The Palestinians have moved towards a path of potential self-destruction. What is it that drives the Palestinians into a situation that will not achieve anything – not independence, not peace and peaceful coexistence, recognition of Israel and the improvement of their socio-economic situation? Perhaps one can view this problem from a number of aspects. The main aspect is the failure of the Palestinian leadership to come to terms with Israel’s existence. This has now received a fundamentalist Islamic slant with extremism and hate for Israel taking the upper hand. The moment Israel disengaged from Gaza unilaterally in August 2005; this resulted in a power vacuum with many opposing terrorist militias running wild. There are so many of these terrorist para-military militias fighting amongst themselves and uniting when it comes to the common enemy – Israel. They all seem to operate under the Hamas umbrella. The building of the Security Fence on the Gaza Strip border has created new Palestinian tactics. The Palestinian terror groups have now built tunnels under the fence that allows infiltration into Israel. Who knows how many of these tunnels exist undiscovered? The object is to kidnap Israelis – soldiers and civilians. Suicide terrorism has decreased because the Israeli Security forces are successful in curtailing these attacks. The terrorists are seeking other means to achieve their goal of liberation from the “Israeli occupation” that means destruction of Israel. These extremists are not interested in a two state solution.
The Hamas terrorist organizations (Izzadin al Qassam, the Popular Resistance Committees, and a group calling itself the Army of Islam), kidnapped the Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit on 26 June 2006. The well-coordinated attack on Kibbutz Kerem Shalom, where the kidnapping occurred, proves the capability of Hamas’s military (terrorist) wing to carry our successful attacks. The whereabouts of Gilad Shalit is unknown and surrounded by much speculation.
The use of the kidnapping tactic seems to be rather successful in the short run. It gives the terrorists breathing space to seek the upper hand by trying to bargain for the release of female Palestinian security prisoners including those who are under 18 years of age in Israeli prisons. It is doubtful if Israel will succumb to this kind of blackmail. Any military move on Israel’s side to gain the release of Gilad Shalit could result in a terrible tragedy. Meanwhile there has been another kidnapping in the occupied territories. The youngster is Eliyahu Yitschak Asheri of Ittamar. The kidnappers have threatened to kill him if the Israeli Army goes into Gaza to liberate the soldier.
The situation is becoming more complex. The Hamas leadership under Ismail Haniya has no control over the release of the soldier. Mahmoud Abbas has even less influence over the captors. Gaza is in a state of total anarchy.This means that the Hamas military wing operates very much on its own and receives order from other sources. There are reports that Khaled Mashal, the Hamas leader resident in Damascus Syria, issued orders for the kidnapping operation. This individual is uncompromising in his attitude towards Israel. He wields much influence on Hamas terrorists. There seems to be a similarity in his methods of operation and that of Osama bin Laden of Al Qaeda. Both leaders are in exile and pull the strings on the terrorist cells under their direct or indirect control.
Israel is on the horns of a dilemma. The Israeli Defense Forces have entered the Gaza Strip in order to pressure the Hamas leadership to release Gilad. The military operation “Summer Rain” is under way. The Hamas led Palestinian Authority is impotent in its influence on their ultra extremist hate-filled terrorist militias. Had they had influence, the scenario would have ceased by now. Now that military operations have started, it remains to be seen as to whether it will achieve their objective. It could force the Hamas militias into taking desperate steps to save face. A tragedy could occur because of this operation.
The Palestinian terror groups have changed tactics. They are now using the “kidnapping weapon” increasingly instead of the “suicide-bombing weapon”. We can expect kidnappings to become more commonplace in the Palestinian terrorist lexicon. This tactic will gain more popularity because it will invite Israeli retaliation in populated Palestinian areas where the kidnappers hide their victims. Loss of innocent Palestinian lives in Israeli rescue operations will be difficult to avoid. This will add grist to the Palestinian terrorist propaganda machine to portray for the umpteenth time how the cruel Israeli Army kills innocent Palestinians intentionally. Palestinian sympathizers and ultra-left wing groups will swallow the bait and condemn Israel in every world forum possible including the United Nations. The rescue operations will cause havoc amongst innocent Palestinians and increased suffering.
Despite all these misgivings about the Israeli military operation in the Gaza Strip, Israel really has no alternative. The terrorists are not prepared to enter negotiations to release the kidnapped soldier or at the least, negotiate impossible conditions that Israel will never accept.
No country in the world would allow terrorists to kidnap their citizens. They would also attempt to rescue their captured citizens if negotiations fail. Israel is now exercising that right as difficult as it is. Many innocent people are going to lose their lives. A successful outcome to this military operation is far from clear at this stage let alone achieving the release of Gilad Shalit.
Wednesday, June 28
Wednesday, June 21
"Slavery" in Israel
The establishment of the State of Israel in 1948 was based on noble ideas of the Declaration of Independence whereby equality of all was stated clearly. Israel declared that she would uphold human rights and principles of democracy. There would be no discrimination based on colour, creed or religion. The Jewish People had suffered persecution in the Diaspora for centuries. This reached its culmination in Nazi Germany when 6 million were murdered because they were Jews. Israel rose from the ashes of the Holocaust when the majority of the members of the newly established UN voted in favour of partition of the British Mandate of Palestine. The Jews found a new home, free from persecution that welcomed every Jew who wished to make Israel his or her home no matter from where he or she came. One would expect that Israel would be a special country upholding these principles because of the tragic history of the Jewish People. Is this true today?
Israel has fought many wars for her survival and this has taken its toll in lives and in outlook. One would expect more respect for the rule of law and more sensitivity towards those who are different, including migrant workers, Arab Israelis, innocent Palestinians and Israelis who are poor and work for minimum wages with no hope for their future or that of their children.
Many migrant workers go to Israel because future contractors promised them a job, and discover upon arrival that no such job exists. Workers who do not have any work or identification documents usually remain in Israel, because they cannot afford to go home. Such people are liable to arrest and detention at any moment, and ultimately to deportation. Because of their situation, the fundamental rights of migrant workers – both legal and illegal - are not respected. They receive no days off (or fewer than agreed in the contract), low wages, poor working conditions and are liable to confiscation of passports. The migrant workers are mainly from the Philippines, Thailand, China and other Asian countries, Romania and other Eastern European countries, and a number of African and Latin American countries.
The business of recruiting foreign workers is very lucrative for the employers. Employers’ pressure groups in Israel and their contacts in government and Parliament have been promoting the recruitment of migrant workers. The Chinese migrants, mainly construction workers, are often the worst affected. They have paid U.S. $ 6,000-10,000 each to come to Israel. This sum is divided between the Chinese Government, the Israeli employers or their agency, the Israeli Government (for visa and other fees) and travel costs. Because of the downturn in economic growth in Israel, particularly in the construction industry, many Chinese workers arrive to find there is no work. Many end upon the street, jobless, and illegally resident in Israel.
Although the Israeli Government insisted it has stopped issuing visas for Chinese construction workers, a number of Israeli employers were still holding a batch of visas valid for the next few months, and were continuing to recruit Chinese workers, because they are reluctant to relinquish such a lucrative business. The situation is similar for migrant workers in the areas of agriculture, catering and domestic help. Much of the work now done by migrant workers used to be done by Palestinians from the Occupied Palestinian Territories (O.T.), and by Palestinian Israeli citizens. However, due to the closures of the crossing points from the O.T. into Israel, most Palestinians can no longer travel to and work in Israel, and some Palestinian Israeli citizens have lost their jobs following the Intifada; this situation has been worsened by Israel’s economic decline and the resulting polarization of society.
Meanwhile the legal or documented migrant workers are under the total control of their Israeli employers, most of who hold on to the workers’ passports illegally. If the workers complain, they are liable to be dismissed, in which case they immediately lose their work permits and become illegal residents. The police have begun a campaign rewarding people who inform the police of illegal foreign workers. A new police unit has been set up to deal with the problem in a more sympathetic manner, but it is too early to determine if it will work. (See MIGRANT WORKERS IN ISRAEL- A Contemporary Form of Slavery - Executive Summary p7 and 8).
A no less macabre situation exists for those poor Israelis - Jews as well as Arabs who work for contractors of all kinds and sorts. Various contractors who employ cleaners for public institutions such as hospitals, businesses and day clinics use a well-known source of contractual labour. “Contracted labour” in Israel is a euphemism for almost slavery. Here the worker earns minimum wage with no chance of promotion or rises in salary apart from cost of living rises that are declared by law. These employees have no recourse to basic employment rights. If they take a lunch break, the time that they take is deducted from their salaries, which decreases the pittance that they earn even more. They have no paid annual leave benefits nor do they have maternal or sick leave. The days that the worker is absent for whatever reason is deducted from his salary. They do not have pension schemes or any form of employment benefits apart from the miserable pittance that National Insurance (Bituach Leumi) pays them on their retirement. Many retire because of ill health and the contractor bosses turf them out without any benefits, as there is none. I once asked a contracted laborer if she has address when she feels that she has been exploited. The answer I received was in the negative. She does not even know who her employer is. Her miserable paycheck does not give any hint by whom she is paid and to whom she is responsible. The Knesset passed many laws in the past to protect the worker but somehow contracted labour fell between the chairs. The Israel Labour Federation overlooks the contracted worker.
The situation with legal Palestinian workers in Israel is no better. Israel embarks on an exercise of public relations to highlight her problems with the Palestinians and Palestinian terror, but in the social field of employment, the situation is drawing close to being inhuman! The Histadrut – the Israeli Labour Federation – does not protect the rights of contracted workers. The Histadrut is impotent and ineffectual and is only affective in declaring strikes of workers who are members of strong unions such as the Airports and Harbour Workers Union, Internal ministries and other strong public sectors that are Histadrut affiliated. The law enforcement agencies have forgotten the contract worker. The contracted laborers of the Dead Sea Works suffer a similar fate. Justice for the workers is limited to those represented by strong unions.
If there is a parallel between Israel and apartheid South Africa of the past, this is it and not the Security Fence. Black contracted labourers suffered a similar fate in apartheid South Africa.
Israel has fought many wars for her survival and this has taken its toll in lives and in outlook. One would expect more respect for the rule of law and more sensitivity towards those who are different, including migrant workers, Arab Israelis, innocent Palestinians and Israelis who are poor and work for minimum wages with no hope for their future or that of their children.
Many migrant workers go to Israel because future contractors promised them a job, and discover upon arrival that no such job exists. Workers who do not have any work or identification documents usually remain in Israel, because they cannot afford to go home. Such people are liable to arrest and detention at any moment, and ultimately to deportation. Because of their situation, the fundamental rights of migrant workers – both legal and illegal - are not respected. They receive no days off (or fewer than agreed in the contract), low wages, poor working conditions and are liable to confiscation of passports. The migrant workers are mainly from the Philippines, Thailand, China and other Asian countries, Romania and other Eastern European countries, and a number of African and Latin American countries.
The business of recruiting foreign workers is very lucrative for the employers. Employers’ pressure groups in Israel and their contacts in government and Parliament have been promoting the recruitment of migrant workers. The Chinese migrants, mainly construction workers, are often the worst affected. They have paid U.S. $ 6,000-10,000 each to come to Israel. This sum is divided between the Chinese Government, the Israeli employers or their agency, the Israeli Government (for visa and other fees) and travel costs. Because of the downturn in economic growth in Israel, particularly in the construction industry, many Chinese workers arrive to find there is no work. Many end upon the street, jobless, and illegally resident in Israel.
Although the Israeli Government insisted it has stopped issuing visas for Chinese construction workers, a number of Israeli employers were still holding a batch of visas valid for the next few months, and were continuing to recruit Chinese workers, because they are reluctant to relinquish such a lucrative business. The situation is similar for migrant workers in the areas of agriculture, catering and domestic help. Much of the work now done by migrant workers used to be done by Palestinians from the Occupied Palestinian Territories (O.T.), and by Palestinian Israeli citizens. However, due to the closures of the crossing points from the O.T. into Israel, most Palestinians can no longer travel to and work in Israel, and some Palestinian Israeli citizens have lost their jobs following the Intifada; this situation has been worsened by Israel’s economic decline and the resulting polarization of society.
