddies are very rich.)  There is no adequate justice system, and precious little in the way of human rights. Its security forces, in spite of hype to the contrary, are not capable of taking on terrorism. The proposed constitution drawn up in preparation for a state calls for Sharia law, which is exceedingly repressive.  
 
Palestinian Arabs have received more international support per capita than any people in the world. They maintain  a perpetual welfare mentality, and would continue to hold their hands out for more support, and more, if they established a state.
 
There is vast likelihood that in due course Hamas would take over such a state, after the IDF (which does the real anti-terrorism work) was required to pull back. This serves the world ill, as it would provide a launching pad for terrorist attacks and further destabilize the area.
 
Does the world need establishment of a state such as this?  There would be no contribution of a positive nature. The notion that we have an obligation to foster founding of such a state boggles the mind.
 
PLEASE, SHARE THIS AS BROADLY AS POSSIBLE. THESE ARE THE FACTS PEOPLE DON'T KNOW.
 
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January 12, 2010

 

"As It Is"

Barry Rubin's recent column, entitled "A gold mine for understanding US Middle East policy," touches on a variety of subjects by drawing upon statements made recently by Secretary of State Clinton at a press conference.  But I want to focus on one particular critical observation Rubin made:

"BUT ANOTHER thing Clinton said is more disturbing and has become an Obama administration talking point. She said the Palestinians 'deserve' a state. In this approach, having a state isn't something earned by ending terrorism and incitement, truly accepting Israel's existence, providing strong security guarantees and resettling refugees in your own country. According to the US government, Palestinian statehood is an entitlement, a prize they get no matter how they behave. (emphasis added)

"So why shouldn't the Palestinians demand they get everything and give nothing? The world owes them a state. By such policies the Obama administration undermines its own leverage on the issue. One more nail in the already studded coffin of the peace process."

~~~~~~~~~~

This is hardly surprising.  And it's not just the Obama administration. It's the EU and others. It's sort of a "given" that the Arabs who call themselves Palestinians are entitled to their own state.  Never mind entitled, but entitled to all the land beyond the Green Line.

Whatever I say about the Palestinian Arabs, I have to give them this:  Their PR is masterful, that they have achieved this.

~~~~~~~~~~

The Kurds are a real people, with a real and legitimate right to their own state, Kurdistan.  They live in the highland plateau region at the intersection of Turkey, Iraq, Iran, and Syria.  Numbering well over 20 million, they are the largest ethnic group in the world without their own nation; they have their own language, their own cultural traditions and their own history, which reaches back for many centuries.  While they have obtained some autonomy (in Iraq), and have successfully developed governmental structure and commercial ventures, they are denied independence because none of the nations in which they reside will support this.

But do you hear about a UN day in solidarity with the Kurds?  Of course not.  Because there is no such day -- only the Palestinian Arabs "merit" such support.

Incredible, when you think of it, is it not?

~~~~~~~~~~

Beyond the success of Palestinian Arab PR, I think there are probably other reasons why the distorted notion has arisen that they are entitled to a state.

A Christian Zionist here, whom I respect enormously, shared with me his observations based on his organization's interaction with the European community.  What he told me was that Europeans feel guilty about the Holocaust, but not particularly guilty about what was done to the Jews. Rather, they believe that Jews would not have fled Europe for Palestinian if not for the persecution of the Holocaust.  In other words, they buy into the also fallacious notion -- which ignores Jewish history and heritage -- that there is an Israel today only because of the Holocaust, and that fleeing Jewish refugees pushed out indigenous Arab population in the area.  Thus, believing they have responsibility for creating the situation that made them suffer, they feel beholden to the Palestinian Arabs.  An interesting perspective.

~~~~~~~~~~

It behooves us to speak out forcefully in every possible venue with arguments that refute the belief -- whatever its source -- that there is a Palestinian Arab entitlement.  Who are these "Palestinians," it must be asked, and what constitutes their uniqueness as a people.  WHY do they deserve a state?  How will the world benefit from such a state?  What is the genuine Jewish historical and legal entitlement to the land the Arabs claim?

~~~~~~~~~~

More news with hopeful potential:

Borzou Daragahi, an American born journalist of Iranian descent, wrote in yesterday's LA Times that the movement of anti-regime activists in Iran is spreading out of the main cities -- where anonymity is more possible -- into the Iranian heartland.

"More than 60% of Iranians are younger than 30, and 70% of college students reportedly opposed Ahmadinejad.

"What has happened over the last seven months in Birjand [a potential opposition stronghold], and consistent with reports from other small cities around the country, illustrates how the opposition movement has gained a foothold nationwide. Students began organizing small gatherings at their universities. In the classrooms, professors lifted students' spirits by discussing the Islamic Republic's missteps, and what sorts of protest action were effective and which were counterproductive. The students followed the news on opposition websites and via BBC Persian and Voice of America. They have mastered the use of proxy servers to get access to banned websites as well as shield their surfing habits from surveillance technology."

~~~~~~~~~~

At her press conference yesterday, Secretary of State Clinton said that decisions were still being made, but the thought is that focused sanctions against those making the decisions in Iran would be most effective. It is assumed that she is referring to the Revolutionary Guard.

Regrettably, she said, once again, that the US is still interested in dialogue with Iran, even as sanctions are under review.

~~~~~~~~~~

 

January 11, 2010

 
"A Shift of Note"
 
It's not possible for me to say that the world has gained sanity.  Would that I could.  But there are shifts I'm observing in response to the insanity that are at least modestly heartening.  Most significant is a change in the messages coming from our government. 
 
I wrote the other day that whatever else transpired, what mattered most for us was how Netanyahu responded: a stiff spine was required.  Well, I'm seeing encouraging signs of that stronger spine now.  It's difficult to say precisely what brought about this change -- the likeliest guess is that he has had it, been pushed just too far -- but there is a difference in what we're hearing from the prime minister and his government.
 
Consider the following:
 
~~~~~~~~~~
 
At the  Cabinet meeting yesterday, Netanyahu made a statement that was released to the public:
"Last week 20 rockets and mortar rounds were fired at Israel from the Gaza Strip. I regard this very seriously. The IDF responded immediately...The Government's policy is clear: Any firing at our territory will be responded to strongly and immediately.

"It is not only missiles and rockets that endanger security and push peace further off. Words can also be dangerous. Sadly, there has been a retreat in this area in recent months, both within the Palestinian Authority and by its leaders. Whoever sponsors and supports naming a square in Ramallah after a terrorist who murdered dozens of Israelis on the coastal road – encourages terrorism. Whoever declares those responsible for the murder of the late Rabbi Meir Avshalom Hai, father to seven children, as holy martyrs – pushes peace further away.

"At the same time, incitement continues in the Palestinian media and education system; in its official media outlets and in the schools under its supervision. These serious actions represent a harsh violation of the Palestinians' international obligation to prevent incitement. I say to the Chairman of the Palestinian Authority: Stop the incitement. This is not how peace is made. Peace is made by educating towards reconciliation, by encouraging good neighborly relations and by developing mutual respect...."

~~~~~~~~~~

The PA incitement -- whether in school texts or media or the honoring of terrorists -- is hardly new.  What is new is a prime minister's readiness to publicly finger this incitement and challenge Palestinian Arab leaders to eradicate it, instead of ignoring it for misguided tactical reasons (that is, the notion that if we charge the PA with incitement it will slow down the "peace process").

This readiness certainly seems to signal a new acceptance of reality: we do not have a partner for peace.  For the first time, instead of babbling about the window of opportunity for peace and our need to get on with negotiations now, Netanyahu has said that the PA is not in the right place for advancing peace.

~~~~~~~~~~

And there is a shift discernable in another government statement as well. For some time now, Israel has been praising the PA security forces.  This has been the case in particular with regard to the US training of some of those forces under General Keith Dayton and the willingness of the IDF to grant them increased responsibility. 

All part of "making nice" and going along with the US-promoted myth that PA forces can take over if a state is established and the IDF pulls out of Judea and Samaria.  I have found it nauseating, to be blunt, because I know the reluctance of PA forces to act against terrorists, and I am aware that the IDF acts nightly in PA areas to pursue terrorists (with the PA forces operating during the day only).

Well, we have some Senators in town now -- John McCain (R-Arizona), Joe Lieberman (Independent-Connecticut), John Barrasso (R-Wyoming) and John Thune (R-South Dakota).  And Netanyahu told them that "[the PA forces] are showing timidity about addressing their own renegades."

He was referring to Al Aksa Brigades, which is part of Fatah. His allusion (mentioned also in his Cabinet statement) is to the drive-by shooting of Rabbi Hai -- with Abbas not only refraining from condemning this act but conferring upon the perpetrators the designation of shahids (holy martyrs).

~~~~~~~~~~

What Netanyahu said merely touches the surface of the issue.  The PA forces really aren't great at going after Hamas forces either -- doing so only when they are threatened and never, ever when Hamas is committing terrorist acts against Jews.  And it's not just "renegades" that have to be looked at, it's the entire willingness of the Fatah to incorporate Al Aksa at all.

But none-the-less, this signifies a shift in the line that has been advanced until now and is a modest -- and perhaps significant -- step in the right direction.

~~~~~~~~~~

Lastly, Netanyahu's statement -- "any firing on our territory will be responded to strongly and immediately" -- merits note.  This could well be nothing more than bluster, and is perhaps most realistically read as such.

It was, however, followed up by a related item in the news today citing defense officials who are saying that in the event of a new operation into Gaza, the IDF may take over the Philadelphi Corridor (a narrow swath of land in the south of Gaza that is adjacent to the border with Egypt).  This action was rumored during Cast Lead last year but was vetoed by Olmert.

Are we seeing the possibility of a tougher stance now?  Not sure.  I don't believe the allusion to such a possibility -- which came yesterday from Maj.-Gen. (res.) Yom-Tov Samia, former head of the Southern Command, in an Army Radio interview -- was done without a nod from higher up. 

There is concern that since that since Cast Lead Hamas has grown even stronger and has smuggled in longer-range rockets.  Occupation of the Philadelphi Corridor would enable us to locate and take out the smuggling tunnels, many of which open up inside of homes in that area.

We left Gaza too soon last time. Now General Samia has said, "We are facing another round in Gaza.  I am skeptical that Hamas will suddenly surrender or change its way without first suffering a far more serious blow than it did during Cast Lead." 

~~~~~~~~~~

At least for now, the Gilad Shalit negotiations seem stalemated, if not dead.  This, after rumors had us believing it was pretty much a done deal.

Whatever the particulars, it does seem that Netanyahu and his inner cabinet did not cave in ways we feared they would. On Sunday, Netanyahu told a gathering of Likud MKs that he didn't intend to release "symbols of terror," such as Marwan Barghouti.  "I don't intend to release mega terrorists and I am trying to prevent releasing terrorists to Judea and Samaria." 

"Trying to prevent" sounds a tad weak, as this should be a matter of simply saying it won't be done, period.  But none-the-less, Netanyahu seems to have been resolute enough to block the deal. Khaled Abu Toameh has reported that Hamas is blaming the prime minister for the collapse of arrangements. 

Elsewhere I have read that Hamas is charging that Netanyahu actually refused to release a larger number of terrorists than what media reported.

And so, right on!

~~~~~~~~~~

It's a mistake to merely contact elected officials in times of discontent.  We need to also let them know when we are pleased with them.  And so, right now, I urge you to contact Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu.  Praise him for his words and policies of strength -- his readiness to tell it as it is, particularly with regard to PA incitement, and to protect Israeli interests.

Encourage him to continue to be strong.  In Hebrew: Hazak, hazak!

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

Phone: 03-610-9898 (From the US: 011-972-3-610-9898) 

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

 
~~~~~~~~~~
 
I note this simply in passing:  There was quite a flack the other day about an allusion George Mitchell, US envoy, made on the Charlie Rose show, apparently indicating that the US might withdraw loan guarantees if displeased with our cooperation with regard to peace efforts.
 
The response from here was most appropriate:  Minister of Finance Yuval Steinitz simply let it be known that we could manage without those guarantees.
 
But, as it turns out, the threat was overstated by the media. See Herb Keinon on this:
 
http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1263147861018&pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FShowFull
 
~~~~~~~~~~
 
Where the Obama administration is concerned, I am far less sanguine with regard to genuine policy changes.  And yet, here, too I am seeing the suggestion of changes -- specifically with regard to policy on Iran. 
 
From the Wall Street Journal :
 
"The Obama administration is increasingly questioning the long-term stability of Tehran's government and moving to find ways to support Iran's opposition 'Green Movement,' said senior U.S. officials. The White House is crafting new financial sanctions specifically designed to punish the Iranian entities and individuals most directly involved in the crackdown on Iran's dissident forces, said the U.S. officials, rather than just those involved in Iran's nuclear program. In recent weeks, senior Green Movement figures - who have been speaking at major Washington think tanks - have made up a list of Revolutionary Guard-related companies they suggest targeting.
   
"A number of Iran scholars in the U.S. said they have been contacted by senior administration officials eager to understand if the Iranian unrest suggested a greater threat to Tehran's government than originally understood. 'The tone has changed in the conversation,' said one scholar. 'There's realization now that this unrest really matters.' 
 
"'The Green Movement has demonstrated more staying power than perhaps some have anticipated,' said a senior U.S. official. 'The regime is internally losing its legitimacy.'" 
 
http://online.wsj.com:80/article/SB126300060937222569.html
 
This is good news.
 
~~~~~~~~~~
 
Then, from CNN yesterday, a report that cites Gen. David Petraeus, head of U.S. Central Command, regarding the existence of military contingency plans for Iran. 
 
This, of course, leads us further into speculation, as having contingency plans (which, as the General said, it would be negligent not to have) says nothing about intent to fall back on those plans.
 
~~~~~~~~~~
 
I found this small news item to be of note:
 
Egyptian scholar Sheikh Yusuf al-Qaradawi said in a sermon in Qatar, where he lives, that if it is true that PA president Mahmoud Abbas instigated Operation Cast Lead, he must be stoned to death.  He wasn't issuing a fatwa yet, he said, because first the situation needed to be investigated, and he called upon the Arab League to pursue the matter.
 
The PA has demanded a public apology.  But the fact of the matter is that, while I certainly wouldn't say Abbas "instigated" our operation into Gaza, he most certainly did encourage it.  It was his hope that we would take out Hamas and that the PA could then reassert itself in Gaza. "Hit them hard," was his covert message to us in the beginning.  That was before he began to condemn us publicly.
 
This situation most certainly weakens Abbas even further -- and while this particular Sheikh is in Qatar, we should not fail to note that he's Egyptian.  There's a great many Egyptian machinations going on that we're not privy to.
 
This simply strengthens my conviction that it would be close to impossible for Abbas to sit at the table with us, if we are engaged in hostilities in Gaza. As things seem to be heating up in Gaza, Abbas will likely find excuses not to negotiate. 
 
~~~~~~~~~~
 
I'm amused that the Saudi Sheikh Sulaiman al Dowaish has called upon Saudi authorities to institute a travel ban to the US because of enhanced screening that will be put in place for specific countries that include Saudi Arabia.
 
Saudi security researcher Sultan Al Anqari said the new US regulation was political blackmail because of Saudi anti-Israel policies: "collective punishment."  The fact that some major terrorists, including those of 9/11, have been Saudis, is, of course, irrelevant.
 
~~~~~~~~~~
 
"The Good News Corner"
 
A new study done at the Departments of Neonatology and Pediatrics at the Tel Aviv Sourasky Medical Center reveals that music by Mozart has a positive effect on babies born before term.  Premature babies exposed to 30 minutes of Mozart's music daily seemed to gain weight faster.
 
~~~~~~~~~~

 

January 8, 2010

 

"Nonsense Unraveling"

Were I to report on every announcement with regard to the Israeli-Arab conflict, I'd be at my computer continuously, sending out multiple postings  -- so much seems to be happening.  But my take, at the end of the day, is that a good deal of it is meaningless -- and that not much is happening at all.

Obama is desperate.  Everything he had set out to do at the beginning of his term, which is just a year old, has failed: He has not a single success to point to, either domestically or internationally.  What is more, Democrats are abandoning ship, as there are resignations both in the House and Senate.  Please G-d, we are witnessing the turning of the tide.

It has occurred to me that precisely because he is desperate, he is hoping that "the peace process" can be hurried along, so he can point to what he has achieved here.  This is perhaps the most logical way to account for what we are hearing from the Obama administration now.

~~~~~~~~~~

It made news this week that the US is beginning a new, more concerted push for Mid-East peace.  Hillary Clinton, speaking with inflated optimism (Hillary as Pollyanna) said that we are now in a new year and so it's time for a fresh start:  "We're going to be even more committed this year."  Oh joy.  But how the turn of the calendar year even remotely affects the reality on the ground eludes me.

At any rate, hints of the new Obama "plan" were then released, with precious few specifics.  One of the things that struck me is that it said there would be letters of guarantee given by the Obama administration to both parties.  The nature of these guarantees was left vague, and I've seen different versions in different sources.  One version spoke about guarantees to Israel that some settlements could be retained and guarantees to the PA that the '67 lines would be the negotiating basis (this is "'67 lines with adjustments").  Another said that the US would guarantee the endgame. The bottom line, however, is that the US can "guarantee" nothing.  The two parties will come to an arrangement, or they will not.

Meetings are being held with Jordanian and Egyptian officials, as the involvement of these two nations is viewed as important by the US.

~~~~~~~~~~

Meanwhile, US envoy George Mitchell, speaking on the Charlie Rose show, said that once negotiations start resolution shouldn't take more than two years, and it was his opinion that it could be accomplished in less. This, in my own opinion, makes him certifiably daft.

~~~~~~~~~~

What concerns me most with regard to all of this is the strength of the Netanyahu administration, and the prime minister's readiness and ability to "just say no."  The pressure on Netanyahu right now has to be unreal.  But, while it's very nice to be diplomatically clever and to utilize games to avoid a direct confrontation with Obama, there comes a time when our government must simply say, "NO MORE!"

~~~~~~~~~~

This week, on Sunday and Monday, Defense Minister Ehud Barak "disappeared."  There has been vast speculation as to where he was.  One thought was that he had gone to Jordan, to meet there with Abbas -- a thought that was vastly unsettling.  But another guess was that he was with National Security advisor Uzi Arad in India, with regard, presumably, to Iranian issues. We simply don't know.

~~~~~~~~~~

At the same time, it should be noted, Israel's ambassador to the US, Michael Oren, has given a statement rejecting a two-year time frame.  "In the past, attempts to impose time frameworks have not proved either realizable or helpful."   So, we are not automatically going along with what the US is proposing.

~~~~~~~~~~
 
And where is the PA in all of this?  I still believe that Abbas prefers not to come to the table, and is bound by internal politics to present a tough line.  But the pressure is enormous on him, as well -- from the US, Europe and even Egypt.

Abbas had the impression for a long time that the international community would do his work for him: declaring a state on '67 lines, without his need to negotiate.  But he's finding that this is not the case.  Perhaps most disconcerting for him is the failure of the European community to support him by declaring a Palestinian state.  He runs the risk, should he continue to be obstinate, of losing some of the European largesse that has come his way so consistently.  People are growing tired of his stance.

And so, this becomes a "watch and see" situation.

I hasten to note that even if he is pushed, reluctantly, into sitting at the table, this does not mean he will forge a deal.  He will not -- he cannot. 

Chief PA negotiator Saeb Erekat has just insisted that negotiations must begin where they left off with the Olmert government.  (We have no obligation legally to do so.) The offer made by Olmert -- which was the most "generous" ever made and included almost all of Judea and Samaria as well as part of Jerusalem -- was not accepted by Abbas.  This means they want to start there, and demand even more. No chance, no way.

What is not being perceived by those pushing for "peace" is that there is a built-in irresolvable conflict in terms of Israeli and Arab end goals. Obama is setting himself up for yet another failure.

~~~~~~~~~~

And then there is that elephant-in-the-room that I haven't mentioned for a while: Hamas.  I reiterate: The presence of this jihadist group in control in Gaza makes the whole idea of a "peace agreement" nonsense.  If there is no reconciliation between Fatah and Hamas, and no unity government put in place, then -- were we to reach an agreement with the PA -- we would end up with two Palestinian Arab entities, not one.  A patently ridiculous state of affairs which no one is paying attention to.

If there is reconciliation -- which Abbas is said to be working towards -- then Fatah would be sharing a government with a group that refuses to even recognize Israel's right to exist or to adhere to previous agreements. (I was going to also say, which endorses terrorism, but so does Fatah -- even though the world ignores this fact.)  How could Israel even pretend to negotiate given such parameters? How could the US endorse such negotiations when Hamas is on the US list of terrorist organizations?

~~~~~~~~~~

Speaking of Gaza and Hamas, allow me to throw in this factor as well:

Since Cast Lead, our operation in Gaza a year ago, it has been relatively quiet, with periods in which no rockets at all were shot into Israel. But that period of quiet may be coming to an end.  There now have been rockets fired into Israel again, and mortar fire aimed at crossings.  A warning came recently from head of the IDF Southern Command Maj-General Yoav Galant regarding the fact that the situation may be heating up again.  

And, in fact, Israel has begun actions inside of Gaza again -- an operation carried out yesterday by our air force hit a terror tunnel in central Gaza, two weaponry smuggling tunnels in the Rafah Border area and one weaponry manufacturing facility in Gaza City.  Over 500,000 leaflets were dropped urging civilians to avoid certain areas.

~~~~~~~~~~

Two thoughts occur here: The first is the question of why things should be heating up right now.  Is this an attempt by Hamas to sabotage any possible "peace process" between Fatah and Israel? 

And then, perhaps even more to the point, is the related question of how this does affect possible negotiations.  If we are once again going to be firing on Gaza, it makes it almost impossible for Abbas to sit at the table with us.  He cannot -- absolutely cannot -- be seen as being on our side when there is a military action against Palestinian Arabs.  Which, indeed, may be why Hamas would seek to incite such IDF action now.

~~~~~~~~~~

This still leaves aside the tensions heating up between Egypt and Hamas, which are not insignificant, but which I will address in a future posting.

~~~~~~~~~~

Mindful of my priorities, and the opportunity to embrace joy as it comes, I leave off now in order to prepare to be with my family for the bar mitzvah of my grandson tomorrow.

~~~~~~~~~~

 

January 5, 2010

 

"Soaring Insanity"

It's difficult to get a handle on what's going on, with regard to our relationships with the PA and with Obama's administration.  So much is bewildering: enormous stupidity if not outright insanity.

Last I wrote, I discussed what is likely a Netanyahu "theatrical game," in which he lets certain assumptions be made, by way of innuendo or vagueness, without actually committing to anything.  The specific issue at hand was whether he had agreed to accept "'67 lines with adjustments" as the starting point for negotiations.

Yesterday, according to a source in a closed door meeting (with the leak most surely sanctioned), Netanyahu overtly denied that he had either agreed to this formulation, or shown flexibility on issues of Jerusalem and refugees.

According to the report, he insisted, "It's simply not true." This was the Palestinian notion of what should take place, he said, but "That is not going to happen."

~~~~~~~~~~

Yet on Monday other news also broke. 

According to Egyptian sources, Obama is going to be putting forth a plan that calls for completion of negotiations and a Palestinian state within two years.  In accordance with this, the two sides would exchange mutual letters offering guarantees. When negotiations began, they would focus on establishing borders -- with this to be completed in nine months, i.e., by the end of the current building freeze. (That way there'd be no fighting about building, as we'd be able to build only in the areas that we would know are going to remain in Israeli hands.) Negotiations would then move to issues such as refugees and Jerusalem.

I hasten to point out that this didn't come from the White House or State Department sources.  There is a tendency for involved parties to attribute positions or statements to others that comport with what they hope to see.  It's a form of manipulation.  IS this Obama's plan?  Is this something the US is floating indirectly to gauge reactions? Minister Moshe Ya'alon has stated that what Egypt is attributing to the US is "not even close to being accurate."  Do he and others in the government know what Obama intends to propose?   

However, if one definition of insanity is being out of touch with reality, then this plan, whomever it belongs to, is certainly insane.

To be truly and solidly sane would be to recognize that it's impossible for borders to be established for a Palestinian state (and in the next nine months, yet).  For even what we might (G-d forbid) offer in the way of a horrendously generous deal would be less than what Abbas would (or, in line with his political constraints, could) accept. It's simply not going to happen.

~~~~~~~~~~

There are other objections to this plan as well, and our government has now made clear what they are.  Israel's position is one of "all or nothing."  There's no deal until there's a full deal.

As one senior Israeli official pointed out, the above formulation would mean we relinquished land, and the communities on this land, without getting anything in return up front.  We would have no picture of the sort of state that would be established on the other side of the line we would have agreed to, no parameters regarding demilitarization or anything else.

People in our governments sometimes do foolish things.  But no one in our government -- from right to left -- is on board for this.

~~~~~~~~~~

Additionally, it has been reported that Foreign Minister Lieberman told Quartet Envoy Tony Blair yesterday that:

"It is important to hold an honest, open dialogue with the Palestinians without sowing delusions that are disconnected with reality and that will only lead to violence and frustration.  It is not possible to reach a full agreement within two years. 

"This is not a realistic goal. We need to begin direct talks without committing to any time frame.  In the past, timetables were set and not met and this led to violence." 

Not for a second do I think that this statement was made without a nod from the prime minister's office.

~~~~~~~~~~

Meanwhile, Abbas has met with Mubarak in Sharm el-Sheikh, and his statements simply confirm my impression that he's not coming to the table. 

He says he has no pre-conditions.  No, no.  It's just that: "We have said and are still saying that at the time when settlement construction is stopped and the international legitimacy is recognized [presumably with regard to the '67 lines as borders], we will be ready to resume the negotiations."

~~~~~~~~~~

Egyptian delegations will now be headed to Washington and London to discuss advancing the "peace process."

Media reports persist in saying that the Egyptians are carrying "new ideas" that had been proposed in Cairo by Netanyahu.  An anonymous Palestinian official cited in the Post said these ideas touch upon all core issues.  But unless there is something concrete revealed I give this no credence.  Perhaps Netanyahu has made suggestions that we are not privy to.  Perhaps he has "suggested" certain things via innuendo. But it's just as likely that this is one more instance of a rumor without basis in fact floated for ulterior purposes.

The Egyptians, when they serve in a mediating role, are not disinterested third parties. They have their own vested interests, and we must not forget this. 

What is more, they become inappropriately invested in the negotiating process itself.  When the negotiations about Shalit stalled recently, the Egyptians were angry with us. They had worked so hard, they had brought the sides so close. But because we were stubborn and wouldn't release Barghouti, or insisted that certain terrorist be deported, we were chastised by them for "ruining" their efforts.  If only we would be more forthcoming, then their good work would not be in vain. Never mind our right to protect our interests.

~~~~~~~~~~

Defense Minister Ehud Barak got on the phone today, with our "good friend" Ban Ki-Moon, UN Secretary-General, and asked him to help get talks with the PA going.  Precisely what is this urgency about?  Couple this with Netanyahu's statement that "there is a change in the atmosphere [and] the time is ripe for kick-starting the peace process."  I must be missing something with regard to that changed atmosphere.

This "feels" crazy, and perhaps it is.

~~~~~~~~~~

Except... except...it is possible that the push by our government to get negotiations going might be an attempt to expose the duplicity of the Palestinians, who are not truly committed to peace, while we are.  I remain too cynical about the world to be confident that this would work.  For it would require the international community to view the Palestinian Arabs objectively, rather than perpetually cutting them slack. 

But it seems our government is trying.  And it would sure give a different slant to some of what Netanyahu is doing.

