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| Sunday, Nov 16 '08, Cheshvan 18, 5769 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
1. Report: Obama Favors 1949 Border by Maayana Miskin  United States President-Elect Barack Obama will support the Saudi Initiative for peace between Israel and Arab nations, the British Sunday Times reported Sunday. Obama told Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas, “The Israelis would be crazy not to accept this initiative,” according to the Times. The initiative calls on Israel to withdraw completely to its 1949 borders in exchange for normalized relations with Arab League countries. It includes a full retreat from the eastern half of Jerusalem, including the Temple Mount, and from the strategic Golan Heights in northern Israel. The Saudi Plan has won limited support from President Shimon Peres, who says it could be used to launch negotiations. Other senior politicians and defense officials have dismissed the plan, saying it wold compromise Israel's security. Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni and Defense Minister Ehud Barak, the heads of the Kadima and Labor parties, have not ruled out the Saudi Initiative completely. However, neither has expressed willingness to give away the Temple Mount or major Israeli population centers located east of Israel's 1949 borders. Approximately 600,000 Israeli citizens live in the areas, including eastern neighborhoods of Jerusalem, demanded for the PA under the Saudi plan. The plan also calls on Israel to find a solution for the plight of millions of foreign Arabs who claim descent from those who fled Israel during the War of Independence. They are considered refugees by Arab governments and continually have been denied citizenship in their countries of birth. While proponents of the plan have welcomed the plan as a chance to deal with the refugees without granting them Israeli citizenship, some Arab leaders have warned that any alternative to allowing the millions to “return” to Israel is unacceptable. PA-based terrorist groups such as Hamas and Islamic Jihad are among those who insist that every Arab who identifies as a descendant of a former resident of Israel be allowed to live in Israel. Abbas: Retreat or War Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas addressed a letter to PA Arabs on Saturday saying Israel must retreat to its 1949 borders or face war. “The passage of years... will not force us to abandon or surrender a single inch,” of Judea, Samaria or Jerusalem, Abbas said in the letter, which was published by PA media. The letter was sent in honor of PA “Independence Day.” While the PA does not rule an independent country, it celebrates “independence” each year in honor of the PA having declared itself an independent entity 20 years ago. Comment on this story 2. IAF Ends 4 Gaza Rocket Launchers by Hana Levi Julian  Israel Air Force fighter pilots attacked a rocket-launching terrorist cell near Gaza City on Sunday immediately following an early morning Kassam attack on the western Negev. Four senior members of the Popular Resistance Committees (PRC) terrorist group’s Salah al-Din Brigades were killed and six people were wounded in the air strike. PRC spokesman Abu Mujahed confirmed the kill in a statement, saying, “The occupation has harmed us and is killing our people, and we realize that the war has been reopened and that the enemy must prepare for a response.” An IDF spokesman said pilots had attacked terrorists as they were placing rockets on launchers. Rocket Attack Sunday Morning, No Injuries Earlier, Gaza terrorists launched a double Kassam rocket attack on the western Negev in an apparent response to a warning by Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni less than 12 hours earlier that Israel would protect its citizens. There were no reports of casualties or damage. Both rockets exploded in open areas near a kibbutz in the Eshkol Regional Council district. “There are times when Israel must say, ‘Enough is enough,’ she told participants at a conference in Tel Aviv Saturday night. “If Israeli civilians are attacked, Israel will respond in force to protect them,” she said, adding that the government would not tolerate “repeated breaches of the ceasefire.” The temporary truce, or tahadiyeh (“lull” in Arabic), which is technically set to end on December 19, began on June 19 and has been broken dozens of times since then, although most of the attacks were usually confined to launches of one or two rockets. Prime Minister Ehud Olmert said Friday the government would keep the Gaza crossings closed and increase pressure on the Hamas terrorist organization that controls the region to resume the ceasefire. However, he did not specify how that goal would be accomplished. Truce or Dare from Gaza The statements came following a 12-day period in which more than 130 mortar shells, Kassams, and Grad Katyusha rockets had been fired at southern Israel. More than a dozen people, including children, suffered from severe emotional trauma and at least one elderly woman was taken to the hospital with shrapnel wounds and a heart attack. The intensified barrages of rocket fire began after the IDF entered central Gaza to destroy a tunnel that had been dug close to the security barrier for use by terrorists during a planned attack in which they hoped to abduct another Israeli soldier. Kidnapped IDF soldier Gilad Shalit is still being held captive by Hamas terrorists in Gaza since he was abducted during a raid near the Kerem Shalom Crossing, similar to that which intelligence sources warned was imminent. Following a barrage of 16 rockets and a mortar shell that slammed into southern Israel on Friday, IDF Chief of General Staff Lt.