ANALYSIS: Cease-fire with Hamas would make PA irrelevant
By Avi Issacharoff and Amos Harel Last update - 27/04/2008 Ha'Aretz
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas' statement Friday in Washington that he had failed to move ahead negotiations with Israel after talks with President George W. Bush reveals how anxious the Fatah leadership is over a possible cease-fire between Israel and Hamas in the Gaza Strip, which would make the Palestinian Authority in the West Bank almost irrelevant.
While no apparent progress has been made between Israel and the PA on the final-status agreement, Hamas will have one of the most significant victories in its history, if not the most significant.
Palestinian public opinion may see the agreement, which lifts the blockade in exchange for a cessation of hostilities, as proof that only attacks and Qassam rockets can wrest concessions from Israel.
Palestinian and Egyptian sources say the cease-fire will initially apply to the Gaza Strip only, but six months later, if quiet prevails, it will expand to the West Bank, something the PA has failed to do for seven and a half years. Under those circumstances, who needs Abbas - they might really be able to start packing at the Muqata.
Hamas is also demanding that during the cease-fire in Gaza, Israel does not respond militarily there to attacks in the West Bank or within the Green Line. This is a stumbling block for Israel, which is concerned that the agreement will increase Hamas' motivation to carry out attacks in the West Bank.
Another weakness in the agreement is that it apparently does not include the release of kidnapped soldier Gilad Shalit.
The head of Hamas' political wing in Damascus, Khaled Meshal, took pains yesterday in Qatar to explain that Hamas is not keen for the cease-fire to happen. But in reality, Hamas is very interested, so the economic blockade can be lifted and its position strengthened.
If Hamas fails this week in Cairo to persuade the other groups in Gaza to join it, its dilemma will be whether to restrain Islamic Jihad, or risk the collapse of the understandings with Egypt and Israel.
Without the other [Palestinian terrorist ] groups on board, Israel will discount the agreement. The murder Friday of two Israelis at the Nitzanei Shalom industrial zone near Tul Karm might be the first of a wave of terror by Islamic Jihad and other groups hoping to disrupt the calm in the Strip.
Sunday, April 27, 2008
AP's coverage of Israel at 60 continues. Installment focuses on the Palestinian perspective.
The second installment of the AP's coverage of Israel at 60 was published today in the DM Register and presumably in newspapers across the country. CAMERA.org will most likely examine the series in detail.
Today's installment covers the Palestinian side of the story, recounting both how Palestinians "look back on failures" and how the current "influx of foreign aid ahve given the West Bank's middle class and business community a sense of opportunity." The article states, for example, that "Abbas' government plans to build 30,000 apartments in several new suburbs [ =settlements. Let's use the same terms. ]." And that there is high-rise construction leading into Ramallah.
In brief, the language used in the article is generally pareve. For example: "The state [Palestinians] were to have in a partitioned Holy Land was made stillborn by the 1948 war. The 1967 war that brought the West Band and Gaza under Israeli rule doubled the [Palestinian] catastrophe [naqba]. And the negotiations that are meant to bring about a Palestinian state are bedeviled by violence and distrust."
Yes, the 1948 war initiated by the Arabs to prevent Israel from coming into existence did also kill the prospects of the Arab Palestinian state --- when Jordan and Egypt grabbed the land and failed to created, in it, the Arab Palestinian state. But... those are just details.
Similarly, in sidebar introductions of Palestinian leadership, we see a similar "even-handedness" of expression. In describing Khaled Mashaal, the Hamas "political leader" [ read: terrorist resident in Syria], it is noted that "Hamas does not recognize Israel." [read= Hamas preaches that Jews are the sons of 'apes and pigs' a nd teaches Palestinian youths to hate and kill Jews.] But again, just details.
The paragraph introducing Arafat fails to indicate that his PLO was a terrorist organization which pre-dated "the Occupation," which itself was created after the Arab countries failed to negotiate with Israel for the territory Israel captured in a defensive war in 1967. The paragraph does state that " A six-year Palestinian uprising [beginning in 1987] ended after Arafat negotiated a peace deal with Israel [in 1993], but [the Oslo peace process ] later fell apart after new violence." [read= After rejecting the offer of Palestinian sovereignty at Camp David in 2000, Arafat reneged on the basic terms of the Oslo peace process -- in which he swore to abandon the use of violence -- and started a second, violent intifada rather than continue negotiations with Israel. The result: thousands of deaths attributed to Arafat and the decimation of the Palestinian economy.] And oh yes, he stole millions of dollars from his own people, funds that were supposed to go to building businesses, jobs, and infastructure to support a fledgling Palestinian state.
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Hamas admits the truce is only a "tactic" in furthering its aims
CAIRO (AP) — The chief of Hamas said Saturday that his group would accept an Egyptian proposal for a cease-fire with Israel, but that it would be a “tactic” in the group’s struggle with the Jewish state.
Khaled Meshal, the Hamas leader, said in an interview with Al Jazeera television that Egypt had proposed a six-month truce between Hamas, the Palestinian militant group that controls the Gaza Strip, and Israel. He said his group was ready to cooperate, but added, “It is a tactic in conducting the struggle.” He called it “normal for any resistance” to sometimes escalate, sometimes retreat from fighting. “Hamas is known for that. In 2003, there was a cease-fire and then the operations were resumed.” He warned of an explosion of violence in Gaza if Israel rejected the truce.
---- [commentary on this at http://www.yourish.com/2008/04/27/4730 ]
The second installment of the AP's coverage of Israel at 60 was published today in the DM Register and presumably in newspapers across the country. CAMERA.org will most likely examine the series in detail.
Today's installment covers the Palestinian side of the story, recounting both how Palestinians "look back on failures" and how the current "influx of foreign aid ahve given the West Bank's middle class and business community a sense of opportunity." The article states, for example, that "Abbas' government plans to build 30,000 apartments in several new suburbs [ =settlements. Let's use the same terms. ]." And that there is high-rise construction leading into Ramallah.
In brief, the language used in the article is generally pareve. For example: "The state [Palestinians] were to have in a partitioned Holy Land was made stillborn by the 1948 war. The 1967 war that brought the West Band and Gaza under Israeli rule doubled the [Palestinian] catastrophe [naqba]. And the negotiations that are meant to bring about a Palestinian state are bedeviled by violence and distrust."
Yes, the 1948 war initiated by the Arabs to prevent Israel from coming into existence did also kill the prospects of the Arab Palestinian state --- when Jordan and Egypt grabbed the land and failed to created, in it, the Arab Palestinian state. But... those are just details.
Similarly, in sidebar introductions of Palestinian leadership, we see a similar "even-handedness" of expression. In describing Khaled Mashaal, the Hamas "political leader" [ read: terrorist resident in Syria], it is noted that "Hamas does not recognize Israel." [read= Hamas preaches that Jews are the sons of 'apes and pigs' a nd teaches Palestinian youths to hate and kill Jews.] But again, just details.
The paragraph introducing Arafat fails to indicate that his PLO was a terrorist organization which pre-dated "the Occupation," which itself was created after the Arab countries failed to negotiate with Israel for the territory Israel captured in a defensive war in 1967. The paragraph does state that " A six-year Palestinian uprising [beginning in 1987] ended after Arafat negotiated a peace deal with Israel [in 1993], but [the Oslo peace process ] later fell apart after new violence." [read= After rejecting the offer of Palestinian sovereignty at Camp David in 2000, Arafat reneged on the basic terms of the Oslo peace process -- in which he swore to abandon the use of violence -- and started a second, violent intifada rather than continue negotiations with Israel. The result: thousands of deaths attributed to Arafat and the decimation of the Palestinian economy.] And oh yes, he stole millions of dollars from his own people, funds that were supposed to go to building businesses, jobs, and infastructure to support a fledgling Palestinian state.
---------------------------------------------------
Hamas admits the truce is only a "tactic" in furthering its aims
CAIRO (AP) — The chief of Hamas said Saturday that his group would accept an Egyptian proposal for a cease-fire with Israel, but that it would be a “tactic” in the group’s struggle with the Jewish state.
Khaled Meshal, the Hamas leader, said in an interview with Al Jazeera television that Egypt had proposed a six-month truce between Hamas, the Palestinian militant group that controls the Gaza Strip, and Israel. He said his group was ready to cooperate, but added, “It is a tactic in conducting the struggle.” He called it “normal for any resistance” to sometimes escalate, sometimes retreat from fighting. “Hamas is known for that. In 2003, there was a cease-fire and then the operations were resumed.” He warned of an explosion of violence in Gaza if Israel rejected the truce.
