Doc's Talk: News of the Israeli-Palestinian Confrontation

Wednesday, April 02, 2008

News of the Israeli-Palestinian Confrontation

Overview

Events this week (March 25-April 1, 2008) focused on the “package” of eased restrictions presented by Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak to American Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and Palestinian Authority Prime Minister Salam Fayyad . The package included various security and civilian issues, including removing roadblocks to enable free car travel for Palestinians in Judea and Samaria . It is intended to make daily life easier for the Palestinian population and to improve economic conditions, even at the expense of security risks for Israel .

On the ground Qassam rocket fire from the Gaza Strip was “routine” with the exception of a barrage of 22 rockets fired on March 26, for which the Palestinian Islamic Jihad claimed most of the responsibility. Important Events

Exceptional Barrage of Rocket Fire

During the past week rocket fire from the Gaza Strip was “routine,” with the exception of a barrage of 22 rockets fired on March 26. Most of the responsibility was claimed by the PIJ . A total of 32 rockets were fired during the week, compared with 12 the previous week. In addition, 26 mortar shells were fired, compared with 17 the previous week.

Stabbing Foiled near the Settlement of Shiloh

On March 31 a Palestinian terrorist tried to stab two Israeli civilians who were waiting for a ride between the settlements of Eli and Shiloh in the West Bank . The terrorist, a Bir Zeit University student, had two knives. According to eye-witness reports, he approached the two and spoke to them in broken English, keeping his hands in his pockets. When they refused to answer he took out a knife and tried to stab them. One of them, who was armed, shot and killed him (Ynet, March 31).

The Palestinian Wafa News Agency reported that Abd al-Latif Ali Muhammad Kharoub, 22, a resident of the village of Khares , was killed because he happened to be there at the time (Wafa News Agency, March 31). On the other hand, a group calling itself the Struggle and Return Battalions of the Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades claimed responsibility for the attempted abduction of one Israeli soldier and the stabbing of another near Shiloh (Qudsnet Website, Ma'an News Agency, March 31).
Counterterrorist Activities

Daily distribution of rocket fire into Israeli territory

During the past week counterterrorist activities continued along the security fence with pinpoint activities within the Gaza Strip near the fence. On March 29 the Israeli Air Force attacked a squad of terrorists moving near the fence (IDF Spokesman's Website, March 29). On March 28, a Fatah/Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades operative was killed in an exchange of fire with IDF forces operating near the fence in the northern Gaza Strip (PalMedia Website, March 29).

Hamas Terrorist Operative Detained in the Gaza Strip

It can now be reported that in a combined IDF-Israel Security Agency action on February 25, an IDF force detained Muhammad Qassem, a Hamas operative, resident of Beit Lahia. During interrogation he admitted his involvement in a series of attacks and attempted attacks, including using IEDs against IDF forces and carrying out ambushes and observations. He participated in planning a suicide bombing attack. He was also an accomplice in planning an attack against IDF forces while pretending to participate in a demonstration organized by Hamas near the Erez Crossing to protest the humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip (IDF Spokesman, April 1).

In September 2007 Muhammad Qassem was recruited by the Hamas suicide bombing unit and participated in a training course with 40 other Hamas terrorist operatives. Having joined the unit, he was supposed to be given a 20 kilogram (44 lb) explosive belt to carry out a suicide bombing attack.

Head of Hamas's Operational Network in Tulkarm Detained

On the night of March 25 in the village of Bila'a near Tulkarm the Israeli security forces detained Omar Jaber , head of the Hamas network in Tulkarm. He had been on the wanted list since 2002, when he was directly involved in the suicide bombing attack at the Park Hotel in Netanya on the night of the Passover Seder. The attack killed 30 Israeli civilians and wounded 143. 1

Omar Jaber was responsible for finding an escort for the suicide bomber and having him contact Abbas Sayyid, head of the Hamas network in the Tulkarm region. During interrogation Abbas Sayyid admitted that he had known Jaber since 1994, when they had been in prison together. In recent years Jaber had been responsible for recruiting terrorist operatives to the Hamas ranks and during the past year had been directly involved in their military training.

During the past few years, while he had been in hiding in the villages in the Tulkarm district, his family helped him transmit coded messages to Hamas terrorist operatives. Some of the messages were requests for money to continue his own activities and those of operatives connected to him and to purchase and hide weapons. In January 2007 he began to set up a branch of Hamas's Executive Force in the Tulkarm district and was responsible for financing it, purchasing weapons and recruiting operatives. At the same time he was active in setting up squads to reinforce Hamas's operational capabilities in the area (IDF Spokesman's Website, March 26).

