Maverick News Media MNM

Lebanese army in cahoots with Hezbullah

The IDF has declared a high alert on Israel's border with Lebanon. Let's go to the videotape and then I'll have the second part of this story.

Be careful about listening to 'rabbis'

At The American Thinker, Peggy Shapiro discusses an email she received from a 'rabbi Wolf' who is apparently a neighbor and friend of Barack Hussein Obama.

Rabbi Wolf magnanimously asks us not to tarnish Obama's image with those of his closest advisors and guides. What would Rabbi Wolf have said of a close associate of Goebbels? We can't judge him by the company he keeps? If Obama felt comfortable in Wright's church for over twenty years, then the minister's message did not hit the same raw nerve that it hit for many of us. If Obama admired the man who posted anti-Semitic messages on his church website, who promoted the Hamas view of the Middle East, and who traveled to Libya with Farrakhan, then Obama either shares some of his vision or has extremely bad judgment. Neither trait bodes well for his job as president. Wolf conveniently omits a series of Obama advisors whose stands on Israel should make us shudder. I am afraid that it's thinking like Wolf that can defeat us.

  "Some want him to fall in line behind the intransigent, conservative thinking that has silenced Jewish debate on Israeli policy and enabled the Bush Administration's criminal neglect of the diplomatic process."

Now we get to the Rabbi's agenda. When the U.N., the E.U., nine Arab nations, Hamas, and Hezbollah are assaulting Israel with missiles and propaganda, the Rabbi feels that it is unfortunate that the U.S. doesn't join in the chorus of Israel detractors. The poor Rabbi worries that Israel does not have enough critics and wants to make sure that there is one in the White House.

  "...race plays a key role in the hesitation to support the Obama candidacy. "

Let's ignore the fact that Jewish supporters helped give Obama a start on the political scene and that Jews tend to be among the most liberal voters. Now that Israel is fair game, why not accuse Jews of racism when they have real concerns about a candidates experience and associates?

Unfortunately, 'rabbi' Wolf's thinking is all too typical of a large portion of Jewry today that has replaced Judaism with Liberalism as their religion. That's why 61% of American Jews plan to vote for Barack Hussein Obama. I wonder how many of them will identify themselves as Jews a generation from now.

But Ed Lasky exposes the mysterious 'rabbi Wolf's identity:

Rabbi Arnold Jacob Wolf is also a Reform rabbi who was one of the earliest Jewish advocates for "dialogue" with the PLO (he himself met with the PLO back in the 1970's) and was a founding member of Breira, a short-lived organization whose only purpose was to urge Israel to give into Arab pressure and give up land for peace. We all know how that worked out.

Rabbi Wolf is also a member of the Rabbinic Cabinet of Brit Tzedek v'Shalom, the Jewish Alliance for Justice and Peace whose entire mission "is to educate and mobilize American Jews in support of a negotiated two-state resolution of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict." I urge you to check out their truly sickening agenda

Rabbi Wolf thinks Obama would be good for Israel, and that he is a friend of the Jews. In fact, if he has any criticism of Obama at all, it's that he's not radical enough in demanding Israel make "painful concessions."

More on Brit Zedek v'Shalom here and here. More on Breira here. Read the whole thing.

Cross-posted to Israel Matzav.

Knesset looks for a way to send Olmert home without disbanding

YNet is reporting that the Knesset is looking for a way to send Prime Minister Ehud K. Olmert home without the necessity for a vote to disband the Knesset. Under the terms of a bill proposed by National Union/National Religious Party MK Zevulun Orlev and Meretz chairman Yossi Beilin, the Knesset would clarify the circumstances under which a Prime Minister is required to take a 100-day temporary leave of absence, such that Olmert would be required to take one. If the Prime Minister cannot return after the 100 days (which they also propose extending to 150), his absence would be viewed as permanent. But the authority to decide that Olmert 'needs' a temporary leave of absence would no longer be left to Olmert alone. The Knesset or the Attorney General would also have the power to decide that he must take a leave of absence.

"The prime minister's current situation – which calls for him to invest a lot of time and effort into the investigation against him while attempting to run the most complicated country in the Middle East and perhaps the entire world – sheds light on the legislative branch's need for tools with which it can supervise the executive branch and say its piece, even in cases like this," Orlev explained.

The bill, meant to clear up some of the confusion surrounding the issue of the case against Olmert, is scheduled to be submitted to the Knesset within the next few days. The current law states that if the prime minister is prevented from fulfilling his duties, his deputy should substitute for him. If, after 100 days, the prime minister still cannot return to office, he should be viewed as permanently absent.

However, the law does not state the reasons for which the prime minister should take a temporary leave of absence, nor does it name a specific party responsible for determining such a move. "In light of this, a list of cases determining when the prime minister should take a leave of absence should be drawn up," Orlev continued. "Including medical conditions, criminal investigations, personal reasons, and such.

"If one of these conditions is fulfilled, the bill grants the prime minister permission to take a leave of absence of 100 days or less. The bill also grants the attorney general similar rights, to impose the leave of absence upon the prime minister and also to determine the time of his return to office, if and when he sees fit, during the 100 day time period."

Beilin and Orlev also wanted to give the Knesset the authority to decide on a temporary leave of absence, as long as the vote shows a majority of 61 MKs, and this is the bill's main objective. It will also extend the leave to 150 days, as opposed to the 100 days currently allotted.

"Currently I am against moving the elections up, in order not to stall the political progress. A temporary leave of absence is the most suitable move for this situation," Beilin said.

Orlev disagreed, saying, "Olmert has lost the faith of the people and the moral and ethical authority to serve as prime minister, and therefore the elections should be moved up."

Orlev and Beilin are from opposite ends of the political spectrum, but they are also two of the Knesset's cleaner members. It's not clear to me what will happen under their bill after the leave period ends. At that point, Tzipi Livni would presumably be Prime Minister and the Knesset would still have to decide whether to disband and call new elections. But 100 - and certainly 150 - days ought to be enough time for Kadima to tear itself apart and insist on holding primaries and that ought to get the rest of the Knesset to get up the guts to vote for new elections. But let's see this bill get through the Knesset first. You can bet that Olmert will fight it tooth and nail and that he may drag the government down with him to avoid it.

