1. Moussawi Denied Entry to UK
by Avraham Zuroff
After mounting pressure to deny entry of a senior Lebanese member of the Hizbullah terrorist group from entering British borders, the UK’s Home Office denied an entry visa on Friday to Ibrahim Moussawi.
Britain’s Home Secretary, Jacqui Smith, faced growing pressure to deny Moussawi’s visa, after details of his intended visit were first published in the British Daily Mail last month. Despite the newly-appointed Hizbullah media relations director’s anti-Semitic background, Moussawi had been allowed into the UK to speak publicly in December 2007 and February 2008.
British officials granted senior Hizbullah member Moussawi a visa to visit the country on Thursday, and revoked it the next day. Moussawi intended to lecture at a conference on political Islam at the University of London on March 25.
Secretary Smith revoked the entry permit after critics said his entry would represent a “double standard” in visa refusals. Dutch MP Geert Wilders had previously been banned from presenting his film about Islam extremism, Fitna, out of concern that it would threaten “community harmony.” Conservatives stated that Smith’s ban of people who threaten community harmony while allowing in members of terrorist groups would emit the wrong message.
The British government granted Moussawi a permit to visit Britain in 2008, as well. During that visit he appeared at events sponsored by the British group Stop the War.
Moussawi, who has been quoted as calling Jews “a lesion of the forehead of history” and justifying attacks on Israeli civilians, insists that he is not an anti-Semite. “I'm a bridge-builder and I've always been an advocate of dialogue and discussion,” he claimed in response to criticism of an earlier visit.
Moussawi also edits Al Manar, Hizbullah’s weekly paper. In the past, he served as political editor of Hizbullah TV, which has been banned in the United States as well as some European Union nations due to its anti-Semitic content.
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by Avraham Zuroff
After mounting pressure to deny entry of a senior Lebanese member of the Hizbullah terrorist group from entering British borders, the UK’s Home Office denied an entry visa on Friday to Ibrahim Moussawi.
Britain’s Home Secretary, Jacqui Smith, faced growing pressure to deny Moussawi’s visa, after details of his intended visit were first published in the British Daily Mail last month. Despite the newly-appointed Hizbullah media relations director’s anti-Semitic background, Moussawi had been allowed into the UK to speak publicly in December 2007 and February 2008.
British officials granted senior Hizbullah member Moussawi a visa to visit the country on Thursday, and revoked it the next day. Moussawi intended to lecture at a conference on political Islam at the University of London on March 25.
Secretary Smith revoked the entry permit after critics said his entry would represent a “double standard” in visa refusals. Dutch MP Geert Wilders had previously been banned from presenting his film about Islam extremism, Fitna, out of concern that it would threaten “community harmony.” Conservatives stated that Smith’s ban of people who threaten community harmony while allowing in members of terrorist groups would emit the wrong message.
The British government granted Moussawi a permit to visit Britain in 2008, as well. During that visit he appeared at events sponsored by the British group Stop the War.
Moussawi, who has been quoted as calling Jews “a lesion of the forehead of history” and justifying attacks on Israeli civilians, insists that he is not an anti-Semite. “I'm a bridge-builder and I've always been an advocate of dialogue and discussion,” he claimed in response to criticism of an earlier visit.
Moussawi also edits Al Manar, Hizbullah’s weekly paper. In the past, he served as political editor of Hizbullah TV, which has been banned in the United States as well as some European Union nations due to its anti-Semitic content.
Comment on this story
2. Sun Nite Deadline on Shalit Deal
by Hana Levi Julian
Sunday night will be the last chance for Hamas to reach a prisoner swap deal with Israel for the return of kidnapped IDF soldier Gilad Shalit, according to a senior source in the Prime Minister's Office.
The Cabinet is set to meet Monday for a special session to discuss the matter and vote on any deal the terrorist group might propose. On Tuesday, Prime Minister-designate Binyamin Netanyahu will present his new coalition to the Knesset for approval.
"This is the final effort," said a senior source in the Prime Minister's Office. There is time until Sunday night to reach a deal." He emphasized that there is also a chance "it can get stuck," warning that there is still no breakthrough.
Shalit's father, Noam, was equally cautious. "We know what everyone else knows, and we're still unclear about the significance of what's going on," he said. Speaking from the protest tent across from the Prime Minister's residence in Jerusalem, where he has spent the last seven days, the elder Shalit said that other than hearing that the Israeli envoys had returned to Cairo, he had "heard nothing."
