Palestinians Boycotting Israel Philharmonic Orchestra

Nadene Goldfoot

Boycotting any goods from Israel has been the Palestinian's latest bullet into the heart of Israel.  They  even boycotted the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra Tuesday night that was playing at Carnegie Hall.  Perhaps the weather was against them for the turnout was sparse, but the effort was visual with posters, etc. against Israel.  Inside the audience filled the auditorium even though protesters were yelling through bullhorns and littering the sidewalk with handbills against Israel comparing Israel to South Africa's apartheid.    Zubin Mehta conducted as usual.  The orchestra played the national anthems of both the USA and Israel.  They'll continue on their circuit coming to the West Coast but not to Portland, unfortunately. 

This was happening at the time Israel was bombed with Grad rockets.  They are constantly attacking Israel but crying how terrible their fate is with Israel. 

All this time Israel has been the only democratic country in the Middle East.  Now they all have the fever of attaining a democracy for themselves and the Palestinians are on the bandwagon calling out that Israel is one of the despots.  Many Egyptians will fall for this out and out lie no doubt as well as others.  The two Iranian ships that just went through the Suez Canal to dock at Syria were carrying weapons meant to be used on Israel.  Maariv Newspaper reported Wednesday that the two ships were carrying missiles, rifles and ammunition and night vision gear.  Evidently Egypt didn't even ask let alone search the ships. 

Resource: http://vigilantsquirrelbrigade.blogspot.com/2011/02/fakestinian-protest-as-iisrael.html

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/02/24/arts/music/24orchestra.html
http://www.kuna.net.kw/NewsAgenciesPublicSite/ArticleDetails.aspx?id=2147372&Language=en
Pamela Geller's Atlas Shrugs

              Katusha Attacks from Gaza
Nadene Goldfoot
Yesterday evening a katusha grad rocket hit Beersheva.  This was the first time since Operation Cast Lead that this has happened.  Then a lot of attacks followed.  Avigdor Lieberman told the Israeli UN delegation to submit a complaint to the U.N for these attacks. 

This morning an IDF patrol was out along the Gaza border as usual but this time were fired on by mortar shells  along the fence.  Several Israeli tanks were fired on East of Gaza City.  The IDF fired back at this Jihad cell group and 10 Palestinians were wounded.   Three Palestinians were known to be militants from Al Quds Brigade, a radical IAslamist Jihad group of which one died later.  Patrols had found 12 bombs along the fence in the past two months. 

Later the Gazans fired a Grad rocket at Beersheva, which is only 25 miles from Gaza.  It's a city of 200,000.  The rocket made a big crater alongside a badly damaged home.  Also, three mortars had been fired at Kibbutz Nahal Oz.  They hit a football (soccer) field.  Four Israelis were treated for shock, two of which were children.  They said many homes shook.  Earlier, 6 mortar shells had fired on Sdot Negev. 

Two Palestinians were wounded when they were collecting gravel near the border.  That's their story.  Why would anyone be collecting gravel?  Isn't there enough rocks in Gaza that they would have to look near the fence? 

http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20110223/wl_mideast_afp/israelpalestiniansconflictgaza
http://www.jpost.com/Defense/Article.aspx?id=209584
http://english.aljazeera.net/news/middleeast/2011/02/201122413827437111.html
http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/142501

             When Israel's Jerusalem Was In Jordan's Hands                                   
Nadene Goldfoot
Some of Israel was once in Jordan's hands. This was because when Israel declared itself a state in May 1948 with the UN in agreement, Jordan then invaded and occupied East Jerusalem.  They drove out the Jews living there and into exile from their homes.   Jews were not allowed to live in their ancient historic places.  While Jordan illegally occupied the land for 18 years, Jews could not go to the Wailing Wall "Western Wall" in Jerusalem.  They could not visit the Tomb of the Patriarchs or even Rachel's Tomb.  Finally, the War of 1967 put an end to the first time division of Jerusalem and Israelis were able to be in all parts of it. 

The Masada, a place of last refuge for Jews before being attacked and killed by the Romans and now a place of initiating IDF soldiers as well as a tourist attraction was forbidden to Jews until March of 1949.  This is when IDF  units moved from Be'er Sheva to the Dead Sea at Sodom and Ein Gedi.

