Terrorist Tunnels in Gaza Discovered

Nadene Goldfoot                                                                           

                    Underground  Tunnel discovered dug from Gaza to Israel

In September of this year of 2013, Israel shipped in 1,244 truckloads of construction materials to Gaza so that they could build things they would like to have more of such as  homes, schools, hospitals, roads, and parks.  Instead, they have used the materials to build tunnels.  These tunnels are used to bring in weaponry to use against Israel.  Israel had been wary of allowing such shipments to go in, but from outside pressure, bent their decision and allowed it, and this is how they are repaid.

It was the Egyptian army who discovered the latest tunnel. It is used for smuggling weapons and attacking Israelis.  It went from the Gaza Strip to the Sinai Peninsula.  In another description it extends from the southern Gaza Strip to the Egyptian border.

 Egyptian Al-Ahram newspaper reported that they arrested 72 people in Sinai for involvement in a bomb attack tat killed 2 and wounded 5.

Egypt and Israeli delegates are getting together to discuss this problem.  The Egyptian army has been working to destroy Islamist terrorist cells that have formed in the Sinai since the fall of Hosni Mubarak in 2011.  Militants from Gaza have been attacking Egyptian civilians and soldiers in the Sinai.

It was on October 10th that a large, very high and deep tunnel was discovered going from Gaza right into Israel.  Hamas claims they are responsible, and of course they are.  They are the leaders of Gaza.  "The Hamas spokesman said the tunnel had been dug in an effort to force Israel to release some of the thousands of Palestinians in Israeli jails. Former Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit was captured and brought into Gaza through such a tunnel in 2006."

We have already started releasing prisoners who are murders from jail as requested to meet the conditions of  the peace table with Abbas.  Finding this and with the way the Palestinians glorify their killers is a huge turn-off in continuing such a practice.  It was to be used to kidnap Jews and also  to allow terrorists into Israel to kill Israelis, for that's what they have done in the past.  

Resource:  http://www.israelhayom.com/site/newsletter_article.php?id=12815
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10152779163027316&set=a.279044817315.179332.73528002315&type=3&theater
http://www.jweekly.com/article/full/69956/hamas-claims-responsibility-for-large-terror-tunnel/

1973's Real Nitty-Gritty on Judaea and Samaria, Sinai and Gaza's Health Status With Israel

Nadene Goldfoot                                                                    

One hour away from Rambam Hospital in Haifa, Israel, where I had my elbow operated on in 1982, an Israeli, Yuval Roth,  has been transporting sick Arabs there from Judea-Samaria (West Bank) for treatment.  So far, he has done this 500 times in the last 2 years.  In Gaza, medical treatment is extremely expensive for people who are not working.  Some have snuck through guard posts to get to Ashkelon's Hospital, the Barzilai Medical Center that has been in operation since 1961.  It's Israel's front line hospital on the Gaza border and services 502 square miles and a level 2 trauma center.  As 1,600 Kassam missile attacks have happened each year since 2006, they have had 100,000 emergency admissions each year.  They serve over 500,000 area residents. The cafeteria is regularly converted into hospital bed space to accommodate everyone.  The situation of health for Palestinians was well planned starting in 1967 .   Along came the  October 1973 war.  By 2005,  Palestinians in Gaza had elected the Hamas terrorists to be their government.  Below I outline the situation from 1967 to 1973 and what all Israel had done for them in the line of health services, even though Israel has been in 7 major defensive wars with them and other Arab nations since 1948.
                                   
                                                 Health Services


By 1973 in Judea and Samaria, health services were run by 911 local employees under the supervision and with the help of 12 Israelis.  Jordanian law was still in force over services such as this.  There were 15 hospitals with 1,042 beds.  8 were run by the Military Government and others by the UN Relief and Works Agency and private groups.  There were 92 physicians which exceeded the pre-war strength of 85 physicians.  The nursing staff amounted to 360, also exceeding the pre-war numbers.

They had 95 clinics, 53 being non-government, and 23 government stations for mother and child care.  Israel's health services were also open to people of the areas and thousands came to those hospitals every year.

By 1973 in the Gaza Strip and Sinai, medical treatment was a state service under local law and fully financed by the Military Government.  Egyptian personnel departed quickly in 1967's Six Day War and left only 42 doctors here compared with 90 before the war.  Israel tried very hard to get the rest of the personnel to return.  There are 5 government and 2 other hospitals with a total of 967 beds.  The shortage of doctors and imperfect equipment that Israel found made it necessary for a large-scale Israeli aid.  Out-patient clinics of Israeli hospitals served the people and Israeli specialists visited the hospitals as advisers.  El-Arish's hospital had been abandoned by the Egyptian staff.  The Israeli hospital, Tel Hashomer, adopted it.  The building was repaired and Israeli doctors, nurses and administrators are in charge.  A health center with its own X-ray institute and laboratory was manned by an Israeli team.

