FORTY-THREE years after the Jewish people liberated Jerusalem, our capital has never been under greater assault. But it has also never been more energetically defended by an indignant Jewish people – in Israel and throughout the world.
Last week Makor Rishon reported that US diplomats have been “showing interest” in all Jewish construction plans in the capital. Ambassador James Cunningham and Jerusalem Consul- General Daniel Rubinstein have met repeatedly with relevant government ministers to express US opposition to all construction in Jewish neighborhoods built since 1967. Bowing to this shocking US assault on Israel’s sovereignty, the government reportedly cancelled construction plans that had already been approved for 2,500 apartments in Ramot, Pisgat Ze’ev, Neve Ya’acov, Gilo and Har Homa.
The US is also demanding that Israel take no action against illegal Arab construction in the capital. That is, the US is acting to undermine the rule of law in Israel twice. First, it seeks to deny Jewish Jerusalemites their property rights, and second, it is calling for Israel not to enforce its laws against Arab criminals.
The Obama administration’s attempt to weaken Israel’s sovereignty in Jerusalem is part of a larger move by the international Left to support the Islamic campaign to eject Israel from Jerusalem by denying Jewish rights to the city. The EU is so committed to subverting Israeli sovereignty in Jerusalem that even in the midst of its financial crisis, with EU economies seemingly collapsing like dominoes, sources say that the EU mission to Israel has just pledged at least a million euro to Ir Amim.
Ir Amim is an NGO whose mission is to undermine Israeli sovereignty in Jerusalem. According to NGO Monitor, two thirds of Ir Amim’s budget comes from the EU and from the Norwegian, Swedish and Czech governments.
In their bid to undermine Israel’s sovereignty, US President Barack Obama and the Europeans are assisted by leftist, increasingly anti-Zionist Jews. Following the lead of the US pro-Palestinian lobby J-Street, earlier this month, prominent French Jewish intellectuals Bernard Henri-Levy and Alain Finkielkraut published a manifesto signed by hundreds of their cohorts attacking Israel for the absence of peace in the region and calling on the EU and the US to pressure Israel to surrender Jerusalem, Judea and Samaria to the Palestinians.
On US campuses, far left Jewish students have taken a prominent role in undermining recognition of Israel’s right to exist. At University of California Berkeley and on other campuses, Jewish students have collaborated with Muslim groups in their campaign to divest the university’s holdings in companies that invest in Israel.
At Brandeis, Jewish students organized a campaign to disinvite Ambassador Michael Oren from this year’s commencement ceremonies.
Not surprisingly, like other Jewish anti-Israel initiatives before, these moves in France and in the US have garnered significant media coverage and support. What received less coverage is the popular backlash in the European and Jewish communities against these initiatives.
After belatedly awakening to the threat of divestment from Israel, Jews at Berkeley and the surrounding community organized a massive and for now successful campaign to block the divestment drive.
At Brandeis, thousands of students, faculty and alumni signed a petition supporting the university’s invitation to Oren.
And in Europe, Italian parliament member Fiamma Nirenstein responded to the anti-Israel manifesto with a counter petition. Nirenstein’s petition notes that in their anti-Israel diatribe, Levy and Finkielkraut ignore the fact that the absence of Middle East peace is due not to Israel’s size but to the Arab world’s refusal to accept Israel’s right to exist. She further noted that by attacking Israel now, the signatories of their anti-Israel screed have diverted the public’s attention away from Iran’s nuclear program which today threatens not only Israel, but Europe.
Nirenstein’s position was echoed in a sister petition published by French Jewish leader Prof. Shmuel Trigano. Together, the Italian and French petitions garnered twice the number of signatures as the Levy-Finkielkraut declaration.
IT IS NOT just that the overwhelming majority of Jews in Israel and worldwide supports Israel and opposes any attempt to delegitimize Israel and Israeli sovereignty in Jerusalem. Jewish activists are responding to false denunciations of Israel’s rights by asserting the Jewish people’s rights to Israel generally and to Jerusalem, Judea and Samaria specifically.
