The Chemical Warfare From Syria

Nadene Goldfoot                                                                   

                  21 years ago in Halabja near the Iran border, a Sarin gas attack

Today is Memorial Day in the states.  We remember our fallen soldiers by going to the cemeteries and placing flowers on their graves.  Jews places stones as a reminder that we were there.  We recognize what they went through to bring our country freedoms that we enjoy and appreciate and thank our fallen soldiers.

In Syria, a Syrian doctor and several medical students were at a grave also, but they were there to take samples of tissue from a man who had died of respiratory failure after a rocket was reported to have spewed poison gas on Dariya, a suburb of the Syrian capital on April 25th.  Syrians have asked the USA to intervene in the 2-year Syrian civil war and are hoping that this further evidence might be enough to get the international community to act.

Obama wants proof that Assad has been using gas or chemical warfare on his people of which over 80,000 have already perished in their civil war.  Last month he had sent a letter to Congress that he had received "physiological samples" that led the US intelligence agencies to conclude...that Assad had used Sarin nerve gas on a small scale.  The US has provided humanitarian and other nonmilitary aid to the rebels, resisting calls to get more involved .  We have found that getting involved leaves us no door to get out of conflicts quickly.  We get mired in them.  So even though Obama had his red line that was not to be crossed before action would be taken with gas attacks, he needs more convincing.  There's always the chance that the rebels would manipulate evidence, so we're being extra cautious.

Israel can't take any chances.  They're neighbors of Syria and not on Assad's hit parade of friends, or rather we are on his hit list.  Assad wouldn't hesitate to use his storage of chemical warfare on Israel, so Israel is going through a week long exercise of what to do in case of chemical warfare.  This is not the first time that Israelis have been issued gas masks and directed to prepare a safe room.  This is why they had bombed the shipment of missiles in Syria about a month ago.

Assad is backed by Iran who are backed by Russia.  What an evil empire they make.

Resource:  http://www.timesofisrael.com/israelis-asked-to-take-cover-as-chemical-warfare-drill-commences/?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=twitter
Oregonian newspaper, page A 4, Syrians look to grave for evidence of nerve gas use by David S. Cloud, Tribune Washington Bureau

Lebanese Israel-Hating Hezbollah Terrorists in Syria Fighting With Assad

Nadene Goldfoot
Today's headline in the Oregonian of Hezbollah leader Sheikh Hassan Nasrallah, saying he will fight for Syria's Assad,  is reminiscent of what I wrote in 2008.  This group of terrorists promises to fight for President Bashar Assad in his bloody civil war.  Their warning is that if Damascus falls, the extremists will plunge the Middle East into a "dark place."  I think it's already in that dark place and the extremists are plentiful, coming in all sorts of names such as rebels and Hezbollah.  They say they are fighting against Islamic radicals who pose a danger to Lebanon.  If this is so, what on earth do they think that they are if not the same? 80,000 Syrian citizens have already been killed in this civil war of 2 years.

They are guarding the areas along the Lebanese border and promises that they will turn the tide of the conflict in Assad's favor.

The Syrian government troops are backed by Hezbollah and have been fighting in Qusair.  These are Lebanese Shiite groups that are fighting with Assad.  They shelled this town in trying to make the rebels leave.  Saturday 30 people, of which 27 were the rebels, were killed and dozens were wounded in this town which has strategic importance for both groups.

Hezbollah's main goal is to eliminate Israel.  "Hezbollah's 1985 manifesto listed its four main goals as "Israel's final departure from Lebanon as a prelude to its final obliteration", ending "any imperialist power in Lebanon", submission of the Phalangists to "just rule" and bringing them to trial for their crimes, and giving the people the chance to choose "with full freedom the system of government they want", while not hiding its commitment to the rule of Islam.  Hezbollah leaders have also made numerous statements calling for the destruction of the state of Israel, which they refer to as the "Zionist entity". Hezbollah is financed by Syria and Iran.

Palestinian terrorists had been camped in Lebanon that had been shelling northern Israel.  I was in Safed during the 1982 Lebanon War when Sharon let Major Hadad go in to fight the terrorists.  They didn't exactly fight against them.  Evidently it turned out to be much worse, like a slaughter.  Both Hadad and Sharon were in a lot of  trouble for that.  In defense, it wasn't Hadad or Sharon who started the problem.  Northern Israel had been shelled constantly and people were living in the bomb shelters.  The terrorists'  own aggression put them in harm's way.

