CURRENT EVENTS IN ISRAEL 

I have no earthly idea where the following section will wind up in my book, but it must be written nonetheless. OK. I have had quite enough of the past four months. As is often the case when writing, my original plans for the order of this manuscript have gone by the wayside in favor of addressing something that is on my mind at the moment. As always, the subject is Israel, but this installment is about current political events and commentaries I have been hearing and reading.

            Let us begin in September, 2013, when Secretary of State John Kerry appointed himself the new prime minister of Israel. After holding a “presser” where he called Prime Minister Netanyahu his “good friend ‘Bibi’”, Kerry stabbed his “good friend” in the back so many times I lost count. Of course, I realize his behavior is partially at the behest of our anti-Semitic president, Barack Hussein Obama, but Kerry’s shameful treatment of his “good friend” is especially heinous in light of the fact that John Kerry is Jewish. Yes, that is correct. John Kerry is Jewish. I know. Everyone thinks he is Catholic. Well, Mr. Kerry can convert to whatever he wishes to convert to, but the fact remains he is from the lineage of David. John Kerry is a Jew.

            The Secretary of State’s family name was Kohn. They changed it when they moved to America from Austria-Hungary to avoid persecution. Seemingly cowardice runs in the Kohn/Kerry family, as anyone can see from Kerry’s Vietnam years. But, I digress. From all appearances, John Kerry is running as fast and hard as he possibly can in order to get as far away from his Jewish roots as possible. This is evidenced by his recent betrayal of Israel.

            Kerry left his “good friend ‘Bibi’” after their meeting, and went straight to Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas, where he proceeded to call Israeli settlements “illegitimate” and threatened the Prime Minister of Israel with a “third Intifada” should Mr. Netanyahu fail to comply with the Secretary of State’s vision for a “two-state solution” to the Palestinian situation. But wait, it gets better. Kerry then flew to Geneva for the P5+1 summit where the issue of Iran’s nuclear program was discussed. He proceeded to hammer out a so-called “interim agreement” that was in direct defiance of everything his “good friend ‘Bibi’” had discussed, then added insult to injury by making repeated proclamations from every podium in sight that this agreement was “in Israel’s best interests”.

            What chutzpah. The unmitigated gall. What exactly qualifies our Secretary of State to know what is “in Israel’s best interests”? Just who does he think he is? Not to mention he returned to the United States, had a meeting with Congressional leaders, and urged them not to “listen to Israel on this (Iran)”. Really? To whom should Congress listen, Mr. Secretary? You? I repeat: Just who in hell do you think you are? I am not Jewish, I am not Israeli, and I am certainly not the prime minister of Israel, yet John Kerry’s sheer arrogance has me so angry I cannot see straight. So, what is the Secretary up to now? He just ended his tenth visit to Israel, and is planning to return in 48 hours for another push to fulfill his fantasy of the Camp David II Peace Accords. It does not seem to bother him that Prime Minister Netanyahu, who is longsuffering to the point of making Job look bad, excoriated Kerry during his last visit to Israel in a televised press conference:

            http://barracudabrigade.blogspot.com/2014/01/a-gloomy-netanyahu-expresses-doubt.html?utm_content=buffer19a95&utm_source=buffer&utm_medium=twitter&utm_campaign=Buffer

            To make matter worse (although it would be humorous if the sheer nerve of this man were not so maddening), Kerry invoked Vietnam as his model for how he envisions the “peace process” being resolved between Israel and the Palestinians. Vietnam? The Secretary of State has brass so huge I do not know how he manages to walk around! He and Hanoi Jane humiliated this country, and betrayed the very men with whom Kerry served…how can he even mention the name of Vietnam without choking? Unbelievable!

            But I think the most priceless part of his speech was where the Secretary repeatedly claimed to “understand” what it is like for Israel to live under constant threat. How is that, Mr. Kerry? How can you possibly “understand”? When was the last time a rocket fired from Gaza was aimed at you? If you truly wish to “understand”, Mr. Secretary, try the following IDF video on for size:

            http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gsm-mEy38pQ

            After you stop shaking, Mr. Kerry (that is, if you have enough sense to BE shaking), maybe now you “understand” just a little…emphasis on “just a little”.

          I have barely touched the surface of the Secretary of State’s grandiose plans for Israel. Kerry wants to institute what amounts to a revival of the Allon Plan with regard to Jordan, he and Obama intend to pressure Israel into giving up any and all claims to the Temple Mount, and they would like it very much if Prime Minister Netanyahu would surrender all of Jerusalem to the Palestinians. Anything else, gentlemen? What else can the Prime Minister do for you? Maybe he can turn over his house keys to Mahmoud Abbas. Better yet, why doesn’t he just surrender Israel? Mr. Secretary, you and POTUS are REPUGNANT.

