The Dark Ages Dawning on Israel

The Gaza unrest and the fortitude of the people in the south of Israel - kibbutzim, settlements and towns near the border with Gaza have had their full share of rocket and mortar fire from Hamas and Islamic Jihad.

They fired nearly 500 rockets, about 80% was intercepted by the Iron Dome anti-missile system over two days. No doubt, this did save many lives and damage to property. Nevertheless, some missiles did get through causing severe damage to homes, injuries and loss of life. An uncertain cease-fire was declared and it is anybody’s guess as to how long this will hold.

Just after all this, the Minister of Defense, Avigdor Lieberman, resigned nearly bringing down the coalition. The Minister of Education, Naftali Bennett 1 and his side-kick, Minister of Justice, Ayelet Shaked 2, of the extremist right-wing Bayit Hayehudi Party, threatened to resign over Netanyahu’s refusal to give Bennett the Defense portfolio and taking on the Defence portfolio for himself. Eventually, after Netanyahu’s speech, Bennett and Shaked went back on their decision to resign and the issue of early elections was avoided. Mr Bennett, leader of Israel's right-wing Jewish Home party, imagined he had placed a risk-free bet to elevate his status and share the limelight with Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu 3. The Government Coalition has a majority of one mandate (61 to 59). This will make its governing ability almost untenable.

The whole scenario after the shaky cease-fire was declared was an exercise in childish behaviour within the coalition that proves that many coalition members are there for their own personal interests. If Netanyahu manages to govern with a one mandate majority, theoretically elections will be held in a year’s time. If there is a crisis and the coalition breaks up then it will be sooner. If the latter occurs and there are early elections, it will cost the country billions of shekels and we shall get the same government re-elected with a few minor changes. Many Israelis have moved towards the right and extreme right and it is very unlikely that they will change. Ask any Israeli why he/she fears change, he/she will tell you with great conviction that there is nobody who can replace Netanyahu and he is the only one worth supporting. After all, the economic situation in Israel is very good and this is the bottom line that will determine what government will be elected as well as the security situation.

The opposition to the present government is weak and disunited. They are unable to offer an alternate message that is strong enough to convince Israel’s electorate that Netanyahu has governed for too long and needs to go. Even the various police investigations of Netanyahu over his suspected criminality makes no impact on the Israeli electorate as according to most of them, Netanyahu is the best prime minister Israel has ever had.

The Dark Ages are now dawning on Israel. It begins with the eroding of democracy. Those who are left of centre in their thinking are ostracised by the present government and are viewed as unpatriotic, treacherous and wish to harm Israel. The occupation and the messianic Orthodox Judaism of the Bayit Hayehudi Party and the ultra-Orthodox Parties in collusion with the Netanyahu Coalition are heralding the coming of Israel’s Dark Ages. This is part of the government’s plan to justify its rule that is becoming increasingly autocratic. More anti-democratic bills designed to clamp people’s mouths will be passed into laws. The latest bill is the Cultural Loyalty Bill introduced by Commissar of Culture and Sport, Miri Regev, will undoubtedly gain government support. Freedom of speech, freedom of culture and eventually books that are written that will be interpreted by Commissar Miri as being anti-Israel will eventually be censored or banned. The legal community have come out against this anti-democratic bill. Freedom of culture will be decided upon by the Commissar of Culture, whose duty will be to decide what can be defined as anti-Israel, unpatriotic, seeking the destruction of Israel and supporting terror from the narrowest definition in her agenda. Miri has no idea what culture is as she was never exposed to it. She is one of the initiators of Israel’s dark age. She and the Minister of Justice were working together to even fire the vice-Attorney-General Dina Zilber for opposing this anti-democratic piece of legislation. Dina Zilber is certainly not a pundit for harming Israel. The opposite is true.

