Horrific Knifing Terror Attack in Tel Aviv and More

 

An Arab, Mohammed Hassan Matruk, age 23 infiltrated Israel this morning making it from his residence in Tulkarem, which is under the control of both security, laws, social rule, as it is within the autonomous area which is under complete control of the Arab Authority ruled by the Palestinian Authority and the Fatah Party both of which have Mahmoud Abbas at their head, making it all the way to board the #40 bus in central Tel Aviv where traveling on Begin Road at the Ma’ariv Bridge where he started his stabbing spree by stabbing the bus driver. Magen David Adom (MDA) reported receiving a frantic phone call at 7:28 AM reporting of a string of stabbing attacks where a woman can be heard saying “there was a terror attack on a bus. A man with a knife. A terror attack on a bus in Tel Aviv. At the Ma’ariv Bridge.” When the dispatcher requested further information such as how many had been injured the woman responded, “I don’t know how many. I feel blood all over my body.” There were twelve people who were stabbed and treated for their wounds initially by Magen David Adom as well as a fair number of others were treated for shock. Of those stabbed, three or four were severely wounded with an equal number receiving moderate wounds and the remaining five receiving relatively light wounds. Not all of those wounded were passengers on the bus as the terrorist fled the bus stabbing people as he ran before being shot in the leg by officers and arrested. Making this terror attack all the more distressful was the immediacy with the reaction by the Arab Authority and Fatah Party in uploading cartoons celebrating the attack and then other posts simply to recall and celebrate previous terror attacks over the years. This was not the first time such had been the reaction to horrific terror attacks as a similar cartoon was also uploaded after the slaughter of the four Rabbis and the injury of a half dozen other worshipers including other Rabbis and the murder of a Druze Israeli police officer at the Har Nof Synagogue. For keeping a record of these cartoons and one picture which catches Mahmoud Abbas in a revealing capture during the recent solidarity rally and march in Paris after the Charlie Hebdo massacre please see it all here.

 

As horrible this terror attack was, what was even more telling was the fact that at the same time the leadership in Ramallah was planning their next attempt to have the United Nations grant them their desired statehood without demanding from them the making of peace with Israel or giving up their terrorist war against Israel. This time they are planning to possibly also demand that the United Nations force Israel to accept five million Arab refugees changing Israel into a majority Arab state which will vote to be annexed by the Arab state they are expecting to receive from the United Nations thus forming their Arab state from the Jordan River to the Mediterranean Sea, the fulfillment of their protest chant heard on college campuses around the world on Israel Apartheid Day rallies. They are hoping that with the changes to the Security Council that the new countries will provide them with the required nine votes they had mistakenly thought they had in the bag when they attempted the same ploy without the demand for Israel to accept the suicidal influx of five million Arab refugees. Their confidence must be sky high which we discussed previously denoting changes which took place over New Years and the rotation of Security Council members dissected in our write-up If Only! If Only!!! The other subject supposedly being discussed in Ramallah at the same time as the terror attack was how to present the most damning evidence before the International Criminal Court (ICC) during the upcoming investigations in order to have Israel condemned and thus be able to use such rulings to better berate Israel before the rest of the World especially in Europe and throughout the Western World. One could easily bet that there was no feelings that perhaps there might be just the slightest hint of hypocrisy when the news of the stabbings in Tel Aviv reached the meeting and all was then dropped in order to maximize the news of this latest terror attack as there were cartoons and other uploads to be had for the enjoyment of their adoring public using only the most vulgar and base humor possible.

