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1. US: We Support Israel as a Jewish State
by Chana Ya'ar
The U.S. has warned that the diplomatic process between Israel and the Palestinian Authority must be a two-way street, with both sides “offering something and asking for something.”
In a State Department briefing with reporters in Washington Tuesday, spokesman P.J. Crowley finally appeared to lose patience after a journalist from an Arab publication questioned him closely about America’s recognition of Israel as a Jewish state.
“I’m not making any news here,” Crowley answered flatly. “We have recognized the special nature of the Israeli state. It is a state for the Jewish people. It is a state for other citizens of other faiths as well. But this is the aspiration of the – what Prime Minister [Binyamin] Netanyahu said yesterday is, in essence, the – a core demand of the Israeli government, which we support, is a recognition that Israel is a part of the region, acceptance by the region of the existence of the State of Israel as the homeland of the Jewish People and that is what they want to see through this negotiation.”
Crowley’s statement came in response to a follow-up question about an offer from Israel’s prime minister to renew the freeze on Jewish construction in Judea and Samaria by 60 day – in exchange for formal recognition by the Palestinian Authority of the State of Israel as a Jewish state.
The offer was extended as an incentive to return PA Chairman Mahmoud Abbas to the negotiating table. Abbas has been threatening to abandon the direct talks that were jumpstarted in September after a hiatus of more than 18 months.
“The Prime Minister was talking yesterday about the fact that just as they aspire to a state for the Jewish people in the Middle East, they understand the aspirations of the Palestinian people for a state of their own,” Crowley continued.
‘Not a One-Way Street’
“Now, so the prime minister has put forward his ideas and what he believes his people need to hear so that they can make the commitment that we’re seeking to stay in this process and to reach a successful conclusion.
“This is not a one-way street,” he added. “It is a two-way street. The Prime Minister is offering something and asking for something. It is perfectly within the rights of the Palestinian Authority and President Abbas to say there’s something I need and there’s something I’m willing to give.”
U.S. Middle East Special Envoy George Mitchell is expected to meet with both Netanyahu and Abbas in the coming days, Crowley said, and to determine whether “conditions are right for direct negotiations to continue.”
2. Barkat: 'Just Say No' to Splitting Jerusalem
by Maayana Miskin
Jerusalem Mayor Nir Barkat addressed a crowd in Atlanta on Monday at the annual Jewish National Fund Conference. Barkat discussed the Palestinian Authority's demand that Israel hand over all parts of the city that were under Jordanian occupation between 1948 and 1967 to become the capital of a new Arab state. During this period, Jordan did not respect UN decisions that called for free access to religious sites in the city to all religions and did not allow Jews to visit the Western Wall, vandalized the Mount of Olives cemetery, and blew up the Hurvah synagogue.
Barkat offered a straightforward solution: "We just have to say a simple 'No' about Jerusalem to the Palestinians and move on," he said.
PA Chairman Mahmoud Abbas demands control over all formerly Jordanian parts of Israel's capital city, including the Old City and other historically Jewish areas. The city has been unified for decades, since it was annexed following the Six Day War of 1967.
Jerusalem must remain "the united, undivided capital of Israel," Barkat told his audience.
Barkat's speech took place on the second day of the JNF event. The JNF works to develop Israeli land and infrastructure. Its Atlanta conference focused on "core issues challenging Israel, and insights into opportunities to affect change," according to organizers.
Earlier this year Barkat released an outline of his vision for Jerusalem's future. "The vision I have for the city is to return Jerusalem to the role it played two and three thousand years ago as a world center - a destination for pilgrims and believers throughout the world," the mayor wrote. He addressed Arab demands to divide the city in his manifesto, saying, "Jerusalem must stay united. There is not one example in the world of a divided city that ever worked."
Arab journalist Khaled Abu Toameh recently wrote a piece revealing that much of Jerusalem's Arab population prefers Israeli rule to that of the PA. It is only fair to ask the Arabs living in Jerusalem what they want before talking about splitting the city, Toameh said.
Approximately 200,000 Arabs live in the northern, eastern, and southern neighborhoods of Jerusalem demanded by the PA. However, more than 180,000 Israeli Jews live in those areas as well.