-Gen. Gabi Ashkenazi and Defense Minister Ehud Barak met with senior security staff to discuss the situation. Little was said coming out of the meeting, other than a brief statement delivered by the Defense Minister, who commented that Israel would consider it a positive sign “if the Gaza factions want to resume the truce.” He warned that if the attacks continue, the response from the Jewish State would be “harsh and painful.” Comment on this story  3. Ashkelon Residents: Crush Terror by Gil Ronen  Ashkelon's residents will not remain quiet and wait for the government and army to protect them, said Itamar Shimoni, head of the coastal city's security forum, after Ashkelon was shaken Friday morning by a barrage of five Grad Katyusha missiles fired from Gaza. "I hereby announce to the Defense Minister that we will not be cannon fodder," he said. "We will not wait quietly for seven bad years like Sderot did." "If missiles continue to fall, we will seal the gates to the city and set the country on fire until the terror in Gaza is crushed," he warned. Barak: I am not Minister of War Defense Minister Ehud Barak responded to the latest attacks on the Gaza Belt and Ashkelon with subdued warnings but no timetables. Speaking at an academic conference held in Neve Ilan, he called the situation "unbearable" and "one that must not be allowed to continue," adding that "the IDF and the security establishment have the ability to act against Hamas and additional external elements in Gaza." "It is possible," he said, "that when the time comes there will be a need for a large scale operation, because we cannot accept a prolonged violation of the lull." Barak added, however, that "hotheadedness is not policy" and said, "I am a Minister of Defense, not of War," reminding his audience that "we saw two years ago what consequences a hurried decision has for Israel's security" - a reference to the Second Lebanon War. Politicians Slam Barak Politicians from right-of-center parties did not spare Barak their lashes following the latest attacks by Gaza terrorists on Israeli communities. MK Gilad Erdan (Likud) called upon Barak to ignore the "lull" with Hamas and strike terror leaders. "It is clear today that Tzipi Livni, who claims to represent 'what is good for Israel' [in her election campaign slogan - ed has led to the ascendance of Hamas and the unceasing rocket fire on southern Israel and the Negev," Erdan said. MK Yuval Shteinitz (Likud) said: "Only a different leadership, that will stop groveling before the terror organizations and states like Syria that support them, can gradually improve the situation." MK David Rotem (Yisrael Beiteinu) called Barak's policy "irresponsible" and demanded that shipments of fuel and goods to Gaza be stopped "once and for all." The National Union/National Religious Party released a statement reading: "All of our warnings before the Disengagement are coming true, unfortunately." The party asked why the government of Israel continues supplying electricity, fuel and water to the abductors of Gilad Shalit. Comment on this story 4. Olmert: 'Not Eager to Fight' by Hana Levi Julian  Prime Minister Ehud Olmert opened the Cabinet meeting on Sunday morning with a quiet warning to Hamas terrorists that Israeli tolerance for rocket fire from Gaza is waning. “We are not eager to fight,” he told Cabinet ministers, but we do not fear a battle. In any event, we shall not tolerate the price tag the terror organizations are attempting to set.” Olmert pointed out that the end of the ceasefire came after repeated violations by terrorists in Gaza, despite Israel’s restraint. Twelve days ago, Israel finally responded to what it said was an intolerable violation of the agreement and destroyed a tunnel that had been prepared for the purpose of kidnapping another IDF soldier. “The terror organizations have led to the collapse of the truce,” said Olmert, “and have created a situation of ongoing violence, and are trying time after time to thwart the tahadiyeh (“lull” in Arabic –ed.) whether in the tunnels or by firing Grad and Kassam missiles or by attempting to target IDF soldiers near the fence on the border between us and Gaza.” However, Olmert stopped short of saying there would be a massive response to the attacks, noting “I know there is a lot of anger and the blood is boiling, but the government headed by myself has operated composedly, using judgment… and this is what will happen this time as well.” Not all ministers agreed with Olmert’s attitude, including the Hamas terrorists who control Gaza and who are behind the attacks. Hamas spokesman Fawzi Barhum told Hebrew-language newspaper Yediot Acharonot, “The side violating the truce time after time is the Israeli side operating on Palestinian territory and killing Palestinians from the air.” The terrorist group’s spokesman made it clear that from Gaza’s viewpoint, the truce was over, and blamed Israeli air strikes on rocket launchers for the violence. “The Israeli threats and the Israeli operations will not prevent Hamas and the other organizations from responding. We won’t live in puddles of blood and with body remains while the Israelis enjoy the truce.” Religious Affairs Minister Yitzchak HaLevi Cohen told reporters just before entering the Cabinet chambers, “I don’t believe in the “lull.” We must operate intensively from the air against the tunnels, against the terror headquarters and against the strength accumulated by Hamas – and then discuss Israel’s policy.” He was joined by Shas Minister of Industry, Trade and Labor, Eli Yishai. Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni, considered a strong candidate for prime minister in the upcoming general elections scheduled for February 10, told a meeting of Kadima ministers prior to the meeting bluntly that “the truce is being violated. This is a fact.” Livni added that the government had long known that the terrorists could not be relied upon to keep their word, “and therefore we set clear rules that would serve as our condition for an agreement – it will be calm on the Israeli side only if it’s calm on the Palestinian side…. We have said that if they fire, Israel will respond immediately. As for the nature of the response, the army must present us with the options.” Comment on this story  5. Meimad-Meretz Merger Maybe by Hillel Fendel  Minister Without Portfolio Ami Ayalon quits the sinking ship of Labor, and is considering running in Meretz’s new left-wing party – with the religious-left Meimad. At a Sunday morning press conference in Tel Aviv, Ayalon attacked Labor Party leader Ehud Barak – “I cannot work to convince people to vote for Labor, or to vote for Barak as Prime Minister” – and said that Labor is a party “that one must not be a member of.” “To reach a high place in Labor, one must not express any real opinions,” Ayalon charged. Ayalon did not say what party he is joining, but hinted broadly that he will be running in one framework or another together with the far-left Meretz party. The Yisrael HaYom daily reports that as the deadline for registering new parties in time for the coming elections, Ayalon plans to run as head of the left-wing religious Meimad party, as part of the Meretz ticket. Meimad Shock The report, which has not been denied in Meimad, comes as somewhat of a shock to the religious public. Meimad was founded in 1988, and was largely allied with the National Religious Party; its leaders even endorsed the NRP prior to the 1996 elections. It broke off from the NRP in 1998, became an independent political party in 1999, and ran together with Labor on the One Israel list. Sources within Meimad told Israel National News that “there are contacts” between Meimad and Meretz, but would not elaborate. A spokesman for party leader MK Rabbi Michael Melchior added only, “There is nothing to relate to at present, other than media speculation.” Meimad Platform Meimad’s platform states that in a “final agreement on Judea and Samaria… no foreign army is to cross the Jordan River, and Jerusalem is to be under Israeli sovereignty” – two points that are foreign to the Meretz platform. Just a year ago, outgoing Meretz party chief Yossi Beilin wrote, “Continued declarations of a ‘united Jerusalem’ are just empty slogans... It's time to… reach a final status agreement that would allow the Palestinians to found a state alongside Israel with its capital in East Jerusalem.” Ayalon's Zig-Zags In September 2007, after he lost his bid to become Labor Party Chairman to Ehud Barak, Ayalon was named a Minister Without Portfolio in the Olmert government - despite Ayalon's own previous protests that such a post is "immoral." Among other zig-zags he has been cited for was his joining of the government that he had originally condemned and demanded that Labor leave. In fact, Labor’s Secretary-General MK Eitan Cabel said at the time that Ayalon had harmed Labor by thwarting the goal of many party members – including, at one time, Ayalon himself - to bring down the government. In response, Ayalon has said, "It's the circumstances that zig-zag, not me." When Ayalon assumed the Minister Without Portfolio position, an Ayalon supporter said at the time that he would be a "minister of microphones... He'll get interviewed a lot and build himself up politically." Cabel said today that Ayalon had “spit in the well from which he drank.” Labor, currently with 19 Knesset seats, is on its way to losing nearly half its strength, according to the most recent public polls. Comment on this story 6. Gaza Market Bustling with Wares by Gil Ronen  Hamas in Gaza put a network of about 1,000 tunnels that pass under the Egypt-Gaza border on display this weekend, and invited journalists to take pictures and interview the tunnels' owners. Smuggling a sacrificial sheep through a tunnel. Flash 90 Rafiah market Blue Eye website Rafiah market Blue Eye website Rafiah market Blue Eye website In what reporters called "a carefully planned PR campaign," Hamas has been touting the tunnels as a means to avoid "starvation" in Gaza and its leaders have begun referring to them as "Tunnels of Life" because