 | ||
 |         |  |
 | ||
| MP3 Radio | Website News Briefs: | |||||||||||
| ||||||||||||
 |  |
1. US Media Beginning to Bury ‘Peace Process’
by Tzvi Ben Gedalyahu
An about-face in American liberal newspapers’ views of the Middle East reached a new extreme Sunday with The New York Times columnist Thomas Friedman writing, “The Israeli-Palestinian peace process has become a bad play.”
Most of the largest American newspapers in the past two decades have followed the Palestinian Authority policy that eastern Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria and Gaza are “occupied territories,” the dateline usually used in their articles from those areas.
However, U.S. President Barack Obama’s switch of gears from the Roadmap Plan has left his policy in quicksand, according to influential newspaper columnists. The liberal Washington Post surprised observers this past summer with a number of editorials and op-ed articles highly critical of President Obama for driving up expectations in the Arab world by demanding Jews stop all building in eastern Jerusalem, Judea and Samaria.
The newspaper’s senior columnist Jackson Diehl wrote three weeks after President Obama’s “reaching out to Muslims” speech in Cairo, “How foolish it would be to squander it over a handful of Israeli apartment houses.”
Friedman, who once equated Jewish residents in Judea and Samaria with terrorists, wrote Sunday, “The Israeli-Palestinian peace process has become a bad play….This peace process movie is not going to end differently just because we keep playing the same reel. It is time for a radically new approach. And I mean radical. I mean something no U.S. administration has ever dared to do: Take down our “Peace-Processing-Is-Us” sign and just go home.”
Echoing sentiments voiced for years by nationalists in Israel and in the Diaspora, the popular columnist added, “Right now we want it more than the parties. They all have other priorities today. And by constantly injecting ourselves we’ve become their Novocain. We relieve all the political pain from the Arab and Israeli decision-makers by creating the impression in the minds of their publics that something serious is happening. “Look, the U.S. secretary of state is here…. Look, I’m doing something important! Take our picture….
“Stay out of our lives. We have our own country to fix.”
Friedman’s “radical” approach was published two days before Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu is to meet with President Obama, whose administration is being blamed by many observers for the announcement by PA Chairman Mahmoud Abbas that he will not run for reelection in January.
His announcement came after U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton publicly praised Prime Minister Netanyahu for “unprecedented” steps in reducing Jewish construction.
2. Erdogan: Israel Worse than Sudan, 'Muslims Don't Cause Genocide'
by Maayana Miskin
Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan lashed out at Israel on Sunday as he came to the defense of Sudanese President Omar Hassan al-Bashir, who faces worldwide condemnation for the genocide taking place in the Darfur region of his country.
Addressing members of his party, Erdogan said he preferred meeting with Bashir over meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu. “I wouldn't be able to speak with Netanyahu so comfortably as I would with Bashir,” he was quoted by Turkish media as saying. “I would say to [Bashir' face, 'What you've done is wrong.'”
Erdogan's remark joined several other recent anti-Israel statements that have led to a cooling of ties between Israel and Turkey in recent months.
Erdogan claimed to know that Bashir is innocent, and that there is no genocide taking place in Sudan. “A Muslim can never commit genocide,” he said in explanation. “It's not possible.”
The Turkish PM added that he had visited Darfur and did not see evidence of genocide during his trip.
Bashir announced Sunday that he would postpone a planned visit in Turkey, where he was to attend a meeting of the Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC). While Turkish media reported that Bashir may come on Monday or Tuesday instead of Sunday, the Reuters news service reported that Bashir's visit had been canceled due to an international arrest warrant against him for crimes against humanity.
The United Nations and international activist groups believe that up to 300,000 people have been killed in fighting in Sudan's Darfur regions, where they say government-backed Arab Muslim militias are slaughtering local black African Muslims. The Sudanese government denies committing genocide.
3. 32 Arab Children Killed Working in Smuggling Tunnels
by Hillel Fendel
No fewer than 32 children have been killed over the past three years while working in Gaza arms smuggling tunnels, according to a new report released in the Palestinian Authority.
The report, prepared by an organization called the Palestinian National Society for Democracy and Law, was released on Saturday. It deals with the child abuse perpetrated on child laborers in the tunnels used to smuggle weapons, arms and other items from Egypt into Gaza.
The report attempts to shift some of the blame to Israel, emphasizing that it examined the period since mid-2006 when Israel “imposed a blockade” on Gaza and “restricted entry of goods.” It does not mention that Egypt, too, has imposed a similar blockade on Gaza.
Chinese news outlet Xinhua reports that the study also focused on child labor. It revealed that children under the age of 18 work for 12 hours a day in the tunnels, and that some of the children take a painkiller called Tramadol, as well as energy-giving drugs.