For instance, last month the European Coalition for Israel partnered with Canadians for Israel’s Legal Rights and hosted a conference in San Remo, Italy. There they commemorated the 90th anniversary of the San Remo Conference which determined the legal status of the Ottoman Empire after its break-up in World War I. In 1920, the San Remo Conference determined that the legal title to the Land of Israel – including Jerusalem and Judea and Samaria belonged to the Jewish people. The San Remo resolutions were incorporated into international law through the mandates issued by the League of Nations and their legal force has never been cancelled or superseded by any subsequent treaty or binding international resolution.
The participants at the conference came from Europe, Israel and North America. Their message was clear. It is long past time for Israel and the Jewish people to begin asserting our rights to our capital city and our land. Our attempts to square circles by agreeing to compromise on our rights in exchange for promises of support and peace have brought us to the point where Israel’s very legitimacy is being called into question throughout the world.
Disturbingly, instead of supporting efforts like the San Remo commemoration conference, and embracing staunch supporters of Israel from Rome to San Francisco to Jerusalem itself, the government is sitting on the fence. On the one hand, Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu declares daily that Jerusalem will remain Israel’s undivided capital and that he will make no concessions in relation to the city. On the other hand, the government’s actions bespeak a willingness to make massive concessions on Israeli sovereignty in Jerusalem.
Take the Temple Mount. The cradle of Jewish civilization is not mentioned in the government’s list of Jewish heritage sites. So too, despite the government’s protestations of devotion to Jerusalem, it has not lifted the bar on Jewish worship on the Temple Mount. Jews remain the only religious group that does not enjoy full freedom of worship in the city.
In announcing the start of the so-called peace negotiations between the US and Israel and the US and the Fatah branch of the Palestinian Authority, the State Department claimed last week that the Netanyahu government has agreed to block Jewish construction in Ramat Shlomo for several years. The government has not disputed this claim.
In truth, the government’s very willingness to participate in the Obama administration’s phony peace process undermines Israel’s control over Jerusalem. Given the Obama administration’s obvious commitment to repartitioning the city, it is clear that the talks can only weaken Israel’s control over our capital city.
THE GOVERNMENT’S weakness on Jerus
alem is a reflection of a wider unwillingness of Israeli diplomats to stand by Israel’s supporters and against Israel’s detractors worldwide. More often than not, the groups that receive the most enthusiastic support from Israeli embassies are those that seek to undermine Israel’s rights.
alem is a reflection of a wider unwillingness of Israeli diplomats to stand by Israel’s supporters and against Israel’s detractors worldwide. More often than not, the groups that receive the most enthusiastic support from Israeli embassies are those that seek to undermine Israel’s rights.
The behavior of the embassy in London is case in point. This week the embassy sent out an announcement to its mailing list urging the public to attend a lecture by former Peace Now director Gavri Bargil at the London School of Economics.
On the other hand, the embassy chose not to publicize a lecture by Minister-without-Portfolio Benny Begin on Yom Yerushalayim. Begin’s speech was sponsored by several major Jewish organizations. It is unclear who sponsored Bargil’s talk.
Late last year, Akiva Tor, Israel’s Consul-General in San Francisco opposed a resolution put before the Jewish Federation board to boycott all groups that support boycotts and divestment from Israel. The resolution was put forward after the Federation-supported Jewish Film Festival hosted Rachel Corrie’s mother and screened a pro-Hamas propaganda film lionizing Corrie who was inadvertently run over by an IDF bulldozer while attempting to block IDF counter-terror operations in Gaza.
In a letter to the local Jewish paper, Tor claimed that Corrie’s mother was no different from “an Israeli terror victim.”
In Los Angeles, Consul-General Ya’akov Dayan was interviewed last year on a local radio show. He was unable to explain the legal basis for Israeli communities beyond the 1949 armistice lines. It took a local area Jewish activist who called into the station to explain Israel’s rights under the League of Nations Mandate.
