From Jewish World Review May 22, 2006 /24 Iyar, 5766, by Caroline B. Glick ...
You have to give them credit. The Palestinians outdid themselves this week. In the framework of the maelstrom over the presumed financial crisis of the Hamas-led PA, the supposedly "moderate" Fatah organization, led by supposedly "moderate" PA Chairman Mahmoud Abbas, decided to threaten America and Europe.
In a leaflet published by Fatah's Aksa Martyrs Brigades in Gaza, the group announced, "We won't remain idle in the face of the siege imposed on the Palestinian people by Israel, the US and other countries ... We will strike at the economic and civilian interests of these countries, here and abroad." On Capitol Hill in Washington, DC, the announcement was greeted by many with contempt and anger....
Since 1994, the PA has always been supposedly on the brink of a financial and humanitarian catastrophe. But what is interesting about the current financial crisis is Abbas's behavior. In a departure from his normal diffidence, this week Fatah leader Abbas did not try to soften the impression that his underlings sought to make on the West. Rather, he strengthened it.
In a speech before the European Parliament in Strasbourg, Abbas warned that if the EU did not renew its underwriting of the PA's budget "there will be an explosion of anger, and this would lead to a chaotic situation of which we cannot foresee the results." Translated into regular English, Abbas told his European audience: "Your money or your life."
Yet even as he was directly blackmailing the Europeans, Abbas didn't forget his manners. Like a professional, and in a style that befits Yasser Arafat's deputy of some 40 years, Abbas provided his victims with the opportunity to feel good about giving in to his threats. If you give me your protection money, he said, you will be able to wrap yourselves in the robes of the saviors of the poor, popular Palestinian people by preventing a "humanitarian disaster."
And so, from the editorial board of Ha'aretz to the continental press, all the enlightened humanitarians now express their deep concern for the fate of the PA's 165,000 employees who have not received salaries for nearly two whole months. Human rights organizations from the UN to Amnesty International have expressed their deep-seated fears for the fate of the poor Palestinians who haven't been paid.
The thing of it is that for all of their shrieks and whines, there has never been a group of more self-sufficient people on the verge of a humanitarian disaster than the Palestinians. They're swimming in money.... Since its establishment in 1994, the PA has received more aid per capita than any other group of people in the world has ever received — more than the victims of genocide in Sudan or Rwanda, more that the victims of the tsunami in Asia, more than the Iraqis or the Afghans — more than anyone.
As the researcher Arlene Kushner pointed out in an article published this week by Ynet those miserable unpaid PA employees include some 4,000 Palestinian terrorists who Abbas placed on the PA payroll. Terrorists sitting in Israeli prisons get $4 million a month. Several million more go to paying the families of dead terrorists. Kushner quoted former PA and Fatah strongman Muhammad Dahlan admitting that of the $10 billion in international aid that the Palestinians have received over the past 12 years, some $5 billion has gone missing.
Abbas, who politely warns against "explosions," himself controls up to $1b. that he prefers not to use to save his people from that "humanitarian disaster" he's so bent out of shape about. As Kushner reminds us, in 2002, Salam Fayyad, who then served as the PA's finance minister, set up the Palestinian Investment Fund (PIF) in an attempt to prevent Arafat from absconding with all the PA's money. At least $700 million should still be deposited in the PIF which had been valued at $1 billion in recent months.
Abbas, who bemoans the poor Palestinian doctors and teachers that have not received their March salaries, decided last summer — against the expressed warnings of the International Monetary Fund — to give significant pay increases to the PA's employees. Civil servants were given raises of some 15-20 percent and militia members were given raises of 30%-40%.
Kushner notes that at the time of Arafat's death in November 2004, his grieving widow Suha refused to unplug his respirator until Abbas and the PA prime minister Ahmed Qurei agreed to her demands for a significant cut of her husband's personal wealth which was assessed at some $3.1 billion Apparently it hasn't occurred to anyone that Arafat might have liked to use that money to avert a "humanitarian disaster" among his beloved people.
EVEN WITHOUT Kushner's data, the Palestinians themselves demonstrated this week their contempt for the West and its "humanitarians" who concern themselves with the Palestinians' dire financial straits. On Wednesday, the PA deployed its newest 3,000-man militia. The militia, comprised mainly of Hamas terror operatives and operatives from the Popular Resistance Committees made up of Hamas, Islamic Jihad and Fatah terrorists, made its first appearance in Gaza. Its troops were all decked out in new uniforms and shiny rifles.
Perhaps all 3,000 are volunteers. Perhaps the men paid for their own uniforms and weapons. If there are Palestinian patients dying because their hospitals can't afford to maintain dialysis equipment, maybe the PA should be asking the new Hamas militia for a loan or a contribution.
If the deployment of its newest army weren't enough to send a clear signal of its sentiments to its deeply concerned donors, the Hamas-led PA appointed Popular Resistance Committees commander Jamal Abu Samadana to command the new force. Samadana also commanded the terror attack against US Embassy personnel in Gaza in October 2003.
While the Palestinians' supporters in Europe and Israel still refuse to acknowledge what the Palestinians are clearly signaling with their newest armed force, Arafat's former paymaster Fuad Shubaki, now in Israeli custody, openly admits that under Arafat the PA siphoned off millions of dollars from the tax revenues that Israel transferred to it and millions more in international assistance to fund terrorist cells and operations.
These Israeli leftists and Europeans unabashedly describe themselves as humanitarians and urge the payment of salaries of people whose job it is to kill them. For their part, the Palestinians couldn't be any clearer. As a spokesman for Fatah's Abu Rish brigades (also commanded by Abu Samadana) put it this week, if the money doesn't start flowing again, the Palestinians will open a "new intifada," which will be a "merciless intifada that will destroy everything."
PERHAPS THE most distinguishing group characteristic of the Palestinians is the fact that no matter what they do or say, they never have to pay a price for the choices they make. In spite of their blackmail, threats and corruption, their war for the annihilation of Israel, and perhaps above all, their mocking contempt for the collective honor of Israel and the West, the Palestinians' victims line up to support them in their "just struggle against the illegal Zionist occupation."
This fact was made breathtakingly clear at the end of April when, in a move that can be likened to a metaphorical rape of the concept of "international law," Amnesty International published a statement defining as a breach of the Fourth Geneva Convention the US, Israeli and EU decision to abide by their laws (and international law forbidding aid to terror organizations) and end assistance to the Hamas-led PA. Not surprisingly, Amnesty cited no clause in the Convention that supports the preposterous claim that the contracting parties to the convention are obligated — or even permitted — to fund terrorist organizations. What is notable here is that Amnesty has determined a new standard that claims that taking steps to force the PA to be responsible for its actions is an offense against the law of nations.
Not to be outdone by Amnesty, the EU is fervently brainstorming to find a way to finance the Hamas-led PA's budget in spite of the fact that its own laws prohibit financing Hamas. In the wake of Abbas's "explosion" speech, the EU's External Affairs Commissioner Benita Ferrero-Waldner said, "We are well aware of the urgency of the situation in the Palestinian territories. We have to get the parameters right and then we have to get the donors and the partners to accept what we will set up." For its part, what most concerns the World Bank these days is that the US and Israel might place sanctions on companies or agencies that continue to do business with the PA. Because of this, the bank is demanding that Israel and the US provide "explicit assurances" that they will not impose sanctions on such companies or agencies.
