Break the Peace, Suffer the Closing

Because Hamas shot rockets on southern Israel on the 6th day of a peace agreement, Israel has shut down three of the border crossings that lead out of Gaza, but kept the northern one open for goods to get through.

Hamas replied that they are not about to police the militants.

If Hamas, which is a terrorist group, is not about to police their own terrorists, then Israel has to do something. Perhaps peer pressure will force them to straighten up and follow orders. They had four crossings open and Israel was about to do more.

The rockets were fired just after Egypt and Israel had met to discuss deepening the truce by talking about prisoner exchanges.

Reference: Yahoo News

Time Magazine

AFP News via Yahoo.

Christian Science Monitor

French President Wants Jews out of Judea and Samaria
by Nadene Goldfoot
Israel is slightly smaller than New Jersey, or 1/3 the size of Oregon. As of 2006, the population was 7,026,000. including 187,000 Jews in Judea and Samaria and 20,000 in the Golan Heights and 177,000 in East Jerusalem. Of these, 76.4% are Israeli born Jews. European and American born make up 22.6%. We have 5.9% that are African born and 4.7% Asian born. 23.6% are not Jewish, but Arab citizens.

By comparison, Mexico City has 8,720,916 in the inner part of the city proper. Greater Mexico City has a population of 19.2 million people. New York City in 2000 had 8,008,278 people.

Israel is made up of 10,840 sq. miles. Without the territories it is only 8,000 sq. miles. California has 160,222 sq miles.

Only 17% of the land is arable. It's 260 miles long, 60 miles at the widest; 3-9 miles at the narrowest. We're talking about a very small piece of real-estate.

As of 2006, there are 44 Moslem states with 1 billion people in an area 672 times the size of Israel. They are so intolerant that they can't accept the creation of the only Jewish state in the world and have a written goal to drive the Israelis into the sea. The Arab world boasts at least 21 states with an area greater than that of the USA. None of these countries are a democracy, and they are still trying to keep Iraq from being one. They want our tiny state.

The French president, Nicolas Sarkozy, who is Jewish, has spoken to the knesset in Jerusalem and has told them that he thinks all Jews should be removed from Judea and Samaria (the West Bank). Then he called for a division of Jerusalem, which I and many of my friends are adament about not dividing. Under Jordanian rule, when they occupied Jerusalem, they never sought to make it their capital, and Arab leaders did not come to visit. Jerusalem is mentioned over 700 times in the Bible. It is not mentioned once in the Koran. King David, a Jewish king, founded the city of Jerusalem. Jews pray facing Jerusalem. Muslims pray with their backs toward Jerusalem. Jewish holy sites were desecrated and Jews were denied access to places of worship under the Jordanians. Jewish grave markers were used to build public urinals in occupied Jerusalem. Under Israeli rule, all Muslim and Christian sites have been preserved and made accessible to people of all faiths. How much better off everyone is if Jerusalem is left in Israel's hands.

The history of the area shows that land has been continually taken from us in the name of peace. After world war I in 1917, Britain was given the task of supervising Palestine, which had become part of the Ottoman Empire, though it had remained a barren wasteland ever since 70AD when Jews were taken captive by the Romans.

Chaim Weisman had developed dynamite for the British, and it helped to win the war. As a reward, the Balfour Declaration was signed, giving a territory back to Jews as their homeland again. It included present day Jordan, Israel, and the administered territories. The promise was short-lived. The British ended by appeasing the Arabs and offered only half the territory to the Jews, who accepted it. After all the divisions and appeasing people, what was left for the Jews was three slivers of disconnected land along the Mediterranean Sea and Sinai desert, and access to Jerusalem, but as an island cut off from the slivers, surrounded by Arab land and under international control. 60% of the land given to us was the Negev desert. The entire amount of land was 10% of the original Palestine Mandate. We accepted this in 1948 and the UN pronounced us the State of Israel.

And now the French President wants us to give up part of this again. He is appeasing Arabs who do not need this parcel of land, which means so much to the Jewish people.

Jerusalem has no meaning to Moslems. There is no reason it should any part of it should be under their "control". First of all, over 3,300 years ago Israel was the birthplace of the Jewish people. The first Arabs arrived as conquerors in the 7th century, 2,500 years after the Jews had been there. This is when the Moslem religion was born. There never has been an independent Arab state of Palestine. That was just the name of the territory given by the Romans.