Consider this.  The Israeli Ministry of Foreign yesterday put up on the homepage of its website "Behind the Headlines: The Palestinian Refusal to Negotiate," which says:
"The consistent rejection by Palestinians of Israeli peace initiatives and its current refusal to negotiate leaves Israel questioning whether its neighbors are in fact committed to peace." Making a very solid case, it then details all the times Israel has advanced peace initiatives, and all the times the PA has rejected them.

http://www.mfa.gov.il/MFA

How I would love to think that this is part of a plan that would lead, finally, to our saying, "enough":  We're finished with concessions; if the Palestinian Arabs genuinely want peace, they can let us know.  As Lieberman actually said something similar the other day, it is perhaps not too far-fetched a hope.

~~~~~~~~~~

There has been news that Obama is getting fed up with the Iranians and will be pushing sanctions against the Revolutionary Guard; apparently there are consultations already going on with other nations in this regard. That's  a much-welcomed announcement -- although it remains to be seen how serious these sanctions will be.

However...Hillary Clinton, in making the announcement about sanctions, also said, "We've avoided using the term 'deadline' ourselves. That's not a term we have used because we want to keep the door to dialogue open."

Is it that they cannot admit that "dialogue with Iran" was a futile notion?  After the way that Iran has spit on Obama's outstretched hand, and the hard evidence that the Iranians are grossly deceptive, why would the president imagine that anything positive could be achieved via this "open-door" policy?  It simply makes the US look very foolish.

One more failure to embrace reality.

~~~~~~~~~~

This post is dedicated to the memory of my cat Amber, a dear companion for eight years, whom I lost prematurely yesterday to disease.  Love takes many forms in this hard world.

 

January 3, 2010

 

"What Is Going On??"

With Netanyahu, that is, and his purported acquiescence to "67 lines with adjustments" as the basis for negotiations, which is making press in various quarters.

The concept of "67 lines with adjustments" is not new, but was advanced in the current context in November by Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.  The idea, which I will return to in more detail soon, is that everything beyond the Green Line (or '67 line) belongs to the Palestinian Arabs -- which is most certainly is not the case.  This formulation, it is being said, would be great for Israel, because we would be allowed to retain major settlement blocs and, in return, would just have to give the Arabs land in the Negev or elsewhere inside the Green Line. The stuff of nightmares.  But close to what Abbas wants: recognition that Judea and Samaria (and eastern Jerusalem ) are "theirs."

And now, this proposition is being floated as part of Mitchell's "terms of reference" for resuming negotiations.

~~~~~~~~~~

The statements regarding Netanyahu's alleged concession on using this as the starting point for negotiations are coming from Palestinian Arab, US, and Egyptian sources.  A PA official, for example, spoke yesterday in Ramallah about "encouraging signs" that peace talks may begin soon. 

There is not so much as a leak from inside of Israel. 

Netanyahu went to Cairo last week and consulted with Mubarak regarding ways to jump start negotiations.  At that time Netanyahu apparently proposed that Mubarak host a meeting between himself and Abbas; Abbas will be seeing Mubarak this week. 

After Netanyahu left Cairo, he declared, "It's time to move the peace process forward."

Caroline Glick, on Friday, wrote, "The most sympathetic interpretation of Netanyahu's proclamation is that he was engaging in political theater.  It was a low and dishonest statement..."  She said nothing about any concessions he had made.

~~~~~~~~~~

My take is similar.  And I think Glick's description -- "theater" -- is on the mark.  I believe Netanyahu is playing a game. An exceedingly stupid, dangerous, and cowardly game:

He is not taking stands that should be taken, not drawing lines that must be drawn in bright red, and publicly.  Instead, he is being deliberately vague -- engaging in studied ambiguity -- so that it cannot be said that he (perish the thought!) is responsible for stopping movement forward on the peace process.  He is, once again, seeking to avoid confrontation with the Obama administration.  But he is doing this without having made any firm commitment on "'67 lines with adjustments" or any other specific formulation. He just lets others draw conclusions, hear what they are oh so eager to hear.

I am convinced that at the end of the day, with all of the game-playing, he continues to bank on the assumption that Abbas doesn't even want to come to the table and in any event has not the leverage or clout within his own party to close a deal.  I believe that he considers this game "safe." 

I don't.  Not because Abbas will cut a deal, but because precedents may be set that should not be set.  Things may be acknowledged, even implicitly, that should never be acknowledged.  And somehow, once again, we are perceived as being the ones who have to "give more."

~~~~~~~~~~

I would like to cite from an article in today's Post by Khaled Abu Toameh:

When Netanyahu was in Cairo, Egyptian Foreign Minister Ahmed Aboul Gheit said that Netanyahu discussed positions that "surpass in our estimate what we've heard [from the Israelis] in a long time.  I can't say that he has come with changed positions, but he is moving forward."

How does Prime Minister Netanyahu do this?  That is, leave people with the impression that he is "moving forward," even as he brings no changed positions?  But the fact that he hasn't brought new positions should not be missed.

~~~~~~~~~~

I've consulted others whom I respect who offered the same take on what's going on.  Quite frankly, I truly hope I'm correct here, not because I need to be right, but because if I'm wrong, things are even worse.

~~~~~~~~~~

The irony is that I believe Abbas is playing a game as well.  I am convinced that he doesn't want to come to the table -- PA statements about "encouraging signs" notwithstanding -- and could not possibly benefit from doing so:  There is no deal he could strike that would satisfy his basic (maximalist) demands.  Were he to settle for less, he would jeopardize his shaky political position and quite possibly his life. for the tenor of Palestinian Arab politics is growing ever more extremist. 

It was not politically correct to condemn the terrorist attack by members of Al Aksa on Rabbi Chai, and so he did not.  But when the IDF shot those terrorists, after they refused to surrender, he sent an envoy to tell their families that he had named them as "Shahids [holy martyrs] of the Palestinian revolution."  Now he is talking about breaking off all security cooperation with Israel.

~~~~~~~~~~

For a different model of how an official in Israel responds to the current situation, we can look to Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman.

Lieberman called a conference of Israeli ambassadors last week (calling them home from their posts for this), and, as their boss, said the following to them:

"In the acceptable codes of the Middle East, concepts such as 'national pride' have a very important value. You don't have to provoke or incite, but there must not be an attitude of groveling or self disparagement.

"I have seen some ambassadors who identify with the place in which they serve so much that they keep trying to explain the other side. This is the wrong approach. The time of groveling is over, we will not look for pretexts for conflict or friction, but we will not turn the other cheek.

"...every thing [must] have a response, this is the policy I demand of you ambassadors. The ambassadors must have good relations and respect the hosting party, and should not look for provocations, but we will not tolerate insults and abuse."  (emphasis added)

Blessings upon him!  He understands how much is lost when representative of our nation fail to exhibit national pride.  No more groveling. 

~~~~~~~~~~

As to the PA, Leiberman said:

"Enough hypocrisy. We do not have to pay any additional price in order to talk with [Mahmoud Abbas]. We have paid enough, and have made many gestures and steps, but we have received nothing in return."

~~~~~~~~~~

 

December 31, 2009

 
"Looking More Deeply"
 
I confess it: For me, the secular new year is marked chiefly by the need to remember to write the correct date on my checks and at the top of these postings. But I am mindful of what the New Year means to many of my readers.  And I most certainly wish one and all blessings -- for peace, health, inner contentment and prosperity -- in the coming year.
 

 
The imagery for the new year is one of beginnings that are fresh and hopeful. May 2010 bring the world better tidings than it received in 2009.
 
~~~~~~~~~~
 
In my last posting, I raised the question as to whether Obama will grapple with the root of the "systematic failure" that led to a terrorist, Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab, getting on an American plane and attempting to blow it up outside of Detroit.  There is a vast amount of material on this subject coming my way, and so I return for a closer look.
 
We will pass by the idiocy of Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano, who told CNN, after the incident, that "the system worked."  A ludicrous attempt to put a good face on what -- but for the courageous response of passengers and a failed detonator -- would have been a very major terrorist attack.
 
Of great concern, however, is that the Obama government seems to be treating this as an "incident," and an isolated one at that, rather than as a symptom of something a great deal more ominous.  In fact, Napolitano also alluded to this, saying that, "We have no indication that it's part of anything larger."  Come on!
 
Yes, there will be examinations of how screening failed to pick up the explosives being carried on to a plane. This is the "systemic failure" that the president is concerned with. And as a result all passengers flying in or to the US will be considerably inconvenienced.  There is talk of such measures as body-frisking and preventing passengers from getting out of their seats for a period before landing.
 
But there is no mention of the fact that the would-be terrorist was a Muslim. No talk of Islamists, or radical Islam or jihadist ideology.
 
~~~~~~~~~~
 
So thoroughly is Abdulmutallab being treated as a criminal rather than a terrorist that he is simply being charged -- within the civil criminal system -- with committing two felonies: trying to destroy a plane in U.S. airspace, and bringing a "destructive device" on an aircraft.
 
JINSA (in Report #951) quotes counterterrorism expert Steve Emerson:
 
"I'd like to first find out who recruited him. I'd like to find out where he got the explosives...I'd like to find out who sent him. How he was recruited...."
 
However, laments JINSA:
 
"...being charged in a U.S. court means that Abdulmutallab is now entitled to Constitutional protections, including the Fifth Amendment protection against self-incrimination. And we are sure that if Abulmutallab doesn't know about those rights, his court appointed lawyer or the ACLU will surely tell him. How much we will learn from him under the circumstances is unclear.
 
"We have already learned enough about the young men...who adopt jihadist teachings as their religious touchstone to understand that it is a mistake to endow terrorists with the legal and constitutional rights of American citizens who violate civilian laws." 
 
A Wall Street Journal editorial, "The Terror This Time," on Monday made the same points:
 
"[The Obama administration] immediately indicted Mr. Abdulmutallab on criminal charges...despite reports that he told officials he had ties to al Qaeda and had picked up his PETN explosive in Yemen. The charges mean the Nigerian can only be interrogated like any other defendant in a criminal case, subject to having a lawyer present and his Miranda rights read. Yet he is precisely the kind of illegal enemy combatant who should be interrogated first with the goal of preventing future attacks and learning more about terror networks rather than gaining a single conviction." (emphasis added)
 
Miranda rights for terrorists. Setting up a situation that makes it significantly less likely that information will be secured that might help prevent future attacks.  Not a good way to go!
 
Obama has not internalized the fact that we are at war.
 
~~~~~~~~~~
 
I recommend here the very excellent piece -- "The Wake up call from flight 253" -- by Jeff Jacoby.
 
"...As the near-unanimity of 9/11 receded, Americans divided into what the Weekly Standard's Fred Barnes dubbed September 12 people, for whom 9/11 had changed everything, and September 10 people, who believed the terrorist threat was being exaggerated by the Bush administration and who regarded the fight against Islamist extremism as chiefly a matter of law enforcement.
 
"...Would that divide have closed if Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab had succeeded...? If Al-Qaeda...had succeeded in carrying out another 9/11, would the short-lived unity and moral clarity of that terrible day in 2001 have returned?"
 
Jacoby then lists for us the lessons that too many have been inclined to dismiss in recent years:
 
[] "Terrorism isn't caused by poverty and ignorance.Abdulmutallab came from a wealthy and privileged family, and had studied at one of Britain's top universities. He wasn't trying to kill hundreds of Americans out of socioeconomic despair...Abdulmutallab was motivated by ideological and religious fanaticism. The teachings of militant Islam may seem monstrous to outsiders, but that is no reason to doubt that their adherents genuinely believe them..."
 
[] "The Global Jihad is real...Of course Abdulmutallab is part of something larger: He is part of the global jihad -- the relentless assault by Islamist radicals whose deadly serious goal is the submission of America and the West to Islamic law. If government officials like Napolitano cannot bring themselves to speak plainly about the jihadists' ambitions, how will they ever succeed in crushing them? "
 
[] "Terrorists can always adapt to new restrictions. After 9/11, knives and sharp metal objects were banned from carry-on luggage, so Richard Reid attempted to detonate a shoe bomb. Thereafter everyone's shoes were checked, so the 2006 Heathrow plotters planned to use liquid-based explosives...There is no physical constraint that determined jihadists cannot find a way to circumvent. Yet US airport security remains obstinately reactive -- focused on intercepting dangerous things, instead of intercepting dangerous people. Unwilling to incorporate ethnic and religious profiling in our air-travel security procedures, we have saddled ourselves with a mediocre security system that inconveniences everyone while protecting no one." (emphasis added)
 
[] The Patriot Act was not a reckless overreaction. Security in a post 9/11 world has not come from...sending Guantanamo inmates off to Yemen, or refusing to use terms like 'war on terrorism.' It has come from stepped-up surveillance and stronger intelligence-gathering tools, and from working to pre-empt terror attacks in advance, rather than prosecuting them after the fact. Congress was not out of its mind when it enacted the Patriot Act in 2001, and the Bush administration was not trampling the Constitution when it deployed the expanded powers the law gave it: They were trying to prevent another 9/11 -- and they succeeded. President Obama has repeatedly and ostentatiously criticized his predecessor's approach. Perhaps it is not just a coincidence that Obama's first year in office has also seen an unprecedented surge in terrorist threats on US soil."  (emphasis added)
 
Jacoby provides a link to "Domestic Terrorism Hits a Peak in 2009": http://www.time.com/time/nation/article/0,8599,1949329,00.html 
 
There have been 32 terror-related events in the US since 9/11, and 12 of them were in 2009.
 
Jacoby's article is at:
 
http://www.jeffjacoby.com/6739/the-wake-up-call-from-flight-253

~~~~~~~~~~

A hope for 2010, then, would be an awakening on the part of 9/10 people in the US (which undoubtedly includes Obama and the bulk of his administration) before a tragedy ensues.

~~~~~~~~~~

Analysts are viewing the unrest inside Iran with increased seriousness. Some are even saying that this is a grassroots rebellion that in due course will either seriously affect the nature of the current regime or even overturn it.  Reuters has reported that police in central Teheran are refusing orders to shoot at demonstrators.
 
Such situations are volatile and difficult to predict.  Certainly -- we know this already -- change, if it comes, would not be without cost in limb if not life for some protesters.
 
But I am mindful of what I reported the other day when Professor Irwin Cotler spoke, and the need to support these protesters.  Cotler yesterday called a press conference here, in concert with other lawyers doing the same in other places, to announce the release of the petition he had spoken about, which details actions the international community must take against Iran. 
 
~~~~~~~~~~
 
And so this, too, may be a hope for 2010: that the situation in Iran might resolve itself internally, without the need for military intervention by Israel.
 
~~~~~~~~~~
 
Sheikh Abdul Palazzo is a good man.  I've known of him for several years now. Born in Rome to an Italian Catholic father who had converted to Islam, and a Muslim mother whose roots were in Syria, he is today the leader of the Italian-Muslim Assembly co-founded and co-chairman of the Islam-Israel Fellowship, which promotes a positive attitude in Muslims to Jews and Israel.  He is profoundly pro-Israel, believing that this is what the legitimate teachings of Mohammad say before they are corrupted by the Wahabi perspective.
 

 
My biggest quandary, with regard to the Sheikh, is understanding how he has managed to stay alive in spite of what he says publicly.  I mention him now because I have just read that he visited in Hevron -- Jewish Hevron, that is.
 
Do I expect to see other Muslim clergy such as him?  Not really.  He's an anomaly.  But we can hope.
 
~~~~~~~~~~
 
The rest of the news, such as it may be? It can wait.
 
~~~~~~~~~~

 

December 29, 2009

 
"Tracking Events"
 
Sometimes it feels as if it's impossible to keep track of news events without a score card, so quickly does the situation shift. 
 
A major project during the course of the day today prevented me from analyzing what is happening in several spheres.  Here, I would like to touch base, in an effort to keep on top of events.  Most likely my next post will follow on Thursday.
 
~~~~~~~~~~
 
Tzipi Livni and members of Kadima have unanimously said no to a "unity government" with Likud, which allows us to sigh with relief, at least for the moment. Kadima's charge was that the offer was not sincere as it didn't provide  genuine shared power.  Netanyahu, for his part, called Livni a "serial unity refuser" (as he had also offered unity when he was forming his coalition) and said he didn't understand what her problem was, as Kadima would have participated in major government decisions.
 
My take has been to see more than a bit of game-playing in the offer.  However, while he was waiting for Kadima's decision, he offered more generous terms as a lure.  Did he genuinely want her in the coalition? The possibility exists.
 
What is more surprising than the rejection by Kadima is the fact that Livni used this as a means to rally unity inside her party.  Seems those seven who had signed an agreement with Netanyahu will not be bolting the party now and coming back to Likud after all.  It had sounded close to a done deal. 
 
Livni referred to Netanyahu's attempt to split her party as "gutter politics" and accused him, not without reason, of inappropriately attending to this when more important issues should have occupied him.  I would guess that her anger at and mistrust of the prime minister played into her decision not to join his government. 
 
Netanyahu, for his part, said he was still determined to broaden his coalition because of the crises we will be facing, and declared that it was only a matter of time until Kadima did split apart.
 
~~~~~~~~~~
 
Nowhere is a score card more necessary than with regard to the politics of the Palestinian Arabs: 
 
Fatah is the major party of the Palestinian Authority.  But it is not synonymous with the PA and is sometimes at odds with it.  (More on this follows.) The terrorist Al Aksa Brigades is officially part of Fatah, and protected by it.  Some of its members are even part of the PA security forces -- if they "renounce terror" it is made possible for them to receive PA salaries. But some Al Aksa members operate outside of the scope of Fatah. 
 
On top of all of this, the US, under the supervision of General Keith Dayton, is training some of the PA forces (which means, in the main, Fatah forces), which are supposed to combat terrorism.  That should mean terrorism instigated by Hamas (and there is a problem sometimes with this), and certainly terrorism instigated by Al Aksa.  Terrorism is terrorism, is it not? Except it depends on the definition, it seems.  As it happens, the PA only takes on Hamas when it threatens its stability and not because of attacks on Jews. And terrorism by Al Aksa, well... that's another matter all together.
 
~~~~~~~~~~
 
If what I've just written sounds convoluted, I apologize.  It is no more than a reflection of a convoluted situation.  What has generated the current confusion is the drive-by shooting of Rabbi Chai by three Al Aksa terrorists, who were subsequently pursued and then shot by IDF forces (when they refused to surrender).
 
No Palestinian Arab group and no Palestinian Arab leaders condemned the shooting forthrightly. It is important to understand that doing this is a "no no" in today's climate.  It implies siding with the "Zionist enemy" instead of Arab brothers (who undoubtedly were acting against "the occupation"). But, because there is security cooperation in some respects between the IDF and PA security forces (especially those trained by Dayton), and because the IDF pursued the terrorists into Arab areas, on the ground there was coordination. And it seems this has enraged a great number of Palestinian Arabs associated with Fatah. 
 
Yesterday, according to Khaled Abu Toameh, Fatah warned of a third intifada. But this one would not be against Israel, it would be against the Palestinian Authority.  The funerals of those who shoot Rabbi Chai in the head turned into a major protest in which a demand was made that all security coordination with Israel be stopped and that the PA be dismantled.  
 
~~~~~~~~~~
 
What fascinates me as I watch this unfold is how oblivious to this the US administration remains, as it continues to tout the idea of "peace negotiations."  How, precisely, is a peaceful and stable state supposed to be established in this atmosphere?  If Abbas was reluctant to come to the negotiating table before, he has to be doubly so now.  I would guess that he would be risking his life to sit down with Netanyahu.
 
According to Palestinian Media Watch, "PA-controlled media have continuously portrayed the killers as Palestinian heroes and Shahids -- holy Martyrs -- while describing Israel's killing of the three terrorists as 'murder in cold blood' and 'assassination.'"  Abbas personally sent envoys to the families of these murders.
 
~~~~~~~~~~
 
It would be my guess, however, that when Netanyahu makes all of his very public (and to my ear terribly distasteful) calls to Abbas to stop the games and come sit down to talk, he is not oblivious to this situation.  That is, it seems to me he knows, even as he makes his earnest calls, that this cannot happen.
 
~~~~~~~~~~
 
But what shall we conclude about Mitchell, who is due back here soon?  Does he begin to understand the futility of his stated goals?  It is said he is working on "terms of reference," which would theoretically permit agreement so that Netanyahu and Abbas could sit down together.  I have checked with analysts whom I respect, who are not overly alarmed by what is transpiring here, as it all very vague. 
 
And I will note that Israel has announced, to the displeasure of the US, that we will be building hundreds of new housing units in Jewish neighborhoods of Jerusalem beyond the Green Line.
 
~~~~~~~~~~
 
Rumors still abound about the possibility of the Shalit deal going through.  The Hamas website is saying that Israel is refusing to release four "heavy-weight" prisoners, including Marwan Barghouti.  So perhaps the earlier alleged leaks were incorrect.  A refusal to release this man, and three others guilty of particular evil, would be a major step in the right direction, and would make the deal less likely to be completed.  (I know, each one who has committed a terrorist act is guilty of particular evil.)
 
~~~~~~~~~~
 
Could the averted disaster on the plane bound for Detroit serve as a wake-up call for Obama?  He has now said:
 
"When our government has information on a known extremist and that information is not shared and acted upon as it should have been, so that this extremist boards a plane with dangerous explosives that could cost nearly 300 lives, a systemic failure has occurred and I consider that totally unacceptable."
 
Indeed. But will he now grapple with the root of the systematic failure?
 
~~~~~~~~~~

 

December 27, 2009

 
"The Iranian Threat and More"
 
As I wrote last night, the three terrorists who had hit Rabbi Chai in the drive-by shooting have been killed by the IDF.  Of the three:
 
Anan Suleiman Mustafa Subih, 36, an operative of the "Shuhada al-Aksa" brigade, was part of the IDF amnesty program for members of Al Aksa Brigades that took him off an IDF wanted list, in return for his pledge to no longer be involved in terrorism.  As you can see, that "pledge" was worth just about as much as we might have expected it to be.  I've always considered this program to be a colossal farce.
 
The other two, Nader Raed Sukarji (a top Al Aksa operative who prepared bombs) and Ghassan Abu Sharkh, had both served time in Israeli prisons. Sukarji was released less than a year ago, and clearly wasted no time getting back to terrorism.
 
~~~~~~~~~~
 
Now, is this purely coincidence? 
 
This morning Netanyahu told the Cabinet:
 
"At this point, there's no deal [regarding Shalit], and it's not clear whether or not there will be a deal. If it comes to a vote, I'll bring it to the government, but we're not there yet, and I don't know if we ever will be."

We want to bring captives home, he said, but, "We need to minimize risk to civilians...We will not agree to expose our citizens to terror."

Cynic that I am right now, this is my take: Netanyahu, in spite of inner resistance to the principle of trading Hamas prisoners, was prepared to do it because of the public clamor for it. But the mood in the Israeli public has shifted with this latest terror attack.  And now caution in advancing this deal seems prudent. 

This, apparently in spite of the fact that Hamas -- according to reports-- is leaning towards agreeing to having some of the terrorists deported.

Please G-d, let it fall through.

~~~~~~~~~~

The Netanyahu-Livni meeting with regard to a unity government will not take place until this evening, and so there is no word as I write.  Several advisors are telling Livni that she needs a team of Kadima members negotiating on the issue -- but they in the main do not believe Netanyahu's offer is serious.

I have heard that those who want to leave Kadima promoted this so that when she refuses they have a good reason to quit the party.  This is not beyond the realm of possibility.

~~~~~~~~~~

Do I have this straight? I think so:

Umar Farouk Abdul Mutallab, the Nigerian man who tried to blow up an American plane bound for Detroit was known by the US to have possible terrorist connections.  But he was not on a "no-fly" list (gee, they have thousands on the list of terror-connections and cannot put everyone on the "no-fly list") and so was able to board the plane. Now, after the fact, they're checking into his Al-Qaida connections.

Well, I would like to comment on this from the perspective of my personal experience.  I have encountered a tendency, when flying in the US, (particularly in Dulles Airport outside of Washington), to get pulled off for a heightened security check.  When I have asked if the reason I'm being checked is because my destination is Israel, I'm told it is not -- this is simply random.  Which I don't believe for a second, because I've seen the little red mark the clerk puts on my boarding pass before I pass through security.

The check does not stop me from flying.  I'm no danger to anyone.  But before I board, in these cases, among other checks, a little wand that detects chemical molecules is waved in my hand-luggage.  In other words, it would seem that the technology to detect what this guy was carrying is out there, and being used with frequency.  Certainly frisking him -- which requires no technology -- would have uncovered what he had strapped to his body.

And so now this question: Why wasn't there a little asterisk next to his name, a little note -- so possible in this age of computers -- that would tell security personnel for the plane: "Check him carefully before letting him on"?

Something is very seriously amiss.

~~~~~~~~~~

Last night, I attended a significant talk by Professor Irwin Cotler, a member of the Canadian parliament and former Canadian minister of justice.  
 

 
 

Speaking of the parallels between our current situation and 1939, he addressed the issue of the Iranian threat from multiple perspectives:
 
The Iran of Ahmadinejad, says Cotler, is a clear and present danger to Middle East stability, Israel and Jews more broadly, and its own people.  Of great concern is the indifference and inaction of the international community with respect to these dangers, and the impunity with which Ahmadinejad is permitted to proceed.
 
He proposes an approach to Iran that is broad-based, and demands accountability of Iran with regard to all of the threats it currently represents:
 
1) Iran is defying the international community with regard to its nuclear development.  It is in standing violation of UN prohibitions. 
 
2) Iran has already committed incitement to genocide, as forbidden by the Genocide Convention.
 
3) Iran is a state sponsor of international terrorism.
 
4) Iran commits major human rights violations against its own people.
 
It is a mistake to focus only on the nuclear threat.  This marginalizes the other threats, and allows Iran to proceed as if there is no international concern at these various levels.  Engagement with Iran must deal with all of it.
 
~~~~~~~~~~
 
Professor Cotler is working with some 60 international human rights lawyers, who will be releasing a petition very soon that will provide documented evidence of Iranian violations and propose actions to be taken.  Members of this group will be visiting Western capitals -- 15 have been targeted -- in an attempt to energize specific actions against Iran.
 
Recommendations include comprehensive, calibrated and targeted sanctions:
 
a) Iran is currently in violation of five sets of UN resolutions, which are not being enforced.  The start is the enforcement of these resolutions.
 
b) Gasoline sanctions: measures against those who export refined petroleum products to Iran, or facilitate such export.
 
c) Curbing of energy investments in Iran.  This would include the energy infrastructure -- shipping, etc.
 
d) Include the Iranian Central Bank -- which is at the heart of Iranian financial dealings -- in financial sanctions. This has not been done yet.
 
e) International institutions must be monitored with regard to money laundering for Iran.
 
f) Companies that facilitate domestic repression in Iran must be sanctioned.
 
g) Sanction companies that do business with the Revolutionary Guard -- the most vicious and radical element in Iran and the one that now has control.  The Guard must be put on terrorism lists.
 
h) Embargoes must be placed against technology and arms transfers to Iran.
 
i) Landing permission must be denied to the Iranian transportation industry -- planes and ships.
 
Note: The UN is serving as a third party in money laundering for Iran.  Iran has been using a UN office -- The Asia Clearing Union -- to avoid US financial sanctions that forbid dealing with Iran.
 
~~~~~~~~~~
 
These sanctions are only the beginning, however.  Additional recommendations include these:
 
1) The eight precursors to genocide have already been identified as existing in Iran.  In such a situation, the Genocide Convention calls for specific actions.  HOWEVER, not one single signatory nation has undertaken these actions.  They are not voluntary -- they constitute a legal obligation. 
 
Says Cotler: "International legal responsibility is not a 'policy option.'"
 
The issue must be raised in the Security Council and an inter-state complaint must be brought before the International Court of Justice. 
 
