Time to End Minhal Ezrachi and COGAT

 

Both Minhal Ezrachi (Civil Administration) and COGAT (Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories) are obsolete, counterproductive, anti-Israeli, anti-Zionist and well beyond their use-by-date. They both were established during the heady and oft wrong-headed days after the Six Day War designed to administrate over the formerly Jordanian occupied lands, illegal under every last line of applicable International Law and solely recognized by Pakistan and Britain, with the potential purpose to permit their ready status to be traded with Jordan in exchange for a peace treaty. Well, Israel has her peace treaty and Jordan renounced their false claims thus the reverting of these lands of Judea and Samaria back to their rightful owner under applicable International Law, Israel. That should have been the end of the story and Israel should have annexed these lands legally registering the residents as resident alien citizens granting them limited political rights within the areas they constitute a majority but barring them from national elections until a means, path and completion of becoming Israeli citizens was accomplished. Those refusing such should have been encouraged to emigrate even to the point of bribery. That, after peace was reached with Jordan would have been the end of the issue.

 

Instead, Minhal Ezrachi, COGAT, the elite ranking officers with the Minister of Defense (or without if need be) plus the Supreme Court backed by a core set of Ministers of the Knesset from both sides of the aisle all support the status-quo. All of these disparate entities have a stake in this game as it extends their control over the lives of the littler people starting with the Israelis residing in Judea and Samaria and continuing through the remainder of the population. There are any numbers of reasons this fiasco which could be resolved and settled once and for all is instead perpetrated indefinitely. Most of the players are fiercely guarding their power to control people and areas plus retaining their well-paid positions as commanders in the IDF and their path to the highest echelons and beyond into politics or a cushy job once they retire from serving in the IDF. These are careerists more than soldiers who claim they know what is best in Judea and Samaria constantly painting the area as fraught with dangers with a wild-west kind of vibe where only the Military keeps things from worsening. They also prevent change and thus progress to a solution. They see their responsibility to extend a situation in such a manner such that the IDF continues to rule the area, specifically the Israeli or, more accurately, the Jewish Israelis always calling for additional soldiers and funding as everything is forever escalating with just the right inclusion of progress which becomes erased and any freedoms further curtailed at every terrorist strike.

 

The Supreme Court simply is chasing that perfect society as they envision Israel. They view Israel quite differently than the average Israeli. The Supreme Court is largely a political dinosaur from the 1950’s Israel as the Supreme Court is largely, along with the position of State Attorney General, a self-replicating monster which perpetuates the socialist utopianism of the original court with extreme leftists all with minimal numbers as exceptions. They would feel at home on the Haaretz Editorial Board. They could best be described as Universalists and post-Zionists. They believe in Israeli democracy over Israel as the Jewish Homeland which they view as too exclusive; and they are multiculturalists as well as ultimate protectors of the human rights for everyone and even more so the determined underclass, in Israel’s case, the Palestinian Arabs. The Supreme Court Justices treasure their acceptance by the elite of Europe, particularly the leading government figures and the elite of the European Union. The Justices crave the approval of these leaders and paragons of human rights, post-modernism, multiculturalism and, of course, internationalism which call for the erasure of borders and above all the acceptance of the other who while having been raised under oppressions existing from their past treatment at the hands of the Western World and whose culture is equal if not superior to the Judeo-Christian, never to mention Jewish culture described and laid out in Torah, and must be not only accepted but treated with respect denied Western Culture. These are open border with state guaranteed wage, a combination long proven to be the views adopted just before the fall of near countless civilizations throughout history.

 