Meanwhile the legal or documented migrant workers are under the total control of their Israeli employers, most of who hold on to the workers’ passports illegally. If the workers complain, they are liable to be dismissed, in which case they immediately lose their work permits and become illegal residents. The police have begun a campaign rewarding people who inform the police of illegal foreign workers. A new police unit has been set up to deal with the problem in a more sympathetic manner, but it is too early to determine if it will work. (See MIGRANT WORKERS IN ISRAEL- A Contemporary Form of Slavery - Executive Summary p7 and 8).
A no less macabre situation exists for those poor Israelis - Jews as well as Arabs who work for contractors of all kinds and sorts. Various contractors who employ cleaners for public institutions such as hospitals, businesses and day clinics use a well-known source of contractual labour. “Contracted labour” in Israel is a euphemism for almost slavery. Here the worker earns minimum wage with no chance of promotion or rises in salary apart from cost of living rises that are declared by law. These employees have no recourse to basic employment rights. If they take a lunch break, the time that they take is deducted from their salaries, which decreases the pittance that they earn even more. They have no paid annual leave benefits nor do they have maternal or sick leave. The days that the worker is absent for whatever reason is deducted from his salary. They do not have pension schemes or any form of employment benefits apart from the miserable pittance that National Insurance (Bituach Leumi) pays them on their retirement. Many retire because of ill health and the contractor bosses turf them out without any benefits, as there is none. I once asked a contracted laborer if she has address when she feels that she has been exploited. The answer I received was in the negative. She does not even know who her employer is. Her miserable paycheck does not give any hint by whom she is paid and to whom she is responsible. The Knesset passed many laws in the past to protect the worker but somehow contracted labour fell between the chairs. The Israel Labour Federation overlooks the contracted worker.
The situation with legal Palestinian workers in Israel is no better. Israel embarks on an exercise of public relations to highlight her problems with the Palestinians and Palestinian terror, but in the social field of employment, the situation is drawing close to being inhuman! The Histadrut – the Israeli Labour Federation – does not protect the rights of contracted workers. The Histadrut is impotent and ineffectual and is only affective in declaring strikes of workers who are members of strong unions such as the Airports and Harbour Workers Union, Internal ministries and other strong public sectors that are Histadrut affiliated. The law enforcement agencies have forgotten the contract worker. The contracted laborers of the Dead Sea Works suffer a similar fate. Justice for the workers is limited to those represented by strong unions.
If there is a parallel between Israel and apartheid South Africa of the past, this is it and not the Security Fence. Black contracted labourers suffered a similar fate in apartheid South Africa.
Wednesday, June 14
The Tragedy on Gaza Beach and Retaliation
The tragedy on Gaza Beach has filled us all with horror. Hamas and its ilk use this tragedy as an excuse to continue their Qassam rocket attacks on the people of Sderot almost unabated. Conclusions as to who was responsible for the unfortunate killing of seven members of the Ghalia family are controversial. Israel carried out an investigation into this tragic incident and stated that a shell unaccounted for by the Israeli Army caused the explosion. According to their investigation findings, they have apportioned the blame on the Palestinians for leaving an unexploded shell in the vicinity. Investigations of this nature, carried out by involved parties are suspect to be biased and inaccurate. The Hamas leadership decided to abandon the cease-fire (which was fragile to non-existent anyway) and sent a volley of Qassam rockets into Sderot. Following these incidents, Israel has adopted a more aggressive stance towards the Hamas leadership and has carried out retaliatory action resulting in further loss of life on the Palestinian side. Unfortunately, seven Palestinian civilians were killed and dozens wounded in the IAF strike on a Katyusha-launching cell in Gaza City. Two of those killed were civilians, another three were medical personnel, as well as two Islamic Jihad terrorists.
The ongoing retaliation violence continues. While it is true, that Israel does not intend to carry out violence against innocent Palestinian civilians, the same is not true of Hamas that controls the Palestinian Authority. When they attack Israelis, they must expect a reaction and if innocent Palestinians happen to be in the field where launching of Qassam rockets occur, it is an unfortunate reality that these innocent people will be harmed as well. This does not make the Israeli Army “humane” as claimed by P. M. Ehud Olmert. Armies are not humane by nature! If they were humane then they would not be able to wage wars or serve their countries. There will always be abuses of human rights by the army in carrying out their duty. The U.S. Army has not been over humane in Iraq or in Afghanistan.
The endless cycle of violence continues and there is no sign on the Palestinian side of any desire to come to terms with Israel’s existence or to cease their terror activity. The sickening comparison of Israel to apartheid South Africa remains a tactic used by the Hamas leadership and their allies ad nauseam. The shadow of the cynical “anti-racist” Durban Conference of 2001 remains a standard by which to judge Israel.
While Israel carries on with her duty to defend her citizens against terrorist attacks, the terror apologists will continue to accuse Israel of carrying out genocide against the Palestinians who are engaged in a legitimate struggle against the occupation. All means at their disposal to achieve that end, according to these apologists, is legitimate and this includes the use of the suicide bomber. The futility and results of their cruel tactics is well known and yet the fantasies of these perpetrators, which colour their aims, motivate them on this path of blood and hate.
There are journalists who write about “trying times for the Palestinians”. They overlook the fact that much of the Palestinian suffering was brought upon the Palestinians by their leadership in the past and present. The past Arafat leadership with its corruption and inability to come to terms with Israel by negotiation and the present Hamas leadership elected by default must bear the blame for much of the violence and Israel’s retaliation to it. All these apologists express their support for the Palestinian cause of achieving independence. They do not condemn the terror tactics used against Israel or at best, they overlook the terror that Palestinian terrorists had committed against innocent Israelis. They fail to realize (or do not wish to come to terms with) the fact that all the restrictions that the Palestinians suffer is because of the terror activity against Israel. Had there been no restrictions, road barriers or security fence, Israel’s citizens of all creeds would be subjected to further suicide bombings and bloodshed on a daily basis. What has this to do with genocide, apartheid fence or call it what you will? If anything, the attempt at genocide comes from the Palestinian Hamas leadership. It is not the struggle against the occupation but a desire to destroy Israel. Hamas and company have been uncompromising in their attitude towards Israel. This is an indisputable fact!
Most of us are against the occupation and we support a Palestinian state living alongside Israel in dignity. Both Palestinians and Israelis could achieve so much by embarking on joint projects for the good of both peoples. Why is the Palestinian leadership so intransigent in coming to terms with Israel’s existence? Why do they not wish to negotiate a fair and just settlement with Israel so that both peoples can exist together in peace, dignity and respect? Unfortunately, these questions will remain rhetorical questions for many years to come. So many lives on both sides have been lost because of this intransigent hate and lack of trust. There are no optimistic signs of any change in the Hamas Palestinian attitude towards Israel!
There does not seem to be any way out of this total stalemate of violence between Israel and the Palestinians while the problem remains an existential one with both sides unable to realize the importance of becoming partners in peace rather than rivals in hate rhetoric and violence.
The ongoing retaliation violence continues. While it is true, that Israel does not intend to carry out violence against innocent Palestinian civilians, the same is not true of Hamas that controls the Palestinian Authority. When they attack Israelis, they must expect a reaction and if innocent Palestinians happen to be in the field where launching of Qassam rockets occur, it is an unfortunate reality that these innocent people will be harmed as well. This does not make the Israeli Army “humane” as claimed by P. M. Ehud Olmert. Armies are not humane by nature! If they were humane then they would not be able to wage wars or serve their countries. There will always be abuses of human rights by the army in carrying out their duty. The U.S. Army has not been over humane in Iraq or in Afghanistan.
The endless cycle of violence continues and there is no sign on the Palestinian side of any desire to come to terms with Israel’s existence or to cease their terror activity. The sickening comparison of Israel to apartheid South Africa remains a tactic used by the Hamas leadership and their allies ad nauseam. The shadow of the cynical “anti-racist” Durban Conference of 2001 remains a standard by which to judge Israel.
While Israel carries on with her duty to defend her citizens against terrorist attacks, the terror apologists will continue to accuse Israel of carrying out genocide against the Palestinians who are engaged in a legitimate struggle against the occupation. All means at their disposal to achieve that end, according to these apologists, is legitimate and this includes the use of the suicide bomber. The futility and results of their cruel tactics is well known and yet the fantasies of these perpetrators, which colour their aims, motivate them on this path of blood and hate.
There are journalists who write about “trying times for the Palestinians”. They overlook the fact that much of the Palestinian suffering was brought upon the Palestinians by their leadership in the past and present. The past Arafat leadership with its corruption and inability to come to terms with Israel by negotiation and the present Hamas leadership elected by default must bear the blame for much of the violence and Israel’s retaliation to it. All these apologists express their support for the Palestinian cause of achieving independence. They do not condemn the terror tactics used against Israel or at best, they overlook the terror that Palestinian terrorists had committed against innocent Israelis. They fail to realize (or do not wish to come to terms with) the fact that all the restrictions that the Palestinians suffer is because of the terror activity against Israel. Had there been no restrictions, road barriers or security fence, Israel’s citizens of all creeds would be subjected to further suicide bombings and bloodshed on a daily basis. What has this to do with genocide, apartheid fence or call it what you will? If anything, the attempt at genocide comes from the Palestinian Hamas leadership. It is not the struggle against the occupation but a desire to destroy Israel. Hamas and company have been uncompromising in their attitude towards Israel. This is an indisputable fact!
Most of us are against the occupation and we support a Palestinian state living alongside Israel in dignity. Both Palestinians and Israelis could achieve so much by embarking on joint projects for the good of both peoples. Why is the Palestinian leadership so intransigent in coming to terms with Israel’s existence? Why do they not wish to negotiate a fair and just settlement with Israel so that both peoples can exist together in peace, dignity and respect? Unfortunately, these questions will remain rhetorical questions for many years to come. So many lives on both sides have been lost because of this intransigent hate and lack of trust. There are no optimistic signs of any change in the Hamas Palestinian attitude towards Israel!
There does not seem to be any way out of this total stalemate of violence between Israel and the Palestinians while the problem remains an existential one with both sides unable to realize the importance of becoming partners in peace rather than rivals in hate rhetoric and violence.
Sunday, June 4
Boycotting Israel's Universities
Israel’s academics have been through this before. NATFHE (National Association of Teachers in Further and Higher Education), under the influence of the new left, has embarked once again on an Israel-bashing exercise. Only this time they have funneled it into a boycott of Israel’s institutions of higher learning. The grounds for this are so shaky and shallow. The new left once again compares the situation in Israel to that of apartheid South Africa of old by referring to the security fence as the “apartheid wall”. The Union is prepared to rescind the boycott if Israeli Academics actively renounce what the group calls Israel's "apartheid policies" in the territories. How can anybody, let alone academics, renounce Israel’s “apartheid policies” in the territories when such an organized fiction of a new left warped imagination does not exist?
Just over a year ago on 22nd April 2005, the AUT (Association of University Teachers) decided to boycott the University of Haifa and Bar Ilan University because of the “illegal occupation policies” of Israel. This boycott was revoked subsequently. Now NATFHE voted to boycott for a different reason - the so-called parallel between Israel and apartheid South Africa. It seems that these so-called associations of British academics will continue to find a reason to boycott Israel’s universities. The likelihood of this latest boycott being rescinded like the previous boycott is possible in the near future. This will occur when these associations come to their senses.
It is unfortunate that these academic bodies do not even bother to try to understand why Israel has adopted so-called “repressive measures” against the Palestinian population. The Palestinian terrorists with their suicide bombing tactics have not even received any mention by these associations let alone condemnation. It seems that the indifference of these associations is a form of support for terrorism against Israel rather than condemnation of terror.