2) Interpol, the international criminal police organization, has a warrant out for the arrest of Ahmad Vahidi, the Iranian Minister of Defense, for his role in the 1994 terrorist bombing of the Jewish Center in Buenos Aires, Argentina.  But the world seems to be ignoring this.
 
3) It is important to provide solidarity with the Iranian opposition forces -- those challenging the government.  We are not at a tipping point yet, but it may come, and they may in time overturn the current regime. They need international support.
 
~~~~~~~~~~
 
Professor Cotler says there is no absence of remedy -- the problem is absence of action.  We are witnesses to the crime of indifference.  The moral deficiency of governments is not new, but it is painful none-the-less.  Particularly 
 
I salute Irwin Cotler and all those he is working with for acting to change this situation. 
 
~~~~~~~~~~

 

December 26, 2009

 
Motzei Shabbat (after Shabbat) 
 
"The pain and the pride"
 
The funeral of Rabbi Meir Avshalom Chai was held yesterday, with thousands in attendance.  What impressed me most were the words of his son, Eliyahu (I believe about 18 years of age), who said:
 
"I want to say to the youth – continue in my father's path. Father wanted faith, he wanted Torah study, he wanted prayers. He could not stand to see that there are no tefillin (phylacteries). He had to see all of the mitzvot (commandments). If you want to memorialize my father these are the things you should do. Not to beat up Arabs with sticks. We are human beings and we will not shoot them in the head for no reason. We are human beings, we are the youth of Samaria... Father would be happiest if he saw us studying.”  

 
The absence of rancor and bitterness, the lack of desire for retribution, even in the face of fresh pain, seems to me extraordinary.  The devotion is to the values taught by his father.
 
~~~~~~~~~~
 
In this faith community, the belief is that the blood of the innocent will be avenged by the Almighty.
 
But I would add that we human beings also have accountability to the situation.  To take an accounting of how we as a nation conduct ourselves.  To make it impossible or near impossible for such senseless tragedies to happen again.  To protect our people first, the desires and demands of others be damned.  And to let the world know that the first priority of our nation Israel is the protection of the people of Israel.
 
~~~~~~~~~~
 
And, in point of fact, the IDF has successfully tracked those responsible, and in the course the operation, which took place in Shechem (Nablus) three Al Aksa Brigades terrorists were killed: They were called upon to surrender and when they did not, they were fired upon.
 
The PA has condemned this (they didn't condemn the drive-by shooting).  A spokesman for Abbas said with this Israel was torpedoing attempts by the US and the international community to resume negotiations.
 
A rather amusing statement, considering that Abbas is standing on his head to avoid coming to the negotiating table. The tactic that is being taken, of course, is to avoid coming to the table, but to say it is Israel's fault -- each time finding another reason why this is the case.
 
~~~~~~~~~~
 
Khaled Abu Toameh touches upon this very matter in his analysis in yesterday's Post. Abbas, he says, "appears to have climbed a very high tree -- one that he finds it too difficult to come down from."
 
What Abbas seems most concerned about, says Abu Toameh, is his credibility: 
 
"In the past year, his standing among his constituents was severely undermined because of his policy of zigzagging...
 
"Abbas's empty threats and zigzagging have hurt his reputation so badly that now he's being forced to play tough with Israel and the US.  To demonstrate this uncompromising approach, Abbas most recently came up with a new condition for resuming the talks: That Israel and the international community recognize before-hand the 1967 boundaries as the official and final borders of the future Palestinian state.
 
"Abbas's aides in Ramallah say that he needs a 'major concession' from Israel before he returns to the negotiations...'If he succumbs and resumes the talks with Israel unconditionally, our people will throw him out.'"
 
One of the questions being asked by Palestinians, says Abu Toameh, is whether Abbas any longer has a mandate to negotiate on their behalf.
 
And it certainly appears that Abbas would just as soon avoid negotiations all together.
 
http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1261364499203&pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FShowFull 
 
~~~~~~~~~~
 
Tomorrow, there will be coalition talks between Netanyahu and Livni.  The prime minister continues to refer to the serious times we face, speaking of "the importance of the hour."  He has reiterated that he does not intend to redistribute portfolios, so that Kadima might be assigned some.  (Although he has said that two Kadima members would sit in the Security Cabinet as ministers without portfolio.)  In point of fact, if he attempted to take away  portfolios already assigned within the coalition, he'd have a rebellion on his hands, and he knows it.
 
The betting here is that Kadima will not join the government.  Netanyahu says he expects a prompt answer.
 
~~~~~~~~~~
 
Also tomorrow, I hope to follow with some significant material about Iran.
 
~~~~~~~~~~

 

December 25, 2009

 
"Turmoil Only"
 
It's a legal holiday in the US and I thought this a good time to take a break from posting.  But not possible, given the turn of events in less than 24 hours past.  Because Shabbat comes in early and my time is severely limited, the subjects I will touch upon here can be dealt with only briefly -- with more to follow after Shabbat as appropriate.  But touching upon them now seemed to me in order.
 
I must, first, painfully, report on a drive by terrorist shooting in the Shomron.  Rabbi Meir Avshalom Chai was driving towards his home in Shavei Shalom last afternoon yesterday, when he was overtaken by a Palestinian Arab car.  He took ten bullets to the head and died quickly.  A good and gentle man, according to all reports, he leaves a widow and seven children, the youngest only two months old. 
 
~~~~~~~~~~
 
What makes this doubly unbearable is that a nearby check point was recently taken down, prompting protests from local Jewish residents that it increased danger to them.  This has happened again and again.
 
Samaria Regional Council, Gershon Mesika demanded that Netanyahu and Barak come to the funeral on the Mount of Olives today and "look in the eyes of the widow and the seven orphans, because they cannot say 'our hands did not spill this blood.'"
 
The grief is that for the government and the defense establishment improving the Arab "fabric of life" has been more important than protecting the lives of Jews.  It is felt, further, that what is going on with the freeze further invites Arab attack, as the message is given that the government is not with Jewish residents of Judea and Samaria. This incident will not increase the desire of the residents to cooperate with the freeze, you can be sure.
 
Last night local residents held a protest with regard to the policy of taking down checkpoints.  Said one protestor:
 
"I already have several friends who are widows, and I'm simply fed up [with] the fact that no one cares when roadblocks are removed and we pay with our lives. We have been abandoned and the government is busy fighting settlers instead of terrorists. I don't know what the defense minister is doing, but he's certainly not handling defense."
 
It seems to be that Al Aksa Martyrs Brigades (or a group affiliated with the Brigades) was responsible.  The Brigades is part of Fatah (our "moderate" peace partner).
 
~~~~~~~~~~
 
Then we have this fairly startling news:  Yesterday -- a day after the news broke about Netanyahu's courting of seven members of Kadima, regarding their return to Likud, which would weaken Kadima considerably -- Netanyahu invited Livni to bring her Kadima party into his coalition for a unity government.  There would be no ministries given to Kadima people, but they would have two seats on the Security Council.
 
What?  Huh?
 
Two theories are floating.  One, that something is imminent with Iran, and it is traditional for Israeli governments to show unity at times of war or major threat.  Or two, that right wing Likud members in the Security Cabinet were getting restive with regard to the freeze (more on why this may be so if I can confirm information), and placing two Kadima people in that Cabinet would offset the votes of the Likud right.  If this is the case, it would suggest that our prime minister is really, really committed to this freeze, not doing it simply as a gesture to Obama.  So committed as to bring in someone he intensely dislikes rather than lose that freeze (or disappoint Obama).  It gives pause.
 
Netanyahu did throw out some comments about security threats and precedent for unity at difficult times, but his full statement referred both to Iran and the refusal of the Palestinians to come to the table.
 
~~~~~~~~~~
 
With regard to the Iranian threat, my question is what could have happened in the course of 24 hours, to make Netanyahu so radically change course.  A savvy associate of mine suggests the possibility (this is theorizing right now, of course) that Netanyahu hadn't changed course.  The thought is that this was his intention all along but that he first sought to weaken Kadima from within, making Livni's negotiating stance weaker in terms of what she would receive if she joined the coalition.  There is something to be said for this.  For he is now saying that if Livni doesn't join the government, he will proceed with actions to take apart Kadima.  Veiled -- or not so veiled-- threat.
 
~~~~~~~~~~
 
Livni is responding with enormous suspicion, claiming to see this as no more than a political ploy.  In either case -- to stand strong against Iran or to provide the votes to keep the freeze strong -- one might think that if the situation were explained to her she would be on board: to show unity against Iran or to make more concessions to the Arabs (something she's inordinately fond of doing).  That she is not responding this way lends credence to her charges.
 
She has not said no, and she may surprise us yet and agree. But her first statements are dubious and fairly negative.  She is livid about the secret meetings (she was oblivious) that were taking place between members of her party and Netanyahu over a period of months. 
 
There are voices from within Kadima saying that if there is to be unity, there must be real shared power with an equal number of ministries. Netanyahu has offered nothing of the sort. Undoubtedly, the seven who were going to leave Kadima must be pleased at the prospect of the whole party coming into the government.
 
In any event, it is true that if she says no the stability of her party is at risk.  Not only is she about to lose one wing of her party, Shaul Mofaz is also challenging her leadership from within.
 
Weakening Kadima is a good thing.  It's even a sort of poetic justice, as Kadima was founded via the weakening of Likud.  What is more, Livni is bad news.  What is clearly not a good thing is Kadima inside the government, pulling it to the left. You will note that Netanyahu has not brought Ihud Leumi (National Union -- a right wing party) into the government.
 
There are many who are aghast that Netanyahu has been devoting time to politicking while there is some much to attend to for the nation.  He is, first and foremost, a political animal, one who is capable of "surprises" -- because with him it's not a case of "what you see is what you get."
 
So...stay tuned.
 
~~~~~~~~~~ 

 
Other news.
 
Our government is very angry right now about an alleged attempt by a US consulate car to run over a guard who was holding up the car because the occupants refused to present documents. On top of everything else, it seems that the Americans were transporting a Palestinian without proper papers between Jerusalem and Judea and Samaria. 
 
A word about the consulate, which is in eastern Jerusalem.  It is routine for consulates to function as "sub-embassies," and to take orders from the embassy of a nation. This is not the case here.  The US embassy, which is located in Tel Aviv, is the point of interaction between the US and Israeli governments. The US consulate in Jerusalem, however, reports not to the embassy, but directly to the State Department. It functions as a de facto embassy to the PA, and is very much pro-Arab in its orientation (although I've been advised by knowledgeable sources that the current counsel there is a refreshing change in this regard).
 
~~~~~~~~~~
 
More US-Israeli tension:  Hannah Rosenthal, formerly associated with J Street, has been appointed by Obama as director of the Office to Monitor and Combat Anti-Semitism.  In a highly irregular and inappropriate statement, she has now criticized Michael Oren, Israeli Ambassador to the US, for not attending the J Street conference in the fall. She has in turn now been roundly criticized by American Jews, including some who are solidly pro-Obama, for this statement.
 
~~~~~~~~~~

 

December 23, 2009

 
"By Other Means"
 
Yesterday I wrote about the possibility of securing Gilad Shalit without releasing terrorists, and made one or two fairly obvious suggestions.
 
But today the news carries this forward in a number of ways.  Most significantly, Chief of Staff Gabi Ashkenazi, for the first time, said that both overt and covert actions were being taken by the government and security apparatuses to bring about the release of Shalit.  Good to hear that covert means are being attempted. 
 
My concern is that Hamas might agree to the trade before another means of securing Shalit have been implemented.  Right now the unofficial news is mixed.  Hamas leaders in Damascus -- who have not officially answered -- are said to be opposed, but there are leaks saying that the prisoners themselves have agreed and that it thus may go through.
 
I have read, by the way, that Barghouti might be released and allowed to return home instead of being deported far away.  If this were to be the case, it would be a most outrageous travesty of justice, a form of gross stupidity, in the name of "strengthening" Fatah.
 
~~~~~~~~~~
 
Daniel Tauber, who is chair of the American Legal Forum for the Land of Israel (an affiliate of the Legal Forum here), addresses means for securing Shalit's release in a piece he wrote for the Post today.  He suggests, among other things, making the continuation of the building freeze conditional on Shalit's release (presumably so that Obama, who seeks that freeze, would get involved), and resumption of target strikes on Hamas leaders. 
 
What Tauber is suggesting is that Netanyahu take the initiative in this regard, instead of responding passively. The prime minister did not, for example, even mention Shalit in the course of his talk at the UN, viewed by millions on TV.
 
Tauber's point is a very significant one.  Part of the damage done by this whole prisoner trade business is that it diminishes us.  We shouldn't negotiate with Hamas even indirectly, and should pay them nothing.  Hamas, he says, is bringing Israel to its knees. And I agree.
 
What is more, this undermines the justice system.
 
http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1261364476505&pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FShowFull
 
~~~~~~~~~~
 
Speaking of the Legal Forum for the Land of Israel, this organization filed a petition with the High Court against the building freeze, and now we have the first word from the court:
 
As yet, the moratorium stands, but, "a number of aspects remain as of yet unresolved in a satisfactory manner by the State."  The State has been given a month to supply information on issues such as the date on which the proposed commission for deciding on compensation for those affected by the freeze will begin its work, the process by which one applies to the commission, and the manner in which appeals may be done.
 
Concern appears to be not with the freeze per se, but with the way it impinges unfairly upon individuals and how these problems will be officially rectified.  High Court president Dorit Beinish observed, "I do not know to what extent whoever issued the order gave thought to all the variants of potential damages."
 
There is much criticism implicit in this comment, and thus the expectation that if answers are not provided by the government in a timely and satisfactory manner, the Court may look further into the question of the freeze.
 
"Whoever issued the order" is, of course, Barak.  And no, there is no reason whatsoever to think that he considered all potential damages.  It is precisely that precipitous heavy-handedness that evoked so much anger on the part of residents affected by the order.
 
~~~~~~~~~~
 
Lenny Ben-David, who served as a diplomat at the Israeli embassy and is now an independent consultant, has been doing some excellent research on J Street.  Please, see what he says most recently regarding the relationship between this ostensibly "pro-Israel" organization, Saudi Arabia, and the Arab American Institute:
 
http://pajamasmedia.com/blog/the-saudis-take-a-stroll-on-j-street/
 
~~~~~~~~~~
 
There is news about the break-up, finally, of Kadima, with seven people leaving the party, most to return to Likud, which they left when then prime minister Ariel Sharon started Kadima.  This is something that had been talked about for so long that it seemed no more than talk, but Netanyahu, working consistently and quietly, has apparently managed to achieve this by promising those returning to Likud various positions.
 
That Kadima should fall apart is a fate well deserved, but I have considerable ambivalence about the machinations  involved and the implications of it all.  More in due course as and if this unfolds.
 
~~~~~~~~~~
 
Could it be?  I have picked up a piece that suggests that Jimmy Carter's "heartfelt" contrition with regard to how he has maligned Jews may have been motivated by the fact that his grandson is running for Congress from a Georgia district that has a relatively large Jewish population.  Who knows.  What I do know is that the terminology he used (al het, Yom Kippur) seemed to have come by way of grooming in the use of the proper terms to appeal to Jews, rather than being spontaneously expressed regret.  It was a bit "over the top" for me.
 
~~~~~~~~~~
 
"The Good News Corner"
 
This area was one of the earliest to develop wines -- as attested to by the excavation of ancient wine presses and storage vats, as well as the frequent motif of grapes on ancient coins and jars.  Wine was cultivated here 2,000 years before it reached Europe.
 

 
In the last ten years, the Israeli wine industry has grown by leaps and bounds, so that today there are about 150 wineries in this small country.  Israel currently exports about $22 million worth of wine annually.  Wine connoisseurs give high marks to many of these wines, including several with kosher labels.
 
~~~~~~~~~~
 
To my Christian friends, I offer best holiday wishes.
 

 
~~~~~~~~~~

 

 

December 22, 2009

 
"Tentative Reprieve"
 
For the past two days there have been marathon sessions of the "inner cabinet" in order to reach resolution on doing a trade with Hamas for the release of Gilad Shalit. 
 

 

Great pressure had been put upon us, by Hamas itself, and by negotiating parties in Egypt and Germany.  "Take it or leave it," was Hamas's message -- this was their demand and it wasn't going to change.  That demand was for 1,000, or close to 1,000, prisoners from Hamas and Fatah, some with serious blood on their hands.  At the same time, persons involved with negotiations, in Egypt and Germany, unreasonably, were irritated with us for not "getting with the program" and letting it happen already after all their hard work.  As if it were Israeli intransigence and not the outrage of Hamas demands that was the stumbling block.
 
For our country this is a situation that is wrenching, with no answer completely easy or comfortable.  The release of 1,000 terrorists would just about guarantee that at least some would engage in operations that would take many Israeli lives.  There is precedent for this.  We know.  What is more, it would encourage Hamas and other groups to do further kidnappings to secure the release of additional prisoners.  This is not an acceptable price to pay.  Not in my personal opinion or in the opinion of many who are involved.
 
But to know that it might be possible to bring home this young man, who has been in captivity now for three and one-half years, and to decline to do so?  A painful decision.
 
~~~~~~~~~~
 
The inner cabinet consists of Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu, Defense Minister Ehud Barak; Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman; Deputy Prime Ministers Moshe Ya’alon, Dan Meridor and Eli Yishai; and Minister Without Portfolio Benny Begin.
 
Word was that the group was evenly divided, with Lieberman, Ya'alon and Begin against a trade, and Barak, Yishai and Meridor in favor.  In point of fact, it was likely more nuanced than this, with the meeting going on well into the night because various parameters and implications were being discussed.
 
Chief of Staff Gabi Ashkenazi spoke in favor of a deal, quite clearly because of his sense of commitment to the Israeli principle of bringing back our soldiers.  Shin Bet (security) officials, mindful of the repercussions of freeing terrorists, spoke against. 
 
In the background at all times were Shalit's long-suffering parents, Noam and Aviva, waiting for word.  I was particularly impressed with his mother, who has been much less visible publicly than her husband.  She declared at one point that, "There is no right and wrong here." It is special mark of character to recognize this, even as the longing to see her son brought back must overwhelm her. 
 

 

As well, there were people from the "free Shalit" groups, and from the associations representing victims of terror and their families, lobbying on different sides of the issue.
 
~~~~~~~~~~
 
Since the end of the marathon session last night, Barak is the only one to have made a public statement -- at a meeting today with high school students in Rishon Letzion:

"We are intensively formulating the correct way to promote the Shalit topic. This is a sensitive time and it would be wrong to expound upon the topic, but we, as those who sent Gilad, feel a responsibility… to make every feasible and worthy move to bring Gilad home, though not at any price.

"As far as prisoner exchanges go, we are on a slippery slope, from the Jibril deal [that released 1,150 prisoners in 1985 for three Israeli POWs held by the PLFP] to [the deal for securing Elhanan] Tannenbaum (note: he didn't mention the more recent trade of the very vile Samir Kuntar for the bodies of Eldad Regev and Ehud Goldvasser), and there is no choice but to brake.  It is clear to all, within the inner cabinet as well as among the general public, that the modes of action regarding prisoner changes must change."

~~~~~~~~~~

Netanyahu, who, from all reports, had serious reservations, was said to have vacillated.  In the end, he apparently moved to a more stringent position than what he had entertained at an earlier point.  The key for him was not who was to be released, but to where.  He did not want prisoners released into Judea and Samaria, where they would have the potential to revive terror operations and threaten the Jewish population; he felt that, in spite of Hamas demands to the contrary, they would have to be released to Gaza or elsewhere.

And so, at the end of the discussions, the decision was made not to decide yet.  Israeli negotiator Hagai Hadas -- who at one point was apparently on the edge of resigning -- was told to go back and negotiate further with Hamas, via Germany. The offer being made to Hamas is that we do the demanded release, but that "heavy" prisoners be sent only to Gaza or abroad. A question that comes to my mind is whether Marwan Barghouti -- a key Fatah member, serving five consecutive life sentences -- is on the list and counted as a "heavy" who must go elsewhere.  Barghouti has said he would refuse such a deal.

Hamas is saying that if their original demands are not met, there will be no deal.  Any change in this stance would have to come from Hamas headquarters in Damascus.

~~~~~~~~~~

Heaven knows that I am no fan of Ehud Barak.  But when he speaks true, it must be acknowledged. And what he said today was highly appropriate with regard to the issues.  Israel, regrettably, over the years has engaged in a number of precedent-setting trades, and it is time for this pattern to be reversed. 

The question -- which we cannot begin to answer -- is what approaches the cabinet will consider, if Hamas does not accept the deal now offered.  People ask about our going in to get Shalit.  But there is real fear in this regard that he would be dead before we reached him.  This happened in the foiled attempt, in 1994, to rescue Nachshon Waxman.

Yet, there may be other alternatives, such as ratcheting up the stringency of closures on Gaza (except for humanitarian supplies!) until he is released.  

~~~~~~~~~~

The Israel Resource News Agency some time ago sent journalists in to our prisons to interview members of Hamas.  They are proud of what they have done and talk openly.  It's both fascinating and blood-curdling to listen to them as they speak matter-of-factly about their "endeavors."  Among the most important statements made was one by a woman, who described her work with an Arab man, as they planned a bombing in the center of Jerusalem.  "Will there be religious Jews there?" the man asked.  The woman assured him there would be.  "Why did this matter?" her interviewer asked.  Her answer -- which should be marked well by all -- is that the war between Palestinians and Israelis is a religious war.

I provide here a number of YouTube links to those interviews.  (YouTube limits the length of video, so that the interviews could not go up as one combined video.)  Who knows, some of those interviewed may be on the lists for release.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gZxcaS-ujLs&feature=channel_page

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xr3GIUrOqwo&feature=channel_page

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=19NDqRCZw_s&feature=channel_page

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lK2RuUR_HCo&feature=channel_page

~~~~~~~~~~

Do my eyes deceive me?  Has Jimmy Carter done tshuva (repentance)?

After years of demonizing Israel and taking a solidly pro-Arab position, he has now apologized to Israel:

"We must recognize Israel’s achievements under difficult circumstances, even as we strive in a positive way to help Israel continue to improve its relations with its Arab populations, but we must not permit criticisms for improvement to stigmatize Israel.

"As I would have noted at Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, but which is appropriate at any time of the year, I offer an Al Het for any words or deeds of mine that may have done so."

As he would have noted at Yom Kippur?  An Al Het?  Al Het literally means "for the sin."  It is confessional prayer recited on Yom Kippur.

Who has been coaching him, and what has motivated this change of heart?

Goes to show, we never know.  If he can offer an Al Het, who can tell what's next? Let's hope this change is sincere and deep and sustained.

~~~~~~~~~~

The idiocy of enforcing a building freeze in Judea and Samaria that is tearing the nation apart becomes ever more apparent.  The alleged reason for this was to bring the PA to the negotiating table.  But there's about a snowball's chance in hell of this happening.

This time it was Ahmed Qurei (aka Abu Ala) -- former PA prime minister and chief negotiator -- who made a statement:

"...all the negotiations we have pursued were being exploited by Israel to buy time and kick sand in the eyes, while attempting to impose new facts on the ground, particularly with settlements, separating Jerusalem from Palestine, and with the separation wall as a unilateral solution making it impossible to reach an acceptable, fair, balanced and just peace that we can accept and market.

"[From Oslo to Annapolis] we see a continuation of the use of the language of force in order to impose a peace settlement that can only be described as surrender."

As "we have come to the point where negotiations are a waste of time," it was suggested Abbas's political advisor, Nimer Hammad, that the international community has to step in.

What is more, the Israeli demand that we be recognized as a "Jewish state" is, according to Hammad, "an obstacle that really complicates matters."

If this is how concessions are received, exactly why is it that we bother?

~~~~~~~~~~

"The Good News Corner"

Archeologists have discovered a house in Nazareth thought to date to the first century BCE.  It is considered a particularly important find because it is the first time that a house from a Jewish village was discovered in this area for this time period.  Tombs in the area previously uncovered suggest that this was a village of some 50 families.  Written texts refer to a Jewish village in Nazareth in the first century, and the nature of the pottery found in the home marks it as used by Jews.

~~~~~~~~~~

 

 

 

December 20, 2009

 
"Numbing"
 
That's the news.  If one is devoted to Israel, it's impossible to absorb information about what's happening without reeling.  Or weeping. 
 
Defense Minister Ehud Barak is in the process of playing tough guy, winning points with the left of his own party, and tearing the nation apart.
 

 
There are two issues, although they are connected.  They both touch upon our rights in Judea and Samaria, and how the army is used against residents of the communities there.
 
~~~~~~~~~~
 
First, is the continuing matter of the (former) Hesder Yeshiva, Har Bracha, headed by Rabbi Eliezer Melamed.  Barak removed this yeshiva from the Hesder program when Rabbi Melamed said he would advise his students to refuse to serve to dismantle Judea and Samaria. 
 
The heads of the sixty yeshivas of the Hesder movement -- led by Rabbi Haim Druckman, head of the Union of Hesder Yeshivas -- met today in an effort to resolve the situation.  Declaring that yeshiva heads were opposed to the exclusion of Har Bracha, and that he would do everything in his power to prevent this exclusion, Rabbi Druckman released a statement:

"A move excluding a yeshiva from the accord is severe and has dangerous, nationally dire consequences. We oppose this, and will do anything to prevent it from happening. Together we will find a way."
 

  
There is no word on resolution of the issue as I write, but there are now several suggestions floating, including an appeal to the High Court and an action by heads of yeshivas to keep their students from going into the army. 
 
This afternoon, a spokesman for the Union released a statement. The Union, he said first, was opposed to demonstrations in the IDF.
 
~~~~~~~~~~
 
And this requires a bit of explanation.  In the course of a public ceremony in October, members of the Kfir Brigade raised signs saying they would not participate in evacuation of residents from Judea and Samaria (in that instance, specifically, Homesh).  There was considerable flack about this, with the issue of free speech for soldiers raised, but Rabbi Druckman and others within the Hesder program coming out against public demonstrations. 
 
Now, with the current crisis, there was talk about Rabbi Eliezer signing a letter that said he would oppose demonstrations.  This would have been seen as a backing down by him.  Ultimately, he refused to sign such a letter, both because he didn't believe it would make a difference with Barak, and, more significantly, because he feared that Barak's office would make it seem that military rules had precedence over Torah law, and he could not be a party to this.  This stand helps make clear why he is admired as a man of principle and integrity.
 
Whether he is implicitly included in the statement made by the Union is unclear to me.
 
~~~~~~~~~~
 
Public demonstrations, however, are not equivalent to a quiet refusal to serve in certain circumstances. And that leads us to the second demand of the Union:
 
...that "the army take our soldiers out of all activity with a civilian character."  That is, the Hesder soldiers would be utilized only for defense of the nation.
 
Amen and amen on this. 
 
But so far Barak is being stiff-necked and will strike no compromise.  What he is doing, which I've already indicated, is damaging the very core of the army, locking horns with those who represent our best soldiers -- with this whole issue evolving as a result of the use of the army against Jews instead of against the enemy.
 
What happens when the inevitable occurs, and we are attacked by Hamas, or by Hezbollah, and the morale of the IDF has been weakened?  What happens when we need our best soldiers to defend us, and they have been worn down?  There are those who say that the morale of the IDF was so shattered with the expulsion from Gaza that it lead to a weaker fighting effort in Lebanon.  Has our "defense minister" considered this?
 