Cross-posted to Israel Matzav.

Videos and more: Civil war in Lebanon

What appears to be a civil war is going on in Lebanon. Here's a raw video of fighting in Tripoli (in Northern Lebanon) Monday:

Don't believe Obama on Hamas

At The American Spectator, Philip Klein explains why it's legitimate to question Democratic Presidential candidate Barack Hussein Obama's position on Hamas (Hat Tip: Hot Air).

WITH THIS PAST as prologue, many of the statements (or omissions) Obama has made on the campaign trail raise questions about his true stance on Israel.

When Obama said, "nobody's suffering more than the Palestinian people," did he really mean as he later clarified, that nobody was suffering more from the failure of the Palestinian leadership? Or was he trying to start a "conversation" about whether the U.S. is too focused on Israeli suffering, and not enough on the suffering of the Palestinians?

When he was asked by Brian Williams in a debate last year to name the top three allies of the United States, why did he filibuster the question without naming Israel?

When he said in February, "I think there is a strain within the pro-Israel community that says unless you adopt an unwavering pro-Likud approach to Israel, then you're anti-Israel, and that can't be the measure of our friendship with Israel," what did he mean by "pro-Likud"?

There is an active strain within the liberal foreign policy community that believes that since Hamas was democratically elected and controls Gaza, any peace process would have to include talks with their leaders. When Carter met with Hamas last month, Obama was slow to criticize the former president. "I'm not going to comment on former President Carter," Obama said at first. "He is a private citizen, and you know, it's not my place to discuss who or -- who he shouldn't meet with." (Obama, interestingly, didn't employ the private citizen dodge when he called on NBC to fire Don Imus last year in the wake of the controversy over the radio show host's racially insensitive remarks.)

While Obama did eventually criticize Carter's trip, it was only after much prodding, and he still didn't consider the question important enough to disrupt his waffle-eating experience.

On a number of other issues, there has been a pattern of Obama saying one thing on the campaign trail that was undercut by his advisers. We saw that when his economic adviser assured the Canadians that Obama wasn't really serious about the anti-NAFTA rhetoric he was spewing in Ohio.

We saw that when former adviser Samantha Power, speaking of Obama's plans to withdraw troops out of Iraq, said Obama wouldn't "rely on some plan that he's crafted as a presidential candidate." And now we have Obama's public opposition to Hamas undercut by the fact that an adviser is meeting with them.

SO IS IT REALLY a stretch to wonder whether Obama would eventually support talks with the terrorist group, despite his public pronouncements to the contrary?

This is not a theoretical matter. Ahmed Yousef, the same Hamas adviser who said that the terrorist group supports Obama, wrote a Washington Post op-ed last June arguing for engagement with Hamas.

The group is obviously embarking on a strategy, similar to the one Arafat pursued during the Oslo peace process, of making public overtures of peace abroad, duping naive Western leaders into granting them legitimacy and the financial aid that comes along with it, while continuing to support terrorism at home. Clearly, Hamas views Obama as an easy mark.

The interesting thing about Obama's candidacy is that his lack of experience, and the mixed messages he sends, enable close observers to come to drastically different conclusions as to what kind of policies he would support as president.

Michael Lerner, editor of the left-wing Jewish magazine Tikkun, said, "Based on my conversations with Obama, I have a very strong belief that he shares the Tikkun perspective..." But the staunchly pro-Israel Marty Peretz assured "friends of Israel" that they could trust Obama.

Abunimah, the Palestinian activist from Chicago, is disappointed that Obama has sold out to the pro-Israel Lobby, while Hamas adviser Yousef chalked up Obama's pro-Israel statements to election year posturing, and declared that the terrorist group still wants him to win.

Obama is running for the most powerful job in the world without much of a public record of which to speak. Yet those who demand to know a little bit more about the candidate by scrutinizing his statements and relationships are arrogantly dismissed as engaging in "smears" and being divisive for refusing to simply take him at his word.

It's a shame that Obama has apparently gotten through the Democratic primaries without his true stance on the issues being fleshed out. Hopefully, they will be fleshed out enough by the Presidential elections to send him reeling in ignominious defeat.

Cross-posted to Israel Matzav.

Honor Killings? You Must Be Misinformed

You’re Muslim girl. You fall in love. You deserve to die.   

That’s the reason a Muslim father beat his daughter to death two weeks ago after becoming infatuated with a British soldier in Basra. The father, Abdel-Qader Ali, explained why he is unrepentant - and how police backed his actions.   

For Abdel-Qader Ali there is only one regret: that he did not kill his daughter at birth. 'If I had realised then what she would become, I would have killed her the instant her mother delivered her,' he said with no trace of remorse.   

OK. This story is old news. What’s also old news is that honor killings are a staple of the Islamic faith. 

So it seems obvious. Right?

Read the rest at The Gathering Storm.

Israel rejects Egyptian 'truce' draft

Even Prime Minister Ehud K. Olmert, who is desperate for an achievement, knows that the draft of the 'cease fire' agreed to by Hamas and its twelve 'brother' terror organizations won't fly here. So Olmert rejected the draft presented by Egyptian intelligence chief Omar Suleiman today (pictured together with Olmert).

Olmert told Suleiman that any agreement must deal with stopping arms smuggling from Sinai into the Gaza Strip and the release of captured IDF soldier Gilad Schalit.

Suleiman promised the prime minister to convey the message to Hamas and to return with answers.

Earlier, in a meeting with the Egyptian official, Defense Minister Ehud Barak asserted that "Israel considers the release of Gilad Schalit a central component of stabilizing the situation in the Gaza Strip."

Barak maintained that the IDF would be forced to launch an intensive operation in the Strip if Kassam rocket fire on western Negev towns did not cease. "We cannot show restraint over continued terror activity in Gaza," he said.

Negotiations for the release of captured IDF soldier Cpl. Gilad Schalit have been at a standstill for months, officials told Army Radio Monday, adding that the cease-fire agreement with Hamas that is being brokered by the Egyptians is "an opportunity" to further the cause of Schalit's homecoming.

But while a series of government ministers fell all over themselves saying that Israel should release terrorists in exchange for Shalit, the Likud's Yuval Steinitz had a different view.

