Annexation of Judea--Samaria Land

Nadene Goldfoot                                           

Judea's Jewish KFAR ADUMIM, east of Jerusalemabout 15 kilometers (9 miles) to the northeast of Jerusalem
Population: 4,513

Kfar Adumim is a mixed religious-secular Israeli settlement in the Judah. It is located in the Judean Desert, on the southern bank of Wadi Qelt, about 2 miles northeast of the town Ma'ale Adumim. It is at 367 meters above sea levelThe international community considers Israeli towns in the Judea-Samaria illegal under international law, but the Israeli government disputes this.  Kfar Adumim was established in September 1979. Its first settlers were 10 families that had seceded previously from the group which founded Ma'ale Adumim and had been living in Mishor Adumim.
Oslo agreement was in 1995. 

 Ma'ale Adumim 4.3 miles from Jerusalem was first a Nahal village established by the IDF.  Nahal is a corps combining military training with farm work.  Its members become farmers when their service ends.  They were first military points like any other unit of the IDF. 

                                                                       
Three days before the last Israeli elections on April 6, Netanyahu made a speech about Judea and Samaria.  "I will not uproot a single settlement, and I will ensure that we’ll control all the area West of the Jordan river. Will we move to the next stage?   The answer is yes, we will move to the next stage—to the gradual extension of Israeli sovereignty in the areas of Judea and Samaria. I also do not distinguish between the settlement blocs and the lone settlements, every settlement like that is for me Israeli."  Netanyahu is a member of Likud, and they have stood with him on this ever since December 31, 2017.  They have a good majority in parliament.  
                                                             

Samaria is the top half, the northern part
Judea is the bottom half, the southern part

Judea and Samaria are divided into areas A,B, and C.  This annexation that is on the table only is applying to the section where Jews live.  A bi-national state is not what Israel wants to be nor was designed to be.  This has been the fear of many.  Area A since the Oslo decisions is not designated for the Jewish Israelis.  " Some right-wing politicians have also called for annexing all Area C lands—which represent most open land areas in the Judea- Samaria  and are sparsely populated by Palestinians.  
                                                   

Israel's highway connecting Judea-Samaria to Israel
in Area C. 

update: Area C is home to 300,000 Palestinians in 532 residential areas. It is also home to 389,250 Israelis, in 135 cities, towns and villages as well as 100 outposts unrecognized by the Israeli government. Area C forms a contiguous territory, administered via the Judea and Samaria Area administration.

    "Area C is the largest of the 3 areas, about 72to 74% of land, but the Jewish communities constitute a tiny fraction of area C.  Arabs, just like Jews in area C, must obtain permits in order to build residences.  "Arabs have been found building without permits, however.  Here is an example of what is happening.

"The illegal “building intifada” being waged by the Palestinian Authority on state lands in Area C of Judea and Samaria, (the West Bank), has become the latest battleground for the radical Left in conjunction with foreign-funded Israeli so called human rights NGO’s such as B’tselem and Bimkom.

This unlawful land theft is being carried out with the full support of the EU, foreign aid organizations and the UN."

Area A , about 18% of land, is home designed for the Arabs only; no Jews.  "Israeli citizens have the right to enter and pass through Area A unmolested, provided that they are not involved in illicit activity, in which case the PA can only temporarily apprehend them until they are transferred to the Israeli authorities. Joint Israeli-PA patrols were intended to handle these cases.

Area B is home "of less built-up areas, many of which shared their space with settlements created in the massive settlement drive in the 1980s launched by the Likud government. Area B comprises approximately 22% of Judea and Samaria.

In Area B, Israel and the PA share jurisdiction."

The Areas A and B were chosen in such a way as to just contain Palestinians, by drawing lines around Palestinian population centers at the time the Oslo Agreement was signed;

This plan has many problems.  Some will not be offered naturalization as a citizen and some will and both might live close to each other.  Oslo wasn't considering annexations.   Since Palestinians now living in A or B have been under the PA's Abbas, they are of the same mind pretty much as those in Gaza.   Israel " would exclude areas populated by Palestinians. This differs from the Golan Heights Law, which covered the whole geographic area of the Golan, including villages populated by Golan Druze (who held Syrian nationality)."  Israel is considering the 450,000 Jews living in Area C who want to be called Israelis and be under their protection.  

The Jewish Voice writers tell us that the USA is backing Israel if they annex any of Judea-Samaria as promised.  However,...there are always ifs-

However, the spokesperson did say that recognition would only be granted if Israel keeps its part of the deal, by holding talks with the Palestinians in accordance with measures set out by the deal of the century.

“The annexation would be in the context of an offer to the Palestinians to achieve statehood based upon specific terms, conditions, territorial dimensions, and generous economic support,” the spokesperson said.

I believe that Israel has been trying to do this ever since 1948.

Israel's long-time international law expert and  advocate on the subject of Judea-Samaria has been Professor Eugene Kontorovich who does live in Israel now.  Another international lawyer in Israel is :Professor Yuval Shany is the Hersch Lauterpacht Chair in International Law and former Dean of the Law Faculty of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. He also currently serves as Vice President for Research at the Israel Democracy Institute, and as a member of the UN Human Rights Committee. Prof. Shany received his LL.B. cum laude from the Hebrew University, LL.M. from New York University and Ph.D. in international law from the University of London.
In early February of 2020, Kushner on Thursday said it will likely take “a couple of months” to complete work on detailed West Bank maps before Israel will be able to annex settlements and the Jordan Valley.
Update 5/31/2020: Response from Fatah is threatening. Posted text: “A statement from the Fatah Movement Jenin branch...

O heroic Palestinian people, our battle with this greedy and hateful occupier is growing and heating up. The hated Israeli occupation has crossed all the red lines and gone too far in its evil way and its Zionist expansion ideology, out of hostility towards humanity and the international conventions...
Therefore, in light of the blatant and insolent arrogance of the Zionist occupation, which has publicly targeted the Palestinian struggle (our prisoners and Martyrs) [parentheses in source], and targeted the land of our Palestinian state whose capital is Jerusalem by announcing its determination to annex parts of our Palestinian state’s land... a strong and moving Palestinian response has arrived from the Palestinian people’s leadership and His Honor [PA] President of the State of Palestine leader Mahmoud Abbas, who in a resounding voice declared the release from all the agreements with the occupation state and the American administration...
We hold the Israeli occupation and the current American administration fully responsible for the explosion in the situation in the Palestinian territories, and say to them that the Palestinian people will defend its land and its right with self-sacrifice... We will not allow any occupying power to expropriate our historical Palestinian right, and we will all mobilize to fight with the sword of justice against the dark forces of occupation, until the occupation is defeated and independence is achieved...
Our people will continue on the path of struggle, not out of love for death, but rather in order to create a life for our children and the coming Palestinian generations, so that they will live with dignity in the lap of their independent Palestinian state...
As Palestinian poet Abd Al-Rahim Mahmoud said:
‘I shall carry my soul in my palm and toss it into the abyss of destruction
And then either a life that will gladden friends, or a death that will enrage the enemies’ (see note below –Ed.).”