March 1949 was  a time that an armistice was drawn up between Jordan and Israel.  If one remembers, Jordan was the land that was supposed to go to Israel originally and instead they complained so much that they got it instead.  Then on April 24, 1949, an armistice line was agreed on at Rhodes.  It was not a border but just a line where the fighting stopped.  This fighting happened when Israel was attacked by all surrounding nations when it declared itself a state.  It's called the War of Independence.  Moshe Dayan and Yosef Tabenkin were brigade commanders then and wanted to capture the Old City of Jerusalem, Bethlehem and Hebron at that time but were stopped by the cease-fire of October 22, 1948.

The Jordanians treated Jerusalem with much disrespect while it was in their hands.  The cemeteries were vandalized.  They uprooted tombstones, and then plowed the land which scattered skeletons and bones all about.  38000 tombstones were smashed or damaged and used for flooring for their latrines and for paving material for roads.  They made 4 roads right through cemeteries.  The graves of famous personages were destroyed.  The Intercontinental Hotel was built right over a cemetery as well as a gas station.  The Mount of Olives, a cemetery that Jews have used for 3,000 years and held 150,000 graves, was desecrated when in Jordan's hands along with others. 

As Oregonians study Oregon in the 4th and 8th grades and take field trips to sites to remember their history, so do Israeli students.  They take trips to the tomb of the Patriarchs in Hebron, Rachel's Tomb in Bethlehem and the Temple Mount in Jerusalem.  These are their reminders that the Land of Israel is the ancient homeland of the Jewish people.   Many of us had been gone for 2,000 years, but we have returned to join the remnant left here and are building it up again.

Much has been said about the 1967 borders.  This line shouldn't deter Israelis from going and remembering their history and why they live in Israel.

Just as Americans remember their history of 1776 and the Revolution, Israelis cannot forget their leaders who fought for the creation of Israel before and after May 1948.  They have the right to study and see the places.  Whatever would have happened to the Jewish religion if Jews did not remember Pesach "Passover"?  These historic sites should be held in esteem just like any other country's historic sites. 

Resource: http://www.haaretz.com/misc/article-print-page/jews-connection-to-the-land-must-not-be-s   by Moshe Arens, Born 1925 in Lithuania, immigrated in 1948; US ambassador to USA in 82-82; Minister of Defense in 90-92 and Jan 99.  Engineer educated at MIT. 
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mount_of_Olives
http://www.mfa.gov.il/MFA/MFAArchive/2000_2009/2001/3/Moshe%20Arens

http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/History/Jerusalem.html

Egypt and Israel's Peace Treaty: On a Slippery Slope in Danger of Crashing

Nadene Goldfoot

Young Egyptians who demonstrated for democracy and higher wages are among the anti-American and anti-Israeli group of demonstrators who still view Israel as an enemy.  So said Michael Laskier, professor of Mid-East studies at Bar-Ilan University. 

Already the anti-Israel cleric, Yusuf al-Qardawi, has called for the "conquest" of Jerusalem's al-Aqsa mosque.  This came into Israel's domain after 1967's war in which Israel regained Jerusalem.  It also is a Jewish holy site.  This is Islam's 3rd-holiest site.  Yusuf had been exiled and was living in Qatar for many years and probably now is ready to get even.  Debka File also pointed out that he is a  Sunni who though exiled previously, now was allowed to lead the victory assembly at Taher Square on February 17th with a call to march into Jerusalem for taking over al Aqsa.  He even justified suicide bombings against Israelis.  Also, he is pushing to open the Egyptian-Gaza Strip border allowing Hamas freedom to fight against Israel in a bigger way.  He is all for jihad.  This radical preacher, a leader of the Muslim Brotherhood, was allowed his way in this demonstation. 

The soldiers had left the area and the Muslim strong armed moved in.  Opponents were dragged away.  This is not what the freedom demonstrators had bee asking for, but they now have it amonst them leading the way. 

