What International Law Says About Israeli Settlements

Nadene Goldfoot

Jewish Settlements have existed from time immemorial in the West Bank (Judea and Samaria) and the Gaza Strip. They were recognized as legitimate the Mandate for Palestine and adopted by The League of Nations. Hebron existed throughout the centuries of Ottoman rule as a Jewish settlement. Others were established under the British Mandatory Administration before the State of Israel was created in 1948. Many of these newer settlements were on land that was originally a Jewish community in previous generations. Jewish people have deep historic and religious connections with this land.

For more than a thousand years we have not been prohibited from these settlements until the new state of Jordan was created and their illegal occupation administration from 1948 to 1967 declared the sale of land to Jews as a capital offense. The rights of Jews in these areas and the legal titles to the land that they had could not be legally invalidated by either Jordan or Egyptian occupation when they invaded Israel in 1948. These rights and titles are valid to this day.

The West Bank and Gaza Strip is territory where there are competing claims which should be settled in peace process negotiations. Israel has valid claims to title in this territory based on historic and religious connection to the land and security needs, and also that the territory was not under the sovereignty of any state and came under Israeli control in a war of self-defense. Israel understands that the Palestinians also think they have legitimate claims on the area.

There had been no prohibition whatsoever on the building or expansion of settlements up until the Annapolis Peace Conference. Earlier, the agreements said that this was reserved for permanent status negotiations which would take place in the ending stages of peace talks. It was agreed that Palestinians had no jurisdiction or control over the settlements or Israelis until the conclusion of a permanent status agreement. Are we there? Where are our peaceful partners?

The building of homes has no effect on the status of the area. Many Israeli governments so far have recognized the need for compromise and have voluntarily adopted a freeze on the building of new settlements. Sharon had declared Israel would not build any new settlements but was committed to the existing settlements' needs.

Israel was originally promised at least 4/5th more the size of a piece of land that they received in 1948, but it didn't create a war about it. It was accepted. Since then, chunks have continually been bitten off and this is continuing. We are left with a microscopic bite, and an odd shape at that that can't be adequately protected. What will happen to this little piece? Will it be swallowed whole by the Palestinians?

Reference: Jewish Virtual Library May 2001: Israeli Settlements and International Law

Who Are Fatah Palestinians?

They are who Abbas represents. They lost control of Gaza to the Hamas terrorists in January of 2006. On October 21, 2006, Fatah attacked Sderot, Israel with 3 rockets. This was a militant group of Fatah called the Martyr Sami Abuk-al-ghul Brigade. The Fatah constitution is just as bad as Hamas. It calls for the "complete liberation of Palestine and eradication of Zionist economic, political, military and cultural existence". They will use violence and not political solutions. They have armed units such as Tanzim, Al Aqsa Martyrs Brigade, and Force 17. They have carried out hundred of terrorist attacks against Israeli civilians. They claim responsibility for over 300 attacks where civilians were killed. According to Israeli authorities, these groups have attempted or carried out more than 1,500 attacks. Just before Annapolis, Ido Zoldan, an Israeli, was shot and murdered by Fatah terrorists. Israel had dismantled 24 security roadblocks at America's insistence, and they were able to get into the area with their weapons that way. Update on 12/5/07 The terrorists turned out to be the Fatah members of the Palestinian Authority-Fatah security forces. They got their weapons from Israel and the US because they were part of security. This news was kept quiet until after the Peace talks in Annapolis. Israel had caught two of the murderers and waited until the PA arrested the third man before they let this news out to the press. It was just about two weeks earlier that PA policement were allowed to enter Shechem, and to give them ammunition and weapons.

When these groups rewrite their charter and accept Israel in their midst, I'll believe that peace is possible. Israel feels that the Fatah leadership continues to control and support these terrorist activities. So far, we have seen both Fatah and Hamas kill each other in Gaza striving for control. Hamas continues to bomb Sderot and other near by towns. I might ask Condoleezza why she didn't have Fatah rewrite their charter before they spoke about peace with Israel. Olmert is a lawyer. He should know better.

