Jesus was a Palestinian- "no one denies that" says PA TV

Itamar Marcus and Nan Jacques Zilberdik


One of the ways the Palestinian Authority attempts to create a Palestinian history is to deny the Judean/Jewish nationality of Jesus, and misrepresent him as a "Palestinian." Palestinian Media Watch has documented this ongoing Palestinian Authority historical revision. Recently on PA TV, the author Samih Ghanadreh from Nazareth was interviewed about his book "Christianity and Its Connection to Islam."

The following is the transcript of the discussion describing Jesus as a Palestinian:

Religious program on PA TV: This is our religion
Author: "The Shahid (Martyr) President Yasser Arafat used to say: 'Jesus was the first Palestinian Shahid (Martyr).' I heard him say that sentence many times."
PA TV Host: "He [Jesus] was a Palestinian; no one denies that."
Author: "He [Jesus] was the first Palestinian Shahid (Martyr). He (Arafat) attributed this Martyrdom to Palestine, as well." Click To View
[PA TV (Fatah), Dec. 3, 2010]

Fatah proud of "Palestinian" Virgin Mary
Earlier this year the Fatah Communications and Education Authority issued as statement on the official Fatah website claiming the Virgin Mary was "of the nation of Palestine":
"If we are proud of the holiness of our land, then we are proud and pride ourselves that the first and most important holy woman among the nations and peoples is from the holy land: The Virgin Mary - the woman of love and peace - is of the nation of Palestine..." [palvoice.com/index.php?id=23043]

Jesus and Mary were Palestinians par excellence
The Palestinian Authority religious leader, the Mufti Muhammad Hussein:
"Jesus was born in this land; he took his first steps in this land and spread his teachings [of Islam] in this land. He and his mother [Mary], we may say, were Palestinians par excellence." Click to view
[PA TV (Fatah), May 12, 2009]

See more examples of the PA's misrepresentation of Jesus as a "Palestinian" who preached Islam, on the PMW website.

Gaza bound flotilla arrives in Lebanon

JERUSALEM POST STAFF
12/24/2010

'Asia 1' convoy which began its journey in India, traveled through Pakistan, Iran, Turkey and Syria; welcomed by Khaled Maashal while in Damascus, Press TV reports; set to sail for Strip on Sunday.

The government is monitoring an aid convoy to Gaza that is planning to sail from Lebanon on Sunday, Israel Radio reported.

Asia 1, the first convoy to attempt to reach Gaza from Asia, began its journey from India and traveled through Pakistan, Iran, Turkey and Syria before arriving in Lebanon on Thursday. According to Iran's Press TV, the mission was welcomed by Syrian-based Hamas leader Khaled Mashaal.

A seven-member delegation of Iranian lawmakers joined the mission while it was in Damascus.

An Indian activist abord the ship was quoted by Press TV as saying "We are completely non-violent. We do not have weapons."

The activist added that if the convoy was approached by the IDF, the activists aboard would "face it with non-violence. We'll face it with a prayer in our hearts."

Everyone scared of Syria

Op-ed: Everyone knows truth about Hariri assassination but prefers to remain silent

Alex Fishman
Israel Opinion

Since the early 1980s, the Syrian regime murdered, methodically, more than 30 Lebanese leaders and public figures, and nobody opened his mouth or said anything. Anyone who threatened Syria’s position in Lebanon was removed. And so, leading figures in some of Lebanon’s most prominent families were assassinated, as were religious leaders, security officials, and former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri. With the exception of one anomaly, nobody was ever indicted over these acts. This is the case even though there isn’t a child in Lebanon – or one spy agency in the world – who doesn’t know who really stands behind these murders.


When the international probe into the Hariri murder (as well as the other 14 Lebanese, some of them senior officials, who died along with him) was launched, and we started hearing reports that pointed the finger at Hezbollah, the Lebanese people were scared. Suddenly, it became possible that a Lebanese organization was a party to the series of political assassinations of legitimate, popular leaders.


Here in Israel we didn’t quite understand what all the fuss in Lebanon was about. After all, in our view it’s obvious that Hezbollah would join forces with the Syrians or Iranians in order to remove leaders who undermine the interests of these two states. Yet from Lebanon things look differently.


There, despite its problematic nature, Hezbollah is perceived as a patriotic organization. It would be much more convenient for the Lebanese had the international tribunal accused Syria of being the only culprit in the Hariri murder. It would have spared them the earthquake – and possibly civil war – awaiting them upon the expected publication of the names of the murder suspects, some of whom come from Hezbollah’s military leadership.


Godfather-style moves

Hezbollah members murdered Hariri, yet they served as mercenaries on behalf of the Syrian regime. The Americans know this, European spy agencies know this, and we can assume that Israel is quite familiar with the material as well. Yet all of them – each for their own reasons – prefer to ignore Syria’s part in the murder and place Hezbollah in the limelight.


At this time, it’s most convenient for everyone to deal with the mercenary and forget about the mafia Don, who may be a partner for some good business in the future.


The current Lebanese Prime Minister, Saad Hariri, was forced to head to Damascus not too long ago and kiss his father’s murderers. He did not wish to travel and his supporters demanded that he refrain from doing so. However, the family’s patron – the Saudi royal house – presented him with an ultimatum, just like the Godfather stories. The Mideastern mob families want reconciliation and sent the orphan to clear the murderer’s name.


The next phase in blurring the tracks was the attempt to postpone the publication of the international probe’s conclusions to an unknown date. A pressure campaign on Hariri Jr. got underway to put off, annul, disregard, and not cooperate with the committee. The Americans had to push $10 million into Hariri’s hands in order for him to continue paying the Lebanese government’s part in operating the international investigation mechanism.


The probe conclusions were supposed to be published on December 15, to be followed by the legal phase. Yet it did not happen. The hysterical threats by Nasrallah, who promised anarchy in Lebanon, produced the desired results. Hariri asked to postpone the publication until after Christmas, as not to ruin the holiday’s festivities.


Yet the legal process continues to move forward. The names of the suspects were handed over last week already from the investigators to the jurists, and it’s interesting to see the trick that will be used now in order to put off the indictment by a few more months. Too many elements in the Middle East and in Europe would like to see the inquiry’s conclusions pertaining to Hezbollah evaporating and Syria being cleared again.


We, too, have a part in this. Israel, just like everyone else, knows the truth but remains silent. Who needs a civil war in Lebanon and mess vis-à-vis the Syrians?

Iran's New Foreign Minister Tells Us His Number-One Target: Getting the Saudis to Bow Down‏

RubinReports
Barry Rubin

What is the highest priority for Iranian foreign policy--I mean the official and public foreign policy, not spreading revolution and terrorism--today? According to the new foreign minister it's developing strong relations with Turkey and Saudi Arabia.

Ali Akbar Salehi, who by the way holds a degree from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), explained this in his first speech as foreign minister. His last job was running Iran's nuclear program. "Saudi Arabia deserves to have special political ties with Iran. Iran and Saudi Arabia," says Salehi, "as two effective countries in the Islamic world, can resolve many problems together." The means of persuasion are indicated by Salehi's former job. Perhaps he can tell a few anecdotes about the nuclear program [warning: satire]: "When I was busy getting our nuclear weapons ready--I told you we will have nuclear weapons soon, right?"

He will tell the Saudis that the United States cannot and will not protect them so they better accept the new era of a nuclear Iran and play ball with Tehran. Remember, as we know from Wikileaks, what Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad told India's leaders when he visited that country: Iran is getting stronger; America, under Obama, is getting weaker.

The Saudis, who aren't stupid, won't really submit to Iran but they will hedge their bets. After all, the United States isn't keeping Iran from getting nuclear weapons and isn't countering the spread of Iranian influence in the region.

One can imagine the dialogue taking place in Saudi palaces [warning: more satire]:

Prince A: "That President Obama is a really nice guy! He likes us. He sort of bowed to our king. He says nice things about Islam. He just appointed a Muslim to head NASA."

Prince B: "Yes, and that President Ahmadinejad is not a nice guy. He won't hesitate to trample on us if we cross him. He will send terrorists to assassinate us and to blow up oilfields. Soon he will have nuclear arms and nobody will stand up to him. The Americans can't stop him from getting these weapons. They are afraid to attack him, as we asked them to do. They keep apologizing about past uses of force. They are pulling out of Iraq. They didn't help us save Lebanon from Iran and Syria. They let the Shah fall, ran from Somalia, left Vietnam. Shall I go on?"

Prince A: "Yes, I see what you mean. So what should we do?"

Prince B: "Well, we can start by getting Ahmadinejad a really really nice birthday present, say, the Persian Gulf."

Prince A: "Persian Gulf? Don't you mean the Arab Gulf?"

Prince B: "Not any more!"