~~~~~~~~~~
 
I rather like the comment of Yael Mishali, writing in YNet:
 
"I am not a devout follower of Jewish law, and I never followed a rabbi formally; however, in my view any group of Zionist rabbis is preferable to any group of politicians that includes Ehud Barak."
 
~~~~~~~~~~
 
The question of using our soldiers against Jews leads us directly to the next issue:
 
The Jerusalem Post has obtained a 17-page IDF document drawn up by the Central Command, which indicates that the military intends to use "paralyzing power" to enforce the building freeze in Judea and Samaria. Paralyzing power.  The Jewish residents -- who are blocking the freeze both out of a sense of their rights and the fear that this represents the beginning of a disengagement -- are about to be turned into the enemy.  If this plan is enacted, building they have done since the freeze is in place would be destroyed. The Air Force would be used to do overhead reconnaissance.  Cell phone reception would be shut down, and the press banned.  And the army, which would surround areas, would move in as needed.
 
Shameful is the first word that occurs to me.  With painful a close second.
 
~~~~~~~~~~
 
Said MK Michael Ben Ari (Ehud Leumi), "It's an outrageous document that teaches us that the Likud government has declared war on the settlers."
 
Danny Dayan, head of the Yesha Council, declared:
 
"This is quite simply deployment for a military operation against an enemy. This is not the way to enforce a government's decision applying to citizens in a democratic state."
 
Dayan is of the -- not unreasonable -- opinion that the defense minister is conducting himself in this fashion "to appease [Labor MKs] Daniel Ben Simon and Ophir Pines" -- the rebels who threaten the cohesiveness of the Labor party.
 
The Yesha Council, after an emergency meeting, released a statement indicating they would do everything possible to foil the plans:
 
"Anyone using military resources meant to fight terror against 'enemies' the likes of young couples who want to build their home in Judea and Samaria has lost his senses along with any restraint."
 
One military source explained that the document was drawn up in detail to account for all exigencies because, "This is what we do when we are given orders by the defense minister.  It is our responsibility to prepare as detailed a document [as necessary]..."
 
Orders by the defense minister.
 
~~~~~~~~~~
 
I want to thank commentator Moshe Dann for pointing out that the current situation with regard to use of the army against Israeli civilians is exacerbated by the fact that we never established civil law over Judea and Samaria: the defense minister has a sort of jurisdiction in a region still under military law that simply would not exist in a region under civil law.
 
~~~~~~~~~~
 
Many here in Israel are asking where our prime minister is in all of this.  He is all together too silent, as he permits Barak free reign.
 
~~~~~~~~~~
 
I strongly recommend Caroline Glick's column from last Friday, which deals with Netanyahu -- with regard both to how he has been conducting himself and what is required of him at this juncture:

"It is hard to seize the initiative. The consequences of acting are frightening. It is always better to let others go first. But sometimes that is impossible. Today it is becoming clear that Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu has no choice but to lead.

"The stakes have never been higher..."

"...Until now, as Israel faced this growing threat [from Iran], it has tried to avoid leading by seeking to convince the US to act against Iran. Since US President Barack Obama took office 11 months ago, Israel's desire to convince the US to act against Iran has driven Netanyahu to take drastic steps to appease the White House.

"Netanyahu has bowed to American pressure and announced his support for the establishment of a Palestinian state in Israel's heartland, even as the Palestinians themselves made clear that they reject Israel's right to exist.

"He bowed to US pressure and is implementing a draconian freeze on all Jewish building in Judea and Samaria, despite the fact that the Palestinians refuse to even discuss peace with Israel.

"Netanyahu has allowed Defense Minister Ehud Barak to unravel national unity still further by picking fights with yeshiva heads who oppose the wholly theoretical possibility that IDF soldiers will be ordered to expel Jews from their homes in Judea and Samaria in the framework of a peace treaty with the Palestinians.

"...Unfortunately, Netanyahu's appeasement efforts have not brought a US payoff. The Obama administration continues to downplay the urgency of the Iranian nuclear threat and its calls for sanctions are half-hearted and will not prevent the Islamic Republic from acquiring nuclear weapons.

"Moreover, the Obama administration remains stridently opposed to using military force to destroy Iran's nuclear installations...

"...Israel cannot depend on the US to defend it from Iran. Indeed, it makes clear that a breach of relations with the US is unavoidable.

"...the time has come for Netanyahu to take the lead."

Since the Suez Operation in 1956, says Glick, it has been Israeli policy to sign off with the US before taking military action.  But this is not how the current scenario is playing out, and this time Israel must act without a nod from the US.

She presents evidence for the very real possibility that others -- most notably France -- will join us if only Netanyahu will take that lead.

http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1260930895110&pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FShowFull

~~~~~~~~~~

I think the time has definitely come for us -- in large numbers! -- to let Prime Minister Netanyahu know that he is expected to stand up and lead -- as this is why he was elected. 

First, to lead by putting an end to the current shameful mess being wrought in this country by Barak.

And then, most significantly, to take the lead in attacking Iran. 

Remind him that no one else will do this, and that the world thus depends upon him.  In your own words, please, let him know that he faces the choice between making a mark on history for all time, or going out of office an abysmal failure who leaves his nation and the western world considerably weaker. 

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

Phone: 03-610-9898 (From the US: 011-972-3-610-9898) 

E-mail:  pm_eng2@it.pmo.gov.il (underscore after pm) 

When possible, send a fax rather than an e-mail -- it's more effective. And encourage others to do the same!

~~~~~~~~~~

"The Good News Corner"

Boy, do we need good news!

In a study done at the Department of Psychology at Haifa University, Dr. Irit Akirav has discovered that the active chemical ingredients of marijuana can relieve the symptoms of Post Traumatic Stress Syndrome.

Additional research on potential side effects must be done to ensure that the benefits outweigh the risks. 

__________

A new "green" battery based on silicon has been developed in Israel by Professor Yair Ein-Eli, working in collaboration with other scientists.  The battery, which requires only one electrode, utilizes oxidized silicone, which turns to sand when the battery is depleted. At present the battery is not re-chargeable, but lasts for thousands of hours.

__________

The Safari Park in Ramat Gan, outside of Tel Aviv, has become the world's largest exporter of hippos. 

Is this "good" news? Who knows.  But it's interesting, light-hearted news. 

The Park had a surplus of hippos, with a high birth rate, and so decided to send some elsewhere.  To date, 14 have been shipped, by sea and air, to Kazakhstan, Russia, Turkey, Ukraine and Vietnam. 

The way to go about it is to sneak up on the hippo while it is sleeping and inject it with a tranquilizer. If the hippo runs into the water, it becomes near impossible to sedate it, and this animal is something less than docile. The hippo, once tranquilized, is lifted into a crate by a bulldozer.

 

__________

Fresh red plums have five times as much antioxidant as red wine, apples and bananas, and three times as much as  pomegranates, Prof. Joseph Kanner, of the Department of Food Science at the Volcani Institute, has discovered.  Eating one plum counteracts the oxidizing effects of a seven-ounce portion of meat.

__________

With acknowledgment to Israel21C for the above items.

~~~~~~~~~~

 

 

December 16, 2009

 
"Bum Rap"
 
What I begin with today is a thematic follow-up to what I wrote yesterday about the mosque in Yasuf.  Whether it turns out that "radicals" in the Jewish community of Samaria were responsible for the vandalism in that mosque or not, what disturbs me is the alacrity with which many people -- Jews included -- rushed to make the assumption that they were, even when evidence was lacking (and there was plenty of evidence that it might have been Arabs who did it).
 
I've written, and will continue to write, about the bad press and vilification that the Jews of Judea and Samaria are subject to. These "right wing settlers" who create a stumbling block to negotiations and cause Arabs difficulties. Or so it goes. 
 
~~~~~~~~~~
 
Here I want to touch upon a similar story, which makes the same point:  Back in December 2008, charges were made that when the police were evacuating Beit Hashalom in Hevron one officer was injured when an activist resisting the police action threw acid in his face. This was reported in the Jerusalem Post.
 
There was doubt within the community of Hevron regarding the authenticity of this claim.  And so a request was made to the Post that it be checked out. 
 
Yisrael Medad has written about this in his blog  (http://myrightword.blogspot.com) but it is unclear to me as to whether it was he who actually made the request to the Post. 
 
Time dragged on without confirmation or resolution of the issue. At some point Medad then made a very specific suggestion:
 
"why not ask the police medical department if any policeman was treated for acid burns and ask the payments section if any policeman received sick leave and compensation for his acid wounds."
 
It was then Susie Dym, an activist who heads Mattot Arim, who followed through.  She founded it particularly disturbing that this incident was referred to time and again as an example of "settler violence," even though it had never been verified.  She saw this as just one of a litany of false charges that are leveled at "settlers."
 
And guess what?  The Post has now printed an article stating that the claim was unsubstantiated.  No one was ever charged in connection with this alleged act. Said Dym, "They [residents of Judea and Samaria] have not committed one-thousandth of the [crimes] of which they have been accused."
 
~~~~~~~~~~
 
I raise the next issue reluctantly.  I have, in fact, resisted writing about this for an international audience, because I believe it is very much an internal Israeli affair. But it has made the press in such significant measure, that it seemed to me time to explore the issues for my readers:
 
It involves, at core, the use of the IDF for police work, rather than reserving our armed forces for defense of our nation.  We are the exception among democracies in this respect: in most -- if not all -- other democracies,  armies can be used only for national defense.  Not here.  The army was used in the evacuation in Gush Katif, and is used in certain actions in Judea and Samaria. These political actions pit Jew against Jew, splitting the nation apart and destroying army morale.
 
~~~~~~~~~~
 
Underlying the current situation we see these basic facts:
 
Religious nationalist young men serve most eagerly in the IDF, volunteering in disproportionate numbers for elite combat units and exhibiting an exemplary bravery and loyalty.  Their religious underpinning gives them an understanding of why defense of Israel is important.  What is more, the religious nationalist educational institutions -- yeshivas of a particular stripe -- teach this point of view.  It is deeply bred into the perspective of these young men, as religious Israelis with an obligation to the nation and the people. When you read a story, during war time, of a young commander who throws himself on a grenade, for example, to save his unit, it is most likely to be a person who was a religious nationalist.
 
For decades, the IDF has run a five-year "Hesder" program, which allows these religious young men to combine religious study in participating yeshivas with army service.  There are 7,500 who are enrolled this program,  and tens of thousands of Hesder graduates who serve in the reserves.
 
~~~~~~~~~
 
In Samaria, there is a yeshiva called Har Bracha, headed by Rabbi Eliezer Melamed, which until just days ago was part of the Hesder program.  Rabbi Melamed, concerned with Jewish teachings and law about the sanctity of the land for Jews, told his students who were going to be serving in the army that they should refuse orders regarding a building freeze or evacuation of Jews in Judea and Samaria.

 

 
Minister of Defense Ehud Barak -- hard-nosed, secular and left-wing -- was furious because it is essential to maintain discipline in the army.  He cut Rabbi Melamed's yeshiva from the Hesder program.
 
Now, Barak has a point about the need for army discipline. A soldier in the field absolutely must obey orders or the whole system breaks down. However (and this is a big "however"), that is the case when the army is fighting an enemy and acting to protect the nation.
 
The problem has arisen because the army is being used in political actions as well.  There were perhaps ways  of handling this other than the way Barak chose.  Certainly it could have been decided that the army would no longer be used for political tasks (with a law ultimately passed with regard to this) -- that only the police and related law enforcement units would be involved.  Or -- though more complicated -- possibly some sort of "conscientious objection" principle could have been instituted, exempting soldiers who believe they are bound by Jewish law to retain and develop Judea and Samaria from participating in actions that restrict or prohibit Jewish presence in Judea and Samaria.
 
~~~~~~~~~~
 
Barak's approach is counterproductive.  He is acting against and alienating the very best soldiers that the IDF has.  Not a smart move, nor one that expresses appreciation and respect for these soldiers.  The very religious conviction that makes them the best of soldiers because of their devotion to the land and their desire to defend it, also makes them devoted to the retention of Judea and Samaria as a matter of religious belief.
 
This week, dozens of reserve soldiers and officers who had been educated in Hesder yeshivas sent a petition to Barak:
 
"Many of us fought in the Second Lebanon War and in Cast Lead with a willingness to carry out any order and even to give our lives for the protection of the State of Israel.

"Our yeshiva heads taught us this selfless devotion to the State of Israel. In yeshiva we were inculcated with the spirit of fighting, devotion and giving our best. If the decision to remove Har Bracha from the Hesder framework is implemented, it would be interpreted by us as the IDF's rejection of us and our service and it would force us to leave the ranks of the IDF."

Rabbis who head other yeshivas in the Hesder program have rallied to the support of Rabbi Melamed, who is seen as exhibiting enormous clarity of moral vision.  Additionally, interest by high school students in attending Har Bracha yeshiva after graduation has grown considerably.
 
I don't know if there can or will be a positive resolution to this situation, or if it will be allowed to fester.  The prime minister has refused to get involved.
 
Since the time of the Gush Katif evacuation, I have felt that any major threat to Judea and Samaria would lead us toward civil war.  This is just a hint of what might come if, G-d forbid, we were to see attempts to move out the residents of Judea and Samaria.  May such a day never come.
 
~~~~~~~~~~
 
A small correction from yesterday. Abbas is not demanding that WE recognize that we must pull back to the '67 lines, including in Jerusalem, before he'll come to the table. He is demanding this recognition from the international community. For this we can thank, first, Obama, and then, the EU.  Abbas is convinced that he can get what he wants without negotiation. From us, at this point, he is demanding a complete and total freeze everywhere beyond the Green Line.
 
He says that he will bring this to the Security Council, and ask that body to recognize a Palestinian state within these lines.  With regard to this happening, I remain essentially dubious.
 
~~~~~~~~~~
 
More after Chanukah is over.
 
~~~~~~~~~~

 

 

December 15, 2009

 
"Rush to Judgment"
 
Last Friday, in the Arab village of Yasuf, in Samaria, near the Jewish community of Tapuach, a mosque was vandalized.

 

AP
 
News reports spoke of the fact of "mosque arson," but in point of fact the mosque wasn't torched.  Korans and prayer rugs were burned, while the mosque was left in tact -- this fact visible from photos.  Graffiti was written in Hebrew on the wall of the mosque: "Price tag -- Greetings from Effi." This is presumed to represent a radical group of "settlers" who have vowed to extract a price from the Arab population every time the Israeli government restricts development by Jews in Judea and Samaria.  It is thus being assumed in many quarters that Jews did this in "revenge" for Netanyahu's building freeze.
 
Across Israel there have been condemnations of this act -- including by law enforcement officials and rabbis.  The fact that they felt the need to condemn this passionately seems to indicate that they were assuming that it was likely Jews who did it. There were statements by law enforcement officials about how it's time to get tougher with the "extremists" in Judea and Samaria.
 
~~~~~~~~~~
 
I believe that the assumption that "extremist" Jews did this IS a rush to judgment. There is a mind-set that tends to paint the "settlers" as bad, a danger to peace.  This perception has been shaped by Arab and leftist PR and been assimilated to a large degree.  And the assumption that Jews who live in Samaria set fire to a mosque fits right in with that.
 
If it turns out that Jews did do this, I will roundly condemn them. But I am not prepared to do so yet, for a host of reasons:
 
The law enforcement officials have come out full force in investigating this. But as I write, there is not only no suspect, but no lead.  Clearly, they keep close tab on those Jews considered to be radical.  That there is not even a "lead" after four days gives pause. The fact that there was an ostensible graffiti "signature" from a radical group does not, of course, mean that this group really did the vandalizing.  As the Regional Council of Samaria pointed out, "Who would be stupid enough to leave a name?" 
 
~~~~~~~~~~
 
And there is more:
 
Reports I received today indicate that the mosque has already been cleaned up, so that a police investigation of the "scene of the crime" is impossible.  (News reports did say that the PA was going to be doing the clean-up.)  As it was, the damage was relatively minimal.  Not destruction of a mosque, but of the accessories of prayer -- just enough destruction to make press and to make a fuss over.
 
~~~~~~~~~~
 
Over a period of years, there have been accusations of Jewish "radicals" cutting down Arab olive trees, but on several occasions it turned out that Arabs themselves had cut down the trees to make Jews in the area look bad.  Seems strange from our perspective, that they would damage their own property. But that's because we don't think as these Arabs do. The same thinking takes place in Gaza. Terrorists target the crossings from Israel into Gaza, making it necessary for Israel to close the crossings for a period. This means that the supplies don't get to the people. But that's OK, for it's more important to make Israel look bad for closing crossings.
 
Ponder this carefully.
 
The working assumption is that the mosque was vandalized by a radical Jewish group in "retaliation" for the government freeze. But the freeze wasn't just announced. It's a good couple of weeks old. So why now?

What is new is the priority map, which was just announced last week by Netanyahu. It indicates which communities will receive special attention. And guess what? A number of communities in Judea and Samaria were included (more follows on this below). How threatening to the Arabs who want to see us move back to the Green Line. Is it coincidence that the "arson" took place last Friday, just two days after the announcement?

When a contingent of rabbis from the Shomron (Samaria) tried to visit Yasuf, they were rebuffed. The residents there said these rabbis were radicals, or associated with radicals. I though this a little strange, as one of the rabbis was Rabbi Froman of Tekoa, who has a reputation of sustaining warm relationships with Arabs, and he had brought his Arabic-speaking son with him.

What did the Yasuf villagers say? That they need the land to be rid of "settlers." No peaceful co-existence. No acceptance of peaceful gestures. Get out.

I noted this carefully when it was said, and everyone else needs to note it, as well. The vandalized mosque potentially provides "evidence" for the world to see of why Jews should not live in Judea and Samaria.
 
~~~~~~~~~~
 
As to that priority map:  It has caused considerable dissension within the government. To me what has been taking place is schizoid, with one arm of the government unclear as to what the other is doing.  As I noted last week after the priority map was announced (announced just as there was a demonstration against the freeze taking place), it seemed to give a very mixed message with regard to that freeze.  And, sure enough, it made the Obama administration uneasy, so that reassurances had to be provided.  The communities in Judea and Samaria which were on the map would receive other kinds of assistance, our government said, but not housing assistance.  Not clear is whether this set of parameters was for the ten months of the freeze only, or would continue thereafter.
 
The map was approved by the Cabinet on Sunday, after announcements that the decision might be delayed because of objections. 
 
Shas objected, and with good reason, because communities where those who were expelled from Gush Katif are settling were not given priority.
 
But the major source of tension with regard to the priorities set by the map emanates from the Labor party.  Four party "rebels" have been discontented for some time with Barak's participation in Netanyahu's coalition. (It is likely that the ferocity with which Barak administered the freeze on the ground, adding strictures that weren't in the original announcement, was an attempt by him to show these rebels how tough he is with "settlers.") 
 
Now the rebels -- Eitan Cabel, Shelly Yacimovich, Yuli Tamir, and Ophir Paz-Pines -- say that clearly Barak knew what the priority map would include, and that this is the proverbial straw. According to a spokesman for the rebels, "The chances of us making peace with Barak are the same that this government will make peace with the Palestinians."
 
What is being demanded is that within two to three months Labor leave the government if progress has not been made in the "peace process." 
 
The insistence of the left wing in blaming Israel for a failure of the "peace process" drives me to distraction.  How, precisely, do they think "progress" is supposed to be achieved when Abbas won't come to the table? (See below on this.)
 
At any rate, this is one of those situations that will bear close watching, as the political implications are real.
 
~~~~~~~~~~
 
There are other issues with regard to communities in Judea and Samaria that I will return to as soon as possible.  It seems today that there is more to write about than time to do the writing.  It is almost time for candle-lighting and then celebration with friends.
 
Here I will simply report that Abbas has announced that he is abandoning the format of the Road Map and refusing to come to the negotiating table until we agree to return to the '67 lines.  There is much to say about this, in due course, although we've been watching this unfold; it's not exactly unexpected. (The PLO, by the way, will be formally extending Abbas's term as PA president, until there are elections.)
 
Today in the village of Yasuf, Arabs demonstrated with the demand that Jews get out of the West Bank.  And, while I might be mistaken, it seems to me all of a piece.  How convenient that they have the "evidence" of the Jews having vandalized their mosque, to show the world why we cannot remain.
 
I am incensed, by the way, that the president of the EU has made a statement about this mosque. How many times, pray tell, has the president of the EU made statements when Arabs killed innocent Jews in Judea and Samaria?
 
~~~~~~~~~~

December 13, 2009

 
"Chanukah"

 

There are two parts to the Chanukah story, and two occurrences that are celebrated:
 
There is our history.  In the second century BCE, under the oppressive reign of the Selucid Greek Antiochus IV, Jews were not allowed to practice their religion and the Temple was desecrated.  The Hellenists were defeated by the Hasmonean Mattathias, a priest, and his son Judah Maccabee, and their band. The few overcame the many, and their victory was a victory for religious freedom and for religious observance over assimilation.
 
There is the story in the Talmud. When the Temple was cleaned and rededicated, there was enough oil to light the menorah for only one day, and yet it burned for eight days.  This is counted as a miracle.
 
We light our candles for eight nights in commemoration of this.
 
But...after we light the candles we sing "al hanisim" -- we light for the miracles. And we mention wonders, and redemption and wars, done for our ancestors in that time.  So we have the miracle of the victory, not just the miracle of the oil. The victory of the few over the many, and of righteousness over repression.
 
~~~~~~~~~~
 
In these terrible and crazy times, it's easy to approach despair, even though it is forbidden to us.  It cannot be a secret that every so often I feel it clutching at my heart. But every year, Chanukah comes to remind us not to despair, because of the miracles.
 
And it's not just the miracle of the Maccabean victory.  Modern Israel is a victory.  Our War of Independence was a miracle.  The Six Day War was a miracle.  We must draw strength from this.
 
We need miracles to defeat our enemies, who surround us, gathering their missiles and working to delegitimize us.
 
But we also need miracles to be strong against those of our own who would surrender to the enemies. Just days ago a "priority map" was announced by the prime minister, pinpointing communities that are to receive special attention. And -- horrors! -- some of those identified communities are in Judea and Samaria.  The day after the announcement, MK Ophir Paz-Pines (Labor) declared that approval of this map would isolate Israel as the "ultimate anti-peace state."  Providing support for communities in the heartland of our heritage represents "anti-peace" because it means we are not surrendering to the Arab demands, and surrendering to those demands (which is how he defines "peace"), not supporting our heritage, is what concerns him.  This made me crazy, until I realized anew:  Chanukah comes to remind us that there were assimilated Jews in the time of Antiochus, who were willing to go along with what he imposed.  But it was the priest Mattathias and his family who received the miracle, and were successful.   
 
~~~~~~~~~~

 

 
So let us light our candles, and tell of the miracles. Let us rejoice and sing.  Our job is to stay strong and focused, and to hold fast to the faith.
 
Here, a link to traditional Chanukah tunes:
 
http://www.aish.com/h/c/mm/48970856.html
 
Soon enough I will return to share more news and analysis.
 
~~~~~~~~~~

 

 

December 10, 2009

 
"Where Are We Going?"
 
A few days ago, a father brought his daughter up on Har HaBayit (The Temple Mount). She is due to be married soon, and he wanted her to have this spiritual experience. His son, who does tours on the Mount, accompanied them.  While they were up there, an Israeli policeman (who happens to have been an Arab) claimed to have seen their lips moving -- which meant, to him that they were praying even though praying by Jews on the Mount is forbidden.  He arrested them, and brought them down to the police station, where they were retained for some hours and pushed to sign something. The police did not treat the bride kindly.
 
This is not the first time such a thing has happened, but it is the first time I had an opportunity to speak directly with those involved, as they happen to be neighbors of my daughter, Sharon.
 
I have not completed my investigation of this, and in due course expect to have a great deal more to say (with a larger story to follow).  But I wanted to mention this here, because this fits right in with the issue of the freeze.  It is just one more way in which we indulge in self-abasement as we act to appease.  (Appease Arabs, appease Obama.)  That Jews should be unable to pray anywhere in our land is an outrage, but all the more so on our holiest site.  Clearly, the police seek to restrict praying on the Mount because the Arabs (who have been led to believe they possess it) would riot and cause difficulties.  But what a price to pay -- diminishment of our national integrity -- in order to avoid "difficulties."
 
~~~~~~~~~~
 
Last night a major rally was held in Paris Square (in front of the Kings hotel) in Jerusalem, in order to protest the freeze.  Thousands -- according to some reports it was tens of thousands -- attended.  (From inside the crowd where I stood, it was not possible to get a sense of the size of the crowd.)  The Yesha Council, which helped to sponsor this, brought some 20 buses in from Judea and Samaria.
 
It is good to gather with others who feel passionately about the issue, and to show the world that there is determination to fight that freeze.  (A branch of the American consulate is right down the street from Paris Square and undoubtedly a report went back to the White House.)  The strong Zionist message, both from speakers and on signs that were born aloft, was two-fold: We are dedicated to continue building in Judea and Samaria, and we are furious with our prime minister, who has let us down.
 
MK Aryeh Eldad (Ihud Leumi) spoke with fervor about the disappointment with Likud, warning that it was the prime minister's intention to create a Palestinian state in the midst of Israel. "Do you trust Netanyahu?" he asked the crowd, which yelled back, "No!"  
 
MK Michael Ben-Ari (Ihud Leumi) declared that:
 
"The message from here has to be very clear.  The Jews have been exiled enough!" 
 
Danny Dayan, who heads the Yesha Council, stated unequivocally:
 
"We will continue to build the land. We say in a clear voice, we want to do it together with a Jewish government.  But if the government is tired and does not have the power to stand up to foreign influence, we will push on without it."

Making it clear he was not seeking compromise with regard to the freeze, he stated: 

"We want the government to rescind the freeze.

"These are days when the heart is anxious. I want to tell you we are certain that we will win this battle."

MK Danny Danon (Likud), held up the phone number for the White House and encouraged everyone to call and tell Obama to leave our communities alone.

While MK Tzipi Hotovely (Likud) reminded us that:

"[The battle] is a fight for Israeli sovereignty. It is a fight for us to determine our own fate and not cave to foreign demands."

She recalled that 60 years ago, David Ben-Gurion declared that Jerusalem was Israel's capital. After he made his announcement, the United Nations sent him a message saying that Israel's was the only vote in favor of this.

Ben-Gurion responded that "our voice was the only determining voice."

Ah, for such leaders today.

~~~~~~~~~~

With all this, do I think it will cause Netanyahu to overtly reverse his policy?  I do not. That is not his style.  He may not stand tough elsewhere -- in the fashion of Ben Gurion -- but he plays tough politics. In a Likud faction meeting held before the rally, he let it be known that he intended to hold fast to his decision, saying it had already been cleared by the Security Cabinet (which he apparently referred to, strangely, as "the executive").  In response to pressure from MK Danny Danon, the prime minister said it wasn't necessary to call for a vote on the freeze either in the faction or in the Central Committee of Likud, which is scheduled to meet later this month.

In point of fact, at a prior faction meeting Netanyahu had done a great deal to silence opposition, telling his party members that unity was essential.  Do I understand the acquiescence?  I do not.

~~~~~~~~~~

But then, as the rally was proceeding, the prime minister's office made a surprising announcement, sharing with reporters a map of "priority areas" in Israel. These are areas slated to receive preferential treatment in terms of developing education, employment, housing and more, with various ministries sanctioned to do spending.  Included in these areas -- which encompass about 25% of the Israeli population and about 40% of Israeli Arabs -- are some communities in Judea and Samaria, primarily in the Jordan Valley, and including as well Ariel, Nili, Betar Illit,  Itamar, and others.  The reason given for the selection of these communities, most of which are not in the large settlement blocs, was security considerations.

Accusations that this was advanced now to mollify the demonstrators were fiercely denied.  The claim that this project was months in the planning does not explain the timing of the announcement, of course.

