As I turn from other work to do a
posting, what becomes clear is that the world situation sure isn't getting
better.
We can start with Syria, where the
proper word for describing the situation is perhaps "horrific." How does
one refer to the leader of a government that orders an airstrike on a
bakery -- an airstrike that hit a crowd of people lined up to receive
bread? An "activist," Samer al-Hamawi, cited by the
JPost, reported that, "When I got there, I could see piles of
bodies all over the ground. There were women and children."
This was yesterday, in Halfaya, a
suburb of Hama in the north of Syria. Hama is a rebel stronghold.
Some 50-90 people were killed and dozens wounded, some critically.
Credit:
wtop
Apologies for the graphic nature
of this picture -- but sometimes this is necessary to bring home a
message.
~~~~~~~~~~
My word for the leader -- i.e.,
Assad -- is "sub-human." (I never call such people "animals," because
animals don't do wholesale killing of their own this way.)
A report -- unconfirmed -- from
Reuters indicates that today rebels in Hama brought down a Syrian jet utilizing
anti-aircraft guns.
~~~~~~~~~~
Another report from rebel forces -- this originally by way of Al
Jazeera and also unconfirmed -- maintains that the government has
used toxic gas against them in Homs, where forces are battling for
control. Allegedly the gas used was Agent 15, which can
cause suffocation, nerve paralysis, temporary blindness, and
hallucinations.
I keep reading reports about US troops ready to go into Syria if gas is
used. This would need to be confirmed but I want to see what will happen
next.
~~~~~~~~~~
~~~~~~~~~~~
In Egypt, after a two-part
referendum on a new constitution ended this past Saturday, the Muslim
Brotherhood has declared that an unofficial count shows 64% of the voters
backing it.
The opposition -- the National
Salvation Front coalition -- maintains that the constitution promoted by
Morsi favors Islamists, while ignoring the rights of Christians (about 10% of
the population) and women. Even aside from issues of irregularities in the
voting -- which the Front wants to see investigated -- there is the fact that
only about 1/3 of voters came out for this referendum. This, says the
opposition, is not a sufficient vote to provide backing for a new constitution
-- only about 21% of all those eligible to vote actually backed the new
constitution.
There will yet be more
unrest, said the opposition, citing the fact that in the first round of the
referendum-, voters in the district that encompasses most of Cairo voted
against the constitution.
Front member Abdel Ghaffer
Shokr read a statement at a Cairo news conference that declared: "The
referendum is not the end of the road. It is only one battle. We will
continue the fight for the Egyptian people."
But meanwhile, Morsi is continuing
to solidify his powers.
~~~~~~~~~~
Yesterday PM Netanyahu
visited the IDF's Central Command for a briefing because of the increase in
Palestinian Arab violence in eastern Jerusalem, Judea and Samaria.
According to a report in the
Sunday Times (London), Netanyahu -- who will make no comment on this --
had received a warning from Military Intelligence and Shin Bet that Hamas leader
Khaled Mashaal had recently told Hamas sleeper cells in Judea and Samaria to
prepare to take over the area, just as Hamas had taken over Gaza in
2007.
According to the Times
report, Iran had instigated this move in order to create a third front
(with Gaza and Hezbollah in Lebanon) in case of an attack on Iran by
Israel.
~~~~~~~~~~
My only comment here is that a
takeover of Judea and Samaria would not be like the takeover of Gaza. For Israel
had pulled out of Gaza in 2005, but is very much present in Judea and Samaria --
with the IDF doing nightly operations inside Palestinian Arab areas to root out
terrorist cells, weapons caches and the like.
This situation probably
constitutes reason 101 as to why we should not negotiate a Palestinian Arab
state in Judea and Samaria. Were we -- Heaven forbid -- to pull out of
this area, Hamas would probably finish off a very weak PA in a matter of
days.
