Biden to Netanyahu: ‘Wind down’ bombardment of Gaza

T. Belman. This article quotes diplomats from EU and elsewhere, Israeli officials and Psaki.

Surprisingly,  Psaki said:

 “we also fully recognize it is up to the parties involved to bring an end to the conflict. And our objective is, for every statement we make, every action we take, everything we sign onto is going to have that objective in mind. We continue to believe that Israel has the right to defend itself. There have been more than 3,000 rocket attacks from Hamas, and more overnight into Israel. Civilians have lost their lives. Palestinian civilians have also lost their lives. And our goal is to get to the end of this conflict. We’re going to evaluate day-by day with the right approaches.”

Right on.  “Up to the parties”

I was less happy, in fact disappointed with what Israeli leaders are saying. Israel appears to be satisfied with punishing Hamas enough to ensure long time quiet. Gone is the rhetoric of eradicating Hamas once and for all. So we are back to kicking the can down the road.

Ganz : “deterred for a long time”

Netanyahu: “to bring the quiet back”

Official “The end goal of the operation is to “degrade Hamas’s will to start this kind of thing again soon.”

 The EU official, on the other hand says “The priority is to protect civilians and give full humanitarian access to Gaza.”   How noble of them.

He also said that after a ceasefire, there must be a relaunch of engagement aiming at a two-state solution, saying “only a true political solution can bring peace.”  Why are they pushing for the two state solution? They should back any solution that achieves peace. 

Hungary would not agree to a joint statement so there was none.  Thank you Hungary.

Israel is the victim here.  Israel alone gets to decide what is in its best interest.  Everybody else is interfering for their own political objectives.

How’s this for symmetry.  Hamas started it without permission. Israel will finish it without permission.

   JPOST  MAY 19, 2021 07:18

Israel plans to continue Operation Guardian of the Walls to strike at more high-quality Hamas terror targets, even as the US, EU and others push for a ceasefire, officials said late Tuesday night.

Their comments came as the Biden administration continued to encourage Jerusalem to wind down attacks against Gaza, a source told The Associated Press Tuesday.

Among the targets was Hamas’s Qassam Brigades commander Mohammed Deif, whom IDF sources said that they believe the military has a chance of eliminating if the operation continued.

Military sources said Deif had been targeted more than once during the last week of fighting, but had succeeded at the last moment to get away.

Defense Minister Benny Gantz said in a call with US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin on Tuesday that the operation will continue until Hamas is deterred for the long-term.

“The IDF’s military campaign will continue to the end of achieving long-term quiet,” Gantz said, pointing out to Austin that Hamas continues to fire rockets at civilian populations.

Netanyahu similarly said “we will continue as long as necessary to bring the quiet back to the citizens of Israel. I am sure that all the enemies around us see how costly it is to attack us, and I am sure they will learn the lesson.”

Attempted shooting, stabbing, explosive terror attack thwarted in Hebron

Gantz and Netanyahu’s remarks came as the US continued diplomatic efforts to bring about a ceasefire. The EU Foreign Affairs Council held a meeting on Tuesday, but failed to produce a consensus statement calling for a ceasefire.

A senior official in Jerusalem said that while the IDF has had major successes in striking Hamas, it has many more targets it wants to hit.

“When this ends, we want Hamas to have taken a really serious blow,” the official said, adding that the operation will continue “as long as we think we can inflict more serious punishment on Hamas and degrade their capabilities.”

The end goal of the operation is to “degrade Hamas’s will to start this kind of thing again soon.”

Asked if US pressure for a ceasefire is a consideration on whether to continue, the official said it is, but that “Israel has to reach its own decisions on its own national security with all the different ingredients looked at as a whole. As long as we think that Hamas still needs to receive a few blows, we still have goals, we will continue.”

A source close to the situation told the Associated Press Tuesday that US President Joe Biden and his administration told Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Israeli officials to wind down attacks on Gaza. The official said that Netanyahu and Israel were reminded by the administration that time is not on their side when it comes to international objections, and winding down Gaza strikes is in their best interest.

White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki said on Tuesday in a press gaggle aboard Air Force One that Biden’s objective is “to see an end to the violence on the ground, and to the suffering of the Israeli and the Palestinian people. As I’ve noted in the past, our focus and our strategy here is to work through quiet, intensive diplomacy. He’s been doing this long enough to know that the best way to end an international conflict is typically not to debate it in public… We see it as an ongoing behind the scenes discussion with our partners in Israel, with the Palestinian leader, with leaders in the region about how we can bring an end to the conflict.”

At the same time, Psaki said, “we also fully recognize it is up to the parties involved to bring an end to the conflict. And our objective is, for every statement we make, every action we take, everything we sign onto is going to have that objective in mind. We continue to believe that Israel has the right to defend itself. There have been more than 3,000 rocket attacks from Hamas, and more overnight into Israel. Civilians have lost their lives. Palestinian civilians have also lost their lives. And our goal is to get to the end of this conflict. We’re going to evaluate day-by day with the right approaches.”

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken spoke on Monday and Tuesday with UAE Foreign Minister Abdullah bin Zayed, Bahraini Foreign Minister Abdulatif al-Zayani and Moroccan Foreign Minister Nasser Bourita – countries that normalized ties with Israel last year – as part of American “outreach to halt the conflict in Israel and the West Bank and Gaza” and “to prevent further loss of life,” Blinken tweeted.

The EU held its Foreign Affairs Council meeting via teleconference, with serious divisions over what to include in its statements, which led to the meeting ending without a formal conclusion.

EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs Josep Borrell said Hungary was the only country to oppose an FAC statement, which can only be made by consensus.

The statement would have said the “priority is the immediate cessation of all violence and the implementation of a ceasefire,” Borrell said. “The priority is to protect civilians and give full humanitarian access to Gaza.”

Borrell added that most EU countries say the “high number of civilian casualties… high number of children and women – this is unacceptable.”

In addition, he said: “We condemn the rocket attacks by Hamas and other terrorist groups on Israeli territory. We fully support Israel’s right to [self] defense, but we have also considered and stated it has to be done in a proportionate matter, respecting international humanitarian law.”

He also said that after a ceasefire, there must be a relaunch of engagement aiming at a two-state solution, saying “only a true political solution can bring peace.”

“The status quo is not an option, because violence will come again,” Borrell asserted.

Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto told AFP soon after the council meeting: “I have a general problem with these European statements on Israel… These are usually very much one-sided, and these statements do not help, especially not under current circumstances, when the tension is so high.”

The EU is Israel’s biggest trade partner and a big aid donor to the Palestinians. Some member states – led by Luxembourg, along with Belgium, Ireland, Malta, Finland and others – have called to do more to promote Palestinian statehood, including threatening economic sanctions on Israel.