Earlier we had the Nation-State Law to ensure the Jewishness of Israel as the Nation-State of the Jewish People. This is another piece of heinous, racist legislation that ought to be expunged from the statute book of Israel. We can expect more disgraceful bills to be enacted before the next election, reigning in a period in Israel that will bring it closer to a dictatorship that can be defined as Israel’s Darkest Age. We must bear in mind that a country that occupies another people cannot be a democracy in the long run. Slowly but surely, the occupying power will slip into a pseudo-fascist regime. Laws ensuring the purity of an occupying nation will protect its status. In Israel’s case, two laws were passed, the Nation-State Law and the Cultural Loyalty Bill (soon to become law). These laws have two principles in common. Both intend to weaken the opposition to the Netanyahu Government by showing who is the boss and to clamp mouths of those who are involved in avant-garde cultural projects that go against Commissar Miri’s agenda.

There is also no true freedom from religion and the excuse that this is a Jewish country. Pluralism in Judaism is not recognized. Reform, Conservative and Reconstructionist Judaism is not recognized nor are their rabbis. The only Judaism recognized is Orthodox and ultra-Orthodox Judaism that ensures that there will never be a separation of Orthodox synagogue and state. They have also succeeded in alienating Diaspora Jewry, especially US Jewry who are mostly non-Orthodox observant. 

As I write this, I feel that Israel’s most brilliant philosopher of the 20th Century, Late Prof.Yeshayahu Leibowitz ז"ל 4 states it very well indeed. It is still relevant today:

”I am talking about the monstrous phenomenon of a regime that is imposed upon a population which is not made up of a single people but of two peoples who are enemies. On top of this national conflict, itself insoluble, there is a social conflict between these two peoples. One works and the other exploits the first. That is why there cannot be a democratic regime in this country, neither can human rights be respected. I insist: they cannot be. It doesn't depend on someone's goodwill. It is the consequence of the objective fact that the State of Israel is, today, a colonial power. Precisely when history, for the second half of the 20th century, has been characterized by world decolonization, the State of Israel and South Africa are the only remaining colonial powers”.
Yeshayahu Leibowitz 5

He continues: “I am not shocked, I am making an observation. If I raise my voice it is because some people still don't know. This is why I shout out loud: Judeo-Nazis do exist!”
Yeshayahu Leibowitz

This will also initiate a period of Netanyahu’s schmoozing with right-wing regimes in Europe that have a history of racism including anti-Semitism. This is a natural development expected within the right-wing regime of the Netanyahu Era.  

See:

1. "The Jewish Home" of Racism and Intolerance
2. Quotes of Yeshayahu Leibowitz  (29 January 1903 – 18 August 1994) was an Israeli public intellectual; professor of biochemistry, organic chemistry, and neurophysiology at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem; and a polymath known for his outspoken opinions on Judaism, ethics, religion, and politics.

References:

1.  "Naftali Bennett - Wikipedia." https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Naftali_Bennett. Accessed 22 Nov. 2018.
2. "Ayelet Shaked - Wikipedia." https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ayelet_Shaked. Accessed 22 Nov. 2018.
3. 20 Nov. 2018, https://www.thejc.com/comment/comment/naftali-bennett-david-cameron-style-gambler-loses-to-israel-s-smoothest-operator-1.472790. Accessed 22 Nov. 2018.
4. "Yeshayahu Leibowitz - Wikipedia." https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yeshayahu_Leibowitz. Accessed 22 Nov. 2018.
5. "Yeshayahu Leibowitz (Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy)." 29 Mar. 2011, https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/leibowitz-yeshayahu/. Accessed 22 Nov. 2018.

Scorched Earth in the South

Israel fiddles while the south burns! This is what is really happening on the southern Israel-Gaza border. Israel has no plan of action - just threats of retaliation and the sporadic attacks on Hamas positions which seems to be ineffective. Israel seems to be moving closer to a military conflict with Hamas in Gaza that according to reports “neither side wants”.

