Not ‘Land for Peace,’ But ‘Land for Terror’

Defense Minister Moshe Ya’alon slams ‘delusions’ about land for peace, negotiating with Hamas in Herzliya conference speech.

By Tova Dvorin, INN

The reconciliation agreement between Fatah and Hamas is a “meaningless misrepresentation of the facts” that will not last, Defense Minister Moshe Ya’alon stated Tuesday.

“Hamas and select Fatah ministers have currently reconciled,” Ya’alon said, at the Herzliya Conference. “The chance of real reconciliation is zero, and therefore we oppose this false representation.”

Ya’alon also rejected the international community’s claim that the pact could result in a takeover of Palestinian Arab moderates in Gaza. Rather, he echoed the statements of several Israeli leaders – including Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu – that the situation reflects the reverse.

“If one thing will happen from this ‘reconciliation pact,’ it will be a Hamas takeover in Judea and Samaria, not a takeover of Fatah in Gaza,” he said. “This is happening before our very eyes.”

Ya’alon further slammed the idea of negotiations – and land swaps – in his speech, saying that both options promise only the illusion of peace.

“We have already gone through the experience of ‘land for terrorism,’ we cannot delude ourselves,” he stated. “The concept of ‘land for peace’ is wrong. The facts speak for themselves: we got ‘land for terror,’ or ‘land for rockets in Gaza.'”

The defense minister also came out against claims that if the present situation continues, Israel will soon become an “apartheid state.”

“We, an apartheid state? Nonsense. We should not be frightened of all sorts of threats and intimidation that have made us make quite a few mistakes in an attempt to ‘solve the conflict,'” he said, lashing out at the European Union and US.

Ya’alon then moved on to regional issues.

Regarding Iran, the Defense Minister stated clearly that Iran has not abandoned its nuclear program and the ambitions to acquire nuclear weapons.

“Iran has not abandoned its nuclear-military vision,” Ya’alon stated. “It sees the negotiations as a means of avoiding international pressure.”

Ya’alon also explained that although the threat of Syrian chemical weapons has “decreased significantly” since an operation by the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons began last year to destroy Syrian President Bashar Assad’s arsenal, Israel is still keeping a close eye on its northern neighbor.

“The story is not finished there, we are following [events],” he said. “Whether they are hidden or not hidden, the [destruction] process has not ended.”

 

June 10, 2014 | 23 Comments »

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  2. Yaalon Partial bio – Military and Thinktank:

    Military career

    In 1973, Ya’alon was called up as a reservist during the Yom Kippur War. On October 15, 1973, his unit became the first IDF unit to cross the Suez Canal into Egypt. He continued fighting as part of the Israeli drive into the Egyptian mainland, and participated in the encirclement of the Egyptian Third Army. Following the war, he rejoined the IDF as a career soldier, and completed an officers’ course. He was appointed a platoon commander, and then as a commander in officers’ school. In 1978, he became a commander in the Paratroopers Brigade.[1]

    During the 1982 Lebanon War, Ya’alon joined the Sayeret Matkal commando unit as a commander. He then rejoined the Paratroopers Brigade and was appointed commander of its 890th Battalion. During this time, he was wounded in the leg while leading a pursuit of Hezbollah fighters in Lebanon.[1]

    Ya’alon took a sabbatical to the United Kingdom to study at the British Army’s Camberley Staff College. Upon his return to Israel, he was promoted to the rank of Colonel and appointed commander of Sayeret Matkal. Ya’alon lead it to many notable achievements, for which the unit received four recommendations of honor. After his tenure as commander was finished, Ya’alon studied at the University of Haifa, obtaining a BA in Political Science, and took an Armored Corps course. In 1990, Ya’alon was appointed commander of the Paratroopers Brigade,[3] and two years later, became commander of the Judea and Samaria Division. On 10 December 1992, Ya’alon killed a militant from the Islamic Jihad Movement in Palestine with a hand grenade after the militant had shot dead a Yamam operative attempting to arrest him.[4] In 1993, he was appointed commander of an IDF training base, and commander of an armored division. In 1995, Ya’alon was promoted to Major General and appointed head of Military Intelligence. In 1998, he was appointed commanding officer of Israel’s Central Command. He was serving in this position when the Second Intifada was launched in September 2000.

