PA minister: No agreement on any issue

Tovah Lazaroff , THE JERUSALEM POST

Not a single word has been set on paper and there is no real agreement on the smaller points, let alone the core issues, of a peace deal between Israel and the Palestinians, PA Foreign Minister Riad al-Malki said on Wednesday.
Negotiations between the two sides continue on almost a daily basis in an effort to reach a deal by the end of 2008, Malki told the Israel Council on Foreign Relations in Jerusalem.

He struck a pessimistic note when he added that "until this moment," with four months left to go until that deadline, "they [the Israeli and Palestinian negotiators] did not start writing one single word on paper. The reason for this is that they do not really agree on any issue or sub-issue yet.

"But they are trying very hard and they have exchanged positions, ideas and maps," Malki said.

His words were echoed by Palestinian Authority Prime Minister Salaam Fayad, who had been originally scheduled to address the council but at the last moment sent Malki in his stead.

In a statement that was read by Malki to the council, Fayad said, "I fear that the two-state solution is losing currency among both our peoples and with the world community beyond."

Extremists could take over the institutions of both sides, he said.

Their words followed a meeting on Sunday between PA President Mahmoud Abbas and Prime Minister Ehud Olmert that was likely their last face-to-face exchange before the Kadima primary on September 17.

Israeli officials discounted Malki's pessimism, saying that progress had been made on important issues such as final borders and that it was logical that nothing had yet been formally set in writing, although clearly there were portions of negotiations' contents that had been written down.

In what is seen as a sign of significant progress toward resolving the issue of settlement expansion, the cabinet is set to discuss an evacuation-compensation plan for settlers in Judea and Samaria on Sunday, according to the Prime Minister's Office.

The initiative, first proposed by Labor and Meretz politicians years ago and being handled at the cabinet level by Vice Premier Haim Ramon, would compensate settlers who move within the Green Line.

Sources in Kadima said the decision to discuss the initiative was politically motivated.

"This government's days are numbered and there is no place for [discussing Ramon's initiative] before the diplomatic process has developed. This move seems to [have been] planned by someone who wants to prevent Olmert's successor from forming a coalition with Shas or other nationalist parties.

"The discussion comes too soon, and [the] political aim and timing, on the Ramon-Olmert axis, is not coincidental," the sources said.

This is the first time that the proposal has reached the cabinet level. According to left-wing groups that have worked on this issue, such as One House, thousands of settlers would be willing to evacuate peacefully in return for compensation.

The main opposition to Ramon's plan is expected to come from Shas and other hawkish coalition partners who believe that no decision on the issue should be made less then two weeks before the primary after which the prime minister is expected to make good on his word and resign.

The plan is also expected to be fiercely opposed by the Likud, National Union-National Religious Party and Israel Beiteinu.

The Prime Minister's Office said, however, that there was no intention of making a decision on the subject right away and that no vote would be held on the issue at the present time.

"The prime minister wants to hear what his ministers have to say," Olmert's staff said in a statement.

The spokesman of the Council of Jewish Communities in Judea, Samaria and the Gaza Strip said, "The only evacuation pending is the evacuation of the government for the failures it has brought the citizens of Israel."

Foreign minister Tzipi Livni, at a Kadima primary campaign event in Tel Aviv on Wednesday evening, came out against dealing with the evacuation and compensation bill now, saying it would be possible to push it forward only after "we know what the borders will be."

"Only after the road map [peace plan] is implemented will it be possible to be move to the next level," she said.

Livni's main rival in the Kadima race, Transportation Minister Shaul Mofaz, came out "adamantly" against the proposal. "This is a law that weakens Israel, and weakens its position in the negotiations, and I will not support it," he said.

Sources close to Mofaz said the timing of bringing the bill to the cabinet now was odd, and indicated some discussions in the negotiations with the PA that Livni was heading were being kept from the public.

The sources said Livni should let the public know what was being discussed and "stop talking in two voices."

The cabinet discussion comes amidst harsh criticism by the Palestinians on Wednesday, including from Fayad and Malki, of settlement construction, which they say has increased sharply since the latest round of talks began in November 2007 in Annapolis, Maryland, contrary to Israel's agreement to refrain from such activity.

Such building destroyed the viability of a future Palestinians state, so "we understand by such actions that Israel does not want a viable state to be created," Malki said.

He declined to say what options the PA would consider should the idea of a two-state solution fall apart. But despite the dire warnings from Palestinian leaders that the two-state solution would soon be doomed, "We have to believe that a two-state solution is possible, but it depends on the attitude and the behavior of the Israeli government," Malki said.

Fayad said in the statement that Israel had to choose between settlements and a two-state solution.

The Palestinians, Malki said, were committed to reaching a peace accord by the end of 2008. It was possible, he said, if there was a desire on the Israeli side, that negotiations could continue in 2009 if that deadline was not met.

"I need the same assurances from the Israeli side and the international community. I do not know if the international community will maintain its interest in pursuing peace in 2009 as it did in 2008, he said.

He worried in particular that with the recent world events such as Russia's entry into Georgia, that the international community would lose its interest in solving the Palestinian-Israeli conflict.

"We do need them here [the international community] he told The Jerusalem Post after the meeting. "We cannot progress in any way without them."

The Palestinians, Malki told the council, were committed to working for peace now, 10 years from now and 100 years from now, because peace between them and the Israelis was in everyone's interest.

"We will do our utmost to achieve it," he said, adding, "The sooner the better."

For the Palestinians, he said, that solution means a withdrawal to the pre-1967 border. When it came to Jerusalem, where that border ran through the city, Malki said he respected Israel's decision to make Jerusalem its capital just as he hoped that Israel would likewise respect the Palestinians' decision that it was their capital as well.

"I do believe that Jerusalem is so important and so holy for all of us. You know that we could share [it]," he said.

Gaza was also an important part of the future Palestinian state, Malki said. "We have said it very clearly from the beginning that the problem in Gaza is a problem that we are determined to solve and we will solve it in due time."

Should a final-status agreement be reached with Israel, it would be the PA's responsibility to bring Gaza back under the PA's control, he said.

As an initial step in that direction, Abbas called in June for the start of a national dialogue among all the Palestinians factions, including Hamas. The PA had asked Egypt to create the "positive conditions and atmosphere" for such a dialogue, Malki said.

Even today, Egypt was working on a bilateral level with the representatives of the various factions to see if a national dialogue could be held under the umbrella of the Arab League.

"We are hopeful that all the factions will adhere to such an initiative and that this initiative will result in ending the separation between Gaza and the West Bank and will bring Gaza back under the full authority of the government leadership," Malki said.

Once Gaza and the West Bank were reunited, one of the first steps would be the creation of a coalition government that was not partisan and not factional, he said.

At that time the PA security services would be restructured.

It would also be helpful to have a pan-Arab force deployed in Gaza to help ensure order. It is an idea, said Malki, which has the support both of the PA and of Egypt.

He said he planned to raise the matter at the September 8 meeting of Arab foreign ministers in Cairo, should Egypt fail to open a debate on the issue.

"We will assess then exactly if this idea is possible and practical and under what conditions," Malki said.

Herb Keinon contributed to this report.
This article can also be read at http://www.jpost.com /servlet/Satellite?cid=1220444320861&pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FShowFull

Ancient Jerusalem Walls Uncovered

Jerusalem (CNSNews.com) – Archeologists have unearthed a section of the ancient wall that surrounded Jerusalem at the time of Jesus. They've also unearthed another wall built above it that surrounded the city when Christians ruled Jerusalem some 400 years later.
The finds shed light on how the city defended itself in ancient times.

The excavations, which are being conducted by the Israel Antiquities Authority, a governmental body, are not open to the public. Journalists were given a look at the site for the first time on Wednesday.

Located on the biblical Mount Zion are the remains a 10-foot tower that was part of the outer wall of Jerusalem from the Second Temple period, which includes the time when Jesus was in Jerusalem, until the Romans captured and destroyed the Second Jewish Temple and Jerusalem in 70 A.D.


Above it, following a similar line, are the remains of the wall that surrounded Jerusalem from the Byzantine Period (324-660 A.D.), when Byzantine Christians ruled the city.

IAA archeologist Yehiel Zelinger, who is directing the excavation, said both walls were part of the city when Jerusalem had reached its largest size – which was about two times the size of today's walled Old City.

"In the Second Temple period, the city, with the Temple at its center, was a focal point for Jewish pilgrimage from all over the ancient world," Zelinger said. In the Byzantine period it attracted Christian pilgrims who came to follow in the footsteps of Jesus, he said.

The exposure of the two walls, the second of which was built 400 years after the first in the same location, "prove that this is [the] most advantageous topographic location for the defense of the city," said Zelinger.

The lines of the wall that delineate Mount Zion on the southern and western sides were first discovered and excavated by the British Palestine Exploration Fund. But the archeologists used excavation shafts and subterranean tunnels so the walls were never actually exposed.


When Zelinger and his team began excavating the area a year and a half ago, they found a number of "souvenirs" left behind from that first archeological expedition, including a 110-year-old shoe and beer and wine bottles from that era.

The IAA has dozens of archeological excavations in Jerusalem and throughout Israel, a spokeswoman said.

