Weathering the approaching storm

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Israel is endangered today as it has never been before. The Turkish-Hamas flotilla two weeks ago precipitated a number of dangerous developments. Rather than attend to all of them, Israel’s leadership is devoting itself almost exclusively to contending with the least dangerous among them while ignoring the emerging threats with the potential to lead us to great calamities. 

 

Since the Navy’s lethal takeover of the Mavi Marmara, Israel has been stood before an international diplomatic firing squad led by the UN and Europe and supported by the Obama administration. Firmly backed by European and largely unopposed by Washington, the UN is moving swiftly towards setting up a new Goldstone-style anti-Israel kangaroo court. That canned tribunal will rule that Israel has no right to defend itself and attempt to force Israel to end its lawful naval blockade of Hamas-controlled Gaza. 

 

Fearing this outcome, Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu bowed to US President Barack Obama’s demand that Israel set up an Israeli inquest of the Mavi Marmara takeover and permit foreigners to oversee its proceedings. Netanyahu also agreed to scale-back Israel’s blockade significantly, and allow international bodies to have a role in its far more lax enforcement.  Netanyahu has made these concessions with the full knowledge that they will strengthen Hamas in the hopes that they would weaken the international onslaught against Israel.

 

Unfortunately, it took no time at all to see that his hopes were misplaced. Even before Netanyahu announced these concessions, UN Secretary General Ban Ki Moon already announced that they make no difference to him or to his friends in Washington and Brussels. They will move ahead with their plans to appoint a new kangaroo court charged with asserting that Israel has no right to defend itself. 

 

AS BAD as all of this is, in truth, it is unimportant relative to the other consequences of the flotilla incident. The impact of the diplomatic campaign now being waged against Israel will be felt in the medium and long term. In the immediate term, Israel is facing two threats that dwarf what it faces from the UN.

 

Recent statements by the leaders of Iran, Turkey, Syria, Hamas and Hizbullah make clear that the members of the Iranian axis view the Mavi Marmara episode as a strategic victory in their ongoing campaign against Israel. The international stampede against Israel at the UN, the White House and throughout Europe exposed Israel’s Achilles heel. The Mavi Marmara demonstrated that on the one hand the IDF cannot enforce its blockade of Gaza without the use of force. On the other hands it taught Israel’s enemies that by forcing Israel to use force, Iran, Turkey and their allies incited a UN-EU-US lynch mob against Israel. 

 

Iran, Turkey, Syria, Hamas and Hizbullah are moving rapidly to exploit their new discovery. In the very near future, Israel will face off against Iranian, Lebanese, and Turkish ships complemented by ships full of Israel-hating German Jews and other Jewish and non-Jewish Hamas supporters.

 

The Mavi Marmara showed Iran and its allies hat they can win strategic victories against Israel by giving the IDF no option other than using force against them. This means that Israel can bank on the prospect that all the ships they are dispatching will be populated by suicide protesters. Indeed the Iranians have openly admitted this. Mohammad Ali Nouraee is one of the regime officials involved in dispatching the Iranian ships to the Gaza coast. In an interview this week with Iran’s official IRNA news agency Nouraee said that the passengers aboard the ships, “are willing to become martyred in this way.”

 

The Lebanese ships are being organized by Hizbullah-affiliated individuals and the Turkish ships are being organized by the IHH terror group that organized the Mavi Marmara. Hizbullah’s penchant for dispatching suicide squads is of course well known. And the IHH showed its devotion to suicide protests on the Mavi Marmara. So it is fairly clear that the passengers aboard the ships from both countries intend to force the IDF to kill them. 

 

The intensification of the suicide protest campaign against Israel is dangerous for two reasons. First, it is a model that can be and in all likelihood will be replicated on air and land and it can be replicated anywhere. Israel can and should expect mobs of suicide protesters marching on Gaza to force Israel to surrender control over its borders. Israel can expect mobs of suicide protesters marching on Israeli embassies and other government installations around the world in an attempt to increase its diplomatic isolations. 

 

In the air, Israel can expect charter flights to take off from airports around the world with a few dozen kamikaze protesters who will force the IAF to shoot them down as they approach Israeli airspace. 

 

Iran and its allies have found a weak chink in Israel’s armor. They will use it any way they can. Israel needs to quickly develop tactics and strategies for contending with this.

 

THE SECOND and far more dangerous implication of Israel’s enemies’ aggressive adoption of suicide protests is that by ensuring violence will be used, they increase the chances of war. Indeed, Iran and its allies clearly believe that suicide protests are a vehicle for initiating a full-scale war against Israel on what they view as favorable footing. According to Bahrain’s al Wasat press service, Hussain Amir, Iran’s ambassador to Bahrain threatened this week that, “If the [Zionist] entity dares to direct any aggressive attack [against the Iranian ships] then it is certain that [Israel] will be met by a much stronger and firm blow.” 

 

Syrian President Bashar Assad told the BBC Wednesday that the region is moving towards war. And the Turkish government is continuing to escalate its assaults on Israel. On Thursday Turkey threatened to cut off diplomatic relations with Israel if Israel does not issue a formal apology for its takeover of the Mavi Marmara and pay restitution to the families of the terrorists killed on board the ship.

 

Obviously the most disturbing aspect of the war threats is the specter of Turkish naval vessels attacking the Israeli navy. If Turkey – a NATO member — participates in a war against Israel, the repercussions for Israel’s relations with NATO member states, including the US, as well as the EU are liable to be unprecedented. 

 

While going to war against Israel would be a major gamble for Turkey, in recent years it has not shied away from high stakes challenges to its NATO allies. Indeed, one of Turkey’s ruling AKP party’s first actions upon taking power in 2003 was to deny the US military the right to invade Iraq from its territory. The deleterious impact of Turkey’s refusal to come to the aid of its NATO ally at the time has been felt by US forces in Iraq ever since. 

 

IN THE days and weeks to come, Israel’s political and military leaders must move resolutely to prepare to withstand these new threats that arisen in the aftermath of the Mavi Marmara episode. To meet the expected deluge of suicide protesters on sea, land and air, Israel must immediately acquire non-lethal means to disperse these protests. This involves purchasing and producing tear gas, water cannons, rubber bullets and other non-lethal weaponry. These non-lethal weapons must be rapidly distributed to IDF units deployed along the frontier with Gaza and to the Navy
. They must also be supplied to Israeli security teams tasked with protecting government installations worldwide. Forces must undergo intense and immediate training in crowd control and mob dispersal to be ready to meet what is clearly on the way.

 

Diplomatically, Israel needs to hold its new line on the Gaza blockade. Netanyahu’s buckling to US-EU-UN pressure has encouraged them to redouble their assault on Israel. The new line must be held at all costs. Otherwise, Israel will have no diplomatic line of defense as the approaching threats become reality. 

 

Strategically, our leaders need to consider what our aims will be in the coming war. For instance, as far as Turkey is concerned, Israel’s aim will be to end the war as quickly as possible. Here the tools of diplomacy with NATO members and public diplomacy with the American people will be crucial to convincing Turkey to stand down. They must be aggressively and energetically utilized without delay. 

 

From a military perspective, evasion is preferable to confrontation. This understanding must guide naval operations towards Turkish forces.

 

As for Iran, Israel’s aim must be to prolong the war as long as necessary to secure its strategic objective of denying Iran nuclear weapons. Moreover, it is important to use both kinetic and non-kinetic means to change the relative power balance between the Iranian people and the Iranian regime. While in all likelihood today the Iranian opposition green movement is unable to overthrow the regime, if Iran initiates a war against Israel, Israel must use the opportunity the war affords to change that balance of power.  

 

Once Israel’s political and military leaders determine the strategic goals of a regional war, they must move swiftly to outfit and train the IDF to fight it. This war will certainly be different from its predecessors and Israel’s strategic goals – and the clear strategic and tactical preferences of its enemies – dictate the training that the IDF must initiate immediately. 

 

The longer term lesson of the Mavi Marmara incident, and the threats that emerged in its wake is that war is too serious a subject to leave to generals. The IDF and the Defense Ministry clearly misunderstood the nature of the threat posed by the Turkish-Hamas flotilla. Indeed, recent reports that until the Mavi Marmara Israel wasn’t even collecting intelligence on Turkey despite its obvious, multiyear transformation from ally to enemy underlines the fact that the IDF is woefully incapable of assessing, understanding and preparing for the threats Israel faces. 

