By Ted Belman
For those that have been holding out false hope, its over. Hamas and Fatah have negotiated a unification agreement under the auspices of Egypt and the Arab League. This agreement calls for elections in 8 to 12 months and precludes negotiations with Israel in the interim. They are working on setting up an interim government now.
Although this agreement is not yet finalized, it is clear that the change in government in Egypt made it possible. Egypt must have changed its conditions that were objectionable to Hamas.
Two weeks ago JPOST reported
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Israel will stop dealing with the Palestinian Authority if it brings Hamas into the government, a senior government official said Saturday night, a few hours after PA President Mahmoud Abbas met in Ramallah with a senior Hamas delegation for conciliation talks.
“Abbas has to choose whether he wants peace with Israel, or peace with Hamas,” the official said. “He can’t have both. If he chooses peace with Hamas it will bury the peace process.”
Fatah replied
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“Netanyahu must choose between a just peace with the united Palestinian people … and settlements,”
So far as we know the agreement was silent on getting recognition of Palestine by the UN in September. Obama has not supported such an idea, favouring instead the Oslo process. But now it would appear that there will be no peace discussions until the next administrations, if ever.
The deal covered five points, including combining security forces and forming a government made up of “nationalist figures”.
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“Our program does not include negotiations with Israel or recognizing it,” Zahhar said in Cairo. “It will not be possible for the interim national government to participate or bet on or work on the peace process with Israel.”
The US trained Arab security forces will now be amalgamating with Hamas. What will Obama have to say about that. Better still what will he do about it. And what will the West do about their requirement that Hamas recognize Israel, all past agreements and reject violence.
But more important, what will Israel do about it?
Thus, both sides have thrown down the gauntlet.
Hamas and Fatah now know the power of the street to topple governments in the ME. There is no question in my mind that they intend to develop a third intifadah along those lines. Israel must prepare for such a contingency just as they are preparing for additional attempts to break the blockade.
But these would be defensive strategies. Israel must go on the offensive. It must lift the de facto freeze on construction and annex the settlement blocks at a minimum.
So long as Netanyahu continues the freeze we must conclude that he has no intention of keeping the blocks. That will be the litmus test of his intentions. Before, his excuse for continuing it was that construction would upset the US and the peace process.
Now that there is no peace process, what’s the point of the freeze?
Those who speak of those bogus rights of a bogus people like the Pali’s aren’t interested — and aren’t going to be interested — in hearing of the million Jews that were ejected from Arab countries and their homes and assets confiscated.
But then, they aren’t really interested in the ‘rights’ of the Pali’s either. Not really.
They are simply hooked on a feeling, and the Pali’s are a handy vehicle with which to drive the sensation.
The truth is, they want to feel the way they want to feel,
and telling them the facts only confuses them, and tempts them to resent you from taking that sensation away.
That’s not to say you shouldn’t be prepared to tell them where it’s at.
Just be sure & keep your powder dry.
Is Peace Viable?
If you look at history objectively, you will see the delusional public/nations who believe the Arabs want peace. Peace is not in their vocabulary.
All they know is dictatorship abuse its people and terrorize the world. They call non-Moslem infidel and must be eliminated.
If they truly want peace with Israel – It will benefit all parties involved, you would take Israeli technology and know how combine it with Arab labor and resources and within 10 years you would have one of the most flourishing economies in the world. But the world at large is not interested in that peace; it will compete successfully in world markets. It is imperative that Israelis be unified to withstand the pressures put upon Israel by the Arabs and the World at large. While talking about the false rights of the Arab/Palestinians – How about the rights of about a Million Jews that were ejected from Arab countries and their homes and assets confiscated.
It is impossible to predict whether or not this unity government will successfully lay the foundation of Palestinian statehood. However, it is undeniable that the alliance between Hamas and Fatah reflects a significant political change.
What’s impractical about disarming those who’ve demonstrated their willingness to use their weapons unlawfully against you? Given a choice between bad and worse-than-bad, how could you do otherwise?
Hand-wringing doesn’t qualify as an option.
Message from Yerushalayim to Cairo via backchannel should go like this:
The blockade remains in place, no matter what.
Therefore:
You open Rafiakh,
You lose the Sinai.
Your choice.
In Shift, Egypt Warms to Iran and Hamas, Israel’s Foes
By DAVID D. KIRKPATRICK 24 minutes ago
CAIRO — Egypt is planning to open the blockaded border with Gaza and normalizing relations with two of Israel and the West’s Islamist foes, Hamas and Iran.