IAA archeologist Jon Seligman said eventually, the excavations here will be included in a planned promenade for tourists that will go around Mt. Zion all the way to the Dung Gate in the current Old City walls, which is just outside the Western Wall plaza and Temple Mount.

Visitors will be able to walk along the path and see the ancient walls of Jerusalem on one side and the Hinnom Valley and present day Jerusalem on the other, Seligman told CNSNews.com.

Sarah Palin mesmerizes Israeli filmmaker

http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3591532,00.html

Los Angeles-based director Elan Frank met Alaska's governor, Republican vice-presidential hopeful several months ago while filming documentary about extraordinary women, and was hooked
Dana Zimmerman

"Sarah Palin is a very special woman. She has a tranquility about her, no matter what the situation is," this is how Elan Frank, a California-based Israeli filmmaker, chooses to describe the Republican Party's newly chosen vice-presidential hopeful. Frank shadowed Palin, who is the presiding governor of Alaska, for three days some three months ago, as part of a documentary he made about extraordinary women around the world.


Controversy

Congressman: Choosing Palin an insult to Jews / Yitzhak Benhorin

Democratic Congressman Wexler blasts McCain's decision to choose Palin as running mate, slams her support for 'Nazi sympathizer' Buchanan; However, Jewish sources endorse move, praise Alaska governor as friend of Jewish community
Full story

Frank, 52, has been living in Los Angeles for the past 12 years. He first visited Alaska in 1983, when he was given a year's leave from the Israeli Air Force, where he served as a fighter pilot.



"I made it a point to come back to Alaska every three years or so, since. It's a very hard country. The real final frontier. They have seven men for every woman, so I thought about making a film about women in Alaska. I did some research, and then I thought – 'well, why focus only on Alaska? Why not focus on women worldwide and make a film about women empowerment?'"



Frank sent film crews to Nepal and the Negev, to follow two extraordinary women, and decided to follow three Alaskan women himself – a teacher, a pilot and the new governor.



"I wasn't planning on focusing on famous characters, but Palin's story is so unique I decided to include her. She is the first woman of Alaska, which isn't something to be treated lightly; not to mention a former beauty queen, basketball player, fisherwoman and hunter – and a mother of four (Frank's film followed Palin before she has her fifth child). I saw something amazing there," he said.


Everyday intimacies

He contacted Palin four months ago, and according to him she found his idea riveting. He was in the midst of planning his trip to Alaska when he got a phone call from Palin, who was in LA and wanted to meet him.



"I met her in my Hollywood office and we talked for over an hour… we instantaneously clicked and we had a blast. The funny thing is," he added, "that a few days later I got an email from a friend in Alaska telling me she was seven months pregnant. I didn't notice a thing until later, when we were filming.



"I guess she's one of those women you can't really when they're pregnant, and she was probably dressing to hide it a little. You wouldn't know to look for it."



About a month after the meeting in Los Angeles, Frank and his video camera showed up on Palin's doorstep. "I went by myself because I wanted to have the chance to create real intimacy," he said. he ended up following Palin around for three days, filming nearly five hours of raw footage.


Striking woman. Palin with Frank (photo courtesy of the Governor of Alaska Press Office)



"I would get up in the morning, drive to her office and just follow her around all day. The amazing thing was that she never asked me to stop filming. I was there for everything – the phone calls and the meetings – and she would answer any question I had, she was very cooperative."



Frank also recorded Palin at home. "I have her with her family, making sandwiches for her daughter after school, watching television. I spoke to her husband and asked him about how it feels to be married to such a dominant woman. I have the two of them talking about private matters. I was able to catch very intimate moments on film. She even played the flute for me."



Palin is charming, he continued. "She struck me as an honest, direct person. She's under a lot of pressure but she always has time for everyone."


Farsighted

When asked about Palin's past support of Pat Buchanan, whose anti-Israeli views are common knowledge, Frank said that Palin's support of Buchanan stemmed from his positions in other issues, and that she did not agree with his views of Israel.



"She had an Israeli flag, of all the things, mounted on her office wall, and I have that on film" he said. "I was very surprised to see that and when I asked her about it, she said that she loves Israel and the she had friends who visited the country and brought her the flag."



Palin, according to Frank, has clear political aspiration, but he did not dwell on them on the movie. "I didn't ask about politics because I didn't want to stir away from my (movie) plan, but she definitely struck me as someone who wants to move ahead. She's the over-achiever type."



The announcement that Republican presidential hopeful John McCain chose the little-known Alaska governor for his running mate came as a surprise to Frank. "I knew she was shortlisted but her name wasn't the one that came popping up. all of a sudden, I turn on the TV and see her photo. I was elated, it's like my best friend was picked for the job."



Frank is now looking into the possibility of filing a second documentary, shadowing Palin until election day. in light of the nomination, he added, he has also been approached by various media groups, which are interested in the footage he already has.



"I have a lot of authentic footage that shows who she really is. You can tell a lot about her from that. She really is one of us."

Police Round Up Dozens of Would-be Protestors, Use Violence

Hillel Fendel
(IsraelNN.com) Dozens of concerned citizens who wished to protest against the banning of three young men from their homes in Yesha for 3-4 months were detained - and some were beaten - before they could start protesting. In addition to accusing them of "planning to take part in an illegal demonstration," the police used violence on several occasions against youths and adults before and after the protest rally.
Complaints have been filed with the police against some of the officers involved in the arrests and violence (see below).

The story began last week when the IDF issued orders to three young fathers living in Jewish towns in Samaria (Shomron), banning them from their homes, or from anywhere in Judea and Samaria, for the next 3-4 months. This, despite the harm caused to their family situations, jobs, and agricultural plans for the coming months.

The orders state that they are perceived as a "security threat." One of the three, Akiva HaCohen, said he thought he was being targeted because of his involvement in an initiative to organize public protests when police or soldiers attempt to evict Jews from hilltops.

"Police Do Our Work for Us"
Incensed activists of Women in Green, the Givatayim Settlers, Homesh First, Saving the Land and People, and other nationalist groups organized a protest vigil for Tuesday evening outside the home of IDF Central Commander Gen. Gad Shamni. As one organizer - Mati Barnea, of the Givatayim Settlers - later told Arutz-7, "We never dreamt that we would get such great publicity, but the police did the work for us. They turned it into a major event."

What they did was to detain at least two busloads of would-be demonstrators and beat several detainees who were already in the police station. In addition, Barnea said, "they blocked the entrances to Reut [where Gen. Shamni lives], deployed detectives all around the town, and even had a large presence on Route 443 [a main Jerusalem-Modiin highway]."
Click here for a Hebrew-language video of the events.

Informed that the police later claimed that the protestors wished to block Route 443, Barnea - and other participants - said they knew of no one who had such plans.

Elderly Broadcaster Detained
One protestor, Moshe D. of Jerusalem, said, "We were about 15 people in a van from Jerusalem, and we arrived at the parking lot at Shilat Junction to wait for the others. Suddenly, some policemen came up to us, accused us of wanting to take part in an illegal demonstration, and rounded up some. One of those arrested was Walter Bingham, 85-year-old showhost on IsraelNationalRadio. They put him into a police van for about 15 minutes, ignoring his protests."

Lamenting the police violence, Barnea said, "The police wanted to show what they could do - even though just about a kilometer from the same site, at Naalin [where anarchists, Arabs and leftists demonstrate against police and soldiers every week], the same police allow the demonstrators to throw things at them, spit at them, and the like - and do nothing in response."

"In addition, protests take place outside the home of Education Minister Yuli Tamir, and the police don't take action, and just recently there was one - without a permit - outside the home of Defense Minister Ehud Barak. The police allow the left-wingers to demonstrate, but not those who stand up for the true values that keep this country alive: The People of Israel and the Land of Israel."

Matar's Story
Nadia Matar, co-chair of Women in Green, was detained in the Modiin police station until close to 2 AM. She said, "When three policemen first surrounded my car, they asked me where I was going. I said I was going to see some friends. They asked me for their names and phone numbes, and I said, 'That is too much already. I'm not under arrest.' So they said, 'We are detaining you on suspicion of wanting to participate in an illegal protest.' I asked them if they were mind-readers..."
"They had me follow them to the police station, where they actually had an investigator test my car like they do on the annual inspection. Within a few minutes, a whole bunch of people werer brought in, on the same charges; they had been in the bus in front of me, from the Kiryat Arba-Gush Etzion area. Later, we heard that the other bus, from Jerusalem, was also stopped, and the passengers taken to the police station in Ramle."
The police detained at least one of the buses with the excuse that the tires were suspected of being low on air.

Police Protect "Illegal" Protest
Ironically, the purportedly illegal demonstration was actually held, with dozens of people who were not arrested holding signs outside Shamni's house. The signs read, 'Shamni expels Jewish pioneers,' 'Shamni is a political general,' and the like. Policemen stood guard nearby, but witnesses said they used violence to remove the last of the demonstrators.