If this was not the case then Hamas would not be so involved with its ingenuity in sending young teenagers to the border launching incendiary kites with explosives to cause havoc and destruction of agricultural lands and natural habitat including wholesale slaughter of natural fauna as if they are to blame for the situation of dire straits of the Gazan Palestinians! Viewing burnt carcasses of defenceless wild animals exhibits the barbarity of Hamas in its motivation for the destruction of everything in its path. Nothing can justify this Palestinian epidemic of destruction, which in the long run will rebound on them. The Gazan youngsters are faced with a bleak future and Hamas exploits this - not to improve their situation but to entrench itself in power even more. They must be held accountable for the Gazan suffering and this has also resulted in Israel's stranglehold on Gaza's border to prevent terrorism coming into Israel.

The fantasy in the DNA of Hamas of Israel’s total destruction is as strong as ever. This mantra is the reason why there is a stalemate in any form of even initiating peace negotiations. Israel has the power to destroy Hamas and take over Gaza but it has no desire to achieve this. It would be costly in human lives on both sides. It is a case of “better the devil you do know than the devil you do not know”. Israel is satisfied giving Hamas a bashing militarily here and there in order to bring them to heel.

The last few days, it seems that the motivation of the Palestinian youngsters to send incendiary kites is decreasing. Even the Israel media is not making headline reports over it anymore.

A kite with a Molotov cocktail is flown by Palestinians on the Gaza Israeli border, April 20. (Abed Rahim Khatib/Flash90)

The damage to agricultural fields and natural habitat is enormous and rehabilitation will cost millions of shekels.

Hamas will lick its wounds for a while, re-arm under the auspices of Iran and possibly Turkey for the next round of terror and destruction and both sides will continue to bleed. The Palestinians will bleed more as Israel employs effective measures to neutralise rocket fire from Gaza and soon they will have the know-how to neutralize the incendiary kites launched into Israel. Raphael Technologies are working round the clock on a laser system to destroy these kites and they will succeed.

The solution to the problem with the Gaza Palestinians lies in their rehabilitation. Israel needs to loosen the noose over Gaza and allow the people of Gaza to work in Israel as starters. This, of course, has to be accompanied by strict security checks in the beginning.

Money from financial sources in the International Community is essential to help rebuild Gaza and improve the quality of life of the Gazan People. There must be a means to prevent the money from landing in the pockets of the Hamas leaders, who have enriched themselves because of lack of transparency as well as allowing much of the world donations being transferred to the building of tunnels for infiltration into Israel to carry out terrorist acts.

Above all, there should be an initiation of secret channels of negotiations between Israel and Hamas through a third party. In order to get there, there must be mutual agreement to negotiate either directly or indirectly. Unfortunately, both sides have no desire to end the conflict and this is the crux of the problem.

Israel Must Bear the Responsibility for the Creation of Hamas

The situation in Gaza has become intolerable for Gazans. Israeli pundits, including the Israeli Government, have laid the blame for this inhuman situation on Hamas and its allies. If this is the case then we must widen the blame game even further.

All fingers must point to Israel. Prior to the establishment of Hamas, Israel had been playing dirty politics by adopting a policy of “divide and rule” (הפרד ומשול) in order to weaken the Palestinian Liberation Organization under Yasser Arafat. Hamas rose as an offshoot of the Gaza Mujama al-Islamiya branch of the Egyptian Muslim Brotherhood, which had been actively encouraged by Israel to expand as a counterweight to the influence of the secular Palestine Liberation Organization. 1 Israel had ruthlessly given its support to the predecessors of Hamas:

“Israel's military-led administration in Gaza looked favourably on the paraplegic cleric, who set up a wide network of schools, clinics, a library and kindergartens. Sheikh Ahmed Yassin formed the Islamist group Mujama al-Islamiya, which was officially recognized by Israel as a charity and then, in 1979, as an association. Israel also endorsed the establishment of the Islamic University of Gaza, which it now regards as a hotbed of militancy. The university was one of the first targets hit by Israeli warplanes in the [2008-9 Operation Cast Lead]”. 2.