Jews repopulated Palestine in the 1800's and first they created kibbutzes, or kibbutseem because of growing anti-semitism in France, starting with the Dryfus trial, and pogroms in Russia. They bought land, drained swamps, and started settlements. They wanted their homeland back. They conferred with Arab leaders. In 1918 Emir Faisal's father, Hussein, had written and called upon the Arab population in Palestine to welcome the Jews as brothers and to cooperate with them for the common good. Some of the land was owned by Arab landowners who were living in Europe, and Jews bought it from them at very high prices, but it was precious to them. Obtaining land was all done legally. Now we are to give up the land we gained by blood, sweat and toil, according to the very people who persecuted Lt. Dryfus for being Jewish in France.

The world, including a few Jews like Sarkozy, think nothing of giving up land they are not living in. They know little about the history of their own people, and care about it even less. What they suggest is a gross violation of the rights of the Jewish people, and is a step in allowing Muslims to have more power, which they probably will use very unwisely. It's a good thing that the knesset will take his words with a grain of salt. But will the rest of the world?

Reference: Nadene Goldfoot notes
gerardrobins@sbc globe: Hana Levi Julian & Hillel Fendel: French President called for Division of Jerusalem.

And on the Sixth Day...

On the sixth day of a truce between Israel and the Hamas terrorists of Gaza, the terrorists fired three Kassam rockets into southern Israel. It was a gross violation of the truce and wounded two people in Sderot.

This happened after a day of violence evidently in the West Bank, under Fatah control. Nablus was the town which is under the influence of the Jihad of Syria and Iran. The Jihad group avenged Israel's killing of one terrorist in Nablus when they went to arrest two of them. They fired on the soldiers. There was found all sorts of weapons and ammunition in their home. They were planning a big attack on Israel. Three Israeli hikers were injured there, also.

Hamas said they had to support their people in the West Bank, and used this as an excuse to break the truce. How Israel will respond is not known.

Reference: Yahoo news. from Ale Daraghmeh

The Jerusalem Post

Lull from War: Hamas and Israel

Egypt has been intervening with Hamas and finally got a reprieve agreed to in Hamas attacking Israel. A break will occur on Thursday, June 19th at 6am. This may just be a ploy for Hamas to rearm. They've been attacking Israel for the past seven (7) years, now.

They knew there were two considerations. Stop firing on Israel, or Israel was going to invade Gaza, meaning Hamas terrorists and are ready to do so.

Hamas is to refrain from attacking for three days before Israel does anything like open a gate to the outer world. Then they will talk about the IDF soldier Hamas had kidnapped.

Will this be the calm before the storm? We shall see.

Reference: Ass. Press: Salah Nasrawi

Israel Building in Jerusalem

Both McCain and Obama have made speeches saying that Jerusalem will remain the capital of Israel, and it must remain undivided. They share my feelings about Jerusalem. It's disappointing that Obama caved under pressure immediately after saying this when his Palestinian friends protested.

Rice has called Israel on the carpet for stating their intentions of building homes in neighborhoods of Gilo and Ramat Shlomo, two neighborhoods inside the municipal lines in Jerusalem that belong to Israel. This is a 180 degree turnaround from a speech Bush just made at the Knesset in Israel for Israel's 60th birthday. There he told a story about a British officer, the last leaving Israel, stopping at a building in the Jewish quarter of the old city of Jerusalem and giving an iron bar to the answering rabbi. It was the key to the Zion Gate, and told him that it was the first time in 18 centuries that the key had belonged to a Jew. He was giving the Jews the key to the city on the eve of Israel's independence 60 years ago.

Then we read that Bush actually was siding with the Arabs as his father did, when we read that Rice criticized Israel on West Bank settlements and is said to have used exceptionally harsh language. Also, another headline read: Rice says Jewish housing plan undermines Mideast peace talks. The building is taking place in Jerusalem, not a settlement, where we also have the right to build. Going back in time, it was written that the land promised to Abraham, Moses and David was the "West Bank," another name for Judea and Samaria. What a decision she makes to say that a country who needs housing can't because she says so. Eli Yishai, cabinet minister, said that soon they will also need a special approval to build in Tel Aviv at this rate.

According to American law, the Jerusalem Embassy Act of 1995 says that Jerusalem should remain an undivided city and should be recognized as the capital of the state of Israel.

At a time when rocket attacks are hitting Sderot and Ashkelon, Portland's sister city, all Rice can get furious about is Israel building on its own land. Why can't she get mad at being attacked by rockets 24/7? It's because the Palestinians are complaining, and it's they who she coddles.