After the vigil was over, many of the protestors came to the police station to show solidarity with the detainees. Matar recounted:

"The protestors stood outside the station, making noise, blowing whistles and the like, protesting against our detention merely for wanting to stand up for justice in this country - and suddenly a whole bunch of policemen swooped down on them very violently. One girl in particular was treated very brutally - she was dragged with her army behind her back, her shirt was pulled down, and she cried out... We all started to surround the policeman who was doing this, yelling at him to stop - and suddenly the policemen started hitting us! Myself, Daniella Weiss, the photographer Miriam Tzachi - not young girls...
15 Remain Under Arrest
"After a few minutes, calm was restored. Each of us was then put through a mini-interrogation, but we essentially said that we refused to answer because this was a political interrogation. Finally, towards 2AM, they left most of us go - but another 15 or so remained under arrest. We didn't want to leave until they were released, but finally around 4:30 they took them away to a prison cell."

The 15 youths were in fact held until Wednesday afternoon, released after paying a bond of 250 shekels each and being ordered to stay out of the Modiin-Reut area for the next 30 days.
Shmuel Medad, head of the Honenu legal rights organization which helps nationalist-camp members who are arrested during the course of their activities, told IsraelNationalNews.com at around 5 PM, "The last of the 15, Itamar Ben-Gvir, is having his hour in court right now. He is demanding to know why he was arrested in the first place." Ben-Gvir is a veteran of legal struggles in these matters, and is said to know his way around the court system better than many lawyers.

Complaints Filed Against Violent Policemen
Honenu's sister organization, Yesha Civil Rights, headed by Orit Strook of Hevron, has submitted complaints to the Department for Complaints Against Policemen of Israel Police. A complaint was filed against the officer who made the decision to detain and arrest citizens with no crime having been committed, "violating their freedom of movement based only on suspicions, as if the police were a 'thought police.'"
Other complaints were filed against the officer commanding the Modiin Police Station on Tuesday night, under whose watch the citizens were beaten inside the station, and against the police officer who ordered the whistling demonstrators to disperse - but gave them no time to do so before ordering his men to swoop down on them and beat them with clubs.

Not Only Shamni
"The police hysteria shows that they want to keep this whole thing of the eviction orders quiet," Barnea said. "But it boomeranged on them. We will now redouble our efforts. I can just say that Shamni is not the only one whose home has to be 'visited' in this manner. Let his neighbors, and those of the others involved in this travesty, know exactly what they did."

Let Them Live!
Summing up the night, Barnea said, "It can't be that when we fight for the country's most important values, the authorities utilise clauses from the Turkish law, or from laws that were specifically enacted so that Israel could fight its enemies, to detain or arrest or banish them without trial or explanation. Olmert has not been banished from his home in Jerusalem even though he is suspected of many crimes, and the same has to be true for Land of Israel supporters as well. If they are suspected of a crime, let them be indicted - otherwise, let them live."

www.IsraelNationalNews.com

MK Eldad to Screen 'Fitna' in Jerusalem

Nissan Ratzlav-Katz

Knesset Member Arieh Eldad (NU-NRP) will screen a section of the controversial short film Fitna, as part of a press conference announcing the formation of a new coalition of European lawmakers on Wednesday. In the conference, Eldad will also
The expansion of Islam poses a severe threat to Western civilization.
announce "a first-of-its-kind summit in Jerusalem for the establishment of a defensive coalition of European legislators." The new coalition, Eldad explained, is geared towards those European Parliament members who recognize that the expansion of Islam poses a severe threat to Western civilization. He plans to host a summit of like-minded European legislators in Jerusalem towards the end of 2008. "The jihad must be stopped," Eldad said. "If Jerusalem capitulates, Europe is next."

By way of introduction to the theme of his proposed coalition, MK Eldad will screen scenes from the 15-minute March 2008 film Fitna, produced by Dutch parliamentarian Geert Wilders. The film portrays the Koranic verses and teachings that inspire jihadist terrorism and Muslim triumphalism today. Release of the video on the Internet was accompanied by threats and boycotts from Muslims aimed at the Netherlands and Dutch assets abroad.

Wilders called his mini-film "a call to shake off the creeping tyranny of Islamization."

Fitna: The Movie
The movie displays explicit texts from the Koran, as well as Muslim clerics, calling for murder and violence towards non-believers.

One frenzied Muslim cleric is seen calling for the murder of Jews; he unsheathes a sword and cries out, "By Allah, we shall cut off the Jew's head! Allah is great! Allah is great! Jihad for the sake of Allah!" The audience, in a similar frenzy, cheers him on.

One of the Koranic verses quoted in the movie reads, "Those who have disbelieved our signs, we shall roast them in fire. Whenever their skins are cooked to a turn, we shall substitute new skins for them, that they may feel the punishment. Verily, Allah is sublime and wise." This is followed by scenes of enemies of Islam being dragged through the streets, a bombed-out bus in London, an imam (Muslim preacher) calling for death to all Jews, and signs at Muslim rallies reading, "Be prepared for the real Holocaust," "God bless Hitler," and "Islam will dominate the world."

Yet another verse quoted in the film said, "Therefore, when ye meet the unbelievers, smite at their necks, and when ye have caused a bloodbath among them, bind a bond firmly on them." Another Muslim preacher is then seen saying calmly, "Throats must be slit and skulls must be shattered - this is the path to victory."

Imams and Moslem leaders are shown preaching, "Islam is a religion that wants to rule the world. It has done so before, and eventually will rule it again.... By Allah, the day will come when we will rule the entire world again! The day will come when we will rule America! The day will come when we will rule Britain! ...You will take over the USA! You will defeat them all! You will get victory!"

Fitna ends with a call by Wilders for Europe to defeat Islamist ideology, just as it defeated the threats of Nazism and Communism in the past.

EU Legislator: Money for PA Obstacle to Peace

Tzvi Ben Gedalyahu

Increased European Union (EU) aid to Hamas workers for the Palestinian Authority (PA) is illegal and is an obstacle to peace, EU Member of Parliament Daniel Hannan wrote in the London Telegraph. The EU has approved giving the PA another $80 million in addition to $500 million it already has received from the EU this year. Hannan stated that "a welfare state is…the perfect terrorist habitat."

"The EU's generosity with our money…creates two problems," he wrote. "First, the PA is run by Hamas, which is on the EU's list of designated terrorist operations. Under Brussels rules, funding such an organization is a criminal offence. Euro-lawyers have sought to circumvent the letter of the law by funneling aid money through NGOs, but this is sheer sophistry. Many of the PA's officials are Hamas militants, whose salaries are being paid while they serve their sentences in Israeli jails."
Many of the PA's officials are Hamas militants, whose salaries are being paid while they serve their sentences in Israeli jails.

"Second, it is becoming increasingly clear that overseas aid is arresting a political settlement in the region. Palestinians receive more assistance, per capita, than any other people on Earth, and live in one of its most violent spaces. The two facts are connected.

Hannan, a journalist from London, wrote that the idea "aggression can be buried under a landslide" of money is based on an illusion that poverty causes violence. "People who are worried about food and shelter have little time to go on demos," he asserted. "It is when they have time to sit and brood that their thoughts turn to bloodshed."

Hannan proposed that a PA society based on capitalism would be more stable than today's reality and would increase civil order. However, "None of this will happen as long as Palestinians remain trapped in the squalor of dependency. The EU, in its well-intentioned but doltish way, is fuelling the conflict," he concluded.

Jerusalem concerned as Egypt halts gas supply to Israel

Avi Bar-Eli

The supply of natural gas from Egypt to Israel was halted on Friday and has yet to be resumed. Concern is mounting in Jerusalem: Sources there believe Egypt is struggling to supply all its clients, and has chosen to cut back its supply for its neighbors, including Israel, some of which pay especially low prices for the fuel. Israel receives Egyptian gas through Egyptian-Israeli consortium EMG.

The Israel Electric Corporation, which is the main consumer of the Egyptian gas, has resorted to buying larger amounts from the Tethys Sea group through spot deals that are significantly more expensive. The outcome could well be higher electricity bills for Israel's consumers as the IEC rolls over the higher cost onto them.
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In 2001, EMG won a tender issued by the IEC to supply gas at an attractive price of $2.75 per million BTU (British thermal units). The commercial contract with the IEC was signed in 2005, after the governments in Cairo and Jerusalem signed an umbrella agreement guaranteeing the supply of gas.

The contract locks in a 15-year supply of gas, at a pace of 1.7 billion cubic meters (BCM) a year, with the options of increasing the supply by 25% and extending the deal by five years.

In 2006 EMG began laying down a 100-kilometer undersea pipeline to bring the gas from El-Arish in Egypt to Ashkelon, at a cost of $470 million. The works ended in 2007 and gas began to flow on May 1, 2008.

But the pipeline's operation has been anything but smooth, sometimes halting because of problems with the quality of the gas. Also, only about a third of the promised amount has been forthcoming.

Meanwhile, opposition has been rising in Egypt, partially against the sale of gas to Israel, but mainly against the relatively low price set in the contract. Officials from both countries have held a series of dramatic, top-secret meetings regarding the volume of supply and change to the contract signed between EMG and the IEC.

Egyptian sources strongly implied that they want to reopen the deal. Talks have broken down since then.

EMG has frozen talks to sell Egyptian gas to other Israeli consumers, until the relations between the two countries clear up. However, EMG did place a bid in another IEC tender, for the supply of 5 BCM more.