---- [commentary on this at http://www.yourish.com/2008/04/27/4730 ]
Saturday, April 26, 2008
Israel's UN Ambassador: Internal improvements for Jewish communities in WB are necessary, not obstacle to peace.
The Palestinian line, which is picked up again today in the DM Register (p. 2A) is that "the biggest obstacle [to peace] is Israel's continued expansion of Jewish settlements ..."
When was the last time you've seen the media give Israel's side of the story?
According to Israel's UN ambassador Dan Gillerman:
DAN GILLERMAN: Israel has no policy of expanding or building new settlements. Israel is only doing what is absolutely necessary to accommodate the people who are already living there.
And I really do not believe that settlements, which has become sort of a coined word, is the obstacle. The real obstacle to peace is the extremism and fundamentalism of Hamas. The real obstacle to peace is terrorism.
As long as the Palestinians are set on killing and maiming Israeli civilians, babies and children, shelling our cities and our villages with rockets indiscriminately, there will be no peace. And if Saeb Erekat mentioned the road map, the first obligation under the road map is for the Palestinians to cease terror. That is the first obligation and the main obstacle.
And, therefore, you know, settlements, occupation, you know, we have Gaza as a model. Israel was in Gaza for many, many years. Israel left Gaza over two years ago, every single grain of sand, every inch of Gaza. The Palestinians then had two choices, one, to turn it into a place where their people would live well and improve their quality of life and standard of living, or make it into a launching pad for missiles to Israel and a terror base.
Sadly, tragically, not just for us, but for them, they chose the latter. There isn't a single Israeli in Gaza. There were, indeed, Israeli settlements in Gaza. They were totally removed. And we're still experiencing terror.
It's terror which is the impediment and the obstacle to peace, not settlements.
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[From Gillerman's interview, along with Palestinian spokesman Saeb Erekat, on the PBS News Hour. A transcript of the program is available at http://www.pbs.org/newshour/bb/middle_east/jan-june08/peace_04-24.html ]
The Palestinian line, which is picked up again today in the DM Register (p. 2A) is that "the biggest obstacle [to peace] is Israel's continued expansion of Jewish settlements ..."
When was the last time you've seen the media give Israel's side of the story?
According to Israel's UN ambassador Dan Gillerman:
DAN GILLERMAN: Israel has no policy of expanding or building new settlements. Israel is only doing what is absolutely necessary to accommodate the people who are already living there.
And I really do not believe that settlements, which has become sort of a coined word, is the obstacle. The real obstacle to peace is the extremism and fundamentalism of Hamas. The real obstacle to peace is terrorism.
As long as the Palestinians are set on killing and maiming Israeli civilians, babies and children, shelling our cities and our villages with rockets indiscriminately, there will be no peace. And if Saeb Erekat mentioned the road map, the first obligation under the road map is for the Palestinians to cease terror. That is the first obligation and the main obstacle.
And, therefore, you know, settlements, occupation, you know, we have Gaza as a model. Israel was in Gaza for many, many years. Israel left Gaza over two years ago, every single grain of sand, every inch of Gaza. The Palestinians then had two choices, one, to turn it into a place where their people would live well and improve their quality of life and standard of living, or make it into a launching pad for missiles to Israel and a terror base.
Sadly, tragically, not just for us, but for them, they chose the latter. There isn't a single Israeli in Gaza. There were, indeed, Israeli settlements in Gaza. They were totally removed. And we're still experiencing terror.
It's terror which is the impediment and the obstacle to peace, not settlements.
-------------------------
[From Gillerman's interview, along with Palestinian spokesman Saeb Erekat, on the PBS News Hour. A transcript of the program is available at http://www.pbs.org/newshour/bb/middle_east/jan-june08/peace_04-24.html ]
Friday, April 25, 2008
Palestinian headline [from Ma'an] Brigades claim killing of two Israeli guards in Tulkarem industrial zone Date: 25 / 04 / 2008
Translation: 5 Palestinian terroirst groups claim killing two Israeli guards in Israeli city near the West Bank
Ma'an report -[Palestinian source] Five Palestinian resistance factions have claimed responsibility for shooting dead two Israeli security guards in the Tulkarem industrial zone on Friday. Fatah's Al-Aqsa Brigades say they carried out the attack in co-ordination with the relatively unknown Al-Awda wa Nidal Brigades and the Ahrar Al-Muthalith Brigades, who are based inside Israel.
A spokesperson telephoned Ma'an and said that three of their members targeted Israeli the security guards, using only one gun. They then escaped."The operation was two weeks in the planning and so the brigades rejected the ceasefire talks with Israel by Hamas and other factions," the spokesperson said.
The military wing of Islamic Jihad, the Al-Quds brigades and the Al-Qassam Brigades the military wing of Hamas, also claimed responsibility for the operation in Tulkarem. They sent a joint statement to Ma'an giving details of the operation -
"At 5.15 am at dawn on Friday one of the resistance fighters was able to reach get into the location disguised as a woman. He went from near Tulkarem to the region of Nitzanei Shalom, which is the industrial zone located between the territory of Tulkarem and the lands of 1948. He then changed into a worker's uniform and went to the area at 7.17 am at the same time as Palestinian workers enter the factories. The Palestinian youth that shot the guards was slightly injured but managed to escape safely." The two Israeli guards were shot dead in the Nitzanei Shalom industrial zone near the West Bank city of Tulkarem on Friday morning.
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(h/t: Israellycool.com, who comments "Coming soon: palestinian complaining about checkpoints and their inability to work inside Israel."
The above source quotes the Jerusalem Post description of Nitzanei Shalom, the Israeli city:
The Nitzane Shalom complex was built in 1995. It houses nine factories that provide jobs to many Palestinians from the West Bank.
Translation: 5 Palestinian terroirst groups claim killing two Israeli guards in Israeli city near the West Bank
Ma'an report -[Palestinian source] Five Palestinian resistance factions have claimed responsibility for shooting dead two Israeli security guards in the Tulkarem industrial zone on Friday. Fatah's Al-Aqsa Brigades say they carried out the attack in co-ordination with the relatively unknown Al-Awda wa Nidal Brigades and the Ahrar Al-Muthalith Brigades, who are based inside Israel.
A spokesperson telephoned Ma'an and said that three of their members targeted Israeli the security guards, using only one gun. They then escaped."The operation was two weeks in the planning and so the brigades rejected the ceasefire talks with Israel by Hamas and other factions," the spokesperson said.
The military wing of Islamic Jihad, the Al-Quds brigades and the Al-Qassam Brigades the military wing of Hamas, also claimed responsibility for the operation in Tulkarem. They sent a joint statement to Ma'an giving details of the operation -
"At 5.15 am at dawn on Friday one of the resistance fighters was able to reach get into the location disguised as a woman. He went from near Tulkarem to the region of Nitzanei Shalom, which is the industrial zone located between the territory of Tulkarem and the lands of 1948. He then changed into a worker's uniform and went to the area at 7.17 am at the same time as Palestinian workers enter the factories. The Palestinian youth that shot the guards was slightly injured but managed to escape safely." The two Israeli guards were shot dead in the Nitzanei Shalom industrial zone near the West Bank city of Tulkarem on Friday morning.
-------
(h/t: Israellycool.com, who comments "Coming soon: palestinian complaining about checkpoints and their inability to work inside Israel."
The above source quotes the Jerusalem Post description of Nitzanei Shalom, the Israeli city:
The Nitzane Shalom complex was built in 1995. It houses nine factories that provide jobs to many Palestinians from the West Bank.
Thursday, April 24, 2008
Envoys from US, UK, France, Costa Rica and Belgium walk out of UN Security Council meeting, Wednesday, after Libya compares situation in Gaza worse than Nazi concentration camps.
Excerpts from (AP) — .... The remarks led the United States, Britain, France and others to walk out, a rare protest by members of the U.N.'s most powerful body against one of their own members.
U.S. deputy ambassador Alejandro Wolff said: "The Libyan delegate is being tendentious, selective, historically incorrect and making morally outrageous comments, and that's why I walked out."
"Libya is a very pertinent example of what happens when you let terrorists infiltrate the Security Council," [said Israel's UN Ambassador Dan ]Gillerman .
Hamas offers 6 month 'period of quiet' with caveats
[Ha'aretz] Hamas' Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh said Wednesday that Hamas [will offer a 6 month 'period of quiet' if Israel lifts its blockade, etc.] [No mention of stopping smuggling of weapons...]
[Haniyeh also said that Hamas] is prepared to offer Israel a long-term cease-fire, or hudna, in return for an Israeli withdrawal to the 1967 lines, a Palestinian state with Jerusalem as its capital, and right of return for refugees - without recognizing Israel. [Israel will not agree to letting Palestinian refugees flood Israel.]
