Bernard J. Shapiro
During my 23 years as owner of House of Books in Houston, I learned many valuable lessons. One in particular seems to have an application to the current situation in Israel. Let me explain: In 1978, the store was victimized by a short change artist. One of my clerks was at the register when a well dressed gentleman approached with a paperback book costing $2.95. He gave her a $20 bill and then began a back and forth exchange of money. In the end, the bookstore lost about $60.
I called the Houston police department and requested that an officer come to the store and brief my employees on how to prevent this crime from happening again. The officer came and told us a little story. It seems that Johnny Carson once asked a short change artist to come to his show and try to fool him while he was fully alert to what was going down. The criminal had no problem and his skill marveled the audience. The Lesson: No matter how smart you are, a professional shortchange artist will win out. He is a pro. He does this day in and day out.
How To Stop The Short Change Artist: You simply MUST NOT PLAY HIS GAME. At the first hint of the scam, my employees were told to close the register and call security. They were specifically told NOT to try to outsmart or "keep up" with the short change artist.
How does this apply to Israel and the redeployment? Very simple. Think of Yassir Arafat and the US State Department as short change artists. They set up a scam called "Oslo" and the "peace process." They exchange promises for territory. They keep the territory but never keep their promises. Like I said, it is a scam. Along came the new Likud Prime Minister, Bibi Netanyahu, who believed that he was smart enough to control the GAME. Only he couldn't. No one can. He was up against pros who have been scamming nations for decades. The State Department has reneged on commitment after solemn commitment to the Jewish State. Still they continue, pledging friendship, while surgically inserting knives in our backs.
This high drama of Oslo, Roadmaps and Sharon's Retreat, are just another manifestation of the attempt to control the GAME. There is only one way to win for Israel: Don't play!
We must tell Sharon and the world that the cash register of Eretz Yisrael is closed. The GAME is over. The scam is through.
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Bernard J. Shapiro is the executive director of the Freeman Center For Strategic Studies and the editor of its monthly Internet magazine, The Maccabean Online.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~By Aluf Benn Haaretz Last update - 06:43 24/07/2009
www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/1102567.html
The U.S. administration has issued a stiff warning to Israel not to build in
the area known as E-1, which lies between Jerusalem and the West Bank
settlement of Ma'aleh Adumim. Any change in the status quo in E-1 would be
"extremely damaging," even "corrosive," the message said.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has vowed in the past to finally build the
controversial E-1 housing project - as have several premiers before him,
though none has done so due to American pressure. He opened his recent
election campaign with a visit to Ma'aleh Adumim in which he declared: "I
will link Jerusalem to Ma'aleh Adumim via the Mevasseret Adumim
neighborhood, E-1. I want to see one continuous string of built-up Jewish
neighborhoods."
He has also warned in the past that failure to build in E-1 would allow the
Palestinians to create territorial contiguity around Jerusalem.
Just before his government was installed this spring, the media reported
that Netanyahu had reached an agreement with his largest coalition partner,
Yisrael Beiteinu, to unfreeze construction in E-1. However, that clause was
ultimately not included in the coalition agreement.
The plans for E-1 call for building 3,500 housing units, along with
commercial areas and tourism sites, to create a single urban expanse
stretching from Jerusalem to Ma'aleh Adumim and strengthen Israel's hold on
East Jerusalem, which would then be completely surrounded by Jewish
neighborhoods.
The United States has always vehemently opposed this plan, fearing it would
deprive a future Palestinian state of territorial contiguity, cut the West
Bank in two and sever East Jerusalem from the rest of the West Bank - all of
which would thwart any hope of signing a final-status agreement and
establishing a Palestinian state.
President Barack Obama's predecessor, George W. Bush, vigorously opposed
building in E-1 during the terms of prime ministers Ariel Sharon and Ehud
Olmert. Sharon did approve construction of a police station in E-1, and
under Olmert, infrastructure work in the area continued. But neither ever
approved construction of either the residential units or the commercial
buildings, for fear of a confrontation with the United States.
Four years ago, after resigning from Sharon's government, Netanyahu attacked
him for giving in to American pressure on E-1. "A sovereign government must
build in its eternal capital," he said. "Sharon set a precedent that will
lead to the division of Jerusalem."
The Obama's administration - which opposes all construction in East
Jerusalem, even of a few houses - would be even more outraged by a
large-scale project such as E-1.
It is demanding a moratorium on Jewish building in East Jerusalem until an
agreement is reached on the city's legal status, arguing that the cumulative
effect of even small-scale projects would destroy any chance of a peace
agreement and arouse fierce opposition in the Arab world, especially among
East Jerusalem Arabs. Small projects include the construction of 20
apartments in the Shepherd Hotel in the Sheikh Jarrah neighborhood or plans
to build new Jewish housing in Silwan.
At Sunday's cabinet meeting, however, Netanyahu rejected this American
stance. "United Jerusalem is the capital of the Jewish people and the State
of Israel. Our sovereignty in it is not subject to appeal, and among other
things, this means that Jerusalem residents can buy apartments anywhere in
the city," he said. "We cannot accept the idea that Jews should not have the
right to live and buy anywhere in Jerusalem."
Next week, three senior American officials will visit Israel: special envoy
George Mitchell, National Security Advisor James Jones and Secretary of
Defense Robert Gates. Mitchell will continue his efforts to reach agreement
on a settlement freeze, including in East Jerusalem, while the other two
will focus on the Iranian threat.
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IMRA - Independent Media Review and Analysis
Website: www.imra.org.il
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