A major cause for concern is that for the first time in 30 years two Iranian ships that have gone through the Suez Canal on their way to Syria.  Netanyahu feels Iran is out to broaden its influence by doing this at this time.  Egypt had no reason to stop them as they said they were not carrying weapons.  I wonder if they bothered to inspect them.

The peace treaty had brought about many positive things.  40% of Israel's natural gas has come from Egypt.  Recently the pipe lines were attacked and damaged. Egypt also has been halting the flood of African immigrants through Egypt into Israel which was above and beyond what Israel could take care of.  People foreget that Israel is a wee little country.  Egypt has also been halting weapons coming into the Gaza Strip for Hamas to use against Israel.  Because of maintaining the peace, the USA has been generous in its aid to Egypt.  Laskier is afraid that Egypt may not actually break the peace but will not keep it, either, at the status quo. 

The danger is that many reporters and countries think that the Muslim Brotherhood is nothing to fear because Egypt regained the country through "peaceful" means, but note what they are now doing and getting away with.  Though Yusef was allowed the star role in the demonstration on the 17th, articles published on the 18th show none of what was happening in the Brotherhood's rise to power in Egypt. 

Now the question in my mind is just how strong will the young university students and others who only want a democratic state and prosperity be in fighting off the demands of the Brotherhood?  Already they were put down on this night of the 17th. 

Reference:  Oregonian Newspaper, February 22, 2011, page A5, "Cold peace" turns chillier in Mideast
http://www.debka.com/article/20688/
http://www.globalpost.com/dispatch/egypt/110217/egypt-muslim-brotherhood-US-foreign-policy

Disagreeing with Obama Over Israel and It's Makeup

Nadene Goldfoot        from Jonathan Tobins's article, How Pro-Israel is Obama?  Assessing the United Nations Post-Veto Fallout

The UN just had a vote brought up against Israel by the Palestinians which the USA vetoed, thank goodness.  However, there are many points that Obama and Israel supporters do not see eye to eye on. Hillary made mention on ABC News on Sunday that Jewish presence there, referring to Judea and Samaria and East Jerusalem, was "illigitimate" which is not following protocal at all.  It stinks! 

More than a quarter of a million Israelis live in Judea-Samaria, so called West Bank.  More than 200,000 live in parts of Jerusalem that had been illegally occupied by Jordan before 1967's war.  Obama has fought Israel on building homes in existing Jewish neighborhoods of Jerusalem which to me and others is ridiculous.  He is trying to do away with the fact that Israel already had said it would do away with remote settlements for a peace accord and those that in the Bush administration were already facts to be respected would remain in Israel's hands.  Obama is messing with Israel's capital, Jerusalem, and its 40 year old Jewish neighborhoods. 

I feel there should have been a time limit as well for the Palestinians to come around and make peace with Israel if they really want and need their own state so badly.  Israelis have waited now for 63 years and they haven't done it yet, no matter what has been offered to them.  That's ENOUGH!  I feel that this fact alone gives Israel the right to go ahead with their life and build in Judea-Samaria, their ancient homeland.  Otherwise, it just sits there as a wasteland, waiting.  When you come right down to it, the Palestinians, who came from many other countries in the first place and who were looking for jobs with  the returned Israelis, do have 46 other Muslim countries that they could live in other than what they claim to want now.  Look at Jordan.  It is home to many so called Palestinians. 

For Obama and Clinton to end this with saying that the Jewish state's position on the issue of settlements was illegitimate and that Israel threatened peace and devastate trust shows that the USA has very little respect for Israel.  To me they are putting their head in the sand and refusing to see just who is threatening peace and cannot be trusted.  Many see that the Israel-USA relationship has lessened a great deal since the Bush administration.  Actually, other presidents have never accepted Israel's position on territory, new towns or borders, but then they are not the ones living there or seeing it through the eyes of the Israelis, either.  They are most likely seeing the situation as it affects them personally.  They make decisions without having studied the personalities involved or knowing the psyche of the Middle Easterners. 

