Thursday, July 30

The New Left Alliance in Israel is Essential for Survival

The left in Israel is fragmenting. In order for it to survive, it must seek a new alliance that can give it a chance to regain power in Israel. The right wing coalition in Israel is moving away from democracy and human values. Even the Netanyahu Coalition is subordinate to the illegal right wing settler movements, who have been raising their ugly heads and establishing wild card settlements on lands that belong to the Palestinians. The latest settler activities go against the law and decisions of the Israeli Courts. They have never had it so good with coalition support.

Meretz Leader, Zahava Gal-on
If the left in Israel is not united it will remain a weak opposition and will strengthen the ruling right wing. Support for Meretz has remained static and is even diminishing. The Israeli electorate has shifted to the right and are cutting off their noses to spite their faces, especially when it comes to socio-economic issues. The Israeli Electorate has many sectors that are becoming more religious. Pension schemes (Kupot Gemel) are in the hands of tycoons of the likes of Yitzhak Tshuva and their greedy capitalistic cartels. These tycoons borrow money from public investments. Whether one likes it or not, if one has solid investments, it is not so solid. Those who invest their savings for retirement must be aware of this. The International Stock Exchange is on the verge of cyclical collapse and this will affect us all whether we like it or not.

Housing prices for young married couples are exorbitant and buying a home is impossible for many. This will not change while piggish capitalism rules the roost and the government runs after tycoons. It is a vicious circle!

All the social services that the citizen is entitled will be less efficient and more expensive. Education under the present Education Minister, Naphtali Bennett, of the extremist Bayit Hayehudi Party, is no paragon of educational values when his party flouts the Israeli Law Courts on decisions that go against the ultra-nationalist settler movements that attempt to build on lands not belonging to them.

The rule of law is wavered when it comes to the right wing settler movements with government coalition support that is unanimous. The heart of the right wing coalition is with the settlers and this means that the taxpayer also has to foot the bill for their folly.

These are just a few examples of the price we pay for a tycoon-friendly government.
Joint List Leader MK, Aymen Oudeh

The Zionist Union is also showing a movement to the center and Meretz is on the verge of collapse. The Meretz Leader, Zahava Gal-On, does smell the coffee and is seeking a new alliance. Peace Now had a convention recently in which many personalities from the center-left, and left attended, including members of the Joint List Party. She realizes that Meretz is doomed to the dustbin of history if there is no true soul searching and strategy to gain support.

A common platform that all parties on the left in Israel could support, despite their wide ideological differences on many issues could be initiated. This new left alliance should downplay the Zionist ideology part and place more emphasis on a common citizenship that both Jewish and non-Jewish Israelis share. A common patriotism shared by all Israel’s citizens for the good of Israel should be an essential plank in this new common platform. It could embrace Meretz, Joint Arab List and even the Zionist Camp. Balad that is part of the Joint List must also comply with a platform for the common good of all Israel’s citizens. It also means an improvement of quality of life and more confidence in Israel’s economy. It will also render the BDS Movement obsolete. This would go a long way in solving the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict and ending the occupation for the good of all Israelis. The static, non-movement towards a solution is bad for both Israel and the Palestinians. Serious negotiations with authority and vision is essential to put an end to this tragic conflict. A new left alliance will have the tools to solve this conflict.

This will facilitate restoring Israel’s image and would also improve Israel’s relations with the moderate neighboring Arab states. It will also form a strong, united bulwark against Daesh and Islamist terrorist movements that threatens all the people of the Middle East. The new Israel can play a pivotal role in achieving this. The economic opportunities for a Middle Eastern Union with an open border policy similar to the EU would be a wonderful goal for which to strive. At this stage it seems altruistic and unachievable. All new solutions are born from dreams.    