    Ya’alon was appointed Chief of Staff of the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) on 9 July 2002, and served in that position until 1 June 2005. The major focus throughout his tenure as Chief of Staff was the army’s effort to quell the Second Intifada. Under his watch, the IDF conducted Operation Defensive Shield.

    In February 2005, Defense Minister Shaul Mofaz decided not to prolong Ya’alon’s service as Chief of Staff for another year. This marked the climax of tensions between Mofaz and Ya’alon, which had arisen partly through Ya’alon’s objection to the Gaza disengagement plan. On 1 June 2005, Ya’alon retired from the army, and Dan Halutz, his successor as Chief of Staff, oversaw the disengagement.

    In December 2005, relatives of the victims of the 1996 shelling of Qana filed a suit against Ya’alon in Washington, D.C., for his alleged role in their deaths.[5] In late 2006, while Ya’alon was in New Zealand on a private fund-raising trip for the Jewish National Fund, Auckland District Court judge Avinash Deobhakta issued a warrant for his arrest for alleged war crimes arising from his role in the 2002 assassination of Hamas commander Salah Shahade, who was killed in a targeted assassination, when an Israeli warplane bombed his home in Gaza. About 14 Palestinian civilians were also killed in the airstrike.[6] Deobhakta stated that New Zealand had an obligation to prosecute him under the Geneva Convention. Attorney-General Michael Cullen ordered a stay in the warrant after advice from the Crown Law office that there was insufficient evidence to prosecute, and the warrant was cancelled after Ya’alon left New Zealand.[7][6][8]

    He was appointed Minister of Defense on 17 March 2013.[9]
    Think tanks and institutes

    After leaving his position as Chief of Staff, Ya’alon spent time in the think tank Washington Institute for Near East Policy and became a Senior Fellow at the Adelson Institute for Strategic Studies at the Shalem Center Institute for International and Middle East Studies. Ya’alon also served as the chairman of the Center for Jewish Identity and Culture at Beit Morasha in Jerusalem.

  4. Yaalon’s bio and many years of service to Israel.

    Military career

    In 1973, Ya’alon was called up as a reservist during the Yom Kippur War. On October 15, 1973, his unit became the first IDF unit to cross the Suez Canal into Egypt. He continued fighting as part of the Israeli drive into the Egyptian mainland, and participated in the encirclement of the Egyptian Third Army. Following the war, he rejoined the IDF as a career soldier, and completed an officers’ course. He was appointed a platoon commander, and then as a commander in officers’ school. In 1978, he became a commander in the Paratroopers Brigade.[1]

    During the 1982 Lebanon War, Ya’alon joined the Sayeret Matkal commando unit as a commander. He then rejoined the Paratroopers Brigade and was appointed commander of its 890th Battalion. During this time, he was wounded in the leg while leading a pursuit of Hezbollah fighters in Lebanon.[1]

    Ya’alon took a sabbatical to the United Kingdom to study at the British Army’s Camberley Staff College. Upon his return to Israel, he was promoted to the rank of Colonel and appointed commander of Sayeret Matkal. Ya’alon lead it to many notable achievements, for which the unit received four recommendations of honor. After his tenure as commander was finished, Ya’alon studied at the University of Haifa, obtaining a BA in Political Science, and took an Armored Corps course. In 1990, Ya’alon was appointed commander of the Paratroopers Brigade,[3] and two years later, became commander of the Judea and Samaria Division. On 10 December 1992, Ya’alon killed a militant from the Islamic Jihad Movement in Palestine with a hand grenade after the militant had shot dead a Yamam operative attempting to arrest him.[4] In 1993, he was appointed commander of an IDF training base, and commander of an armored division. In 1995, Ya’alon was promoted to Major General and appointed head of Military Intelligence. In 1998, he was appointed commanding officer of Israel’s Central Command. He was serving in this position when the Second Intifada was launched in September 2000.

