Why Have The Oslo Accords Failed?

Nadene Goldfoot

Rabin and Arafat's Dealings

Agreement between Israel and a future Palestine came to fruition August 20, 1993. Rabin, Arafat and Clinton negotiated.

According to the agreement, Israel withdrew from the Gaza Strip and the West Bank and the Arabs had a right of self-government. The Palestinian government was to last for a five-year period. Major issues such as Jerusalem would be decided at a permanent status negotiation that was to come in 1996. They signed a mutual recognition paper. Rockets were fired into Israel intensely starting in 2000 by the terrorists.

The Knesset's left wing supported this agreement while the right wing opposed them, and after a two-day discussion they voted with 61 for the decision, 50 against and 8 abstained.

Palestinians were also divided. Fatah was the group in the negotiations and they accepted while Hamas was against it. They refused to recognize Israel's right to exist in what they called Palestine, which was including the land Israel was on. The fact is that there never was a country of Palestine at all, just an area that Rome had renamed to erase Jewish presence.

On Sept 12, 2005 Israel withdrew completely from the Gaza Strip. Abbas was given authority. In twelve days Hamas fired rockets at Israel. By 2007 896 rockets and 740 mortar shells were fired from Gaza onto Israel. Many Israelis were continuously killed and injured between 1993 and 2000 by terrorists.

One can see that Hamas took over Gaza, winning their elections in 2006, and chased Fatah out into the West Bank. No group speaks for all of "Palestine". For eight years Hamas shelled Israel with rockets leading to Israel's Operation Cast Lead operation. Abbas has been very weak in his leadership. When violence increased against Israelis, the Palestinian Authority did not stop these attacks and instead endorsed them. Operation Cast Lead started on Dec 27, 2008. 1,571 rockets and 1,531 mortar shells had been fired into Israel by Hamas.

Earlier they had turned their guns on Israelis in clashes which left 61 Palestinians and 15 Israeli soldiers dead. Arafat stated among Palestinians that he compared the accord to the Hudaibiya agreement that Muhammad signed with the sons of the tribe of Quraish as a way of justifying signing them. This meant that they were signed not in good faith but as an appeasement.

Israel, on the other hand, refrained from building new towns or villages although the agreement did not stipulate such a ban. It did expand towns already there as the Arabs had not accepted the accords. More people were allowed to move into the towns in Judea and Samaria so that the population grew by about 10,000 each year. Note that all this time the accords were not in effect as the Palestinians did not accept them. Israel was not going to sit around and wait and do nothing. Israel learned quickly not to trust the Palestinians as they were divided and not being compliant. Attacks on Israel had intensified right after the signing and continued.

What the Palestinians have not figured out is that their fears were realized due to their own hatred. Israel did not dismantle their towns in Judea and Samaria for their Palestine to be created and it did expand with more people and more building simply because the Arabs could not come into agreement to recognize Israel and not attack them.

Who are you going to blame? Israel was being compliant even though almost half of their country feared the move. Israel wanted peace. After all, they've been fighting hatred and attacks since their inception. They're living in a very violent and dangerous neighborhood.

As of February 10, 2009, just last year, rocket fire continued from Gaza. The Islamic Jihad admitted that a Palestinian was killed while approaching Gaza's border fence with Israel as he was on his way to attack Israelis. On the 1st of February twelve rockets and mortars were fired into Israel. Hamas said they didn't fire them but they didn't stop them, either. And so it continues.

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

http://www.johnstonarchive.net/terroristm/terrisrael-4.html

Biden's Saying Palestinians Deserve a Viable State

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Reference: Yahoo News.

Israel's New Plans for East Jerusalem That Shook America

by Nadene Goldfoot

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

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

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

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

1. To those who purchased apartments

2. To contractors and those with building permits

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Wikipedia on Ramat Shlomo-added 3/10/10

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

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

Hamas Cited Clashes in Jerusalem

I was appalled to read this information about what has just happened in one of the most important places in Jerusalem. It's the first place I visited upon reaching Jerusalem back in 1980.

Hundreds of young Palestinians threw rocks at Jews who were praying at the Western Wall in Jerusalem on Friday, March 5th. Israel's police had to evacuate the worshippers. Violence was so bad that the police had to use tear gas and stun grenades to stop the stone-throwers. Then, they had to enter the Temple Mount compound to quell things. 18 policemen and 13 Palestinians were injured in the melee.

Hamas instigated the clashes. The stone-throwers were waving Hamas flags at the scene. They're backed by Iran. Ismail Haniyeh, Hamas leader in Gaza, urged Palestinians last week to a new intifada because Israel decided to include two holy sites in the West Bank as part of a plan to preserve Israel's national heritage and religious sites. They weren't going to keep Palestinians away from these sites, just did this to be able to fund upkeep. The Palestinians and Jordanians have failed to protect our holy sites there.