Israel's UN ambassador: Truce would give Hamas chance to regroup
04.25.08,
"We don't think Hamas is trustworthy. Whenever they offer a truce, it is because we have been able to hit them where it really hurts and they then need time in order to regroup, in order to re-arm and be ready for the next round," Israeli Ambassador Dan Gillerman told reporters in New York.
"We do not intend to give them that time and we do not believe any truce offer that comes from Hamas is indeed trustworthy," he said. (AP)
Excerpts from (AP) — .... The remarks led the United States, Britain, France and others to walk out, a rare protest by members of the U.N.'s most powerful body against one of their own members.
U.S. deputy ambassador Alejandro Wolff said: "The Libyan delegate is being tendentious, selective, historically incorrect and making morally outrageous comments, and that's why I walked out."
"Libya is a very pertinent example of what happens when you let terrorists infiltrate the Security Council," [said Israel's UN Ambassador Dan ]Gillerman .
Hamas offers 6 month 'period of quiet' with caveats
[Ha'aretz] Hamas' Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh said Wednesday that Hamas [will offer a 6 month 'period of quiet' if Israel lifts its blockade, etc.] [No mention of stopping smuggling of weapons...]
[Haniyeh also said that Hamas] is prepared to offer Israel a long-term cease-fire, or hudna, in return for an Israeli withdrawal to the 1967 lines, a Palestinian state with Jerusalem as its capital, and right of return for refugees - without recognizing Israel. [Israel will not agree to letting Palestinian refugees flood Israel.]
Israel's UN ambassador: Truce would give Hamas chance to regroup
04.25.08,
"We don't think Hamas is trustworthy. Whenever they offer a truce, it is because we have been able to hit them where it really hurts and they then need time in order to regroup, in order to re-arm and be ready for the next round," Israeli Ambassador Dan Gillerman told reporters in New York.
"We do not intend to give them that time and we do not believe any truce offer that comes from Hamas is indeed trustworthy," he said. (AP)
Monday, April 21, 2008
1. Sunday: Hamas spokesman: No referendums on peace with Israel
Hamas spokesman Sami Abu-Zuhri on Sunday rejected an Egyptian plan for a cease-fire agreement with Israel, Al Jazeera reported. ... Egypt's plan ...[is] to put a peace agreement, if reached this year, to a Palestinian public vote.
"The idea of a referendum on any agreement signed with the occupying [Israeli authorities] is rejected by the Hamas movement," Sami Abu Zuhri was quoted by the Qatar-based television network as saying. "No poll on the basic rights [of Palestinian people]. Is it possible for us to carry out a poll on al-Quds [Jerusalem] if such an agreement affects our rights in al-Quds?" he asked. [from Haaretz]
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2. Carter: Hamas Willing to Accept Peace Deal With Israel If Approved by Palestinian Vote
By VOA News 21 April 2008
Jimmy Carter in JerusalemFormer U.S. President Jimmy Carter says the leaders of the Palestinian militant group Hamas have told him they will accept a peace agreement with Israel, if one is approved in a Palestinian referendum.
Hamas spokesman Sami Abu-Zuhri on Sunday rejected an Egyptian plan for a cease-fire agreement with Israel, Al Jazeera reported. ... Egypt's plan ...[is] to put a peace agreement, if reached this year, to a Palestinian public vote.
"The idea of a referendum on any agreement signed with the occupying [Israeli authorities] is rejected by the Hamas movement," Sami Abu Zuhri was quoted by the Qatar-based television network as saying. "No poll on the basic rights [of Palestinian people]. Is it possible for us to carry out a poll on al-Quds [Jerusalem] if such an agreement affects our rights in al-Quds?" he asked. [from Haaretz]
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2. Carter: Hamas Willing to Accept Peace Deal With Israel If Approved by Palestinian Vote
By VOA News 21 April 2008
Jimmy Carter in JerusalemFormer U.S. President Jimmy Carter says the leaders of the Palestinian militant group Hamas have told him they will accept a peace agreement with Israel, if one is approved in a Palestinian referendum.
Saturday, April 19, 2008
Multi-phase Hamas attack at Gaza crossing deemed 'worst since pullout'
[Jpost.com] Two IDF soldiers were moderately wounded and 11 others were lightly wounded Saturday morning at the Kerem Shalom crossing in the southern Gaza Strip, when Hamas gunmen initiated a coordinated attack on the Israeli side of the crossing, which included heavy gunfire, mortar shell barrages and two car bombs.
The attack began close to 7 a.m. when two vehicles arrived at the crossing under the cover of heavy fog and one of them detonated near army forces, wounding the 13 soldiers. The second booby-trapped car was spotted by troops after the initial explosion and did not go off, the army said.
Immediately afterwards, an armored car - which may have once belonged to Fatah security forces - arrived at the scene, and its occupants began firing at the soldiers, backed by heavy mortar shell barrages.
Four gunmen, including the driver of the car bomb, were believed to have been killed in the explosion and the exchanges of fire that ensued. Forces then entered Gaza in order to search for remaining members of the cell.
'Most ambitious attack since pullout'
Meanwhile, another armored vehicle was identified approaching the Kissufim crossing, north of Kerem Shalom. An IDF tank fired at the vehicle and hit it, apparently preventing a second attack.
Hamas later released a farewell video of four attackers. Hamas also organized two protests by women and children near two other Gaza crossings
[Jpost.com] Two IDF soldiers were moderately wounded and 11 others were lightly wounded Saturday morning at the Kerem Shalom crossing in the southern Gaza Strip, when Hamas gunmen initiated a coordinated attack on the Israeli side of the crossing, which included heavy gunfire, mortar shell barrages and two car bombs.
The attack began close to 7 a.m. when two vehicles arrived at the crossing under the cover of heavy fog and one of them detonated near army forces, wounding the 13 soldiers. The second booby-trapped car was spotted by troops after the initial explosion and did not go off, the army said.
Immediately afterwards, an armored car - which may have once belonged to Fatah security forces - arrived at the scene, and its occupants began firing at the soldiers, backed by heavy mortar shell barrages.
Four gunmen, including the driver of the car bomb, were believed to have been killed in the explosion and the exchanges of fire that ensued. Forces then entered Gaza in order to search for remaining members of the cell.
'Most ambitious attack since pullout'
Meanwhile, another armored vehicle was identified approaching the Kissufim crossing, north of Kerem Shalom. An IDF tank fired at the vehicle and hit it, apparently preventing a second attack.
Hamas later released a farewell video of four attackers. Hamas also organized two protests by women and children near two other Gaza crossings
Friday, April 18, 2008
Conspirator with Palestinian terrorist organization, Sami al-Arian, on hunger strike, held in U.S. on third contempt charge. His advocates consider him a political prisoner.
The NY Times has an article on this. In brief, as explained by anti-terrorist investigator Steven Emerson, al-Arian plead guilty to raising funds for Palestine Islamic Jihad and served his sentence after which he was to be deported. However, the Justice Department has subpoenaed him, for a third time, requiring him to testify in the on-going terrorism investigation. He has refused to testify, for the third time, is being held in contempt, and is on a hunger strike. Al-Arian's supporters want the government to abide by the plea agreement and just deport him.
Read Emerson's take on this, including his criticism of the NYTimes coverage.
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Is it cease fire yet? Palestinians Fire Ten Rockets at Israel Thursday. 7 missiles fired Friday.
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Jerusalem Post: Friction between US and Israel on settlements.
Caroline Glick: Why the boycott of Hamas is unsustainable
There is no substantive report, yet, as to the meeting Jimmy Carter held today with Hamas in Syria.
The NY Times has an article on this. In brief, as explained by anti-terrorist investigator Steven Emerson, al-Arian plead guilty to raising funds for Palestine Islamic Jihad and served his sentence after which he was to be deported. However, the Justice Department has subpoenaed him, for a third time, requiring him to testify in the on-going terrorism investigation. He has refused to testify, for the third time, is being held in contempt, and is on a hunger strike. Al-Arian's supporters want the government to abide by the plea agreement and just deport him.
Read Emerson's take on this, including his criticism of the NYTimes coverage.
---------------
Is it cease fire yet? Palestinians Fire Ten Rockets at Israel Thursday. 7 missiles fired Friday.
-------------------
Jerusalem Post: Friction between US and Israel on settlements.
Caroline Glick: Why the boycott of Hamas is unsustainable
There is no substantive report, yet, as to the meeting Jimmy Carter held today with Hamas in Syria.