Other countries, including Germany, Hungary, the Czech Republic, Austria, Greece, Cyprus and Poland have defended Israel’s interests. Austria flew an Israeli flag over the federal chancellery in Vienna on Friday.

France’s presidency on Tuesday called for a resolution at the United Nations Security Council to stop the fighting between Israel and Palestinian militants in Gaza.

“Overall, the 3 countries agreed on 3 simple elements: the shooting must stop, the time has come for a ceasefire, the U.N. Security Council must take up the subject and we have also called for a vote on a resolution on the subject,” the presidency said in a statement after talks between Emmanuel Macron, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi and Jordan’s King Abdullah.

The statement added that the three countries had also agreed to launch a humanitarian initiative for the civilian population of Gaza in conjunction with the United Nations.

It gave no further details.

Greek Foreign Minister Nikos Dendias landed in Israel on Tuesday, meeting with Foreign Minister Gabi Ashkenazi, as well as Greek Orthodox Patriarch of Jerusalem Theophilos III and Palestinian Authority Prime Minister Mohammed Shtayyeh.

Dendias said only that he discussed “developments in the region” with Ashkenazi and Shtayyeh, separately.

Gantz spoke with his German counterpart, Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer, and thanked her for Germany’s solidarity with Israel, condemnation of rocket attacks on Israel and support for Israel’s right to defend itself.

Foreign ministers of BRICS countries – Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa – held a teleconference on Monday night to discuss issues in the Middle East, including the war between Israel and Gaza.

“They called on both sides for an immediate end to the violence and strict observance of the norms of international human law,” a statement from the Russian Foreign Ministry read. “We emphasized the importance of an early restart of direct Palestinian-Israeli negotiations with the aim of a comprehensive and long-term solution of all issues of the final status on the basis of a two-state solution.”

The PA, the Organization of Islamic Cooperation and the Arab Group held a news conference in advance of Thursday’s UN General Assembly debate on Gaza that is not expected to include the passage of a resolution.

Palestinian Ambassador Riad Mansour said he expected the UNGA would have high-level attendance and would demonstrate “massive” solidarity with the Palestinians.

The Palestinians need humanitarian assistance and international protection, Mansour said.

He took issue in particular with the United States’ decision to block a Security Council ceasefire statement condemning Israel-Palestinian violence, which spoke of hostilities in Gaza and Jerusalem but failed to mention the barrage of Hamas rockets launched at southern Israel.

“One country did not allow the UNSC” to issue a declaration, Mansour said. “Business as usual can not prevail in our region. To tell us, ‘be quiet, let us fix the Gaza Strip’ – that will not elevate us to what is needed,” Mansour said.

The Palestinians can not “continue to live under this [Israeli] apartheid regime,” Mansour said, adding that “this occupation has to end.”

Algerian Ambassador Sofiane Mimouni, who chairs the Arab Group, said conversations were still ongoing among UNSC members about the issuance of a ceasefire statement.

“We are fully aware of the politics on the UNSC, but we remain hopeful that the UNSC will fulfill its responsibility,” Mimouni said.

Anna Ahronheim and Reuters contributed to this report.

May 19, 2021 | 52 Comments »

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  1. More on the two-state (final) solution #16 [emphasis mine]:

    This one is very depressing – they gave away 70% of Judea and Samaria to the Arabs already in 1995 (OSLO II) if the map below is correct (it is from 2005) (Area A and Area B together take up most of the territory adjacent to Israel’s border, the Jewish settlements are almost non-existent and scattered):

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oslo_II_Accord#/media/File:Oslo_Areas_and_barrier_projection_2005.png

    And, as we know, the Arabs have been allowed to take over Area C as much as they can.

  2. More on the two-state (final) solution #15 (emphasis mine):

    [The intent here (see below) is to unite the West Bank and Gaza under the PA “government” so that BOTH the West Bank and Gaza could be described as “Palestinian” state and be united with a strip which will cut Israel IN HALF and enable the terrorists to shoot rockets from INSIDE Israel to both North and South of the country.

    Of course there will be “firm guarantees of Israel’s security before that happens”]

    Gaza reconstruction must be coordinated with PA – Abbas to Egypt

    Kamel and Egyptian intelligence officials met with Abbas in Ramallah and discussed with him Egypt’s efforts to achieve a long-term truce between Israel and the Gaza-based Palestinian terror groups.

    By KHALED ABU TOAMEH MAY 30, 2021 19:05

    The two sides also discussed ways of ending the dispute between Abbas’s Fatah faction and Hamas, as well as the possibility of resuming the peace process between the Palestinians and Israel under the auspices of the Quartet – the US, United Nations, European Union and Russia.

    Kamel assured Abbas that Egypt considers him the legitimate leader of the Palestinians and would coordinate any moves related to the Palestinians with the PA leadership, including reconstruction of the Gaza Strip in the aftermath of the recent war between Israel and the Gaza-based terrorist groups.

    Egyptian President Abdel Fattah Sisi has pledged $500 million to the reconstruction effort.

    The PA is ready to assume responsibility for overseeing reconstruction of the Gaza Strip on condition that the move is coordinated in advance with the Ramallah-based government, Abbas and other PA officials have told the US, the UN, the EU and some Arab countries.

    Some Hamas officials have reportedly expressed reservations about allowing the PA to play a role in the reconstruction effort.
    ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………
    PA Prime Minister Mohammad Shtayyeh on Sunday discussed the reconstruction issue with EU Special Representative for the Middle East Peace Process Sven Koopmans, who assumed his position on May 1.

    During a meeting in Ramallah, they also discussed efforts to revive the stalled Israeli-Palestinian peace process.

    Shtayyeh stressed the need for “filling the political vacuum” by having the EU present an initiative for the resumption of the peace process with the participation of the Quartet.

    https://www.jpost.com/israel-news/gaza-reconstruction-must-be-coordinated-with-pa-abbas-to-egypt-669626?utm_source=spotim&utm_medium=spotim_recirculation

  3. A NON-two-state solution A MUST READ! IT’S ALMOST FUNNY!

    Top Hamas official: This land is ‘not suitable for a two-state solution’
    PM Netanyahu should go and live in the US; MK Liberman should go back to Russia, Hamas official suggests.
    Arutz Sheva Staff , May 27 , 2021 12:24 PM

    While the international community remains officially wedded to the idea of a two-state solution as a way out of the current Middle East impasse, Hamas continues to insist that the only solution it has in mind is making “Palestine” Jew-free.

    “Each [Israeli] will go his way,” said senior Hamas official Mahmoud Al-Zahar, in an interview that aired on Al-Jazeera on Tuesday and was translated by MEMRI. “This land is not suitable for a two-state solution. It’s either or. Either the occupation remains forever – an option that has become completely inconceivable – or this occupation will be removed and each [Israeli] will go his way.”