The Palestinians reacted with saying: "Jerusalem is ours, the land is ours, and God is with us. We will not accept these decisions and they will no ramifications".

Mitchell from the USA arrives there on the March 6th in the evening in order to restart negotiations between Israel and the PA. Too bad that he can't stick around for a month or two and see what it's like to live with Hamas in the area.

Resource: The Israel Project-fact sheet: Palestinians fail to protect Jewish sacred places press@theisraelproject.org

Gas Masks For Israelis

Nadene Goldfoot

I just read that Israel started passing out gas masks to its 7 million citizens yesterday. I'm choked up and am starting to cry. For a people to have to prepare this way is a sad thing, but I'm glad they are realistic and are trying to save their people. They figure it'll take them three years to get them all supplied with this basic necessity.

They are preparing just in case an attack should come from Iran or other neighboring countries. This isn't the first time they've had to do this. Everyone was prepared with masks in 1991, but the expiration date has gone for those, and new ones are needed.

I remember that my cousin, Stanley Goldfoot of Jerusalem, refused to wear one. Whatever his reason was, he's now deceased so won't have to be bothered. They had to seal one room up with tape to use as a special shelter.

I just hope and pray that the day will never come that they would have to use these masks.

Reference: CanadaEast.com
Telegraph-Journal
Times & Transcript
The Daily Gleaner

Hamas Leader Mahmoud Maabhouh Assassinated

Nadene Goldfoot

A terrorist has been assassinated by someone. Israel's Mossad is being accused. He was assassinated in the first part of February, and it just made the news as a big event yesterday, so it's taken more than two weeks to be talked about. Mahmoud Mabhouh, Hamas leader was in Dubai at the time.

As it turns out, Dubai had terrific security and 11 people are dubbed the killers of which 6 of them were holding Israeli passports that were stolen. Would Mossad frame their own citizens for this deed?

My feeling is that Mossad does a better job than this bungled operation has been handled. They're being framed by British operatives. Every country has their network of spies, some of which are double agents or maybe even triple. Up till now, Mossad has been the most skillful operation. Israel gets blamed for everything, and this may just be another set-up. The difference is that Israel has a darn good reason to feel less regret about this death. We don't rejoice over deaths of anyone, even people that have done us harm. That lesson was learned in the exodus from Egypt.

Israel wasn't the only country who wanted to see this terrorist's demise. He was getting missiles from the Iranians which could have hit Tel Aviv, and there would have been one great war after that would have happened. It's possible that Arab governments don't want to get that involved. Then again, Israel doesn't want missiles to get into Hamas hands in Gaza and destroy it's 6 million citizens. Even a rival Palestinian group could have been the assassinators. Jordan and Egypt have been looking for him for a long time.

Dubai is the center of buying arms. Mabhouh lives in Damascus, Syria. He was on a buying mission. It's bad enough that Iran has threatened to wipe Israel off the map and just as bad if not worse if Hamas gets some of their deadly weapons. They're a loose cannon and a wildly irresponsible emotional terrorist band.

I didn't think that Israelis were allowed into an Arab country like Dubai. I know we can visit Egypt, but thought that was it. Of course, some of our Israelis are Arabs and they are citizens

Reference: The Israel Project press@theisraelproject.org. by Tom Gross

Arms For Israel

Nadene Goldfoot

First off, most of the money from the United States to Israel has been in the form of loans which Israel has paid back. What hasn't had to be paid back has been in the form of grants.

The first arms sale by the U.S. government to Israel was in 1962 by J.F. Kennedy. This was in response to the fact that Israel discovered that Egypt could have as many as 100 ground-to-ground missiles ready by the end of 1962. A leading German scientist named Professor Wolfgang Pilz wrote to the Egyptian director of a rocket factory that he was in kahoots with that 900 missiles were to be built and that they could be fit with gas, chemical or biological warheads.

Needless to say, Israel was most worried. John F. Kennedy decided to supply Israel with defensive ground-to-air missiles capable of stopping aircraft, but not the Egyptian offensive missiles.

Then Kennedy was assassinated in 1963.

The next war with the Arabs came in 1967. LBJ was of a different ilk. His sympathy was for the oil corporations and friendship with Arabs was more powerful than the Democratic party's traditional support for the Jews. So just like what happened in 1956, our American spies told secrets they knew about Israel's military to the Arabs. The UN had abandoned Israel when Egypt attacked her. Israelis fought alone and defeated the entire armies of the United Arabs in six days. It was then in 1967 that they were able to liberate the old city of Jerusalem and touch the Western wall of the temple for the first time. Many wept. Our "friends" had turned on us and yet we survived incredible odds.