[Official Fatah Facebook page, May 20, 2020] 

Resource: https://www.lawfareblog.com/israels-new-plan-annex-west-bank-what-happens-next
http://www.jewishwikipedia.info/west_bank_areas_a_b_c.html
https://www.jpost.com/opinion/op-ed-contributors/illegal-arab-building-defies-supreme-court-ruling
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6lXwBxtojzY
http://thejewishvoice.com/2020/04/us-gives-israel-blessing-to-annex-parts-of-judea-samaria/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Area_C_(West_Bank)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kfar_Adumim
Updated: https://www.timesofisrael.com/as-peace-plan-rolls-out-netanyahu-says-he-will-annex-jordan-valley-settlements/ from 1/28/2020 on Trump's plan
https://www.israelhayom.com/2020/05/22/poll-israelis-favor-sovereignty-in-jordan-valley-judea-and-samaria/

Obama's Administration Using Chickenshit in their Diplomacy

Nadene Goldfoot                                                                       

Some idiot senior Obama administration official doesn't understand Netanyahu's position at all about Israel.  He refers to him as Bibi, his nickname with friends, and said that he's a chickenshit. This word means worthless or contemptible (used as a general term of deprecation).

"no more chickenshit excuses"  

Netanyahu's first responsibility is to his own people's safety, and if he followed this official's 

ideas, he would be putting Israelis in harm's way, no doubt.  

 The official can't read Netanyahu at all.  Is he/she another of these two-faced friends?  Is he/she one of those who walked out on Netanyahu at the UN when he explained the red line in his speech about atomic weaponry?  You can't fault Netanyahu for his speaking prowess, for he's a great speaker.  When a diplomat has no idea where a leader of a small country is coming from, there's no hope of having any endearing ties.
                                                                             

                                                                       Sadat of Egypt    
                                                                             

                                                                   Begin of Israel

One of the best unions was that between Sadat of Egypt and Begin of Israel.  They didn't always see eye to eye on how to bring about the conclusion both agreed upon, but they felt the warmest regard for each other.  When Sadat died, Begin wrote to his widow beautiful words in remembering their friendship and when Begin's wife, Aliza died, Jehan wrote to Menachem Begin in a beautiful and understanding letter.  Sadat was assassinated, mostly for his going to Jerusalem and making friends to bring about peace between the 2 countries which still stands to this day.  Begin was a born debater.  Sadat was a great listener.

Evidently Obama's people do not understand that Iran and their atomic power is not created for undercutting their oil supply, but that they have evil intentions to use it on Israel, for one, and then maybe the giant USA.  They're playing around with people's lives in trying to be the bigshots they aren't.  Kerry is no Kissinger.   Iran's far more polished in dealing with such dealers in the open markets, and these wiseguys can't compare.
                                                                     

 When the Shah was in power, Iran and Israel did business together.  He was a friend.
                                                                                 

Another thing; our administration is such a group of hotshots that they think they can tell another nation when and where they can build.  Israel is not a satellite of the USA but has been a good friend, the only Democratic state in the Middle East since 1948.  Israel has been holding land they received by winning the1967 war for 47 years, now, patiently waiting for some spark of peace from people bent on their destruction. I call waiting 47 years a lot of patience.  Remember, Israel was attacked then by surrounding states who thought they'd get rid of the only Jewish state in the midst of a sea of Muslims.

 Personally, every time they caused a bomb to fall on my country, I'd build another house on that land.  Every time another Jewish life was murdered, another apartment would go up.  I'd keep a tally going on the highest building in Jerusalem for all to see as to all the steps taken by the Palestinians have taken against peace for nudniks like this official could understand better.  Israel is a free democratic society built on the traditions of Moses who brought the Israelites laws in how to be fair to people.  They follow a higher power than the Obama administration is  and consider themselves people that must  follow highly moralistic rules of behavior.  Jews are an ancient race, who were writing when others were chasing wild animals and people.  They have produced many psychologists such as Freud and Adler  who studied people's behaviors.  They know what they're doing when they announce that they are GOING to build on this bare undeveloped land of theirs to people who SAY they want a Palestine in that spot but want to drop bombs and send in suicide bombers to attack Israelis.   Obama, Israel knows how to play the game of chess very well.
                                                                       

                                                               PLO's Arafat

The PLO never was out for peace, and Fatah is nothing but  the PLO with a new leader who has not shown any change except the overt acts of the PLO have been taken over by Hamas.  Their acts are more insidious like celebrating the murderers of Jews.

Obama's administration is so similar to Ronald Reagan's and  Jimmy Carter's; one a Republican and one a Democrat.  It is all in how these men look upon Jewish existence.   Ford's wasn't too outlandish and Nixon was single-minded but did want Israel to succeed.  The best was Harry S. Truman.  However, I can't say that much for our present administration in the acts they have pulled and with the people in the administration who are opposers to the life of Israel.  What has been typical with so many presidents is that they have said one thing but did another.

 An example was at the end of Begin's service as Prime Minister.  Israel was blamed by Reagan for the Lebanese Christian Militia going into Sabra and Shatilla and massacring people.   Begin found this accusation to be unbelievable, fantastic and utterly despicable.  Lebanon's President elect Bashir Gemeayel was assassinated on September 14, 1982  for being a Christian by his own Muslim population.  This was terrible for Israel as the two had much planned in the name of peace.  After this happened, Israel moved the IDF into West Beirut to prevent a Christian revenge on the Muslims.  No one in Israel dreamt that the Christians would massacre people in these camps who were Palestinians.  It was Arabs murdering Arabs, and the Jews took all the blame.  The truth of the matter was that the IDF stopped the carnage.  This event was used as a libelous campaign against Israel and no other people other than Israel were outraged about it.  Within weeks, everyone everywhere thought, from what they saw and heard through the media, that it was an Israeli military unit that massacred the Palestinians.  General Sharon, who was the friend of Major Hadad of the Christian Militia and who had been helping Israel by guarding the border, had to be the fall guy and took the blame, though he had no idea his friend would bring such an act about.  I doubt it Hadad realized himself what his men were about to do.  They were "mad as hell" at the Palestinians at the time, and revenge was the name of the game to them.  
                                                                           

When questioned amid all the strife between the USA and Israel,  Jeffry Goldberg let it be known that diplomatic relations between them is in a "full-blown crisis."  Calling Netanyahu a chickenshit certainly is showing the level of intelligence for this official, and that's why it's hard on Netanyahu to remain civil.    How he does it is beyond me, but he could explode in Hebrew, however there are no swear words in Hebrew to use.  English has a monopoly on them but I hear that Arabic has their share, too.  First,  it's been nasty words coming from Iran, and now from the Obama administration.   