The Israeli Ambassador in Britain Zvi Heifetz denied that universities in his country practiced discrimination against Palestinians. "Israeli universities are open institutions, where students and teachers are selected on merit, regardless of their religious or ethnic backgrounds. As a means of promoting dialogue and coexistence in the Middle East, an academic boycott of Israel is counter-productive in the extreme,'' he said.
The pro-boycott teachers insisted that Israeli academics must be held accountable for their "silence'' over their Government's "repressive'' actions in the occupied Palestinian territories.”The majority of Israeli academics are either complicit or acquiescent in their Government's policies in the occupied territories,'' said Tom Hickey, a philosophy lecturer who proposed the motion. He said that for Israeli academics to ignore all this amounted to "culpable blindness''.
Is it not “culpable blindness” to ignore Palestinian terror against innocent Israelis? Does Israel not have the right to protect its citizens from terrorist acts? After Britain had suffered the terror on their subways, were there not incidents of arrests and interrogation of suspects involved that also went against so-called “human rights”? No country in its war against terrorism behaved “over humanely” towards terror suspects. What about the U.S troop behaviour in Iraq and the establishment of Guantanamo Prison Camp in Cuba where terror suspects are held without much recourse to a lawyer? Why do British academics close their eyes to that?
There are no initiatives for boycotts against other countries: not against Iran, which is denying the Holocaust and threatening to destroy Israel; not against Sudan, which is committing genocide in Darfur; not against Saudi Arabia, where the Saudi Courts execute people for religious infractions, and not against China, which is carrying out oppression in Tibet and Shenzhen. Nor is the hated United States being boycotted, because this would hurt academics who want to get to Harvard, Yale and Princeton.
As an Israeli, I am opposed to the occupation but am also aware of the fact that it occurred because of aggression by Arab states in their attempt to destroy Israel since its establishment. If there were no Arab attacks on Israel, there would not have been an occupied West Bank, Gaza, East Jerusalem or the Golan Heights.
The use of the boycott weapon against Israel illustrates total ignorance of Israel and Jewish history as well as the holocaust! The Palestinian leadership under Hamas supports terror and the Israeli reaction to this terror is just as legitimate as Britain’s hunt for terrorists responsible for blowing up subways in London.
The use of the boycott weapon against Israel by British academics is unfair, unjust and illustrates total ignorance of the Palestinian – Israeli Conflict. The use of the comparison of the situation in apartheid South Africa to Israel is frivolous and is far from knowledge of reality.
The Palestinians have created a situation whereby terror against Israel has become a legitimate weapon against the occupation in the eyes of many British academics. The British academics that support boycotting Israel’s Universities, for reasons of expediency, have ignored Palestinian terrorism, thus condoning it.
Saturday, May 27
The U.S, Israel and The Palestinians
President George Bush and Prime Minister Ehud Olmert have had their first meeting and joint Press Conference since the e lection of Ehud Olmert as prime minister of Israel. The speeches made by both leaders were encouraging and reflected the U.S. continued support of Israel’s position. However, there is a certain amount of surrealism in this meeting. A certain reality in a vision that will not bear fruit in the very near future as far as peace with the Palestinians is concerned. Olmert. in his speech to Congress, expressed his readiness to negotiate with Mahmoud Abbas. Both leaders also mentioned the Iranian nuclear threat in the background that threatens stability in the Middle East and the world.
Both leaders emphasized that the Palestinian Leadership must meet three conditions in order to continue on the road to peace:
Both Pres. Bush and P.M. Olmert paid lip service to the importance of conducting negotiations with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas in order to bring the peace negotiations back on track.
While, there is no objection to negotiating with President Mahmoud Abbas if only he would not be so weak and ineffectual. The constant harping on the relevance of Mahmoud Abbas seems to be overplayed by both the US and Israel. If only he would be more relevant! He is a good person and does have worthy intentions. His statements are compromising, and filled with the “right music” towards peace with Israel.
The truth of the matter is that Mahmoud Abbas’s attitude is contrary to the Hamas dominated Palestinian Authority, which has remained intransigent and unwilling to give up terror or recognize Israel’s right to exist. Negotiations with Abbas are a futile exercise and lacks relevance.
There is not much room for optimism. According to Danny Rubinstein of Haaretz who interviewed Ismail Haniyeh, the Hamas Prime Minister, on 23rd May, told Haaretz that the Hamas government is prepared to agree to an extended cease-fire if Israel withdraws to the 1967 lines. "If Israel withdraws to the 1967 borders, peace will prevail and we will implement a cease-fire [hudna] for many years," Haniyeh said during an interview in his south Gaza office. "Our government is prepared to maintain a long-term cease-fire with Israel." Palestinian Transportation Minister Ziad Zaza described the hudna during the interview as "the cease-fire that will be renewed automatically each time."
On the other hand, President Mahmoud Abbas has made some rather decisive statements concerning Hamas in its attitude towards Israel. It may be an ultimatum. He stated that if Hamas is not prepared to accept the “Prisoners’ Covenant”, then he will call a referendum so that the Palestinian People will decide the issue. It is doubtful if Abbas has the will or power to carry out his threat.
Once again, Hamas is playing a dubious tread water game when it comes to its attitude towards Israel. There are signs of unrest between Hamas and Abbas. It is unlikely that Hamas will accept Abbas’s threat to hold a referendum. Hamas will display its anger in the streets with more civil unrest and extremists will threaten to assassinate Mahmoud Abbas. Despite all denials to the contrary, Palestine is on the threshold of a civil war between Fatah and Hamas.
The E.U. and U.S are tightening screws on the Palestinians by withholding funds to the Hamas led Palestinian Authority. Palestine is on the verge of economic collapse and yet Hamas remains as intransigent as ever in its attitude. It is very difficult to draw any conclusions as to what Hamas will decide in the very near future in its attitude towards Israel. There is a power struggle between Hamas and Fatah despite the two sides’ attempts to downplay their differences.
The victims of this power struggle will be the Palestinian People. Many government employees have not received their salaries since Hamas won the Palestinian Elections. The Palestinian regime will blame Israel and the United States.
The situation in the Palestinian Camp is hopeless and it will boomerang in an escalation of terror against Israel. Iran will finance Hamas and Co terror. It is doubtful whether Mahmoud Abbas will hold a referendum on the “Prisoner’s Covenant”. The dubious attitude of Hamas and the weakness of Abbas will ensure total anarchy and havoc as well as further suffering for the Palestinians.
Both leaders emphasized that the Palestinian Leadership must meet three conditions in order to continue on the road to peace:
- Recognition of Israel’s right to exist.
- There must be total cessation of terror against Israel.
- Both sides must observe previous signed agreements between Israel and the Palestinians.
Both Pres. Bush and P.M. Olmert paid lip service to the importance of conducting negotiations with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas in order to bring the peace negotiations back on track.
While, there is no objection to negotiating with President Mahmoud Abbas if only he would not be so weak and ineffectual. The constant harping on the relevance of Mahmoud Abbas seems to be overplayed by both the US and Israel. If only he would be more relevant! He is a good person and does have worthy intentions. His statements are compromising, and filled with the “right music” towards peace with Israel.
The truth of the matter is that Mahmoud Abbas’s attitude is contrary to the Hamas dominated Palestinian Authority, which has remained intransigent and unwilling to give up terror or recognize Israel’s right to exist. Negotiations with Abbas are a futile exercise and lacks relevance.
There is not much room for optimism. According to Danny Rubinstein of Haaretz who interviewed Ismail Haniyeh, the Hamas Prime Minister, on 23rd May, told Haaretz that the Hamas government is prepared to agree to an extended cease-fire if Israel withdraws to the 1967 lines. "If Israel withdraws to the 1967 borders, peace will prevail and we will implement a cease-fire [hudna] for many years," Haniyeh said during an interview in his south Gaza office. "Our government is prepared to maintain a long-term cease-fire with Israel." Palestinian Transportation Minister Ziad Zaza described the hudna during the interview as "the cease-fire that will be renewed automatically each time."
On the other hand, President Mahmoud Abbas has made some rather decisive statements concerning Hamas in its attitude towards Israel. It may be an ultimatum. He stated that if Hamas is not prepared to accept the “Prisoners’ Covenant”, then he will call a referendum so that the Palestinian People will decide the issue. It is doubtful if Abbas has the will or power to carry out his threat.
Once again, Hamas is playing a dubious tread water game when it comes to its attitude towards Israel. There are signs of unrest between Hamas and Abbas. It is unlikely that Hamas will accept Abbas’s threat to hold a referendum. Hamas will display its anger in the streets with more civil unrest and extremists will threaten to assassinate Mahmoud Abbas. Despite all denials to the contrary, Palestine is on the threshold of a civil war between Fatah and Hamas.
The E.U. and U.S are tightening screws on the Palestinians by withholding funds to the Hamas led Palestinian Authority. Palestine is on the verge of economic collapse and yet Hamas remains as intransigent as ever in its attitude. It is very difficult to draw any conclusions as to what Hamas will decide in the very near future in its attitude towards Israel. There is a power struggle between Hamas and Fatah despite the two sides’ attempts to downplay their differences.
The victims of this power struggle will be the Palestinian People. Many government employees have not received their salaries since Hamas won the Palestinian Elections. The Palestinian regime will blame Israel and the United States.
The situation in the Palestinian Camp is hopeless and it will boomerang in an escalation of terror against Israel. Iran will finance Hamas and Co terror. It is doubtful whether Mahmoud Abbas will hold a referendum on the “Prisoner’s Covenant”. The dubious attitude of Hamas and the weakness of Abbas will ensure total anarchy and havoc as well as further suffering for the Palestinians.
Sunday, May 21
Mr Ronald Kasrils is Wrong
Mr. Ronald Kasrils, the South African Minister of Intelligence, has put his foot in it again as he has done in the past. He is now advocating sanctions against Israel for its "inhumane treatment" of the Palestinians. According to him, Israel ought to be punished for not recognizing the Palestinian right of democratic choice in electing Hamas in the Palestinian Elections. He equates Israel blindly with the South African Apartheid policies of the past. He is resorting to the anti-Israel tactics once again that characterized the notorious Conference on Racism held in Durban in September 2001 that turned out to be an Israel-bashing charade.
Normally, the world would recognize the Palestinian choice of government in free and democratic elections. However, the world does recognize Hamas in the same way as it recognized Germany’s democratic choice of government in 1933 when the majority of the German People elected Hitler to power. This may seem an oversimplification. The problem began when Hitler, with the support of the German people, adopted a policy of rabid anti-Semitism and murdered six million Jews. Logically, must the world accept that because the German Electorate voted for Hitler and the Nazi Party in democratic elections, this gave him the right to murder innocent people because of their creed?
Hamas was also the democratic elected choice of the Palestinian People. Nobody is arguing about that. However, when Hamas, does not wish to recognize Israel’s right to exist and embarks on a policy to destroy the Jewish People - surely, this is intent of genocide! This is unacceptable! Hamas has no desire at all to come to terms with Israel’s right to exist. If Hamas would change its attitude to Israel, Israel would be more than accommodating in future peace negotiations. According to Comrade Ronnie, Hamas, (like the Hitler Nazi Party of old) deserves legitimacy because it is the democratic choice of the Palestinian People. Clearly not a deep thinking man is our Ronnie.
Ronnie Kasrils, has proved once again, that he is self-servingly insensitive to the Jewish People. Some Jews, during the Hitler terror (the Kapos), had betrayed their own people to save their own skin. It did not work! Comrade Ronnie should heed his history that he forgets so conveniently! He shows no knowledge or sensitivity to the suicide bombings and indiscriminate murder of Jews by Palestinian terrorists. He overlooks the reason why Israel built the Security Fence in order to save lives from the indiscriminate terror that Hamas, Islamic Jihad and Al Aqsa Brigades carry out against innocent Israelis of all creeds. The Security Wall has saved many lives from Palestinian terror.