By 1973 in the Sinai which had a small population, the people were facing great distances and poor roads. The command operated a mobile clinic with both local and Israeli personnel.  In the larger Beduin camps, clinics had been set up and IDF doctors and orderlies helped out.

In 1922, the British, who held the mandate of Palestine, gave away 80% of the land decided by the League of Nations to become the Jewish National Homeland, to be Transjordan.  Some Arabs already lived there. Emir Abdullah I bin al-Hussein, King of Jordan, ruled from 1921 to 1951.  He was born and raised in Mecca, Hejaz, Saudi Arabia.  Non Jews on the 1931 census came there from 24 different  countries.  Arafat came from Egypt.  In 1931 it was found that Non Jews coming into Jerusalem seeking work were from the Palestine territory, Syria, Transjordan, Cyprus, Egypt, Hejaz-Nejd, Iraq, Yemen, Other Arabian Territories, Persia, Turkey, Algeria, Morocco, Tripoli, Tunis, Albania, France, Greece, Spain, UK, USSR, USA, Central and South America,  and Australia.  Therefore, those calling themselves Palestinian Arabs were not all native but had immigrated within the last 100 years.  (Joan Peters, p.227)

October 6th to the 26th of 1973, Israel was attacked in the Yom Kippur War.  " This came about by a coalition of Arab states led by Egypt and Syria against Israel  as a way of recapturing part of the territories which they lost to the Israelis back in the Six-Day War.  The war began with a surprise joint attack by Egypt and Syria on the Jewish holiday of Yom Kippur, the most holy of Jewish holidays.  This was a 25 hour day of fasting  and asking G-d's forgiveness of any of their sins.   Egypt and Syria crossed the cease-fire lines in the Sinai and Golan Heights respectively. Eventually Arab forces were defeated by Israel and there were no significant territorial changes."

Israel is made of not quite 8,000 square miles and has 7.5 million people (6 million Jews).  It is a little smaller than Massachusetts  which has 8,262 sq miles and  New Jersey which has 8,729 sq miles .  Compare this with Texas, USA which has 266,874 sq miles.  Egypt has 384,300 square miles.  Syria has 71,500 sq miles.  Lebanon has 4,000 sq miles. Former President Bush has remarked upon looking at how small Israel is,  that his Prairie Chapel Ranch in Texas, made of 1,583 acres or 6.4 km, (about 4 miles) has 3 miles of frontage and includes 7 canyons.
                                                                         

The Israel Defense Forces defeated the massed Arab armies in 1967 which were menacing Israel's frontiers.  Judea and Samaria (West Bank of the Jordan) had been until 1948 part of the British Mandate of Palestine.  Between 1948 to 1967 it was ruled by Jordan, which annexed it in 1950 illegally.  By July 1972 almost a million Arabs lived in the administered areas of Judea and Samaria and Gaza.  640,600 Arabs lived in Judea and Samaria on an area 5,900 sq km-2,270 sq miles. This is a little larger than the state of Delaware,  USA which is made of 2,026 sq miles.   Judea,  Samaria and East Jerusalem have a population of 2,622,544 today which includes 500,000 Jews of which 192,000 are living in East Jerusalem.  That makes a little over 2 million Arabs living here as of 2012.  The population of Delaware as of 2011 was 907,135.
                                                                     

The Gaza Strip had also been, until 1948, part of the British Mandate of Palestine.  Starting in 1948 to 1956-57, following the Sinai War, it was administered by an Egyptian Military Government until 1967.  Egypt did not annex it. By July 1972  388,600 Arabs lived in the Gaza Strip and Northern Sinai on an area 360 sq km-140 sq miles.  This is about 1/6 of Rhode Island, USA.  Today's population is about 1.7 million whereas Rhode Island's population, is 1,051,302.  According to 1/6 of this, it should hold only 175,217 people.  .
The population was mostly Moslem.  The smaller Christian communities of Greek Orthodox and Latins were mainly living in Ramallah, Bethlehem and Beit Jala in Judea and Samaria.  Druze Arabs lived on the Golan Heights.  Today, Bethlehem and Ramallah have been populated mostly by Moslems.  Beit Jala was in 1993 controlled by the Palestinian Authority and now only 60% are Christians there with 40% Muslims.
                                         