 

In the meantime, as a result of an purported Israeli strike on some Hezballah forces caught positioning explosives along the Syria Israel border and another team making ready rocket launchers to launch rockets into Israel the surprise that included in what was initially determined to be low level teams setting up another attempt to strike at the Israeli forces along the Golan Heights it was later revealed that amongst those killed was a highest level Hezballah commander, an Iranian Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) General and four or five other Iranian IRGC soldiers. The report of the caliber of those killed by what was thought to be a groups of lower level units from Hezballah as have been the usual culprits when such activities were previously executed came as a shock. What became a further shock were the warnings from Iran and Hezballah that Israel could expect severe strikes like unto great thunderbolts striking swiftly and completely but that such strikes were not intended to provoke a new war as there was no desire to escalate the situation at this time into such as a war footing. It was simply unusual when the usual warning about strikes of great magnitude and other superlatives, the lightening was a nice touch not used often before, and then the qualifiers warning that there is no desire to escalate the situation takes away from the dire wording of the threats initially offered. Still, the Israelis have increased the levels of awareness along the Golan Heights, the Lebanese border and the Galilee with the installment of a number of Iron Dome batteries along the northern border regions. Other than a few road closures which were in the extreme north and easily visible from the hills along the Israeli Lebanese border as a precaution, for the most part life continues on unchanged. May the situation stay that calm.

 

There was somewhat of a dust-up between the White House and the office of Prime Minister Netanyahu over there being no notification of an invitation for the Prime Minister to address the United States Congress next month. Where the breakdown occurred is not entirely clear right at the moment. It has been long known that there is little love lost by the White House and many amongst the upper level members of President Obama’s team for Prime Minister Netanyahu and it was an invite from the United States Congress so there may have been a slip somewhere in the invitation and the acceptance where some from both sides probably assumed that the other side would be informing the White House. One would hope that there would not be any real sleep lost over this situation. It is not like the White House or the State Department has been exactly candid about some changes they have instituted with the United States Consulate in Jerusalem which have transgressed Israeli laws. The remarks follow reports of a sharp decline in United States Israel relations, resulting from an explosive report in Yedioth Aharonot last week that the United States Consulate in Jerusalem views itself as the United States Consulate in Palestine and not Israel. This has been further pushed towards a scandalous proportions in that the Jerusalem Consulate has been replacing the Israeli security guards with Palestinian Arabs often with some having criminal records which is in flagrant violation of Israeli law. Add this to the events of several weeks ago where United States Jerusalem Consulate officials entered the Samaria community of Adei Ad with guards armed with M-16s and sidearms without permission or notification of the IDF or other Israeli authorities which nearly came to an altercation and exchange of fire between the community security forces and the unannounced American security team, which may have consisted of Arab personnel, and nearly caused an international incident. One can read our report from the next day in our article Why Were United States Consulate Security Taking Part in a Planned Provocation? Where all of these strands emanating from the Palestinian Arab’s deep seated hatred of Israel, the Jews and Western civilizations, a hatred shared by Jihadists the world over, will take the world, G0d only knows and he has yet to inform us.

 

Beyond the Cusp

 

Negotiations Palestinian Style

According to all expectations, negotiations between Israel and the terrorist entities out of Gaza led by Hamas and Islamic Jihad, but reputed to also have elements from al-Qaeda, PFLP (Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine), PLFP (Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine), Fatah, ISIS and others; are scheduled to resume later this week. These negotiations have been delayed so as to have them coincide with the Jewish High Holidays starting the day before Rosh HaShana which starts that evening. They are also scheduled to begin within two days of the termination of the month-long cessation of hostilities which some Hamas spokespeople have promised that rockets will resume raining down on Israeli cities, towns, homes, shopping malls, houses of worship, actually virtually anywhere as these rockets are launched with the expressed accuracy of a blindfolded darts shooter. All hopes within Israel are that those threats were simply more of the bluster often emanating from Palestinian spokespersons. Perhaps one way of laying out the difficulties these negotiations will present is to simply reference some of the bandying of demands and rejections which have been reported in various media sources.

