Opuscula Gaza puts Israel Between a rock And a hard spot

WITH BIDEN, HARRIS-EMHOFF , and other “progressives” in control of the U.S., Hamas and its Iranian-backed crazies are again lobbing missiles at Israeli civilians.

Fortunately, Israel’s “Iron Dome” anti-missile defense prevents most of the “gifts from Gaza” from doing any physical damage to Israel. There IS psychological damage, especially to young children that the best defenses cannot prevent.

 

THERE IS NO QUESTION that Israel could reduce Gaza to ashes. The Israel Defense Force (IDF) has the capability, with enough resources left over to eliminate Hezbollah in Lebanon and Syria, or, for that matter, to send Iran back to the dark ages.

So why does it tolerate the renewed attacks from Gaza?

Several reasons.
1. Because, despite what anti-Semites claim, Israel makes every effort NOT to injure or kill civilians
2. Because if it DID eliminate Gaza’s tyrants, who would, could, step in to fill the vacuum?

During WW 2, with the nazis in charge of much of Europe, many occupied countries had “governments in exile.”

When the allies — primarily the U.S. and the (then) USSR — defeated the nazis and their collaborators, the “governments in exile” filled the vacuum left by the departing nazis and their sycophants.

Gaza lacks such a “government in exile.

When Japan surrendered, the U.S. military became the defacto government, but the mentalities of the Japanese and the Arabs of Gaza are vastly different.

The Gazans have been indoctrinated for generations to hate Israelis — Israeli Arabs, Israeli Jews, and Israeli Druze. While there are some Gazans who may feel otherwise, there probably are too few to influence the population to accept Israeli rule, even if only on a temporary basis.

The terrorist PLO/PFLP is not acceptable to either Israel or Gaza; Hamas pushed out the PLO/PFLP from Gaza apparently with little, if any objection by the residents.

Sponsor

Governments in exile need a sponsor, a nation that will
(a) Recognize their authority
(b) Provide sanctuary for the exiles
(c) Provide financial support
(d) Provide leadership and mentoring

Israel could provide all of the above, BUT it likely would be resented.

Iran supports Hamas (and Hezbollah), so it is not a contender.

The U.S. is not trusted anymore by anyone in the Middle East.

European powers? No better than the U.S.

Aside from China — already buying control of the world — only the Muslim states in the region are candidates to host a Gazan government in exile.

Egypt and Jordan might be good options. Most Gazans have an “Egyptian connection.”

Jordan is, at best, “shaky.” It has its own “Palestinian” problems and fears for its monarchy.

Egypt has a fairly strong military.

Egypt also has an official peace agreement with Israel (as does Jordan).

Egypt borders Gaza; at one point, Gaza was an Egyptian territory. (https://tinyurl.com/ej28hpcc)

Other Muslim countries in the region might be considered by the Gazans, but there are issues with the other countries’ governments and the distance from Gaza.

Morocco, for example, has a fairly stable government, but it is somewhat removed from Gaza. Likewise Bahrain and then UAE. They might be less initially acceptable to Gazans since they have “normalization” agreements with Israel. Lebanon and Syria are not good candidates due to their own internal conflicts. Qatar is in bed with Iran.

Gaza and surrounding states (Gaza too small to be seen).

Israel had experience with Gaza.

At one time, Israel controlled Gaza and Israelis developed a substantial hot house export business.

When Ariel Sharon expelled Israelis from Gaza, the locals quickly destroyed the hot houses and infrastructure, and with it a potential national income.

(Blogger’s opinion: Sharon made two major mistakes: invading Lebanon and expelling Israelis from Gaza.)

Gaza could be close to self-sufficient — it has access to the sea, it has an airport for Boeing 737-type aircraft — but its government’s belligerent behavior toward its neighbors — Egypt and Israel — prevent full commercial development.

It has the potential; all it needs is a good government.

PLAGIARISM is the act of appropriating the literary composition of another, or parts or passages of his writings, or the ideas or language of the same, and passing them off as the product of one’s own mind. Truth is an absolute defense to defamation. Defamation is a false statement of fact. If the statement was accurate, then by definition it wasn’t defamatory.

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Comment on Gaza: Rock & hard spot

Opuscula Peace and the Ahmedah

A thought on the "normalization" agreements.

They are NOT "peace treaties."

They are, primarily, trade agreements.

A good start toward peace, but not peace.

Bahrani Foreign Affairs Minister Abdullatif bin Rashid Al Zayani, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, President Donald Trump, and United Arab Emirates Foreign Affairs Minister Abdullah bin Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan at signing of the Abraham Accords on September 15, 2020. (Alex Wong/Getty Images)

 

In the weekday Ahmedah (אמידה) we — Sefardim — read

"ועושה לה תקוב טובה ואחרית שלום"

Give us good hope and afterwards peace.¹

What we have with the "normalization" agreements is hope.

Hope that the governments — as they stand now — won't make war on us or send troops against us.

It will be years before we have a true "peace" with these not-next-door neighbors.

"Peace" to this scrivener's mind means acceptance by all our neighbors, not just the governments.

Peace with governments AND people

We have a "peace" treaty with Egypt and another with Jordan.

But, except for officials, traveling to — or from — either country is less than casual; indeed, it can be dangerous.

An Israeli can travel to Jordan, but he must leave his sedur in Israel.

An Egyptian has difficulty LEAVING Egypt for Israel.

Once there was a direct flight between Cairo and Lod. A thing of the past.

There are flights from Amman to Lod, but via a third country, often Turkey. A half hour flight now takes about 18 hours.

It could be worse. Israelis are prohibited from entering the PLO/PFLA-controlled areas and entry into Gaza by a sane Israeli almost is suicide. (Hamas is holding two Israelis who voluntarily entered Gaza. Both are thought to be mentally deficient. Hamas refuses to return them to Israel.)

Long memories

The U.S. "civil war" was ended more than 150 years ago.

Yet, today — December 2020 — there are places where "damnYankees" still are not welcome. In the north, many Southerners still are automatically considered racists, bigots, even sans any evidence of this.

While it would be NICE to think that the people of Bahrain, the UAE, Sudan, et al will welcome us in friendship, the "man in the street" in the end counts more than those in the governments.

I did not include Morocco as it has a generally welcoming population, albeit there are those who oppose not only peace with Israel but the king as well.

Sad but true. A Jew may be

  ✡ Safer in Bahrain than in France.

  ✡ Safer in the UAE than in Germany.

  ✡ Safer in Morocco than England.

For now.

On the flip side, Israelis, particularly those whose parents came from Muslim lands, need to control their hate of Muslims, Israeli Muslims and visitors from the "normalized" countries. Again, government officials are one thing; the man in the street is altogether a different matter.

Notes

1 Ahmedah, winter prayer "ברך עלינו" which most Ashkenazim don't have.

PLAGIARISM is the act of appropriating the literary composition of another, or parts or passages of his writings, or the ideas or language of the same, and passing them off as the product of one’s own mind.

Truth is an absolute defense to defamation. Defamation is a false statement of fact. If the statement was accurate, then by definition it wasn’t defamatory.

Web sites (URLs) beginning https://tinyurl.com/ are generated by the free Tiny URL utility and reduce lengthy URLs to manageable size.

 

Comment on eace and the Ahmedah

Opuscula Asad wants Golan, PLO/PFLP deal, But offers nothing

SYRIAN DICTATOR BASHAR AL-ASSAD SAID THE ONLY WAY HIS COUNTRY WOULD MAKE PEACE with Israel is if Israel gives him the strategic Golan Heights.

PLUS, Israel must cave to its enemies.

Some people never learn.

 

A far better man than Bashar Al-Assad made a peace deal with Israel following which the man — Anwar El Sadat — got back the Sinai (but “stuck” Israel with Gaza). El Sadat and his partner for peace, Menachem Begin, were two old terrorists who had suffered personal losses in the wars between the two countries.

Al-Asad is no El Sadat and there is no one in power in Israel with Begin’s good sense.

January 8th, 1980, after first El Al flight to Egypt
Dan Hadani Archive, National Library of Israel @ https://tinyurl.com/yy87wm2x)

Iranian proxy

Al-Asad is in bed with the Iranians (Persians).

The Iranians continually promise to wipe Israel off the map.

