AUTHOR:G.
DATE:10/05/2002 09:14:00 PM
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Now that’s an amazing photo
This is Israel’s new tank the Merkava mark 4. The photo look authentic but I don’t know its source, I saw it in different Israeli discussions groups without any credit.
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AUTHOR:G.
DATE:10/05/2002 01:36:00 PM
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If you didn’t notice Jerusalem is the capital of Israel
Earlier this week American Congress called the Bush administration to move the U.S embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. The usual excuse for not moving the embassy is that “the final status of Jerusalem should be set through negotiations between Israel and the Palestinians”. This is just a miserable excuse covering long time subservience to Arab countries. If relocating the embassy awaits the final status of Jerusalem to be decided what the hell the American consulate (no embassy for there is no Palestinian state yet) for Palestinian affaires is doing in Jerusalem? What I understand from it that Jerusalem is a Palestinian city and the Jews just settled there temporarily until they’ll be evacuated.
I’m not expecting from the Americans or any other country to set it’s embassy to Israel in East Jerusalem, but what is the problem putting it in West Jerusalem that is under Israeli rule (or maybe under Israeli occupation?) since the birth of the state in 1948.
Another excuse is that the UN to divide the land to a Jewish and Arab country (map) also called for Jerusalem to be internationalized (“corpus separatum”). As you probably know the Jews accepted the plan, the Arabs rejected it and attacked the newly born (by UN decision) state of Israel. That shameful decision cost the Arabs to lose land.
On 5 December, 1949, Israel’s first Prime Minister, David Ben Gurion made an announcement in the Knesset regarding Jerusalem and the holy places, in reaction to the UN proposal that the city be internationalized. Ben Gurion declared that "Jewish Jerusalem is an integral and inseparable part of the State of Israel, just as it is an inseparable part of the history of Israel, the faith of Israel and the spirit of our people." (from the Knesset site).
So maybe countries that refuse to locate their embassies in Jerusalem, because it contradicts the Un original plan, desire to see Israel shrink to the borders that were set in that decision? Dream on!
Just for the record I'll add that there are only two honest countries that their embassies are located in Jerusalem: Costa Rica and El Salvador.
It’s obvious that Jerusalem is the Capital of Israel. The government and the Knesset are in Jerusalem and a few hundred thousands Jews live there. I can understand that some people will argue the fate of East Jerusalem but the West part is clearly Israeli and any Arab claim for it is just fantasy. So why do countries cave in to an Arab demand that really has no grip in reality and further more is not backed by any concrete claims other then to drive the Jews to the sea.
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AUTHOR:G.
DATE:10/05/2002 11:45:00 AM
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It’s my birthday today. I'm 24.
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AUTHOR:G.
DATE:10/03/2002 08:29:00 PM
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Horny suicide bombers
A couple of days ago they had an item on Israeli Channel 2 news that showed a co production television show of the Hamas and Hizballah about Palestinian suicide bomber’s mothers. The Hizballah host interviewed some of those stupid mothers that knew that their son is going to kill him self and even appeared in his pre death video will. They said all the regular bullshit about going to heaven and so on. One of the mothers said she is happy because she knows her son is enjoying himself with 73 virgins. Yes 73 not 72. I wonder if they raised the number because 72 virgins are not tempting enough for young hormones washed Muslims or maybe the mother just confused. Probably it was the mother not aware that the number is 72.
When I come to think about it I never read or watched a serious discussion about the role of horniness to the suicide bombers decision to blow them selves up. I’m serious here. Men are driven by hormones all around the world and most suicide bombers are young men with lust burning in them. They live in a religious old fashioned society so they probably aren’t free to go freely after girls or even just to have a glimpse on women who are not covered head to toe. My bet is that the promise of 72 virgins waiting for them is one of the strongest motive if not the number one motive for them to blow their selves up, they just want to get laid. Here is an idea for the European Union: Maybe you should hire hookers and set up free brothels (funded with European tax payer’s money) in the Palestinian cities. That way eager horny Palestinians can get “blown” by nice prostitutes instead of blowing themselves up. How’s that for an original idea?
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AUTHOR:G.
DATE:10/01/2002 10:48:00 AM
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Looking for incentives for the Palestinians?
One of the readers (Kalle Westman) over at Tal G. comments section asked: How do you expect any Palestinian in official position to actively support this (neutralize Hamas and other terror organizations. G.S) while there is no progress? Practically this can be only achieved by real incentives combined with external, read US, involvement. These two simple conditions has been delayed and refused by the Israeli government. Why? How to go forward?
If I’m reading Kalle correctly he is implying that first Israel needs to make concessions like withdrawal from Palestinian cities, evacuate settlements and give land to the Palestinians and only then they would have a reason to deal with the terrorists. I think that if Israel will do so it will only increase terror, this is an incentive Israel cannot offer.
The incentive for the Palestinian (which Israel offers but it’s not enough for the Palestinian) is to get back their normal life: IDF pulling out of their cities, a chance to rebuild their infrastructures, to rebuild their economy, to be able to move freely and without checkpoints from one village to another, to end the curfews, to restore trade with Israelis, to get work permits in Israel and so on. Basically the incentive is to get their life back to the level it was 2 years ago, which was the best they ever had. I’m sure each and every Palestinian wishes things would be as they were before Arafat led them to disaster. The biggest incentive will be to get back to the negotiating table with Israel. It can only be done when terror stops. Making concessions under fire will not us to peace. When the Palestinians will see that their terror campaign is fruitful they never stop it.
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AUTHOR:G.