In truth, as far as Israel is concerned the World Bank and the EU have little to worry about. In the aftermath of last week's meeting of the so-called Quartet, where it was agreed that the EU would formulate a way to bypass European and US laws prohibiting the transfer of monies to Hamas, both Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni and Defense Minister Amir Peretz announced varying degrees of willingness to resume tax revenue transfers to the PA in some form of "humanitarian assistance," to the PA.
Although on Sunday the government did not vote to resume such financial transfers that amount to some $50 million per month, members of Congress have reported that Israeli officials were encouraging them to water down their draft legislation that will place a total ban on direct and indirect assistance to the PA. These Israeli government officials maintain that Israel is interested in the transfer of "humanitarian aid," in the hopes of averting that much feared "humanitarian disaster."
Many members of Congress and senators who have received such entreaties from Israeli officials and been urged to support Prime Minister Ehud Olmert's plan to withdraw from Judea and Samaria and parts of Jerusalem are puzzled by what they view as an Israeli attempt to finance and surrender to Hamas. In a lecture last week in New York sponsored by the Zionist Organization of America, former IDF chief of general staff Lt.'Gen. (res.) Moshe Ya'alon explained that Israel suffers from a weak national leadership. In his words, "We don't need Chamberlains, we need Churchills." Ya'alon further explained that Israelis had been manipulated by Palestinian lies that have caused us "to ignore reality."
As the members of Congress listen to Olmert address them next Wednesday; and as they vote on the proposed ban on aid to the Hamas-led PA, they would do well to keep Ya'alon's message in mind and not fall into the same trap.
Tuesday, May 23, 2006
Noam Chomsky applauds jihad
From Ynetnews, 18/5/06, by Sever Plocker ...
MIT professor's support for Hizbullah is sign of worrying trend
One could approach Massachusetts Institute of Technology Profesor Noam Chomsky's show of support this week for Hizbullah as a passing curiosity, or as yet one more piece of psychiatric evidence of this old Jew's dimming mind that has contributed so much to linguistic research has been swept away by his outrageous political opinions.
But it is also possible to see the praises Prof. Chomsky lavished on Iran's Lebanese proxy ... as one expression ... of a worrying and dangerous push gaining a foothold amongst Western intellectuals: An acceptance of radical Islam, and the view of such groups as legitimate liberation movements.
Liberation from what, you ask? The answer is clear: From the onus of colonialism, and American-Israeli oppression.
Leader of the pack
Prof. Chomsky, as is his wont, is a leader of the pack, but the pack is clearly following in his footsteps. Last week, the British Lecturers Association NATFHE considered a proposal to boycott Israeli universities, yet took pains to recognize Hamas as the legitimate, recognized, democratically-elected representative of the Palestinian people.
The influential journal "New York Review of Books" has published a long screed by Jewish businessman Henry Siegman entitled " Hamas: The Last Chance for Peace? ....
...Prof. Chomsky's visit to Hizbullah did, however, make one crucial point clear: According to [his style of] new Euro-American thinking, we had better get used to living with Hizbullah and Hamas and Ahmadinejad. The moral ground has already been prepared for a historic reconciliation with jihadic Islam. At least from this perspective, Israel is now living on borrowed time.
MIT professor's support for Hizbullah is sign of worrying trend
One could approach Massachusetts Institute of Technology Profesor Noam Chomsky's show of support this week for Hizbullah as a passing curiosity, or as yet one more piece of psychiatric evidence of this old Jew's dimming mind that has contributed so much to linguistic research has been swept away by his outrageous political opinions.
But it is also possible to see the praises Prof. Chomsky lavished on Iran's Lebanese proxy ... as one expression ... of a worrying and dangerous push gaining a foothold amongst Western intellectuals: An acceptance of radical Islam, and the view of such groups as legitimate liberation movements.
Liberation from what, you ask? The answer is clear: From the onus of colonialism, and American-Israeli oppression.
Leader of the pack
Prof. Chomsky, as is his wont, is a leader of the pack, but the pack is clearly following in his footsteps. Last week, the British Lecturers Association NATFHE considered a proposal to boycott Israeli universities, yet took pains to recognize Hamas as the legitimate, recognized, democratically-elected representative of the Palestinian people.
The influential journal "New York Review of Books" has published a long screed by Jewish businessman Henry Siegman entitled " Hamas: The Last Chance for Peace? ....
...Prof. Chomsky's visit to Hizbullah did, however, make one crucial point clear: According to [his style of] new Euro-American thinking, we had better get used to living with Hizbullah and Hamas and Ahmadinejad. The moral ground has already been prepared for a historic reconciliation with jihadic Islam. At least from this perspective, Israel is now living on borrowed time.
Sunday, May 14, 2006
The coalition's clock is ticking
From Jerusalem Post, May. 11, 2006 by ANSHEL PFEFFER ...
.... Less than six months after breaking with the Likud in the hope that a new party would enable Ariel Sharon and his followers to pursue their agenda, the new coalition seems to be unraveling a mere week into its inception. ...
...What is the life expectancy of this coalition? What will trigger its downfall?
Following a policy meeting on Monday, one member of the Council of Jewish Communities in Judea and Samaria said, "There are quite a few MKs in Kadima and the Pensioners Party who, when push comes to shove, can be relied on not to vote in favor of Olmert's withdrawals." Whether or not their optimism is misplaced, the government's downfall could come a lot earlier than even they anticipate - yet over a totally different issue.
...ONE OF the hottest topics this week was the timetable of "convergence."
Olmert, Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni and Justice Minister Haim Ramon each quoted different dates for the plan's implementation.
.... The most we can expect by the end of 2007 is the evacuation of the some of the outposts. Olmert's team will have to maneuver through a long obstacle course before being able to get down to the main task of moving permanent settlements into the "blocs" inside the security barrier.
The first hurdles will be diplomatic. For appearances' sake, at least, the government will have to go through the motions of trying to negotiate with the Palestinians. No one believes for a moment that anything resembling an agreement can be reached with the ineffectual Palestinian Chairman Mahmoud Abbas or a Hamas-controlled PA, but at least six months will have to be wasted on fruitless attempts just to get the US to concur that we tried and failed.
The White House is crucial for the subsequent stages, as well. Before Israel can seriously consider concentrating settlers in blocs beyond the pre-1967 Green Line, some kind of tacit American approval is necessary. ... assurance that there will be no major outcry over the move to delineate them is essential.
...The most difficult legislative step will be to define the legal status of the separation fence, which will have to be moved in many places, as a quasi-border. The area of the West Bank that will remain under Israeli control will not be officially annexed, but some instrument of sovereignty will have to be determined by the Knesset for establishing law and order there.
EACH OF these stages will spark a major battle in the Knesset. With a precarious majority and fickle coalition members, Olmert and his lieutenants will have to build ad-hoc coalitions with Meretz and Arab MKs prior to every vote.
Somewhere during this process there will also be a series of traumatic evacuations of outposts, each with a potential for violence greater than that at Amona four months ago. It is impossible to predict what effect the serious injury or even death of a policeman or settler would have on public opinion and the future of the process. But a sudden escalation will become much more likely when the time comes for action against the "hard-core" outposts around Yitzhar, Har Bracha and Elon Moreh.