References: MIPT Terrorism Knowledge Base

CAMERA: Is Fatah Really Moderate?

Israel Hasbara Committee 20 November 2007 http://www.infoisrael.net

A7 News

Reality for Israel

Today's news that follows the Annapolis Peace Conference is depressing for all. Israel's Prime Minister Ehud Olmert said that we need the Palestinian state formed in order to keep Israel's survival. Without the creation of a Palestine, Israel could become like a South African apartheid struggle. He feels that without a peace deal, Israel is finished.

Yet what he is about to do in order to create another Arab state is dividing and conquering Israel. Giving away any part of Jerusalem and Samaria and Judea are major parts of Israel, and Israel is tiny enough. We rightly took over these parts due to the Arabs' attacks on us. I'll talk more about that in another article.

In the meantime, what clout does the Palestinian partner, Abbas, have? Hamas has taken over Gaza and is now intent on the takeover of the "West Bank" (Judea and Samaria). They warned today that "all options were open for the Islamists against Israel." Troops have had to kill 12 militants in Gaza.

In a perfect world, it would be acceptable to have the Palestinians next door to Israel living peacefully, trying to attain "the good life" that Americans enjoy. That's what the Israelis would also like, instead of having to go into the army every year of their life until they're 55 years old to protect their families.

Reality check: the Palestinians are not trying to achieve this goal, at least the powers that be aren't. Oh, there may be some farmers that would like to do nothing but grow their flowers and strawberries and such and enjoy their many children, but not enough. Their minds are being poisoned and led in a much different direction. Their schools, TV and actually their whole environment are leading them into false historical facts, and hatred for anything that smells of the West. Abbas is not speaking for all of the Palestinians, and that's bad for us all.

ABC News

Chicago Sun-Times

AFP via Yahoo! News

Reuters via Yahoo! News

Annapolis Peace Conference Boomerang

Nadene Goldfoot

Just one day after Annapolis's Peace Conference finds that the Palestinians's official TV station showed a map that placed "Palestine" in place of Israel. Mahmoud Abbas's Palestinian Authority contines to show a world without Israel. This included all of Judea, Samaria (West Bank) and Gaza, but excluded the Golan Heights, which Syria is planning on getting back. They continue to teach about a world without Israel in school books, crossword puzzles, video clips, school and street names, and symbols. Isn't this contradicting the promise at Annapolis that Israel has a right to exist?

West Bank Palestinians are being wooed by Hamas terrorists who have taken over Gaza. Many rioted against the peace conference and Palestinian police actually had to shoot and kill one protestor. He was against Abbas. Dozens were injured and 29 arrested where the police had to use force to break up a big protest. This happened in Ramallah, Shechem(Nablus), and Bethlehem. Of course the protests were more intense in Gaza. They were screaming "the right to return" for millions of Arabs and their descendants; the liberation of Jerusalem, and wanting every bit of land, and taking it through terrorism and jihad. It doesn't look like a peaceful outlook to me at all.

Reference: Itamar Marcus and Barbara Crook of Palestinian Media Watch

Arutz Sheva: IsraelNationalNews.com

See my other blog: http://jewishfactsfromisrael.blogspot.com/ Itamar Marcus at Portland State .

Hamas in Gaza

Hamas terrorists had taken over Gaza, causing Abbas to leave for the West Bank. Since then, Israel has only allowed humanitarian aid into the area due to the constant shelling into Israel from these terrorists who do not want peace. They don't even want a piece; they want all of Israel. Israel controls the exit and entrances into Gaza and must for their own protection. Terrorists are constantly trying to invade Israel. Israel also has been supplying Gazans with electricity which amazes me. They left the territory in order to promote peace in the summer of 2005 and pulled out the Israeli soldiers and civilian settlements, but were slapped in the face for their actions with the constant bombardment of rockets into Israel. So much for our good actions.

Gaza Strip is an overcrowed territory where 80% or more of the people depend on aid. They are bred on hatred for Jews and for the United States.