Reference: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080615/ap_on_go_ca_st_pe/mideast_rice_7&printer=1;_7ilt

The New York Sun: www.nysuncom/editorials/rice-grabs-for-the-key/80065/

The New Republic Inc by Eugene Rostow www.tzemachdovid.org/Facts/islegal1.shtml

Abbas Must Gain Control of Gaza

Nadene Goldfoot

There is no sense in talking about a state of Palestine until Abbas, the leader of Fatah who have settled in the West Bank, has gained control of Gaza which is now in Hamas terrorist hands.

Israel is sustaining constant daily shelling, sometimes surviving 24 hour bombardments now. It seems that everyone expects Israel to concede to pressures and give in to the Palestinian's aim to drive them out completely.

The Palestinians are having a fit over Israel's announcement that they are going to build apartments in East Jerusalem. The neighborhood this is going to take place in was already annexed by Israel after the 1967 war. The problem lies in the fact that the act has not been internationally recognized. I suppose that means by the United Nations, which is top-heavy with Arab leaders. The 2003 Roadmap to Peace Plan is worded in such a way that Israel feels it is not violating it and others think they are. The situation has changed since sitting down in 2003 and discussing a roadmap.

In 1967 after the Six Day War when Israel was attacked by all the surrounding Arab countries, Israel won. The Palestinians are sore losers. The Palestinians claim all of the West Bank as part of a future state of Palestine. They want East Jerusalem as their capitol. They lost a chance to this area by losing the 67 war. They haven't done a thing to show that they have earned it. It was never in their hands to begin with. Jordan had control of Jerusalem and the West Bank. We know how they had treated it; like a trash dump. They're also losing a chance to it by allowing constant shelling into Israel. That's not a very friendly gesture. It makes Israel mad. Abbas has no influence on the warring Gazans.

We now have 180,000 Israelis living in East Jerusalem and 250,000 Israelis living in West Bank settlements. They won't be allowed to live there if "Palestine" is created there. Hence, another problem of where they should live in their shrinking state.

Rice, cool your heels. You're not accepting the beligerance of Hamas and its affect on Israel. I don't believe you were brave enough to visit Sderot and Ashkelon. If a rock were thrown in your yard you'd have a tizzy. You just see the big picture of making these two parties sign a piece of paper, and you getting the credit. Israel would have to live with this hatred. Have you asked the Palestinians to change their charters, their hearts and their school textbooks yet? When that happens, the Messiah may be here, but there won't be a peace until these things happen.

For now Israel will not consider any peace agreement until Abbas is the leader of the Gazans and not Hamas. You can't make peace with people who want you dead and that is their stated aim in their charter. June 2007 saw the decline of the prospect of Palestine next door to Israel. It's been a year since that happened, and things are only getting worse.

Reference: Reuters News

Oregonian Newspaper 6/15/08 page A10 Rice to press Israelis on settlements

by Yoram Ettinger

Palestinian Activity in 1948

This is the first time I'm loading someone else's article. It's full of excellent information. Nadene

Straight From The Jerusalem Cloakroom #214, June 13, 2008

Palestinian Refugees – The Truth (whose responsibility?)

While the surrounding Arab countries – assisted by Palestinian Arabs - invaded the newly established Jewish State:

1. The British Mandate urged Arabs and Jews (November 30, 1947- May 14, 1948, before the outbreak of the war) to evacuate small mixed towns, where they constituted a minority. Arabs complied, while Jews defied. Consequently, Alan Cunningham, the British High Commissioner, stated: “Arabs are leaving the country with their families in considerable numbers, and there is an exodus from the mixed towns to the rural Arab centers…The panic of the Arab middle class persists and there is a steady exodus of those who can afford to leave the country (December 1947, five months before the 1948/9 War)”.

2. The Arab Higher Committee (the effective leadership of Palestinian Arabs) instructed/forced Arabs in Jaffa, Jerusalem, Haifa and other urban centers to relocate “until Jews are obliterated,” while British troops were still there, pleading with them to stay. The London Economist (Oct. 2, 1948): "The most potent factors [in the flight] were announcements made by the Palestinian-Arab Higher Committee, urging all Haifa Arabs to quit, intimating that those remaining would be regarded as renegades." Arab over-confidence prior to the war (600,000 Jews vs. 27, 000,000 Arabs) was crashed by defeat, intensifying the flight of Arabs.”