Wednesday, April 16, 2008
In two Israeli air strikes, 13 Palestinians killed in central Gaza after three Israeli soldiers die in clashes with Hamas raiders April 16, 2008, [Debka.com]
The terrorist stronghold of al Bureij was targeted after a Palestinian force spearheaded by Hamas crossed the border and clashed with Israeli troops in the Kibbutz Beeri sector early Wednesday, April 16. [Also... multiple Qassams were launched today from Gaza into the Western Negev.]
MEMRI TV: Hamas Spokesman in Gaza Ismail Radhwan: President Carter's Visit Reflects Recognition that Hamas Cannot Be Ignored Says: Hamas benefits.
Interview: Why former Mossad chief favors talks with Hamas
The terrorist stronghold of al Bureij was targeted after a Palestinian force spearheaded by Hamas crossed the border and clashed with Israeli troops in the Kibbutz Beeri sector early Wednesday, April 16. [Also... multiple Qassams were launched today from Gaza into the Western Negev.]
MEMRI TV: Hamas Spokesman in Gaza Ismail Radhwan: President Carter's Visit Reflects Recognition that Hamas Cannot Be Ignored Says: Hamas benefits.
Interview: Why former Mossad chief favors talks with Hamas
Tuesday, April 15, 2008
Carter: Arafat fought for just causes
Former US president visits Ramallah gravesite of deceased Palestinian leader, embraces senior Hamas official. Israel dodging implementation of Annapolis agreements, he says. http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3532211,00.html See also: Jimmy's World (WSJ)
Livni speaks at Qatar conference
Qatar has low-level trade relations with Israel, but no formal diplomatic ties [AFP]
Israel's foreign minister has become the most senior Israeli official to visit the Gulf state of Qatar, speaking at Doha's annual democracy forum.
Tzipi Livini said at the conference on Monday that Arabs need not wait for Israel to reach an agreement with the Palestinians before normalising diplomatic ties. She said that both Arabs and Israelis were "members of the same camp", facing threats from groups such as Hezbollah and Hamas. She also said she hoped "other Arab states will follow the example of Qatar" in maintaining ties with Israel.
Sheikh Hamad bin Jassem said talks with Livni would focus on ways of calming the situation in the Gaza Strip. "This, of course, will be our main preoccupation and the main issue we will discuss with Livni," he said. "But I don't want to put this in the context of a mediation," he said, when asked if Livni's presence meant that Qatar was trying to mediate between Israel and Hamas.
While in Doha, Livni also held a meeting with Yusef bin Alawi bin Abdullah, her Omani counterpart, to give him "an update on the negotiations with the Palestinians", according to an aide. The Israeli foreign ministry said that Livni's meeting with Oman's top diplomat was their first public encounter. Contacts between the Gulf and Israel do happen, but are uncommon at such a high level and in such a public forum. On the other hand, Doha has good diplomatic relations with Tehran. http://mwcnews.net/content/view/21706/0/
Morris: It was always Jihad.
In his new book, 1948: A History of the First Arab-Israeli War, historian Benny Morris insists that the religious dimension of Arab opposition to Jewish sovereignty, the rejection of Israel as an "infidel" and "alien" presence, was overwhelming from the earliest days of the struggle for statehood. Many, if not most, in the Arab world, he writes, viewed the war against Israel's establishment as a holy war.
Former US president visits Ramallah gravesite of deceased Palestinian leader, embraces senior Hamas official. Israel dodging implementation of Annapolis agreements, he says. http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3532211,00.html See also: Jimmy's World (WSJ)
Livni speaks at Qatar conference
Qatar has low-level trade relations with Israel, but no formal diplomatic ties [AFP]
Israel's foreign minister has become the most senior Israeli official to visit the Gulf state of Qatar, speaking at Doha's annual democracy forum.
Tzipi Livini said at the conference on Monday that Arabs need not wait for Israel to reach an agreement with the Palestinians before normalising diplomatic ties. She said that both Arabs and Israelis were "members of the same camp", facing threats from groups such as Hezbollah and Hamas. She also said she hoped "other Arab states will follow the example of Qatar" in maintaining ties with Israel.
Sheikh Hamad bin Jassem said talks with Livni would focus on ways of calming the situation in the Gaza Strip. "This, of course, will be our main preoccupation and the main issue we will discuss with Livni," he said. "But I don't want to put this in the context of a mediation," he said, when asked if Livni's presence meant that Qatar was trying to mediate between Israel and Hamas.
While in Doha, Livni also held a meeting with Yusef bin Alawi bin Abdullah, her Omani counterpart, to give him "an update on the negotiations with the Palestinians", according to an aide. The Israeli foreign ministry said that Livni's meeting with Oman's top diplomat was their first public encounter. Contacts between the Gulf and Israel do happen, but are uncommon at such a high level and in such a public forum. On the other hand, Doha has good diplomatic relations with Tehran. http://mwcnews.net/content/view/21706/0/
Morris: It was always Jihad.
In his new book, 1948: A History of the First Arab-Israeli War, historian Benny Morris insists that the religious dimension of Arab opposition to Jewish sovereignty, the rejection of Israel as an "infidel" and "alien" presence, was overwhelming from the earliest days of the struggle for statehood. Many, if not most, in the Arab world, he writes, viewed the war against Israel's establishment as a holy war.
Monday, April 14, 2008
Livni in Qatar: Gaza an obstacle to Palestinian state [ynetnews.com by Roni Sofer]
Foreign affairs minister confronts 'apartheid' claim made by Israeli Arab MK at Doha Forum: 'The fact that you are the Knesset deputy speaker is proof we are a democracy.'
Hamas-ruled Gaza Strip not Israel's problem, she says, but rather an impediment to Palestinian efforts to secure nation
"The greatest conflict today is between the moderates and the extremists. This is the challenge faced by the entire region. Gaza is not Israel's problem, Gaza is an obstacle to the establishment of a Palestinian state," said Foreign Affairs Minister Tzipi Livni on Monday in her address before the 'Doha Forum' in Qatar.
"We must abandon the outdated perception that the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is the root-cause of extremism and understand that our ability to resolve the conflict depends on the ability of extremists to prevent us from doing so."
But the keynote speech was not without incident.
Israeli MK Ahmad Tibi (United Arab List – Ta'al), who also attended the conference, asked Livni during the subsequent Q&A session how she could talk of democracy when referring to a Jewish nation. "Israel is an apartheid state," he charged.
Livni fielded the question from the podium and answered Tibi: "The very fact that you are an Israeli Knesset member, that you are the deputy speaker of the Knesset as a matter of fact, who represents 20% of Israel's population, that you are here and that you can say anything you please – that is the proof that Israel is a democratic nation."
Livni with Qatari PM Sheikh Hamad bin Jassim Bin Jaber Al Thani (Photo: AP)
Prior to leaving for Qatar, Livni's aides said that the foreign affairs minister would raise the matter of Israel's kidnapped soldiers at the forum, which annually draws the participation of the world's senior Arab leaders.
In her speech on Monday Livni slammed the ongoing captivity of the three Israeli soldiers, saying that they were being held without cause and that their captors had yet to provide any proof of life or permit the Red Cross to visit them.
"I seek now to use this opportunity to call for their release. This is a matter of human rights, not politics," she said.
Defending Annapolis
Livni further said in her speech that democracies must retain the right to defend themselves. "That is true for Lebanon as it is true for the Palestinian Authority, where the democratic process was disturbed. In both cases the result is instability."
The minister noted that her participation as a representative of the Israeli government is intended to strengthen Jerusalem's ties to the Arab world. "Our hands are outstretched to our friends in the region. The path to peaceful relations, like the path to democracy, begins with dialogue, with a mutual recognition of each other and with the free exchange of ideas."
Livni said that democratic elections should be encouraged throughout the Middle East, but stressed that the prerequisite to this must be "a decision between terror or politics, but not political terror."
The minister defended the peace process agreed on in Annapolis and based on the US-led Road Map: "Talks are continuing with pragmatic elements within the Palestinian Authority, those who recognize Israel's right to exist and who seek to realize their national rights through peaceful means and not terror tactics. With partners like these the two-state solution can be realized and peace can be achieved."
Foreign affairs minister confronts 'apartheid' claim made by Israeli Arab MK at Doha Forum: 'The fact that you are the Knesset deputy speaker is proof we are a democracy.'
Hamas-ruled Gaza Strip not Israel's problem, she says, but rather an impediment to Palestinian efforts to secure nation
"The greatest conflict today is between the moderates and the extremists. This is the challenge faced by the entire region. Gaza is not Israel's problem, Gaza is an obstacle to the establishment of a Palestinian state," said Foreign Affairs Minister Tzipi Livni on Monday in her address before the 'Doha Forum' in Qatar.