What makes all of this far more theater of the absurd than simple fiasco is for reasons unknown Jordanian law is enforced in Judea and Samaria by the IDF as directed by COGAT and the Minhal Ezrachi backed by the Supreme Court and allowed such insanity by the powers on both sides in the Knesset with a few select exceptions. Observing Jordanian Law is anti-Semitic as selling land to a Jew is punishable by death and simply being a Jew on land under Jordanian law is illegal punishable by deportation to Israel within the Green Line, the apparent intent of numerous NGO’s and much of the Muslim world plus the rest of the planet with few exceptions, or death. By observing Jordanian Law it was thought it would facilitate the return to Jordanian occupation. This was despite knowing that the Jordanian occupation was outright illegal as the border between Jordan and Israel was set as the Jordan River in so many treaties including but not limited to the San Remo Conference, the Treaty of Sèvres, the ,a href=https://beyondthecusp.wordpress.com/treaty-of-lausanne/ target=blank>Treaty of Lausanne amongst others which culminated World War I as well as Article 80 of the United Nations Carter which further codified the Mandate System. These treaties give Israel first right to all of Judea and Samaria as well as voiding any and all of the land grant provisions by which leading members of the Jordanian government and friends of the King were granted deed to great stretches of these lands such that all the lands were gifted in this manner and largely was never developed. These land claims are utilized by NGO’s such but not limited to Peace Now, Yesh Din and Rabbis for Human Rights to sue any and all Israeli building in Judea and Samaria. These demolitions brought on through the Supreme Court by direct filing these NGO’s attack Jewish buildings from a single stand-alone home to entire cities such as Amona, which is currently under threat, as well as other “Jewish settlements” which are considerably larger and more developed (see picture below). Direct filing with the Supreme Court is legal and done in this case so that the liberal, left-leaning Supreme Court Justices can rule without requiring any investigation into the legality or even existence of actual Arab ownership. Evidence is taken as if vetted and verified thus these NGO’s need no tangible proof and an entire city can be ordered erased. When cases are filed to actually claim the land in court, many such cases are resigned from the docket before even a hearing as the claimant has withdrawn knowing the entire claim to be bogus.

 

Larger Jewish Settlement Under Threat of Demolitions

 

Many of these NGO’s including those licensed and claiming to be homegrown pro-Israel groups are part of a post-Zionist, leftist, universalist groups which are all predominantly financed by European, American and other Western and Universalist entities receiving often less than one-third and some next to no funding originating in Israel. Some of the monies come from individuals directly, surreptitiously or through front groups or organizations; more from individual governments who also use other NGO’s to put distance, deniability and insulation between them and the monies; and some is funneled through the long and many tentacles of the United Nations and its various groups which are more money laundering operations than anything else. While almost every nation in this so-called civilized world has laws disallowing NGO’s from obtaining majority funding from outside the nation, some requiring well above half be domestically raised, whenever Israel proposes such a law the Europeans and American leftists, progressives and far right haters of Jews and Israel rise and make a cacophony of cries of complaints, screams of unfairness, yelping that democracy is under attack, squawking that freedom is being curtailed and other hooting and hollering over any-and-everything under the son being squelched and a fascism rising in Israel. All these accusations are made to prevent Israel having the same protections these other nations enjoy. This demanding Israel meet a standard not required of other nations has a name, anti-Semitism. Some claim it is anti-Zionism while others anti-Israel in the occupation, but all three are identical, demanding the Jew, the Jewish State, Israel to be judged by a different set of rules designed for the destruction and dismantling of the national home of the Jews. Yep, that is anti-Semitism.

 

Finally, much of this is the Israeli leadership’s fault. That includes all the leadership; the IDF, the Supreme Court, the media and especially Knesset and political hierarchy. The Knesset and political hierarchy could annex all of Area C with a simple bill with the only thing potentially blocking such a move would be the Supreme Court claiming it had some reason to belay and void the legislation passed by the Knesset. The way beyond that would be change a couple of punctuation and pass the legislation again and again and make it the biggest thing since Jews ate manna in the wilderness and allow the majority to get behind the idea and carry the day. Then Israel could city by city set up local governance for the Arab Palestinians, the former Jordanians, the Arabs holding other than legal Israeli passports; grant them semi-autonomy over the areas where they reside but keep them barred from general elections until they decide and take a path to citizenship. Emigration enticement with assistance in the form of a buyout of property with an added percentage for a clear deed should be Israeli policy including a records check to assure the land was not sold or belonging to another Jordanian/Palestinian Arab or other party. Even in such cases some form of emigration enticement should be in order. Emigrants must be made aware that any unauthorized return within Israeli borders will be dealt with harshly followed by an immediate deportation after prison sentence has been carried out. Israel honestly will by necessity have to annex these lands as soon as Hamas or Islamic State takes over after any remotely free elections. The Palestinian Authority (PA) is mortally wounded and entering its death throes. Abbas is entering the tenth or eleventh year of a five year term. Elections were once again cancelled; the PA had cancelled elections numerous times since their scheduled date of spring of 2009. Law and order is breaking down and radical Islamists are banding together and arming for whoever decides they want the base of operations so close to the heart of Israel. The time to act was actually immediately after the Six Day War with another opportunity immediately after Jordan made peace with Israel. Unfortunately, the Knesset and political hierarchy will continue dragging their feet and claiming that acting is impossible and need wait until the climate changes for the better. We’ve watched the world climate towards and concerning Israel and here have noted climate change and it has been the worst. Time has come to let the dust fly and settle where it will. Waiting has ceased to be the answer. There are six days before the Presidential Election in the United States after which President Barack Hussein Obama will be free to call a special session and pass a binding resolution negating all recognition currently existing for annexation of Judea and Samaria by the Security Council passing a Section Seven Resolution establishing the Palestinian State with the Green Line as its border and the whole of Eastern Jerusalem as its capital. Such a binding resolution would alter International Law possibly forever and would establish and likely add as a full member the new nation of Palestine. This is why action must be decided now and no delay must be permitted. The power to do so lies with the Knesset and the IDF could assist by working to prevent and end their assisting circumventing and neutering Israelis’ rights to settle our land. If we wait, we lose.