Olmert has stationed his most trusted operators in the positions key to pushing the complicated process forward. Livni will be in charge of obtaining the guarantees from the international community; Hirschson will ensure necessary funding for every step; And Ramon will handle the legislative issues.
But even the most Herculean efforts on the part of Olmert's A-Team won't reach and pass all the necessary milestones before the end of 2007. No permanent settlements will budge earlier than that.
Meanwhile, back in the Knesset, Peretz will be growing restless. Kadima leaders hope he will derive enough satisfaction from bossing the IDF General Staff around. Obviously he will have no qualms about ordering the security forces to evacuate outposts. But will that suffice to calm his stormy disposition? How long will the "opposition firebrand" that is his essence remain dormant - especially when he sees that Olmert and Hirschson are still unreformed capitalists? But even if he does manage to control himself, what about the nascent Labor rebels?
ALL INDICATORS point to November 2007 as a crucial month. Olmert will be coming under pressure on both fronts, finding it more and more difficult to maintain his Knesset majority for passing the 2008 budget and the "convergence" laws. It will also be the the final stint of George Bush's presidency and the prevailing wisdom is that his support and friendship is crucial for any unilateral process. At this point, Olmert's going to start wondering whether he wouldn't do better going back to the public for a renewed mandate.
...Some of Olmert's advisers are already thinking that his best course of action would be to lay the groundwork for "convergence" and then build an early-elections campaign around a promise to the public to finish the job. Their hope is that this will be enough to return Kadima to power with an enlarged majority, cancel the settlers' demands for a referendum on further withdrawals and pave the way for implementation. If Olmert adopts this course, he won't be going too much out of his way to placate Peretz. Both politicians see themselves as Israel's next prime minister, and thus their partnership can only ever be temporary.
The script for Labor's next election broadcasts has already been written. Peretz and Co. will accuse Olmert of being an unfeeling social cannibal in bed with big business, who reneged on his financial commitments to Labor and the public. The last elections' results seemed to indicate that Peretz's social message was beginning to get through - albeit more to the benefit of Shas and the Pensioners than Labor. He has no plans to change tactics in the next round.
Olmert knows this. And if his government falls in a year and a half, his strategy will be to trump Peretz, turn the coalition's short life to his benefit and accuse Peretz of jeopardizing the country's future for his narrow political interests.
Barely one week into this government's term, the stage for its demise and the next elections has already been set.
.... Less than six months after breaking with the Likud in the hope that a new party would enable Ariel Sharon and his followers to pursue their agenda, the new coalition seems to be unraveling a mere week into its inception. ...
...What is the life expectancy of this coalition? What will trigger its downfall?
Following a policy meeting on Monday, one member of the Council of Jewish Communities in Judea and Samaria said, "There are quite a few MKs in Kadima and the Pensioners Party who, when push comes to shove, can be relied on not to vote in favor of Olmert's withdrawals." Whether or not their optimism is misplaced, the government's downfall could come a lot earlier than even they anticipate - yet over a totally different issue.
...ONE OF the hottest topics this week was the timetable of "convergence."
Olmert, Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni and Justice Minister Haim Ramon each quoted different dates for the plan's implementation.
.... The most we can expect by the end of 2007 is the evacuation of the some of the outposts. Olmert's team will have to maneuver through a long obstacle course before being able to get down to the main task of moving permanent settlements into the "blocs" inside the security barrier.
The first hurdles will be diplomatic. For appearances' sake, at least, the government will have to go through the motions of trying to negotiate with the Palestinians. No one believes for a moment that anything resembling an agreement can be reached with the ineffectual Palestinian Chairman Mahmoud Abbas or a Hamas-controlled PA, but at least six months will have to be wasted on fruitless attempts just to get the US to concur that we tried and failed.
The White House is crucial for the subsequent stages, as well. Before Israel can seriously consider concentrating settlers in blocs beyond the pre-1967 Green Line, some kind of tacit American approval is necessary. ... assurance that there will be no major outcry over the move to delineate them is essential.
...The most difficult legislative step will be to define the legal status of the separation fence, which will have to be moved in many places, as a quasi-border. The area of the West Bank that will remain under Israeli control will not be officially annexed, but some instrument of sovereignty will have to be determined by the Knesset for establishing law and order there.
EACH OF these stages will spark a major battle in the Knesset. With a precarious majority and fickle coalition members, Olmert and his lieutenants will have to build ad-hoc coalitions with Meretz and Arab MKs prior to every vote.
Somewhere during this process there will also be a series of traumatic evacuations of outposts, each with a potential for violence greater than that at Amona four months ago. It is impossible to predict what effect the serious injury or even death of a policeman or settler would have on public opinion and the future of the process. But a sudden escalation will become much more likely when the time comes for action against the "hard-core" outposts around Yitzhar, Har Bracha and Elon Moreh.
Olmert has stationed his most trusted operators in the positions key to pushing the complicated process forward. Livni will be in charge of obtaining the guarantees from the international community; Hirschson will ensure necessary funding for every step; And Ramon will handle the legislative issues.
But even the most Herculean efforts on the part of Olmert's A-Team won't reach and pass all the necessary milestones before the end of 2007. No permanent settlements will budge earlier than that.
Meanwhile, back in the Knesset, Peretz will be growing restless. Kadima leaders hope he will derive enough satisfaction from bossing the IDF General Staff around. Obviously he will have no qualms about ordering the security forces to evacuate outposts. But will that suffice to calm his stormy disposition? How long will the "opposition firebrand" that is his essence remain dormant - especially when he sees that Olmert and Hirschson are still unreformed capitalists? But even if he does manage to control himself, what about the nascent Labor rebels?
ALL INDICATORS point to November 2007 as a crucial month. Olmert will be coming under pressure on both fronts, finding it more and more difficult to maintain his Knesset majority for passing the 2008 budget and the "convergence" laws. It will also be the the final stint of George Bush's presidency and the prevailing wisdom is that his support and friendship is crucial for any unilateral process. At this point, Olmert's going to start wondering whether he wouldn't do better going back to the public for a renewed mandate.
...Some of Olmert's advisers are already thinking that his best course of action would be to lay the groundwork for "convergence" and then build an early-elections campaign around a promise to the public to finish the job. Their hope is that this will be enough to return Kadima to power with an enlarged majority, cancel the settlers' demands for a referendum on further withdrawals and pave the way for implementation. If Olmert adopts this course, he won't be going too much out of his way to placate Peretz. Both politicians see themselves as Israel's next prime minister, and thus their partnership can only ever be temporary.
The script for Labor's next election broadcasts has already been written. Peretz and Co. will accuse Olmert of being an unfeeling social cannibal in bed with big business, who reneged on his financial commitments to Labor and the public. The last elections' results seemed to indicate that Peretz's social message was beginning to get through - albeit more to the benefit of Shas and the Pensioners than Labor. He has no plans to change tactics in the next round.
Olmert knows this. And if his government falls in a year and a half, his strategy will be to trump Peretz, turn the coalition's short life to his benefit and accuse Peretz of jeopardizing the country's future for his narrow political interests.
Barely one week into this government's term, the stage for its demise and the next elections has already been set.