Nixon, a Republican, surprised us all in 1969 by being a generous arms supplier to Israel. Selling Israel arms means that Israel pays back money for these. It's business. Nixon had been involved in the spy, Allen Dulles's program to help Arabs get missiles to use against Israel which was started in 1953. Dulles had an ex-Nazi friend, General Gehlen, and asked him to send men to Egypt to train soldiers for Nasser. They sent over Nazi war criminals and paid them with CIA money.

There has been a tremendous amount of treachery against Israel even before it's rebirth in 1948, but despite so many people conniving against this little country, it has managed to survive the odds against it. Finally we have come to the day where oil might not be the #1 important and coveted commodity making Israel expendable to politicians and profiteers, many of which have been both. Wind has been re-discovered as an energy. Electricity is more important now. There would be hope both for Israel's survival and for the planet's survival except for Iran's announcements of wanting Israel off the face of the earth and coming into the atomic age with 20% strength uranium warning us that they now can have atomic missiles but of coarse choose not to. This just doesn't gel with their declarations of hatred towards Israel and their defiance of not complying with the world's declaration of not wanting them to be in the atomic weapons business. Knowing just how treacherous and deceitful leaders of nations have been towards Israel, I don't trust anyone. What they say and what they want are two different things. I just hope we'll have a missile to counter an Iranian incoming missile that we can direct.

Reference: "The Secret War Against the Jews" by John Loftus and Mark Aarons

Israel in Winter Olympics 2010

Nadene Goldfoot

When you think of Israel, you think of a hot country. It does have its high points with snow at Mt. Meron where skiing is possible even though it is such a teeny country. Israel is entering the winter olympics in Vancouver with Roman and Alexandra Zaretsky in ice skating and Mikahil Ranzin who is an alpine skier.

I see the surname "Zaretsky" on my family tree on the branch of my cousin's wife. The lady goes back to 1865 to Chernobl, Russia. We'll be sure to cheer for them. I was in Vancouver skiing a long time ago. I remember the great atmosphere and excitement of skiing there.

Israel entered the Winter Olympics in 1994. In the year 2002 they came in 6th in ice skating. With my family cheering, maybe we'll take a prize.

Iran Thumbs Nose At World in 2010

by Nadene Goldfoot

On February 9th we were notified that Iran has escalated their uranium to 20% purity at their Natanz nuclear plant. That will lead to producing weapons-grade uranium. Who said they weren't interested in making weapons?

The USA's reaction to this news is to plan to develop new, more robust sanctions against Iran in the coming weeks. It doesn't sound to me like we're in a hurry to do so. Evidently what sanctions we've had weren't impressing the Iranians at all.

We have now passed sanctions targeting U.S. companies that provide refined oil to Iran. Both the House and the Senate bill won approval. I am shocked that up till now we have been allowing this to happen. What type of 4 rounds of sanctions have we had up till now? Forbidding Hershey bars to be sold to Iran? We sure haven't shook them up.

Evidently we've been trying to get support from others on the UN Security Council for this 5th round of sanctions which so far haven't been doing the job. We've had support from France and Russia but not China. My feeling is that China is the closest to Iran and doesn't want to irritate them. Besides themselves, China really doesn't want anything to harm the USA because they will never get repaid on their loans to us if we're attacked, and they feel the USA is safely far enough away from Iran. Only Israel is in harm's way, and they have no emotional or financial ties with her.

The only reason I see that Iran wants nuclear weapons is to shoot a nuclear warhead at Israel and destroy her completely. Of course they would then be the head country in the Middle East. They had had a bloody war with Iraq when I lived in Israel from 1980-1985, so are not adverse to attacking other neighbors. They're not of the same stock. They are not Arabs.

Long ago Haman, a head politician in Iran, which was then Persia, plotted and almost succeeded in killing every Jewish person in the land. In the end the tables were turned and he and all his sons were hung. I say that Iranian politicians like Ahmadinejad had better watch out or they might blow up their own country. Before he came into power Israel was getting along quite well with the Shah of Iran. This new religious power is not even listening to their own people. They need a Mordecai to step up to the plate and save them!

Even the Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank should be worrying along with Israel. After all, they are in the line of fire. You can't attack Israel without hitting these places on the border. Jordan should be worried also as well as Lebanon. I see Iran feeling these small states are expendable, though. Their goal to destroy Israel is their main thrust that they think about.

Gosh! Iran may have to use their own oil for gasoline. Think of that! I really don't think this round of sanctions is going to do the job. Now maybe if we withdrew all our McDonald's, someone might think about what they're doing.....The closer they're getting to destroy Israel, the more they feel that sacrifice is called for. It's going to take more than sanctions, I'm afraid.