Sources in Israel's energy market say that Egypt simply doesn't have the production capacity to supply its own consumption of gas and its contractual obligations to clients. That is why Cairo has had to decide on cutbacks in the gas it supplies - and it decided to start with the countries to which it supplies gas at subsidized prices - Jordan and Syria, or at a discount - Israel.

Meanwhile, in any case, voices of opposition to the deal with Israel have been growing stronger. Foreign news agencies have been reporting that a Cairo court will be discussing a petition by opposition politicians in Egypt, challenging the legality of the agreement between Israel and Egypt.

"The commercial agreement between the Israel Electric Corporation and EMG rests on the agreement between the two nations to supply gas to consumers in Israel," the IEC stated. "We are handling the day-to-day issues, while the government is handling the strategic issues. Based on the information we have at hand, we believe that the gas supply problems will be resolved shortly."

The National Infrastructures Ministry commented that it was aware of the technical difficulties in supplying gas from Egypt to Israel, but stressed that it has faith in the agreement between the two countries.

"We have no doubt that Egypt will stand by the agreement it signed with the government in Israel, including the commercial agreement signed between EMG and Israeli customers. The ministry is in constant contact with government officials in Cairo and in parallel is making great effort to assure additional sources of gas, including Russia and Azerbaijan," the ministry stated.

Teva drug slows progression of Parkinson's

Israel 21c

New findings show a drug developed by Israel's pharma giant Teva Pharmaceutical Industries to treat the symptoms of Parkinson's disease, has been proven to slow the progression of the illness. Patients who took Teva's Azilect 1mg pill once a day at the start of a late-stage Phase III 18-month trial showed "significant improvement" over patients who began taking the pill nine months later, Petah Tikva based Teva announced in a statement yesterday.

In the early part of the trial, called Adagio, patients experienced slower disease progression and in the last part, saw a steadying of symptoms. They also experienced a smaller decrease in baseline function, Teva announced.

Nearly one million people in the US, and four million worldwide suffer from Parkinson's, a progressive neurodegenerative condition that destroys a patient's nerve functions. The chronic disease occurs when a group of cells in the brain responsible for producing the hormone dopamine, begin to die.

Dopamine is a neurotransmitter that sends information to the parts of the brain that control movement and coordination. When levels of dopamine decrease it affects the way a person can control movement leading to tremors, difficulty in speaking and walking, posture problems and depression.

Azilect is a joint development by Teva and two professors from the Technion-Israel Institute of Technology ? Prof. Moussa Youdim, who began work on the drug in the 1970s, and Prof. John Finberg. The once-a-day pill was approved as a treatment for Parkinson's in 2005.

It inhibits the production of the enzyme that destroys dopamine, thereby increasing levels of the hormone in the brain. It often prescribed in combination with levodopa, a drug which converts into dopamine in the body.

Teva claims that Azilect, which is known as rasagiline in its generic form, is the first drug on the market to slow the progression of Parkinson's.

"Delaying disease progression is the most important unmet need in the management of Parkinson's disease," stated Prof. C. Warren Olanow, professor and chairman of the department of neurology at the Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York, and Adagio co-principal investigator.

"Results of the study show that early treatment with once-daily rasagiline 1mg tablets provided significant clinical benefits that were not obtained by those patients where initiation of Azilect therapy was delayed by nine months," he continued.

"Its fantastic that we have developed this in Israel in a small laboratory - that we have competed with major drug companies, and have beaten them at their own game," Youdim told ISRAEL21c in an interview in 2006.

The Teva Azilect trial was one of the largest studies conducted on Parkinson's, and included 1,176 patients with early-stage symptoms at 129 medical centers in 14 countries around the world. The results were presented at the 12th congress of the
European Federation of Neurological Societies in Madrid.

Sales of the medicine are expected to leap dramatically in the wake of this news, with Teva anticipating a rise to sales of at least $1 billion a year. Total sales of drugs for Parkinson's worldwide stands at $33.7 billion annually. Teva hopes US and European regulators to expand the official labeling of Azilect's approved uses.

Israel asks checkpoint soldiers to stop eating in front of fasting Palestinians during Ramadan

Maan News

Bethlehem – Ma’an – With the Monday morning start of Ramadan, the Islamic month of fasting, Israeli forces gave directives to soldiers manning 470 checkpoints in the west Bank to avoid eating in front of Palestinian citizens when they pass through checkpoints. The directives also instructed soldiers to avoid smoking and drinking in front of Palestinians as a sign of respect for those who fast as a religious act.

The Israeli civil administration further decided to allow Palestinians living in Israel access to the West Bank (what they called “Palestinian Authority areas”) in order to visit their families. Money will also be permitted to be transferred to Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails, so they can buy the appropriate foods for breaking their fast.

Israeli authorities also promised to coordinate with the Palestinian ministry of endowment about increasing number of permits given to Palestinian Muslims to enter Jerusalem so they can perform their Ramadan prayers at the Al-Aqsa mosque.

Several international organizations have urged Israel to issue an additional directive during this holy month: to remove the checkpoints that humiliate, disrupt and create suffering to the daily travels of Palestinians between work, home and family

Exclusive: Israel – Canary in a Coal Mine

Tom McLaughlin

Israel is a canary in America’s coal mine. Miners kept a caged canary in the mineshaft as they worked and watched it carefully. Should odorless poison gas creep into the air, the canary would be affected first. If it collapsed, miners had to do something or they wouldn’t survive either. Both America and Israel are threatened by the poison of Radical Islam. We face the same enemy. Israel’s creation in 1948, or rather its re-creation after going out of existence for nearly two millennia, was improbable - indeed it was unprecedented in all of history. America’s creation was improbable too - a tiny strip of land between the Appalachians and the Atlantic in 1776 - fighting the British in the north and across the sea, Indians in the west and south. Both are outposts of democracy in a world hostile to it. Israel is on the front line. It’s our canary and we must watch it closely. Both will elect a new government soon and our victory or defeat against Radical Islam will be strongly influenced. Choices are similar too. Will we pick aggressive leaders or conciliatory ones? Will we show Radical Islam our fists or the tails between our legs?

Will Israel pick someone to carry on outgoing Prime Minister Olmert’s policy of appeasement? He wanted to give the Golan Heights to Syria and the West Bank to the Palestinian Authority. Considering how giving over the Gaza Strip worked out, Israel might as well commit suicide now and get it over with. Land for peace is a failed policy, as Neville Chamberlain discovered when dealing with Hitler. Europe’s Jews were almost wiped out for Chamberlain’s folly. Those who survived the Holocaust formed modern Israel. Israelis fought four wars in 25 years against larger, Arab-Muslim neighbors dedicated to its destruction.

After four humiliating defeats, those enemies changed tactics. They don’t invade with conventional planes, tanks and troops. Now they use teenaged suicide bombers and rockets launched from civilian population centers by Iranian proxies Hezbollah in southern Lebanon and by Hamas in Gaza. Meanwhile, Iran builds nuclear weapons and promises to wipe Israel off the map. In spite of 50 years in an almost constant state of war, many Israelis still believe Radical Islam can be appeased and Chamberlain-like policies will bring peace.

Winston Churchill defined appeasement as: “Feeding the crocodile, hoping he’ll eat you last.” Hitler gobbled up mainland Europe and took near-fatal bites out of England before America stepped in. If Israeli appeasers elect another Olmert, Israel is doomed.

Modern Israel was founded by Jews who were determined to have their own military to defend themselves against the Hitlers who would make them extinct. Today’s Hitler takes the form of Radical Islam which denies the Holocaust while preparing nuclear genocide. In the face of this grave threat, many Israelis seem to have forgotten their birthright - they’re losing their identity, and if they don’t regain it, they’re doomed.

To wake up fellow Israelis, Natan Sharansky’s latest book is titled: Defending Identity: Its Indispensable Role in Protecting Democracy. Newsmax’s Christopher Ruddy interviewed Sharansky and reports:

The thesis of [Sharansky’s] book is that democratic society, if it has any hope for long-term survival, must offer an identity for its citizens. Looking out at the world, he says “our enemies look so dangerous because they have a strong will.” This means they have beliefs they are ready to die for. “The free world, if it does not have values for which people are ready to die, will be powerless, its people decadent. It will be doomed to failure.” Identity, he says, gives people these values. It is not the enemy, as many [multiculturalists] in the West believe. “Europe is suffering the most from a loss of identity. Faith and patriotism have weakened as it embraces a super-identity — all in an effort to avoid war.”


What’s the best way to avoid war? The “Bush Doctrine” - adopted after September 11th - authorized preemptive strikes against countries planning to attack us, but America, and Bush himself, have backed away. Voters will choose soon between Democrat Barack Obama - an appeasing worshiper of Multiculturalism, and Republican John McCain - someone who understands our enemy and is willing to do whatever it takes to defeat it. Israelis must decide soon if they will attack Iran before Iran “wipes it off the map” and vote accordingly. Do Israelis have the will? Do we? Iran is betting against it.

Martin Luther King said: “If a man has nothing he would die for, he isn’t fit to live.” If such people comprise the majority in Israel or the United States, neither country is fit to live and won’t for much longer. The Israeli canary is teetering on its perch.