Thursday, May 11, 2006
Olmert to ask US act against Iran
From Ynet News, 10/5/06 by Ronny Sofer :
PM set to visit Washington in two weeks for summit with President Bush; Olmert to point to link between Tehran nuclear threat, Hamas terror, demand Americans move against Iran
Prime Minister Ehud Olmert is due to leave for Washington in two weeks-time and hold a summit with American President George W. Bush. The two leaders are set to meet in a bid to formulate a uniform stance on the Iranian nuclear threat and Hamas' rule in the Palestinian Authority. The PM will also attempt to ascertain the Administration's standpoint on the issue of the planned Israeli withdrawal from the West Bank.
...Diplomatic officials in Jerusalem stressed that the main purpose of the visit is to hold an introduction between Olmert and the senior American officials, and to confirm both countries see eye to eye on several issues.
Olmert will also seek to emphasize during the visit the need for international action against the Iranian nuclear plan and the Hamas government, which threaten the region. Olmert will point to the link between the two subjects.
The PM will make clear to his American counterparts that Tehran's nuclear project, and the country's threats to destroy Israel, represent a threat to the entire Western world. He is also set to stress that the same Iranian government supports Hizbullah, which poses a threat to Israel's northern border, and the Hamas-led government that is behind unrest in the territories.
One of the options Jerusalem officials are considering, is that the Americans will ask Olmert to engage in dialogue with PA Chairman Mahmoud Abbas. Israel at this point rules out any possibility for talks with the PA, and a government decision from April 11 has also branded the Authority a terrorist entity.
PM set to visit Washington in two weeks for summit with President Bush; Olmert to point to link between Tehran nuclear threat, Hamas terror, demand Americans move against Iran
Prime Minister Ehud Olmert is due to leave for Washington in two weeks-time and hold a summit with American President George W. Bush. The two leaders are set to meet in a bid to formulate a uniform stance on the Iranian nuclear threat and Hamas' rule in the Palestinian Authority. The PM will also attempt to ascertain the Administration's standpoint on the issue of the planned Israeli withdrawal from the West Bank.
...Diplomatic officials in Jerusalem stressed that the main purpose of the visit is to hold an introduction between Olmert and the senior American officials, and to confirm both countries see eye to eye on several issues.
Olmert will also seek to emphasize during the visit the need for international action against the Iranian nuclear plan and the Hamas government, which threaten the region. Olmert will point to the link between the two subjects.
The PM will make clear to his American counterparts that Tehran's nuclear project, and the country's threats to destroy Israel, represent a threat to the entire Western world. He is also set to stress that the same Iranian government supports Hizbullah, which poses a threat to Israel's northern border, and the Hamas-led government that is behind unrest in the territories.
One of the options Jerusalem officials are considering, is that the Americans will ask Olmert to engage in dialogue with PA Chairman Mahmoud Abbas. Israel at this point rules out any possibility for talks with the PA, and a government decision from April 11 has also branded the Authority a terrorist entity.
Speak for yourself, A.B. Yehoshua
From JPost, May. 10, 2006 , by URI DAN:
Author A.B. Yehoshua did not hesitate to determine in a lecture he gave in Washington last week that he is a real Jew because he lives in Israel, whereas Jews living in the United States cannot lead genuinely Jewish lives.
In the arrogant and overweeningly pretentious harangue before the centennial symposium of the American Jewish Committee, Yehoshua added, "Judaism outside Israel has no future. If you do not live in Israel [...] your Jewish identity has no meaning at all."
Of course Yehoshua's American Jewish hosts, among whom were some genuine intellectuals, were thoroughly offended by Yehoshua's gall: How dare Yehoshua purport to be a better Jew than they are? Others wondered aloud if Yehoshua wasn't perhaps expressing what the majority of Israelis were thinking.
Fortunately, he was not. This is not the first time that Avraham B. Yehoshua has held forth and spouted utter nonsense in public.... I have followed Yehoshua's posturing - invariably in a woefully wrong, even dangerous, direction - as Israel's national conscience.
Twenty years ago, the PLO under Yasser Arafat tried to organize a sensational cruise involving a Palestinian "refugee ship" that would land on Israel's shores ... to demonstrate their unwavering demand to return hundreds of thousands of Palestinian refugees to Israel - which if accepted would spell the end of the Jewish state. NATURALLY, A number of leftist Israelis offered to assist Arafat ...One of the members of that group was Avraham B. Yehoshua ...
...Later.... A.B. Yehoshua was of course among those who blindly and rapturously supported the Oslo agreements with Arafat ... We all know what happened as a result: over 1,500 people killed in Israel, over 5,000 injured, with IDF soldiers engaged in a ceaseless war in the West Bank for the past five years to stem the terrible onslaught of terror generated by the Oslo agreements.
That is why I am not surprised at the stupidity of Yehoshua's remarks in Washington, in particular at a time when the Jewish state needs, more than ever, to shore up and strengthen its ties with American Jewry...
Author A.B. Yehoshua did not hesitate to determine in a lecture he gave in Washington last week that he is a real Jew because he lives in Israel, whereas Jews living in the United States cannot lead genuinely Jewish lives.
In the arrogant and overweeningly pretentious harangue before the centennial symposium of the American Jewish Committee, Yehoshua added, "Judaism outside Israel has no future. If you do not live in Israel [...] your Jewish identity has no meaning at all."
Of course Yehoshua's American Jewish hosts, among whom were some genuine intellectuals, were thoroughly offended by Yehoshua's gall: How dare Yehoshua purport to be a better Jew than they are? Others wondered aloud if Yehoshua wasn't perhaps expressing what the majority of Israelis were thinking.
Fortunately, he was not. This is not the first time that Avraham B. Yehoshua has held forth and spouted utter nonsense in public.... I have followed Yehoshua's posturing - invariably in a woefully wrong, even dangerous, direction - as Israel's national conscience.
Twenty years ago, the PLO under Yasser Arafat tried to organize a sensational cruise involving a Palestinian "refugee ship" that would land on Israel's shores ... to demonstrate their unwavering demand to return hundreds of thousands of Palestinian refugees to Israel - which if accepted would spell the end of the Jewish state. NATURALLY, A number of leftist Israelis offered to assist Arafat ...One of the members of that group was Avraham B. Yehoshua ...
...Later.... A.B. Yehoshua was of course among those who blindly and rapturously supported the Oslo agreements with Arafat ... We all know what happened as a result: over 1,500 people killed in Israel, over 5,000 injured, with IDF soldiers engaged in a ceaseless war in the West Bank for the past five years to stem the terrible onslaught of terror generated by the Oslo agreements.
That is why I am not surprised at the stupidity of Yehoshua's remarks in Washington, in particular at a time when the Jewish state needs, more than ever, to shore up and strengthen its ties with American Jewry...
Tuesday, May 09, 2006
Blair's Labour Loss
From OpinionJournal , Monday, May 8, 2006:
After the worst electoral loss of his career, Tony Blair has carried out the bloodiest purge ever of his cabinet. ... Friday's reshuffle can't substitute for a governing vision or the will to implement it. Mr. Blair and New Labour have been short on both counts of late and paid for it with a pasting in Thursday's local council elections. Unless the Prime Minister moves fast to assert himself, the only interesting question will be what job he'll take after Gordon Brown, the impatient heir apparent, moves into 10 Downing Street.