Israel's basic policy by 1973 was to achieve security for Israelis and Arabs.  They wanted all to live normal lives without losing contact with Arabs in other countries.  Israel tried to make possible a rapid economic development.  they tried to encourage co-existence and cooperation between Arabs and Israelis as an example for relations to come between the two people.  The Administrative areas were tranquil then and thriving.  Open bridges on the Jordan allowed movement in either direction between the areas and the Arab states.  Israel was so trusting.  Both groups had been separated up to 1967 and were enjoying the beginnings of a peaceful and fruitful co-existence.  Israel had high hopes that one day they would make a meaningful contribution towards a transformation of Arab-Israeli relations from conflict into cooperation.
                                                                   

Little did Israel realize that in some 30 years, by 2005 the almost 9,000 Jews living in Gaza would be forced to leave, which was Ariel Sharon's idea, making Gaza Judenrein, doing so in the name of peaceful existence as they weren't able to live together peacefully. UN had said in 1947  that it was to be land for the Palestinian state. The 1948 war ended with Israel in control, but gave the area to Egypt to control in negotiations.  Jews had lived in Gaza since Samson and Delilah of the Bible.  They were there in 1929 when Arabs rioted in many places and attacked helpless Jews.

 Jews in 2005 pulled out of 21 towns.  This will not be repeated in Judaea-Samaria.   This has given the Arabs a platform where they have continually shot rockets, mortars and missiles into southern Israel, trying to kill everyone.  What had happened was that a new and evil group, Hamas, appeared, taking over Gaza and suddenly was voted in "democratically" by the Gazans who were following the Muslim Brotherhood precepts of continuing to destroy Israel. Israel did all it could do to treat Arabs in the administered territories more than fairly, but they have turned to their own people instead who are terrorists against Israel.   To our dismay, such people as Jimmy Carter, former American president, has sided with the Hamas terrorists, backing their plot.  What was hoped for in 1973, interrupted by war in October, seems to be a far distant hope and dream.  A Two State Solution is at an end.  It is impossible as far as most can see.  Gaza cannot be a good neighbor and only a good neighbor can ever be allowed.

The Palestinian Authority (PA)  of Judea-Samaria was an interim self-government body established in 1994.  By this  year of 2013, it became a non-member observer state in the UN.  Fatah renamed itself the "State of Palestine" but their authority is only over Judea-Samaria and does not include Gaza, ruled by Hamas.  Fatah and Hamas have only been able to agree to a few things for a short period.  They fight for total control.

Resource: http://www.cnn.com/2011/WORLD/meast/02/01/cnnheroes.roth/index.html
Facts About Israel 1973, Division of Information, Ministry for Foreign Affairs, Jerusalem
http://www.science.co.il/History-Palestine.php  Excellent!
From Time Immemorial by Joan Peters
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_wars_involving_Israel
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Israel's_unilateral_disengagement_plan
http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/Peace/gaza_settlements.html
http://www.npr.org/2005/07/29/4775357/in-depth-q-a-on-israels-pullout-from-gaza
http://www.nytimes.com/2005/08/11/international/middleeast/11mideast.html?_r=0
http://www.theus50.com/area.php size of states by sq miles.
http://www.authorsden.com/categories/article_top.asp?catid=55&id=24899 sq miles of Middle East states
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gaza_Strip
http://www.google.com/search?q=Population+of+Delaware&sourceid=navclient-ff&ie=UTF-8&rlz=1B3RNFA_en___US482
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/West_Bank
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abdullah_I_of_Jordan
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beit_Jala
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Palestinian_National_Authority

Eilat Pelted by Two Grad Rockets

Nadene Goldfoot                                                                   

Eilat was hit by 2 grad rockets this morning by a Salafi Muslim jihadist group with probable ties to al-Qaeda, "The lions of the Mujahedeen Shura Council in the Environs of Jerusalem."  .   One landed in an open area while the other exploded in a back yard.    This is a resort town on the Red Sea that vacationing Scandinavians love.  In the past rockets are usually from the Sinai Peninsula.  This area has become a center for terrorists since Mubarak took over in the fall of 2011.

People suffered shock and anxiety but no one was injured.  The airport was closed as a precaution.  Schools remained open.

Aqaba, Jordan is across the bay from Eilat. could have also been hit but information isn't forthcoming to Israel.  Last year Eilat was hit several time by the group, Ansar Jerusalem.

The Red Sea forms Israel's southern outlet to the Indian Ocean by way of Eilat.  The sea itself is a branch of the Indian Ocean that goes from the Strait of Aden to Suez and Eilat.  It had been thought of as the "Reed Sea" that the Israelites crossed during the Exodus from Egypt.  It's long and narrow, giving one a sandy beach with protected water that's warm and lovely to visit in the middle of winter.  It has a coral reef and night life, making it very attractive with a dry desert climate as it's on the southern Negev desert.  46,600 people live here.

