Abbas to lay cornerstone for new PA embassy in Brazil

JPOST.COM STAFF AND ASSOCIATED PRESS
12/29/2010

Palestinian Authority president set to preside over ground breaking ceremony in Brasilia; move follows Brazil's recognition of Palestinian state.

Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas was scheduled to lay the cornerstone of a new Palestinian Embassy in Brazil's capital, Brasilia later this week, AFP reported.

After presiding over the ground breaking ceremony on Friday, the PA president is to attend the inauguration of Brazil's next president, Dilma Rousseff, according to the report.
Earlier in the month, Brazil said it had recognized the state of Palestine based on borders at the time of Israel's 1967 conquest of the West Bank.

The Brazilian Foreign Ministry said the recognition was in response to a request made by Abbas a month to President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva a month earlier.

Silva sent a letter to Abbas on Dec. 1, saying Brazil recognizes Palestine and hopes that the recognition will help lead to states of Israel and Palestine "that will coexist peacefully and in security."

The foreign ministry sad that the recognition is "in line with Brazil's historic willingness to contribute to peace between Israel and Palestine."

Following in Brazil’s footsteps, Argentina announced several days later that it recognized a “free and independent” Palestinian state, sparking an immediate condemnation from Israel.

Argentina’s President Cristina Kirchner told Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas in a letter that her country recognized a Palestine defined by 1967 borders, Argentine officials said.

Most recently, Uruguay's foreign minister said last Thursday that his country plans to join the other South American countries in recognizing a Palestinian state.

Minister Luis Almagro told reporters that the decision to formally recognize a sovereign Palestinian state has been taken, though officials are studying the implications of that decision with regard to international law and politics. The recognition was expected to take place in the earlier part of 2011.

PA lightens ban on working in settlements to ease Palestinian unemployment

Figures show number of Palestinians employed in settlements has increased to nearly 35,000; PA legislation barring employment there would be an economic blow to Palestinian population.
By Avi Issacharoff

The Palestinian Authority has reconsidered a proposal that would have barred Palestinian laborers from working in West Bank Jewish settlements.

Although several PA officials, notably Economy Minister Hassan Abu Libdeh and Prime Minister Salad Fayyad, came out in favor of such a move at the beginning of the year, it appears the PA has decided not to push for legislation on the issue because it is unable to offer the workers alternative employment. Nonetheless, the PA's campaign against the purchase of products from the settlements is continuing with greater intensity. It has recently expanded the campaign all over the West Bank and says certain localities do not use items produced in the settlements.

The settlements and laborers who work in them have a mutually beneficial relationship, and settlement construction relies on Palestinian labor. Many Palestinian workers who do not have permission to work in Israel proper find employment in the settlements.

According to Israeli figures from September 2009 that were provided to the PA's donor countries, 22,000 Palestinians were working with Israeli permission in the settlements, including the settlements' industrial zones.

Non-governmental organizations have said, however, that about 10,000 other Palestinians are working in the settlements without formal permission, mainly in seasonal agricultural work.

It also appears that since September 2009, the number of Palestinians employed in the settlements has increased to nearly 35,000. These workers support a Palestinian population of more than 200,000, and PA legislation barring employment in the settlements would be an economic blow to Palestinians in the West Bank following a rise in Palestinian living standards there.

Abu Libdeh told Haaretz that the issue is currently being handled by Labor Minister Ahmed Majdalani, who said he has no details to provide at the moment.

Associates of Fayyad said there was never an intention to pass legislation barring Palestinian employment in the settlements without suitable alternative employment. They said the PA seeks to reduce the number of Palestinians working in the settlements, but there is no intention at this time to harm the laborers financially.

"Clarifying our Position"

Arlene Kushner

Last night was the Hadar-Israel seminar, "What Are Israel's Security Needs for a Viable Peace?"