In order to foster peace, Israel's agriculture ministry is allowing the export of flowers and strawberries to Europe. This announcement came about before Annapolis's conference. When it is to resume has not been decided, but I bet it would happen if they would stop firing rockets into Israel. They'd better stop soon. This produce cannot wait long.

No Peace with Terrorists

72 hours before Annapolis Peace talks, Palestinian terrorists in Gaza fired 6 rockets and more than 12 mortar shells into Israeli cities throughout the Negev. It continues. Jerusalem was on high alert Sunday because two terrorists were on their way there to carry out a mass attack. At the Tomb of the Patriarchs in Hebron, a Palestinian with a knife was planning to stab the first Jew he could find. What is it going to take to turn these people around?

Meanwhile, at the conference itself, the Saudi Foreign Minister said that he refused to shake Olmert's hand. Monday the Saudi embassy in Washington kicked out Israeli journalists who wanted to attend a press conference. The Gulf Arab emirate of Bahrain refuses to establish diplomatic relations with Israel, and of course the Palestinians had refused to accept Israel as a Jewish State, so at the last minute Condoleezza had the wording changed to the Jewish Homeland.

All this pledging to find a road to peace is putting the decision making in the hands of the United States. I hope our next president will honor Israel's wish to continue existing.

References: Michael Freund from Jewish World Review.

Israel the Jewish Homeland

The peace conference is over in Annapolis but the participants have vowed to continue meeting. Iran wasn't invited nor wouldn't have attended. Iran commented that the conference was a failure and that Israel was doomed to collapse. He also said it was a mistake that Syria participated. Ahmadinejad said that Hamas, who is backed by Iran, must have a say in any settlement. Syria said it only attended to get the return of the Golan Heights. They also want full Israeli withdrawal from lands they occupied in 1967. It's amazing that these Arab countries have the chutzpa to demand land they lost after their cowardly attacks on Israel where Israel survived and won. What other countries have won the battle but lost the fight?

Iran feels quite cocky because they now have new missiles that have the range of 1,200 miles. they can reach Israel and US bases. Since 1992 Iran has producted their own jets, torpedoes, radar avoiding missiles, tanks and armored personnel carriers. Iran is not an Arab country but it is an extreme Muslim country. Between 1980-1985 Iran and Iraq were at war. Now all the Arab countries are uneasy about Iran and attended the conference for this reason as well as seeing to the formation of a Palestine.

At the conference, 8 minutes before it started, President Bush received a paper that said that Israel was the Jewish Homeland instead of a Jewish State. Already Olmert had to back down in his earlier statement that the Arabs must recognize Israel as the Jewish State. He had good reason for this. Israel cannot hold the millions of Arabs that want to come into the tiny area and populate it, causing the demographics of Israel to became another Arab state.

Peace is the objective, but these two inept leaders, Abbas and Olmert, have little power. They have just over 13 months to bring it to fruition. In the meantime, even Abbas's Fatah members are demonstrating in the "West Bank" against peace. These are the people he represents. He's already lost the Gaza Strip Palestinians. Who is he speaking for? Bush has already changed his statement of 2004 where he said it was unrealistic to expect that Israel will leave all areas taken in 1967, and now is saying that Israel must end the occupation that began in 1967. That's what worries me. People promise one thing and then change quickly. They're not dependable where Israel is concerned.

References: Oregonian Newspaper: 11/28/07 (8 articles-Amazing!)

Israelinsider Staff 11/27/07

Yahoo News by Ali Akbar Dareini 11/28/07

My Comments

Annapolis Talks Start Today

And they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks; Nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war anymore. (Isaiah 2:2-4)

Will this meeting be the start of a long dreamed prophecy? Associated Press writers Amy Teibel and Mohammed Daraghmeh write that this will be the first time that Israel and the Arab states and others will sit down to relaunch a peace process. America is pressing for them to release a joint paper today or tomorrow covering the final borders, Jerusalem and the Palestinian refugees who left in 1948.

Israel wants to release a broader statement about the two states living in peace besides each other. It has promised to negotiate these issues after the conference.

