Doc's Talk: "Shaky Ground"

Thursday, December 03, 2009

"Shaky Ground"

Arlene Kushner

The feeling one gets, on reading the reports of Prime Minister Netanyahu's meeting today with angry leaders of Judea and Samaria communities, is that he knows. He knows that the government has saddled them and all of the residents of Judea and Samaria with an unfair deal.

Binyamin Netanyahu is capable of dealing tough. Anyone who has confronted him is likely to attest to this. But with the Judea and Samaria leaders he sounded atypically apologetic and conciliatory. There is reason for this. It is not just that an announcement was made stating that there would be no new tenders, no new starts, on building in Judea and Samaria -- as bad as that would have been. That's the way the prime minister's announcement originally made it sound: The 3,000 units already underway would proceed, but there would be no new starts, etc. etc.

Instead it's been done in a heavy-handed fashion, with -- as I described yesterday -- building that had already been given proper bureaucratic go-ahead and was just beginning suddenly and precipitously shut down. People caught off-guard, and in some cases trapped financially -- their plans gone awry. Inspectors for the Civil Administration, in some cases put in place from other jobs in various agencies and ministries, marching onto properties and attempting to hand people "stop-work" orders.

It's not going well. For the inspectors and the prime minister, that is. I'm mighty pleased with the feisty stance of the people, and proud of them. In Kedumim and Karnei Shomron today, crowds of people stopped inspectors from entering the communities. It happened in Beit Arye, and in Talmon, when residents tried to do the same, they ended up clashing with police. And so it is proceeding.

Yesterday, in Efrat, the leaders of the Yesha [Judea, Samaria, Gaza] Council laid a cornerstone for a new synagogue. A sign stretched across the community's entrance read, "No entry to Bibi's inspectors," while residents on the scene sported T-shirts that said, "In Efrat we are defrosting the freeze."

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The first meeting that was scheduled with a government official was with Defense Minister Ehud Barak, last night. But most community leaders, expressing a particular antipathy for Barak, boycotted the meeting, indicating that they wanted to speak directly with Netanyahu. Only two were willing to participate, and Barak told them:

"Settlement blocs will be an integral part of Israel in any future negotiations with the Palestinians. The Jordan Valley and the Dead Sea are regions that are dear to my heart." Very touching.

He further explained that "the connection and coordination with the US are essential to Israel from political and security points of view.

"I know that this step is a difficult one, but this is a step essential to the State of Israel today."

At this point, unless something comes clear, these are no more than words.

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Today the community leaders met with Netanyahu for two hours, in Tel Aviv.

"We are not enemies, and if there things that need to be amended - we will fix them," he is reported to have said, while offering reassurance that the freeze would definitely be terminated in 10 months: "Read my lips..."

Apparently he implied that there might be some measures taken to alleviate problems in the field. Later I read about some "adjustments" to be made so that a porch could be closed in, or a sewer line put in, or air conditioning [air conditioning here means cooling and heating]. But it bewilders me as to why doing these things should have constituted a problem at all -- that a stop was put on such things is really heavy-handed. Additionally I am reading about a "benefits package" being put together for residents who have been inconvenienced or worse.

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The community leaders who met with the prime minister then told him that they hadn't come to negotiate these small matters (and that adjustment of them would not mollify them). They had come, they said, to protest the freeze: they felt that Barak was securing political gain from this, and that he, Netanyahu, was disconnected from the field.

With this, they raise the very pertinent and serious question as to who is running the country. (In other contexts it sometimes seems as if Shimon Peres is, but I'll come back to that some other time.) Barak, as Defense Minister, has particular authority for communities beyond the Green Line, which, regrettably, are not governed under Israeli civil law. It's not difficult to understand that, by being heavy handed in administering the freeze, he would gain plaudits from restive members of his Labor party. But what needs to be asked is if Netanyahu signed off on what was happening or was more or less absent where the details were concerned -- which is why he now seeks to make amends.

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Even before the meeting, Pinhas Wallerstein, Director-General of the Council of Jewish Communities of Judea, Samaria and the Gaza Strip, told Army Radio that possible financial benefits that were being suggested would not keep residents from "using their bodies. [The leaders] have no intention to stop this struggle...and we are willing to pay with great pain."

After the meeting, Yesha Council head Danny Dayan said that it had been "difficult" and "emotionally charged." He, too, spoke about ways in which community residents would continue to protest, both via civil disobedience and legal efforts.

There is a mass demonstration in Jerusalem planned for next week. In addition, local community councils from Judea and Samaria filed a petition with the High Court today, requesting that the freeze be cancelled. The petition -- filed against the government, Defense Minister Ehud Barak and OC Central Command Maj.-Gen. Avi Mizrachi -- maintains that the order to freeze construction is political and thus will seriously undermine military authority in the area.

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In response to the petition draw up by Danny Danon, the Central Committee of Likud indeed will be meeting later this month. Now the political battle is on to ensure that the issue of the freeze is not only discussed, but voted upon.

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Please read, "The Illegal-Settlements Myth":

http://www.commentarymagazine.com:80/viewarticle.cfm/the-illegal-settlements-myth-15295

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The French Ambassador to Israel, Christophe Bigot, has indicated to The Jerusalem Post that France has "several strong reservations" about the proposal being advanced by Sweden to recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Palestine.

"Let us be clear the text is not an EU text; it is a Swedish proposal looking for agreement by the 27 EU members of the Council of Foreign Affairs next Tuesday," he said.

Well OK, let's hope for the best.

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As the rumors continue to fly with regard to a prisoner trade for Shalit, the issue of including Marwan Barghouti is frequently raised. We have no definitive information that Israel is considering his release, but it has been said that if he were to be released, Israel would demand that he be deported out of the area. What is definitive, according to a report by Khaled Abu Toameh today, is that Barghouti's wife and associates say that Barghouti would decline to leave the area. He would remain in prison rather than be deported.

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"The Good News Corner"

Frivolous matters, because sometimes that's what we need:

Merchants at the Mahane Yehuda market in Jerusalem this week put together the world's largest mixed grill, in an effort to set a Guinness world record. Some of Jerusalem's finest chefs came to help, and Angels bakeries provided a pita three feet in diameter for the grill. Roughly 175 pounds of meat were used.

Passersby and merchants were allowed to partake, once it was done.

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Good heavens! Chanukah begins next week and the treat associated with the holiday here in Israel is the donut or sufganiya -- a donut of the filled variety. But now alcohol importers have hit upon the idea of providing donuts infused with vodka. Put together by a baker who is also a bartender, the donuts, which also contain jelly, have an alcohol content equivalent to a bottle of beer. They will be sold -- I assume in limited outlets -- only to ID- bearing adults. Count me out here.

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More after Shabbat...

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see my website www.ArlenefromIsrael.info

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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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