The over-arching messages of the evening was that it's time to be very clear and specific and vocal with regard to what Israel's security needs are. As moderator Dan Diker (Secretary-General Designate for the World Jewish Congress) explained: We have been living in a time of ambiguity with little attention paid to Israel's needs.
Each speaker in his own way returned to this.

~~~~~~~~~~

The first speaker was Maj. Gen. (res) Yaakov Amidror -- former commander of the IDF's National Defense College and former head of the IDF's Research and Assessment Division, and now program director of the Institute for Contemporary Affairs at the Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs.

He addressed the issue of foreign troops in Judea and Samaria -- a very bad idea that is being proposed by some as a way to provide "security" for Israel without an Israeli military presence.


There is a matter of a significant principle, first, said Amidror: Israel operates on the basis of self-defense. We must be able to defend ourselves. With just four minor exceptions (e.g., there is American radar in the south now that is operated by Americans), we have never had foreign troops on our soil.

We don't need foreign forces to protect us and we must not rely upon them.

In this vein, Amidror made a most interesting comment. He said he was asked whether Israel is pressuring the US to attack Iran. He knows the answer to this is "no," because Israel is preparing to do it herself.

~~~~~~~~~~

Then there is the practical aspect: It would be very naive to exchange territory for international protection. In the end, no nation would be willing to pay the price to protect us. What we need is control of critical areas.

In point of fact, we have had no experience with international forces that have defended us as they were supposed to, but quite the contrary:

-- UN forces evacuated the Sinai in 1967 at the demand of Nasser, just when they were needed because Nasser was preparing for war.

-- UNIFIL in Lebanon has been a farce with regard to blocking Hezbollah: The goal of these troops is to survive and to that end they have compromised with "insurgent" forces. Three Israeli soldiers were kidnapped 100 meters from a UN checkpoint (in 2000, at the Israel-Lebanon border). Re-arming done by Hezbollah was never stopped. There has not been a single instance of assistance provided to Israel by the UNIFIL forces.

What is more, UNIFIL's presence has interfered with Israel's ability to act and react. International forces in Judea and Samaria would create the same situation -- they would interfere with our ability to react to terrorists and would provide an umbrella for them.

Lastly, foreign forces fighting and dying for Israel would have multiple ramifications for international relations. This is with regard to the US and Israel, and the US and the Arab world. Amidror posed a hypothetical situation in which US troops chased after Hamas terrorists in the narrow alleys of Nablus. When American boys, killed by Hamas, were brought home in boxes, what, he asked, would the American people's response be? How would this impinge upon Israel's relationship with the US?

~~~~~~~~~~

The second speaker was Maj. Gen. (res) Uzi Dayan -- former commander of Sayeret Matkal (an elite special forces unit), and then, in turn, head of Central Command, Deputy Chief of Staff, and head of the National Security Council (until 2005).


He spoke about defensible borders. Borders and security arrangements constitute the most tangible issue to be addressed, he said.

The US understands that it has failed twice in attempts to move negotiations along. Now there is talk of the US presenting a plan of its own. And so now is the time for addressing very clearly what our security needs are. We have both the need and the right to defensible borders.

UN Security Council Resolution 242 did not require Israel to return to the 1967 line, but spoke instead about "secure" boundaries."

The famous letter given by President Bush to PM Sharon in 2004 (Note: which declared that "the United States reiterates its steadfast commitment to Israel's security, including secure, defensible borders...") was endorsed by both Houses of Congress -- and then Senator Hillary Clinton voted for it.

~~~~~~~~~~

The primary issue is one of strategic depth:

There are only 64 km (about 40 miles) from the Jordan River to the Mediterranean Sea. This is the minimum that Israel requires in the way of strategic depth. We require the Jordan Valley and a presence at the river in order to defend ourselves.

We must prepare for an attack from the east. The future of Iraq and Jordan are in doubt. No one knows what Iraq will be like in years ahead. There are one million Iraqis in Jordan. And the Kurds are awakening.

~~~~~~~~~~

Additionally there is the issue of counter-terrorism:

If a Palestinian state is to be demilitarized, this requires control of boundaries so that weapons cannot be brought in. And there is, further, a question of control of air space.