            Speaking of repugnant, here is the latest: Now our beloved Secretary of State wants Israel to take in over 80,000 Palestinian “refugees” and their descendants from the War of Independence. What planet does John Kerry live on? He clearly does not know history. Let us have a little refresher course. In 1948 Jordan, Turkey, Syria, Iraq and Egypt descended upon Israel with the intention of annihilating her just twenty-four hours after Statehood (see Chapter Two). The Jordanians (who were not “Palestinians”) were hung out to dry by Jordan after the war. Israel was left to deal with the situation on her own, and has been trying to do so for 65 years.

            Israel fought a war, and Israel won. Why are the “refugees” Israel’s problem? Why have the Arabs not taken care of their own? The answer is a simple one, Mr. Secretary. It is expedient for the Arab world to continue the “Israel/Palestinian conflict”. As long as the red herring of “Palestinian refugees” remains in place, Israel can continue to be demonized by the rest of the world. You, Mr. Kerry, are playing right into their hands. Why is it that you take every word Mahmoud Abbas says as Gospel, and ignore every word your “good friend ‘Bibi’” has to say? Why is it that you have never picked up a history book? How is it that a secretary of state can be so woefully ignorant (or deliberately blind) regarding the Middle East? John Kerry, you are a travesty, and so are your policies. 

ARIEL SHARON

            Former Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon died today (January 11, 2014), and the reaction has been a mixture of mourning and appalling hatred. Some of the things I have seen posted on the Internet are beneath contempt; some by the usual suspects, and others by people one would not expect.  Palestinians and Hamas threw a party, celebrating the death of a “thug” and “terrorist”. The Ayatollah Khamenei lauded the death of a “vulture” and “villain”. Rich, considering the sources.

            But, many such insults were hurled by Israelis, Jews, and even a Rabbi, decrying Sharon’s actions, blaming him for displacing Jewish settlements and for “crimes” in Lebanon. The Rabbi went so far as to wish God’s Judgment on him. I have my own issues with Gaza, but my boyfriend astutely reminded me of something I will share in a moment. First, let me address Lebanon and The Kahan Commission Report (1983).

            According to Sharon’s detractors, he ordered a “massacre” in Lebanon, for which he was blamed internationally and for which he ultimately resigned as Defense Minister. People were killed in Beirut, of that there is no question. But, contrary to what is being reported by Israel-bashers, the Kahan Commission Report found that a Christian militia group carried out the attack:
              https://twitter.com/EDLSSmith/status/422403221655912448/photo/1/large
            Israel was found to be “indirectly responsible” because it was an Israeli-controlled area. That is a far-cry from “ordering” a “massacre”.
          However, please let me digress for just a moment, because it ties in with these lambasting assessments of Ariel Sharon’s life. I am aware of the Irgun, the Stern Gang, and other groups that were formed as a result of British treatment of Jews after their return to what became Israel. These have been labeled terrorist organizations, and objectively that is a correct analysis. After the Munich Massacre, the Mossad was equally decried for engaging in terrorism during what was dubbed “Golda’s Revenge”. Frankly, I have no use for any of these characterizations, and I realize that is pure emotion on my part. But, if my people were being treated like chattel, six million of them disappeared, and the rest became daily target practice for every anti-Semite on the planet, I think I would get a little pissed off myself. In fact, I know I would. I just might be tempted to blow up something just to erase the memory of the latest Jew I saw slaughtered.

            Back to Lebanon. Even if Sharon had ordered a “massacre”, I am not sure I would have blamed him. Nevertheless, knowing what I know now about the tactics terrorists use to defame Israel and make them international pariah, I question some of the pictures that have been posted on the Internet today. Hamas is quite adept at hiding rockets and artillery inside of schools and hospitals so that, after they fire rockets at Israel and the IAF (Israeli Air Force) responds, Hamas can trot out the dead children and show the world that Israel is the real terrorist organization…and the world just laps it up. So, I am not impressed when I see lines of dead children in front of a camera. My first question is, “Who really put them there?”

            As to Gaza, I disagree vehemently with the decision to give it up. But, here is where my boyfriend enters the picture. He reminded me of a lesson I studied recently in Torah (although he did not realize the connection). I have gone to great pains this day not only to refrain from criticizing Ariel Sharon, but to jump on those who have been running his name through the mud. While we were discussing the day’s events, my boyfriend stated that he understood my position on Gaza, but to remember that there is a difference between intentional and unintentional actions. Then it clicked.