Israel has repeatedly stressed their demand for the demilitarization of Gaza and the Hamas and others have simply stated that such is not even a subject to be breached at the negotiations as their weapons are necessary to their ability and actions to resist and destroy the occupation and the occupiers. Hamas spokesman and political leader Khaled Mashaal gave the media the following. “The subject of the resistance’s weapons isn’t open for negotiations. Those weapons are for fighting the occupying enemy. They are not for internal affairs.” Furthermore, there is the demand reported in the Arabic daily Al-Hayat that Doha warned it would deport Mashaal if he approved the agreement for the ceasefire framework as put forth by Egypt without insisting that Hamas’s demands construction of a seaport and airport in the Gaza Strip be incorporated as part of the agreement. Additionally, Osama Hamdan said Saturday that Israel must either accept its demands including lifting of the security blockade on Gaza and allow the construction of an airport and seaport or face “a war of attrition.” But these are the official demands and maximalist positions put forth by both sides, Israel demanding the demilitarization of Gaza to prevent the continued aggressions as constantly threatened as seen above, and on the other side, Hamas, Islamic Jihad and the others insisting the end to the United Nations validated embargo which is designed to prevent, or at least minimize, the import of heavy weapon systems, more terrorist fighters and provisions for the construction of infiltration tunnels and other military bulwarks, and permit, if not assist, the construction both of an international airport and a fully equipped seaport allowing for unfettered importation of any and all goods as desired by Hamas, Islamic Jihad and the other terror entities.

All of this aside, what are the attitudes of the people, the Palestinian street, towards Israel and the ending of the near constant levels of violence which has become so commonplace that the media does not even bother to cover such violence unless it results in fatalities, often multiple Israeli fatalities or any Palestinian fatalities or even injuries. Perhaps relating a recent series of events might shed some light on this situation. Sixteen year old Mohammed Abu Sankara was participating in one of the regular afternoon rioting in Jerusalem and was reported to have joined with others hurling rocks, some shot from slings and the throwing of Molotov cocktails. The Israeli police responded shooting sponge anti-riot shot aimed for the low at the rioters’ legs. Mohammed Abu Sankara was struck in the leg and while running, retreating, he stumbled and fell striking his head on the road surface. His injuries were of a sufficient severity that the police had him transported to a hospital. Mohammed Abu Sankara was conscious at the point of transport but subsequently fell into a coma and died two days later. What is telling was the response from his mother when approached by the press at his funeral as well as the celebratory mass parade adjoining the passage of his casket to the cemetery.

Below is a report gathered from Palestinian Authority official television by PMW (Palestinian Media Watch) but first a few comments and quotes. The one thing one needs to know is that the Palestinian Authority still grants the families of those imprisoned or who die in terror related activities, which includes those participating in their scheduled rioting and other violence, a generous stipend for life. I am not sure that any entity could give me sufficient cash rewards what would have me celebrate any of my children sacrificing themselves as they are more precious than any monetary rewards. She exclaimed to the cameras, “This is the first time I see joy in my heart. This is the first time I see such joy. Thank Allah for giving him martyrdom.” I pray for the sake of this woman’s soul that her actions were simply a rehearsed part played out for the cameras in order to provide fuel for the cause and that she had to be forced to play the part and it took many, many takes before they got the desired enthusiasm. If this was her actual emotions and pride, I feel for her and am unable to understand the motivation which could bring a mother to celebrate the tragic death of her son. I further noted in the short clip the celebratory mood of those participating in the march presumably from the remembrance ceremony to the cemetery. The exuberance and joy was the same as in numerous similar situations where a martyr was being taken to their resting place. Thusly, I realize that the majority of those participating are not friends or family but rent-a-mob participants which are readily available to the Palestinian Authority as well as to Hamas, Islamic Jihad and on and on and are able to be gathered for the cameras with only mere moments preparation. They know their role and they play their parts to perfection, or close enough for government work, which it actually is, as often these are people on the Palestinian Authority government rolls receiving a salary simply to demonstrate when needed. The unfortunate reality is this mother’s action before the cameras are indicative of other mothers from previous such celebrations for the martyrs when they are ceremoniously given their splendid and well-choreographed funerals.