    Al-Zahar helpfully explained that Prime Minister Benjamin “Netanyahu’s father is still living in America, so he should go to America. [MK Avigdor] Liberman’s father is still living in Russia, so he should go to Russia. Whoever came from those countries should go back there. Palestine is an Arab and Islamic land, which is mentioned in the Quran.” Apparently, Al-Zahar was not aware that the elder Netanyahu died in 2012.

    https://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/306989

    A great comment under the article:

    Arabs go back to Arabia. Jews go back to Judea.

    Finally, a great unity slogan!

  4. More on the two-state (final) solution #14 (emphasis mine):

    Blinken: Israel ‘took very significant steps’ to avoid hitting Gaza civilians
    In interview with Israeli TV, top US diplomat laments lost lives, ‘especially children’; underlines Biden’s support for two-state solution and return to Iran accord
    By TOI staff Today, 11:18 pm
    ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………
    “President Biden has been absolutely clear, and he’s been clear on more than one occasion: We are committed to Israel’s security, period. We will make sure that Israel has the means to defend itself,” he said.
    ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………….
    Blinken said this was “particularly” the case in light of the “attacks from a terrorist group indiscriminately targeting civilians,” saying “we want to make sure that Israel has the means to deal with that.”

    He stressed though that as a democracy, Israel has an “extra burden” to avoid civilian casualties when responding to attacks targeting Israeli citizens. [extremely interesting logic: if Israel became a terror organization, and Hamas – a peaceful democratic state, then Israel could shoot rockets at the Hamas civilians indiscriminately and get sympathy and support of the “world community” while Hamas “would have an “extra burden” to avoid civilian casualties when responding to attacks targeting the Hamas citizen”(?!)]
    ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………..
    We continue to believe very strongly that a two-state solution is not just the best way, but probably the only way to really assure that going forward, Israel has a future as a secure Jewish and democratic state, and the Palestinians have a state to which they’re entitled,” he said.

    The current focus, however, was “trying to build on the ceasefire, address the immediate needs and concerns,” according to Blinken, before seeing “if over time the conditions are such that there’s a better environment for trying to pursue a two-state solution.”

    https://www.timesofisrael.com/blinken-israel-took-very-significant-steps-to-avoid-hitting-gaza-civilians/

    Isn’t this contradictory – to say the the US is fully committed to Israel’s security while it is also fully committed to a two-stateFINAL solution?

  5. More on the two-state (final) solution #13 (emphasis mine):

    Qatar says it will contribute $500 million for Gaza reconstruction
    By Aaron Boxerman Today, 8:24 pm [05-26-21]

    [Qatar’s] Foreign Minister Mohammad bin Abd al-Rahman Al-Thani… …vows that Qatar will continue to support Palestinians so as to reach “a just and lasting solution by establishing their independent state in accordance with the Arab Peace Initiative.”

    [Other Arab states have also pledged hundreds of millions of $$ worth of aid to Gaza]

    https://www.timesofisrael.com/liveblog_entry/qatar-says-it-will-contribute-500-million-for-gaza-reconstruction/

  6. More on the two-state (final) solution #12 (emphasis mine):

    Blinken reiterates US opposition to Israeli evictions in Sheikh Jarrah
    [translation: The US reiterates that East Jerusalem is exclusively Arab, i.e., it is going to be the capital of the future “Palestinian” state and Israel has no sovereignty there]
    Meanwhile, Netanyahu lambastes French FM for his ‘insolent, false claim’ that Israel is on the way to become an apartheid state [one can’t remain silent!]
    By TOI staff Today, 2:18 pm [05-26-21]

    https://www.timesofisrael.com/liveblog-may-26-2021/

  7. More on the two-state (final) solution #10 (emphasis mine):

    UK’s Raab arrives in Israel for talks on boosting ceasefire, calls for 2 states

    British Foreign Secretary’s visit comes a day after US Secretary of State Blinken holds talks in the region, will meet with Israeli, Palestinian Authority leaders
    By AFP and TOI staff Today, 1:14 am [05-26-21]
    Rousseau/Pool via AP)
    British Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab urged an end to the “cycle of violence” via a two-state solution ahead of post-ceasefire talks Wednesday in Israel and the Palestinian territories.

    Raab arrived in Israel late Tuesday for a one-day trip, a day after US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, on his own visit, vowed to rebuild US relations with the Palestinians by reopening a consulate in Jerusalem and giving millions in aid to help reconstruct the Gaza Strip.
    …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
    The UK supports a two-state solution as the best way to deliver a lasting peace.”

    In Jerusalem on Tuesday, Blinken said Israeli and Palestinian states living side by side was “the only way” forward.

    https://www.timesofisrael.com/uks-raab-arrives-in-israel-for-talks-on-boosting-ceasefire-calls-for-2-states/

  8. Correction of the two-state solution #9: A large part of the quote from the article in the middle was accidentally duplicated.

  9. More on the two-state (final) solution #9 [SPEEDING UP!] (emphasis mine):

    In Ramallah, Blinken announces plans to reopen US consulate in Jerusalem
    De facto mission to Palestinians was merged into embassy by Trump administration; secretary of state says he notified Netanyahu; move requires Israeli approval

    By Jacob Magid and Aaron Boxerman Today, 10:12 pm 0

    2021, in the West Bank city of Ramallah. (Alex Brandon / POOL / AFP)

    US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken on Tuesday announced plans to reopen the US consulate in Jerusalem that had historically served as the de facto representative to the Palestinians.

    Blinken made the comments while meeting with Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas in Ramallah,
    ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….
    Biden campaigned on reopening both the consulate in Jerusalem as well as the Palestinian Liberation Organization’s mission in Washington, which was shuttered by Trump in 2018. Both moves will face legal hurdles.

    Israeli approval will be required to open a diplomatic mission in its capital, and according to Axios, Netanyahu pushed back on the request, saying he’d prefer if things remain as they are [for the PR, later he’ll quietly agree].

    A former US official familiar with the matter told The Times of Israel that the US expects Israel to eventually comply with the request, as Jerusalem will likely want to reserve its clashes with the administration to conversations about its efforts to return to the Iran nuclear deal.
    ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….
    t’s also not clear what the specific role of the consulate will be. The old mission on Agron was responsible for serving all residents of the West Bank, Gaza Strip and East Jerusalem. Given that the vast majority of those civilians are Palestinian, the consulate was known as the de facto representative to them and its diplomats communicated regularly with PA officials.

    Returning to the old paradigm would likely anger settlers and their supporters who believe they should be grouped with the rest of Israeli citizens that report to the embassy in Jerusalem, not the consulate, for their consular needs.

    Reopening the PLO mission in DC could well be even more challenging. Doing so would violate Congressional legislation that ordered its shuttering if the Palestinians filed a suit against Israel at the ICC, which they did in 2017.