The only government representative who attended the San Remo conference was Likud MK Danny Danon.
The government’s failure to take the lead in strengthening Israel and Jewish communities worldwide is not a new phenomenon. On Wednesday night, on Yom Yerushalayim in Ir David, the historic site of King David’s palace, the Moskowitz Prize for Zionism was given to three extraordinary leaders: Anita Tucker, Rabbi Yoel Schwartz and Brig. Gen. (ret) Dr. Aharon Davidi. All of them have strengthened Israel and the Jewish people through their pioneering work, often in spite of government opposition.
Tucker was among the founders of Netzer Hazani in Gush Katif in 1975. The community, built on Gaza’s barren sand dunes was one of the most successful agricultural communities in the world until it was destroyed by the government in 2005. Rather than breaking apart after her life’s work was destroyed, Tucker has been a central force in rebuilding Netzer Hazani and the 20 other communities of Gush Katif.
Rabbi Yoel Schwartz is the spiritual leader of the IDF’s Nahal Haredi unit. Schwartz bucked opposition from both the IDF and the ultra-Orthodox establishment and founded the crucial unit which brings ultra-Orthodox youths into the IDF in large numbers for the first time.
In the early 1980s, Brig. Gen Davidi completed a military service that began in 1944 and brought him to command positions in some of the post pivotal battles in the nation’s history.
After retirement, Davidi decided that something had to be done to make Diaspora Jewry feel it was a part of the IDF. So in 1983 he established Sar-El which brings foreigners to Israel to volunteer on IDF bases. Since its founding Sar-El has brought more than 100,000 volunteers from 30 countries to Israel.
Tucker, Schwartz and Davidi are extraordinary individuals. But their success owes to the fact that they believe in Israel and the Jewish people. They understand that the Jews who seek to undermine the state are a tiny minority. Rather than try to appease them, they work with the vast majority to strengthen the country and its people.
It is impossible to reconcile the rights of the Jewish people and the demands of the Obama administration and the alliance of the international Left and the Islamic world it leads in their common campaign to undermine Israeli control over Jerusalem.
The government must stop trying to play both sides of the aisle. Instead it should follow the lead of its extraordinary citizens and of Jews throughout the world in asserting the rights of the Jewish people to our capital and our country.
Original
Mme Glick
C’EST l’ONU Réel plaisir de lire .. Vous Vos analyses percutantes SONT .. Désolée de Vous ecrire en francais JE NE Pas maitrise l’commerces. Verser lires Vous Je me Contente du traducteur …
j’espere Que Monsieur Natanyahou NE SE DANS laissera entrainer Pas La Spirale des concessions strictement Qui mèneront AEN rien.
‘The government must stop trying to play both sides of the aisle’
We have to ask ; Why is the slick willy of Israel playing both sides ?
Why can’t he stand up to any pressure from a supposed ally ?
An even bigger question is;
Why do Likud voters allow this huckster,charlatan ,liar to get away with his treacherous betrayal of everything he claims to stand for.
Why do Likud voters give him a pass time and time again after his many many acts of betrayal ?
Are they so focused on his disingenous words that they are seduced into going along with his actions that all point to a perverse soul who only knows how to kotow to his Controllers ?
Israel needs a strong leader for the dark days ahead and Netanyhu has proven he is not that man.
So why are Zionist’s so easy on this latest rat politician ?
Excellent Caroline, how pointedly and helpfully you have made the most important case!
Apart from the restablishment of Temple Mount worship, I heartily agree with everything you’ve written. Jerusalem will be ‘a burdensome stone for all people’ there’s no point trying to endlessly appease. I have been deeply impressed reading Martin Gilbert’s atlas on Jerusalem how focal this issue is to regional and global politics.
Dear Caroline. I can’t add to all you have already written, but I can thank you. At 65 years I am finally taking an interest in world affairs and especially the Jewish homeland which I soon hope to make my own. Sadly, I am not always happy with what I read, but you speak from the heart. It makes a world of difference to people like me who have taken much for granted. I salute you.