3. Leaders of Arab countries and the Arab Liberation Army enticed urban and rural Arabs to evacuate, in order to facilitate the Arab onslaught, and then inherit the homes of the Jews. Abu Mazen (Filastin A-Thawra, March 1976): “Arab armies forced Palestinians to leave their homes.” Khaled al-Azam, Syrian Prime Minister in 1949 (memoirs, 1973): "We brought destruction upon the refugees, by calling on them to leave their homes.” The Jordanian daily, Filastin (Feb. 19, 1949): "The Arab States...encouraged the Palestinians to leave their homes, temporarily, not interfering with the invading Arab armies." Al-Ayyam daily (May 13, 2008): “The Arab Liberation Army told the Palestinians – ‘Leave you houses and villages, and you will return in a few days. Leave them so we can fulfill our mission…’”

4. Lack of leadership and no sense of shared-destiny. High Commissioner, Cunningham (before the outbreak of the war): “The collapsing Arab morale in Palestine is in some measure due to the increasing tendency - of those who should be leading them - to leave the country… In Jaffa, the mayor went on a 4 day leave 12 days ago…In Haifa, the Arab members of the [mixed] municipality left some time ago…The Chief Arab Magistrate has left…The Effendi [aristocrat] class has been evacuating in large numbers and the tempo is increasing…” Lack of national cohesion was reflected via inter-regional, urban-rural, inter-urban Palestinian animosity and the eventual rejection of the refugee camps by surrounding Palestinian and Arab communities.

5. The 1936-39 Palestinian violence, with more Arabs than Jews murdered by Arab terrorists, triggered a large wave of Arab migrants, who sought refuge in their countries of origin – Lebanon, Syria, Egypt, Jordan (most coastal Arabs migrated to the area, from the surrounding Arab countries, as well as Sudan, Algeria, Libya, Bosnia during 1831-1947). The 1947-8 pre-war urban and rural anti-civilian terrorism instigated a similar flight. US Consul General, Robert Macatee: “A Jewish woman, mother of 5 children, was shot in Jerusalem, while hanging out clothes on the roof. The ambulance rushing her to the hospital was machine-gunned, and the mourners following her to the funeral were attacked…”

6. Rumors of bogus Jewish atrocities. Jordanian daily, al-Urdun, April 9, 1953: "Arab leaders were responsible for the [Arab] flight, disseminating exaggerated rumors of Jewish atrocities, in order to incite the Arabs, thus instilling fear in the hearts of the Palestinians." Yahya Hammudah, former (1966) PLO chairman to the Christian Science Monitor: The Jews did not expel us from Lifta [in Jerusalem]; the entire village left following the killing of a 35 person Jewish convoy in April 1948, in order to pre-empt a vicious Jewish vengeance. Jordanian daily, al-Urdun, April 9, 1953: "Arab leaders were responsible for the [Arab] flight, disseminating exaggerated rumors of Jewish atrocities, in order to incite the Arabs, thus instilling fear in the hearts of the Palestinians."

7. Over 300,000 left before the eruption of the full scale 1948/9 War, while the Arabs had the upper hand, and while the US Department of State and CIA – as well as some of Ben Gurion’s colleagues – urged him to avoid declaration of independence, “lest he be responsible for a second Jewish Holocaust in less than ten years.” Ismayil Safwat, Commander in –Chief of the Arab Liberation Army (March 23, 1948): "The Jews have not attacked any Arab village, unless attacked first." John Troutbeck Head of the British Middle East Office, Cairo (June 1949): “The refugees speak with utmost bitterness of the Egyptians and other Arab states. They know who their enemies are, and they are referring to their Arab brothers who – they declare – persuaded them unnecessarily to leave their homes…”

8. Arab Street and Arab media amplification of unexpected Jewish victories and fall of Arab military leaders - such as the fall of Abdel Qader Husseini in the critical Castel Battle - Arab evacuation - triggered a Domino Effect of further Arab flight.

9. An exchange of populations occurred when 820,000 Jewish refugees were expelled from – or fled - Arab countries, while 315,000 Palestinian refugees were created by the aforementioned developments. A mega-million population exchange took place between India and Pakistan (Hindus and Muslims) and in East Europe (Poles and Germans). 100 million refugees were created via wars since World War II and 80 million refugees during 1933-45. Most of them are no longer refugees.

10. The 1948/9 Palestinian-Arab refugees totaled 315,000, in contrast to conventional “wisdom.” 800,000 Palestinian Arabs resided within the “Green Line” before the war and 170,000 remained at the end of the war. Of the 630,000 gap, 100,000 were absorbed after the war by Israel, 100,000 (middle and upper class) were absorbed by surrounding Arab countries, 50,000 were migrant laborers who returned to their countries, 50,000 were Bedouins who joined their tribes in Jordan and Egypt and 10,000-15,000 were war fatalities.