History of Last-Minute Disappointments
Hamas has torpedoed every agreement advanced thus far by Israel, insisting that the Jewish State free hundreds of convicted murderers with "blood on their hands," including many whose release is unacceptable to the government.
Since Shalit was captured on June 25, 2006, there have been numerous attempts by Arab and other international leaders to negotiate a deal for his freedom.
Each time agreement on the terms approached, Hamas found a last-minute reason to back away, usually blaming Israel for not including top terrorists on the prisoner exchange list, and increasing the number of those whose freedom was demanded.
"In this tango, there are always fears that we are moving one step forward and one step back, or two steps forward and then three steps back," Noam Shalit pointed out. "But it ain't over till it's over," he added.
Shalit recommended that Hamas accept the current proposal, "because they won't be receiving a better deal from the Netanyahu-Lieberman government."
Current Deal: Includes 450 Killers, Expulsion for Some
Most recently, Hamas has demanded the release of 1,000 Palestinian Authority prisoners being held in Israeli jails, including hundreds who have been convicted of murdering Israelis and others in terror attacks.
Although there is a media blackout on the specifics of the negotiations, various foreign sources are reporting that 450 prisoners with "blood on their hands" are to be freed if the deal goes through. These include convicted murderers and masterminds of suicide bombings whose freedom was demanded by Hamas.
In the first stage of implementation, Shalit would be transferred to Egyptian custody, and 300 PA prisoners would be freed from Israeli jails. Shalit's parents would fly to Egypt to meet their son there.
In the second stage, another 150 prisoners would be freed, and Shalit would be returned to Israel. The remaining 550 prisoners would be released once Shalit is back in the Jewish State.
Remaining Points of Contention
In addition to disagreement over which convicted murderers Israel will allow to go free, there is a question over which murderers the Jewish State will insist on expelling from within its current borders, which encompass Gaza, Judea and Samaria.
Hamas reportedly has balked at the idea of expelling any of the prisoners at all. An Egyptian source also noted "there are still disagreements on the names of prisoners to be released."
Israel Security Agency (Shin Bet) Director Yuval Diskin joined outgoing Prime Minister Ehud Olmert's envoy Ofer Dekel last week for three days of talks with Hamas terrorists, brokered by Egyptian intelligence officials in Cairo.
The two Israeli envoys returned Friday to Jerusalem to brief Olmert on the talks, and then traveled back to Cairo Saturday night to resume the discussions. Prime Minister-elect Netanyahu has been updated on the developments as well.
Comment on this story
by Hana Levi Julian
Sunday night will be the last chance for Hamas to reach a prisoner swap deal with Israel for the return of kidnapped IDF soldier Gilad Shalit, according to a senior source in the Prime Minister's Office.
The Cabinet is set to meet Monday for a special session to discuss the matter and vote on any deal the terrorist group might propose. On Tuesday, Prime Minister-designate Binyamin Netanyahu will present his new coalition to the Knesset for approval.
"This is the final effort," said a senior source in the Prime Minister's Office. There is time until Sunday night to reach a deal." He emphasized that there is also a chance "it can get stuck," warning that there is still no breakthrough.
Shalit's father, Noam, was equally cautious. "We know what everyone else knows, and we're still unclear about the significance of what's going on," he said. Speaking from the protest tent across from the Prime Minister's residence in Jerusalem, where he has spent the last seven days, the elder Shalit said that other than hearing that the Israeli envoys had returned to Cairo, he had "heard nothing."
History of Last-Minute Disappointments
Hamas has torpedoed every agreement advanced thus far by Israel, insisting that the Jewish State free hundreds of convicted murderers with "blood on their hands," including many whose release is unacceptable to the government.
Since Shalit was captured on June 25, 2006, there have been numerous attempts by Arab and other international leaders to negotiate a deal for his freedom.
Each time agreement on the terms approached, Hamas found a last-minute reason to back away, usually blaming Israel for not including top terrorists on the prisoner exchange list, and increasing the number of those whose freedom was demanded.
"In this tango, there are always fears that we are moving one step forward and one step back, or two steps forward and then three steps back," Noam Shalit pointed out. "But it ain't over till it's over," he added.
Shalit recommended that Hamas accept the current proposal, "because they won't be receiving a better deal from the Netanyahu-Lieberman government."