    Ya’alon was appointed Chief of Staff of the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) on 9 July 2002, and served in that position until 1 June 2005. The major focus throughout his tenure as Chief of Staff was the army’s effort to quell the Second Intifada. Under his watch, the IDF conducted Operation Defensive Shield.

    In February 2005, Defense Minister Shaul Mofaz decided not to prolong Ya’alon’s service as Chief of Staff for another year. This marked the climax of tensions between Mofaz and Ya’alon, which had arisen partly through Ya’alon’s objection to the Gaza disengagement plan. On 1 June 2005, Ya’alon retired from the army, and Dan Halutz, his successor as Chief of Staff, oversaw the disengagement.

    In December 2005, relatives of the victims of the 1996 shelling of Qana filed a suit against Ya’alon in Washington, D.C., for his alleged role in their deaths.[5] In late 2006, while Ya’alon was in New Zealand on a private fund-raising trip for the Jewish National Fund, Auckland District Court judge Avinash Deobhakta issued a warrant for his arrest for alleged war crimes arising from his role in the 2002 assassination of Hamas commander Salah Shahade, who was killed in a targeted assassination, when an Israeli warplane bombed his home in Gaza. About 14 Palestinian civilians were also killed in the airstrike.[6] Deobhakta stated that New Zealand had an obligation to prosecute him under the Geneva Convention. Attorney-General Michael Cullen ordered a stay in the warrant after advice from the Crown Law office that there was insufficient evidence to prosecute, and the warrant was cancelled after Ya’alon left New Zealand.[7][6][8]

    He was appointed Minister of Defense on 17 March 2013.[9]
    Think tanks and institutes

    After leaving his position as Chief of Staff, Ya’alon spent time in the think tank Washington Institute for Near East Policy and became a Senior Fellow at the Adelson Institute for Strategic Studies at the Shalem Center Institute for International and Middle East Studies. Ya’alon also served as the chairman of the Center for Jewish Identity and Culture at Beit Morasha in Jerusalem.
    Political career
    Moshe Ya’alon
    Knessets 18, 19
    Party represented in Knesset
    2009 – Likud
    Ministerial roles
    2009 – 2013 Vice Prime Minister
    2009 – 2013 Minister of Strategic Affairs
    2013 – Minister of Defense
    Ya’alon with Rob Nicholson, Canadian Minister of National Defence, and Chuck Hagel, US Secretary of Defense, at the Halifax International Security Forum 2013

    On 17 November 2008, Ya’alon announced that he was joining Likud and that he would participate in the primaries which would determine the Likud candidates for the 2009 elections.[10] He won eighth place on the party’s list,[11] and entered the Knesset as Likud won 27 seats. Upon the formation of the Netanyahu government, he was appointed Vice Prime Minister (alongside Silvan Shalom) and Minister of Strategic Affairs. In March 2013, he replaced Ehud Barak as Defense Minister.[9]

    As Defense Minister Ya’alon decided to continue to manufacture and purchase Merkava tanks for the IDF, after the whole project was in question due to budget issues and the overall discussion of the necessity of tanks in modern battlefields. During Ya’alon’s tenure, foreign sources claimed that the Israel Air Force launched several airstrikes on advanced weapons deposits in Syria before they were transferred to Hezbollah.
    Controversial statements

    Ya’alon’s public pronouncements have often been controversial.
    Palestinian threat as ‘cancer’

    On 27 August 2002, he told the Haaretz newspaper: “The Palestinian threat harbors cancer-like attributes that have to be severed. There are all kinds of solutions to cancer. Some say it’s necessary to amputate organs but at the moment I am applying chemotherapy.”[12] In January 2004, he publicly stated that the thirteen Sayeret Matkal soldiers who refused to serve in the Israeli-occupied territories were taking the unit’s name in vain.
    On the need to confront Iran

    In January 2008, during a discussion at IDC Herzliya, Ya’alon said “There is no way to stabilize the situation all over the world and especially in the Middle East without confronting Iran.”[13] According to The Sydney Morning Herald Ya’alon said: “We have to confront the Iranian revolution immediately. There is no way to stabilize the Middle East today without defeating the Iranian regime. The Iranian nuclear program must be stopped.”