Yesterday a terrorist or more likely terrorists set off 2 bombs in the Boston Marathon which killed 3 and injured close to 150 people, some extremely serious with lost limbs.  This has set off a series of threats of all kinds all over the USA, and here in Israel, a grad rocket attack.  Since Hamas terrorists in Gaza are the ruling political party, they are responsible for this attack. The Salafi party in Egypt is even more unreasonable that the Muslim Brotherhood, so must be out to show their strength.

Resource:  http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/167221#.UW7FUaKOTqE
http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/e6ec7a72-a731-11e2-bfcd-00144feabdc0.html#axzz2QjoNPEyl (cookies here)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eilat
http://www.jpost.com/National-News/Rockets-slam-into-Eilat-following-Code-Red-siren-310043

How Are Egypt and Israel Getting Along During This Rioting?

Nadene Goldfoot
At least Mubarak was continuing the peace treaty between Egypt and Israel, something Sadat previously had established.  Israelis were even tourists happy to see Egypt for the first time.  I missed the chance of doing so in 1981 and opted to study for my year end exam in Hebrew instead during my Spring break.  Today, I wouldn't do it out of fear for my life.

So what's going on now that Morsi, a Muslim Brotherhood Makha, is at the helm?  I found out that as far back as 2007 when Condoleeza Rice was Secretary of State, the USA had the US Army Corps of Engineers in Egypt making plans to improve the security on the border.  The USA has a $23 million dollar project which has seismic sensors there to alert others about invaders through tunnels, etc.  They have another $50 million dollar project to promote development in the region as they feel it takes more than alarms to secure the region.  So America has invested money into Egypt to keep the peace through both Bush and Obama.

Now, just since August 11, we have brought in 700 American soldiers in the region.  16 Egyptian soldiers were killed by 35 masked gunmen in the Sinai. Then they "barreled" into Israel in a truck they stole and an armored vehicle.   Egypt has been getting $1.5 billion per year in arms and military assistance, but it didn't keep out the terrorists on the border.  Morsi must now realize that it's to both Israel and Egypt's good to keep out terrorism.  The question is whether or not Israel will make be forced to make concessions in modifying a 33 year old peace treaty to allow for a more "aggressive Egyptian military presence."  Israelis see Morsi as one who supports the international system of states.  There are people in Egypt who are tying to challenge this.  Since Morsi is a head Muslim Brotherhood person, and this group is all for jihad, I see it is causing difficulties for him to make a decision as to which path to take.

An APC or armoured personnel carrier 

Egypt needs to become sharper and more efficient concerning terrorism. Morsi traveled to the Sinai with his defense minister, intelligence chief and interior minister.  They blame militants in Sinai who were aided by Palestinians in Gaza.  Here again, is the wrench in the works.  The Muslim Brotherhood said in a statement on the Web that Israel had sought to "thwart Egypt's revolution and could be responsible for the attack and that the attack highlighted the need to reconsider the peace treaty with Israel which restricts the number of troops Egypt can station in Sinai.

Israel shut down Kerem Shalom, the one commercial crossing into Gaza.  Egypt closed Rafah where goods and people pass through.  Hamas blocked the tunnels which everything goes through that are smuggled out of Egypt.  The Gazans wound up in long lines to load up on gas and food out of fear of higher prices.

Since then we have had the explosion of anti-American riots where Egypt's American Embassy was the first to be hit.  The security forces did not stop the American flag from being taken down from the outer wall and replaced with a Muslim one.  Somebody there has a talent for scaling walls.  This rioting has spread to over 20 other Muslim countries with religious leaders egging the masses on.

There are foreign peacekeepers in the Sinai today made up from a Multinational Force and Observers base who were just attacked by armed Islamist militants out of the latest protests sweeping the Muslim world.  They threw hand grenades and fired rocket-propelled grenades and had entered the peacekeepers camp and of course raised a black Islamist flag.  5 officers were wounded; 2 Egyptian military officers, 2 Colombians and a British fire chief.  Americans were also there. and they were all part of the 1979 peace treaty between Egypt and Israel.  This happened on Friday at 4:30 Cairo time on September 14, 2012.  Militant had set tires on fire outside the base.  The wounded were evacuated to Israel.  American and fijian troops are now responsible for securing the camp.

What did the Egyptian military do about it?  They sent 4 armored personnel carriers there and sent reinforcements 2 hours later.  They have 12 Egyptian military APCs surrounding the base.  Base officers think local tribal elders were at the base convincing attackers to retreat before the Egyptian military arrived.