Done to mollify those protesting the freeze or not, it certainly adds further to my bewilderment with regard to what Netanyahu intends to accomplish with the freeze.  First announce a ten-month prohibition on building in Judea and Samaria, and then, following closely on the heels of this announcement, declare that some of the communities in Judea and Samaria where no housing can be built now will after the freeze be the recipient of special attention from the government. What is his audience, and what is he attempting to accomplish?

~~~~~~~~~~

And then, there has been news of another sort that is vastly encouraging. A bill commonly referred to as the Jerusalem-Golan bill is being brought back to life for a second and third reading, in hopes it will be voted into law.  What this law says is that no area within Israeli sovereignty can be transferred without approval by national referendum and by a majority of the Knesset.  This would apply to Jerusalem and the Golan, but would also be relevant, for example, if it were to be suggested that we do a land-swap in negotiations with the PA, and let the Arabs have part of the Negev in return for retention of some communities in Judea and Samaria.

Before the vote can be taken, details must be worked out specifying how the referendum would be run.  And there are a couple of "outs": If a two-thirds majority of the Knesset passes a transfer of land, the referendum would not be required.  As well, if the Knesset were to disband within six months a referendum would not be held.

However, this brings great hope that the ability of the prime minister and a small cadre of ministers to give away parts of our nation would be blocked. That over 80 members of the Knesset voted to consider the bills seems to suggest that it has a very reasonable chance of passing. 

~~~~~~~~~~

I cannot leave this subject without noting the reaction of Ehud Barak to the bill.  It would, he lamented, make the world think we're not interested in peace.

Well, his comment is just about enough to make me want to bang my head against the wall. But I wanted to share this because it illustrates the absolute perversity, the abominable cravenness, of the appeasing mentality. 

~~~~~~~~~~

I had not expected to mention the receipt today by President Barack Obama of the Nobel Peace prize. Saw little reason to do so, as it is an award devoid of merit.  But his talk has caught my attention, and for the very first time I begin to see that there may be changes in him, as he has come smack up against reality.  Wham!

What he has said in Oslo was not what he was saying right before and after he was elected, when he pronounced a  new world, in which dialogue would win the day.  Now he addressed the concept of a just war, saying:

"A nonviolent movement could not have halted Hitler's armies. Negotiations cannot convince al-Qaida's leaders to lay down their arms.  To say that force is sometimes necessary is not a call to cynicism, it is a recognition of history."

"I face the world as it is," he declared.

Now all we have to do is convince him that there is a war to be fought against radical, jihadist Islam at a global level, and that Israel is the canary in the mine with regard to this fight.  Right?

~~~~~~~~~~

My intentions were sincere when I indicated I would focus on particular communities in Judea and Samaria, as well as provide additional information on how to help.  But other news items have intervened.  Hopefully, this will be possible in the next few days.

~~~~~~~~~~

As it is, we are approaching Chanukah -- with the first candle to be lit right before the start of Shabbat tomorrow.  There will still be postings during the coming week, but perhaps fewer than usual -- as I'm off to light candles with family and indulge in latkes. (Note that in this I observe Chanukah as I always did in the US; I do not care for the donuts, the sufganiyot, that are eaten in Israel on Chanukah.) 

 

And so I now wish Chag Sameach! to those who will be lighting those candles for eight days  Hopefully over the holiday I'll return to speak further about its implications.

~~~~~~~~~~

 

 

December 8, 2009

 
"No Friends Here"
 
The EU Council met in Brussels today, and when they were done they had passed a resolution on "The Middle East Process" that encourages the resumption of negotiations between Israel and the PA.  It further states that:
 
"The European Union will not recognise any changes to the pre-1967 borders including with regard to Jerusalem, other than those agreed by the parties."
 
What this says is that, while they are not in a position to impose a solution, the position of the EU is solidly with the PA demands. 
 
Understand that were we to return to 1967 lines in Jerusalem (G-d forbid), we would be relinquishing the Jewish Quarter, with the Kotel and Har HaBayit. And the Europeans care not a bit.  There is no concern for our needs or rights.  Not even a lame suggestion about sharing the holy places or putting them under international supervision.
 
~~~~~
 
Is there any bright spot here?  Well, it's not quite as bad as the original Swedish proposal -- it doesn't refer to "Palestine" or recognize a "Palestinian State" as a fait accompli.  And there is relief in Jerusalem in this regard. It additionally gives a nod in the direction of negotiations (see more on this below).
 
Other issues:
 
[] It calls for a complete opening of all crossings into Gaza.  As Aaron Lerner, in his IMRA commentary, points out, there is a recognition of Israeli security needs, but there is no acknowledgement of our right to act for the sake of those same security needs. 
 
[] It encourages the "reconciliation" of Palestinian Arabs, with support for Egypt's effort in this direction.   While Hamas is not specifically mentioned, a unity government between Fatah and Hamas is clearly what is intended.  This is hypocrisy at its worst.  A government in which Hamas participates would increase security threats to Israel.  As the EU statement says peace negotiations should be based on all previous agreements, and as Hamas doesn't recognize these agreements, I think the EU ministers have a bit of explaining to do. I frequently refer to Hamas as "the elephant in the room," and that's precisely what it is: Nations prefer to proceed as if it weren't there.
 
[] One of the documents upon which this resolution says peace must be based is the "Arab Peace Initiative."  This, formerly known as the Saudi plan, calls for "return" of refugees.  Not a good sign if the EU embraces this as a basis for negotiations.
 
[] One of the things it considers an "obstacle to peace" is "the separation barrier built on occupied land."  Well, damn them. The land is not occupied. But let's move beyond this to the reason for the barrier, which was to keep terrorists from killing innocent Jews.  Not even a nod to this. 
 
You can see the full document at:
 
http://www.consilium.europa.eu/uedocs/cms_data/docs/pressdata/EN/foraff/111829.pdf
 
~~~~~~~~~~
 
Jerusalem mayor Nir Barkat, bless him, rejected the resolution out of hand.  There will be no division of Jerusalem, he says.  Dividing a city has never worked. 

 

 
Our Foreign Ministry released a statement charging that the EU position does not contribute to the renewal of negotiations. By taking the PA side so completely, instead of saying that only negotiations will determine the allocation of Jerusalem, it gives the impression that there is no need to negotiate -- the international community will force Israel to relinquish everything.
 
~~~~~~~~~~
 
Netanyahu has insisted that the "freeze" would benefit us, putting us in a more solid position with the international community. And my guess would be that he would persist in this argument, pointing out that the original Swedish proposal was softened. But I myself would find this a pathetically small source of comfort.
 
The EU resolution says it takes "positive note of the recent decision of the Government of Israel on a partial and temporary settlement freeze as a first step in the right direction."  A first step?  Sure enough. For then, "The Council urges the government of Israel to immediately end all settlement activities, in East Jerusalem and the rest of the West Bank and including natural growth."
 
Is our prime minister ready to learn this lesson yet?  Caving does not bring rewards, it brings more demands.
 
~~~~~~~~~~
 
Let me share with you one illustration of how draconian that "first step" freeze is.  I learned today of a woman who lives in a community beyond the Green Line. She has a large family, and they frequently come to visit.  Because of this, she found the dining room overcrowded and had recently decided to enlarge the dining room and get a bigger table. Now with the freeze, she cannot do it.
 
~~~~~~~~~~
 
Defense Minister Barak made a statement yesterday that the settlers must "obey the law."  And I wondered: is this declared freeze really law? It wasn't passed by the Knesset, or by the Cabinet -- which is the government.  It was passed only by a Security Cabinet, in which only some ministers participate.
 
And, indeed, the Legal Forum for the Land of Israel doesn't think it's a law.  In fact, the Forum has taken this to the High Court, asking that the freeze be overturned because it does not have a solid legal footing, and because it is prejudicial, as Arabs are not being restricted in their building, only Jews.
 
~~~~~~~~~~
 
The Forum -- which includes some 400 lawyers now, most working pro-bono or for very little -- is doing a fantastic job:
 
[] They are distributing cameras in Judea and Samaria to be used to record any violence on the part of the police, for use in court.
 
[] They are working to reveal the financial losses implicit in the freeze, which will be millions of shekels.  (More on this soon.)
 
[] They are providing legal aid to those hurt by the freeze, who do not have the ability to represent themselves at a hearing.  They are focusing on the basic civil rights of Jewish citizens in Judea and Samaria.
 
[] They are preparing to embark on a PR campaign to make known how great is the injustice and financial damage being done to individual citizens.
 
One more action is under consideration.  There are Jewish Israeli citizens who are also American citizens, and they are in some cases suffering deprivation of their rights, whereas there are American citizens who are Muslim, who are being permitted to continue as usual.  Because American citizens of Jewish heritage are being discriminated against, the Forum is considering securing American lawyers to represent them.
 
If you are an American lawyer, and would be interested in helping with this, should it be pursued, e-mail:
 
office@haforum.org.il  Program manager there is Einat. She speaks English.
 
If you would like to make a tax-deductible donation to help defray the Forum's legal costs, e-mail at the same address for further instructions.
 
~~~~~~~~~~
 
Tomorrow, hopefully, we will pick up with the profile of another community in Judea-Samaria, and more.  I am working on securing additional information for readers on how they might help with regard to the freeze situation. 
 
~~~~~~~~~~
 
In the meantime:
 
There will be a protest against the construction freeze
 
Sunday, December 13 
11:00 am to 2:00 pm

In front of the Israeli Consulate
42nd Street and Second Avenue, NYC
 
For more information, see:
 
http://www.facebook.com/n/?event.php&eid=338140430540&mid=188abcaG562c1d22G88a66cG7

~~~~~~~~~~

 
Let me end with something a representative of the Legal Forum said to me tonight.  I hope and trust that, as I am not identifying him, he will not mind that I share this:
 
"I'm frightened for Israel," I told him.
 
"Don't be frightened," he said.  "Can a soldier going into fire afford to be frightened? We just have to keep on fighting to the very best of our ability."
 
~~~~~~~~~~
 
I'm going to be running Dry Bones cartoons from time to time.  
 
http://info.jpost.com/2000/Supplements/DryBones/GALLERY.HTML
 
Cartoonist Yaakov Kirshen is bitingly on the mark and very funny. 
 
This is a "Golden Oldie" from 1999 that rings achingly true today:

 

 

~~~~~~~~~~

 

 

December 7, 2009

 

"Defining Focus"

Or, perhaps better, redefining my focus in these postings.  I will continue to take a look at important news events.  But I have decided that the current situation also calls for some other approaches. 

First, I want to encourage readers to get the word out with regard to good things about Israel -- and there are so very many good things.  You can offer a genuine service to Israel by doing this.  To that end, I will from time to time be providing links that can be shared with others. 

Today, I provide these:

A video of the dedication of a 9/11 Memorial in Jerusalem.  It makes clear what are our shared values and concerns.  Americans should be pleased by this.  (With thanks to Donald S.)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CRPYTiN5Oso 

Just for fun, to show a joyous side of Israel, I provide a link to the Nefesh B'Nefesh Chanukah celebration video, with 150 olim (new immigrants) dancing on Ben Yehuda Street in the center of Jerusalem.  (With thanks to the many who shared this.)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ULtglogZbR8

More to follow.

~~~~~~~~~~~

You can also help Israel by broadly sharing this link, for which I thank Gil Z.  This provides pictures taken in Gaza very recently for Eid celebrations -- they ran in an Palestinian Arab paper.

Were you under the impression that the Gazans were starving (because of big bad Israel)? You'll change after seeing this:

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

~~~~~~~~~

Then, and most importantly, I want to use these posting to educate people about "the settlers" and "the settlements," as they are so much at the heart of current political dissension right now.  I continue to get feedback about how residents in our communities in Judea and Samaria are seen as "radicals" and "crazies" and "troublemakers."   It's time to set the record straight.

Judea (or Yehuda, which is to the south) and Samaria (or Shomron, to the north) are the two regions in Israel between the Green Line and the Jordan River, and represent the heart of our ancient tradition in the land.     

Today, because of communication I received yesterday from a resident, I want to focus on the Samarian town of Kedumim.  Kedumim was founded during Chanukah 1975 by a nuclear group (a garin) of young people convinced of the Jewish right to live in the ancient homeland.  Founded on the site of what had been the city of Samaria, capital of the ancient northern kingdom of Israel, it was the first modern Jewish city in Samaria, situated not far from Shechem. 

Today it boasts a host of cultural activities and youth programs; a library; a number of schools (including a school geared to ADD boys, one of the finest innovative high schools for girls in the country, and a center for science and technology); a yeshiva; and 14 synagogues, including three Yemenite.

Samaria is a mountainous region, and Kedumim has been established on a number of hilltops.  Its location, overlooking the Ben Gurion airport, makes it important from a security perspective.

~~~~~~~~~~

Always eager to teach the world about the good of Israel, I shudder as I write this, deeply ashamed of the law enforcement techniques applied here by Jews against Jews. But this is a story that needs to be told. 

Residents of the town came out yesterday in large numbers to block the entry into Kedumim of building inspectors from the Civil Administration intent on serving "stop-work" papers. This represented the fourth time that the inspectors had been on the site -- residents had previously prevented their entry. 

Why did they block the inspectors? Certainly because of their ideological conviction regarding the right of Jews to live and build in their ancient homeland.  But also because, in the words of the resident who wrote to me (who shall remain anonymous):

"...freezing" is illegal...since it is not a law or decree for anyone except Jews in a particular region and discriminates against a minority (in Judea and Samaria Arabs outnumber Jews in many places)."

This is a refrain I've encountered several times now. The anger is great because Arabs are still building.  It is a Jewish government that has put only Jews in the position of being restricted.

~~~~~~~~~~

And so yesterday, the police came out in force -- some 200 strong, with several vehicles.

According to Arutz Sheva:

"The Shomron Residents Committee reports that on their way to Kedumim, the forces drove through three nearby Arab villages – Funduk, Haja, and Kadoum – places that the army generally considers too dangerous to enter in order to apprehend terrorists or confiscate weapons.

"To the Jewish residents’ horror, they learned that the Arab residents applauded as the convoy of forces drove through."

Ouch! 

Just as distressing was the fact that the police were accompanied by Yassamnikim. (Yassam is an abbreviation for Special Reconnaissance Unit -- a Yassamnik is a member of Yassam.) The unit was set in place during the second Intifada, but has been retained for "special" circumstances. These guys, who actually wear black, are experts in strong arm techniques. 

According to the Post, Kedumim mayor, Hananel Durani, said that he was sitting with the protesters, but was then was beaten and dragged away by police. Additionally, Yassamnikim were caught on video manhandling young girls. 

~~~~~~~~~~

My resident correspondent described the situation this way:

"...if you could have seen the pathetic bravado of hundreds of police and Yasamim against a handful of high school kids this morning in Kedumim, you would weep some more for the lost compassion and love for fellow Jews and the grandeur of the Zionist vision that our so-called nationalist leaders have lost."

~~~~~~~~~~

This is the situation that our prime minister, and defense minister, and a limited security cabinet (not the whole government) have wrought. Do they imagine this will strengthen us? 

Additional words would be superfluous here, but I'll have more to say soon...

~~~~~~~~~~

 

December 6, 2009

 

"Pathetically Stupid"

I'm sorry, I'm referring to words of the prime minister, but have no other way to describe them.

At the Cabinet meeting this morning, Netanyahu is reported to have said that the decision to freeze settlements for 10 months proves that Israel wants peace.

 

How much groveling is he planning to do? This reminds me of the "Peace Now" types who maintain that they're "for peace" and everyone who isn't with them is not "for peace."  Making more and more concessions is NOT the way to achieve peace.  And a world that doesn't already know that we want peace is not going to be convinced by what we're doing now.  They'll say (as Abbas is already saying) that we're not freezing construction in Jerusalem and so we're not sincere.

The corollary to his statement was that the PA's continued refusal to come to the table proves that they're not "for peace."  But, hell, we knew that already.  Knew that because they won't recognize us as a Jewish state, and because they are still teaching their school kids about the wonders of jihad and "martyrdom," and because they're thinking of getting in bed with Hamas (actually are part-way in already). 

But this is what it's all about [barring, still, some hidden factor]: Netanyahu being able to say, to Obama, first, and then the Western world more generally:  See, see, we're the good guys, not the PA.

What he should be doing is standing tall and showing the world in a dozen different ways what the insincerity of the Palestinian Arabs is: Look! This is actual text that they teach their kids.  Look, this is what happened at the Fatah conference this summer when they voted not to renounce "armed resistance."  Look! and Look! and Look!

~~~~~~~~~~

With all of this, what truly infuriates me is what he's implying about the residents of communities in Judea and Samaria.  For all his presumably conciliatory words to them, he's drawing lines, making a distinction, and painting them the "bad" guys,  This is how the world chooses to see them in any event. But does he have to make it easier for the world?  Does he have to say that those who are for the freeze are "for peace," thus implying that those who are fighting the freeze are not?

The fact is that these loyal Israelis who live in Judea and Samaria, and their many supporters, may yet save us.  They are wary in the extreme of what may be coming down the road after this "temporary" freeze -- which Netanyahu continues to swear will end in 10 months not matter what.  (Already Minister Avishai Braverman of Labor is saying that some areas, which we know -- we do? -- will be turned over to the Palestinian Arabs should have building frozen permanently.)  They are intensifying their battle in every possible way with the significant exception of calls for violence.  They must, and can, win, they say, overturning the freeze without violence.

With everything else -- the injustice regarding how the freeze was done; the potential illegality of it; the undemocratic spirit, as this is not what Likud stood for -- there is among those who live in Judea and Samaria another understanding.  In the final analysis, it is their presence in this part of our land that helps protect us.  Thus is genuine peace ensured, rather than via withdrawals -- or implied willingness to withdraw.

~~~~~~~~~~

My friends, I am getting more commentaries on the subject of the freeze than I am able to read, never mind comment upon.  I do not intend to even try. I have no desire to take all of you, or myself, in circles.  I am grieving, as are many of you.  Bitter indeed is the disappointment, not just with Netanyahu, but even more so with certain party stalwarts who were thought to be genuine nationalists, such as Benny Begin. He's now going to sit on a committee with Barak to help decide compensation packages for those who are suffering financially and logistically from the freeze, and make sure that building continues where it is permitted.  This is an endorsement of the freeze, if done "fairly."  This is not speaking out against it.

~~~~~~~~~~

The Chairman of the Gush Etzion Regional Council, Sha'ul Goldstein, sent out a letter today, in which he said that he and other heads of councils are working on challenging the freeze legally. He estimates that lawsuits will run in total more than 1 billion shekels (over $250 million). 

 

He says he had met with government ministers, but, "It seems that American pressure is much more frightening than the threats by Likud members.

"I would like to send you a very clear and strong message.  Do not falter! We will continue to live in Gush Etzion and develop it for our children and our children's children! We have been through tough times in the past and it always seems like this is the worst it has ever been. Despite this, we have grown and we have built magnificent communities! This time, too, we shall continue to build and we shall emerge stronger and more resolute.

"The holiday of Chanukah symbolizes the victory of the eternal spirit over matter, which is temporary, but it also represents the victory of the few who are right over the many who are wrong. With modesty and an effort to perform tikkun [repair of the world], we too will pray for better times for the Nation of Israel.”  

~~~~~~~~~~

Gush Etzion is a bloc of communities roughly south-east of Jerusalem, in Judea.  Starting in 1927, the first  settlements in the area were established and re-established after massacres of the inhabitants -- Kfar Etzion, Messuot Yitzhak, Revadim, and Ein Tzurim. They served to protect Jerusalem from the south, but all opportunity to maintain them was lost when Jordan occupied the area after 1948.  After 1967, when we again acquired the region, communities were rebuilt and in some instances children of the original founders returned -- first to Kfar Etzion.  In addition, new communities have been established in the region -- including in the Judean Hills. Today,  Efrat, Tekoa, Alon Shvut, Har Gilo, Nokdim, Beitar Illit, Neve Daniel, Bat Ayin, and a number more can be counted.  The Regional Council serves some communities outside the bloc.

To learn more, see:  http://www.viswiki.com/en/Gush_Etzion_Regional_Council

You will see links to information about all of the communities and videos as well, including a very recent one regarding the freeze in which Sha'ul Goldstein speaks -- to the right of the text, and others below.

~~~~~~~~~~

 

December 3, 2009

 

"Shaky Ground"

The feeling one gets, on reading the reports of Prime Minister Netanyahu's meeting today with angry leaders of Judea and Samaria communities, is that he knows.  He knows that the government has saddled them and all of the residents of Judea and Samaria with an unfair deal.

Binyamin Netanyahu is capable of dealing tough.  Anyone who has confronted him is likely to attest to this.  But with the Judea and Samaria leaders he sounded atypically apologetic and conciliatory.

~~~~~~~~~~

There is reason for this.  It is not just that an announcement was made stating that there would be no new tenders, no new starts, on building in Judea and Samaria -- as bad as that would have been.  That's the way the prime minister's announcement originally made it sound:  The 3,000 units already underway would proceed, but there would be no new starts, etc. etc. 

Instead it's been done in a heavy-handed fashion, with -- as I described yesterday -- building that had already been given proper bureaucratic go-ahead and was just beginning suddenly and precipitously shut down. People caught off-guard, and in some cases trapped financially -- their plans gone awry.  Inspectors for the Civil Administration, in some cases put in place from other jobs in various agencies and ministries, marching onto properties and attempting to hand people "stop-work" orders.

It's not going well.  For the inspectors and the prime minister, that is.  I'm mighty pleased with the feisty stance of the people, and proud of them.  In Kedumim and Karnei Shomron today, crowds of people stopped inspectors from entering the communities. It happened in Beit Arye, and in Talmon, when residents tried to do the same, they ended up clashing with police.  And so it is proceeding.

Yesterday, in Efrat, the leaders of the Yesha [Judea, Samaria, Gaza] Council laid a cornerstone for a new synagogue. A sign stretched across the community's entrance read, "No entry to Bibi's inspectors," while residents on the scene sported T-shirts that said, "In Efrat we are defrosting the freeze."

~~~~~~~~~~

The first meeting that was scheduled with a government official was with Defense Minister Ehud Barak, last night.  But most community leaders, expressing a particular antipathy for Barak, boycotted the meeting, indicating that they wanted to speak directly with Netanyahu. Only two were willing to participate, and Barak told them:

"Settlement blocs will be an integral part of Israel in any future negotiations with the Palestinians. The Jordan Valley and the Dead Sea are regions that are dear to my heart."  Very touching.

He further explained that "the connection and coordination with the US are essential to Israel from political and security points of view.
"I know that this step is a difficult one, but this is a step essential to the State of Israel today."   

At this point, unless something comes clear, these are no more than words.

~~~~~~~~~~~

Today the community leaders met with Netanyahu for two hours, in Tel Aviv. 

"We are not enemies, and if there things that need to be amended - we will fix them," he is reported to have said, while offering reassurance that the freeze would definitely be terminated in 10 months: "Read my lips..." 

Apparently he implied that there might be some measures taken to alleviate problems in the field.  Later I read about some "adjustments" to be made so that a porch could be closed in, or a sewer line put in, or air conditioning [air conditioning here means cooling and heating].  But it bewilders me as to why doing these things should have constituted a problem at all -- that a stop was put on such things is really heavy-handed.  Additionally I am reading about a "benefits package" being put together for residents who have been inconvenienced or worse.

~~~~~~~~~~

The community leaders who met with the prime minister then told him that they hadn't come to negotiate these small matters (and that adjustment of them would not mollify them).  They had come, they said, to protest the freeze:  they felt that Barak was securing political gain from this, and that he, Netanyahu, was disconnected from the field.

With this, they raise the very pertinent and serious question as to who is running the country. (In other contexts it sometimes seems as if Shimon Peres is, but I'll come back to that some other time.)  Barak, as Defense Minister, has particular authority for communities beyond the Green Line, which, regrettably, are not governed under Israeli civil law. It's not difficult to understand that, by being heavy handed in administering the freeze, he would gain plaudits from restive members of his Labor party.  But what needs to be asked is if Netanyahu signed off on what was happening or was more or less absent where the details were concerned  -- which is why he now seeks to make amends.

~~~~~~~~~~

Even before the meeting, Pinhas Wallerstein, Director-General of the Council of Jewish Communities of Judea, Samaria and the Gaza Strip, told Army Radio that possible financial benefits that were being suggested would not keep residents from "using their bodies.  [The leaders] have no intention to stop this struggle...and we are willing to pay with great pain."

After the meeting, Yesha Council head Danny Dayan said that it had been "difficult" and "emotionally charged."  He, too, spoke about ways in which community residents would continue to protest, both via civil disobedience and legal efforts.

There is a mass demonstration in Jerusalem planned for next week.  In addition, local community councils from Judea and Samaria filed a petition with the High Court today, requesting that the freeze be cancelled.  The petition -- filed against the government, Defense Minister Ehud Barak and OC Central Command Maj.-Gen. Avi Mizrachi -- maintains that the order to freeze construction is political and thus will seriously undermine military authority in the area.

~~~~~~~~~~

In response to the petition draw up by Danny Danon, the Central Committee of Likud indeed will be meeting later this month.  Now the political battle is on to ensure that the issue of the freeze is not only discussed, but voted upon.

~~~~~~~~~~

Please read, "The Illegal-Settlements Myth":

http://www.commentarymagazine.com:80/viewarticle.cfm/the-illegal-settlements-myth-15295

~~~~~~~~~~

The French Ambassador to Israel, Christophe Bigot, has indicated to The Jerusalem Post  that France has "several strong reservations" about the proposal being advanced by Sweden to recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Palestine.

"Let us be clear the text is not an EU text; it is a Swedish proposal looking for agreement by the 27 EU members of the Council of Foreign Affairs next Tuesday," he said.

Well OK, let's hope for the best.

~~~~~~~~~~

As the rumors continue to fly with regard to a prisoner trade for Shalit, the issue of including Marwan Barghouti is frequently raised.  We have no definitive information that Israel is considering his release, but it has been said that if he were to be released, Israel would demand that he be deported out of the area.  What is definitive,  according to a report by Khaled Abu Toameh today, is that Barghouti's wife and associates say that Barghouti would decline to leave the area.  He would remain in prison rather than be deported.

~~~~~~~~~~

"The Good News Corner"

Frivolous matters, because sometimes that's what we need:

Merchants at the Mahane Yehuda market in Jerusalem this week put together the world's largest mixed grill, in an effort to set a Guinness world record. Some of Jerusalem's finest chefs came to help, and Angels bakeries provided a pita three feet in diameter for the grill.  Roughly 175 pounds of meat were used.

Passersby and merchants were allowed to partake, once it was done.

 

Anar Green

__________

Good heavens!  Chanukah begins next week and the treat associated with the holiday here in Israel is the donut or sufganiya -- a donut of the filled variety. But now alcohol importers have hit upon the idea of providing donuts infused with vodka.  Put together by a baker who is also a bartender, the donuts, which also contain jelly, have an alcohol content equivalent to a bottle of beer.  They will be sold -- I assume in limited outlets -- only to ID- bearing adults.  Count me out here.

 

~~~~~~~~~~

More after Shabbat...

~~~~~~~~~~

 

 

December 2, 2009

 
"A Glimmer of Sanity"
 
Just a glimmer. But I'm grateful for every good thing.
 
Yesterday, there was a program held in the Knesset under the auspices of NGO-monitor (www.ngo-monitor.org) to examine the issue of European funding provided to Israeli NGOs.  Involved are close to 20 NGOs, many of which represent themselves as human rights organizations: Physicians for Human Rights-Israel, B'Tselem, Hamoked Center for the Defense of the Individual, etc. 
 
The situation here is extraordinary, outrageous, and completely unacceptable.  As Gerald Steinberg, director of NGO-Monitor has written:

"The nature and scale of European influence is unique - in no other case do democratic countries use taxpayer money to support opposition groups in other democracies. Imagine the French response to U.S. government financing for radical NGO anti-abortion campaigns in Paris, or for promoting Corsican separatists under the guise of human rights. Would Spain tolerate foreign government funding of NGO campaigns involving the violent Basque conflict? But here, as in other areas, Israel is singled out and subject to different rules."

Needless to say, the organizations being funded do not represent genuine Israeli interests. but, rather, the political interests of the funding European nations, which tilt towards the Palestinian Arabs. They have done us enormous damage, most particularly in the international arena, where we are fighting delegimization.

"This often hidden support helps pay for expensive newspaper advertisements, such as those recently announcing B'Tselem's 20th anniversary; the salaries of lawyers involved in dozens of High Court cases about the security barrier, treatment of Palestinian terrorists, etc.; the Geneva Initiative's conferences and booklets; and a flood of statements submitted to the United Nations condemning Israeli policies. Recipient NGOs have a major influence on many issues in our lives, and on the decisions of our democratically elected government."

Between 2006 and 2009, 16 Israeli NGOs received a total of 31.5 million shekels in European funding.

http://www.ngo-monitor.org/article/manipulating_the_marketplace_of_ideas

~~~~~~~~~~

Make your blood boil?  It should.