Every American administration has wanted to bring about a Palestine thinking this is the panacea of  all the problems in the Middle East.  At this time, it would only be bringing about another Gaza stronghold where Arabs can air their rockets, missiles and mortars at Israel in order to suffice their goal of being the ones to destroy Israel.  Take off your blinders and see the truth.  Stop trying to add such a destructive move onto your resume of accomplishments.  Open your ears and listen to Netanyahu for a change before it is too late.  What is it in physics?  For every cause there was a reaction?  Learn why Netanyahu has taken the stands he and his country has.  

Resource: http://www.breakingisraelnews.com/23462/us-official-bibi-chickenshit/?utm_source=Breaking+Israel+News&utm_campaign=fbb6afabb8-BIN+Email&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_b6d3627f72-fbb6afabb8-83518689#FGWwhui8ZEFUXy18.97
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sabra_and_Shatila_massacre
The Prime Ministers by Yehuda Avner
The Secret War Against the Jews by John Luftus and Mark Aarons
http://honestreporting.com/idns-10292014-feathers-fly/ over the word, chickenshit
Update:  CNN news: 10/29/14 afternoon
http://www.algemeiner.com/2014/10/28/top-jewish-leader-hier-calls-on-obama-to-name-apologize-for-and-repudiate-anonymous-official-who-called-israeli-pm-netanyahu-chickenshit/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lixYEZ9M_dU&app=desktop, 28 year old Netanyahu speaking

Brinkmanship of Fatah Has Palestinian Negotiators Walking Away

Nadene Goldfoot                                                             

        Saeb  Erekat, born in 1955 in East Jerusalem when it was under Jordanian Control

John Kerry is determined to reach a Palestinian-Israeli peace deal.  However, we just found out Wednesday that the 2 man Palestinian team, Saeb Erekat and Muhammad Shtayyeh,  had resigned 10 days ago in protest because Israel has continued construction in Judea/Samaria and east Jerusalem neighborhoods.

Israel seems to feel that the peace talks, which are given 9 months, are just keeping progress from moving along and intended to build. "Only two days earlier, Israel had announced plans to construct 1,700 new homes for Jewish settlers in the West Bank (Judea and Samaria) . Palestinians angrily accused the Israelis of not negotiating in good faith."   The plans were in the works long ago and are much needed.   They had stopped for a year as agreed with Abbas and it was wasted time, as Abbas didn't come to any peace negotiations that time, either.  Israel has offered the olive branch ever since 1948 and has been very patient after being attack time and time again in wars by  the Arab countries.  That's 65 years without peace.  Now Kerry expects Israel to give away their baby with the bath water.  Give up everything, and what has Israel been offered?  Bubkas, as far as we know, since it is all very secret.

Abbas hasn't said if he would accept or reject the resignations.  He couldn't say if there has been any progress and will wait 9 months and afterwards they will feel free to do what they want.  Erekat thinks that because Israel is building this means it was the end of the peace process.  He's already told the US, Russia, the UN and the Arab League that these building plans mean that the negotiations ended.

Israel feels this is "brinkmanship", something that keeps on happening with the Palestinians and is a pattern that has happened many times.  It's their standard way of negotiating.

Netanyahu has told the housing minister to "reconsider" plans for the 24,000 units beyond the Green Line as a result.  "I'm concerned about their progress, because I see the Palestinians continuing with incitements, continuing to create artificial crises, continuing to avoid and run away from the historic decisions that are needed to make a genuine peace."   Abbas had to cut his visit to Saudi Arabia and return to Ramallah to talk with PLO and Fatah leaders about what is going on.  Since when are there any PLO people?  Supposedly PLO became Fatah.  Yasser Arafat had been the PLO leader.

The Palestinians are trying to take Jerusalem as their capital, among other factors that they have been demanding.  Jerusalem is a united city once again and the capital of Israel.  Another sticky point is allowing all the refugees who have multiplied since 1948 into this tiny area as the Palestinians demand.  Being they will not accept Israel in the first place in their midst, there are just too many idiotic concessions that they are demanding that will completely tear Israel apart, as little as it is and surrounded by hateful terrorists.   Personally, I think John Kerry is asking the impossible of Israel.  Also, he was aiming on having this all completed by May 2014, which is 6 months from now.

One important matter to Israel has been Iran.  Watching how the USA has capitulated to Iran shakes up Netanyahu's trust in the USA's negotiating, and this is a failure.  The way the peace talks with the PLO/Fatah is going looks like it's on the same path; both being against Israel's needs to survive.


Resource:  http://www.jpost.com/Diplomacy-and-Politics/Abbas-Palestinian-peace-negotiators-resign-over-lack-of-progress-331604
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saeb_Erekat
http://www.pbs.org/newshour/bb/world/july-dec13/mideast1_11-13.html
http://www.pbs.org/newshour/bb/world/july-dec13/mideast2_11-13.html

Getting to Know you, Oh Future Palestine

Nadene Goldfoot

Like the song goes, "We're getting to know you, getting to know all about you, but.....

Getting to like you, getting to hope you like me,

Getting to feel free and easy..When I am with you.

You are precisely

My cup of tea,

Getting to know what to say...Because of all the beautiful and new Things I'm learning about you

Day by day".

Oscar Hammerstein

Well, we know a lot more about the leadership and how the people think about us and we're not feeling so free and easy; in fact, we don't feel that way at all. The things we're learnings are not so beautiful, either.

Abbas took over from from Arafat in the Fatah terrorist organization. Fatah has changed their tune outwardly but not inwardly. They're still teaching their children that Israel doesn't exist on their maps, and hatred for Israelis still reigns. They wouldn't mind at all if Israel really were wiped off the earth. In fact, they celebrate riotously when Israelis are killed, even celebrating on the anniversary of terrorists deaths who caused the death of Israelis. Israelis wince and wonder how in heaven they can ever become friendly neighbors with such a people.