Condoleezza Rice has visited the two groups eight times this year and could not bridge the gaps that are monumental. Yet she hopes that it will happen after the conference.

Tuesday Olmert will tell the large group that if they want a peace deal they have to stop the attacks of the terrorist Hamas group which continues to shell Israel from Gaza. Syria is attending only to get to talk about getting the Golan Heights back that they lost when they attacked Israel in 1967.

Everybody says they are optimistic about the plans. Hamas does not agree.

Double Speak at Annapolis

The peace talks next week in Annapolis all hinge on the Palestinians accepting the recognition of Israel as a Jewish State. They have been saying that they will not do this. The reason this is so important is because without this Jewish majority, it would become the 22nd Arab state and Israel as we know it would be no more without a shot fired.

The Arabs are saying that Israel cannot claim religious identity, as if they're not. They all belong to the Islamic Conference which is a group of 55 states. England's official religious identity is the Church of England. Most countries are either Christian, Muslim or some other religion. Israel is the only Jewish state in the world. Saudi Arabia does not allow Jews to set foot in their country because they are Jews. Many Muslim countries do not allow Jewish tourists, even.

The UN partition plan of 1947 called for dividing mandatory Palestine "into Jewish and Arab states." Moshe Sharon, professor of Islamic History at the Hebrew University in Jerusalem reminds us of the differences in bargaining in the middle east and the west, and there are big differences. The Israeli have always wished "to acquire peace based on the Arab-Muslim acceptance of Israel as a Jewish state. The Arabs' objective is to annihilate the Jewish state, replace it with an Arab state, and get rid of the Jews." (See Itamar Marcus's speech at Portland State U. in my other blog, http://jewishfactsfromportland.blogspot.com/). So this denial of allowing Israel to claim religious identity is hogwash.

My view is that Olmert has not been tough with the Arabs. We have not been able to retaliate for the past year on Gaza's Hamas terrorist group due to Condoleeza Rice's objections. 2,586 rockets and mortar bombs have been fired from Gaza at Israeli communities since Israel withdrew from Gaza in August 2005. 10 people have been killed by this rocket fire including 4 children. More than 140 people have been wounded by missile fire in the city of Sderot in Israel, and we have promised Condoleezza Rice that we would not to retaliate. This constant bombardment of Israel has unnerved their 180,000 citizens who have only a few seconds to look for safety after hearing the sirens. They live in the cities of Ashkelon, Sderot, Netivot, and over 20 kibbutzim and moshavim. Osnat Ben-Haim's house was struck in a direct hit while her 6 yr old son was eating a sandwich in the kitchen two minutes before a Kassam exploded there. The boy was traumatized.

Rice and Olmert do not know the rules in the bazaar in bartering. A Roman saying is that "if you want peace, prepare for war. Never come to the negotiating table from a position of weakness. Your adversary should always know that you are strong and ready for war even more than you are ready for peace. We're dealing with Middle Eastern mentality and have been thinking with Western ideas. It's not working. Condoleezza's experience with Russian History does not seem to be helping.

Yasser Arafat recognized Israel's right to exist in 1988 but this actually was not accepting Israel's existence. This was double-speak. The Palestinians must accept it as Jewish state, and that Arafat did not do. So, the Palestinians have not accepted Jews as a people. If the Palestinians want recognition of their existence and rights as a people, we expect the same and have waited 60 years for this.

References: A Short Guide to Bazaar Negotions by Moshe Sharon,

The Jerusalem Post November 14, 2007

Israeli Peace Efforts continue Despite Increased Attacks from the Israel Project.org.,

Jennifer Packer.

Arutz Sheva-Israel National News.com "Sderot Waits for Annapolis"

Iran's Nuclear Capability Predicted in Two Sources

In the contraversial book, Bible Code II The Countdown by Michael Drosnin on page 258, it claims that the Bible code warns of an "atomic Holocaust". The copyright of this book is 2002.