A Senior Popular Front Operative Detained in Nablus

In a combined IDF-ISA action on January 15, Ibrahim Sayyid Ibrahim Salem was detained. Salem , a senior PFLP figure in Nablus , was born in the Ein Beit Ilma refugee camp in 1985.

During interrogation he admitted to having been involved in an attack on IDF forces on September 18, 2007 , in the Ein Beit Imaa refugee camp during which Sergeant Ben-Tzion Henman was killed . He was also involved in an attempted suicide bombing attack in Tel Aviv which was prevented by the Israeli security forces on September 22, 2007 . 2 He admitted to being involved with other terrorist operatives in the PFLP in the serial manufacture of explosives and in preparing a car bomb in Nablus .

On March 30 Defense Minister Ehud Barak met with the American Secretary of State, Condoleezza Rice, and PA Prime Minister Salam Fayyad. The Defense Minister proposed a “package” of eased restrictions for the Palestinians which he had authorized:

Security

• Removal of roadblocks : A permanent roadblock in the Rimonim region, east of Ramallah, would be removed, 3 as would 50 dirt road barriers. The possibility of removing additional roadblocks and checkpoints in Judea and Samaria would be examined and carried out by mid-May. The removal of the roadblocks would facilitate the passage of Palestinian vehicles between Jenin, Tulkarm, Qalqilya and Ramallah. The removal of the Rimonim roadblock, located near the settlement of Kokhav Hashahar, enabled the free passage of Palestinians between Ramallah and Jericho .

• Deployment of the Palestinian security forces : The deployment of 700 police personnel in the Jenin district after their return from training in Jordan . 4

• Building police stations : Approval for the establishment of police stations in B areas (where there is civilian Palestinian control) and B+ areas (where there is civilian Palestinian control with police presence for ensuring public order).

• Easing the movement of the Palestinian security forces : Improving the system of granting authorization for Palestinian security forces to move between A and B areas and between the various regions in Judea and Samaria to impose public order.

• Additional equipment for the Palestinian security forces : The delivery of 25 APCs (of 50) to the Palestinian security forces was approved; delivering 125 vehicles and pieces of logistic equipment to the Palestinian security forces was approved; examining the authorization of the list of non-lethal equipment for the Presidential Guard is under consideration.

Civilian affairs

• The movement of public figures : Easing the movement of public figures and PA functionaries.

• Easing the movement of businessmen and increasing the quota of those entitled to enter Israel from 1,000 to 1,500.

• Increasing the number of entrance permits into Israel territory for construction workers by 5,000.5

• Upgrading the crossings and easing the passage through them : For example, opening the Shaar Ephraim crossing west of Tulkarm to commercial activity on Fridays; easing the pressure on the Kalandia crossing north of Jerusalem and the Rachel crossing between Jerusalem and Bethlehem .

• Investors' conference in Bethlehem : Easing the movements of businessmen, including Israeli businessmen and those expected to arrive from abroad for the investors' conference in Bethlehem on May 21-23.

• Establishment of industrial zone : Advancing the establishment of three industrial zones which will be built in Jericho , Hebron (east of the old Tarkumia crossing) and Muqiebleh (north of Jenin). Turkish funding will finance the industrial zone in Hebron .6Japan and Jordan will finance the building of the agricultural industrial zone in Jericho .

• Establishment of new residential areas : In response to a Palestinian suggestion, two new residential areas will be built for the Palestinian population in the Ramallah district, one east of Ramallah at Dir Dibuwan and the other north of Ramallah at ‘Atara-‘Ajjul. 7

• At a press conference held by Foreign Minister Tsippi Livni, American Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said that significant progress for a better life for the Palestinian people and their economic existence was important. In other media interviews she said that she had been told that Israel would complete the removal of 50 roadblocks in the West Bank within a short period of time and that the United States would make certain that they had been removed.

The Israeli easing of restrictions clearly illustrates the differences between the Gaza Strip and Judea and Samaria . The Gaza Strip has military escalation and a continuing economic crisis resulting from the Hamas government's terrorist policies. In Judea and Samaria , on the other hand, because of Annapolis process, Israel is ready to advance initiates that will improve the everyday life of the Palestinian population and their economic situation, even by taking security risks . However, the chances for the success of the Israeli goodwill gestures, and of the entire Annapolis process, is to a great extent dependent upon a stable security situation, disbanding the terrorist networks still active in Judea and Samaria and preventing terrorist attacks, as required by the road map.