"We must abandon the outdated perception that the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is the root-cause of extremism and understand that our ability to resolve the conflict depends on the ability of extremists to prevent us from doing so."
But the keynote speech was not without incident.
Israeli MK Ahmad Tibi (United Arab List – Ta'al), who also attended the conference, asked Livni during the subsequent Q&A session how she could talk of democracy when referring to a Jewish nation. "Israel is an apartheid state," he charged.
Livni fielded the question from the podium and answered Tibi: "The very fact that you are an Israeli Knesset member, that you are the deputy speaker of the Knesset as a matter of fact, who represents 20% of Israel's population, that you are here and that you can say anything you please – that is the proof that Israel is a democratic nation."
Livni with Qatari PM Sheikh Hamad bin Jassim Bin Jaber Al Thani (Photo: AP)
Prior to leaving for Qatar, Livni's aides said that the foreign affairs minister would raise the matter of Israel's kidnapped soldiers at the forum, which annually draws the participation of the world's senior Arab leaders.
In her speech on Monday Livni slammed the ongoing captivity of the three Israeli soldiers, saying that they were being held without cause and that their captors had yet to provide any proof of life or permit the Red Cross to visit them.
"I seek now to use this opportunity to call for their release. This is a matter of human rights, not politics," she said.
Defending Annapolis
Livni further said in her speech that democracies must retain the right to defend themselves. "That is true for Lebanon as it is true for the Palestinian Authority, where the democratic process was disturbed. In both cases the result is instability."
The minister noted that her participation as a representative of the Israeli government is intended to strengthen Jerusalem's ties to the Arab world. "Our hands are outstretched to our friends in the region. The path to peaceful relations, like the path to democracy, begins with dialogue, with a mutual recognition of each other and with the free exchange of ideas."
Livni said that democratic elections should be encouraged throughout the Middle East, but stressed that the prerequisite to this must be "a decision between terror or politics, but not political terror."
The minister defended the peace process agreed on in Annapolis and based on the US-led Road Map: "Talks are continuing with pragmatic elements within the Palestinian Authority, those who recognize Israel's right to exist and who seek to realize their national rights through peaceful means and not terror tactics. With partners like these the two-state solution can be realized and peace can be achieved."
Sunday, April 13, 2008
Questions of definition (aggregated from fresnozionism.org)
Sometimes it’s hard to talk to someone when you each have different understandings of the words you must use. For example, here are some questions about definitions of terms, put to an Israeli and an Arab:
Q: What is “the occupation”?
Israeli: The legal military occupation of the West Bank, which began in 1967 as the result of a defensive war, and which would end if the Arabs would agree to make peace.
Arab: The illegal Zionist entity in land between the Jordan and the Mediterranean, which began in 1948.
Q: What is a “two-state solution”?
I: The Jewish state of Israel living peacefully alongside an Arab Palestinian state.
A: An Arab Palestinian state next to a “bi-national” state with an Arab majority.
Q: What are “equal rights” for Arab and Jewish citizens of Israel?
I: No discrimination in matters of resource allocation, housing, education, health care, employment, etc.
A: The replacement of the Jewish state with a “state of its citizens”, replacement of the flag and national anthem, a veto power on all governmental decisions by the Arab minority, repeal of the Law of Return for Jews, passage of a Law of Return for Palestinian refugees.
Q: What is “firing rockets from Gaza into Israel”?
I: Terrorism, murder.
A: Legitimate resistance to occupation.
Q: Who was “Yasser Arafat”?
I: A terrorist, a murderer, a man who started at least three wars, who caused the deaths of thousands in Israel, Lebanon, Jordan, etc., a liar and thief who stole billions in funds intended to improve the lot of Palestinians, the man who prevented the establishment of a Palestinian state.
A: The father of the Palestinian nation.
Media Coverage
AP picture: A Palestinian demonstrator uses a sling-shot to hurl a stone. http://news.yahoo.com/nphotos/Mideast-Conflict-Israel-Ramallah-West-Bank-village/ss/events/wl/080601mideast/im:/080411/481/42100ed778e34fa3bb731d2d90897dbb/
(hat tip/ Israellycool.com) Take a look at the size of the "stone"
------------
From Friday sermon http://www.memritv.org/clip_transcript/en/1739.htm [MEMRI]
Following are excerpts from an address by Hamas MP and cleric Yunis Al-Astal, which aired on Al-Aqsa TV on April 11, 2008.
"Very soon, Allah willing, Rome will be conquered, just like Constantinople was, as was prophesized by our Prophet Muhammad. Today, Rome is the capital of the Catholics, or the Crusader capital, which has declared its hostility to Islam, and has planted the brothers of apes and pigs in Palestine in order to prevent the reawakening of Islam – this capital of theirs will be an advanced post for the Islamic conquests, which will spread through Europe in its entirety, and then will turn to the two Americas, and even Eastern Europe."
You know who "the brothers of apes and pigs" are, don't you?
Sometimes it’s hard to talk to someone when you each have different understandings of the words you must use. For example, here are some questions about definitions of terms, put to an Israeli and an Arab:
Q: What is “the occupation”?
Israeli: The legal military occupation of the West Bank, which began in 1967 as the result of a defensive war, and which would end if the Arabs would agree to make peace.
Arab: The illegal Zionist entity in land between the Jordan and the Mediterranean, which began in 1948.
Q: What is a “two-state solution”?
I: The Jewish state of Israel living peacefully alongside an Arab Palestinian state.
A: An Arab Palestinian state next to a “bi-national” state with an Arab majority.
Q: What are “equal rights” for Arab and Jewish citizens of Israel?
I: No discrimination in matters of resource allocation, housing, education, health care, employment, etc.
A: The replacement of the Jewish state with a “state of its citizens”, replacement of the flag and national anthem, a veto power on all governmental decisions by the Arab minority, repeal of the Law of Return for Jews, passage of a Law of Return for Palestinian refugees.
Q: What is “firing rockets from Gaza into Israel”?
I: Terrorism, murder.
A: Legitimate resistance to occupation.
Q: Who was “Yasser Arafat”?
I: A terrorist, a murderer, a man who started at least three wars, who caused the deaths of thousands in Israel, Lebanon, Jordan, etc., a liar and thief who stole billions in funds intended to improve the lot of Palestinians, the man who prevented the establishment of a Palestinian state.
A: The father of the Palestinian nation.
Media Coverage
AP picture: A Palestinian demonstrator uses a sling-shot to hurl a stone. http://news.yahoo.com/nphotos/Mideast-Conflict-Israel-Ramallah-West-Bank-village/ss/events/wl/080601mideast/im:/080411/481/42100ed778e34fa3bb731d2d90897dbb/
(hat tip/ Israellycool.com) Take a look at the size of the "stone"
------------
From Friday sermon http://www.memritv.org/clip_transcript/en/1739.htm [MEMRI]
Following are excerpts from an address by Hamas MP and cleric Yunis Al-Astal, which aired on Al-Aqsa TV on April 11, 2008.
"Very soon, Allah willing, Rome will be conquered, just like Constantinople was, as was prophesized by our Prophet Muhammad. Today, Rome is the capital of the Catholics, or the Crusader capital, which has declared its hostility to Islam, and has planted the brothers of apes and pigs in Palestine in order to prevent the reawakening of Islam – this capital of theirs will be an advanced post for the Islamic conquests, which will spread through Europe in its entirety, and then will turn to the two Americas, and even Eastern Europe."
You know who "the brothers of apes and pigs" are, don't you?
Friday, April 11, 2008
CAMERA: What "disputed territory" means
http://camera.org/index.asp?x_context=2&x_outlet=54&x_article=1479
"Despite being willing to compromise, and certainly until a compromise is reached, Israel still feels it has a valid claim to the West Bank. Only when both sides reach an agreement, and the agreement is carried out, will a (currently undetermined) portion of the West Bank become officially "Palestinian."
The idea that previous peace proposals justify labeling the West Bank "Palestinian" is flawed..."
http://elderofziyon.blogspot.com/2008/04/lessons-from-1936-olympics.html
Why don't others 'get it?' Aspects of self-interest, says Elder of Zion
Would you let your kids play in traffic? http://news.yahoo.com/nphotos/Mideast-Conflict/ss/events/wl/080601mideast/im:/080410/photos_wl_afp/10e5c73e2b0e3a15880503030c3c8e58/
http://camera.org/index.asp?x_context=2&x_outlet=54&x_article=1479
"Despite being willing to compromise, and certainly until a compromise is reached, Israel still feels it has a valid claim to the West Bank. Only when both sides reach an agreement, and the agreement is carried out, will a (currently undetermined) portion of the West Bank become officially "Palestinian."