 

In light of the IDF’s failure to understand Turkey’s transformation from ally to enemy in a timely manner, its incompetent planning for the takeover and its problematic performance in both Operation Cast Lead and the Second Lebanon War, Netanyahu must create an external body empowered to assess and dictate the means for preparing for emerging threats. This body can either be a new department in the Prime Minister’s Bureau or the National Security Council can be empowered to perform this function. While this is not the most urgent matter on the national agenda, the establishment of such a body should be a central mission of the government. 

 

The Iranian ships are already en route, and the ships from Lebanon could appear at any moment. The mass demonstrations against Israel throughout the world and the threatened violence from the Hamas-supporting Israeli Arab leadership indicate that mobs of suicide protesters could appear anywhere with no prior warning. 

 

Time is of the essence. No, Israel does not want another Goldstone kangaroo court. But right now, kangaroo courts are not our biggest problem. 

 

Originally published in The Jerusalem Post.
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59 Comments

  • naomir 06/18/2010 at 8:00

    Caroline, to anyone who had never read your blogs, this would certainly be an eye opener. I have been carefully following all the news as well as your blogs and I again shake my head in consternation. What will it take for Israel to realize she is truly on her own. Does nobody from Netanyahu on down yet realize that words mean nothing and action says it all. They hate us no matter what we do and think less of us if we don’t do it. Israelis have the right to live in safety. The children have the right to a childhood without the fear of missiles hanging over their heads. We must believe in G-d, but we must also remember that He gives us the free will to do what’s right. Shabbat shalom.

    Reply
  • Marcel 06/18/2010 at 8:34

    As you pointed out the IDF (and the Israeli leadership who bear ultimate responsibility) have been dead asleep on intel with the Muslim enemy Turkey.
    They’re still living in President Peres’ Fantasy Land
    Since Israel began drinking the Road Map snake oil in 1993 that Israel has been sleeping behind the 8 ball.
    Something you left out and I hope sleeping Israel can see is that Turkey was never punished,even rewarded for it’s denial of fellow NATO ally (US) rights to cross it’s border to invade Iraq.
    And always obedient Israel is forever punished severely for it’s compliance with America Babylon’s peace agenda.
    The screws tightened more for Israel while they were completely removed from Turkey.
    Isn’t that interesting ,Israel’s loyalty to America Babylon brings catastrophe,everything but peace while those who stand up against it are rewarded and fawned upon.
    Iran has learned this reality,Israel has not yet learned,still in a deep coma or visiting Shimon’s Fantasy Land.
    Israel is the only nation which the psuedo friend kicks around and Israel seems to like it and always comes back for more with the knee pads Jews who are only permitted to use the side entrance.
    Can’t you see that this global game is rigged for Israel to lose and Israel’s leaders are not up to the task ?
    Having a paintball gun Defense Minister and a Prime Minister who is addicted to compromise and appeasement should awaken every rational Israeli that there is only one answer.
    CRY OUT Pslam 83 .
    Unlike the useless Israeli politicians He is listening to YOU !
    ‘God, do not remain quiet;
    Do not be silent and, O God, do not be still.
    For behold, Your enemies make an uproar,
    And those who hate You have exalted themselves.
    They make shrewd plans against Your people,
    And conspire together against Your treasured ones.
    They have said, “Come, and let us wipe them out as a nation,
    That the name of Israel be remembered no more.”
    For they have conspired together with one mind;’
    and the Psalm 2 solution

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  • Bart 06/18/2010 at 8:58

    Caroline,
    Not all in America side with Turkey, Iran, Syria, and other terrorist states, saturating the Middle East. If fact, most Americans are with you, not against you. Don’t let Obama, liberals, Democrats, and the leftist media fool you with their lies.
    As a Christian, my first loyalty is to our God. The God of Jews and Christians alike. We still love and support Israel in greater numbers than those who oppose your nation. It is commanded by our God to support and protect His chosen people. That we do.
    It is unfortunate the incident happened, but as you are well aware, it was a set-up from the beginning and the international outcry was not unexpected, it was planned for. Now, Israel has been placed in the spotlight of condemnation by the UN, international, and shamefully, our own government.
    In closing, may the peace and protection of God be with Israel.

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  • wendy 06/18/2010 at 9:08

    The massed ranks of heavies want war, I believe ,and are determined to push Israel into a corner.
    They have nothing to lose and plenty to gain : an army of martyrs and a captive western block without the wit or the moral fibre to step in and put the case for Israel to a largely disengaged
    United Nations.

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  • tom 06/18/2010 at 9:23

    A historical analog to Israel’s present circumstance is hard to find. The world may have condemned the government of South Africa, for instance, but there was no drive to destroy it as a nation, or its people. In World War II, the allies sought to destroy the military power of the Germans and Japanese, but not to eradicate them as a people or nation. Israel now faces attack from enemies determined to destroy it completely and remove it from the earth. No other country, not even the US, can be counted on to come to her defense. In those circumstances, there is no longer any reason for evasions, or half measures taken in a vain attempt to garner international approval. No such approval will be forthcoming no matter how Israel restrains herself.
    History is littered with the wreckage ensuing from bellicose demands for War! War! Often the war that comes is the undoing of us those who most sought it. Rarely though have these wars been wars of survival. Germany did not have to go to war in August 1914 because of some existential threat. Neither did the American Southern Confederates fire on the Union Fort Sumter out of necessity. Israel though now faces a true threat to her continued existence.
    If Iran and its allies send martyrs, they should be accomodated into the next world. It is time not for water cannons, but for ships to be sunk and airplanes shot down. Perhaps, just perhaps, strong action now will forestall more attacks. Probably, though,the attacks will continue, because Iran believes it can destroy Israel, and it wants to destroy Israel for its own geo-political ends. The solution has to be to cut the head off the Tehran snake. There most likely no other way for Israel to survive.
    The wildcard is American public opinion. The American President would face overwhelming pressure to “save” Israel. Any President, including Obama, would have to yield to that pressure. But, if you were Israel, would you take any confidence in Obama to defend you?

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  • anonymous 06/18/2010 at 10:10

    King Abdullah of Jordan has already stated that he expects war this summer and no doubt Turkey and Iran have approached him to join in. Given that it will be a conventional war, the Turkish, Iranian, Syrian axis is the most formidable Israel has ever faced. Particularly Turkey with the third largest army in the world, funded, equipped, and trained by Israel and the U.S. The Flotilla will only be the pretext for war. Turkey will probably invade Lebanon with some numbers of Iranian auxiliaries and Syria can go after the Golan. Hezbollah can fire off its obolete missiles and flatten northern Israel. Israel would still need to keep substantial forces to keep an eye on Egypt, Jordan, the Palestinians, and the Israeli-Arabs who would be tempted to join in should it look like Israel is losing. The IDF will be hobbled as usual by US demands not to hurt Israel’s enemies too badly and I wouldn’t think Obama would pull a Nixon and rearm Israel – to the contrary aid would be nonexistant or come in a trickle. I would still expect the IDF to fight the axis to a standstill though at terrific cost in blood but even another victory would result in the universal Great Power demand, led by the United States, that Israel cease advancing. On a stalemate, Israel would be bled white – Israel cannot fight a war of attrition against enemies with unlimited manpower. On a defeat, Israel would be faced with the decision to use the Bomb to prevent genocidal enemies from entering Israel proper.
    To meet this threat and do your good and necessary advice Caroline Israel needs reolute leadership which unfortunately is non- existant. Israel’s political and military leadership has done nothing to strengthen Israel in the last 4 decades but has shown itself to be self-serving, greedy, foolish, and cowardly.
    The most likely scenario is that Netanyahu will dismantle the blockade to remove the axis’ pretext for war, allow arms shipments to Gaza, and another terrorist state will be established on Israel’s southern border. Diplomatically the Great Powers will demand that Israel make further concessions in negotiations with Hamas. This may delay the war until Fall or whenever Israel’s enemies think they cannot lose.