11. The Palestinian-Arab 1948 goal. Haj Amin Al-Husseini, the Palestinian leader in 1948, requested (1940) that Germany and Italy acknowledge the Arab right “to settle the question of the Jewish elements in Palestine, and in other Arab countries, along lines similar to those used to solve the Jewish question in Germany and Italy." (Fritz Grobba, Peoples and Powers in the East, pp. 194-7, 207-8, Berlin, 1967; Joan Peters, From Time Immemorial, p.37, Harper, 1988). Jamal Al-Husseini, acting Chairman of the (Palestinian) Arab Higher Committee threatened on Nov. 24, 1947 that "Palestine shall be consumed with fire and blood," if the Jews get any part of it.

The misrepresentation of the Palestinian-Arab refugee phenomenon – just like Abu Mazen’s Palestinian hate education – constitutes the most authentic reflection of the Palestinian/Arab Vision. It is intended to de-legitimize and de-humanize the Jewish State, while legitimizing the “Claim of Return” as a means to destroy Israel. The misrepresentation of the Palestinian-Arab refugee phenomenon is much more significant than the seemingly-moderate Arab/Palestinian exchanges with Israeli and Western policy-makers and public-opinion molders.
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This Cloakroom is based on data reported by Dr. Yuval Arnon-Ohana, a top Israeli expert on the Palestinian issue (HaUmma Quarterly #141 and 142, autumn and winter 2000) and Prof. Efraim Karsh, Head of Mediterranean Studies at King’s College, University of London (Commentary Magazine, May 2008).

Ashkelon Attacked by Rockets and Mortar Shells

Israel Fights Back in Gaza

Wednesday morning Israel had decided to have a period of calm with the terrorists and also ask for the release of Cpt. Gilad Shalit. Cease fire talks have been headed by Egypt between Israel and Hamas but failed. Hamas wanted Israel to include Rafiah on a list of Gaza crossings which is the only outlet to the international arena. Israel doesn't want to do this for obvious reasons. Israel is allowing humanitarian air into Gaza every week in the form of tons of goods and thousands of liters of fuel already. In turn, Hamas refuses to discuss Shalit. Israel was said to want to give Hamas about two weeks to agree to terms, and if nothing happens, they will invade Gaza in a very large military operation to stop the attacks on Israeli citizens.

Thursday citizens in Ashkelon and the western Negev were attacked by Hamas with barages of rocket attacks and shelling.

That afternoon a tractor driven by a terrorist went toward the security barrier trying to bomb it.

Israel finally had enough of massive shelling in Ashkelon and the western Negev, so retaliated on Friday morning by attacking a Palestinian terrorist cell near Jabalya in Gaza. Three terrorists were killed. This is the cell that launched dozens of rocket and mortars against Israel late Thursday.

At that same time, IDF soldiers stopped terrorists from infiltrating the security barrier in northern Gaza that was using an armored bulldozer loaded with explosives. It was aiming be a suicide bomber when others were rocketing and firing mortars.

25 Kassam rockets and 50 mortar shells hit the Ashkelon coast and neighboring areas after a huge explosion in a Gazan town (Muslim) of Beit Lahiyeh. A four-story building suffered an internal explosion from unknown cause. It was not Israel's doing, but Hamas blamed Israel and they reacted to it by hitting Israel. They later withdrew their accusation when they found out the cause. During this attack an Israeli woman was injured by flying shrapnel and many were treated for emotional shock.

Since the terrorists reacted to the peace initiative or tahadiyeh (time out) with a huge attack hitting Ashkelon, I wonder if the next day attack by Israel was considered "the big one". Perhaps they will have to go in again in a few weeks to put a stop to it.

Reference: Reference: http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/126480

Warring Over the Sheba Farms

Israel offered to have a peace talk with Lebanon, but they refused the offer today. That means there is no truce. First they want Israel to withdraw from the Sheba Farms. This area of land is 5.5 miles long and 1.5 wide and is on the border between Lebanon and the Golan Heights. It has an elevation on it from 825' to 4,940' which overlooks both Israel and Lebanon. Israel won the 1967 war when surrounding Arab countries attacked her, thus gaining land, including the Sheba Farms. Before 1967 it contained 14 farms divided among about 200 people.