The idea that previous peace proposals justify labeling the West Bank "Palestinian" is flawed..."
http://elderofziyon.blogspot.com/2008/04/lessons-from-1936-olympics.html
Why don't others 'get it?' Aspects of self-interest, says Elder of Zion
"Today, much of the lukewarm reaction by Europe towards Iranian genocidal speech (”only against Zionists, not Jews”), obvious nuclear ambitions (”for peaceful nuclear power”) and long-range ballistic missile development (”for an Iranian space program”) is powered by the same desire to overlook clear lies for short-term self-interest. [Fear of becoming a target for terrorists and potential loss of economic trade.]
Would you let your kids play in traffic? http://news.yahoo.com/nphotos/Mideast-Conflict/ss/events/wl/080601mideast/im:/080410/photos_wl_afp/10e5c73e2b0e3a15880503030c3c8e58/
Thursday, April 10, 2008
What of Hamas?
As embedded in a new study about what Muslims believe, there seems to be dissatisfaction among Muslims worldwide that the US and Israel treat Hamas with such disdain. http://africa.reuters.com/wire/news/usnL07688520.html
"While admiring Western values, many Muslims feel they are not respected by the West and that the values the West espouses, such as democracy, are only given lip service when it comes to applying them in the Muslim world.
A recent example was the 2006 election in the Palestinian territories, which the Islamist movement Hamas won in a free and fair poll. The United States and Israel have since done much to ignore the result and try to push Hamas out of office."
comment: There are some folks who would not like to ignore Hamas. (1) the IDF; (2) Jimmy Carter.
US government criticizes Carter meeting with Hamas 04.10.08, ynetnews.com
The US State Department said on Thursday it had advised ex-President Jimmy Carter against meeting the leader of Hamas in Syria next week, saying it went against US policy of isolating the militant group.
"We have counseled the former president about having such a meeting," said State Department spokesman Sean McCormack, adding the advice was not to go ahead with such talks. "US government policy is that Hamas is a terrorist organization and we don't believe it is in the interests of our policy or in the interests of peace to have such a meeting," he told reporters when asked about Carter's plans. (Reuters)
The Trouble with Talking to Hamas - Lee Smith (Power Line)
Next week Jimmy Carter is headed to Damascus to speak with Hamas leader Khaled Meshaal.
Meshaal is not a Hamas "hardliner" ostensibly at odds with more "moderate" Hamas figures; rather he is the man who calls the shots. This is why chief of Egyptian military intelligence Omar Suleiman dealt primarily with Meshaal during the Gaza breakout in February, and not Ismail Haniyeh. In Damascus, Meshaal gets his marching orders from Tehran, which means that the former American president, during whose tenure the U.S. lost a pillar of its Persian Gulf security strategy to the Khomeinist revolution, will effectively be talking to a representative of the Islamic Republic of Iran.
One of the goals of the Iranian revolution is to overthrow the established order by routing the U.S. and driving it from the region. In the Persian Gulf, Iran is bullying Washington's Sunni allies and, as Gen. Petraeus' Senate testimony made plain, waging open war against the U.S. in Iraq. In the Eastern Mediterranean it is fighting U.S. allies in Lebanon and Israel and threatening Egypt.
Egypt's alliance with the U.S. is the fruit of the 1978 Camp David accords, and the peace treaty between Israel and Egypt is the one foreign policy achievement the Carter White House can point to with pride. The Iranian project is to put an end to all that, and this is what lay behind Hamas' breakout in Gaza, to force Cairo eventually into a situation that would lead to it breaking the treaty with Israel. Unfortunately, it is difficult not to conclude that Jimmy Carter is unaware that the man he will be sitting down with is plotting to turn his legacy into dust.
The writer is a visiting fellow at the Hudson Institute's Center for Future Security Strategies.
As embedded in a new study about what Muslims believe, there seems to be dissatisfaction among Muslims worldwide that the US and Israel treat Hamas with such disdain. http://africa.reuters.com/wire/news/usnL07688520.html
"While admiring Western values, many Muslims feel they are not respected by the West and that the values the West espouses, such as democracy, are only given lip service when it comes to applying them in the Muslim world.
A recent example was the 2006 election in the Palestinian territories, which the Islamist movement Hamas won in a free and fair poll. The United States and Israel have since done much to ignore the result and try to push Hamas out of office."
comment: There are some folks who would not like to ignore Hamas. (1) the IDF; (2) Jimmy Carter.
US government criticizes Carter meeting with Hamas 04.10.08, ynetnews.com
The US State Department said on Thursday it had advised ex-President Jimmy Carter against meeting the leader of Hamas in Syria next week, saying it went against US policy of isolating the militant group.
"We have counseled the former president about having such a meeting," said State Department spokesman Sean McCormack, adding the advice was not to go ahead with such talks. "US government policy is that Hamas is a terrorist organization and we don't believe it is in the interests of our policy or in the interests of peace to have such a meeting," he told reporters when asked about Carter's plans. (Reuters)
The Trouble with Talking to Hamas - Lee Smith (Power Line)
Next week Jimmy Carter is headed to Damascus to speak with Hamas leader Khaled Meshaal.
Meshaal is not a Hamas "hardliner" ostensibly at odds with more "moderate" Hamas figures; rather he is the man who calls the shots. This is why chief of Egyptian military intelligence Omar Suleiman dealt primarily with Meshaal during the Gaza breakout in February, and not Ismail Haniyeh. In Damascus, Meshaal gets his marching orders from Tehran, which means that the former American president, during whose tenure the U.S. lost a pillar of its Persian Gulf security strategy to the Khomeinist revolution, will effectively be talking to a representative of the Islamic Republic of Iran.
One of the goals of the Iranian revolution is to overthrow the established order by routing the U.S. and driving it from the region. In the Persian Gulf, Iran is bullying Washington's Sunni allies and, as Gen. Petraeus' Senate testimony made plain, waging open war against the U.S. in Iraq. In the Eastern Mediterranean it is fighting U.S. allies in Lebanon and Israel and threatening Egypt.
Egypt's alliance with the U.S. is the fruit of the 1978 Camp David accords, and the peace treaty between Israel and Egypt is the one foreign policy achievement the Carter White House can point to with pride. The Iranian project is to put an end to all that, and this is what lay behind Hamas' breakout in Gaza, to force Cairo eventually into a situation that would lead to it breaking the treaty with Israel. Unfortunately, it is difficult not to conclude that Jimmy Carter is unaware that the man he will be sitting down with is plotting to turn his legacy into dust.
The writer is a visiting fellow at the Hudson Institute's Center for Future Security Strategies.
Wednesday, April 9, 2008
Two Israelis killed as terrorists infiltrate Nahal OzAt least four Palestinian terrorists from the Gaza Strip infiltrate fuel terminal; one killed on the scene; air strike targets two more.
Attack on the Nahal Oz Crossing into Gaza(Communicated by the Foreign Ministry Spokesman)
Israel views the Hamas, who controls the Gaza Strip, as responsible for today's (Wednesday, April 9) terror attack on the Nahal Oz fuel crossing terminal. Hamas bears the responsibility for this attack, and will bear the consequences as well.
Today's attack proves yet again that the terrorists in Gaza not only attack Israelis, but also try to harm the civilian infrastructure that allows a normal way of life in the Gaza Strip. It is plain to see that the terrorists' goal is to kill as many Israelis as possible while also undermining any example of coexistence between Israelis and Palestinians, such as occurs at the crossing points between Israel and Gaza.
Israel transfers food, fuel, medicines, equipment and humanitarian supplies on a daily basis to the residents of the Gaza Strip. The terrorists who attacked the fuel terminal today are trying to harm this activity and thereby harm the lives and welfare of the residents of Gaza.
Attack on the Nahal Oz Crossing into Gaza(Communicated by the Foreign Ministry Spokesman)
Israel views the Hamas, who controls the Gaza Strip, as responsible for today's (Wednesday, April 9) terror attack on the Nahal Oz fuel crossing terminal. Hamas bears the responsibility for this attack, and will bear the consequences as well.
Today's attack proves yet again that the terrorists in Gaza not only attack Israelis, but also try to harm the civilian infrastructure that allows a normal way of life in the Gaza Strip. It is plain to see that the terrorists' goal is to kill as many Israelis as possible while also undermining any example of coexistence between Israelis and Palestinians, such as occurs at the crossing points between Israel and Gaza.
Israel transfers food, fuel, medicines, equipment and humanitarian supplies on a daily basis to the residents of the Gaza Strip. The terrorists who attacked the fuel terminal today are trying to harm this activity and thereby harm the lives and welfare of the residents of Gaza.