    Reply
  • Adi 06/18/2010 at 10:13

    Caroline, I just posted this article. Thanks for using your talents to inform, empower and inspire.
    Blessings of going from strength to strength with using your talents to bring the world to healing.

    Reply
  • Anonymous 06/18/2010 at 12:18

    Another step would be to get sympathetic journalists aboard the Iranian ships and try to get as much of the truth out as possible before they arrive. Of they are deprived of the chance to claim convincingly that these are peaceful missions, the may not even bother.

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  • Marc Handelsman, USA 06/18/2010 at 12:37

    When the Iranian ships attempt to breach the Gaza blockade, they should be warned to turn back. If the warning is ignored, any offending ships should be sunk. If Israel does not use effective force when necessary, she will be taken advantage of every time. Now is the time for Israel to take a stand for its sovereignty or pay the piper. Israel needs leaders with the moral fortitude of earlier Zionist pioneers. And with God’s help, Israel will be the victor in the upcoming regional war.

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  • Geoffrey Britain 06/18/2010 at 12:49

    Let the UN wail and gnash its teeth.
    Use the Israeli inquiry into the flotilla incident as an opportunity to bolster the rationale for the blockade, by understanding that no matter how fair and honest the inquest, it will be condemned as a whitewash.
    Yes, Israel must immediately acquire, dispense and train in non-lethal means to disperse future protests.
    Israel should immediately extend it’s offshore territorial limit to the 200 mile standard. That would provide flexibility presently lacking.
    If Turkey sends its Navy to escort another flotilla or ‘aid’ ship, Israel should break off diplomatic relations and declare that any Turkish Naval vessel entering Israel’s waters to assist in breaking the blockade will be an act of war and will be sunk.
    Foul the propellers of any approaching ships, then tow them to Israel’s ports. If the Turkish Navy enters Israeli territorial waters or fires upon any Israeli naval vessels, sink the ships.
    Yes, it means war with Turkey and Iran but that’s coming anyway. Don’t worry about NATO, they’re a paper tiger and will want to negotiate.
    When war erupts, fight to win and don’t stop.
    When the UN and US call for a cease-fire, Israel’s response should be; they started it, they have to stop before Israel will.
    It’s a form of surrender where the other side temporarily gives up and absolutely necessary and must be a non-negotiable demand.
    Obama will further reduce aid to Israel.
    That’s a good thing. Israel needs to wean itself from the US teat.

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  • dioriod 06/18/2010 at 13:58

    Sorry this is a little off-topic, but is that a Dror Davidman photograph? Looks like his work, which I love.

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  • Anonymous 06/18/2010 at 14:07

    Caroline! rubber bullets?? No way, until the terrorists use rubber blades in their knives!!

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  • Anonymous 06/18/2010 at 14:27

    I worry about how long Israel can hang on without US aid. Obama has not filled a single request and at a certain point, Israel will need to be resupplied. Then what?
    G-d bless Israel.

    Reply
  • Anonymous 06/18/2010 at 14:34

    Whenever Israel caves, her enemies (and now her presumed/former friends and allies) only want more and more. She must stand strong. Those who hate Israel and hate Jews will hate whether she caves or not. It is in her interest not to give the haters anything. They will hate no matter what. She must protect her people.

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  • Anonymous 06/18/2010 at 14:36

    I’m not totally comfortable with re-training the IDF to be a non-lethal organization whose ships are ordered to evade belligerent Turks.
    Missions to endanger the Israeli public ought to be suicidal.
    In any event, did you know that Israel is still trying to supply Turkey with military hardware?!

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  • Rory 06/18/2010 at 15:48

    I will certainly do what I can to support Israel in the coming storm through letters to friends, the President and my Congressional representatives. We all need to pray for Israel too…it is easy to stand on one leg and philosophize about the existence of God but it is another thing altogether to be praying with all your heart in a foxhole during a heavy bombardment…may the God of Israel’s fathers watch over her and keep her safe…

    Reply
  • Arius 06/18/2010 at 21:58

    Geoffrey Britain said it all. Israel, hang tough.

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  • ClaudiaMonteverdi 06/18/2010 at 23:43

    Dear Caroline,
    Quite a chilling article. Tome, none of the proposed solutions have an ounce of weight. To my mind there are only two ways out:
    1) Somehow envigorate the silent Democratic congressmaen and Senators to speak up in defence of Israel and loudly and clearly invighorate the public, noteable the cowardly leaders of Jewish pro Israel groups to shake rattle and roll..with implications that even the Anti-Semitic (get the point?Use words.) Obama will fear, that even the Liberal Jews in public office will understand—that which they fear most: their defeat in re-election….
    2)
    The second way, if the above should fail? An immediate and thorough attack upon Iran, Syria, Lebanon and Gaza..against ALL hostile forces, not a slap in the face..SHOCK and AWE!
    Using your logic, Israel has little or nothing to lose, the world with the disgusting Obama following the diktas of Wright and Ferrakhan has let the banshees loose
    Regards,
    Claudia Monteverdi, Argentina

    Reply
  • Patricia DeJong 06/18/2010 at 23:56

    Please know that even though our President clearly does not show the support to Israel that President Bush did (and boy do we miss him now), most of us Americans support you Israel. We pause with baited breath to what the next few weeks hold for you. We despise these Muslims who think they are supposed to own, run and rule everything by some devious deity they think will carry them into paradise because they died trying to kill Jews. I cannot wait till Judgement Day when they are dealt with justly. I trust that Israel will be saved when the Messiah (who I believe is Yeshua) comes back to the Mount of Olives just before Israel is destroyed and stays to rule and reign in the new temple. Love you Israel.
    From a Mother in the US

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  • Elia Rahe 06/19/2010 at 0:47

    Outstanding read, I just passed this onto a colleague who was doing a little analysis on that. And he actually bought me lunch because I found it for him…. smile.. So let me rephrase that: Thanks for lunch!But yeah Cheers for taking the time to discuss this, I feel strongly about it and enjoy learning more on this topic. If possible, as you gain expertise, would you mind updating your blog with more information? It is extremely helpful for me.

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  • anonymous 06/19/2010 at 1:59

    There’s probably no way to prevent suicidal humanitarians from creating an incident though the non-lethal methods should be used first. They could shoot themselves and the Western Media would scream about Israeli murderers far and wide before the forensics report came out quietly to show that they deliberately did it to themselves. The goyim will believe any lie about Jews and Israelis but at least we can be satisfied in our own mind about the truth.
    It looks like Mossad needs to be very dramatically expanded. Now we need informants within the IHH and every crackpot muslim extremist organisation and within just about every “humanitarian” organisation to evaluate in time what plots they make against us. If we had an informant with a cellphone recording the IHH bund rally our commandos would not have been put in harm’s way. It’s a very tall order and to be expected that some muslim crackbrains will manage to spring a surprise.

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  • Rory 06/19/2010 at 2:02

    I would like to know your reasoning in more depth regarding this statement:
    From a military perspective, evasion is preferable to confrontation. This understanding must guide naval operations towards Turkish forces.
    Is Israel to evade them in it’s territorial waters? Does this apply to what is demarcated as a blockade zone? Or does this apply as much as possible in international waters outside of these areas? Are you addressing concerns that NATO may become involved in a conflict Turkey is trying to ignite for that purpose? The Turks could easily send troops into Syria if Iran, Syria, Hezbollah and Hamas choose to attack Israel. One fear I have is that certain other Arab countries may want to play to the Arab street if Israel’s situation becomes dire…

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  • Chris Hadad 06/19/2010 at 2:11

    Hi,
    I am just shocked at the wrong info and arrogance this writer and some of the people who commented here.
    “Turkey was never punished,even rewarded for it’s denial of fellow NATO ally (US) rights to cross it’s border to invade Iraq”.
    Oh my god, you must be an idiot … The war was not waged by Nato Forces. Even France denied to let the US use their Airspace to transport forces and equipment.
    Instead of blaming yourself and your arrognat counries and how your arrogance cost you a good Ally like Turkey, You are now trying to wage a war on Turkey. But remember, Turkey is not Syria or Egypt, you will pay a heavy price if a war is started ..