Resource: http://www.theisraelproject.org/

USA Arms Middle East For Profit

Nadene Goldfoot

Our adjoining neighbor, Egypt, has signed a peace treaty with Israel. Their last war was in 1967, when all surrounding countries attacked Israel, and Israel survived and won. Saudi Arabia did not sign.

That hasn't stopped the United States from arming the Saudis and providing them with better and better weaponry. In 1981 they sold them AWACS radar planes. They also bought advanced systems from Britain and France. Their reason they said was to defend themselves against the Soviet Union. Even Henry Kissenger mentioned that it was silly to think these would only be used against Russia and not Israel. I am shocked that anyone would buy such logic. Of course it was to use against Israel.

After 9/11, new sales have continued "to fight a war on terror." I note that the terrorists from 9/11 were Saudi Arabians! They bought F-15s, laser-guided "smart-bombs" and other advanced weapons, things that would be useful against Israel but not al-Qaida, a group they most likely contribute to. Our Bush administration okayed these sales. Of course, the Saudis were his friends. Not only Saudi Arabia were buyers, but also Egypt and the United Arab Emirates.

Interestingly, even after buying billions of dollars worth of weapons, USA had to come to the Saudis rescue in 1991. Now they're saying they are important to use against Iran.

Ehud Barak has asked the USA went from Israel to Washington to discuss this situation. Michael Oren has said that the Obama Administration is going to act to correct this problem. In 1968 the USA sold Israel Phantom jets. Ten years later with Jimmy Carter, Israel's enemy neighbors were supplied with weapons. Advanced fighter planes were sold to Egypt and Saudi Arabia. More and more supplies have gone to Arab states. This is happening at a time when USA has had to borrow money from China to survive. We just promised Haiti a lot of money. I don't know where it all is coming from being our coffers are about empty. I suppose we'll just borrow more and more. Or, is the thinking that the sale will bring in a cash cow? Selling weapons has been making a lot of money.

It seems that either our USA doesn't care who it sells to or is aware of the repercussions in order to make a buck, or they're playing some sort of chess game, depending on who is in office.

Saudi Arabia is the country with the most oil, and therefore the most money. They also are probably the most religious, and object the most to Israel's presence, causing the other countries to join in the rebellion. They converted people to their religion with their swords. They're still trying to rule the world with weaponry.

I wouldn't be surprised if someday we find out that the Saudis have bought the ability to buy weaponry from individuals who are dollar hungry and sympathetic. It has happened in the past and probably is being played out today as well. It's sad when we have high ideals, but they're not followed by everyone. History has a habit of repeating.

Reference: Michell Bard #349: Is the US Maintaining Israel's Qualitative Edge?

How Jews Got Balfour's Help

Nadene Goldfoot

After the Ottoman Empire fell in WWI, the whole empire was divided up between the French and the English. The English won because a Jewish man, Chaim Weimann invented artificial acetone, which was the chief ingredient in cordite-a smokeless gun powder. This enabled the British to mass produce gunpowder for the war and to win against Germany. The Ottoman Empire had sided with Germany, and the axis lost everything.

The promise was that Israel would be created where it had originally been. At this time there were about 85,000 to 100,000 Jews living in Palestine where the land of Israel had been. Most of the Arabs living there had migrated in the past 30 years because they were attracted by jobs offered by Jews who were building and farming. Jews had immigrated in large numbers in 1882 when only 250,000 Arabs were living there. Arabs mostly were a migratory people.

In 1917 Earl Arthur Balfour, foreign secretary, promised British support with the Balfour Doctrine. Previously in 1906, they had a conversation about an offer he had made in 1903 to take Uganda instead of Israel, even though at that time the Ottomans still controlled the Middle East.

Weizmann asked Balfour, "Would you take Paris over London?
Balfour replied, "But we already have London". He meant that Jews should take whatever they could get, and that beggers couldn't be choosers.
Weizmann retorted back, "Mr. Balfour, the Jews had Jerusalem when London was a marsh."

What Balfour didn't know was that we all had made a promise ever since the fall of Jerusalem in 70AD by the Roman attack was that we would not forget it, lest we would lose our right hand. Being of this generation, I haven't forgotten and neither have my peers. Uganda? Not a chance. If Americans suddenly lost the USA, I wonder how long future generations would remember and crave Washington DC?

Balfour's promise was watered down so badly that one can hardly recognize it. We did not receive the parcel of land promised, but just a piece of the pie. Other Arab rulers were able to feather their nests around 1932 and get nations like Iraq and Saudi Arabia. We had to wait until May 1948, and even at that had to fight the minute we announced our statehood to keep it. So much for broken promises.

