Israel's Leaders: When will they ever Learn?

In 2003, the late Israeli political activist, thinker and commentator Shmuel Katz penned an essay entitled "Sharon's Egregious Blunder"  bemoaning then-Prime Minister Ariel Sharon's determination to nursemaid into existence a "demilitarized" and severely limited Palestinian state.  According to Katz, the very idea of a state accepting permanent limitations on its sovereignty along the lines of Sharon's vision (and presumably current P.M. Netanyahu's as well) was the height of political naivete and, if implemented, would lead only to heartache and bitter recrimination:

If Israel were to reach the nadir of political inanity of actually helping to establish a state for the Palestinian Arabs, the Arabs would reject with all vigor the idea that their state would be hobbled by a denial of major armaments. No less emphatic would be the hostile reaction of a large segment of the European and other nations.

Even friends, appalled and distressed, would find themselves bound, albeit reluctantly, to deplore such a limitation of sovereignty. They would find it intolerable.

For the Arabs the military issue is doubly critical. First because the very idea of demilitarization would be regarded as a blow to their honor; second, because a sovereign state has never been the ultimate purpose of Arab policy. The purpose is the destruction of Israel. A state could represent only the penultimate 'phase' in the policy of phases. It could be the staging ground - with a large and variegated arsenal - for the 'final phase.'

That is the original Arab game plan. 

Arabs made their purpose clear from the very beginning of Israel's existence. In the UN debate on Palestine in November 1947 which led to the partition plan, Jamal Husseini, the spokesman of the Arab League States (there was no entity called Palestinians) announced that the Arabs would not tolerate the existence of a Jewish state in Palestine. The UN partition plan actually also offered them a state. They brushed the offer aside, rejected the plan, and on the morrow of the British government's departurefrom Palestine, the Arab states launched their war for the annihilation of the infant Jewish state.

Nineteen years later, when the Arab leaders calculated again that they could win, they launched what became the Six Day War. The leader of the Arab coalition, president Gamal Abdel Nasser of Egypt, confidently, repeatedly and vociferously announced its aim. 'The liquidation of Israel' he declared 'will be liquidation through violence. We shall enter a Palestine not covered with sand, but soaked in blood.' This is pounded out every Friday in the mosques. It is part of textbooks in the Arab schools and is the highlight of political speeches in the Muslim world.

If the Arab objective is achieved, the sovereign state of Palestine could join the Arab League. There, a pact for mutual security exists. Any Arab state attacked may call on the other members of the League to come to its assistance. A ready-made casus belli exists: The Arabs have long laid it down that the very existence of Zionism is an 'aggression.'

Does it not seem that Katz's words are as true today as they were 7 years ago?  Perhaps it is not too late for Israel's leaders to heed them.

The Coming Obamafada

by Scott Italiaander

Our feckless President is apparently not content to merely confuse our allies and seek to appease our rivals and enemies.  Now he has managed to significantly weaken the strategic position of our greatest ally, Israel, vis a vis its already hostile Arab and Persian neighbors.  By prematurely pushing Israel into peace talks with the weak and disingenuous  Palestinian Authority president Mahmoud Abbas, he ensured that those talks would fail and that Israel would be held responsible for the collapse.  

The whole world knew before the start of "peace" talks just weeks before the expiration of Israel P.M. Bibi Netanyahu's 10-month freeze on building in the West Bank settlements that Abbas would break off the talks if the freeze wasn't extended indefinitely.  And the world knew that Netanyahu would be forced into deciding whether to play the spoiler of those talks.  It is a virtual certainty that Obama intentionally put Bibi in the no-win position of either (1) caving to American pressure to extend the freeze, thus putting him at odds with his own ministers and voter base in the Likud; or (2) caving in to domestic pressure and letting the freeze expire, thus putting the P.M. crosswise with the international community.

Well, Netanyahu seems to have made his choice:  the building moratorium expired at midnight Sunday without action by Netanyahu or his security cabinet.  And, according to the pro-Israel intelligence website Debkafile.org., Abbas has left the talks, as threatened.  The predictable results are already being felt:

The breakdown of the talks was widely predicted by every seasoned Middle East hand. Many political observers therefore wonder: What was the point of filling the air waves for 26 days with the extravagantly upbeat phrases heard from Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton, Binyamin Netanyahu and Ehud Barak calling the process "a historic opportunity for peace in the region?" The letdown was inevitable and leaves none of them looking good.