Shimon Peres was the Israeli foreign Minister in April 2001. He was a former Prime Minister in 1996, and was the architect of Oslo, the failed peace plan. Peres made a speech in 1996 stating that the "greatest danger facing the world was that the nuclear weapons would "fall into the hands of irresponsible countries, and be carried on the shoulders of fanatics." Peres predicted on September 13, 2002 that the Middle East would become "either peaceful or nuclear" within five to ten years".

That would be from 2007 to 2012 that atomic weapons would be used, and it is Iran that we fear has or will shortly have this capability. It is Iran who has spoken so strongly of wiping Israel off the earth. Iran will probably be attending Condoleezza Rice's peace meeting in Annapolis next week.

Will the Middle East opt for peace and still allow Israel to remain with protection? The two choices lie on the table.

Annapolis Peace Talks

Today's Oregonian has a larger article about the peace talks on page A15. I can't help but be most alarmed at a statement by Condoleezza Rice. She said that "when a Palestinian state becomes a reality, the wider Arab-Israeli conflict will end." In other words, she thinks naively that first they can declare a Palestinian state and then somehow everyone will stop trying to wipe Israel off the map. To me this means that the Palestinians will only be in even closer proximity with the backing which they are now getting of more weapons to turn onto Israel.

The problem is that the surrounding Arab states still have the purpose of kicking Israel out of the land. They have no intention of being accepting and peaceful. This is a part of their religion. They have no reason to be peaceful with Israel. They're getting everything they want without being peaceful: the creation of the Palestinian state, land now belonging to Israel, weapons, and soon they hope for Jerusalem and the populating the land with millions of descendants of the few Palestinians that had run out of the land in the hopes of returning to take over all the Jewish homes and businesses of 1948.

How are the Arabs going to guarantee security for Israel when they are busy arming and encouraging their people to attack Israel? Condoleezza needs to study the history and aims of the Arab people in depth before she brazenly helps to destroy Israel.

Is it that Bush and Rice simply want this meeting and the creation of Palestine on their records of accomplishments of which they have very few? I suppose they think that this creation will compensate for the blunder of attacking Iraq and not being able to manage that. Now that the whole Arab world is even more aroused with hatred, as if they needed a reason, Israel will be the first to be destroyed. Israel is Daniel in the lion's den. I hope we have a fair outcome like Daniel did, but there's nothing fair about this pride of lions.

Earthquaking Event: The Annapolis Conference

A very small article on A6 in the Oregonian tells that the US will host Mideast talks next week as planned originally. Bush hopes this will put the peace process back on the menu. 49 countries, institutions and individuals, including some Arab states and other key nations were invited to the 3 day meeting beginning November 27th. It sounds like a basketball game, 49:1. They hope to cause Israel and the Palestinians to formal peace talks with the backing of the international community. It sounds to me like they are hoping to force Israel to give into the Arab demands with mainly Arab pressure.

The announcement comes at the same time that several earthquakes were recorded in Israel. By coincidence, Olmert is preparing to give away half of Jerusalem, Judea and Samaria which the world outside of Israel calls the West Bank, and will even plan on discussing the Arabs "right of return."

Olmert is being so eager to be helpful that he approved arming the Palestinian West Bank forces with 50 Russian APCs (combat vehicles like tanks) , 1,000 rifles and 2 million bullets. The Russians have promised Abbas armored personnel carriers which carry 10 fighters each. These combat vehicles are armed with machine gun mounts designed to hit ground and low-flying air targets. This can hamper Israel's regular counter-terror activities with helicopter support. The helicopter have kept Israel fairly secure by thwarting suicide attacks. The fear is that the APCs will wind up in terrorist hands. This means that Israelis living on the West Bank will need the same type of protection as will the Israeli police who secure the borders. It's that or all the Israelis there will have to move out. The Russian APCs are highly developed. They can protect their men from anything imaginable. Olmert has been trying to get Putin on the US side and be against Iran's nuclear program and also to influence Damascus from its pact with Tehran. Putin is not changing his allegiance. That's why he is definitely delivering the APCs to Abbas.