Reading your column today, your passion reminded of a blog: “A Zvika Force of One” (http://theisraelofgod.blogspot.com/2007/02/zvika-force-of-one.html). Although a precursor of Israel’s eventual conflict, it alludes to it. However, here is the part I left out:
“And it shall come to pass in that day, that I will seek to destroy all the nations that come against Jerusalem. And I will pour upon the house of David, and upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the spirit of grace and of supplications: and they shall look upon me whom they have pierced, and they shall mourn for him, as one mourneth for his only son, and shall be in bitterness for him, as one that is in bitterness for his firstborn. In that day shall there be a great mourning in Jerusalem, as the mourning of Hadadrimmon in the valley of Megiddon. And the land shall mourn, every family apart; the family of the house of David apart, and their wives apart; the family of the house of Nathan apart, and their wives apart; The family of the house of Levi apart, and their wives apart; the family of Shimei apart, and their wives apart; All the families that remain, every family apart, and their wives apart” (Zechariah 12:9-14).
”The gov’t. must stop trying to play both sides of the aisle.”
Netanyahu is a politician, not a leader. He is playing as if our situation is ”business as usual.” I also believe that he is shell-shocked, paralyzed, because, in reality, our situation is not even vaguely ”business as usual.” ”Let’s make a deal” doesn’t work anymore.
Just examine our security situation via-a-vis Iran, Syria, & Hezbollah. I just a read a pretty good article in Ynet by Alex Fishman, ”The New Lebanon Battlefield.” I’ve read other articles at DebkaFile on the same subject. And what are we doing about these increased threats? Nothing much, we’re just sitting around waiting until we’re attacked. This is very much like the situation before the 1973 war. Actually, it’s much worse – we most certainly cannot count on the US for any support or any supplies & spare parts.
And, our situation will only deteriorate even further when Iran goes nuclear.
In the meantime, we are distracted by this Palestinian obsession – nothing but a distraction, something which in reality is a problem of very low priority. No one in their right mind believes we will ever reach an agreement. The talks have become an end in themselves, an excercise in futility to please America & the EU. Common sense (totally lacking in politicians & journalists) tells you that appeasement & concessions only lead to further demands, demands that cannot be realistically met. But what does our gov’t. do? They dance around making contradictory statements, say one thing but do another, try to please everyone & end up pleasing no one.
”Business as usual” has become surrealism, more delusional than ever.
Did not the American voters of Jewish heritage know for whom they were voting in ’08? Did they not examine his record and statements? The Bush record in regard to the alliance between our countries was impeccable and yet, Jewish voters in the U.S. went overwhelmingly for the Democrat candidate not only at the federal but also the state levels. Unfortunately, in spite of the present U.S. president’s terrible record in regard to Israel, chances are that Jewish-American voters will once again, like lemmings plunging into the sea, vote for this abomination of desolation. Polish-American voters did the same even after FDR had handed over their homeland to the USSR at Yalta.
‘we’re just sitting around waiting until we’re attacked’
A well trained little poodle does just that until his master give him the next command which is to roll over and be dead.
There is no playing here.
The heavy chains Israel has tied to it’s neck with it’s relationship to the U.S. is a greater danger than Iran is.
Without the incesssant restraints and Poodle Ministers rolling over and ‘just sitting around waiting’ being good and loyal lap dogs Israel would have a chance to survive.
This is the curse of Israel chasing after a USeless idol and ignoring the God of Israel.
Only one way to break the curse.
A divorce.
Obviously, President Obama is pressuring Israel to divide Jerusalem, and surrender the eastern half of the city to the PLO. By doing this, the President is allowing the PLO to declare an independent Palestine before he moves back to the bankrupt State of Illinois. As for Judea and Samaria, the Obama Administration is willing to let the next President deal with the details. President Obama wants to resolve the Arab-Israeli conflict, and appease radical Islamists from attacking America and US interests. And Israel must wakeup before it is too late.