Likud MK Yuval Steinitz, however, opined that "Schalit's release must not be fig leaf [to cover] the shameful and dangerous surrender agreement that is being signed with Hamas. Capitulating to Hamas violence and extortion in removing the siege of Gaza will lead to Hamas becoming stronger [and will result in] additional kidnappings in the future."

YNet adds:

Olmert reiterated that Israel's freedom of action in the West Bank would continue even if the situation in the Gaza Strip is resolved. Suleiman promised that he would deliver the Israeli messages to Hamas and the Palestinian factions and would return with answers.

Even Olmert can't give away the house that baldly. My guess is that Hamas will continue to 'negotiate' while its allies continue to fire in the hope of causing enough damage to make the timid Olmert agree to their terms.

Cross-posted to Israel Matzav.

Shas looking for a way out?

The quickest way for the Olmert-Barak-Livni government to fall would be if Shas were to pull out. Shas, which has twelve seats, holds the balance of power in the Knesset. If Shas votes no confidence, unless someone else in the opposition votes with the government, the government will fall.

Until now, Shas has drawn its red line at 'negotiations over Jerusalem' and then has pretended that they don't exist. But now Shas is trying to box Olmert in a little tighter, perhaps with a view towards extirpating itself from a situation where it is supporting a government led by a thief.

Shas political leader and Minister of Industry and Trade Eli Yishai said on Monday morning that he would recommend to his party's spiritual leaders that Shas should quit if an agreement is formulated with the Palestinian Authority. "We will not lend our hand to any attempt to hand over territory to Hamas," Yishai said.

Olmert told Newsweek last week that even if a final agreement is not reached by the end of the year, he hopes to have a type of "declaration of principles." Yishai related to this and said he would recommend quitting if "any dangerous shelf agreement is reached... Shas will not be part of a government that reduces the Jewish country and fills it with [Arab] refugees... Giving land to [PA and Fatah Chairman] Abu Mazen essentially means giving it to Hamas, as happened in Gaza. It's obvious that if Abu Mazen can't make peace amidst his own people, how can he make peace with us?"

Even just attempting to formulate such an agreement is dangerous, Yishai said: "This mad dash to attain a virtual agreement will lead to a deterioration of our security... We are in favor of peace, but first there has to be peace within the PA. Until then, we have nothing to talk about with them regarding borders, territories, and refugees, and certainly not Jerusalem. The only thing we can talk about is financial issues; if we make progress there, the terrorism will decrease."

Yishai doesn't get it. Once the 'shelf agreement' is reached, it would be too late to quit. Olmert can argue that a 'shelf agreement' does not have to be brought to the Knesset for approval because only agreements that are going to be implemented have to be brought for approval. When and if the time comes for the agreement to be implemented the pressure on Israel to abide by it unchanged would be enormous.

YNet adds:

Yishai further warned that "the unrestrained pursuit of a virtual agreement would lead to deterioration in security." He said that should such a deal materialize, he would recommend to the Council of Torah Sages, which dictates the party's political course, to instruct Shas to leave the government.

"We support peace, Israel is a peace-seeking country, but those who cannot promote peace within their own people cannot make peace with us… as long as there's no peace there, there's no point to discuss borders, territories ad refugees, not to mention Jerusalem. Discussing Jerusalem is out of the question."

So is Yishai looking for a way out? Has anything really changed? It appears to me that he's trying to keep his options open and prepare the groundwork for an excuse to leave when and if he decides that Shas' remaining in the government is going to hurt its prospects in the next election. Until then, don't hold your breath waiting for Shas to leave. It's not going to happen.

Cross-posted to Israel Matzav.

Poll: Most want Olmert to resign; Kadima stays biggest party with Livni

YNet published a poll Monday morning that indicates that 59% of the country's population wants Prime Minister Ehud K. Olmert to resign immediately or at least suspend himself until the investigation into the bribery charges against him is completed. 60% of those surveyed believe that Olmert took bribes, while only 22% believe that he did not.

But the poll also shows that it's not time to pronounce the Kadima Achora party founded by Ariel Sharon and Olmert dead yet.

Should Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni head the party, she would defeat the Likud headed by Benjamin Netanyahu with 27 Knesset seats, compared to 23 Likud seats and 15 seats for the Labor Party.

Livni is also perceived by the public as the most suitable candidate to replace Olmert as Kadima's leader, leaving her opponents far behind. Kadima headed by Transportation Minister Shaul Mofaz will only receive 17 Knesset seats, while Interior Minister Meir Sheetrit will bring the party down to only 13 seats, not far from its situation in the polls today.

In fact, Livni is the only one who beats the Likud according to the poll.

This is all quite curious because - pointedly - Livni has been the only Kadima minister who has not said a word in defense of Olmert. Aaron Lerner thinks it's because Livni is hoping that Olmert will be forced out and she will be named his replacement. I think there's more to it than that.

The country's attraction to Livni has nothing to do with her plan of action or anything else. It has to do with the fact that she is perceived as squeaky clean. Livni has never been investigated by the police, which is a rarity for a politician in this country. By contrast, Netanyahu has been investigated by the police many times, although they never succeeded in making anything stick. And Barak actually paid fines for his 1999 campaign to head the Labor party for election law violations.

Livni's problem is that the only way she is likely to be made Prime Minister would be if she succeeds Olmert by operation of law. As Deputy Prime Minister, the law provides that if Olmert resigns, Livni becomes Prime Minister for 100 days. That would likely make her Kadima's candidate. Otherwise, in a recent poll of Kadima candidates for Prime Minister Livni came in seventh behind Olmert, Transportation Minister Shaul Mofaz Internal Security Minister Avi Dichter, Interior Minister Meir Sheetrit and even her own deputy Majallie Whbee.

The reason for Livni's lack of popularity is not a policy issue (although you all know I disagree with her vehemently on policy): At heart, she's not a politician.

Mofaz and Sheetrit, meanwhile, want to wait for elections because these two former Likud activists are busy doing what they used to do in the old party - signing people up to vote in the primaries. While they are getting old buddies to join Kadima for the primaries, Livni - for whom this type of work is anathema - is lagging far behind.