Olmert has made many big concessions to show his good faith in wanting peace. Israel will allow the export of some agricultural produce from Gaza, where Hamas terrorists have control. This includes flowers and strawberries and much will head for Europe. It's been five months since Israel restricted the export conditions due to the shelling of rockets into Israel which hasn't stopped. All these concessions are being done to bolster Abbas's power as he seems to be more in tune with the peace initiative.

I'm shaking with fear for Israel. The land of Israel is quaking and shaking.

World Court

by Nadene Goldfoot

Reuters News by Jeffrey Heller's "Olmert acts to bolster Abbas before meeting" states that the World Court has branded all Israeli settlements on land captured by Israel in 1967 as illegal. Israel was attacked and gained land by winning, but that is illegal? That was one of the most horrific attacks Israel has had. It freed Jerusalem from the Arabs, and by coming into Israel's hands made the sacred places of all religions accessible. I shouldn't be surprised at a "World Court" deciding this against Israel.

Abt 270,000 Jewish people, some of which are also Americans, live in the "West Bank." 2.5 million Palestinians also live there now. Unlike Israel, where Jews, Muslims and Christians as well as people of other faiths live such as Mormons and B'hais, the new Palestinian state cannot abide any Jews living in it. This is the case of all the Arab countries. Jews are not allowed. They have no intention of becoming a "melting pot" of people. Yet many Palestinians live in Israel and are even represented in the Knesset.

Who does the World Court defend? Why doesn't this court stop the Hamas terrorists from firing rockets incessantly on Israel? Or is that okay with them. Was there a World Court when Jews were slaughtered in the 2nd World War?

This World Court is an arm of the United Nations. The United Nations did recognize and accept Israel as a state in 1948, but since then has not been a supporter of Israel. The United Nations has become a joke. It's mostly controlled by the Arab countries. I had high hopes for the UN at one time, but find it disgraceful now. It's not suprising at all to find that they have made decisions against Israel.

Arab Demands For Annapolis Meeting

It seems to me that the Arabs want the peace process all decided according to their wishes before they ever get to the peace table. What would be the necessity of the meeting? I thought a peace meeting should be a place to discuss, debate, listen and come to some accord. They want their goals all agreed to before they start.

Arabs want Israel to stop construction on existing settlements in the "West Bank". Olmert has already reaffirmed a pledge not to build new settlements. The land is rightfully a part of Israel's territory and Israel does have the right to decide what to do with it. Of course this does not suit the wishes of the losers of the last war. They lost the war but still think they should have the land. According to history, it never has worked that way before. There are consequences in attacking a country and losing. Ask Germany. Ask the Ottoman Empire.

Arabs want prisoners released from Israeli prisons who have been terrorists. Olmert has agreed to release 441 more prisoners.

This morning's paper stated that every Arab country under the sun would like to partake in this meeting, even Greece who is not an Arab state. It's like the vultures are ready to pounce on a single prey and tear it apart. Whether the meeting actually will take place the end of this month is still up in the air. Many are confused. Olmert has been so ready to be in compliance with Condolezza Rice and President Bush that the rest of Israel is almost having a heart attack.

All this expectation while Hamas continues to shell Israel from Gaza is ludicrous. Abbas of Fatah cannot control the Hamas group. Israel still will have not gained a thing from the peace talks. I think it's time that the Palestinians get their act together and talk about peace among themselves first. Perhaps the rest of the crowd can put some pressure on them, that is, if peace with Israel is now their new goal.

Dickering Over Jerusalem

Finally, the news this morning states that Olmert is not going to discuss Jerusalem with the Palestinians until they recognize the Jewish state of Israel. It seems to me that the Palestinians were trying to put the cart before the horse. Here they have not recognized Israel as a state in their midst but have been demanding most of Jerusalem. They have continually been bombarding Israel from Gaza with rockets as well. This doesn't look like peaceful actions to me. Personally, I hope Olmert remains fast in his decision not to give into people who are not showing any good faith. Condoleeza should talk to the Palestinians about showing what good neighbors they would be.