Resource: http://israel-nadene.blogspot.com/2008/05/hezbollah-terrorists-gain-power-in.html
Oregonian newspaper 5/27/13 page A11.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hezbollah

The Muhammad al-Durrah Incident in Gaza in 2,000 and The Final Outcome

Nadene Goldfoot                                                                        

Almost 13 years ago, on the 2nd day of the 2nd Intifada, the Palestinian Hamas terrorists and the Palestinian National Security Forces were firing at Israeli soldiers at the Netzarim Junction in the Gaza Strip. Rioting was widespread in Gaza at this time.   This was before 2005 when all Jews were pulled out of Gaza by their government for the sake of peace.  There poised with a camera hoping to catch some indiscretion of the Israelis was Palestinian Talal Abu Rahma filming the Intifada.  He was a freelancer for France 2, serving the French audience.

Caught between the shooters in the crossfire next to a big concrete cylinder and against a wall made of cement blocks was Jamal al Durrah and his 12 year old son, Muhammad.  It was noontime.  Why they found it important to be out in such a time amid the 2nd day of  war is not known, but there they were, the boy behind his father in a crouch position holding onto his father's tee shirt.  The father was shot several times after waving his arms and the boy was shot and thought to have died later, but this is even in question.   The camera does not tell us if he died immediately from the shooting.  Who shot the pair?  Palestinians or Israelis?  The footage shot lasted just over a minute and only showed the pair holding onto each other with the boy crying and the father waving, and then gunfire and dust.  After that the boy is seen slumped across his father's legs. It actually looks to me like the boy was actually shielding his father from his position.  To be truly protected, the boy should have been up against the wall and next to the cylinder with the father covering him.

 Shown in France was 59 seconds with a voice-over from Charles Enderlin, France 2's bureau chief stationed in Israel.  He was not a witness to the incident and had to get all the information by phone from Talal, the Palestinian cameraman.  He took the liberty of telling viewers that the al-Durrahs had been the "target of fire from the Israeli positions," and that the boy had died.  There was a very emotional public funeral for him, and Muhammad was called a martyr throughout the Arab and Muslim worlds.  It was an explosive situation during a very explosive time of the Intifada.  Charles truly had poured gasoline on an already out of control fire.

The IDF accepted responsibility at first and Israel apologized for the death of the boy but an investigation indicated that the boy was most likely killed by Palestinian fire.  (They really needed to see the bullets and determine what type of gun they came from for this as any CSI detective would pronounce.)  Israel is not out to kill children.  That is not their goal, and they didn't start the Intifada.

3 senior French journalists saw the raw footage later in 2004 and couldn't determine that the boy had even died from it and saw that France 2 cut a final few seconds of the footage where he appeared to lift his hand from his face.  This France 2 news editor said a year later in 2005 that no one for sure could say who fired the shots.  The director of the Israeli government press office felt that the scene had been staged by Palestinian protesters.  This has happened before that film has been staged.  Philippe Karsenty, a French media commentator was sued for libel by France 2 for suggesting this, as others in the business also suspected this was the case.  The Paris Court of Appeal overturned a ruling against him in May 2008 who agreed that some scenes didn't seem genuine.  He also had presented the court a great deal of evidence for this.  The court found that the Palestinian cameraman , Talal Abu Rahma, was not credible.  France 2 has appealed the decision.

The Arabs are proving that they still carry on a blood libel with the Jews in this event.  It showed the people involved in this case that the Palestinians were willing to deliberately sacrifice their own children in the anti-Zionist war.

This event has been used to cause other violent uprisings like the October 2000 lynching of 2 Israeli army reservists in Ramallah.  It was seen in the background when Daniel Pearl, the Jewish-American journalist was beheaded by al-Qaeda in 2002.

James Fallows wrote that no version of the truth about the footage will ever emerge that all sides consider believable.  The viewers of the film only see what they want to see according to Charles Enderlin.  During this time, also known as the al-Aqsa Intifada,  which lasted from September 2000 to 2005, 3,000 Palestinians died along with 1,000 Israelis and 64 foreigners.  The first Intifada lasted from 1987 to 1993.

Israel has now released a government report that cleared the Israel Defense Forces of wrongdoing.  A "secret" Facebook group of foreign correspondents known to others as "The Vulture Club" which has about 3,000 members and human rights activists turned into an anti-Israel hate-fest yesterday after this came out.  They have mocked the report, attack the IDF, and claim that pro-Israel lobbyists were influencing the media coverage.  The New York Times was also blasted for its coverage.  The Associated Press and the Agence France-Presse also attacked Israel.  They claim that Israeli embassies call their contacts and they agree to publish what they say.

They say a picture is worth 1,000 words, but today even that is not reliable.  There is Photo-Shop, and there are stages scenes that are used as propaganda.  One has to look at motive.  What motive would the Israelis have to shoot to kill a child?  First, it's not within our ethics and morality to do such a thing.  Second, it's wonderful motive for the Palestinians to do this.  They are not  beneath using walking bombers that sacrifice their lives to kill Israelis.  War is Hell, as they say, and this is a good example of why one shouldn't be out between two warring factions. Rioting was going on with people who shoot guns.   So much for trusting the media today.  I wouldn't give you 2 cents for the reliability of these foreign correspondents that are truly Vultures. Guys, these are old tactics.  Where have you been?  Check out the bullets and make sure they came from the body, not out of some pocket.  The film does not prove anything other than where they were and that the boy was scared.   Proof is not he said she said.  Israel had already taken responsibility and had apologized but doesn't want to take the fault if it wasn't theirs in the first place.