Slinging Mud on Jerusalem, King David's City

Nadene Goldfoot

Israel has a rough road to hoe when friendly nations like England put out distorted programs creating history to suit themselves and to salve Muslim's ideas and goals. We've had a few programs about Israel ourselves on CNN that were more than disappointing. Yet it's a station I've been watching a lot during the Haitian earthquake because they've been doing the best job. One criticism I have of them is that they only mentioned Israel's aid in about a 5 second segment. They could have done more. NBC did better yesterday. Even good stations can do sloppy and slanted programs and cause much more harm than they help. Israel may be one of the smallest nations in the world, but gets more reporters than anyone.

BBC has created a 30 minute program called "Panorama" where they have interpreted international law themselves which dissolves any connection Jews have to Jerusalem, especially before 1948.

"The only time that the eastern part of Jerusalem was exclusively Arab was between 1949 and 1967, and that was because Jordan occupied the area and forcibly expelled all the Jews." This is from Historian Michael Bard, someone I know is accurate.

When listening and reading historical books, one has to be aware of the authorship and what goals the author may have. So much can be distorted. I doubt if they have ever read "From Time Immemorial" the origins of the Arab-Jewish conflict over Palestine by Joan Peters. She was a reporter who was researching to defend Palestinian Arabs and came across so much information to the contrary that her book backs the claims of Jews in Israel completely. She's not the only researcher, either. I beg people in England and the United States to read and investigate on their own and be aware of authors. Read Victor Sharpe's Politicide book I and book II, which will soon come out.

http://www.honestreporting.co.uk/articles/critiques/new/BBC_Denying_Jewish_Jerusalem.asp

Doctors From Israel in Haiti

Nadene Goldfoot

Since Haiti's huge earthquake, Israel was one of the first groups to get there and help. They set up a great field hospital and started doing operations right away. They arrived from a greater distance than others and came with all the right tools for their doctors. I saw on CNN just after arriving that they had already done 10 operations.

Israel is well organized and are of the mindset to do quickly what is necessary. They delivered a baby to a victim they pulled out of the rubble. She named it "Israel".

As for Israel’s relief efforts to Haiti, they include the following: A field hospital, the only hospital in operation, with 40 doctors, 25 nurses, paramedics, a pharmacy, a children's ward, a radiology department, an intensive care unit, an emergency room, two operating rooms, a surgical department, an internal department and a maternity ward. The hospital can treat approximately 500 patients each day, and in addition will perform preliminary surgeries. A search-and-rescue team, which has rescued about five people from under the rubble, 220 personnel in total. Dozens of truckloads of medical and logistical equipment came with them.

Saudi Arabia, on the other hand, one of the richest countries in the world, has sent a message of condolence to Haitian President René Préval.

 Some Arab countries have “pledged” help, such as $1 million pledged from both Kuwait and Morocco, and the United Arab Emirates says it will “shortly” send a plane with humanitarian assistance. Qatar, with the third largest gas reserves and the second highest GDP per capita in the world, has dispatched 50 metric tons of aid to the hundreds of thousands of homeless and injured Haitians.

Latest reports are that the IDF Medical Corps have treated some 200 injured people in Haiti, performed ten life-saving surgeries and saved the lives of 140 others. On Sunday night, a resident of Port-au-Prince gave birth to a boy at the Israeli field hospital. In appreciation and gratitude, his mother decided to name her new son “Israel” in honor of the country that helped her. See video of new Haitian baby "Israel" and of IDF Rescue of Man in Haiti

The director of the Haiti field hospital, Col. Dr. Itzik Reis, explained that the IDF delegation is also giving assistance "to people from emergency crews from all over the world, who simply are not capable of dealing with everyone who needs help and giving them treatment. For example, when we understood that the Dominican team is not set up to provide full treatment, we created an order by which they stabilize the patients and we give them the remainder of the treatment.”

Other Israeli relief operations in Haiti include: A six-man ZAKA rescue unit, which worked for 38 consecutive hours and succeeded in pulling eight students alive from the rubble of the collapsed university. IsraAID, which sent a planeload of food and medical equipment. "Latet" (To Give) – a 15-member mission to Haiti, including three physicians, three nurses, and three paramedics.

Mike Huckabee, who is so nice on Fox News, failed to give credit to Israel's help when praising the USA's endeavors and criticized the rest of the world. I saw about a 10 second spot showing Israel's accomplishments on Fox News, but I guess he misssed it.

Resource: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yz44iZKUMng.