 

Beyond the Cusp

 

I Have Seen This Campaign Before

 

I have seen this exact style and lack of truth in an election built entirely on one overriding misdirection repeated ad-nauseum. I reserve the right to keep you guessing and in the dark, just as the media coverage of the American Presidential Election has and will continue as they have chosen and scripted their coverage for one side, Hillary Clinton’s coronation. One might ask why there has been so little a cry from the Republican elite and leadership. The reason has much to do with their complete lack of pushback against Donald Trump’s initial success while their golden candidate, Jeb Bush, completely crashed and burned without any Republican emergency response team to douse the flames. They were assisting and even secretly arranging in quiet ways Donald Trump’s victory as this was necessitated for a Hillary Clinton victory in the general election. Any honest and readily supportable Republican candidate with the possible exception of Ted Cruz, unsurprisingly the sole Republican who had any hope of toppling the Trump nomination, would have beaten Hillary like a drum. That was the requirement the Republican Party power brokers delivered upon just as directed in the Hillary coronation directive handbook which everybody appears to be playing by except The Donald. Thankfully The Donald is extremely well adapted for the role of the unscripted wildcard.

 

There was an excerpt from the comedy show “Third Rock from the Sun” where John Lithgow’s character boils over (normal for his character) about the election and the anguish mixed with insanity he suffers over how to decide through all the lies and confusion (see video below) and Jane Curtain’s character quotes, rather loosely, Winston Churchill about the horror that is Democracy as a form of government. If you are a Lithgow fan, as am I, then you will love this. This is also unfortunately how all too many voters in America are likely feeling and this confusion does not stop at the shores, it extends to wherever people are involving this election into their lives. Unlike Lithgow, many will not be burdened with having to make that fateful choice; only Americans can be so cursed. Some have defined this election as between a crook and a megalomaniac. Well, it could always be worse; they could both be megalomaniacal crooks which some claim is also the case. Our solace is that even if we still resided in the United States, our state is the second most extreme such that there is no chance of countering the overwhelming majority which makes all predetermined. What makes this election so beyond most not overly familiar with American political theater and how most of the states are all but preordained to vote one party or the other with near 100% accuracy. What this produces is the election will rest on as few as five swing states to a maximum of a dozen potential swing states. As Pennsylvania, North Carolina and Florida alone could elect Hillary Clinton if she wins all three, the election may be all but decided early. If not then after Ohio, Illinois, and a remote Michigan swing will end all expectations as after that Colorado and New Mexico are unlikely to make the difference, but one can never be too sure. Imagine if it has been announced that Hillary will win and then, against all the odds, California goes for Trump. There would be a lot of news anchors with egg on their faces at that.

 

 

The nicest thing about the American election is that the tense and shrill back-and-forth screaming and accusations being exchanged blow for blow will all be decided within two and a half weeks. The less than nice thing is whoever wins will be the President of the United States for, at a minimum, four years. Whichever candidate prevails, the media will be filled with either criticisms or adulation every day from inauguration through their run for reelection. The one thing of which we can all be assured is that the next President of the United States will take office facing more than the usual set of challenges facing them immediately as they take office. The world has seen perilous times with ominous omens and exceedingly high threat indexes but rarely at the levels as all indicators press are rapidly approaching. The state of the world begs the question of why anybody would actually seek the Presidency at this time. The obvious answer would be either an inflated, larger than life ego or an overbearing feeling of being preordained and whose time has finally come though overdue. Looking at the two candidates we find that we have one of each, imagine that. Who could have imagined such an interesting election where only two personality types would seek the Presidency and then get both personalities? Usually one candidate appears so much more fitting the times and they rise to the office but here we have two. With both fitting one of two differing profiles, the voters will need to decide which candidate as well as which profile and then which is more necessary to face the coming difficulties and possible scenarios which will likely present themselves in the upcoming months and years.

