Connect the Dots
GS Don Morris, Ph.D.
If you believed the media Israel is acting responsibly and independently in opening talks with Abbas. Furthermore one would think that there is a real chance for peace. After all, President George Bush has once again become a player in starting such peace talks. This is a wonderful fairy tale-let us examine what has occurred and is going on as I write.
The following events have occurred within the last week:
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• Prime Minister Fayyad has told Israeli officials that the PA is not ready to assume control of Palestinian cities.
• A truck laden with multiple explosives was stopped short of its homicide target-this “bomb on wheels†was assembled in the disputed territory of Judea
• Prime Minister Ehud Olmert has promised to release more security prisoners, remove IDF checkpoints in the West Bank and allow the return of Palestinian gunmen who were deported to the Gaza Strip and Europe after barricading themselves inside the Church of Nativity in Bethlehem five years ago-these same terrorists destroyed the inside of this Christian church.
• This is the Israeli PM who has less than 3% approval rating from the Israeli people-this is the same PM who is willing to remove necessary checkpoints even though we nearly had a major catastrophe.
For some reading this piece the argument is that this is but a small price to pay if peace is finally possible. Those who utter such words are either naïve, ignorant or replete with their own anti-Israel agenda. Nothing could be further from the truth. If I have learned one thing these nearly ten years I have lived in Israel, this is one of the most complex and complicated places in the world; particularly when it comes to the so-called-Israeli-Arab conflictâ€. The media does not provide you with anything other than snapshots of events and history. We all know about snapshots. Remember what happens immediately after the photo is taken? The “camera†smiles disappear and the reality remains as it was. So, too, do things exist here in the Middle East.
Until a few days ago every Israeli leader and administration had refused to agree to “the right of return†of so-called displaced Arabs. Without providing a history lesson, suffice it to say there was and is a clear rationale and justification for this action. However, this has all changed and the action lays at the feet of Israel’s least admired, least supported and most inept PM, Olmert. This is what he has done:
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“A group of Iraqis recently given Israeli citizenship assert they are descendents of Arabs who lived in the British Mandate of Palestine and claim to still have family ties in the Palestinian controlled areas of Israel. On this basis, Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert decided to allow their immigration to Israel.â€
You say, “what’s wrong with this? It is only a kind gesture for those poor Iraqis who have been pummeled by the dastardly USA illegal invasion of Iraq? This is wrong, it represents the most egregious betrayal of a government in recent history.
“An estimated 5 million Arabs fall into this category. If their “right of return” were approved, the result would be the end of the Jewish majority in Israel, thus undermining Israel’s status as a Jewish state.
While Israel will probably never accept such a large number back into the state, now that 41 have proved it is possible, other Arabs will be lining up.
Already, the Palestinian minister of information, Riad Maliki, told the Ma’an News Agency that now that he had “succeeded in returning part of them,” the Palestinian government will pursue negotiations with the Israeli government to return another 18,000 Palestinian refugees from Iraq.â€
“The Palestinian information minister told Associated Press it was “symbolic.”
This decision may have temporarily bolstered Fatah’s Mahmoud Abbas, but it is bound to come crashing down on Israel. Fatah explains on its own website that “to us, the refugees issue is the winning card which means the end of the Israeli state.” With this in mind, it is no wonder all other Israeli governments rejected the issue of Palestinian right of return. This latest goodwill gesture by the current Israeli government is just another step toward the demise of Israel.
Today, Abbas has announced that much has been accomplished and now all of the demands including Jerusalem, return to the 1967 “borders†and more are again “in playâ€. This coupled with the full support (code for demands) by the USA government place Israel in harms way. What the media NEVER reports is the amount of international pressure that is mounted to force Israel to “stand downâ€. This is a story for another time-the untold willingness to sacrifice Israel for world powers failures in the Middle East!