Resource: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Second_Intifada
http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4381552,00.html
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Muhammad_al-Durrah_incident
http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2013/may/22/reporters-human-rights-activists-trash-israel-secr/
5/23/13  http://www.camera.org/index.asp?x_context=2&x_outlet=55&x_article=2468
http://www.timesofisrael.com/second-intifada-icon-muhammad-al-dura-didnt-die-in-2010-shooting-israel-claims/

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

Nadene Goldfoot                                                                    

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


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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Syria's Russian Back-up Has Arrived

Nadene Goldfoot
No wonder Assad was so cocky about Israel's possible  presence doing away with possible chemical weapons and missiles most likely destined to use against Israel.  His back-up of 12 or more Russian warships are  already patrolling.  Russia just happens to have a navel base in Syria and  tens of thousands of Russians stationed in Syria.  Tartus is their military outpost that some describe as sort of a service station, but they have plans of enlarging it.

Russia has sold the Russian  Yakhont missiles,a  supersonic anti-ship cruise-missile (P-800 Oniks) to Syria which could easily get into the hands of Hezbollah and harm both Israel and the USA. They can travel anywhere from 120 km or 74.5 miles to 300 km.or 186.4 miles, depending on altitude.  

Syria's Assad government is protected by Iran and Russia.  He must be like a puppet in their grips.

Resource: http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424127887323398204578487333332405720.html
http://www.npr.org/blogs/thetwo-way/2013/05/17/184719440/reports-russia-sends-more-missiles-has-ships-near-syria
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/P-800_Oniks

Shavuot Celebrates With a Rocket Fired from Gaza

Nadene Goldfoot                                                             

The Palestinians seem to know when Jews are having a holiday.  I wonder how they feel about firing a rocket on a holiday that celebrates the 5 Books of Moses being they also recognize him as a prophet.  Shame on them!  Shavuot is the holiday of being given the Torah.  Whatever would the world be like without it, I wonder.  How long would it have taken for people to become civilized?  Moses, (1391-1271 BCE) brought some amazing ways of living and thinking for that time and ours.  Then 10 commandments were just the basics, starters for people to start another way of thinking.  Otherwise, people would have sunk to the depths of Sodom and Gomorah, most likely.  They often revert to that level even today, so imagine if it were the norm?  Imagine, it was about 3,000 years ago that we received the recipe for an excellent way of life, and we're still not to that point.  With all our technology, our behaviors are barely out of the caveman days.
                                                                           

A rocket was fired Wednesday in southern Israel in the Eshkol Council from Gaza but landed in an empty area.  It didn't stop the celebrants for very long.   Previously, Israel had rockets fired at them  on Lag B'Omer.

Two mortars fell into the Mt. Hermon area but turned out to be stray ones from the Syrian Civil War, so someone said.    Now Israel is dodging those as well as ones from Gaza.  Life goes on, though.

Resource: http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4380245,00.html

Turkey's New Attack on Israel Through Comoros Over Mavi Marmara

Nadene Goldfoot                                                                        

The 3 year old incident of the Turkish ship, the Mavi Marmara who sailed into the sea near Gaza in trying to break the Israeli blockade.  A Turkish backed and organized flotilla had been created to back the Palestinians who had been firing mortars, missiles and rockets into Israel since 2001. The attacks from Gaza increased from 2006 on since Israel had pulled out in 2005 and it became a launching pad of death and destruction into Israel.  

 The flotilla of 6 ships was organized by the Free Gaza Movement and  The Turkish Foundation For Human Rights and Freedom and  Humanitarian Relief  (İHH).   Israel was trying to keep weapons from reaching the Palestinians so had forewarned this flotilla that it had the international right to search all the ships for contraband such as anything like these weapons.  They were all saying that they were just bringing in goods that they had been deprived of.  It was well known that trucks from Israel went into Gaza everyday with shipments of goods so that was just not the case.

All ships were in compliance with the regulations of allowing Israeli commandos on board to be checked except the Mavi Marmara, registered in Comoros,  who attacked the young sailors who then were fighting for their own lives. Israel's commandos met up with 40 "hardcore" activists  armed with iron bars and knives.  10 Israeli commandos were wounded, one severely.  According to the AP report in this morning's paper, it was "Israeli commandos storming the ship."  They did have to board from a helicopter because the ship was large and high up.  A motorboat wouldn't have helped them.  In the resistance of Israeli checking, the Turks lost 8 and another who was a Turkish-American.  Several other pro-Palestinian activists were wounded as well.                                                  

                                                 Gaza Open Air Market (Shuk)
When President Obama last visited Netanyahu in Israel, he talked the Israeli Prime Minister into apologizing to the Turkish President.  Actually, many of us feel that it was the Turks who needed to apologize for not only breaking the blockade in the first place but in attacking  the fellows whose job it was to check the ship.  Other ships hadn't reacted like they had. They had used passive resistance.   The Turks had brought on the attack themselves.  Since then, Turkey has demanded this and demanded that, including a huge lump of cash.