 

This is not an election to envy the American voting public as if they were to choose poorly, the world will pay a horrific price, perhaps things which completely change the world as we know it today with massive change of the progressing of civilization and the laws by which we are governed. There are few points throughout history where the right person is in the right position when their world needs their type, style or quality of leadership. Even more unlikely has been the right person elected where they ward off a coming threat. Probably the most obvious example was British Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain as having the worst possible qualities for leadership facing the rise of Nazi Germany. Fortunately the British made a better choice once they realized that a war for survival was upon them choosing Winston Churchill. We can only hope that the world does not face a repeat of such as what led to World War II. The world would be far better off avoiding any war which would sink any sizeable parts of the world if at all possible.

 

Centers of World Conflicts

 

There can be little doubt that the world is once again approaching another central pivoting point where a future for the foreseeable future will be determined. If one were to plot out a logical future, it would point to a failing of technology to prove decisive in a coming conflagration. The main and possibly only hope the advanced Western technological edge would have to preserve the underlying social structures of passivity, full equality, gender blending, sexual independence, complete tolerance and the abhorrence of the use of force is if their technology can circumvent the fierce religious observance and intractability following the strictest interpretations of their religious dogmas as possible, demanding the conquest and submission of all who are in any way different. Their strictness in observances leads to intrareligious inflexibility forcing rejection of those following even the slightest difference of interpretation or of historic views of the passing of leadership such as the detestations which existed in Christianity during the reformation. The world is shrinking in unprecedented ways and rapidity which is forcing the disparate religions, societies, governances, philosophies and every other predispositions that separate the varying formations of humanity closer and into competitions which forces clashes in every manner of difference possible. The resolutions of these conflicts will determine the future, or even if there is a future, of humanity. This makes every election worldwide and especially in the West, especially the United States as the flagship, and the manner of succession in undemocratic lands and the resolution of wars before their effects spread endangering other lands, as with Syria, and in such a manner as to advance peace and not more conflict. Bringing conflicts to an end and preventing future conflict while advancing intersocietal tolerance are the most important of the coming challenges we are going to face as a planet. Whoever can advance strong, flexible, determined, intelligent, intuitive leadership with an understanding of the needs and respects demanded by others and being capable of incorporating such in their negotiations and even more urgent and feverish emerging engagements and confrontations would prove to be the most intelligent of leaders. Such a leader would also be required to choose wise and capable advisors with diverse backgrounds so they can present the widest of potential venues and paths forward. As the ancient Chinese curse read, “May you live in interesting times,” and we most certainly are doing exactly that.

 

Oh, and where have I seen this campaign before? In a comic book come television show then movie series, Batman. There was an election in Gotham City between Batman and Penguin. Penguin ran a campaign based on how you always saw him in the company of police while Batman was always in the company of arch villains asking, who would you prefer as Mayor, one who keeps company of the police or someone who is always in the company of arch villains and criminals? (see below) Plot killer, Penguin won the election, of course. The result, well, that is the question after every election, isn’t it.

 

 

Beyond the Cusp

 

Israeli Leadership Requires an Upgrade

 

