Yet Another Shabbat Bombshell

The election season in Israel emphasized and cemented the concept and use of the late in the day Friday news shocker. It seemed that late in the day every Friday there was some revelation about occasionally Likud and more often Jewish Home which was over-hyped and cast as a game-changer or the end of their campaign garnering a high finish in the next Knesset. The election really did not turn or even appear to respond much to the hyperventilating press and their alarming discoveries which appeared like clockwork minutes before Shabbat. Now that the election has passed into the coalition forming mode where results are supposedly more easily determined the press still will not give up on their Shabbat bombshells. So, in another alarming news rumor timed just in time for Shabbat we are treated in one of the television news reports that Prime Minister Netanyahu is planning to impose another building freeze on the areas of Judea and Samaria excepting the recognized settlement blocs. This was claimed to have been imparted to MK Uri Ariel of the Bayit Yehudi Party during coalition talks by unnamed Likud representatives. The amount of credibility which can be relied upon from this Shabbat bombshell is highly dubious and will likely get a full rebuttal likely from both parties, or at least some clarification which will no doubt muddle up the whole deal placing the fog of political spin replete with at least a few words of unknown or variable definitions which adjust as reactions are measured. Well, we should see these from various party officials and possibly even from Netanyahu or Bennett themselves. But what if these reports are true?

 

Well, the one thing we know about which might be the driving initiator of such a move would be the approaching visit from United States President Obama who is rumored to be accompanied by his new Secretary of State John Kerry. Secretary of State Kerry, as we might recall, is the man with the latest and newest plan to revitalize the peace process between the Palestinians and the Israelis and who also knows exactly what needs to be done in order to steer the negotiations to a final solution consisting of a Palestinian state next to Israel with both living together with peace and security. Just what the world needs, another expert with promising self-promotional claims, declarations and assertions claiming to know the route to Middle East Nirvana coming on the scene in his new position which will allow him to test his presumably great ideas. Perhaps Prime Minister Netanyahu is expecting Secretary Kerry to simply rerun through the same absurd ideas which his boss, President Obama, applied in his first try at solving the foremost Gordian Knot in the world of diplomacy. Whatever the reasoning behind this latest idiocy, which is the sole applicable term for another building freeze, be it limited or permanent, it is an idea whose time should never return.

 

But what if some unknown form of insanity has gripped Prime Minister Netanyahu and he is actually planning another building freeze, what will be the likely results? If, as the report claimed, Netanyahu is actually attempting to punish those living beyond the Green Line because of the assumption that they register in fairly significant numbers to the Likud Party in order to vote for people who will support their efforts and positions placing them higher on Likud’s Knesset list yet did not vote in matching numbers for Likud in the elections, this is honestly a real good way of reinforcing their idea that Likud does not want them nor does it support them as a principle plank for the party. Actually, it is very likely the negative campaign run by Likud which was largely aimed at Jewish Home Party or their leader, Naftali Bennett, often using the Jewish residents of Judea and Samaria as a divisive, polarizing wedge issue. This seeming condemnation and deriding of the support for the settlement enterprise which is at the heart of the Jewish Home Party by many Likud attacks during the campaign were very likely responsible for the lack of support and number of Likud Party members from these communities to decide to take their vote elsewhere as they felt unappreciated and even a victim of the Likud Party’s political attacks. This was on top of the original building freeze imposed after United States President Obama demanded one as part of his original pressuring of Israel to facilitate conditions which would bring Mahmoud Abbas back to the negotiating table. Mahmoud Abbas had made some claims as the building freeze was nearing its conclusion that he was prepared to return to negotiation if the freeze was extended until negotiations reached an actual peace accord between the Palestinians and the Israelis. Perhaps Secretary Kerry or possibly President Obama himself have made known to Prime Minister Netanyahu that their first step in efforts to restart the negotiation will be to insist Israel impose a permanent building freeze on areas beyond the Green Line and the Prime Minister is simply informing those who are considering joining the coalition what he is being pressured into doing. Whatever the reason, another building freeze in Judea and Samaria will very likely bring about the end of Likud as a center right or nationalist party and very well could lead to Likud following the same path to oblivion which appears to have been taken by Kadima. Surrendering to world pressures by imposing building freezes or disengagements granting land to the Palestinian Authority while receiving nothing in return is the fast track to becoming a nonviable party in Israel. If this Shabbat bombshell proves true, then we are very possibly going to see new elections fairly quickly as it is doubtful that Netanyahu would even be able to survive a no confidence vote even if it were taken solely within the Likud Party, let alone the entire Knesset. Promising to impose a building freeze might even make forming a coalition impossible for Netanyahu and the Likud Party unless a way would be found to have the Labor Party and Shas to join the coalition. Of course making a coalition with the Labor Party as a crucial member would make the coalition very fragile and unlikely to hold together through any vote of no confidence. Such a coalition would ironically find itself vulnerable to the exact same wedge issue used by the Likud Party in the campaigns, anything pertaining to curtailing the expansion of Jewish settlements beyond the Green Line.