They want Palestine to be Juden-free; have no Jews or Israelis in their midst. It bothers Israelis in that the state of Israel has over a million Palestinian citizens living with them, and even being a part of the Knessett. Yes, they can vote. So what is happening is that Abbas is even refusing to talk turkey with Israel (come to the peace table to arrive at some decisions). This makes it impossible to think about a peaceful state. After all, Israel was created 62 years ago and nothing like peace has happened with Fatah who now reside in Samaria and Judea. Israelis are also getting tired of waiting. Judea and Samaria fell into Israel's lap after the 67 War when the Muslims lost. Since 1967 the land has just been sitting there and Israel has all sorts of reasons thrown at it for resisting settlement. The time has rolled around and the reasons are there to do so. Israel has had it with 43 years of patience waiting for a peace accord with some decisons.

So, after waiting for 10 months and not building in Samaria and Judea, land that goes back to Israel's biblical days that is extremely important historically as well as geographically, Israel has decided that they have the right to build and carry on with a normal life. They aren't getting any younger. According to the Oregonian article this morning, they are expanding somewhat into territory that would not be part of Israel in a land swap. I see it that there is no land swapping at present, a decision of the Palestinians, and so they are going ahead and doing it. If Fatah wants Israel to stop settlers from straying farther afield, they'll have to sit down with a cup of tea and some bread with salt and talk. Because as the song goes, as time goes by, we are not liking what we see or even hear, and Palestinians still are not doing anything to change their charges to like Israelis. That's not what lovers or even neighbors do.

The one beacon of light that is happening is that a start up business in Israel has found that a Palestinian is nicer to work with than other outsiders. Their thinking in business is similar and this is turning out fantastically. It makes me joyous to read that business is bringing these two opposing people together. Possibly it will be contagious.

Living across the freeway from each other makes us neighbors, and we both want to feel free and easy being we are together this way. Living like the "Hatfields" and the McCoys" is not anyone's idea of living. Now, Fatah will have to convey this to Hamas over in Gaza, as they are a deal-breaker. From what I have been reading, the opposite is happening. Hamas is wielding a lot of influence over the population of Fatah.

Is Israel expected to have to continue living with the anti-social Gazans who want to kill all Israelis? Are they to be a part of "Palestine?" Abbas can't influence them at all. They were driven out of Gaza into Judea and Samaria. So much is left unanswered and must be discussed in any peace discussion.

Resource: http://www.romantic-lyrics.com/lg2.shtml

Oregonian Newspaper 12/25/2010 page A7 With freeze ifted, Israeli settlement building booms

Information from my blogs: http://jewishfactsfromportland.blogspot.com/, http://israel-nadene.blogspot.com/

Daily Mortar Attacks from Gaza

Nadene Goldfoot

You never see this news in an American newspaper like the Oregonian, but mortar attacks have been going on daily all year from Gaza. Today a home was hit on a kibbutz. It's like living in the firing zone of someone playing Russian Roulette. You never know when or where somebody or something can be hit. It's something that you don't get used to, either. It just tightens up your nerves.

December 2, 2010 3 mortars and 1 Qassam rocket landed, then another rocket hit dairy and injured cows near Ashkelon, Portland's sister city.

December 3, 2020 7 mortar shells hit Israel

December 6, 2010: Qassam rocket landed near Ashkelon, Portland's sister city

December 7, 2010 2 mortars landed in the Eshkol region of southern Israel.

December 8, 2010 1 mortar landed in the Sha'ar Hanegia region of southern Israel.

All this has been going on all year and the US has at the same time been pressuring Israel to freeze building in Judea and Samaria, though they already had done so in the 10 month period before and no peace discussions came about. How can my country pressure Israel about peace, which is what Israel wants, when half the Palestinians are making constant war on Israel? Why doesn't our government pressure Hamas to cut out their shooting at Israel in the first place? How can there possibly be peace talks when Israel is being constantly attacked by a party that had even attacked Fatah? Gaza being occupied by Israel ended in 2005. Israel had to create a blockade in 2007 when Hamas terrorists threw out Fatah and took over Gaza.

The PA have had the chutzpa to demand that Israel stop building before they would even talk about peace making-and then they can only speak for their own Fatah group.

8:28pm 12/8/10 Israel just completed air strikes on Gaza after mortar shell fragments from a fired mortal shell wounded a man on an agriculture site near the border was hit. Israel bombed two training sites. The Israeli was taken to a hospital in Bersheba.

This was the first casualty since March when a worker from Thailand was killed by mortar shelling.

Reference: http://www.jpost.com/NationalNews/Article.aspx?id=198584

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Palestinian_rocket_attacks_on_Israel,_2010

http://www.haaretz.com/print-edition/news/iaf-hits-gaza-targets-after-slew-of-rockets-strike-israel-1.325803

http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20101209/wl_nm/us_palestinians_israel_gaza

International Law Concerning Judea and Samaria

                                                                             

by Nadene Goldfoot

Israel has been through countless wars with the Arabs since 1948 and has won. Now the attack is to cry that Judea and Samaria are settled illegally by Jews. These charges are politically motivated and without foundation in international law. I'm sorry to see that even some Jewish lawyers have been sucked into such propaganda and have become instruments in challenging Israel's right to survive.

Therefore, cities and towns in Judea and Samaria cannot be considered illegal. They cannot be a grave violation of the Geneva Convention and do not constitute a "war crime". This is without legal basis.

A Jewish population inhabiting Judea and Samaria goes back over 3,000 years and has never stopped. Newer ones have been established on previous Jewish sites because of the people's deep historic and religious connection with the land. Israeli communities have been established only after an exhaustive investigation process, under the supervision of the supreme Court of Israel. They ensured that no communities are established on private Arab land.

The only administration which prohibited Arabs from selling land to Jews there was the Jordanian occupation administration during its 19 years of rule from 1948 to 1967. Egypt's occupation from their armed invasion of Israel in 1948 and Jordan cannot legally invalidate rights and titles that remain valid to this day. Both had illegally occupied this land, so their claim was automatically invalid. Judea and Samaria were originally intended to be part of the Jewish State when discussions first started in 1919 after the first World War when the Ottoman Empire fell.