Perhaps that's why Livni gets along so well with Condi Rice - Livni would work better in the American system where foreign policy is run by foreign policy professionals and not by politicians for whom the foreign ministry is just another prize.

Again, this is not to say that I agree with Livni on policy issues or that I believe her to be competent. It's also not to say that I regard this poll (by Mina Tzemach) as necessarily reliable. We have all seen many Israeli polls that were way off base in the last fifteen years. But the Israeli public's desire for someone who is perceived to be an honest politician is understandable in the context of what has gone on here, particularly in the last fifteen years.

And that doesn't mean it's going to happen.

Continue reading "Poll: Most want Olmert to resign; Kadima stays biggest party with Livni"

Coming attractions: 'The Tale of a Key'

In their continuing efforts to indoctrinate their children with Jew-hatred, the 'Palestinians' are making a children's animated film called 'The Tale of a Key.' The film describes the Jews as "enemies of the religion and enemies of the homeland" and highlights what the filmmakers call the "holy right of dispossessed Palestinians" to 'return' to land that is now part of Israel.

The women behind the film, who run a production company in the Hamas-controlled Gaza Strip, say they are not politically aligned but want to teach Palestinian children and adults about the events that drove them from their homeland.

"It tells of the suffering, the killing and displacement," said Moamena Abu Hamda, director of the JohaToon company in Gaza City. "It shows that the Palestinian people did not leave their land by their own will but they were forced to do it.

Of course, we all know that last sentence is a lie.

Tens of thousands of rural villagers were likewise forced out by order of the AHC, local Arab militias, or the ALA. Within weeks of the latter’s arrival in Palestine in January 1948, rumors were circulating of secret instructions to Arabs in predominantly Jewish areas to vacate their villages so as to allow their use for military purposes and to reduce the risk of becoming hostage to the Jews.

By February, this phenomenon had expanded to most parts of the country. It gained considerable momentum in April and May as ALA and AHC forces throughout Palestine were being comprehensively routed. On April 18, the Hagana’s intelligence branch in Jerusalem reported a fresh general order to remove the women and children from all villages bordering Jewish localities. Twelve days later, its Haifa counterpart reported an ALA command to evacuate all Arab villages between Tel Aviv and Haifa in anticipation of a new general offensive. In early May, as fighting intensified in the eastern Galilee, local Arabs were ordered to transfer all women and children from the Rosh Pina area, while in the Jerusalem sub-district, Transjordan’s Arab Legion likewise ordered the emptying of scores of villages.

As for the Palestinian Arab leaders themselves, who had placed their reluctant constituents on a collision course with Zionism in the 1920’s and 1930’s and had now dragged them helpless into a mortal conflict, they hastened to get themselves out of Palestine and to stay out at the most critical moment. Taking a cue from these higher-ups, local leaders similarly rushed en masse through the door. High Commissioner Cunningham summarized what was happening with quintessential British understatement:

You should know that the collapsing Arab morale in Palestine is in some measure due to the increasing tendency of those who should be leading them to leave the country. . . . For instance, in Jaffa the mayor went on four-day leave 12 days ago and has not returned, and half the national committee has left. In Haifa the Arab members of the municipality left some time ago; the two leaders of the Arab Liberation Army left actually during the recent battle. Now the chief Arab magistrate has left. In all parts of the country the effendi class has been evacuating in large numbers over a considerable period and the tempo is increasing.

Arif al-Arif, a prominent Arab politician during the Mandate era and the doyen of Palestinian historians, described the prevailing atmosphere at the time: “Wherever one went throughout the country one heard the same refrain: ‘Where are the leaders who should show us the way? Where is the AHC? Why are its members in Egypt at a time when Palestine, their own country, needs them?’”

Meanwhile, this film hopes to spread the message of Jew-hatred throughout the Arab world:

JohaToon plans to screen the 32-minute film, which it says is for adults as well as children, in Gaza this month and hopes to market it in other Arab countries and further afield.

But for some reason Ehud, Tzipi  Feigele and Ehud have convinced George and Condi that our conflict with the Arabs is about the results of the 1967 war and not about the results of the 1948 war. After all, if the Arabs weren't willing to accept the results of the 1948 war - the establishment of the State of Israel - there wouldn't be any way to make peace, would there?

By the way, the pictures of the keys in this post (that's a bloody frame around the top one in case you missed it) were published in al-Hayat and al-Quds, respectively on 'Naqba Day' three years ago - May 14, 2005.

Cross-posted to Israel Matzav.

Video: Interview with Olmert's 'fund raiser'

Morris (Moshe) Talansky, who sent hundreds of thousands of dollars in cash over the course of years to current Israeli Prime Minister Ehud K. Olmert, was interviewed tonight on Channel 10. The poor man didn't know what hit him. Here's a summary from the JPost and then we can go to the videotape.

Morris Talansky, the central figure in the new investigation against Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, "emphatically denies" any allegations that he bribed Olmert.

In an interview with Channel 10 news on Sunday, Talansky said that he "never thought in any way that the money that I gave him - it was for the purpose of his becoming mayor or electioneering - was in any way illegal or wrong. He was not the only one who came to America to ask for money for the election campaign and so I thought it was legal."

Confronted with allegations that he had bribed the prime minister, Talnsky answered: "I emphatically deny that I had in my mind any business in Israel. It never crossed my mind to do business here, I don't own any land, I don't own any buildings, I don't own any factories, I never built anything here ... never, never was that my purpose. I have one apartment [here], that's all I had."

"Check all of the records," he said. "I don't have now and I never had. Nothing, nothing, I don't have [anything] here."

Talansky also provided religious reasoning to back up this statement, saying that his purpose in providing Olmert with money was binyan haaretz, to build the country. "It would have been a desecration, Hilul Hashem, if that was my intention [to gain something from it]."

"[Olmert] was the prince of the Likud. He was going to be mayor. He was a man that was respected and I respected him too like everybody else ... that's why we helped him."

Talansky explained that he assumed the money would go to Olmert's election campaign. "I haven't heard any different to this point and I really don't know anymore. It is very, very confusing. I have been in a state of questions and I don't know."