This is just one of many ways in which Israel is treated differently, and (to put it mildly) less respectfully, than other nations in the world community. It's as if we are not seen as a sovereign nation. The only proper response is a tough one that establishes our national integrity.

As Steinberg wrote:

"Taken together, the large sums provided to NGOS by European governments through secret processes constitute a major effort to manipulate the Israeli marketplace of ideas. This is inherently colonialistic, undermining the goals of Zionism and Jewish sovereign equality."

~~~~~~~~~~

Not only was this issue discussed in the Knesset for the first time yesterday, the point is that legislation is being proposed to address it.  The law being proposed would require full transparency with regard to foreign funds that are accepted.  If, we must fervently hope, this passes, the next step may be requirement that the NGOs register as foreign agents. 

Then there is one other issue to be addressed:  Our legal system is liberal in the extreme. There is a principle known as b'gatz, which permits any individual or group here in Israel to go before the High Court and petition it with regard to anything.  In most, if not all, democracies -- certainly in the US -- the petitioning party must have standing in the case or the court will not hear it. Not so here.

So, we've had ludicrous and damaging situations in which, say, Shalom Achshav (Peace Now) has gone to the court and said that such and such a group is building an "illegal" outpost on land that shouldn't be used for that purpose, and it demands that something be done about it.  Shalom Achshav may be totally off base in its claims, and yet succeed in making trouble for the group doing the building.  And when you consider that Shalom Achshav has no standing in the case -- it doesn't, for example, own the land that building is being done on -- and that it is receiving foreign funds to pay for its lawyers, you understand how intolerable and damaging this situation is.

The ultimate -- and most appropriate -- final goal legally would be to prevent any group that receives foreign funds from being permitted b'gatz.

We are only now at the beginning of a process, but I have some hope that this represents a step towards standing up for ourselves as a nation and taking back the authority that is rightfully ours.  And I pray that this attitude may extend to other issues as well.

~~~~~~~~~~

It's painful -- seeing the tensions within the nation with regard to that building freeze.  We've got enough to fight on the outside without fighting each other. And yet this is the situation that has been created:  Residents and aspiring residents of communities in Judea and Samaria are legitimately furious, and feelings are high when inspectors come to check on whether building has been halted.  (Note: The rule of thumb is supposed to be that construction is being halted if a foundation isn't in place.)

Some residents try to block entry of inspectors onto construction sites. Others declare that they will not obey orders when papers are handed to them. There is the feeling that what is happening is not legal. As each person having construction done went through a bureaucratic legal process to secure permission to build, it is said that these procedures now must be honored.

~~~~~~~~~~

There is one way in which this can also be seen as a positive.  There would not be passive acceptance of any government decision to pull out of Judea and Samaria.  Let the government and the world be put on notice.

~~~~~~~~~~

Mindful of the anger of residents of these communities, PM Netanyahu last night made a statement on the issue during the course of a talk he was giving at an economics conference near Ben Gurion Airport:

"This is a one-time and temporary decision. Just as was written in the security cabinet decision, and just as I have made clear in both public and private meetings.  We will go back to building at the end of the suspension."

The future of communities in Judea and Samaria, he said, would be determined only via final status negotiations, and "not one day sooner."

~~~~~~~~~~

Well, you've got me, in terms of what this accomplishes.  If the goal is to bring the PA to the table -- and oh! Netanyahu continues to implore them fervently to come -- then saying we'll start building again in 10 months just about guarantees that they will not come.  (Isn't this blatantly obvious?) 

Or, conversely, in the extremely unlikely event that they did start serious negotiations, then he is kidding himself -- and more importantly those to whom he is giving his word -- if he thinks he would be able to easily start building again.

This, presumably, is being done for Obama. But what the American president gains here, if it's being stated up front that the halt in building is only temporary, is not clear either. Power politics? Showing he can get the Israelis to cave?  Maybe.  One source maintains that Abbas had given Obama a commitment to come to the table, and is now reneging.  

With it all, Netanyahu is lending the impression to the world that "settlements" are a key to peace, and is angering some very good Israelis in the process. He took the time to praise them last night, as part of his strategy of mollifying them:  "they are an integral part of our people -- they contribute, they serve in the army, they volunteer, they are our brothers and sisters." 

~~~~~~~~~~

That's nice.  One "sister" in Tekoa, who had just received a permit to build -- after she and her husband had waited two years -- and was excited because the contractor had just brought a tractor onto the site, saw work  summarily and abruptly stopped, and the tractor confiscated. She told the Post:  "It's a shame that the nation which we feel an allegiance to has treated us in this way."

Activist Eve Harrow, of the Judea community of Efrat, speaking on IBA news last night, said that residents of Judea and Samaria are additionally incensed because there is a double standard:  Arabs are not being required to stop building. 

Harrow also raised an issue that had been raised earlier to me privately by a reader (thanks, Doris M.):  It is also Arabs in Judea and Samaria who are suffering because they hire on for the building projects and need the money to provide for families.  Many are hurting because their source of income has been halted.

~~~~~~~~~~

It was announced yesterday that the European Union, at a meeting of its ministers in Brussels next week, will entertain a proposal to take a stance on Jerusalem as the capital of a Palestinian state. This would be advanced by Sweden, which currently holds the rotating presidency of the EU.

While Britain backs this, a number of nations -- including Italy, the Netherlands, Germany, the Czech Republic, Romania, Poland and Slovenia -- do not, and so it is not clear what form a final resolution would take.

The reaction from members of the Knesset across the political spectrum was strong, and Knesset Speaker Ruby Rivlin delivered a statement saying that Jerusalem will never be divided no matter what the EU plans.

~~~~~~~~~~

Members of our government are incensed by this proposal -- which, for the first time, refers to "Palestine." One senior diplomatic official cited by the Post said:

"This resolution shows that what Israel does is never enough, and the onus is only on us.  It shows that the Palestinians want to get an agreement without having to go through negotiations."
 
Noting that the draft proposal represented "a near-full acceptance of the Palestinian narrative," that does not take Israel's needs into consideration, he remarked that, "They don't mention our issues, and when we bring them up, they say only that these will be dealt with during the negotiations.  However, the Palestinian issues they put in the conclusions - those issues don't have to be negotiated."
 
What's happening here is that Abbas is reinforced in his impression that he can get it all without negotiations.  Others seem to be doing it for him.  This proposal, thus, actually makes it even less likely that the PA will come to the table.
 
~~~~~~~~~~
 
Finally, the offical lamented that while Netanyahu "went the extra mile" in declaring the freeze, the Europeans, instead of praising us, put all the pressure on us.
 
That final statement should be embroidered in large letters and put up in a frame on the wall of the Foreign Ministry, or, better, the Prime Minister's Office.  If this doesn't finally teach us a lesson, what will?
 
~~~~~~~~~~
 
Iran is continuing to be defiant, and now today the word is that -- forget China -- Russia is likely on board for sanctions.  Don't know what tomorrow's word will be.  It's all so qualified.
 
A great deal will depend in coming weeks on the new, incoming head of the IAEA, Yukiya Amano, of Japan.
 
~~~~~~~~~~
 
Barry Rubin wrote the other day about the gradual takeover in Iran by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.
 
"The Iranian government has generally been radical since the revolution, 30 years ago. But now the most extremist faction of all has taken over, pushing out its rivals...
 
"The IRGC is the most fanatical and risk-taking part of the regime. It is very much committed to expanding the revolution and maintains the regime’s links with foreign revolutionary and terrorist groups.

"Oh, and it will also be the institution that will have actual possession of Iran’s long-range missiles and nuclear weapons.

"Not only are these people nobody can make a deal with, but they are also the ones most likely to make a war some day...
 
"Judging from his statements, President Obama seems to have the following picture of Iran:... Iran should be judged by its past record, which has often shown caution. In this conception, it is possible to engage Iran, appeal to its interest, and find some relative moderates or pragmatists who will make a deal.

"One could argue this position two years, perhaps even a year ago. But it no longer applies. The Iranian regime has changed to become far more hardline and risk-taking."
 
http://rubinreports.blogspot.com/2009/11/coup-in-iran-and-what-it-means.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+Rubinreports+%28RubinReports%29
 
This was shared by a reader, Sandra K, whose roots are in Iran. When she sent me this Rubin piece, she wrote:
 
"Barry Rubin, I'm afraid to say from first hand experience of my own, has very well understood the real danger in this group, and I am there to confirm that they were number one on my list of who was most likely to make the revolution last it its very outset..."
 
Do you think Obama has been told the truth?
 
~~~~~~~~~~
 
"The Good News Corner"
 
Researchers at Ben Gurion University in Beersheva have developed the Optical Spectro-Polarimetric Imaging (OSPI) instrument, which permits detection of skin cancer at an earlier stage than has been possible until now. Most of the time dermatologists and surgeons diagnose skin cancers with the naked eye.
__________
 
An Israeli company, Agrotop, has developed a revolutionary "henhouse of the future," that addresses both the comfort of the hens and various ecological issues.
 

 
Chickens will have adequate room to move around, access to sunlight and fresh air, artificial grass, and a comfortable "cushion" to rest on.  Wind and solar power will be used to generate electricity, wastewater will be recycled and chicken waste will be processed.
 
~~~~~~~~~~

 

December 1, 2009

 

"The Battles to be Fought"

Last week I attended the kick-off event of a new Anglo civic group in Israel called Hadar.  Several persons of prominence were invited to address the question ask to whether the UN would accept Israel today. This question was posed with the anniversary of the UN vote to partition Palestine on November 29, 1947 in mind.

With all that has been going on, I have not had a chance to discuss this until now...

The consensus, of course, was that the UN would not have us today, so thoroughly has that body changed in the intervening years.  But I rather like the comment of Alan Baker, lawyer and former Israeli ambassador to Canada, who said that the real question was whether we would want to belong to such an organization. (The fact that we do already belong being treated as a separate issue.)

 

Baker pointed out that, as things stand, we are a second class nation at the UN, not included in any regional grouping.  We can never be on the Security Council (there are rotating members) or serve on the International Court of Justice.  The UN does not observe its own charter, but there is no international body to stop it from how it does conduct itself.

~~~~~~~~~~

Baker says that international law is anachronistic. The last protocols came from the time of the Vietnam war, and do not address today's international terror.  Goldstone, he says, applied these outdated rules, such as no firing on churches, which don't account for such phenomena as terrorists who store weapons in mosques and use them as a base for firing.

What seems to be the case, however, is that revising those protocols would not be a simple matter.  According to Baker, a new convention on terrorism was brought forth immediately after 9/11, but was tabled within two weeks because it didn't have a clause that pertains to actions against occupying powers.  Translation: The Palestinian Arabs we refer to as terrorists aren't really terrorists at all, they are simply acting in a legal and justified manner against the occupier, Israel.

~~~~~~~~~~

Baker, as a lawyer concerned with legal process, spoke about those nations -- e.g., Britain, Switzerland, Spain --that have universal criminal jurisdiction, which permits individuals to initiate actions against Israeli leaders with regard to acts allegedly committed elsewhere.  He says that if we carry out bone fide inquiries ourselves, with regard to presumed charges, then legally it neutralizes action against us in criminal jurisdiction cases. 

~~~~~~~~~~

Dore Gold -- head of the Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs and former Israeli ambassador to the UN -- sees matters with regard to Israeli inquiries differently.  We already have investigative mechanisms in place via the Judge Advocate General's office that offer very strong civilian oversight.  The danger with launching inquiries in addition to this is that they may hamper the readiness of the IDF to act:  if there is always fear that a legal mechanism in the country will second guess how a soldier acts, he will be afraid to act. This is a situation that would put us at risk.

 

Baker says we should launch an additional inquiry into the Goldstone Report charges. Gold advises fighting Goldstone in public opinion, not the courts.  (My own inclination is to agree with Gold: a further inquiry will appear to be an admission of guilt.) He believes the problem with Goldstone is the mis-use of international law, not the lack of law.

As some of you may be aware, Ambassador Gold debated Goldstone recently at Brandeis University.  Here's a link to his remarks from that event, compiled and expanded:

http://www.jcpa.org/text/GoldGoldstone-5nov09.pdf

~~~~~~~~~~

Danny Ayalon, Deputy Foreign Minister, speaking to this issue of public opinion, said that the foreign ministry is intensifying cooperation with the Dovrei Tzahal -- spokespersons for the IDF -- so that information can be disseminated quickly. 

 

However, said Ayalon, the world tends to judge Israel only with regard to our military conflicts and not our merits.  Thus the Ministries of Education, Science, etc. must cooperate in informing the world about who and what we are.  (My "Good News Corner" is promoted by some of the same logic.)

~~~~~~~~~~

Gold addressed the ways in which the world is attempting to delegitimize us. They challenge our legal and historical rights, which we must assert with vigor. 

We must, as well, expose radical networks and make it clear that they represent a risk to the entire West and not just Israel.

~~~~~~~~~~

Our work is cut out for us, and then some. 

While November 29 was a focus for the forum, consider what today's news brings us:

Yesterday began "International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People" at the UN.  Enough to turn your stomach in and of itself.  There is no other solidarity day at the UN. Not with Kurds or Tibetans, or any other people.  The Palestinian Arabs are very special indeed, it seems. So special that this "day"-- which has been observed since 1977 and is noted as "a time of mourning" -- actually lasts for two days.  Scheduled for this year are speeches, an exhibit on the "refugees" and a film.  To top this all off, yesterday UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon declared that a Palestinian state was a "vital" component necessary for regional peace.

Sigh... No, much too mild and tolerant. I take that back.  Grrr! 

~~~~~~~~~~

Meanwhile there is on-going debate about Israel at the UN General Assembly.  (This, it should be noted, is what Anne Bayefsky is most frustrated at not being able to monitor because her credentials have been taken from her, pending a January or February hearing.)  Six anti-Israel resolutions are expected.

And once again there is talk that the Palestinian Arabs are going to ask the UN Security Council to declare a Palestinian state with the '67 line as its border and eastern Jerusalem as its capital.  I carefully researched the legality of this several days ago, and have already reported on it.  What is being proposed, according to international law, should not be possible. The Security Council does not "declare" the existence of states.  However, I note Alan Baker's words, above, that the UN does not observe its own charter and that there is no international agency to stop it from how it does conduct itself. 

I still seriously doubt that matters will get that far out of hand, but I am clearly unable to say with genuine certainty that what the Palestinian Arabs are planning cannot happen because international law will not permit it.  Not when the international community in many regards does as it damn pleases.  Ultimately, it might -- in a worse case scenario -- fall to the US to veto a resolution.

~~~~~~~~~~

But let's take a closer look at statement by PA president Mahmoud Abbas that PLO representative to the UN, Riyad Mansour, read at the General Assembly:  In the 61 years since the nakba ("catastrophe" in Arabic, meaning the creation the State of Israel), Palestinians "continue to suffer under colonial occupation."

He said more, of course, but this is for me the key statement, and, regretfully, not enough will be made of this -- even though it is the tip-off to the core of the issue.

The Palestinian Arab claim, certainly the purported claim of the Palestinian Authority, is that there should be two states, essentially divided by the Green Line ('67 line).  The purported claim is that we are occupiers in Judea and Samaria, which should be theirs for a state.  But we haven't been in possession of Judea and Samaria for 61 years; it's been ours again only since 1967, for 42 years.

What the Abbas statement makes clear is that, as we are considered "occupiers" for 61 years, there is no acceptance of us within the Green Line either.  All of Israel, in its totality, is considered to be a "colonial occupation."  There is no sincerity with regard to the "two state solution." We know that this is the genuine Arab position, but it becomes public in such a statement. And who will pay attention?

~~~~~~~~~~

It's unbearable. Intolerable.  I know no other way of saying this.  (And no, I'm not laughing now.)  At a press conference today, spokesman for the Chinese foreign ministry, Qin Gang, said that what's needed to resolve the impasse with Iran is more dialogue, not sanctions.  "All parties should step up diplomatic efforts."

So much for the cautiously hopeful observation that China may be growing weary of the Iranian stance.

And next....?

Reports from Washington and London indicate increasing Western anger with Iran, with "sanctions possible next month." We're waiting.

~~~~~~~~~~

 

 

 

November 30, 2009

 
"When I Stop Laughing"
 
Sometimes I have a choice: either I laugh, or I weep.  And, as my friends know, while it's not always possible (I cannot laugh about a nuclear Iran), I do try to choose the former.  Without laughter, I'd lose it completely in this insane world.
 
That said... I look at a piece by Barry Rubin.  The settlement freeze, he tells us, has improved US-Israel relations.  No surprise there, and nothing funny either. This, clearly, is what Netanyahu was about with that freeze: attempting to make the US administration happy, or at least less discontent.
 
The freeze will have no effect, however, Rubin advises us: "On the contrary, the Palestinians and the Arab states will complain that it isn't enough and that they have more demands."
 
Then, says Rubin, whom I respect as a frequently savvy, "tell-it-like-it-is" observer of the political scene, "In giving something in exchange for no material gain or even a gesture from the other side, Israel can only hope that the president appreciates this and remembers that he did not deliver on his promise to get some concession from the Arab side to match it."
 
That's when I started laughing.  For, rather than feeling appreciation and recalling that he let us down, Obama has already tightened the screws.  Hope? We can expect nothing from him, and any expectation that it is otherwise will turn out to be, well, laughable.
 
~~~~~~~~~~
 
Consider this report from today's Haaretz, which is right in line with what I wrote about yesterday.  Israel is now announcing that the number of prisoners to be released to Hamas, if there is a trade for Shalit finalized, will be 980, released in two stages (if this progresses, I'll follow with details).  However, this does not account for "the hundreds of prisoners Israel is likely to release in a bid to furbish the image of PA leader Mahmoud Abbas."
 
The release would be done at the behest of the American president, if reports are correct.  Some gratitude.  At the end of the day, we may see close to 2,000 prisoners released.  This is cause for weeping and wailing.

~~~~~~~~~~
 
In passing I would like to mention one other possible motivation for Netanyahu to have decided on that freeze.  I doubt that this was the major factor, but a factor it indeed may have been:
 
Defense Minister Ehud Barak, who is head of the Labor party, has been having trouble within his party with dissidents who are threatening to split.  They had been sorely discontented with the leader of their left-wing party holding a major position in a centrist/right government.  Then, lo and behold! the centrist/right prime minister out-does leftist prime ministers with his offer to freeze building in Judea and Samaria. 
 
Yesterday, Barak told his party's executive committee that he was responsible for the decision to freeze building. See? he declared to the rebels, there is good and solid reason for us to be in this government.  And at least some of the rebels are listening.
 
All of this plays to the stability of Netanyahu's coalition.
 
What is unsettling is one comment that Barak made, which has the absolute ring of truth. "Everyone should close their eyes and ask themselves who would be in the government without us. [National Union MKs Ya'akov] Katz,Uri Ariel and [Michael] Ben Ari.  Would a narrow right-wing government have frozen settlements and could it have begun a diplomatic process?"
 
Well, never mind that there is no diplomatic process because the PA doesn't want one.  Barak's point is clear.  And we are left to ponder precisely what Netanyahu had in mind when he chose Labor as a coalition partner over National Union.
 
~~~~~~~~~~
 
I spoke today with the Chief of Staff for MK Danny Danon, who says that Netanyahu can make declarations as he wishes about not honoring requests to hold a debate about the freeze in the Likud Central Committee, but the law is not with him.  Danon has collected the necessary 500 signatures on the required petition and expects to gather some 200 additional signatures.  I will be following with more on this.
 
~~~~~~~~~~
 
Iran.  It is behaving as obstinately and non-cooperatively as possible, which is stiffening backs somewhat. The latest ominous announcement is that there will be another 10 uranium enrichment plants developed.  The decision to do this was made, it seems, as an act of deliberate defiance.  According to the Washington Post :

"Vice President Ali Akbar Salehi told state radio that Iran needed to give a strong response to the International Atomic Energy Agency's resolution Friday demanding that Iran halt...construction of its newly revealed uranium enrichment facility and end all other enrichment activities."

But stiffened backs is not enough. What is needed is international outrage of such proportions that actions are actually taken. And somehow, that point is never quite reached.

For example, White House spokesman Robert Gibbs said yesterday:

"If true, this would be yet another serious violation of Iran's clear obligations under multiple UN Security Council resolutions and another example of Iran choosing to isolate itself....Time is running out for Iran to address the international community's growing concerns about its nuclear program." 

Time is running out??? It ran out a long time ago.

But the Washington Post also cited "a senior official" as saying:

"Iran will face a 'package of consequences' if it does not soon become a 'willing partner' in talks on its nuclear ambitions. 

That allusion to Iran as a willing partner is worth at least a chuckle.  If anything, Iran would be dragged kicking and screaming, but even that is not going to happen.

~~~~~~~~~~

And yet, and yet, we do seem to be at a turning point that will lead to actions against Iran.  They better be taken mighty fast, and they had better be serious. The Wall Street Journal reports that discussions with regard to sanctions are focusing on specific areas that could be targeted: Iranian banks, shipping companies, insurance firms and energy assets. "U.S. officials said they have also focused on the assets of Iran's elite military unit, the Revolutionary Guard."

Iran is vulnerable and serious sanctions could have the desired effect.  The Iranians are defiant now, but may face the point at which they must cave or collapse.

~~~~~~~~~~

Please see this extremely important piece by Fouad Adjami in the Wall Street Journal, "The Arabs have stopped applauding."

 

"'He talks too much,' a Saudi academic in Jeddah, who had once been smitten with Barack Obama, recently observed to me of America's 44th president. He has wearied of Mr. Obama and now does not bother with the Obama oratory.

"He is hardly alone, this academic. In the endless chatter of this region, and in the commentaries offered by the press, the theme is one of disappointment. In the Arab-Islamic world, Barack Obama has come down to earth.

"He has not made the world anew, history did not bend to his will..."

"...There is little Mr. Obama can do about this disenchantment. He can't journey to Turkey to tell its Islamist leaders and political class that a decade of anti-American scapegoating is all forgiven and was the product of American policies—he has already done that. He can't journey to Cairo to tell the fabled 'Arab street' that the Iraq war was a wasted war of choice, and that America earned the malice that came its way from Arab lands—he has already done that as well. He can't tell Muslims that America is not at war with Islam—he, like his predecessor, has said that time and again.

"...Steeped in an overarching idea of American guilt, Mr. Obama and his lieutenants offered nothing less than a doctrine, and a policy, of American penance. No one told Mr. Obama that the Islamic world, where American power is engaged and so dangerously exposed, it is considered bad form, nay a great moral lapse, to speak ill of one's own tribe when in the midst, and in the lands, of others.

"The crowd may have applauded the cavalier way the new steward of American power referred to his predecessor, but in the privacy of their own language they doubtless wondered about his character and his fidelity. 'My brother and I against my cousin, my cousin and I against the stranger,' goes one of the Arab world's most honored maxims. The stranger who came into their midst and spoke badly of his own was destined to become an object of suspicion.

"Mr. Obama could not make up his mind: He was at one with 'the people' and with the rulers who held them in subjugation. The people of Iran who took to the streets this past summer were betrayed by this hapless diplomacy—Mr. Obama was out to 'engage' the terrible rulers that millions of Iranians were determined to be rid of.

"On Nov. 4, on the 30th anniversary of the seizure of the American embassy in Tehran, the embattled reformers, again in the streets, posed an embarrassing dilemma for American diplomacy: "Obama, Obama, you are either with us or with them," they chanted. By not responding to these cries and continuing to 'engage' Tehran's murderous regime, his choice was made clear. It wasn't one of American diplomacy's finest moments.

"Mr. Obama has himself to blame for the disarray of his foreign policy. American arms had won a decent outcome in Iraq, but Mr. Obama would not claim it—it was his predecessor's war. Vigilance had kept the American homeland safe from terrorist attacks for seven long years under his predecessors, but he could never grant Bush policies the honor and credit they deserved. He had declared Afghanistan a war of necessity, but he seems to have his eye on the road out even as he is set to announce a troop increase in an address to be delivered tomorrow.

"...Nor was he swayed by the fate of so many peace plans' that have been floated over so many decades to resolve the fight between Arab and Jew over the land between the River Jordan and the Mediterranean. Where George W. Bush offered the Palestinians the gift of clarity—statehood but only after the renunciation of terror and the break with maximalism—Mr. Obama signaled a return to the dead ways of the past: a peace process where America itself is broker and arbiter.

"...The laws of gravity, the weight of history and of precedent, have caught up with the Obama presidency. We are beyond stirring speeches. The novelty of the Obama approach, and the Obama persona, has worn off. There is a whole American diplomatic tradition to draw upon—engagements made, wisdom acquired in the course of decades, and, yes, accounts to be settled with rogues and tyrannies. They might yet help this administration find its way out of a labyrinth of its own making."

http://online.wsj.com:80/article/SB10001424052748703499404574558300500152682.html

~~~~~~~~~~

Switzerland has passed a law that forbids the building of new minarets -- the towers on mosques from which the call to prayer is done. 

 

Daniel Pipes sees this as a possible turning point. 

"The constitutional amendment does not ban mosques, it does not pull down the country's four existing minarets, nor does touch the practice of Islam in Switzerland...

"But on another level, the 57.5 to 42.5 percent vote represents a possible turning point for European Islam, one comparable to the Rushdie affair of 1989. That a large majority of those Swiss who voted on Sunday explicitly expressed anti-Islamic sentiments potentially legitimates such sentiments across Europe and opens the way for others to follow suit. That it was the usually quiet, low-profile, un-newsworthy, politically boring, neutral Swiss who suddenly roared their fears about Islam only enhances their votes' impact."

http://www.danielpipes.org/blog/2009/11/swiss-ban-minarets

Commentator Robin Shepherd agrees:

"It looks as though a backlash against Islam in Europe by nationalist forces energized by the failures of multiculturalist orthodoxies is now really starting to take hold. There's more of this to come. You can rely on it."