Current Deal: Includes 450 Killers, Expulsion for Some
Most recently, Hamas has demanded the release of 1,000 Palestinian Authority prisoners being held in Israeli jails, including hundreds who have been convicted of murdering Israelis and others in terror attacks.
Although there is a media blackout on the specifics of the negotiations, various foreign sources are reporting that 450 prisoners with "blood on their hands" are to be freed if the deal goes through. These include convicted murderers and masterminds of suicide bombings whose freedom was demanded by Hamas.
In the first stage of implementation, Shalit would be transferred to Egyptian custody, and 300 PA prisoners would be freed from Israeli jails. Shalit's parents would fly to Egypt to meet their son there.
In the second stage, another 150 prisoners would be freed, and Shalit would be returned to Israel. The remaining 550 prisoners would be released once Shalit is back in the Jewish State.
Remaining Points of Contention
In addition to disagreement over which convicted murderers Israel will allow to go free, there is a question over which murderers the Jewish State will insist on expelling from within its current borders, which encompass Gaza, Judea and Samaria.
Hamas reportedly has balked at the idea of expelling any of the prisoners at all. An Egyptian source also noted "there are still disagreements on the names of prisoners to be released."
Israel Security Agency (Shin Bet) Director Yuval Diskin joined outgoing Prime Minister Ehud Olmert's envoy Ofer Dekel last week for three days of talks with Hamas terrorists, brokered by Egyptian intelligence officials in Cairo.
The two Israeli envoys returned Friday to Jerusalem to brief Olmert on the talks, and then traveled back to Cairo Saturday night to resume the discussions. Prime Minister-elect Netanyahu has been updated on the developments as well.
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3. 50,000 Rockets Aimed at Israel
by Tzvi Ben Gedalyahu
Hamas and Hizbullah terrorists have amassed an arsenal of 50,000 rockets aimed at Israel, United Press International (UPI) has reported. Israel still has no defense against the threat, and the government’s highly touted Iron Dome short-range missile defense system is far from being in operation and may not even be practical.
“Even if Iron Dome works perfectly, it is never going to have the firepower in interceptors to credibly intercept most, let alone all,” of the rockets, according to the UPI report.
Hizbullah has amassed far more rockets than it possessed before the Second Lebanon War in 2006, despite Israel’s agreeing to a ceasefire on the condition that United Nations Interim Forces (UNIFIL) would prevent arms smuggling into Lebanon.
In the south, Hamas continues to smuggle weapons into Gaza despite a similar ceasefire ageement, supposedly conditioned on a cessation of arms smuggling, that the Olmert administration announced when concluding Operation Cast Lead in mid-January.
Defense Minister Ehud Barak promised two years ago that the Iron Dome short-range missile defense system, along with other systems, would protect Israel from 90 percent of missile attacks, although mortar shells would continue to explode in Israel without interception.
Barak announced in October 2007 that the Iron Dome was near completion and would be in place by 2010. He also has stated that its deployment is a precondition for handing over part of Judea and Samaria to the Palestinian Authority.
Last year, officials admitted that the Iron Dome system would not be effective against Kassam rockets fired from less than two miles, meaning that it had no solution for tens of thousands of residents in the Gaza Belt communities, including Sderot.
State Comptroller and Ombudsman Micha Lindenstrauss’s recent report of his investigation of the timetable of the Iron Dome system “documented endless delays, indecision, go-it-alone chaotic planning and sheer bureaucratic incompetence,” in the words of UPI reporter Martin Sieff.
Comment on this story
by Tzvi Ben Gedalyahu
Hamas and Hizbullah terrorists have amassed an arsenal of 50,000 rockets aimed at Israel, United Press International (UPI) has reported. Israel still has no defense against the threat, and the government’s highly touted Iron Dome short-range missile defense system is far from being in operation and may not even be practical.
“Even if Iron Dome works perfectly, it is never going to have the firepower in interceptors to credibly intercept most, let alone all,” of the rockets, according to the UPI report.
Hizbullah has amassed far more rockets than it possessed before the Second Lebanon War in 2006, despite Israel’s agreeing to a ceasefire on the condition that United Nations Interim Forces (UNIFIL) would prevent arms smuggling into Lebanon.
In the south, Hamas continues to smuggle weapons into Gaza despite a similar ceasefire ageement, supposedly conditioned on a cessation of arms smuggling, that the Olmert administration announced when concluding Operation Cast Lead in mid-January.
Defense Minister Ehud Barak promised two years ago that the Iron Dome short-range missile defense system, along with other systems, would protect Israel from 90 percent of missile attacks, although mortar shells would continue to explode in Israel without interception.