Tuesday, April 8, 2008
Hamas leader Mash'al to meet with Jimmy Carter in mid-April, Palestinian sources say Date: 08 / 04 / 2008
Bethlehem – Ma'an – A plan is coalescing to arrange a meeting between exiled senior Hamas leader Khalid Mash'al and former US President Jimmy Carter in Damascus on 18 April, Palestinian sources told the London-based Arabic newspaper Al-Hayat on Tuesday.According to Al-Hayat, Carter's aides will arrive in Syria soon to make arrangements for the meeting.If the meeting is held, Carter will become the highest-ranking American official ever to publicly meet with Hamas leaders. Hamas officials did meet with representatives of President Bill Clinton's administration in the 1990s.During the proposed meeting, Carter will be presented as the chair of the Carter Center, rather than as a former US president. A Hamas official said that that the meeting would show that Hamas is a power that can't be ignored in addressing the Palestinian question. [Hat tip/ israellycool.com]
Victims of April 1948 Hadassah massacre to be memorialized [aggregated from solomonia.com]
What, you've heard of Sabra and Shatila, Deir Yassin, but not this? It's just one of many such incidents...
A street will be named in memory of Dr. Haim Yassky, the director-general of the Hadassah Medical Organization who led an ill-fated supply convoy to Hadassah Hospital on Mount Scopus 60 years ago.
In April 1948, the medical convoy was attacked by Arabs and 80 people - 79 Jews and a British soldier - were killed. Memorial events will be held on Wednesday.
The massacre - announced by the Arab League and instigated and planned in part by the Grand Mufti Hajj Amin al-Husseini, aiming for the ethnic cleansing of the Jews of Jerusalem and Palestine - included ambushes, sniper fire and shelling, and was accompanied by a blockade of Jerusalem that resulted in near starvation, and invasion by armies of the Arab states.
In the convoy massacre, 80 people - mostly civilians, including doctors and nurses - were murdered while trying to bring medical supplies and personnel to Hadassah Hospital, which had been cut off. The massacre was a gross violation of international military conventions and human rights. According to documents in the hands of Hadassah, British mandatory personnel cooperated and participated in it. No one was ever prosecuted, and British collaborators were never investigated...
Iran Starts to Install 6,000 Advanced Centrifuges - President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said on Tuesday Iran had started to install 6,000 advanced centrifuges in its underground Natanz uranium enrichment facility. (Reuters)
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You can now register to receive postings fromJCRC's blog by e-mail directly from: jcommunitynews.blogspot.com
Bethlehem – Ma'an – A plan is coalescing to arrange a meeting between exiled senior Hamas leader Khalid Mash'al and former US President Jimmy Carter in Damascus on 18 April, Palestinian sources told the London-based Arabic newspaper Al-Hayat on Tuesday.According to Al-Hayat, Carter's aides will arrive in Syria soon to make arrangements for the meeting.If the meeting is held, Carter will become the highest-ranking American official ever to publicly meet with Hamas leaders. Hamas officials did meet with representatives of President Bill Clinton's administration in the 1990s.During the proposed meeting, Carter will be presented as the chair of the Carter Center, rather than as a former US president. A Hamas official said that that the meeting would show that Hamas is a power that can't be ignored in addressing the Palestinian question. [Hat tip/ israellycool.com]
Victims of April 1948 Hadassah massacre to be memorialized [aggregated from solomonia.com]
What, you've heard of Sabra and Shatila, Deir Yassin, but not this? It's just one of many such incidents...
A street will be named in memory of Dr. Haim Yassky, the director-general of the Hadassah Medical Organization who led an ill-fated supply convoy to Hadassah Hospital on Mount Scopus 60 years ago.
In April 1948, the medical convoy was attacked by Arabs and 80 people - 79 Jews and a British soldier - were killed. Memorial events will be held on Wednesday.
The massacre - announced by the Arab League and instigated and planned in part by the Grand Mufti Hajj Amin al-Husseini, aiming for the ethnic cleansing of the Jews of Jerusalem and Palestine - included ambushes, sniper fire and shelling, and was accompanied by a blockade of Jerusalem that resulted in near starvation, and invasion by armies of the Arab states.
In the convoy massacre, 80 people - mostly civilians, including doctors and nurses - were murdered while trying to bring medical supplies and personnel to Hadassah Hospital, which had been cut off. The massacre was a gross violation of international military conventions and human rights. According to documents in the hands of Hadassah, British mandatory personnel cooperated and participated in it. No one was ever prosecuted, and British collaborators were never investigated...
Iran Starts to Install 6,000 Advanced Centrifuges - President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said on Tuesday Iran had started to install 6,000 advanced centrifuges in its underground Natanz uranium enrichment facility. (Reuters)
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
You can now register to receive postings fromJCRC's blog by e-mail directly from: jcommunitynews.blogspot.com
Monday, April 7, 2008
Faith in Israel: John Deere buys Israeli company, Plastro
Avi Shauly / Globes - February 10, 2008
John Deere & Company has signed a contract to acquire Plastro Irrigation Systems Ltd. from Kibbutz Gvat at a company value of NIS 265 million. The kibbutz owns 75.1% of the company through Gvat Agriculture and Agricultural Cooperative Business Ltd. Under the initial agreement from July 2007, John Deere will extend a loan to Plastro. Plastro will use the loan to buy back all its securities held by the public and delist the company from the TASE. John Deere is paying NIS 13.60 per share for Plastro, which closed at NIS 12.92 on Thursday. John Deere has undertaken to keep Plastro open and employ Kibbutz Gvat members at the company for 15 years. Each kibbutz member will sign a personal job contract with John Deere. Kibbutz Gvat will cease receiving management fees for Plastro in exchange for an annual payment of $1.3 million over ten years for a non-competition agreement. (hat tip/ Allan Ross)
Residents of an Israeli-Arab village painted their mosque blue and white in honor of the Jewish state's 60th anniversary.
Breaking with many Israeli Arabs who have declared they will boycott next month's celebrations, residents of A-Taibe in the Gilboa region have painted the dome of their mosque in the national colors.
"We are citizens of the State of Israel," village elder Hisham Zouabi, explained to the daily newspaper Ma'ariv. "For us religion encourages us to bring nations together. The goal is simple: coexistence. A Jew who comes here should not feel that the place is hostile but like home."
A-Taibe has approximately 2,000 residents and reports excellent relations with nearby Jewish communities. (JTA)
--------
Olmert and Abbas met Menday afternoon. I'm looking for independent confirmation, however, if, as Debka.com speculates, Fatah and Hamas have reached an agreement, which would impact on how the PA will relate to negotiations with Israel. The report is at http://www.debka.com/headline.php?hid=5170
Hagee: We don't tell Israelis what to do Christian Zionist rebuffs Reform rabbi's criticism over statements urging retention of W. Bank territory.
Avi Shauly / Globes - February 10, 2008
John Deere & Company has signed a contract to acquire Plastro Irrigation Systems Ltd. from Kibbutz Gvat at a company value of NIS 265 million. The kibbutz owns 75.1% of the company through Gvat Agriculture and Agricultural Cooperative Business Ltd. Under the initial agreement from July 2007, John Deere will extend a loan to Plastro. Plastro will use the loan to buy back all its securities held by the public and delist the company from the TASE. John Deere is paying NIS 13.60 per share for Plastro, which closed at NIS 12.92 on Thursday. John Deere has undertaken to keep Plastro open and employ Kibbutz Gvat members at the company for 15 years. Each kibbutz member will sign a personal job contract with John Deere. Kibbutz Gvat will cease receiving management fees for Plastro in exchange for an annual payment of $1.3 million over ten years for a non-competition agreement. (hat tip/ Allan Ross)
Residents of an Israeli-Arab village painted their mosque blue and white in honor of the Jewish state's 60th anniversary.
Breaking with many Israeli Arabs who have declared they will boycott next month's celebrations, residents of A-Taibe in the Gilboa region have painted the dome of their mosque in the national colors.
"We are citizens of the State of Israel," village elder Hisham Zouabi, explained to the daily newspaper Ma'ariv. "For us religion encourages us to bring nations together. The goal is simple: coexistence. A Jew who comes here should not feel that the place is hostile but like home."
A-Taibe has approximately 2,000 residents and reports excellent relations with nearby Jewish communities. (JTA)
--------
Olmert and Abbas met Menday afternoon. I'm looking for independent confirmation, however, if, as Debka.com speculates, Fatah and Hamas have reached an agreement, which would impact on how the PA will relate to negotiations with Israel. The report is at http://www.debka.com/headline.php?hid=5170
Hagee: We don't tell Israelis what to do Christian Zionist rebuffs Reform rabbi's criticism over statements urging retention of W. Bank territory.