1 For further information see our may 1, 2004 Bulletin entitled “Passover Eve Massacre at Park Hotel in Netanya” .

2 For further information see our September 23, 2007 Bulletin entitled “A suicide bombing attack in Tel Aviv was prevented by the detention of a Hamas operative which led to the discovery of an explosive belt hidden in the southern part of the city. Its existence was revealed by an intensive security forces operation in Nablus”

3 It was dismantled on March 31.

4 In an interview given by Radhi A'sidi, deputy commander of Palestinian national security for the Jenin district, he said that there were ongoing negotiations about the deployment of the a national security battalion in the Jenin region. It was expected to finish training in Jordan on May 15, 2008 . He added that it would need two months to deploy in the Jenin region. A large number of the forces currently stationed in the Jenin region might then be sent to Jordan for intensive training courses (Ma'an News Agency, March 31).

5 Today almost 20,000 workers from Judea and Samaria enter Israel legally. Twenty thousand more work on the settlements in Judea and Samaria and an additional 5,000 work in the industrial zone in north Jerusalem .

6 Turkey initiated a renewal of the industrial zone at the Erez Crossing in the Gaza Strip, but the security situation forced them to move their venture to Judea and Samaria .

7 According to the March 30 edition of the London-based newspaper Al-Sharq Al-Awsat, the residential areas will be financed by a Jordan businessman and house tens of thousands of Palestinians.

Thanks Intelligence and Terrorism Information Center

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The IDF’s Minorities in Numbers and Pictures

In honor of IDF Diversity Week, we present diversity through numbers and pictures. Each year, more and more Muslims, Christians, Druze, Bedouin and immigrants from around the world take on the responsibility of defending Israel.

MUSLIMS:

Muslim Arab Israelis are not required to draft in the IDF, but there are many who volunteer. In 2013, there were over 200 Muslims serving in the IDF and over 300 in the reserves.

Bedouins:

Bedouins are nomadic Muslims who were in Israel when modern borders were set in place and are now considered Israeli citizens. They are not required to draft but a growing number choose to enlist. In 2012, there were over 1,400 Bedouin Muslim soldiers doing regular IDF service and almost 1,500 in the reserves.

Read more:http://www.idfblog.com/2014/02/27/truth-idf-numbers-pictures/#more-34027

Are you aware that in 2013, Middle class taxes go up-significantly?

In January of next year, the federal income tax rate for middle-class taxpayers is scheduled to rise from 25 percent to 28 percent, and the payroll tax is scheduled to rise from 13.3 percent to 15.3 percent… This drives the marginal tax rate based on the aforementioned three taxes to 48.12 percent. Add in state and local property, corporate, excise, and other state and local taxes, and the percentage of each additional dollar that is taxed hovers around 50 percent… When half of each additional dollar earned is taxed away, taxpayers experience a disincentive to start businesses or expand existing ones. This leads to fewer jobs being created.

Why is HAMAS Inside Tampa Schools?

Clare Lopez

Kelly Miliziano, who teaches history classes at Steinbrenner High School in the Tampa, Florida area apparently thinks it’s perfectly OK to invite a senior official of a HAMAS-affiliated organization into her classroom to discuss Islam with her students. According to local media reports, not only has this been going on for years, but in spite of the civil and criminal proceedings that could result from such reckless negligence, the Hillsborough County school superintendent, Mary Ellen Elia, and the chairman of the school board, Candy Olson, also expressed approval for students under their responsibility to be exposed repeatedly to guest speaker, Hassan Shibly, who is the Executive Director for the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) in the Tampa area.
More...

Did You Know... Ignoring the Call to Islam will Bring Jihad

‘Conquest through Da’wa [proselytizing] that is what we hope for. We will conquer Europe, we will conquer America! Not through sword but through Da’wa.’
-- Yousef al-Qaradawi , Muslim Brotherhood spiritual leader The Arabic word ‘Da’wa’ means the “call to Islam.” But do not think that Da’wa is the same thing as an invitation to an optional holiday event. The classical Islamic doctrine of jihad mandates that enemies must be given the opportunity to convert to Islam or pay the jizya tax before it is permissible to attack them.
Clare M. Lopez

Who is being discriminated-facts tell the truth

Religious bias

Hate crimes motivated by religious bias accounted for 1,409 offenses reported by law enforcement. A breakdown of the bias motivation of religious-bias offenses showed:

65.4 percent were anti-Jewish.
13.2 percent were anti-Islamic.
9.5 percent were anti-other religion, i.e., those not specified.
4.3 percent were anti-Catholic.
3.8 percent were anti-multiple religions, group.
3.3 percent were anti-Protestant.
0.5 percent were anti-Atheism/Agnosticism/etc.

http://www.fbi.gov/about-us/cjis/ucr/hate-crime/2010/narratives/hate-crime-2010-incidents-and-offenses.

