Doc's Talk: "No Friends Here"

Wednesday, December 09, 2009

"No Friends Here"

Arlene Kushner

The EU Council met in Brussels today, and when they were done they had passed a resolution on "The Middle East Process" that encourages the resumption of negotiations between Israel and the PA. It further states that:

"The European Union will not recognise any changes to the pre-1967 borders including with regard to Jerusalem, other than those agreed by the parties." What this says is that, while they are not in a position to impose a solution, the position of the EU is solidly with the PA demands.

Understand that were we to return to 1967 lines in Jerusalem (G-d forbid), we would be relinquishing the Jewish Quarter, with the Kotel and Har HaBayit. And the Europeans care not a bit. There is no concern for our needs or rights. Not even a lame suggestion about sharing the holy places or putting them under international supervision.

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Is there any bright spot here? Well, it's not quite as bad as the original Swedish proposal -- it doesn't refer to "Palestine" or recognize a "Palestinian State" as a fait accompli. And there is relief in Jerusalem in this regard. It additionally gives a nod in the direction of negotiations (see more on this below).

Other issues:

[] It calls for a complete opening of all crossings into Gaza. As Aaron Lerner, in his IMRA commentary, points out, there is a recognition of Israeli security needs, but there is no acknowledgement of our right to act for the sake of those same security needs.

[] It encourages the "reconciliation" of Palestinian Arabs, with support for Egypt's effort in this direction. While Hamas is not specifically mentioned, a unity government between Fatah and Hamas is clearly what is intended. This is hypocrisy at its worst. A government in which Hamas participates would increase security threats to Israel. As the EU statement says peace negotiations should be based on all previous agreements, and as Hamas doesn't recognize these agreements, I think the EU ministers have a bit of explaining to do. I frequently refer to Hamas as "the elephant in the room," and that's precisely what it is: Nations prefer to proceed as if it weren't there.

[] One of the documents upon which this resolution says peace must be based is the "Arab Peace Initiative." This, formerly known as the Saudi plan, calls for "return" of refugees. Not a good sign if the EU embraces this as a basis for negotiations.

[] One of the things it considers an "obstacle to peace" is "the separation barrier built on occupied land." Well, damn them. The land is not occupied. But let's move beyond this to the reason for the barrier, which was to keep terrorists from killing innocent Jews. Not even a nod to this.

You can see the full document at:

http://www.consilium.europa.eu/uedocs/cms_data/docs/pressdata/EN/foraff/111829.pdf

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Jerusalem mayor Nir Barkat, bless him, rejected the resolution out of hand. There will be no division of Jerusalem, he says. Dividing a city has never worked.

Our Foreign Ministry released a statement charging that the EU position does not contribute to the renewal of negotiations. By taking the PA side so completely, instead of saying that only negotiations will determine the allocation of Jerusalem, it gives the impression that there is no need to negotiate -- the international community will force Israel to relinquish everything.

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Netanyahu has insisted that the "freeze" would benefit us, putting us in a more solid position with the international community. And my guess would be that he would persist in this argument, pointing out that the original Swedish proposal was softened. But I myself would find this a pathetically small source of comfort.

The EU resolution says it takes "positive note of the recent decision of the Government of Israel on a partial and temporary settlement freeze as a first step in the right direction." A first step? Sure enough. For then, "The Council urges the government of Israel to immediately end all settlement activities, in East Jerusalem and the rest of the West Bank and including natural growth."

Is our prime minister ready to learn this lesson yet? Caving does not bring rewards, it brings more demands.

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Let me share with you one illustration of how draconian that "first step" freeze is. I learned today of a woman who lives in a community beyond the Green Line. She has a large family, and they frequently come to visit. Because of this, she found the dining room overcrowded and had recently decided to enlarge the dining room and get a bigger table. Now with the freeze, she cannot do it.

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Defense Minister Barak made a statement yesterday that the settlers must "obey the law." And I wondered: is this declared freeze really law? It wasn't passed by the Knesset, or by the Cabinet -- which is the government. It was passed only by a Security Cabinet, in which only some ministers participate.

And, indeed, the Legal Forum for the Land of Israel doesn't think it's a law. In fact, the Forum has taken this to the High Court, asking that the freeze be overturned because it does not have a solid legal footing, and because it is prejudicial, as Arabs are not being restricted in their building, only Jews.

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The Forum -- which includes some 400 lawyers now, most working pro-bono or for very little -- is doing a fantastic job:

[] They are distributing cameras in Judea and Samaria to be used to record any violence on the part of the police, for use in court.

[] They are working to reveal the financial losses implicit in the freeze, which will be millions of shekels. (More on this soon.)

[] They are providing legal aid to those hurt by the freeze, who do not have the ability to represent themselves at a hearing. They are focusing on the basic civil rights of Jewish citizens in Judea and Samaria.

[] They are preparing to embark on a PR campaign to make known how great is the injustice and financial damage being done to individual citizens.

One more action is under consideration. There are Jewish Israeli citizens who are also American citizens, and they are in some cases suffering deprivation of their rights, whereas there are American citizens who are Muslim, who are being permitted to continue as usual. Because American citizens of Jewish heritage are being discriminated against, the Forum is considering securing American lawyers to represent them.

If you are an American lawyer, and would be interested in helping with this, should it be pursued, e-mail:

office@haforum.org.il Program manager there is Einat. She speaks English.

If you would like to make a tax-deductible donation to help defray the Forum's legal costs, e-mail at the same address for further instructions.

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Tomorrow, hopefully, we will pick up with the profile of another community in Judea-Samaria, and more. I am working on securing additional information for readers on how they might help with regard to the freeze situation.

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In the meantime:

There will be a protest against the construction freeze

Sunday, December 13
11:00 am to 2:00 pm

In front of the Israeli Consulate
42nd Street and Second Avenue, NYC

For more information, see:

http://www.facebook.com/n/?event.php&eid=338140430540&mid=188abcaG562c1d22G88a66cG7
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Let me end with something a representative of the Legal Forum said to me tonight. I hope and trust that, as I am not identifying him, he will not mind that I share this:

"I'm frightened for Israel," I told him.

"Don't be frightened," he said. "Can a soldier going into fire afford to be frightened? We just have to keep on fighting to the very best of our ability."

~~~~~~~~~~

I'm going to be running Dry Bones cartoons from time to time.

http://info.jpost.com/2000/Supplements/DryBones/GALLERY.HTML

Cartoonist Yaakov Kirshen is bitingly on the mark and very funny.

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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.

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