Resource:  http://www.nytimes.com/2012/08/12/world/middleeast/egypt-and-us-step-up-talks-on-security-assistance.html?pagewanted=all&_moc.semityn.www
http://www.csmonitor.com/World/Middle-East/2012/0914/Peacekeepers-attacked-in-Egypt-s-Sinai-Peninsula-foreigners-injured

Counterterrorism in Gaza: AQAP Saudi Cell Caught With Poison Chemicals

Nadene Goldfoot
Last Sunday, August 26, 3 rockets hit Sderot, Israel which lies just a few miles from the Gaza Strip border.  This time 2 workmen were injured.  On the very same day, 2 terrorist cells were captured in Riyadh and Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.  Both were created by Al Qaeda of the Arabian Peninsula  This group, AQAP, has ordered its Sinai cells and the Egyptian and Palestinian branches to step up their attacks from Sinai and the Gaza Strip.  AQAP is an al--Qaeda group who revere Osama bin Laden of Yemen and Saudi Arabia.  The Saudi government evidently chased them into Yemen, whose government is also against them.

The AQAP have been found with not only weapons and explosives, but chemical substances for loading into explosive charges.  This type of evidence was found in 2002 when a bomb was found packed with poison chemicals and was detonated by a Palestinian suicide killer in Jerusalem.  It is feared that those weapons may also now be in the Sinai.

The result was 3 Qassam missiles fired into the industrial zone of Sderot-Shear Hanegev.   This started an even stronger anti-Israel offensive from Gaza.  The group in Gaza shooting is the Shura Council that is actually from the East Jerusalem area who are a 6,000 force of well-armed terrorists commanded by an Egyptian, Hisham Saydani.  Al Qaeda calls him Abu al-Walid al-Maqdisi.  His lieutenants and he serve as liaisons between the Sinai cells and the AQAP in Yemen.

Hamas terrorists who rule Gaza were holding Saydani in a special security prison cell until 2 weeks ago when they let him go.  He set up the Shura Council's attack near Rafah.  They killed 16 Egyptian soldiers and rammed the Kerem Shalom crossing barrier into Israel.    Egypt demanded that Hamas find and arrest them. The 3 missile strike on Sderot was warning Hamas to stay away from Saydani and his new group or they'd keep striking Sderot until the IDF would attack Hamas's areas.

Hitting Eilat, Israel on August 17 was also a warning to Cairo to stop looking for the Salafi terrorists in Sinai or else southern Israel would continue to be hit, bringing out the IDF strikes.

Resource:  Debka@thejmg.com  Al Qaeda targets Saudi Arabia, Israel, Saudi cell found with chemicals, special report
http://atlanticsentinel.com/2012/08/saudis-arrest-al-qaeda-cells-with-links-to-gaza-sinai/  very thorough
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Al-Qaeda_in_the_Arabian_Peninsula

Sderot Home, Family Hit Twice in 5 Years

Nadene Goldfoot

School started in southern Israel and the children were greeted by more rockets raining on their countryside from Gazan terrorists.  The IDF retaliated by hitting a munitions depot on Tuesday in response to the shelling.

Rockets from Gaza terrorists have been raining on southern Israel almost daily since 2001.  Since January of this year, 450 rockets have fallen into southern Israel.   It happened again just this morning.  The town most hit is Sderot, which is just a few miles away from the Gaza Strip border.  Sure enough, the Timsit family's home was hit 5 years ago in 2007, and again this morning.  The house was damaged and the woman in the house at the time was traumatized.  I would be too, if a rocket hit the roof of my house and came through.

An Al Qaeda affiliated group were the attackers, the Mujahedeen Shura Committee, who are spread out in the Sinai and in Gaza.  They are retaliating, they said.  I can't figure that one because what Israel does is go after the sources after an attack on Israel.  This group had also attacked with a  rocket barrage earlier this week as well.  They take responsibility for previous attacks, too.   They just keep on shelling and there aren't excuses they can hide behind except their unreasonable hatred for Israel.

A second rocket, causing the red alert alarm to cry out, fell in an open field.  On Thursday evening a rocket landed in the Ashkelon area north of Sderot.

Resources: http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/159494#.UEDVRcFlTxo
http://www.jpost.com/Defense/Article.aspx?id=283346
http://www.haaretz.com/news/diplomacy-defense/gaza-rocket-hits-home-in-sderot-causes-damage-to-property-1.461899

46 Rockets, Mortars Hit Hof Ashkelon Tuesday Night

Nadene Goldfoot
 Four border policemen  were injured, with the officer  seriously injured in a rocket attack on Ashkelon Tuesday night.  A kibbutz building had also been hit.  Southern Israel, including the Negav and Sderot were hit with 45 rockets between midnight and 10:30pm Tuesday night.  Most were the short range Kassam,rockets but 3  Grad Katyushas  were aimed at Netivot.  Hamas has taken responsibility saying they were trying to hit the army Zikim base and the rockets were their response to IAF strikes last night.

This has put hundreds of thousands of Israelis under siege and in bomb shelters.  The result is that the IAF struck 3 times on terror targets in Gaza in the last 24 hours which killed at least 6 terrorists.  One strike on Tuesday afternoon injured a man on a motorcycle.