On March 31, 1977, the Dutch newspaper Trouw published an interview

with PLO executive committee member Zahir Muhsein. Here's what he said:

"The Palestinian people does not exist. The creation of a Palestinian state is only a means for continuing our struggle against the state of Israel for our Arab unity. In reality today there is no difference between Jordanians, Palestinians, Syrians and Lebanese. Only for political and tactical reasons do we speak today about the existence of a Palestinian people, since Arab national interests demand that we posit the existence of a distinct "Palestinian people" to oppose Zionism.

For tactical reasons, Jordan, which is a sovereign state with defined borders, cannot raise claims to Haifa and Jaffa, while as a Palestinian, I can undoubtedly demand Haifa, Jaffa, Beer-Sheva and Jerusalem. However, the moment we reclaim our right to all of Palestine, we will not wait even a minute to unite Palestine and Jordan."

In March 1977, Zahir Muhsein, a PLO executive, said:

"The Palestinian people does not exist. The creation of a Palestinian state is only a means for continuing our struggle against the state of Israel for our Arab unity. In reality today there is no difference between Jordanians, Palestinians, Syrians and Lebanese. Only for political and tactical reasons do we speak today about the existence of a Palestinian people, since Arab national interests demand that we posit the existence of a distinct Palestinian people to oppose Zionism."

"For tactical reasons, Jordan, which is a sovereign state with defined borders, cannot raise claims to Haifa and Jaffa, while as a Palestinian, I can undoubtedly demand Haifa, Jaffa, Beer-Sheva and Jerusalem. However, the moment we reclaim our right to all of Palestine, we will not wait even a minute to unite Palestine and Jordan."

The Arab Apartheid

Ben-Dror Yemini
In 1948, the Arab countries refused to accept the UN partition proposal and they launched a war of annihilation against the State of Israel which had barely been established. All precedents in this matter showed that the party that starts the war - and with a declaration of annihilation, yet - pays a price for it. Between 550,000 and 710,000 Arabs fled because of the war and a larger number of 850,000 Jews were expelled or fled from Arab countries (the "Jewish nakba").
Population exchanges and expulsions were the norm at that time, occurring in dozens of other conflict points and affecting about 52 million people. In all the population exchange precedents that occurred during or at the end of an armed conflict, there was no return of refugees to the previous region, which had turned into a new national state.
Only the Arab states acted completely differently from the rest of the world. Instead of assimilating the refugees, they crushed them despite the fact that they were their coreligionists and members of the Arab nation - instituting a regime of apartheid. So the "nakba" was not caused by the actual dispossession, which had also been experienced by tens of millions of others. The "nakba" is the story of the apartheid, oppression, abuse and denial of rights suffered by the Arab refugees at the hands of the Arab countries. (Maariv)

International Law and Military Operations in Practice - Col. Richard Kemp

"Islamist fighting groups study the international laws of armed conflict carefully and they understand it well. They know that a British or Israeli commander and his men are bound by international law and the rules of engagement that flow from it. They then do their utmost to exploit what they view as one of their enemy's main weaknesses. Their very modus operandi is built on the correct assumption that Western armies will normally abide by the rules, while these insurgents employ a deliberate policy of operating consistently outside international law. "

Lost Historical Moments

What Rabin’s last Knesset speech really said:repudiation of a Palestinian state

Rabin ruled out a fully sovereign Palestinian state :

“We view the permanent solution in the framework of State of Israel which will include most of the area of the Land of Israel as it was under the rule of the British Mandate, and alongside it a Palestinian entity which will be a home to most of the Palestinian residents living in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank. We would like this to be an entity which is less than a state, and which will independently run the lives of the Palestinians under its authority.”

Rabin ruled out a total withdrawal from Judea and Samaria and thus a return to the pre-June 1967 borders :

“The borders of the State of Israel, during the permanent solution, will be beyond the lines which existed before the Six Day War. We will not return to the 4 June 1967 lines.”

Rabin ruled out withdrawing form the Jordan Valley:

“The security border of the State of Israel will be located in the Jordan Valley, in the broadest meaning of that term.”