Apartheid in South Africa is now confined to the dustbin of history and we are pleased about that. As an ex-South African Jew who had lived in South Africa during the apartheid era and loathed the injustices committed against the black majority only because of their skin colour, I welcomed the democratic change in South Africa. Today, living in Israel, seeing and experiencing what happens in this country, with all due respect to Comrade Ronnie Kasrils, I think that I am in a better position to pass judgment on his odious comparison of Israel to apartheid South Africa.
Comrade Ronnie attempts to deligitimize Israel. By his attitude, he has made a strange alliance with Mahmoud Ahmadinajad, the anti-Israel president of Iran who advocates the destruction of Israel. Ahmadinajad has expressed the desire to pass a law to differentiate between Moslems, Jews, Christians and other non-Moslem communities by coloured badges on their clothing, reminiscent of the Nazi Era in Germany. South Africa is silent on this matter and does not criticize Iran at all. Comrade Ronnie is so involved in Israel bashing that he overlooks the injustices and human rights abuses in many Moslem countries of the Middle East, including Palestinian violence on Palestinians. When it suits him or his agenda, Kasrils is silent!
Comrade Ronnie does not criticize the human rights abuses of his ally Robert Mugabe of Zimbabwe who has carried out horrendous acts against those who oppose him
South Africa today has the highest crime and AIDS rate in the world. The ANC have become prosperous and undemocratic fat cats, insensitive to the suffering of their electorate! Buying sprees to Qatar by croneys of the ANC are common practices these days. Comrade Ronnie has managed to ingratiate himself very well into this system. People who live in glass houses should not throw stones and this applies to you, Comrade Ronnie!
President Thabo Mbeki views himself as an honest broker who wishes to see the achievement of peace between Israelis and the Palestinians. It is doubtful if you do, Comrade Ronnie. Your actions and regular publishing of your opinions guarantee that South Africa is not an honest broker and has no part to play or contribution to make in attempting to find peace in the Middle East!
Normally, the world would recognize the Palestinian choice of government in free and democratic elections. However, the world does recognize Hamas in the same way as it recognized Germany’s democratic choice of government in 1933 when the majority of the German People elected Hitler to power. This may seem an oversimplification. The problem began when Hitler, with the support of the German people, adopted a policy of rabid anti-Semitism and murdered six million Jews. Logically, must the world accept that because the German Electorate voted for Hitler and the Nazi Party in democratic elections, this gave him the right to murder innocent people because of their creed?
Hamas was also the democratic elected choice of the Palestinian People. Nobody is arguing about that. However, when Hamas, does not wish to recognize Israel’s right to exist and embarks on a policy to destroy the Jewish People - surely, this is intent of genocide! This is unacceptable! Hamas has no desire at all to come to terms with Israel’s right to exist. If Hamas would change its attitude to Israel, Israel would be more than accommodating in future peace negotiations. According to Comrade Ronnie, Hamas, (like the Hitler Nazi Party of old) deserves legitimacy because it is the democratic choice of the Palestinian People. Clearly not a deep thinking man is our Ronnie.
Ronnie Kasrils, has proved once again, that he is self-servingly insensitive to the Jewish People. Some Jews, during the Hitler terror (the Kapos), had betrayed their own people to save their own skin. It did not work! Comrade Ronnie should heed his history that he forgets so conveniently! He shows no knowledge or sensitivity to the suicide bombings and indiscriminate murder of Jews by Palestinian terrorists. He overlooks the reason why Israel built the Security Fence in order to save lives from the indiscriminate terror that Hamas, Islamic Jihad and Al Aqsa Brigades carry out against innocent Israelis of all creeds. The Security Wall has saved many lives from Palestinian terror.
Apartheid in South Africa is now confined to the dustbin of history and we are pleased about that. As an ex-South African Jew who had lived in South Africa during the apartheid era and loathed the injustices committed against the black majority only because of their skin colour, I welcomed the democratic change in South Africa. Today, living in Israel, seeing and experiencing what happens in this country, with all due respect to Comrade Ronnie Kasrils, I think that I am in a better position to pass judgment on his odious comparison of Israel to apartheid South Africa.
Comrade Ronnie attempts to deligitimize Israel. By his attitude, he has made a strange alliance with Mahmoud Ahmadinajad, the anti-Israel president of Iran who advocates the destruction of Israel. Ahmadinajad has expressed the desire to pass a law to differentiate between Moslems, Jews, Christians and other non-Moslem communities by coloured badges on their clothing, reminiscent of the Nazi Era in Germany. South Africa is silent on this matter and does not criticize Iran at all. Comrade Ronnie is so involved in Israel bashing that he overlooks the injustices and human rights abuses in many Moslem countries of the Middle East, including Palestinian violence on Palestinians. When it suits him or his agenda, Kasrils is silent!
Comrade Ronnie does not criticize the human rights abuses of his ally Robert Mugabe of Zimbabwe who has carried out horrendous acts against those who oppose him
South Africa today has the highest crime and AIDS rate in the world. The ANC have become prosperous and undemocratic fat cats, insensitive to the suffering of their electorate! Buying sprees to Qatar by croneys of the ANC are common practices these days. Comrade Ronnie has managed to ingratiate himself very well into this system. People who live in glass houses should not throw stones and this applies to you, Comrade Ronnie!
President Thabo Mbeki views himself as an honest broker who wishes to see the achievement of peace between Israelis and the Palestinians. It is doubtful if you do, Comrade Ronnie. Your actions and regular publishing of your opinions guarantee that South Africa is not an honest broker and has no part to play or contribution to make in attempting to find peace in the Middle East!
Saturday, May 13
The Tentative Movement of Hamas towards Recognizing Israel
There are reports in various newspapers of signs of “winds of change” in Hamas in its attitude towards Israel. It all began in an Israeli prison where many Hamas and Fatah people are doing their prison sentences for various activities against Israel. One must not underestimate the influence that these prisoners have on the policy makers in Palestine. Somehow, their ideas come out from behind the prison walls to those who rule Palestine. Mahmoud Abbas and Hamas hold these prisoners in high esteem. They view them as martyrs who have made sacrifices for the Palestinian People by landing in prison.
These prisoners have come out with a proposal suggesting that Hamas recognize Israel’s right to exist and to start negotiating with her. This may seem an almost revolutionary change in attitude towards Israel. These proposals are very tentative at this stage and the Hamas leadership is prepared to study them seriously.
The reason for this possible “change of heart” is the crisis facing the Hamas dominated Palestinian Authority. The European Union and the U.S. have been boycotting negotiations with Hamas and cutting off aid to the Palestinians. Only a trickle of aid is getting through and this is earmarked for humanitarian purposes only. Palestinian workers have not received a salary for months and this will increase the discontent that will boomerang on Hamas eventually.
Time is not on the side of the Palestinians. Essential funds are not getting through at the rate required in order to subsidize the running of Palestinian services for residents. The economic situation in Palestine is desperate with poverty and suffering rising rapidly. The Palestinian infrastructure is destroyed and has to be rebuilt. The main victims of this hopeless situation are the children whose future is uncertain. There are even cases of small children infiltrating into Israel through the breaks in the security fence begging for money to buy food. If the economic situation deteriorates further, Hamas will loose the Palestinian support that they had gained in order to win the Palestinian elections on 25th January 2006. It is unlikely that a starving Palestinian nation will support the non-compromising Hamas attitude towards Israel forever.
Qassam rockets are still being fired into Israel from Gaza. Many suicide-bombing attempts have been stopped successfully by the Israel Security Forces.
Dr. Mahmoud Zahar, the Palestinian Foreign Minister, praised an interesting proposal by one of the senior prisoners, Sheik Abdel Halek Natshe of Hebron. He calls for the establishment of a Palestinian state on the lands Israel captured in the 1967 War: the West Bank, Gaza and East Jerusalem.
“The Palestinian people, in the homeland and in the Diaspora, aspires to liberate its land and realize its self-determination, including the establishment of an independent state on all the land occupied in 1967, and to assure the right of return for refugees and the liberation of all prisoners and detainees," reads the first section of the document.
There is no doubt this does represent a possible shift in attitude by Hamas towards recognizing Israel. This proposal will be viewed with a large amount of ambivalence by the Hamas leadership and certainly by Israel. Israel will not have a problem with the establishment of a Palestinian state on land occupied in the 1967 Six Day War. It will be a matter of deciding the exact borders of this Palestinian state. There will be difficulties in establishing East Jerusalem as the capital of Palestine. Then again, it depends on what the definition of East Jerusalem will be in a final settlement. The right of return of Palestinian refugees will never be acceptable by Israel. They have stated that on enumerable occasions. The liberation of prisoners and detainees will be less of a problem. Prisoners “with blood on their hands” will remain in Israeli prisons, but then who knows what decisions will be made in the future regarding their release.
The amazing point about the prisoner proposals is the recognition of Israel. This is in total contrast to the Hamas Manifesto, built on non-recognition of Israel’s right to exist and the establishment of an Islamic state in its place. An important point about this proposal is that Ismail Haniyeh, the Hamas Prime Minister, has even made some positive comments concerning the document and said that it needs to be studied further. He did not reject it out of hand.
Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas welcomed the document, calling it an "important plan" that constitutes a basis for future Palestinian policy. The accord calls on all the factions in the Palestinian parliament, starting with Hamas and Fatah, to establish a national unity government. However, the Hamas hardliner, Khaled Mashal, who resides in Damascus, Syria, has not shown any signs of changing his stance of non-recognition of Israel. He has called for the unification of Hamas and Fatah in order to destroy Israel. The possibility of a split between the hardliners in Hamas and the pragmatic Hamas members cannot be ruled out in the near future. It is still early days to judge whether this proposal will be widely accepted by Hamas. Nevertheless, it is significant that a moderate stand is coming out from the Hamas prisoners in Israel jails thatw given positive press coverage even from the Arab states. The stand is not moderate enough from Israel’s point of view, nevertheless there are aspects that are worth studying and perhaps it could be a basis for a change in attitude towards Israel by the Hamas leadership.
If Hamas lays down her arms, ceases supporting terror, recognizes Israel’s right to exist and decides to negotiate a peace agreement that is viable and fair to both sides, Israel will be more than forthcoming and progress could be made for the establishment of a Palestinian state alongside Israel.
A fresh start must be made in order to solve this conflict. We must be aware of the tragic history and antagonism between Israelis and Palestinians, but this should not be an obstacle to make a fresh start with new and imaginative ideas to end this tragic conflict. This prisoner proposal, while it still has a long way to go to be accepted, is nevertheless a tentative attempt for a solution to the Palestinian-Israeli Conflict.
These prisoners have come out with a proposal suggesting that Hamas recognize Israel’s right to exist and to start negotiating with her. This may seem an almost revolutionary change in attitude towards Israel. These proposals are very tentative at this stage and the Hamas leadership is prepared to study them seriously.
The reason for this possible “change of heart” is the crisis facing the Hamas dominated Palestinian Authority. The European Union and the U.S. have been boycotting negotiations with Hamas and cutting off aid to the Palestinians. Only a trickle of aid is getting through and this is earmarked for humanitarian purposes only. Palestinian workers have not received a salary for months and this will increase the discontent that will boomerang on Hamas eventually.
Time is not on the side of the Palestinians. Essential funds are not getting through at the rate required in order to subsidize the running of Palestinian services for residents. The economic situation in Palestine is desperate with poverty and suffering rising rapidly. The Palestinian infrastructure is destroyed and has to be rebuilt. The main victims of this hopeless situation are the children whose future is uncertain. There are even cases of small children infiltrating into Israel through the breaks in the security fence begging for money to buy food. If the economic situation deteriorates further, Hamas will loose the Palestinian support that they had gained in order to win the Palestinian elections on 25th January 2006. It is unlikely that a starving Palestinian nation will support the non-compromising Hamas attitude towards Israel forever.
Qassam rockets are still being fired into Israel from Gaza. Many suicide-bombing attempts have been stopped successfully by the Israel Security Forces.