The prime minister of Turkey involved in all of this is Recep Tayyip Erdogan.  He wants Israel to pay a lot of reparations.  He is a strong Muslim, more inclined to be in the axis of the Muslim Brotherhood.. This incident is used as the reason of the break in relations between Israel and Turkey.   The newest development out of Turkey towards this blockade incident that happened May 31, 2010, is being that the ship was registered in the tiny country of Comoros, they are having Comoros complain to the International Criminal Court in The Hague, Netherlands and expects them to investigate. As it is, a Turkish law firm is the representation for Comoros.  It might as well be Turkey!

Comeros is a tiny African state and a member of the court.  Israel and Turkey are not members.  Turkey is using Comeros's position to get more negativity thrown at Israel.  Comoros became a member of the UN in November 1975.  It is an archipelago near Madagascar  in which France still maintains control over one of 4 islands that make it up.. This tiny state is a member of many groups:  the African Union, the Arab League, the European Development Fund, the World Bank, the International Monetary Fund, the Indian Ocean Commission, and the African Development Bank.  They accepted the Kyoto Protocol to the UN Framework convention on climate Change.  I wonder if it doesn't cost anything to belong to each group?   The state has a population of about 798,000 and is 98% Sunni Muslim.  Islam is the state religion. It is the 43rd largest out of 48 Muslim majority countries with Qatar being the 44th largest.   The Muslim Brotherhood is out to destroy Israel and is using this approach as well as missiles.

Israel's account is that "according to Israeli Home Front Defense Minister Matan Vilnai,  all of the dead were "involved in the fighting". Vilnai told a Knesset hearing that "there were no innocents among the dead."

Resource: Oregonian newspaper 5/15/13, page A7, Crime complaint cites Israel by Toby Sterling -AP
 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Comoros
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Muslim-majority_countries
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prime_Minister_of_Turkey
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gaza_flotilla_raid
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_Summer_Rains

Palestinians Farthest Away From Peaceful Coexistence

Nadene Goldfoot                                                                  

If someone is going to move into the house next door to you, you hope they will be nice neighbors; mow their lawn, pick up toys, say Hi to you.  The same goes with Israel's potential new neighbor, a Palestine.  I find they are the worst possible candidates right now.  Can't the real-estate people find more suitable candidates?

Jibril Rajoub, deputy secretary general of Fatah's Central Committee, head of the Palestinian Olympic committee and former director of the Preventive security Force in the "West Bank" (Judea and Samaria), said just recently on May 1st that for Fatah, resistance to Israel in all forms remains on our agenda.  They like it because it is effective and costly for Israel.  He means violence against Israel.  Popular resistance refers to protests that flare up since the 2nd intifada.

This man was in jail in Israel for 17 years for throwing a hand-grenade at an army bus.  He was part of Arafat's team and was the national security adviser.  He's also serving on a committee for a 2 state solution and starred in an advertising campaign advocating settlement to the conflict.  He calls out that he's Israel's partner.  Evidently he says on the ad that there is consensus in the Arab world to recognize the existence of Israel in return for an end to occupation.  Well, duh!  But he's two-faced.

Rajoub was interviewed again last week and let it be known that he calls on Arabs to take part in "the liberation of Jerusalem."  In other words, they intend to make Jerusalem part of Palestine.   He didn't even mention "East' Jerusalem.  It was "Jerusalem."   He's angry with other Arab states for not giving enough money to financially aid the PA.  He wants Arabs to help liberate Jerusalem with money and whatever else it takes, like mobilization.  He wants swords drawn in the face of the Zionist enemy and that would be great, he said.

Palestinian Media Watch quoted him saying that if they had nuclear weapons, "we'd use them" against Israel immediately. "   Then he bemoans and groans with "Believe me, our sick are dying in the hospitals...and the only countries with money to come through with Arab League decisions are Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and Algeria."   Sick or injured have been taken to Ashkelon's hospital in Israel.  They're well treated there. Usually it's because their leaders station their rocket launchers among the population.  Israel pulled out of Gaza for peace, but got a big surprise.  It's the launching pad for Palestinians to hit Israelis.  Do they ever plot and scheme to get even closer and take over!.  It's pretty obvious listening to Rajoub.

