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

Thursday, May 29, 2008

News of the Israeli-Palestinian Confrontation

May 20-27, 2008

Overview

This week events focused on the Palestinian Islamic Jihad's attempted mass-killing suicide attack at the Erez Crossing, using a truck filled with explosives. The truck blew up but no injuries were caused to the soldiers and civilians at the crossing. The Erez and other crossings between Israel and the Gaza Strip continue as preferred targets for the Palestinian terrorist organizations despite the fact that aid vital to the Gaza Strip population passes through them.

Khaled Mashal and a delegation of high-level members of Hamas's political bureau are currently on a visit to Iran , prompted by the indirect Israeli-Syrian negotiations and the Egyptian initiative for a lull in the fighting. During the visit senior Iranians expressed their support for Hamas and the “resistance” (i.e., Palestinian terrorism and violence). On the practical level, the London-based Arabic newspaper Al-Sharq Al-Awsat reported on May 25 that Iran had agreed to increase its financial aid to Hamas and to deliver the weapons it requested, including upgraded rockets manufactured by Iran 's weapons industry.
Overview

This week events focused on the Palestinian Islamic Jihad's attempted mass-killing suicide attack at the Erez Crossing, using a truck filled with explosives. The truck blew up but no injuries were caused to the soldiers and civilians at the crossing. The Erez and other crossings between Israel and the Gaza Strip continue as preferred targets for the Palestinian terrorist organizations despite the fact that aid vital to the Gaza Strip population passes through them.

Khaled Mashal and a delegation of high-level members of Hamas's political bureau are currently on a visit to Iran , prompted by the indirect Israeli-Syrian negotiations and the Egyptian initiative for a lull in the fighting. During the visit senior Iranians expressed their support for Hamas and the “resistance” (i.e., Palestinian terrorism and violence). On the practical level, the London-based Arabic newspaper Al-Sharq Al-Awsat reported on May 25 that Iran had agreed to increase its financial aid to Hamas and to deliver the weapons it requested, including upgraded rockets manufactured by Iran 's weapons industry.

Important Events

Rocket fire from the Gaza Strip

This past week there was a decline in the amount of rocket fire from the Gaza Strip, with a total of 13 identified hits in Israeli territory compared with 37 during the previous week. Two of the rockets were 122mm standard Grad rockets, both fired on May 24 at the southern city of Netivot , now also a target. In addition, 23 mortar shells were fired at IDF forces operating in the Gaza Strip and at Israeli population centers close to the security fence, compared with 17 the previous week.
During the past week Hamas's participation in rocket fire was evident. On May 23 Hamas claimed responsibility for two rockets fired at Sderot (Al-Quds Website, May 23), and for rockets and mortar shells fired at IDF forces and population centers near the Gaza Strip. The PIJ, the PFLP and Fatah also participated in the rocket fire.

Attempted suicide bomber attack at the Erez Crossing

In the early morning hours of May 22 a truck carrying tons of explosives arrived at the Erez Crossing in the northern Gaza Strip and blew up. A short time later the Israeli Air Force attacked a vehicle near the crossing which was apparently to be used to abduct IDF soldiers during the attack.1 A PIJ video clip claiming responsibility showed the suicide bomber, Ibrahim Muhammad Ibrahim Nasser sitting in front of the organization's flag and with an assault rifle slung over his shoulder, reading his “will” (Al-Alam TV, May 23). Had the attack succeeded, it would have caused many casualties among the IDF soldiers and the civilians working for the Coordination and Liaison Administration at the Erez Crossing.

Following the attack the Erez Crossing was closed for repairs. On May 26 it was reopened and Gazan civilians with humanitarian problems were permitted to enter Israel . The other Gaza Strip crossings operate as usual, with the exception of the Kerem Shalom Crossing which has remained closed since the attempted attack on April 19.

The explosion completely destroyed the main lines which provide electricity from the power plant in Ashqelon to wide stretches of the northern Gaza Strip (Beit Lahia, Beit Hanoun, Al-Atatra and Jabaliya). Jamal al-Dardasawi of the Gaza Strip electric company called for the northern Gaza Strip to be rescued from a “humanitarian catastrophe.”

In recent months the IDF has been trying to temporarily move the soldiers and civilians working for the Coordination and Liaison Administration from their base, which is the one closest to the Gaza Strip. The intention is to avoid unnecessary danger while continuing the crossing's humanitarian activities. The Hamas media represented the Israeli decision to evacuate the area as an achievement for the Palestinian terrorist organizations.

Counterterrorist Activities

The Gaza Strip

During the past week the Israeli security forces continued their activities against terrorist squads attempting to carry out attacks from the Gaza Strip:

• May 25 – An IED was exploded by IDF forces near the security fence in the southern Gaza strip.

• May 23 – An IDF force observed two armed terrorist operatives near the security fence in the central Gaza Strip. The terrorists opened fire and the soldiers returned fire and killed them. The two were on their way to plant an IED near the security fence. They were found to be wearing bullet-proof vests and carrying light weapons and hand grenades. The PIJ's Jerusalem Battalions posted an announcement of their deaths (Jerusalem Battalions Website, May 23).

• May 23 – In the southern Gaza strip the IDF attacked a number of terrorist operatives equipped with anti-tank missiles. Hamas's Izzedine al-Qassam Brigades reported the deaths of three of their operatives (Al-Qassam Website, May 23).