Israel is being squeezed by its “supportersâ€, threatened with curtailment of Western goods and services; with closure of markets for its goods and so much more. This is being done away from view of the public eye and Israel’s enticement is to agree to all of this lest we lose the new “increased†amount of military funding. Of course, the USA offers this as an incentive because it increased its military aide funding to our enemies, e.g., Saudi Arabia and Egypt. Israel in a sense has to agree to this extortion or we fall behind in military readiness-so goes the story. America does not care that both the Saudi and Egyptian governments are â€hanging on by a thread†and can be toppled by Israel’s worst enemies in the very near future. Thus our future has been “mortgaged†by a “subprime†credit lender!
One final set of dots to connect. All of the preceding has occurred against this backdrop:
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• Syria has moved more battalions close to Israel’s border
• Hizzbollah has rearmed itself, its leader says all is ready
• Egypt allows the weapons transport tunnels to operate daily-the end result is a Gaza that has become “Hamastanâ€
• Rockets are fired daily onto several southern Israeli towns-this has become “accepted†by the world’s media and unless someone is killed, you will not hear about it.
• Thanks to our still wonderful security agencies we have stopped multiple homicide bombers enroute to murder Israeli citizens
• Iran’s leader continues to call for the destruction of Israel.
Imagine the state of New Jersey having to address all of this from its surrounding border states. I sit here in Netanya but 10 miles from the disputed territory of what America calls the West Bank. I watch “Palestinian†television and see the ongoing children’s’ shows that preach hatred; that promote violence and justify to another generation of people the need to rid themselves of Israelis. I work with Israeli public schools and students and nowhere, even with all that surrounds us, does there exist hatred or even condemnation of these same people who have been taught and socialized to despise us.
Explain to me, given these events/circumstances/ and people why the West does forsake Israel? Justify for me why Israel should be held hostage as a chip in the international playing field of failed terrorism policies? Convince me that peace will exist if only Israel would hand over land the size of the Dallas-Ft. Worth airport property. This land that the international legal system says that Israel also has a right to contest.
The “land for peace†ideology only works because of extortion and/or blackmail by the international community-it is a failed strategy-you only need to know your history to realize this fact. I await an Israeli leader who is willing to stand up, courage in hand, willing to say, “After forty years of failed land for peace attempts, Israel no longer offers this as part of any negotiated peace. Furthermore, from this moment forward, if attacked and lands captured we will not offer to return them to our enemies who tried to destroy us.†I await an American and British leadership who will stand shoulder-shoulder with us and make the same pronouncement!
Felix believe me I couldn`t care less what system we live under as long as it works to the benifit and is responsive to all of the people. I have never heard of or experienced any socialist system that one could consider successful. What I call Bolshevik is the total centralization and control of single party hegemony that in turn controls every aspect of state apparatus and its sub systems. This was the case since way before the declaration of Israeli Independence and it remained so until Begin won in 77. But such an appartus can not be dismantled just because of an election won. They set up and put into place all of the constituent components of government with their own people. The Likud won some elections but the old socialist Elites always managed to keep control of the Judiciary (This is the Key) supported bythe socialist media, supported by capatalist Industrialists, and financiers. It is no Paradox that almost all of the wealthy and upper middle classes in Israel support either Labor or some leftist parties. almost never to the right. (They know where their bread is buttered)60 years after the creation of the state we are still saddled with Bolshevik type institutions and mindsets. Even The Likud when in Power for the most part mimicked the Labor Institutional Bolshevik mindset. IF YOU CAN`t BEAT THEM JOIN THEM!
To get the still undefined right in Israel to unite is a tall order, It only really happened once after Oslo and It put BB into office. He personally destroyed the right by betraying those voters who worked like crazy to put him in office. He lied to us about his nationalist convictions and demonstrated that he was a tin horned little ambitious politician.
Eldad is really the only one but I still donot see the fire and blind ambition to lead which is essential. All the current members of the Knesset get several million dollars of state funding to be reelected. if the belong to a constituted party already in the Knesset the funds go to the party as an Individual his funding will be very limited and to form a new party and win election take many millions of dollars. This may be the achilles heel of Eldad. Can he raise enough money to compete on a level playing field? There is a fundamental mistrust between National Religious and Secular Nationalists hmake it very difficult to successfully unite the right like the left has been able to do. First there must be common cause and secondly there must be a leader to unite behind. I submit that one of the reasons why you do not yet see a lot of resistance from the right till now is that behind the scenes there is organizing being done which takes a lot of time and careful preparation. Raising money is fundamental and critical as well.