Palestinians haven't agreed on anything between themselves and aren't self sufficient. Fatah was called the moderate.  This is moderate?  Well, Hamas continues to rain down mortars, missiles and rockets on southern Israel and now Fatah will nuke us.  Their leaders have created a population not capable of doing anything but hate.   They depend on handouts.  They are still dreaming of killing off Israelis.  No indeed.  I wouldn't want them as neighbors.

Then we have google who jumped the gun and has them  listed as a full blown state which hasn't happened yet and may never at this rate of hypocrisy.

Jerusalem is not mentioned once in the Koran.  Palestinians want it because of its historic value to Jews.  What we have created, they covet.  No wonder coveting was listed in the 10 Commandments as a no-no.

Resource:  http://www.timesofisrael.com/top-pa-official-israel-is-our-main-enemy-resistance-is-still-our-agenda/

Ancient Foes-Still Adversaries Today: Syria and Israel

Nadene Goldfoot                                                                

Syria is planning to get even with Israel's strikes on Damascus's shipments of advanced Iranian missiles bound for Hezbollah terrorists last Friday and Sunday.  They've said that they are going to give Hezbollah  strategic weapons it never had before that are "game-changing."  On the map above, Israel is in the bottom left hand corner in gray.  We can just see the northern part.

Hezbollah leader Sheik Hassan Nasrallah has exchanged threats over the past months with Israel.  They have tens of thousands of rockets.  Most of them are the unguided type but the shipments that Israel hit last week included precision- guided missiles.  Nasrallah said "they can strike anywhere in Israel."  That means they are the long range type.   Hezbollah is one of the groups trying to wipe out Israel and drive her into the sea.

Nasrallah hasn't been out in public since the 2006 war that lasted 34 days.  It left 1,200 Lebanese and 160 Israelis dead.  Of course, one must remember that Syria's population was 22,505,000 and Israel's was 6 million. about 4:1. They don't mind wasting their soldiers while Israel has a different morality.   Nasrallah fears he'll be a target so he's laying low.

After this threat from Nasrallah, Israel's Foreign Ministry spokesman, Yigal Palmor responded by saying that "We don't respond to words.  We respond to action."  Israel has warned Syria many times that their air force would strike against any shipments of strategic missiles that might be bound for Hezbollah.

As part of Israel's defense, they have asked Russia to cancel a sale of advanced air defense system to Syria. The deal is  providing the S-300 anti-aircraft missiles.  Kerry said it would a destabilizing factor for Israel's security.

Syria has been a part of every war against Israel since 1948.  By hitting the shipment for Hezbollah, Israel actually helped out the rebels.  Hezbollah and Iran are deeply involved in Syria's civil war by supplying troops and military advisers for Assad.  Israel didn't want to get involved but cannot afford to stand by and see a terrorist group created to take down Israel be armed with such dangerous weapons.

Ever since the 20th century BCE, the Assyrians, also a Semitic people, were aggressive and expanded in the 13th and 10th centuries.  Israel's King David and Solomon had to fight against the Aramean states in Mesopotamia and Syria probably helped. In 732 BCE, Jerusalem became a vassal of the Neo-Assyrian Empire.   By 721 BCE, Assyria's  Sargon held a siege of Samaria (capital of Israel) and captured it  He then deported 27,290 Israelites to Assyria and Media and replaced them with Syrian and Babylonian prisoners.

Actually Syria of today was called Aram, land of the Arameans in the Bible. According to the Bible, they had a common ancestry with the Israelite patriarchs who were also of Aramaic origin and maintained ties of marriage with the tribes of Aram.   Their kings just couldn't create a homogeneous state.  The coast was settled by the Phoenicians and there was constant friction with Israel and the 2nd state of Judah until the 8th century BCE when Syria was overrun by the Assyrians. The principal Aramean deity in Syria was Hadad, god of the wind, rain, thunder and lightning.

 There has been a Jewish population in Syria at Antioch who suffered from the hostility of the Greeks.  The Arab Muslim Conquest of 634-37 actually made their life better as they were allowed to maintain their faith but had to a pay poll-tax as they were classified as 2nd class citizens or dhimmis.  Aleppo had the biggest Jewish population of 5,000.  There were 3,000 in Damascus and 2,000 in Palmyra.  They increased after 1492 with the Spanish Inquisition.  In 1943 there were 30,000 Jews in Syria.  Anti-Semitism ran rampant.  ever since 1948.  It's extremism was mainly responsible for the Six Day War of 1967.  Israel defeated the Syrian army and took the Golan Heights where they had been bombarding down on Israel settlements.

Today Syria's forces attacked rebel positions in Aleppo and Idlib in the north.  Their warplanes hit rebels near the military air base outside Aleppo, called Mannagh.  Several rockets landed in Lebanon.  Turkey is testing injured Syrian rebels for chemical warfare wounds.  They have about 12 injured and will have the results soon.   Iran, who is the leader of this defense of Assad,  has built a new radar-evading drone which can fly at high altitudes.