Given the close relation with Iran, it is difficult to see how Israel would give up a militarily strategic position. It cost too many Israeli lives, both civilian — due to Syrian shelling Israeli civilian settlements — and military to claim the heights following Syria’s attacks on Israel.

Unlike a growing number of Muslim-dominated countries, Al-Asad fails to realize there are more economic and other benefits to “normalization of relations” with Israel.

Continuing to demand that Israel cave to the PLO/PFLP and Hamas/Islamic Jihad is a pipe dream. Perhaps if the Democrats recapture the White House in Washington, the U.S. will once again cater to the Palestinians, but if the Republicans prevail, Ramallah can expect less support from the U.S., Europe, and even other Muslim-dominated countries.

Impossible dream

Al-Asad’s problem festers in Ramallah.

It is impossible for Israel to make peace with an enemy that refuses to negotiate.

In the past, leftist (Labor) governments caved to every demand the PLO/PFLP even BEFORE negotiations commenced.

Actually, had the PLO et al agreed to the 1947 partition plan, it would HAVE a state much larger than Israel of 1948.

The PLO/PFLP never kept any agreements with Israel.

Egypt has.

Jordan has.

Both Egypt and Jordan have benefited from the agreements, as has Israel.

The normalization with Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) already is showing signs of benefit to all concerned.

But Al-Asad?

Al-Asad has nothing to offer Israel in return for the Heights.

Israel could have, and still can, take Damascus militarily. That would be foolish and a waste of men, but it could be done. Syria cannot take Jerusalem, even with Fifth Column support.

(The same can be said for Beirut.)

If Al-Asad is serious about reclaiming the Heights, the first things (plural) he should do — but probably cannot and will not even if he could —

Get rid of Hezbollah
Settle the civil war in Syria
Disassociate Syria from Iran
Encourage the PLO/PFLP and Hamas/Islamist Jihad to (a) stop attacking Israel and (b) seriously negotiate with Israel before it looses everything.

Al-Asad and Ali Khamenei (Yousef Alhelou @ https://tinyurl.com/y2t7a2sq)

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PLAGIARISM is the act of appropriating the literary composition of another, or parts or passages of his writings, or the ideas or language of the same, and passing them off as the product of one’s own mind.

Truth is an absolute defense to defamation. Defamation is a false statement of fact. If the statement was accurate, then by definition it wasn’t defamatory.

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Comment on Al-Asad

Opuscula A few thoughts About Israel-UAE Peace agreement

With a great deal of hoopla and self-congratulations, Trump’s son-in-law is taking bows for lining up the third Muslim country in the region to make a pact with Israel.

Peace almost always is a good thing.¹

The accord between Israel and the United Arab Emirates (UAE), regardless of what it actually entails, should be a good thing for the region. 

The Sunni-dominated UAE is a winner in the deal as it, like Israel, is threatened by Shiite-dominated Iran.

The UAE military is smaller (not being threatened by an immediate neighbor is helpful) than Israel’s Defense Force.

For 2020, United Arab Emirates is ranked 45 of 138 out of the countries considered for the annual GFP review. ²

Always in a state of readiness, the nation of Israel fields one of the most capable military forces in the world - despite its size. For 2020, Israel is ranked 18 of 138 out of the countries considered for the annual GFP review. ³

The UAE is a member of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), a political and economic alliance of six Middle Eastern countries—Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Bahrain, and Oman. The GCC was established in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, in May 1981. The purpose of the GCC is to achieve unity among its members based on their common objectives and their similar political and cultural identities, which are rooted in Arab and Islamic cultures.⁴

 

Countries belonging to the GCC (Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc./Kenny Chmielewski @ https://tinyurl.com/y47oxzm5)

 

Because the UAE is a GCC member state, it is likely, albeit not assured, that the other member states will either follow UAE’s lead or at least use the UAE as a conduit to Israel.

Qatar currently is the main source of revenue for Hamas, until recently depositing US$15 million-a-month into the terrorists’ pockets. The funds were earmarked by the Qataris for humanitarian aid. Qatar also funds some PLO/PFLP activities.

Qatar recently sent two planeloads of medical supplies to the PLO/PFLP. Abu Mazen and friends rejected the aid since the supplies were landed in Israel sans Abu Mazen’s permission! (The PLO/PFLP lacks an airport to accommodate a modern jumbo jet.)⁵

Despite funding Hamas and the PLO/PFLP, Qatar apparently has, as do most of the GCC states, a pragmatic relationship with Israel. This is not new; as early as the 1970s Saudi were buying Israeli-made air conditioners; they worked better in Saudia’s climate than the European brands.

Israelis visit GCC states

Netanyahu visits Oman, Oct. 2018 ⁶

Communications Minister Ayoub Kara's trip to Dubai, Oct. 2018 ⁷

Sport & Culture Minister Miri Regev at UAE judo competition, Oct. 2018⁸ Regev, of Moroccan descent, also visited the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque in Abu Dhabi.⁹

 

Israeli Culture and Sport Minister Miri Regev, middle, shakes hands with Mohamed Bin Tha'loob Al Derai, President of UAE Wrestling Judo & Kickboxing Federation, after one Israeli player won the bronze medal during the Abu Dhabi Grand Slam Judo tournament in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, Saturday, Oct. 27, 2018. (AP/Kamran Jebreili @ https://tinyurl.com/y266oxes)

 

Some concerns

The rapprochement between Israel and the GCC is not without concerns.

For example, Qatar had been at odds with other GCC members and Egypt for some time. ¹⁰

Direct Flights Emirates and Etihad already overfly Saudia to deliver aid to the PLO/PFLP. Will Israeli airlines (El Al, IsrAir) be allowed to overfly Saudia? Saudia is a GCC member.

Iran is troublesome for ALL middle eastern countries (and beyond).

Will agreements between Israel and individual GCC states include mutual military assistance? Israel has the strongest and best trained military in the region. While there is military cooperation with Egypt, a mutual assistance agreement to defend against a belligerent state (e.g., Libya) is not part of the public peace deal.

PLO/PFLP & Hamas Will the GCC states abandon the “Palestinians” and would that be good for Israel.

Both the PLO/PFLP and Hamas, with Islamic Jihad at its side, have proven their dependence on Israel, yet all are bent on Israel’s destruction. If the GCC quits funneling funds to the terrorists, if the GCC quits supporting the terrorists politically to the rest of the world (primarily the EU), will the terrorists finally be driven to abandon terrorism and make a true peace with Israel? One that does not have an “expiration date.” Or will the terrorists continue to receive support from the EU, and — like Pharaoh — “harden their hearts” and continue their sworn goal of a Jewish-free “Palestine.”

---

Sources

1. Peace is not a good thing when it is faux pax^cq (see https://tinyurl.com/y4utkrv3) that allows a sworn enemy, e.g., Hamas or Hezbollah, to rearm and prepare for a new aggression.

2. UAE military: https://tinyurl.com/y45g4cy6

3. Israel military: https://tinyurl.com/ya9wppoa

4. GCC: https://tinyurl.com/y47oxzm5

5. Medical supplies to PLO/PFLP: https://tinyurl.com/y2dtsu37

6. Netanyahu in Oman: https://tinyurl.com/yd48z583

7. Ayoub Kara in Dubai: https://tinyurl.com/y6c9yput

8. Mimi Regev at judoka: https://tinyurl.com/yytd8buk

9: Miri Regev outside mosque: https://tinyurl.com/yarefvqx

10. Qatari conflicts: https://tinyurl.com/y4fd63ep

PLAGIARISM is the act of appropriating the literary composition of another, or parts or passages of his writings, or the ideas or language of the same, and passing them off as the product of one’s own mind.

Truth is an absolute defense to defamation. Defamation is a false statement of fact. If the statement was accurate, then by definition it wasn’t defamatory.

Web sites (URLs) beginning https://tinyurl.com/ are generated by the free Tiny URL utility and reduce lengthy URLs to manageable size.

 

Comment on Peace pact

Opuscula“Palestinians” Would benefit If areas annexed

ANNEXATION OF “PALESTINIAN” TOWNS in the “Jewish” areas of Yehuda and Shimron would benefit the “Palestinians” as much as the Israelis.

How so?

If even HALF of what is reported is true, then the “Palestinians” will be better off.

   * Better policing; less corruption.

   * Better health care.

   * Better education.

It would not be a “perfect world,” but for the “Palestinians,” life would be better than it is under the heavy thumb of the PLO/PFLP.