    Another major stumbling block to reopening the mission is congressional legislation from 1987 that labels the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) “and its affiliates” a terror group.
    ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….
    During the meeting with Abbas Blinken said the United States opposes unilateral actions which could undermine the prospects for a just, durable peace, “whether that is settlement activity, home demolitions, annexation of territory, incitement to violence or compensation of individuals who committed acts of terror.”

    “As I told the president, I am here to underscore the commitment of the United States government to its relationship with the Palestinian Authority,” Blinken said.

    2021, in the West Bank city of Ramallah. (Alex Brandon / POOL / AFP)

    US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken on Tuesday announced plans to reopen the US consulate in Jerusalem that had historically served as the de facto representative to the Palestinians.

    Blinken made the comments while meeting with Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas in Ramallah,

    “As I told both Prime Minister [Benjamin] Netanyahu and President Abbas, the United States will be moving forward with the process to reopen our consulate in Jerusalem. That’s an important way for our country to engage with and provide support for the Palestinian people,” Blinken told reporters while sitting alongside Abbas, during his first trip to the region as US President Joe Biden’s top diplomat.

    Blinken also announced US plans to send tens of millions of dollars in aid to the Palestinians to assist in the reconstruction of Gaza, following the 11-day conflict between Israel and terror groups there that brought the secretary to the region.

    In 2019, the Trump administration merged the 175-year-old Jerusalem consulate into the US embassy in the city, which had been transferred from Tel Aviv a year earlier. Much of the staff at the historic mission on Agron Street in downtown West Jerusalem continued their same jobs, though under a newly named Palestinian Affairs Unit formed under the larger umbrella of US relations to Israel.

    Get The Times of Israel’s Daily Edition by email and never miss our top stories
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    Then-secretary of state Mike Pompeo justified the move, saying it would lead to greater efficiency. However, many of the diplomats on the ground opposed the merger, and senior Palestinian officials subsequently severed contact with the Agron mission.

    Biden campaigned on reopening both the consulate in Jerusalem as well as the Palestinian Liberation Organization’s mission in Washington, which was shuttered by Trump in 2018. Both moves will face legal hurdles.

    Israeli approval will be required to open a diplomatic mission in its capital, and according to Axios, Netanyahu pushed back on the request, saying he’d prefer if things remain as they are.

    A former US official familiar with the matter told The Times of Israel that the US expects Israel to eventually comply with the request, as Jerusalem will likely want to reserve its clashes with the administration to conversations about its efforts to return to the Iran nuclear deal.

    The former official said that the Biden administration recognized the urgency of reopening the mission during the latest Gaza violence. As tensions spiked in Jerusalem in the weeks leading up to the May 10-20 war in the Strip, the US lacked an independent mission with close ties to the relevant parties and an ability to thoroughly report back to Washington, the ex-official said, acknowledging that the White House had been late in its engagement efforts aimed at de-escalation.

    That realization is what led the White House to fast-track their plans to reopen the consulate, which some thought would have to wait until after a permanent government is formed in Israel, a source familiar with the matter said.

    Blinken did not specify in his announcement where the consulate will be placed. The most practical spot for the mission could well be on Agron Street where its diplomats are already located. It would also allow the US to explain that the site is simply a continuation of the long-held, pre-Trump status quo. However, the Biden administration has also emphatically stated its support for a two-state solution. The Palestinians demand East Jerusalem as the capital of their future state, so placing a consulate on Agron Street in West Jerusalem could be seen as a statement against that vision. However, placing the mission n East Jerusalem, indicating support for the traditional two-state paradigm, would likely cause greater tension with the Israelis who view the entire city as their capital.

    It’s also not clear what the specific role of the consulate will be. The old mission on Agron was responsible for serving all residents of the West Bank, Gaza Strip and East Jerusalem. Given that the vast majority of those civilians are Palestinian, the consulate was known as the de facto representative to them and its diplomats communicated regularly with PA officials.

    Returning to the old paradigm would likely anger settlers and their supporters who believe they should be grouped with the rest of Israeli citizens that report to the embassy in Jerusalem, not the consulate, for their consular needs.

    Reopening the PLO mission in DC could well be even more challenging. Doing so would violate Congressional legislation that ordered its shuttering if the Palestinians filed a suit against Israel at the ICC, which they did in 2017.

    Another major stumbling block to reopening the mission is congressional legislation from 1987 that labels the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) “and its affiliates” a terror group.
    US Secretary of State Antony Blinken speaks alongside Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the Prime Minister’s Office in Jerusalem on May 25, 2021 (Haim Zach / GPO)

    The PA is hoping that Biden will agree to deem the legislation an unconstitutional restraint on the executive’s powers. In exchange it is prepared to make changes to its payment of stipends to Palestinian security prisoners and slain terrorists, officials in Ramallah have told The Times of Israel.

    An alteration of the PA welfare program may also usher Ramallah into compliance with the 2018 Taylor Force Act, which suspended US aid to the PA as long as it continued to implement the existing prisoner payment policy.

    If the 1987 legislation remains on the table, the only way the US will be able to reopen the PLO mission is if Biden follows the paths of his predecessors, signing a waiver every six months stipulating that doing so is a US national interest. However, the US would then need to alter provisions instituted by Congress over the past decade that banned the Palestinians from Washington once they went to the ICC.

    Blinken, earlier on Tuesday, told diplomats during a visit to the US embassy in Jerusalem that the Biden administration would be dispatching former senior diplomat Michael Ratney to the city to head the US embassy there until a full-time ambassador is appointed and confirmed. Ratney previously served as a consul-general in Jerusalem.

    On Monday, former State Department official Thomas Nides accepted the Biden administration’s offer to serve as the next ambassador to Israel, according to a source familiar with the matter. The White House is expected to announce the move in the coming weeks after which the Senate will be asked to confirm the appointment.
    US aid to Palestinians

    During the meeting with Abbas Blinken said the United States opposes unilateral actions which could undermine the prospects for a just, durable peace, “whether that is settlement activity, home demolitions, annexation of territory, incitement to violence or compensation of individuals who committed acts of terror.”

    “As I told the president, I am here to underscore the commitment of the United States government to its relationship with the Palestinian Authority,” Blinken said.

    “We thank the American state for the support it has given to the State of Palestine,” Abbas responded.
    ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..
    Earlier Tuesday, Blinken met with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the Prime Minister’s Office in Jerusalem where he affirmed Biden’s “personal” commitment to Israel’s security and said the US would take a lead role in the “urgent humanitarian reconstruction in Gaza” to ensure a better future for all sides.

    https://www.timesofisrael.com/in-ramallah-blinken-announces-plans-to-reopen-us-consulate-in-jerusalem/

  10. More on the two-state (final) solution #8 [an opinion by an American journalist] (emphasis mine):
    Debate over the Israel-Palestine issue has changed forever, but here’s why the fabled ‘two-state solution’ is no solution at all [don’t get excited yet – his idea is even worse]
    Bradley Blankenship
    22 May, 2021 13:00

    https://www.rt.com/op-ed/524473-israel-palestine-two-state-solution/

    Basically, he is saying that:

    1) the US Congress expressed disapproval against Israel because there are more minorities in Congress and they feel for the Palestinians;

    2) that the two-state solution is a device Israel uses to buy time and increase the settlements [if only!];

    3) that the real two-state solution is impossible unless Israel removes all its “illegal” settlements and gives the “Palestinian” land back to them;

    4) an alternative to (3) would be a “peaceful democratic” one state “without apartheid” which “apartheid” Israel has been practicing the whole time against the poor, suffering “Palestinians”;

    5) Israel is

    a settler-colonial project

    which commits war crimes.