Family Security Matters Contributing Editor Tom McLaughlin Tom is a history teacher and a regular weekly columnist for newspapers in Maine and New Hampshire. He writes about political and social issues, history, family, education and Radical Islam. E-mail him at tommclaughlin@fairpoint.net.

You can find this online at: http://www.familysecuritymatters.org/publications/id.1005/pub_detail.asp

COPYRIGHT 2008 FAMILY SECURITY MATTERS INC.

Another possibility

Lt.-Gen. (ret.) Moshe Yaalon

Former Chief of Staff, Israel Defense Forces

* Solve the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, says mainstream public opinion, and the rest will follow. But the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is only one of many afflicting the Middle East, and it is by no means the dominant one. * The Palestinian leadership continuesHere is the beginning of my post. to evade accountability. Today the watchword is "weakness." The image of political impotence has become a precious asset in the Palestinian strategy. The problem is not Abbas' actual capabilities. The problem is his unwillingness and lack of determination to create and govern a viable and accountable state.
* Former British Prime Minister Tony Blair and others have called for more foreign assistance for the Palestinians. This strategy has no chance of success if it is not linked to reforms. Unless the Palestinians are first convinced through education to give up the extremism which informs their national and religious aspirations, they cannot be expected to be full partners in building a vibrant Palestinian economy.
* The central conflict of the Middle East is not territorial but ideological; not about borders but about Islamic Jihadism and Western liberty. No ideology, least of all radical Islam, can be defeated by concessions, which encourage, energize, and inspire Jihadists. Those who wish for peace must face and assimilate this fact, and realize that territorial concessions, or any concessions in any realm in the struggle against militant Islam, have been consistently counterproductive.
* From Oslo to Annapolis, we have engaged in a top-down strategy. We aimed to reach a political horizon or a final settlement agreement with the Palestinian leadership, hoping that political reform among Palestinians would follow. I propose we replace this approach with a bottom-up strategy in which the PA first proves its willingness and ability to govern.



Current efforts to achieve a final settlement of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict are based on a number of deeply flawed assumptions. These have in turn produced an erroneous paradigm and a manifestly failed strategy for seeking peace and security which is preventing us from moving forward.



The Israeli-Palestinian Conflict Is One of Many in the Middle East

Solve the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, says mainstream public opinion, and the rest will follow. Since the November 2007 meeting at Annapolis, this has become the U.S. administration's policy.

I have a great personal desire to see the Israeli-Palestinian conflict solved, for the benefit of Israelis and Palestinians, and for the benefit of all the region's peoples. Nevertheless, it is clear to me that it is not the epicenter of the region's many ills. The Israeli-Palestinian conflict is only one of many afflicting the Middle East, and it is by no means the dominant one.

The most important fault-lines of the strife in today's Middle East are found rather in non-localized conflicts such as pan-national Islamic ­Jihadism against the West, the Shia-Sunni divide, and the Persian­-Arab contest for power and influence. Within Muslim societies, across the region and beyond, there is a struggle between nationalists and Jihadists. Many, if not most, Muslim nations in the Middle East are torn internally between groups that believe happiness is achievable in this world, and groups who preach martyrdom (istish'had), the killing of infidels, and happiness in "the next world."

There are indeed more than a few struggles in the Middle East in addition to the Israeli-Palestinian one. None of them emerged from it, and none are dependent on it. Admittedly, the Israeli-Palestinian conflict has been exploited by those seeking to inflame passions in other arenas, often cynically and with a view to influence the prevailing wisdom in the West. It is essential for our own well-being that we maintain our clarity of vision in the face of misinformation and false optimism.



Implacable Palestinian Rejection of Israel

Another myth is that at the core of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is the "occupation." This term refers to the territories conquered by Israel in the Six-Day War of 1967. Among Palestinians from all sectors and factions (Fatah, Hamas, PIJ, PFLP, DFLP, etc.) there are those that use the term "‘occupation" simply as a euphemism for Israel ("from the Mediterranean Sea to the Jordan River"). This view has proponents even among Israeli Arabs. They consider Israelis to be foreign colonialists and the entire land mass of Israel including its cities, towns, villages, and kibbutz farms as "occupied" territory.

The Palestinians have maintained a posture of implacable hostility to Israel's most fundamental and inalienable rights. The PLO, for example, existed and launched terror attacks against Israelis before 1967 when the West Bank and Gaza were not yet occupied by Israel. The PLO's pre-1967 raison d'etre has not magically disappeared in the meantime. Both Fatah and Hamas continue to maintain charters denying Israel's right to exist as an independent Jewish state. We find the rejection of Israel forms an integral part of the Palestinian ethos, and is expressed in no less than the founding documents and actions of the largest and most important Palestinian factions.

Rejectionism, far from being a "mere" matter of official policy or posturing, reaches the rhetoric of the Palestinian national leadership (including Mahmoud Abbas), the educational curriculum, and the Palestinian media. It deeply informs Palestinian strategy and policy. During the preparations for the Annapolis conference, it was demonstrated in the Palestinian refusal to make a basic declaration of their belief in "two states for two peoples." Instead they spoke only of "two states," avoiding explicit recognition of the Jewish people's right to an independent state. This quibbling over words is only the tip of an iceberg.

If the solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict were a territorial compromise within Mandatory Palestine, I have no doubt we would have reached this long ago. Instead, from the dawn of Zionism to the present day, the Palestinian leadership has rejected every partition plan proposed, and has reacted violently to all political initiatives seeking a settlement along those lines. This occurred in 1937 in response to the Peel Commission, in 1947 as a reaction to the UN partition plan, and in 2000 when the Palestinians rejected former Prime Minister Barak's proposal at Camp David.

Attempts by Israel at peace through territorial concession have been met, again and again, with violence by Palestinians. The core of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is not the "occupation" according to its meaning in Western discourse. Rather it is the "occupation" in the Palestinian sense: The relentless refusal of the Palestinian leadership to recognize Israel's right to exist as an independent Jewish state. Professor Bernard Lewis put it succinctly in the Wall Street Journal on November 28, 2007, a day before the Annapolis Conference: "‘What is the conflict about?' There are basically two possibilities: that it is about the size of Israel, or about its existence....If...the issue is the existence of Israel, then clearly it is insoluble by negotiation. There is no compromise between existing or not existing, and no conceivable government of Israel is going to negotiate on whether that country should or should not exist."



Do the Palestinians Want a State?

It is often said that the Palestinians desire and are capable of establishing a state that will live in peace alongside Israel. Those who believe this is so must explain why the Palestinian leadership, from the implementation of the Oslo Agreement in May 1994 through to the present, have failed to take even the first baby steps toward establishing a state - this in spite of overwhelming and unprecedented international support.

The facts suggest that the Palestinian leadership has been motivated by something other than a desire to create a thriving state. Although the Palestinian national movement stands out in recent history as the cause celebre of the international community, and despite massive political and economic support, the Palestinians have failed to create and nurture stable, efficient, and accountable political institutions. They have also crushed what little civil society they had. I do not think this failure was inevitable; I believe it is directly due to Yasser Arafat's conscious decision to create a society based on "gang logic."

Arafat and his cronies brazenly violated every agreement they signed with Israel. By eschewing the principle of "one authority, one law and one gun," Arafat was able, with craftiness, to evade responsibility for what was occurring. He used Hamas, PIJ, and other terror organizations as proxies, though he had the power and legitimacy needed to confront and disarm them. While his proxies were fighting Israel, Arafat could remain aloof and appear innocent. Moreover, to bolster his influence over the chaos he had created, Arafat established his own direct terror proxy, Fatah Tanzim, or the Al-Aqsa Martyrs' Brigade as it became known after September 2000. Arafat's war by proxy required a certain level of permanent instability in Palestinian institutions, and it was this that led to the "gang logic" which we now see mostly strikingly in inter-­Palestinian violence.

Arafat has since been replaced by Mahmoud Abbas, yet the Palestinian leadership continues to evade accountability, according to a modified version of Arafat's strategy. Today, the watchword is "weakness." The image of political impotence has become a precious asset in the Palestinian strategy. Western politicians, as well as many Israelis, believe that Mahmoud Abbas is the only alternative to a far more extreme Hamas. They believe, therefore, that he should be strengthened economically, and equipped with additional weapons and ammunition. This approach has not and will not pay dividends because the problem is not Abbas' actual capabilities. The problem is his unwillingness and lack of determination to create and govern a viable and accountable state.

Mahmoud Abbas is not weak. He possessed more than sufficient power to institute reforms when he was elected on January 9, 2005. He has chosen to avoid the attempt to govern his people effectively, or to create a political culture based on "state logic." He chose "weakness" instead as his method of preserving and partially controlling the many heads of the Palestinian Authority that he inherited from Arafat. There is little difference between Arafat's "gang logic" and Abbas' "weakness" - both are designed to avoid the daunting task of Palestinian nation-building, while permitting the continuation of a bloody struggle against Israel.