    When asked whether “all options” included a military deposition of Ahmadinejad and the rest of Iran’s current leadership, Ya’alon told The Herald: “We have to consider killing him. All options must be considered.”[14]
    The Peace Now/’virus’ incident
    Ya’alon with American political activist Pamela Geller

    In August 2009, Ya’alon visited the ruins of Homesh,[15] a settlement that was evacuated in Israel’s unilateral disengagement plan in 2005 and toured Israeli settlements in the north of the West Bank, considered as un-authorized outposts. He said that these communities are all legitimate and should not be called “illegal.”[16] In addition, he participated in a convention of Manhigut Yehudit (“Jewish Leadership”), the more right-wing Settlers’ segment within the Likud right-wing Party, in which he condemned the disengagement plan, called Peace Now a “virus”[17][18] and said that “We become accustomed to Arabs being permitted to live everywhere, in the Negev, Galilee, Nablus, Jenin, and [on the other hand] there are areas where Jews are not allowed to live. We caused this.” He also stated that, “regarding the issue of the settlements, in my opinion Jews can and should live everywhere in the Land of Israel. Now, … first of all, every settlement needs to get the approval of the authorities, and what goes up on the spot, in contradiction to these decisions and so on is not legitimate. It’s against the law”.[18]

    Later, after meeting with PM Netanyahu, Ya’alon retracted parts of his statements and said that he “recognized the importance of democratic discourse and respecting other opinions.”[19] Ya’alon explained that, indeed, all Israelis want peace, now. He stressed, however, the need to accept the fact that peace won’t come immediately, otherwise it “hurts Israel.” Ya’alon stated that, in his view, the way of thinking that Israel just needs to give one more piece of land and then it will have peace is a kind of “virus.”[20]

  5. Ya’alon is a disaster, a lousy general and a Lousy politician.

    Where and how many times have we heard this said before?

    Ya’alon: We Will Respond to Every Single Attack
    Defense Minister Moshe Ya’alon praised IDF troops for eliminating a terrorist involved in Kassam rocket attacks on southern Israel.

    Only Respond??? He must really believe that the IDF really means only Defense!!!!!

    Knocking off a few terrorist minor leaders will not now and never has deterred our enemies. He has “learned nothing and forgot nothing”

    When Ya’alon was OC of military Intelligence he approved the return to Assad of Syria the Golan for a Peace Agreement. His stamp of approval went a long way in support of those elements in Israel prepared to rid Israel of one of most prized and loved strategic Land holdings… A great thinker he isn’t and a Zionist Patriot can be debated.

  6. @ woolymammoth: So my summary is that you dislike Yaalon and I believe he is a positive, smart and strong Israeli leader.

    Ya’alon was appointed Chief of Staff of the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) on 9 July 2002, and served in that position until 1 June 2005. The major focus throughout his tenure as Chief of Staff was the army’s effort to quell the Second Intifada. Under his watch, the IDF conducted Operation Defensive Shield.

    In February 2005, Defense Minister Shaul Mofaz decided not to prolong Ya’alon’s service as Chief of Staff for another year. This marked the climax of tensions between Mofaz and Ya’alon, which had arisen partly through Ya’alon’s objection to the Gaza disengagement plan. On 1 June 2005, Ya’alon retired from the army, and Dan Halutz, his successor as Chief of Staff, oversaw the disengagement

    .