            In Torah, if one decides to perform a good deed of some kind, and then for some reason is unable to go through with it, he is given credit as though he actually DID perform the deed. HaShem (God) looks at the intent. The heart. Did Ariel Sharon intend for innocent children to die in Lebanon? Did Ariel Sharon intend to unleash Hamas with their 13,000 rockets (to date), bombings, stabbings, kidnappings, firebombs, homicide belts, etc., when he agreed to turn Gaza over to the Palestinians? Did he intend for Hamas to take over Gaza? I think I know the answers to those questions, but the fact is only God knows the answers for certain, and that brings me to my final point.

            I found myself in a debate with someone who calls himself “TorahLectures” on Twitter. He was decrying Sharon’s actions, and defending the Rabbi who wished God’s Judgment upon him. I reminded “TorahLectures” that in Torah (!) we are told never to wish ill on a Jew. Where is this lesson? Exodus (Shemot). It is not that Jews never do anything wrong. Indeed, God became angry with Israel countless times throughout the Tanakh (Old Testament). But, he became angry because they were being selfish. “We don’t have enough food.” “We don’t like the food we are getting.” “We’re tired of being in the desert.” “We want blah, blah, blah.” Ingratitude. Lack of trust in HaShem. That is what made God angry.

            Yet, when Moses became angry with God during his encounters with Pharaoh, HaShem did not count it against him. Why not? Because, contrary to the selfish whining I just described, Moses railed at God because ISRAEL WAS SUFFERING. Moses was pleading ISRAEL’s case. His motive (intent) was love for God’s People, and here we have former Prime Minister Ariel Sharon. Whether what he did was right or wrong is up to God to decide, but the real question is, “What were Sharon’s intentions?” THAT is why we are NEVER to wish ill on a Jew because HaShem, and HaShem ALONE knows the HEART.

After the Funeral

            Now that the official mourning period has passed, it is time to clear up some misconceptions and provide details I refrained from giving earlier out of respect for the late prime minister. As a preface, please view the following video. As you listen to the commentary (feel free to disregard the “predictions”; that is not the reason I am posting the link) and Ariel Sharon’s words, pay close attention to the expression on Prime Minister Netanyahu’s face:

            http://www.wnd.com/2014/01/prophetic-twist-to-sharons-death/

            Did you see the look as then-Prime Minister Sharon made his proclamation concerning Gaza? It is the same look I viewed on the faces of Cabinet members the day Israel voted on the Palestinian prisoner releases (to be discussed at a later time). Netanyahu’s look was a look of horror. Ariel Sharon fell into the trap so many well-intended but misguided Israeli leaders have throughout the short history of the State of Israel, and now you see why I waited to publicize this section until after his funeral.

            It is called, “piece for peace”. Israel gives up land in a vain attempt to secure peace with the Arab world. It has never worked, and it never will. (For more detail, see Chapter Four, “Terrorism 101”.) Jamal Zahalka of the Palestinian Authority stated the problem succinctly on the floor of the Knesset when he said (paraphrasing) that the Palestinians had been here (Israel) long before them (Israel) and would be there long after they (Israel) were gone. To quote Prime Minister Netanyahu’s response: “The first part is wrong, and the second part, will not happen”. But, this philosophy of the Arab world is the reason why “piece for peace” will never work. See “The Conflict in Under 60 Seconds”:

            http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1oE3Aqd02Cg

            The more Israel gives, the more the Palestinians want. The Arabs are not interested in Gaza, nor Judea, nor Samaria, nor in “sharing” Jerusalem as their Capitol (are you listening, Mr. Kerry?). The Arab world will not rest unless it finally attains its stated objective: the annihilation of Israel.

So, back to Sharon’s statement. “Occupation” of Gaza? Let me quote Israeli Ambassador to the U.N., Ron Prosor: “One cannot ‘occupy’ one’s own home”.  Sharon should have read the Tanakh. Gaza has never belonged to any people called “Palestinians”. Regardless of who hands Gaza to whom, Gaza has been and always will be a part of Israel. And I have never heard Prime Minister Netanyahu state otherwise.

Let me make this abundantly clear. I do not indict the late Ariel Sharon for his decision to turn over Gaza to the Palestinians. I have stated that I believe it was well-intended but misguided, and I also believe the results of that decision speak for themselves.

Now let’s see what the New York Times had to say about Sharon’s career:

            http://www.nytimes.com/2014/01/12/world/middleeast/ariel-sharon-fierce-defender-of-a-strong-israel-dies-at-85.html?_r=1

            Let us dissect this article and ascertain the facts. I would like to point out a couple of very biased comments, and then cover the “Battle of Qibya”, with most of my attention going to the Times’ ridiculous characterization of the events in Lebanon, 1982. Questions to Ethan Bronner (author of the article in dispute): How exactly was Israel “ruling” the Palestinians? From what “Palestinian lands” was Ariel Sharon planning to withdraw? Where are these “Palestinian lands” located?