Perhaps the last word has not been said. Washington may go back for another try to restart the talks in a few weeks or months, but the process has already had a negative impact in the region, hardening the moderates and strengthening the rejectionists:

1. Israel is bracing for a fresh round of terror in the light of Hamas threats;

2.  The feuding Fatah and Hamas are talking again, a process that will force Mahmoud Abbas into continuing to harden his posture;

3. Egypt and Israel have drawn apart on the Palestinian issue;

4. Cairo and Damascus have begun talks to bury the hatchet.

All four developments are a triumph for the Middle East radical camp and strengthen the hands of Hizballah and Hamas.

So, Obama has finally notched his first real foreign policy victory: by teeing up the media narrative that Israel's failure to extend the freeze was the proximate cause of the talks' collapse he simultaneously (further) isolated Netanyahu and his government, handed Israel's enemies a club with which to beat up the Jewish State and drove a wedge between Israel and the so-called moderate Arab States, which have apparently decided to make common cause with Syria, Iran, Hamas and Hezbollah.  The hapless, self-righteous Jimmy Carter could have never pulled off such a feat.


Already on Sunday, a Jewish woman was shot by "gunmen" (code for "Arab terrorist" in mediaspeak) near Hebron, thankfully not fatally for mother or child.  But one can reasonably expect increasing violence and murder  of Jews in the weeks and months to follow, thanks in large part to the fallout from the so-called peace talks forced upon Israel and their predictable failure.  


Perhaps it is not premature to honor Obama's great success by labeling the next round of violence against Jews the "Obamafada."

Jimmy Carter: Southern for "Pompous Jerk."

The headline I wanted to use was "Jimmy Carter: "What a Jew-Hating Prick!"  But then I thought that would be unfair to pricks.

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

"Obamacare: The Sequel"

Dr. Scott W. Atlas, professor at Stanford University Medical Center and a Senior Fellow at the Hoover Institution, predicts a last gasp effort by the doomed Democrat majority to drive a nail in the coffin of
the private health insurance industry and perhaps severely restrict the ability of the nations' doctors to practice medicine as they see fit.  :

When Congress passed the health legislation plan that the president sought, it radically changed health care in the United States and audaciously imposed a strong-armed federal government onto perhaps the most personal of all segments of American life. In the ensuing months, the opposition has tried to understand what it can do when governmental power is enacted despite the will of the people. Legal battles questioning the constitutionality of the legislation are already under way in more than 20 states. Political activists are targeting the rogue politicians who flaunted their own agenda in the face of the constituents who elected them in the first place. But indications are that this Congress and this administration may not care what the American public wants. Ultimately, they may be prepared to commit political suicide in a last-ditch effort to push their unwanted agenda on the nation.


Scary stuff, indeed. 

A Whole Lotta Mama Grizzlies.

“Fire From the Heartland: The Awakening of the Conservative Woman" was previewed at the Redstate.com gathering in Austin this past weekend.  According to Redstate, the film is a must-see for every citizen concerned with the direction of our country.

It will premiere on Wednesday, September 22nd, in Washington, DC.  Here's the trailer:

 If If you cannot see the embedded video, view trailer here.

"The Power of Ten"

Whatever you think of Newt Gingrich's presidential aspirations, there is no denying that (unlike Karl Rove and others like him) he is no Inside the Beltway establishment groupthinker.  After all, Newt is the guy who pulled off what at the time was the greatest outside political shot of its kind--the Revolution of 1994.

Newt is not the mercurial firebrand he was 16 years ago, but this self-styled historian still has an unerring sense of history and a passion for crafting policy solutions. He also knows a once-in-a-generation political moment when he sees one.

I know you are voting this November. But you may want to also consider giving Newt's Power of Ten a try:

(If you cannot view the video, please click here.)

Where else but Israel?

Please watch this 6 minute video, and ask yourself where else but in Israel would this touching reunion have happened. After watching, please go to Honestreporting.com and sign up for their email alerts.

Mike Pence: Give 'em Hell in November!