Tuesday, July 21

The Iran Deal and Israel

Hassan Rouhani speaking during a press conference in Tehran a day after a deal was reached on the country's nuclear programme Photo: REUTERS
Benjamin Netanyahu’s acolytes are hell-bent on undermining Barack Obama's nuclear pact with Iran
Well the deal is done and the signatories have signed. It may not be the greatest deal to prevent Iran from developing the nuclear bomb. The aftermath of this deal remains to be seen. Israel and the Gulf Arab States are not happy about this deal and it is understandable. President Obama is going to great pains to reassure these concerned countries that the US will not abandon them in favor of Iran. The deal does not address the terrorism that Iran commits nor does it weaken Iran’s relations with its proxies such as Hezbollah in Lebanon or the support that Iran is giving to the Shiite Houthis in Yemen. The nuclear deal is just about preventing Iran from developing a nuclear weapon and is not concerned with Iran’s terrorist activities or Iran’s desire to destroy Israel.

Obama's Iran Nuclear Deal Speech may allay some fears but PM Netanyahu’s reaction to the deal as expected was negative. Obama did contact Netanyahu after the signing of the deal but Netanyahu is not convinced that the deal is the best thing on the market curtailing Iran’s aggressive and uncompromising attitude towards Israel, which is not part of the deal.

There is room for concern and skepticism about the success of this deal in curtailing Iran’s nuclear capabilities. Iran is not a state that has much credibility neither in the West nor in the Middle East. Its human rights record is atrocious and its desire to destroy Israel remains unabated. If one examines the latest Memri Clips that are on my blog, Rouhani appears conciliatory up to a point, while Ayatollah Khamanei harangues the crowds against the US, Israel and even England. One must bear in mind that the true power remains in the hands of Khamanei. The Ayatollah regime in Iran is oppressive and evil. President Rouhani of Iran remains a sugar-coated pill and a puppet of this regime that within time will disappoint all those who were captivated by his charm.

On the other hand, Israel’s Netanyahu Coalition sees this as an opportunity to unite Israel under the Netanyahu banner. It comes at a time when Netanyahu is trying to unite his coalition of strange bedfellows in order to get various bills passed. The US-Iran Nuclear Deal is a fantastic digression to justify Netanyahu's maintenance of power by proving to the opposition that the danger to Israel’s existence is severe. He has managed to garner support on his stance against the deal even from the official opposition leader, Isaac Herzog. Netanyahu is making political capital over this deal as he knows that this will unite the country and strengthen his political leadership.

Now that the deal is a fait accompli, Israel must move on and Netanyahu should study the agreement thoroughly. Military vigilance of course is important as Iran by its own admittance and rhetoric has no desire to recognize Israel and is even determined to destroy Israel.

Obama has sent reassuring messages but time will tell whether Iran will comply with the agreement. Meanwhile, making political capital by opposing the agreement is not wise. Netanyahu will not influence Obama. We have the right to be skeptical but we have to view the deal from a wider perspective.

Netanyahu is continuing with his hysterical obsession against the Iran Deal. He will not achieve anything apart from uniting the extremist masses in his government with the hope of sucking in the Zionist Camp to join his coalition. Yitzchak Herzog has denied emphatically that his party, the Zionist Camp will join the coalition. Netanyahu’s statements against the Iran Nuclear Deal do not serve Israel’s interests in the long term nor the future of Israel’s democracy. It could lead to a scenario whereby Israelis who oppose Netanyahu’s attitude to the Iran Deal will be considered traitors and be ostracized.

Issues that need to be addressed are the aggressive threats against Israel and the powers who are signatories to this deal. President Obama claims that this deal is primarily to prevent Iran from developing a nuclear bomb and does not concern Iran’s aggressive rhetoric, threats and terrorism.


Netanyahu’s plupperings are not going to influence the US-Iran Anti-Nuclear Deal and it would be in Israel’s best interests to remain vigilant as to the Iranian threat on Israel’s security and its existence. Israel has the right to defend itself if Iran threatens its existence. Israel’s right to defend itself should include a preemptive strike on Iran’s nuclear facilities, if there is evidence beyond any reasonable doubt that Iran has plans to destroy Israel.