    Reply
  • Anonymous 06/19/2010 at 2:56

    Thank You Caroline for a brilliant article; it should serve as a wake up call for everyone in Israel, US and hopefully even for some of our leaders here in the EU, at least members of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization and other West oriented contries in Europe and around the World.
    I’m also afraid of we are heading to a war, and in my opinion the first thing Nato should do is to throw the turks out of the organization. It’s strategic position on the map means nothing when Turkey only works as a trojan horse — OPENLY, IN BROAD DAYLIGHT — and undermines Natos superior goal: a free world for free people.
    The AKP/Turkey/Iran/Arab/Hamas/Hizbollah-jihadaxis is not only a threat to Israel. It’s threatening all of us and our freedom. All wars starts with ignorance of facts and wishful thinking among political and military leaders, and therefore one really can’t blame their people or soldiers for doing the same.
    For me it’s obvious diplomacy neither can convince ottomanicas nor mullahmaniacs to exit their strategy of eradicate the Jewish state. They are preparing for the war and we also have to do the same.
    So it’s time to leave the theatre of diplomacy and face reality as it is: some 400 millions turks/arabs/iranians/jihadists against some 6 millions israelis and, at the best, with at least some sort of support from the US and some other Nato-countries.
    But Israel has to prepare for a worst case scenario. And to speak the truth about facts and the current states of affairs, it doesn’t matter how scary it might be for me and other people, is the only way to avoid too many losses of civilian and military lives. Nobody can really be prepared for all events that occurs during a full scale war, but everyone can prepare oneself by not thinking it’s business as usual anymore.
    To kick out the turks of Nato will not stop the coming war, but it will contribute to make people aware of what dangereous times we are living in.
    Of course this “kick out the turks” could also serve as an example of wishful thinking, but to keep Turkey inside Nato and believe you can convince them to alter strategy is even more naïve, because there are no more kemalism in Turkey, no more pragmatism, no more rationalism. There is only AKP and if it wasn’t obvious in Davos it’s obvious for everyone now what AKP:ism stands for: a demonstration of power to chose whatever serves the partys own power best, and it happens to be the same old Anti-Zionism and Anti-Israelism as within the Communist Party of the Soviet Union during the Brezhnev era.
    I realize it is a choice between pest and cholera for Nato how to handle Turkey, but don’t forget that the turks themselves already have made their choice. They have chosen to see turkish flags swaying all over Hamastan and Hizbollahstan. New born babies in Gaza are babtised to Recep after the AKP-leader Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, and all this might give him some sort of hübris compared to his failed mediator efforts between Ehud Olmert and Bashar al-Assad of Syria.
    And I can’t see any reason for Nato to chose more of the same: more AKP-supported flotillas, more provocations that itself could ignite the war. There must at least been some people within the Nato itself who are worried over how Turkey will act in the coming war. Or am I just dreaming that anyone really cares about what values Nato really stands for?
    The newspapers and internet are full of articles with headlines like “How the West is Losing Turkey”, “Have We Lost Turkey?” et cetera. This sort of self deception made me almost go bananas. What about writing the simple truth? “How Turkey Left the West”. If you put it right it might not be so hard for Nato to chose between pest and cholera as it seems to be.

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  • Chris 06/19/2010 at 5:49

    On a lonely Saturday night many 1000’s km away I lament your situation and the intolerance shown to you. Here we have to silently accept boatloads of ‘refugees’ from Muslim countries who arrive by illegal means. If one suggests, even in their thoughts, that perhaps there might be more suitable countries to claim asylum one is called a racist. Why does a so-called desperate asylum seeker travel through 7 countries via Indonesia to cross a horrific sea to arrive in their country of choice? A warm welcome of course awaits them by people too unwilling to admit that their values are diametrically opposed to ours. The sight of a woman covered from head to toe in black is supposed to go unopposed or even questioned in a climate such as mine. Australia was once a fun loving country where all were welcome, alas, the arrival of these Middle Eastern strangers has changed much of this. God help Israel.

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  • Terry, Eilat - Israel 06/19/2010 at 5:54

    You know what, Ms Glick? It’s too late to write about our situation, as brilliant & accurate as I think your analysis is, it’s obvious that the current gov’t. will never take decisive action, only appeasement & weakness. They will sit & wait until we’re finally attacked. I have no faith in Mr Netanyahu, I’m positively horrified that Ehud Barak is DM. Courage is sorely lacking, no one would accuse this gov’t. of bravery, that’s for sure. As I’ve said many times before, this gov’t. is paralyzed, they’re like the deer in the headlights, waiting to be hit by oncoming traffic.
    We need to strike at our enemies preemptively with everything we have, including nuclear.
    It just doesn’t matter anymore since we will be condemned no matter what we do. The world doesn’t want us to exist, they want to correct the ”mistake” of 1948. We are Czechoslovakia before WWII.
    The only way out of this mess is preemptive military action, the world be damned.

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  • usabruce 06/19/2010 at 5:58

    Carolyn, your intelligence is daunting. I do not know the ins and outs of internal Israeli politics, but I know American politics.
    The American President is a supporter of your enemies. He is Israels enemy. As insane as it sounds, he is also an enemy of patriotic American citizens who do not share his worldview that America must be “fundamentally transformed” into a centralized Socialist state.
    His hard core support is probably no more than 30% of the electorate. They would support him if he declared Martial Law and named himself President for life.
    The American public is uniting in huge, unprecedented numbers to change the make-up of Congress in the coming mid-term elections. The candidates that we are putting forth are Conservative, patriotic and pro-Israel, as is the majority of the American people. Should we be successful, and the outlook is good, Obama will be lame ducked till the 2012 Presidential elections. It is hoped he will be replaced by a Conservative, pro-Israeli President.
    Here’s the point, your Mid East enemies know that they have a window of official, tacit, support from America/Obama at this time, while he still controls Congress.
    Israel must hold out till January of 2011 when the newly elected Congressmen and Senators are inaugurated.
    I believe war is going to be forced on Israel one way or the other in this time frame between now and January. It must be met with massive, uncompromising force by Israel. This is the battle that your enemies hope will be the “final solution” of our day. Please pardon the use of that vile term.
    Israel must go into the fight knowing that her enemies believe this and will have that as their goal. This is not going to be just one more in a never ending line of battles.
    Use the opportunity to finally take out Irans nuclear missile capability.
    For once do what is strictly in Israels interest for long term survival and to Hell with what anyone, the world, or the UN think.
    By all means strive to sidestep this conflict, but if that proves impossible, do whatever it takes to survive until we change this hateful govt back to your favor.
    Long Live Israel! Pray. Expect miracles.

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  • Paul 06/19/2010 at 7:00

    But meanwhile keep pushing out the videos. They are great.

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  • AHR 06/19/2010 at 7:04

    Caroline, excellent article.
    When will Israel learn that it will never satisfy the demands of the international community? By giving in to their demands they are encouraging more dictates from the UN, Obama, et.al Israel needs to draw a line in the sand and put its security concerns as its number one priority.
    This week a group of prominent Europeans planted a flag for Israel. Please read their proclamation and consider siging and passing it around. http://www.friendsofisraelinitiative.org/

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  • ThePaganTemple 06/19/2010 at 8:40

    I know this will sound simplistic, but sometimes simple works best. If Israel really has nukes, it should make it clear that it will use them, and if it has to, it will use every damn one that it has.
    The caveat to this is, it should not make it clear it will use them by threatening to use them. They should make it clear it will use them by just USING them, preferably three or four at one time.
    My target of preference would be Damascus, followed by Istanbul and Tehran. But that’s just me, I’ll leave the tactical decisions up to the IDF and Mossad, they would know best. Well, at least I hope so.
    By the way, while you’re at it, I won’t shed a tear if you wipe the god damned UN off the map as well.