Barak announced in October 2007 that the Iron Dome was near completion and would be in place by 2010. He also has stated that its deployment is a precondition for handing over part of Judea and Samaria to the Palestinian Authority.
Last year, officials admitted that the Iron Dome system would not be effective against Kassam rockets fired from less than two miles, meaning that it had no solution for tens of thousands of residents in the Gaza Belt communities, including Sderot.
State Comptroller and Ombudsman Micha Lindenstrauss’s recent report of his investigation of the timetable of the Iron Dome system “documented endless delays, indecision, go-it-alone chaotic planning and sheer bureaucratic incompetence,” in the words of UPI reporter Martin Sieff.
Comment on this story
4. Obama-Clinton Pressure on Israel
by Hillel Fendel
The United States continues to drop hints that it will accept nothing less than a Palestinian state aside Israel west of the Jordan River – considered a dangerous option by many experts (see below).
Morton A. Klein, President of the Zionist Organization of America, is just one of many supporters of Israel who say that Hillary Clinton, an outspoken supporter of a Palestinian state, has made an anti-Israel switch of late. Klein writes that the U.S. Secretary of State, once a “reliable and vocal supporter of Israel,” has now taken many positions that are not in Israel’s interest.
For instance, Klein writes in an op-ed for JTA, she has stopped speaking out against Palestinian incitement to hatred and murder, choosing to concentrate on building a PA state instead. Klein wrote: “When [Secretary Clinton wa interviewed this week on a PA teen television show and asked, ‘What would you do if your daughter was unfortunate enough to have been born under occupation, born deprived of freedom and liberty?’ [s legitimized the question’s false premise and actually helped incite hatred against Israel by not refuting it and ignoring the fact that 98 percent of Palestinians actually live under the Palestinian Authority or Hamas, not Israeli control. [S responded, ‘Well, I would do what so many parents here in the West Bank and in Gaza do. I would love her… I would get the best education I could for her… I would never give up on the dream of a Palestinian state.’ That an alarming number of Palestinian parents have encouraged their children to become suicide bombers was somehow lost from Secretary Clinton’s response.”During her visit to Israel last week, Clinton demanded that Israel take no action against illegally-built Arab homes in eastern Jerusalem – and that Israel disallow legally-built Jewish homes in eastern Jerusalem.
MK Eldad: Respect Israeli Democracy
MK Aryeh Eldad (National Union) has also taken Clinton to task, chiding her in a direct letter for promoting a Palestinian state: "You came here from the world’s greatest and strongest democracy... Well, Israeli democracy has spoken: Most Israeli citizens do not wish to establish an Arab terror state in our homeland. If your democracy is real, you should of course respect the democracy of others as well."
Eldad continues, "At this time, it appears that the U.S. is planning to appease the Iranians, Syrians, and Palestinians by paying with ‘Israeli currency.’ As you recall, dear Ms. Clinton, we have too much history. We remember what happened when the Free World was willing to sacrifice Czechoslovakia in order to appease Hitler. We are unwilling to risk our very existence in order for the U.S. to buy itself a quiet withdrawal from Iraq."
Eldad directly rebuffs those who blame Israel for American problems with radical Islam: "The U.S. is not fighting Jihadist terror in Afghanistan and Iraq because Israel is building houses in the West Bank."
UCI Email Campaign
The Unity Coalition for Israel (UCI) notes that Secretary Clinton indicated on her trip to the Middle East that, regardless of Hamas terror activities, the Palestinian state is a priority issue for the new Obama Administration.
UCI, an alliance of Christian and Jewish organizations representing more than 40 million Americans, has organized an anti-Palestinian state email campaign to top officials of both the Israeli and U.S. governments. The organization states that its emails “question the wisdom of carving a 23rd Arab state out of the heartland of the tiny, freely-elected democracy of Israel.”
Zuckerman and Hikind
Another one who is surprised by Secretary Clinton’s apparently about-face is New York Daily News publisher Mortimer Zuckerman. Responding to U.S. criticism of Israel for “not making enough effort” to help Gaza, from which thousands of rockets rain down on Israeli towns, Zuckerman said, "I am very surprised, frankly, at this statement from the United States government and from the Secretary of State."
"I liked her a lot more as a senator from New York," added New York State Assemblyman Dov Hikind, adding, "Now I wonder … who the real Hillary Clinton is.”