Let us pray that Europe will respond now, at the 11th hour, before it is too late.

~~~~~~~~~~   

 

 

November 29, 2009

 

"Confronting Realities"

I begin today with an article I co-authored with David Bedein, which appears in today's Jerusalem Post:  "Questions people are afraid to ask Salam Fayyad."

It was written in response to a column by Post editor David Horovitz a week ago, which described PA Prime Minister Fayyad's plans to build a state; Horovitz failed to inform his readers of the very serious problems inherent in these plans. These stumbling blocks make the establishment of a "moderate" Palestinian Arab state impossible, for the PA is not "moderate" -- in spite of the face of moderation that it offers to an "eager-to-believe" Western world.

The issues that the article touches upon:

[] The constitution of Fatah (the predominant element in the PLO and the PA) to this day calls for the destruction of Israel within the Green Line via "armed resistance."  This is not an anachronism, or an idle academic issue: Fatah held a major conference in August and declined to remove references to "armed resistance" from its constitution. 

[] The PA-produced textbooks are rife with incitement against Israel. Dr. Arnon Groiss -- who translates and evaluates the texts for the Institute for Measuring Peace and Tolerance in School Education (IMPACT http://www.impact-se.org) -- reports that these books "deny the historical and religious presence of Jews in Palestine," "fail to recognize the State of Israel," "demonize Jews and Israel," "assign blame for the conflict exclusively on Israel, totally absolving Palestinians," "stress the idea of a violent struggle of liberation rather than a peaceful settlement."

[] The PA continues to express willingness to form a unity government with Hamas, a terrorist entity, at the same time that it professes a desire to negotiate "peace" with Israel.  This is, as I wrote, "the elephant in the room." People talk about negotiating peace as if Hamas was not in the picture.

[] The PA refuses to relinquish its demand for the "right of return," even though this is a recipe for destruction of Israel from within.  It is time for the PA to accept the principle under which the UN High Commission for Refugees operates -- that of resettlement of refugees -- instead of encouraging the current policy of UNRWA, which, for political purposes, maintains the refugees in a frustrating (and enraging) limbo.

"Lastly, Horovitz writes that 'most of the international community completely supports [PA] demands for a 100% Israeli withdrawal from the West Bank," noting that "Netanyahu… is intent on driving a harder bargain.'

"...Left unsaid is that the Israeli electorate is most definitely not in favor of complete withdrawal, and that the prime minister simply reflects the will of the nation in this regard. What is more, Horovitz neglects to say that neither does international law support this: UN Security Resolution 242, which does not demand full Israeli withdrawal, acknowledges Israel's need for secure borders."

http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1259243025529&pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FShowFull

Please, see this, save it, and share it broadly.  It touches upon the key issues that the world prefers to ignore.

~~~~~~~~~~

I had suggested last week (and a computer virus prevented me from returning to this more quickly) that there was a possibility that Netanyahu might have frozen building in Judea and Samaria communities for 10 months in a quid pro quo deal with Obama regarding Iran.  There was this possibility implicit in the secrecy of the last meeting Netanyahu had with Obama, and I indicated that I had seen sources after that meeting that suggested this. Since I wrote that, Dr. Aaron Lerner, director of IMRA (www.imra.org), suggested the same possibility in his weekly commentary.

But, sadly, I confess that I'm less and less of this mind, as the Netanyahu decision seems to be a case of caving that is nothing if not regrettable. Part of what is moving me in this direction are the reports that Obama is already making MORE demands of us.  This would be the case if we were seen as having caved, and would much less likely be so if there had been a deal. 

It does seem that Obama will never be satisfied, and will always project that "you made a concession yesterday, what can you do for me today?" attitude towards Israel.

In response to this, there is only one acceptable response: strength.  There must be an ability to say, NO! Particularly is this so as the current occupant of the White House has no regard for Israeli rights or security.

~~~~~~~~~~

The demands? These, also reported elsewhere, were delineated by Caroline Glick in her Friday column :

www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1259243021505&pagename=JPArticle%2FShowFull

First, apparently Obama wants the IDF to pull out of the Jordan Valley and allow PA security forces to take over.  The Jordan Valley is essential for our security, and Netanyahu had made it clear up front that we would want to retain this in any deal. 

What is more, in spite of attempts to represent the case as otherwise, the PA forces are not capable of going it alone anywhere in Judea and Samaria.  Note this quote from a piece by Ethan Bronner of the decidedly not pro-Israel New York Times:

"...But without nightly Israeli raids into Palestinian cities, the violence would never have stopped.
“'Last night we carried out between 15 and 20 actions,' a top Israeli commander said of the West Bank raids, in a recent interview under military rules of anonymity. 'That was a fairly typical night. It’s like throwing a blanket on a fire. If we stop for a minute, we will go backwards very quickly. We call it cutting the grass.'”

~~~~~~~~~~

I've written that there is concern that if we trade 1,000 terrorists for Gilad Shalit it will strengthen Hamas in the street and make Abbas even weaker than he already is.  Well, not to worry, Obama has a solution.  That's  his second demand: When we release those 1,000 prisoners to Hamas, Obama apparently wants us to release ANOTHER 1,000 terrorists to Abbas.  What's another thousands killers on the loose, when it's only Israelis they'll be aiming for?

This policy is so bad it's a parody of itself.  But I fear Obama may be serious.

~~~~~~~~~~

G-d forbid, G-d forbid! our government should cave to such dangerous nonsense. But I must note this, which has already transpired:

Last week the Shin Bet (Israeli security) "pardoned" 92 Al Aksa Martyrs Brigade members who were fugitives.  This means we will no longer pursue them and they are free to move about in the areas controlled by the PA (Area A under Oslo).  Above, you read the description by an IDF officer of the nightly IDF raids to maintain peace.  It might have been in an operation such as this that we would have gotten these guys, who have now been removed from our "wanted" list.  In return they had to promise to renounce terrorism. 

This is hardly the first time we've cooperated in an arrangement like this with Al Aksa Brigades, which, by the way, is part of Fatah. I am especially impressed with the idiocy of having them promise to renounce terrorism.  The deal is that ultimately they will have the opportunity to join the security forces -- then they can carry their guns legally.

And why did we do it now? To strengthen Abbas, of course.

Does anyone ever consider the implications of this: That if we refrain from pursuit of members of a terrorist group it makes Abbas look good?

~~~~~~~~~~

We are witnessing a strong response to the decision made by the Netanyahu and the Security Cabinet regarding the building freeze:

Minister Uzi Landau (Yisrael Beitenu) has filed an appeal for a debate with the government secretariat:  "This is a central issue in the state agenda, and it is essential that all members of government get a chance to express their opinions." He is pushing for a debate within the full Cabinet (the Security Cabinet constituting a smaller group).

Within Likud it amounts to a power struggle, and I say forthrightly (and regretfully) that when it comes to playing power politics, Netanyahu gives no quarter.  His concern is for sustaining his decisions, not for  democratic voice within the party. 

Earlier today, MK Danny Danon addressed a rally of activists in Ra'anana, under the banner "Real Likudniks don't surrender."  He told those gathered that:

"The prime minister should have told the Americans that on Judea and Samaria he would not surrender. We are starting a campaign to put the breaks on what Netanyahu is trying to do.  We will be attacked for this and it won't be easy, but we, the silent majority of the Likud, will struggle and succeed." 

He promised to promote a debate on the issue of the freeze within the Central Committee of Likud.

The prime minister's office, anticipating this, last night released a statement stating that Netanyahu would avoid convening the Central Committee (even if signatures were garnered by Danon calling for a Committee debate).  Said Netanyahu associates, if the Committee were to be convened, it would discuss only procedural matters.  In addition, Netanyahu leaned on Likud MKs not to attend Danon's rally. 

Well, Danon today garnered the requisite number of signatures of Likud members on a petition demanding that the debate in the Central Committee be held. He has turned it over to Chairman of the Likud Central Committee, Minister Moshe Kahlon. And Kahlon has advised Prime Minister Netanyahu to convene the Committee for a debate on the construction freeze.

Now we shall see.  Danny Danon is to be praised highly.

Perhaps you'd like him to know how much you appreciate his efforts:

E-mail: ddanon@knesset.gov.il

Fax: 02-649-6044  (In the US: 972-2-649-6044)

Phone: 02-640-8659/8 (In the US: 972-2-640-8659/8) 

~~~~~~~~~~

Chair of Ihud Leumi (National Union), Ya'akov Katz, is challenging the government on another issue.  The Shamgar Commission had been charged with examining the implications of a prisoner exchange with Hamas, but the findings, which were completed in 2008, have not been released.  Katz has now filed an appeal with the High Court of Justice, asking that Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu be ordered to publish the findings before a trade for Shalit is done; he says that the Commission found that the effect of a trade would be negative.  "Netanyahu must reveal the findings before we make any decision to release terrorists, and he must have a debate in the government and in the Knesset before he reaches any conclusion."

Don't know that he can succeed with this, but Bravo! to him, as well.

~~~~~~~~~~

Today is Kaf Tet B'November -- the 29th of November -- when the UN voted Palestinian partition in 1947.  I will return soon to some matters regarding the UN and the international community.

~~~~~~~~~~

It is a hopeful matter, that Iran is behaving so defiantly that nations that were hedging are beginning to be genuinely irked and ready to think about taking some action.  There's more to say on this, as well...  Tomorrow is another day.

~~~~~~~~~~

 

 

November 26, 2009

 

"Closer Look"

I wrote last night not long after the announcement had been made by Netanyahu that there would be a 10 month freeze on building in communities in Judea and Samaria. Now it is time to take a closer look at some of the details of what is happening, and possible implications.

The original announcement made it sound as if there would simply be a freeze on issuing new tenders for building, and that no new permits for starting building projects would be signed.  The number that is being used is 3,000 -- 3,000 housing units already in process or about to start that presumably would continue, not affected by the freeze.

But, in point of fact, the situation is more complicated than this.  If construction has already started on a site -- if there are bulldozers digging the foundation, or masons pouring concrete, or whatever -- the work will be allowed to continue. But if work has been contracted and permits signed, but no actual physical work has begun, then it seems the process will be put on hold. 

I am a bit vague as to where in the process of getting started the freeze would occur.  That is, for example, if workmen have been hired and have gone out to the site, but the foundation hasn't been started and all they've done is unload materials -- will they be allowed to continue?  (I've heard nothing in this regard, but it seems to me that this creates the potential for leaving in limbo families who were depending on a new home being constructed and believed everything was in place.)

~~~~~~~~~~

What is more -- and this is certainly something that was obvious to anyone considering repercussions, and a source of much concern -- there have been statements regarding the fact that if "productive" negotiations were going on, the freeze would not stop at the end of 10 months, but would continue for the duration of those negotiations.

So, what would constitute "productive" negotiations and who would determine this? 

~~~~~~~~~~

The only member of the Security Cabinet who actually voted against the motion was Infrastructure Minister Uzi Landau (Yisrael Beitenu). Landau left Sharon's cabinet rather than support the expulsion from Gush Katif. The man has retained his integrity, and we should remember this.

 

The two Shas ministers -- Interior Minister Eli Yeshai and Housing Minister Ariel Atias -- absented themselves.  The other 11 ministers voted for this proposal.

That means that the two nationalists, supporters of building in Judea and Samaria, whom I alluded to last night -- Benny Begin and Moshe Ya'alon -- voted for it.  Which leaves the door open to many questions.

Begin made light of what had just been approved, saying all that will stop is the issuing of new permits.  "During these 10 months thousands of housing units and public buildings will be built in the West Bank to allow [people] to lead normal lives, and once the 10 months are over the government of Israel, just as it has declared, will resume construction in the West Bank in accordance with the policy of past Israeli regimes."

And indeed, that is what Netanyahu did declare last night: "As soon as the suspension period concludes, my government will resume the West Bank construction policy of previous governments."

But that's only what will happen if the PA doesn't come to the table.  There's a good chance it won't, and the prime minister may be counting on this.  But it's not quite as simple they say, and this way is fraught with dangers. Netanyahu claims he is doing this to bring the PA into negotiations.  Does he imagine, by any stretch of the imagination, that if they did come to the table, they'd remain there if we started issuing new building permits after a 10-month halt?

It was Uzi Landau who was realistic about this, saying that it's obvious that at the end of 10 months Obama will seek an extension.  He's right, and this might be the case even if the PA hasn't come to the table. (In typical Obama mode, he might want to give them another chance.)

Vice Premier Moshe Ya'alon said this action was taken to "avoid a confrontation with our allies," but "the goal is to preserve our interests." He maintained that it was the right thing to do.

~~~~~~~~~~

So now we ask: What the hell is going on?  What is it that we don't know?

Binyamin Netanyahu, whatever his faults, is not Ehud Olmert.  Or Tzipi Livni.  He does not have a genuine longing in his heart to give away our country. No one should think this of him.  And I will defend him against anyone who does.

What Netanyahu has, is a reputation for caving under American pressure.  And he developed this reputation, it must be noted, in a situation that was less pressured than the present. Right now he is confronting an enormous amount, with regard to the demands of Obama and company, coupled with the horrendous campaign of Israeli delegitimization that is taking place, and which has led to Goldstone and more. 

So, is this what we're looking at?  A caving to the Americans and an effort to avoid international criticism?  If so, this is a serious error. 

Ya'alon's comment about avoiding confrontation with our allies makes it seem so.  So does Lieberman's statement:

"We've been more than fair with the Palestinian Authority, both in our intentions to resume negotiations and in actions on the ground, including the removal of roadblocks....

"We've allowed this irresponsible group to hold the Fatah convention, where decisions that do not differ from those upheld by Hamas were reached. [The Fatah Congress this summer voted to retain the option of armed resistance.]

"We have a commitment to Israel's allies, who supported us on the Goldstone Report issue, not to the PA.  We also have a commitment to the Jewish settlers in the West Bank, so we must reiterate that construction will be resumed at the conclusion of the 10-month period."

Because we received support from the US on Goldstone, and Obama's government is committed to vetoing it in the Security Council, we have an obligation to compromise an essential right of ours?  Don't like the sound of this, at all.

This is not the way to secure legitimization for our nation, but would achieve the opposite -- as we diminish ourselves.  Now, more than ever, is the time for us to present a strong and secure face to the world.  Now we must be firm in our rights.

~~~~~~~~~~

And yet, there's a "but" here.

I alluded to it last night and several times before.  When Netanyahu walked away from his secret meeting with Obama, he said that in time we would understand why it had to be secret.  I do not believe that the secrecy was simply with regard to getting a promise on Goldstone in return for a settlement freeze.  They didn't need an hour alone without aides to discuss that.  There's more... whatever the "more" is. 

At the time, there were hints and rumors regarding some discussion that took place about Iran.  I still don't know if those rumors and hints were true.  Ra'anan Gissin, journalist and former Sharon associate, for example, wrote a commentary in which he said that discussions about Iran should be kept away from public attention.  And his was only one of several comments.

The fact remains that while I do not know with any certainty what the situation is, I feel a responsibility to mention this.  I suggest that, even as we protest and feel angry (and appropriately so), we must keep in mind that there may be more than meets the eye.  At the end of the day, we might learn something that helps us to understand that Netanyahu had reasons for acting as he did that were genuine expressions of his concern for the nation.  We might see a quid pro quo that made some sense. Might.

Post editor David Horovitz suggests that Iran is involved in this because Obama believes he cannot rally the Arabs against Iran without progress on Palestinian-Israeli negotiations.  For me, this is shtuyote -- nonsense, although indeed Obama did make such a linkage many months ago.  Surely Netanyahu is aware that Saudi Arabia and other Gulf states are terrified of Iran in their own right and frankly eager to see action against it.  This would not be a good reason to freeze building in our communities.  Not in my book.  I don't believe the Arab states even care about their fellow Arabs here. (See Michael Freund on this very subject:  http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1259010982966&pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FShowFull .)

But an American readiness to assist indirectly if we decide to attack would be a good reason. As might a serious effort to promote and levy tough, meaningful sanctions against Iran.  Remember that as Netanyahu went to Washington, Obama, for all his public bravado, was feeling extraordinarily frustrated by Iran, which had just spit in his outstretched hand.      

~~~~~~~~~~

And, before we leave the subject of Iran and Israel, let me share this:

Very recently, for the first time in years, both Russia and China, which have been stumbling blocks to action against Iran, said they would support a toughly-worded statement critical of Iran. A statement won't make anything happen, but it was good news because it signaled a shift on the part of these two nations.

Now we learn that the US promoted the shift, at least on the part of China.  At the beginning of the month, before Obama visited China, two White House officials, Dennis Ross and Jeffrey Bader, went to Beijing and told leaders that, for Israel, Iran is an "existential issue and that countries that have an existential issue don't listen to other countries."  That is: Israel may bomb Iran, and no one would be able to prevent it.  But this could cause problems in this part of the world that would adversely affect you. So, the more you're on board with stopping Iran, the less likely this is to happen.

I thought this fascinating.  And if the US can do this with China, could they not with the Gulf states?  Makes more sense than trying to "lure" them by promising peace negotiations for the PA, no? 

~~~~~~~~~~

On another front, the negotiations on Shalit have for the moment been stopped by Hamas.  They are accusing us of blocking the trade by refusing to release certain terrorists.  (Terrorists, of course, is my word and not theirs.)

There's a lot of talk about how this trade would strengthen Hamas in the street, and thus further weaken Abbas and Fatah.  Hamas has, astutely, asked that some of those released be Fatah people, so it can make the claim that it acts on behalf of all Palestinian Arabs and that it brought Fatah people out of prison when Fatah couldn't.

~~~~~~~~~~

Please, see this piece by Daniel Pipes that discusses the threat to Western society poses by Islamists who infiltrate.  It's a more serious problem than terrorists and it merits serious attention.

http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1259010982966&pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FShowFull

~~~~~~~~~~

"The Good News Corner"

Israel is the world's leader in developing responses to and promoting research on Alzheimer's. For example:

[] Research at Ben Gurion University in Beersheva may lead to the development of a vaccine that reduces neural damage and brain inflammation.

[] NexSig Neurological Examination Technologies -- an Israeli company -- has developed software that can help assess patients at risk of Alzheimer's before the illness sets in.  This is exceedingly important, as there are now drugs available that help delay the on-set of the disease.  If the disease is already in progress, it's too late for some of these medications.

[] The blood-brain barrier is a thin membrane that protects the brain from chemicals and potentially harmful substances in the blood.  But this barrier also serves to block medication to the brain. Now scientists at Hebrew University, Tel Aviv University, and Rabin Medical Center, working together, have developed a molecule small enough to pass through the brain's defenses. An anti-oxidant, known for short as AD4, it is expected to prove useful in the treatment and prevention of Alzheimer's.

[] Dr. Ramit Ravona - Springer MD, head of the Memory Clinic, Sheba Medical Center has done research that reveals a correlation between personality and the likelihood of developing Alzheimer's.  People who tend to "ruminate" over problems in their life in middle age are -- surprise! -- less likely to develop Alzheimer's. This was surprising to us," the doctor said, "as rumination [chewing over something and not letting it go] is a cognitive style characteristic of neurotic individuals." 

~~~~~~~~~~

 

November 25, 2009

 

"Bad News"

It's almost Thanksgiving in the US.  I attended a shiur (a religious lesson) this morning, and a forum tonight, and I was going to pass on posting for a bit.  (It's almost midnight as I write.)  But I cannot.  I must send out this message, with more to follow.

Prime Minister Netanyahu tonight formally announced what has been rumored: A 10-month freeze on building in the communities of Judea and Samaria.  Those construction projects already in the works (some 3,000 units) will continue, and, at least in theory, construction for public buildings -- schools, etc. -- will be permitted even during the 10 months.  Jerusalem is not included in the freeze. The Security Cabinet approved the move this afternoon.

Not good.  In fact, very bad.  A concession that weakens us and should not have been made.  We have a right to be in Judea and Samaria. Period.

~~~~~~~~~~

In announcing this, Netanyahu made a big deal about the fact that it will bring us closer to "peace" -- that it is good for Israel and shows the world that we're sincere about "peace."

Garbage.

On Monday, incredibly, he made a statement saying that he believed he was "uniquely positioned" to bring the public to support an "historic agreement with the Palestinians."  Does he have a messiah complex?  To play the game astutely, to protect us from unnecessary international pressure and hostile actions is one thing.  To imagine he can actually achieve a solid and meaningful "peace agreement" with the Palestinian Arabs is something else.  (This is completely aside from whether he should attempt to do so, whether he can or not.)

Anyone who knows anything of substance about the current situation within the PA knows full well that they cannot sign off on a final agreement for a "two-state solution" because they don't have a state and are not in a position to produce a state.  If we pull out of Judea and Samaria (G-d forbid!) Hamas will move in sooner or later, and there will be a host of other problems even before Hamas arrives.  (I will be returning to the whole issue of why even attempting to negotiate for a state makes no sense.) It cannot be that Netanyahu doesn't know this.  So what is he babbling about? Why is he promoting it with the public as something that is good for Israel? Weakening us cannot be good for us.

~~~~~~~~~~ 

One news source indicated that Netanyahu agreed upon this in his recent -- secret -- meeting with Obama. Right after the meeting, Netanyahu had said that, in time, we'd see why it had to be a secret, and I've been wondering about that.  But this is not the "why."  There's more.  There had to be.  Is there something Obama held over his head?  What? 

This represents a double concession -- to the Palestinian Arabs, and to the Obama government.  I cited Barry Rubin the other day, who said we could learn from what has been going on that concessions aren't appreciated, they only bring a demand for more concessions.  And here were are:  US Envoy Mitchell, speaking in the US, said that, well, this Netanyahu commitment doesn't really conform with the administration's full position -- which is that the settlements have to go -- but it's a good step, more than any prime minister has done until now.

During the forum I attended tonight (which I will return to), Dore Gold, Director of the Jerusalem Center for Public affairs, stated that the Obama administration never refers to Security Council resolution 242, which says we are not required to pull back to the Green Line. Obama simply talks about "the West Bank" as "Palestinian."

When you're dealing with people such as this -- who want to deprive us fully of our rights-- you don't give part way.  This simply encourages them to demand the whole package.  You stand strong and tell them, No way!

Is Netanyahu proud that he's done what no other prime minister has done? 

~~~~~~~~~~

Take a look at IMRA (http://imra.org).  Director Aaron Lerner has posted a series of Archive pieces that trace the recent history of the issue of a settlement freeze.  Note this please:

In April, when the Czech prime minister visited, Netanyahu told him he didn't want to be pressured:  "I have no plans to build new settlements, but if someone wants to build a new home [in an existing settlement], I don't think there's a problem."  He said Judea and Samaria were "disputed" territory and their disposition would be decided by negotiations. 

Slowly this position has eroded.

~~~~~~~~~~

And let's look, just briefly, at the PA attitude.

Just yesterday, PA president Mahmoud Abbas said Obama has done nothing for peace.  He was waiting for the American president to pressure Israel.

And -- Heaven help us! -- the day after Abbas said this, Netanyahu makes a large concession. Is this timing coincidence, or a sick joke? Or a really really miserable attempt to make Obama happy?

Interviewed by an Argentinean magazine, Abbas was asked what he would concede for peace.  Abbas answered that his people has "already made concessions." Like what, for instance? 

Said Abbas, the current Israeli gov't was not seeking peace.  This too makes the timing of Netanyahu's announcement terrible.  Like eager puppets, we have to show the PA how much we'll do and how sincere we are, right after they indicate they expect us to give but don't intend to concede anything themselves??  Oi, and oi.

~~~~~~~~~~

Yesha (Yesha = Yehuda, Shomron, Gaza) Council chair Danny Dayan noted tonight that Netanyahu's big theme has always been "reciprocity."  We don't give unilaterally, he has insisted.  We must get in return.  So now he has betrayed that principle.

With regard to this, even though a freeze still would not be acceptable, it would have been considerably more palatable or reasonable (or done with more national dignity) if Netanyahu has demanded a return action. 

The whole point of this is to "encourage" the PA to come to the table.  But they won't.  They've already said so, because Jerusalem is not included in the freeze and their demands continue at a maximalist level.  They don't want to negotiate, in any event.  How would they even manage if they got that "state"?

What if Netanyahu had said, IF the PA will come to the table, then I'll do the freeze? That would have shown "flexibility" and "sincerity" on our part, but would have put the onus squarely where it belongs, and would have left us with no freeze once they refused to come to the table.

Now, it appears exceedingly likely that we'll remain frozen even if they don't come to the table. The big concern here is that it should not last for more than 10 months -- that it should not establish a precedent that just goes on.

There are those who see this as a sure sign that it's meant by Netanyahu to be the beginning of the end, a signal that he will allow us to be pushed out of most or all of Judea and Samaria.

~~~~~~~~~~

If there's any good news tonight it's that a lot of people on the right are enraged.  I do think there's more sensitivity to the dangers of such a move than there was before the expulsion from Gaza.  People have been burned, and the nation is wary.

Dayan of the Yesha Council also said this tonight:

"The Netanyahu government was elected based on its promise to promote settlement activity in the West Bank, but immediately after it was established this government began to constrain the settlement enterprise. The cabinet ministers are obligated to prevent this."

And there's a question here, as to whether, indeed, it will still be brought before the full Cabinet.

Likud MK Danny Danon made excellent points when he said:

"We were elected to bolster the settlement enterprise, not freeze construction. The freeze constitutes a statement that the settlements are an obstacle to peace, while up until this point Likud has backed the concept that the settlers guarantee Israel's security."

Continued Danon:

"We will demand that Netanyahu bring the issue to a Likud faction and Central Committee vote, to make certain that the Sharon trauma [Gaza withdrawal] does not repeat itself."

Information and Diaspora Affairs Minister Yuli Edelstein (also Likud) said, "I will not lend my hand to this process that will ultimately endanger the security of Israel and won't bring us even a tiny bit closer to peace."

Likud MK Tzipi Hotovely, straight-talking and tough, was none too pleased either.

So Netanyahu will find it tough going within his own party.

(I'm mindful of the fact that, within the inner circle, we have no word from and no indication of the positions of Moshe Ya'alon and Benny Begin.  When the gov't was formed, their presence provided reassurance that Netanyahu would be kept straight. Do they know something we don't know?  Are they screaming behind closed doors?  Or are they holding on to the status quo?)

~~~~~~~~~~

There are calls for Netanyahu to resign (fat chance), and those who would now attempt to bring the gov't down.  My problem with bringing the gov't down is that the alternative -- Livni and Kadima -- would certainly be no better and might be worse.  I don't see it as a viable solution.

What we must remember is that this is, broadly, a right-leaning coalition.  Faction chair Zevulun Orlev of HaBayit Hayehudi -- a member of the coalition -- said his party would seek alternative political means of cracking the freeze.  And he is calling on other parties in the coalition -- Yisrael Beitenu and Shas -- to unite to work against this.

~~~~~~~~~~

My friends, when there was ambiguity and it wasn't clear what Netanyahu was up to, I said forthrightly that I wouldn't criticize and that I was not in a position to judge all of the parameters of an extraordinarily difficult situation.  (Facing off against Obama IS extraordinarily difficult, and, with everything, I always keep Iran, and the need for US cooperation on this, in my mind.) I felt that he might be "playing the game," taking risks, but with reason, and astutely.  I promised I'd scream if I saw reason to do so.  Tonight I see reason. 

Please, let Prime Minister Netanyahu know what YOU think of what he's just done:

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

Phone: 03-610-9898 (From the US: 011-972-3-610-9898)

E-mail:  pm_eng2@it.pmo.gov.il (underscore after pm)

~~~~~~~~~~

In the US:  Happy Thanksgiving!

 

~~~~~~~~~~~

 November 23, 20

 

"One Step Further"
 
The reader comments to my posting yesterday were intense.  And in more than one instance I was asked why I don't tell it like it is regarding Obama's orientation and motivation, when it's all so clear.  I am not seeking to cover for him in any regard.  But I choose not to attribute motivations in instances in which I cannot document them and cannot be certain:  Does he act this way because he's a Muslim, because he is an ideological socialist, because he's been bought by certain interests, etc. etc.  A strong case can be made for some of these positions, but what concerns me is the effect of his policy and actions -- and, as I see it, he's bringing America down.
 
This said, however, there is one distinction that certainly merits contemplation.  Is he messing up with regard to genuine American interests because of naiveté, inexperience, bad advice, etc.?  Or, as many of my readers suggest, does he know precisely what he's doing?  Is it deliberate?
 
~~~~~~~~~~
 
I'm not going to return to Obama's interaction with Iran here, in order to consider this premise.  But I do want to consider it in a different context: The "peace process."  And for this I turn to Barry Rubin's latest column, which is called "Lessons not learned."
 