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  • Marcel 06/19/2010 at 9:18

    Mr.Hadad,
    The point I assumed you would understand is that it is OK to say NO or ‘ DROP DEAD’ to the US. you might even gain respect and honor which Israel has lost due to it’s great loyalty to the big Pimp.
    There is life for Israel after standing up for their sovereignty and refusing to be kicked around by the bully pimp pushing his worthless peace to carve up Israel.
    It’s time to carve up other peoples lands if you know what I mean. Israel does not have any to spare.
    On another note I am always amused by the Bush Robots who ignored the evil he did against Israel under his personal dream being the first US President to call for the creation of a Palestinian state in the heartland of Israel on June 24,2002
    He said that Bush told the Arab leaders that he is fully committed to a solution based on his vision speech from June 24, 2002 and is ready to move forward “if there is help on your part.”
    They ignore how he always restrained Israel ,kept Israel form defeating Hizbollah to please Egypt and his Saudi King boy friend.
    They ignore how he threatened and forced PM Sharon to empty Gaza of all Jews for his Palestine dream state just after Sharon’s Czechslovakia warning speech to President Bush who Bulldozed the Bulldozer Sharon after that.
    How it was Bush who brought about the Hamas takeover of Gaza with his democratic elections that brought Hamas to power and it was pressure from Bush to end the 2009 Gaza war before Hamas was defeated to give his NWO pal Obama a ‘no war in Gaza’ inauguration in January of that year.
    They erase from their memories that Bush was the first US president to host the Muslim feast of Ramadan at the White House numerous times and how he called Islam a religion of peace
    How he always punished Israel and came to the rescue of Israel’s enemies, saving Yasser Arafat at the Mukata when P.M Sharon had the compound in Ramallah surrounded.
    That this phony hypocrite never punished Turkey for saying no at a critical time of great need for the U.S. but always reminded the Jews that they would have to make painful sacrifices for his phony peace.
    How it was Bush who began the Military training of the clumsy Palestinian Forces under Maj Keith Dayton and supplying the Fatah terrorists with U.S. weapons and hundreds of millions in cash All of those US weapoins in Gaza are now in the hands of Hamas thanks to Bush.
    It’s hard to get thru to those who feed at polluted political well’s with the truth as they will never let go of their chosen idol.Like Pamela Gellar they always ignore that like the useless Democrats the useless Republican Party platform calls for the creation of an Islamic state right in the heart of Israel.
    The November election and in 2012 Palin is their next little god which will save them and Israel ,just like Bush was such a good friend to Israel and stood by Israel.If only they could understand that there is no hope or salvation in men’s corrupt and devious politics.

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  • ClaudiaMonteverdi 06/19/2010 at 13:57

    Mr Chris Hadad says:…….”Instead of blaming yourself and your arrognat counries and how your arrogance cost you a good Ally like Turkey, You are now trying to wage a war on Turkey. But remember, Turkey is not Syria or Egypt, you will pay a heavy price if a war is started ……..”
    What did you have in mind, Chris, “The Mother of All Wars?”
    Turkey was off on a genuine loep foward into the current century thanks to The Army, The “Young Turks”, Attaturk, etc..and a series of fairly decent governments following fairly decent practices. Chris, your precious Turkey is now no more that a squalid ally of the lowest Terrorists in the world..My your fate be that of the millions of Armenians you once gleefully slaughtered as infidels and all for the love of Allah—
    Claudia Monteverdi

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  • anonymous 06/19/2010 at 14:47

    Nah, just nuke the Turks.

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  • Anonymous 06/19/2010 at 15:51

    Terry’s comment is right on the mark.

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  • Anonymous 06/19/2010 at 16:20

    And where is NATO? I fear the Islamic world has set the stage. They have the West right where they want them – either in support of their actions of cowardly silence. It’s shocking how quickly such shifts in the world can occur. And here we stand, on the brink. And no one cares.

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  • avsion 06/19/2010 at 17:21

    Shavua tov. Another lucid article by Caroline Glick – thanks.
    All this coming storm is not in itself necessarily scary. When the enemy gets excited like this, it is often an opportunity to change the situation in our own favor. What is worrisome, however, is whether our leadership is indeed competent to deal with the challenge. In the present difficult circumstances, Israel needs leaders of great courage and determination, men of the kind Zeev Jabotinski described as a “wall of steel”. Men who draw a line in the sand and say “no one will pass this line” and mean it.
    What we seem to have right now – and I hope I’m wrong – are very conventional men, who fear public disapproval more than death itself. This won’t do. One has to go forward on the basis of principles and not be infinitely malleable and yielding. One has to have a backbone. Crowds are impossible to please. In the last analysis they only respect those who do not fear them.
    One last comment, on techniques: Hizbullah has threatened to march on Israel’s northern border with a million “civilians”, and Caroline above mentions similar velleities in Gaza. This kind of situation, it seems to me, should be easy to deal with without shooting a single bullet. Just lay a thick carpet of mines this side of the border. Anyone who peradventure crosses the border is sure to lose a leg or an arm or life. When it happens to the first suicide protesters, do not save them. Let them scream away their blood-curling screams of pain and repentance. That should discourage further border crossing quickly enough. The advantage with minefields is that they are passive – no active shooting is necessary. If the field is broad enough and filled with enough mines, no one will dare try to pass through it.
    The same can be done with boats and ships – instead of shooting on the ship or boarding it, just render it immovable by using fishing nets or otherwise stopping its propeller. Cheap, too. Let them find their own way home after that – no need to tow them to Ashdod and give them a free ride back home. So, upon reflection, there’s no need to get too excited by this threat. Just be cool-headed and proactive.

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  • Marcel 06/19/2010 at 17:24

    ‘Courage is sorely lacking, no one would accuse this gov’t. of bravery, that’s for sure.’
    Come on Terry ,thats not true.
    I saw with my own eyes the courage and bravery of Israel’s Yassem and Border Police at Amona and I heard DM Ehud speak about how he would crush the Jewish settlers without mercy.
    I see the bravery of PM Netanyahu as he sends in the building freeze officers to tear down any and all Jewish homes and even Synagogues to please his god.
    You have to admit,this is deep loyalty and great religious devotion to a cause he believes in.
    Why else would he be doing this ?
    His loyal followers are right behind him with their silence.

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  • Anonymous 06/19/2010 at 17:43

    Caroline, thanks for all you do as Israel’s watchman on the wall. You are brilliant but the time for rubber bullets is past. Terry of Eilat has it right. Ready the “Samson Option” and if they come, USE IT. They won’t be back and the world will be a better place. Hashem will see that Israel survives and will complete your destiny of becoming the number one nation in the world. NEVER AGAIN!!!

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  • Zakah 06/19/2010 at 21:18

    Thank you Ms. Glick for your insights.
    I am a patriotic American, I am a liberal, I am a Democrat, and I am a Jew. Pres. Obama lost my support at Cairo by deliberately misquoting history. I think it fair to say that a large percentage of American Jews have left Obama’s fold. If only someone of intelligence runs against him, he will be out.
    Please keep up the excellent reporting. I love your videos, and deeply appreciate the sub-titles in English. Not only do I not understand Hebrew, I am severly hearing impaired.

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  • mizmite 06/19/2010 at 21:23

    Seems you have finally come across a military that can actually free the mid east from the zionists. go turkey

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  • Walter 06/20/2010 at 2:02