~~~~~~~~~~
Meanwhile there was a severe rock
attack in Judea today on Highway 60 near the Arab village of Beit Ummar, south
of Jerusalem. Drivers found themselves in the midst of a barrage rocks
being thrown at the cars on the highway -- one person was injured and five
vehicles were damaged.
This attack gives me the
opportunity to once again make an important point: A "rock throwing" attack
should not be perceived as something relatively innocuous, with kids tossing
pebbles. Large rocks and bricks may be used, sometimes even boulders;
they can and have killed.
Credit: Israel
National News
~~~~~~~~~~
There was a rock throwing incident
outside of Beit Ummar just two days ago, as well, when Arabs throwing rocks
clashed with IDF troops. One soldier received a head injury.
When an Arab attempted to
block an IDF medic from reaching the wounded solider, soldiers shot at his legs.
~~~~~~~~~~
Israel is a partner of NATO,
and as such has opportunity to participate in NATO seminars, training and
exercises. During the past year, however, Turkey, a full NATO
member, has increasingly objected to Israeli participation in various
events; NATO members have veto power.
Now, after a delay in making the
final decision, NATO has announced that Israel will be included in
2013 activities. We see,
then, that the news is not all bad.
The guess of Israeli diplomats is
that the approval came about because of Turkey's request that NATO deploy
Patriot batteries along its border with Syria: the announcement of Israeli
participation in NATO courses, conferences and other activities next year
came at the same time as the approval of the Patriots. NATO officials
are not talking.
In certain quarters, this is
viewed as "an extremely positive sign." It must be noted, however, that while Turkey relented
with regard to some Israeli participation, Turkish hostility towards Israel is
not substantially diminished.
~~~~~~~~~~
I also consider it good news that
in the course of interviews PM Netanyahu granted to major Israeli TV stations
Motzei Shabbat (Saturday night), he said:
"I am saying this in the clearest
way possible: The Western Wall is not occupied territory, and I do not care
what the United Nations says."
The Western Wall (Kotel) is a
retaining wall of the Temple Mount, and after the Mount itself, the holiest site
for Jews. Of course it is not occupied -- although those who maintain
that we must move back behind the '49 armistice line (aka the '67 line or
the Green Line) claim so. Especially does the PA, which wants (in their
dreams!) eastern Jerusalem for their capital.
And so it pleases me that the
prime minister is prepared to be very clear about our rights here.
But this is still qualified good
news. For he doesn't say that Gush Etzion is not occupied
territory. Or Ma'aleh Adumim, or Ariel, or.... Our full rights
have yet to be explicitly claimed. A step, then, in what I pray will be the right
direction.
~~~~~~~~~~
Political news -- primarily with
regard to the election and definitely not wonderful -- I will table for
another post.
~~~~~~~~~~
Other potentially good news: There
are reports that Obama may be rethinking his nomination of Chuck Hagel for
Secretary of State. The issue that causes the most doubts about him -- and
might generate the most opposition in the Senate -- is his soft position on
Iran, to the left of Obama's position.
~~~~~~~~~~
The unqualified good news is that
we're having fantastic rains this winter. A water department
spokesman has declared this the best December in 20 years. By
yesterday, the Kinneret was 212 meters below sea level, reflecting a rise of 2.3
cm. in just one weekend, and leaving the lake only 3.2 meters short of being
filled to capacity.
Credit:
Wikipedia
The lake is Israel's major source
of drinking water as well as being a recreational
facility.
~~~~~~~~~~
Tonight is Christmas Eve, and so I
wish a joyous holiday to my Christian friends.
I would be remiss, however, if I
did not mention the suffering of Christians in Muslim/Arab lands, and the
deprivation of their rights, which so often keep them from fully celebrating
holidays. With the increased Islamization of this part of the world, their
situation truly is getting worse and worser.
See "Last Christmas in Muslim
Middle East?"
A study by a British think tank,
Civitas, says radical Islam is wiping out Christianity.
~~~~~~~~~~
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Arlene Kushner. This material is produced by Arlene Kushner,
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