 

 

A few quick words about the quotes around “Palestinians.”

   1. There is NO country currently called “Palestine.”

   2. “Palestine” was a name applied to a vast area that included what now is Israel and Jordan.

   3. Jordan, originally “Trans-Jordan,” was the Muslim part of the English Balfour Declaration; the area controlled by the English after World War 1. The English offered the Muslims everything but a small portion of the land known as “historic Israel.”

   4. There was never any push back against Jordan when Jordan controlled the area; no demand for a unique state. This occurred ONLY after Jordan lost the territory after a war of aggression against Israel.

   5. “Palestinians” are Jordanians, but Jordan wants nothing to do with them (after Black September when “Palestinians” attempted to overthrow the king).

   5. There is no “Palestinian “ political history.

   6. There is no “Palestinian” currency; never has been issued

In short, Palestine doesn’t exist except in the minds of Abu Mazen and others of his ilk.

Many people, including those living in the PLO/PFLP-controlled areas, believe that the government that controls their lives is corrupt.

There ARE many things wrong with the (President Donald) Trump “plan,” primarily in failing to recognize the wishes of the people in the area.

There are Muslims currently in areas designated for Israeli control who WANT to be Israelis. There are Muslims in the those areas who prefer to be under PLO/PFLP sovereignty.

There probably are some leftist Jews — in Tel Aviv — who claim they are willing to live in a PLO/PFLP-controlled non-state; knowing, of course, that non-Muslims — in particular, Jews — cannot, by PLO/PFLP law, reside in “Palestine.” Nor can Israeli-owned businesses operate in the PLO/PFLP-controlled area, thus assuring those Muslims who live under Abu Mazen’s controls are guaranteed to earn less than an Israeli company would pay.

According to one UN hand, Israel as an “occupier” is obliged to provide necessary services to the residents. That INCLUDES police protection.

Israel should immediately disband the PLO/PFLP police and collect their U.S.-supplied weapons. It should discharge some IDF soldiers, immediately draft them into the Israel Police, and station them in the “occupied” territories.

Israel already supplies electricity to the PLO/PFLP areas — and the electric company usually does NOT get paid. It shares water with the territories per agreement — except Abu Mazen has canceled all agreements with Israel, so Israel could, theoretically stop water flowing into the area. (It won’t, but …)

Israel could also take over the banks and put an end to Abu Mazen’s “slay for pay” program. In theory, Israel even could print “Occupation” currency so when, if, there ever IS a Palestinian state, it would be weaned from Israel’s shekels, new or otherwise.

Interesting that “Palestinians” deal in Israeli shekels rather than Jordanian dinars. In the early days of Israel, Jordanians who worked in Israel and were paid in lirot [before the new shekels] rushed to exchange the frequently devalued lira for the more stable Jordanian dinar.

While Europe and the Useless Nations whine over Israel assuming jurisdiction of Jewish communities in Yehuda and Shimron, they cannot seem to comprehend how much better off the non-Jewish Arab population would be under Israeli rule, either as occupied residents or as Israeli residents. It is too early to consider citizenship for the people who prefer the Blue and White flag of Israel to the banner of the PLO.

 

 

עינים להם ולא יראו * אזנים להם ולא יאזנו

PLAGIARISM is the act of appropriating the literary composition of another, or parts or passages of his writings, or the ideas or language of the same, and passing them off as the product of one’s own mind.

Truth is an absolute defense to defamation. Defamation is a false statement of fact. If the statement was accurate, then by definition it wasn’t defamatory.

Web sites (URLs) beginning https://tinyurl.com/ are generated by the free Tiny URL utility and reduce lengthy URLs to manageable size.

 

Comment on Annexation

OpusculaSend Sweden’s Ambassador Back to Jordan

SWEDEN HAS DESIGNATED ERIK ULLENHAG, a former minister of integration and leader of the Liberal People’s Party, as its new ambassador to Israel.

Israel needs to reject this man's appointment.

 

 

According to the Jerusalem Post (https://tinyurl.com/yae4lt4e), Ullenhag (right) publicly disassociated himself from support for Israel and opposed members of his party holding an event in the parliament in Stockholm with representatives of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s Likud Party.

He has been Sweden’s ambassador to Jordan since 2016, and is slated to arrive in Israel in September.

He courted controversy last month when he announced his new posting by tweeting that he was appointed “ambassador to Tel Aviv,” as opposed to Israel. He later thanked people for congratulating him on becoming ambassador to Israel, using the country’s name.

Ullenhag has one other tweet mentioning Israel, and it is a denial that he supports it. In 2014, he defended his participation in a “Kippah March” – protests against attacks on people wearing Jewish symbols – by writing that he was protesting “against antisemitism, not in a manifestation of support for Israel.”

 

Insulting behavior

While any country can nominate anyone it wishes to an ambassadorship, most countries do not send people who have proven ill-will against the host country.

Israel can, and should, refuse to accept him.

It is a process not often done, but according to Mongolian Anand Nyamdavaa on Quora (https://tinyurl.com/y8lgbzh5), Before the Ambassador arrives to the host country, a Letter of Credence is sent to notify the arrival of the Ambassador. Once the host country receives the letter, it issues an Agrément. It is a French term for agreement to receive the ambassador-designate. This agreement takes several weeks. Once the agreement is received, the Ambassador presents Letter of Credence to the Head of State in the host country. She can now formally serve as an Ambassador in the host country.

If the host country doesn't want the particular Ambassador, it drags its feet in issuing the Agrément. After a while it becomes obvious that the Agrément is not forthcoming, so the country quietly withdraws the Ambassador back. This type of soft refusal does not happen often but it is not that rare. It is done quietly so that it doesn't cause embarrassment to the country where the Ambassador is from.

Nyamdavaa noted in his Quora post that Brasil refused to accept Dani Dayan as Israel's ambassador to that country.

The Times of Israel (https://tinyurl.com/ybrfj9uh) claims Brasil’s refusal to accept Dayan was because some left-leaning Brazilians and Israelis — including a group of former senior diplomats — started lobbying the government in Brasilia against accepting Dayan, arguing such a move could be understood as tacit approval for Israel’s settlement enterprise. Brazil’s President Dilma Rousseff reportedly informed Jerusalem that she disapproves of Dayan’s appointment.

 

Go home!

An ambassador, indeed, all personnel with diplomatic status, may be ordered to leave a host country, usually within 72 hours.

In the case of Sweden and Israel, why bother to wait until Ullenhag unpacks his bags from the trip from Amman before tossing him out on his ear.

There is no reason, diplomatic or otherwise, for Israel — or any country — to welcome anyone who works against the interests of the state.

Posting Ullenhag as ambassador from Sweden is akin to posting Ilhan Omar or Rashida Tlaib as ambassador to Israel or Louis Eugene Walcott, a/k/a Louis Farrakhan, as ambassador to the UN from the U.S.

Ullenhag’s baggage must — it’s human nature — include Jordan’s current suspicions of Israel and the fact that Jordan’s king sits on a tottering throne thanks to both the true Palestinians (Jordanians) and imitation Palestinians, those living under PLO/PFLP control.

Bottom line: Ullenhag is NOT the person Sweden should be sending to represent it in Israel.

עינים להם ולא יראו * אזנים להם ולא יאזנו

PLAGIARISM is the act of appropriating the literary composition of another, or parts or passages of his writings, or the ideas or language of the same, and passing them off as the product of one’s own mind.

Truth is an absolute defense to defamation. Defamation is a false statement of fact. If the statement was accurate, then by definition it wasn’t defamatory.

Web sites (URLs) beginning https://tinyurl.com/ are generated by the free Tiny URL utility and reduce lengthy URLs to manageable size.

 

Comment on Send ambassador back to Jordan

Opuscula Will PLO/PFLP Decision Kill Area “A”?

ABU MAZEN, the alleged “leader” of the PLO/PFLP¹ in Oslo’s “Area A,” is promising to end all cooperation with Israeli security forces.

The problem is, even armed with U.S.-provided weapons, the PLO/PFLP cannot — or will not — prevent terrorists from entering Israel.

The bottom line is that Israel will be forced — by “Palestinians” — to take over and the Muslims will lose yet another piece of land.

 

Map by unnamed person claiming to be an American journalist living in Ramallah (https://tinyurl.com/ybzusjh5)

 

Israel has a right to live in peace and security, and it that means taking over Area A, as it took over all of Jerusalem and much of Judea and Samaria (Areas B and C).