    His conclusion [which is pure deception]:

    But just because Israel as a unified democratic state would not exist as a state where Jews have sole political and social rights does not mean it would not fulfill the intention behind its creation by the United Nations in 1948, e.g., being a refuge for the Jewish nation. Israel could be a peaceful, democratic and inclusive society if – and only if – its apartheid system is brought to an end.

  11. More on the two-state (final) solution #7 (emphasis mine):

    French FM warns of ‘apartheid’ in Israel
    French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian warns of “long-lasting apartheid” in Israel if Palestinian Arabs fail to obtain their own state.

    Elad Benari , May 24 , 2021 5:32 AM

    French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian on Sunday warned of the risk of “long-lasting apartheid” in Israel if Palestinian Arabs fail to obtain their own state, AFP reported.

    Le Drian made the remarks in an interview with RTL radio and Le Figaro newspaper in reference to the clashes between Jews and Arabs that erupted in several Israeli cities during the latest conflict.

    “It’s the first time and it clearly shows that if in the future we had a solution other than the two-state solution, we would have the ingredients of long-lasting apartheid,” Le Drian said.

    He claimed that the “risk of apartheid is high” if Israel continued to act “according to a single-state logic” but also if it maintained the status quo.

    “Even the status quo produces that,” added Le Drian, who said that the 11-day conflict between Hamas and Israel had shown the need to revive the Middle East peace process.

    “We have take one step at a time,” he said, expressing satisfaction that US President Joe Biden had reiterated support for creating a Palestinian state alongside Israel.
    …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
    PA leaders have consistently claimed that Israel carries out a policy of apartheid against Palestinian Arabs, ignoring the fact that PA chairman Mahmoud Abbas has said that a Palestinian state would be free of Jews.

    https://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/306718

  12. More on the two-state (final) solution #6 (emphasis mine):

    Blinken: Two-state solution is the only way
    US Secretary of State says the two-state solution is the only way to provide hope to Israelis and Palestinian Arabs.

    Elad Benari , May 24 , 2021 4:37 AM

    US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Sunday reaffirmed US support for a two-state solution.

    Speaking to ABC and quoted by AFP, Blinken asserted that the two-state solution is the only way to provide hope to Israelis and Palestinian Arabs that they can live “with equal measures of security, of peace and dignity.”

    “If there isn’t positive change, and particularly if we can’t find a way to help Palestinians live with more — with more dignity and with more hope, this cycle is likely to repeat itself, and that is in no one’s interest,” the Secretary of State said.

    Blinken’s support for a two-state solution restates a long-time US goal, though he conceded that this was not “necessarily for today.”

    His remarks follow the ceasefire that went into effect in Gaza last Thursday after 11 days of fighting.
    ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………….
    While Trump said while in office he thought the two-state solution “works best”, he also said he would be comfortable with what the sides ultimately decide on.
    ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….
    Past efforts under the Obama administration to broker a peace agreement failed in 2014 when the PA unilaterally applied to join international organizations in breach of the conditions of the talks.

    https://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/306715

  13. I am keeping track of the 5th point of my scenario on this thread (so I am still on topic):

    5) noises about the two-state (final) solution as the ONLY solution to bring peace become louder and louder.

    The instance #4 is actually #5 (I forgot to include Psaki’s statement on the two-state solution) in my count.

  14. @ Reader:
    YOU “didn’t say anything”……..Such a luig’n….you have done nothing but spout off like Moby Dick ever since you had the ignominity of Sebastien correcting you.
    YOU……who are ALWAYS RIGHT…..were wrong….(and not for the first or fifty first rime)…The weak link in your “srguments” is that we know everything already that you have said. I could look up Shmuel Katz’s book myself…I have it and others by him. I loved his writing.

    But what I wrote about Truman, Eddie Jacobson and Weizmann are absolutely correct, actually quoted and confirmed by all three at different times. One also gives the complete history of the Truman-Jacobson buisiness partnership and it’s eventual failure, from beginning to end, including their life-long friendship, and deep insight into their characters and actions under certain circumstances.

    I know you’l say you don’t need to “hear all that” but I’m giving an illustration of how deeply I have delved into the whole period and that I know much more about it than what you can get from Wiki or an errant book, written by a single writer who just mentioned the fact but not a single one of the intimate details. You’re quoting Katz…I’m quoting Truman, Weizmann, and Jacobson, along with intimate pertinent surrounding details. You should thank me -instead of the opposite.

    So do yourself a favour and GIVE UP….stop trying to exculpate yourself in your effort to show that YOU are ALWAYS. right. The whole nonsense has been built up from the difference between “De Jure” and “De Facto”. THERE….!! I’ve proved it. I don’t know how old you are, maybe you yourself don’t, but I am old enough to have lived through that intense period and had the utmost interest in it. ……..!!

    Itso Fatso…!! Fin…..

  15. More on the two-state (final) solution #4 (emphasis mine):

    Losing the war: The rising cost of Israel’s lapsed support for 2-state solution
    There’s no safe path to a deal. Hamas’s rise shows the dangers of withdrawal. But no longer backing two states, even in principle, makes Israel more vulnerable when conflict erupts
    By David Horovitz Today, 1:01 pm [05-23-21]
    -……………………………………………………………………………………………………………….
    “My party still supports Israel,” US President Joe Biden said on Friday. And “there is no shift in my commitment to the security of Israel, period, no shift, not at all,” he said. “But I tell you what there is a shift in. The shift is that we still need a two-state solution. It is the only answer, the only answer.

    “Listening to NPR talking about how the Democratic Party is ‘shifting’ on Israel,” tweeted Democratic Sen. Chris Murphy, also Friday. “Such a tired, lazy take. Democrats believe in a two state future. Always have. If we’re more critical of Israel, it’s bc their politics have moved, not ours.
    ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………….
    Many of us, this writer emphatically included, regard a two-state solution as essential if we are not to lose either our Jewish majority, or our democracy, or both, forever entangled among millions of hostile Palestinians. Many of us, this writer emphatically included, cannot currently see a safe route to such an accommodation.