‘The Islamic associations’, the Israeli weekly magazine Koteret Rashit observed in October 1987, ‘have been supported and encouraged by the Israeli military authorities’ who were ‘convinced that the activities [of the Islamists] would weaken both the PLO and leftist organizations in Gaza.’ While most of these activities were funded largely by contributions from the Gulf states, some former Israeli intelligence officers claim that money also came covertly from Israel itself. 3.

The Muslim Brotherhood had been founded in Egypt in 1928 by Hassan al-Banna to reclaim Islam’s political dimension lost with the abolition of the Ottoman Caliphate in the wake of the First World War. ‘Allah is our objective’, the Brotherhood declared in its founding statement. ‘The Prophet is our leader. Qur’an is our law. Jihad is our way. Dying in the way of Allah is our highest hope.’

Surveying the wreckage of a neighbour's bungalow hit by a Palestinian rocket, retired Israeli official Avner Cohen traces the missile's trajectory back to an "enormous, stupid mistake" made 30 years ago.

"Hamas, to my great regret, is Israel's creation," says Mr. Cohen, a Tunisian-born Jew who worked in Gaza for more than two decades. Responsible for religious affairs in the region until 1994, Mr. Cohen watched the Islamist movement take shape, muscle aside secular Palestinian rivals and then morph into what is today Hamas, a militant group that is sworn to Israel's destruction. 4.

In retrospect, Israel had a huge hand in the creation of Hamas as a balance to combat the PLO under the leadership of Yasser Arafat in the 1970s. We all see how they had helped to create this monstrous organization that had backfired against Israel to this very day and it will remain so for many years to come.

The decision by Israel in those days can be viewed as one of the gravest errors that Israel had made. It had bounced back at Israel with a vengeance and together with Israel’s right-wing has dealt a death blow to any peace agreement in the foreseeable future.

The lowest common denominator that links the right-wing Israel Government to Hamas is their opposition to the Two-State Solution. The former is in favour of a One-State Solution with a certain amount of autonomy being given to the Palestinians to run their own affairs. This is similar to the old Bantustan Policy of apartheid South Africa that will ensure the inferiority and powerlessness of the Palestinian People. The latter wishes to replace Israel with a Palestinian State that is ruled by Hamas that today does not recognise Israel's right to exist nor is it even prepared to negotiate any form of a peace agreement let alone a solution to the conflict. The newly revised Hamas Charter of 2017 makes this perfectly clear.

One does not have to be an expert on the Palestinian-Israeli Conflict to conclude that there is no common ground between the two sides to even initiate negotiations on a solution to this festering conflict. The Palestinian Authority under the failing leadership of Mahmoud Abbas is becoming irrelevant.

The present unrest in Gaza with its demonstrations and rioting that has cost the lives of 62 Palestinians over the past week is a terrible tragedy. On the one hand, Israel has a right to defend itself against this unrest that threatened to break the security fence and create havoc and bloodshed on the Israeli side of the border. The moral dilemma that has arisen as to whether Israel's Defence Force was justified to use sniper fire to kill these demonstrators (many of whom, though certainly not all were armed). The answer to this is not all that clear-cut. Bearing in mind that the death of any human being is a tragedy, it would have been more justifiable to use non-lethal methods of violent riot control and arrest those responsible for the damage caused to property as well as injury to innocent people.

References:

1. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hamas. Accessed 14 May. 2018.
2. The monster Israel Helped Create Pandemonium
3. How Israel Helped Create Hamas Washington Post.
4. How Israel Helped to Spawn Hamas WSJ

PANDAEMONIUthe monster that israel helped create

The Demonstrations of Gazans on the Israeli Border

 The Gazan Palestinians have been demonstrating for a number of weeks now. There is no doubt that these demonstrations are being orchestrated by Hamas. Only this time they have changed their tactics. They want to give the international media the false impression that it is a popular, peaceful uprising against the occupation and that Hamas is not responsible for this unrest but rather the will of the Palestinian People to fight the occupation. Note that there are no Hamas flags near the border.