Mr. Blair has proven his political-obituary writers wrong before, most recently after last year's third consecutive but underwhelming Labour win. He took charge then, only to lose momentum. In the coming months, his biggest tests are on domestic policy. The Prime Minister wants Britain to embrace nuclear power, overhaul pensions and introduce market mechanisms into the educational and health care systems--all anathema to his 'old Labour' backbench.
That this Prime Minister's future depends on his success at home is ironic since his great passion, and historical legacy, is abroad. He pushed Western allies to save Kosovo's Albanians from Slobodan Milosevic and stood firmly with the U.S. against Saddam Hussein. Friday's demotion of Jack Straw from leading the Foreign Office to managing Labour MPs in Parliament suggests that Mr. Blair doesn't think he's done yet--which is good news if true.
Mr. Straw angered Number 10 by ruling out a military strike against the Iranian nuclear program as "inconceivable." Of all Western leaders, Mr. Blair has been most eloquent in warning that weapons of mass destruction in the wrong hands pose an existential threat. Iran is the next great challenge, and Mr. Blair's moral clarity could be a great asset in meeting it.
....The Conservatives, under new management by 39-year-old David Cameron, have benefited from Labour's troubles. The Tories won 40% of the vote Thursday, compared with Labour's 26%. For the first time in a decade, Britain no longer looks like a virtual one-party state. The image-conscious Mr. Cameron--who is so far shallow on substance--has three years before the next national election is due to prove that the Tories are back for real.
... Mr. Blair, who has promised to leave before the next national poll, can take heart that he has been one of the most successful politicians of his generation in Europe. His destiny is still in his own hands.
After the worst electoral loss of his career, Tony Blair has carried out the bloodiest purge ever of his cabinet. ... Friday's reshuffle can't substitute for a governing vision or the will to implement it. Mr. Blair and New Labour have been short on both counts of late and paid for it with a pasting in Thursday's local council elections. Unless the Prime Minister moves fast to assert himself, the only interesting question will be what job he'll take after Gordon Brown, the impatient heir apparent, moves into 10 Downing Street.
Mr. Blair has proven his political-obituary writers wrong before, most recently after last year's third consecutive but underwhelming Labour win. He took charge then, only to lose momentum. In the coming months, his biggest tests are on domestic policy. The Prime Minister wants Britain to embrace nuclear power, overhaul pensions and introduce market mechanisms into the educational and health care systems--all anathema to his 'old Labour' backbench.
That this Prime Minister's future depends on his success at home is ironic since his great passion, and historical legacy, is abroad. He pushed Western allies to save Kosovo's Albanians from Slobodan Milosevic and stood firmly with the U.S. against Saddam Hussein. Friday's demotion of Jack Straw from leading the Foreign Office to managing Labour MPs in Parliament suggests that Mr. Blair doesn't think he's done yet--which is good news if true.
Mr. Straw angered Number 10 by ruling out a military strike against the Iranian nuclear program as "inconceivable." Of all Western leaders, Mr. Blair has been most eloquent in warning that weapons of mass destruction in the wrong hands pose an existential threat. Iran is the next great challenge, and Mr. Blair's moral clarity could be a great asset in meeting it.
....The Conservatives, under new management by 39-year-old David Cameron, have benefited from Labour's troubles. The Tories won 40% of the vote Thursday, compared with Labour's 26%. For the first time in a decade, Britain no longer looks like a virtual one-party state. The image-conscious Mr. Cameron--who is so far shallow on substance--has three years before the next national election is due to prove that the Tories are back for real.
... Mr. Blair, who has promised to leave before the next national poll, can take heart that he has been one of the most successful politicians of his generation in Europe. His destiny is still in his own hands.
Report slams BBC
From Jerusalem Post, May. 8, 2006 23:39, by GEORGE CONGER, LONDON:
Jewish leaders and anti-bias campaigners have applauded an independent panel's findings that have validated complaints that BBC coverage of the Middle East is flawed and unbalanced.
...According to the 38-page report ... the BBC's Middle East reporting did 'not consistently constitute a full and fair account of the conflict but rather, in important respects, presents an incomplete and in that sense misleading picture.' While no evidence of 'systematic or deliberate bias' was found, 'gaps in coverage, analysis, context and perspective' have led to a failure to 'maintain consistently the BBC's own established editorial standards' of impartial reporting, the [BBCWatch] panel found.
...In response to increasing complaints, the BBC appointed a Middle East ombudsman, Malcolm Balen, to review its work and submit recommendations for reform, which the independent panel said had been implemented over the past few years. "Only after it had taken these steps did the BBC appoint the impartial panel, with strict instructions for it only to consider the last six months of broadcasts ... What the BBC has done is [to do] everything it can to solve the problem and then say 'Now we have a cleaned up, better BBC, now you can look at us and judge us,'" ...
It was this "cleaned up" BBC that was castigated by the panel for not "having methods in place for doing their job properly and being impartial" and not having a "complaints procedure that works," ....
Jon Benjamin, chief executive officer for the Board of Deputies of British Jews, told the Post .... "Many observers of BBC coverage will be surprised at the report's finding that the situation of the Palestinians is not adequately explained," he said, as "almost without exception, Palestinians are shown as suffering from 'the occupation.'" "Whilst this is perhaps a reflection of the situation for many, what is not shown is the fact that others live more affluently due to corruption and abuse of power," he said.
Dr. Irene Lancaster of the Centre for Jewish Studies at the University of Manchester ... said ....
The "prestigious Reith Lectures, currently running on [BBC] Radio 4 is a typical example of the BBC using Jews, both running the show and featuring Jews, in this case Daniel Barenboim, the conductor, in order to demonize Israel and thus the Jewish people by ridiculously adulating Muslim culture, in this case that of the Palestinians," ....
The chairman of the BBC's Board of Governors, Michael Grade, said BBC management would "consider the panel's recommendations and respond to us at our June board meeting."
Much of its coverage of Israel and the Middle East remains biased and objectionable, according to Jewish leaders.
A story by the broadcaster's Middle East editor, Jeremy Bowen, on the Palestinian Authority's funding crisis stated, "Without foreign donations the PA cannot do the most basic things, like pay its staff, let alone address the desperate economic and social problems faced in the territories, many of which have been caused by nearly 40 years of military occupation by Israel." The BBC mentioned no other cause for the PA's economic and social problems other than military occupation by Israel.
Jewish leaders and anti-bias campaigners have applauded an independent panel's findings that have validated complaints that BBC coverage of the Middle East is flawed and unbalanced.
...According to the 38-page report ... the BBC's Middle East reporting did 'not consistently constitute a full and fair account of the conflict but rather, in important respects, presents an incomplete and in that sense misleading picture.' While no evidence of 'systematic or deliberate bias' was found, 'gaps in coverage, analysis, context and perspective' have led to a failure to 'maintain consistently the BBC's own established editorial standards' of impartial reporting, the [BBCWatch] panel found.
...In response to increasing complaints, the BBC appointed a Middle East ombudsman, Malcolm Balen, to review its work and submit recommendations for reform, which the independent panel said had been implemented over the past few years. "Only after it had taken these steps did the BBC appoint the impartial panel, with strict instructions for it only to consider the last six months of broadcasts ... What the BBC has done is [to do] everything it can to solve the problem and then say 'Now we have a cleaned up, better BBC, now you can look at us and judge us,'" ...