The Key to the Conflict Is Not Economic

A third prevailing misconception in the Western understanding of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict relates to the economy. This misconception holds that the key to the conflict is economic. Those who hold this view believe, just as the architects of "Oslo" believed, that a prosperous Palestinian economy would neutralize extreme nationalism and religious fanaticism, leading to peace and an improved security situation for Israel. While the improvement of the Palestinian economy should be part of any strategy for attaining peace, I do not think that the Palestinians can be forced to enjoy an improved economy and the fruits of prosperity while their own priorities remain entirely elsewhere.

Although the PA has received no less than $7 billion from donors in recent years, neither Arafat nor Abbas has managed to improve the basic living conditions of the Palestinian people in any significant way. On the contrary, the Palestinian economic situation began to deteriorate precipitously from the moment Arafat rose to power in 1994, and continues to do so under the regime of cronyism he instituted. Examples of wasted economic opportunity abound on all levels, and Palestinian terror groups have directly devastated economic resources. They engineered the closure of the Erez industrial zone which employed 4,500 Palestinians and provided for their families. After the disengagement from Gaza in 2005. the Palestinians wantonly destroyed the greenhouses left behind by the evacuees which were purchased by former WorId Bank President James Wolfenson and others for their benefit.

There is no doubt that the Palestinian economy is in dire need of assistance. Former British Prime Minister Tony Blair and other prominent figures have called for more foreign aid to be directed for this purpose to the Palestinians. However, unless further foreign aid is directly connected to reforms within Palestinian civil society, there is no chance of success. Unless the Palestinians are first convinced through education to give up the extremism which informs their national and religious aspirations, they cannot be expected to cooperate in the creation of their own prosperity. They can do neither of these things before first imposing law, order, and security in the territories under their control. No law can be imposed while the Palestinian leadership continues to reject all responsibility, whether under the guise of "weakness" or otherwise. Responsibility will never be assumed as long as the Palestinian people continue to nurse the dream of the disappearance of Israel as the Jewish homeland.

In light of historical experience, there are some fundamental questions we have to ask ourselves. Can we trust that a future Palestinian entity in the West Bank will not become Hamastan, as occurred in Gaza? Could such an entity, even according to the 1967 borders, be economically viable? Would the Palestinians be satisfied with those borders as a final settlement? Would it bring stability, peace, and tranquility to the region? Are these borders defensible for the State of Israel?



A Palestinian Entity in the 1967 Borders Threatens Both Israel and Jordan

I believe, in light of the Palestinian leadership's behavior since its inception, and especially since Oslo, that the answer is an unequivocal "no." As things stand today, a Palestinian entity according to the 1967 borders would present an existential threat to Israel, to the stability of the region, to Western interests, and to Jordan.

The paradigm of the "two-state solution" within the boundaries of former Mandatory Palestine under the present status quo is both irrelevant and dangerous. It is irrelevant because today there is no Palestinian partner willing to accept it as a final settlement. It is dangerous because it fosters illusions which undermine our resolve and embolden our enemies. Ultimately, the "two-state solution" paradigm, at this juncture, threatens the security and stability of the region.

The paradigm of the "two-state solution" is based on Israeli territorial concessions. It rests on the same idea which stands behind the "land for peace" principle which has dominated Israeli politics since 1967, and which bore fruit when peace was made with Egypt in 1979. The principle then enjoyed the support of the vast majority of Israelis. A slim majority of Israelis likewise supported unilateral withdrawals from Lebanon and Gaza in 2000 and 2005, respectively. These Israelis, like many in the West, believed that peace and tranquility could be reached by addressing Hizbullah's and Hamas' talk of "occupation" as a simple territorial grievance. We now know the results. Both from Hizbullah and the Palestinians, the reaction came in the form of concerted terror wars, rockets fired at Israeli cities, and kidnapped soldiers. There is no clearer proof needed that the central conflict of the Middle East is not territorial but ideological; not about borders but about Islamic Jihadism and Western liberty.

No ideology, least of all radical Islam, can be defeated by concessions. Concessions encourage, energize, and inspire Jihadists. Those who wish for peace must face and assimilate this fact, and realize that territorial concessions in the struggle against militant Islam have only been counterproductive. As Bernard Lewis has said, this conflict is not about the size of Israel, but about its very existence.

What is worse, the mistaken paradigm and conceptions regarding Jihadism and the Middle East prevent the emergence of a new strategy. While the pundits and the public continue to debate "the solution," the problem has slipped from their view. The problem is Islamic Jihadism and Palestinian rejectionism towards Israel's most basic rights. Whoever realizes this, realizes also that what is needed is not a solution based on failed paradigms and wishful thinking. What is needed is a long-term strategy based on realistic assumptions culled from experience.



Begin with Changes in Palestinian Political Culture

Let me briefly outline a new strategy for dealing with the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. From Oslo to Annapolis, we have consistently engaged in a "top-down strategy." We aimed to reach a political horizon or a final settlement agreement with the Palestinian leadership, hoping that political reform among Palestinians would follow. This approach was based on the mistaken paradigms outlined above, and failed. I propose we replace this approach with a "bottom-up strategy" in which the PA first proves its ability to govern. Real gains in stability and security on the road to peace can then be consolidated through political agreements. Experience teaches that political agreements which precede real changes in Palestinian political culture are useless, or worse.

The process of change in Palestinian society can and should be supported by Israel and the West, but most of the burden will necessarily fall on the Palestinian leadership to assume the responsibilities of good government. The process of change must begin in the territory which falls under their responsibility in the West Bank (areas A and B) and must encompass educational, law and order, security, economic and political reforms. All reforms should be carried out in parallel, with clear benchmarks in each area.

The reform process suggested would not be dependent on any issue related to a final settlement. The enforcement of law and order in Palestinian cities, for example, is not dependent on a final settlement, or on any other outstanding matter of negotiation. The same is true for the entire package of proposed reforms - none depend on new agreements.

During the imposition of law and order in the West Bank, the IDF must continue to operate in the area in order to foil attacks against Israelis, and in order to prevent the rise of Hamas in the West Bank similar to its rise in Gaza. Gaza will be considered a hostile entity as long as Hamas ideology holds sway there, and as long as it continues to serve as a base of operations for launching terror attacks against Israelis. Ultimately, only a decision by the Palestinian leadership can impose law and order on the Palestinian street, and that decision is theirs alone.

The key to all other reforms is educational reform. During the implementation of the Oslo Accords we were forced to confront a Palestinian educational system designed to inculcate hatred of Israel. It sought in a variety of ways to undermine Israel's right to exist as an independent Jewish state. It took pains to deny every connection between the Jewish people and the Land of Israel, called openly for our annihilation, and promoted terrorism and Jihadism. While the Palestinian leadership was negotiating with Israel, it was educating its young for a war of annihilation. This must change before there is any chance for the Palestinians to reach a final settlement with Israel.

An entire generation of Palestinians has already been educated according to this curriculum. Change will not come quickly. It is clear, however, that demanding Palestinian educational reform is the only path to solving the conflict which will not require Israel to relinquish the idea of a Jewish homeland, and in which Islamic Jihadism will not be unwittingly strengthened.

At the same time, there is no need to wait for the end of this process before dealing with the refugee issue, as is sometimes argued. The refugee issue should, in fact, be dealt with as soon as possible and in parallel to educational reforms in the PA. A humanitarian solution to this issue will serve to neutralize it as a weapon against Israel. As educational reform in the PA encourages new thinking and new paradigms, a regional settlement which would satisfy both parties is likely to emerge.

Today, Mahmoud Abbas is engaged with all his energy on the political horizon issues instead of using all his energy to meet certain benchmarks regarding reforms. Dealing with issues such as a political horizon or financial support is another way for him to escape the actual need to deal with reforms. So instead of dealing with law and order in Jenin, he speaks about Jerusalem and borders. First of all, let's see if the Palestinians are able to manage the autonomy that they have now to run their civil affairs and to govern themselves. That should be the main mission of former Prime Minister Blair.



Iran Is the Main Destabilizing Force in the Middle East

The Israeli-Palestinian conflict is not the core of the Middle East's instability. It is, in fact, the Iranian regime which is the main destabilizing force in the Middle East today. Since the Islamic Revolution in 1979, Iran has been exporting the ideology behind the rise of Islamic Jihadism, and it remains the base and center of gravity for worldwide Jihadism. We cannot afford to avoid confronting the Iranian regime. Until it is defeated, there will be no stability in Iraq, Lebanon, the Palestinian Authority, or any other nation in the Middle East.

Iranian leaders today are allowed to feel secure despite their commitment to global Jihadism. They have made a massive commitment of human, financial and military resources in order to undermine moderate regimes from the Persian Gulf to the Mediterranean Sea. So far, they feel like they are winning as Hizbullah gains power in Lebanon and Hamas is strengthening its grip in Gaza. The June 2008 ceasefire agreement brokered by Egypt between Israel and Hamas is another achievement for the Jihadists. Iran is also advancing its nuclear project as it violates agreements and understandings with international institutions. The Iranian regime, with its rogue activities, has escaped paying any significant price.

Yet the government of the Ayatollahs is not a natural one in Iran, nor does it enjoy wide popular support. It will not last forever.

At the Hudson Institute in 2006 I spoke of the military capabilities needed to meet the Iranian challenge. Almost all Western air forces are capable of implementing a mission against Iranian nuclear installations.