This is a big lie and it is obvious that Hamas is behind these “peaceful” demonstrations and there have even been attempts by some Palestinian demonstrators, including children to breach the security fence and infiltrate into Israel. The purpose of this infiltration IS NOT to have “kumbaya” with Israelis. It is rather to carry out acts of terror and murder of innocent Israelis under the facade of “peaceful protest”. The scenario of unarmed, peaceful protest makes for great propaganda by Hamas against Israel and it appears to be working posing Israel as the heartless oppressor not allowing the Palestinians their right of protest. It may be argued that the use of sniper live ammunition is not justifiable. The use of non-lethal ammunition against demonstrators, who have breached the security fence, is an acceptable option. Live ammunition should be reserved only for life-threatening situations which do not appear to be the case here. The use of live ammunition strengthens Hamas in its resolve to use of women and children as human shields. This, of course, does not help Israel in its attempts to stop the violence. Hamas tactics somehow create more international antagonism towards Israel including in the UN. They have been warned by Israel not to infiltrate into Israel but to no avail. We must remember that Hamas terrorists are indiscriminate when it comes to murdering Israelis.

Many people, who view the scenario of sniper-fire, view Israel as the evil Goliath and the Palestinians armed with slingshots and Molotov cocktails as the David. This is the impression that Hamas behind the headlines portrays to the foreign media. Even the UN shows a bias towards Israel as it usually does when there is Palestinian unrest.

The Hamas mantra of seeking Israel’s total destruction as well as its refusal to recognize Israel’s right to exist is the slogan behind these demonstrations. The exploitation of young children and women is a well-known tactic of the evil Hamas terrorist organization that tolerates no opposition to its tactics and Palestinians, who do not agree with Hamas are arrested and even put to death in a kangaroo court system.  Hamas is not interested in Palestinian human rights or democracy, let alone human dignity. They are fighting for a Palestinian State to replace Israel. It has nothing to do with the occupation of territory after the June Six Day War of 1967. As far as they are concerned, Israel has occupied territory since the Day it was established in May 1948.

When Israel has to deal with the Hamas Palestinian Leadership with its mindset on Israel’s destruction and using the impoverished Palestinian people to riot and kill Israelis, how can any form of negotiation even be initiated?

The tragedy in Gaza has been wrought on the Palestinians by Hamas and their multi-millionaire leadership that have pocketed all the monies donated by various countries for rehabilitation of Gaza. It is not in the interests of Hamas for the Palestinians to be rehabilitated or having a decent future. By weeping crocodile tears they enrich themselves even more. Many countries in the free world fall for this ploy which is what makes the situation in Gaza so untenable. Hamas feed their people with hatred and their religious leaders constantly preach sermons of hate against Israel and the Jewish People.

It appears that the unrest at the Gaza border is not going to subside for a while and it will continue until the Palestinians are tired of demonstrating and it will just decrease in numbers of participating demonstrators over time.

The question one should ask is: How would other countries react to demonstrations on their borders by hostile elements, who wish to achieve unrest and destruction of their respective countries as well as having a bloodlust to kill innocent people?

The cause of Israel’s total destruction and its replacement by a Hamas-ruled Palestinian State is the mantra behind all these demonstrations. Those people, who sympathise with  Hamas and its portrayal of their cause are not aware of what Hamas hopes to achieve. It is definitely not for the freedom of a democratic Palestinian State but another ISIS (Daesh)-like state slated to replace Israel. If we bear these factors in mind, Israel has the full right to defend itself by any means the IDF seems feasible under these circumstances.  

