By Ted Belman
Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas’ precondition for starting negotiations is that Israel accept the pre-1967 armistice lines as the basis for those negotiations. Of course, east Jerusalem, including the entire Old City, is on the Arab side. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu rightly rejects this and insists on negotiations without preconditions. And he doesn’t tire of assuring Israelis that he will not jeopardize their security.
Abbas recently demanded that Netanyahu present a map of Palestine; Netanyahu declined. Three years earlier, the White House also pressed Netanyahu for a map, without success. Netanyahu gave as his reasons: the need for an understanding on security issues such as Palestinian demilitarization and an Israeli military presence on the Jordan River, and the need for an end-of-conflict agreement before dealing with the border issue.
All this is well and good, but it is not without cost.
While Abbas lays claim to 100 percent of the territories east of the armistice lines, Netanyahu claims none of it. Instead, he demands that Abbas recognizeIsrael as a Jewish state and he prioritizes Israel’s security needs. Netanyahu should reverse himself.
WhetherIsraelis a Jewish state or not is for the Knesset to decide. Abbas has no say in the matter. On the other hand, if the reason for demanding recognition is that it would put an end to the so-called Palestinian “right of return toIsrael,” why not be more direct and assert that there is no such right? As forIsrael’s security needs, they go without saying.
Netanyahu went so far as to say that the Arab-Israeli conflict is not a territorial dispute. To be sure, it is an existential dispute but it is also a territorial dispute. That’s whyIsrael used to claim that the territories were “disputed lands.”
What he should be saying is that historically, legally and by virtue of having liberated the territories in a defensive war, Israel has by far the best claim to them. In the absence of making such a claim, he allows the world to brand Israelas an illegal occupier. This branding gives rise to the demonization and delegitimation of Israel.
More specifically, Netanyahu should assert that Israel will never divide Jerusalem and that it will be Israel’s undivided capital forever. The case can easily be made that what is commonly referred to as Arab East Jerusalem is really Jewish Jerusalem.
Whatever Netanyahu says in the context of the peace process is international news and often the lead story. He should use this pulpit to assert our rights and explain them to the world.
By being silent on these matters, Netanyahu allows the world to think we have no right to the land. By analogy, suppose a person has a gun in his possession and a hostile neighbor demands that the person give the gun to him. If the person refuses and argues that he needs the gun for security, a bystander might logically conclude that the person must not own the gun because otherwise, he would have said, simply, no, it’s mine.
Netanyahu studiously avoids making our claim to the territories, preferring instead to fight for our security needs. Furthermore, he has buried the Levy Report, which asserts our legal rights to the land and denies the occupation. This is incomprehensible.
Netanyahu has reportedly imposed a freeze on construction in the settlements, to end in mid-June. This was done to give U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry a chance to get negotiations started. Obviously, if negotiations start, the freeze will have to continue. This is exactly what Abbas has demanded and Netanyahu has agreed to it, although publically he has repeatedly rejected the freeze and other proposed goodwill gestures and preconditions.
For many reasons,Israel should never agree to a freeze. Prime among them is the fact that construction keeps the pressure on Abbas to compromise. The longer he tarries, the more will be built. On the other hand, if Israel were to agree to a freeze, Abbas would avoid progress in negotiations, while at the same time, continue illegal Palestinian construction, incite hatred and violence, and encroach more on Area C. This would be a lose-lose game for Israel.
A week ago when speaking to Foreign Ministry officials, Netanyahu said “The purpose of the future agreement with the Palestinians is to prevent the eventuality of a bi-national state and to guarantee stability and security.”. Thus, he has joined the Left in promoting this demographic bogeyman. Based on demographic studies by Yoram Ettinger, were Israel to annex all of the territories, Gaza excluded, the Jews would outnumber the Arabs in the enlarged Israel by a margin of 2:1. This ratio is enough to keep Israel both Jewish and democratic. According to a poll taken in Dec 2012, “a decisive majority-78% are disturbed by the possibility that Israel may turn into a bi-national state.” Israel will never allow it to happen, with or without a two-state solution.
If Netanyahu is prepared to accept the 1967 lines with swaps, he should continue on his current path. But if he wants to keep all the settlement blocs and keep a united Jerusalem, he should start asserting our rights and staking our claims.