Jerusalem in Annapolis Conference

Jerusalem will be discussed at the conference in Annapolis at the end of this month; that is if the Palestinians cooperate with each other and attend.

The fact is that Jerusalem has meant nothing to Arabs. It has not been a capital under their rule or even a cultural center. The only thing of significance is the Dome of the Rock that is there, being the spot that Mohammed rose up into the sky. Their revered cities in their religion are Mecca and Medina and they are not in Israel.

Jews have been in Jerusalem since bible days of King David and even before. Mitchell Bard's newly published update #281 states that in 1844 there were 7,120 Jews in Jerusalem while there were 5,000 Muslims. By 1931 there were 51,222 Jews to 19,894 Muslims. The latest census of 2005 finds 582,700 Jews in Jerusalem and 240,900 Muslims. This shows that Muslims are less than half the population in this city. Jews have always been the majority in Jerusalem.

Jews are taught that if ever they forget Jerusalem, they should lose their right hand. It is an integral part of their being. Their history stems from Jerusalem. Therefore, why should the Arabs be able to make demands on Jerusalem? When they had control before 1948 they made a mockery of Jerusalem. They deficated on gravesites of Jews, using it as latrines. Christians and Jews were not allowed in certain areas. Now that it is in Israel's control, everyone is allowed into their special sites.

The Hamas and Fatah Palestinian terrorists have already been fighting viciously amongst themselves in the latest demonstration over control. Their infighting may keep them away from the peace process anyway at this time. If Fatah's Abbas attends the conference, he will only be speaking for Fatah. Condoleeza Rice has been pushing Olmert extremely hard to accept conditions with Arabs. Israel rescued Jerusalem in 1967. The whole city has been a part of Israel for the past 40 years. What will happen now?

Who Are the Palestinians?

Nadene Goldfoot
In 1882 the Jews came to Palestine in what was called the 1st Aliyah. There were always Jews there since the days of Abraham, but these people came from Europe for ideological reasons as well as from escaping from pogroms.

Knowing that they were involved in rebuilding the land, Arabs followed them hoping to find work. The Turkish and British administrators took little interest in these Arabs, but kept scrupulous records of Jews entering the territory.  These non-Jewish immigrants came from all parts of the Middle East, including Turkey, Syria, Iraq, Lebanon, Transjordan (now called Jordan), Saudi Arabia,  Yemen, Egypt, Sudan, and Libya. These Arabs benefited financially by these European Jewish settlers eager to build a country, and that's why they traveled hundred of miles for the possible jobs.

Palestinians, under the assumption that they are refugees, were either immigrants before Israel's creation in 1948 or the children of these immigrants. When Mark Twain visited in 1867, there were hardly any Arabs in the land at all.

This was all researched by Joan Peters, a Christian reporter who did a fantastic job finding this information. She began by being swayed to help the Palestinian problems of wanting a state and wound up finding out the much different facts that their immigration to Palestine took place during the first half of the twentieth century. People may have condemned Peters' book because of her journalistic style,  such as Professors Noam Chomsky, Norman Finklestein and Porath, but no one has been able to refute her findings.  Joan wrote "From Time Immemorial" the origins of the Arab-Jewish Conflict over Palestine.

Thus, the Palestinians are a mixed group of people who migrated to find work in the Jewish settlements. Now they are going to the peace table in Annapolis, Maryland in late November and demanding part of the tiniest country in the Middle East, Israel. They are backed by all the seven Arab countries who do not want to see a Jewish state in their midst.  Israel is a Jewish state, it's culture is more European and American, and the Arabs have done everything to prevent it's continuance. They have more power than Israel ever has had due to the oil that the Arab countries have and control. There never was a Palestine country. They never had their own country and never even thought of it till Israel was created, and even then they didn't until they lost the 1967 war against Israel.  . They were offered land for a country but turned it down time and time again.  . Though Israel has been attacked and has won its wars with what must be divine help, it's the Palestinians who are calling the shots at this conference and probably future ones, too.  .