Talansky shrugged off reports in the media over the weekend that he had told investigators he feared Olmert would send someone to hurt him. "Oh forget it, that's ridiculous. It's not serious," he said.

And now, let's go to the videotape and then I'll have a concluding comment.

'The British wanted us to kill each other'

Throughout the course of this past week, there have been many virulently anti-Israel articles throughout the mainstream media in connection with Israel's 60th Independence Day, which I have largely ignored. But one thing I know that most of you overseas don't appreciate is the role the British played in Israel's formation, so I thought it would be appropriate to give you some background on that issue. Simply put, if it had been up to the British, the Arabs would have really succeeded in throwing the Jews into the sea. This ought to give you some idea.

The old British Army base, a small sandstone fort, stands abandoned on a hill in Abu Ghosh, an Arab village just southwest of Jerusalem. Said Jabr was 14 when the British pulled out.

“It was on the 14th or 15th of May. I remember exactly that the British commander came to Ali Saleh, the village mukhtar (elder), and said they were going to leave and warned us to be ready,” he recalled from his family home in Abu Ghosh. “Thirty-five armed villagers walked into the base to take command. But the British commander went at the same time to the kibbutz and told them the same thing.

“The British left one tank in front of the army base. Then a few tanks driven by the Haganah (the fledgling Jewish army) drove up and surrounded the army base. But we had great relations with the local kibbutzim – we believe in friendship and protecting a neighbour’s property, no matter who they are – and the leaders of the kibbutzim. . . came to the village. They met the mukhtar, drank coffee and reached an agreement that the villagers would leave the base and the Haganah would take over. The British commander was waiting in the remaining tank to see what would happen. He saw the Abu Ghosh villagers leaving the base and shaking hands with the Haganah members, and he said, ‘F****** Arabs’. Our impression was that he wanted us to kill each other. Thank God the people from both sides resolved the issue peacefully.”

Mr Jabr proudly displays the Hebrew shield he was awarded by the kibbutz. It shows two hands shaking – a token of thanks and friendship.

Abu Ghosh is on the road between Jerusalem and Tel Aviv. The village generally co-exists peacefully with its Israeli neighbors. Salim Jaber is the village's Mayor (pictured at the top of this post with former President Moshe Katsav).

Cross-posted to Israel Matzav.

Puttin' on the Ritz for Olmert

The New York Times has more details of Prime Minister Ehud K. Olmert's relationship with 'fund raiser' Morris (Moshe) Talansky, including the little matter of a night Olmert spent at the Ritz Carlton in Washington DC (pictured) that cost $4717.49 at Talansky's company's expense.

New details about Mr. Talansky’s relationship with Mr. Olmert are emerging from court records in New York, including papers filed in State Supreme Court in Nassau County in connection with a business dispute between Mr. Talansky and a minibar company he helped back in 2005.

According to the papers, Mr. Talansky had the company pick up a $4,717.49 hotel tab incurred at the Ritz-Carlton in Washington by “a senior Israeli cabinet member that had no relation to the business.”

In an interview, the company’s lawyer, William J. Davis, said the hotel guest during that one-night stay in 2005 was Mr. Olmert. He said he had no idea if Mr. Olmert was aware of who ultimately paid the bill.

If Olmert 'didn't know' who paid the bill, does that make it not a bribe? I wonder whether that hotel room violated the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act in the United States.

The Times goes on to give the impression that everyone other than Olmert understands that things can't go on the way they are. The problem is that reality has not sunk into the Knesset yet, where 64 MK's are more interested in preserving their positions than they are in the good of the country.

Shalom Yerushalmi, a commentator for the newspaper Maariv, wrote Friday that Mr. Olmert might have trouble explaining away his ties to Mr. Talansky. While the prime minister is asking to be believed, Mr. Yerushalmi wrote: “If the public could respond collectively, it would, of course, ask: ‘Why? For how many years can we hear about your escapades with the police and go on believing you?’ ”

Numerous analysts argued that Israel’s intense security challenges could not be met effectively by a leader with such low public support. Peace negotiations with the Palestinians, which President Bush is hoping to advance by visiting here next week, and moves toward Syria require hard decisions, especially in the wake of Hezbollah’s takeover of much of western Beirut on Friday.

“Until now, Olmert was threatened but surviving, and it seemed he needed the peace negotiations as a source of strength, which Palestinian negotiators appreciated,” said Ghassan Khatib, a Palestinian lecturer in cultural studies at Bir Zeit University. “But now it feels like he is headed out, and that is very bad news for the negotiations. For Hamas, of course, which has long said the peace talks were useless, this will be a plus, another chance to say, ‘I told you so.’ ”

Abraham Friedman, a former civil service commissioner and the current dean of management studies at the Center for Academic Studies in Or Yehuda, said that both right and left had reasons to seek Olmert’s departure — but different ones.

“On the right, they are afraid that he is so desperate that he will be willing to agree with the Syrians on things he wouldn’t otherwise,” he said. “On the left, they may want the peace to move forward, but they have made a big issue of fighting corruption in government. So the pressure is from both sides.”

Yuval Steinitz, a member of the opposition Likud Party in Parliament, took the opportunity to condemn the entire foreign policy of Mr. Olmert and his foreign minister, Tzipi Livni.

“Today we can see clearly that Olmert and Livni deluded us and maybe themselves when, after the second Lebanon war two years ago, they said that Hezbollah had become much weaker,” he said. “Today we see it was a lie.” [Actually, Yuval, a lot of us saw it then. CiJ]

In that monthlong war, Israel fought Hezbollah, a group which, like Hamas in Gaza, is heavily supported by Iran and seeks Israel’s destruction.

“We may end up with an Iranian ministate in Lebanon as well as one in Gaza, and the political trouble in Jerusalem makes it much harder for Israel to react as it should,” Mr. Steinitz said. “But of course this is not just a problem for Israel but for the whole Western world, especially the United States and France.”

In theory, even if Mr. Olmert stepped down, the government could continue under Ms. Livni. [Unfortunately, that is more than theory. For the senior echelon of Kadima, it's the preferred solution. And it's also the preferred solution for Ehud Barak, who believes that Livni would crash and burn as Prime Minister - and is willing to put the country through it anyway so that he can have another shot at the position. CiJ].