Dorice Horenstein

Hillel Fendel

Abbas's Unreasonable Threats

Nadene Goldfoot

Abbas of the Palestinians is quick to threaten Israel. He is telling Washington that if Israel doesn't agree to halt settlement growth, the Palestinians will demand that Washington give Israel the ultimatum and declare an endgame.

By this I take it that he means he wants a decision by Washington about the borders of Israel, the refugee issue of allowing all the Palestinians into Israel and the final status of Palestine decided already.

It sounds like these are not to be discussed between Israel and Abbas, but that Washington should make a decree in Palestinian Abbas's favor.

Now, I haven't seen anything like the Palestinian people stopping the bombardments against Israel after the past 62 years. In fact, I keep reading about them happening. I haven't noticed the terrorists swearing allegiance to Abbas saying that he's their leader. I haven't read a thing about them deciding to create a peaceful state and live in harmony with Israel. I haven't noticed them offering a thing to Israel other than death. Abbas is a true Chutzpadick.

http://www.dailynews.lk/2010/01/18/wld02.asp

Ashkelon Under Attack Again

Nadene Goldfoot

Thursday evening in Israel the Gazan terrorists were at it again. They fired a rocket towards Ashkelon, Portland, Oregon's sister city. It exploded in some farming fields south of the city. The community was warned by a warning siren that went off. I wonder what had been planted there; onions? potatoes?

Earlier they had fired an anti-tank missile at an IDF force near the security barrier. IDF returned fire, but none were injured.

Before that terrorists had fired ten mortar rounds and three shells which had exploded next to a kibbutz in the Shaar HaNegev Regional Council area. Three shells landed near the Kerem Shalom crossing where humanitarian supplies are shipped daily into the region. After the attack the Defense Ministry had to close the crossing. I'm sure the next news will tell how the Gazans are complaining that supplies are not coming in.

The IAF dropped 520,000 fliers over Gaza telling residents to stay at least 300 meters away from the fence and not to help the smugglers who are smuggling arms into Gaza.

Resource: http://www.israelnationalnews.com/SendMail.aspx?print=print&type=0&item=135422

Problems with Traffic: Look at Israel's Helpful Invention

Nadene Goldfoot

There Israel sits, threatened by Iran with anniliation by atomic warfare, and she continues to create things.

One of her latest is Waze, the ability to shave off time in traffic tie ups that is working for the USA as well as Israel. It blows my mind when I picture those scientists continually coming up with ideas like this start up venture. They create something in every area. I think Professor Edward Bono could learn a few things from them about creative thinking.

By the way, just how do the "Palestinians" spend their time?

Reference: AIPAC news from Israel2C http://www.israel21c.org/technology/beat-the-traffic-with-waze

Egypt Building Wall Against Terrorists

Nadene Goldfoot

In 2006 Hamas terrorists took over in Gaza. Now Egypt has joined Israel's thinking by building a wall along the Gaza border to defend Egypt. It's taken four years and they are tired of dealing with these terrorists. There were about 100 protesters when the news came out.

Resource: http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/1138786.html

Young Israeli Rabbi Murdered in Drive-By

by Nadene Goldfoot

A drive by shooting occurred in Israel Thursday where a young rabbi was murdered. Rabbi Meir Avshalom Chai of Shavei Shomron, 40 years old, was hit and killed. He was the father of seven children. This happened in what the general public calls the West Bank. It lies in the Northern Samarian hills so is in what Israelis call Samaria. The West Bank Barrier is planned to enclose on the Israeli side all of the Central-Western Shomron settlements except for the three northernmost, Avnei Hefetz, Einav, and Shavei Shomron, and four Northern Shomron towns, (all the remaining ones other than the two southernmost, Hermesh and Mevo Dotan), but not any of the Mountain Communities. About 20,000 Jews live there, and the area makes up about 10% of Israel.

Israeli Special forces surrounded the Nablus homes of the three Alesa martyrs Brigades operatives in order to arrest them for the murderous attack. The men refused to come out after being called to come out. The terrorist hid in his room and sent his wife out to the soldiers.

In such cases where there is a threat to the troops and a wanted militant refuses to surrender, IDF forces are permitted to open fire in order to neutralize the threat. The risk factor was very high in this operation. The IDF knew that the group that these three belonged to were highly skilled, had firearms and posed a threat.

They followed IDF regulations and first fired protest dispersal ammunition, then fired at the walls, and only lastly fired at the militants. The result was that the troops opened fire and killed them. They can't afford to fool around. Knowing this, a fourth wanted militant turned himself into the Palestinian authorities. Notice here that the Palestinian police were not on top of this as they should have been. It was up to the Israeli soldiers to find these murderers.

In one of the homes, the soldiers found two hidden rifles and two guns. They were taken to the police laboratories to check if they were used in Thursday's attack.