~~~~~~~~~~

Various suggestions regarding ways to ensure Israeli security without actually stationing Israeli troops on site will not work. These suggestions include listening stations, trip wires, and permission for the IDF to deploy in a crisis.

Said Maj. Gen. Dayan:

You cannot replace the soldier fighting on his own land. "It's our land, and we will defend it."

~~~~~~~~~~

Third speaker of the evening was Dr. Dore Gold -- former Israeli ambassador to the United Nations, advisor to prime ministers, and for the last ten years, president of the Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs.


He addressed the strategic and diplomatic ramifications of the current situation. We are at a crossroads and must rethink our diplomatic strategy.

Until now, Israel was behaving as if there was the possibility of entering negotiations imminently. Thus we tended to be vague so as to not tip our hand, and to offer confidence building measures. (Note: the question of whether this was ever a good idea was not addressed.)

But now there is the emergence of a new set of circumstances. Some countries are beginning to recognize a Palestinian state (in some cases, specifically with a '67 "border"). There is concern about the possibility of the US advancing its own peace plan or a bridging proposal.

It is Gold's observation that Saeb Erekat, the Palestinian's chief negotiator, has been pushing the issue of refugees of late in order to establish the claim when the US makes a proposal or in anticipation of unilateralism. This is a new diplomatic stage.

We must put our cards on the table now -- we must talk about issues such as defensible borders and Jerusalem.

~~~~~~~~~~

An aside: Dayan noted, during questions, that when a Palestinian is asked what he expects from negotiations, he will say, refugee return, Jerusalem as the capital, '67 borders. People may disagree but there is no doubt about what is being demanded. But ask an Israeli what is expected, and you may get an answer like, "Well...we want peace. It's complicated... we'll have to see how it works out..." There is not clarity.

~~~~~~~~~~

Gold then addressed the issue of Jerusalem, which went on the negotiating table only with Oslo in 1993. Notably, however, by 1995, then Prime Minister Rabin, in his last address before his assassination, laid out Israel's future, and included a united Jerusalem as Israel's capital. Rabin, after initial enthusiasm, had already pulled back after assessing the realities on the ground.

There are several myths current with regard to dividing Jerusalem:

1) The myth of the "blue and the green": the idea that Jerusalem can be divided into east and west, or Arab Jerusalem and Jewish Jerusalem. Demography won't allow this, as Jerusalem is a checkerboard. There are 189,000 Jews who live in Jerusalem neighborhoods past the Green Line.

2) The myth that the Palestinians might accept the village of Abu Dis -- which is not within the Jerusalem municipal boundaries but is immediately adjacent -- as an alternative location for its capital. This proposal may have first been advanced during unofficial talks between Yossi Beilin and Abu Mazen (Mahmoud Abbas), but the bottom line is that the Palestinians saw Abu Dis as no more than a springboard to the Old City of Jerusalem. Their claim is to Har Habayit (the Temple Mount).

3) The myth of demography. The argument is made that the Jewish majority of Jerusalem is declining because of the higher birth rate of Arab residents of Jerusalem. Thus, it is said, we have to remove the Arab neighborhoods. But the reality is that lack of affordable housing is driving Jews to move out of the city. And thus the solution is the construction of housing -- including in the eastern part of the city. Additionally, Jerusalem should be a priority in terms of economic development so that jobs are available.

~~~~~~~~~~

An interesting, and not insignificant, aside by Gold that connects to the points made earlier by Maj. Gen. Amidror: In 1947, as part of the UN partition plan, Jerusalem was supposed to be international. But when the Arab League attacked after Israel declared independence, no one in the international community lifted a finger to protect Jerusalem.

~~~~~~~~~~

Jerusalem has strategic value as it provides a key route for forces into the Jordan Valley.

But most significantly, Jerusalem is tied to our purpose here: We must believe in the justice of our cause, and no where is this more the case than with regard to Jerusalem. If Israel were to give up on Zion, it would constitute a heavy blow to Israeli national self-assurance.