Note: If you are wondering and want to get in good with Iranian leaders with a nice greeting card, reemember that Ahmadinejad's birthday is October 28. Supreme Guide Ali Khamanei's is July 17.

Barry Rubin is director of the Global Research in International Affairs (GLORIA) Center and editor of the Middle East Review of International Affairs (MERIA) Journal. His latest books are The Israel-Arab Reader (seventh edition), The Long War for Freedom: The Arab Struggle for Democracy in the Middle East (Wiley), and The Truth About Syria (Palgrave-Macmillan). The website of the GLORIA Center is at http://www.gloria-center.org and of his blog, Rubin Reports, http://www.rubinreports.blogspot.com.

"Calling Pollard Home"

Arlene Kushner

Will it work? It depends on President Obama.

Prime Minister Netanyahu has made a decision to issue a formal, public and official request for the release of Jonathan Pollard, as I understand it, immediately before Christmas. This decision was made at the behest of Pollard himself, who sent a message via his wife Esther, and after Netanyahu had consulted with advisors and US administration officials.

"I intend to continue acting with determination for Pollard's release, both because of the State of Israel's moral obligation to him and so that he might live with his family and restore himself to health after his prolonged
incarceration," he said.
Two days ago, Lawrence Korb, who was assistant to Defense Secretary Casper Weinberger and was on the inside during the time Pollard was arrested, came to the Knesset. He urged a more activist stance on behalf of Pollard, whom he believes was treated unfairly:

"Jonathan Pollard made a deal with the prosecutors: they agreed if he cooperates, which he did, he would not get life in prison," Korb said. "He did cooperate, but he got life in prison and the question really is why?"

Korb says that at the time of Pollard's sentencing, Weinberger gave a "victim impact statement" suggesting that information Pollard had passed ended up in the hands of the Soviet Union -- this, during the Cold War, when American agents had been compromised. Later, it turned out that information Pollard had passed had nothing to do with the death of American agents.

"We found out later that the secretary's statement was really exaggerated, and he himself, before he died in 2004, said in retrospect the Pollard affair was a comparatively minor matter, but at the time we did not know it," Korb said.

~~~~~~~~~~

See Caroline Glick on this issue here:

"Pollard's unfair, unjustified and discriminatory sentence and treatment are a dismal symbol of Jewish vulnerability. His personal suffering is inhumane, real and unrelenting. He needs us to stand up for him.
"And so we must. And so we will. The time has come, against all odds to shout that Pollard must be freed. Now".

http://www.carolineglick.com/e/2010/12/a-time-to-shout.php?pf=yes

~~~~~~~~~~

Pollard -- who has been in prison for 25 years and has spent much of this time in solitary confinement -- is in ill health. He will be released only if there is a presidential pardon. Presidential spokesman Robert Gibbs said very recently that "I am not aware... that that’s something that the president is looking at doing.”

~~~~~~~~~~

Things have gotten a lot hotter in Gaza and it's now being asked whether we're going to see Operation Cast Lead II.

As I am reading from multiple sources, the increase in attacks emanating from Gaza is the result of unrest among the troops, both members of Hamas and other terrorist organizations, who are eager for action. Hamas, which controls the situation, is permitting limited attacks along the Israeli border with Gaza, but not deep into Israel. And it is Hamas military commander Ahmed Jabari who is in charge on this.

Yesterday saw the most intensive Israeli aerial involvement in Gaza since Cast Lead. Eight targets -- including arms warehouses, smuggling tunnels and tunnels being dug towards Israel -- were hit in response to a mortar attack. In addition, a Hamas training camp was hit in response to a Kassam rocket that landed near a kindergarten outside of Ashkelon -- parents were dropping off their children when it landed, and a 16-year old girl was injured.

~~~~~~~~~~

I confess: Every time I read that we have hit smuggling tunnels in response to a particular attack, I am left at a loss to understand why we don't hit those tunnels, since we know where they are, even if there hasn't been an attack.

~~~~~~~~~~

While Chief of Staff Gabi Ashkenazi calls the situation "fragile and explosive," the IDF is predicting that the violence will subside. Hamas, you see, is not ready to take us on again yet, as they are still rebuilding their tunnels and acquiring additional sophisticated weaponry.

These weapons now include long-range rockets such as the Iranian Fajr-5. Ashkenazi has revealed that a Russian-made advanced anti-tank missile, the Kornet, penetrated the hull of an Israeli Merkava tank two weeks ago. As a result of this, Battalion 9 of the 401st Armored Brigade is now deployed along the Gaza border because it deploys an anti-tank missile defense system.

~~~~~~~~~~

Meanwhile, and predictably, PA president Abbas has said that "Israeli aggression" in Gaza threatens the "peace process."

While chief PLO negotiator Saeb Erekat expressed “deep concern and fear” regarding what's happening along the border between Israel and Gaza. "Deep concern and fear"? How heartfelt is the PLO concern for what happens to Hamas.

Charged Erekat: Israel has an interest in perpetuating divisions within the Palestinian people.

It's all a bit of PR nonsense. Never mind that it's not clear how our defending ourselves again terrorists at our border with Gaza affects the relationship between Hamas and Fatah. What I believe is at base here is a recent leak that said that the PA had asked Israel to attack in Gaza before the beginning of Cast Lead -- hope being that Israel would take out Hamas and turn over Gaza to the PA. Now the PA has issued vociferous denials.

~~~~~~~~~~

I am sooo tired of analyses of the "peace process." In spite of the several post-mortem statements that have been delivered to date, the issue simply will not go away.

We have, for example, Aaron David Miller, who served as an advisor on negotiations to previous administrations and predicts that Obama is headed towards "bridging proposals." Obama, he says, "believes that through the force of his personality he can act as a transforming agent." If this is true, in the face of everything that has occurred to date, Obama is even more narcisstic and removed from reality than is broadly thought.

Warns Miller, "before he commits" Obama must ask himself if "the two leaders [are] willing, able, and ready to make the big decisions on the...big...issues."

The fact that Miller can pose this with apparent seriousness is unreal. At the end of the day, he knows: "In failing [to get an answer to this question], he will surely fail...And far from being the architect of a negotiated two-state solution, Obama will end up being the American president whose administration presided over its demise."

http://www.jpost.com/Opinion/Op-EdContributors/Article.aspx?id=200487

~~~~~~~~~~

"The Good News Corner"

A ministerial committee has approved 91 million shekels to renovate 16 archeological and heritage sites, as part of the National Heritage Plan. One of these is the Herodian National Park in the Gush Etzion region (Judea) and one is at Rechavam's Arches, in the Golan Heights, where there are the ruins of a Sixth Century CE synagogue. Prepare for the Arab protests.