International legal scholar Stephen Schwebel said that a country acting in self-defense may seize and occupy territory when necessary to protect itself.. That's what happened in 1967 when Israel was surrounded by 250,000 Arab soldiers, more than 2,000 tanks and 700 aircraft by Egypt, Syria, Jordan, Lebanon, Iraq, Algeria, Kuwait, Sudan and other Muslim countries. They were all aided by Russia, and they were bent on completely destroying Israel. Besides that, they had managed to close the Gulf of Aqaba, a lifeline for Israel.

The war started on June 5th and a cease-fire was invoked on June 10th, which came to be called, The Six Day War. The Israelis almost made it to Cairo but stopped. After that Egypt and Jordan changed in their attitudes of destroying Israel. That's when Israel obtained Judea and Samaria and East Jerusalem. Therefore, the land was not under the sovereignty of any state and came under Israeli control in a war of self-defense, imposed upon Israel.

Agreements between Israel and the Palestinians contain no prohibition whatsoever on building or expanding communities. It is specifically provided that the issue is reserved for permanent status negotiations which are to take place in a concluding state of peace talks. So far, Fatah refuses to come to a peace negotiating table. Israel had even invoked a 10 month freeze on building in Judea and Samaria in order to pacify the Arabs, but to no avail.

Jewish communities are not intending to displace Arab inhabitants. The land has become a patchwork quilt of neighborhoods, just as many American communities have become. South Portland in the early 1900's was a neighborhood mixed with Jews and Italians. They all got along fine because nobody was instigating them not to live in peace. Failing Grade School was a model of success being a smorgasbord of nationalities.

The problem today lies in the fact that the Palestinians want Judea and Samaria all to themselves without any Jews. Not only that, but they want every Palestinian living outside the area to return and live there. This would be a monumental travesty. The 4th largest Jewish city, Ariel, has over 16,000 inhabitants. Israel is not a large area. Almost everyone living there lives in apartment buildings. This is how they are planning to drive Israelis into the sea.

Reference: Myths and Facts by Mitchell G. Bard & Joel Himelfarb

Jewish Virtual Library
http://israel-nadene.blogspot.com/2012/07/justice-edmond-levy-rules-israel-has.html

Confrontation over Israel and "Settlements"

Nadene Goldfoot



Instead of meeting with Israel about peace discussions, Abbas prefered to approach the U.N. Security Council and asked them to debate Israel's building in Jerusalem and most likely Judea and Samaria on Wednesday. At least that was his plan for today.



Obama has already chastised Netanyahu from Indonesia, the world's #1 country with a Muslim majority of 228,582,000 people who have 86.1%Sunni Muslim population, over future building plans in Jerusalem, our sovereign capital. I say this because the Indonesians are probably not feeling very friendly toward Israel. They don't allow Jews in their country. That was the prelude to Hillary Clinton going to Israel on Thursday to warn Netanyahu about the "Jewish settlement building plans" that they consider wrong because she and Obama think it clouds hopes to renew peace talks.



Personally, I think Abbas has made it perfectly clear that he has no intention of entering into any peace talks when he can appeal to the U.N. who most likely will be very sympathetic, as so many of them are from Muslim countries and hate Israel.



The pressure that Netanyahu has had to endure is incredible, but he managed to show his strength with the declaration reminding the world that Jerusalem is our capital and that Israel is a sovereign nation and he never said he would not build in Jerusalem. He also made it clear that Jerusalem is not a settlement.

Netanyahu has even spoken with Henry Kissinger about this. Everyone is hopeful that they will have a productive meeting.



I think it is sickening that our President is not listening to our case but instead is siding with the very people who have been attacking us for so long and who more than just covet our land, religiously just want us to be blown away. Can the world get any weirder?



Reference: http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20101111/pl_afp/israelpalestinianusdiplomacypeace
http://www.jpost.com/Israel/Article.aspx?id=194805

Israel's Building Plans for East Jerusalem

by Nadene Goldfoot

The Oregonian had an article today titled, Israel plans new housing units on disputed land. The last time I looked, Jerusalem had not been divided. It does have its neighborhoods, just as Portland has a Chinatown. I know that the Palestinians are plotting to take over East Jerusalem, if not more, as part of their to be Palestine. Why they are holding out in peace talks about it is their decision. They've been doing it ever since Israel was declared a state in 1948, so it's nothing new. They simply can't bring themselves to accept a Jewish state in an ocean of Islam. There's no tolerance in their minds.

In the meantime, life must go on for Israel, so they have decided to build 980 new apartments in the Jewish neighborhood of Har Homa and 320 in the Ramot area. Israel's Interior Ministry says that actual construction could be years away, however. At least someone has recognized the need for more housing coming up and the plan of continuing to keep Jerusalem whole. The newspaper article by Edmund Sanders from the McClatchy Tribune hits the readers on the head with "build an additional 1,300 apartments. "

As to why the statement has come out today has been muddled over by the reporter. Danny Seidemann, a Jerusalem expert and settlement critic must be a man against Jews living in Judea-Samaria as well as East Jerusalem, keeping this free of Jews for the Arab population. He thinks that this is sending a message that self-restraint of Netanyahu's government is over, or that Netanyahu might be reacting to our USA election last week. What the article doesn't tell you is that Danny is a member of Peace Now, and speaks to groups such as Americans for Peace Now. He is an American born lawyer and peace activist who moved to Israel in 1973 right out of college. Danny is now the head of the Israeli NGO Terrestrial Jerusalem. He has chutzpa, I'll give him that. He criticized Elie Wiesel about his stand on Jerusalem. Elie referred to him as the Jerusalem guru. He evidently is also a leader of Ir Shalem, which means "unified City". It's said to be a left wing Zionist organization by the Palestinians who are advocating developing Jerusalem for the benefit of all residents, Jews and Arabs. I ask how he would plan on seeing development for Jews in this Jewish neighborhood without holding onto a hammer and a nail and some building material?

