Israel Asks Vietnamese Minister: Don’t Side with PA
Sivan 18, 5771, 20 June 11 07:45
by Gil Ronen
(Israelnationalnews.com) Deputy Foreign Minister Danny Ayalon met Sunday with Vietnamese Minister of Information and Communications Le Doan Ho, in Jerusalem. This is the first official visit of a Vietnamese minister in Israel for 12 years.
During the meeting, Ayalon reviewed the recent changes in the region, the political challenges and the dangers inherent in the ‘day after’ scenario in the event of a unilateral declaration of statehood by the Palestinian Authority in September.
Relating to the intended move by the Palestinians, Ayalon stated: “I hope that the Vietnamese government will weigh the situation with great consideration, and will not support the unilateral Palestinian move but instead join the other responsible countries that make up the ‘moral majority.’”
The Vietnamese minister expressed his understanding of the Israeli position, and agreed that the preferred method of solving the conflict was by direct negotiations between the parties.
Ayalon also explored methods of increasing the bilateral relationship between the countries in the areas of trade, communications, agriculture, Israel government aid and security. Ayalon suggested the establishment of a bilateral committee with the aim of developing a long-term plan for cooperation, and added: “Cooperation between Israel and Vietnam can form the basis for cooperation with other countries.”
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs noted that members of the Vietnamese delegation expressed “much interest” in the promotion of bilateral cooperation.
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Poll: American Voters are Pro-Israel
Sivan 18, 5771, 20 June 11 04:12
by Hillel Fendel
(Israelnationalnews.com) The Israel Project checking American attitudes toward the Middle East finds that 56% of voters define themselves as “Israel supporters,” compared to 10% “Palestinian supporters.”
Data from a national survey of 800 registered American voters conducted June 5-7 by Public Opinion Strategies has been released as The Israel Project: American Attitudes toward the Middle East.
Israel supporters outnumber self-described Palestinian supporters by a 5.6-to-1 ratio.
51% - less than those who said they support Israel – say they have warm feelings towards Israel, while 16% said they feel warmly towards the Palestinians. Towards Hamas and Fatah, 3% said they had warm feelings, 7% towards Iran, and 31% towards Egypt.
64% agreed that the conflict between Israel and the PA is about “ideology and religion,” and not about land; 27% felt the opposite.
Only 25% support a unilateral Palestinian Authority declaration of a state, while 57% oppose. If the UN General Assembly supports the PA in this matter, then the numbers change somewhat: 34% say a UN General Assembly vote to recognize a PA state will make an agreement with Israel more likely, while 50% said the opposite.
Not Supportive on Refugees
No matter how supportive of Israel they are, however, Americans do not appear to understand Israel’s fear of an Arab takeover of the Jewish state from within. Asked if they agree with Israel’s position that Arab refugees should live only in an Arab state, only 27% said they agreed – while 61% said they did not.
55% object to the Fatah-Hamas agreement because Hamas is backed by Iran and the agreement gives Hamas a bigger role among Palestinians. 28% are happy with the Fatah-Hamas agreement; 24% said Israel should work with the new Fatah-Hamas government, while 63% said Israel should not do so until Hamas is willing to recognize Israel and renounce violence.
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BAD ADVICE FROM ONE OF BAKER'S "JEW BOYS"
Bernard says it is time to screw the anti Israel Obama Dems on election day.
Think Tank Tells Cabinet: Stay Out of US Politics
Sivan 18, 5771, 20 June 11 06:06
by Gil Ronen
(Israelnationalnews.com) The Israeli government was warned by experts Monday to keep Israel out of U.S. internal politics. The cabinet’s session was devoted to the presentation of an annual report by the Jewish People Policy Institute, is a think tank headed by Stuart Eizenstat, formerly a senior U.S. diplomat under Bill Clinton.
The JPPI advised Israel to make every effort to avoid a situation in which the Middle East conflict becomes the main bone of contention between Republicans and Democrats in the 2012 presidential campaign. Israel and the Jewish community should be taken out of the U.S. political debate, Eizenstat stressed.
Israel is arguably more deeply involved in U.S. politics than it has ever been, in the aftermath of a public showdown on live television between U.S. President Barack Obama and Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu, and arousing speech by Netanyahu to both houses of congress.
Another interesting recommendation by the JPPI Monday was that Israelis should be encouraged to buy American-made products and services, as an Israeli contribution to the U.S. economy in its crisis, and as a token of appreciation for the U.S. and its special relationship with Israel. The experts recommended that the government’s car fleet, and that of the IDF, should all be replaced with American-manufactured cars. The total number of cars in Israel’s official fleets is in the tens of thousands.
JPPI President Avinoam Bar-Yosef explained that Israel’s economy is in better shape than that of the U.S. at present. “The size of Israel’s economy is about $200 billion annually, and annual Israeli imports are at $45 billion on average. By preferring American products we could supply the American economy with tens of thousands of jobs per year and that is meaningful even in U.S. market terms.”
An animated discussion of the recommendations developed, with Diaspora and Hasbara Minister Yuli Edelstein and Jewish Agency Head Nathan Sharansky advocating that the government heed the report’s conclusions.