There has been a dispute about who the land belonged to before 1967. The French held the mandate in this area and did not clarify a border between Lebanon and Syria. Israel always thought the land belonged to Syria, and they were attackers. In fact, Syria's shelling northern Israel helped to bring about the '67 war.

Besides wanting the farm, the Lebanese Hezbollah want Lebanese prisoners and maps of landmines and cluster bombs used in previous wars. They want all this before a peace discussion. Whatever is left to discuss and negotiate? Bagels and Coffee?

During this time Turkey is mediating negotiations for Israel with Syria.

The Sheba Farms according one source is 8 square miles. Camera said it was 10 sq. miles. Aloha, Oregon is 7.37 sq miles. Grants Pass, Oregon is 7.58 sq. miles. Oregon City, Oregon is 8.14 sq. miles. Altamont, Oregon which lies in Klamath County is 8 sq. miles and has the altitude of 4133', similar to the Sheba Farms. So giving back this farm is the same as giving up a city in Oregon.

Israel has been shelled by Lebanon for the past 6 years. The United Nations has done nothing to condemn Lebanon's Hezbollah for this. Israel had withdrawn in 2000 from Lebanon.

Reference: Wikopedia: Shebaa Farms

http://www.nasdaq.com/aspxcontent/newsStoryPrintVer.aspx?cpath=20080611%5cACQR

http://www.camera.org/index.asp?x_context=2&x_outlet=35&x_article=1203

http://www.israelnationalnews.com/SendMail.aspx?print=print&type=1&item=6516 Arutz Sheva- shebaa farms and UN Deceit

Ashkelon, Israel

Ashkelon is Portland's sister city. It is noted for its leisure and sports. It's a natural resort area. Ashkelon's population is 125,000 and looks like a beach town. There are new high rises and lovely two-story seaside villas with streets and coastline rimmed with palm trees.

Along the beach line is a paved beach promenade. An 18-hole golf course is in the works. The marina is home to sailing and sports clubs.

Ashkelon is one of the oldest cities in the world. The Ashkelon National Park has some of the most remarkable archeological discoveries; a 4,000 year old arched gate to a Canaanite city. Future plans are for a visitors' center and restoring archeological treasures. The park is amid a beautiful nature reserve where tamarisk and sycamore trees stand. Picnic tables are near a Canaanite shrine, and ancient well and cistern. People picknicing on blankets can go where the Roman basilica once stood. There they will see rows of heavy marble columns leading to a large ditch where life-sized statues of Atlas, the goddess Nike and Egyptian goddess Isis have been placed.

Citizens try to forget about rockets that have landed close by from Gaza terrorists. In August 2006 one fell between Ashkelon and and coast, and last month one fell on a neaby parking lot. The marina was almost hit. Life goes on in this blissful city.

A subsidiary of the Coca-Cola Company, Israel's Carlsberg Brewery, gets water from Ashkelon's aquifers. The restaurant, Luna, is in a restored mosque about 700 years old. In the evening, jazz music and candlelight are seen within its Ottoman arched walls.

One cannot forget that Barzelai Hospital is in Ashkelon, which serves people from the Gaza Strip as well as the city and surrounding areas. They have been kept extremely busy with the attacking rocket fire.

Resource: Jerusalem Post: The sunny side of Ashkelon www.jpost.com/servlet/Sattellite?cid=1210668645892&pagename=JPost%2FJPArtic

www.portlandonline.com/mayor/index.cfm?print=1&c=40986&a=125423

Former Oil Minister of Kuwaiti Writes About Developing Palestine

Ali Ahmad Al-Baghli, former Minister of Oil posted an article "A" Crucible" for our faults" that is very impressive. In it he states that after 60 years he feels dejected because nothing has happened while other parts of the world have reached "the pinnacle of development". The Arabs have accomplished nothing because they blamed each other for the negative things happening around them. Some are still living in the days of the 6th and 7th centuries when Muslims were driven out of Andalusia.

They blame Israel for their failure to achieve development. He thought about what it would be like if they did not have Israel there to blame and realized that they "have a tendency to oppose development or anything that is new."

He cites North Africa as an example and notes that there is no democracy or development in the Arab nations there. They blame the European colonies for their failure. If there is no Israel to blame, they blame others.

It took insight and guts to write this article. That is a step in the right direction. Let's hope others will come to this realization and stop focusing on Israel as the source of their problems and start working with Israel instead.

Thank you for this, Mr. Al-Baghli. It's appreciated.

Resource: Arab Times: (Kuwait).