The question is how can one reach an agreement for a lasting peace with a society which really does treasure death and seek death by martyrdom as their highest aspiration when you treasure life, all life including those who martyr themselves amongst your people in their public places such as the actions by Ahlam Tamimi who planned the suicide bombing on 9 August 2001 at one of Jerusalem’s Sbarro Pizza Parlors. In an interview posted on the Hamas website Ahlam Tamimi was quoted saying, “It was a calculated act, performed with conviction and faith in Allah. Jihad warriors are always ready to die as martyrs, to be arrested or to succeed. I managed to overcome the barrier of prison and was released. Why should I repent?” Speaking about those terrorists who remain in prison after the releases as part of the Gilad Shalit deal of which she was one, Ahlam Tamimi said, “We left with our heads held high. All attempts to keep us in prison, and those who remain, will soon be forsaken.” For peace there needs be some common ground between the two parties on which to construct any peace agreement, after all, it is called an agreement for a reason.

That is where the problem arises seeking a permanent peace between Israel and the Palestinians. The mistake the world makes is believing that the conflict is over territory, that is a lie and will perpetuate endless time wasting negotiations attempting to reach a border which will be honored by both sides. The Palestinian idea for making peace possible is for every last Jew to be eradicated from what they demand is their lands which include all of Israel, or as they state, from the river to the sea Palestine must be free. As recently stated by the Palestinian Authority ambassador to Iran, Salah Al-Zawawi stated, “All those people who have gathered to occupy our land must return to their countries of origin, leaving behind only the Palestinian Jews, with whom we had lived in love, respect, and fraternity. I would like to reiterate my gratitude to the Islamic Republic of Iran for the training, financing, and weapons it has provided us, as well as for its political and diplomatic positions regarding Palestine. Iran has helped us to attain our great victory. I am not saying that Palestine will be liberated tomorrow, but we have made real strides on the path to liberation. A missile with a 200 kilogram warhead will carry a warhead of 100 tons in the future, because weapons change as men change. We just need to cross the scientific threshold to get to our goal.” That makes their position amply clear except there is a small problem with his assertions, the Jews in Israel are finally home in their original country, it is the Jews dispersed around the world who needs to be brought home to Israel. Further, even if his intentions were accurate, would the Arab nations be acceptable reaccepting the descendants of the eight-hundred-fifty-thousand Jews who were dispossessed between 1945 and 1955? I honestly have my doubts. Further, there is a reason that the Jews who live in the many and various locations in the nations of the world other than Israel are referred to as the Diaspora; that is that they have not returned home and are still residing in where their wanderings have led them as a result of their families’ original dispersion to the far corners of the world, or at least the far corners of the Roman Empire, depriving them of the right to live in their homelands, the land that all the Jews originally came out from. So, sure, bring all the Jews to the one and only land which has ever been their home, bring them back to Eretz Yisroel.

Beyond the Cusp

Israel Enters the United Nations Lion’s Den Today

Thanks largely to Germany’s Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle, who sent an urgent letter to Prime Minister Netanyahu threatening serious and “severe diplomatic damage” should Israel once again not attend their United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) Periodic Review, Israeli UN Ambassador Ron Prosser will be attending this dressing down from a body which has singled out Israel for special sessions and issued numerous critiques of presumed Israeli crimes against Palestinians and demanded that Israel withdraw from the entirety of Judea and Samaria returning them to what the UNHRC considers the rightful legal owners of these lands, the Palestinians, and the Israelis are to return the lands without any concern or expectations of any recognition or other concessions from the Palestinians. Ambassador Prosser will likely be demanded to take a message back to Tel Aviv, they do not recognize Jerusalem as the capital city of Israel though they do recognize al-Quds as the Palestinian Capital City, demanding that the Israeli government immediately remove every Israeli from the occupied territories beyond Israel’s UNHRC recognized borders, which just happen to be the 1948 Armistice Lines also called the Green Line, and turn everything over to Mahmoud Abbas and his band of terrorist enablers without any guarantee of peace or a ceasing of attacks, bombings, kidnapping, or any other assurance for the safety of the Israelis from Palestinian aggressions. What is interesting is that the UNHRC would be more likely to demand that Israel be turned into a non-military state and be made to turn their security over to the Palestinian Authority than they would to make the Palestinian State a non-military state and allow the Israelis to provide security over their territories. The result is likely that the UNHRC will simply allow both sides to be armed to the teeth but will demand that Israel show restraint should any attacks originate from the Palestinian areas and every year the UNHRC will still find reasons to condemn Israel while turning a blind eye to any provocations or transgressions committed by the Palestinians.