Further, Mr. Bronner’s narrative of Qibya leaves much to be desired. He states:

            “The battle of Qibya, in which 69 people were killed, more than half of them women and children, and 45 houses were demolished, brought Israel its first condemnation by the United Nations Security Council and became a Palestinian rallying cry for a generation.”

            The implication is that Israel was guilty of what Palestinians term a “massacre” by virtue of the fact that the UNSC condemned the action. Here is what really happened:

            http://www.palestinefacts.org/pf_1948to1967_qibya_1953.php

Need I remind everyone of the time the British tricked Haganah into blowing up a boatload of Jewish refugees? Would someone like to accuse Ben-Gurion of deliberately “massacring” his own people? Again, Terrorism 101. The tried and true tactic of every terror organization in existence. Hide behind women and children. Then, when they are killed, trot out the dead bodies and blame Israel. It works every time, especially at the United Nations…and the New York Times (remember, this is the newspaper of “What ‘Holocaust’” fame).

Mr. Bronner goes into the events in Lebanon (1982) in great detail. Every word of his description is an outright lie, which was born out in the Kahan Commission Report (1983). Also, glaringly absent is the event that precipitated the attack in question. In 1976, Palestinians conducted the slaughter of over 580 Christians in Damour. Six years later, a Christian militia group, “Damouri Brigades” retaliated in Sabra and Shatila. For convenience, I will provide the link once again:

https://twitter.com/EDLSSmith/status/422403221655912448/photo/1/large

One may also search the Internet for the complete Kahan Commission Report, from which the above-listed graphic was derived. However, here is a brief summary:

http://www.cfr.org/israel/report-kahan-commission/p15290

As stated above, while Sharon ultimately resigned over the incident, he did so out of honor, not because of any culpability on his part. He was cleared by the Commission after a full investigation, and the only reason Israel was held “indirectly responsible” was because it was an Israeli-controlled area. Period.

Mr. Bronner’s implication that then-Defense Minister Ariel Sharon had anything to do with “ordering” or “encouraging” this attack is shameless, and he either did not verify his information before printing this nonsense or was flat-out libelous. Which, I do not know. What I do know is history has a completely different version of events than Bronner’s distorted smear against Sharon.

Before closing this section, I would like to take the opportunity to expound a little on the subject of Prime Minister Netanyahu, since he came up in the discussion about Gaza.

People attempt to read Prime Minister Netanyahu’s mind and fail miserably, because they do not study him. He is not such an enigma if you understand what makes him “tick”. Over the years, I have found what the Prime Minister says is not nearly as important as what he does NOT say. Mr. Netanyahu weighs his words carefully. What the world witnessed late last year was not the Prime Minister’s modus operandi. He does not air his grievances publicly. What happened with John Kerry over the issue of Iran occurred because Prime Minister Netanyahu was hurt, angry, and had been betrayed. What was far more painful for him was that Israel had been betrayed. Here is Binyamin Netanyahu in a nutshell: He loves his people with all of his heart. That love motivates his every thought, word, and deed.

            However, the mind-reading can be quite humorous at times. For example, when the Prime Minister made his speech before the United Nations in September, he made a comment about Iran wanting “its yellow cake, and eat it too”. The world went berserk. Everyone was laughing…especially Prime Minister Netanyahu. What a corny statement. What a bizarre thing to say. It wasn’t exactly a profound speech. How unstatesmanly. Was that the best he could do? Actually, yes it was. You missed the point: He had you talking about it, didn’t he?

I do not understand how people underestimate this man so. He was Sayeret Matkal. He graduated both MIT (economics) and Harvard (political science). His father taught history at Cornell University. Do people honestly believe him to be a buffoon? There is not a word that comes out of Binyamin Netanyahu’s mouth that does not have a purpose. I don’t know the number, but he clearly has an IQ higher than the collective IQ of the Knesset. Yet, people take the Prime Minister at face value and completely misjudge him.

And the Prime Minister laughs.

Many thanks to @EDLSSmith for his input.

I THOUGHT I WAS DONE WITH THIS SECTION

            I thought I had put the Ariel Sharon issue “to bed”, but then I got on Twitter this morning and I see I have more work to do. Beginning with the most outrageous thing I have seen: Ariel Sharon is being compared to Moses in Israeli curriculum? I think I have been rather restrained until now. I even had the common sense Vice President Biden lacks by refusing to raise the Gaza issue until after sunset Monday (the day of the funeral). But that information pushed me over the edge. MOSES? Moses worked to bring Israel to the Promised Land, not GIVE IT AWAY. Is there any way I can state that more clearly?