Does the American administration think that giving the Palestinians East Jerusalem and all of Judea and Samaria will cause them to sign a peace treaty and....keep it?  Do they think this will bring Hamas around?  They were given Gaza on a silver plate and they only became more violent and haven't stopped yet.  No.  The Palestinians, unfortunately, are not thinking with American heads.  They want more; the extinction of Israel, and no one has counseled them as to why this is a bad idea.  The American administration only seems to be contributing to the Fatah and Hamas belief that they are right to want the death of Israel. 

I think it is most unwise to even think of having a peace treaty as long as Hamas remains Israel's enemy.  When these former PLO groups, Fatah and Hamas can jointly be acceptable peace-loving people and care for the lives of their children to be long and safely lived, then peace can be  obtained.  Fatah is not ready for peace, not as long as they teach in their schools that there is no Israel on the map, or teach hate for Israelis, I know they are not truly into a peaceful accord.  They seem to have taken just one important step in the right direction, and that is to not fire upon Israel.  Of course, they are allowing the Hamas Gazans to do all of that.  Abbas or others in his party have no  authority over Hamas.  When these two Muslim groups can become peaceful with Israel, we will all celebrate.

Resource: http://www.jewishworldreview.com/0211/tobin022111.php3?printer_friendly

Americans, Canadians & Others of Multinational Force in Sinai Trapped

Nadene Goldfoot

We have a group of Americans and Canadians and some from other countries that are part of the Multinational Force stationed in Sinai. This came about after the UN's 1979 attempts failed. By 1981 the USA, Israel and Egypt signed the "Protocol of the Treaty of Peace". They have been policing the area under this peace treaty. For the past three weeks they have been locked in their camps under Hamas and Bedouin siege.

Egypt's army then transferred 900 men of their 18th Division battalions to Sinai to stop the lawless rampage going on there. A request was also sent to the Army Council from Washington.

On February 12th, Saturday night, Israel's Defense Minister, Ehud Barak phoned the Egyptian council head, Defense Minister Mohamed Tantawi. He thanked him for helping.

Ehud Barak also welcomed the military's pledge to honor the peace treaty. The Egyptian 76 year old field marshal's manner with Barak was "curt and to the point" rather than cordial. Too bad he doesn't care to emulate Sadat, who was a mentch. I have a feeling that the only reason he helped was that the USA was involved. If it were to rescue Israeli tourists, he wouldn't have had the heart. I say this because of other comments I've read about their job not being to come rescue Israelis from Palestinians. Tantawi, we all thank you for doing the right thing. I hope you feel pride in saving lives and know that Hamas is being unreasonable.

The Sinai happens to be Egypt's responsibility right now. In 1982 Israel had to withdraw-again for the sake of peace with Egypt, who has turned out to be honorable. Since then it has become a tourist attraction with its coral reefs, Sharm el Shiek city which Israel had to leave, and of course, Mt. Sinai. The Sinai Desert is what Jews crossed in the Exodus from Egypt.

The Multinational Force is made up of 11 countries. Recently it has had 425 men from the Illinois National Guard there. Uruguay had 87 men.

Resource: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Multinational_Force_and_Observers

Debka @thejmg.com Debka Newsletter 2/18/2011-Exclusive Report

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sinai_Peninsula

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Multinational_Force_and_Observers

Wondering About Iran's Warship in the Neighborhood

Nadene Goldfoot

A warship belonging to Iran is getting very close to Israel by planning to go through the Suez Canal tonight. We know that Iran has threatened Israel with extinction and has called Jews every name under the sun. Admiral James Burnell-Nugent, former commander-in-chief, fleet, of Britain's Royal Navy, described the action as a form of mischief.
"I would put it in the manipulative, stirring the pot category, rather than the military, strategic category.
"And the more wound up the Israelis get over it, the more the Iranians will be laughing."

"For warships to pass through the canal, approval from the ministry of defense and the ministry of foreign affairs is needed and this applies to all warships owned by any country," a Canal official told Reuters. No notice had been given so far.

I'm sitting here in safety in Oregon, but as a dual citizen with Israel, I would hope that Israelis feel some concern, for I do. It's interesting that Britain takes such a move so lightly, but their lives are not threatened. Iran isn't just any old country.

Anytime a country shows such hostility and hatred towards Israel, Israelis are going to be cautious and question their movement. Radio report said that they will be docked in Syria for a year. Syria is friends with Iran.