The killers were 38 and 39 years old. One's wife was also wounded in the operation, probably the one sent out by her husband who could have been in the line of fire.

What we see is an Israeli Rabbi murdered in cold blood. The terrorists are using this just as bullies do. They are angry that Israel has punished the killers and are condemning Israel and causing "dangerous escalation" in the West Bank. Israel then gets the blame in the news for self protection.

Interestingly at the same time of this terrible event, passengers on an American airplane were fighting a terrorist of their own who was trying to blow up the plane. One wonders if there was any planned synchonization here, or just an abundance of terrorism happening just before Christmas.

Resource: http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/1137753.html
http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Sattelite?cid=1261364507807&pagename=JPost%2FJPArti
Additional information very worthwhile to read: article by Victor Sharpe
http://www.ruthfullyyours.com/2009/12/25/ehud-baracks-dismal-record-victor-sharpe/
BBC News Sat 26 Dec 2009

Stop Blaming Israel

by Nadene Goldfoot

Some people are blaming the ills of the United States on Israel. They think the whole economic problem we are facing is because we have been backing Israel.

They forget that back when Richard Nixon was president, he said that the United States stands by its friends and that Israel is one of its friends. Even Gerald Ford reaffirmed his commitment to the security and future of Israel because of basic morality as well as enlightened self-interest. He felt the United State’s role in supporting Israel honored our own heritage.

Back then Jimmy Carter said he had a warm and unique relationship of friendship with Israel that was morally right. He stated that it was compatible with our deepest religious convictions and was right in terms of America’s own strategic interests. He said we were committed to Israel’s security, prosperity and future as a land that had so much to offer the world.

Israel has never had to have any American soldiers on their soil in the struggle to fight against terrorism. Instead every able-bodied Israeli has been involved in their own protection. What Israel has had to ask for has been money for weapons. In return Israel has been paying back loans and supplying the USA with everything they can that has been helpful. Not only medical knowlege and advancements but ways of protection against terrorism in airports and other places has been shared with the USA that Israel has been doing.

Ronald Reagan, the Republican, states that Israel was a strategic asset to the United States, something he kept saying even before he was elected. "Only by full appreciation of the critical role the State of Israel plays in our strategic calculus can we build the foundation for thwarting Moscow’s designs on territories and resources vital to our security and our national well-being." He continued: "Since the rebirth oof the State of Israel, there has been an ironclad bond between that democracy and this one. "

George Bush, another Republican stated, "The friendship, the alliance between the United States and Israel is strong and solid, built upon a foundation of shared democratic values, of shared history and heritage, that sustains the life of our two countries. The emotional bond of our people transcends politics. Our strategic cooperation is a source of mutual security. And the United States’ commitment to the security of Israel remains unshakeable. We may differ over some policies from time to time, individual policies, but never over the principle.

Since the Jewish population in the United States is less than six million, it doesn’t explain the depth of the friendship that exists between the two countries. Fewer than 3% of the population could hardly have such a dramatic influence on American foreign policy. The U.S.-Israel alliance is rooted in shared values.

When Soviet Premier Aleksei Kosygin asked Lyndon Johnson why the United States supports Israel when their are 80 million Arabs and only three million Israelis, the President replied simply: "Because it is right."

Have our people forgotten that? Are they that quick to put the blame on Israel? It’s sad to find that this is happening.

Israel is the only other democratic state in the Middle East. It has been an advantage for the USA to have Israel there.

Now there are people who have given up feeling that Israel is a helpmate and would rather blame all our ills on having backed Israel in different ways, like verbally and monetarily. They see no reason that they should exist. The fact that Israel was sanctified by the United Nations in 1948 means nothing to them. They feel that whoever has the might has the right to exist as long as they don’t have to shell out any money to help.

Are we becoming isolationists in that we are having nothing to do with the world? There’s the old adage, do unto others as you would have them do unto you. If we don’t help others, do we expect to be helped? Should China call for full payment right now from us?

Let’s say that there’s nothing in it financially for the United States to back Israel in its right to exist. Renig on our 60 year old friendship. Stop helping Israel out financially. The result will most likely be that Israel will be attacked by the Muslim nations again and they will win. Six Million people will either be slaughtered wholesale or driven out and find themselves homeless again. There will again be no country that will take them in. This happened just before and at the end of WWII. The only country that really allowed Jews to enter was the United States, and at that under certain conditions-that of promised jobs and sponsors that took responsibility for them such as my great uncle and father did. It seems that there have always been quotas on Jews, even to get into medical school or even colleges. Funny thing is that we’ve had way more capable of entering these places and have just had to abide by quotas, keeping very capable and brilliant students out.