    Caroline said,
    “…IN THE days and weeks to come, Israel’s political and military leaders must move resolutely to prepare to withstand these new threats that arisen in the aftermath of the Mavi Marmara episode. To meet the expected deluge of suicide protesters on sea, land and air, Israel must immediately acquire non-lethal means to disperse these protests. This involves purchasing and producing tear gas, water cannons, rubber bullets and other non-lethal weaponry. These non-lethal weapons must be rapidly distributed to IDF units deployed along the frontier with Gaza and to the Navy. They must also be supplied to Israeli security teams tasked with protecting government installations worldwide. Forces must undergo intense and immediate training in crowd control and mob dispersal to be ready to meet what is clearly on the way.”
    +++
    I find it difficult to believe that you made those statements [hold that position], Caroline.
    Surreal?
    What is happening before our eyes, is surreal?
    Really?
    Men’s hearts.
    What is in them?
    Wickedness, rebellion, against God’s righteousness.
    Nothing can stop, or allay God’s planned judgement, of his own people, and, mankind.
    God’s people first.
    Then all of mankind.
    “For the LORD shall judge his people, and repent himself for his servants, when he seeth that their power is gone, and there is none shut up, or left.”
    Deuteronomy
    Read the Song of Moses,
    Deuteronomy 31:14 to Deuteronomy 32:47
    Proverbs 9:6
    Forsake the foolish, and live; and go in the way of understanding.
    7 He that reproveth a scorner getteth to himself shame: and he that rebuketh a wicked man getteth himself a blot.
    8 Reprove not a scorner, lest he hate thee: rebuke a wise man, and he will love thee.
    9 Give instruction to a wise man, and he will be yet wiser: teach a just man, and he will increase in learning.
    10 The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom: and the knowledge of the holy is understanding.
    Proverbs 8:13
    The fear of the LORD is to hate evil:..
    Amos 5:15
    Hate the evil, and love the good, and establish judgment in the gate: it may be that the LORD God of hosts will be gracious unto the remnant of Joseph.
    Isaiah 48:17
    Thus saith the LORD, thy Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel; I am the LORD thy God which teacheth thee to profit, which leadeth thee by the way that thou shouldest go.
    Proverbs 15:9
    The way of the wicked is an abomination unto the LORD: but he loveth him that followeth after righteousness.
    10 Correction is grievous unto him that forsaketh the way: and he that hateth reproof shall die.
    11 Hell and destruction are before the LORD: how much more then the hearts of the children of men?
    +++
    For what it is worth, i agree with what…
    tom said,
    on June 18, 2010 9:23 AM
    “…If Iran and its allies send martyrs, they should be accomodated into the next world. It is time not for water cannons, but for ships to be sunk and airplanes shot down…”
    +++
    If moslems and ‘Palestinian’ sympathisers wish to die for Allah [so that their brothers and sisters can more easily facilitate the killing of Jews], Israel should ‘accommodate’ their wishes because,
    ISLAM IS A WICKED DEATH CULT…
    Within its ‘religious’ texts, ISLAM declares,
    TO THE WHOLE WORLD,
    that it is DESIRABLE, and glorious, for a moslem to die fighting for Allah’s cause [Allah’s cause, is the bondage [enslavement] and oppression of all mankind].
    ISLAM’s adherents are taught to seek [their own] violent death, in Jihad.
    Yet Caroline suggests,
    ‘We [Jews] must defend ourselves with non-lethal means.’
    Really?
    The Hadith;
    “The Prophet said, “Nobody who dies and finds good from Allah (in the Hereafter) would wish to come back to this world even if he were given the whole world and whatever is in it, except the martyr who, on seeing the superiority of martyrdom, would like to come back to the world and get killed again (in Allah’s Cause).” ”
    hadithsunnah/bukhari/ #004.052.053
    etc, etc…
    hadithsunnah/bukhari/ #004.052.054
    hadithsunnah/bukhari/ #004.052.072
    hadithsunnah/bukhari/ #004.052.046
    hadithsunnah/bukhari/ #004.052.065
    hadithsunnah/bukhari/ #004.052.080i
    “Allah’s Apostle was asked, “What is the best deed?” He replied, “To believe in Allah and His Apostle (Muhammad). The questioner then asked, “What is the next (in goodness)? He replied, “To participate in Jihad (religious fighting) in Allah’s Cause.” ”
    hadithsunnah/bukhari/ #001.002.025
    +++
    The people of Israel, are foolish children.
    They have no discernment.
    Isaiah 63:17
    O LORD, why hast thou made us to err from thy ways, and hardened our heart from thy fear? Return for thy servants’ sake, the tribes of thine inheritance.
    Daniel 12:10
    Isaiah 48:10
    Revelation 21:7-8

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  • sdt 06/20/2010 at 10:28

    Can’t say you wasn’t told!

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  • jobayliff 06/20/2010 at 11:15

    While I find it depressing, I agree with your assessment of the issues. The proposed solutions I question, but I don’t have anything better to offer. So to brighten my day, I listened to a lecture series by Rabbi David Fohrman on Purim, focusing on the casting of lots. It worked, I feel better. I hope, and pray, that you have a Mordecai in your administration.

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  • ShofarMan 06/20/2010 at 11:16

    What a beautiful picture!!
    If only we in Israel had such a strom to weather as depicted in that picture I would enjoy it very much.
    It seems however, that Bibi is weathering the strom in a different manner by making concessions.
    It also seems incongruous to me that Israel is being blamed for killing and you are suggesting ways to prevent this killing when all that the Islamic J’hadists aspire is to be killed. They (Islamists) should be thanking us and not taking us to court for such things.
    However, in keeping with your point of view, I could make a suggestion.
    During the Viet Nam war, the USA developed a very small rifle bullet that would not kill (has a greater percentage to not kill) because of it’s size; yet, the bullet was packed in an oversized cartridge that would contain a very large amount of gun powder (explosives) so as to make the bullet travel faster. When one is hit by this bullet and because of its high speed it pretty much jells a large area of body tissue making the person severly wounded but not dead…depending on where one is hit of course. The whole idea for this was to incapacitate more people on the other side of battle. In other words, it was figured that it would take about up to five people to help one person who is wounded.
    To negate all of what I have said can be easily done by saying that Islamists would probably finish themselves off first rather than suffer and take fighting soldiers off the field of battle.
    Almost forgot, another option: If blowing the shofar could bring down the walls of Jericho, would it also not sink ships?:-)

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  • Ron Grandinetti 06/20/2010 at 12:08

    Damn I am pissed, I think every American Jew should rise up and put pressure on the president and administration. Israel, the Holy Land, the Land G-d provided for the Jews is under attack from the Muslim world and the US should call Turkey out on it, likewise so should the NATO nations.
    Every Jew and non-Jew in America should contact their congressman, both the House and Senate and ask them to demand this administration take action necessary to bring this to a halt.
    Every American Jewish organization needs to get involved. We have a president who embraces Islam.
    Israel needs to mine the area of the blockade and let it be know to everyone they enter the area at their own risk
    This is necessary to protect Israel from the Arab terrorist.

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  • ShofarMan 06/20/2010 at 12:56

