Overly restrictive rules of engagement disgraced Israel’s Armed Forces You’ve lost the Colours, sir. The King’s own Colours, touched by his own hand. Now take my advice and a pistol, go behind that tent, and blow out what’s left of your brains. The Life of Napoleon Bonaparte, which we found online, adds that Napoleon punished three soldiers who allowed themselves to be disarmed in a riot by compelling them to carry sticks instead of swords on parade. It adds that this was a relatively light punishment, and that any veteran who allowed his weapon to be taken should be dismissed from the Army: “Any French soldier allowing himself to be disarmed had forfeited the most essentia By Andrew McCarfthy, NRO ‘The state of our union is . . . denial — at least when it comes to Islam.” I’m not holding my breath waiting for President Obama, as denier-in-chief, to make that pronouncement when he addresses the nation this evening at one of Leviathan’s more notorious wastes of time, the State of the Union address. Indeed, Washington’s annual celebration of itself, high on pageantry and bereft of substance, is unlikely to dwell much on the “religion of peace,” notwithstanding its centrality — acknowledged or not — to much of U.S. policy. Such silence is fitting, as is its flip side: to brand as “Islamophobia” any deviation from the party line — a bipartisan party line if ever there was one. An adult discussion of Islam would bring down the house of cards on which our policy is based. Better to say nothing. Israel’s public relations in Europe are “miserable,” and the estrangement between Israel and the EU is both because Israeli politicians for whom Europe was the center of gravity are dying off, and because the Holocaust is receding into the “mist of history” for European politicians, Czech Foreign Minister Karl Schwarzenberg has told The Jerusalem Post. Schwarzenberg, whose country is among the most supportive of Israel inside the EU, said there had been a significant shift in mood toward Israel in Europe over the last year, and “it would be nonsense to deny it.” “Whereas 10 or 20 years ago there was a vast majority of EU countries who were definitely for Israel, now we can really rely on two countries,” he said. “A lot of countries are rather neutral, and some clearly have the other view.” By George Friedman, Strator U.S. President Barack Obama will deliver the State of the Union address tonight. The administration has let the media know that the focus of the speech will be on jobs and the economy. Given the strong showing of the Republicans in the last election, and the fact that they have defined domestic issues as the main battleground, Obama’s decision makes political sense. He will likely mention foreign issues and is undoubtedly devoting significant time to them, but the decision not to focus on foreign affairs in his State of the Union address gives the impression that the global situation is under control. Indeed, the Republican focus on domestic matters projects the same sense. Both sides create the danger that the public will be unprepared for some of the international crises that are already quite heated. We have discussed these issues in detail, but it is useful to step back and look at the state of the world for a moment. The... By Dr. Rachel Ehrenfeld The House Foreign Affairs Committee will hold hearing today on “The United Nations: Urgent Problems that Need Congressional Action,” including recommendations to stop funding the UN Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA). Perhaps now that the U.S. debt crossed 14 Trillion dollars, would be a good time to stop funding this corrupt organization that fosters the Palestinian “refugees” problem and funds Hamas. UNRWA began its emergency food and shelter aid programs Palestinian refugees in the West Bank, Gaza, Syria, Jordan and Lebanon in May 1950. Over the years, though its official mandate remained the same, UNRWA has been providing governmental and development services. by Steve Kramer Martin van Creveld is a well-known Israeli military historian and author, formerly a professor at Hebrew University. In his recent article, “Israel Doesn’t Need the West Bank To Be Secure,” van Creveld posits that the West Bank isn’t crucial to Israel’s defense. Although I am not a military historian, I believe van Creveld’s thesis doesn’t pass the “smell test.” As a resident of the West Bank community of Alfe Menashe, easily able to see many Palestinian towns from my doorstep, I’d fear for Israel’s security were Judea and Samaria, known by the media as the West Bank, totally given up to the Palestinians. Van Creveld (hereafter abbreviated to MvC) begins with the situation before the 1967 war, when Israel had no control over the territory beyond the Green Line, the 1949 armistice line. Despite that, Israel overcame its enemies in six days. MvC ignores the fact that before the Six Day War, the Palestinians hardly agitated for a state of... Barry