I believe that the Iranian nuclear project can be stopped. I believe that in the end we will witness an internal change in Iran because of the domestic economic situation. Although they benefit from high oil prices, they're not in good economic shape.

Economic sanctions are the best tool to encourage those, who are considered to be 70 percent of the Iranian population, who reject the ayatollahs' way. I believe the nuclear program can be stopped by putting the regime in the dilemma of deciding whether it goes ahead or not. They do not feel the dilemma so far. They feel like they are winning, and that they can do whatever they want because of Western weakness and lack of determination. Indeed, those who try to avoid economic sanctions because of their particular economic interests actually enhance the possibility of a military confrontation with Iran.

If the Iranians are confronted with determination and are placed in a dilemma that threatens their survivability, they may prefer survival to the nuclear project. That was the reason they decided to temporarily halt the project in 2003.



Impact of the Western Offensive

In 2002, 2003, and 2004, Western civilization led by the United States enjoyed the upper hand. Muamar Khadafi, the ayatollahs, Syria, and Hizbullah all restrained themselves. The number of Hizbullah provocations in Lebanon declined from 2003 to May 2005.

It was not just the American offensive, it was the Israeli offensive as well. When Israel moved from defense to offense in Operation Defensive Shield in March 2002, there was an impact of a Western offensive, with America's offensive war against the global Jihad and Israel's offensive against Palestinian terrorism. However, in 2005 they realized that the United States had lost the stomach to go on with the offensive and that American troops were bogged down in Iraq and there was not going to be any further phase.

In the case of Israel, the disengagement was seen as weakness. Israel moved from offense to withdrawal. And the whole impact of the Western offensive ended. That is what caused what we witnessed on Israel's northern border in 2006. The same Hizbullah that restrained itself from 2002 to 2005 changed its mind. By moving again from defense and withdrawal to offense, which is up to us, we can again change the whole approach of the Jihadists, if Western civilization will show determination and not weakness.



Dealing with Gaza

I personally was against the truce with Hamas in Gaza. I believe we should use another approach there. We should have intensified our military operations immediately after implementation of the disengagement plan, in the face of daily rocket launchings - which wasn't the case before the disengagement.

In 2008 Israel launched just one brigade-size operation in Gaza, named Hot Winter, in which 130 Palestinians were killed. And Hamas stopped firing Kassam rockets immediately afterwards, without negotiating anything. That should have been done with all the Palestinian factions: intensifying military operations and putting them in the dilemma of deciding whether it is worthwhile to fire rockets at Israel or not.

I'm not calling for reoccupying Gaza. It's not my business who governs Gaza. I believe in managing the crisis, not solving it. We're not going to solve it. In this regard, I prefer intensive, medium-scale operations, and targeted killing of the leaders rather than reoccupying Gaza. I believe that in the end they will cry for a ceasefire without conditions, as happened in 2003-2004.



The Challenge for the West

The Iranians, the Syrians, and their proxies must be punished by the international community for funding terror and challenging the international order. They have been allowed to nurture international terrorism, develop WMD, and instigate the Second Lebanon War. This would not have been possible without the lack of clarity and determination in confronting them shown beforehand by the international community.

In light of the ongoing conflict between Sunnis and Shiites throughout our region, Israel and the West can and must find common interests with moderate Muslims. In order to create new political opportunities, a coordinated international policy should be instituted to ally ourselves with other nations aware of the Iranian threat.

The confrontation between Muslim moderates and extremists around the world crosses borders and threatens societies from within. There is no society in which everyone is a Jihadist. There are always those who prefer democracy and human rights over tyranny, freedom over oppression, and life over death. More and more people in the region are realizing that the culture of Jihad is a culture of death and self-destruction. The West must directly approach and strengthen those elements in order for them to gain the political strength necessary to undertake reforms in education, politics, and the economy.

It is true that this process is likely to be a long one. The challenge for Western leaders is to convince their constituencies that there are no instant solutions, and to educate their publics to patience. Western leaders cannot promise quick solutions and should not be tempted to do so. What they can do is develop a viable strategy.

The struggle against Islamic Jihadism is, in many ways, a contest of wills. As our values and way of life are challenged by Islamic Jihadists, and our legitimacy as a Jewish state is challenged by Arab nationalists, we in Israel must consolidate our belief in our path and its righteousness.

The "solution," when it comes, will be only half our doing. For us, the quest for stability in the Middle East requires moral clarity, vision, and a long-term strategy based on realistic assessments. Ultimately, the long way is the shortest way and I believe the right one which will lead towards a better future for all the peoples of the Middle East and the free world.

* * *
Lt.-Gen. (ret.) Moshe Ya'alon is a former Chief of Staff of the Israel Defense Forces and is a Distinguished Fellow at the Adelson Institute for Strategic Studies at the Shalem Center. This Jerusalem Issue Brief is based on his presentation at the Institute for Contemporary Affairs on June 24, 2008.

11-year-old in Gaza: "I am learning how to fight the Jews and kill Jewish children"

Indoctrination. "Gaza Terrorists Training 11-Year-Old Children to Kill Jews," by Ze'ev Ben-Yechiel for Israel National News, August 31: "I am learning how to fight the Jews and kill Jewish children," said 11-year-old Muhammad, one of dozens of children who have undergone terrorist training in the last few days in Gaza.

“The parents of the Jewish children are the soldiers and officers who kill us here. I want these parents to get a taste of what it's like to have your children killed, just as the Palestinians experience every day,” said the boy. He and his young terrorist associates have undergone live firearms training, including pistols and rifles, from the Salah al-Din Brigades, the armed wing of the Popular Resistance Committees.

A photograph published in Ynet showed a young boy from the training aiming an Israeli-supplied M-16 rifle straight at the camera, his small frame bent to support the weight.

"I would rather die fighting the occupation than die at home from a missile, which is what happened to hundreds of Palestinian children," said Muhammad.

The training of child killers is part of a larger step-up in military training that various terrorist groups in Gaza claim to be a response to the threat of a wide-scale Israeli operation in the area.

"Every day we hear threats from Israel and witness its training exercises, therefore we must be prepared," said Salah al-Din Brigades spokesman Abu Abir. “This is an enemy that cannot be trusted and is famous for breaking its promises. The enemy even killed the prophets; it cannot be trusted," he said.

Abu Abir insisted that his group’s training is not a provocation. "Why are they permitted to train and we are not? They are preparing to invade territory that is not theirs, and we are training to protect our lands and children.

"The Palestinian people support the resistance and understand that we are responding to the occupation and that these children are being recruited to help defend their homes and their land. We are preparing these children to fight the enemy, as the enemy does not differentiate between children and adults; it wants to annihilate the entire Palestinian nation."

Meanwhile, the Arab terrorist group Islamic Jihad threatened to unleash "the fires of hell" on Israel, as it conducted a military parade of 800 armed terrorists Saturday in the south of terrorist-ruled Gaza. The parade took place on the site of the former Jewish region of Gush Katif, which Jewish residents were forced to abandon in 2005 when the Israeli government expelled all Jews from Gaza.

The terrorists also staged exercises with assault rifles, rocket-propelled grenades and machine guns.

"We will unleash the fires of hell if the Zionist enemy continues its crimes," said Abu Hamzeh, the group's military chief after the parade. "We're getting ready for the next round," he added. "The Zionist enemy will have neither peace nor security while it occupies our land."

Abu Hamzeh claimed his group had "hundreds of rockets" aimed at southern Israel and ready to launch.
Thanks Jihad Watch

Use their language/

Terrorists respond to tough moves; only harsher attitude will secure Shalit's release

Miki Goldwasser
Published: 08.31.08, 18:57 / Israel Opinion

The Israeli government's conduct in the Gilad Shalit affair reminds me of the error (to put it mildly) made during the first days of the Second Lebanon War. At the time, Jerusalem rejected out of hand a proposal to transfer our abducted soldiers to Lebanese Prime Minister Siniora. At the time, Olmert said that Israel had no dispute with Siniora. "The abducted troops will likely be treated well by him. But we don't want Siniora to turn into a target while holding the soldiers." The message was that the abductees were not our top priority. Israel preferred Siniora's wellbeing over its own sons.


Now, we're repeating the same mistakes. Israel prefers to insult Egypt, while knowing full well that the Egyptians have no possibility or interest in advancing talks on Shalit's release. That is, Gilad is not our government's top priority. Gilad has become a pawn in the game involving Egypt and Hamas, whose ties are in deep crisis. Why doesn't Israel agree to the intervention of a different mediator? Even Hamas asked for it.


And perhaps Hamas itself faces pressure by relatives of prisoners held in Israel ahead of the Ramadan? Had our government been wise enough to exert pressure instead of being scared of itself or of hypocritical views expressed by various human rights groups (that will always criticize us regardless of anything,) perhaps it could have managed to facilitate an end to the Gilad Shalit affair.


We do we provide Hamas with fuel?


The time has come to say it loud and clear: Terror groups only understand a firm hand. We already saw that when we tightened the siege, they were the ones begging for a lull. This is the language they understand. Why aren't we closing the Gaza crossings? Why do we continue to provide Hamas with fuel, food, and medicine, which apparently don't reach the people, but rather, Hamas leaders who use these goods to advance their own aims?