_________

In case I do not write again in the next two days, I express wishes now for a Merry Christmas to my Christian readers.

~~~~~~~~~~

© Arlene Kushner. This material is produced by Arlene Kushner, functioning as an independent journalist. Permission is granted for it to be reproduced only with proper attribution


see my website www.ArlenefromIsrael.info
see my website www.ArlenefromIsrael.info

The Big Lie: ‘1967 Borders’ is a Fallacy, Says Former Ambassador

Tzvi Ben Gedalyahu
A7 News

The term “1967 borders,” the Arab world’s mantra for the borders of a PA state, never existed, says former Ambassador to Canada Alan Baker in a research paper for the Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs.

Ever since neighboring Arab countries attacked Israel in 1948 as it became an independent country for the first time in 2,000 years, there were no borders, only temporary military lines defined by the 1949 “Armistice Lines” that ended, at least formally, the War for Independence. However, the Arab world has repeated the term “1967 borders” so much that it has been adopted as fact by mainstream media and most international leaders. The term refers to the 1949 ceasefire line from which Israel military forces advanced at the beginning of the Six-Day War on June 4, 1967 and should be called "pre-1967 War Armistice Lines" or "1949 Armistice Lines". INN, it should be noted, has used those accurate terms consistently..

Even Brazil, which recently decided to “recognize” the Palestinian Authority based on the supposed 1967 borders, stated during a United Nation debate on Resolution 242 in 1967 calling for negotiations for boundaries, “Its acceptance does not imply that borderlines cannot be rectified as a result of an agreement freely concluded among the interested States. We keep constantly in mind that a just and lasting peace in the Middle East has necessarily to be based on secure permanent boundaries freely agreed upon and negotiated by the neighboring States."



Baker (pictured) noted that Jordan, which also has adopted the fallacy of “1967 borders,” said in the same debate, "There is an Armistice Agreement. The Agreement did not fix boundaries; it fixed a demarcation line. The Agreement did not pass judgment on rights political, military or otherwise. Thus I know of no territory; I know of no boundary; I know of a situation frozen by an Armistice Agreement."

Although the “1967 borders” denote lines of separation, they have no basis in history, law, or fact,” Baker explained. “The 1949 armistice agreements specifically stated that such lines have no political or legal significance and do not prejudice future negotiations on boundaries,” he continued.

“There are no provisions in any of the agreements signed between Israel and the Palestinians that require withdrawal to the ‘1967 borders.’ There were never any geographic imperatives that sanctify the 1967 lines."

The "Armistice Lines” of 1949 were determined in agreements signed by Israel, Egypt, Jordan, Syria, and Lebanon. They were not borders, Baker pointed out. “The armistice demarcation line represented nothing more than the forward lines of deployment of the forces on the day a ceasefire was declared…. The line was demarcated on the map attached to the armistice agreement with a green marker pen and hence received the name ‘Green Line.’

“The Security Council in its resolution stressed the temporary nature of the armistice lines that were to be maintained ‘during the transition to permanent peace in Palestine.'"

The Armistice Agreement stated, “The basic purpose of the Armistice Demarcation Lines is to delineate the lines beyond which the armed forces of the respective Parties shall not move. The provisions of this article shall not be interpreted as prejudicing, in any sense, an ultimate political settlement between the Parties to this Agreement.

"The Armistice Demarcation Lines defined in...this Agreement are agreed upon by the Parties without prejudice to future territorial settlements or boundary lines or to claims of either Party relating thereto."

Baker quoted Judge Steven Schwebel, former President of the International Court of Justice, who stated in 1994, "The armistice agreements of 1949 expressly preserved the territorial claims of all parties and did not purport to establish definitive boundaries between them."

The current Arab campaign for recognizing the Palestinian Authority according to the supposed “1967 borders” ironically is often based on the oft-quoted UN Resolution 242. This is the resolution which Baker noted emphasizes in its very first paragraph the “...respect for and acknowledgement of the sovereignty, territorial integrity and political independence of every State in the area and their right to live in peace within secure and recognized boundaries free from threats or acts of force."

The Palestinian Authority has accepted in previous agreements the concept that borders will be negotiated, but the Arab world’s “diplomatic war of attrition” has virtually erased this perception in the media and in the international community. A 1993 agreement signed by Arafat states that there are, "...remaining issues, including: Jerusalem, refugees, settlements, security arrangements, borders, relations and cooperation with other neighbors, and other issues of common interest."

The PA in the past several months has called for “negotiations” but in reality has demanded that Israel accept the so-called “1967 borders” without negotiation, lines which Baker’s research paper shows havs no legal or historical foundation as borders.

Baker's Got Slightly Wrong Ingredients

My Right Word

Alan Baker has a position paper out at JCPA (and IMRA had it a fortnight ago),

The Fallacy of the “1967 Borders” – No Such Borders Ever Existed

and the executive summary contains these points:

- The Palestinian leadership is fixated on attempting to press foreign governments and the UN to recognize a unilaterally declared Palestinian state within the "1967 borders."
- But such borders do not exist and have no basis in history, law, or fact. The only line that ever existed was the 1949 armistice demarcation line, based on the ceasefire lines of the Israeli and Arab armies pending agreement on permanent peace. The 1949 armistice agreements specifically stated that such lines have no political or legal significance and do not prejudice future negotiations on boundaries.
- UN Security Council Resolution 242 of 1967 acknowledged the need for negotiation of secure and recognized boundaries...the previous lines cannot be considered as international boundaries.
- The series of agreements between the PLO and Israel (1993-1999) reaffirm the intention and commitment of the parties to negotiate permanent borders. During all phases of negotiation between Israel and the Palestinians, there was never any determination as to a border based on the 1967 lines... As Amb. Baker, Director of the Institute for Contemporary Affairs at the Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs and former Legal Adviser to Israel's Foreign Ministry as well as former Ambassador of Israel to Canada explains in the article:

...the Palestinian leadership, as well as members of the international community, are well aware that such borders do not exist, nor have they ever existed. They have never figured in any of the international, agreed-upon documentation concerning the Israel-Arab and Israel-Palestinian issues, and have no basis whatsoever, neither in law nor in fact.

There are no provisions in any of the agreements signed between Israel and the Palestinians that require withdrawal to the "1967 borders." There were never any geographic imperatives that sanctify the 1967 lines.


But there's a problem.

True, the 1949 armistice lines have no true international legal validity other than being the line where the fighting halted.

Nevertheless, one needs to review the context of the Declaration of Principles (DOP) of the Oslo Accords and see where the Pals. are coming from.

For example:

a)

ARTICLE I
AIM OF THE NEGOTIATIONS

The aim of the Israeli-Palestinian negotiations within the current Middle East peace process is, among other things, to establish a Palestinian Interim Self-Government Authority, the elected Council (the "Council"), for the Palestinian people in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip


b)

ARTICLE III
ELECTIONS

In order that the Palestinian people in the West Bank and Gaza Strip may govern themselves


c)

ARTICLE IV
JURISDICTION
Jurisdiction of the Council will cover West Bank and Gaza Strip territory, except for issues that will be negotiated in the permanent status negotiations. The two sides view the West Bank and the Gaza Strip as a single territorial unit, whose integrity will be preserved during the interim period.


and

d)

ARTICLE V
TRANSITIONAL PERIOD AND PERMANENT STATUS NEGOTIATIONS

The five-year transitional period will begin upon the withdrawal from the Gaza Strip and Jericho area.

Permanent status negotiations will commence...It is understood that these negotiations shall cover remaining issues, including: Jerusalem, refugees, settlements, security arrangements, borders...The two parties agree that the outcome of the permanent status negotiations should not be prejudiced or preempted by agreements reached for the interim period.


Yes, it is clear from the language that borders are a final status issue but nevertheless, there is no clear indication that the eventual political entity to be formed will not include the integrity of all the territory. The 1949-1967 are not explicity negated and there is room for a good lawyer to make that claim, which is what the Pals. are doing now.

Israel, with Baker and other legal eagles in support, never truly did enough to invalidate those armisticed lines in a political and legal sense and left them as some accidental boundary line instead of quashing their relevance in an official way. The DOP should have included a line like: "nothing in these accords shall be construed to guarantee that any eventual territorial unit shall include all the territory between the former 1949 armistice lines and the border of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan". Too cledver by half is not good enough when defending the Land of Israel.

Whatever comes out of this "oven", the ingredients that went in were insufficient.

^
Posted by YMedad at 11:46 PM
Labels: 1967 lines, green line
1 comments:

Eliyahu m'Tsiyon said...

Baker makes another mistake, at least from the scientific, factual point of view. There never was a "palestinian people" in all history until one was invented at some point after Israel's war of independence. This psywar invention became the basis for setting up the PLO in 1964.

On the issue of the international law status of Judea-Samaria & Gaza, see howard Grief's book, plus his other writings in Nativ and elsewhere, some available on the Internet, plus this site:

http://theisraelisettlements.blogspot.com/p/settlements-legal-issues.html

Polarities of Christianity!

by Steven Shamrak

I have been writing my editorial letter for over 9 years. It is not against Christianity or Islam, regardless of how much harm they have inflicted upon the Jewish people. It is about the right of my nation to live in peace on all Jewish ancestral land, although, some issues must not be buried, forgotten or remain unanswered.

Recently I have received messages from two Christians in my mail list after I had published the "Apology for Unintentional Mistake" article. I would like to share them with you. If you are a Christian, it is up to you to choose which one you would like to affiliate with: Communication from Roy and my answers:

"How many Jews died in the Holocaust? Was that not enough for you to recognize the truth?" - Is this a hidden Holocaust denial? Is it justification of the Holocaust using the Inquisition idea - to burn Jews if they do not convert to Christianity? Just be honest about your intentions toward Jews and do not hide behind a smokescreen of dishonest questions!

"The Church was not responsible for the Holocaust" - Silence of the Church was the major KILLER! The Holocaust was committed by Christians, Germans and local thugs. Most 'nice' people remained silent. This is the clear indication of responsibility. In Denmark, Bulgaria, even in Italy, to some degree, when the Nazi anti-Jewish bigotry was challenged, Jews were saved!

"The Chief Rabbi in Rome during World War II converted to Catholicism. Was that not a profound statement concerning the truth of the Catholic Church's position regarding the massacre of Jews by the Nazis?" - You must think what you write! This only "profoundly" proves the hypocrisy of the Catholic Church, its aim to irradiate Jews physically or through conversion. It seems that the Holocaust was a useful tool, as was the Inquisition before it! For almost two thousand years the Church has been cynically keeping Jews alive in Rome, so they would witness the glory of the "second coming". This is not an act of LOVE - it is an ugly cruelty!

"I am not guilty of slavery, persecution, genocide, forced conversion, child abuse or silence about the killing of Christians by Muslims, so I cannot repent" - No, you might have not carried them out yet! But you are guilty of ignoring and even secretly supporting the revolting deeds that have been committed in the name of the Church and making excuses for them!

2. Communication from Ken

"You are absolutely correct. Many people who use the term Christian have no idea what Christianity really is. It is exactly as you say, about forgiveness, love, and one of the most important commandments besides the Law of Moses, is Thou Shalt Not Judge, yet many atrocities have been committed in the name of Christianity. Christ even speaks of Wolves in Sheep's clothing.

True Christians know we (Church) are a branch (of Judaism), and we must bless the Jewish people and nation, that is one of Christ's main messages to us. But, sadly, the denominations of Christianity most often represent their own ideas and use it as a fear factor of control and personal gain. Please know there are many ministers in America who preach that it is our duty to help the Jewish nation..." (Please, read more on the subject: Message to Christian Friends of Jews )

"Perhaps You've Heard"

Arlene Kushner

Word came out on a major scale yesterday that YouTube had dropped the Palestinian Media Watch ( http://palwatch.org ) account. The reason given was that PMW had severely violated YouTube guidelines -- with regard to hate speech. This came as a blow, for there seemed to be an essential confusion between promoting vile speech and exposing it. But that was yesterday, and today the news is different.

Apparently this was not a perverse or biased decision, it was an automatic process that was generated by complaints (complaints from Arabs who resented what was being shown, or from others offended by some of the content of what the videos show, I cannot say). Once a person of decision-making capacity was reached, and the situation was thoroughly explained, the decision by YouTube was reversed. Many is the time that I have relied upon such PMW-generated YouTube videos to demonstrate exactly what is really happening in the PA (e.g., an officially designated musical troupe that dances on stage while singing, "This is the day of consolation of Jihad. Pull the trigger. We shall redeem Jerusalem, Nablus and the country." Which you can see here.)

I am glad that this story has a happy ending.