What will happen to the USA? They’ve been attacked once on 9/11, but I daresay that will not be the end. The Muslim terrorists will be more brazen and will continue, trying to finish what they had started about 1,000 years ago. They attacked Europe then and there was no Israel then to blame. . It can happen again. One thing that could happen again is anti-semitism in the United States as well as the rest of the world. We’ve all seen and read about this before. When people are down others seem to relish kicking them down even further. It’s been happening in France already.

I was 14 years old when Israel became a state. Now I’m 75 years old and Israel is still struggling to survive and has to dodge missiles. I’m tired of it and I’m not even living in Israel now. Think of how tired Israelis are. It seems that it might just take the Messiah’s presence to stop the attacks so that we can have peace. It is right and just to support a state who have struggled so hard to survive. They could have wiped out a lot more of their enemy if they were just concerned to win no matter how, as some Americans advocate how life should be lived. Israelis have been trying to survive rightously. It wouldn’t hurt to at least pray that they will survive. Right now they're being threatened with atomic warfare by Iran. Would these same people just put their arms out to this enemy and side with them?

I say that the United States has made its own errors that have caused an uproar with the Muslims and has helped to bring about terrorism. Backing Israel may not have helped, but it's not the only reason. Stop blaming only Israel. Israel has been our one good friend. We've been one country that has been paying back loans received from the United States. Besides money, we've shared much more for America's benefit. We're sort of like the Space Program. It was an expensive program and is reaping a lot of technical benefits for doing it. The USA is also reaping benefits from being friends with Israel. What other countries can say that?

The United States was created because Europe lacked a morality that our Pilgrims chose to follow. England had quite a ways to go to give people the freedoms they craved. The United States has been successful because of our differences from the rest of the countries. Our morals have created a strength in the fiber of our people just like the strength and determination found in Israelis. Hopefully, both nations will continue as they are morally good. This must continue.

Settlement Freeze Obama's Take on Situation

"The Obama diplomacy had made a settlement freeze its starting point, when this was precisely the wrong place to begin.

Nadene Goldfoot
Israel has given up settlements before at the altar of peace—recall the historical accommodation with Egypt a quarter century ago. The right course would have set the question of settlements aside as it took up the broader challenge of radicalism in the region—the menace and swagger of Iran, the arsenal of Hamas and Hezbollah, the refusal of the Arab order of power to embrace in broad daylight the cause of peace with Israel."

To me this shows that whatever is said to the Muslim Palestinian terrorists doesn't matter. Obama offered them the moon and they haven't changed their opinion of him or the United States or certainly of Israel. They have a one track mind-to overthrow Israel and that's it. Their agenda is in operation and no one will change them.

Israel is in peril and has been under attack for the past eight years from Gaza, a place we gave up in order to have peace. Our leaving only gave them more room to attack. We are still being shot at from other surrounding Muslim areas. We have been protecting ourselves despite all odds and Obama asks us to put ourselves in more peril by giving up more of our tiny precious pieces of Israel even including the heart of Jerusalem without any preconditions. To ask us to give up any part of Jerusalem is absolutely a slap in the face, a disregard for our culture and history, and even survival. Who in their right mind thinks that Jerusalem and Jews do not go together like apple pie and ice cream. We swore long ago that if we forgot Jerusalem we would give up our right hand.

Now Netanyahu has had to agree to a ten month freeze on even building a porch on an apartment or home in the Judea-Samaria area others call the West Bank or Settlements. Who in Portland, Oregon would agree to not be able to do such a thing to their home?

I ask: if Vancouver, WA attacks Portland, OR and loses in their attack, what punishment is incurred? Portland will take Vancouver. The point is-don't attack in the first place. That's what happened to Israel. All the surrounding nations attacked Israel in 1967 and they lost. Israel survived. Israel then gained a part of the orginal tract of land back that was in the plan to be part of Israel in the first place which was created by Britain. The greedy bullies had lost. Ever since 1967, there has been no peace pact reached with the Muslims. They want all or nothing. Therefore, Israel has the land and should be able to do as it wishes on it, like build a porch to a house! Why does Israel have to agree to a building freeze when the Muslims agree to nothing, least of all, Peace. Here we have Netanyahu bending backwards for peace, and what are the Arabs doing? Probably using the interim to stock up in arms.

In the meantime, we see Iran demonstrating how tough they are and what they can do to Israel and the United States. Kow-towing is only giving them the brazeness they need to take braver steps towards our destruction.

Reference: Wall Street Journal, opinion piece by Fouad Ajami, Foreign Policy Expert of John Hopkins Prof, "The Arabs Have Stopped Applauding Obama" 11/29/09.