Like Joe Biden; Abu Mazen is tripping over his tongue to the detriment of his constituents.

Area A, shown on the map, above, is ungovernable.

You cannot go from Jenin to Ramallah or Ramallah to Hebron in one contiguous area.

Had the PLO/PFLP come to a peace agreement with Israel before Oslo, the “Palestinians” could have had a real state.

Had the PLO/PFLP even considered President Trump’s grand plan, “Palestinians” could have had a real state — even linked to Gaza (which may be one reason Abu Mazen refused to even consider the plan).

Had the PLO/PFLP come to a peace agreement with Israel, residents of yet another Muslim state could have had better education, better medical care, better jobs (working in Israel or for Israeli firms setting up in the new state), improved incomes, less mothers crying for their dead children (on both sides).

It might not have been a Canada-U.S. relationship (even that one started off with some difficulties) but perhaps more of a Mexico-U.S. relationship.

Israel’s peace deal with Egypt is holding. It’s agreement with Jordan is, admittedly, shaky, mostly because Jordan’s king is threatened by the Palestinians in his kingdom, the “real” Palestine.

As time goes on, the PLO/PFLP is losing support from established Muslim states, in large part due to the non-elected government in Ramallah. (The Europeans still find ways to put Euros into the pockets of Abu Mazen and his cronies and to fund the PLO/PFLP’s “slay-for-pay” coffers.)

Abu Mazen, for his own part, needs Israeli security to alert him to approaching Hamas killers who want his head.

Given that Gaza would be part of Trump’s “Palestinian” state might be why Abu Mazen is so steadfastly against the plan to the point of not even looking at it.

None of the “Palestinian” despots in Ramallah or in Gaza have made any progress toward peace with Israel. Hamas, more than the PLO/PFLP, frequently announces that it’s sole goal it to destroy Israel.

 

Israel without Jews

Yet, in reality, if all the Jews who came after 1900, and their descendants, were to leave Israel, the end result would be lack of medical care for the Muslims, lack of education for the Muslims, lack of science and agricultural advances ... in other words, the land would return to its status when Samuel Clemens (right) toured it in 1867. Then Clemens (Mark Twain) wrote: Throughout Innocents Abroad², Twain explicitly states that the area was desolate and devoid of inhabitants. His group entered Palestine from the north, passing through such sites as the Sea of Galilee, the Banias, Nazareth, Jenin and Nablus.

Riding on horseback through the Jezreel Valley, Twain observed, “There is not a solitary village throughout its whole extent – not for 30 miles in either direction. There are two or three small clusters of Bedouin tents, but not a single permanent habitation. One may ride 10 miles, hereabouts, and not see 10 human beings.”

Six hundred years before Twain’s visit, Rabbi Moses ben Nachman, known as Nachmanides (1194-1270), commenting on a verse in Leviticus that describes the curses that will befall the land of Israel, wrote that the devastation “constitutes a good tiding, proclaiming that during all our exiles, our land will not accept our enemies... Since the time that we left it, [the land] has not accepted any nation or people, and they all try to settle it... This is a great proof and assurance to us.”

The 13th-century scholar wrote that Israel will remain desolate until the Jewish People assume control. But when the people of Israel finally return to the land of Israel.

While the Muslims came to Israel and drove out some Jews, the only thing they managed to accomplish was to build on top of Judaism’s most holy site (for their third level holy site — they turn their posteriors to their precious mosque when they recite their prayers; some honor.

Did they bring agriculture to Israel? No.

Did they build colleges in Israel? No.

Did they build cities, great or small, in Israel? No.

In order for a land to be a people’s land, the people have to develop it.

The Muslims did nothing.

To be fair, what Jews remained in Israel mostly were beggars depending on handouts from Europe, Asia, and the Americas. But they DID have cities and they DID have education of a sort, and they DID have a court system.

 

Eyes that cannot see

Abu Mazen, et al, have eyes that cannot see that a lasting peace with Israel back in 1948 would be what today’s PLO/PFLP call “Palestine” would have been much larger and uncontested.

Of course Abu Mazen’s “Palestine” would be ruled from Amman, not from Ramallah, but that apparently was NOT a problem until Israel defeated five invading Muslim armies (Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon, and) Syria). Many “Palestinians” left what was the fledgling state of Israel so the “glorious invading Muslim armies could drive the Jews into the Sea.” Their descendants are living in UN “refugee” camps to this day.

More land was lost for the PLO/PFLP in 1967 when Israel was attacked by Egypt, Jordan, and Syria, and still more land during the “Yom Kippor” war of 1973 led by Egypt and Jordan.

Israel returned the Sinai to Egypt (but Egypt refused to accept Gaza) in exchange for a peace agreement. Jordan was allowed to maintain control of the mosque in return for a peace agreement with Israel. Due to Syria’s continuing belligerency, Israel remains in control of the Golan.

 

An aside: Yassir Arafat was born and raised an Egyptian. He co-founded Fatah in 1959 and joined the PLO in 1967.³

 

 

Sources

1. The Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) is an organization founded in 1964 with the purpose of the "liberation of Palestine" through armed struggle, with much of its violence aimed at Israeli civilians (https://tinyurl.com/dy2r89u)
The Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP) is a secular Palestinian Marxist–Leninist and revolutionary socialist organization founded in 1967 by George Habash. It has consistently been the second-largest of the groups forming the Palestine Liberation Organization (the PLO, founded in 1964), the largest being Fatah (founded in 1959). As of 2015 the PFLP boycotts participation in the PLO Executive Committee and the Palestinian National Council. (https://tinyurl.com/q5229j3)

2. Samuel Clemens: https://tinyurl.com/y9wqqaur

3. Arafat: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yasser_Arafat

 

עינים להם ולא יראו * אזנים להם ולא יאזנו

PLAGIARISM is the act of appropriating the literary composition of another, or parts or passages of his writings, or the ideas or language of the same, and passing them off as the product of one’s own mind.

Truth is an absolute defense to defamation. Defamation is a false statement of fact. If the statement was accurate, then by definition it wasn’t defamatory.

Web sites (URLs) beginning https://tinyurl.com/ are generated by the free Tiny URL utility and reduce lengthy URLs to manageable size.

 

comment on End of Area “A”

Opuscula Removing Hamas Leaves a vacuum

THE QUESTION BEING ASKED BY MANY in Israel and in the United States – and perhaps elsewhere – is:

If the IDF can eliminate Hamas, why doesn’t it do it?

Good question.

Simple answer: Who has an organization that can rush in and fill the role of government?

Image above shows map of Gaza Strip and surrounding areas

UNLIKE IRAN and some other nations with despotic rulers, Gaza lacks a shadow government, a government of people prepared to assume the duties of an overthrown government.

There may be a movement in Gaza able to take over the deposed Hamas role, but apparently it is a deep secret.

Egypt could step in on an interim basis, but so far it has declined to consider the possibility.

Menachem Begin tried to give Gaza to Egypt, but Anwar Sadat was too smart and refused Begin’s “gift.”

Israel ruled Gaza for a number of years. Israeli farmers set up greenhouses and an infrastructure to make the strip self-supporting. When Ariel Sharon forced the Jews out, the indigenous Muslim population quickly destroyed the greenhouses and infrastructure.

Israel, understandably, does not want anything to do with a Gaza government, even on a temporary basis.

When the nazis were defeated (and many escaped to Latin America and the U.S. or were “invited” to the then Soviet Union), the Allies set up governments in their sections.

After the bombs fell on Hiroshima and Nagasaki and the Japanese sued for peace, the Americans established an interim government.

Both Germany and Japan today have viable, stable, independent governments.

When the U.S. and its allies overthrew Saddam Hussein and the Iraqi government, neither the U.S. nor its allies had the foresight – or perhaps hindsight – to establish an interim government to rule until the Iraqis could develop a cadre of politicians who would be sufficiently popular to run the country after the U.S. and its allies went home.

Iran was a different model.

When the shah was overthrown, a shadow government headed by the Ayatollah Khomeini filled the vacuum. Khomeini returned from exile in England and took control of the government.

When the nazis were chased out of France, the arrogant Gen. Charles de Gaulle managed to assume political power.

There are no De Gaulles in Gaza.