 

Beyond the Cusp

 

Stars Aligned Allowing Push for Israeli-Palestinian Peace

There has been a fair amount of optimism now that Prime Minister Netanyahu sits at the head of probably the largest coalition majority of Israeli history and that now is the time to push for Israeli-Palestinian peace. The conclusion is right about this being the time to push for Israeli-Palestinian peace but the chosen target to be pushed is in error. The path available to push for an Israeli-Palestinian peace is possible if the world will recognize the opportunity to finally apply pressure on Mahmoud Abbas to take what it takes to facilitate a peace with Israel. The super-majority coalition behind Prime Minister Netanyahu would make reaching an agreement somewhat less improbable, but the main blockage to making progress is not Netanyahu but rather is Mahmoud Abbas, the Fatah leadership, the Palestinian Authority leadership, the Hamas leadership, the terror masters, and the results of the power turnover from the dictators to the Muslim Brotherhood dictatorial governance. Yet, there is an opportunity for progress if the powers that be realize this brief opening and can focus on somebody other than the Israelis as being the main inhibitor of moving forward.

Currently we are witnessing two faces being presented by Mahmoud Abbas, neither of which should be considered conducive to peace. The first is his globe hopping and petitioning of world bodies such as the United Nations Security Council, General Assembly, UNESCO, and yet to be announced organizations with the IMF and the EU being high on the suspect list in order to gain recognition of Palestine as a recognized full-fledged member State included among the nations of the world. At the same time, President Abbas and other leaders of the Palestinian Authority have had their hands out beseeching the regular financial supporters to cough up a few billion more dollars or else they are threatening the dissolution of the Palestinian Authority and the return of the intifada on Israel and the world as unavoidable if they are not empowered to prevent such. It is this presumed dire requirement for emergency funding which could be utilized to push for a peace arrangement. Unfortunately, it is all too likely that the world will continue with its blinkered vision which only allows for Israel to be the reason for the lack of peace. The leaders and opinion shapers in governments, NGOs, and the media will reiterate the myth of the peaceful Palestinians who are being denied their rightful inheritance of the land of Palestine by the colonizing Jews and Zionists of Israel who are in occupation of the West Bank and Gaza against all international laws and human morality that are to blame for all the problems throughout the Middle East and potentially the entire universe.

For once, let us make a little trip through another avenue available and look at the Arab-Israeli problem which is usually misnamed as the Israeli-Palestinian problem. The initial item that we encounter is that this conflict began well before the founding of Israel and well before there were any so-called occupied territories. Another adjustment to what is wrongfully referred to as common knowledge is that Israel pulled out every single Jewish resident and every IDF soldier from all of the Gaza Strip in 2005 and that area has not been occupied in any way, shape or form by Israel since. Also, do not even begin with the canard that the blockade which has been recognized as legal be the United Nations is a form of occupation. The blockade was not implemented immediately after Israel turned Gaza over to the Palestinian Authority. The naval blockade of Gaza was initiated after Hamas took over control in Gaza in a bloody insurrection removing Abbas and the Palestinian Authority from that area. Then, when Hamas began raining rockets down on Israeli towns and kibbutzim in southern Israel, then Israel initiated the naval blockade in order to minimize the avenues for massive arms shipments to the Hamas terror government in the Gaza Strip. So, that removes Israel from anything Gaza related as that has been completely returned to Palestinian rule and is currently occupied by Hamas.

As for Judea and Samaria, currently well over eighty percent of Arab Palestinians live in an area that places them under complete Palestinian Authority rule. These are the Palestinians living in Area A where it is actually against the law for Israelis or Jews to even visit. Should an Israeli be required to enter Area A for any reason such as to hold negotiations they are required to receive special permission from the Palestinian Authority. Most of the remaining Palestinian Arab population resides in Area B which is under Palestinian Authority civil rule with security provided jointly by the Palestinian authority and the IDF. This arrangement has actually worked fairly well with only occasional disruption or failures from this security arrangement. Lastly, Area C contains almost all of the Jewish towns and communities and also includes the Jordan Valley Military Zones in which Israel maintains defensive security positions such as eastward and northward facing radars on the top of the rise at the western end of the Jordanian Valley in order to track any aerial movements that might threaten to enter into Israeli air space. The Jordan Valley is important for the tactical additional area it places between the heavily populated lowlands of the coastal plains within the Green Line as well as the major urban areas such as Tel Aviv, Haifa, and others. At first glance it would seem that a Palestinian State has already been established in Area A with some overlap between the Palestinians and Israelis in Area B while Israel has a critical tactical military need in retaining their installations in the Jordan Valley and the higher ground at its western edge. The rest of Area C contains the vast majority of the Israeli communities and IDF installations. Taking a purely tactical and logical look at the situation one might conclude that a Palestinian state could be formed with the lands from Area A and Area B and shared access in parts of the Jordan Valley while Israel retains Area C and the IDF bases in and adjacent to the Jordan Valley. About all this solution requires are the two sides to sign papers stating such.