SHmuel HaLevi Said:
Soldiers: We’ve Capitulated to Rock Throwers
Report: number of soldiers injured by rocks is soaring but they are not allowed to open fire.
Arab Breaks Chair on Elderly Jew’s Head
Scenes reminiscent of 1920s and 30s becoming commonplace in Jerusalem, Judea and Samaria
Another day, another story of a brutal attack by Arabs against Jews. And as usual, most news outlets will not cover this news.
uzitiger Said:
Yitzhak Rabin
I suppose that forcing the recognition of the Jewish state by the Pal implies automatically that there cannot be any “return” of the Pal hoax in IL. IL could accept a very few thousands!
The hoax people will never accept to be deprived of an army and will never accept the presence of the IDF in the Jordan valley.
The Pal can NEVER be placed in a position where they can harm IL. The West will not help IL.
@ SHmuel HaLevi:
Netanyahu is the garbage in the government. He is Shimon Peres’ replacement. He has no negotiating skills but has concessions skills. He is the one who imposed a construction freeze and is destroying Jewish homes in the middle of the night. He sends his YaSSam storm troopers to do the dirty work and has them beat Jewish mothers and children. At the same time, Arabs and Bedouins steal government owned Jewish land and build illegally as the please while he does nothing about it except when he legalizes buildings. South Tel Aviv is overrun buy African Arabs who terrorize the local Jewish population while he does nothing about it. Netanyahu showed the world how little he cares about Jerusalem when he visited China on Jerusalem Day. Netanyahu already spoke of a two state solution which means he give away Yehuda and Shomron and probably to divide Jerusalem again.
Netanyahu is Shimon Peres’ heir in the erev rav government and has to go. I agree. people need to stand up to the government and their police goons who are used to persecute Jews.
It is truly amazing to me that still some of our best are prepared to let the unJews continue to lead. What will it take fellow citizens? What else must Peres & his ilk, Netanyahu and his do to cause people to march and remove that garbage from governmet?
The loss of Jeruslaem? Consider it done by Netanyahu. Construction you expect? Unreal.
MEGA disengagement? Done deal starting with the freeze in place and soon Amona again.
A nucelar Iran? Smooth in there, no problem.
Netanyahu stopped even allowing soldiers to defend Jews and there are still believers that he will do something permanent against Iran? Netanyahu IS OLNLY interested on “his Nobel”. He will stop at nothing to achieve that.
Only a total removal of the present cadre in “government” may still be an option, but that must be immediate and w/o pause.
Lebanese sources: Intense Israeli air, ground activity
DEBKAfile May 12, 2013, 4:16 PM (GMT+02:00)
Various Lebanese sources report intense Israeli military activity Sunday along the Israeli-Syrian and Lebanese borders. Witnesses describe Israeli warplanes as making aerial passes over south Lebanon, ground forces moving along the Golan border with Syria and attack helicopters flying over Mts Hermon and Dov and the Shaaba Farms.
any body know anything about this, is it unusual?
@ Ted Belman:
YES Ted, Israel needs a pro Israel plan and not always be defensive. Yes educating first Israelis on the plan is vital and then showing the friends we have in the world the plan.
Step before implementing the plan provide the PA with a plan such as your hypothetical. Plus they MUST agree to this the final agreement plus No right of Palestinian return to which they must agree. The Holy Sites will be governed as now. This must be offered.
They will refuse.
We build in E1 and elsewhere in Area C.
We incorporate the Levy Commission Report as official Israeli policy.
Annex Area C. Keep open options on a A/B. Try creative solutions here (A/B).
The plan must be distributed wide and far. Videos and booklets of it made in high quality to market this with all passion our enemies spill their hate and lies.
Mysterious New Mission Reportedly Opens in Gulf
http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/167947#.UZAJkbXvvOU
the plot thickens
@ yamit82:
yamit82 Said:
I do not comprehend why the GOI never mentions any of this to the foregin govts exerting pressure. I am becoming convinced that the CIA has various Israeli politicians under threat of blackmail and is thus able to extract concessions from them. I have seen too many top Israeli politicians act strangely and against Israeli interests, being mired in scandal, but escaping prosecution. Those that wish to avoid referendums probably want to pull off a fraud.