Resource:  Oregonian newspaper 5/10/13, page A9, Hezbollah claims Syria will give it "game-changing" arms.
The New Standard Jewish Encyclopedia 

Boycotting Or Health; Physicist, Stephen Hawking, Not Attending Israeli Conference

Nadene Goldfoot                                                                    

                                                Knesset in Jerusalem
Nadene Goldfoot
There is an Israeli Presidential Conference being held for the 5th year in Israel. It is hosted by Israeli President Shimon Peres.  The theme of the meeting is "Facing Tomorrow 2013".   It brings together statesmen and leading experts in various disciplines to discuss ways to address the world's problems.  The goal is to identify challenges and propose solutions.  

Palestinians are boycotting this meeting and urging everyone else to do so.  There is a BDS (boycott, divestment, sanctions) movement going on to boycott everything and anything from Israel by people so are anti-Israel/anti-Jewish. It was started by the Palestinians on July 9, 2005.   Included in this is the academic boycott, such as this meeting.  It is led by Palestinians and even a few Israeli leftists and others who oppose Israel's policies toward the Palestinians.  They know just how important celebrities are today in swaying viewpoints, so are against anyone of this status attending.   It should be noted that Bill Clinton, Mikhail Gorbachev and Tony Blair plan to attend this 3 day meeting that begins on June 18th.

Stephen Hawking, British physicist, was invited to attend but has been most wishy-washy in his reply.  He suffers from ALS-amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, Lou Gehrig's disease and is immobilized in a wheelchair.  Last year, he took part in the Seattle Science Festival Luminaries Series.  This year he was going to attend and then let officials know he wasn't because he thought he should respect a Palestinian call to boycott contacts with Israeli academics.  This came from the University of Cambridge in their released statement.  They said that Hawking had told the Israelis that he would not be attending "based on advice from Palestinian academics that he should respect the boycott. Earlier yesterday, sources claimed that Professor Stephen attributed his decision to a new-found “knowledge of Palestine.”

University officials had previously understood that Hawking's decision not to attend  was based on health concerns being he is disabled and 71 years of age.  This meant that he joined the boycott protesting Israel's treatment of Palestinians.

The boycott has brought pressure on entertainers from performing at the conference such as Elvis Costello and the Pixies, Klaxon and the Gorillaz Sound System.  Israel has been facing the BDS movement which is the biggest on USA college campuses in any context, such as products produced in Israel.

The British Committee for the Universities of Palestine as gloating over this success.  They are crowing  that this decision shows support for severing academics' connections with Israel.  and shows  Hawking's respect of the boycott based upon his knowledge of Palestine and on the unanimous advice of his own academic contacts there.

Now, here's where the Washington Post is siding with the boycott.  They wrote in their article cited below, "In 1967, Israel captured the West Bank, Gaza and east Jerusalem, territories the Palestinians seek for a state."    This shows the reporters don't even know the real facts.  Israel was attacked by all the surrounding Arab states in 1967.  They  fought back and won the battle and in doing so gained these areas.  The way it is written sounds like they went on the attack and they didn't start this war at all.  Israel has been attacked by the Palestinians ever since they became a state and even before.  In the decision to create Israel, Palestinians were also offered the chance to have their own state but their leadership refused;  turned it down.  Why?  They really wanted all of Israel out so planned on taking over the whole piece of Israel.  That's why they kept saying that they would drive Israel into the sea.  It's been a battle ever since because of their constant refusal to have their own state and their resistance to accept Israel as the Jewish state in their midst.  Jews aren't allowed into Saudi Arabia and Jews are evidently not allowed back into the Middle East according to their thinking.

I am most disappointed in the European attitude to convict Israel when they don't even know the circumstances involved-and they call themselves the intelligent ones.  I have yet to see any thoughts from such a world against Palestinians who have rained rockets, mortars and missiles on Israel for the past 13 years from Gaza and after Israel pulled out all Jews living there for the sake of peace.   One can't defend itself from attack?  Not if they're a tiny Jewish country, evidently.

Resource: Oregonian newspaper, 5/9/13, page A8 Stephen Hawking
  http://www.thecommentator.com/article/3470/an_open_letter_to_stephen_hawking
http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/middle_east/physicist-stephen-hawking-wont-attend-israeli-conference-cites-personal-reasons/2013/05/08/98521b3c-b7c2-11e2-b568-6917f6ac6d9d_story.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boycott,_Divestment_and_Sanctions

Fillipino Peacekeepers Kidnapped By al-Qaida Backed Rebels

Nadene Goldfoot
For the 2nd time this year, Syrian rebels have kidnapped UN peacekeepers  on the ceasefire line between Syria and Israel along the Golan Heights.  21 peace keepers were kidnapped in March and now they have taken 4 Filipino peacekeepers right opposite Jamlah, a Syrian village yesterday.  The kidnappers are communicating to the outside world by tweeting.