Saturday, July 4

The Bias and Hypocrisy of the UNHRC


ISIS Savages
What has happened to the UN? So many cruel incidents are occurring in the Middle East today and one would expect that the UN would play a more active role in condemning the Islamist terrorist movements that have mushroomed over the last 45 years. Instead, Islamist terrorist movements had started off as “freedom movements” fighting against the Israeli Occupation since June 1967 under various guises - such as hijacking civil air flights, terrorizing passengers and holding them hostage as well as shooting innocent people. This had “revolutionized” to the Trade Centre Twin Tower Tragedy committed by Al Qaeda on 11th Sept, 2001 as well as many other mega terror operations under radical Islamist groups such as Al Qaeda and their proxies. The incidents of terrorist activity against innocent people spread through Europe and the rest of the world like a cancer, exacting a high cost in innocent lives. The list of Islamist terrorist acts continues unhindered and increases on an almost daily basis.

More victims of ISIS. The organization is parading their murders as a means of intimidating

This does not seem to perturb most UN members and their pathetic lackey the hypocritical, double-standard UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC). Not a word from these “reputable” international bodies of any condemnation of the massacres occurring in the Middle East and in Africa. ISIS, the most evil and cruel representative of Islamist terror on earth, has an almost free reign to do exactly as they wish. Their aim is to establish an Islamist Caliphate in every state that they conquer by using the cruelest, satanic methods that boggles the imagination. The UN and the UNHRC are so involved in condemning Israel for defending itself against Hamas terror during Operation Protective Edge that it gives the ISIS savages the green light to massacre their opponents at will all over the world. The UN should hang its head in shame as well as their disgusting UNHRC. These world bodies allow ISIS a free hand to behead and pillage at will. This incredible apathy sends out a signal to the world that they are accomplices to terror committed by Islamist terror groups by gunning for Israel all the time with their Operation Protective Shield Report on the Gaza War of July-August 2014.

Hamas was not condemned for their terrorism against Israel or for starting the war as strongly as Israel was blamed for defending itself against Hamas terror. This is a sign of weakness on the part of those illustrious legal professionals, who compiled this report. Its worth is that of human feces, as it is written in “unbiased” legalese verbosity. The message that it sends out is one of almost total indifference to Hamas terror and even ISIS terror. ISIS is waiting on the borders of Gaza to form a coalition with Hamas. They now have the support” from many UN members to “free Gaza” and the right to establish an Islamist Caliphate there together with Hamas. It will not stop in Gaza but will threaten Israel as well. There are signs that ISIS and Hamas are cooperating, although it may be a bit premature to confirm this despite Hamas denials. The credibility of Hamas is poor so it could be a strong possibility. Both terrorist groups have similar goals and the ill-fated flotilla from Sweden that did not succeed in breaking the Gaza blockade is actually serving the Hamas-ISIS axis.

ISIS is threatening not only the US, EU and the Arab states, but the whole world. They are taking over large areas of territory in Syria, Iraq, Libya and they have proxies in Nigeria called Boko Haram that are slaughtering and kidnapping people. As usual, the world under the UN umbrella remains indifferent. All seem so concerned to enforce BDS against Israel to worry about the terrible massacres and cruelties of ISIS and Hamas.

Many imams in the heart of Europe are brainwashing non-Muslims from their mosques to join ISIS and the fight against these evil imams is not effective.

Why does the world not wake up and form a united coalition to destroy ISIS that is threatening not only the Middle East but the Western World as well? These savages are hardly curtailed in their blood-lust to establish a Caliphate. If the UN does not take a stand against these ISIS savages, they are culprits no less than ISIS. The UN members are too involved in bashing Israel. Under an ISIS-Hamas caliphate, many Palestinians will be slaughtered for not holding the ISIS world view. The only nation that unfortunately has no state and is putting up a courageous fight against ISIS is the Kurds. They have more balls than Europe and their wimpish leadership and the US together. They have still not tasted the coffee in the Middle East.