of the food and medicine that is smuggled into Gaza through them. Fuel at Half Price "When Israel decided earlier this year to temporarily suspend fuel supplies to the Gaza Strip in response to the rocket attacks on Israeli towns and cities, the smugglers installed underground pipes that continue to pump gasoline into the Gaza Strip," the Jerusalem Post reported. "As a result, motorists there pay nearly half the price they were paying several months ago to fill their cars." Pictures posted on a Hebrew website specializing in Arab news showed a bustling market in Rafiah (Rafah) filled with goods of all kinds, from food to electronics, apparently belying the claims of dire shortages. Rafiah is located in southern Gaza, on the border with Egypt. Meanwhile, news sites in the Islamic world and elsewhere showed Gazan children in the dark, holding candles, and quoted an Amnesty International (AI) press release which blasted Israel for a policy of "collective punishment." Rafiah market Blue Eye website Rafiah market Blue Eye website Rafiah market Blue Eye website "Even the trickle of humanitarian aid previously allowed into Gaza (on which 80% of the population depends) has now been stopped for nine days by the Israeli army," AI reported. It quoted residents of Gaza who said that "they could not even find candles in the market any more." An AI official was quoted as saying: 'Israel's latest tightening of its blockade has made an already dire humanitarian situation markedly worse. This is nothing short of collective punishment of Gaza's civilian population and it must stop immediately.' Ban Condemns The United Nations Secretary General, Ban Ki-Moon, published a statement Saturday in which he said that he "reiterates his condemnation of rocket attacks," without specifying who was the attacker and who was the attacked. He also stated that food and other essential materials are not making it into the Gaza Strip and called for "ending all measures that increase the suffering of the residents in the impoverished Gaza Strip." Motorcycles too... Blue Eye website European Union External Relations Commissioner Benita Ferrero-Waldner stated that she was concerned that fuel and humanitarian supplies were not reaching Gaza's residents. Waldner added that the crossings from Israel to Gaza should be opened in order to guarantee the entry of basic supplies, in addition to fuel and medicine. Comment on this story 7. Arabs Disrupt Berkeley Event by David Shamma  Arab students disrupted a pro-Israel event at the campus of the University of California at Berkeley Thursday night, unfurling a large Palestinian flag in front of a crowd of hundreds of supporters of Israel who were enjoying a pro-Israel hip-hop concert. The event was sponsored by the Zionist Freedom Alliance student group. The Arab students unfurled the large flag on a balcony above the outdoor site where the concert was taking place, inciting a provocation right in front of the concert-goers, who were enjoying the event as part of the campus' Israel Liberation Week. Several Jewish concertgoers went into the building to ask the Arabs to remove the flag – but were viciously attacked, with one male concertgoer knocked down from a blow on the back of his head, witnesses said. College alumnus Gabe Weiner, who was helping run the concert, was assaulted by the leader of the anti-Israel group, Husam Zakharia, who also attacked one of the performers, Yehuda De Sa. The fight was finally broken up by John Moghtader, a senator in the UC Berkelely student organization. Police were called in and arrested Zakharia along with others from his group, charging them with battery. Witnesses said that the Arab students shouted anti-Semitic curses and epithets throughout the incident, calling the Jews “Nazis” and “dogs,” and threatening to kill them. According to one witness, as many as 20 anti-Israel students participated in the attacks. In a statement, the Zionist Freedom Alliance said “we call on state officials, the President of the University of California, the Chancellor, the Dean of Students, faculty, and the student body to take a unified stand against the continued harassment of Jewish and pro-Israel students on this campus, particularly by members of Students for Justice in Palestine,” the anti-Israel group whose leaders began the incitement and attacked the concertgoers. Pro-Israel students at UC Berkeley have long complained of the anti-Israel and anti-Semitic harassment they have been subject to. Tikvah, a Jewish student group at the college, displayed on its web site numerous examples of anti-Israel and anti-Semitic graffiti, with anti-Israel elements defacing property with their screed. Jewish students complained that the only media coverage given to the event, in the Berkeley campus newspaper, was one sided. “Funny how the battery citation against Husam of SJP isn't even mentioned [in the artic, and the comment which purports to be from an objective bystander is actually from one of the top people in Students for Justice in Palestine,” commented Ariel, one of the concertgoers. Meanwhile, the anti-Israel group is planning to file a petition to remove from office Moghtader, who tried to break up the fight. Comment on this story
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