The bad news is coming fast and hard and I have no answer. Neither has anyone else a practical solution. Least of all Dweller.
…or their lives.
Blandoatmeal:
Sounds great but just in case you didn’t notice- every development since Bibi took the helm has been detrimental to Israel’s status and political well being. We are being defeated without a shot being fired.
Egyptian Foreign Minister announces that within 7-10 days the Rafah border crossing will be opened permanently, effectively breaking the blockade of Gaza.
http://www.jpost.com/MiddleEast/Article.aspx?id=218343
Enormous changes happening in the mid east and none of it being discussed on Israpundit.
A “just peace”?
Coming from an outfit that finds it ‘just’ to deliberately seek out women & children for murder?
An outfit that solicits it?
That rewards it?
That celebrates it?
That sanctifies it?
If that’s their idea of ‘just,’
then what do you suppose their idea of
‘peace’
would consist of?
Arnold, your my kind of guy. Another main point would be to immediately surround the Palestinian prison and impound all prisoners before they are released. The Israeli government needs to relieve the Palestinian police of all of their weapons. War is again in the laps of Israel.
Do all that I have suggested above, which in any case our forefathers were so wisely commanded to do some 3,400 years ago, but who ignored warnings of what would happen if they did not. Do it as originally commanded. I seem to recall being reminded by the great Rav Neir Kahane more than 20 years ago that following that set of mitzvot, above all, would bring down the sh’china of ha-Shem to shine upon the great and proud Jewish nation, for all time.
Arnold Harris
Mount Horeb WI
I am glad. Who in hell wants peace with those bastards?
Now, step by step.
1) Get rid of the Judenrat and replace it with a real Jewish nationalist government.
2) Immediately put the Jewish inhabited areas of Yehuda, Shomron and the all but the riverine defense line strip of the lower Jordan Valley under control of the Israel Ministry of the Interior, with Zahal retaining overall control of the military defenses of the river to a depth of whatever number of miles is needed for specific defense purposes.
3) Begin immediate unlimited and large scale build-up of new Jewish cities and villages in newly-annexed parts of the territory.
4) At the earliest opportunity, whenever there is a serious terrorist provocation from either Hamasland around Gaza or Fatahland in not-yet-annexed parts of Yehuda and Shomron, immediately send in Zahal for purposes of permanent direct control by Israel, either in whole or in part of either or both territories.
5) When — not if — the new government in Egypt terminates its treaty of peace with Israel, use military force to put under permanent Israeli control the entire Sinai peninsula minimally as far west as the Mitla Pass, and if necessary, all the way to the Suez Canal. Then annex the newly taken land immediately, and start rebuilding the Jewish Sinai settlements abandoned by a weak and foolish Israeli government after the Begin’s arm twisting by the execrable James Earl Carter in 1979.
6) When — not if — Hizbollah begins rocket attacks against Israel from Lebanese territory, reinvade southern Lebanon, expel the from lands south of the Litani River gorge a sufficient number of Arabs, annex the territory, and begin Jewish settlements.
7) For Syria and Trans-Jordan, Jewish Israel’s opportunities will come. And this time, don’t pull any punches as in 1948, 1956, 1967 and 1973. Go for their God-damned throats, shoot to kill, take their lands, and make them permanently Jewish.
But first and foremost get rid of your Judenrat. Without that, there can be no progress whatsoever. While you are at it, find another president to replace the present drooling idiot.
As for our Kenyan-Indonesian-Moslem rat at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, we will be working on retiring him next November. I think his obviously faked birth certificate is the last straw, and will get more play than the “birther’ issue ever did before. If this issue builds up steam, there will be an outcry all across America to give him an opportunity to resign, and he refuses it, impeach him.
Arnold Harris
Mount Horeb WI
Mr. Netanyahu’s step is good but other side Palestinian leaders and Hamas will not agree to this peace talks only will solve this problem Palestinian leaders have to participate in peace talks then not only these countries will be but also entire this region will be safe.
Israel seems to be in a self destructive mode. By allowing itself to be led by the nose, bending to every Obama whim, it will only fade away as a viable Jewish homeland.
Ted and Bland and others
These are difficult and challenging times and I do not have the answer
But in a general sense, and not being specific on policy or programme, we must do 2 things:
1. There must be very vigorous discussion, hopefully polite, but we are human so the content is what counts. There are great minds and great analysis which I see all the time here and elsewhere
2. We must stick by each other
The “peace process” will continue, until Israel vanquishes its enemies. The term “process” indicates that there IS no peace; and there can be no peace until Israel’s genocidal enemies are stopped.