    For the last time, it doesn’t matter. “

    https://www.timesofisrael.com/losing-the-war-the-rising-cost-of-israels-lapsed-support-for-2-state-solution/

    The only solution other than a two-state solution is MASS ALIYAH but no one can see the elephant in the room, for some reason, especially not the Jewish Agency.

  16. More on the two-state (final) solution (emphasis mine):

    Live UpdateFrom the Liveblog of Friday, May 21, 2021
    China welcomes ceasefire, offers aid and COVID vaccines to the Palestinians
    By AFP Today, 12:17 pm

    China welcomes the ceasefire between both sides in the Palestine-Israel conflict, and hopes the relevant parties will earnestly implement the ceasefire and cessation of violence,” foreign ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian says at a press conference.

    The international community should promote the resumption of peace talks between Palestine and Israel, and achieve a comprehensive, just and lasting solution to the Palestine issue on the basis of the two state solution,” he adds.

    https://www.timesofisrael.com/liveblog_entry/china-welcomes-ceasefire-offers-aid-and-covid-vaccines-to-the-palestinians/

  17. More on the two-state (final) solution (emphasis mine):

    Live UpdateFrom the Liveblog of Friday, May 21, 2021
    EU welcomes ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, urges ‘political solution’
    By AFP Today, 11:32 am

    22, 2021 (Aris Oikonomou, Pool via AP)

    The European Union welcomes the ceasefire between Israel and Hamas and vows to increase efforts for a long-term “political solution” to resolve the crisis.

    “The European Union welcomes the announced ceasefire bringing to an end the violence in and around Gaza. We commend Egypt, Qatar, United Nations, United States and others who have played a facilitating role in this,” EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell says in a statement.

    “We are appalled and regret the loss of life over these past 11 days. As the EU has consistently reiterated, the situation in the Gaza Strip has long been unsustainable.”

    The statement insists that “only a political solution will bring sustainable peace and end once and for all the Palestinian-Israeli conflict.”

    “Restoring a political horizon towards a two-state solution now remains of utmost importance. The EU is ready to fully support Israeli and Palestinian authorities in these efforts,” it says.

    “The EU is renewing its engagement with key international partners, including the United States, and other partners in the region, as well as with the revitalized Middle East Quartet, to this end.”

    https://www.timesofisrael.com/liveblog_entry/eu-welcomes-ceasefire-between-israel-and-hamas-urges-political-solution/

  18. @ Edgar G.:
    These are my posts in order of appearance (the square brackets comment I added now):

    Reader
    May 20, 2021 at 2:56 am
    @ Sebastien Zorn:
    The Soviet Union recognized Israel 3 days after the US, the US didn’t lift the embargo anyway.
    ————————————————————————————————————
    Reader
    May 20, 2021 at 6:31 am
    @ Sebastien Zorn:
    You are right.

    I was talking about de facto recognition [I meant the American recognition of Israel].

    Katz says:

    President Truman accorded de facto recognition to the state of Israel eleven minutes after its proclamation. He surprised everyone by his swift action…

    Maybe he wanted to avoid a fight with the State Department? Who knows?
    ————————————————————————————————————

    I took the information for my 1st post from Katz’s book.

    In my second post I showed the actual quote from the Katz’s book, from the same page from which I took the information.

    I really didn’t need the ponderous explanation on the difference between de facto and de jure but I didn’t say anything.

    I think both you and Sebastian are hounding me because I am not a member of your Bibi the Savior of Israel Cult.

    I post facts, not fantasies.

    Your reaction to my posting the facts is: “Don’t tell me ’cause it HURTS! (YOU IDIOT!!!)”

    Well, it’s not MY fault.

    AND QUIT INSULTING ME!!!

  19. Ted, history has shown us that the Globalists do not want either Israel or the “Palestinians” to win, nor to have peace. They just want to exercise power over both, and watch them jump when they tell them to. Then, at a time of their choosing, they plan to crush both beneath their jackboot and listen to the bones crunching.

  20. @ Reader:
    Is it a crime for a Jewish Statesman to be an Anglophile, especially when he spent so many years there, and was on the best of terms with all the major figures. Also that he was the ONE who got Balfour to write that famous little note, which was the major impetus for the rebirth of the State of Israel.

    You should fall on your skinny old knobbly knees and kiss that old sick man’s feet you …you….

    He was a Jewish hero.

  21. @ Reader:

    I’m not trying to prove anything toyou. You are an incorrigible subject. You believe nothing except what’s been inserted into your stange mind. What I was giving you was a little bit of accurate Jewish history just from the generosity of my heart. I thought you’d appreciate it. It should have been of interest to you, who always has so much to say about nothing, and this was SOMETHING..A guy who even answers rhetorical questions seriously and doesn’t understand what they are…..Yes, I was trying to educate even a mashuggena like you. A nebuchal, a nudnik..

    But…suit yourself……… keep your head stuck up your own rear end as usual.

    Here’s another little bit of information I’m sure you don’t want. Congress has just passed a bill to make DC into a State.

    By the way don’t add to your crimes by telling lies. You never mentioned “de facto” until Sebastien pulled you up and pointed it out. He’s a lot smarter than you.

    You’ll deny it of course, your usual mode of action, but I don’t care one jot.

  22. @ Edgar G.:
    Look, I can’t understand why you keep trying to prove to me that it was Weitzman.

    I wasn’t stating anything other than that Truman recognized Israel de facto unusually early and I offered a possible reason in the form of a question.

    I don’t care, let it be Weitzman, although he was a staunch Anglophile.

  23. @ Reader:
    Touche…But I recall I read it in a Biography of Weitzmann. It seems that He went to Washing to plead with Truman, and Truman wouldn’t see him. Theythen got in touc with ruman’s former business partner, Eddie Jacobson I think his name was, and he went to trumen saying that here is a poor old man , very sick but who got out of his sickbed to implore you to recognise Israel. Are you going to tun him down. “”

    Thruman himself has said that he was moved by Weitzmann and was persuaded by him.

    That’s all I now about it. I have the book in storage. I’ve also read about that scene elsewhere at least 2-3 times. My account was paraphrasing but fairly close to the actual wording.

    ***********************************************************************************

    I just now checked WIki. You can look it up for yourself..”Edward Jacobson” a lifelong friend of Truman who could get into the Oval Office anytime. It was also written in a book called “Israel’s Prime Ministers” by Yehuda Avner, advisor to 6 PMs (including Begin) and a high class official and multi-diplomat.

    So THERE…Read it. I just did the work for you. Don’t trip over yourself rushing to thank me….!!

  24. More on the two-state (final) solution [emphasis mine]:

    https://www.timesofisrael.com/liveblog_entry/un-mideast-envoy-welcomes-truce-says-time-to-start-building-palestine/

    Live UpdateFrom the Liveblog of Thursday, May 20, 2021
    UN Mideast envoy welcomes truce, says time to start ‘building Palestine’
    Today, 4:42 am

    The top United Nations envoy to Israel and the Palestinian territories is welcoming the cease-fire in the latest war between Israel and the Hamas terror group that rules Gaza.