It was this "cleaned up" BBC that was castigated by the panel for not "having methods in place for doing their job properly and being impartial" and not having a "complaints procedure that works," ....
Jon Benjamin, chief executive officer for the Board of Deputies of British Jews, told the Post .... "Many observers of BBC coverage will be surprised at the report's finding that the situation of the Palestinians is not adequately explained," he said, as "almost without exception, Palestinians are shown as suffering from 'the occupation.'" "Whilst this is perhaps a reflection of the situation for many, what is not shown is the fact that others live more affluently due to corruption and abuse of power," he said.
Dr. Irene Lancaster of the Centre for Jewish Studies at the University of Manchester ... said ....
The "prestigious Reith Lectures, currently running on [BBC] Radio 4 is a typical example of the BBC using Jews, both running the show and featuring Jews, in this case Daniel Barenboim, the conductor, in order to demonize Israel and thus the Jewish people by ridiculously adulating Muslim culture, in this case that of the Palestinians," ....
The chairman of the BBC's Board of Governors, Michael Grade, said BBC management would "consider the panel's recommendations and respond to us at our June board meeting."
Much of its coverage of Israel and the Middle East remains biased and objectionable, according to Jewish leaders.
A story by the broadcaster's Middle East editor, Jeremy Bowen, on the Palestinian Authority's funding crisis stated, "Without foreign donations the PA cannot do the most basic things, like pay its staff, let alone address the desperate economic and social problems faced in the territories, many of which have been caused by nearly 40 years of military occupation by Israel." The BBC mentioned no other cause for the PA's economic and social problems other than military occupation by Israel.
Saturday, May 06, 2006
House of Straw goes up in smoke
Now, for a GOOD NEWS STORY fromJPost.com May. 5, 2006, by ASSOCIATED PRESS, LONDON :
British Prime Minister Tony Blair chose a new foreign secretary Friday and fired his home secretary in a wide-ranging Cabinet reshuffle after his party suffered a heavy defeat in local authority elections.
...Blair removed Jack Straw as foreign secretary, replacing him with Margaret Beckett, who had headed the Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.
There had long been rumors of tension between Straw and Blair - some reports said the outgoing foreign secretary had privately expressed doubts about the Iraq war, and he publicly took a different stance on Iran than Blair did.
Straw described military action against Tehran as "inconceivable" and alleged US contingency plans for a tactical nuclear strike as "nuts," something neither the prime minister nor US leaders would say.
Beckett's appointment as foreign secretary, the government's most internationally visible post after prime minister, came as a surprise. She is an experienced politician and loyal to Blair but has little experience in foreign affairs beyond her participation in international climate change talks....
British Prime Minister Tony Blair chose a new foreign secretary Friday and fired his home secretary in a wide-ranging Cabinet reshuffle after his party suffered a heavy defeat in local authority elections.
...Blair removed Jack Straw as foreign secretary, replacing him with Margaret Beckett, who had headed the Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.
There had long been rumors of tension between Straw and Blair - some reports said the outgoing foreign secretary had privately expressed doubts about the Iraq war, and he publicly took a different stance on Iran than Blair did.
Straw described military action against Tehran as "inconceivable" and alleged US contingency plans for a tactical nuclear strike as "nuts," something neither the prime minister nor US leaders would say.
Beckett's appointment as foreign secretary, the government's most internationally visible post after prime minister, came as a surprise. She is an experienced politician and loyal to Blair but has little experience in foreign affairs beyond her participation in international climate change talks....
Bittersweet milestone
From JPost Editorial May. 4, 2006 22:36 :
Two population milestones were attained this Independence Day: Our total population topped seven million, and Israel's Jewish population [5.4 million] ... surpassed that of the United States to become the largest Jewish community in the world.
These achievements represent success beyond, perhaps, the wildest dreams of the founders of the Zionist project a century ago. Yet they also reflect trends that, taken together, do not bode well for the Jewish people as a whole.
...The birth rate of American Jews is lower than Americans generally and lower than replacement level. So American Jewry would be shrinking even without taking into account that intermarriage rates are estimated to be well over 60% among non-Orthodox Jews, and that most children with only one Jewish parent are not being raised as Jews and are themselves even more likely to marry non-Jews.
Israel, by contrast, with negligible intermarriage rates and Jewish birth rates above replacement level and among the highest in developed nations, is "the only country in the world where the Jewish population is naturally increasing," notes DellaPergola.
As the Diaspora shrinks and Israel grows, DellaPergola projects that by 25 to 30 years from now, an absolute majority of world Jewry will live in Israel.
Such trends seem to have led some, like author A.B. Yehoshua, to a sort of nativist neo-triumphalism. Speaking at the 100th anniversary celebrations of the American Jewish Committee, Yehoshua stunned the audience by implying that Jewish life can never be lived in its totality outside of Israel....Yehoshua's glorification of a secular, land-based, cultural Israeliness - largely divorced from Jewish observance - is ironic given that the demographic woes of Diaspora Jewry seem tightly linked to a similar faith in non-religious engines of continuity.
The last two generations of American Jewry seem somewhat dumbfounded by their difficulty in translating their passion for causes such as Soviet Jewry, Israel, communal and social activism into a commitment among their children to maintain Judaism as a critical influence on life choices, such as whom to marry and how to raise their children.
...however, a debate in which Israel and the Diaspora point fingers or strut their respective advantages misses the point and illustrates the new failure of vision that is upon us. Without dismissing for a moment the physical threats to the Jewish people, as proudly proclaimed by such enemies as Iran and Hamas, a greater failure of will exists with respect to the opposite threat: that of losing our identity to the embrace of the modern world.
A growing Israel is not sufficient to compensate for a shrinking Diaspora. Israel and the Diaspora need each other, differently than in the past, but more than ever. Israel may not rest or celebrate unless the Jewish people as a whole has reversed its demographic decline, and is contributing to our survival as a people, a culture, and a positive influence on the world.
Two population milestones were attained this Independence Day: Our total population topped seven million, and Israel's Jewish population [5.4 million] ... surpassed that of the United States to become the largest Jewish community in the world.
These achievements represent success beyond, perhaps, the wildest dreams of the founders of the Zionist project a century ago. Yet they also reflect trends that, taken together, do not bode well for the Jewish people as a whole.
...The birth rate of American Jews is lower than Americans generally and lower than replacement level. So American Jewry would be shrinking even without taking into account that intermarriage rates are estimated to be well over 60% among non-Orthodox Jews, and that most children with only one Jewish parent are not being raised as Jews and are themselves even more likely to marry non-Jews.
Israel, by contrast, with negligible intermarriage rates and Jewish birth rates above replacement level and among the highest in developed nations, is "the only country in the world where the Jewish population is naturally increasing," notes DellaPergola.
As the Diaspora shrinks and Israel grows, DellaPergola projects that by 25 to 30 years from now, an absolute majority of world Jewry will live in Israel.
Such trends seem to have led some, like author A.B. Yehoshua, to a sort of nativist neo-triumphalism. Speaking at the 100th anniversary celebrations of the American Jewish Committee, Yehoshua stunned the audience by implying that Jewish life can never be lived in its totality outside of Israel....Yehoshua's glorification of a secular, land-based, cultural Israeliness - largely divorced from Jewish observance - is ironic given that the demographic woes of Diaspora Jewry seem tightly linked to a similar faith in non-religious engines of continuity.