Dr. Mahmoud Zahar, the Palestinian Foreign Minister, praised an interesting proposal by one of the senior prisoners, Sheik Abdel Halek Natshe of Hebron. He calls for the establishment of a Palestinian state on the lands Israel captured in the 1967 War: the West Bank, Gaza and East Jerusalem.
“The Palestinian people, in the homeland and in the Diaspora, aspires to liberate its land and realize its self-determination, including the establishment of an independent state on all the land occupied in 1967, and to assure the right of return for refugees and the liberation of all prisoners and detainees," reads the first section of the document.
There is no doubt this does represent a possible shift in attitude by Hamas towards recognizing Israel. This proposal will be viewed with a large amount of ambivalence by the Hamas leadership and certainly by Israel. Israel will not have a problem with the establishment of a Palestinian state on land occupied in the 1967 Six Day War. It will be a matter of deciding the exact borders of this Palestinian state. There will be difficulties in establishing East Jerusalem as the capital of Palestine. Then again, it depends on what the definition of East Jerusalem will be in a final settlement. The right of return of Palestinian refugees will never be acceptable by Israel. They have stated that on enumerable occasions. The liberation of prisoners and detainees will be less of a problem. Prisoners “with blood on their hands” will remain in Israeli prisons, but then who knows what decisions will be made in the future regarding their release.
The amazing point about the prisoner proposals is the recognition of Israel. This is in total contrast to the Hamas Manifesto, built on non-recognition of Israel’s right to exist and the establishment of an Islamic state in its place. An important point about this proposal is that Ismail Haniyeh, the Hamas Prime Minister, has even made some positive comments concerning the document and said that it needs to be studied further. He did not reject it out of hand.
Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas welcomed the document, calling it an "important plan" that constitutes a basis for future Palestinian policy. The accord calls on all the factions in the Palestinian parliament, starting with Hamas and Fatah, to establish a national unity government. However, the Hamas hardliner, Khaled Mashal, who resides in Damascus, Syria, has not shown any signs of changing his stance of non-recognition of Israel. He has called for the unification of Hamas and Fatah in order to destroy Israel. The possibility of a split between the hardliners in Hamas and the pragmatic Hamas members cannot be ruled out in the near future. It is still early days to judge whether this proposal will be widely accepted by Hamas. Nevertheless, it is significant that a moderate stand is coming out from the Hamas prisoners in Israel jails thatw given positive press coverage even from the Arab states. The stand is not moderate enough from Israel’s point of view, nevertheless there are aspects that are worth studying and perhaps it could be a basis for a change in attitude towards Israel by the Hamas leadership.
If Hamas lays down her arms, ceases supporting terror, recognizes Israel’s right to exist and decides to negotiate a peace agreement that is viable and fair to both sides, Israel will be more than forthcoming and progress could be made for the establishment of a Palestinian state alongside Israel.
A fresh start must be made in order to solve this conflict. We must be aware of the tragic history and antagonism between Israelis and Palestinians, but this should not be an obstacle to make a fresh start with new and imaginative ideas to end this tragic conflict. This prisoner proposal, while it still has a long way to go to be accepted, is nevertheless a tentative attempt for a solution to the Palestinian-Israeli Conflict.
Saturday, May 6
South Africa and the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict
Thabo Mbeki, the President of South Africa, sees himself as a potential peace broker in the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict. He intends to use the South African experience in its weaning the whites from apartheid when the negotiations from white rule to multi-racial rule took place in the 1990’s after the release of Nelson Mandela. He seems to draw a parallel between the two situations and sees this conflict in those terms. This is dangerous and misleading. The situation between Israel and apartheid South Africa is totally different and the methods of solution ought to be viewed from a different perspective entirely.
According to Haaretz of 5 May 2006, Benjamin Pogrund wrote that Thabo Mbeki wishes to pay a visit to the region in order to visit Mahmoud Abbas, the Palestinian president and pay a visit to the Hamas leadership as well. He hopes to include a visit to Israel. This visit will not produce any positive results because of the mindset of Hamas. Apart from that, it is unlikely that Israel will permit him to its shores after meeting with Hamas. Thabo Mbeki claims that he wishes to delve on the South African experience in the hope that he will convince Hamas to change its position vis a vis Israel. One wonders if Israel would reject any world leader who talks with Hamas to a state visit. This remains to be seen.
The official positions of South Africa in its attitude towards this conflict are:
- Acceptance of the Oslo Accords of 1993.
- Acceptance of the Road Map that the Quartet had formulated.
There are differences between the South African apartheid regime and the situation between Israel and the Palestinians that Mbeki tends to overlook and oversimplify. The occupation of territory because of the June 1967 Six Day War was a war of defense for Israel’s existence. Israel’s establishment in 1948 was never accepted by the Arab states at the time. Negotiations with Israel were never accepted.
Even after the signing of the Oslo Accords, Arafat continued making provocative and rabble rousing statements against Israel. He never accepted Israel’s right to exist and this became clear over the years through his rhetoric despite the fact that he signed the Oslo Accords. He used the two-tongue approach. One tongue was for international consumption in moving towards peace while the other tongue was rhetoric for his people’s consumption including the marching of martyrs to conquer Jerusalem-Al Quds.
We were all witnesses to the deteriorating situation and the movement towards the use of the suicide bomber and the beginning of the second Intifada of October 2000. The violence catapulted and communications between Israel and the Palestinians had reached a point of almost no return.
Today the situation has reached a new low. The Palestinians elected Hamas to replace the corrupt and inept Palestinian Authority despite the fact that a year before that they had elected Mahmoud Abbas to be their president. This has resulted in the Hamas-dominated Palestinian Authority with its irreconcilable attitude towards Israel and Mahmoud Abbas remaining the president. His attitude towards Israel is pragmatic.
How can Mahmoud Abbas show readiness to negotiate with Israel while his Hamas dominated parliament is opposed to any recognition of Israel’s right to exist? This situation is paradoxical and untenable! The Palestinian Authority is still talking with two voices. In the past, both voices were those of Yasser Arafat. Today these two voices are divided between Mahmoud Abbas (the moderate) and Hamas (uncompromising and extreme). The problem today is the inability of the Hamas regime to come to terms with Israel’s existence and to cease terror against Israel. It is futile negotiating with Mahmoud Abbas while Hamas still supports and carries out terror attacks against Israel. They entertain the fantasy of achieving the destruction of Israel and establishing an Islamist Palestinian state in its place. The most they are prepared to concede is a temporary cessation of terror or hudna for an unspecified period of their choosing.
In South Africa, there was a desire of all of South Africa’s people irrespective of race, colour and creed, to solve her problems peacefully and to reject apartheid outright. Nelson Mandela, the greatest political leader that South Africa had ever produced, had risen from prisoner to president in democratic elections. He had embarked on a programme of uniting all South Africans and he had succeeded in that quest. The reason was that all South Africans showed a desire to solve their problems. This is not the case in the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict. There is no negotiating partner for peace between Israel and the Palestinians. This is unfortunate as both sides have much to gain from a peaceful solution to this cruel conflict.
In the not so distant past and present, many countries accused Israel of subjecting the Palestinians to much suffering due to the occupation after the Six Days War of June 1967. The establishment of Israeli settlements in the conquered territories was a grave mistake and resulted in a stalemate. Today the occupation is one of many facets that the Islamist terrorist uses to justify terrorist activity on a worldwide basis. The situation is not in the hands of Hamas alone, but external and evil players have now closed ranks with them. Iran, Syria, Al Qaeda and certain Al Qaeda elements in Iraq under Zarqawi have also made use of vitriolic rhetoric against the State of Israel. Iran is threatening Israel with total destruction and the development of nuclear facilities in Iran is a means towards that end. When it comes to hate of Israel there is unity of ranks between the Shiite and Sunni Islamist extremists. Their hate goes beyond the Israeli occupation of territory captured in the Six Day War.
President Thabo Mbeki has false sense of illusions if he feels that he will be able to bridge this gap of hate by relating it to the South African experience and teaching Hamas and Co the lessons South Africans had learned from the demise of apartheid. The basic ingredients for the promotion of a peace settlement between Israel and the Palestinians are not there.
The desire to achieve peace must come from both sides to the conflict. We all desire an end to the conflict and the establishment of a Palestinian State living at peace with Israel in dignity and respect between both sides. New, imaginative ideas for ending the conflict are now even further from fruition than ever before with the Hamas controlled Palestinian Authority. Abu Mazen is not a factor anymore in this situation, which is a great pity.
Spring in Israel
It is Spring in Israel and the indigenous spring flowers this time of the year are out. Some of these flowers are in our garden in Bat Chefer, such as the Kalaniyot (Poppies), Amaryllus while the Dandelions are scattered all over.
Saturday, April 29
Cooperation Between Islamist Terrorist Groups
The Middle East is deteriorating further into anarchy and terror. The Israeli-Palestinian problem is receiving dimensions that are becoming more and more dangerous for the future of world peace. In fact, Hamas is gaining increasing support from rogue regimes such as Syria, Iran, and Hezbollah in Lebanon with its financial support arriving from Iran. The US has left a total mess in Iraq. Iraq has now become a breeding ground for Al Qaeda cells under the leadership of Abu Musab Al Zarqawi, a ruthless and notorious terrorist, who has virtually replaced Saddam Hussein. This is what the US had created unintentionally. The so-called Iraqi Government, elected “democratically” by the Iraqi people, is impotent against the ongoing suicide attacks in Baghdad and instigated by ex officers of the deposed Iraqi president, Saddam Hussein, to whom they are still loyal. Al Zarqawi's role in terror has not yet been fully evaluated although he is also responsible for much of it. He is the “Osama bin Laden” of Iraq. The relationship between his terrorist group and the Palestinians is uncertain but it would be logical to speculate that cooperation between him and Hamas will increase with time.
Now that Hamas “rules” Palestine, we shall be witnessing many unholy alliances between them and the various terrorist, rogue states in the Middle East. This does not only pose a great danger to Israel but also to the non-Moslem free world. Iran under the megalomaniac despot, Mahmoud Ahmadinajad, is a case in point. Cooperation between Iran, Syria, Al Qaeda, Hamas and the terrorist rebels of Iraq could increase in the future as they share a common goal of Islamist domination in the Middle East. The “liberation of the Palestinians from Israeli occupation” will assume alarming proportions as these unholy alliances of terror grow stronger and the “occupation” will be used as an excuse to engage in further terrorist attacks against innocent people all over the world. Al Qaeda and Hamas have more in common than what divides them. Both organizations rely on the “expertise” of the suicide bomber in order to achieve their aims of creating a strong Islamist presence in order to dominate and influence the world. Hamas is doing this in Gaza under the “liberation of Palestinians from the Israeli oppressor” banner, which in practice means the achievement of the destruction of Israel and its people. It is a well-known fact that Hamas is not prepared to negotiate with Israel, as it does not recognize Israel’s right to exist under any circumstances. Al Qaeda’s main targets are the US, Europe and moderate Arab states such as Egypt, which had suffered a triple bomb blast on 24 April 2006 in Dahab, a holiday resort, in the Sinai Peninsula. Their grand plan is to link up with Hamas and extend their terrorist activities against Israelis as well.
The following countries in line to invite low profile Hamas representatives are Norway, Austria, Germany and France according to reports from the Swedish press. This is not going to change Hamas in her attitude towards Israel. It will also not render these countries immune from Islamist terror on the Al Qaeda scale. Instead of providing a united front against Hamas and its terrorist allies, these countries are showing signs of appeasing terror and, by default, endangering their citizens’ personal safety. It lays the way open for future Al Qaeda attacks against European countries that nobody can predict with certainty when and where it will occur in the future. The purpose of these attacks will be to lay the blame on Israel and the US, thus whipping up hatred for the Jews by blaming them for the violence.
The old axiom of “there are none as blind as those who will not see” could not ring more true than it does today. The attempts of trying to get the two parties in the Middle East Conflict to negotiate a peace settlement are futile while Hamas does not change its attitude towards Israel. Mahmoud Abbas, the Palestinian president says one thing while Hamas says the opposite is no way to start the ball rolling towards peace between Israel and the Palestinians. Mahmoud Abbas represents nobody. How can one engage in negotiations with him when he is so weak and ineffectual?