On the other hand, the Palestinians are deserving of a state that is democratic, promotes human values and dignity. Israel must recognize that an end must be made to the occupation that is eroding Israel’s democracy and human values. This can only be achieved if there is an honest desire on both sides to negotiate an end to the conflict. A desire to destroy Israel is not negotiable. Under the present circumstances, it is obvious that there is no motivation on either side to reach any form of agreement.

Futility of a Solution to the Palestinian-Israeli Conflict

English: Palestinian territories (West Bank and Gaza Strip) showing Israel's 1948 and 1967 borders (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

The Palestinian-Israeli Conflict has defied solution since the establishment of the State of Israel.

Everybody talks about intransigence on both sides with the larger portion of the blame laid on Israel. However, many forget that the problem of the occupation is not the core issue that needs to be resolved. The core issue is Israel's existence since its establishment in 1948 and not the occupation of territories since the Six Day War of June 1967 as most Palestinian pundits claim. After all, the Hamas Charter states this clearly and Hamas is the organization that has no desire to recognize Israel's right to exist. Capture of the West Bank, Gaza and the Golan Heights occurred as a result of the Six Day War. We must remember that this was not the start of the Palestinian-Israeli Conflict. The conflict began with Israel's establishment in 1948.

Wars were fought between Israel and the and the Arab states even before 1967.The occupation is the result of the preemptive strike in June 1967 when Israel's shipping was blocked by President  Nasser of Egypt. There was no occupation then nor was there occupation prior to the Sinai War of 1956. Yet wars were fought.

Since the occupation of the West Bank, Golan Heights, Gaza and East Jerusalem, Israelis have built settlements in these areas and this resulted in colonization of the Palestinians reducing them to a people with limited human rights and a bleak future. This settlement activity had continued unabated with human rights abuses committed by the Israeli settlers over the years.

There is no justification whatsoever for settlers living in the occupied territories abusing Palestinians and denying them human rights. Many cases of abuse or even murder of Palestinians by settlers has not led to any arrests and the Security Establishment of Israel must share the blame for this. Having said that, violence against innocent people on both sides must be condemned unequivocally.

Now this brings us to the two intifadas and today’s stabbing attacks. As bad as the Palestinians had it under Israeli occupation, the excuses for savage Palestinian behavior towards innocent people can never be justified under any circumstances. The anti-Israel NGO funded double standard “humanists” (bearing in mind that money for the NGOs come mostly from the EU) are seeking a psychological explanation and justification for Palestinian savagery, whether by stabbing innocent

Medics evacuating an Israeli man injured in a stabbing attack on a Tel Aviv bus,

people, running them over by cars or suicide bombers. Added to this is the sympathy for Palestinians living under occupation with no future, which according to many “humanists” justifies their use of violence against innocent peoples, no matter what cruel methods they use to demoralize and kill innocent Israelis. These  "humanists" also promote BDS in order to delegitimize Israel.

Even if there was no occupation of the territories, there is no doubt that this violence would still occur if we examine the history of Israel from 1948 until 1967. Wars between Israel and the Arab States were continuously occurring. Incursions and murder was always on the Palestinian leadership agenda. The fact that there was never peace between Israel and her neighbors, including the Palestinians, further drives home the point that the Palestinians want Israel destroyed as Israel is occupied Palestine since 1948 and not since 1967. No matter what leader is in power in Israel, left or right, the Palestinians want Israel wiped off the face of the earth. Maps drawn up in Palestine do not even mention Israel. The school curriculum in occupied Palestine also brainwashes young Palestinians to hate Israel and Jews.  It has nothing to do with the occupation of Palestinian lands since 1967. This is an added excuse. This is the reality unfortunately.

Under these circumstances, with more uncompromising Palestinian players in the field, it is very difficult to perceive if any solution to this tragic conflict will ever be found.