Former U.S. Ambassador to the UN John Bolton wrote on Friday that the developing U.S. policy of viewing the Israeli-Palestinian as the key to peace in the Middle East – and, by implication, between America and Islam – is incorrect and “bad new” for both the U.S. and Israel. “When pressure must be applied to make compromises,” Bolton wrote, “it is always easier to pressure the more reasonable side” – namely, Israel.
Objections to a Palestinian State
Objections to a Palestinian state include: The widely-believed notion that Arab opposition to Israel is religious in nature, not political; the fact that Jordan was created to serve as the local Palestinian state; the security dangers inherent in squeezing Israel’s borders to a width of just ten miles in some areas; and more.
Comment on this story
by Hillel Fendel
The United States continues to drop hints that it will accept nothing less than a Palestinian state aside Israel west of the Jordan River – considered a dangerous option by many experts (see below).
Morton A. Klein, President of the Zionist Organization of America, is just one of many supporters of Israel who say that Hillary Clinton, an outspoken supporter of a Palestinian state, has made an anti-Israel switch of late. Klein writes that the U.S. Secretary of State, once a “reliable and vocal supporter of Israel,” has now taken many positions that are not in Israel’s interest.
For instance, Klein writes in an op-ed for JTA, she has stopped speaking out against Palestinian incitement to hatred and murder, choosing to concentrate on building a PA state instead. Klein wrote: “When [Secretary Clinton wa interviewed this week on a PA teen television show and asked, ‘What would you do if your daughter was unfortunate enough to have been born under occupation, born deprived of freedom and liberty?’ [s legitimized the question’s false premise and actually helped incite hatred against Israel by not refuting it and ignoring the fact that 98 percent of Palestinians actually live under the Palestinian Authority or Hamas, not Israeli control. [S responded, ‘Well, I would do what so many parents here in the West Bank and in Gaza do. I would love her… I would get the best education I could for her… I would never give up on the dream of a Palestinian state.’ That an alarming number of Palestinian parents have encouraged their children to become suicide bombers was somehow lost from Secretary Clinton’s response.”During her visit to Israel last week, Clinton demanded that Israel take no action against illegally-built Arab homes in eastern Jerusalem – and that Israel disallow legally-built Jewish homes in eastern Jerusalem.
MK Eldad: Respect Israeli Democracy
MK Aryeh Eldad (National Union) has also taken Clinton to task, chiding her in a direct letter for promoting a Palestinian state: "You came here from the world’s greatest and strongest democracy... Well, Israeli democracy has spoken: Most Israeli citizens do not wish to establish an Arab terror state in our homeland. If your democracy is real, you should of course respect the democracy of others as well."
Eldad continues, "At this time, it appears that the U.S. is planning to appease the Iranians, Syrians, and Palestinians by paying with ‘Israeli currency.’ As you recall, dear Ms. Clinton, we have too much history. We remember what happened when the Free World was willing to sacrifice Czechoslovakia in order to appease Hitler. We are unwilling to risk our very existence in order for the U.S. to buy itself a quiet withdrawal from Iraq."
Eldad directly rebuffs those who blame Israel for American problems with radical Islam: "The U.S. is not fighting Jihadist terror in Afghanistan and Iraq because Israel is building houses in the West Bank."
UCI Email Campaign
The Unity Coalition for Israel (UCI) notes that Secretary Clinton indicated on her trip to the Middle East that, regardless of Hamas terror activities, the Palestinian state is a priority issue for the new Obama Administration.
UCI, an alliance of Christian and Jewish organizations representing more than 40 million Americans, has organized an anti-Palestinian state email campaign to top officials of both the Israeli and U.S. governments. The organization states that its emails “question the wisdom of carving a 23rd Arab state out of the heartland of the tiny, freely-elected democracy of Israel.”
Zuckerman and Hikind
Another one who is surprised by Secretary Clinton’s apparently about-face is New York Daily News publisher Mortimer Zuckerman. Responding to U.S. criticism of Israel for “not making enough effort” to help Gaza, from which thousands of rockets rain down on Israeli towns, Zuckerman said, "I am very surprised, frankly, at this statement from the United States government and from the Secretary of State."
"I liked her a lot more as a senator from New York," added New York State Assemblyman Dov Hikind, adding, "Now I wonder … who the real Hillary Clinton is.”