~~~~~~~~~~

It would be good -- and far far more important -- to secure a happy ending on this score, as well:

I've read numerous exceedingly thoughtful pieces regarding the inadvisability -- the danger! -- of approving the new START treaty, which would put the US at a disadvantage, as well as regarding the audacity of President Obama in trying to push this through a lame-duck Senate right before Christmas and without adequate debate.

What I have chosen to share here is from Frank Gaffney's Center for Security Policy. It provides facts and an avenue for action. Please! Do respond to this:

http://stopnewstart.com/

There is no time for delay! Be activist enough to make those phone calls. It can make all the difference.

~~~~~~~~~~

And then we have this, from StandWithUs Northwest:

"A group calling itself Stop30Billion has purchased...billboard and bus banner ads that demonize Israel. The bus ads will run on buses that serve downtown Seattle for at least the next four weeks starting on December 27. This is part of a growing campaign that has placed similar ads on buses and billboards in Houston, Albuquerque and San Francisco."

Pictures for these ads say, "Israel War Crimes -- Your Tax Dollars at Work."

"These ads...fcor the first time try to spread broadly into our community a message of hate against Israel.

"In our culture of sound-bite news, what people will remember from this bus and billboard ad campaign will be the lead line, "Israeli War Crimes."

"This is a well-funded effort to have our community reject Israel, an effort to have our friends and neighbors, co-workers and children's schoolmates see Israel as a pariah state, a country acting outside of acceptable norms."

Please click here for the StandWithUS website that provides advice on whom you should contact to stop this from happening.

~~~~~~~~~~

I'm no fan of Tzachi Hanegbi. No way. But a JPost piece by this former Kadima minister -- who supports a "peace process" -- makes interesting reading:

"...During the Saban Forum, I spoke with local friends who are experts in gauging the mood shifts in the Democratic administration, the Republican Congress and American public opinion.

"Their assessments were identical: President Obama has despaired of his failed diplomatic adventure in our region. His main priority now will be getting re-elected for a second term. The lesson the Democratic Party has learned from its recent beating in the congressional elections is to focus all its efforts on the domestic arena – on the faltering economy, the deepening recession and the dismaying unemployment numbers.

"Therefore, even if the US government does not go as far as to adopt the repeated calls of the New York Times’ Thomas Friedman to leave the quarreling children of the Holy Land alone, those presidential energies and attention directed at our region will be focused solely on managing the conflict rather than solving it.

"This is the view from Washington. Not only is the weather in the American capital freezing (minus seven degrees), but so too is the diplomatic process between us and our Middle East neighbors."

http://www.jpost.com/Opinion/Op-EdContributors/Article.aspx?id=200153

~~~~~~~~~~

A situation that has been infuriating and distressing seems on its way to some amelioration, even if the public will not privy to all that is going on:

The subject is control of Har Habayit -- the Temple Mount. After we redeemed it in 1967, a foolishly motivated Moshe Dayan, in an effort to keep things smooth (and, I suspect, with enormous naivete regarding what would ensue), told the Muslim Wakf -- the Islamic trust -- that it could have everyday management of the Mount, where Muslims came to pray at the Al Aksa Mosque, while Israel would retain over-all control.

But the Wakf was not into sharing. They have parlayed what was given them into a situation on the ground in which they have far more control than should ever be the case. The Mount is ours. But they have done excavations that have destroyed archeological treasures, while Israeli officials, in a craven attempt to keep things quiet, have restricted Jewish presence -- and Jewish ability to pray! -- on the Mount.

Remember that the Second Intifada was started ostensibly because Ariel Sharon went up on the Mount and this was said to cause "offense." Never mind that this war had been planned by Arafat, who was simply waiting for a hook to hang it on. The mere fact that the Arabs were able to represent the presence on the Mount of a member of the Israel government as "offensive" tells us what the mindset was.

~~~~~~~~~~

At any rate, Arutz Sheva tells us that State Comptroller Michal Lindenstrauss has prepared a report on Israeli sovereignty on the Mount. Only portions of this material, considered to be highly sensitive, will be released to the public -- with a subcommittee of the Knesset Control Committee deciding what can be made public.

Arutz Sheva cites MK Otniel Sheller, who heads the subcommittee:

"The report mainly deals with how we, Israel, actualize our sovereignty on the Temple Mount. It notes the problems, what can be done, and what has been done. And the conclusion is as follows: Many improvements have been made over the past few months, and everything is now done there in full coordination with the police, the Israel Antiquities Authority, the Attorney-General’s office, the relevant ministerial committee, and the Jerusalem municipality. The situation has totally changed."

This is good news, but my gut feeling is that it needs to be even better.

~~~~~~~~~~

Esther Pollard, wife of Jonathan Pollard, is here in Israel and has asked PM Netanyahu to intervene-- Jonathan, whose health is failing, has personally requested a public call for his release. Claiming unease about his role and what will result, Netanyahu is said to be thinking about it.

~~~~~~~~~~
One more mark of what we're dealing with:

"For the past week," according to Haaretz, "representatives of the Popular Palestinian Committees (PPC) have been urging West Bank [i.e., Judea and Samaria] residents [who are Arab] to bury their dead in Israeli-controlled parts of the West Bank, identified as Area C."

This plan, being called "Intifada of the Graves," was revealed on Army Radio yesterday.

"Proponents...believe it will be more difficult for Israelis to take control over parts of the West Bank in a final agreement if there are Arab cemeteries throughout the disputed territories."

~~~~~~~~~~

This is only a slightly different version of an Arab scam that's been operative for a while, and has now been reported by Arutz Sheva: Not long ago it was discovered that new graves were turning up in the Mamilla Cemetery, an ancient Muslim cemetery located on the outskirts of Jerusalem's Independence Park, but that no one was buried in them: the plan was to usurp land and authorities removed the gravestones.

Now the same thing is happening outside the Eastern wall of the Temple Mount, in what is designated as a national park.

Maya Shukri of the El Har HaMoriyah Institute, documented the faked graves with her camera; she says that at present, the graves are empty but an infrastructure is in place for future burials.

A year ago, the Court ruled that there could not be graves placed in this area, which has historical significance, but so far nothing has been done to stop it.

~~~~~~~~~~
In closing today, allow me to return for one moment to PMW. I'm sure my Christian readers will be interested in learning that Jesus (and Mary) were not Jews, but Palestinians. How do I know? These videos tell us so. Never mind that there was no Islam when Jesus lived.