~~~~~~~~~~

A final last word from Maj. Gen. Dayan, which was the most enthusiastically received line of the entire seminar. During questions, he was asked about what would happen if certain steps were taken for the Palestinians. He stepped to the podium and declared:

"I'm sick and tired of trying to please the Palestinians!"

Let's work to please the Israelis, he suggested. Nothing pleases the Palestinians.

~~~~~~~~~~

For further excellent information on the issue of Israel's Critical Security Needs, see here:

http://www.defensibleborders.org:80/security/

~~~~~~~~~~


© 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

Muslim-owned South African store refused to fill an order from a Jew

When a Muslim-owned South African store refused to fill an order from a Jewish organization, Maurice Ostroff sent them the open letter reproduced below. It's worth saving (and editing somewhat) for use in future situations of a similar nature - and there WILL be others! Jewish Chronicle 2 Nov 2010
Hall of Infamy: Saley's Travel Goods
JOHANNESBURG, South Africa --
Saleys, a Muslim-owned supplier in Johannesburg canceled an order placed by a South African Jewish group with comments about "blood money." The South African Zionist Federation had ordered conference bags from Saley's Travel Goods previously without problems, and had received a confirmation from them the day prior to their hate-filled rejection of Jewish business.Saley's faxed a hand-written cancellation of the confirmation, on which they printed these phrases:
"Please don't pay! Don't contaminate our account with your blood money
"We cannot supply you any of our goods as we don't want or need your blood money! Please do not contact us any more."

An open letter to the Managing director of Saley's
From Maurice Ostroff

Congratulations on your brave refusal to continue to do business with a long-standing customer because of your antagonism to Zionism. To ensure that your action is not a meaningless gesture, we look forward with great interest to seeing you demonstrate your sincerity and consistency by following through with a complete boycott of all Israeli products.

You can make an immediate start by examining your computer and throwing it out if it contains software or an Intel Pentium chip that was developed in Israel. Of course you should also avoid instant messaging based on ICQ, that was invented by Israeli teenager Arik Vardi and three friends. And you will of course avoid mobile telephony, developed in Israel by Motorola, the camera telephone chip and Voice over Internet Protocol (VOIP) as used in Skype and similar applications.

You will be hard pressed to locate all the Zionist components in your Security Software, Network Firewalls, Anti-virus programs, System Software, Microsoft Operating Systems (XP and Vista), Google, Disk on Key and Wi-Fi, but I am sure you will assiduously check your equipment and rule out everything with Zionist roots. Unless you do so thoroughly, it will appear that you don't have the courage of your convictions and that your refusal of the small SAZF order was an insincere gesture playing to the anti-Israel gallery.

I could go on and on about the items you must avoid to be consistent in your attitude, but for humanitarian reasons you will be excused if for medical reasons you or members of your family use the "camera pill" developed in Israel to investigate the intestines painlessly by swallowing a pill containing a mini camera and transmitter.

Despite your anti-Zionist feelings, if you have a heart attack, don't hesitate to let the surgeon insert a stent, which was developed in Israel.

You will also be excused if you or members of your anti-Zionist business use new Israeli methods to measure and inject insulin for diabetics or Copaxone to reduce the physical breakdown caused by MS and other MS medicines such as Betaseron and Avonex. Similarly you will be excused for using Israeli developments in computerized tomography (CT), magnetic resonance systems (MRI), ultrasound scanners, nuclear medical cameras and laser surgery.

You will be excused too, if you use the Israeli developed Resperate, an interactive breathing device, for lowering blood pressure as well as treatments for cancer, diabetes, AIDS, auto immune diseases, Alzheimer, cardiovascular diseases and aging as well as the ReWalk, a robot suit that enables wheelchair users to walk, sit and stand again.