Regarding the talks with the Palestinians, Asher Arian, a senior fellow at the Israel Democracy Institute, said Mr. Olmert’s situation was paradoxical. If it is harder for Mr. Olmert to make peace, there remains the possibility of his making war, a major incursion into Gaza, for example, that could unify an Israel faced with border attacks.

But that seemed even less likely because taking soldiers to war requires an esteemed leader.

“Constitutionally, of course, he has the legitimacy,” Mr. Arian said. “Morally, it’s a problem.”

The problem is that the Knesset is a very immoral place. Over the weekend, David Horovitz wrote a letter to Olmert in his Post column in which he urged Olmert to resign rather than putting the country through the trauma of a trial.

Continue reading "Puttin' on the Ritz for Olmert"

Who cares about Israel anyway?

I saw this post somewhere last week and intended to link it, but like many other good intentions, it got lost in the numerous open windows in my browser until the computer crashed and I no longer knew where to find it. Fortunately, the guy who wrote it sent it to me again, so you're all in luck.

So, it's Israel's 60th birthday.....

It seems to be fashionable this time for lots of people to wonder in print and aloud whether the country can survive...or if it should.

Especially in view of a very well funded effort to rewrite history and to delegitimize the US/Israel relationship. To hear some of these people, Israel is at the heart of the problems we have with the Muslim world, and things would be just fine if we became more 'balanced'...or translated, became more pro-Arab and curtailed our support for those pushy, stubborn Jews.

To hear others, Israel can't survive unless it pushes itself into an indefensible enclave and makes even more real estate in the Middle East Jew free, and perhaps not even then. They've forgotten that Israel has beaten much greater odds in the past. Nor do they see the grim irony in encouraging a retreat to borders 'for peace' that would make the destruction of the country and its people far more likely.

But let's take an objective look. So what? What difference does what happens to Israel make to us here in America? Why should we care? Why is what happens to Israel important to the US? If Israel somehow ceased to exist, would it matter?

Very legitimate questions, especially as many people are unaware of the real answers.

To get there, let's put aside any of those slooshy considerations of fairness, justice, religion or humanitarian principles...and go for the cold, hard, self-serving realpolitik reasons why what happens to Israel is important to the US.

Read the whole thing. You'll be glad you did!

Cross-posted to Israel Matzav.

Video: Syrian ambassador to US on Syrian nuke plant

In this video, Syrian Ambassador to the US Imad Mustafa slams the Bush administration over the Syrian nuclear plant allegations. There are two things that amazed me about this video. First, Mustapha acts as if the US bombed the plant and not Israel. When he says, "sometimes it amazes me that my enemy is so naive, superficial and stupid," it's clear he's talking about the US and not Israel. Second, the way he flatly denies any kind of contacts with Israel over the Golan is astounding, but I hope it means that 'deal' is off the table.

This was shown on al-Jazeera on May 5.

Let's go to the videotape.

Another businessman named who allegedly bribed Olmert

On Friday, I mentioned that I had received a copy of a letter in Hebrew that named other names of people who have allegedly bribed Prime Minister Ehud K. Olmert. I did not use the contents of the letter because I did not know its source and because other than naming Morris (Moshe) Talansky, it provided no details regarding the background of the people it named. Now, one of the people in that letter has been named by investigative journalist Yoav Yitzchak, and Yitzchak adds a lot of details that I did not have. Yitzchak's article is in Hebrew - for those who want to read it, you can find it here (Hat Tip: Shy Guy).

Continue reading "Another businessman named who allegedly bribed Olmert"

Video: McCain on Obama, Hamas, Iran and Rev. Wright

Republican Presidential candidate John McCain met the media Saturday night at the Liberty Science Center in New Jersey. Democratic Senator Joe Lieberman was along for the ride. In this video, McCain talks about Democratic candidate Barack Hussein Obama's efforts to make issues like Hamas' support for Obama, Obama's willingness to meet unconditionally with Iran, and Obama's friend Reverend Jeremiah Wright off limits. And he says that if the American people want to discuss his age, that's fine with him, and he'll introduce them to his 96-year old mother.

Let's go to the videotape.

What If Clinton Forces Second Convention Vote on Obama?

I am not by any means an expert on political convention procedures, Republican or Democrat, but I do know that somewhere in the process, if a first vote doesn't produce a clear nominee, pledged delegates are released to vote their own minds.

What happens to the ever so well-crafted numbers that the media has been throwing at us for months now if the first vote doesn't produce a nominee? What happens if Hillary Clinton gets enough delegates in the remaining primaries to deny Barack Obama the majority he needs to claim victory?

Yes, I am aware that the Democrats use "Super" delegates who ostensibly are free to vote their consciences, and that as of today Obama was claiming that he had more than Clinton.

But a lot can happen between now and convention time and Super Delegates are in play right up to the instant they vote. So that number can change overnight, and if Obama doesn't have enough committed delegates to get the nomination on the first vote, what happens next?

At what point do the committed delegates get released from their commitments, regardless of whether they are committed to Clinton or Obama? Based on most of the opinions I have heard from the political scene in recent weeks, Clinton will win West Virginia handily, Kentucky by a decent margin, as well as Puerto Rico, with Oregon, Montana and South Dakota up for grabs.

So essentially, we'll finish up the Democratic primary season in something near a dead heat, with Obama a tiny bit ahead in the committed delegate count, but not over the top.

That however, doesn't include the primaries in Florida and Michigan that Clinton won but the Democrats aren't counting.

And please, don't bore me with this "Obama didn't run in Michigan" nonsense. Who's fault is that? Yeah, His!

How typically Democratic in concept. The man didn't do what he needed to do to win all the states regardless of the technicalities involved, so now he is a victim of his own system?

Obama doesn't get any Michigan numbers because he wrote that state off and that is too bad. But the Democratic party is cutting its own throat by excluding the opinions of millions of voters who could care less what the bigwigs in their party did with their primary schedules.

That is not helpful to Obama, nor is his "victim" attitude.

If you include Clinton's victories in Florida and Michigan in this count, the whole picture changes.