Reminds me just a bit of how a Muslim Arafat used to tell journalists, before Christmas eve, "excuse me, I must go to Bethlehem to pray." And they would eat it up.

http://www.palwatch.org/main.aspx?fi=506&fld_id=506&doc_id=830

~~~~~~~~~~

© Arlene Kushner. This material is produced by Arlene Kushner, functioning as an independent journalist. Permission is granted for it to be reproduced only with proper attribution

see my website www.ArlenefromIsrael.info
see my website www.ArlenefromIsrael.info

Palestinian Media Watch censored by YouTube

DAVID FRANKFURTER

Itamar Marcus and his relentless team at Palestinian Media Watch have been given the strangest of back-handed compliments. In exposing the anti-Semitic hate messages broadcast by the Palestinians - especially by Palestinian Authority television and Hamas. PMW uses YouTube as a medium to "name and shame", throwing a light on Palestinian Authority funded ads, jingles, childrens' shows, musicals, sermons, quizzes, and other entertainment where Palestinians (especially children) are educated and encouraged to hate, extol violence and terror and to steer them away from any possibility of peace. These shows are intended for the Arabic speaking audience in the Palestinian territories. But PMW shows them in all their glory, translated and with commentary, so that the world can see how much pressure they will need to bring to bear to effect real change in the Palestinians if peace is ever to be a possibility.

Palestinian supporters have tried to censor the exposure of their hate and vitriol, and after many years, have finally succeeded - YouTube has closed Palestinian Media Watch's account, claiming that it has breached YouTube policy by uploading hate speech. To me it seems peculiar that YouTube would censor Palestinian Media Watch in its attempt to eradicate Palestinian hate eduction by "naming and shaming".

Now here's the rub. Everyone (including Palestinian supporters) now agree that PA Television is hate speech & incitement to violence. So much so, that it's been banned from YouTube. That same hate speech is directly paid for and closely controlled out of President Abbas' office, which is in turn largely funded by international donors - with the UK and EU leading the pack.

Aside from letting all our friends know of this preposterous situation, protesting to YouTube, and asking your local media why they don't cover this censorship, I suggest that we should ask our elected representatives why taxpayers money is being poured into violence and corruption - including the corruption of the minds of children. Why are governments propping up a regime that pushes hatred and war instead of peace? When will the world show in action that it understands what REALLY stands in the way of peace in the Arab-Israel conflict?

Austria: Judge Rules That Yodeling Offends Muslims

Elad Benari

It seems as though in Austria, the popular yodel is an insult to Muslims.

An Austrian court has recently fined a citizen for yodeling while mowing his lawn, according to a report in The Kronen Zeitung newspaper.

The citizen, 63-year-old Helmut G., was told by the court that his yodeling offended his next-door Muslim neighbors, who accused him of trying to mock and imitate the call of the Muezzin.

In Muslim tradition, the Muezzin is the chosen person at a mosque who leads the call to prayer at Friday services and the five daily times for prayer from one of the mosque's minarets. The yodel is a song which is sung with an extended note which rapidly and repeatedly changes in pitch and makes a high-low-high-low sound. Developed in the Central Alps as a method of communication between alpine mountaineers or between alpine villages, the yodel later became part of the region's traditional lore and musical expression. The technique is used in many cultures throughout the world and Austria is one of the countries where it is most popular.

Unfortunately for Helmut G., his neighbors were in the middle of a prayer when he started to yodel. The Kronen Zeitung reported that he was fined 800 Euros after judges ruled that he could have tried to offend his neighbors and ridicule their belief.

Helmut G. clarified that “It was not my intention to imitate or insult them. I simply started to yodel a few tunes because I was in such a good mood.”

and from dear Chana:

AUSTRIA: JUDGE RULES YODELING OFFENDS MUSLIMS- Chana -12.19.10



Will this dementia ever end

Or is this but beginning ?

It seems to be in Austria

That yodeling is sinning!



Alas! to native yodelers ~

Some Muslims take offense ~

To people -like the Austrians

The situation's tense.



Who knows how far this thing can go

What next they will demand

And why we freedom loving folks

Must yield to their command?



Like checkered cloths in restaurants -

(Italians like a lot)

Resemble the kefiyya

As worn by Arafat!



Could wigs some women choose to wear ~

(Some ladies like a 'snood' ~)

Be likened to their own hijab

Then banned for being lewd?!



Taboo on Camel cigarettes

That naughty people smoke ~

To us it might seem ludicrous ~

To them it's not a joke!



Or Yodels - tasty little cakes ~

(That really is the name)

Be off the shelves forever now

As fitting in their claim?!



Or bathing suits - so brief today ~

On them they'd put a hex!!

They seem to think that kind of wear

Would surely lead to sex!!!



Each nation has its fav'rite things~

Its culture and its pride ~

Let no one mock it - force a change

That isn't bona fide!!



It's time the West stood up and said

With lines drawn in the sand~

"You integrate or else you leave -

You can't invade our land!!"



"We won't accede to your extremes

To heart take every threat.

WE WANT TO HEAR OUR YODELING

FROM EVERY MINARET!!

Erekat: Ten EU countries to approve Palestinian embassies

KHALED ABU TOAMEH
19/12/2010
Chief PLO negotiator says Palestinian missions abroad are a step closer toward becoming embassies of an "occupied state with defined borders."

Some 10 EU countries are scheduled to upgrade the status of Palestinian representative offices in their capitals in the near future, Chief PLO negotiator Saeb Erekat declared on Sunday.

The move means that Palestinian missions would move a step closer toward becoming embassies whose workers enjoy full diplomatic immunity. Erekat said that the move follows Norway’s recent decision to upgrade the status of the Palestinian representative office. Moreover, the move comes in wake of three South American countries to recognize a Palestinian state on the 1967 borders, he added.

A PA official told The Jerusalem Post that the decision to seek international recognition of a Palestinian state was designed to shift the conflict from one over “occupied Palestinian territories” to one over an “occupied state with defined borders.”

The official said that while the Palestinians did not expect the recognition to end Israeli “occupation,” it would increase international support for the Palestinians and their cause.

Erekat said that the Palestinian position has earned the support of a majority in the international community.

Erekat did not say which EU countries were expected to upgrade the status of the Palestinian representative missions. Earlier this week, the PA said it has appealed to several EU countries separately to recognize a Palestinian state on the 1967 borders.

The PLO negotiator said that Norway’s decision to upgrade the status of the Palestinian office to an embassy level had “embarrassed and worried” the Israeli government. “The Israelis are afraid that the issue of recognition of a Palestinian state would enter the EU,” he said. “We urge the international community to salvage the two-state solution by recognizing a Palestinian state on the 1967 borders.”

Erekat said that the issue of recognizing a Palestinian state was a “free, independent and sovereign” matter for each country. The US Administration, he said, can’t prevent other countries from practicing their sovereign right.

Nabil Sha’ath, another member of the PA negotiating team, said that the Palestinians would accept nothing less than an independent state on the 1967 borders, with Jerusalem as its capital, and the “right of return” for refugees.

He ruled out the possibility that the Palestinians would resort at this stage to an armed struggle against Israel, saying that the best option for now was a “popular struggle.”

It's All Israel's Fault: PA Blames Israel for Need to Seek Aid

Maayana Miskin
A7 News

The Palestinian Authority blames Israel for the need for another international donor conference scheduled for April 2011 and announced this week by Norwegian Foreign Minister Jonas Gahr Stoere.

Stoere expressed hope that in 2011, the PA will have succeeded in creating a new Arab state in Judea, Samaria and Gaza. “We should all cling to the vision of 2011 being the year when we can see a new state on the world stage: the Palestinian state,” he said. n order for the PA to create a state, “institutions need to be solid, governance needs to be transparent, security, schools, all these elements need to come in place,” Stoere said, speaking after a meeting with PA Prime Minister Salam Fayyad, who is second in command to Chairman Mahmoud Abbas.

While Stoere spoke of the need for transparency, Fayyad blamed Israel for the PA's need for foreign aid. “Due to Israeli restrictions on our national sovereignty, the economy has not been able to operate up to its potential,” he said. The PA argues that Israeli security measures, which include inspection of imports to Judea and Samaria and checkpoints between PA-controlled territories and Israeli cities, are the main obstacle to a flourishing PA economy.

Israel has been widely credited for the improvement of the PA economy through easing security checks despite continuing terrorist attacks and working closely with Ramallah on joint projects.

Fayyad credited the PA for reducing its need for aid and did not mention Israeli initiatives to increase employment among PA Arabs. The PA is hoping to boycott Israeli employers in Judea and Samaria, but has not yet been able to find alternative workplaces for the tens of thousands of workers who would be forced to quit their jobs.

The international community has provided much of the funding for the PA and for Hamas-run Gaza. The PA received nearly $1.2 billion in international aid in 2010; in addition, the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) provides food aid and free primary education for many PA Arabs.Some of the money is used for honoring terrorists.

Fayyad said in September that he hopes the PA will no longer need foreign aid by 2013, but then corrected himself to say that the PA would still need aid for development.

Abbas admitted this month that the PA is spending most of its money in Hamas-run Gaza, where it continues to pay 77,000 Fatah loyalists who are mostly unemployed under the new regime. Months earlier, a PA official had revealed that much of America's aid to Gaza ends up benefiting Hamas.

A PA expert who spoke at the United Nation's Seminar of Assistance to the Palestinian People in 2010 lamented that the large sums of foreign aid given to the PA had no impact on the PA economy. She cited the large PA public payroll and PA spending on its armed “police” forces as contributing factors.

What Do the Palestinians Want?

Dr. Avi Perry

The potential unilateral declaration of a Palestinian state by the PA will not create an existent Palestinian state. It will merely deepen the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.


For years, it has been taken for granted that the Palestinian leadership, a.k.a. the Palestinian Authority (PA), headed by their current
They intend to keep the road to independence longer than a thousand light years.