The case for Israel has been made continuously for 90 years. Israel has only been able to depend on how she acts from bombing the British out of the Palestine Mandate to fighting war after war with the arabs. Appeasement, which has been shown to encourage the murdering of Jews, has been continuous too with Bibi the Dhimmi only the latest example of it.
We should use the case for Israel not to persuade the goyim but to keep up our morale so we can better resist the continuous and increasing oppression.
Caroline, excellent post.
You said;
“…Jerusalem, our capital has never been under greater assault. But it has also never been more energetically defended by an indignant Jewish people – in Israel and throughout the world.”
Let me respectfully suggest that the counterpoints displayed within your post suggest, and expose, that many in the [worldwide] Jewish community, and even many [Jewish] citizens of Israel have little, if any love for eretz Israel.
And let me say, that reading your post and recognising these counterpoints of opposing ‘enthusiasm’ among many Israelis, almost brought me to tears.
In contrast, also you posted;
“…prominent French Jewish intellectuals Bernard Henri-Levy and Alain Finkielkraut published a manifesto signed by hundreds of their cohorts attacking Israel for the absence of peace in the region and calling on the EU and the US to pressure Israel to surrender Jerusalem, Judea and Samaria to the Palestinians.”
Doesn’t the logic of the argument, of many of those [internal and external to Israel] who hate, and attack Israel’s existence seem almost, surreal?
i.e. [The argument being, that the existence of] Israel is the reason “…for the absence of peace in the region”.
And wherever any of us may be in the world, why is it that that, wrong headed argument, is given so much credence, by so many today?
And isn’t the very ‘disarray’ demonstrated among many Israelis themselves [in confronting Israel’s ‘contentious’ existence], almost bizarre in its intensity?
And are not almost all of these national ‘wounds’, suffered upon the ‘body’, the psyche of Israel, being self inflicted?
Why?
Israel, is a nation divided.
How has it come to this?
Is this circumstance really so bizarre?
After all, if the [mostly] ‘fence sitting’ people of Israel, find that they have elected successive ‘fence sitting’ governments, is that really so strange?
I wish Israel was strong.
But Israel is divided, confused.
Why?
+++
What is ‘the great commandment’, in the Torah law?
Deuteronomy 6:1
Now these are the commandments, the statutes, and the judgments, which the LORD your God commanded to teach you, that ye might do them in the land whither ye go to possess it:
…
5 And thou shalt love the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might.
Zechariah 1:3
Therefore say thou unto them, Thus saith the LORD of hosts; Turn ye unto me, saith the LORD of hosts, and I will turn unto you, saith the LORD of hosts.
His people, why have you forgotten, that the God of Israel is, “the God of the spirits of all flesh” [Numbers 16] ?
Consider, is your God, really so far from you?
Please, his people, get onto the correct side of that ‘line in the sand’, which your God, has drawn in this world.
Be strong his people, and embrace God’s righteousness.
Be strong to trust in your God’s righteousness.
Isaiah 55:6
Seek ye the LORD while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near:
Proverbs 24:1
Be not thou envious against evil men, neither desire to be with them.
2 For their heart studieth destruction, and their lips talk of mischief.
3 Through wisdom is an house builded; and by understanding it is established:
4 And by knowledge shall the chambers be filled with all precious and pleasant riches.
Malachi 3:13
Your words have been stout against me, saith the LORD. Yet ye say, What have we spoken so much against thee?
14 Ye have said, It is vain to serve God: and what profit is it that we have kept his ordinance, and that we have walked mournfully before the LORD of hosts?
15 And now we call the proud happy; yea, they that work wickedness are set up; yea, they that tempt God are even delivered.
16 Then they that feared the LORD spake often one to another: and the LORD hearkened, and heard it, and a book of remembrance was written before him for them that feared the LORD, and that thought upon his name.
17 And they shall be mine, saith the LORD of hosts, in that day when I make up my jewels; and I will spare them, as a man spareth his own son that serveth him.
18 Then shall ye return, and discern between the righteous and the wicked, between him that serveth God and him that serveth him not.