Ted Belman Said:
Why not just recognize them as Jordanian citizens with temporary residence in Israel? It is not Israaells problem if Jordan withdrew unilaterally their citizenship.
Ted Belman Said:
One of the principles of the art of negotiation is to demand much more than you are willing to settle for, Possibly everything. If I was negotiating, even with an intent to divest some, I would start with claiming everything, and make it clear that the giving up of anything has nothing to do with any recognition of any rights but only for a permanent and secure peace. One has to be careful about first negotiating with oneself before negotiating with the arabs.
yamit82 Said:
Death is too kind for those low lives.
@ yamit82:
When he presented the Interim Agreement (“Oslo 2”) before the Knesset on October 5, 1995, Prime Minister Rabin stated, “I wish to remind you, we made a commitment…to the Knesset not to uproot any settlement in the framework of the Interim Agreement, nor to freeze construction and natural growth.” Neither the Declaration of Principles of September 13, 1993, nor the Interim Agreement contains any provisions prohibiting or restricting the establishment or expansion of Jewish communities in the West Bank or Gaza Strip. While a clause in the accords prohibits changing the status of the territories, it was intended to ensure only that neither side would take unilateral measures to alter the legal status of the areas (such as annexation or declaration of statehood).
According to the road map for peace, Israel is supposed to freeze settlement activity and remove illegal outposts. Palestinians have failed to fulfill their commitments to stop the violence. Israel is therefore under no obligation to freeze settlements.
Israel gave up all the territory it held in Gaza and evacuated some West Bank settlements without any agreement from the Palestinians, who now have complete authority over their population within Gaza. This offered the Palestinians an opportunity to prove that if Israel made territorial concessions, they would be prepared to coexist with their neighbor and to build a state of their own. Instead of trading land for peace, however, Israel exchanged territory for terror. Terrorism from Gaza also continued unabated and Israeli towns have been repeatedly hit by rockets fired from the area Israel evacuated.
Moshe Zar: What the Borovsky Murder Says About Us
Veteran Samaria resident Moshe Zar expresses his personal feelings about the murder of Evytar Borovsky, and demands that the state act
Moshe Zar, one of the first pioneers to build his home in Samaria, said that the murder of Evyatar Borovsky required that Israel take stock of its policy and attitude towards Jewish settlement in Judea and Samaria. The murder was a direct result of Israel’s policy of “preferring not to make waves,” and to keeping the lid on tension. But the result, he said, was a lack of security for Jews in Judea and Samaria, and in the rest of Israel, he said.
everything’s really cool in Judea and Samaria
@ Canadian Otter:
@ Ted Belman:
PA Official: If We Could, We’d Nuke Israel
Senior PA official says if PA had a nuclear weapon, ‘we’d have used it this very morning.’
Leftist Glee over Terror Murder Earns Police Complaint
Leftist activist who published a photo of orphan wrote: “Daddy went to a place where he can’t burn fields.”
Re. citizenship – the problem will be solved with the next war, when PA Arabs can be repatriated to Jordan. That’s why they should not receive automatic citizenship. All of Yesha should be annexed, and the matter of citizenship sent for study to committee and kept there. And in the meantime, all families of terrorists should be relocated to Gaza, and the rest offered incentives to leave. This may sound overly simplistic, but the more complicated things are made (borders, disarmament), the more opportunities Israel opens for diplomatic and military warfare.
Regarding security, they say that some generals tend to prepare to fight the last war. But the concept of national security keeps evolving all the time. (You could bring down the whole US with a few EMPs) ~~~ In the case of Israel, all of Yesha is crucial for security, no doubt about that. But not only against invading armies or rockets, as some activists’ videos indicate. High Tech warfare completely changes the picture. That’s why no bit of land can be surrendered under the excuse that it is not necessary for security. What will security needs look like 20 years from now? ~~~ And if security is paramount, the govt still hasn’t explained why is it that Arabs can attack Jews on a daily basis with impunity. How can your authorities claim they can defend the country when they shake in fear at the very thought of injuring a terrorist, or causing him distress by jailing him. Again, the real problem is your own authorities and Israelis’ patience with them, and their acceptance of being swindled one more time.
@ yamit82:
Your questions of me are fair and deserve answers.