A total of 117 Arabs have been killed in the tunnels during the three years, mostly from cave-ins. The cave-ins are generally blamed on Israeli air raids, Egyptian detonation of tunnel-openings in the Egyptian-governed Sinai desert, and “natural circumstances.”
4. World Media Ignores Weapons Shipment to Hizbullah
by Hillel Fendel
Though the Foreign Ministry invited ambassadors from around the world to see the tremendous cache of arms intercepted on their way to Hizbullah last week, the world media did not take interest.
Ambassadors and diplomats from 44 countries, along with military attaches from 27 nations, were taken to the Ashdod port on Thursday to see for themselves the weapons and ammunition seized from the Antiguan ship Francop off Cyprus.
The 500 tons of Iranian weapons bound for Hizbullah that Israel intercepted was ten times more than those confiscated aboard the famous Karine-A ship several years ago – and would have been enough to keep Hizbullah fighting against Israel in a future conflict for 30-40 days.
Israel's ambassador to the United Nations, Gabriela Shalev, complained to the UN on Thursday about the terrorism shipment.
Yet, despite the significance of the event in terms of the worldwide struggle against terrorism, the story received barely any coverage in the world press.
“Israel did what it was supposed to do,” former IDF Spokesman Ephraim Lapid told Arutz-Sheva, “and there is no explanation as to why the news stations around the world basically ignored the story. It is very surprising that this event, which is major news item by any standard, was not appropriately covered. I have no explanation, but Israel can’t be blamed.”
Arutz-Sheva’s Uzi Baruch reports that MK Nachman Shai (Kadima), a member of the Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee, disagrees. “Israel’s public relations and information efforts have apparently failed in disseminating the story of the Francop. Prime Minister Netanyahu is supposed to understand these matters, yet precisely under him, Israel continues to limp along in getting out its message.”
MK Shai has asked the Knesset committee for an urgent discussion on why Israel failed.
Yossi Levy, of the Foreign Ministry’s Israeli media department, defended the ministry in light of Shai’s criticism. “The Foreign Ministry carried out a complete, coordinated and successful campaign in order to get the information out to all the media outlets. Some of them are, not surprisingly, not interested in publicizing this important information.”
“It’s not an Israeli failure,” Levy said, “but rather those world media that chose to ignore this story deviated from all accepted standards in the world of media.”
5. Kassam Explodes near Sderot - ‘Death’s Doorstep’
by Tzvi Ben Gedalyahu
Hamas terrorists, shortly before midnight Sunday, fired the 271st missile since the end of Operation Cast Lead. The Kassam exploded near Sderot, described by a U.S. radio station as "death’s doorstep.”
The rocket exploded in an open area west of the town, and no injuries or damage was reported. The IDF has not retaliated, but previous attacks have prompted a response within two days, usually the bombing of smuggling tunnels, weapons factories and warehouses.
The attack may have been timed as a sendoff for Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu, who is on his way to Washington and will meet with U.S. President Barack Obama.
The visit comes in the wake of PA Chairman Mahmoud Abbas’ intention to quit in the wake of President Obama’s inability to follow through on his attempt to force Israel to stop construction of all building for Jews in eastern Jerusalem, Judea and Samaria.
Living in Sderot is like living "on death’s doorstep,” Huntsville, Alabama television station WHNT told its listeners this week. The station's anchorman, Nick Banaszak, spent three weeks in Israel, including the rocket-battered town of Sderot.
The rocket barrage began nine years ago with the outbreak of the Second Intifada, also known as the Oslo War. Following the recent “Goldstone report” by the United Nations Human Rights Commission, accusing Israel of war crimes in the Cast Lead counterterrorist campaign aimed at halting the attacks, the commission was criticized for remaining silent for nine years while Hamas rockets killed and wounded hundreds of civilians and traumatized thousands of others.
A recent survey from a Jerusalem hospital reveals that approximately half of all Sderot's children aged six and under suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder.
6. Assaf Hill, Near Beit El, Threatened Yet Again
by Hillel Fendel
Five military jeeps unloaded a host of army and police forces outside Givat Assaf, near Beit El, on Monday, and the 20 families living at the strategic outpost fear they may be being targeted for sudden eviction and destruction.
An official of the Civil Administration (the body that coordinates government activities with the Jewish and Arab residents of Judea and Samaria) told Arutz-7 that the forces came to deliver “orders” to the residents. It was not specified what type of orders these were – eviction, demolition, or other – but in the end, none were delivered to the residents.
At Migron, however, two demolition orders were posted on two newly-built homes earlier in the day. Migron is a 43-family neighborhood east of Jerusalem's N'vei Yaakov suburb whose residents are slated for transfer to another Samaria neighborhood, Adam. The residents have not agreed to the plan.
The incident in Givat Assaf began tensely, when the five jeeps arrived and appeared to want to take down the locked gate. The forces explained that they had come last week and found the gate locked – although a pedestrian passage is always open.