Monday 2 terrorists had infiltrated and were in the Sinai area and have been identified as a Saudi citizen,  Abu Huthiyfa al-Rathali.  and an Egyptian,  Abu Salah al-Masri who belong to the group "Shura Council of the Mujahedeen at Al Quds.  They made a video showing them to be reading their wills before the attack.  The group said the attack was for the Al-Aqsa Mosque, Arab terrorists held in Israel's jail and Osama bin Laden.  They had managed to kill one Israeli before killing themselves.  

Earlier in the day, another strike hit a motorcycle and killed 2 Islamic Jihad terrorists, Mohammed Shabat and Ismail Odeh.  They were part of a squad of snipers working near the security fence in the northern Gaza Strip that had shot at an Israli farmer working near the fence last Thursday.

There was an explosion in Gaza City that killed a 2 yr old Palestinian girl on Tuesday evening, but Israel said there was no air raid from them in the area then. Update:6/20/12:   It's now found that a Palestinian rocket was the cause of the child's death.  

Hamas said they fired only 10 rockets after 3 Israeli air strikes killed 6 Palestinians.  This was said after Israel hit again over Deir al-Balah in central Gaza and injured the 2 men on a motorcycle.

The terrorists only see things as one-sided.  The Palestinian cabinet condemned "continuous Israeli escalation" and called for "international protection to the Palestinian people", but never mention the fact that they start the attacks and Israel acts in defense and also told them that they would retaliate if attacked.

Israel aid that their 3 air raids in the past 12 hours was not related to the border incident and that they had targeted militants planning or engaging in attacks on Israel.  Example is finding a terrorist squad handling an explosive device near the security fence in central Gaza.  They were trying to fire a rocket at Israel.

Resource: http://news.yahoo.com/two-gazans-killed-israeli-air-strike-085111010.html
http://www.israelnationalnews.com/Controls/SendFriend.ashx?print=1&type=0&item=157032
http://www.jpost.com/Defense/Article.aspx?id=274471
http://www.upi.com/Top_News/World-News/2012/06/19/Rockets-pound-southern-Israel/UPI-96881340126009/
Update: http://www.israelhayom.com/site/newsletter_article.php?id=4755, up to 50 rockets 

Grad Rocket Hits Southern Israel on Shabbat

Nadene Goldfoot
A 122 mm Grad rocket fell into an open desert of the Arava region in southern Israel on this Shabbat from terrorists who were most likely close to the Egyptian border around Sinai which Egypt has not been guarding as well as in the Mubarak period.  Of course Egypt denies it came from the Egyptian area.  It could have even come from Jordan, which Haaretz suggests, or even that Hamas terrorists managed to get very close to the Sinai area.

 50 rockets of this type made in China were found to be long distance and hit Israel on Decmeber 31, 2008, wounding 5 people. Russia also makes this type of Grad rocket as well as other countries.  The distance it can travel is at least 22 to 25  miles.  Update on 17th  is that the distance can be 50 km or 31.07 miles.   April of this year saw  3 Grads that were fired at Eilat from the same area.  For Oregonians, this is like a Grad rocket shot from Hillsboro and hitting Portland.

2001 saw rockets being shot into southern Israel from Gaza's Hamas terrorists.  Sderot, the closest city to Gaza is only 1.864 miles or 3 km away and was hit constantly.  More than 8,600 rockets have been shot into Israel from Gaza since then causing 28 deaths and several hundred wounded, not to mention the PTSD caused by the population.  By 2006 long range rockets such as this grad was reaching Ashkelon.

So far, this year of 2012 has seen 224 rockets and 28 mortars hit southern Israel from Gaza with the worst month being in March.

Resource:  http://news.yahoo.com/rocket-fired-southern-israel-nobody-hurt-army-103106310.html
http://www.jpost.com/Defense/Article.aspx?id=274039
http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/06/16/us-israel-rocket-idUSBRE85F0G220120616
http://defense-update.com/newscast/1208/analysis/311208_palestinians_use_chineese_ws2e_extendedrange_rockets.html
http://articles.janes.com/articles/Janes-Ammunition-Handbook/122-mm-BM-21-Grad-series-rockets-Russian-Federation.html
http://www.haaretz.com/news/diplomacy-defense/grad-rocket-lands-in-southern-israel-source-unknown-1.436740
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Palestinian_rocket_attacks_on_Israel
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Palestinian_rocket_attacks_on_Israel,_2012
update: http://www.jpost.com/Defense/Article.aspx?ID=274126&R=R1

Egyptian Sinai's Future of Maintaining Contracts with Israel and Jordan
Nadene Goldfoot
According to the Jewish "Tanakh" or bible, the Israelites crossed the Sinai Peninsula during the Exodus in 1313 BCE.  Since then it has been in Egypt's hands, and then became part of  the Ottoman Empire.