This is both where the problem is and the solution lies. To get to the root of the problem, one needs look no further than the monetary crisis which the Palestinian authority has recently declared. This is the second such emergency financial situation within one year’s time. And it is the money that is at the root of why there is no peace treaty. The Palestinian Authority has over a third and possibly over half of their population on the government payroll. They have no real economic sources able to finance such a pervasive government and it is doubtful any country could survive should they attempt the same ratio of government to private employment. This is the root of the lack of funds to keep the doors open, this over-bloated payroll which is simply a financial support system being implemented instead of developing an economy. The Palestinian Security Forces and Police Forces makeup the largest part of their government and also include most of the members from the al-Aqsa Martyrs’ Brigades as well as related groups. If ever Mahmoud Abbas showed a moment of insanity and accepted a State and the conflict with Israel ended, the money would dry up causing a near immediate crisis with thousands of Palestinians under threat of starvation. This is the main driving force behind the continuous circumvention by preconditions or any means necessary to prevent any meaningful, if any, negotiations between the Palestinian and Israel. Mahmoud Abbas and the entire Palestinian leadership are thoroughly aware of the predicament they face. If ever there was the end of the conflict and a Palestinian state became a reality, it would collapse under the sheer weight of its government almost immediately. This allows an opening for peace.

Should the world simply impress upon President Abbas that without peace there will be no more money given by Europe, the United States, and the United Nations, then we would likely see some actions towards meeting by Mr. Abbas with whomever was Prime Minister of Israel and real negotiations would take place. Applying such leverage would allow for talks which would end with an agreement instead of an indignant Palestinian negotiating team storming brusquely out of the negotiations as they near an agreement and they had run out of demands with which to stall. Up to now that has been the modus operandi for the Palestinian negotiating teams which was taught them by none other than Yasser Arafat. But for any negotiations to take place and any real agreement to be forthcoming, the world will need to cut off the spigot and end the near infinite flow of money into the Palestinian Authority. There is no way in which the Palestinian leadership can be bribed into making peace for it is the flow of money which allows them to avoid peace and even makes peace untenable. A reverse bribe where the money stops and is only given as a reward that peace will become possible. The current scheme where Mahmoud Abbas whines and pouts about some dire financial catastrophe coming near, should treasures not flow immediately, then Mahmoud Abbas will be unable to prevent the outbreak of violence which surely will follow upon the collapse of the Palestinian Authority. Just this once, call his bluff and simply show President Abbas the money and then keep it and demand he negotiate and then upon a peace agreement, a signed peace agreement, then the money will once again flow to assist the Palestinians to live in peace with Israelis. Many would likely claim that this is insane and could never work. Our claim is to agree it is an insane idea because we will never see it tried and thus it cannot work.

Beyond the Cusp

Palestinian Refugees in Perpetuity in Their Own Words

For years I have tried to explain to incredulous people that there is absolutely no conceivable solution to the Palestinian (Arab) – Israeli dispute (conundrum). I always get the same statements which are often posed more like queries than certainties, which I guess I should take as the first signs that they understand. The favorite stated query goes something like, “But isn’t all they want is to have their state returned to them?” Where to start with such a completely off the mark beginning. First, they never had a state named Palestine or any other name. Even if they are given their invented state, they will not be satisfied. And lastly, the only way to satisfy the diehard Palestinians is the end of Israel and the removal of every single Jew by whatever means available.

This is where I usually am challenged to back up this presumable unfounded claim. I have, in the past, pulled out numerous quotes by Yasser Arafat which never seems to be sufficient proof as I am informed that he died and does not matter any longer. If only such were true. I tell them that Mahmoud Abbas the Holocaust denier also has said the same thing and did not change his calls for the death of all Israel until he became the President of the Palestinian Authority. After his promotion to try and fill Arafat’s shoes, he straightened his tie, cleaned up his demands and became the diplomat that Yasser Arafat never was. Of course, President Abbas never changed the songs he sang to enthrall the crowds when speaking in Arabic; it was only in English he spoke of coexistence and the hopeless intransigence of Israel. What makes his complaints and excuses all the more credible are the echoes of affirmation from the United States Department of State, the European Union, numerous European Government representatives and politicians, the United Nations General Assembly, the majority of Human Rights Groups and NGOs, the Muslim world, Russia, China and sundry other luminaries.

I had begun to reach the end of my rope as it seems that as time goes along more people appear to be falling under the dream weaver’s spell and are believing the sad siren’s song of Mahmoud Abbas et al. But my vindication has come from a new source, the Palestinian Authority ambassador to Lebanon, Abdullah Abdullah. He has been quoted saying about the refugees being kept under UNRWA care, “They are Palestinians, that’s their identity. But . . . they are not automatically citizens. . . . Even Palestinian refugees who are living in (camps) inside the state (of Palestine), they are still refugees. They will not be considered citizens. When we have a state accepted as a member of the United Nations, this is not the end of the conflict. This is not a solution to the conflict. This is only a new framework that will change the rules of the game.” I do believe that at this point, was this a court case, I would be saying, “Your Honor, I rest my case.

Beyond the Cusp