First you are right to demand that Bibi tell us what his red lines are when it come to security. He has often said that the IDF needs a presence along the Jordan R, that Israel must control the skies and needs a presence within a certain radius from the airport. He has also called for a demiliterized state. He may have commented on other issues. But he has never insisted that our presence on the Jordan be permenent. A forty years lease has been mooted. In my article, I simply said what Bibi says. But you are right I should have gone on to demand he articulate them and state our red lines.
Secondly What possible deal would I find acceptable? I the PA would agree to Israel keeping all the blocs including E1 and keeping all of Jerusalem within the fence, I believe that the Israeli public would strongly support the deal, even if the Arab League wouldn’t. Of course Palestine would have to be demilitarized and the airport and the Jordan must be protected by Israel. This deal, of course is hypothetical, because the PA would never agree to it. For that reason I would be very comfortable offering it. It makes us look reasonable. I even thought about what kind of map I would draw. My line keeps all the blocks and widens our waistline by doubling it. The actually line would take into consideration how many Israelis would be on the east side of it. I would like to keep them to under 50,000. It would also include much of our water acquafers. Like I said this is all hypothetical. It will never happen.But we should offer it to look reasonable.
Therefor our only recourse is to act unilaterally and annex Area C and keeping our options open on annexing A and B later. In the meantime we must financially induce Arabs to leave. As for offering citizenship to qualifying Arabs, only if it is worth it to us. I would first study a host of countries that don’t offer citizenship to all parts of their population.
I have stated a dialogue with Kedar, Sherman, Matar, Abe Sion,Bennett, Glick and others. I hope to arrange a meeting with them in July where we can try to agree on a plan. It won’t be easy. Not only must we agree on the details of our plan but we must also define a strategy to get Israelis to go along with us.
It’s obvious that BB does not believe we have the right to the Land.
It was BB who appointed the levy Report fully expecting the conclusions of the report. What changed from the point of appointing the Commission and the burying the report? Some deal probably in the form of a tradeoff has been made to justify BB’s actions. The other possibilities are BB is under a threat he cannot refuse to comply with or he is just too manipulative where one action later conflicts with other actions and decisions he makes.
What is or should be obvious to any observer is that BB is a weak indecisive character who lives and breathes lies and political manipulation, who says and does anything to bend to whoever is applying the most pressure on him at any given time.
Speaking of his character:
Netanyahu slammed for spending $127,000 on bed for flight to London
PM’s sleeping requirement for the five-hour flight he and his wife took to Thatcher’s funeral last month prompts complaints from opposition MK, Movement for the Quality of Government.
This is only the last of a long series of personal excesses by BB and and his dominatrix who travels with him on every trip oversees. BB is the only leader who must take his wife wherever he goes. They are a joke and an embarrassment to the nation.
What are Israels security needs? Nobody ever dissects the concept except for very general statement few of which when viewed closely provide security. Even Ted who should know better repeats security needs with little to no hard questions as to what in fact are Israel’s real security needs, as if a few miles more or less are critical for our national security.
BB and our government should not be let off the hook on security without making them spell out what they mean by security and what we cannot give up without endangering that very security. If you are going to make security the thing upon which the negotiations hinge then at least spell out what they are.
So Ted, you want an agreement provided Abbas compromises? Let’s say he compromises and agrees to Israel keeping major settlement blocks with Land Swaps, (I assume part of the Negev or the Judean Desert) Then you would be amicable to such an agreement?
Either you are for an agreement under certain conditions or you are against any agreement under any conditions.
Can you spell out for your readers what is your personal opinion?
What’s the difference between your leaders’ proposals and outright surrender with a ridiculous fig leaf? ~~~ Anyway, the process of surrender has already started and is picking up speed. ~~~ Today’s examples: “IDF soldiers say We’ve capitulated to rock throwers. – The number of soldiers injured by rocks is soaring but they are not allowed to open fire.” http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/167925 – ~~~ Another report on A7: Military judge reduces sentence imposed on terrorist, blaming detention conditions for encouraging terrorism. Perhaps he is the same military judge that characterized rock throwing as “mischievous”, in spite of many injuries and fatalities. ~~~ From Ted’s column above it’s obvious what the problem is. It’s your own authorities and the extreme patience with which Israelis allow them to get away with surrendering and offering free Jewish land to the enemy.