 

The United Nation Human Rights Council, which replaced the previously flawed United Nations Human Rights Committee which was denounced for years over its singling out of Israel as seemingly the sole oppressor, has somehow managed to escape most of the criticisms for also accusing Israel as being the most violent abuser of human rights while seeing no such violations elsewhere. There really has been little change and much of the difficulty is built into the makeup of the membership. The UNHRC has forty-seven member states distributed with African States receiving 13 seats, Asia-Pacific States receiving 13 seats, Latin American and Caribbean States receiving 8 seats, Western European and other States receiving 7 seats, and Eastern European States receiving 6 seats which go through a rotating replacement system with each member state serving a term of three years and are not eligible for immediate re-election after serving two consecutive terms. Due to this membership definition there is almost always guaranteed to be heavily weighted with nations from the Arab and Muslim States combined with members of the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) along with a mix of European states of which usually half will vote in favor of any denunciation of Israel concerning the Palestinians, occupied lands, or aggressions against neighboring states or terror groups such as Hamas, Hezballah and Fatah’s al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades. There are usually only about eight to a dozen nations at best which will back Israel against spurious charges which is nowhere near sufficient to prevent the Muslims states and their allies from constantly proposing and voting approvingly for motions condemning Israel for having the audacity to exist.

 

For those who have doubts as to validity of these claims, please research the denunciations by United Nations High Commissioner of Human Rights Navi Pillai over her time in that position and note how few were against any nation other than Israel and then you can go one step further and research the denunciation of the UNHRC and realize how they are weighted beyond belief towards only Israel. In their defense, Syria has been receiving some attention lately but there are others such as China, North Korea, Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Iran, Venezuela, Miramar, Viet Nam and numerous others who barely if ever get denounced despite horrific violations of human rights. The reason has some basis on the fact that Israel is an open society where reporters and inspectors may go about their business without any government interference or the providing of a minder to follow and monitor their every move which causes Israel, like the United States, to receive more attention than some place where a bad report could result in being imprisoned or even murdered. Also, Israel has a pleasant climate and is a great place to holiday while presumably inspecting for human rights violations.

 

So, while you go through your day today, if you find you are having some difficulty or just need a little pick-me-up, just think about Israeli United Nation Ambassador Prosser and remember the grief he will face today and be glad that you have whatever difficulty you are facing, unless you are Ambassador Prosser’s assistant and are attending the review with him. You might even wish to say a prayer asking that Ambassador Prosser be granted super-human patience and a form of serene understanding allowing insults and false accusations to roll off him like water off a duck’s back. Today is one of the many reasons that Ambassador Prosser is paid the big bucks, or big Shekels, though I doubt he was paid sufficiently for this particular day. So, Ambassador Prosser, thank you for all you do and may you be calm under fire and able to resist giving the members of the UNHRC a piece of your or even many of our minds. May your evening find you having a peaceful meal of your favorite dish with a scrumptious dessert. We honor your representing Israel and appreciate your efforts and would stand with you given the chance and are standing with you in spirit and once again, thank you sir.

 

Beyond the Cusp