It's too bad that the reporter didn't bother to find someone else to interview regarding the announcement of future building. He sought out one of the most dissident Israelis who is against the idea. Perhaps he should have left his hotel and talked to the Jewish residents of these neighborhoods to see why they needed more housing. Wouldn't that have been more fair and unbiased reporting?

http://peacenow.org/entries/danny_seidemann_responds_to_elie_wiesel_in_foreign_policy
http://cosmos.ucc.ie/cs1064/jabowen/IPSC/php/authors.php?auid=2706
Oregonian Newspaper Tuesday, November 9, 2010 page A6.
http://www.theisraelproject.org/site/apps/nlnet/content2.aspx?c=hsJPK0PIJpH&b=689705&ct=8863317
http://israelbehindthenews.com/bin/content.cgi?ID=4193&q=1

http://www.honestreporting.com/articles/45884734/critiques/new/Jerusalem_is_Not_a_Settlement.asp

Consternation Over Israel's Building in Judea and Samaria

by Nadene Goldfoot

Why has the peace talks been dependent on Israel not building in Judea and Samaria? Abbas has demanded that we continue the 10 freeze in building before he even talks to us backed by Obama's pleading and enticing offers. Building in the area is exactly the item that has to be discussed in any peace talks. It's an item that was tabled long ago. What is going on here? It's like putting the cart before the horse.

The problem is that there was a 1995 agreement between Israel and the PLO where they both agreed that "neither side shall initiate or take any step that will change the status of the West Bank and the Gaza Strip pending the outcome of the permanent status negotiations."

We have yet to have an outcome. This never intended to refer to construction. Evidently peace talks would address this issue. Israel, since 1967, has built homes there and in return gets international criticism. Well, we're used to that. Whatever we do gets international criticism.

The Palestinians have built thousands of buildings in the area without any planning. They have built buildings oftentimes just to have them in the way of two different Jewish neighborhoods. It's a mess.

What is maddening is that during our 10 month building freeze, the Arabs were building like crazy and without any restrictions. The United States, Europe and the Arab states of the Persian gulf bankrolled much of their construction. It was Obama who brought up the idea of a Palestinian state for the first time.

The reason for the 10 month freeze was to stop Israel from having neighborhoods there that would prejudice the results of the peace talks with Abbas. The reason is that the Palestinians have misinterpreted the clause of the 1995 agreement, as far as we're concerned.

The goal of the Palestinians is to make all of Judea and Samaria their Palestinian state, devoid of all Jews. We have about one million Arabs as citizens in Israel and can't see why they can't allow our communities to remain there.

The Palestinians are building the city of Rawabi just to change the status of Judea and Samaria. It lies in the middle of a predominantly Jewish neighborhood just to harm the Jewish communities. It was done on purpose.

One problem area is in eastern Jerusalem; the Jewish Shimon Hatzadik neighborhood. Eastern Jerusalem has Arabs living there. The Jews have bought their property legally. Every Friday there have been wild demonstrations for the Arab minority. Evidently leftist Israelis also are a part of the Arab demonstrators trying to move the Israelis out. When Jerusalem's planning board decided to approve construction of housing units in a Jewish neighborhood, Obama's administration assaulted them just last Spring. So dozens of illegal Arab buildings are still standing in East Jerusalem for fear of international outcry. The building code, a part of Jerusalem's government, cannot be followed. Such things as water, sewer, traffic, schools, etc, have to be forgotten now.

Caroline Glick, in her article, reminds us that we see two sets of rules; one for Arabs and one for Jews. Jews are not being given special rights. Indeed, they are being held back from "inviolable rights" to their own property by their own government. The Israeli government is trying to be so fair with the Arabs and in turn listen to the Obama government and the international community that they in turn are harming their own citizens. This is why Netanyahu can no longer continue the building freeze. Enough already!

I see more of a problem here than Caroline does in adressing the rights of Israeli citzens. I see in her article that Israel is surrounded by hotspots besides the Judea/Samaria issue. On every border we are having problems and are trying to appease our neighbors and keep things cool. It's like trying to keep the genie in the bottle when he has muscle power to push out the cork. You have to keep sitting on it.

I'm looking at the total picture and it's amazing that Israel has kept the lid on so many outbursts, except now our own Israelis are sick and tired of giving more than their fair share. I see a far bigger problem. What happens if Palestine is to be created by the U.N. anyway without any peace talks as they have been pushing for? What will happen to our citizens in Judea and Samaria?

Abbas is not interested in peace or even a state of his own. If he was it would be so easy. Recognize Israel, and sit down and talk. It's not happening. I think he's being dictated to by Hamas. I can't picture there being a peaceful Palestine next door to Israel. I can't picture them being part of Israel other than the ones already here. These are the problems Israel faces while it tries to remain a democracy and deal fairly with its own citizens. They do have an elephant in the room interfering with the democratic process.

http://www.carolineglick.com/ Do Jews Have Civil Rights?

Sixty-Two Years of Waiting is Enough-Diy-ay-Nu

by Nadene Goldfoot

Palestinians are still harping on settlement stoppage of building in the Judea-Samaria (West Bank) area by Israelis. Netanyahu had given into the Palestinians a 10 month freeze in the name of peace, but their recognition of Israel didn't happen. Israel has been hoping for recognition for the past 62 years. Peace talks will not be indulged in by the Palestinians because of this. They're demanding another freeze, for forever, no doubt.

The Palestinians have been trying very hard to get Israel to weaken their safeguards. Israel has to continue watching what is coming and going into Gaza and keep restrictions there because of continuing rocket firing and a lack of a peace treaty. It's actually enemy territory.

When Israel was created in 1948, all the surrounding Arab countries attacked it, meaning to drive it into the sea. In other words, they tried to kill the baby just created. They have continued with these attacks even after 1985, and continued attacks coming from the Palestinians themselves to this day. I remember that after leaving Israel in 1985, it was under attack and everyone was given gas masks with directions on how to tape up a small area in their homes as a safe room from chemical warfare. I received e-mails from my neighbor in Safed about what went on. Places I was familiar with were hit by rockets. It was unreal.

We have two peace treaties only: Egypt and Jordan. We see Iran feeding the Palestinian terrorists with weapons through Syria. Lebanon is a huge threat. Israel has to be constantly on guard. If it lets down in any way, as it did in leaving Gaza in the name of peace, it will be attacked.

I know that many think that this is a continuing condition and there is no hope for peace. Warring is going to be the norm. I feel that if the world continues to back terrorism as it is doing right now, it will be. If the world wakes up and sees that Israel is the scapegoat and that the Arab world is acting like bullies, it could bring about pressure to cause terrorism to end. People in this part of the world have the ability to live in peace if they see that it is more advantageous to live a peaceful life.

Right now Ireland is forming another flotilla to enter Gaza. Is this helpful? What in the world are they backing? What are they against? This is an example of how warped the world has become in understanding what is right and what is wrong. It makes me shudder.