Wednesday, April 2, 2008
Perceptive blogger on the "Truce"
You can't beat Meryl Yourish for covering the matzav. Here's her synopsis for today:
Meanwhile, in more truce news Posted on April 2nd, 2008 at 7:00 am by Meryl Yourish.
Let’s take a look at how the “truce” is going, shall we?
Mortars: Check.
Two residents of the western Negev neighborhood of Netiv Ha’asara were lightly wounded Tuesday morning by mortar fire from the Gaza Strip. The two were taken to Barzilai Hospital in Ashkelon for further treatment. One of the shells hit a house that had been damaged by a previous mortar attack several months ago.
Earlier, five mortar shells fired from northern Gaza landed near the perimeter fence in the Kissufim area. There were no reports of wounded or damage.
Planning terror attacks: Check.
Meanwhile, the IDF announced that in a joint operation with the Shin Ben (Israel Security Agency) on February 25, Muhamad Kassem, a Hamas operative who was planning an attack on IDF soldiers, was arrested.
Firebombing Israeli civilians: Check.
An Israeli vehicle was damaged Tuesday night when it was struck by a Molotov cocktail thrown by Palestinians southwest of Bethlehem.
Fighting terrorists in Gaza: Check.
Two Hamas gunmen were killed Tuesday morning during exchanges of fire with IDF forces who conducted a pre-dawn raid near the Maghazi refugee camp in Gaza City, Palestinian sources reported.
An Israeli army spokeswoman said troops shot the two Palestinian militants, who were later identified as Abdullah el-Luch and Yehia Burak, as the army conducted a ground assault against what she called ‘terror infrastructure’ in the Hamas-controlled territory.
Anti-Israel stories from the AP: Check. Check. Check. Aaaand: Check.
AP stories covering the [bad stuff:] mortars, firebombings, shootings, and stabbings occurring during the “truce”: Zero.
Meanwhile, in more truce news Posted on April 2nd, 2008 at 7:00 am by Meryl Yourish.
Let’s take a look at how the “truce” is going, shall we?
Mortars: Check.
Two residents of the western Negev neighborhood of Netiv Ha’asara were lightly wounded Tuesday morning by mortar fire from the Gaza Strip. The two were taken to Barzilai Hospital in Ashkelon for further treatment. One of the shells hit a house that had been damaged by a previous mortar attack several months ago.
Earlier, five mortar shells fired from northern Gaza landed near the perimeter fence in the Kissufim area. There were no reports of wounded or damage.
Planning terror attacks: Check.
Meanwhile, the IDF announced that in a joint operation with the Shin Ben (Israel Security Agency) on February 25, Muhamad Kassem, a Hamas operative who was planning an attack on IDF soldiers, was arrested.
Firebombing Israeli civilians: Check.
An Israeli vehicle was damaged Tuesday night when it was struck by a Molotov cocktail thrown by Palestinians southwest of Bethlehem.
Fighting terrorists in Gaza: Check.
Two Hamas gunmen were killed Tuesday morning during exchanges of fire with IDF forces who conducted a pre-dawn raid near the Maghazi refugee camp in Gaza City, Palestinian sources reported.
An Israeli army spokeswoman said troops shot the two Palestinian militants, who were later identified as Abdullah el-Luch and Yehia Burak, as the army conducted a ground assault against what she called ‘terror infrastructure’ in the Hamas-controlled territory.
Anti-Israel stories from the AP: Check. Check. Check. Aaaand: Check.
AP stories covering the [bad stuff:] mortars, firebombings, shootings, and stabbings occurring during the “truce”: Zero.
Tuesday, April 1, 2008
A new dynamic?
Anti-Israel rhetoric of Sabeel questioned by some Jewish peace activists
From CAMERA.org
Sabeel Ecumenical Liberation Theology Center has proven particularly adept at enlisting American and Israeli Jews in its campaign to demonize Israel. ...There are signs, however, that some Jewish peace activists are starting to wonder about [Sabeel's] agenda and rhetoric.
For example, Rabbi Arthur Waskow, a long time critic of Israel who spoke at Old South Church in Boston on October 28, 2008, after the church hosted a controversial Sabeel event in its building. During his presentation, Rabbi Waskow challenged Sabeel’s support for the Palestinian right of return, which he explained would undermine Israel’s existence as a Jewish State – which, in other venues, Rev. Dr. Ateek has refused to accept.
Whether Sabeel understands it or not, that attacks the sense of Israelis and Jews elsewhere in the world of what it means to have a two-state solution altogether. As people have said, “What’s the point of having two Palestinian states alongside each other?
So, if there is to be a state which in fact has a special relationship to Jewish history and to the Jewish people and to an attempt to generate out of Jewish values what statehood means then it isn’t going to be a state flooded with and whose majority ends up being people who don’t share those values.
Rabbi Waskow then challenged Sabeel’s use of deicide imagery and called on Christians to do the same.
Then there's another aspect of Sabeel's view of the world which I think is even more scary to many, many, many Jews and that is something I understand very well coming out of a Christian view of liberation theology. I have both taught and met with and so on leaders of Christian liberation theology in Latin America and when Latin American Christian liberation theologians and folks appeal to the history of what became Christianity under the thumb of the Roman empire and talk about the crucifixion of Jesus by the roman empire ... and from their view point of course the resurrection of the Christ as teaching of what it means to transcend imperial power, in the Latin American context it's clear that the empire you're talking about is America and it makes sense.
I understand that to Sabeel to talk about the crucifixion of Jesus seems on the surface like that’s the same thing, but when you are doing it in the context of a Jewish state, when you're doing it in the context of 2000 years of Jewish suffering from the Christian dogma of deicide that the Jews killed God and the violence that has been visited on the Jewish community by people upholding that theology, to hear that strikes a nerve that has 2000 years of pain behind it and that has to be heard.
The pain has to be heard. And if Jews can't explain it to Sabeel because it will look like and maybe it is self-defensive for me even to say it, then I think that Christians have to try to say it that there needs to be in that situation there needs to be a different metaphor a different language a different way of drawing on Christian liberation theology.
From CAMERA.org
Sabeel Ecumenical Liberation Theology Center has proven particularly adept at enlisting American and Israeli Jews in its campaign to demonize Israel. ...There are signs, however, that some Jewish peace activists are starting to wonder about [Sabeel's] agenda and rhetoric.
For example, Rabbi Arthur Waskow, a long time critic of Israel who spoke at Old South Church in Boston on October 28, 2008, after the church hosted a controversial Sabeel event in its building. During his presentation, Rabbi Waskow challenged Sabeel’s support for the Palestinian right of return, which he explained would undermine Israel’s existence as a Jewish State – which, in other venues, Rev. Dr. Ateek has refused to accept.
Whether Sabeel understands it or not, that attacks the sense of Israelis and Jews elsewhere in the world of what it means to have a two-state solution altogether. As people have said, “What’s the point of having two Palestinian states alongside each other?
So, if there is to be a state which in fact has a special relationship to Jewish history and to the Jewish people and to an attempt to generate out of Jewish values what statehood means then it isn’t going to be a state flooded with and whose majority ends up being people who don’t share those values.
Rabbi Waskow then challenged Sabeel’s use of deicide imagery and called on Christians to do the same.
Then there's another aspect of Sabeel's view of the world which I think is even more scary to many, many, many Jews and that is something I understand very well coming out of a Christian view of liberation theology. I have both taught and met with and so on leaders of Christian liberation theology in Latin America and when Latin American Christian liberation theologians and folks appeal to the history of what became Christianity under the thumb of the Roman empire and talk about the crucifixion of Jesus by the roman empire ... and from their view point of course the resurrection of the Christ as teaching of what it means to transcend imperial power, in the Latin American context it's clear that the empire you're talking about is America and it makes sense.
I understand that to Sabeel to talk about the crucifixion of Jesus seems on the surface like that’s the same thing, but when you are doing it in the context of a Jewish state, when you're doing it in the context of 2000 years of Jewish suffering from the Christian dogma of deicide that the Jews killed God and the violence that has been visited on the Jewish community by people upholding that theology, to hear that strikes a nerve that has 2000 years of pain behind it and that has to be heard.
The pain has to be heard. And if Jews can't explain it to Sabeel because it will look like and maybe it is self-defensive for me even to say it, then I think that Christians have to try to say it that there needs to be in that situation there needs to be a different metaphor a different language a different way of drawing on Christian liberation theology.
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