Eizenstat and other JPPI experts recommended that the government take into consideration when making decisions the effect that they will have on Jewish communities abroad. They suggested that Jewish groups focus their efforts on university campuses in the U.S. and Europe in order to counter the delegitimization campaign.
The Cabinet should also consult more with Jewish communities abroad before presenting legislation that affects Jewish identity, religion and culture, they opined.
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Ex-Mossad Chief’s Criticism Costs Him a Diplomatic Passport
Sivan 18, 5771, 20 June 11 01:03
by Tzvi Ben Gedalyahu
(Israelnationalnews.com) Meir Dagan, who recently stepped down as Mossad chief and promptly and harshly criticized the government, is paying for his words and must return his diplomatic passport, Channel 2 television reported.
Normally, retired officials can retain their special passports until they expire, but Dagan’s accusations that theNetanyahu government’s policies on Iran are irresponsible may have gone too far.
Dagan publicly warned against attacking Iran, essentially taking the ”military option” off the table. He said that an aerial attack on the Islamic Republic’s nuclear facilities would be a “dumb idea, the stupidest thing I have ever heard.”
The office of the Prime Minister replied to the Channel 2 report with a statement that “a diplomatic passport is given to officials in order to aid them in their jobs. According to the law, when those people are no longer assuming those positions, they are asked to return the diplomatic passport.”
Dagan’s comments at Tel Aviv and Hebrew University forums were surprising, considering his hawkish image.
He criticized the government for not taking a diplomatic initiative on behalf of the Palestinian Authority and even expressed support for adopting what have been called the “Auschwitz borders” that confined Israel between the temporary 1949 Armistice Agreement and the Six Day War in 1967.
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Barak: Iron Dome over All of Israel, Soon
Sivan 18, 5771, 20 June 11 08:02
by Gil Ronen
(Israelnationalnews.com) Defense Minister Ehud Barak vowed Monday to provide the entire State of Israel with the Iron Dome system’s anti-missile coverage, and that of a second system, Magic Wand. He said the first system could be fully deployed in 2.5 years, and the second in 5 years’ time.
Speaking after the inauguration in Paris of Israel’s booth at the Le Bourget Air Show, Barak said: “Lately we saw the accomplishments of Iron Dome in intercepting rockets from Gaza – an exceptional achievement of Israel’s defense industries.”
“I intend to initiate a national emergency program that will lead to the deployment of Iron Dome and Magic Wand over the entire state,” he announced. “Iron Dome can be completed and deployed across the entire country in about two and a half years, and Magic Wand in five years at the most.”
“The overall situation as regards defending the Home Front and the country’s citizens during times of emergency will change as a result of this deployment, deeply and fundamentally.”
The Iron Dome system is intended for interception of short-range missiles, such as the Kassam, and has been proven successful in shooting down terrorist 'Grad' Katyusha missiles fired from Gaza this year. The Magic Wand isintended against medium range missiles such as those Hizbullah might fire at central Israel from Lebanon.
A third system, the Arrow, is intended against long-range ballistic missiles such as the Iraqi Scud and the Iranian Shihab, with ranges of hundreds of kilometers. It has already been deployed in two batteries and a third may already be operational.
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Navy Commander: Flotilla's Goal Is to Fight the IDF
Sivan 18, 5771, 20 June 11 11:42
by Tzvi Ben Gedalyahu
(Israelnationalnews.com) The goal of the planned “provocative and hateful” flotilla to Gaza is aimed at fighting the IDF and not to bring humanitarian aid to Gaza, Navy Commander Vice Admiral Eliezer Meron said Sunday. The Foreign Ministry says that in any event, Gaza is not blockaded.
Turkey has blocked the Mavi Marmara ship, which carried IHH terrorists who clashed with Navy commandos last year, from joining the flotilla, but the remaining nine ships remain a threat, Meron said.
"Allowing ships to sail to Gaza will enable Hamas, a radical terror organization operating under Iran, to arm itself with advanced weaponry and to threaten Israel with rockets and missiles. The goal of the organizers of the flotilla is to clash with soldiers and to create a media provocation and to delegitimize Israel," according to the Navy commander.
The Navy is continuing to prepare for the flotilla, which may carry several legislators and journalists.
The Foreign Ministry has conducted a constant information and diplomatic campaign pointing out that the United Nations has said there is no humanitarian crisis in Gaza and that all merchandise, except weapons and material for weapons, can reach the area via overland routes.
The IDF has enforced a maritime embargo to prevent Hamas and allied terrorists from continuing to smuggle in advanced weapons, explosives and terrorists. Military officials estimate that Hamas already possesses anti-aircraft missiles that can bring down a commercial airline.
The Shurat HaDin (Israel Law Center) has played a major part in crippling efforts to test the IDF in the high seas. Threatened lawsuits, citing American laws against aiding and abetting an enemy of a friendly state – Israel – have convinced Lloyds Insurance to cancel coverage of flotilla ships.
Another suit filed last week warns that the ships can be seized for violating U.S. laws on the high seas.
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