Former U.S. Ambassador to the UN John Bolton wrote on Friday that the developing U.S. policy of viewing the Israeli-Palestinian as the key to peace in the Middle East – and, by implication, between America and Islam – is incorrect and “bad new” for both the U.S. and Israel. “When pressure must be applied to make compromises,” Bolton wrote, “it is always easier to pressure the more reasonable side” – namely, Israel.
Objections to a Palestinian State
Objections to a Palestinian state include: The widely-believed notion that Arab opposition to Israel is religious in nature, not political; the fact that Jordan was created to serve as the local Palestinian state; the security dangers inherent in squeezing Israel’s borders to a width of just ten miles in some areas; and more.
Comment on this story
5. Roadblocks Removed Near Shechem
by Hana Levi Julian
The IDF created a major traffic hub in Samaria for Palestinian Authority Arabs on Sunday, by removing a major security checkpoint in the area of Shechem.
The opening of the Beit-Iba crossing, located northwest of Shechem, has been operating as a security checkpoint since 2001, according to the IDF, which said it was being removed due to a reduction in terror attacks in the area. The IDF spokesman added that the move was "intended to improve Palestinian movement throughout northern Samaria."
In addition, the IDF plans to remove a roadblock that was placed in the village of Sarra, west of Shechem -- the Kfar-Tzarah checkpoint.
The removal of the checkpoints will connect the villages of Kusin and Sarra to Shechem. It will also facilitate traffic flow between Shechem and the PA-controlled cities of Jenin and Tulkarm.
MK Michael Ben-Ari attacked the decision, claiming it threatened the lives of the residents in Judea and Samaria.
"In these areas terrorists have tried to infiltrate and commit terrorist attacks," he explained. Weapons and explosive belts have been seized during searches of PA Arabs who have tried to pass through the checkpoints in the past, preventing many terrorist attacks, he noted.
Gershon Mesika, head of the Shomron Regional Council likewise slammed the move, calling it "total irresponsibility" and the "conscious endangering of human life."
Mesika contended that the Beit-Iba checkpoint was built "only because there was terror in the region. Not a week goes by that they don't catch terrorists with weapons and explosive belts in that area," he underscored.
The army said that in order to ensure the security of the region, a small checkpoint will be placed near the PA village of Deir Sharaf, northwest of Shechem. However, added the IDF in its statement, "vehicles will only be checked at random at the checkpoint."
The army said it would continue to operate "according to the decisions made by the political echelon and in accord with security assessments, in order to further ease the routine life of the Palestinian population of Judea and Samaria, while continuously fighting terror and maintaining the safety of the citizens of the State of Israel."
Comment on this story
by Hana Levi Julian
The IDF created a major traffic hub in Samaria for Palestinian Authority Arabs on Sunday, by removing a major security checkpoint in the area of Shechem.
The opening of the Beit-Iba crossing, located northwest of Shechem, has been operating as a security checkpoint since 2001, according to the IDF, which said it was being removed due to a reduction in terror attacks in the area. The IDF spokesman added that the move was "intended to improve Palestinian movement throughout northern Samaria."
In addition, the IDF plans to remove a roadblock that was placed in the village of Sarra, west of Shechem -- the Kfar-Tzarah checkpoint.
The removal of the checkpoints will connect the villages of Kusin and Sarra to Shechem. It will also facilitate traffic flow between Shechem and the PA-controlled cities of Jenin and Tulkarm.
MK Michael Ben-Ari attacked the decision, claiming it threatened the lives of the residents in Judea and Samaria.
"In these areas terrorists have tried to infiltrate and commit terrorist attacks," he explained. Weapons and explosive belts have been seized during searches of PA Arabs who have tried to pass through the checkpoints in the past, preventing many terrorist attacks, he noted.
Gershon Mesika, head of the Shomron Regional Council likewise slammed the move, calling it "total irresponsibility" and the "conscious endangering of human life."
Mesika contended that the Beit-Iba checkpoint was built "only because there was terror in the region. Not a week goes by that they don't catch terrorists with weapons and explosive belts in that area," he underscored.
The army said that in order to ensure the security of the region, a small checkpoint will be placed near the PA village of Deir Sharaf, northwest of Shechem. However, added the IDF in its statement, "vehicles will only be checked at random at the checkpoint."
The army said it would continue to operate "according to the decisions made by the political echelon and in accord with security assessments, in order to further ease the routine life of the Palestinian population of Judea and Samaria, while continuously fighting terror and maintaining the safety of the citizens of the State of Israel."