The future of negotiations between Israel and the Palestinians is very poor indeed, while the additional aspect of cooperation between the Islamist terror groups gains momentum. The situation is becoming more dangerous with the added factor of possible cooperation of Islamist terrorist groups, such as Hamas and Al Qaeda, who do share common goals of world domination as their ultimate aim.
Now that Hamas “rules” Palestine, we shall be witnessing many unholy alliances between them and the various terrorist, rogue states in the Middle East. This does not only pose a great danger to Israel but also to the non-Moslem free world. Iran under the megalomaniac despot, Mahmoud Ahmadinajad, is a case in point. Cooperation between Iran, Syria, Al Qaeda, Hamas and the terrorist rebels of Iraq could increase in the future as they share a common goal of Islamist domination in the Middle East. The “liberation of the Palestinians from Israeli occupation” will assume alarming proportions as these unholy alliances of terror grow stronger and the “occupation” will be used as an excuse to engage in further terrorist attacks against innocent people all over the world. Al Qaeda and Hamas have more in common than what divides them. Both organizations rely on the “expertise” of the suicide bomber in order to achieve their aims of creating a strong Islamist presence in order to dominate and influence the world. Hamas is doing this in Gaza under the “liberation of Palestinians from the Israeli oppressor” banner, which in practice means the achievement of the destruction of Israel and its people. It is a well-known fact that Hamas is not prepared to negotiate with Israel, as it does not recognize Israel’s right to exist under any circumstances. Al Qaeda’s main targets are the US, Europe and moderate Arab states such as Egypt, which had suffered a triple bomb blast on 24 April 2006 in Dahab, a holiday resort, in the Sinai Peninsula. Their grand plan is to link up with Hamas and extend their terrorist activities against Israelis as well.
It is very unfortunate that more countries are showing signs of softening their attitude towards Hamas. Hamas is part of an Islamist terrorist conspiracy that will be gaining increasing support from Al Qaeda and its unholy allies to dominate the world. The latest country in the “appeasement of Hamas” game is Sweden.
The following countries in line to invite low profile Hamas representatives are Norway, Austria, Germany and France according to reports from the Swedish press. This is not going to change Hamas in her attitude towards Israel. It will also not render these countries immune from Islamist terror on the Al Qaeda scale. Instead of providing a united front against Hamas and its terrorist allies, these countries are showing signs of appeasing terror and, by default, endangering their citizens’ personal safety. It lays the way open for future Al Qaeda attacks against European countries that nobody can predict with certainty when and where it will occur in the future. The purpose of these attacks will be to lay the blame on Israel and the US, thus whipping up hatred for the Jews by blaming them for the violence.
The old axiom of “there are none as blind as those who will not see” could not ring more true than it does today. The attempts of trying to get the two parties in the Middle East Conflict to negotiate a peace settlement are futile while Hamas does not change its attitude towards Israel. Mahmoud Abbas, the Palestinian president says one thing while Hamas says the opposite is no way to start the ball rolling towards peace between Israel and the Palestinians. Mahmoud Abbas represents nobody. How can one engage in negotiations with him when he is so weak and ineffectual?
The future of negotiations between Israel and the Palestinians is very poor indeed, while the additional aspect of cooperation between the Islamist terror groups gains momentum. The situation is becoming more dangerous with the added factor of possible cooperation of Islamist terrorist groups, such as Hamas and Al Qaeda, who do share common goals of world domination as their ultimate aim.
Saturday, April 22
The Holocaust and Hamas
Today there is no doubt that one can view Hamas as part of the “Evil Axis”. Their fight for freedom from the occupation of Israel for an independent Palestinian State pales into insignificance. Even if there were no occupation, there would be hostility towards Israel. The Hamas idea of an independent Palestinian state is really a state replacing Israel. In order to obtain their objective, non-recognition of Israel is an essential basic element of their ideology to attain this goal. It is only natural that Hamas would ally itself with all the Israel hating countries in order to establish an evil alliance. This “evil axis” is becoming more Islamist oriented rather than a fight for the liberation of Palestine. The countries belonging to this “evil axis” are Syria, Iran, elements in Iraq aligned with Al Qaeda and they are inviting new members as well.
The world must realize that inviting Hamas leaders to their shores whether in an official or unofficial capacity is giving Hamas legitimacy that they do not deserve. This organization of cutthroat terrorists has two goals:
Mahmoud Ahmadinajad has made no bones about his desire to “wipe Israel off the face of the earth”. Khaled Mashal, the Hamas leader and ideologue who lives in Damascus, Syria, has uttered similar sentiments.
It is a known fact that, Hamas and its anti-Jewish allies have embarked on a road of expressing anti-Jewish (Israel) rhetoric and this is expressed at every opportunity. Only recently, Iran held a competition for anti-Semitic cartoons whose nature resembles the Der Steurmer cartoons of Nazi Germany. It may be a good idea to read the article by Prahu Guptara in the Pearcey Report as to what is happening in the rogue states like Iran. If anything, the resemblance of the “Evil Axis” regimes (Hamas of Palestine, Bashar Assad of Syria and Mahmoud Ahmadinajad of Iran) to the Nazi genocide motivations against Jews is obvious. These countries are whipping up religious hysteria in order to rabble rouse their populations into accepting these megalomaniac despots to ignore the economic woes of their respective countries. They blame Israel and the Jews for the failures of their countries. The Nazis in Germany used this familiar tactic against the Jews for the spiraling inflation and economic catastrophe prior to their democratic elections in 1933 that resulted in their election to the Reichstag (Parliament).
Jews in the Diaspora observe Holocaust Remembrance Day to perpetuate the memory of those who perished under Nazi rule because they were Jews. The world of nations must also view this day in a modern context by condemning genocide against any people. There must be condemnation of the cynical use of the Holocaust by modern racist movements as represented by Hamas and their terrorist allies, including the “Evil Axis”. The invitations extended to Hamas to visit countries in order to explain their ideological stand ought to be treated with the contempt that it deserves. It further legitimizes Islamist terrorism and genocide. Hamas are not freedom fighters for the Palestinian cause but racists who wish to enforce extreme medieval ideologies on the people they claim to represent.
The world must realize that inviting Hamas leaders to their shores whether in an official or unofficial capacity is giving Hamas legitimacy that they do not deserve. This organization of cutthroat terrorists has two goals:
- Israel’s total destruction and expulsion of its Jews.
- The establishment of an Islamic Palestinian state replacing Israel that will pass discriminatory legislation against non-Moslems.
Mahmoud Ahmadinajad has made no bones about his desire to “wipe Israel off the face of the earth”. Khaled Mashal, the Hamas leader and ideologue who lives in Damascus, Syria, has uttered similar sentiments.
It is a known fact that, Hamas and its anti-Jewish allies have embarked on a road of expressing anti-Jewish (Israel) rhetoric and this is expressed at every opportunity. Only recently, Iran held a competition for anti-Semitic cartoons whose nature resembles the Der Steurmer cartoons of Nazi Germany. It may be a good idea to read the article by Prahu Guptara in the Pearcey Report as to what is happening in the rogue states like Iran. If anything, the resemblance of the “Evil Axis” regimes (Hamas of Palestine, Bashar Assad of Syria and Mahmoud Ahmadinajad of Iran) to the Nazi genocide motivations against Jews is obvious. These countries are whipping up religious hysteria in order to rabble rouse their populations into accepting these megalomaniac despots to ignore the economic woes of their respective countries. They blame Israel and the Jews for the failures of their countries. The Nazis in Germany used this familiar tactic against the Jews for the spiraling inflation and economic catastrophe prior to their democratic elections in 1933 that resulted in their election to the Reichstag (Parliament).
Jews in the Diaspora observe Holocaust Remembrance Day to perpetuate the memory of those who perished under Nazi rule because they were Jews. The world of nations must also view this day in a modern context by condemning genocide against any people. There must be condemnation of the cynical use of the Holocaust by modern racist movements as represented by Hamas and their terrorist allies, including the “Evil Axis”. The invitations extended to Hamas to visit countries in order to explain their ideological stand ought to be treated with the contempt that it deserves. It further legitimizes Islamist terrorism and genocide. Hamas are not freedom fighters for the Palestinian cause but racists who wish to enforce extreme medieval ideologies on the people they claim to represent.
Wednesday, April 19
A Tragic Pesach (Passover) Week
Pesach, the Festival of Freedom has turned into a tragedy for the victims of the suicide bomb blast that occurred near the old Central Bus Station in Tel Aviv on Monday 17th April 2006. Once again, Hamas and its bloodthirsty allies – Islamic Jihad, Al Aqsa Brigades and their violent ilk have proved their mettle in carrying out another cruel attack on innocent people! Hamas is accountable for this attack, as they had given their support verbally for this horrendous act! Mahmoud Abbas, the Palestinian president had denounced this attack. This is a declaration of war against Israel. Mahmoud Abbas is powerless. He is the figurehead of the Hamas dominated Palestinian Authority. Abbas is a total anachronism – an example not seen anywhere else in the world. He is the president of a Hamas dominated Palestinian Authority, antagonistic to his worldview of making peace with Israel and his opposition to violence. He does not represent the majority in the Palestinian Authority or the Palestinian Electorate.
Negotiations with Mahmoud Abbas are a polemic exercise that will achieve no results. Mahmoud Abbas, after his election in January 2005, was ineffectual and weak when his Fatah party ruled Palestine. He was incapable in the past of halting violence. Now his status as leader is even weaker than it ever was. He is a write-off as a negotiating partner for peace. Once again, there is no partner with whom Israel can negotiate a viable peace agreement.
Hamas is harping on “the occupation” as an excuse to carry out violence against Israel. They see every form of violence and hate as legitimate in order to liberate the Palestinians from Israeli occupation. They are still not prepared to recognize Israel’s right to exist or negotiate a viable peace settlement with Israel. The same old scenarios of Palestinian suicide bombings will continue according to their spokespersons. They will continue to blame Israel for the violence that they perpetrate. There is this mindset amongst the Hamas Palestinian leadership of total commitment to Israel’s destruction.
Those countries in the world that open their doors to Hamas representatives to pay “state visits” are exacerbating the standpoint of Hamas towards Israel. The act of inviting this terror group to their countries in the hope of “moderating” Hamas’s non-compromising attitude is doomed to fail. The only thing that will be achieved will be the legitimization of Hamas in their respective countries. This will have a snowball effect and will encourage Hamas to carry out or support further violence against Israel using the pretext of “Palestinian suffering under the occupation”.
The use of the term “Palestinian suffering and the Israeli Army murdering innocent Palestinians”, as a pretext for carrying out this horrendous suicide bombings, is cynical! Hamas and allies do not value human life, not their own (the encouragement of suicide bombings and “martyrdom”) or those of anybody else. Hamas is not a liberation movement but a Nazi movement whose ideology is based on race and creed alone. Anybody who is a non-Moslem will be a subject of discrimination under the Hamas regime if he/she is bold enough to choose Palestine as a place to live. They will be treated as inferior, second-class citizens. Hamas, like the Nazis of Germany of 1933, were elected to power democratically.