I have just lost a post so this is in short.
Ted
Your names are ideal
Yamit
You are right about Netanyahu. But the people do not yet know fully.
Revolution
What is happening IS a revolution.
Israelis must now learn that if IDF do not capture and destroy nuclear sites in Iran all Israeli jews will be killed. That acceptance is a Revolution.
About 1917 october.
Nothing will ever happen like that again. Not in that form. but same content.
Ted
Go with that nomenclature. That is ideal in my book, says everything. I was unhappy with the word Traitor because it was too strong though Patriot was Ok- Too strong because people can change and be changed.
PLEASE STICK WITH THOSE NAMES. GET INTO THE HABIT. TEACH OTHERS WHY.
This is most important. I am convinced Ted that many young people can be won to your great cause and the majority of youth are socialist in an innocent but true and generous kind of way. Do not put them off before they get to know you.
Plus I have shown a few things with my comments on Trotsky, surely we should not jettision that hard work.
Yamit
Everything I say means the building of a new leadership. What it will be we do not know yet. We just know that there must be room made for a discussion of ideas.
An Iranian bomb strikes Israel. Discussion over.
That is why Feiglin and Netanyahu and even Lieberman must be forced to create a United Front. There needs to be an independent presence apart from them. I think a rev party but easy saying that from here.
They may be kicking and screaming but there must be unity against the capitulationists.
There must be demands raised, hence again a rev party, which involve especially security against palestinian terrorists (ABBAS) and against US and EU and British pressure.
Israel must invade Iran and capture the nuclear bomb bunkers and destroy them, and must make a clear call to the Iranian youth and workers to overthrow the khomeinists.
Israelis must come to realize that without that they will die. The Irish must learn this reality too.
Netanyahu will be watched carefully. But that is where the people are at. As you say it may take time and experiences for them to learn. Great attention must be given to the really rev forces in Israel, the Israeli rev religious youth of the settlements, hebron etc. They were and are the key coz they have the energy to defeat the capitulationists.
Ted
Finally do not minimise issue of leadership. LEADERSHIP IS EVERYTHING, ALWAYS HAS BEEN ALWAYS WILL. This is why we talk sharply here. It has to be done. we did not deal the cards.
Felix I eally don`t know how to answer you. Feiglin has no mass constituency in Israel and puts off more people than he attracts, and BB has respectable poll numbers due to short memories of the public and by default due to Olmerts low poll numbers. Almost any public name would do better than Olmert today, but he is a Master politician and knows how the political game is played all the rest pale in comparison.
You speak of REVOLUTION as though we were back in1917 Moscow were a few hundred commies took over the seat of power. I dosen`t work like that any more at least not yet here. I keep saying that from an ideological point of view there is no basic conflict between BB and Olmert. I listen to him interviewed everyday and he is good at parsing words and ideas and will never be pinned down for specifics. When he does say something intelligent we see BB who gave up Hebron, shook Arafats hand in friendship more than one occasion,agreed to give up 6% of West Bank, gave weapons to the Palis on more than one occasion, failed to react to terror attacks from the Palis and Lebanon. Was actually caught on numerous occasions lying to the Public. and let not forget Whye plantation agreements as well as offering Syria either all or part of the Golan depending on whose version you want to believe
Things have to play themselves out, I don`t see how we can hasten changes especially when any change might turn out to be worse.BB has positioned himself that if elected he can form a coalition with either left or right that does not put him and the Likud in a nationalist block. It it also possible the if the labor party merges with Kadima and barak is now closing in on BB 4 points seperating them that the left can have a blocking majority. Much too early to start counting chickens.
Batya writes about Hatikvah
Hatikvah
Last night, in Jerusalem, I met with a small group of veteran political activists. We’re an international group with a wide range of experience.