From what I've read from the Socialist party's diatribes against Israel, they think that Jews stole Arab land and so they plot against Israel. When are people going to understand and accept facts that we didn't and that we re-created Israel in the most legitimate ways; legally, rightfully, and that there were very few Arabs living in the area at the time of its birth. Jews never wanted to displace them and never did. It's quite a history, but who is actually finding out about it? From what I can see, people today get their information from word of mouth from Palestinians only.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20100830/wl_afp/israelpalestinianspeacesettler
http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20100830/wl_nm/us_ireland_israel_flotilla

http://palwatch.org/ Itamar Marcus articles from Palestinian Media Watch

Biden's Saying Palestinians Deserve a Viable State

Day 2 in the news-media battle over Judea and Samaria and Jerusalem.

The conflict of Israel and a future Palestine continues. We have 270,000 residents living in Judea and Samaria, much to the disgust of the Palestinians and Biden, evidently. We also have 700,000 Israelis living in the soverign capital of Israel, Jerusalem. They are living in the Jewish neighborhoods that happen to be in East Jerusalem, numbering 180,000 where many Arabs also live.

My grandparents came from a neighborhood in Portland that was mixed with Jews and Italians and they loved each other and delighted in the smells coming from the delis there. Such an experience is not how Palestinians want their state. They want it to be free of Jews. That's just how Germany was, and the Palestinians were on the German side in WWII. They want the whole West bank area of Judea and Samaria and all of Jerusalem to be part of their state. Can you imagine Jerusalem in their hands and not ours? I can't. We just regained this area in the 1967 war which we did not start but were able to finish. Nineteen years had gone by before King David's Jerusalem was again in Jewish hands after the creation of Israel. Many of us don't want to lose it now.

Now Biden has come out with the statement that the Palestinians DESERVE a viable state. What has he said about Israel? He has said that Israel needs to take more CHANCES.

To deserve something means to be worthy of it, as fit or suitable, for some reward or requital.

I ask, what have they done to be worthy of a state? Have they shown in the past 60 years any good intentions to be good and peaceful neighbors to Israel? For 60 years it has been Israel who has succumbed to do the negotiator's bidding and has given up land for peace, left business only to see them destroyed, and given up Gaza only to be pummelted with rockets for eight long and terrifying years. Worthy! How! It was their choice to follow leadership that has kept them in poverty, not ours.

Ever since the announcement came that Israel was born, Israelis have had to defend themselves and their country in battle. I don't think they want to just lie down and easily give up land that they received through blood and tears knowing that the ones to receive it only want to take all of their land. Mitchell and Biden are going to have to take off their rose-colored glasses and see life through an Israeli's eyes. I can't for the life of me see why we should give up land before we have even had a decent discussion and agreement with our "neighbors" to be.

Well, Biden, I think Israel took your advice on taking chances. It was taking a chance to announce the building of 1,600 apartments in East Jerusalem. Maybe we're saying, don't get any ideas. Jerusalem is now ours in our state. We're not trading or relinqueshing it. We don't mind you living here. We like diversity as long as you're behaving peacefully and being good citizens, but don't get cocky and try to take it from us.

Reference: Yahoo News.

Israel's New Plans for East Jerusalem That Shook America

by Nadene Goldfoot

Israel has a big brother by the name of America, and the news on TV was full of condemnation for this tiny country today who thought it was a free democratic state. Come to find out, big brother thinks it's in the driver's seat.

That's what happened when Vice President Joe Biden came to visit and announced support for Israel's security today. Hours later Israel's Interior Ministry announced a no no-1,600 new housing units in East Jerusalem. (This was announced on NBC at 5:40pm as 1,600 settlements in East Jerusalem.) There's a huge difference, NBC.

The problem may lie in the fact that back on 25 November, 2009, Netanyahu's cabinet came up with a policy of restraint regarding settlements which included a suspension of new permits and new construction in Judea and Samaria for the length of 10 months. They didn't really like to do this but for the deep desire for peace, they went along with big brother and others' wishes. They also said they wouldn't expropriate more land for existing settlements. Netanyahu also said he promised to see to it that normal life could continue for the 300,000 Israel citizens who live in Judea and Samaria. These two places are called the West Bank by the West. Israel calls the area by its names. As for Jerusalem, the capital, Israel's position is well known. They have not put any restrictions on building in their sovereign capital. Israel is committed to protect freedom of worship for all faiths and ensure equal and fair treatment for all, Jews and Arab. NOTICE THAT THERE WAS NO PROMISE OR ACCORD FOR JERUSALEM.

Now, on March 7, 2010, the cabinet came up with another decision about the temporary suspension of new construction in Judea and Samaria. Netanyahu approved the outline for compensating those that were adversely affected by the decision. They set uniform criteria for providing compensation:

1. To those who purchased apartments

2. To contractors and those with building permits

3. One-time compensation to those local council that were adversely affected by the decision.

Today the Jerusalem Post also told its citizens that the US slams new J'lem homes. These 1,600 homes, not settlements, are new housing units for young Haredi families in the east Jerusalem neighborhood of Ramat Shlomo. Our brother said that the timing of the decision undermines the peace process that he is trying to revive. Biden's statement was very harsh and critical, coming on the eve of a new round of US-mediated peace talks. Of course the White House's Robert Gibbs condemned the announcement, too.

In defense, Israel's Interior Ministry said that the plan

had been in the works for over three years. There really was no connection to Joe Biden's visit to Israel.

The timing may have been poor, but are there any accidents? Isn't life synchronistic at times?

In June 2008, Israel's interior ministry approved construction of an additional 1,300 apartments in Ramat Shlomo. Israel says that most of the building is on land annexed by the state and thus does not violate its commitment not to build on disputed land.

I looked at another neighborhood in East Jerusalem known as Sheikh Jarrah or Shimon Hatzaddik. It's just north of the Old City. Once it was of historical significance to Jews, was violently conquered, settled by foreign Arabs, and now has been reclaimed by Jews. In 1936 the neighborhood was attacked by Arab rioters and later conquered by the Arab Legion in 1948, then annexed to Jordan in 1950. The Jordanians allowed Arab families to occupy abandoned Jewish homes. When Israel retook the area in 1967, the group that originally had bought the land began trying to evict Arab tenants and resettle the neighborhood with Jews. Now it's an issue with everyone.

We've had a lot of fighting over this tiny piece of land. Israel was conquered by Rome in 64 BCE says the Jerusalem Post. I thought it was finally conquered by Rome in 70 AD with the fall of Jerusalem. Anyway, then came Arabians of the Islamic Caliphate who wanted the land. We kept trying to recover our property. Everytime we were slaughtered and expelled. From 1800's on we've dealt with the Balfour Declaration and San Remo Conferences, giving us high hopes of regaining our country. There's been opposition every time.