    Tor Wennesland tweets that he extends his “deepest condolences to the victims of the violence & their loved ones.”

    He also thanks Egypt and Qatar for their work with the U.N. in brokering the deal that ended 11 days of fighting.

    He adds that now “the work of building #Palestine can start.”

    AP

  25. @ Ted Belman:
    Rope a dope was not deception. Ali was taking tremendous punishment on his body and head, and being tall, was forced to lean back over the ropes often. They were a bit slack. (But everything about that fight was slipshod. It was supposed to boost up the monstrous dictator Mobutu.) This did not minimise the heavy punishment. The rope a dope phrase was invented by his speechwriter, poem maker friend, Drew Bundini Brown. Some

    The enormous punishment Ali took in that Foreman fight and also the Joe Frazer fights were the cause of his Parkinson’s Syndrome, (not the disease itself but similar) already affecting his brain several years before he stopped fighting. The brain Xrays-which I’ve seen- show that it had already become significantly smaller and with neurological damage from the heavy head blows.

    His personal doctor Ferdy Pacheco complained bitterly to all and sundry against the Commissions which allowed him to keep fighting. It was he who showed the Xrays, pointing out the damage.

    TED-Since you know about the “rope a dope-” you should watch the 2 hour video of the whole Zaire episode, It’s called “When we were Kings” and is very interesting, showing the tremendous strain Foreman was under being so superstitious as he was. Witch doctors prancing abo, putting spells on him, and wild animals roaring all around them. Foreman was terrified and depressed all the time. Ali had a wonderul time loved by all. Foreman brooded and never smiled the whole 6-8 week they were “imprisoned” there. Ali already won the fight psychologically long before it took place. It made Foreman fight at top pace all the time to punish him, and release his anxiety. Basically he fell down from exhaustion and strain. Ali was not a heavy puncher at all.

  26. @ Reader:
    Not quite. The books I’ve read say that he was persuaded by Chaim Weitzmann and immediately overruled his representatives at the UN who were against it. His reason was that intelligence reported that the Soviets intended to be the first to recognise Israel,.and he was determned to beat them out; this was a Cold War tactic.

    Just like Sputnik dog, Yuri Gargarin, and the US rushing to be the first to put a man on the moon..etc.

  27. @ Reader:

    De Jure which is a legal recognition is a permanent recognition and it cannot be withdrawn. The recognition that is conferred by De Facto is based on a factual situation and is not a process of law. De Jure is a recognition given after following due procedure of law. Diplomatic representatives are not exchanged.

    Difference between De Facto and De Jure & Their Comparisonshttps://byjus.com › … › Difference Between Articles

    That being said, as you pointed out, the US just imposed an arms embargo during the war whereas the Soviet Union allowed newly Communist Czechoslovakia to provide some assistance.

    Clearly, a rivalry

  28. @ Sebastien Zorn:
    You are right.

    I was talking about de facto recognition.

    Katz says:

    President Truman accorded de facto recognition to the state of Israel eleven minutes after its proclamation. He surprised everyone by his swift action…

    Maybe he wanted to avoid a fight with the State Department? Who knows?

  29. @ Reader:
    I don’t know if you really know what you mean.. After all, the best answer to you is

    “Ven mein Bobba zoll haben eine bord vot zi geveyn mein Zayda”…

  30. @ Reader:

    The Soviet Union was the first country to recognise Israel de jure on 17 May 1948, followed by Nicaragua, Czechoslovakia, Yugoslavia, and Poland. The United States extended de jure recognition after the first Israeli election, on 31 January 1949.

    International recognition of Israel – Wikipedia

  31. Prediction: The country is united behind the war effort and it could reasonably go on for a very long time. At a minimum, I think it will continue until Lapid’s mandate expires, the Knesset is unable to field a viable alternative and the time table for the fifth election is set, thus killing two Goliaths (I feel too sorry for birds to kill them even metaphorically) with one stone.

    On another note: I just read that Russia signed a joint Agreement with Israel to combat terrorism and crime. I’m not sure in what way, but I am wondering if the timing is coincidental or if it will influence this war in some way, not to mention lawfare in the UN should Biden stop shielding Israel. A deterrent – perhaps in the same way that the Soviet Union recognizing Israel in 1948 may have influenced Truman to follow suit so as not to be left behind?

  32. high-quality Hamas terror targets,

    . bar tender’s translation for AOC’s benefit: “top shelf Hamas terror targets”.

  33. Netanyahu has answered Biden’s DEMAND for a cease fire with a definite NO

    That’s exactly what I meant – yesterday he was folding – see the quotes above the article, and today he is suddenly “resisting Biden’s demands”.

    It is because he was told he should play the role of a hero to get popular and Knesset support and destroy the “change bloc”.

    I think the scenario has been played out as follows so far:
    1) they were going to go full blast for the two-state final solution this summer after failing with the fake 30% sovereignty deal (some noises were made about a conference, the Fatah “elections” were supposed to be held to show it is a real state with a government, etc. – all it needs is a formal recognition);

    2) Netanyahu as PM was crucial for the process because:
    a) he showed himself to be agreeable to the division of Jerusalem and the “Palestinian” state (I posted his record here previously or you can look it up online, and he was the one who was working on the 30% sovereignty deal for 3 years);

    b) he is as or even more compromised as Sharon was before the disengagement, and he has shown willingness to do ANYTHING to get out of this situation (can’t they see that someone like this is a national security risk as a PM?!);

    c) if he signs off on the ultimate “peace process (final) solution”, he will be rewarded with a Nobel Peace Prize, and who will prosecute a Nobel Prize winner and “our hero and savior”?

    3) something went WRONG:
    a) the Fatah elections didn’t happen;
    b) Netanyahu failed to form a government, and the mandate went to the “change bloc”, i.e., the people who will not countenance the government WITH Netanyahu as PM;

    4) immediately, the usual Ramadan unrest blows out of all proportion, etc , etc., and a week later the “change bloc” seems to be dead in the water, Bennett and, possibly, Sa’ar defect to Netanyahu;

    5) noises about the two-state (final) solution as the ONLY solution to bring peace become louder and louder.

  34. @ Edgar G.:
    You are quite correct about Katz, Edgar – he was an asset like no other. There was no replacing him. I also like your description of Eban.

  35. What if The White House believed that Israel (or France, or Monaco) DOES NOT have the right to defend itself?

    Should any of these countries stop fighting and permit itself to be destroyed and genocided on the US’ say-so?