Reading the Bible, Old Testament and particularly the Torah, it does not take long before one asks themselves where are the fighters for Eretz Yisroel as are told about in both the Torah and Bible. Just a quick list we find Abraham who likely was the first man to use special forces tactics and a nighttime attack somewhere between midnight and two in the morning to free Lot and his family from the slavers who had taken them captive. Where are those like Jacob who fought an Angel pretty much to a standstill or some might say overpowered the angel while receiving only one serious injury to himself. Then there is Moses who fought the Midianites, the Amalekites, brought forth water from a rock as a miracle from Hashem, taught the Torah to the Israelites and assisted the building of the Mishkan. Then there was Joshua, Deborah, Samson, King Saul, David and Solomon as well as many other heroes. Then there were the wise and fearless all of whom showed their courage, convictions and faith in Hashem and only then were they found worthy of Hashem’s miracles. Even the parting of the Red Sea (Sea of Reeds for you modern revisionists) would never had happened had not Nachshon, from the tribe of Judah, not only jumped into the sea but walked out until he was up to his nostrils and about to take a deep breath before the sea parted. This is one of the main truths from the Bible which today is summed up by the proverb; Hashem helps those who help themselves. We must take the first step and in some instances we take those steps and Hashem foils our efforts simply so that Hashem can display that it is Hashem who saves us and assists all that we do and all of it is in service of Hashem. This was proven during the last Gaza War when a rocket was tracked by an Iron Dome unit, those anti-missile and artillery intercepting batteries which shoot interceptor ultra-high speed missiles which strike and neutralize incoming rockets, missiles, mortars, artillery and anything else launched at Israel short range with over a 90% kill rate, which indicated it would strike central Tel Aviv business district in the area of the central train and bus stations where the high rise building are located thus a threat to tens of thousands should it strike. The actual words of the commanding officer of the Iron Dome officer after they had fired three times and missed the incoming rocket all three times, nearly impossible, he saw that, “Suddenly, Iron Dome (which calculates wind speeds, among other things) shows a major wind coming from the east, a strong wind that…sends the missile into the sea. We were all stunned. I stood up and shouted, ‘There is a G0d!’ I witnessed this miracle with my own eyes. It was not told or reported to me. I saw the hand of G0d send that missile into the sea.” We reported more on this miracle here. This battery proved they would act as they tried and tried and tried and in the end it was Hashem who saved Tel Aviv from an awful fate. Another thing I can tell you as one who fired anti-tank missiles for Uncle Sam, wind has a very marginal effect on a rocket or missile’s trajectory and a wind capable of redirecting a rocket to turn and a land mile off to the west from a northward trajectory would have really upset anything not nailed down in Tel Aviv including such minor things as busses and anything short of a locomotive and that would be debatable.

 

 

Hands of Hashem Lifting and Protecting the Innocent

 

 

So, where are we leading with all of these little stories and examples? We look at the Israeli leadership and they are always so fretting the reactions of the European Union, European governments, the United States Congress, the American President, the United Nations, Russia, Kathmandu, well maybe not Kathmandu as Israel is loved in Nepal after the aid hospital and search and rescue teams we sent to aid them after that horrific shaking that rumbled through that Himalayan country destroying the capital and many of the villages throughout the nation and Israel sent medical assistance even to small villages halfway up some rather impressively tall slopes. It is somewhat understandable that Israel does what it can to remain on good ground with the United States as they are a major, actually sole, provider of fighters and helicopters. This was at the time deemed a good idea when the United States offered to provide both F-15 and F-16 fighters if Israel would stop their design and production of the Lavi fighter Jet. The Lavi would have been a direct competitor with the F-16 and the United States probably figured they would rather have one less competitor in the fighter jet department so they offered Israel a really good deal and also promised they would make sure Israel maintained air superiority in the Middle East. Well, with F-15 JSF being sold to Egypt, Saudi Arabia and potentially Turkey and who knows who else such as, Heaven forbid, Iran; Israeli air superiority apparently is not going to be so guaranteed down the road in five or six years when these Arab nations have the same exact aircraft and more of them in each nation such as Egypt and Saudi Arabia. Still the Israeli leadership bends over backwards to please the United States and even please President Obama with the sole example of leadership coming when Prime Minister Netanyahu and every other Israeli political leader, even those from the opposition playing the loyal opposition which is something rare these days, with the opposition to the heinous Iran Nuclear Deal which will give Iran a path to nuclear weapons in at most twelve years and more likely eight years assuming they are not currently producing their second run of them using an even improved thermonuclear design given them by North Korea. Otherwise Israeli leadership bows and scrapes before virtually every other nation which demands Israel limit building homes for Jews in Jerusalem or Hevron or Bet El while also demanding that Israel both allow many Europeans to build residences for Palestinian Arabs in Areas which were forbidden them under the Oslo Accords but apparently the only nation bothering to obey treaty limitation is Israel and they are going even further and obeying limitation which supercede any treaty. Such fearfulness and timidity has not served Israel well as all it has done is encourage Europeans and the United States to demand more concessions and more concessions and even more where Israel simply bows and scrapes and almost mindlessly obeys as if such was in Israel’s best interests.