DATE:9/30/2002 11:01:00 PM
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Greatest of mistakes, a decisive error
Arafat’s deputy Abu Mazen seems to get the point. Yesterday he said that the resort to weaponry was the "greatest of mistakes, a decisive error" for the Palestinians, and that they should henceforth conduct their struggle for independence with peaceful means. Abu Mazen acknowledges that the Palestinians (meaning Arafat, but he doesn’t say it) made crucial mistakes, ”the decisive one was turning to the use of weaponry against Israel." The result, he continued, was "the destruction of the Palestinian economy and fatal harm to the infrastructure, and the Palestinian people are suffering. Everything has been demolished, and we must begin rebulding anew."
Although Abu Mazen is number 2 in the Palestinian Authority he can’t make any changes because all the power is the hands of loony Yasser. This is why Arafat must go. Only then the growing understanding among Palestinians, that they chose the wrong path, could be implemented into the form of ceasefire.
There is all kind of plotting goes in the Palestinian Authority to replace Arafat or force him to share power. Abu Mazen is one of the leading figures in that move. He pissed of Arafat a few days ago when he and 13 other senior members of the Central Committee and the Revolutionary Council of the Fatah who sent Arafat a letter demanding that he appoint a prime minister and order the breakup of the armed groups in the Fatah, the Hamas and other organizations. Arafat didn’t like it, his loyal goons threatened the senders of the letter and that was the end of that interesting initiative. Abu Mazen fled to the Persian Golf but according to reports Yasser forgave him when the siege ended. For more information on Palestinian inner politics read Ha’aretz: Of treason, loyalty and a forest of guns and Mideast: On Target: Palestinian Power Politics.
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AUTHOR:G.
DATE:9/29/2002 05:53:00 PM
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Rotten apple named Arafat
Israel caved in to massive American pressure, the IDF withdrew from the Muqata and Arafat celebrated his “victory”. As I wrote a couple of days ago Sharon decided not to piss off Bush and Israel had to stop the siege without any of her demands fulfilled.
The Muqata siege probably wasn’t the smartest move but I don’t think it was catastrophic or anything like it. The compound was completely demolished and Arafat suffered another blow. Okay so he gained back world attention and even some sympathy but if you remember it was the same after the first siege over his compound. What happened then? Arafat was in the headlines for a short time and then the media lost interest and Arafat lost all the attention he got and went back to his miserable daily existence. It’s going to happen this time as well. He is enjoying is 15 minutes of glory and they will soon be over.
When all the fuss is over it will be clear that Arafat suffered another blow on his way down. Arafat is like a rotten apple that refuse to fall down from the tree. The recent operation was another shaking of the tree in order to weaken the grip of this rotten apple, eventually it will drop.
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AUTHOR:G.
DATE:9/29/2002 05:25:00 PM
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Looking back after two years
Ze’ev Schiff sums up the last two year in a short but well written article:
”…Why didn't Arafat order an end to the armed conflict after a short time? He delivered such an order in 1996 after the opening of the Western Wall Tunnel in Jerusalem sparked violent riots, and many people were killed.
There is no doubt that Arafat controlled the Palestinian street in autumn 2000 - and yet despite his control, the military conflict erupted to claim many victims on both sides. Why didn't Arafat put an end to the military conflict at a point when it would have been relatively easy for him to start up a second round of negotiations? Why did he prolong the violent stand-off? Did he really think he could defeat Israel?…
…I asked a Palestinian figure to sum up the Palestinians' achievements in the armed confrontation up to this point. He replied - while it's true that the Palestinians have their backs to the wall, they nonetheless have notched two major accomplishments. In the beginning, there was one dead Israeli for every 11 dead Palestinians, whereas today the ratio is 3 dead Palestinians for each killed Israeli. The second gain is Israel's abysmal status in world opinion.
Yet when viewed in purely strategic terms, Palestinian gains must be seen in an entirely different light. Arafat's strategic goal was to use force to compel Israel to make concessions. Since Israel did not initiate the conflict, its objectives must be viewed largely in terms of stopping the Palestinians from attaining their strategic goal. Israel's primary decision has been not to embrace concessions pressured by the use of terror against it. Though a majority of the Israeli public believes that a Palestinian state should arise alongside Israel, most also believe that such statehood should arise as a result of negotiation and agreements.
Clearly, the armed conflict has not brought the Palestinians closer to attaining their dream of an independent state whose capital is East Jerusalem. This realization of this dream has been deferred on account of the military conflict which the Palestinians initiated. It is also clear that any future negotiations will be tougher going for the Palestinians. Israelis will justifiably be far more suspicious.”
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AUTHOR:G.
DATE:9/29/2002 01:14:00 AM
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Two years of Palestinian stupidity
”GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip (AP) - Sending balloons rather than bullets into the sky, thousands of Palestinians demonstrated on the second anniversary of their uprising against Israel, even as two more died in clashes with Israeli troops.”
Today (Saturday) the Palestinians marked the second anniversary of their terror campaign against Israel with marches and rallies in the West Bank and Gaza. I’m not sure why did they bother to mark this miserable event. By the Palestinians could have had an Independent state if they hadn’t rejected Clinton’s plan and chose to try to squeeze more consents out of Israel using terror and bloodshed. By now most of the Palestinians know they’ve made a bad decision. In his worst dreams I’m sure Arafat didn’t predict that he will lead his people to this miserable situation and that the fighting will last so long. In 1996 only two days of Palestinian outbreak of violence were enough to get Hebron handed over. Arafat probably thought that if it took only 2 days to get one city a month or two tops will be get the Israelis to surrender to all of his demands.
Over in the sane part of the Middle East, Israel, There were no special event to mark the day (except for one rally of Arab Israelis). And why should we mark the day? We know we didn’t start this campaign and we are certain in the way we chose to defend our selves but there is no reason to mark the beginning of the Palestinian terror attack. We don’t worship death in Israel, we love and appreciate life as opposed to the other side. When the day comes and the terror campaign will end, then it will be a day to commemorate.
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