The residents explained that they always keep the gate locked, and that it was not locked specifically to keep the army out. After some discussion, the forces entered, took pictures, and left.
Last week, Border Guard forces demolished three smaller Jewish outposts in Samaria: Maoz Esther near Kokhav HaShachar on the western edge of the Jordan Valley; Shvut Ami near Kedumim; and Ramat Migron, overlooking the Jerusalem-Shomron highway north of Jerusalem.
Each of the three is much smaller and more “mobile” than Givat Assaf. The latter, with 20 families, is of a more permanent nature, and its destruction would be expected to face tremendous physical resistance from local residents. In August 2004, when word was received that army forces were on their way to destroy the site, well over 1,000 residents from Jerusalem, Beit El, Ofra and the vicinity arrived on very short notice – and their very presence prevented the uprooting and destruction.
That incident followed nearly two years of periodic threats and fears that the neighborhood might be destroyed. The threats have continued since then as well.
Strategic Location, Commanding View
Givat Assaf is located on a hill with a commanding view of the strategic T-intersection on the main central-Israel north-south Highway 60. It is situated at the turnoff to Beit El and the Beit El army base, three kilometers away. The community was established in April 2001 after Ofra resident Assaf Hershkovitz was murdered by Arab terrorists just a few hundred meters away. Assaf's father Aryeh had been murdered by Arabs three months earlier in a similar manner several kilometers away.
The neighborhood has caravans (mobile homes without wheels) and houses for its 20 families, as well as a synagogue and mikveh [ritual bat.
7. Mofaz Offers His Own 'Peace Plan'
by Hana Levi Julian
Kadima MK and former Defense Minister Shaul Mofaz angered his party on Sunday with a proposed peace plan that includes a demilitarized Palestinian Authority state and formal recognition of the Hamas terrorist organization. The plan formulated by Mofaz, who was also the IDF Chief of Staff, calls for establishment of temporary borders for a new Arab country within the current boundaries of the State of Israel.
In the first stage, which Israel would implement unilaterally, the new PA state would be established on approximately 60 percent of the land of Judea and Samaria (Yehudah and Shomron). Most of the new PA state would be located within Areas A and B; Area A is already completely under PA control, and Area B is under the combined control of PA and IDF forces.
"Israel will lead and not be led. We will stop occupying another nation," Mofaz said. "We must strengthen Israel's position internationally. As a first step, the Palestinian state will be in 60 percent of [Judea and Sama and Gaza; 90 percent of the Palestinians will be there and no settlements will be evacuated."
Stage Two, which would require a national referendum, calls for negotiations on the future of Jerusalem, the issue of the so-called "right of return" of Arabs who once lived in Israel and fled during the 1948 War of Independence and some five million of their descendants, most of whom were born abroad.
Under the plan, the final PA state would be established on at least 92 percent of the land of Judea and Samaria. There would be territorial exchange with the PA and approximately 65,000 Jews would be expelled from their homes as well. Evacuation-compensation bills for Israeli expellees would be enacted while permanent, defensible borders are negotiated.
However, Mofaz said he would not want to divide Jerusalem, a stance he would make clear in final status negotiations. He also called for Israel to negotiate with Hamas, if the group "changes its behavior."
Mofaz told reporters Sunday morning in Tel Aviv that both President Shimon Peres and Defense Minister Ehud Barak had approved of his assessments. He warned that "If [Prime Minister Binyami Netanya doesn't implement the plan, I will do it when I become prime minister." The government and the prime minister, he claimed, "have no plan."
The former Defense Minister said the plan was needed because the current "relative calm" was "dangerous" and that "a violent and bloody conflict lurks at its end." He also pointed to the growing nuclear activities in Iran, saying "Time is not on our side. Iran is getting stronger, Hizbullah is arming, Hamas is getting ready for the next step and Al-Qaeda is building its base of support."
Israel, Mofaz said, is becoming a pariah in the international community, seen as part of the problem rather than part of the solution to the Middle East conflict. "More and more countries are considering a bi-national state," he noted.
He also said that if Hamas became the controlling faction in the upcoming Palestinian Authority elections, slated for January 2010, Israel will have no choice but to negotiate with the terrorist group. "Israel must conduct talks with any group that changes its behavior," he said. "Meanwhile, Hamas continues to prepare for the next round [of batt. They must realize that if they plan to continue firing upon Israeli communities, their fate is sealed."
A source inside Kadima told reporters that Mofaz was "confused," adding, "If he has a peace plan he should present it to the party first. In the Knesset, we deal more with laws, and less with plans."
Hamas, meanwhile, praised the plan, calling it "an important step." A Hamas spokesman said in a statement that "even if the Israeli government has come to this understanding late, that Hamas must be dealt with, Mofaz's plan is important."