There’s one politician we all agree is honest, reliable, intelligent and more good things. He’s MK Dr. Arye Eldad, MD. MK Eldad’s backers have formed a political group, not yet a political party. At present he is a Knesset Member for the Ichud Le’umi, The National Union, which has been swallowed up by the National Religious Party. One of the main reasons is that other members of the NU were originally in the NRP, and the NRP wants them back.
MK Eldad is the only one who doesn’t label himself religious. His religiosity is not for politics. Personally, even though I am religious, I don’t vote for religious parties, never did.
The religious parties have institutions they must support, so they make decisions based on who’s most willing to finance them. That’s why the chareidi parties make deals with the anti-religious and anti-Torah. That’s why they voted for Peres in the presidential elections. Peres made sure to budget them funds.
Many of us were in the Ichud Le’umi, Likud and T’chiya. Now we’re willing to work hard for the new political group.
Hatikvah means hope.
I can’t speak for yamit but Felix is right about Bibi. As much as he isn’t leading where we want to go, he is the best chance to get there. First we must replace the capitulationists with the nationalists. I prefer that nomenclature to that of Felix. With the formation of Hatikvah we hoist the banner “Judea and Samaria are ours”.
While more and more Israelis begin to realize that we can keep it, they will rally around. In the meantime after a Bibi victory, he will be able to hold the fort for another five years. He will reject the auschwitz borders thus creating a stalemate.
Feiglin is expected to fall short of his target of 30% of Likud votes. (17% is expected) This weak results supports the idea that we must look to the nationalist camp and not the religious camp. The nationalists will win the day and the religious will join them. Although Bibi will run in the national elections on a security platform, Eldad’s party Hatikvah, now being formed, will run on a nationalist platform which embraces the nationalists and the religious. If Likud isn’t expected to get the most seats in the next election, then Hatikvah will have to form a coalition party with Likud prior to the election, to ensure that it does. Lieberman will join the nationalists. He doesn’t like the Arabs so he will have to be convinced that dealing with them in some fashion is possible.
The recent poll showed a majority wanted to keep the land..
While I think the Felix is over stating Israpundit’s importance, I do believe we are a rallying point for those of us who feel the way I do. Israpundit gives respectability for such feelings and policies which flow from them. People who compliment Israpundit for the job it’s doing are happy that they no longer feel alone and that we are carrying the banner for all of us. Above all, Israpundit attempts to be rational. We believe our eyes, not what “they” tell us.
I repeat what I said before, people should be careful what they say on this blog, because Jews are looking here for leadership.
Yamit you say that Bibi is a joke. Yes we have disagreements but the essential is that netanyahu is on the Patriot side of the equation against the Traitors in Kadima and Stalinist Labour, and against the Peace Movement.
Surely the first step is to remove Olmert, Livni and barak. There must be a United Front of the Patriots in order to rouse the Israeli people to do that. Why does Israpundit not call clearly for this and try to organize towards that end?
Yamit
You write above that demos even by the hundreds of thousands will not change and remove Olmert.
That is correct to a point. Olmert will sit tight no matter what. That is why it is essentially a revolutionary issue.
But what are you saying here Yamit. That the mass movement of Israelis does not count.
I propose a United Front of Netanyahu and Feiglin with other Patriots to force Olmert from power. What precisely do you, Ted and Bill propose?
Yamit, Bill and Ted
There must be a United Front developed among the Patriots of Israel. This means especially that Netanyahu and Feiglin must form a firm compact in order to rouse the Israeli mass movement to depose Kadima and Labour.
If you do not understand what is the United Front please ask…
Bill you are right but BB is smoking : POPULISM, here is his thinking: the right will have to vote for him even if they are not enthralled as the alternatives he believes are worse for them. He is positioning himself slightly right of center in order to differentiate himself from either Olmert or Barak. Between now and the eventual elections he may zig zag right to left depending what his daily polling tells him. He is doing his best to look and act Presidential, speaks softly without emotion, eschews confidence, has populistic ideas for just about everything for all people all conditions. nothing smells of any radical changes, just improved performance under BB. He made the same mistake in the past when he took the right for granted and in a close race he will lose again because as the saying goes you can`t fool all of the people all of the time, and this is what he is trying to do now.