On second thoughts I suggest that it would be more rational to re-examine your prejudices and enter into a civil discourse with the Zionists. You may be pleasantly surprised to find that we have much in common and I would be happy to enter into a dialog with you about the issues on which you feel so strongly.

This letter is being publicized as will the response I hope to receive from you.

Sincerely
Maurice Ostroff

How ‘experts’ got it wrong

Op-ed: Demographic threat hyped up, Israeli withdrawal from Judea and Samaria unnecessary

Moshe Dann
Israel Opinion

Opponents of Israel's legal and historical rights to Judea and Samaria raise a powerful and persuasive argument: Israel faces a "demographic crisis;" the Arab population between the Mediterranean and the Jordan River will soon outnumber that of the Jews, and the nature of the State of Israel as a Jewish and democratic state is in danger. They argue, therefore, that Israel must withdraw from what was known, under Jordanian occupation, as the "West Bank," (to distinguish it from Jordan's "East Bank"), including "eastern Jerusalem," the Old City and Temple Mount, and create a second Arab Palestinian state (after Jordan); the Golan Heights, in this plan, would revert to Syria. This, they argue, would avoid charges of "occupation," "oppression," "racism," "apartheid," etc.; it does not relate to Palestinian Arabs who are Israeli citizens, or the "Nakba," (Catastrophe) in 1948, Israel's creation and what Palestinians consider "occupation."



The "demographic argument" was used to convince former PM Yitzhak Rabin to agree to the Oslo Accords, and was promoted by the dominant left-wing media, former PMs Ehud Barak and Ehud Olmert, Israeli ministers and politicians, and PM Netanyahu. There's only one problem: it's a myth, part of a campaign to destroy the settlement movement; it has been thoroughly refuted by various studies, including Bar-Ilan University's The Million Person Gap and work undertaken by The Institute for Zionist Strategies,


The fact is that today, nearly all non-Israeli Palestinians living in Judea, Samaria and Gaza are under the PA. The Gaza Strip, under Hamas, a designated terrorist organization, is a separate entity, with its own army and administration, supported by the PA, but opposed to its controlling group, Fatah. "The occupation," therefore, at least that since 1967, refers to territory, not people.



The legal status of the area is disputed and has never been adjudicated by a court of law. Organizations like the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), the UN and EU, political groups, and governments regard the area as "occupied" by Israel, without determining to whom it belongs; the question of its sovereignty is moot, subject to negotiation.



According to the Oslo Accords, Judea and Samaria was divided into three regions: A (under total PA control); B (under PA civilian control); C (under Israeli control). No Jews reside in areas A and B (comprising an estimated million-and-a-half residents); all Jewish communities/settlements (over 300,000 Jews) are in area C, along with about a few tens of thousands of Arab Palestinians (there are no accurate figures). In addition, over 200, 000 Jews live in new neighborhoods of Jerusalem established after 1967; these areas have already been virtually annexed.


There’s no crisis

If the entire area of Judea and Samaria is considered as a single unit, the demographic argument looks overwhelming. But, when the areas are separated – viewing area C alone, as distinctly Jewish – the perspective is quite different; there is no demographic threat.



Similarly, large concentrations of Arabs reside in pre-1967 Israel, primarily in the Negev and the Galilee. Looking at the entire population between the Mediterranean and the Jordan River, using the demographic argument, the situation looks grim, with Jews and Arabs almost equal. When the areas are seen as discrete, however, the perspective changes, and the alleged demographic threat dissipates.



The argument that withdrawal is necessary to "preserve Israel's Jewish character," moreover, is vague, and contradicts the support for including hundreds of thousands of non-Jews, Arabs, Africans, and others seeking to live in Israel. Concern for the humanitarian rights of illegal immigrants seems to trump maintaining Israel's Jewish identity.