By Connie Hair, Human Events, 9/12/10

The 9-12 Taxpayer March on Washington in the nation's capitol Sunday began at the Washington Monument and concluded at the Capitol building where thousands in attendance heard from grassroots conservative leaders like former House Majority Leader Dick Armey (R-Texas), Erick Erickson of RedState.com (an HE sister publication) and Andrew Breitbart of BigGovernment.com.

Rep. Mike Pence (R-Ind.), Chairman of the House Republican Conference spoke at the rally where people from around the country again made their presence known on Capitol Hill by the thousands.
Pence's remarks as prepared for delivery:
"I'm Mike Pence. I'm from Indiana. Welcome back to your nation's Capitol!

"I'm sure the press is going to focus on the numbers again, at this and other 9-12 events. But the only numbers that really matter are 51, 218 and 1.

“In 51 days, there will not be 218 Democrats left in Congress, and one liberal from San Francisco will no longer be Speaker of the House!

“The truth is there is nothing that ails this government that could not be solved by paying more careful attention to the principles enshrined in the Constitution of the United States.

“And the Pelosi-led Congress is about to get a crash course in the Constitution, especially the meaning of ‘consent of the governed.’

“We, the governed,

• Do NOT consent to a government takeover of health care and will not rest until we repeal Obamacare -- lock, stock and barrel!
• We do NOT consent to runaway federal spending by either political party. And we demand an end to the borrowing, spending and bailouts once and for all!
• We do NOT consent to one more failed stimulus bill. The American people know we can’t borrow and spend our way back to a growing economy.
• We do NOT consent to higher taxes on any American in the worst economy in 25 years. When did higher taxes ever get anybody hired?

“No American should face a tax increase in January …not one. We will not compromise our economy to accommodate the class warfare rhetoric of this administration.

“You know, it is becoming more clear every day (to paraphrase one of my heroes) that a recession is when your neighbor loses his job, a depression is when you lose your job and recovery is when Nancy Pelosi loses her job!

“You have come to our nation’s Capitol at a historic moment in the life of this still-young republic.

“A nation conceived in liberty has come of age in bondage to big government. We've lost respect in the world. We are going broke. The American dream is dying and our social and cultural fabric is unraveling.
"People are scared. If we do not succeed in November, all that once was good and great about this country could someday be gone.
"But we will remember in this November and every November to come, not only our rights under the Constitution, but our duty to defend them.
“November 2nd is not about controlling the reins of power. It is about reining in the power!

“America is not about free stuff; it is about freedom.

“But this is the moment, now is the time, to take your stand for what makes this country great.

“And as you take to the field in the next 51 days to do freedom’s work, know this: you will not fight alone.

“Engraved on the Liberty Bell are words of admonition from an ancient text. It reads, ‘Proclaim liberty throughout all the land and unto all the inhabitants thereof.’ The Old Book also says, ‘Where the spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty.’

“Translation: when we proclaim liberty, when we do freedom’s work, we make His work our very own.

“Men and women of the 9-12 March, the time has come to take our stand. We must not be afraid, and we must fight for what has always been the source of American greatness: our faith in God and our freedom.

“And if we hold that banner high, I believe with all my heart the good and great people of this land will rally to our cause.

“We will win this Congress back in 2010 and win this country back in 2012 so help us God.
“Remember in November, and let’s give them a November they’ll never forget!”

A Christian Speaks Out about a Divided Jerusalem

Dividing Jerusalem 

By MIKE EVANS

Minister Benjamin Netanyahu approached the peace talks in Washington last week uttering words and phrases we’ve not heard from him before, i.e., “President Abbas, you are my partner…I see in you a partner for peace…I am fully aware and I respect your people’s desire for sovereignty.” 


The questions are myriad, “Is he simply trying to appease President Obama before it becomes necessary to attack Iran? Is relinquishing part of the West Bank compulsory in order to acquire approval from the Obama administration for a direct strike on Iran’s nuclear facilities? Will he include Judea and Samaria in his talks with Abbas?” After all, Mr. Netanyahu uttered the dreaded words “concede territory.” Perhaps for the first time in his political career he is walking in the footsteps of those prime ministers before him. 


