AUTHOR:G.
DATE:4/12/2003 03:32:00 PM
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BODY: You don’t say!

FBI: Shooting attack at LAX El Al counter ruled terrorist act. Wow those guys at the FBI sure work fast. It took them 9 month to determine something that was so obvious I wrote it a day after the attack happened.

They should have called Mulder and Sculley maybe they could have reach the same conclusion in one episode.

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AUTHOR:G.
DATE:4/12/2003 01:42:00 PM
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BODY: A legitimate claim

There is one basic thing that which is obvious to me but isn’t for non-Israelis. As I see it and I feel many other Israelis do (though I’m just guessing that) is that the West Bank – Judea and Samaria are parts of the Land of Israel which the Jewish people has a rightful legitimate claim on it. We have every damn right to live there exactly the same right as living in Tel Aviv, Haifa, Kiryat Shmona and Eilat. It’s the same land, the land of Israel. If someone thinks that Zionism is a mistake and Jews had no right to return to Israel then it’s obvious he’ll see in Jews settling in Tel Aviv or Hebron the same illegitimacy. Of course He is wrong but that’s another story.

If you believe Zionism is legitimate then there is the same legitimacy for Jews to settle anywhere in our land.

Now I’m not saying the Arabs who lived/lives here (which later decided that they’ll call themselves Palestinians) don’t have a legitimate claim on this land as well. They do. Some of them lived here for hundreds of years so of course they have a claim. Unfortunately Arabs didn’t want to get along with the Jews and the aggression they waged caused the land to be divided.

As I see it Israel has the full right for all of the land but we can’t ignore realty. There is a Palestine majority in the West Bank, they are hostile to us (for obvious reasons, that they brought on them selves) which as I said many times before deserve their own state. Plus it’s in Israel interest to separate from millions of Palestinians.

So Israel is willing to give the Palestinians a state. It will only happen through negotiations, not through violence. One could expect that after numerous defeats the Arabs will get that force will not help them gain anything from Israel. As from 1993 it looked like the Palestinians are choosing the right track. In 2001 Arafat thought it’s time to return to violence, since then the life of the Palestinians have become a living hell.

Cynical joe asked: Israel condemns palestinian violence directed at Israeli civillians, but do Israelis allow that palestinians have a legitimate right to resist the occupation? Do palestinians have the right to resist the occupation with arms? Do Israelis think palestinians who want an independent state have the right to fight IDF occupying the West Bank and Gaza?

My answer: No they have no right to kill Israelis in order to promote their agendas. Israel is willing to give you most/all the land (which Israel has also a right for it) but we won’t do it in any other form than an agreement signed after civilized negotiations without sided violence.

If Arafat indeed thought that the pull out from Lebanon is going to happen again in the West Bank he was wrong simply because Judea and Samaria are part of the Land of Israel which we have a rightful claim on it and south Lebanon isn’t.

So the there is no legitimacy for their terror, certainly not after Israel has proven for 9 years that she is willing to negotiate with them. It’s not easy for both sides but turning into violence will not gain anything for anyone.

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AUTHOR:G.
DATE:4/12/2003 12:52:00 PM
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BODY: Future territorial exchange of land

I would like to refer to a few of the recent comments to my posts:

Cynical joe asked: ” In return for peace is Israel prepared to evacuate all settlers back onto Israel's side of the green line? (approx. 200k )

I assume he was referring to the previous post subject that was the Nusseibeh – Ayalon initiative. According to their statement of principles the border will be set on the basis of June 4, 1967 lines but it will have modifications that will be based on an equitable and agreed-upon territorial exchange (1:1) in accordance with the vital needs of both sides, including security, territorial contiguity, and demographic considerations.

My translation: Settlements blocks near the Green Line will be annexed to Israel and the Palestinian will get equal parts of Israel. Those parts are going to be the Arab towns and villages close to the green line such as the hornet's nest of Umm El Fahm. This is what demographic considerations means. It will have to be a part of any final peace treaty.

About a week ago I heard some ultra leftie Israeli talk on the radio. She was asked how do Israeli Arabs feel about that option of their towns being handed over to the future Palestine state. She said they didn’t like it one bit. They don’t want to be under Palestinian rule and they are outraged by the fact that no one asks them if they want it to happen. That leftie speaker (sorry can’t remember her name but she isn’t a prominent figure) was angry and emphasized the part how come no one asks those Israeli Arabs what they want. I found it rather amusing considering the same leftie groups are calling for immediate and unconditional evacuation of Israeli settlements. They don’t have a problem with routing out thousands of people from their homes without being asked about it, but oh wait you can’t just move change sovereignty and let the people stay where they live. A blunt double standard.

All this switching territories is of course hypothetical to if and when peace comes. But when it will come to that the Palestinians will probably be reluctant for such switching deals. First the Israeli Arabs themselves that as much as they complain on their conditions today - it’s heaven compared to what they’ll get under Palestinian rule. The other reson is that the Palestinians want as many Arabs inside Israel but not one Jew in their would be state. They look forward to the future and see Israel’s Jewish majority fading out and finally reunion of Israel with the Palestinian state.