So much has been said about releasing prisoners with "blood on their hands," but I doubt whether you heard the mothers whose children were killed by terrorists calling to release their children's murderers in exchange for Gilad. And did you hear the former captives who said that the only thing that kept them alive in captivity was the certain knowledge that the State would do everything to secure their release?


Who would want to serve in an army of a State that abandons its children? I have no doubt that the way we handled the issue of the abducted troops in recent years weakened our national resolve and desire to contribute. Should the Ron Arad case be repeated, we would need to be concerned about the State of Israel's fate.


And on a final note: Is there anyone out there who hasn't celebrated their son's birthday for a third year in a row because he is being held by our haters? Look deep into the eyes of the Shalit family and then say what you have to say.


Miki Goldwasser's son, Ehud, is a fallen IDF soldier returned to Israel in the recent swap with Hizbullah

'Don't meet with murderers'

Prime Minister Olmert reprimands Palestinian leader over his meeting with released murderer Samir Kuntar; Abbas requests another prisoner release but Olmert's associates say PM made no such pledge

Roni Sofer
Israel News

Prime Minister Ehud Olmert reprimanded Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas Sunday for meeting with released murderer Samir Kuntar in Lebanon. "You're not supposed to meet with killers," Olmert said during a meeting between the two in Jerusalem.


Jerusalem Meeting
Israel, Palestinians seek quick 'understandings' / Roni Sofer and Reuters
Olmert, Abbas to meet in Jerusalem, try to draw up preliminary document of understandings to present to Washington next month. Livni: We mustn't let timetables dictate concessions on issues crucial to Israel


During Sunday's meeting, Abbas requested that Israel release more Palestinian prisoners and remove West Bank roadblocks. However, PM Olmert's associates said he did not pledge any further releases.


"To this day we had three prisoner-release waves that we declared in advance, yet this time we are saying that there is no pledge to release more prisoners," an Olmert associate said.


Addressing earlier reports that the PM intended to press Abbas to reach an agreement within two weeks, a senior PM's Office official said they were unfounded.


"It never happened," the source said. "The prime minister is committed to the Annapolis understandings, that is, a comprehensive agreement by the end of 2008. Nothing else is acceptable or being discussed."



Meanwhile, Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erekat also said there was no intention to reach a shelf agreement within weeks. "We seek to reach a comprehensive agreement," he said in a press conference in Ramallah.


Erekat added that there will be no negotiations without a solution for the Jerusalem question, the refugee issue, and the question of borders.


Ali Waked contributed to the report

MK Eldad to Police: Evict Arab Squatters

Hillel Fendel

MK Aryeh Eldad (National Union), in a letter to Public Security Minister Avi Dichter, says the police must stop using "intolerable" excuses and get to work to evict Arabs from Yitzchak Herskovitz's property.

Herskovitz purchased the property, in southern Jerusalem between the Gilo (Jewish) and Beit Tsafafa (Arab) neighborhoods, 16 years ago - yet has never been able to move in. The reason: an Arab clan from Bethlehem that refuses to budge Despite several court orders, the police have refused to evict the Arabs, using various excuses. The last instance occurred ten days ago, when the police turned down the most recent court order to evict the Arabs because, they said, it was liable to cause Arab riots. The police also cited the holy Moslem month of Ramadan, which begins tomorrow, and the extra manpower needed for the visit of U.S. Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice, as reasons they could not carry out the eviction.

An incensed Eldad, learning of the matter from the continuing Arutz-7/IsraelNationalNews coverage of the story, wrote a letter to Public Security Minister Avi Dichter, who oversees Israel Police.

"The excuse that the eviction would lead to Arab rioting is intolerable," Eldad wrote. "This is an unacceptable political decision, expressed in selective law enforcement. It is designed to appease Arab lawbreakers and prevent Jews from actualizing their legal rights."

Eldad also noted an incident that occurred earlier this month, when Jews arrived in a northern Jerusalem neighborhood near French Hill to take possession of Jewish property - but were stopped by police because of concern it might lead to Arab riots.

Police Know How to Evict Jews
"When the courts ordered Jews evicted," Eldad wrote, "such as in Hevron or at the pogrom in Amona, the police knew well how to amass large forces to carry out the court-ordered evictions."

Dichter is running for leader of the Kadima Party, in primaries set for Sept. 17. He lags far behind front-runners Tzipi Livni and Sha'ul Mofaz in the polls.

"Perhaps it is not unnecessary to remind you," Eldad wrote to Dichter, "that Israel Police is responsible for enforcing the law equally on all sectors of the population. You may not allow your political inclinations, or the primaries, to sway the law and cause you not to carry out court orders."

Dutch sabotage agent recalled from Iran over “impending” US attack - report

A Dutch AIVD Secret Service ultra-secret operation underway in Iran in recent years has been halted and an agent recalled in view of “impending US plans to attack Iran,” within weeks, writes Joost de Haas in the Dutch newspaper De Telegraaf. According to intelligence sources in the Netherlands, the US [or Israel] would decide within weeks to attack nuclear plants with unmanned aircraft to avoid endangering air crews. DEBKAfile’s military sources report this would be the first time drones operated by remote control were used against major strategic targets, necessary in Israel’s case to hold its air fleet and flight crews ready to defend the country against reprisal from Iran’s allies. Syria and the Lebanese Hizballah have stockpiled thousands of rockets for this purpose.

The Iranian targets to be bombed would include also military installations brought to light partly by the Dutch espionage operation, described by De Telegraaf as extremely successful. “One of the agents was able to infiltrate the Iranian industry” and for years shared information with the American CIA. “Various supplies could also be sabotaged and stopped. These were parts for missiles and launching equipment.”

According to DEBKAfile’s sources, the expectation disclosed by the Dutch newspaper would explain the fresh spate of threats from Iran.

Thursday, Aug. 28, Iranian sources told the London-based Arabic al Quds that Tehran had recently transferred to Hizballah new long-range rockets capable of hitting every inch of Israeli soil with great accuracy.

They were to be fired if Israel or the United States attacked Iran.

Dep. Chief of General Staff Masus Jazairi said Saturday, Aug. 30, that any attack on Iran would mean the beginning of a new world war. He said the “greed of the US and Zionists” is gradually leading the world to collapse as demonstrated in Sudan, Iraq, Afghanistan and the Caucasus.

Egypt: Consider Arab force in Gaza

Egyptian foreign minister says 'presence of Arab forces on ground can help in preventing the fighting'

Israel News

Egyptian Foreign Minister Ahmed Aboul Gheit said on Saturday an Arab force for the Gaza Strip could help stop violence there, and the idea should be taken seriously, Egypt's state news agency MENA reported. But Aboul Gheit, whose country is sponsoring unity talks between rival Palestinian groups, stopped short of directly calling for such a force in the Hamas-controlled territory.


"The presence of Arab forces on the ground can help in preventing the fighting and stopping the Israeli-Palestinian conflict," Aboul Gheit told Egypt's October magazine, according to excerpts that ran on MENA ahead of the magazine piece, due out on Sunday.



"The matter has not been studied yet, but it is an attractive idea that deserves to be taken seriously when we consider that Egypt and the Arab League may play a role in this matter," he added.



However, a Hamas spokesman rejected the idea later in the day.



"The idea of sending an Arab force to Gaza is unjustified and unbalanced and it could not happen without the agreement of all Palestinian factions. Since Hamas rejects the idea, it will never be implemented," Sami Abu Zuhri said.


Aboul Gheit said the issue of an Arab force for Gaza would only be brought up in Palestinian talks after Palestinians achieved unity and following "appropriate study."

Congressman: Choosing Palin an insult to Jews

Democratic Congressman Wexler blasts McCain's decision to choose Palin as running mate, slams her support for 'Nazi sympathizer' Buchanan; However, Jewish sources endorse move, praise Alaska governor as friend of Jewish community

Yitzhak Benhorin
Israel News

WASHINGTON - Is Sarah Palin pro-Israel or anti-Israel? Democratic Congressman Robert Wexler lashed out at John McCain's running mate Sarah Palin, saying the choice was a an insult to Jewish Americans because of her support for Pat Buchanan. "John McCain's decision to select a vice presidential running mate that endorsed Pat Buchanan for President in 2000 is a direct affront to all Jewish Americans, "Wexler's announcement said. "Pat Buchanan is a Nazi sympathizer with a uniquely atrocious record on Israel, even going as far as to denounce bringing former Nazi soldiers to justice and praising Adolf Hitler."


Earlier, Buchanan said that Palin indeed backed him in the past. However, the Alaska governor's support may have been related to Buchanan's domestic policy, rather than his foreign policy views.


Meanwhile, Jewish sources and Israel-friends in the United States told Ynet that the Alaska governor has maintained very warm relations with the small Jewish community in the state, which comprises roughly 4,000 people. Moreover, Palin met with Israeli Foreign Ministry official David Akov, who served as Israel's Consul General for the Pacific Northwest Region.



During the meeting, the two discussed cooperation between Israel and Alaska on various issues, such as counter-terrorism efforts. Akov invited Palin to visit Israel and the governor expressed her desire to do so. She also reportedly told Akov that Alaska's residents love Israel.