Rubin traces the recent history of the settlement issue, with which you will be familiar if you've been reading my material:
 
When Israel signed the Oslo Accords in 1993, it was made clear by the Israeli gov't that it considered construction in existing settlements to be consonant with the agreement; the Arabs didn't object and the US had little to say on the subject.
 
That is, until Obama came into office and, as Rubin says, "made the construction issue the centerpiece of his Middle East policy: sometimes it has appeared to be the keystone of his whole foreign policy..."
 
But this approach turned out to be an abysmal failure.  First he tried to strong-arm Israel, and when Israel balked, he attempted, without success, to secure some concessions from the Arab world in exchange -- wrongly assuming, says Rubin , that they are desperate for a peace agreement.
 
~~~~~~~~~~
 
What happened next is that the PA picked up on Obama's demands and said they wouldn't come to the table unless we froze everything.  The US then actually secured a large concession from Netanyahu: We would stop building in Judea and Samaria -- but not in Jerusalem -- after we completed current building. 
 
Hillary Clinton enthusiastically praised this gesture, which infuriated the Palestinian Arabs, who then "threw a temper tantrum," and followed with all sorts of threats.  This, says Rubin, is their core strategy:  "Why make compromise peace with Israel when you can just claim everything you want, ensuring the door is kept open for a future struggle to wipe Israel off the map entirely?"
 
So, what did the Obama administration do? Back down on everything except the PA plans for unilateral independence.  "Having made a deal with Israel, having gotten Netanyahu to take an enormous risk, it then pulled the rug out from under him."
 
Observes Rubin:  "Those who always advocate Israeli concessions as the solution should take note.  Once again, we've seen that a concession doesn't lead to a concession by the other side nor does it lead to progress.  It just produces a demand for more concessions without any real credit for the last one."
 
~~~~~~~~~~
 
And, as we all know, the next Obama demand was to cease building in the Gilo neighborhood of Jerusalem.  Quite a big deal was made of it. (Obama said it "embittered" the Palestinian Arabs.) This in spite of the fact that the construction fell within the understanding that had been reached with Netanyahu and praised by Hillary.  "...the administration...[showed] not only that it wouldn't respect agreements... made [by Israel] with predecessors, but it wouldn't even respect the agreements it made itself."
 
"Obama complained that the Gilo construction...makes it harder to achieve peace...
 
"Funny, he never said this about: PA incitement to terrorism; failure to punish terrorists; negotiations with Hamas despite its hardline positions; genocidal goals; anti-Semitic views..."
 
"Moreover, having sabotaged negotiations by highlighting the construction-on-settlements issue, the administration has now escalated even higher: no construction in Jerusalem is the minimum demand.
 
"Of course, Arab states and the PA will echo this, refusing all talks unless this happens.  And since Israel will not stop building in Jerusalem...Obama has just guaranteed a dead peace process for his entire term in office.  In fact, he's probably ensured no comprehensive negotiations will take place." (emphasis added)
 
http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1258705164232&pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FShowFull
 
~~~~~~~~~~
 
OK.  Let's look at this for a minute.  The steps taken by Obama have been colossally stupid.  Or so we might say, if his goal -- as he's been insisting -- really is a negotiated peace between Israel and the PA.  He saw that his demand for a settlement freeze created a hardening, an increased intransigence, on the PA side.  And then what did he do?  He made another demand of Israel, one he KNEW Israel would never accede to.  Obama is a political animal:  he understood that even if Netanyahu wanted to stop building in Jerusalem (I don't happen to believe he does), he could not without risking the breakdown of his coalition. And, at the same time, Obama knew, from immediate past experience, that the PA was exceedingly likely to pick up on this and become even more intransigent, in echo of his demand.
 
And so we must ask:  Is he simply very foolish, very innocent and almost totally devoid of diplomatic skills?  Is he simply so arrogant that he assumes he can condescend to Israel and make demands of us, at the same time that he stretches himself to show the Muslim/Arab world how sensitive he is to Palestinian Arab feelings? And has he thus inadvertently -- and very obtusely -- gotten himself into a bind?
 
Or, does he have ulterior motives, and has he consciously sabotaged what he claims to be seeking?  Quite a statement that Rubin made: "Obama has just guaranteed a dead peace process for his entire term in office."
 
~~~~~~~~~~
 
One of the things that gives pause is the fact that Obama focused on Gilo.  I asked, many here asked, why Gilo? Gilo? People were aghast at his approach.  Indeed it seemed that his demand was very maximalist. He didn't pick on demolition of illegal Arab housing or purchase of housing by Jews in Arab neighborhoods (all of which is legit but controversial). He picked on a solid and well-established neighborhood that is totally and thoroughly integrated into the Jerusalem municipality, one built on Jewishly-owned land without even a hint of it being on Arab land, one that is not even to the east of the city, as, say, Har Homa is.
 
Maybe he's really so foolish (which is worrisome in itself) that he isn't aware of all this, and just randomly picked a neighborhood that was doing some building to make a fuss over.  But there is sufficient bewilderment over what he did to make one wonder.
 
~~~~~~~~~~   
 
I would like to thank those readers who shared with me information on Muslims of dubious or clearly inappropriate background who have been given positions in Homeland Security in the US.   There are two of particular note:
 
Arif Alikhan was appointed by Obama several months ago to be Assistant Secretary for Policy Development at the Department of Homeland Security.  Responsible for developing policy to secure the nation against terrorism, he killed an LA Police project for monitoring terrorist activities in local radical mosques.  He has also referred to Hezbollah as a "liberation movement." 
 
Kareem Shora was appointed by Obama to Homeland Security's advisory council, which directly provides advice and recommendations to the Homeland Security Secretary. He was formerly executive director of the American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee (ADC), which refers to jihadists as "heroes."
 
This is from http://www.judicialwatch.org/blog/2009/nov/devout-muslims-key-homeland-sec-posts and checked out.
 
A similar item sent to me with regard to Fort Hood terrorist Hasan turned out to not be quite accurate:  According to Snopes, he attended one or more meetings organized by George Washington University's Homeland Security policy institute, but was never actually an advisor to Obama's Homeland Security Team.
 
~~~~~~~~~~
 
You might also want to see Charles Krauthammer's piece, "Travesty in New York," about the Obama government's plans to grant Khalid Sheik Mohammed, who plotted 9/11, a civil rather than a military trial.  One more reason to worry about America.
 
http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1258705163996&pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FShowFull
 
~~~~~~~~~~
 
The rumors are flying fast.  I'm always reluctant to spend much time focusing on such rumors, which often turn out to be unfounded.  But it's time to at least mention them here: It is being said that a deal to secure the release of Gilad Shalit is almost completed. 
 

 
Reportedly, the Hamas demand for 1,000 prisoners  -- including some who perpetrated major attacks -- has not changed, but there are conflicting reports as to whom the Netanyahu government might be willing to release, and where (that is, they might not be permitted to return to Gaza or Judea and Samaria).
 
It chills the heart, and enrages, to imagine that terrorists responsible for the deaths of many innocent Jews might be released.  Not to speak of the fact that it puts us all at increased risk and encourages more kidnappings. (I understand that Hamas is offering a considerable amount of money to any Israeli Arab who captures a soldier.)
 
Netanyahu, referring to the release of these terrorists as a "serious dilemma," told the Likud faction today that a deal is not close. When the time comes, he said, there will be a debate in the Knesset and a vote in the Cabinet.
 
Aside from reports from Arab sources, the rumors have been fueled by a trip by President Shimon Peres to Egypt, at the same time that some Hamas officials were known to enter Egypt, and a visit here by German officials (Germany being involved along with Egypt on negotiations.)
 
~~~~~~~~~~
 
Speaking of terrorists in our prisons, there is news about Marwan Barghouti. Serving five life sentences for his involvement in terror attacks, he is frequently touted as a potential savior, who --if he is released from prison-- can unite the Palestinian Arabs and bring a peace deal.  Well, you can scratch that.
 
Barghouti has been quoted in Al Hayat Al Jadida newspaper, via a message carried by his lawyer, as saying that Palestinian factions should lead "popular resistance" (violence) to combat building in settlements and the Judaizing of Jerusalem.

"I have always called for creatively combining negotiations with resistance and political, diplomatic and popular activism," he was quoted as having said. "I warned against relying exclusively on negotiations, but some were late to discover this."

"Creatively combining negotiations with resistance..." (aka, if you don't give me what I demand at the table, I'll come after you and you'll be sorry).  This is pretty much the Palestinian Arab credo and does NOT lead to peace.

~~~~~~~~~~

 

 

November 22, 2009

 
"Deplorable"
 
I began writing this post, earlier today, by talking about imponderables, and then focusing on Obama policy with regard to Iran -- which policy leaves many of us confused, frustrated, and angry. Following through, I posed a series of questions, all exceedingly valid:
 
Did he ever REALLY believe that Iran would be receptive to dialogue and compromise? 
 
Has he been blinded to ominous Iranian realities because he is so solidly wedded to a philosophy that demands resolution of all conflicts via dialogue? Or because he is so intent on courting the Muslim world?  Or because he rejects long-standing notions of America as moral cop and pretends to ignore what he doesn't wish to deal with?  Or because he wants to keep Russia -- which is not predisposed to sanctions -- happy? Or for some other as yet unspecified reason?
 
How does he justify the virtual slap in the face he delivered to the rebels in the streets of Iran, who pleaded for American support, after the election? (These dissidents, it should be noted, have just renewed their call for assistance from the US:  Mohsen Makhmalbaf, spokesman for a key Iranian opposition movement has asked Obama to publicly demonstrate support for Iranian democrats and intensify financial pressure on the Revolutionary Guard.)
 
~~~~~~~~~~
 
Acknowledging that I have no satisfactory answers, I moved beyond these questions to the present:  We've passed the time limit Obama had originally set for Iran to accept a proposal -- as imperfect and dubious as it was -- for shifting the situation and thereby reducing the threat of Iranian development of nuclear weapons.  What is more, the West is now in possession of additional evidence regarding Iranian duplicity and hidden nuclear facilities. (Additional evidence, as if we didn't already know it, that you cannot trust these guys.)
 
In the face of this, it has been generally acknowledged that it's time to get tough with Iran.   
 
And so last Thursday Obama issued a statement in this regard:
 
"Iran has taken weeks now and has not shown its willingness to say yes to this proposal...and so as a consequence we have begun discussions with our international partners about the importance of having consequences."
 
What?  "As a consequence we have begun discussing...the importance of having consequences"?  How tepid and wishy-washy (and convoluted) could he get? Sort of like a mother, saying to her misbehaving child, "I'm going to discuss this with your father, and then you'll see, you may be in big trouble."
 
Obama's explanation was distressing: "Our expectation is that, over the next several weeks, we will be developing a package of potential steps that we could take, that would indicate our seriousness to Iran," he said.  Potential steps?  Nothing definitive there.
 
But some weeks ago Israel had urged the US to have sanction plans in place, so that once it was clear that Iran was not cooperating, they could be immediately activated.  But Obama -- Oi! -- had not wanted to do this because it would send a negative message to the Iranians when he was reaching out a hand to them.  He didn't like a carrot and stick policy: he wanted to be all carrot.  So now Iran has more time, while sanctions are "discussed."  
 
Obama's position is that Iran's intransigency will increase the willingness of the international community to resort to punitive measures.
 
Israel is urging that sanctions be applied that would deny Iran any nuclear fuel capabilities. And Israel is further urging that if the international community won't get serious the US should act alone.
 
~~~~~~~~~~
 
But here's the kicker, which has just come to my attention:
 
In 1983, 241 US Marines were killed in the bombing of a barracks in Lebanon.  It has taken many years to track, and to bring through the courts, but in 2007 a US federal judge ruled that Iran was liable for $2.65 billion in damages in the bombing, to be shared by 150 families seeking restitution.  Lawyers for the families have been working to seize Iranian assets so that payments could be made.
 
However, the Obama government is going to court to try to block this, because (are you ready?) it would "jeopardize sensitive negotiations with Iran over its nuclear program and establish a potentially damaging precedent." (emphasis added)
 
http://www.boston.com:80/news/local/massachusetts/articles/2009/11/14/beirut_attack_victims_families_face_new_hurdle/
 
Here's a chance to zap it to Iran, big time, and Obama would rather not do it.
 
I confess, professional cool went out the window with this and I couldn't draw a breath.
 
And so, now that I'm breathing again, I must ask my final set of questions:
 
Is the president of the US daft?  And, if not, precisely what is he about?
 
Lastly, where is America, that all this could be happening?
 
~~~~~~~~~~
 
Let me add information shared by Barry Rubin in his most recent posting:
 
A correspondent in Iraq has interviewed the commander of US troops there, and sent the dispatch via Reuters.  Said this commander, al-Qaeda, which is fighting in Iraq, has joined forces with previous supporters of Saddam Hussein (former Ba'athists, who made off with considerable funds from Iraq).  And the site of rendezvous is Syria.
 
According to US General Ray Odierno, “Investigations into massive suicide bombings in Baghdad on Oct. 25, in which more than 150 people died, indicated that explosives or fighters were coming across from Syria.”
 
Explains Rubin: "Syria is letting al-Qaeda and Saddamist terrorists come in, get armed and trained, cross the border [to] Iraq, and run back for safe haven."
 
Taking it one step further, Rubin observed: "As U.S. forces withdraw someone is trying to wreck the situation there so that the US departure looks like defeat."
 
The general confirms this:  "We believe that there will be attempts to conduct more attacks between now and the elections because they want to destabilize those."
 
~~~~~~~~~~
 
Just as I've asked questions, Rubin also does:
 
"So, the Obama Administration’s military commander says Syria is behind massive attacks and working closely with Osama bin Laden’s guys.

"Has the president of the United States said anything about this? Has he made any criticism of Syria? Is he ready to break off engagement efforts with the dictatorship? Has he [responded to] Iraqi government requests for backing in demanding Syria stop facilitating such attacks and turn over those Iraqis responsible?

"No, no, no, and again no.

"If the Obama Administration is fighting a war against al-Qaeda why is Syria, today that group‘s main organizational and military base in the Middle East, getting away with allying to the people who murdered 3,000 Americans on September 11?

"If the Obama Administration is fighting a war in Iraq why is it doing nothing about the main ally of the insurgents killing American soldiers and so many Iraqi civilians...?

"...There is an old expression about fighting with one hand tied behind your back. The Obama Administration is waging a foreign policy with both hands tied behind its back, plugs in its ears, and a gag over its mouth." (emphasis added)
 
http://rubinreports.blogspot.com/2009/11/obamas-general-says-syria-allied-with.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+Rubinreports+%28RubinReports%29
 
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My friends, get this information to your Senators and Congresspersons without delay.
 
For your Congresspersons:
 
http://www.house.gov/house/MemberWWW_by_State.shtml
 
For your Senators:
 
http://www.senate.gov/general/contact_information/senators_cfm.cfm
 
Keep the explanations short, and provide URLs. Act to redeem this situation before it is too late.
 
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"The Good News Corner"
 
A sophisticated research ship has been launched in Eilat, at the Institute for Marine Sciences. Hebrew University, Weizmann Institute of Science in Rehovot, and a number of other agencies and private donors have cooperatively made this possible.  Profession Aaron Kaplan, who heads the Institute explains, that this will greatly advance Israeli marine research -- especially with regard to unique organisms found in the Gulf of Eilat.  Such research has increased value in recent years as marine biological models are used for medical research.
 
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Professor Meir Liebergall, chairman of the orthopedics department of Hadassah Medical Center, Ein Kerem campus,and Professor Eithan Galum, have announced a new technique that involves a "breakthrough in concept and overcomes major scientific and logistical problems."
 
For the very first time ever, platelets and adult stem cells from the blood and bone marrow of patients with fractures have been separated and then injected into the patients, causing bones to heal in a quarter to a third of the time it usually takes, and permitting healing to occur that in some instances wouldn't have otherwise been possible at all. 
 
The technique has been developed over the course of years.
 
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Eye from Zion is an Israeli non-profit that sends volunteers into developing nations to do cataract surgery and restore people's sight.  All money donated to the organization is used to cover expenses; none of the dozens of volunteers surgeons involved takes payment.  The group brings its own equipment, sets up a clinic, and starts operating. Many hundreds of operations have been done in such places as Vietnam, China and Azerbaijan.
 
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November 20, 2009

 
"A Different PA Angle"
 
Before I look at that angle (of necessity, briefly, before Shabbat), I want to add one other news item about Jerusalem housing that I inadvertently left out yesterday.  This did not make mainstream news (thanks to Tamar A for calling my attention to it), but I located it in a couple of different sources.  News is always selective.
 
Rabbi Yitzhak Hershkowit who for many years has owned property in Beit Tzafafa, a Jerusalem suburb, has never been able to use that property because of Arab squatters.  He fought this in the courts for over thirteen years, and has proven that the land is legally. The court agreed that the squatters should be removed, but the police have never executed the court order.
 
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As to the "angle": There are some analysts who see effecting an over-turn of SC Resolution 242 at the heart of what's going on with the PA right now.
 
Zalman Shoval, former Israeli ambassador to the US, in a column yesterday, made this point.  Shoval describes current PA efforts to establish a state as "a wheelless cart before a lame horse," which is great.  But he suspects ulterior motives.
 
A Jerusalem Post editorial expresses the same suspicions.
 
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I've been doing some checking with regard to the Palestinians taking their theoretical state-in-the-making to the UN.  It is a complicated business, and the complications are compounded by the fact that within the international arena theoretical rules are one thing, while in reality states often act as they damn please, in accordance not with law but political whim-- as we well know.
 
What is basic fact is that the Security Council does not "endorse" states, or -- whatever the term -- bring them into being by virtue of a resolution:  there is no mechanism for this within international law via any agency.  The PA would have to declare a state first.  (And if this declaration is unilateral it would render Oslo null and void.)
 
According to the Montevideo Convention on the Rights and Duties of States of 1933, there is a basic “definition” of a state, which has been adopted by the international community.  In order to qualify as a state, an entity must:
 
[] have a permanent population
[] have a defined territory
[] be under the control of its own government
[] have the capacity to enter into relations with other states
 
Does the PA qualify?  No way.  Consider, just for one example, that the PA seems bent on declaring a state that includes Gaza, where its government would have no control. Would it (wink wink) be considered to have met the required  criteria in the course of its declaration, or be laughed out of the international arena?  

As to whether to recognize this new state once it is declared, each nation would make its own decision.  Recognition of a nascent state by other nations does seem to be an important part of creating the legal reality.
 
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This new state would then apply to the Security Council for UN membership.  This membership does not create the state, but simply accords the state, which already exists, the rights and protections conferred upon member states. 
 
What's important here, is this, from the International Judicial Monitor (as of this summer):
 
"...the Security Council must decide to submit a state’s application for admission to the General Assembly for a two-thirds majority vote. The two-thirds requirement means that a state may not be granted admission to the UN if it is not recognized by a two-thirds majority of the General Assembly. This is the case for Kosovo which will likely not be able to join the UN in the near future because it is only recognized by sixty-two UN members."
 
And so this new Palestinian state, were it to be declared, might be stopped right there.  Which would render moot the entire discussion about Resolution 242. 
 
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This is not what analysts are looking at, however.  For them the real sticking point has to do with borders, which the PA quite obviously intends to set as the Green Line (everything that was not under Israeli control before the Six Day War of 1967). 
 
If the SC were to accept "Palestine" as a member state, does this mean it would be sanctioning or endorsing those borders as unilaterally claimed?
 
If the answer is yes, this would mean setting up a conflict with SC Resolution 242, which, basically, says that Israel does not have to withdraw from all territories acquired in 1967, and is entitled to safe and recognized borders that are arrived at via negotiations.  And Israel does not have to pull out of any territory until this negotiation occurs.  The Green Line is not considered a safe border -- strategic depth is required.  (This sets foolish Obama's statement about settlements not bringing security into conflict with this resolution as well.)   
 
The concern is that the PA is seeking to overturn or override this resolution.
 
The Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs held a conference on 242 a couple of years ago (I was in attendance and learned a great deal).  For detailed information from that conference see:
 
http://www.jcpa.org/JCPA/Templates/showpage.asp?DBID=1&LNGID=1&TMID=84&FID=452&PID=3111
 
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November 19, 2009

"UN Human Rights Violation!"

As those of you who read my postings regularly are probably aware, Anne Bayefsky, director of Eye on the UN, is a diligent and responsible critic of the UN, and a reliable source of information on its activities.  I am in communication with her from time to time, and rely on her information.  She is passionate, and dedicated.

Bayefsky -- who holds credentials as a UN observer by virtue of her position as director of the Institute on Human Rights and the Holocaust at New York's Touro College (an NGO) -- was present in the UN in New York on November 5, when the General Assembly voted to endorse the Goldstone Report.

Outside the General Assembly chamber a microphone is set up for delegates to speak.  After the Goldstone vote, the delegate from Libya and the Palestinian observer both utilized this mike in order to speak in support of the Report.  Bayefsky then approached the empty podium where the mike stood. She did not anticipate problems, she said, as representatives of NGOs have used this mike in the past without incident.

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Bayefsky spoke for about five minutes, impromptu.  She called the U.N. a "laughingstock" for focusing on Israel and ignoring Hamas human rights violations; she said the lack of balance in the report made it a travesty of justice.

As she finished speaking, she was surrounded by UN guards, who brought her to their office, confiscated her credentials, and escorted her out of the building. Bayefsky reported to Fox news that, as she was brought out of the building, a security officer told her, "the Palestinian ambassador [Permanent Observer of Palestine to the United Nations Riyad Mansour] is very upset at the statement you made." According to Inner City Press, when Mansour, who had walked away, was told that a representative of a pro-Israel NGO had spoken, he asked, "Did we capture them?"

Bayefsky currently awaits either the return of her credentials or a hearing in January or February before the Committee on NGOs.  If she must go before the Committee -- which is chaired by Sudan -- she figures her chances are nil.  Right now she is being prevented from attending significant meetings.  "The frenzy of anti-Israel activity is going on right now," she said. "There's a reason they're keeping me away - this is no accident."

The UN is presenting a very different story, it should be noted. There were claims that her pass had not been revoked, and that there was action against her because she approached the mike without permission and this cannot be permitted.

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This happened on November 5.  I cannot explain why Eye on the UN, where I secured the bulk of this information, only released it today.  (Perhaps there had been hope of securing a quiet resolution to the matter.)

I also garnered information at http://www.foxnews.com:80/story/0,2933,575666,00.html (put out today) and http://www.innercitypress.com:80/unga3goldstone110509.html (released on Nov. 5).

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Sometimes matters are not as they seem, and sometimes they surprise us.

Today, for example, I was just a tad surprised when the news reported that French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner, who is here now, told the Post that our plans to build in Gilo, as regrettable as they might be, did not have to be an obstacle to returning to negotiations.

 

Kouchner, who has not been a friend, seems to have chosen to refrain from leveling harsh criticism at us and instead to implicitly chastise the Palestinians for refusing to come back to the table. 

Apparently he was unmoved by Ahmed Qurei's designation of the Gilo building plans as the "final nail in the peace process's coffin."  And it seems he was unruffled even though Saeb Erekat called our plans a "provocation against the international community."

Kouchner said he knew this wasn't a political decision.  And he's right. This didn't reach Netanyahu's desk -- it was routinely processed.

Just possibly this time the Palestinians have overplayed their hand, trying the patience even of their supporters.

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We are still stymied here as to why Gilo, in particular, has made such big news. An American friend tells me that it has made considerable press in the US.  Strange, with all that is going on.

Please know that it's not only the residents of Gilo who are reacting -- Israelis in general are irked.  As analyst Herb Keinon has pointed out, the way Obama has handled this situation indicates a "continued misreading and misunderstanding of the Israeli public."

After all, writes Keinon, this is not about "a far-flung settlement overlooking Nablus, nor even in one of the settlement blocs like Gush Etzion, nor even a Jewish complex in one of the Arab neighborhoods of the capital, but in Gilo, one of the large new neighborhoods built in the city following the Six Day War.

"...many Israelis [are] clearly dismayed that the US - like Europe - now seems to be considering as settlements the post-1967 neighborhoods in Jerusalem."

Obama had called for a complete settlement freeze that included east Jerusalem, which Netanyahu rejected.  "By continuing to press the issue, Obama - who recently showed nascent signs of wanting to engage the Israeli public out of an understanding that if you want to get Israel to make concessions, Israel will need to trust the US president - risks further alienating the Israeli public. According to a Jerusalem Post poll conducted in August, only four percent of Israelis consider him to be pro-Israel." 

Says Keinon, one of the assumptions that Obama made when taking office was that the Israeli public was anti-settlement.

"But [the assumption was] mistaken. The Israeli public does not hate the settlements...the large settlement blocs, such as Ma'aleh Adumim and Gush Etzion...are well within the Israeli consensus. And the public certainly doesn't view the neighborhoods of Jerusalem...as 'settlements.'
"Pressing a construction freeze in those areas was widely viewed by the public as an unreasonable demand, especially when it was not accompanied by any demands on the Arabs or Palestinians.

"Rather than rallying around Obama, Israelis have - according to polls that shows Netanyahu's popularity rising - rallied around Netanyahu. And no issue will make them rally even further around the prime minister than Jerusalem."

http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1258566462450&pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FShowFull

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In spite of the focus on Gilo, there actually are a number of matters to report with regard to housing in Jerusalem:

[] A new Jewish housing community -- a private venture on privately owned Jewish land -- is being constructed in Nof Zion, situated adjacent to the Jabel Mukaber neighborhood of eastern Jerusalem, on the Armon Hanatziv ridge.  The first stage of building, close to 100 units, is already complete and residents began to move in some months ago.

 

Ariel Jerozolimksi

Yesterday, the cornerstone was laid for the second stage of building.  Construction is slated to begin in six months, and will ultimately add 125 apartments to the community.

Some 100 people gathered for the cornerstone ceremony.  MK Danny Danon (Likud) was there. "I have a message for President Obama," he told the crowd.  "Take your hands of Jerusalem. Jerusalem belongs to the Jewish people and we have every right to live and raise our children here."

Participating as well was a group of Americans -- lead by NY State Assemblyman Dov Hikind -- completing a tour of Judea and Samaria, and Jerusalem, with an eye towards coming to live here.

[] Also yesterday, in spite of local resistance -- including rock-throwing -- five illegal housing structures were demolished in the eastern Jerusalem neighborhoods of Issawiya and Silwan. This is in addition to two demolished just days before and another 14 slated for demolition.  The Municipality of Jerusalem reports that these buildings were all constructed without necessary permits, and at least one was on land designated for a road.  The Arab residents claim they cannot get permits.

[] The Jerusalem Municipality has announced plans for the construction of more than 5,000 new housing units for Arab residents of the city:

Construction of 2,000 housing units in Tel Adasah, in north Jerusalem, and 2,500 units in a-Swahra, near Jabel Mukaber, were to begin following final approval by relevant municipal committees, while construction of 500 new housing units in Dir-al-Amud, near Beit Safafa, were in the advanced stages of planning.

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An observation here:  Obama has said that "Settlement building does not contribute to Israel's security."

In point of fact there are issues of security -- maintaining strategic depth around Jerusalem and holding on to the high places in Samaria, from which rockets could be shot at our airport, etc.

But what this teaches us is actually a broader and very important lesson:  We should not, we must not, make our case based on security alone.  We have rights to build and live in Judea and Samaria born of our heritage in the land and international law going back to the Mandate.

It is time we spoke in these terms.

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"The Good News Corner"

I have been wanting to write about the economic miracle of Israel, and the amazing entrepreneurship demonstrated by Israelis.  Here, instead, I provide you with a video clip of an interview of the co-author of a book called Start-Up Nation. We demonstrate some unique characteristics that do us proud.

http://www.cnbc.com:80/id/15840232?video=1311023934&play=1

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