Rabin ruled out uprooting settlement blocs, like the Gush Katif bloc in Gaza (which was subsequently uprooted by former Prime Minister Ariel Sharon):

“The establishment of blocs of settlements in Judea and Samaria, like the one in Gush Katif.

AND

Rabin ruled out removing any settlement before coming to a full peace agreement with the Palestinians:

“I want to remind you: we committed ourselves, that is, we came to an agreement, and committed ourselves before the Knesset, not to uproot a single settlement in the framework of the interim agreement, and not to hinder building for natural growth.”

Rabin insisted on Israel retaining full security control of the borders with Egypt and Jordan, contrary to Israel’s relinquishment of the Philadelphia Corridor on the border with Egypt:

“The responsibility for external security along the borders with Egypt and Jordan, as well as control over the airspace above all of the territories and Gaza Strip maritime zone, remains in our hands.”

Correcting Oslo Myths-Part 2

3) Kuttab laments that the post-1993 Oslo process resulted in a Palestinian Authority "whose ministers and legislators are not guaranteed passage between Gaza and the West Bank ...."

Before free passage or other perquisites, PA leaders were obligated, among other things, to eliminate the terrorist infrastructure in the West Bank and Gaza Strip, end anti-Israeli, antisemitic incitement in schools, mosques, and communications media, and resolve all outstanding issues through peaceful negotiations. They met none of these commitments, sometimes bolstering terrorism and greatly increasing incitement.

4) Kuttab complains that under Oslo the PA got "lightly armed police ---- but no real sovereignty over the land or contiguity between our communities in Gaza and the West Bank."

Oslo agreements repeatedly were revised, regardless of Palestinian non-compliance, until the authorized number of police grew from 8,000 to 40,000. Though they were to be the only armed forces in the territories, Israeli estimates early in the second intifada put the number of gunmen - police, "security services," terrorists, and armed gangs - at 85,000. Their armament reportedly included not only heavy machine guns and rocket-propelled grenades, but also anti-tank and anti-aircraft missiles.

Sovereignty was to be negotiated in the envisioned 1998 "final status" talks - after a five-year period of confidence-building. Palestinian leadership chronically undermined the process. Palestinian terrorism made the 1993 - 1998 Oslo period more deadly for Israelis than the 15 years preceding it.

The United States doesn't have contiguity between the lower 48 states and Alaska and Hawaii; territorial contiguity between the West Bank and Gaza Strip - that is, through the 20 miles of Israeli territory between them - was never promised and would destroy Israeli contiguity.

5) "Palestinians have been made to endure hundreds of checkpoints in the West Bank, an eight-foot wall deep in our territories, and tight Israeli control over borders."

The security barrier is not "deep in Palestinian territories," but rather encompasses less than 8 percent of Judea and Samaria, and is mostly a fence, rarely a wall; the land in question is not "our [Palestinian] territories" but disputed territory to which, according to the authors of U.N. Security Council Resolution 242, Jews as well as Arabs have claims; and there are no international borders, only the 1949 armistice lines with Jordan. Under 242, borders remain to be negotiated. As for checkpoints - like the security barrier and "tight Israeli control" - Palestinian Arabs precipitated these measures themselves. No terrorism and there would be no fence or tight Israeli control and few checkpoints - like before the first intifada.

Correcting Some Oslo Myths

1) In Oslo "Israeli, Palestinian and other world leaders promised that ... Palestinian sovereignty would be solidified."

No, they didn't. The 1993 Declaration of Principles and subsequent Oslo agreements outlined a process by which final status negotiations about the West Bank and Gaza Strip would be reached. The process required an end to anti-Israel terrorism and incitement and a commitment to peaceful negotiations. The PA, Fatah, Hamas, Islamic Jihad, the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine, and other terrorist groups, sabotaged the process from the start.

2) "The reality is that, in defiance of U.N. Security Council Resolution 242, which states that it is inadmissible to occupy land by force, Palestinian territories are still under foreign military occupation."
Wrong again. Resolution 242 (1967) does note "the inadmissibility of the acquisition of territory by war." It also affirms the right of every state in the area "to live in peace with secure and recognized boundaries free from threats or acts of force." There were no "Palestinian territories." Jordan occupied the West Bank, Egypt controlled Gaza. Israel did not have "secure and recognized boundaries," so retention of some of those territories was possible under 242. Israel is not a "foreign" military occupier in the West Bank but, pending final negotiations, the lawful military administrator as a result of a successful war of self-defense.

Doc's Talk