The last two generations of American Jewry seem somewhat dumbfounded by their difficulty in translating their passion for causes such as Soviet Jewry, Israel, communal and social activism into a commitment among their children to maintain Judaism as a critical influence on life choices, such as whom to marry and how to raise their children.
...however, a debate in which Israel and the Diaspora point fingers or strut their respective advantages misses the point and illustrates the new failure of vision that is upon us. Without dismissing for a moment the physical threats to the Jewish people, as proudly proclaimed by such enemies as Iran and Hamas, a greater failure of will exists with respect to the opposite threat: that of losing our identity to the embrace of the modern world.
A growing Israel is not sufficient to compensate for a shrinking Diaspora. Israel and the Diaspora need each other, differently than in the past, but more than ever. Israel may not rest or celebrate unless the Jewish people as a whole has reversed its demographic decline, and is contributing to our survival as a people, a culture, and a positive influence on the world.
Friday, May 05, 2006
Lieberman Slams Collaborators
From Jerusalem Post May. 4, 2006 By JPOST.COM STAFF:
Israel Beiteinu Chairman Avigdor Lieberman called for the execution of any Arab MKs who meet with representatives of the Palestinian Authority's Hamas-led government during a speech delivered to the Knesset plenum on Thursday.
'World War II ended with the Nurenberg trials,' Lieberman said. 'The heads of the Nazi regime, along with their collaborators, were executed. I hope this will be the fate of the collaborators in [the Knesset].'
...Lieberman also claimed that Israel Beiteinu had demanded in coalition negotiations 'that it be written in the government's guidelines that all the inciters and terror collaborators sitting in the Knesset will be punished. Justice should be served to those who continue meeting with Hamas and Hizbullah.'
Over the past month, various Arab MKs have met with Hamas parliamentarians. Among other things, they spoke of the government's decision to rescind Hamas parliamentarians' residency rights in Israeli territory, including Jerusalem, following the April 17 suicide bombing in Tel Aviv's old central bus station.
The first to meet with Hamas parliamentarians in early April were UAL-Ta'al MKs, including the faction's representative on the Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee, MK Taleb A-Sanaa. Another meeting took place in east Jerusalem between Balad MKs Jamal Zahalka and Wasal Taha with Palestinian Authority minister Mahmoud Abu-Teir. The third meeting took place in late April in Qatar between Balad Chairman Azmi Bishara and Palestinian Authority Foreign Minister Mahmoud A-Zahar.
In response to the Arab MKs' complaints, Israel Beiteinu MK Estherina Tartman defended Lieberman's comments, saying that "Lieberman didn't speak of Arabs or Muslims, but all collaborators. There is nothing strange about this statement. When you have enemies who seek to destroy the state, you have to deal with them, whatever their ethnicity or religion."...
Arutz Sheva, 4/5/06 also reported Lieberman as saying:
... “We requested that in the government guidelines it would say explicitly that all the inciters and collaborators with terrorism that sit in this house should bear the brunt of the penalty for those actions,” Lieberman said from the Knesset plenum. “All those who continue to meet freely with Hamas and Hizbullah – who go on monthly visits to Lebanon. Those who declared Israel’s Independence Day to be ‘Nakba’ [Arabic for ‘catastrophe’ -ed.] Day and raised black flags…
Israel Beiteinu Chairman Avigdor Lieberman called for the execution of any Arab MKs who meet with representatives of the Palestinian Authority's Hamas-led government during a speech delivered to the Knesset plenum on Thursday.
'World War II ended with the Nurenberg trials,' Lieberman said. 'The heads of the Nazi regime, along with their collaborators, were executed. I hope this will be the fate of the collaborators in [the Knesset].'
...Lieberman also claimed that Israel Beiteinu had demanded in coalition negotiations 'that it be written in the government's guidelines that all the inciters and terror collaborators sitting in the Knesset will be punished. Justice should be served to those who continue meeting with Hamas and Hizbullah.'
Over the past month, various Arab MKs have met with Hamas parliamentarians. Among other things, they spoke of the government's decision to rescind Hamas parliamentarians' residency rights in Israeli territory, including Jerusalem, following the April 17 suicide bombing in Tel Aviv's old central bus station.
The first to meet with Hamas parliamentarians in early April were UAL-Ta'al MKs, including the faction's representative on the Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee, MK Taleb A-Sanaa. Another meeting took place in east Jerusalem between Balad MKs Jamal Zahalka and Wasal Taha with Palestinian Authority minister Mahmoud Abu-Teir. The third meeting took place in late April in Qatar between Balad Chairman Azmi Bishara and Palestinian Authority Foreign Minister Mahmoud A-Zahar.
In response to the Arab MKs' complaints, Israel Beiteinu MK Estherina Tartman defended Lieberman's comments, saying that "Lieberman didn't speak of Arabs or Muslims, but all collaborators. There is nothing strange about this statement. When you have enemies who seek to destroy the state, you have to deal with them, whatever their ethnicity or religion."...
Arutz Sheva, 4/5/06 also reported Lieberman as saying:
... “We requested that in the government guidelines it would say explicitly that all the inciters and collaborators with terrorism that sit in this house should bear the brunt of the penalty for those actions,” Lieberman said from the Knesset plenum. “All those who continue to meet freely with Hamas and Hizbullah – who go on monthly visits to Lebanon. Those who declared Israel’s Independence Day to be ‘Nakba’ [Arabic for ‘catastrophe’ -ed.] Day and raised black flags…
Thursday, May 04, 2006
UN: West introduces Iran resolution
From Ynetnews, 4/5/06, AP and Reuters:
Heil Ahmedinejabberjabber!
Tougher approach in the face of nuke threat: Western countries introduce Security Council resolution calling on Iran to suspend uranium enrichment; resolution could pave way for sanctions against Teheran
...The United States, Britain and France introduced a U.N. Security Council resolution on Wednesday demanding Iran suspend uranium enrichment efforts that the West suspects are part of a secret nuclear weapons program. The resolution could trigger sanctions against Iran unless it abandons uranium enrichment and was introduced despite objections from Russia and China.
The West hopes the Security Council will adopt the resolution before foreign ministers convene in New York next Monday, the ambassadors of France and the United States said before a Security Council meeting to discuss the issue....The resolution would be under Chapter 7 of the U.N. Charter, which makes it legally binding and gives Iran another chance to comply with the council's demand
Also from Ynet news, 4/5/06, by Yitzhak Benhorin:
Ex-Mossad chief, Ephraim Halevy speaks in Washington, says world should believe Ahmadinejad threats to annihilate Israel
WASHINGTON – Former Mossad Director Ephraim Halevy said Wednesday in Washington the world should believe Iran's President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad when he talks about his desire to annihilate the State of Israel.
... Halevy said that Iran's aspirations for nuclear weapons constitute the most significant threat on global stability. This threat is bringing Israel and the United States, which are already strategic partners, even closer, he said.
... However, Halevy said at this time there are still no clear-cut answers to several questions, namely whether Iran should be attacked military, whether Israel should be a party to a military strike, and whether it is even possible to eliminate Iran's nuclear facilities....
Heil Ahmedinejabberjabber!
