By Prof. J.P. Golbert There is a great deal of pious nonsense circulating denouncing as “undemocratic” proposed legislation which would require Knesset consent to the appointment of judges. The denunciations have been so vociferous that the Prime Minister has caved in to them. The self-styled defenders of democracy contend it is undemocratic because it impinges on the “independence of the courts.” Of course, no one bothers to explain how it would have that effect or why it is impossible to have too much of a good thing. Shrill generalizations fill the air with no substance In the United States, as an example, judges have always been appointed by the President subject to the consent of the Senate. State judges are similarly appointed by governors, subject to consent of the legislative branch. Can anyone seriously believe that the American judiciary does not have independence? I have been blogging for 10 years and throughout that time I have argued against the two-state solution and have asked for a paradigm shift. Since Egypt and Jordan are far from assuming their assigned roles by the two plans cited here, the one remaining option is conflict management. But conflict management does mean maintaining the status quo. It involves changing the paradigm over time in a way that strengthens us. The first order of business is to extend Israeli law to the settlements of annexing Area “C” which is essentially the same thing. Ted Belman New times call for new thinking Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday said that Israel needs to rethink its overall security needs in the wake of the (clearly mislabeled) “Arab Spring.” He noted that Islamists were on the march, and hinted that Israel would have to increase defense spending. Indeed, the times call for new strategic thinking. Consistently ahead of the curve has... AIPAC sounds the alarm. Remember all the weapons that came into the hands of terrorists in Libya. Don’t let the same thing happen in Syria. Ted Belman In a sign that Syria may be on the brink of civil war, defectors from the military were reportedly responsible for recent attacks on an intelligence base near Damascus and a ruling Baath party office in the northwest of the country. There is a growing boldness among deserters in confronting President Bashar Assad’s regime, which the U.N. estimates has killed more than 3,500 people in a brutal crackdown. The United States, European Union and Turkey all agree that Assad has lost the legitimacy to lead. But what will happen to Syrian weapons stockpiles if and when Assad’s rule collapses? When the ICRC admitted Turkey and Egypt as members in 1929, they naturally did not want to use the cross, symbol of the hated crusaders, as their emblem; so they requested and got permission to use a red crescent. But when MDA came along in 1931 and wanted its Magen David to be ‘protected’, the ICRC refused. “What if everyone wanted their own symbol?” they... Katyusha fire on Israel was Syrian warning. Turkey ready for any scenario DEBKAfile Exclusive Report November 29, 2011, IDF sources read the rocket attack as the Assad regime’s last warning to the US, fellow NATO members and Gulf nations that Israel would be first to pay the price for their planned intervention in Syria. It would trigger a Lebanese-Israel border clash followed by a massive rocket assault on Israel. More Katyusha incidents are therefore to be expected to emphasize the message. In Istanbul meanwhile, Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu said his government hopes that a military intervention in Syria will never be necessary “but is ready for any scenario.” Jerry Gordon asks in the New English Review Will Israel Win the Energy Prize in the Levant Basin? Gordon used to blog with me on Israpundit. We are sympatico. He has a military background, a high finance background and a Zionist background. And he is a terrific journalist. He writes, This is one of the more important pieces I have written concerning Israel. It will have broader implications for the 2012 Presidential and Congressional elections. Very simply it is about Israel as the emerging energy giant in the Middle East surpassing Saudi Arabia as a vital and secure source of the world’s natural gas and oil supply both offshore and onshore. It is also about predatory behavior by Turkey and surrounding Arab nations increasingly under the sway of Muslim Brotherhood and Salafist... ARAB SPRING by Steve Kramer (www.encounteringisrael.com) I recently attended this season’s first lecture sponsored by the English Speaking Friends of Tel Aviv University. The subject was the Arab Spring and its impact on the Middle East. The lecturer was Professor Asher Susser of the Moshe Dayan Center for Middle Eastern Studies at Tel Aviv University (TAU). He was the Director of the Center for twelve years and has taught for some thirty years in TAU’s Department of Middle Eastern History. Susser has been a visiting professor at Cornell University, the University of Chicago, Brandeis University, and the University of Arizona. His most recent book is “Israel, Jordan and Palestine – The Two-State Imperative.” The author makes the point that the Republicans are so blindly pro-Israel that it would make it difficult for them to muster a coalition to attack Iran. Only the anti-Israel Democrats would be able to do so. When the US attacked Iraq in 2003, many accused her of doing so because of the efforts of Jewish Lobby to defend Israel. PM Sharon was at pains to say that this war had nothing to do with Israel’s interests and he made clear that he didn’t ask the US to do it and that in fact he was against it. Currently Bibi is at pains to make the case for Attacking Iran an issue for the West and that it should be decided by them as in their best interests. He has never said that he wants the US to take out Iran in order to defend and protect Israel. Yes, only Nixon could go to China, only Begin could give up the Sinai and, after the disastrous Republican war against Iraq, only the Democrats can wage war on Iran, BUT WILL THEY? Ted Belman Republicans and Israel: Too much love can...Let Israel have truyly independent courts
In fact, requiring Knesset approval of appointments would have exactly the opposite effect. The...Managing the status quo in our favour
By David M. WeinbergLoose Syrian Weapons Could Pose a Serious Threat
The experience of Libya’s rebellion revealed that hidden weapons caches can be vast and quickly transferred to regional buyers. Earlier this month, the U.N.’s top envoy in Libya confirmed that thousands of...The Crystal and the Sheild
The story of the emblems is instructive. Emblems are practically important, because an ICRC-recognized emblem is ‘protected’ in wartime — shooting at a person or vehicle bearing a protected emblem is considered a war crime.War appears imminent and unavoidable
A regime which tortures its own people has no chance of survival, he added. Turkey may consider setting up a buffer zone on its border in co-ordination with the international community in the event of a massive exodus of refugees from Syria, its foreign minister said on Tuesday.Protecting Israel’s energy interests
It is also about important changes going on now in the geo-political
landscape in the region, the EU and in Washington. But this story has had little to no following in the major media.The Arab Spring is a con job
Susser believes that the term “Arab Spring” is exaggerated. Virtual reality and influence in cyber-space, Twitter and Facebook especially, have been confused with real political power. Technology has been overrated because social networking ignores...Will a Democratic administration attack Iran?
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Ted Belman
Jerusalem, Israel
Thursday, 1 December 2011
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