Yamit
And what is the “old Bolshevik system”? Precisely to what are you referring here.
Or do you just throw this in because you are a reactionary type who hates everything to do with socialism and communism? Is that your position or are you trying to save Israel from Islam and the treachery of the US. It is the US which is the big player not Russia. Even though on the world situation Russia and Chinese Stalinism are dangerous.
Also you mention above demonstrations of hundreds of thousands in Israel against Olmert. When? When were they Yamit? You make it up as you go along!
So assuming they did not take place you assume that such demos etc would have no effect?
Why do you assume this?
Why will they have no effect? Because Yamit says so. So we get into the endless commentary rigmarole of Israpundit!
Rather than this I say that all the Patriots should form a United Front to get rid of this Government. This means in particular a United Front between Bibi and Geiglin, with people like Emanuel Winston joining.
I have big differences with Bibi but I place him on the Patriot side. The necessity is to remove the Kadima Labourist traitorous regime.
You preach pessimism and negativity Yamit and you have a right wing agenda, an anti communist and an anti socialist agenda. You place that agenda before the needs of Israel.
Yamit,
Palestinians have nothing but promises to offer. Whether spoken or written, the Palestinians have batted 1000 proving beyond doubt their promises are worthless.
B. Netanyahu’s committment to not giving up 1 inch of territory without entering a bargain with the Palestinians that gives Israel more then Israel gives up, begs the question, what has this man been smoking?
We have a throe back to the old Bolshevik party system. he only tome they pay any attention to the electorate is near election time. We need at least 61 votes in our parliment to bring him down. Demonstrations even by the hundreds of thousands have no effect low polls etc. As long as Olmert can keep majority in coalition he stays.Leiberman was they Key as long as he stays, no pressure can be brought to bear on shas. Leiberman sees himself as a future PM and he and BB are competing for the same constituency so in order to keep BB away and keep what he has he stays in. He will inevitably bolt when the right excuse comes along to help him politically but until then we are stuck with Olmert. BB is a joke. He said again today that we should not give up 1 inch of territory without a good exchange rate meaning we get from the Palis more than we give. This should inspire confidence( TELL GLICK)
Right.
My point Ted was that the any cost Olmert and Peres are prepared to pay to end the occupation is not coming out of their own pockets. They are pilfering the vault of Israel’s future and worse still, they are getting away with it right under the dumb ass noses of the opposition MK’s, the media and all Israelis.
When I chose this title I didn’t like it. I think Olmert and Pere’s really want to end the occupation at any cost.
If Olmert’s thinking, policies and actions, Olmert’s weakness under the yoke of American pressure or both and a confluence of factors that only add to the weight Israel strains under, induces waves of disgust and anger, so too should the feckless Israeli MK’s in opposition, the Israeli left wing media and Israelis themselves for failing to have what it takes to get rid of a PM and his party that has only a variously 3% – 8% approval rating.
Israel lost almost all faith in Olmert and his party Kadima by the end of last summer’s Lebanese war. Still Olmert not only hangs on to power, he does so without seemingly being affected in the least by not having the support of practically all of Israel.
Worse still, Olmert is moving Israel along a suicidal path undhindered by Israelis who should not just be blocking his path, but throwing him off the road.
In banner headlines today in the National Post is “Goal Set for Two States” and I will bet there are similar headlines in other major newspapers, signalling that Olmert has taken Israel that much closer to the point of no return, if he has not already gotten Israel there without even a whimper from Israelis.
It is almost to the point of believing it is pointless to continue to write on these topics since no one, including Israeli politicians, Israelis themselves, pro-Israel advocates and lobbyists and major Jewish organizations, all who are positioned to help save Israel from the Olmert politics of suicidal folly are not listening and therefore not acting.