Tougher approach in the face of nuke threat: Western countries introduce Security Council resolution calling on Iran to suspend uranium enrichment; resolution could pave way for sanctions against Teheran
...The United States, Britain and France introduced a U.N. Security Council resolution on Wednesday demanding Iran suspend uranium enrichment efforts that the West suspects are part of a secret nuclear weapons program. The resolution could trigger sanctions against Iran unless it abandons uranium enrichment and was introduced despite objections from Russia and China.
The West hopes the Security Council will adopt the resolution before foreign ministers convene in New York next Monday, the ambassadors of France and the United States said before a Security Council meeting to discuss the issue....The resolution would be under Chapter 7 of the U.N. Charter, which makes it legally binding and gives Iran another chance to comply with the council's demand
Also from Ynet news, 4/5/06, by Yitzhak Benhorin:
Ex-Mossad chief, Ephraim Halevy speaks in Washington, says world should believe Ahmadinejad threats to annihilate Israel
WASHINGTON – Former Mossad Director Ephraim Halevy said Wednesday in Washington the world should believe Iran's President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad when he talks about his desire to annihilate the State of Israel.
... Halevy said that Iran's aspirations for nuclear weapons constitute the most significant threat on global stability. This threat is bringing Israel and the United States, which are already strategic partners, even closer, he said.
... However, Halevy said at this time there are still no clear-cut answers to several questions, namely whether Iran should be attacked military, whether Israel should be a party to a military strike, and whether it is even possible to eliminate Iran's nuclear facilities....
Russia backs sanctions call
From The Australian news.com.au network Source: AFP, May 04, 2006:
RUSSIA has thrown itself behind the need for a new Security Council resolution on Iran's nuclear program overnight, and said it hoped the measure could be adopted before Monday's meeting of major power foreign ministers in New York.
Moscow's incoming UN ambassador, Vitaly Churkin, said Russia had problems with some elements of a draft resolution put forward by France, Britain and the United States but had backed the decision to go ahead with council consideration...
RUSSIA has thrown itself behind the need for a new Security Council resolution on Iran's nuclear program overnight, and said it hoped the measure could be adopted before Monday's meeting of major power foreign ministers in New York.
Moscow's incoming UN ambassador, Vitaly Churkin, said Russia had problems with some elements of a draft resolution put forward by France, Britain and the United States but had backed the decision to go ahead with council consideration...
Merkel backs US on Iran
From The Australian news.com.au network, May 04, 2006, correspondents in Washington. Source: AFP:
GERMAN Chancellor Angela Merkel has said overnight that the United States and Germany were in 'total agreement' on the need to prevent Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon, after her meeting at the White House with US President George W. Bush.
US President George W. Bush will travel to Germany in July for a summit with German Chancellor Angela Merkel, the two leaders said after their meeting. The meeting, set for July 14, is due to take place immediately before the US president participates in the G-8 summit in St Petersburg, Russia. Mr Bush was to travel during his visit to Merkel's electoral district in the former East Germany, where she said he would have the opportunity to see how 'I lived on the other side of the (Berlin) wall'."
GERMAN Chancellor Angela Merkel has said overnight that the United States and Germany were in 'total agreement' on the need to prevent Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon, after her meeting at the White House with US President George W. Bush.
US President George W. Bush will travel to Germany in July for a summit with German Chancellor Angela Merkel, the two leaders said after their meeting. The meeting, set for July 14, is due to take place immediately before the US president participates in the G-8 summit in St Petersburg, Russia. Mr Bush was to travel during his visit to Merkel's electoral district in the former East Germany, where she said he would have the opportunity to see how 'I lived on the other side of the (Berlin) wall'."
Wednesday, May 03, 2006
Israel celebrates 58 years today
From Ynetnews 3/5/06:
Independence Day celebrations launched with torch-lighting ceremony on Mount Herzl, centered on theme of Negev and Galilee development; Peres calls on Muslims to curb hostility against Jewish State.
Israel celebrates independence: With the conclusion of Memorial Day at sundown Tuesday, at 8:00 p.m. the nation launched its 58th Independence Day celebrations with a torch-lighting ceremony at the Mount Herzl plaza in Jerusalem.
Speaking at the ceremony, Shimon Peres said: 'I call on those near and far, on the Palestinians and the rulers of Arab countries that have not yet signed peace treaties with us, lay down your weapons.'
Happy Birthday Israel! Official ceremony in Jerusalem (Photo: Gil Yohanan)
'I call on all Muslim nations to let go the hostility,' he said. 'There are still existential dangers - there are those who want to exterminate us.'
'In its 58th year, despite crises and difficulties, the country is still a wonder in the eyes of nations when it comes to its abilities, achievements, and unique qualities,' Peres said. 'We, the citizens of Israel, should be looking back with immense satisfaction at what we have done. (We should) expect the future with hope, we shouldn't stop dreaming and we shouldn't stop creating.'
'We have ...to be proud ....' he said" .....
Independence Day celebrations launched with torch-lighting ceremony on Mount Herzl, centered on theme of Negev and Galilee development; Peres calls on Muslims to curb hostility against Jewish State.
Israel celebrates independence: With the conclusion of Memorial Day at sundown Tuesday, at 8:00 p.m. the nation launched its 58th Independence Day celebrations with a torch-lighting ceremony at the Mount Herzl plaza in Jerusalem.
Speaking at the ceremony, Shimon Peres said: 'I call on those near and far, on the Palestinians and the rulers of Arab countries that have not yet signed peace treaties with us, lay down your weapons.'
Happy Birthday Israel! Official ceremony in Jerusalem (Photo: Gil Yohanan)
'I call on all Muslim nations to let go the hostility,' he said. 'There are still existential dangers - there are those who want to exterminate us.'
'In its 58th year, despite crises and difficulties, the country is still a wonder in the eyes of nations when it comes to its abilities, achievements, and unique qualities,' Peres said. 'We, the citizens of Israel, should be looking back with immense satisfaction at what we have done. (We should) expect the future with hope, we shouldn't stop dreaming and we shouldn't stop creating.'
'We have ...to be proud ....' he said" .....
No UN agreement on Iran
From The Australian news.com.au network correspondents in Paris May 03, 2006. Source: AFP:
THE five major UN powers and Germany wrapped up talks in Paris today without a final agreement on how best to tackle Iran over its nuclear programme, but more talks were scheduled, US official Nicholas Burns said.
Mr Burns, number three in the US State Department, said: 'We certainly do not yet have an agreement. This is going to require more talks in New York and our ministers are going to have to meet, no question about it.'
He hinted at frustration at permanent Security Council members Russia and China, which were resisting a tough UN resolution on Iran. 'It's time for countries to take responsibilities, especially those countries that have close relationships with Iran,' he said."
THE five major UN powers and Germany wrapped up talks in Paris today without a final agreement on how best to tackle Iran over its nuclear programme, but more talks were scheduled, US official Nicholas Burns said.
Mr Burns, number three in the US State Department, said: 'We certainly do not yet have an agreement. This is going to require more talks in New York and our ministers are going to have to meet, no question about it.'
He hinted at frustration at permanent Security Council members Russia and China, which were resisting a tough UN resolution on Iran. 'It's time for countries to take responsibilities, especially those countries that have close relationships with Iran,' he said."
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)