president, Mahmoud Abbas, has been striving for an independent state, free of Israeli occupation. They have seemed to be making every effort at being in charge of their own administrative, economic, security and overall governing responsibilities. Moreover, recent plans by Abbas and his "peace team", the PLO and Fatah Central Committees, have called for a unilateral declaration of statehood with the backing of the international community, since "Israel was not interested in reaching a bilateral peace deal." It does seem genuine. Arab's frustration over Israel's "lack of sincerity and violation of agreements" has left the PA no choice, but to completely abrogate the Oslo Accords and all subsequent agreements signed with Israel, declare independence, then hope for the best. But, surprisingly, the "best", according to the secret agenda of the PA, is nothing more than a prolongation of the status-quo, a continuance of the demonization of Israel by the pro-Arab, and anti-Semitic international communities. Let me explain…

If truth be told, the PA does not fancy an independent Palestine confined to the territory of Judea and Samaria (Gaza is ruled by Hamas where the PA has no jurisdiction and no influence what so ever), nor do they desire an independent state status with a genuine, democratic state infrastructure. They are merely bluffing. They put on an act, pretending to yearn for an independent state. It's convenient, it's popular, it's enriching its ruling elite. They stick to the simple reality that getting there is much more fun than being there. And they intend to keep the road to independence longer than a thousand light years.

"It does not make any sense," you might say. "Why?" You might contest. "Isn't independence a preferred status to Israeli occupation?" You might pause to catch your breath, then continue, "And even if the PA does not wish for an independent state, what's the motive behind making us believe they do? And how do you explain their unilateral move toward an independent state?"

Let me tackle these important arguments by taking on the last challenge first.

The potential unilateral declaration of a Palestinian state by the PA will not create an existent Palestinian state. It will merely deepen the Israeli-Palestinian conflict; it may effect another round of Intifada (uprising). Israel will continue to occupy what they call the Palestinian territories; the PA will continue to cry foul; the international anti-Israel propaganda machine will acquire new wings, powered by a fresh cause; the hate engine, the core (and maybe the solitary) force bringing about Arab unity, will reboot to a new phony morality. In short, a unilateral declaration of independence by the PA will yield no change to the actual status of the territory. It, nonetheless, will elevate the PA leadership to a hero standing, will solidify their eminence as bona fide freedom fighters, and will secure their leadership position. It's good politics—not an honest concern for the long-term well-being of their flock.

Furthermore, the PA is not prepared for running their own state. They lack basic infrastructure; they depend on Israel for the most basic needs like financial services, medical services, food, energy, even internal security. And Israel (rather than the PA) is obligated by international law to ensure that as an occupier it must provide for normal and healthy living of the residents in the occupied territories. And as long as the Palestinians remain "occupied", as long as they maintain the "poor refugee" image, the naïve world would feel sorry for them, would shower them with money and resources, would endow their leaders with comfortable, worthy of note lifestyle—not a bad outcome for a fake cause.

It has become increasingly evident that the PA is not seeking an end to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. They have refused to abandon their demand for a return of the so-called refugees, mostly third generation-a unique definition of refugee- to their non-existent homes in Israel and for recognition of Israel as a Jewish state; they have refused to leave the past behind and move on to a better and peaceful future. They keep mounting piles over piles of unreasonable excuses, justifying their unwillingness to negotiate an end to the conflict; they keep encouraging the proliferation of Jew-hatred, since loathing is a strong unifying force in a society overflowing with infighting, rivalry, a culture of endless vengeance and backstabbing between clans, and no tradition or history of national unity.

Mahmoud Abbas must realize that once he rules over an independent Palestine he runs the risk of being exposed to his own fake wishes. An independent Palestinian state may not have the legal entitlement to vital Israeli services—services provided at present under the rule of "occupation". He also knows that independence may bring about an eruption of violence in his own backyard as a direct consequence of invoking further feelings of deprivation.

Abbas does not want an independent Palestinian state. He does want to maintain the status-quo of an occupied territory, maintain pressure on Israel, keep playing the poor, the needy, the deprived, the weak, so that he can prolong the international pouring of sympathy and material gifting. He keeps on playing loser—"never misses an opportunity to miss an opportunity". Abbas belongs with a culture where logical reasoning and forward looking take a backseat to pride and false honor; where redeeming the shame of the 1948 Naqba (the "catastrophe" of Israel's independence) takes precedence over a peaceful future, free of past fiascoes.

The game played by the PA will not lead to a peaceful co-existence. The US should abandon its fruitless efforts of pressuring Israel for increasingly more concessions in its attempts to facilitate an end to the status-quo. It takes two to tango, and the other partners, the PA and its comfortable leaders, are not about to take unnecessary risks. They do not intend to plead for a change. For the past hundred years, they have brainwashed their own people, preaching Jew-hatred.

Going against their own teaching, the PA leadership may very well terminate their support base, their careers, their livelihoods, their lives…

Good Reports On Situation Along Israel's Northern and Southern Borders

RubinReports
By Barry Rubin

Here’s a good report on Israel’s amazing intelligence activity along its northern border, with new types of information-gathering and targeting equipment concealed in rocks:

And here’s a good report on the heating up of terrorism activity along Israel’s Gaza border:

Note that something very important is happening here--unnoticed [surprise!] by the international mass media. Hamas is showing that it can rake in foreign aid money and rebuild, while simultaneously continuing to attack Israel. Of course, if Israel were to retaliate, Hamas would then run crying to the world about how it is the victim of aggression and how all of its beautiful humanitarian projects are being ruined.

Presumably, though, this also means that Hamas will keep the level of attacks low and carried out mostly by Hamas's friendly allies--notably Islamic Jihad--so Hamas can say that it isn't doing anything and "can't stop" others from attacking Israel.

This is, of course, a con-game but it is one that usually works. Israel will respond with sporadic attacks on specific targets, avoiding a war unless the situation deteriorates sharply and attacks from Gaza vastly increase.

Regarding the north, Hizballah is busy consolidating control of Lebanon and is not seeking a war either. But it has also been playing the same game as Hamas. It brings in advanced weapons, bullies everyone else in Lebanon, supports Iran-Syria hegemony over the country, and rebuilds bases in the south.

The world, through the UN resolution ending the 2006 war, promised to stop these things and sent a large UNIFIL force to do so. But the UN, UNIFIL, EU, and US do nothing.

And then all these same people ask: I wonder why the Middle East is unstable? What could possibly be the cause of these problems?

Barry Rubin is director of the Global Research in International Affairs (GLORIA) Center and editor of the Middle East Review of International Affairs (MERIA) Journal. His latest books are The Israel-Arab Reader (seventh edition), The Long War for Freedom: The Arab Struggle for Democracy in the Middle East (Wiley), and The Truth About Syria (Palgrave-Macmillan). The website of the GLORIA Center is at http://www.gloria-center.org and of his blog, Rubin Reports, http://www.rubinreports.blogspot.com.

South Lebanon residents renew clashes with UNIFIL

Ya Libnan

Residents in the south Lebanese village of Tayri, a Hezbollah stronghold clashed Thursday with a French UNIFIL patrol, according to local reports.

The incident took place as the UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) patrol was conducting a GPS demarcation, the reports say.

The Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF) intervened, following an alert by UNIFIL general command at the scene of the incident, and resolved the situation by taking the patrol’s computer at the request of the villagers. AAnother clash took place earlier today with a French UNIFIL patrol in the village of Hariss in the south Lebanon, another Hezbollah stronghold according to local reports. The incident took place when the patrol began to take photographs of the area, according to local reports.

Last July similar incidents took place in south Lebanon between the residents and UNIFIL.

“Some of these may have been something spontaneous in the street, but some were clearly organized,” UN special coordinator for Lebanon, Michael Williams, said last July

UN Officials said patrols by the UN Interim Force in Lebanon were banned from several Shi’ite villages in the south. They said Shi’ites have been attacking UNIFIL patrols in what appeared to be organized by the Iranian-sponsored Hezbollah.

On July 3, a UNIFIL patrol was attacked and overpowered by Shi’ites in the southern village of Kabrikha. Officials said the villagers, after one of them had been arrested, pelted UN troops and seized their weapons.

On June 29, Shi’ites attacked a UNIFIL vehicle between the villages of Adeisseh and Kfar Kila. The Shi’ites blocked a road and hurled stones toward a UN patrol during what officials termed a “maximum deployment exercise.” The exercise, meant to ensure troop readiness, was said to have ended on the following day.

“It is incumbent on the Lebanese authorities to ensure the security and freedom of movement for UNIFIL within its area of operation,” UNIFIL commander Maj. Gen. Alberto Asarta Cuevas said last July following the clashes.

Since 2007, UNIFIL has deployed 13,500 troops in southern Lebanon in an effort to maintain the ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah. Under the ceasefire, Hezbollah was prevented from restoring its presence south of the Litani River.

"Not All Bad"

Arlene Kushner

Not by any means.

Consider, for example, the report yesterday by the JPost that, according to a top German computer consultant interviewed by phone, the Stuxnet cyberworm has set Iran's nuclear program back two years:

"This was nearly as effective as a military strike, but even better since there are no fatalities and no full-blown war. From a military perspective, this was a huge success. "It is extremely difficult to clean up installations from Stuxnet, and we know that Iran is no good in IT (information technology) security, and they are just beginning to learn what this all means."

The assumption is being made broadly that Israeli Military Intelligence was involved in developing this worm, which, because of its extraordinary complexity, would have taken years to design. The expert cited by the JPost believes more than one nation was involved -- possibly Israel and the US.