There are no leaders in Egypt or Israel willing to help Gazans set up an independent government.

The PA in Ramallah can’t govern its own areas, and although Abu Mazen would like to claim he is the president of Gaza as well as the PA, Hamas and the local population chased the PA government’s personnel out of Gaza. Mazen and the Ramallah government would not be welcome in Gaza.

Bottom line: Israel is “stuck” trying – and failing – to protect Israelis near the Gaza border.

If it eliminates Hamas, which it surely could do, what would replace it? The Islamic Brotherhood is the prime candidate, and it is no better – possibly worse for Israel and the Gaza population – than Hamas.

It is suggested that not all Gazans are happy with Hamas, but apparently few Gazans are prepared to make peace with Israel.

For Israel, the bottom line is to suffer Hamas until the Gazans develop a shadow government – even if that government is formed and waiting in exile – Egypt or Jordan, perhaps – ready to return and assume control of the strip with a little help from foreign sponsors – again, Egypt, Jordan, and possibly Israel.

The “fly in the ointment” is Iran, Hamas’ sponsor. Iran will not willingly give up its puppet on Israel’s southern border anymore than it will allow Lebanese to rule their country without its proxy, Hezbollah.

Unlike Gaza, the Lebanese could have a Hezbollah-free government in place in short order; the Lebanese have a great deal of experience in self-rule.

For all the aggravation and danger Hamas presents to Israel, there is nothing to replace it except anarchy.

Until Gazans decide they want a better government, if the choice is Hamas or anarchy, Hamas seems to be the lesser of two evils.

PLAGIARISM is the act of appropriating the literary composition of another, or parts or passages of his writings, or the ideas or language of the same, and passing them off as the product of one’s own mind.

Truth is an absolute defense to defamation. Defamation is a false statement of fact. If the statement was accurate, then by definition it wasn’t defamatory.

Comments on Keeping Hamas

Opuscula 3 state Solution

 

FORGET ABOUT A "TWO-STATE" SOLUTION to the Israel-"Palestinian" problem.

It's an imaginary problem anyway.

Consider the facts.

WHEN THE ENGLISH MANDATE was in force, "Palestine" included what now is Jordan and Israel.

Then the English, as they are wont to do, carved out a chunk of the their Mandate area - not to be confused with the French Mandatory area to the north - to pay off a Saudi family, England established the Hashemite Kingdom of Transjordan.

England then divided Transjordan into two unequal parts; the part on the east side of the Jordan River lost the "Trans" and became, simply, "Jordan." The part of Transjordan on the west side of the river (hence "West Bank") became "Palestine."

A little history on the name "Palestine." According to Wikipedia, Roman Emperor Hadrian changed the name of the province to Syria Palaestina and Jerusalem to Aelia Capitolina, which certain scholars conclude was done in an attempt to remove the relationship of the Jewish people to the region.

Additional references:
Is the name Palestine an accurate name for Israel?
Origin of the Name Palestine
Palestine Since The Romans

Search for "Hadrian" in each of the above articles.

After the Romans sacked the Temple c 70 CE, to further demoralize the Jews the conquers renamed the area "Palestine" a name that was never known when government was in Jewish hands. Even during the Babylonian exile (from 598/7 to 587/6 BCE) the name remained Judea and Israel.

In 1948, the UN partitioned the land west of the Jordan River (hence "West Bank"). Partition plans had been offered to both Muslims and Jews; the former rejected all proposals. When Israel declared its independence, five Arab states joined in the invasion of Israel (Palestine): Egypt, Transjordan, Syria, Lebanon and Iraq; while the two contingents came from Saudi Arabia and Yemen. This in addition to attacks from Palestinian irregulars and volunteers from the Arab world.

Also see The War of 1948

Many Muslim Arabs either left Israel at the urging of the Grand Mufti of Jerusalem, Grand Mufti Hajj Amin El Husseini, to escape the fighting, or were chased out by Jews who feared they were fifth columnists. (Meanwhile, Jews were forced out of Muslim countries that had been their homes for generations. Unlike the Muslims who left Israel, the Jews were absorbed by the state and not left in UN camps.)

According to the US Consul in Haifa, ". . . local mufti-dominated Arab leaders" were urging "all Arabs to leave the city, and large numbers did so." (Aubrey Lippincott, U.S. Consul General in Haifa, April 22, 1948 )

Jordan occupies, abandons the "West Bank"

A History Today entry titled Jordan Formally Annexes the West Bank states that In 1948 King Abdullah’s Arab Legion, trained and led by British officers, took the Jewish quarter of Old Jerusalem and seized control of the West Bank area on the western side of the Jordan, which included Jericho, Bethlehem, Hebron and Nablus.

The annexation of the West Bank, which more than doubled Jordan’s population, was chewed over in talks with Israel which petered out in March 1950. In April, 1950 Jordan held an election for a new parliament to represent both banks of the Jordan. The newly elected parliament passed a resolution affirming support for ‘complete unity between the two sides of the Jordan and their union into one state’ and formally incorporating the West Bank into the Hashemite Kingdom of the Jordan.

A Palestine Facts entry titled Jordan Renounced Claims to West Bank, 1988 details the trials and tribulations Jordan had with the PLO.

According to the resource, Arab and international recognition of the PLO as "the sole legitimate representative of the Palestinians," the overwhelming PLO victory in the 1976 municipal elections in the Territories, and the fact that seventy percent of the Jordanian population is of Palestinian origins, made it impossible for Jordan to compete with the PLO over representation of the Palestinians in the Territories without jeopardizing its domestic stability. In July 1988, in response to the accumulated pressures and the months of intifada demonstrations by Palestinians in the West Bank, King Hussein of Jordan ceded to the PLO all Jordanian claims to the territory.

The "birth" of the West Bank as a Political Entity, "Palestine," was 1988.

Egypt Gaza

According to a Wikipedia entry Occupation of the Gaza Strip by Egypt , Egypt "occupied" but did not "annex," Gaza.

The occupation of the Gaza Strip by Egypt occurred between 1948 and October 1956 and again from March 1957 to June 1967. From September 1948, until its dissolution by Egyptian President Gamal Abdel Nasser in 1959, the Gaza Strip was officially administered by the All-Palestine Government. Although largely symbolic, the government was recognized by most members of the Arab League. Following its dissolution, Egypt did not annex the Gaza Strip but left it under military rule pending a resolution of the Palestine question.

While many suggest that Sadat refused to accept Gaza as part of the Sinai deal, there seems no concrete evidence of this. To the contrary, Sadat apparently wanted to support a PLO presence in Gaza.

Three states?

Israel is not going away. It seems prepared to accept a "Palestinian" presence in a limited portion of the so-called West Bank.

Israel would prefer that the "Palestinian" enclave on the West Bank be reincorporated into and ruled by Jordan as it was until Jordan washed its hands of the "Palestinian" problem (Arafat) and that Gaza be controlled by Egypt.. The majority of Jordan's population is Palestinian.

Jordan, as a stable political entity with an established peace agreement with Israel would be, at least in Israel's point of view, the ideal owner, or at least manager, of "Palestine" areas A and B. A cross-border connection, perhaps initially manned by a joint Israel-Jordan-"Palestinian" guard, would assure that "Palestinian" terrorists are kept in "Palestine" and prevented from entering Jordan or Israel.

A note on Areas A and B. These areas contain places holy to both Muslims and Jews. Under PA control, these areas will be forbidden to Jews (and possibly Christians, too), and unlike Israel with its large Muslim population, no Jews will be allowed to reside in "Palestine."

Egypt, given that Hamas and the Islamic Brotherhood rule Gaza, probably doesn't want the strip, even if most Gazans are Egyptians, but a Gaza divorced both geographically and politically from the "Palestine" of the West Bank, cannot survive. It needs to make peace with Israel or Egypt - preferably both - to develop a deep water sea port and to repair its airport.

A "two state" solution simply won't work. Neither Gaza nor "Palestine" can survive economically - even with all the foreign aid pouring in each year - without a cohesive state.

A "two state" solution might be possible involving Israel and "Palestine" or between Israel and Gaza, but neither is likely given the continuing attacks and counter-attacks.

A "three-state" solution has the best chance of success; one that puts sensible heads in control of the "Palestinians" of the West Bank and Gaza.

Opuscula What an Opportunity

 

Jordan has filed a complaint with the UN's International Civil Aviation Organization.