In 1948 Egypt invaded Israel from the Sinai.  In 1956 Egypt nationalized the Suez Canal and stopped Israeli ships from entering.  Israel, Britain and Franced then invaded the Sinai and occupied the peninsula.  This led to the U.N. Emergency Forces to take over the area.

In 1967 Egypt blockaded Eilat and ordered the UN forces out.  This was the beginning of the Six Day War where Egypt's army was defeated by Israel who then took over the peninsula.  A Peace treaty was signed in 1979 and Israel withdrew totally by 1982.  Since then from Sadat to Mubarak's rule, there has been peace between Egypt and Israel, even allowing tourism to happen.  Two of my friends from the Ulpan were tourists in Egypt from 1980 to 85. 

Now we have the "Arab Spring" where Mubarak, dying, has been on trial where Egyptians have taken over his helm of rule.  With the Muslim Brotherhood being the best organized group, I see them taking over.  Their charter is strickly anti-Israel, anti- Jewish so this is not a welcome to Israel.  Already their gas supplies have been sabatoged that service both Israel and Jordan.  The first time was February 5th, then there was a foiled attack in March. There was an explosion at the pumping station along the pipeline at Nagah.  Armed men with machine guns came in a small truck and forced the guards to leave.  Then they planted explosive charges.   The second attack was April 27th and the 3rd was Saturday, May 2nd. Egypt said it was done by a big terrorist operation. 

40% of Israel's natural gas comes from this source which is used to create electricity.  A contract was signed in December 2010 by four  Israeli firms to import gas for the next 20 years.   Jordan also imports enough to service 80% of their needs.  In May Egypt backed down in their contract with Jordan and demanded high prices from them.  Gasco is the company operating the pipeline

Both Jordan and Israel are affected economically by these terrorist attacks.  Egypt needs to do a better job of guarding their money-making industry.  Hopefully the time is not too distant that Israel can enjoy its own natural gas that has been discoverred.  With continued peace between Jordan and Israel, Jordan can also benefit from Israel's holdings.  Then neither will be dependent on Egypt's sources.  Right now both states have reserves to rely upon so as not to disrupt service to their people. 

Update: 9/9/11 Israel's ambassador has been forced to leave the embassy which was attacked by people with hammers.  docments and the flag were thrown out of the window.  He is flying back to Israel. 

The source of any peace right now with Egypt seems to be in the hands of their military who are abiding by the peace treaty.  There doesn't seem to be any serious collapse of the cold peace as yet, although I wouldn't travel to Egypt now as a tourist.  A cousin of mine did a few years ago from South Africa.  They're going to find that their tourism industry is hurting. 
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sinai_Peninsula#History
http://english.aljazeera.net/news/middleeast/2011/07/2011740176861868.html
http://www.haaretz.com/news/diplomacy-defense/egypt-holds-gas-supply-to-israel-and-jordan-after-pipeline-explosion-1.341368
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/04/28/world/middleeast/28sinai.html
update on Egypt and Israel's embassy in Cairo 9/9/11 : http://israel-nadene.blogspot.com/2011/08/israels-embassy-and-ambassador-to-egypt.html
http://www.jewishworldreview.com/0811/glick083011.php3

3 Egyptian Soldiers Killed by Being in Line of Fire In Midst of Major Assault on Southern Israel

Nadene Goldfoot

Israel was attacked by terrorists in Southern Israel.  Israeli soldiers and the air force have told them that when they kill Israeli citizens they will retaliate.  In the act of chasing after the terrorists who had got away and were entering Egypt, the 3 Egyptian soldiers must have been in the line of fire of a shootout between the terrorists and Israelis and were accidently killed.  Israel has apologized profusely.

The reply from Egypt is that their ambassador is being recalled from Israel and Israel's embassy was under mob attack.  The Muslim Brotherhood, main political party with clout has replied that this was a crime.  They said that what happened before the revolution will not be tolerated now after the revolution. 

Israel had made peace with Sadat and Hosni Mubarak also signed a peace treaty with Israel in 1979.  Part of the peace agreement was that Egypt was to have restricted number of troops in the Sinai.  Last week they moved thouslands of troops into the Sinai Peninsula against al-Qaida inspired terrorists and even arrested 22 Islamic militants.

Today Israel was hit by 2 more rockets; one in the Pitchat Shalom region and the other in Shaar Ha Negev region.  Since July 1st 26 rockets have been fired from Gaza. 