• May 21 – During the morning hours an IDF force uncovered an IED planted near the security fence in the northern Gaza Strip. It was detonated in a controlled explosion

Judea and Samaria

Counterterrorist activities continued in Judea and Samaria against the terrorist organizations which continue their efforts to attack Israeli civilians and security forces, resulting in a number of detentions:

• May 25 – During a joint Israeli security forces' activity, Ali Issa Muhammad Turmusuni , 24, Fatah-Tanzim operative from the Amari refugee camp in Ramallah, was detained. He is an arms dealer who was involved in shooting attacks and also prepared IEDs. In July 2007 he was included in the wanted terrorists' agreement2 but nevertheless continued his terrorist activity. He was involved in planning the abductions of Israelis and in shooting attacks at the IDF crossing point near Ramallah (IDF Spokesman's Website, May 25).

• May 22 – During a joint Israeli security forces' activity Qais Muhammad Hussein Qadoumi , 23, was detained. He was the last member to be arrested of the terrorist squad responsible for the drive- by shooting near the settlement of Kidumim in November 2007 which killed Idan Zoldan. 3

• May 22 – During a joint Israeli security forces' activity, Mustafa Shaabu Nofal , a Fatah-Tanzim operative, was detained.

The Initiative for a Lull in the Fighting

Israeli-Egyptian contacts

On May 25 General Amos Gilad, head of the Ministry of Defense's political-security branch, met with Egyptian General Intelligence chief Omar Suleiman. They did not succeed in resolving the differences of opinion about the lull in the fighting, however Egypt 's contacts with both Israel and Hamas are expected to continue.

According to reports in the Israeli and Arab media, the disagreements center around lifting the blockade of the Gaza Strip and the release of Gilad Shalit, the abducted Israeli soldier. Hamas insists that the Rafah and other crossings are to be opened concurrently with the lull. Israel , on the other hand, is of the opinion that the crossing will be opened after a period of continued quiet and with genuine progress made in the issue of Gilad Shalit. In addition, Hamas refuses to agree to end the smuggling of arms, money and operatives into the Gaza Strip though the tunnels and by sea, claiming that they have no control over it (Felesteen, May 26; Al-Hayat, May 22; Filastin al-‘An Website, May 21; Al-Aqsa TV, May 22; Haaretz, May 26).

Khaled Mashal, head of the Hamas political bureau in Damascus , currently visiting Iran , gave an interview to the Iranian news agency Fars in which he also discussed the lull initiative. He said that three Hamas conditions had to be met: an immediate cessation of Israeli attacks on the Gaza Strip, the lifting of the blockade and the opening of the crossings. He noted that Hamas talks with Egypt regarding the lull were being carried out from a position of strength and threatened that if the blockade continued it would be “broken” by Hamas (i.e., by force) (Fars News Agency, May 26).

Hamas organizes “popular activity” to break through the blockade of the Gaza Strip

Hamas has recently organized “popular activity” to break through the blockade of the Gaza Strip while maintaining contacts with Egypt regarding the lull. On May 22 Hamas organized a demonstration at the Karni Crossing attended by several hundred civilians.

The procession approached the crossing as planned while stones were thrown at IDF forces. Initially the IDF force tried to disperse the demonstrators with riot control equipment. When armed men were observed among them, the IDF forces fired at their legs, and fire was returned (Ynet, May 22). Hamas issued a report stating that one of the demonstrators, a 22-year old man, had been killed and that dozens had been wounded (Palestine-info Website, May 22).

The Hamas newspaper Al-Risala, which covered the demonstration, wrote that Hamas could exert “popular pressure” to open the Rafah Crossing , and by other demonstrations which would also target the Egyptian border crossing . According to the paper, on Thursday, May 29, a similar demonstration is expected to be held at the Sufa Crossing (Al-Risala, May 26). Ashraf Abu Diyya, a spokesman for Hamas “public activities,” said that such events would continue in the coming days and increase “to break through the blockade imposed on our people under the shadow of pan-Arab and international silence” (Filastin al-‘An Website, May 22).

The Internal Palestinian Arena

The Palestinian investment conference in Bethlehem

On May 21-23 an investment conference was held in Bethlehem to encourage investments in the Palestinian Authority and Gaza Strip. At the end of the conference PA prime minister Salam Fayyad said that it had produced initiatives and projects worth $1.4 billion , that it had fulfilled its objectives and that the agreements signed would give the Palestinian economy a push forward (Wafa News Agency, May 23).

The conference was quiet and there were no special events, with the exception of a incident which occurred when the Qatari representatives were insulted by members of the radical Islamic Liberation Party, when they arrived at the Temple Mount to pray on Friday. Members of the Libration Party, whose activity has increased in Judea and Samaria during the past year yelled “ Palestine needs jihad fighters, not investors.”

1 For further information see our May 22, 2008 Bulletin entitled “An attempted mass-killing attack was prevented when a truck carrying explosives blew up near the Erez Crossing” .

2 According to the agreement, wanted terrorists who participate in it commited themselves to abandoning terrorism and turn over their weapons.

3 For further information see our November 20, 2007 Bulletin entitled “Terrorist attacks and the propaganda campaign to undermine the Annapolis meeting” .

4 On May 25 the Jerusalem Post reported that the possibility of moving the Hamas political bureau from Damascus to Tehran had been raised in the talks.

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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