Moreover, an estimated several hundreds of thousands of immigrants from the former Soviet Union who are not Jewish, many with no connection to Judaism, were given citizenship. Although many of them serve in the IDF and have applied for conversion, this is a controversial issue between those who expect sincere commitment according to Jewish law, and those who demand less, or none at all.



In other words, demographic arguments, including questions like, "Who is a Jew?" and "What is Israelism?" are complicated societal issues which cannot be resolved, or understood by simplistic notions, manipulating statistics, and hyping scare tactics.



There is no crisis, nor urgency to abandon Judea and Samaria in order to save the State of Israel. In fact, given realistic assessments of the threat a Palestinian state poses to Israel, the most reasonable solution is to leave things as they are.



The author is an historian, writer and journalist living in Jerusalem

"The Letter Is Coming"

Arlene Kushner

Reports are that Prime Minister Netanyahu will honor his promise to appeal directly, officially and publicly to President Obama for the release of Jonathan Pollard. According to a close associate, "The letter will be ready by Sunday or Monday..." (just missing the hoped-for goal of right before Christmas).

For a day and a half last week, after Netanyahu decided to proceed with the appeal, Pollard's wife Esther was not able to get a message to her husband, because he had undergone emergency surgery. His health has so deteriorated during his time in prison that there is concern for his life. This means there truly is no time to be wasted. Herb Keinon of the JPost has analyzed the possible political implications of Obama responding positively to the letter:

"When evaluating the current flurry of activity surrounding efforts to free Jonathan Pollard, two assumptions should be kept in mind.

"First: Things don't just happen.

"And second: Anything publicly being done by the Israeli government on the matter is known in advance by Washington. Israel is not looking to ambush the US administration on Pollard-related issues.

"With those two assumptions in mind, the timing of Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu's announcement that now, 25 years after Pollard was arrested, Israel will publicly ask the US president to release him takes on added interest.

"Two key questions that must be asked are 'Why now?' and "what took so long?' Why wasn't this done years ago? The official response to that question from the Prime Minister's Office is that a cost-benefit analysis was done among the powers that be with the conclusion that whereas in the past the feeling was that more could be done for Pollard in closed-door meetings, now the sense is that he would benefit from the light the media will shine on a public Israeli governmental appeal..."

~~~~~~~~~~

And here's the clincher, at least according to Keinon:

"...After Obama's first two rather rocky years with Israel, releasing Pollard would be a huge push on the reset button in his relations with American Jews. With this move, he could say, 'See, I really do care about Israel, and am doing something no other US president was willing to do.'

"For Israelis, including senior government officials, releasing Pollard would go a long way to rebuilding trust with the president. Netanyahu...would now be able to say that the release shows Obama is indeed 'back on our side' and could be trusted."

http://www.jpost.com/DiplomacyAndPolitics/Article.aspx?id=200839

~~~~~~~~~~

Give me a break! Are Jews -- both American Jews and Israeli officials, as alluded to here -- this gullible? One politically self-serving act by Obama, one attempt to appear to be our friend, and we are expected to embrace him with a feeling of trust, knowing that he is "back on our side"?

The bottom line is that there was a miscarriage of justice with regard to how Pollard was handled by the US government, not least of which was the broken pledge not to seek life imprisonment for him if he cooperated. If Obama moves to secure Pollard's release now -- while, please G-d, he is still alive and can be brought back to health -- he will only be doing what is right. I don't imagine that there would be a political backlash on this -- for the climate in the US has shifted, with former government officials actually coming forward publicly to say that what was done to Pollard was not fair.

~~~~~~~~~~

While this scenario may well explain Obama's readiness to receive the public request on Pollard and perhaps act on it -- and I suspect Keinon has the political undertones right -- we have to hope that Jews will be more savvy than to be taken in by what would really be a simple act for Obama.

As to any notion of his being "back on our side," implicit in this is a conceptualization of Obama as someone sometimes "on our side" and sometimes not. (Although I'm not actually sure when he ever was, never mind.) If he is "back on our side" now, when it suits him, he will walk away from our side again, when it doesn't. This does not inspire trust.

And his doing what is right on this occasion does not mean we "owe" him.