Saturday's attack by Hamas terrorists in Beersheba Ofakin caused injuries to a baby, a 9 year old and a young man in his 20's.  A rocket had hit the roof of a home and caused shrapnel injuries.  Another hit a car as well, while yet another hit a business building.  Hamas announced that the end of the two year truce was here.  Reports that 80 some rockets have been fired at Israel already.  Haaretz reports that since Thursday there have been 50 Qassam rockets, Grad missiles and mortar shells  fired into southern Israel.  There has been a death and 4 wounded in one attack with 26 people treated for shock.  Israel is being attacked not only by Hamas terrorists but another branch of them called the Popular Resistance Committee. 

 

http://news.yahoo.com/israel-says-sorry-over-egyptian-troop-deaths-135638409.html

http://news.yahoo.com/two-rockets-fired-gaza-hit-israel-army-145914158.html

http://www.jpost.com/Defense/Article.aspx?id=234599

http://www.haaretz.com/news/diplomacy-defense/grad-rocket-directly-strikes-home-in-be-er-sheva-one-dead-four-seriously-wounded-1.379695

Missed Opportunities for a Palestine: Opting for Terror Instead

Nadene Goldfoot

The so called Palestinians missed many chances to create their own state, but opted instead for terrorizing Israel. That was more important to them. They missed their first chance in 1947 when the UN was partitioning the region and wanted to create two states.

In 1949 through 1967, Egypt and Jordan were the occupiers of Gaza and the West Bank. The Palestinians did not even try to create their own state then. It probably was not even in their minds to do so.

The Six Day War against Israel occurred in 1967, and Israel offered to withdraw from lands they captured in the winning of that war. The Palestinians refused the offer, and stated: no peace, no negotiations and no recognition of Israel. Thus, the land was in Israel's hands. Up to this time, we had no Israelis in any settlements in Gaza or the West Bank.

From 1968-1979, we see that 6,000 Israelis settled in these areas. Menachem Begin became Prime Minister in 1977. Terror from Palestinians did not deter us. Then we had a peace treaty with Egypt, and Israel removed their Sinai settlers in order to have peace with Egypt. In 1979 the Camp David treaty was created. Israel offered autonomy to the Palestinians, something just short of statehood that would have led to independence. This also allowed Israel to watch their behavior and see if they turned away from terrorism. At this time Israel had 136,109 settlers in the territories, which is about 1/4 the population of Portland, Oregon.

From 1995 to 1999 we had the 2nd Oslo Agreement and we continued to withdraw from territories while terror never stopped. Terror then escalated, and Israel realized peace was not to be with the Palestinians. At this time we had only a slight increase in population to 146,207 in the territories as we stopped withdrawing people from these areas.

In 2000 we had a 2nd Camp David and we probably reluctantly agreed to the creation of a Palestinian state in all of Gaza and most of the West Bank. We also promised to dismantle most of the West Bank and compromised on one point on Jerusalem; that being that East Jerusalem would be the capital of Palestine. To my great relief, Yasser Arafat rejected the deal without even countering another idea. For him it was all or nothing, no negotiations. At this time we had a growth in the territories to 203,067 Israelis. Ehud Barak was Prime Minister of Israel then.

Two years later in 2002 the Road Map to Peace was created. The Palestinians are asked to fulfill some commitments starting with ending the violence against Israel. Israel's part is to end the settling of the territories. However, the Palestinians just escalated their terror. The Road Map fails. Israel does evacuate all their citizens and soldiers from the Gaza Strip. Palestinians ignore the chance to build a state in Gaza to prove that they are interested in living as peaceful neighbors. Instead, Hamas takes over Gaza and fires over 10,000 rockets and missiles into southern Israel. Israel reels at the reality that they have traded land for terror, and are unwilling to discuss new territorial concessions. Why should they? The Palestinians are not behaving like Egypt did. At this point there are now 253,748 Israelis living in the West Bank. None are in Gaza.

Today Israelis have given up on the idea of trading land for peace for these deadly neighbors. Hamas has deadly rockets that could hit any part of Israel. Now the settlers in the West Bank total 276,000. It would be difficult to move and resettle them. What has stopped the state of Palestine from being created is the people's own rebellion and hatefulness toward their future neighbor, Israel. If the Palestinians would adopt the mind-set of Anwar Sadat, there would be a peaceful Palestine that would not be a threat to Israel. Evidently it is not to be.

Don't blame Israel for settling in the territories. What it was promised originally in the Balfour Declaration was a much larger Israel that was hacked up, until it became very small. If the Arabs don't ever intend on having peace with Israel, Israel is legally free to use the land they inherited from the Arab attacks that failed. That is a lesson; don't mess with Israel and attack it, or you suffer the consequences. Crime doesn't pay off. Somebody seems to be watching over Israel.

Resource: Mitchell Bard #69
http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/talking/69_settlegrowth.html