The prime minister of Turkey Saturday encouraged Arabs to riot because of Israel's wanting the religious sites in Hebron and Bethlehem on a list of sites slated for restoration in order to keep them preserved. We've been going to these sites even at great peril depending on the period since the Second Temple days. He doesn't see our religious need or interest.

Such outlandish attitudes is why many in Israel feel that they need to give their complete support to the residents of Shimon Hatzaddik today. A free country with free people should be able to visit such places freely. Jerusalem is still the capital of Israel. Whatever would King David and King Solomon say about all this?

http://www.mfa.gov.il/MFA/Government/Speeches+by+Israel+leaders/2009/Statement+by

http://www.mfa.gov.il/MFA/Government/Communiques/2010/Compensation_suspension_c

http://www.jpost.coom/LandedPages/PrintArticle.aspx?id=170577

Wikipedia on Ramat Shlomo-added 3/10/10

http://www.mfa.gov.il/MFA/Government/Communiques/2010/Building_Jerusalem_Statement_PM+Netanyahu_11-Mar-2010.htm-listed 3/11/2010

http://www.mfa.gov.il/MFA listed 3/11/2010

Obama's Treatment of Israel

by Nadene Goldfoot

It seems like all the comments Obama made when running for president that were supportive of Israel as previous presidents had been were just so much hogwash. In actuality, he's turned completely around in his dealings with Israel.



An example is his demanding that Israel not build in an old neighborhood in Jerusalem because the Arabs are against it. This old neighborhood was originally a Jewish neighborhood though it is now a place where Arabs are living. He's taken the Arab's viewpoint and is so adamant that he is demanding that Israel obey him. Even President Clinton had said that Jerusalem was not to be a divided city, and here Obama is trying to keep Jews out of a section of their own capitol, the reason being that the Arabs want Jerusalem as theirs.



Jews have never kept Arabs out of Jerusalem, but Arabs kept Jews out. In 1967 when we won a war, we regained Jerusalem and made it a free and open and undivided city with freedom of access and worship for all. Arabs have not shown that they are free-thinkers and only want Jerusalem to be free of Jews. Their next step will be to try to push Israelis into the sea, their very first goal in 1948.



Again, our USA administration is not concerned about Iran's threats to destroy Israel, but Israel certainly is not taking it lightly. Iran is developing nuclear power and is a threat to not only Israel but also the USA. Obama is bartering very gently with them, rather in a non-pushy way which is so different as to how he is handling Israel. There he is demanding! I guess he isn't taking Iran seriously but thinks he can bully Israel into submission. Netanyahu is surprising many by sticking to his guns and thinking about the preservation of Israel first and foremost.



Let's face it. Many of Israel's neighbors want to destroy her. You don't even have to be on the border to be a neighbor like Lebanon who has its group working towards Israel's destruction. I sound paranoid, but that actually is the situation. There are some people who never give up and don't want a peaceful co-existence. The Jewish people have continued to exist for thousands of years, mainly because they use their ideas and minds and not because of material things like oil. When you're surrounded by hatred, you've got to be on top of things and can't sluff off thinking nothing will happen. Jews are down to a small population now and are not about to abide by Obama's rulings . They have their own agenda to follow through with, and that is to survive. They already have a prime minister and a president. Who needs more? What it needs are friends who understand their precarious state and that care.



Resource: http://www.jewishworldreview.com/jeff/jacoby072209.php3

Barak and Communities in Judea and Samaria

by Nadene Goldfoot

The USA has called for a freeze on any building planned for Israel, but Israel's government has its own decisions to make and decided to allow 50 new homes in Judea-Samaria to be built. There are plans for 1,450 houses, but nothing was said about those.

A few hours after this decision, Defense Minister Ehud Barak flew to the USA to talk to George Mitchell, something I'd hate to do. Israel's need is to relocate settlers from Migron to Adam, which lies north of Jerusalem. Adam is where the 1,450 homes are needed.

Obama is pressuring Israel to stop all building so that the "Palestinians" would join in peace talks needed to create a Palestinian state. Here we have Israel, already a state, experiencing a population growth with the need to build some homes for people who were removed from the neighborhood they had just recently built, deeming that other neighbood "illegal". They have to go somewhere.

I might add that most of Israel consists of apartment buildings. Individual homes are a rarity. I lived in a high apartment building in Safed, and was lucky enough to be invited to a couple of exceptional homes for a visit. One was dug out of some earthquake ruins and was beautiful. Another was more like an American home with a backyard belonging to a writer friend of ours. So the opportunity to actually have a home is very special.

There are 500,000 Israelis living in Judea and Samaria and East Jerusalem. There are over 1,000,000 Arabs living in the state of Israel. Arabs do not want any Israelis living in their so called future state. Obama looks like he's accepting this unfairness. Palestinians are insisting that Judea and Samaria Jewish neighborhoods are illegal. In my previous blog, I refute that. Obviously Israel also is refuting it by allowing building to take place. As I note, the Palestinians have not recognized Israel to this date, something a new neighbor should do to be neighborly.

Tensions are mounting now between the two different groups; Palestinians and Israelis. Palestinians are claiming that the Israelis raided the village of Asira al-Qiblya and fired guns at their windows, injuring two of them. In the news, the word "village" was used. Why is it that Palestinians are said to have villages and in many newspapers while the term "settlements" and "West Bank" is used instead of the name of villages or towns and Judea and Samaria. I believe these terms were chosen for their political usage. The Israelis said that the action began with a Palestinian arson attack on Yitzhar. While they were trying to put out the fire they were stoned by Palestinians and that an Israeli was hurt. Troops called in used rubber bullets, not real ones.

In Ramallah, Abbas said that he refuses to negotiate with Israel until they stop building. I say-I would refuse to negotiate with him until he accepts the reality of an Israel and deal with it! Abbas expects Israel to just accept their state being there and not put conditions on it as it is meaningless. I do not understand his logic at all. It's not computing other than the Arabs refuse to accept a Jewish state in their midst. And just how badly do they really need their own state? They don't plan on taking a first baby-step of accepting Israel's existence.

Being that Israel is a democracy, we have a group of Israelis called "Peace Now." They are protesting the construction activity planned for Adam. They're claiming that 2,500 homes are in the future plans and are even under construction already.

Reference: http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20090629/wl_nm/us_palestinians_israel_settlements_8