~~~~~~~~~~

I return here to a recurring theme of mine -- one that cannot be emphasized too much: the way in which US weakness has strengthened Iran here in the Middle East.

Caroline Glick, in her Friday column, "Slouching towards Iran," addresses this issue:

"Two weeks ago, Iran scored a massive victory. Jordan, the West's most stable and loyal ally in the Arab world began slouching towards the Iranian Gomorrah.

"On December 12, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's Chief of Staff Esfandiar Rahim-Mashaei met with Jordanian King Abdullah II in Amman and extended a formal invitation from Ahmadinejad for him to pay a state visit to Iran. Abdullah accepted.

"...Abdullah reportedly said that his country recognizes Iran's nuclear rights and supports its access to peaceful nuclear technology.

"Abdullah was one of the first world leaders to sound the alarm on Iran. In 2004 Abdullah warned of a 'Shiite crescent' extending from Iran to Iraq, through Syria to Lebanon. His words were well reported at the time. But his warning went unheeded.

In the intervening six years, reality has surpassed Abdullah's worst fears...
"In the face of Iran's expanding web of influence and the mullahs' steady progress towards nuclear capability, Washington behaves as though there is no cause for concern. And the likes of Jordan are beside themselves.

"In a WikiLeaks leaked cable from April 2009 written by US Ambassador to Jordan R. Stephen Beecroft, Jordan's frustration and concern over the Obama administration's incompetence in handling the Iranian threat was clear.

"Beecroft wrote, 'Jordan's leaders are careful not to be seen as dictating toward the US, but their comments betray a powerful undercurrent of doubt that the United States knows how to deal effectively with Iran.'

"...the Jordanians recognized that the Obama administration was committed to appeasing Iran and so tried to convince the Americans to ensure that their appeasement drive didn't come at the Arabs' expense.

"Beecroft reported a clear warning from Abdullah. Abdullah cautioned that if the Arabs believe that the US was appeasing Iran at their expense, 'that engagement will set off a stampede of Arab states looking to get ahead of the curve and reach their own separate peace with Teheran.

"'King Abdullah counseled Special Envoy George Mitchell in February [2009] that direct US engagement with Iran at this time would just deepen intra-Arab schisms and that more "countries without a backbone" would defect to the Iranian camp.'

"That was then. And since then, the Obama administration did nothing after Ahmadinejad and his henchmen stole the presidential election. It did nothing as they repressed the tens of millions of Iranians who demonstrated against the election fraud. The Obama administration did nothing as Iran conducted repeated war games along the Straits of Hormuz, progressed in its nuclear program, deepened its military alliances with Turkey and Venezuela and escalated its proxy war against the US and its allies in Afghanistan.

"The Americans said nothing as Iran prevented the pro-US faction that won the Iraqi election from forming a government. They did nothing as Iran forced the reinstallation of Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri Maliki despite his electoral defeat.

"As Washington stood idly by in the face of Iran's aggression, Jordan and the other US-allied Arab states watched as Obama harassed Israel, announced his plan to withdraw all US forces from Iraq next year, appointed a new ambassador to Syria and approved more military aid to the Iranian-controlled Lebanese army. And Abdullah and the other Arabs watch now as the US is poised to begin yet a new round of appeasement talks with Iran next month.