His nemesis, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, is to lead the next round of peace talks between Israel and the Palestinians in Jerusalem, starting September 15. The setting dramatically focuses attention on the core issue of Jerusalem, particularly after Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak announced his plan to re-divide the city in an eventual peace deal. 


Barak set tongues wagging in March, when he told Al-Jazeera that some Jerusalem neighborhoods might become part of a Palestinian capital. "We can find a formula under which certain neighborhoods, heavily populated Arab neighborhoods, could become, in a peace agreement, part of the Palestinian capital that, of course, will include also the neighboring villages around Jerusalem," Barak said. 


This assertion was not surprising, given Barak’s record. When he was prime minister, he pulled the Israel Defense Forces out of Lebanon, proposed giving the Golan Heights back to Syria, and even offered the late and unlamented Yasser Arafat the Temple Mount. 


Barak’s “solution” for Jerusalem, as he floated it again on September 1: "West Jerusalem and 12 Jewish neighborhoods that are home to 200,000 residents will be ours. The Arab neighborhoods in which close to a quarter million Palestinians live will be theirs. There will be a special regime in place along with agreed upon arrangements in the Old City, the Mount of Olives, and the City of David." 


Is this the same Ehud Barak, who as prime minister publicly declared on Jerusalem Day, in June 2000—marking the city’s reunification in the Six Day War—that Israel’s sovereign capital would never again be divided? 


"Jerusalem shall forever remain ours, because it is in our souls. Never again will Jerusalem be under foreign sovereignty. Only someone who has no sense of reality, who does not understand anything about Israel's yearning and longing and the Jewish people's historical connection to Jerusalem for over 3,000 years would even consider making any concessions over the city," Barak said a decade ago. 


The topic of a united Jerusalem has bound the Jewish people together for some 3,000 years. It stands as the eternal, undivided City of God. It was King David’s capital and housed both the First and Second Temples whose only remains is the Western Wall where the Jewish people gather to pray each day. 


Between 1948 and 1967, under Jordanian oversight, conditions in Jerusalem were deplorable, even by medieval standards. Jews were barred from worshiping at the Western Wall, the Jewish quarter in the old city was destroyed, and synagogues were demolished. Three-fourths of the tombstones in the Mount of Olives Cemetery were ripped out and used to build a hotel and to pave a path leading to army latrines. Many Christians were denied access to their revered Holy sites. 


Having experienced Arab rule in part of Jerusalem, why would Ehud Barak again want to subject the Jewish people and Christians worldwide to such indignity? Israeli prime ministers have allowed themselves to be dragged from one bargaining table to another and have been forced to give up land for a peace that has never materialized. The only thing the Jewish people received from the Palestinians has been two intifadas, terrorist attacks too numerous to recount, civilians maimed and slaughtered, and the disdain of the world at large. 


Ehud Barak has tried before to give Jerusalem to the Palestinians. Will his plan prevail at the bargaining table? Which Ehud Barak is the real one regarding Jerusalem? Maybe this doesn’t matter; maybe Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has the same position today as he stated at the Jerusalem Conference in January 2009: 


“We have demonstrated in the past, and will continue to demonstrate our commitment to a complete, undivided Jerusalem... Everyone knows what will happen if we were to leave those areas and divide Jerusalem. Someone will enter—and that someone will be Hamas.” 


Jerusalem has been a bone in the throat of the world. It is one of the most ancient capitals not recognized as a capital. International leaders think they can play a tune and Israel will respond like a cobra in the basket of a snake charmer. There is no fear of being bitten. They should beware the venom of the cobra. 


The ancient prophet Zachariah cried out, “I will make Jerusalem a cup that will send all the surrounding people reeling … an immovable rock for all nations. All who try to move it will injure themselves.” 


Mike Evans is a New York Times bestselling author, most recently of Atomic Iran.

A Cautionary Note from Erick Erickson

The founder and head honcho of Redstate.com--the conservative activist website-- reminds us that notwithstanding some impressive primary victories conservatives have won nothing---yet.

In the face of petty feuds and squabbles among Republicans in the wake of primary upsets, etc., Erick urges conservatives and moderate Republicans alike to act like grownups and unite to defeat Democrats in November.

Erick has his finger on the pulse of the conservative movement.  His words ought to be heeded.