  36. @ Reader:
    You have a good book there. (I also have it and others) Shmuel Katz was a wonderful writer, I could read him forever. Begin was lucky he had a sidekick like Katz, no other PM has had anyone so articulate, trustworthy and a first class mensch. Abba Eban was a great talker/speakerr but got to like the sound of his own voice far too much.

  37. @ Reader:
    Well I can tell you naysayers that Netanyahu has answered Biden’s DEMAND for a cease fire with a definite NO. He says that Israel will carry on until their goals are completed… Gott Zu Danken.

    What really worries me is that the PM looks as if he hasn’t slept a minute for a week. I hope it’s only that….I’ve never seen him look so ravaged. We need him so badly for an indefinite period, likely for his whoel lifetime.

    All the Generals and the Min for Defence Gantz, look rested and fresh. This shows the enormous total responsibility which rests right on Netanyahu’s shoulders, a backbreaking task. And with the Jew-hating Goyishe rworld howling for a cease fire and a Two State Delusion.

  38. I posted here a week ago that this whole thing is a provocation to push through the two-state final solution while Netanyahu is still Prime Minister.

    Some from the “change bloc” already defected to him.

    Now he is being presented as a hero “resisting” Biden’s push for a cease-fire (he will fold eventually after experiencing “unbearable pressure” and wishing to “preserve peace”).

    And then, it will really start happening (I really hope it won’t).

  39. @Ted Belman

    Why are they pushing for the two state solution? They should back any solution that achieves peace.

    First, here is one from Psaki (emphasis mine):

    Psaki: We all know 2-state solution is the answer to violence
    Repeatedly asked about US’s role in Gaza violence, White House spokesperson said the only answer to ongoing attacks was a 2-state solution.
    Tags: Jen Psaki Guardian Of The Walls
    Arutz Sheva Staff , May 17 , 2021 10:18 PM

    https://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/306344

    As to WHY?

    They’ve been pushing for it since at least April of 1948.

    NOTHING HAS CHANGED except that we are a different generation.

    If you have Samuel Katz’s Days of Fire, open Chapter 26 The Jewish State – it could have been written today.

    I have the 1966 edition and I am not crazy about typing in a lot of text to quote from the book although I still may.

    The simple answer is – EVERYONE WANTS ISRAEL (AND THE JEWS) TO DISAPPEAR but the “civilized” nations want to create a situation where it looks like an accident, and they will watch it on a wide-screen TV and HYPOCRITICALLY console the poor remaining Joosies (who are not going to stay remaining for long).

  40. (3 of 3)


    “Every country in the world would react to attacks like this as Israel has, except probably with greater ferocity and a higher proportion of enemy civilian casualties, as no-one else has Israel’s capabilities in this situation,” he said. “In 1944 Britain was attacked with a sustained bombardment of thousands of German V1 and V2 rockets, which killed many people. Britain sent in heavy bombers to strike at the factories building these missiles, storage sites, railway tracks and roads transporting them and at launch sites. Many civilian casualties were sustained during these strikes, an unfortunate consequence of having to protect the population of your own country.”

    Col. Kemp stated unequivocally that Hamas bares the blame for the casualties on both sides of the current conflict. “Every single casualty, civilian and military, in both Gaza and Israel, is the direct responsibility of Hamas who launched this aggression without provocation from Israel, as they have done many times before. Not one casualty would have been sustained were it not for Hamas aggression. The greatest victims are Gaza civilians, who have been sold out, betrayed and abused by their own leadership for twisted political gain.”

    In 2015, the High Level Military Group, an organization of former military leaders, including Col. Kemp, released a report in which it stated that it was “categorically clear that Israel’s conduct in the 2014 Gaza Conflict met and in some respects exceeded the highest standards we set for our own nations’ militaries.”

    According to Col. Kemp, the organization would likely reach the same conclusion about the current conflict with Hamas.

    “One of the observations of the High Level Military Group was that our own militaries would struggle to reach the extremely high bar set by Israel in avoiding civilian casualties in war. I am confident that the findings of the group would be exactly the same today in light of this conflict. If anything perhaps they would be even more impressed because the IDF hasn’t been wasting time since 2014. They have been developing greater intelligence and surveillance coverage and perfecting their own techniques and procedures including through conducting military training exercises. The HLMG, made up of former chiefs of staff and generals from many countries, were not alone either. General Dempsey, Chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff also sent a team out to Israel at the time to study the IDF techniques so that the US forces could learn from them and implement appropriate measures,” he said.

    When asked why the accusation that Israel engages in “disproportionate” responses to Hamas rocket fire persists, Col. Kemp answered: “Hamas, Palestinian Islamic Jihad and other Palestinian leaders encourage the view that Israel acts disproportionately. They are part of the greatest slur campaign in the history of the world — against Israel. This has used immense efforts and vast financial resources.”

    “The results are seen daily during this conflict in the world’s media, at the UN, in human rights groups and among many university professors and high school teachers who have done their best to indoctrinate their students with anti-Israel lies. Some of this is the result of ignorance and some of willful ignorance, in other words malice,” Col. Kemp said.

    https://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/306469
    /3

  41. @ peloni1986:
    What’s more important is that the globalists, including Biden, want to keep Hamas alive rather than the people.

    Our one hope is that Israel is practicing the art of deception. Something like rope a dope.

    Israel is no longer saying that it wants to eradicate Jordan when in reality, that may be her intention.

  42. @Ted
    It is so disappointing and, yet predictable, that we lack the resolve to end this orchestrated routine of accepting the presence of Iran’s murdering, petulant flunky in our midst while the too familiar political double-talk of half measures displaces the more appropriate calls for eliminating Hamas. Israel, I imagine, must be getting something for this acquiescence to this coordinated terrorist attack. Whatever that is, I hope it is worth the value of the future lives that will be lost due to such acquiescence. There is just no other way to assess these statements than to again state, very disappointing.

  43. There’s a good (?) ad going around in Canada, about finishing the job… It has a final shot of a man walking out of his house with no pants on… He didn’t “finish the job” of dressing.
    Finishing the job in a professional manner is urgently needed in Israel. I know this is easily said by me, sitting in my living room, but not finishing the job will result in a far higher cost later, once the imperfect job begins to disintegrate.
    So the Israelis must finish the job somehow (they know how) before the buffoons of the world interfere…
    Once done, they can turn their full attention to the “enemies within” situation and use their creative juices to solve that problem.
    Failure to complete either or both of these properly will result in another potential but inevitable debacle, as mentioned above within a relatively short time.
    And, somewhat peripherally, it will put diaspora Jews in some danger, because an incomplete job will mean that “somehow there is still hope” and since Israel has the muscle to contend with this kind of situation, we “outsiders” are restricted by inadequate self-defence laws as well as malignant forms of politics.
    Jews have to stop wanting to be loved by all, and be satisfied with being feared by all. We do have an ancient history of being warriors, but we have gotten soft on fighting back… and there’s still a trace of this in Israel.