~~~~~~~~~~

Then we can be buoyed by the friendship of the US Congress. Yesterday a resolution was introduced in the House of Representatives by Congressman Howard Berman (D-CA), Chair of the House Foreign Affairs Committee; it was passed by consensus (i.e., unanimously).

The resolution declares that the House "reaffirms its strong opposition to any attempt to establish or seek recognition of a Palestinian state outside of an agreement negotiated between Israel and the Palestinians; and urges Palestinian leaders to — (A) cease all efforts at circumventing the negotiation process, including efforts to gain recognition of a Palestinian state from other nations, and in the United Nations, and in other international forums prior to achievement of a final agreement between Israel and the Palestinians, and calls upon foreign governments not to extend such recognition..."

Full text here: http://www.aipac.org/Publications/SourceMaterialsCongressionalAction/BERMAN_148_xml.pdf

~~~~~~~~~~

While this is essentially a sense of Congress resolution, without teeth as it's written, there is one way in which there is indirect enforceability on the issue: The House holds the purse-strings. On Monday, Congressman Berman had said, "If they [the Palestinians] try to circumvent negotiations, they'll lose the support of a lot of people like me, and it will jeopardize their foreign aid as well."

Remember that this response is from a Democratic lame-duck House that will be replaced by a Republican-majority House in January. Berman himself will be succeed by Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-FL), who was formerly the committee chair and is currently the committee's Republican ranking member; she will advance an even more stringent position than Berman.

According to her spokesman, "The ranking member has long said that the US assistance to the PA should be conditioned on the PA living up to its obligations to stop violence against Israel and recognize Israel's right to exist as a democratic, Jewish state, among other things that it has demonstrably failed to live up to. These unilateral efforts serve to undermine the prospects that those obligations might finally be met."

~~~~~~~~~~

It goes without saying, however, that the above does not mean that all is sweetness and light.

Last night, PA officials met in Cairo with foreign ministers of member states of the Arab League, seeking endorsement of the current policy of not negotiating with Israel, directly or indirectly, until there is a full building freeze in Judea and Samaria and eastern Jerusalem.

And -- are we surprised? -- the ministers proved to be quite cooperative. The statement they put out read:

"The negotiation track between the Palestinians and Israelis is futile. There is no return to talks. Any resumption is conditioned on a serious offer that ensures the end to the Arab-Israeli conflict based on the peace process references."

My reading of "peace process references" would be compliance with the terms set out by what is referred to as the Arab League peace plan, which calls for Israel to return to the '67 armistice lines and to take in "refugees." Whether the Arabs are looking for US assurances on these issues (which is likely the case, as the US is supposed to coerce Israel), or advance Israeli commitments is not entirely clear.

Additionally, the Arab ministers want to bring the issue of Israeli "settlements" to the Security Council in order to "obtain a decision that confirms the illegal nature this activity and that would oblige Israel to stop it." The ministers' statement also urged the US not to block this decision.

See here for solid background information on the legality of settlements:

http://www.globallawforum.org/ViewMediaPerspectives.aspx?ArticleId=68

~~~~~~~~~~

Obama's administration is on record as being in favor of a negotiated settlement. We don't know yet if what the Arab ministers are currently proposing will actually move beyond talk (and threats) to action. But my guess at the moment is that the US would veto.

~~~~~~~~~~

The US commitment to negotiations, however, is nothing short of delusional. George Mitchell is here, and has met now with Netanyahu and Abbas, and then, to update him on the situation, with Egyptian president Mubarak yesterday.

Explains Mitchell, "In the days ahead, our discussions with both sides will be substantive, two-way conversations with an eye towards making real progress in the next few months on the key questions of an eventual framework agreement."

Real progress? The two sides can't even agree on what must be discussed first, and it remains entirely unclear, given the above, that the Palestinian Arabs will be participating at all.

The way I've been hearing it, Mitchell plans to discover, via separate meetings, the position of each side with regard to the core issues, and then find a way to bring the parties together.

~~~~~~~~~~

Just days ago, the EU, which was flirting with the idea of recognizing a Palestinian state, reached the decision that it will not be doing so now. After 27 EU foreign ministers met in Brussels, the Foreign Affairs Council released a statement reiterating "its readiness, when appropriate, to recognize a Palestinian state." There was no indication of what they believed would define the appropriate time or circumstances.

~~~~~~~~~~

A week ago, 26 former EU leaders -- including former EU diplomat Javier Solana, Germany’s former chancellor Helmut Schmidt, and former Irish president Mary Robinson -- issued a letter calling for boycotts and sanctions against Israel because of "settlement" construction. The letter, which was sent to current EU leaders, stated that, “Israel’s continuation of settlement activity... poses an existential threat to the prospects of establishing a sovereign, contiguous and viable Palestinian state.”

We should not really be surprised by this European response, which Foreign Ministry spokesman Yigal Palmor called “strange and harmful.”

"It is difficult to see how the call for sanctions and Israel’s isolation will promote peace, but clearly this will diminish the EU’s capability to play a constructive role in promoting peace in the region.”

At present it appears that the EU will not be acting on the recommendations in the letter.

~~~~~~~~~~

I have alluded numerous times to the decision of Syria to move more solidly into Iran's sphere because it is Assad's assessment that the US is weak. Now we see the same with Jordan:

King Abdullah, speaking of the importance of improving Jordanian-Iranian relations, has just accepted an invitation to visit Iran. Jordan, which once solidly leaned toward the West. In one sense this is shocking, but in another, totally comprehensible, for Jordan is terrified of Iran.

This is what Barry Rubin says about the situation:

"Why is it that suddenly the king finds this to be so imperative? Because Iran is getting stronger-and may soon have nuclear weapons-and he can't depend on the United States to protect him. This is one more signal about how 'regional moderates' feel about the current situation.

"President Barack Obama thinks he's being nice to 'Arabs' and 'Muslims.' In fact, he's being mean to America's friends. And they will do whatever is necessary to save themselves. If the United States cannot or will not protect them, they find it 'imperative' to get in good with its enemies."

http://www.gloria-center.org/gloria/2010/12/making-friends-with-the-octopus-jordan-bows-to-iran

~~~~~~~~~~

I do not expect Obama to change his approach. Whether he's self-destructive or deluded or obtuse does not matter.