If Hamas were to change its direction and climb down the “Tree of Hate” for Israel, Jews, and the U.S., show pragmatism of leadership, then there would be grounds for serious negotiations. The Palestinians deserve peace no less than Israel. The Palestinians have suffered from Israeli occupation with all its ramifications. The roadblocks and security fence that encroaches on Palestinian farmlands, causing great difficulties for Palestinians logistically, are the result of the constant Palestinian suicide attacks and terror against Israelis. Instead of laying down their arms and recognizing Israel’s right to exist, Hamas has adopted a policy of non-recognition, non-negotiation and glorification of violence against Israel. They are sowing the seeds of increased suffering for the Palestinian People who are in a crisis economically as it is. Hamas has formed an unholy axis with Iran under their notorious fascist leader, Mahmoud Ahmadinajad – the supporter of genocide against the Jews of Israel! Iran has pledged financial aid to Hamas. Israel has every right to defend herself against Hamas generated terror. It is unfortunate that innocent Palestinian lives (including those of children) are lost because of Israel Security Forces acting against Palestinian terror. Loss of innocent lives, whether Palestinian or Israeli, is unjustifiable. Contrary to Hamas and its terrorist allies whose purpose is to maim and kill as many innocent Israelis as possible, irrespective of whether they are Arab or Jew, this is not the aim of Israel’s Security Forces. Hamas makes cynical use of Palestinian lives to justify their support of murdering innocent people.
It is desirable for both sides to negotiate a permanent peace settlement so that the Palestinians achieve the establishment of an independent state living alongside Israel in peace, harmony and dignity. However, the way things are now, this goal will never be attainable until there is a change of attitudes on both sides towards reaching that goal. Both sides must come to terms with the other side’s existence and identity. Both sides must make bold decisions to stop the violence directed against one another and sit down at the negotiating table. Both sides owe a lot to future generations of Israelis and Palestinians living side by side in dignity, peace and understanding for one another.
Negotiations with Mahmoud Abbas are a polemic exercise that will achieve no results. Mahmoud Abbas, after his election in January 2005, was ineffectual and weak when his Fatah party ruled Palestine. He was incapable in the past of halting violence. Now his status as leader is even weaker than it ever was. He is a write-off as a negotiating partner for peace. Once again, there is no partner with whom Israel can negotiate a viable peace agreement.
Hamas is harping on “the occupation” as an excuse to carry out violence against Israel. They see every form of violence and hate as legitimate in order to liberate the Palestinians from Israeli occupation. They are still not prepared to recognize Israel’s right to exist or negotiate a viable peace settlement with Israel. The same old scenarios of Palestinian suicide bombings will continue according to their spokespersons. They will continue to blame Israel for the violence that they perpetrate. There is this mindset amongst the Hamas Palestinian leadership of total commitment to Israel’s destruction.
Those countries in the world that open their doors to Hamas representatives to pay “state visits” are exacerbating the standpoint of Hamas towards Israel. The act of inviting this terror group to their countries in the hope of “moderating” Hamas’s non-compromising attitude is doomed to fail. The only thing that will be achieved will be the legitimization of Hamas in their respective countries. This will have a snowball effect and will encourage Hamas to carry out or support further violence against Israel using the pretext of “Palestinian suffering under the occupation”.
The use of the term “Palestinian suffering and the Israeli Army murdering innocent Palestinians”, as a pretext for carrying out this horrendous suicide bombings, is cynical! Hamas and allies do not value human life, not their own (the encouragement of suicide bombings and “martyrdom”) or those of anybody else. Hamas is not a liberation movement but a Nazi movement whose ideology is based on race and creed alone. Anybody who is a non-Moslem will be a subject of discrimination under the Hamas regime if he/she is bold enough to choose Palestine as a place to live. They will be treated as inferior, second-class citizens. Hamas, like the Nazis of Germany of 1933, were elected to power democratically.
If Hamas were to change its direction and climb down the “Tree of Hate” for Israel, Jews, and the U.S., show pragmatism of leadership, then there would be grounds for serious negotiations. The Palestinians deserve peace no less than Israel. The Palestinians have suffered from Israeli occupation with all its ramifications. The roadblocks and security fence that encroaches on Palestinian farmlands, causing great difficulties for Palestinians logistically, are the result of the constant Palestinian suicide attacks and terror against Israelis. Instead of laying down their arms and recognizing Israel’s right to exist, Hamas has adopted a policy of non-recognition, non-negotiation and glorification of violence against Israel. They are sowing the seeds of increased suffering for the Palestinian People who are in a crisis economically as it is. Hamas has formed an unholy axis with Iran under their notorious fascist leader, Mahmoud Ahmadinajad – the supporter of genocide against the Jews of Israel! Iran has pledged financial aid to Hamas. Israel has every right to defend herself against Hamas generated terror. It is unfortunate that innocent Palestinian lives (including those of children) are lost because of Israel Security Forces acting against Palestinian terror. Loss of innocent lives, whether Palestinian or Israeli, is unjustifiable. Contrary to Hamas and its terrorist allies whose purpose is to maim and kill as many innocent Israelis as possible, irrespective of whether they are Arab or Jew, this is not the aim of Israel’s Security Forces. Hamas makes cynical use of Palestinian lives to justify their support of murdering innocent people.
It is desirable for both sides to negotiate a permanent peace settlement so that the Palestinians achieve the establishment of an independent state living alongside Israel in peace, harmony and dignity. However, the way things are now, this goal will never be attainable until there is a change of attitudes on both sides towards reaching that goal. Both sides must come to terms with the other side’s existence and identity. Both sides must make bold decisions to stop the violence directed against one another and sit down at the negotiating table. Both sides owe a lot to future generations of Israelis and Palestinians living side by side in dignity, peace and understanding for one another.
Saturday, April 8
Passover 2006 - the"Festival of Freedom"
There is a feeling of spring in the air despite the unseasonably cold weather with its heavy rains. There is hardly a household in Israel that is not pre-occupied with spring-cleaning (Pesach Cleaning). This is a “Festival of Freedom” or as the kibbutz movements views it – the “Spring Festival”. Many housewives are utilizing muscles that have remained dormant from year to year. They climb ladders (some fall from the ladders and fill the hospital emergency wards because of fractures incurred). The agility of the Israeli housewife knows no bounds as every nook and cranny is painstakingly cleaned. They remove the leaven, imagined or unimagined with the dust that has settled over the last year. Is this really a festival of freedom from the ancient Egyptian yoke? For many people it is a bind and a race against time before the festival sets in. It is a hassle and certainly not a Festival of Freedom for many who are poverty stricken because of “budget reforms” of the previous government.
The “Festival of Freedom” pales into insignificance as many become slaves of matzoth. If the ancient Passover scene was re-enacted today with all its preparation, it is unlikely that the Israelites would be able to escape from the evil Pharaoh as the preparations for unleavened Passover would take ages and this would delay the escape of the ancient Israelites. The Halacha laws regarding Passover are so complex that familiarity with them would also be a factor in delaying escape to freedom. This would give Pharaoh sufficient time to harden his heart and change his mind. The legacy of slavery of the Israelites would continue to this day.
It is very hard to celebrate the Festival of Freedom when there are Palestinians under Israeli occupation that does not have a state. The reasons for that are very well known. Now with the Israeli and Palestinian elections behind us, the chances of Palestinian independence have decreased even further. Hamas won an overwhelming victory and their intransigence towards recognizing Israel’s right to exist as well as not giving up their terrorist acts against Israel is good enough reason not to acquiesce to Hamas. The
Israeli voter has spoken and the trend is towards unilateral disengagement even though this is not so well emphasized. There are signs that Hamas is trying to find a way to climb down from the tree of non-recognition of Israel without losing face. They still have a long way to go. Perhaps we should be less conscience–stricken over the occupation now than ever before as Hamas to date does not show any desire to negotiate a peace settlement with Israel that could lead to their independence.
How can we celebrate the Festival of Freedom without a conscience when there are civil rights abuses and religious intolerance towards non-Orthodox streams of Judaism? Even the Israeli Arab citizen does not have equal rights in practice. There are racist rabbis who are against Arab- Jewish cooperation and co-existence as evidenced this weekend when there was a groundbreaking ceremony for a Jewish-Arab School to be built in Jerusalem. Is this the new Orthodox Judaism of today? While supporters say the school represents hope for coexistence and multiculturalism, the project has come under attack. Noted cabbalist, Rabbi David Batzri, called the school "despicable and sinful." Batzri and his son, Rabbi Yitzhak Batzri, are being investigated by the State Prosecutor's Office for incitement to racism. The school, known as the Hand-In-Hand Centre for Jewish-Arab Education in Jerusalem, was founded in 1998. It is currently located in the working-class, Jewish Katamonim neighborhood. However, the building is old and it is too small to accommodate even the current enrollment of 312. At least 12 names are already on the waiting list for each grade. With room for 500 students, the new building will be able to accommodate the school's natural growth. Administrators are also interested in expanding into a high school.
The movement against the project has become increasingly vocal. It made headlines recently when Batzri senior, head of the city's Hashalom yeshiva, told a neighborhood gathering against the project that "the establishment of such a school is a despicable and sinful act. An Arab cannot contaminate what is pure. It is forbidden to blend darkness and light. The nation of Israel is pure and the Arabs are a nation of donkeys. They are an evil disaster, an evil devil and a nasty affliction." His son reportedly echoed his father's words, calling Arabs "donkeys and beasts." "They want to take our girls. They are endowed with true filthiness. There is pure and there is impure and they are impure," Rabbi Yitzhak Batzri allegedly said. Rabbi David Batzri received wide media coverage after calling the devastation caused by Hurricane Katrina last summer divine retribution for U.S. support of the Gaza disengagement. He has also been quoted as saying that Jewish law calls for homosexuals to be "put to death."
It is a great pity that there is an abundance of rabbinical bigots of this ilk strutting around and making their voices felt. They are the first to goad the nation into observing the Passover Festival of Freedom and use the Orthodox Establishment to force their religious will on the people. Shops are not allowed to sell chametz (products not kosher for Passover) during Pesach. If they do, they are fined heavily. This is not freedom of choice. Passover has so many laws that bind the non-observant as well as the observant that one can hardly view Passover as a “Festival of Freedom” from slavery.
The “Festival of Freedom” pales into insignificance as many become slaves of matzoth. If the ancient Passover scene was re-enacted today with all its preparation, it is unlikely that the Israelites would be able to escape from the evil Pharaoh as the preparations for unleavened Passover would take ages and this would delay the escape of the ancient Israelites. The Halacha laws regarding Passover are so complex that familiarity with them would also be a factor in delaying escape to freedom. This would give Pharaoh sufficient time to harden his heart and change his mind. The legacy of slavery of the Israelites would continue to this day.
It is very hard to celebrate the Festival of Freedom when there are Palestinians under Israeli occupation that does not have a state. The reasons for that are very well known. Now with the Israeli and Palestinian elections behind us, the chances of Palestinian independence have decreased even further. Hamas won an overwhelming victory and their intransigence towards recognizing Israel’s right to exist as well as not giving up their terrorist acts against Israel is good enough reason not to acquiesce to Hamas. The
Israeli voter has spoken and the trend is towards unilateral disengagement even though this is not so well emphasized. There are signs that Hamas is trying to find a way to climb down from the tree of non-recognition of Israel without losing face. They still have a long way to go. Perhaps we should be less conscience–stricken over the occupation now than ever before as Hamas to date does not show any desire to negotiate a peace settlement with Israel that could lead to their independence.
How can we celebrate the Festival of Freedom without a conscience when there are civil rights abuses and religious intolerance towards non-Orthodox streams of Judaism? Even the Israeli Arab citizen does not have equal rights in practice. There are racist rabbis who are against Arab- Jewish cooperation and co-existence as evidenced this weekend when there was a groundbreaking ceremony for a Jewish-Arab School to be built in Jerusalem. Is this the new Orthodox Judaism of today? While supporters say the school represents hope for coexistence and multiculturalism, the project has come under attack. Noted cabbalist, Rabbi David Batzri, called the school "despicable and sinful." Batzri and his son, Rabbi Yitzhak Batzri, are being investigated by the State Prosecutor's Office for incitement to racism. The school, known as the Hand-In-Hand Centre for Jewish-Arab Education in Jerusalem, was founded in 1998. It is currently located in the working-class, Jewish Katamonim neighborhood. However, the building is old and it is too small to accommodate even the current enrollment of 312. At least 12 names are already on the waiting list for each grade. With room for 500 students, the new building will be able to accommodate the school's natural growth. Administrators are also interested in expanding into a high school.