Olmert is not exactly popular with his own people right now. Many feel he is ready to give away the baby and the bath water, so if he wants to stay in power, he may have to become tougher with the Palestinians at this meeting. The Palestinians are not happy with Abbas as their representative being he is a member of Fatah, and the Hamas terrorists will not recognize him as having any say in their matters. Under these conditions, Condoleeza Rice will have her hands full. Peace is the objective. Will it mean peace for Israel or a piece of Israel?

Update to August 2013.  Not much has changed.  A peace conference that has started will be going on for the next 9 months.

Resource:  From Time Immemorial by Joan Peters
Book:  "The I:nnocents Abroad" by Mark Twain

Rockets From Gaza While Peace Talks on the Table

Gaza's Hamas has not stopped firing rockets into Israel. When Israel retaliates, it is Israel that draws the harsh criticism, not the Palestinians. Israel has now decided to cut off Gaza's electricity bit by bit every time rockets hit Israeli territory. Being Israel has been providing more than half of their electricity, this should inconvenience them somewhat. Even this will draw criticism from others. Israel decided to do this way back in June when Hamas took over Gaza and fired almost daily rocket fire into towns in southern Israel. The latest firing exploded on a home in Sderot Tuesday, where many of the rockets land.

The Israeli military killed two terrorists of a Palestinian rocket squad. This occurred on our Halloween after they had fired rockets into Israel.

Yet Hamas has warned Fatah's President Mahmoud Abbas today against making concessions to Israel about a proposed peace conference sponsored by the United States led by Condolesa Rice. Khaled Meshaal warned that they were risking their political future by preparing for statehood talks. His reasoning is that no Palestinian is authorised to offer concessions. In other words, Abbas is not seen as the leader of the Palestinians because he is from Fatah, and at this rate, only Hamas's leadership will be considered by Hamas.

Somehow, their plan of having the territory Israel gained after the Arabs attacked Israel in 1967 is being prevented by themselves. Again, their greed to gain all of Israel will prevent them from having a state of their own in peace.

The peace talks are to take place in Annapolis, Maryland at the end of the year which isn't far away. How can Israel deal with half of the Palestinians? The Hamas members of leadership live in Syria now, and they haven't decided whether or not to attend the conference.

Palestinians Lament: Israeli Occupation of Palestine

Ashrawi Hanan, a Christian woman in the Palestinian circle, a rarity at best, has been finding fault with her fellow Palestinian leaders, but also continues to sing the song about Israel's continued occupation of Palestine and that all their troubles stem from this.

Ashrawi has not accepted the fact that the Palestinian cause has been damaged by their unwillingness to accept Israel in their midst, created fairly by the United Nations in 1948. Had the Arab nations not attacked Israel on its birth, and had not the Palestinians jumped ship, they would have enjoyed life in peace. She does not accept the cause and affect fact that the Palestinians have brought about the circumstances they find themselves in.

How can one occupy unfairly land that is theirs? In the beginning, the land belonged to King David and his son Solomon and their citizens. Palestine was never a state or country. It was an area. Then in the 1920's, the Balfour Declaration promised all the land to the Jewish State to be formed. Finally, the United Nations declared a small piece of the promised land to the State of Israel. Is it their fault that they were attacked by seven Arab countries immediately? Is it their fault that they won the fight and in so doing gained land they should have had in the first place? It's amazing to all that the horrible attack in 1948 would cause such an outcome. I think that is only fair. Bullies have to learn that crime doesn't pay. Hatred doesn't pay. They earned their just reward of losing territory.

The possible future state of Palestine has been offered to the Palestinians so many times by Israel that it makes my head spin. Yet they have refused, expecting to gain the tiny country of Israel instead. Greed only leads to loss. When will they learn? Is it possible that the Palestinian leaders have been in complete denial all these years as to why they find themselves without a Palestine? Arab leaders had sided with Hitler in the 2nd world war. It seems they haven't learned to get along or accept others that are different. Leaders like Hanan Ashrawi would do more for their people if they would be more objective and work towards better communication with Israel.