Their excuse is to keep them safe.  Safe from what?  Pictures released show the 4 peacekeepers sitting with bare feet.  That's either to keep them from running away or-the rebels need new boots.  Kidnappers kidnap people for some reason, usually money.  What are they plotting to receive in exchange of  the lives of these young men?  It's the same kidnappers as in March, the Yarmouk Martyrs Brigade.  They are a branch of Al Qaida.  We have al Qaida in the act here along with Hezbollah in Lebanon.  What an area.

The UN has had peacekeepers in the Golan Heights since 1974.

Resource:  http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/four-un-peacekeepers-detained-in-golan-heights/2013/05/07/566473f0-b727-11e2-b94c-b684dda07add_story.html
http://www.widgetserver.com/syndication/l/?p=1&instId=dc5f8575-3893-4ba7-9964-bab847d80024&token=b9e1ac263caf8ec6051d2d5a77bf79d4881adef60000013e857eb73d&u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.timesofisrael.com%2Fsyrian-rebels-release-video-of-captive-peacekeepers%2F.
http://www.worldtribune.com/2013/05/08/syrian-rebels-with-al-qaida-ties-capture-un-peacekeepers/

The Aftermath in Syria After Military Complex With Missiles Hit

Nadene Goldfoot                                                                 

                                                                       
                                       Syria's Civil War of Two Years, Supporters of Hezbollah

While Prime Minister Netanyahu of Israel kept his appointment in China, who was hosting both Netanyahu and the "Palestinian President" Mahmoud Abbas Monday,  the USA Secretary of State, John Kerry, was in Russia to talk with them because they are Syria's most powerful ally.   The visit in China centered on their interest in playing a more active role in diplomacy because they are looking for more "markets, resources and diplomatic influence".

The  window of circumstance had opened, meanwhile, back in Israel where they had discovered that there existed extensive missiles at a site meant for Hezbollah terrorists to use against Israel.  This complex must also hold the chemical weapons they have already started to use.  Because of that alone, Israel was forced to issue gas masks to their entire population.  We know that they had two choices;  wait to be hit by thousands of missiles that could reach and wipe out Tel Aviv and hit as far as southern Israel from inside Lebanese territory or conduct a preemptive strike, which they have had to defer to before.  These missiles are bad enough as they are, but could also be tipped with chemical warfare.   Unlike the USA, information is accurate from their sources and the danger  is so close that one can just about see the target with binoculars from Israel.

The decision was made, unofficially.    It wasn't like not having warned Bashar Assad before about this problem.  Israel pin pointed the target and reports are that the sky was lit up.  The arms that were hit were causing a boom and a very frightful force felt by many.  In the end, we find that that this airstrike on Syria's military complex near Damascus killed about 42 Syrian soldiers.

The USA could not make such a decision and also its existence was not threatened like Israel is.  It's been aiding the rebels in other more humanitarian ways with such things as food.  Now Moscow realizes, and should have known anyway, that Israel wasn't waiting around for approval from the international community to deter this threat to their lives.  When Israel says, "This is the red line,"  they mean it.  Russia and China, giants of countries, have blocked USA's efforts 3 times already to even pressure Assad into stepping down.  Iran doesn't want him to, either, as he's their puppet and also on their take.

What this can cause now is a switch over of sympathy and it gives the Arabs cause to go over to Assad's side instead of the rebels.  The main picture in the Oregonian is that of Iranian and Syrian students chanting slogans during an anti-Israel demonstration Monday in front of the UN office in Tehran, Iran.  This will cause many to join them in their assessment against Israel, who are against them anyway.  Now they can really yell.

Assad has managed to kill off over 70,000 of his own people in his zeal to hold onto his kingship in the past 2 years alone.  Evidently life in such a police state was hard to deal with, causing such an Arab Spring in the first place.  It's been hard to rule people in Syria and Iraq as it is which has brought on such hard-nosed rulers in the first place who deal with an extremely volatile people.  These are hot countries that have hot-headed people.  Assad is holding onto what he thinks is his for dear life.  He's not about to step down.

Crippled Syria is nevertheless calling out that this strike that they figure came from Israel is a declaration of war.  I have news for Syria.  They never signed a peace agreement with Israel, either, and has been one of the prime leaders in all the wars against Israel.  It's known in this world that if one country has threatening moves on another, whether it be thousands of soldiers lined up ready to strike or missiles known to be destined to hit that country, one is allowed a pre-emptive strike for self defense.

By conducting this important airstrike, of which CNN TV news has had non-stop videos and comments yesterday, Israel inadvertently aided the rebels a great deal by destroying the military complex completely.  One cannot find but pieces of it remaining.  The blast permeating from it shows the level of the contents inside; huge.