I’m an American supporter of Israel. Of the multiple threats Israel faces, one is essentially temporary in nature.
Obama’s animosity toward Israel.
That is because after the November mid-terms, Israel will be able to tell Obama to go ‘pound sand’ (diplomatically of course:-). The Republicans are going to win big i November and after that, the Congressional support for Obama will be essentially non-existent.
Regardless of Netanyahu’s failings, it’s fairly clear that he is walking a political tightrope between resisting Obama’s demands and keeping the aid and ‘support’ of the US in the UN.
By support I mean the US’s veto and when it refrains from signing a UN resolution of condemnation of Israel. When the US abstains in a vote, it speaks volumes. That’s because no international sanction or boycott of Israel can be effective without US participation.
By ‘support’ I mean the line that Obama can’t presently cross; i.e. actively signing on to UN sanctions and resolutions against Israel.
However, should Israel give enough outright ‘provocation’ (leftist characterization of Israel’s actions) by Israel he could arguably do that and, that would conceivably be catastrophic for Israel.
Loss of US aid that amounts to 1.5% of Israel’s GDP can be adjusted to, US participation in a world-wide boycott Of Israel’s exports and an embargo of Israel’s imports would crush Israel under an intolerable burden.
All of this is just a small part of what Netanyahu, or any Israeli leader must consider.
In many ways it’s like the American card game of ‘poker’, betting everything on one hand, a case of ‘win or lose’ is generally a foolish move. Telling the US to go ‘pound sand’, in a confrontational way that ‘throws the gauntlet down’ would be betting everything on ‘red’.
Goffery explained well the bully’s threats which keeps Israel in chains.
This is not a friend, ally relationship,but one of master and slave.
Extortion to do as you are told or else we will pull our UN trick out of our hat,or the money Israel needs will be dried up.
Why does Israel want to be a prostitute to such perverted,untrustworthy,devious people ?
Can you see the fallicy of his argument ?
A people without faith in God hedge their bets and always lose.
Don’t fear America ……….
‘Now therefore fear the LORD, and serve him in sincerity and in truth: and put away the gods which your fathers served on the other side of the flood, and in Egypt; and serve ye the LORD.
And if it seem evil unto you to serve the LORD, choose you this day whom ye will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD.’
Joshua 24
Geoffrey
The animosity against Israel in the US State Department, the CIA, the FBI (they are more dilligent against AIPAC members than terrorists), some parts of the US Military and in some of the right (Pat Buchanan for example) and left parts (I wouldn’t look to Al Sharpton, Jessie Jackson, or Jerry Wright to change their views) of the political spectrum is permanent and will not go away even if another Ronald Reagan is elected. The animosity against Israel from the arabs and the UN is permanent. A loss of 1.5% of the GDP amounts to a recession and it is not crushing however as European and other Leftist boycotts take hold, however damaging they are to Israel’s economy it is not a reason to appease implacable enemies. You can’t worry about some loss of business when you’re being marched to an extermination camp. Israel absolutely must be completely militarily and economically independent of any foreign country no matter what the cost and face all her enemies and false friends with resolution.
Said it before, I’ll say it again. Israel has a rinky dink banana republic level parliamentary government. And just like 99.9% of the politicians around the world they care about their own power and not about the people they are supposed to represent. Selfishness and weakness/fear, that is the problem. I guarantee there are at least 300 millions Muslims world-wide who are “Ready to die for this”. Americans are not, Europeans are not, and few Israelis are.
The Israeli military did receive bunker buster munitions and needed military resupplies last week. Bibi’s fence sitting has served a short term purpose…
There is no reason for Israel to engage in confrontational diplomacy with the present Obama administration, it is far better for us to play for time until the pendulum swings back in our favor. The Palestinians aren’t going anywhere, and they aren’t about to sign a peace treaty of any kind with Israel either. But as at least Geoffrey Brittain has so sagely pointed out, after November Obama is going to be so worried and occupied with his political survival that he and his plans for the Middle East will be put on a back burner.