            In fact, I just had a heated debate with my boyfriend (who, incidentally, is Jewish) about Gaza. While I am currently working on the second half of Chapter Four (“The Palestinians”), I need to give a brief history to support what I have to say. First, my assertion. Asking Israel to give up Gaza is tantamount to asking the State of Texas to give up Laredo and other border towns where Mexican drug cartel violence has spilled over into the United States. What is the argument? Well, in 2005 Gaza was mostly populated by Arabs. Let us just move 10,000 Jewish “settlers” out, and there will be peace. I will have the specific demographics to put in Chapter Four, but I know from having lived in Texas that the Mexican population is quite high, and is increasing every year. Perhaps the Lone Star State should acquiesce to the violence. Give up those cities where Mexican gangs have the “upper hand”. That will keep the peace. Won’t it?

            Sure, as my boyfriend pointed out, Texas does not have the “international community” breathing down its neck. But, why should any sovereign state bow to international pressure of any kind? If the United Nations Human Rights Council issued a proclamation tomorrow stating that the State of Texas was committing human rights violations by enforcing security along its border, should Texas simply say, “Oh, OK. We’ll back up our border in order to keep the peace.” ARE YOU INSANE? WHY is Israel the only nation on Earth that is asked (more like coerced) to give up its border(s) in order to keep the peace? Even before Israel officially became a state, terrorists were jumping across the Jordanian border, killing Jews, and jumping back. Perhaps Israel should never have established its current border with Jordan. Perhaps it should have been further inland.

            But, wait. If they had moved further inland, and the “Palestinians” have a right to Gaza, that would have limited Israel’s ability to establish a western border. So, just exactly where would the lines have been drawn? Israel cannot have western Jerusalem; that belongs to the “Palestinians”. They cannot have Gaza; that belongs to the “Palestinians”. Jordanian terrorists were wreaking havoc on the eastern border; let Jordan have it. Now let’s talk about Lebanon. The Lebanese have been (and continue to be) terrorizing Israel from the north; let Israel move its border south. Hang on a second. I have yet to mention Egypt. Do you see where I am going? THIS IS SHEER LUNACY! Even JEWS are not thinking about what is in Israel’s best interests! What in God’s name is going on? My boyfriend thinks it was smart to bow to international pressure in order to increase Israel’s standing in the eyes of the world. Question: HAS IT WORKED?

            Where precisely should Israel go? Swimming? They would have to jump over Gaza and the “West Bank” just to get into the Mediterranean! Think about it. Americans are being beheaded in Mexico. Mexico, historically, has far more of a claim on Texas than “Palestinians” have over any portion of Israel. If the State of Texas were to give up a few hundred miles of its border to keep the peace, would that not solve the problem? It would only be right. After all, it belonged to Mexico long before Texas got the land.

            Yes, I am being facetious. And yes, I am livid. Let me tell you something. I do not care how many al-Qaeda cells move into apartment buildings in Kentucky. I do not care how many terrorists from Chechnyan training camps place pressure cooker bombs at the Boston Marathon. I do not care how many Islamist extremists move into New York City or anywhere else in the United States. With the Department of Homeland Security employing members of the Muslim Brotherhood to “protect” me, I will not be surprised if terrorists get their hands on more planes at some point and try to plow into more of my buildings. I do not care. You will have to kill me with the gun still in my hand before you take one square inch of my land away from me!

            Who in HELL are we to tell Israel any differently? My boyfriend’s reasoning is this: Jews only comprised less than 1% of the population of Gaza in 2005. So, what difference did it make if Sharon moved the settlements? For the answer to that question I need to back up and discuss the Oslo Accords, which I will be posting in the second half of Chapter Four within the next 48 hours. Meanwhile, my argument stands. Aside from my firmly-entrenched belief that Israel belongs to Israel, which is based squarely in the Tanakh and from which I will never equivocate, for America, the United Nations, and the rest of the world to continue demanding that Israel relinquish more and more of its territory to appease terrorists is the height of hypocrisy. To quote Dean Rusk, “Appeasement only makes the aggressor more aggressive”. Or, since Prime Minister Netanyahu is fond of Winston Churchill (as am I): “The appeaser feeds the crocodile hoping it will eat him last”. Both statements are true, and both statements reflect the idiocy of this philosophy.

            Stay tuned for “The Palestinians” update.