"And so, just as Abdullah warned would happen, today he is leading Jordan into the ranks of 'countries without a backbone,' and making a separate peace with Ahmadinejad."

http://www.carolineglick.com/e/2010/12/slouching-towards-teheran.php

~~~~~~~~~~

How painful all of this is, and from the perspective here in Jerusalem, how terrifying. It makes a mockery of any notion that Israel can trust Obama as a friend.

Make no mistake about it: the greater the movement by Arab nations in this region into the Iranian sphere, the more difficult for us. We are on our own.

And be clear about this, as well: If Jordan, at our eastern border, is under the sway of Iran, it makes it all the more imperative that we retain forces at the Jordan River. It diminishes the already very meager possibility of making any security arrangements with the PA with regard to a Palestinian Arab state at that border.

Obama just doesn't get it: He claims to want to foster peace, but acts in ways that undermine true peace.

I still want to yell: Wake up America!

~~~~~~~~~~

I alluded the other day to my memory of Arafat, right before Christmas, telling journalists, "I must go to Bethlehem and pray." As if he were a Christian who prayed on Christmas. He was co-opting the Christian experience for the public. And the media, not to their credit, ate it up.

Once, not so long ago, Beit Lehem (Bethlehem) was a Christian city. No more. The Muslims have driven the Christians out. And so now they "do" Christmas in Beit Lehem.

Again with credits to Caroline Glick, who produces the Latma satirical videos:

Her latest, "Jihad Bells," wickedly satirizes the Muslim take-over of Beit Lehem and their treatment of Christians.

http://israelvideopress.com/must-see-video-jihad-bells-in-beit-lechem

~~~~~~~~~~

We won: The "Israeli War Crimes -- Your Tax dollars at work" campaign that was slated to place ads with this message on Seattle buses starting this week has been stopped.

On Friday, King County Executive Dow Constantine ordered the county's transit system not to accept this ad -- which was to be placed by something called "The Seattle Mideast Awareness Campaign -- or any other new noncommercial advertising.

This was a result of the outcry that the plans for this campaign elicited -- which teaches us an important lesson. "Given the dramatic escalation of debate in the past few days over these proposed ads, and the submission of inflammatory response ads, there is now an unacceptable risk of harm to or disruption of service to our customers should these ads run," Constantine said.

A spokesman for the Awareness Campaign charged that the county had submitted to "intimidation." After all, the ad was only designed to stimulate discussion and promote awareness.

~~~~~~~~~~

On Friday, the UN General Assembly in New York approved a resolution -- 104 to 22, with 33 abstentions -- to hold a summit on September 21, during the assembly’s annual ministerial meeting, that would commemorate the 10th anniversary of the Durban conference on racism.

Tonight, Israel's Foreign Ministry released a statement stating that:

"The Durban Conference of 2001, with its anti-Semitic undertones and displays of hatred for Israel and the Jewish World, left us with scars that will not heal quickly,

"As long as the meeting is defined as part of the infamous 'Durban process,' Israel will not participate."

~~~~~~~~~~

Canada announced its intention of boycotting this summit weeks ago, but Israel waited until the vote and formal announcement connecting the summit with Durban I.

US Ambassador to the UN, Susan Rice, released a statement indicating that the US voted against the resolution "because the Durban Declaration process has included ugly displays of intolerance and anti-Semitism, and we do not want to see that commemorated."

This is all fine, as far as it goes. But if the US does not want to see a commemoration of Durban, will it also decline to participate in the summit? There's no word on this.

What a statement it would make if all of the democracies of the world declined to participate that day. I dream, I know.

~~~~~~~~~~

Tomorrow night, December 26, Hadar-Israel (Council for Civil Action) will be holding a seminar on the question,"What Are Israel's Security Needs for a Viable Peace?" with Former UN Ambassador Dore Gold, Maj. Gen. (res) Uzi Dayan, and Maj. Gen. (res) Yaakov Amidror. Dan Diker, Secretary-General Designate for the World Jewish Congress will moderate.

It is being held at the Begin Center in Jerusalem, starting at 7:30. Those out of the area may want to know that the seminar will be able to be accessed via live video simulcast, at www.hadar-israel.org.

~~~~~~~~~~


© 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

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.

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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

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© 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.