"It's Not Pretty"

Arlene Kushner

In fact, a good deal of what I'm going to write about here is downright ugly, if not totally obscene.

According to The Times (London) a deal is being worked out in which an Israeli strike on Iran would be facilitated by the international community in return for Israeli concessions on settlements and "peace negotiations."

Don't know if it's true or not, but the first thing that ran through my mind, quite honestly, was that this might, after all, be the quid pro quo that Netanyahu has hinted at -- when he has suggested that he might make decisions he otherwise would not because in these "extraordinary times" he must consider our security first. The next thing that I thought was that this, if true, is both obscene and insane. And a few other unmentionable things to boot. (Note to Dick: My "exasperation" is REALLY showing now.)

Is the world doing us a favor to "allow" us to attack Iran? It is Israel that will be doing the world a favor, as the whole world, starting with Obama, has proven itself to be craven, and breathtakingly, narrow-mindedly self-serving, with regard to Iran.

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I'm no military strategist, and I cannot, in the end, make informed judgments as to how much would be gained with regard to international support for our efforts. It could be that this support would provide critical elements that might seriously improve our ability to achieve military success. But from my gut, as a non-military strategist, I have the desire to see us tell the world where to get off.

One thing does seem to be the case: We're preparing to hit Iran. Whether it turns out we actually do or not, we are getting ready.

There are hints, and various articles afloat, that suggest that things are simmering still inside of Iran and the position of the mullahs is not what it was just a short time ago. So there is just a tiny, tiny sense that we don't know yet how this will play out. (Sandra?)

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Back to Obama. With all I wrote about that meeting, and the diligence I devoted to giving an accurate picture, I ended up omitting one piece of information that had leaked early:

As Barak Ravid wrote in Ha'aretz: "Obama told the leaders that he wants to help Israel overcome its demographic problem by reaching an agreement on a two-state solution, but that in order to do so, Israel would need "to engage in serious self-reflection."

He's pushing us in order to "help" us? Right... The condescension of his tone. The insult of it!

And the idea of the least self-reflective of men (he doesn't need to self-reflect, for he's perfect) saying this to Jews, who are the most self-reflective of people -- neurotically, agonizingly so. It's a parody, really.

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And yet, in spite of this, the American Jewish Committee put out a statement (thanks to all who sent it) by Jason Isaacson, its director of government and international affairs, who was at the Obama meeting: “The President could not have been clearer that his primary motivation in seeking to re-energize an Israeli-Palestinian peace process is Israel’s long-term security.”

In my humble opinion, Jason Isaacson should hang his head in shame. How could he possibly believe this, when it's clear how Obama is courting the Arab/Muslim world?

Isaacson also said: “Nor could he have been clearer in the priority he assigns to building international unity against Iran’s drive for nuclear weapons capability.” And here we have the hint of the "link" between our concessions and "building international unity." Apparently this is all right with Isaacson.

If this is a representative sample of American Jewish "leadership" than American Jews are in even more trouble than I thought.

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Barak Ravid has written another article about Obama, this one concerning the "peace plan" that he is expected to be unveiling soon. It will provide a "framework" for negotiations, and a "binding timetable," in order to obligate the parties to make progress.

Been there. Done that. Didn't he notice that this was sort of what Bush had in mind? It ain't gonna work. How do you, from the outside "bind" two parties to make an agreement by a certain date when they cannot come to terms?

But here's where it gets a bit vague: "A senior Western diplomat" says the US is only interested in pursuing this after the settlement issue and the matter of pro-Israel gestures from the Arab states are resolved. Remember, I wrote about this: What we seem to be seeing is that if we don't resolve the settlement issue with Obama, then he won't pressure us with a timetable.

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Sounds crazy, of course, but what this means is that he needs to know first that there's a certain amount of readiness to offer concessions, for he realizes that otherwise his plan is dead in the water. But his plan is dead in the water anyway.

Let's follow this a bit. There has been talk about some sort of "compromise" with us with regard to allowing us to complete housing construction in Judea and Samaria that has already been contracted or begun. Ravid says that the US shifted its position on a total freeze partly because of a recognition that it's not possible. But there is also another reason:

"...the refusal on the part of the moderate Arab states, led by Saudi Arabia, to make significant normalization gestures toward Israel. In all probability, when the Americans understood that in any event they would not obtain substantial gestures from the Arabs, they decided to reach a compromise with Israel."

Well, then. US diplomats are eager to show there is "achievement" in the "process" by getting us to compromise on the housing issue. But it apparently doesn't occur to them that if the Arabs won't agree to any steps toward normalization, they are also not going to move towards "peace."

www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/1100581.html

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As obscene as anything I'm writing about today is this, and it's more difficult because it's a source of internal shame:

Major Roi Klein died three years ago in the Second Lebanon war, the noblest of heroes. He threw himself on a hand grenade, thereby absorbing the impact of its explosion into his own body and saving the soldiers under his command. The epitome of all that is selfless, his last words (as befits a believing Jew) were "Shema Yisrael." The State posthumously awarded him the Medal of Valor.

Here you see Roi with his family:

להפסיק את הליך הריסת ביתו של רס

His widow and children live in the Hayovel neighborhood of the community of Eli, near Ariel, in Samaria, about 30 minutes from Jerusalem. This neighborhood has received government services for more than a decade, but never was fully "authorized."

Peace Now and Yesh Din, two anti-Zionist organizations on the far left, took themselves to the High Court with the claim that 11 houses in the Hayovel neighborhood were on Arab-owned land. According to local residents, part of one house, only, extends onto Arab land, and the rest were built on state land. Claims are often made and sometimes verification is not as easy as it should be. (There have been other Peace Now charges that were later demonstrated to be false.) At any rate, the Court ruled with Peace Now.

Eleven houses in Eli are due to be destroyed. One of them is the Klein home.

This is simply wrong, wrong, wrong. Sometimes it's an issue of human decency, and not legality. This is how the State treats the widow of a genuine hero?

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Following the ruling, the Land of Israel Legal Forum sent an appeal to Defense Minister Ehud Barak, asking him to honor Major Klein by authorizing his family's home as legal.

"Will your hand, as that responsible for destroying the home of this hero of Israel, not tremble as you sign the demolition order?" asked Forum chairman Nachi Eyal. "If there remains any significance to 'our duty to the fallen' - now is the time to prove it."

The letter said: "With your signature, you could turn his home 'legal,' but you refuse... The law does not require you to destroy the home of a hero of Israel who gave his life for his people. If there is any legal way to prevent this travesty, you must make use of it."

Please, see this site for a petition to sign, to save the Klein house:

http://www.atzuma.co.il/petition/be770/1/

100,000 signatures are being sought -- about 30,000 have been secured so far. It's in Hebrew. Scroll down to the form. The first field is for your complete name (and it will accept it in English) and the third is for your city. Both are required. (The second, for your age, is optional.) Then hit the Hebrew word "chatimah" (signature) which is in red, at an angle on the form, to register your name on the petition.

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I'm reading reports of major fires raging in the hills outside of Jerusalem. Haven't seen it with my own eyes yet, but will undoubtedly be deeply saddened when I do. These wooded hills outside of Jerusalem are so beautiful, and the trees so valued. Arson is strongly suspected. Firefighters from all over the country have been called in.

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see my website www.ArlenefromIsrael.info