Rubin, The Rubin Report The “Palestine Papers” hoax is (or, more accurately, should be) turning into the most teachable moment about the Israel-Palestinian conflict in modern history. At least, everyone has reversed what happened: The compromise position was offered by Israel; the Palestinians rejected peace. Are we going to see this story corrected? The “Palestine Papers” have been “obtained” by al-Jazira, the Guardian, and perhaps others, in imitation of Wikileaks. Hello? Is anyone out there... By Victor Sharpe, The Jerusalem Connection Before the Tribes of Israel would cross the River Jordan and enter the Promised Land, the first among them had taken possession of territory east of the Jordan. These tribes were the half tribe of Manasseh, Gad and Reuben who received the kingdom of the Amorites, Bashan, and Gilead. Biblical Bashan incorporates today’s Golan Heights. Gilead is the fertile land, which lies in what is today the north eastern area of the Kingdom of Jordan: “ … a little balm, and a little honey, spices and myrrh, nuts and almonds” (Gen 43:11.) It was Canaan, west of the Jordan, (including today’s so called West Bank) which would pose the formidable challenge to Joshua bin Nun, the general leading the Israelite tribes. So it was that Moses, the Lawgiver, spoke to the children of Gad and Reuben thus: “Shall your brethren go to war, and shall you sit here?” (Numbers 32:6) The leaders of the two tribes replied that they would indeed send their combat... The Ted Belman Arutz Sheva reports of what MK Rotem (IB) said While the Al-Jazeera documents fussed over the PA’s trying to figure out what its “red lines” were – the point where it would no longer concede – Rotem repeated that Israel would do better to worry about its own red lines. “Jerusalem is a red line for us, nor for them; the city cannot be divided in any way. No negotiations on Jerusalem, no return of refugees, and no land for peace; these must be our red lines.” Whatever ideas Foreign Minister Lieberman or any other government official comes up with, they must include these red lines, Rotem added. “I haven’t seen the Foreign Minister’s maps, but I can assure you that his ideas hew to these principles. Israel’s red lines were definitely taken into account.” Nidra Poller: … No French outlet would touch the “Hamas on the Seine” report by photojournalist Jean-Paul Ney, published by the French-language, Israel-based Metula News Agency on May 31, 2010, describing enraged kaffiyeh-masked, pro-Palestinians chanting, “Zionist sellout media,” “Jews to the ovens,” “F–k France,” “Sarkozy the little Jew,” “Obama the Jew’s n—-r,” repeatedly breaking police lines, determined to reach the Israeli embassy and vent their rage over the Gaza flotilla incident. Joined by anarchist “black-blocks,” the insurgents destroyed property, threw paving stones at the police, and wreaked havoc for several hours at the Champs Elysées Circle. Ney distinctly heard orders broadcast to the riot police: “Don’t try to stop them.” … Continue reading A French Intifada… 
Israel’s Shame and Disgrace on the Mavi Marmara
by Bill Levinson
Major Hogan to Sir Henry Simmerson in Sharpe’s Eaglel requisite to a soldier: honour.” The restrictive rules of engagement that Israel apparently placed on its Armed Forces during theMavi Marmara incident caused at least two soldiers to be...
Islam and the State of the Union
Don’t expect the president to tell the truth about Islamic doctrine tonight.
Thankfully, the Jeruslam Post’s Barry Rubin...Czech FM to ‘Post’: Israeli PR in Europe is ‘miserable’
Schwarzenberg, who met on Monday with Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu, is on a two-day visit to Israel and the Palestinian Authority.Obama’s State of the Union and U.S. Foreign Policy
AfghanistanCongress Should Stop Funding UNRWA
UNRWA’s former legal advisor and general counsel, James G. Lindsay, published in 2009 an important study: “Fixing UNRWA: Repairing the UN’s Troubled System of Aid to Palestinian Refugees.” Mr. Lindsay shows how UNRWA changed its function from status based...Israel needs Judea and Samaria to be secure
The “Palestine Papers” Story Is A Fabrication
They purport to show, in the media version, that the PA made Israel a big offer of peace and Israel rejected it. Naturally, this is being accepted by these and other newspapers as true without verification or considering how these claims stack up against other information. Also claimed is that the PA was ready to accept Israel as a Jewish state and give up the demand that Palestinian refugees can live in Israel, again things it has totally opposed.The Golan’s Biblical and post-Biblical History
Israel’s red lines
I fully agree with him but I would go further. after reading reports in all the Irael news sites, both sides have been focusing on the idea that the borders must be...A French Intifada
Ted Belman
Jerusalem, Israel
Wednesday, 26 January 2011
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