Is anyone paying attention, or is the world asleep at the wheel?
On Friday, at a rally in Tehran for Al-Quds day, held to express Islamic claims to Jerusalem, Iranian president Ahmadinejad declared that Israel would soon disappear. This is rhetoric to be taken seriously. We have not the luxury of ignoring it, nor should anyone who cares about Israel. Take this hateful lunatic at his word.
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Also on Friday a piece by Michael Rubin appeared in the Weekly Standard: "Policymakers are abuzz with the explosive recommendations for U.S. policy toward Iraq soon to be released by the Baker-Hamilton Commission: Abandon democracy, seek political compromise with the Sunni insurgents, and engage Tehran and Damascus as partners to secure stability in their neighbor."
Engage Tehran and Damascus? THIS is how the Bush administration is being advised to fight terrorism? America will be in trouble, as will the world, if this advice is taken. And, believe me, Israel will be in big, big trouble. An American pullback in this part of the world with regard to readiness to fight the forces of evil will weaken us.
Says Rubin, who is editor of the Middle East Quarterly: "Rather than pretend the Iraq problem can be contained, [the Baker Commission] might consider whether it has suffered from an unwillingness to address provocations from beyond Iraq’s borders. National security depends on dealing with the world we have, rather than the world diplomats construct with smoke and mirrors." Amen to that.
http://www.weeklystandard.com/Content/Public/Articles/000/000/012/850ulqxz.asp?pg=2
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According to the Post’s Khaled Abu Toameh, both Saudi Arabia and Qatar are serving as intermediaries between Fatah and Hamas to forestall further tensions. They are seeking to arrange a unity gov’t, so that Abbas will not follow through with his threats to fire the Hamas government. Qatar had presented a plan for a unity gov’t just weeks ago that Hamas rejected because they were opposed to mutual recognition with Israel and renouncing violence. According to Ahmed Youssef, political advisor to PA Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh of Hamas, Qatar has been trying to convince the U.S. "to accept a revised form that excludes the clause which refers to mutual recognition."
Well…keeping in mind that this is a dubious source, and that Qatar’s efforts do not mean that the U.S. will accept this, I still respond with WHAT? Note that there is a constant watering down of demands on Hamas, and that the Qatar goal is to save it. Are there any red lines?
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More insanity: Today our erstwhile defensive minister, Peretz, said, that we should take seriously the possibility of negotiations with Syria, and that "Israel needs to demonstrate its willingness to make painful concessions…"
And precisely why do we need to do that, pray tell? We haven’t made enough good faith concessions already? We haven’t suffered enough pain?
Make no mistake about it — Syria is not interested in "peace," but in re-acquiring the Golan Heights. They are continuing to rearm Hezbollah and serve as a puppet state for Iran. What "peace"? Expressions of our willingness to consider further concessions merely convince Syria of our essential weakness and invite aggression. Get real already!
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The American Jewish Committee has just released the results of a poll. Forgive me, but it makes absolutely no sense. Some 54% of American Jews favor the establishment of a Palestinian state, but 81% of American Jews think the Arabs want to destroy Israel. So what are those American Jews who would give the Arabs a state — even though they believe they want to destroy us — thinking??? ARE they thinking? Are they so caught in political correctness, in making concessions, that they fail to perceive that they would be abetting Israel’s destruction by fostering this state? Is doing something for the Palestinians more important to them than protecting Israel? Sad, sad, sad.
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A senior Israeli Air Force official said today that the sorties by Israel over Lebanon are providing important intelligence and that it is clear that Hezbollah is making major efforts to rearm. This information would not be available without the flights.
Meanwhile French Defense Minister Michelle Alliot-Marie stated at a Friday news conference that Israeli violation of Lebanese air space could give others an excuse not to obey the ceasefire and were "extremely dangerous" because UNIFIL forces, led by the French, could see these flights as hostile acts and fire in self-defense. Give me a break!
We’re making it hard for UNIFIL to ignore the fact of rearmament; we are making it difficult for France to protect Hezbollah. So it’s us they are coming after. But what else could we expect of the French.
A signal lesson here as to what happens when we rely on international forces. NOT a good idea.
Israel has declared that the flights will continue until Resolution 1701 is fully implemented. More or less, this means indefinitely.
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Today the cabinet, 12-11, approved a change in the political system (which does not mean this will pass the Knesset); looks like Lieberman is headed into the coalition. More to follow…
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