What I most fervently do wish, however, is that the American people would finally understand what's happening here.

~~~~~~~~~~


© Arlene Kushner. This material is produced by Arlene Kushner, functioning as an independent journalist. Permission is granted for it to be reproduced only with proper attribution



see my website www.ArlenefromIsrael.info
see my website www.ArlenefromIsrael.info

Making Friends with the Octopus: Jordan Bows to Iran

Barry Rubin

Here's an old joke that applies to the contemporary Middle East. The Lone Ranger was a Western lawman who chased bad guys with his friend, a Native American named Tonto. One day, they were surrounded by dozens of Native American warriors.

The Lone Ranger turned to Tonto and said, "Don't worry! We can fight them off."

Tonto replied, "What do you mean 'we,' Paleface?"

Or, in other words, if your friend decides he can't rely on you to get him out of a jam he can always change sides. Which brings us to Jordan. Let me begin by telling a story I've never recounted before. The year is 1990, after Iraq has invaded and seized Kuwait. I'm sitting in a meeting with some high-ranking Jordanian military officers and officials (don't ask, it's a long story).

Someone asks what they would do if Iraq's army appeared on Jordan's border and Saddam Hussein asked safe passage to attack Israel. Before responding, the highest-ranking Jordanian there leaned over to the man sitting next to him and whispered in Arabic, "Of course, we'd fight them!"

At the time, of course, the Jordanians knew they could depend on their superpower ally, indeed the only country of that type in the world, the United States.

In 2003, of course, Saddam was overthrown. From Jordan's standpoint, though, he was replaced by Iran as a threat. And just as the Jordanians had wanted and needed American protection from Baghdad now it required that shield to save it from Iran. We already knew this, of course, but the Wikileaks have documented that fact.

Even in 2004, King Abdallah warned Americans about the Iranian threat. According to the State Department cable, Jordanian officials called Iran an "octopus" whose tentacles "reach out insidiously to manipulate, foment, and undermine the best-laid plans of the West and regional moderates."

According to the Jordanian government, Iran's "tentacles," its allies in seizing control of the region and putting into power revolutionary Islamism, are Qatar, Syria, Hizballah, Hamas, and Shia Muslims in Iraq.

Now, however, the king is singing a different tune. In fact, he has just accepted an invitation from Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad to go to Tehran. It is "imperative," says the king, "to undertake practical steps for improving Jordanian-Iranian relations."

Why is it that suddenly the king finds this to be so imperative? Because Iran is getting stronger-and may soon have nuclear weapons-and he can't depend on the United States to protect him. This is one more signal about how "regional moderates" feel about the current situation.

President Barack Obama thinks he's being nice to "Arabs" and "Muslims." In fact, he's being mean to America's friends. And they will do whatever is necessary to save themselves. If the United States cannot or will not protect them, they find it "imperative" to get in good with its enemies.


* Barry Rubin is director of the Global Research in International Affairs (GLORIA) Center and editor of the Middle East Review of International Affairs (MERIA) Journal. His latest books are The Israel-Arab Reader (seventh edition), with Walter Laqueur (Viking-Penguin); the paperback edition of The Truth About Syria (Palgrave-Macmillan); A Chronological History of Terrorism, with Judy Colp Rubin, (Sharpe); and The Long War for Freedom: The Arab Struggle for Democracy in the Middle East (Wiley). To read and subscribe to MERIA, GLORIA articles, or to order books, go to http://www.gloria-center.org. You can read and subscribe to his blog at http://www.rubinreports.blogspot.com.

Driving foreign journalists away

DOMINIC WAGHORN
12/15/2010 22:58

Taking away tax exemptions for their first three years here, as the Treasury intends to do, will only cause news networks to move elsewhere, like Ramallah or Amman.
Rightly or wrongly, Israel has a reputation for being good at news management. But every now and then the government does the PR equivalent of picking up a revolver and taking aim at both feet. When that happens, responsible observers need to try to talk it round. Over the next month, it seems likely the Treasury will take away foreign journalists’ tax exemptions. Instead of paying a flat rate of 25 percent for their first three years here, they will have the same deal as Israelis. It will make the government an extra few hundred thousand shekels a year. And, you may ask, why should foreign correspondents get subsidized anyway?

There are several good reasons why the government should think again. There is already a steady drip of foreign networks and newspapers moving their operations away from here, mostly for cost reasons. Israel should be doing what it can to reverse that. Instead, it may end up driving foreign journalists to Ramallah, Amman or further away.

TO REPORT on Israel, you need to live here. This is a unique country, facing unique challenges. The many different points of view here are complex. If Israelis want them understood, they need to explain them. That is why Israeli spokespeople go to the lengths they do, and why they are good at it.

And that is why people who have worked with the likes of us, like MK Nachman Shai, are horrified at the Treasury’s shortsightedness: “We always complain that the press has a superficial view, but they really do tend to build relationships here and learn many dimensions of the complex situations. In contrast, temporary or visiting reporters have no commitments to anyone,” Shai said.

Exactly. What Israel needs to avoid at all costs is foreign paratroopers – journalists who land in the country for a few days, armed with a clutch of Wikipedia articles and the book they read on the plane.

You cannot ‘wing it’ if you want to report on this part of the world, although many try to get away with it. More often than not, when they do they take sides, because they think it helps them report the story better. Black and white is easier to communicate, but as we all know, the truth is usually in between.
I have been here four years, so I am no longer entitled to special treatment. But I know the benefits of having been here that long, and would suggest it is in everyone’s interests to maintain the status quo.

There are insights you get just by being here. When your next door neighbor’s daughter, who has baby-sat your children, goes into the army, you understand better how Israelis have a different attitude to their military, and the risks they take compared to citizens of other countries.

And there is what you learn by just sitting talking to people over the gallons of coffee and tea I must have consumed, from Gaza to the German Colony to Majdal Shams.

Israel has learned that the worst kind of PR agent operates from a bunker, barking at the foreign media. But for some the message has not sunk in. The Treasury risks driving us away.

Shai has a point when he says, “This is a country with a special talent for harming itself – we are experts at that. There are reporters here who are not enemies of Israel, even if they are critical, and but instead of drawing them closer, we are hurting them.”

One government official recently complained to me about the “groupthink” anti-Israel mentality of journalists, diplomats and aid workers living in east Jerusalem.

Causing a stampede of foreign journalists to Ramallah or beyond is not going to help.

The writer is Sky News’ award-winning Middle East correspondent and has been based in Jerusalem for the past four years.

Guest Comment: These freelancers must get their employers to pay them more, or, as suggested, move to Ramallah and beyond; the farther away the better. They should try Mecca and get exemptions there; why not try?! I've heard they enjoy hosting people of all religions over there. Why should the foreign media be subsidized to live in Jerusalem while the city is unaffordable for Jews? While there is a shortage in apartments for Jews because this media advocates for construction moratorium in Jerusalem?! Ramallah is a great place for this media to spread the same lies they do from Jerusalem. Jerusalem and Ramallah are only few kilometers apart. Just remember that if you're not a "Palestinian" MK you have no undeniable right to be subsidized while undermining the country. Israel is smart... the good ones in the media will remain with or without exemptions...Nurit Greenger

Israeli Flag Flies at Dubai Sports Complex

Chana Ya'ar
A7 News

Israel's flag flew for the first time at a pool in Dubai on Tuesday afternoon as the national swim team representing the Jewish State arrived for the opening of a worldwide competition.

Israel's five-member team is competing in the 10th FINA World Short Course Swimming Championship that begins today (Wednesday). It is also the first time the world swimming competition is being held in an Arab city, according to the website of the Gulf emirate's Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Sports Complex, where the pool is located. The sports complex -- named for the Crown Prince of Dubai -- was inaugurated on Sunday and opened just in time for the international swimming competition.

Gal Nevo, the first to walk onto the pool deck Wednesday morning, competed in the opening heat of the first event, the men's 200-meter freestyle. He finished 37th in the 78-man field.

Guy Marcos Barnea, another member of the team, competed in the 100-meter backstroke heat competition. Amit Ivri, Alon Mandel and Johnathan Koplev are also swimming in the competition.

Nevo told a reporter from the Associated Press after finishing his swim that the team had arrived late because “there was some problem with the security.” He added, however, that he feels “lucky as an athlete being here, because the average Israeli guy probably wouldn't visit here.”

The United States and Australia also both sent teams to compete in the Championships.

A crack undercover security unit greeted the team upon landing and escorted the swimmers to a hotel separate from the rest of the competitors, according to a report broadcast on Channel 5 Sports TV. Their equipment was also scrutinized at the airport by security personnel, who will guard the Israelis around the clock.

Initial reports said the Israeli swimmers were not provided with entry visas, nor did they receive entry stamps in any of their passports, although the Dubai government had allegedly guaranteed visas on arrival. Jordanian Air refused to take the delegation to Dubai without the visas, causing further delays.

Ultimately, the team did not arrive until the day before competitions began, giving the swimmers barely a day in which to prepare for the meet.

Israel's representative to the International Olympic Committee, Alex Giladi, also was prevented initially from obtaining a visa, according to a report published on the website of Swimming World Magazine.

The Israel Broadcasting Authority's television division, which has the broadcast rights to telecast the finals each night, also had difficulty acquiring visas for its crew until just before the competition began, according to the report.

According to a source in Dubai quoted by a swimmer, the Israelis were granted visas late in the evening, 24 hours prior to the start of the competition.

“There is nothing sinister about it,” the Dubai source claimed. “They were not the only ones to experience a slight delay in their visas, and there was never any intention to keep the Israeli team away. They were granted their visas a matter of hours later than had originally been expected. This is not about politics but sport, and the Israeli swimmers are welcome guests.” The source was not identified.
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