    Marecel, you said: “How he (US President Bush) always punished Israel and came to the rescue of Israel’s enemies, saving Yasser Arafat at the Mukata when P.M Sharon had the compound in Ramallah surrounded.”
    US President Bush is not the only US President to save Arafat (PLO).
    Immediately after the Arab defeat of 1973, “the heads of state present” at the Arab League summit convened in Algiers on 26-28 November 1973, “recognized the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) as the only representative of the Palestinian people.” [1973. The Algiers Summit Conference. MERIP Reports 23:13-16.] They had decided that defeating Israel required a new strategy, so the push began to demand the creation of a ‘Palestinian’ state in the West Bank, led by someone who could be counted on never to stop until he had exterminated the Jews: Yasser Arafat. In 1974 the governing body of the PLO, the Palestine National Council, produced the ‘Plan of Phases,’ a Trojan Horse strategy that would promise peace in return for allowing the PLO into the Jewish State.
    This required a political strategy: in order to get international pressure on Israel to allow a Palestinian state in the West Bank, the Palestinians had to be presented as victims. How to do this? It was not easy because the Israeli occupation was quite benign, despite the fact that the acquired territories were inhabited by an enemy population that had supported a genocidal war against Israeli Jews in 1967.
    So presenting Palestinians as ‘victims’ required defining ‘oppression’ as the absence of a Palestinian state, and blaming this absence on the Israelis, never minding (1) that the Palestinian Arabs had refused the UN partition creating such a state in 1947; (2) that the Jordanians, who had illegally occupied the West Bank in 1948 had not bothered to create a “Palestinian” Arab state by 1967; and 3) that the Arab states refused Israel’s offer to take back the lands lost in 1967 in return for a promise of peace.
    The first salvo attacking Israel for having had to defend itself [!] was UN Resolution 242, which was passed immediately after the Arab defeat of 1967. Then, as the campaign for a PLO state gathered steam in the 1970s, two new attacks from the UN. The first was in 1974, when Yasser Arafat, the genocidal antisemite and protegé of a leading Nazi war criminal and mentor Mufti Hajj Amin, was invited to give a speech to the UN General Assembly, and was received with the protocols of a chief of state [!]. The second came a year later when the UN passed Resolution 3379 which equated Zionism with racism [!].
    In 1975 the US reached an agreement with Israel not to have any contact with the PLO. However, in 1981 the New York Times wrote that,
    “In fact, however, the Central Intelligence Agency has for several years maintained and occasionally used a little publicized, so-called ‘back-channel’ line of communications with P.L.O. headquarters in Beirut.” [The New York Times, June 14, 1987, Sunday, Late City Final Edition, Section 4; Page 1, Column 1; Week in Review Desk, 1284 words, PRIVATE WARRIORS; Hearings Detail a Policy Improvised by Outsiders, By DAVID E. ROSENBAUM, WASHINGTON]
    Jimmy Carter worked hard to give the terrorist PLO the dignity of a ‘government in exile,’ and then he teamed up with the Soviets to try and saddle Israel with a PLO terrorist state next door.
    When Israel tried to defend itself from the PLO terrorists, the US forced Israel to stand back. The PLO was killing Israeli civilians from its bases in southern Lebanon, so Israel invaded southern Lebanon in 1978.
    The United States reaction?
    “In June 1978, Prime Minister [Menachem] Begin, under intense American pressure, withdrew Israel’s Litani River Operation forces from southern Lebanon… The withdrawal of Israeli troops without having removed the PLO from its bases in southern Lebanon became a major embarrassment to the Begin government…”Source: “Israel 1967-1991; Lebanon 1982”; Palestine Facts. http://www.palestinefacts.org/pf_1967to1991_lebanon_198x_backgd.php
    This was not the only time for such protective actions from the USA if favor of the PLO and against Israel.
    Because the PLO was murdering Israeli civilians, Israel invaded Lebanon, and launched a “campaign that Israel said would wipe out the PLO as a political and military force and open the way for true peace in the Middle East.” The Washington Post, December 26, 1982, Sunday, Final Edition, First Section; A1, 2354 words, Arafat’s PLO Once Again Rides Crest of Defeat, By Loren Jenkins, Washington Post Foreign Service, BEIRUT.
    The Israelis very nearly did just that. They failed, however. But not for lack of trying. Rather, what happened is that as Israeli troops got ready to deliver a knockout blow to the PLO, the US intervened to save them. Ronald Wilson Reagan ordered this move. [It was Ronald Reagan who instead of visiting a Jewish Holocaust site in Germany, he laid a wreath in a war cemetery where Nazi storm troopers are buried.] The Washington Post noted the contrast between the PLO’s earlier exit from Jordan, and from Lebanon:
    “From Amman [Jordan], the PLO troops left unheralded, in ridicule. From Beirut [Lebanon], they left in a compromise negotiated by the United States, waving their Kalashnikov rifles. Arafat left not in the middle of the night but with an emotional dockside sendoff from the Lebanese prime minister, a French Navy escort and U.S. air cover.”(see above foot note)
    You see Marcel, support of the PLO has been in every American Administration and this is just a sample of America’s support to those who want to destroy Israel.
    Take America’s actions today in context with their history, one can see a pattern which will help predict what America’s future response will be towards Israel and her enemies.
    Needless to say that we (Israel) are all alone and we had better start acting like it in order to defend ourselves properly.

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  • Geoffrey Britain 06/20/2010 at 13:57

    ClaudiaMonteverdi,
    US Congressmen and the US public won’t respond more vigorously until America’s Jews act, which they won’t until it’s too late. Israel stands on its own, probably until Jan. 2013.
    Chris Hadad,
    It is you who lacks the intellectual depth and objectivity to understand the situation.
    Marcel
    Get over your Bush Derangement Syndrome. Bush is human, made mistakes and fully bought into the narrative that Islamic terrorism was the hijacking of a ‘peaceful religion’, which is a plausible premise when one does not understand the theological reasons why Islam itself is the problem. Bush was, despite his strategic failure to understand, a loyal friend to Israel.
    “If only they could understand that there is no hope or salvation in men’s corrupt and devious politics.”
    Not to discount the historical and always-with-us corruption of politics but if that were the entirety of the matter… neither the birth of the American republic nor of Israel would ever have occurred.
    Ron,
    “Israel needs to mine the area of the blockade and let it be know to everyone they enter the area at their own risk”
    That’s a good idea, provided Israel has mine-laying capabilities…
    “This is necessary to protect Israel from the Arab terrorist.
    That is a bad idea. Israel doesn’t need protection from anyone and that mindset is what led Israel to seek aid from the US and allowed the US to set Israel’s foreign policy since the mid-70’s.

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  • David 06/20/2010 at 14:24

    Hi –
    I read your blog regularly and enjoy it immensely.
    However, the following lines made me do a double-take:
    “Israel must immediately acquire non-lethal means to disperse these protests. This involves purchasing and producing tear gas, water cannons, rubber bullets and other non-lethal weaponry.”
    Why, exactly, would we want to do that?
    Is there any country in the world that greets blockade-runners with something other than a warning shot, followed by a torpedo or air-to-sea missile launched via the comfort of a command center miles away?
    I should have thought that the (non-lethal) paintball gun fiasco would have put the “let’s show the world how humane we are” nonsense to bed.
    I don’t see why a single one of our soldiers should risk their necks to get close enough for any of the “weapons” you list above to be of any use.
    Instead of rubber bullets, why don’t we just have our commandos start by chucking Nerf balls at the invaders and then break out the whiffle bats?
    As the father of three (two sons and a daughter), I have zero interest in sending my children into “the world’s most moral army”.
    If they must go into the Army (and, indeed, by law, they must) I want them going into “the world’s most ruthless, unforgiving, error-on-the-side-of-mass-civilian-casualties army”.
    I doubt there is a parent in this world, let alone here in Israel, who feels any differently.

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  • kim segar 06/20/2010 at 14:56

    Shalom , Caroline,,first want to say how very much I love your song, WE CON THE WORLD and also the three terrorist..I wanted to cry and to laugh, and I want you to know that all your articles are helping us , teaching us so much. confirming others..
    the thing that keeps me sane is : G-d is not a Covenant breaker, and I know HE is going to be there in this next war and the last and that ALL ISRAEL will be saved and that HIs Promise to never forget all of you and destroy all your enemies forever is very near..for those who might not think that millions of Americans and people around the world side with the enemies of Israel, is wrong. there are millions who will continue to fight and to pray and humble ourselves before G-d in prayer ..Love to you. Kim

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  • Amy 06/20/2010 at 18:11

    THE IDF MUST USE TWENTY-FIRST CENTURY WEAPONS
    Caroline correctly advises: “Israel must immediately acquire non-lethal means to disperse these protests. This involves purchasing and producing tear gas, water cannons, rubber bullets and other non-lethal weaponry.”
    THE IDF MUST BE AWARE THAT there are also extremely SOPHISTICATED TECHNOLOGICAL means of DISABLING A SHIP and controlling a rowdy crowd. Twenty-first century gadgets that work effectively and non-lethally.
    I was shocked at the clumsiness with which the IDF handled the Marmara. Then I started thinking… There must be more about this than meets the eye.
    And indeed there is! A few days later we found out that Mr. Obama was choreographing the Israeli response from the White House. You can do this, he told Israel, but not that.
    “White House rejected Israeli intel, blocked use of anti-riot gear against flotilla”
    http://www.israpundit.com/archives/23799
    So, first things first. How about reminding the government that Israel is a sovereign country? And that the country is now fighting for its life and must take bold steps to retrieve its self-respect and sovereignty?