Jordanian officials have said the operations at an expanded Timna airport will affect takeoffs and landings at Aqaba’s airport.

Currently,

Israel has an airport near Eilat.

Jordan has an airport near Aqaba.

There are only 4 air miles (6 km) between the two ports. The distance by sea between the Port of Eilat and the Port of Aqaba is 10 nautical miles (roughly 11.5 statute miles).

The two ports are so close together that most area maps put one almost on top of the other.

BY COMPARISON, the distance between

JFK and LaGuardia is about 12 miles (19 km); shuttle services connect the two airports

O'Hare and Midway is 31 miles (50 km); the two are connected by local rail

Fort Lauderdale/Hollywood and Miami is 27 miles (48km)

LAX and John Wayne is 40 miles (64 km); shuttle service connects the two airports

. Timna's airport is north of Eilat.

The King Hussein International Airport is north of Aqaba..

The Timna airport, in place but to be expanded to accommodate wide-body planes, is 6.22 miles (10 km) from Jordan's King Hussein International.

Jordan is understandably concerned but the Timna Ramon airport was in place for some time sans problems.

Israel is planning to spend NIS 1.95 billion, and even though that's Israeli shekels, that still is a lot of money, especially for a country that is having budget problems.

It would seem reasonable - and that may be the main problem - that whichever airport now serves wide-body aircraft should be the - dare I write it? - a REGIONAL airport for both Israel and Jordan (or Jordan and Israel).

Since both Timna and King Hussein are international airports - that is, they have customs, passport checks, etc. already in place - it would seem logical that instead of enhancing the existing Timna airport to build a light rail from airport to airport.

Timna still would serve domestic flights and "narrow-body" jets from Europe, but any wide-biddy aircraft would use King Hussein.

Israel and Jordan could split revenue based on passenger destination and origination. Israel and Jordon could jointly staff Customs and passport checks - incoming passenger would go to the left for Jordan and to the right for Israel (or vice versa).

The inter-airport shuttle (light rail) could originate and terminate in secure areas of the terminals, assuring that Israelis don't wander around Jordan with out the proper papers and Jordanians don't tour Israel sans authorizing documentation.

Even if Israel paid for the tracks between the two terminals, it still probably would cost less than the estimated cost for the Timna expansion.

An aside: There already is scheduled airline service between Lod (TLV) and Amman (AMM).

It seems this would be a win-win for both countries.

But it's the Middle East, so . . .

Opuscula It is all in how The message spins

 

The Times of Israel for Friday, September 5 2014, has two related articles that give a clue as to how Israel and its gas clients view proposed sales to Jordan.

Israel-Jordan gas deal a bulwark against Jihadis: expert

Jordanian minister downplays Israeli role in large gas deal

The first article (Israel-Jordan) has a "feel good" top that states Top security official says the $15 billion sale of Israeli natural gas could bolster regimes in Jordan and Egypt

The second article (Jordanian minister) tells how this will play in Jordan: Mohammad Hamed says US firm Noble Energy will be supplier, though resources will be from Israeli field.

Maybe it's better that way; if the jihadists want to stir up trouble - OK, even more trouble - for Israel they can claim the money-hungry Jews are charging Jordan and Egypt exorbinate prices even if the prices are at or below the market price (and probably lower than what Israel Electric Corp will be paying in Israel).

Israel already has a deal to sell to the "Palestinians" even though they are notorious for not paying their bills.

Israel-Jordan gas deal a bulwark against Jihadis: expert

The agreement to sell Jordan natural gas worth $15 billion over the next 15 years is the third leg of a trilateral regional arrangement designed to shore up relations between Jerusalem, Amman and Cairo – and to ensure the survival of the regimes in two Arab nations, according to Brig. Gen. (Res.) Nitzan Nuriel, research associate at the International Institute for Counter-Terrorism, IDC Herzliya. “Israel will produce the gas, Egypt will liquefy it, and Jordan will benefit from it, along with Egypt and Israel,” said Nuriel. “The people in all three countries will be very happy to have a secure supply of energy at a reasonable price.”

“Of course they (Jordan) are free to back out of this gas deal, but they know that this is the best alternative for them. Israel is not going to play politics with the gas the way some Gulf states have tried to, and they know this. With Israel, a contract is a contract, and the secure supply of energy at a reasonable price will help people ‘forget’ where it came from.”

In June, Israel signed a deal with Egypt to transfer gas there, where it will be liquefied, and then shipped back to Israel – and now to Jordan as well – for use in electrical plants. “For the first time, all three countries will have a safe, assured, and cheap supply of electricity,” said Nuriel. “Israelis will benefit, of course, but in Jordan and Egypt – both countries with large impoverished populations – the gas deal will be a solid, measurable metric of the benefits of peace and regional cooperation. That will help boost the regimes in the eyes of the masses, and strengthen both Egyptian President el-Sisi and Jordan’s King Abdullah in their own struggle against Islamist insurgents.”

No one seemed to address the question of the transmission lines' security and protection from Islamists and, sadly, extremist Israelis.

While it might help the incumbents in Egypt and Jordan, as long as the facts that (a) the gas is from Israeli off-shore fields and (b) the deal, Noble Energy not withstanding, still is between Israel and its neighbors on the other side of Israel's two quite borders.

What the deal probably does NOT do is put Israel in a good light to Egyptian and Jordanian citizens. They won't be told the gas is from Israel and transferred via Israel (in Egypt's case, from Israel to Egypt where the gas will be converted, then back to Israel and hence to Jordan. Egypt also may convert Israeli gas for distribution elsewhere - adding cash to Egypt's coffers for its service.)

They also won't see any direct impact (except perhaps lower electric bills). At this point, the intent is to use the gas to fuel electrical generating plants.

Jordanian minister downplays Israeli role in large gas deal

Doing what Muslims seem to do best - deny reality when it is in front of them, the Times writes that Rebuffing suggestions of improved ties with Israel, Jordan’s Energy and Mineral Resources Minister Mohammad Hamed noted Thursday that an estimated $15 billion gas deal announced Wednesday is not between the Israeli and Jordanian governments, but was rather forged between the Hashemite kingdom’s electric company and the US Noble Energy group.

On Wednesday, representatives from Israel’s Delek Group Ltd. and the US Nobel Energy Inc. company signed a memorandum of understanding in Amman, under which it agreed to supply the Hashemite Kingdom with $15 billion worth of natural gas from its Leviathan energy field over a decade and a half.

Israel decided last year to export 40 percent of the country’s offshore gas finds, and has since signed a 20-year, $1.2 billion deal with a Palestinian firm, and in June signed a letter of intent to supply energy to an Egyptian facility as well.

According to the Middle East Institute,

In January 2014 Israel signed its first natural gas export deal through which the Palestinian Power Generation Company (PPGC), the Palestinian Authority’s electric utility company, will purchase $1.2 billion worth of Israeli natural gas over a 20-year period. The gas will be shipped to a $300 million power plant that PPGC plans to build in the West Bank city of Jenin, with gas sales scheduled to commence in 2016 or 2017 when the Leviathan field will begin producing.

The deal could reduce Palestinian dependence on Israel’s electric grid, through which Palestinian energy needs are currently met. Under the existing arrangements, the Palestinian Authority has accrued a sizeable debt to the Israeli Electric Company due to habitual missed payments.

While the deal will not ease the West Bank’s heavy reliance on foreign energy, it has motivated the construction of a substantial Palestinian power plant, which should allow Palestinians to produce their own electricity, increase their capacity to manage energy, create jobs in the West Bank, and provide the basis from which to launch future energy partnerships.

Again, the "Israeli connection" will not be known to the average Jordanian, Egyptian, or "Palestinian", just as the amount of Israeli medical care is a closely guarded secret in the territories. If the people ever learn the truth, the Islamists would have to pack up and go home - wherever that might be (England, the US, France, Germany?).

יהיה טוב

Opuscula GCC looks westward To counter Iran nukes

 

An item from the May 22 issue of The Israel Project (TIP) proved interesting, but left me with a "Why Morocco" question.