I am still amazed that Obama put so much of his political capital into the impossible issue known as the Arab Israeli peace process, a process which has chewed up and spit out far more impressive leaders than him.
In terms of realpolitik it is always more important for a small country like Israel to choose it’s battles wisely. Also it is always better for any country including Israel to save it’s resources for fighting with it’s enemies and try it’s best to accomodate it’s friends. Especially in the case of an American President, even one like Barack Obama who is so badly misinformed and misguided about Israel that he is actually hostile and antagonistice towards us and whose misbegotten policies have done more to derail the peace process than anything even the Palestinians have done.
In a few months after the mid term American elections, everything will be different and for Israel, very much improved.
‘In a few months after the mid term American elections, everything will be different and for Israel, very much improved.’
The blind never learn aanything from the fake right wing Bush or the fake right wing Netanyahu.
They keep making the same mistake again and again.
It’s much bigger than left vs right,it’s about God vs mankind.
The idol worshipers and heathen of Israel who trust in false gods have all their bets stacked on a Movemeber election.
They pray and hope towards the West and stubbornly remain prostrate before their false hope and never look to the Holy one of Israel.
When Obama pushes his amnesty for illegal aliens there will be at least 12 million more voters who will vote for his continuing dictarorship dealing the Right in America a death blow.If martial law is declared the elections are off.
You people are so naive you can’t look up and see the handwriting on the wall.
The missiles are aimed at these heathen as God will cleanse the land and set apart a remnant of Israel for Himself who will serve Him alone.
America won’t save Israel,it won’t even save itself from what is coming upon it.
Beniyar
Israel has never had the option to choose her battles and time is not on her side. It doesn’t essentially matter who is President – any and all US administrations have and will have a policy restraining Israel’s ability to defend herself. Her strategic position is steadily worsening with downright terrorist states now established in Gaza and Lebanon, Syria being armed to the teeth by Russia and developing weapons of mass destuction, Iran developing the Bomb, an Israeli-Arab 5th column working hand in glove with Fatah, and Turkey having its friendly military defanged and taken over by Islamic Fundamentalists. The left in Europe is becoming more forthrightly anti-Israel. It gets worse when Mubarak kicks the bucket. What is the response by Israel’s erstwhile ally the United States? A demand to pull back to the Aushwitz lines and dismantle her nuclear arsenal. No, time is not on Israel’s side and clever playing for time demoralises the nation’s will to resist. What is needed now is leadership that forthrightly communicates the nature of the threats and does not compromise on measures to meet them.
Steve,
Europe has never been particularly friendly towards Israel, not even after the Holocaust, and yet somehow we have managed to survive this lack of friendship. The Former Soviet Union, except for a couple of years in the 50’s and now Russia have been hostile towards Israel, and yet here we are. Israeli Arabs have never been comfortable with Israel, and ever since Rabin and his apparent weakness vis a vis the Palestinians, they are even more antagonistic towards us. As for WMD’s, well more or less, they have always been there, and Israel probably has them too. We can have all the enemies we want, indeed we already have more than we need. We can confront our allies who fail to share all of our concerns and support all of our needs as if they are enemies too, but at the end of the day that just makes for bruised feelings, general unpleasantness, lack of support, and the real chance of creating even more enemies.
Or we can choose our battles wisely and use our limited military and diplomatic resources to fight when we have to, and use our considerable political and moral strenghts to maintain our alliances. The Apache Indians used to say that any fool can fight, well they had a point.
I recently came across this article concerning the PM’s book written in 1993 —Benjamin Netanyahu, A Place Among the Nations, Bantam Books, New York, 1993, pp. 154-159.
The article compares what is happening in Israel right now concerning the “land for peace” agreement with the Palestinians and comparing it to what happened in Czechoslovakia in Sudeteland with Hitler. This is directly taken from Benjamin Netanyahu’s book. Let’s just hope international pressure on Israel doesn’t cause this to happen to Israel.
http://www.khouse.org/articles/1997/11/