Ted it takes years of training and logistics and without american support for the weapons and systems the Egyptians already have within short period of time they become useless. Don`t forget about satelite support America also gives Egypt. Even the Russians today are not giving away billions for free and Egypt aint got the dough. Murbarak is more concerned with Muslim brotherhood and securing his son as his replacement. Egypt has foundation and infrastructure for producing nukes now for some years but it is an expensive proposition. I view Egypt as our most dangerous existential enemy and by the way Egypt is already now for past several years buying Russian for cash.What they do have is a large reserve in Saudi Arabia that can be made available for use against us.
Without Israel America has no real anchor in th ME against the Russians. They know the Saudi`s can`t be depended upon and neither the Egyptians. Both countries are ripe for Islamists to topple. Olmerts and IDF stupidity cost us respect and many points in the eyes of the Pentagon and State Dept. This explains in part the American downgrading her relationship with Israel. Real or perceived weakness in the world increases not only risks but actual strategic weaknesses that are apparent to all especially our enemies and even our friends. While we are playing local politics all the forces in the world seem to be converging on this singular point. The Iranian Bomb might be months away or years away but Egypt with Saudi Backup is real and now. If the Iranians do get a Bomb or bombs How are American conventional weapons supposed to shore up and protect the Egyptians and the Saudis? These Weapons increase the chances of war with our Next door neighbors more than the nutty Iranians as the quality and amounts of weapons received and planned distorts the parity between Israel and them and that is when any pretext can blow up. Now with the Russians prodding and co- supplying our enemies to the North and South and Iranian proxies with some 20 thousand rockets aimed at our north and some that can hit as far away as Eilat Iran is already here. Israel Built an Arrow system to deflect ICBMs before they reach target. The Iranians must think twice or three time over if they want to risk an attack and fail to reach target, as our immediate response would be devastating and all for nothing if we manage to shoot them down first. But what if they arm medium and short range low trajectory rockets from Lebanon and or Syria, then at least they can ensure first strike with no chance of not succeeding. Syria also has rockets that can hit any target in Israel and they also might be armed with CBN warheads. Besides their own chemical and bio development and production it is in our estimate that Sadam moved his WMDs to Syria to avoid detection. This information the Americans have also. If we add the Palis to this mix it is not a situation to be complacent about or to be swept under the political carpet. Facing down ea. of these threats in a preemptive way which includes diplomacy and sane policies by our political leadership could deter some of the forces building up around us.
By the way Latest Likud Poll shown this PM on Israel TV. BB78% Fieglin 17% and Danon 3% Over 80% said they would vote. Primary of Likud Aug 14.
Yamit
I see it differently. Now that the US is confronted by Russia in the ME as it was by the USSR during the cold war, the US needs Israel to be strong and won’t force it to disengage. Aid shouldn’t be stopped to Egypt because that only makes room for Russia to take over Egypt as they once did.
Can the US hold the line in the ME if they weaken Israel. I think not. Can it rely on its “moderate friends”? I think not.
Mr. Morris you also forgot to add the re constituted Russian presence in the area . Now the have an agreement for a naval base in Syria. Think about a Russian Mil. umbrella over Syria. They are making deals almost daily now and this is part of the reason Bush wants to counter their deals. We have an arms race taking on Cold war proportions and we have gotten the short end of the stick. I think that if Israel wants more and better quality aid and agreements from America it should first disengage.
Remember the MOUSE THAT ROARED? Instead of declaring war on America: begging off from all American aid would have the affect that they would cease to have same level of control on us and It would put their whole ME posture in doubt. Congress would with pressure from our friends stop aid to Egypt. More Pressure to put the Saudis in their place. The Americans would not go for this so they will offer us the moon to keep current status quo. Then we can do some dictating ourselves and even if we agree the price will at least be more to our benefit.
The nature of the world is that the strong eat the weak, the big and powerful devour the small and meek. The morality of the world is the lack of it. We happen to be a mini economic and mil. power that has no concept as how to use it. 2 millennium in the galut has dulled our pride, our honor, and our survival instincts apparently! But I also say take heart as we usually come up with the right leader just in time. When we didn`t we got slaughtered. There may still be an awakening of the Jews similar to 67 or there won`t jury is still out but I think we might all agree we are heading for that proverbial moment of truth. The real question is will we as a nation and a people rise to meet the challenge?