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6. Peace House to be used by IDF
by Avraham Zuroff
The IDF plans to use the disputed Beit HaShalom (Peace House) in Hevron as quarters and an outlook post for soldiers after opening a previously-closed street for Arab drivers. The government last December expelled Jewish residents of the apartment complex until a court ruling decides who the legal owner is.
Jews have presented a videotape of the purchase of the building from its Arab owner. After being threatened with death by other Arabs, including officials from the Palestinian Authority, he denied that he sold it and claimed that documents of the sale were forged.
Orit Struck, one of the heads of the Jewish community in Hevron, slammed the IDF decision to take over the property. “This is not how one conducts affairs with any property owner who wants to take over a property. We didn’t receive any official announcement in writing from any official, and this is extremely outrageous,” she said. Furthermore, Struck added, “It would have been proper for the High Court, themselves, to declare that we are in fact the property owners. They should give us an orderly response and not conduct affairs in a barbaric way. Besides this, the decision to open the Zion Road is a mistake of the system, especially prior to the change of administration.”
The Zion Road, which until now has been closed to Arab traffic, is the only road that connects the nearby Jewish city of Kiryat Arba with Hevron. "When it was open to Arab traffic, Jewish lives were at stake," said Hevron Jewish community spokesman David Wilder.
The IDF stated that the posting of the soldiers in Beit HaShalom comes in wake of the traffic changes in the area, and that officials who claim the rights to the property have been informed. “It should be emphasized that this is a temporary holding that is not intended to influence the rights to the structure and the legal proceedings between the litigants to the home,” the IDF said in a statement.
Wilder said a legal team is working intensively to prepare for a court battle for ownership of the property. However, he said it is likely that the Jewish residents’ claims may fall on deaf ears. “We realize that we’re dealing with a justice system that is not necessarily objective. The Prosecutor’s office is against us,” Wilder commented.
“They want to take over a building worth over $1 million. This is certainly more than a slap in the face, and it’s hypocrisy to expel its Jewish residents out of the house then take it over by military order,” Wilder said, continuing, “It’s a tremendous chutzpah of Defense Minister Ehud Barak in his final days in office to still be taking measures that are definitely life-threatening, and which should be left to our discussions in the next government.”
Wilder added that the Jewish community is hoping to prevent the IDF from carrying out the decision by pressuring Barak before he leaves office. “I hope that we’ll have more to say with the people coming into office,” Wilder added.
Comment on this story
by Avraham Zuroff
The IDF plans to use the disputed Beit HaShalom (Peace House) in Hevron as quarters and an outlook post for soldiers after opening a previously-closed street for Arab drivers. The government last December expelled Jewish residents of the apartment complex until a court ruling decides who the legal owner is.
Jews have presented a videotape of the purchase of the building from its Arab owner. After being threatened with death by other Arabs, including officials from the Palestinian Authority, he denied that he sold it and claimed that documents of the sale were forged.
Orit Struck, one of the heads of the Jewish community in Hevron, slammed the IDF decision to take over the property. “This is not how one conducts affairs with any property owner who wants to take over a property. We didn’t receive any official announcement in writing from any official, and this is extremely outrageous,” she said. Furthermore, Struck added, “It would have been proper for the High Court, themselves, to declare that we are in fact the property owners. They should give us an orderly response and not conduct affairs in a barbaric way. Besides this, the decision to open the Zion Road is a mistake of the system, especially prior to the change of administration.”
The Zion Road, which until now has been closed to Arab traffic, is the only road that connects the nearby Jewish city of Kiryat Arba with Hevron. "When it was open to Arab traffic, Jewish lives were at stake," said Hevron Jewish community spokesman David Wilder.
The IDF stated that the posting of the soldiers in Beit HaShalom comes in wake of the traffic changes in the area, and that officials who claim the rights to the property have been informed. “It should be emphasized that this is a temporary holding that is not intended to influence the rights to the structure and the legal proceedings between the litigants to the home,” the IDF said in a statement.
Wilder said a legal team is working intensively to prepare for a court battle for ownership of the property. However, he said it is likely that the Jewish residents’ claims may fall on deaf ears. “We realize that we’re dealing with a justice system that is not necessarily objective. The Prosecutor’s office is against us,” Wilder commented.
“They want to take over a building worth over $1 million. This is certainly more than a slap in the face, and it’s hypocrisy to expel its Jewish residents out of the house then take it over by military order,” Wilder said, continuing, “It’s a tremendous chutzpah of Defense Minister Ehud Barak in his final days in office to still be taking measures that are definitely life-threatening, and which should be left to our discussions in the next government.”