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  • Amy 06/20/2010 at 18:50

    WHO DO ISRAEL POLICIES REALLY BENEFIT?
    We should stop for a moment and examine Israeli policies as a whole, not only this government’s but past ones’ as well.
    Is there anything they seem to have in common? YES! They are mostly DETRIMENTAL TO ISRAEL!!!
    The government knows how and when to get tough – against its own citizens. Take the construction freeze, for example. Or the demolition of “illegal” Jewish housing. Or the jailing of settlers without charge.
    But … the New Israel Fund and its tentacles are allowed to operate freely in Israel – undermining the security, sovereignty and eventual survival of Israel. Why?
    http://www.carolineglick.com/e/2010/02/the-new-israel-fund-and-the-ne.php
    The government also allows the regular rioting by foreigners, leftists, Arabs and anarchists. Why?
    You’d think that the government could apply “iron-fist” punishing measures against those treasonous forces instead of against patriotic settlers. And yet, it doesn’t. Why?
    And the usual series of Israeli gestures of surrender, appeasement, compromises, and retreats continues on and on and on.
    I think it’s time to take stock and ask ourselves whether Israel has the will to get off the train to Auschwitz at all or will it cooperate with the enemy till the bitter end.
    Sultan Knish wrote a brilliant column recently: “The Noose Around Israel’s Neck”
    He writes:
    “Israel cannot survive by accommodating a lynch mob. Only by having the courage to defy it. When the international community at the behest of the Muslim lynch mob dictates the parameters of Israel’s survival, it must expand those parameters by pushing through them to the other side.
    “If they want to break the Gaza blockade, then we retake Gaza. If they want to unilaterally create a Palestinian state, then we annex those territories.
    “Accommodation is a noose. Defiance is the air of freedom. Every time Israel retreats, it is condemned for it. When it advances, it is condemned for it also, but its freedom of action expands.”
    http://sultanknish.blogspot.com/2010/06/noose-around-israels-neck.html
    To be constantly on the defensive, accommodating and retreating EVERY SINGLE DAY leads to catastrophe.
    THERE IS ONLY ONE WAY OUT OF THIS war of attrition: ANNEXATION.
    Everything else is playing into the hands of people who are – as we speak – working on new and better ways of undermining and destroying Israel.

    Reply
  • DCReports 06/21/2010 at 13:35

    From the Washington DC metro area: I truly hope the person writing anonymously about us “goyim — meaning dogs) is not a Jew or especially an Israeli Jew.
    Us “goyim” as you call us non-Jews, are the only true friends you have anywhere in the world. Evangelicals and other USA Christians are Israel’s strongest allies. Netanyahu realized that and agreed to let a group I volunteered for as press attache and conference organizer, hold two huge rallies against then President Clinton’s demands for 12 and then 10 percent more Israeli land in concessions to the PLO.
    We goyims — Americans who are pro-Israel, or at least pro-anyone’s right as a person or a class of people to survive — whether or not we are even Christian — are the only ones in the world standing up for Israel’s survival. If you read these comments, they mostly come from USA non-Jews and others from the Americas — North and South and Central America and Australia. Where are your supporters around the world? Where are the mass of Europeans who should well know the horrors a war in the Middle East will set off?
    And for you who don’t read or believe the New Testament, the world is right on script to oppose Israel, as outlined in Matthew and Revelation, but also in the Old Testament Books of Isaiah, Ezekiel, Daniel and others that have end-time prophecy that is now coming true before our very eyes. Reading the Bible is now like reading today’s headlines.
    But Caroline, you are so very wrong to call for non-lethal force! Only by standing resolute, and by jumping off before your enemies hit you first, can Israel survive. And when you do go to war, do as the Claudia suggests and go to all-out war — taking all the land as ordered by God so long ago and nearly accomplished by only one Jewish leader — Joshua.
    You cannot defend yourselves in that tiny piece of real estate you now own. Where do you fall back to when the wolf is racing through your borders on all sides? The Med? You have to “take the land” as God’s standing orders never change — and He commanded that for just such a time as this. With today’s weaponry, you need buffer ground to survive the fallout. You have none. You must cleanse Israel of all Arabs, inside your current state and in the Gaza and the West Bank, take Jordan, level Damascus and take Lebanon to even hope to survive.
    For if Israel falls, all your fair-weather brethren worldwide will face the most hideous and complete pogrom every launched. It will not matter if they are liberal, non-practicing, secular, whatever. Just being Jewish will be enough. Even Christians like me with Jewish blood (grandmother) will be subjected to the same end. Christians everywhere who speak out in any way for Israel will be targeted.
    But know this, Jesus Almighty God, Yeshua El Shaddai, promises at that time, He will intervene for Israel in a stunning miracle that will make shake the solar system and rattle and roll this tiny planet.
    Pray for US, Israel, and all your “goyim” friends — no, relatives really, as we are all grafted onto the same tree — even as we pray for you.
    May the Lord make His face to shine upon you, may He lift you up, and give you peace. Amen.

    Reply
  • Marcel 06/21/2010 at 16:02

    Geoffrey,
    Thanks for making it clear who the hypocrite is.
    I don’t buy your pitiful excuses in defending the indefensable.
    Many like you said ;
    He’s our dear stupid president and does not know what he is doing ,so give him a break.
    It does seem that the US voters are making a habit of voting for idiots don’t you think ?

    Reply
  • David 06/21/2010 at 17:46

    By mizmite on June 19, 2010 9:23 PM:
    “Seems you have finally come across a military that can actually free the mid east from the zionists. go turkey”
    Nice try. The only one making headway in freeing the Mideast from Zionists is Ehud Barak. Give the man his props.
    Erdogan is too busy liberating Turkey from NATO to be bothered with Zionists.
    Besides, I’m not an expert, but I’m pretty sure those disheveled, pipe-wielding yahoos on the flotilla were not the Turkish military.
    Or maybe in was their B-Team as the Turkish military were all too busy buying Israeli drones so they can slaughter more Kurds.
    You’re not from around these parts, are you?
    Best.
    http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/n.php?n=turkey-continues-to-use-israeli-made-drones-haaretz-reports-2010-06-20
    http://www.upi.com/Business_News/Security-Industry/2010/06/16/Turkey-eyes-nine-attack-choppers-drones/UPI-60631276698773/

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  • Ron Grandinetti 06/22/2010 at 6:09

    1. “This is necessary to protect Israel from the Arab terrorist”
    2. “That is a bad idea. Israel doesn’t need protection from anyone and that mindset is what led Israel to seek aid from the US and allowed the US”
    Geoffrey, 1. is in reference to the laying of mines, a means of protecting Israel from Arab terrorist supplying weapons to Hamas.
    Nothing to do with 2. (protection from anyone).

    Reply
  • Anonymous 06/23/2010 at 5:51

    Zakah writes…I am a patriotic American, I am a liberal, I am a Democrat, and I am a Jew. Pres. Obama lost my support at Cairo by deliberately misquoting history. I think it fair to say that a large percentage of American Jews have left Obama’s fold. If only someone of intelligence runs against him, he will be out…
    By someone of intelligence, I assume Zakah is referring to someone who was intelligent enough to know prior to the election that the only people that Obama associated with his entire life were anti-American communists, black liberation theologists, and rabid Jew haters.
    Now the Leftists are in total power and dismantling the America that Zakah claims patriotism for. Thank you, Zakah. Your patriotism is blinding.
    Every American Jew that I spoke with during the Primary season pooh-poohed every fact that I presented to them about Obamas associations, even showing them his own words in his autobiography, Dreams Of My Father, where he states, and I paraphrase, when push comes to shove I will stand with the muslims.
    I was mocked, pitied, even laughed at. They no longer treated me as a friend, because they realized that I was not a “fellow traveler”.
    I didn’t join in the media hyped hysteria for an empty suit filled with nothing but hate for whites, jews or America.
    American Jews cheered and cried and fainted with the best of them when Obama stated “America is the greatest country in the world, help me to change it”.
    It is not possible for a “useful idiot” to be patriotic.
    A “useful idiot” should spend their time apologizing for contributing to the demise of our country. Not presuming to judge the intelligence of others. Your vote for Obama settles the issue of your intelligence level.
    Marcel, I will continue to support Israel, despite the fact that you are there.

    Reply
  • Naftali 06/25/2010 at 19:27

    Excellent article as usual. In light of these threats, israel must get super aggressive. No matter what Israel does or doesn’t do, it will be condemned by it’s enemies. An Iranian ship wants to pass? Blow them to smithereens. Paintball guns will make them laugh. Hizbollah sends boat? Blow it up. That’s the message they will understand.

    Reply
  • bruceohara1 06/26/2010 at 1:14

    I apologize. I didn’t realize that I wasn’t signed in when I left my reply to Zakah on June 23rd @ 5:51 am.
    Posting anonymously was not intentional.

    Reply
  • Anonymous 06/26/2010 at 1:38

    Israel needs to deport all residents of Gaza across the border into Egypt, bulldoze the entire region, then defend their borders will all necessary force for as long as it takes.

    Reply

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