The rebel were not asleep .  They shot down a military helicopter which killed 8 government troops in the east, while another group of rebels were inside a sprawling military air base in the north fighting on their 2nd day Sunday and Monday.  Assad's warplanes were pounding rebel positions inside the Mannagh air base in the north and the army had regained control of 6 villages that link the northern city of Aleppo with its airport.

The report from Syria's "OMRAN AL-ZOUBI, Syrian Information Minister: The Israeli invaders committed a blatant act of aggression against Syria. The Syrian military has the right and responsibility to protect its country and people from any form of infringement either at home or abroad."  Yes sir, if anyone has the right to kill off Syrians, it is the Syrian government.  How can this man keep a straight face when he says this?

Resource: Oregonian newspaper, 5/7/13 page A5, Israeli airstrikes complicate US efforts to aid Syria rebels.
http://www.pbs.org/newshour/bb/world/jan-june13/syria1_05-06.html

Weapons Research Building in Syria Taken Out By Israel

Nadene Goldfoot                                                            

The distance from Jerusalem, Israel  to Damascus, Syria  is only 135 miles.  About 10 miles from the Lebanese border shared with Israel is the city of Jamraya's  weapons research facility. It is a suburb of   the capital, Damascus, situated northwest of it with coordinates of 33°33'43"N   36°13'9"E.  Inside this facility, sophisticated weapons are being made to arm the Lebanese Hezbollah militia.  This group not only is an ally of Syria's President Bashar Assad but is also the "heavily armed foe" of Israel. The weapons would also be used by Hezbollah against Israel. The facility was hit Friday by Israeli missiles in an air strike.

The Syrian state news agency, SANA, was the first to cite the reports of the bombing by Israel.  Israel told Syria before that it will not allow sophisticated weapons to flow from Syria to these terrorists. Syria had a population of 22,505,000 of which 90% are Sunni/Shi'a Muslims with military power of 296,000 before their raging civil war.  The Syrians have managed to kill many of their civilians who are rebelling against the dictator who has now used chemical warfare against them in one location.  The death count is 70,000 or more, rising daily.  4,000 Syrians from Banias are fleeing with hearing reports that pro-government Syrian gunmen might commit a massacre there.  Friday's report alone is that from 62 people to 102, including 14 children were killed in the civil war.

A weapon facility and its trucks were hit in January and again Friday by Israel in Syria. Both targeted weapons shipments were for Hezbollah.  The January hit was to trucks that carried SA-17 anti-aircraft missiles.  On Friday, the weapons shipment was also targeted, striking the warehouse as well.

Israel has the right to defend itself.  USA President Obama reiterated this fact to Costa Ricans on Saturday during his visit there.  He went on to explain that Israel is very close to Syria and Lebanon and that the USA coordinates closely with the Israelis.

The USA is holding out in intervention in Syria's ongoing civil war.  He doesn't see the USA putting "boots on the ground."  Chemical weapons use in Syria is still under investigation.  He wants solid facts and considers what move is in the interest of the American people and national security.  Best evident and consultation with others will determine his decision.  He's not a leap before you look person that overlooks unintended consequences on the ground.

Bashar Assad's father, Hafez al-Assad,  was Syria's previous ruler.  He held the reins for 30 years.  Bashar has been king since 2000, entering the time of the Arab Spring, which his father didn't deal with.  That's 43 years of one family who have held an iron grip on this nation.  Some of the rebels are from the Muslim Brotherhood, so it's hard to tell the motives of each and if they're an improvement over Assad or not.  It's been a police state.  Iraq was in the same position with their dictator, Saddam Hussein.

Hezbollah  or Party of Allah is a Shi'a Muslim militant group based in Lebanon, also supplied by Iran, a Shi'a country.  They are a terrorist organization.  "Hezbollah was conceived by Muslim clerics and funded by Iran following the Israeli invasion of Lebanon and was primarily formed to offer resistance to the Israeli occupation. They consider Jews creating Israel as an occupation of the land."  This is why recognition of Israel as the Jewish state is so vital.  It involves security from all the neighboring states.  "Ending Israel's occupation of Southern Lebanon, which lasted for 18 years, was the primary focus of Hezbollah's early activities.   Israel had become militarily involved in Lebanon in combat with the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) in 1982 which had been invited into Lebanon after Black September in Jordan."  

Resource:Oregonian newspaper 5/5/13, page A9; Israeli strike hits research center, Syria says
  http://www.israelhayom.com/site/newsletter_article.php?id=9065
http://www.prokerala.com/travel/distance/from-damascus-syria/to-jerusalem/
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2013/may/03/syria-opposition-50-killed-massacre
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bashar_al-Assad
http://www.biography.com/people/saddam-hussein-9347918
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hezbollah
update: 5/5/13 http://www.jewishpress.com/news/breaking-news/israel-attacks-again-explosions-shake-damascus-video/2013/05/05/