“It is strange for the Iranian Navy to use the Suez Canal since it really doesn’t have anything to do in the Mediterranean Sea,” one official said. They haven't gone through the Suez Canal since 1979. It's been 32 years.

Resource: http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20110216/wl_nm/us_israel_iran_warships
http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20110216/wl_nm/us_egypt

http://www.jpost.com/DiplomacyAndPolitics/Article.aspx?id=208566

America's Unawareness of Muslim Brotherhood's Influence

Nadene Goldfoot

The Pew Research Center published interesting facts of Egypt's and Turkey's Muslim attitudes two months ago. This is the % of approval.

Egypt and Turkey's %

1. Stoning people who commit adultery: 82% 16%

2. Whipping/cutting off hands for theft and robbery: 77% 13%

3. Death penalty if one leaves Muslim religion: 84% 05%

They found that 59% side with fundamentalists in modernizing their country and 27% agreed with the modernizers.

The question of whether suicide bombings are justified showed:

54% justification

8% often

12% sometimes

34% rarely

46% never be justified.

A question should have been asked "when is there justification?" Mohamed Morsy spoke Thursday with a reporter and would not commit his movement to keeping the Israel-Egypt peace treaty. His group is opposed to Zionism and kept saying that the Muslim Brotherhood does not use violence but felt that Palestine was "resistance, " and resistance is acceptable by all people and is the right of people to resist imperialism. I am shocked to think that they see Israel as imperialists.

The New York Times has not been a help-mate to Israel at all. Barry Rubin also comments about this. This newspaper, which the Sulzberger family has founded in New York, has been publishing damaging articles such as Thomas Friedman's "Egypt delivers shock and awe" where he puts blame on Netanyahu for not making peace with the Palestinians, when it is the Palestinians who will not even come to the peace table. In fact, Palestinians have been offered half of the original plot that Israel was to have, and succeeding peace plans were not accepted by the Palestinians. They have been offered peace deals from 1948 to now and haven't taken them. They bide their time. They're planning on a complete take over of all of Israel. Proof of my statement is wanted, so look at the maps they produce. Where is Israel? They call it Palestine. Look at the missles and mortars they shoot into Israel that still go on to this day. So Friedman has the chutzpa to blame the Prime Minister of Israel instead. Another instance is their "Bumbling Brotherhood" which Dr. Essam el-Erian, a Brotherhood spokesman, wrote that Israel must know that it is not welcome by the people in this region. I would agree with this statement, but is he implying that they should leave? It is it from the NY Times? Reporter Scott Atran also wrote that the Brotherhood "wants power." He's right on with this statement, but do people understand what type of power they stand for? Egypt hasn't been like Iran. He also stated that the Brotherhood is receiving flack from Al Qaeda, of all groups, and is being accused of acknowledging the existence of Jews! He made mention that Tony Blair of England was well aware of the seriousness the Muslim Brotherhood stands for. Yet the American government is not admitting to this fact. In fact they are putting out their opinions that they are not powerful at all nor ever will be. There's a lot of history that they are not taking into consideration.

If Israel were imperialists they wouldn't have offered the choice parts of their own piece of Israel to the Palestinians in 1947-48 that weren't accepted. It's not Israel that has started the many wars; it's been the greedy Muslim nations that surround them who want their land.

Are Egyptians getting a complete education on what has transpired between Israel and the Muslim nations? No. Many can't even read. They have to rely on gossip and propaganda and it's against Israel. I would also bet their their history books, read in college, are not giving the true facts of history, either. They'll be in the same position that Palestinians were when Obama insisted that they be given the democratic opportunity to vote, and they voted in Fatah. Probably even the ones who were more liberal were forced by threats to vote this way. So much for Democratic voting in a non-democratic environment.

President Obama said that he was bringing in a new partnership between the US and the Muslim world when he spoke in Cairo in 2009. Now his staff "seems to be encouraging a transitional outreach to the Muslim Brotherhood". In pressuring Egypt's Mubarak to step down immediately, which he may have to do tomorrow, Egypt is ripe for a transition that will include the brotherhood again that could take over the whole country. Turkey has done just this. They had been in the Western group but now are leaving it. They have become one of the backers of Hamas terrorism.