 

The question which must be asked and resolved by Israeli leaders is where has polite concession after concession gotten Israel. The answer is they have become a doormat which everybody steps on their way to ask almost reverently of Mahmoud Abbas what he would like Israel to gift him for the privilege of having him meet with them, shake hands with whatever Prime Minister Israel has elected and then spit in Israel’s face and walk away pocketing the concessions the European or American forced from Israel on their way home stepping once more on the doormat. This has cost Israel any respect they had ever gained through the years and watching the spineless actions whittle away any respect Israel might have had has been disheartening. Remembering the valor and will-do, which is one step more audacious than simply can-do, which was exhibited in such bold and daring missions such as the raid on Entebbe Airport to free hijack hostages and the stern pride exhibited by Prime Minister Menachem Begin whose resolve and respect he earned assisted in the making of a peace with Egypt. Then there were the great deeds which were actually committed by the likes of Prime Minister Netanyahu, Defense Minister Ya’alon back during their time in the IDF where they had committed deeds of a nature similar to that committed by the young soldier now being politically sacrificed before the court of political correctness and seemingly in anticipation of European and United Nations simply going “Tisk, tisk, you had better punish that man for killing the enemy who had already stabbed one soldier.” Israel is in a war and in wars you actually shoot your enemies with intent to kill them; but not Israel as we shoot them with rubber bullets or if we use real bullets we are to shoot their legs. Shooting terrorists in their legs already did not incapacitate one determined terrorist who after being shot in both legs, one of them twice, still managed to sink his hatchet into another victim which finally convinced the people with the guns to shoot him somewhere more vital and then he stopped swinging his hatchet at people and will never again commit such a heinous assault. That is the only way you prevent your enemy from ever killing your soldiers, and with these terrorist that includes your civilians who apparently are legitimate targets for the terrorists despite the terrorists being treated like an endangered species and their lives treated as more important. The Rules of Engagement (ROE) are upside down as when you have an enemy who is sworn to murder every last person in your country, and in the case of Hamas and Islamic Jihad they want to kill every Jew everywhere, you do not allow them to live for another day and try again. And as the same government who demands that the terrorists not be killed but disarmed and taken alive as that is the humane thing to do, war is not humane, and then trades over a thousand of these terrorists taken humanely in order to retrieve one single soldier, then it is better to not be quite so humane. There are those out there who will claim that I am a monster for even suggesting the killing of these poor unfortunate terrorists who are only acting against the occupation. There is no occupation unless you count the Arabs who are squatting on lands promised to the Zionist Congress as sacrosanct and guaranteed by the crown of England and by the League of Nations and theoretically also the United Nations according to Article 80 of the United Nations Charter. The leaders of the European nations, the members of the United Nations, the Americans and anybody else capable of reading knows already that Israel was defined as we stated in the article yesterday, Israel is all of Israel as defined by the San Remo Conference and other inclusive documents from the end of World War I. Not only the Middle Eastern and North African maps were completely redrawn but so was the map of Eastern Europe. It was not restricted to the Arab World as claimed by so many, and that marked pretty much the beginning of European colonial enterprises in the area which had been colonized by the Arab Muslims and their converted allies for over a thousand years before the Europeans ever arrived. The colonialism label is simply a guilt trip being laid on the European and the Western world in general.

 

Another item that the spineless leaders have allowed by not standing up against the false charges has been the claim that Israel is a colonizing power. Israel was formed from part of the British Mandate from which both Iraq and Jordan were also formed. If Israel is a colonizing power then so is Jordan and Iraq as all were made from the same British Mandate and then Syria and Lebanon also would be colonial powers as they were formed from the French Mandate. Israel is an indigenous peoples who have returned to their ancestral lands and were residing in the lands south of the Litany River through the Negev Desert and on both sides of the Jordan River and Sea of Galilee since approximately 1200 BCE with a continuous Jewish presence in areas of the land and definitely in Jerusalem with many centuries having a Jewish majority population in Jerusalem while Jerusalem was never the capital of any Arab or Muslim nation. The Israeli leadership should be as proud of their country returning to its homeland and making the deserts bloom, draining swamp lands and making them furtive and building a modern nation while under constant threat of war in the face of terrorism and seemingly ignoring all adversity to thrive. Israel because of her people was rated the eleventh happiest nation in which to live placing it ahead of the United States and obviously virtually all if not all of the Arab and Muslim worlds. Now we need to have leaders equally as happy to lead with the same esprit de corps that is so apparent in the people. Yes, Israel has its problems but the most threatening and dangerous of these challenges needs to be met with vigor and nerve and dare we say, chutzpah, and simply declare what we know to be true and our lands as originally defined; and if there are those who object, well, sucks to be them.

 

Beyond the Cusp