Mahmoud Abbas, the Palestinian President, has no power base or Palestinian support. He will not be able to sign a peace agreement of any kind with Israel. If he does, his Islamist Hamas and its allies will assassinate him. He will continue to be involved in anti-Israel rhetoric in the UN to save his own skin. This does not increase his support among the more radical Palestinians. He is just hanging in there powerless and ineffectual if not totally impotent.

The Bias and Hypocrisy of the UNHRC

ISIS Savages

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Hamas and IS - Two Sides of the Same Coin

A cease-fire between Israel and the terrorist group, Hamas is tenuous. The chance that it will be a long-term cease-fire depends entirely on Hamas. While Hamas will not agree to disarmament, they will re-arm and continue their home industry of lethal weapon manufacture. They will continue to get financial support from their allies, Turkey, Qatar and Iran. Gaza cannot be blockaded hermetically from Hamas allies. There are ways of smuggling goods and weaponry into Gaza. Hamas has received a large setback because of Operation Protective Edge but they have not been brought to their knees. If we listen to the hateful rhetoric coming from their leaders, who wasted no time in coming out of their bunkers after the cease-fire was declared, making "victory” speeches as if they are on the verge of annihilating Israel.

In my last article, the Cairo Conference on Reconstruction of Gaza of 12th October 2014 was discussed. Pledges of aid for reconstruction and rehabilitation of Gaza were made. Mechanisms of preventing the money landing in Hamas hands was not discussed at the conference nor was disarming Hamas. If these two essential conditions are not met, there will be a repeat of hostilities and war against Israel and no reconstruction of Gaza will occur. 

While Israel's Defense Minister has made statements that Hamas will not break the cease-fire soon, many Israelis, especially those living bear the border of Gaza, remain unconvinced.

The solution to the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict remains in negotiations, which also requires both sides of the conflict to recognize each others right to exist and security. While Hamas remains adamant in not recognizing Israel "the Zionist Entity" and is unwilling to lay down its arms, we have a serious problem and it will not take long before hostilities will begin in the not so distant future. This time, the players will become more complicated. There will be unimaginable alliances between Shiite and Sunni Islamist extremists uniting in order to commit terrorist acts against Israel. It will be a matter of "the enemy of my enemy is my friend".

We are seeing a sporadic flare up of hostilities in Israel's northern borders with Syria and Lebanon, where Hezbollah - an extremist Shiite terrorist organization, cooperates with the Sunni Hamas organization to commit terrorist acts against Israel. There are also Al Qaeda branches of Wahabi extremists, Jabhat al Nusra, including the Islamic State (IS) branch. The Middle East is as volatile as it is unpredictable. New alliances of former enemies occur in order to achieve a common goal which is the destruction of Israel. So it is not beyond one's imagination that IS, Hamas and even Hezbollah will form some form of alliance to achieve this.

Hamas and IS have similar ideologies. Both are ruthless, Sunni Islamist terrorist organizations. They will not tolerate any opposition in their ranks and are quick to mete out kangaroo court justice to those that

Huffington Post (Aug 20) by Arsen Ostrovsky, an international human rights lawyer — Hamas and ISIS are two sides of the same Islamic terror coin, 

oppose them. Hamas shoots those, who they consider as traitors, in the public square in front of children.Both terrorist groups are barbarians with similar agendas. One has to listen to their religious leaders' sermons from their pulpits of mosques in their Diaspora as well as in the Middle East. If one has doubts as to their motives, those sermons are proof of their violent hatred of Jews. Europe must be held responsible for importing this Islamist garbage into their countries, where their Imams are given free reign to make racist and hateful sermons in the mosques they establish. They also brainwash non-Muslim youths to join the ranks of Jihadis in IS against their own countries.

 They mask their victims as well as their gunmen shooting them in the head then dancing in their blood in the street screaming "Allah Akbar!" IS beheads their victims after forcing them to declare statements against their countries of origin before their beheadings.