Wilder added that the Jewish community is hoping to prevent the IDF from carrying out the decision by pressuring Barak before he leaves office. “I hope that we’ll have more to say with the people coming into office,” Wilder added.
Comment on this story
7. Obama ‘Bad News’ for Israel
by Tzvi Ben Gedalyahu
The Obama government’s thinking that Arab-Israeli peace is the key to Mideast stability “is bad news for Israel - and for America," former United States Ambassador to the United Nations John Bolton wrote in the New York Post on Friday
Bolton said that President Barack Obama and his advisors have adopted the theory that the “overwhelming bulk of other Middle Eastern grievances, wholly or partly, stem from Israel's founding and continued existence.”
He based his argument on the appointment of George C. Mitchell as the special U.S. envoy to the Middle East and statements by United States Secretary of State Hillary Clinton that the “two-state solution” should be put into place “sooner rather than later.”
Naming Mitchell as the representative of the president and not of the secretary of state “underlines both the issue's priority in the president's eyes and the implicit idea it can be solved in the foreseeable future,” according to Bolton.
He questioned Mitchell and President Obama’s desire to force an Israeli-PA agreement as a “basis for further ‘progress.’”
Bolton charged Secretary Clinton with taking a “very European view" in a statement that a new Arab country within Israel’s current borders is “inescapable.”
“Accordingly, the Obama administration has created a negotiating dynamic that puts increasing pressure on Israel, Palestinians, Syria and others.” Bolton wrote.
“Almost invariably, Israel is the loser - because Israel is the party most dependent on the United States, most subject to U.S. pressure and most susceptible to the inevitable chorus of received wisdom from Western diplomats, media and the intelligentsia demanding concessions. When pressure must be applied to make compromises, it is always easier to pressure the more reasonable side.
“How will diplomatic pressure work to change Hamas or Hizbullah, where even military force has so far failed? If anything, one can predict coming pressure on Israel to acknowledge the legitimacy of these two terrorist groups, and to negotiate with them as equals (albeit perhaps under some artful camouflage).”
He maintained that the Obama approach is backwards and that it should focus on Iran and friendly Arab states instead of thinking incorrectly that the Iranian nuclear threat and the Al Qaeda terrorist network will disappear following the creation of a PA state.
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by Tzvi Ben Gedalyahu
The Obama government’s thinking that Arab-Israeli peace is the key to Mideast stability “is bad news for Israel - and for America," former United States Ambassador to the United Nations John Bolton wrote in the New York Post on Friday
Bolton said that President Barack Obama and his advisors have adopted the theory that the “overwhelming bulk of other Middle Eastern grievances, wholly or partly, stem from Israel's founding and continued existence.”
He based his argument on the appointment of George C. Mitchell as the special U.S. envoy to the Middle East and statements by United States Secretary of State Hillary Clinton that the “two-state solution” should be put into place “sooner rather than later.”
Naming Mitchell as the representative of the president and not of the secretary of state “underlines both the issue's priority in the president's eyes and the implicit idea it can be solved in the foreseeable future,” according to Bolton.
He questioned Mitchell and President Obama’s desire to force an Israeli-PA agreement as a “basis for further ‘progress.’”
Bolton charged Secretary Clinton with taking a “very European view" in a statement that a new Arab country within Israel’s current borders is “inescapable.”
“Accordingly, the Obama administration has created a negotiating dynamic that puts increasing pressure on Israel, Palestinians, Syria and others.” Bolton wrote.
“Almost invariably, Israel is the loser - because Israel is the party most dependent on the United States, most subject to U.S. pressure and most susceptible to the inevitable chorus of received wisdom from Western diplomats, media and the intelligentsia demanding concessions. When pressure must be applied to make compromises, it is always easier to pressure the more reasonable side.
“How will diplomatic pressure work to change Hamas or Hizbullah, where even military force has so far failed? If anything, one can predict coming pressure on Israel to acknowledge the legitimacy of these two terrorist groups, and to negotiate with them as equals (albeit perhaps under some artful camouflage).”
He maintained that the Obama approach is backwards and that it should focus on Iran and friendly Arab states instead of thinking incorrectly that the Iranian nuclear threat and the Al Qaeda terrorist network will disappear following the creation of a PA state.
Comment on this story
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