The item:

Agence France-Presse (AFP) on Tuesday conveyed a statement from a joint committee established by Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates committing to confronting "regional challenges," the latest in what increasingly appear to be systematic moves by Riyadh to bolster its regional position opposite Iran. The Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) had already in late April formally invited Jordan and Morocco to integrate themselves into a conventional military alliance under which the Gulf states would trade aid and the new members would potentially provide 300,000 troops to collective efforts. Meanwhile Saudi prince Turki al-Faisal - a top figure in the country’s royal family and its former intelligence chief - went further, speculating that Gulf states would have to acquire "nuclear know-how" to offset Iran. AFP also read a new Saudi-UAE "supreme committee" against the backdrop of tensions between most Arab states, on the one hand, and Qatar, on the other. The wire bluntly assessed that "Qatar is accused of supporting the Muslim Brotherhood, to which Saudi Arabia and other Gulf monarchies have long been hostile." Tensions have recently been dampened by Qatari moves to return to the GCC fold, but many analysts take it as a given that the region remains divided between three overarching blocs: the Iranian camp that includes Syria and Hezbollah, the camp of America's traditional Arab allies plus Israel, and an axis composed of Turkey, Qatar, and various country-by-country Brotherhood groups. The Obama administration has faced sustained criticism for being insufficiently supportive of its traditional allies.

I can understand why the GCC would want to include Jordan in its military pact. Saudia and Jordan are neighbors, albeit Jordon is hardly more than a spot on the map when comparing land mass. (Jordon still is bigger than Israel, even with the "disputed territories.")

The distance between Rabat, Morocco and Riyadh Saudia Arabia is roughly 3300 miles or a little less than seven (7) hours flight time (at commercial jet speeds).

The Gulf Corporation Council is composed of six nations, alphabetically:

1. Bahrain
2. Kuwait
4. Sultanate of Oman
6. Qatar
8. Saudi Arabia (GCC Hq in Riyadh)
10. United Arab Emirates (UAE)

Population and wealth information at http://useconomy.about.com/od/worldeconomy/p/gcc.htm

All of the GCC members, and Jordan, are distant from Morocco. While all are politically similar in their distrust of Iran and its proxies, including the Muslim Brotherhood, it seems strange - if the GCC is looking for troops to come to its rescue, that it would ignore closer, more or less moderate, Arab states including Egypt, Libya, Tunis, and Algeria. The GCC also is ignoring perhaps potential, but questionable, allies Sudan and Yemen - which sits next to Oman.

Saudia, along with Jordan, must be concerned not only with Iran and its visions of nuclear domination of the area, but also of Syria and Hezbollah.

In truth, the best friend the GCC would wish for would be Israel, but if Israeli politicians are smart - and THAT IS HIGHLY QUESTIONABLE - they won't agree to any "boots on the ground" arrangements with the GCC or any other Arab state (including Egypt and Jordan). After all, Israel is alleged to "have the bomb" - something Saudi ever more desperately wants for its own protection.

What the GCC needs, and perhaps what it is seeking by courting Morocco, et al, is a "second strike" option. Given the Iranian crazies, the ayatollahs will strike without warning (or perhaps in conjunction with a North Korean attack on South Korea and maybe Japan); all the GCC can do is hope for retaliation to come from a distant state, e.g., Morocco.

The question the GCC states need to ask: will any of their Arab citizens want to defend "their" country that, after all, is only tribal land with artificial borders.

Opuscula When the world Hates you anyway

 

It seems that no matter what Israel does, the world rushes to castigate it.

Never mind that many of the attacks are simply untrue or unwarranted.

If Israel - or the Jews - do it, it's wrong.

So . . .

Maybe it's time we stopped worrying about what the world thinks.

Jews are forbidden to pray on the Temple Mount.

Solve the problem: Remove the Moslem Waqf from control of the site and station Israeli soldiers there to allow ALL people to visit and pray peacefully on the mount. (If certain rabbis want to prohibit their followers from access to the mount, let them, but don't deny access to anyone who wants to go up - peacefully.)

No more freedom for murderers - any murderers; not Jews, not non-Jews. Allow capital punishment for people who commit multiple murders.

Divide Israel into two states, with the non-Israel portion having unrestricted access to Jordan via a narrow corridor. The world will complain, but with the corridor, residents of the so-called Palestinian Authority would have access to an international airport (Amman) and access to the sea (Aqaba); two things they lack - and complain about - now. Arabs in the section of the "West Bank" who end up inside Israel would have the option: Accept Israeli citizenship with its benefits and burdens or move. Jews in the PA-assigned areas would be forced out - to Israel or elsewhere (since the PA has made it abundantly clear that "Palestine" will be free of Jews.) If the PA compensates Jews for their lands, then Israel must compensate Arabs for their lands; but if not, then not.

Reclaim Hebron. Abraham bought the cave and although the descendants of Ismael may have some minor claim with the Jews, the bodies buried in the cave are Jews, not Moslems. (There was no Islam at the time so how can Moslems claim ownership?)

Demand that Moslem sympathizers live in areas targeted by Islamist terrorists. Settle them in Sedrot and Ashdod, in Kiryat Arba and Metula. Better, place prisons in those areas to house terrorists and their sympathizers.

Build a wall - not just a fence, but a wall as the U.S. has done on its border with Mexico. Until the Moslems prove themselves ready to coexist with Israel, prevent any crossing of the border with the PA. If a PA citizen needs to travel, if a citizen needs medical care, let the citizen travel to Jordan. (In Aza, the citizens can travel to Egypt - if Egypt will allow them entry.)

Cut off all utilities to the PA. No more Israeli electricity - unless perhaps if paid in advance. No more Diesel fuel for PA generators; not more gasoline for PA cars.

It will be OK - the PA will have open borders with Jordan and Egypt, both of which can provide what Israel withholds.

If Israel is attacked by rocket fire from the PA, let Israel return the fire as indiscriminately as the PA rocketeers fire at Israel. If civilians are injured or killed . . . isn't that what the terrorists want, to injure of kill Israeli civilians? - too bad, "collateral damage."

We know that giving up territory will not satisfy the powers of the PA; getting Aza and its infrastructure proved that. (Israel must not make the same mistake with the Golan.)

No matter what Israel does, the world will condemn it so it might as well do what is in its own best interest.

Once the Moslem in the White House is gone, the U.S. may once again be Israel's friend . . . if Israel even needs the U.S. given its budding relationships with nuclear powers China and India.

Something to consider.

Draw your own conclusion

TEHRAN (FNA)- The Iranian Foreign Ministry on Tuesday called invalid a press release by the White House alleged to be the text of the nuclear agreement struck by Iran and the Group 5+1 (the US, Russia, China, Britain and France plus Germany) in Geneva on Sunday.

The above was reported by:

Iran's FARS News Agency - http://tinyurl.com/jwu62de

Israel's Ynet in Hebrew - http://tinyurl.com/psxa46b

Israel HaYom - http://tinyurl.com/p2ma5e6

Arutz Sheva - http://tinyurl.com/qapwdwa

Washington (DC) Free Beacon - http://tinyurl.com/nyvbadr

The FARS hed reads: "Iran Strongly Rejects Text of Geneva Agreement Released by White House"

According to Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Marziyeh Afkham on Tuesday, “What has been released by the website of the White House as a fact sheet is a one-sided interpretation of the agreed text in Geneva and some of the explanations and words in the sheet contradict the text of the Joint Plan of Action (the title of the Iran-powers deal), and this fact sheet has unfortunately been translated and released in the name of the Geneva agreement by certain media, which is not true."

She said that the four-page text under the name of the Joint Plan of Action (which has been released by the Iranian foreign ministry) was the result of the agreement reached during the Geneva talks and all of its sentences and words were chosen based on the considerations of all parties to the talks. In fact one of the reasons why negotiations between Iran and the G5+1 took so long pertained to the accuracy which was needed for choosing the words for the text of the agreement, Afkham said, explaining that the Iranian delegation was much^sic rigid and laid much emphasis on the need for this accuracy.

The full text of the agreement, at least as FARS has it, is displayed on the FARS website (ibid.).

GRANTED, any agreement among people having different first languages is open to some interpretation, but apparently what John Kerry told his boss and what Iran's participant told the ayatollah are two different things.

For all that, given the Moslems' respect for truth and honoring agreements, the claims by Iran's spokeswoman come as no surprise.

Many people apparently have said it: Treaties are just pieces of paper.

Certainly Oslo has no value.

Except for the most left wing and a few Jew and Israel bashers, everyone has to admit that the Muslims breeched every one of the Oslo agreement's articles.