Hamas wishes to replace Israel by establishing an Islamic Palestinian state in its place. IS plans to establish a caliphate based on Sharia in the countries it conquers. Israel is able to contain Hamas today but IS is an unknown entity in Israel. There are cells of IS that are operating clandestinely in Israel. If these cells become stronger, it is possible that they will cooperate with Hamas because of their common goal of forced conversions under threats of terror.

The two-state solution to the conflict is becoming unattainable because of Israel's settlement policies. There are various think tanks comprised of academics, searching for other options as a solution such as a federal or confederal solution. The Palestinian Authority cannot be viewed as a negotiating partner for a settlement with Israel as they lack Palestinian support according to the latest Palestinian polls. Hamas with all its fantasies of victory against Israel has the majority of Palestinian support.

As much as we all seek peace and a solution to the Palestinian-Israeli Conflict, both sides do not have the leadership qualities to make the essential bold decisions necessary to negotiate peace and an end to the occupation.

Even if Israel withdraws from the occupied West Bank, a vacuum will be created that Hamas will fill. As I mentioned earlier, according to polls, the majority of Palestinians support Hamas. Can Israel afford to have a Gaza-like situation on its doorstep? These questions must be addressed. Hamas and IS have very similar goals. Hamas wishes to destroy Israel and establish a Caliphate in its place. It is not Israeli propaganda against Hamas but this is Hamas's own admission.

In my previous article, Hamas tycoons were discussed as well as their motivation in destroying Israel. While Israel is not directly affected by IS at this stage, the situation can change.

This weekend John Kerry had quoted what he heard from various Arab leaders: We need “to find a way to create two states that can live together side by side, two peoples, with both of their aspirations being respected,” Kerry added.

“I still believe that’s possible, and I still believe we need to work towards it.”

He said the unresolved Israel-Palestinian conflict was fueling recruitment for the Islamic State jihadist group.

“There wasn’t a leader I met with in the region who didn’t raise with me spontaneously the need to try to get peace between Israel and the Palestinians, because it was a cause of recruitment and of street anger and agitation,” Kerry said.

“People need to understand the connection of that. And it has something to do with humiliation and denial and absence of dignity,” he added.

Kerry was the architect of the resumption of the Israeli-Palestinian peace process between July 2013 and April. THIS WAS NOT HIS PERSONAL OPINION as Naftali Bennett claimed. Bennett is a right wing rabble-rouser and a thorn in the flesh of those striving for peace. His ideas on Jewish claims are based on Biblical history with no relevance to the realities of today. He is deeply conservative with a high tech, start up facade of "modernity". Every time he makes statements justifying the occupation and encouraging illegal settlement building in disputed lands based on Biblical claims is exacerbating a highly tense situation between Israel and the EU as well as Israel's best friend, the US leadership.

 If there will be a mutually agreed security mechanism in place that prevents Hamas from taking over the occupied West Bank when a stage is reached on agreed Israeli withdrawal then there is grounds for the establishment of a Palestinian State. Naturally this would involve disarmament of Hamas as an essential requirement if a Palestinian state is established and suitable arrangements made for the settlers who have been living there since the June 1967 War. Pragmatism is essential in finding a solution. Declaring areas "Judenrein" as part of a solution is unacceptable no less than declaring areas "Arabrein".

The world response to IS is weak and is really an impotent token response not that different from its response to Hamas with its tycoon states supporting it.

IS and Hamas alliances cannot be ruled out in the future while lip-service with impotent sporadic airstrikes by the so-called anti-IS coalition are carried out. Time is on the side of Hamas and IS. At this time and place, there is no connection between the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict and IS. In the unlikely event of the conflict being solved, IS will not disappear. It would view the Palestinian Authority as traitors and their resolve to spread Jihadi terror and bloodshed would increase and include Israel and Palestine. So all this nonsense about suffering of Arab Muslims creating fertile ground for IS is a load of hogwash.

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• Suffering and survival after the war on Gaza