It is most naive to think that just because we haven't seen the Muslim Brotherhood in the protests in Egypt on TV means that they lack the ambition to be in power. Give them an inch and they will take the whole foot or even the yard in their good time without your knowledge.

Resource: Jerusalem Post http://www.jpost.com/LandedPages/PrintArticle.aspx/id=206969

http://www.liquida.com/blog-news/16983309/egypt-united-states-nyt/

http://www.theatlantic.com/international/archive/2011/02/how-would-democracy-in-egypt-change-the-muslim-brotherhood/70926/

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/02/03/opinion/03atran.html

http://yidwithlid.blogspot.com/2010/07/new-york-times-not-just-anti-israel-but.html

Islamic Jihad Kassam Rocket Attack

Nadene Goldfoot

The terrorists of Gaza who call themselves the Islamic Jihad attacked Sha'ar Hanegev Regional Council in southern Israel Tuesday the 8th with 4 rockets. First they fired 2 kassams hitting a field and parking lot and damaging a vehicle parked there. Three hours later they fired another volley of 2 rockets. The town of 6,000 lies between Beersheva and Ashkelon.

Evidently these rockets are made by the terrorists themselves and are classified as a simple steel artillery rocket which were developed by the military arm of Hamas. Since 2000 they have killed 22 Israelis and one Thai national. Israelis have a 15 second warning of an attack being they are close by. They cause more psychologicl harm than anything.

A 12 ship flotilla is preparing to arrive on May 31st with anti=Israelis. They had better not be carrying surgar, potassium nitrate (fertilizer), TNT or urea nitrate (fertilizer) for these things are used in making Kassams. This is why the ships must be inspected.

http://www.jpost.com/Defense/Article.aspx?id=207335
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sha
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Qassam_rocket

Another Bigger Flotilla Planned for May

Nadene Goldfoot

25 nations are planning to take part in a 12 ship flotilla to Israel carrying construction material, electric generators and a desalinization plant. They plan to get there on the 31st of May to commemorate last year's flotilla of 6 ships.

That's very nice that they want to help out people who cannot afford much, but the question remains as to just what reason they are doing this. Do they realize that this is wartime between Gaza and Israel in that Gaza has vowed to destroy Israel and kill all Jews? It appears that these people do not respect Israel. Hamas refuses to recognize Israel or sign a peace treaty. They have kidnapped an IDF soldier, Gilad Shalit, and refuse to release him. Hamas has brought about the need for Israel's blockading Gaza. As long as they keep shelling and hating Jews, the blockade needs to continue.

However, if this group will allow their ships to be searched for materials Israel cannot allow to go through that will bring harm to its citizens and will go to the port requested, it is fine and dandy. However, the first flotilla was not compliant and that brought about the problem they incurred. It seems to me that if they were just doing a good deed they would have gladly allowed their ships to be searched, and at least 5 of the six did. It was the largest ship who resisted boarding and searching.

Last year's Turkish ship had connections to radical Islamist groups. They were connected to the Free Gaza Movement which is a pro-Palestinian Human Rights organization with activists that are backed by such people as Tutu and Noam Chomsky. al-Qaida and Hamas, terrorist groups, have a history of arms smuggling and that may be the flotilla's primary purpose. Thus the need for inspection.

It seems to me that Israel is bearing the heavy financial burden of Gaza even though they have pulled out completely for the sake of "peace," which they haven't received at all. They have been continually fired on with missiles and mortars. Do the organizers of this next flotilla ever think about this fact? I'm afraid that they certainly have and they are willing adjuncts in a war against Israel.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20110207/wl_mideast_afp/israelconflictgazaturkeyeu
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/05/31/AR2010053103445.html
http://www.theage.com.au/world/facts-about-the-flotilla-and-gaza-20100601-wv8t.html

http://www.csmonitor.com/Commentary/Opinion/2010/0601/Gaza-flotilla-Why-the-blockade-makes-sense-for-Israel added 2/8/2011-Excellent by David Makovsky