Continue reading Winter's Soldier Story at www.RonaldWinterbooks.com

No warning of mortar fire is possible

The IDF confirmed this morning that it is impossible at present to give any warning of incoming mortar fire. The IDF cannot tell that a mortar has been fired until it hits. The IDF also confirmed this morning that the Hamas terror organization is using Iranian-made mortars. On Friday night, an Israeli was murdered when a mortar fired by Hamas terrorists hit his home.

Developing a mortar attack alert system that would give at least some warning to those under attack, similar to the Color Red incoming rocket alert system [which gives 15 seconds warning. CiJ] , is paramount in the minds of those living in the Gaza Belt area.

I doubt that statement. The people who live in the Gaza Belt area are not as stupid as the imbeciles who currently make up our government. The people who live in the Gaza Belt know that there is one answer and one answer only to 'Palestinian' terror: Invade Gaza.

Cross-posted to Israel Matzav.

Prime Minister resigns after receiving cash payments

The Prime Minister resigned this week after receiving cash payments he described as 'goodwill loans' that were discovered after a contractor bragged that he had bribed the Prime Minister.

Continue reading "Prime Minister resigns after receiving cash payments"

Who’s the Real Terrorist Threat? Not Al Qaeda

This guy’s been seeing too many Indian Jones movies or he has his head stuck so far up his arse that he can’t think straight.   

The new Scottish anti-terror chief – yeah, that’s right, the anti-terror chief whose job it is to correctly name the enemy – has decided that Al Qaeda is not the real threat to the UK. 

Nazis are.

Read the rest at The Gathering Storm.

Messer gave Olmert cash in envelopes

Prime Minister Ehud K. Olmert's lawyer and former law partner Uri Messer has testified that he gave Olmert large amounts of cash in envelopes that he received from 'fund raiser' Morris (Moshe) Talansky according to a report in Sunday's (Hebrew) Ma'ariv. This accords with what Talansky told police during questioning.

Talansky told police that he sent Olmert money "for years" in cash, checks and wire transfers, that were delivered through Messer and through Shula Zaken, Olmert and Messer's one-time secretary and until recently Olmert's bureau chief. But Talansky adds, "If the money was used for improper purposes, or was not reported to the State Comptroller, or if other crimes were committed, it was without my knowledge."

As I reported on Friday, Messer may become a State's witness in the case, since Olmert has attempted to transfer responsibility for the illegal payments to him.

Maybe Olmert was just trying to avoid paying value added tax? (Sorry for the non-Israelis who aren't likely to get that quip. Many Israelis avoid  evade paying value added tax by making payment in cash and not requesting a receipt. As you might imagine, the recipient of such payments typically also avoids paying income tax on them. A win-win situation for everyone except the general public).

Cross-posted to Israel Matzav.

IDF to hand out rocket instructions

On Sunday, the IDF will hand out instructions regarding what to do in case of a rocket attack to Israelis residing between 7-20 kilometers from the Gaza Strip. Israelis residing within seven kilometers of the Strip have already received the instructions.

The pamphlets include advice on how to pick a room to run to during an attack and which radio stations to listen to for the “Color Red” rocket attack warning. The pamphlet also emphasizes the importance of the family unit and calls on parents to discuss the attacks with their children. “Talk about the rockets, which are built with an empty pipe and explosives and can cause damage to buildings and people if they are not in a secure location. Likewise, bring examples of people whose lives were saved when they followed the instructions,” the pamphlet recommends.

Given how much time these people are likely to have in case of a rocket attack, I suggest that the instructions below might be nearly as useful.
But fear not long suffering Negev residents: If Ashkelon isn't "in our backyard" enough to rate invading Gaza, maybe Ashdod will be.

Cross-posted to Israel Matzav.

What Fouad Siniora and Mahmoud Abbas mean to Jordan, Egypt and Saudi Arabia

In Sunday morning's JPost, Khaled Abu Toameh points out the many parallels between Lebanese Prime Minister Fouad Siniora and 'moderate' 'Palestinian' President Mahmoud Abbas  Abu Mazen. Reading his article should make you all wonder why the US tries to do anything in this region other than back Israel to the hilt. Here's part of it:

Many Arab analysts see the events in the Gaza Strip and Lebanon as part of a conflict between two camps in the Arab world - one supported by Teheran and Damascus, and the other openly affiliated with the US.

The Iranians and Syrians are using their proxies in Hizbullah and Hamas to undermine the "moderate" Arabs and to thwart what they see as Washington's attempts to consolidate its "hegemony" in the Middle East.

"The conflict in Lebanon is not between Sunnis and Shi'ites as the moderate Arabs claim," notes Abdel Bari Atwan, editor-in-chief of the London-based Al-Quds Al-Arabi daily. "Rather, it's a conflict between a program of resistance [against Israel] and a program of surrender. This is a conflict between those who have sided with the US in its wars against the Arabs and those who are on the other side. This is a conflict between those who defeated and humiliated Israel and those who were defeated by Israel."

...

The lesson to be drawn from what happened in the Gaza Strip and Beirut is that whenever the US openly backs an Arab, he or she is immediately discredited on the Arab street. Abbas and Saniora are the victims of their public affiliation with the US.

On the other hand, Washington's open efforts to undermine Hamas and Hizbullah over the past few years have backfired, increasing the two groups' power among their publics.

The regimes in Jordan, Egypt and Saudi Arabia have good reason to be worried. The triumph of Hizbullah and Hamas is certain to bolster the standing of other Islamic fundamentalists such as the Muslim Brotherhood and al-Qaida.•

In other words, the US is fooling itself if it believes that at the end of the day, the Arabs will freely choose anyone who is truly 'moderate,' and by backing the non-democratic but 'moderate' leaders like Mubarak, Abdullah and the House of Saud, the US is gaining nothing and will eventually lose out.

Food for thought at the very least.

Cross-posted to Israel Matzav.

'European diplomats' blame Israel for Hezbullah victory

'European diplomats' are blaming Israel because the United States has not supplied the Lebanese army with advanced weaponry that would have been useful in fighting Hezbullah. Earlier today, the government handed Hezbullah a victory when it reversed two cabinet resolutions that would have removed the Hezbullah-affiliated director of 'security' at Beirut international airport and dismantled Hezbullah's private 'telephone network' that was being used to wiretap Lebanese citizens at will. But according to 'European diplomats,' that's all Israel's fault.