It would appear that the U.S. Secretary of State failed to learn from recent history, or perhaps he is a Pollyanna who believes, as apparently his boss believes, that appeasement a la Neville Chamberlain will win friends for the U.S. and spare it from the Muslim goal of a global caliphate.

Of course Kerry's boss understands Muslims. Although he claims to be something other than a Muslim, he did attend a madras as a youngster and while his Chicago church is not a mosque, its preacher spews hate for all not like him; it seems safe to think POTUS does understand the Muslim mentality.

It would be nice if the Muslims could be trusted to honor agreements, but - correct me if I am wrong - doesn't the Koran permit lying to achieve a Muslim purpose? - so far there is NO indication that Muslims as a group CAN be trusted; certainly Israelis are painfully aware than a treaty with the so called Palestinian Authority is worth less than the paper on which it is printed.

TO BE FAIR, despite internal turmoil, Egypt has kept, more or less, its treaty with Israel, much to the benefit of both countries. Likewise Jordan. Turkey and Morocco are a different story if recent reports from Morocco are correct.

MEANWHILE, the Hurriyet Daily News, which bills itself as the "leading news source for Turkey and the region" ( http://tinyurl.com/lqauly7), reports under the hed "Turkey, Iran to become backbone of regional stability: Davutoğlu" that "A growing partnership between Turkey and Iran will enhance the region’s stability," Turkish Foreign Minister Davutoğlu said in Tehran, where he is attending the Economic Cooperation Organization 21st ministers’ meeting, on Nov. 26.

“In my point of view, when Turkey and join hands, this will not only benefit both countries, but also become the backbone of regional stability,” Davutoğlu said, pointing to the potential of further cooperation in energy.

“Turkey’s annual energy demand is $60 billion. Turkey is a corridor country, is a producer country. If we fuse both potentials, Turkey could become the corridor of energy provider Iran,” Davutoğlu said. He also added that closer ties would also have a major impact on the sectarian divide in the Middle East."

I'm not certain what Davutoğlu means by "sectarian divide in the Middle East." Sectarian divide as in Shia vs. Sunni or as in Muslim vs. all others, in particular the Jews of Israel.

Turkey used to have civil relations with Israel and its national airline carried many Jews to and from Israel. Naturally, the split is Israel's fault; it had the nerve to enforce a legal blockade of Aza; although it offered an alternative port (Ashdod), the organizers of the trip - including an Israeli MK ! - refused the offer.

Not enough causalities?

 

Obama to Hagel: Send 1st Armor to Jordan

 

According to Global Security Newswire, the U.S.(is) to Deploy More Forces Near Syria ( http://www.nti.rsvp1.com/gsn/article/us-deploy-more-forces-near-syria/?mgh=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.nti.org&mgf=1)

The GSN article reported that “The 1st Armored Division outpost could make ready for a broader U.S. military deployment that might exceed 20,000 personnel if President Obama deems forcible involvement in Syria to be necessary, Hagel told the Senate Armed Services Committee. He added, though, that ‘military intervention ... should be an option of last resort’.”

The 1st Armored Division troops would be used, we are told, “for a possible intervention aimed at locking down chemical warfare stocks in war-torn Syria.” (Emphasis mine.)

Aside from my old whine “Anyone remember the Monroe Doctrine?” I wonder why Obungler deems it necessary to

* Endanger U.S. troops in another nation’s civil war

* Why the Arab League doesn’t send Muslim soldiers to do something on either side; Syria is a member of the League

To the best of my knowledge, the troops we sent to Iraq still are being attacked by Iraqis who welcomed the defeat of their despot by gifting U.S. troops with IEDs.

To the best of my knowledge, the troops we sent to Afghanistan are still being murdered by Afghans both for our interference in their politics and our insistence that girls be educated (imagine that).

While Obungler did NOT get us involved in either Iraq or Afghanistan – we can thank the Bushes for that, the current POTUS seems determined to make a name for himself as the fool who interferes in yet another Muslim war, a war that the U.S. is bound to lose – another Vietnam.

Let’s be cynical.

What’s in it for the U.S.? What does Syria have that the U.S. wants?

Natural resources are, at best, minimal.

As it stands now, if – when – the insurgents/rebels, call them what you wish, take over the country, Israel will once again have an active northern border; probably more so than its border with Aza and the Sinai. Unlike the Aza/Sinai borders, there won’t be a powerful neighbor to help keep a lid on the terrorists. For all its anti-Israel rhetoric, Egypt HAS attempted to keep Hamas in check and HAS stepped up activities to reduce missile attacks from the Sinai. Is there an “Egypt” bordering Syria? Look at the map.

Iran certainly is not going to play a restraining role; it’s maniacal ayatollahs have their puppet, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, constantly calling for Israel’s demise.

Lebanon is controlled by Hezbollah that, like Iran, want to drive the Jews – and may some non-Jews, too – into the sea.

Jordon is afraid to interfere with Syria’s threat to Israel; it’s monarchy is in danger of falling even now as the “Palestinians” among its citizens agitate against the government; this, of course is nothing new.

Turkey, apologies and air kisses not withstanding, is on the far side of Syria and of no help for Israel, unless Syria’s rulers decide to attack it for providing sanctuary to escaping civilians.

The U.N. is a farce. If anyone says “Boo!,” the blue berets run, tails between their legs. U.N. “peacekeepers” are not worth a prutah.

Which means that Obungler will follow the disastrous actions of his predecessors and send in U.S. troops who will be despised by the locals and victims of snipers and IEDs, just like in Iraq and Afghanistan. Yet another Vietnam.

(Join me in a chorus of Pete Seeger's “Where Have All the Flowers Gone?”)

Israel’s problem?

 

Gaza farmers burn 3 tons of herbs after Israel closes border crossing ( http://www.israelhayom.com/site/newsletter_article.php?id=8599)

 

It’s ALWAYS Israel’s fault.

Never mind that Aza (Gaza) has

• An airport ( http://www.gazaairport.com/index.html) with scheduled airline service to Cairo and Amman, among other destinations ( http://www.palairlines.com/Fleet.aspx) By the way, check out the history of the airport and the airline; most interesting ( http://www.gazaairport.com/history.html)

• An open gateway to Egypt and its sea ports (( http://geography.about.com/library/cia/blcgaza.htm).

Also ignore the fact that when Sharon forced Jews out of Aza the Jews left behind hot houses and synagogues which the Muslims immediately destroyed, the former in violation of their Koran and the latter in simple stupidity and hatred of anything Jewish – never mind that many of the Jewish settlers probably were helonim (non observant).

It is interesting to note that when Egypt closes its border with Aza, the liberals of the world are strangely silent.

And in Occupied Israel (a/k/a “the West Bank”>

The instant “Palestinians” have access to the international marketplace via Jordan http://mideastweb.org/mpalestine.htm) as well as via Israeli gateways.

The fact that border crossings are burdensome might have something to do with the fact that terrorists use these access points to murder Israeli men, women, and babes in arms (literally).

SO WHY BLAME ISRAEL?

Because it is so easy. Duh!

Israel is expected to keep its borders open to people whose over-riding goal and purpose in life is to eliminate Israel and all the Jews within it – and if a few non-Jews are “eliminated” as well … ah well, collateral damage, the price of war.

Never mind that the U.S. has a fence – just like Israel – to keep Mexican’s in Mexico.

These Mexicans, for the most part, only want to take jobs Americans won’t do (due to the difficulty, perceived lack of prestige, or pay). Granted a few of the Mexicans are in the business of killing Americans, mostly with drugs, sometimes with guns and knives. But I cannot recall any time in recent history when the Mexican government fired missiles into the U.S. or encouraged suicide murderers to cross the border – unlike the governments and good people of Aza and Occupied Israel (i.e., the Palestinian “state”).

Israel provides electricity to the so-called Palestinian “state” yet the Palestinian “state” can’t or won’t pay its bill. That’s OK.

But when Israel withheld money collected for the PA to pay the electric company, the world howled – “Israel cannot do that; unfair, unkind.” Never mind that Israelis will have to pay more to their electricity to make up the deficit caused by the Palestinian “state”’s unwillingness or inability to pay.

The “state” is whining that its Arab benefactors are failing to pay what they promised; does anyone hear the world chastising the Muslims – either for (a) failing to make promised payments to the PA or (b) for the PA’s poor financial management.

It’s easier to blame Israel.