That doesn’t mean it’s not in our interest to try to cut a deal with them as their chances of getting an Arab majority in Israel are much better without a separate Palestinian state being established. Plus even if there will be a cheerful peace a fence should be erected between the two states. No free uncontrolled move of people. One of today’s problems is that Palestinians from the West Bank freely move inside Israel and settle here permanently. No one knows the exact number but updated estimations are over 200,000 Palestinians who moved to live in Israel.

So back to cynical joe’s question – no Not all the settlements will be evacuated. Those who will be annexed will be switched by Arab villages inside Israel – a double gain for Israel.

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AUTHOR:G.
DATE:4/08/2003 09:03:00 PM
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BODY: HaMifkad HaLeumi - Update

Well it looks like Sari Nusseibeh and Ami Ayalon are going to get their initiative into high gear soon. As I said in my previous post about it they are probably waiting to the end of the war in Iraq.

Ha’aretz reports today that Nusseibeh and Ayalon are going to meet with the Israeli president Moshe Katsav on Monday. According to Ha’aretz the two are going to show the president their declaration of principles and “ask him to publicly give his blessings to any Israeli-Palestinian initiative, such as theirs, that tries to find a solution to the bloody conflict.”

Ha’aretz is of course praising president Katsav on his courageous move of trying to push such an initiative without Sharon’s approval (this piece is written on the opinion section of Ha’aretz).

To those of you that don’t know the president in Israel has a symbolic roll, nothing more. But non the less to me it looks is a very positive move though being symbolic with no real immediate meaning.

Thomas Nephew discusses Nusseibeh and Ayalon plan in his blog and also thinks it’s a good initiative (though he looks to be a bit misinformed describing Barak’s offer in Camp David when comparing it to this initiative).

Hamifkad Haleumi - website

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AUTHOR:G.
DATE:4/08/2003 08:30:00 PM
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BODY: Update II - American planes passing over Israel to Iraq

I n today’s Ma’ariv senior commentator Dan Margalit writes in an incidental manner: “…and what if an American bomber, one of those we hear at nights, would have crashed on a house in Israel…”

So it’s not only me.

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AUTHOR:G.
DATE:4/08/2003 08:21:00 PM
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BODY: Being semi-optimistic

Ha’aretz: “Newly appointed Palestinian prime minister Mahmoud Abbas (Abu Mazen) intends to bring about a shift from terror and armed resistance to a diplomatic process, Military Intelligence Chief Brigadier General Aharon Ze'evi said Tuesday at a Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee meeting. According to Ze'evi, Abu Mazen intends to rehabilitate the Fatah to serve as a link between the Palestinian public and the Palestinian Authority and to rid the security apparatuses of radical Islamic elements and individuals involved in terrorist activities. Ze'evi said that Abu Mazen plans to neutralize the terrorist organizations' branches abroad, especially in Syria, and the new prime minister also plans to fight corruption.”

And not so optimistic:

”According to Ze'evi's estimate, alongside the chances of success for the new Palestinian government - which will also be comprised of Mohammed Dahlan and Salam Fayyad - there are chances that Palestinian Authority Chairman Yasser Arafat will underminine Abu Mazen. The military intelligence chief said that another threat to the Palestinian government's success is that lessons learned in the past will be forgotten, and that Palestinians will not halt terrorist attacks or dismantle terror bases. Ze'evi also warned of the threat of another conflict erupting after damaged infrastructure is rehabilitated. Ze'evi noted that Abu Mazen's strategic objectives are similar to those of Arafat in that both want to establish a Palestinian state along the 1967 borders, including East Jerusalem. Both also advocate the right of return.”

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AUTHOR:G.
DATE:4/08/2003 06:55:00 PM
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BODY: New blogs to read

Tova an Aussie Jew started blogging just recently and already has a few good posts. I’ll be following her blog Avot (As in ancestors?). Pay her a visit.

Jared is a 22-year-old American who's making Aliyah this summer, he says my blog among other Israeli blogs have prompted him to start his own blog, which he’ll use as a diary of his Aliyah. I’m puzzled how people are making Aliyah in these days harsh reality in Israel.

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AUTHOR:G.
DATE:4/08/2003 01:24:00 PM
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BODY: Not in this blog

I’m getting sick tired of some of the comments people leave here. I will not allow anyone suggest that current events between Israel and the Palestinians are similar to the atrocities committed by the Nazis.

I never made comparisons or analogies between the Palestinians and the Nazis, because there aren't. There is also no base for the opposite – comparing Israel acts to those of the Nazis. Those who do such comparisons know nothing about the Holocaust and the Nazi’s horrible inhuman acts.

Such analogies, that unfortunately some readers made here, are depreciating the memory of the Holocaust. I had to ban 2 readers in the previous comment thread. Do not force me to ban you.

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