European diplomats familiar with the events in Lebanon claim that in the past year the United States has refused to provide the Lebanese army with advanced weapons that would have helped against Hezbollah and other militant groups. They said this was because of Israeli requests.

Since the 2006 Second Lebanon War and the deployment of the army in South Lebanon that followed, the international community has tried to rehabilitate the national armed forces.

The European diplomats told Haaretz that although Lebanon asked the U.S. to provide heavy weapons such as antitank missiles and assault helicopters, the U.S. aid has concentrated on training Lebanese army units and supplying light arms and ammunition. They say the U.S. refused the requests because of Israel's fears that heavy arms could be used against it in the future or even fall into Hezbollah hands.

Hey Europe - how many tanks does Hezbullah have and how many did they have before the summer of 2006 when you insisted on a toothless UNIFIL to keep Hezbullah happy? And given Prime Minister Fouad Siniora's (pictured at the top of this post crying at the height of the 2006 war) continuing belief that Israel is the enemy and not the 'brothers' from Hezbullah, why should anyone give him any weapons?

Cross-posted to Israel Matzav.

Deja vu all over again: 'Blackout' in Gaza

Gaza has shut down its power plant once again claiming that Israel has not delivered enough fuel to run it. But this time, even Al-AP isn't buying it completely.

An IDF spokesman said Saturday that Israel didn't deliver as much fuel as planned to Gaza this week because Palestinian terrorists attacked the crossing used to deliver it. He said he did not know when fuel supplies to the power plant would resume.

The plant has shut down before, citing fuel shortages, but Israel delivered fuel the following day.

It was not immediately clear if the privately owned power station had actually run out of fuel Saturday or whether it was shut down to pressure Israel to deliver fuel. [Ya think? CiJ]

Government spokesman David Baker denied Israel was to blame for the blackout.

"Israel continues to supply fuel and vital humanitarian goods to Gaza," Baker said. "There is no logical reason for this fuel plant to be shut down. This is another example of Hamas orchestrating an artificial crisis for its own political aims and once again Hamas is showing a complete disregard for the welfare of the Palestinian people."

They shouldn't starve this time no matter what: Egypt has opened the Rafah border crossing for another three-day shopping spree.

Cross-posted to Israel Matzav.

Obama goes after the Hezbullah vote

Democratic Presidential candidate Barack Hussein Obama is apparently now seeking support from Hezbullah according to this report at Gateway Pundit.

Here is Obama's statement:

Hezbollah's power grab in Beirut has once more plunged that city into violence and chaos. This effort to undermine Lebanon's elected government needs to stop, and all those who have influence with Hezbollah must press them to stand down immediately. It's time to engage in diplomatic efforts to help build a new Lebanese consensus that focuses on electoral reform, an end to the current corrupt patronage system, and the development of the economy that provides for a fair distribution of services, opportunities and employment. We must support the implementation of UN Security Council Resolutions that reinforce Lebanon's sovereignty, especially resolution 1701 banning the provision of arms to Hezbollah, which is violated by Iran and Syria. As we push for this national consensus, we should continue to support the democratically elected government of Prime Minister Siniora, strengthen the Lebanese army, and insist on the disarming of Hezbollah before it drags Lebanon into another unnecessary war. As we do this, it is vital that the United States continues to work with the international community and the private sector to rebuild Lebanon and get its economy back on its feet.

...

Sure enough- electoral reform- mentioned by Obama is one of Hezbollah's main objectives in gaining power over the democratically elected majority in Lebanon.
This is from the Hezbollah Memorandum of Understanding:

"Reforming and organizing Lebanese political life require the adoption of a modern electoral law (of which proportional representation may be an effective form) that guarantees the accuracy and fairness of popular representation."

Electoral reform is the only way the minority Hezbollah faction can make hold power and make it look legitimate.

Otherwise, they just look like terrorist thugs shooting up the city.

What makes Obama think that a Lebanese 'national consensus' would disarm Hezbullah? Perhaps he didn't bother to read this statement by Lebanese Prime Minister Fouad Siniora:

"Hizbullah and its allied carried out an armed coup while damaging public property," he said. "The country will not fall in the face of this coup. The people will not accept their liberty being undermined."

Siniora added that "we believed and we still do that the real danger to the country comes from the direction of Israel – our true enemy. However, the experience we are going through at this time shows that our democratic regime has fallen victims to our homeland brothers."

"We did not underestimate the resistance against Israel, but what is Hizbullah doing in Lebanon?" Siniora said. "What is it doing on the roads to the airport? Is it controlling the road to Tel Aviv by controlling these roads? Syria is our sister and Israel is the enemy."

According to Siniora, the Lebanese government never declared a war on Hizbullah.

"The government never said it wanted to disarm Hizbullah. All the ethnic groups in Lebanon are partners to this country, yet Hizbullah decided on its own what he wishes Lebanon's future to look like. Our problem with Hizbullah is that it decides on its own when we shall have war and when we shall have peace. It is the one that decides on Lebanon's future and fate. This is our major problem with Hizbullah."

The Lebanese government doesn't have a problem with Hezbullah being armed: It has a problem with those arms being used against anyone except Israel. But as usual, Obama doesn't get it. He just wants change - and the Hezbullah vote.

Cross-posted to Israel Matzav.

Shmuel Katz, RIP

This most famous rebel and writer has passed away at 93:

Bush to give Israel X-band radar

Well, here's some good news for a Saturday night. During his visit here this week, President Bush plans to give Israel x-band radar, a new missile defense system that is capable of tracking a baseball from 2900 miles away.

It would let Israel's Arrow missile defenses engage a Shahab-3 ballistic missile about halfway through what would be its 11-minute flight to Israel from Iran, or six times sooner than Israel's "Green Pine" Radar is currently capable of doing, [Representative Mark] Kirk [R-Ill.] said on Friday.

"This is the best thing to lower tensions between Israel and Iran" because Iran presumably would be less likely to attack under such circumstances, Kirk said.

An Israeli defense official said Israel had discussed a range of "parting gifts" from Bush, who leaves office on Jan. 20, including military pacts and technologies.

I'm happy