The movement against the project has become increasingly vocal. It made headlines recently when Batzri senior, head of the city's Hashalom yeshiva, told a neighborhood gathering against the project that "the establishment of such a school is a despicable and sinful act. An Arab cannot contaminate what is pure. It is forbidden to blend darkness and light. The nation of Israel is pure and the Arabs are a nation of donkeys. They are an evil disaster, an evil devil and a nasty affliction." His son reportedly echoed his father's words, calling Arabs "donkeys and beasts." "They want to take our girls. They are endowed with true filthiness. There is pure and there is impure and they are impure," Rabbi Yitzhak Batzri allegedly said. Rabbi David Batzri received wide media coverage after calling the devastation caused by Hurricane Katrina last summer divine retribution for U.S. support of the Gaza disengagement. He has also been quoted as saying that Jewish law calls for homosexuals to be "put to death."
It is a great pity that there is an abundance of rabbinical bigots of this ilk strutting around and making their voices felt. They are the first to goad the nation into observing the Passover Festival of Freedom and use the Orthodox Establishment to force their religious will on the people. Shops are not allowed to sell chametz (products not kosher for Passover) during Pesach. If they do, they are fined heavily. This is not freedom of choice. Passover has so many laws that bind the non-observant as well as the observant that one can hardly view Passover as a “Festival of Freedom” from slavery.
Saturday, April 1
The Aftermath of the 2006 Israeli Elections
The Elections have come and gone amidst much speculation that the Israeli Electorate would elect the Kadima Party with an overwhelming majority. This did not occur. The polls were inaccurate and did not predict such large support for the Pensioner’s Party, which received seven mandates. This surprised everybody, not least the candidates themselves. An overwhelming majority in
The wheeling and dealing has already begun. It looks as if the balance of power remains in the hands of the Labour leader, Amir Peretz. There will be compromises on election promises towards a more humane social policy that takes into account the necessities of the weaker sections of Israeli society. It remains to be seen what coalition will arise from the aftermath of the elections.
What is disturbing is that Kadima will invite potential partners whose programmes are diametrically opposed to it. Avigdor Lieberman’s Yisrael Beitenu Party is a case in point. This party received support from many right-wingers who were disappointed with the Likud’s performance in the previous government. There is even talk of the Likud and Labour forming some kind of a block to prevent Kadima from forming the new government. I hope that this is a rumor. It is almost certain that this is NOT what the electorate wants. If this does occur, it would prove that the electorate desires are not taken into account and further reinforces the fact that voting in
There are positive signs after the elections. The Likud received its just reward for its handling of the weaker sections of
The Israeli Electorate was confused and this was illustrated by the outcome of the elections. The extreme right wing has no way of forming a block to prevent Olmert from forming a new government. The National Union-National Religious Party, despite their union, did not receive the support that they expected. An unfortunate outcome is the increased strength of the right wing Yisrael Beiteinu Party. This could be a problem for Kadima who is showing signs of courting that party. This would be an obstacle for further withdrawals under the new government. The left wing was also not clear-cut. Meretz had a poor showing. They received five mandates. It remains to be seen whether they will be included in the new government.
The importance of the potential partners for the formation of a viable coalition remains just as true today as in the past. Kadima is a centre party that could be pulled in any direction because of the nature of its coalition partners. It is hoped that there will not be too many compromises of opposites in order to get a coalition at all costs. Most of the Israeli electorate had censured the right wing settler movement parties, which are an obstacle for peace with the Palestinians.
The future direction is clear despite the traditionally confused electoral results. To an extent, it also illustrates the immaturity of the Israeli electorate in its handling of the democratic processes in the country. It ranges from lukewarm apathy to frustration with the behaviour of the previous loutish Likud Government. They knew that they had to remove the Likud from power but had no idea what party to support overwhelmingly instead.
Perhaps the message that one can discern from the haphazard voting patterns is a desire to move in a direction of improving social conditions and disengagement from the Palestinians. The nature of disengagement from the Palestinians is unclear as Hamas is not ready to negotiate with
Saturday, March 25
A "Guide" For The Perplexed Israeli Electorate
The clock is ticking towards countdown when Israeli citizens go to the polls to elect a new government. Why is this election different from all other elections? This could be the first question for the upcoming Passover (Pesach) Festival, which will occur two weeks after the election results are well known. Two major points characterize these elections:
There will be a tremendous floating vote, the significance of which is unpredictable, even though the result is clear-cut. It could affect the nature of the coalition that the winning party will form in order to form a stable government.
Never in the history of the State of Israel have there been so many changes in party loyalties. Major players in both the Likud and Labor parties have changed party loyalties. Two factors are responsible for that:
These factors sent shock waves throughout the Israeli political spectrum. This is the first time that a newly formed party composed mostly of ex Likud and Labour members have excellent chances of gaining the most seats contrary to previous mushroom parties in the past such as Dash, Third Way, Central Party and now Shinui which disappeared and will disappear into oblivion after the elections.
The issues that Israel faces are very serious indeed. It is not the purpose of this article to deal with these issues, which would involve the writing of a number of articles on each issue. The new government will have to address many issues such as peace with the Palestinians, the growing crime rate that includes organized crime, petty crime, juvenile crime, Knesset Member corruption and many others. Many of these problems had increased in their seriousness during the last Knesset. The quality of many Knesset Members had reached a new low during the 16th Knesset.
Corruption amongst some Knesset Members resulting in the conviction of two members, Omri Sharon and Noami Blumenthal and the waiting list of investigation of members such as Tzachi Hanegbi, Shlomo BenIzri and a host of others. Many of these police investigations will result in convictions.
A reason for the low voter interest is that many Israelis have lost faith in politicians and see them as corrupt individuals interested in their own interests by gaining power and cheating those who vote for them. They do not wish to exercise their basic voting right for that reason.
This is unfortunate and erodes democracy. It also shows up the weakness in Israel’s democracy, which allows for so many party lists in a clumsy proportional representation system. No party stands a chance of gaining an absolute majority under this system. As usual, there will be wheeling and dealing by the party list that gains the most seats to form a ruling, stable coalition after the elections. The result of the coalition deals will be a number of flexible compromises on ideology and promises that will leave many citizens dissatisfied as has been the case in the past. The election results after this upcoming Election Day will be no different. This creates a feeling of futility and frustration leaving an unanswered question in the minds of many of the relevance of bothering to vote.
Despite the obvious drawbacks of the Israeli electoral system, this is all that we have in order to have some influence on the nature of government we would like to see. People should be encouraged to exercise their basic right to vote. Criteria for government in many ways are personal. We can only fight corruption by choosing the parties that are untainted by the corruption brush at the ballot box.
Peace with the Palestinians is an important issue. Many view Kadima as the party that will win the elections. The coalition that it will form depends on voting patterns of the electorate. The ideology of Kadima is centre. This means that it will move to the left or right depending on its coalition partners. If there is a right wing coalition, chances of revival of a peace process between Israel and the Palestinians, moribund as it is today, will be even more remote. There will be no future withdrawals and the occupation will continue as well as increased defense spending to maintain it not to mention the loss of lives of our soldiers in defending settler outposts. If Labour and Meretz form the dominant, coalition parties with Kadima then the chances of peace with the Palestinians and the Arab world has a better chance of fruition. The government would be more progressive in its attitude towards social issues and civil rights for all Israel’s citizens, irrespective of their religion and creed. The extreme right wing parties are showing signs of disturbing racism towards Israel’s Arab citizens.
A government pandering to the whims of the establishment religious parties and the right wing settler movements will ruin Israel’s standing in the world as well as her credibility. It is incumbent on all citizens to exercise their vote on Election Day in order to influence the direction of Israel in the future. It should also be a vote for clean government and respect for the laws and values that we hold.
- There is indifference and apathy that will result in a low voter turnout on Election Day.
- Traditional party loyalties are shifting resulting in predictable results as illustrated by the polls.
There will be a tremendous floating vote, the significance of which is unpredictable, even though the result is clear-cut. It could affect the nature of the coalition that the winning party will form in order to form a stable government.
Never in the history of the State of Israel have there been so many changes in party loyalties. Major players in both the Likud and Labor parties have changed party loyalties. Two factors are responsible for that:
- The unilateral disengagement from Gaza and the re-allocation of the Gaza Strip settlers to other areas caused a break in the Likud between those for and against the disengagement. The Likud mainstream ostracized PM Ariel Sharon for this and his position in the party became untenable. He broke away forming the Kadima party taking with him many Likud members who supported the disengagement.
- The election of Amir Peretz as Labor Party leader also caused a schism in its ranks when Shimon Peres, the veteran Labor Party leader, bolted the party for Ariel Sharon’s Kadima Party. Other veteran members such as Haim Ramon and Dalia Itzik followed suit. They were not prepared to accept Amir Peretz as leader of the Labour Party. Their resignation was personal rather than ideological.
These factors sent shock waves throughout the Israeli political spectrum. This is the first time that a newly formed party composed mostly of ex Likud and Labour members have excellent chances of gaining the most seats contrary to previous mushroom parties in the past such as Dash, Third Way, Central Party and now Shinui which disappeared and will disappear into oblivion after the elections.
The issues that Israel faces are very serious indeed. It is not the purpose of this article to deal with these issues, which would involve the writing of a number of articles on each issue. The new government will have to address many issues such as peace with the Palestinians, the growing crime rate that includes organized crime, petty crime, juvenile crime, Knesset Member corruption and many others. Many of these problems had increased in their seriousness during the last Knesset. The quality of many Knesset Members had reached a new low during the 16th Knesset.
Corruption amongst some Knesset Members resulting in the conviction of two members, Omri Sharon and Noami Blumenthal and the waiting list of investigation of members such as Tzachi Hanegbi, Shlomo BenIzri and a host of others. Many of these police investigations will result in convictions.
A reason for the low voter interest is that many Israelis have lost faith in politicians and see them as corrupt individuals interested in their own interests by gaining power and cheating those who vote for them. They do not wish to exercise their basic voting right for that reason.
This is unfortunate and erodes democracy. It also shows up the weakness in Israel’s democracy, which allows for so many party lists in a clumsy proportional representation system. No party stands a chance of gaining an absolute majority under this system. As usual, there will be wheeling and dealing by the party list that gains the most seats to form a ruling, stable coalition after the elections. The result of the coalition deals will be a number of flexible compromises on ideology and promises that will leave many citizens dissatisfied as has been the case in the past. The election results after this upcoming Election Day will be no different. This creates a feeling of futility and frustration leaving an unanswered question in the minds of many of the relevance of bothering to vote.
Despite the obvious drawbacks of the Israeli electoral system, this is all that we have in order to have some influence on the nature of government we would like to see. People should be encouraged to exercise their basic right to vote. Criteria for government in many ways are personal. We can only fight corruption by choosing the parties that are untainted by the corruption brush at the ballot box.
Peace with the Palestinians is an important issue. Many view Kadima as the party that will win the elections. The coalition that it will form depends on voting patterns of the electorate. The ideology of Kadima is centre. This means that it will move to the left or right depending on its coalition partners. If there is a right wing coalition, chances of revival of a peace process between Israel and the Palestinians, moribund as it is today, will be even more remote. There will be no future withdrawals and the occupation will continue as well as increased defense spending to maintain it not to mention the loss of lives of our soldiers in defending settler outposts. If Labour and Meretz form the dominant, coalition parties with Kadima then the chances of peace with the Palestinians and the Arab world has a better chance of fruition. The government would be more progressive in its attitude towards social issues and civil rights for all Israel’s citizens, irrespective of their religion and creed. The extreme right wing parties are showing signs of disturbing racism towards Israel’s Arab citizens.
A government pandering to the whims of the establishment religious parties and the right wing settler movements will ruin Israel’s standing in the world as well as her credibility. It is incumbent on all citizens to exercise their vote on Election Day in order to influence the direction of Israel in the future. It should also be a vote for clean government and respect for the laws and values that we hold.
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