  7. Hopefully Spurs are not drinking the hooch before the game tonite. World Cup Starts today Brazil – Croatia.

  9. Actually Ya’alon is soldier turned politician. He actually went back to school to get his degree in poly-sci. When the disengagement was in the process of being planned and set up for passage, I remember clearly Ya’alon was in there, doing Sharon’s biding for the disngagement plan as if if it was his own. You cannor re-write history Bear. Finally even Netanyahu et al bolted the coalition, robbing Sharon of his parlimentary majority, but Bogey remained in place. Why? That was his chance to take his righteous stand along with his honorable Likud colleagues, yet he remained as Sharon’s Chief of Staff dutifully carrying out Sharon’s day to day commands designed to remove all remaining obstacles to their Gaza Disengagement Plan.
    Bear, I had a dialogue with Uzi Landau prior to the forced evacuation and after the final vote of approval by the Knesset. I told Landau that I believed not long after Israel would disengage from Gaza, it would be taken over by Hamas. Landau agreed. If I could figure that out, so too could Sharon and Ya’alon, yet they implemented the measure regardless of the potential political outcome. Sharon did not care, but the younger ones took political cover Bibi and Bogey. Politically Bogey is damaged goods and cannot be trusted. His speech the other day was par for the course. Israel can do better, much better.

  14. Some comments attributed to Yaalon prior to disengagemnt are below.

    “Ya’alon said he believes that Sharon’s announced the disengagement plan will encourage the Palestinians to carry out more attacks. He also told Beer Sheva Weekly that “it will take more than a division to repair the trouble created by withdrawing from one settlement under fire.” The source said Ya’alon has said that during his visit to Erez checkpoint in the aftermath of a botched triple attack over the Weekend”.

  15. @ woolymammoth: With all due respect you are wrong on the facts, he was openly opposed before the fact of the withdrawal! That is why he was not extended to the 5th year. He was solider not a politician.

  16. @ Bear Klein: That is hilarious Bear. No I could not confuse former Minister of Defense Mofaz with Bogie Ya’alon. Don’t get me wrong, Ya’alon is a patriot who deserves great respect. He served with honor and distinction in his long career in The IDF.
    The Gaza Diengagement Plan as Sharon penned it was drawn up and passed incrementally over a few years until such time as it was implemented. During most of that time Ya’alon went to work everyday at the pleasure of Sharon. Ya’alon retired in June 2005, just before the forced evacuations took place. Why did it take him so long to resign if he was so critical of the plan? On December 30, 2004, six months before Ya’alon retired, Sharon sealed a coalition agreement with The Labor party in order to restore the government’s parlimentary majority in light of ministers who bolted the government over Gaza Disengagement. Ya’alon was NOT one of them, obviously. Ya’alon went to work everyday for six more months during which time Shimon Peres was now the Vice Premier and The Gaza Disengagement was set for implementation. Why did he stay on with Sharon, for so long, Bear, if he was so opposed to the withdrawal from Gaza? I’ll tell you what I think.
    Ya’alon made a political decision to distance himself from the plan, once it failed. He kept a low profile and said very little until after his tenure as Chief of Staff was cut short. He was on the fence for too long. What do you think he was doing as Chief of Staff all of that time. he was following Sharon’s orders to undertake measures to implement the Gaza Withdrawal.

  17. How is it that there is any discussion left as to the Israel in Pieces process; how much suffering is needed still.

  21. @ woolymammoth: Yaalon term as Chief of Staff was not extended by Mofaz and Sharon because he was publicly saying he thought the Gaza withdrawal was wrong and would backfire. Maybe you are confusing Yaalon with someone else like Mofaz.

    Former IDF chief of general staff Moshe Yaalon said Thursday that Israel’s pullout from the Gaza Strip is a failure, saying the plan was conceived to save former prime minister Ariel Sharon from political distress.

    “There is no doubt that the disengagement failed. This failure emanates from the fact that the disengagement was essentially based on a doomed idea. It was not the result of thorough strategic analysis but the result of a political distress of his who was prime minister then, Ariel Sharon,” Yaalon told Haaretz.

    Yaalon, whose term at the helm of the army was not extended by a year under a common IDF practice, added that “the disengagement was an internal Israeli game that ignored what’s going on outside Israel. It was a disengagement from reality and a disengagement from the truth.”

    Speaking to Haaretz, the former chief of staff said: “The process created an illusionary hope that was not planned strategically and practically. The disengagement was mainly a media spin. Those who initiated it and lead it lacked the strategic, security, political and historical background. They were image counselor. They were spin doctors. These people put Israel in a virtual spin that is disconnected from reality using a media spin campaign which is imploding before our eyes.”

    http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3271919,00.html