3. PA Plans Int'l Airport, Fayyad Promotes Provocations
by Chana Ya'ar
The Palestinian Authority is hoping to build a sparkling new four-square-kilometer international airport in Jericho, despite the fact that the site is categorized as Area C – under total Israeli control. A groundbreaking ceremony for a new industrial park -- unauthorized -- was held Monday as well.
Plans for the airport facility, which includes one terminal and six gates for boarding, a large parking lot and international facilities, were submitted to Israel along with a request for a building permit, according to the Hebrew-language Ma’ariv newspaper.
Jericho, currently administered by the PA, is located in the Jordan Valley just north of the Dead Sea. This week residents celebrated its 10,000 anniversary, but little mention was made of its beautiful ancient synagogues that have been badly damaged by Arab vandals.
Associated Press writer Karin Laub, however, did not hesitate to instead define the area as a “potential obstacle to Mideast peace.” In an October 12 article headlined “Jordan Valley joins list of peace obstacles,” Laub writes, “The strategic strip of land abutting Jordan would be an essential part of a future Palestinian state.”
Her complaint: Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu is unwilling to hand over the area without taking steps to “keep out weapons and block any Arab invasion from the east.” The area, which the PA has demanded to become part of any future country it creates, is home to at least 9,000 Jews, as well as some 56,000 PA Arabs.
Earlier this week, PA Prime Minister Salam Fayyad launched a project to build a new industrial park in the area, controlled by Israel, even though no building permits were secured from Jerusalem for the construction. Mohammed Thekri, a PA engineer involved in the project told Laub, “If we do nothing, until we get approval from the Israelis, it maybe will take another 10 years,” so the PA simply went ahead without the authorizations.
“Israel’s capricious control regime has limited very much the scope for development in the very important part of our country,” Fayyad told the AP.
4. Change: Obama’s New Adviser Close to Israel
by Elad Benari
President Obama’s incoming National Security Adviser is well known for his close ties to the Jewish and pro-Israel community.
Thomas Donilon, who will be replacing General Jim Jones in the role, is a business lawyer and former chief of staff for Warren Christopher, who was the Secretary of State for the Clinton administration.
In addition to his extensive legal and political background, the Jewish Telegraphic Agency reported that Donilon is also very pro-Israeli. He has close ties to Vice President Joe Biden, who is considered the White House official with the warmest ties to the Jewish community. Donilon’s wife, Cathy Russell, is chief of staff to Biden’s wife, Jill, and his brother, Michael, is a senior adviser to Biden.
In a statement released by Biden after Donilon’s appoint was announced last Friday, he said: “Tom Donilon has been my friend and adviser for nearly 25 years. These past two years, he has been at the heart of our foreign and national security policies. He brings to his new responsibilities a remarkable depth of knowledge about the challenges and opportunities our country faces around the world.”
One of Donilon’s clients during his time as a lawyer was Penny Pritzker, daughter of Hyatt hotel chain founder Donald Pritzker and member of the notable Jewish American Pritzker business family. Penny Pritzker is one of President Obama’s strongest Jewish backers. She was the national finance chair of Obama's presidential campaign and was even considered to be his Commerce Secretary.
Donilon’s appointment has also been backed and approved by the American Israel Public Affairs Committee. “Tom Donilon understands it’s a dangerous world,” said Committee spokesman Josh Block in a statement. “In every position he has held throughout his career in government, he has been a strong friend of the US-Israel relationship.”
Jones announced his resignation as National Security Adviser on October 8. The New York Times reported that Jones was forced to resign, a decision which was accelerated by White House anger due to his apparent leaks to journalist Bob Woodward, in which he described his disagreements with Obama’s political advisers.
5. Poll: America Supports Israel, Rejects Obama's Policies
by Maayana Miskin
A poll conducted by McLaughlin and Associates has found that the majority of American adults support Israel, and oppose U.S. President Barack Obama's Middle East Policy. While a majority of just over 50% expressed approval of Obama's work in office, more expressed disapproval than approval of his handling of American-Israel relations.
Those polled expressed support for Israeli positions. 50.9% said Jerusalem should remain Israel's undivided capital, compared to just 20.4% who disagreed. 77.9% said that Palestinian Authority leaders should recognize Israel as the Jewish state, compared to just 6% who said they should not.
A majority of 57.2% said Arab terrorism and denial of Israel's right to exist is primarily responsible for the Arab-Israeli conflict, while just 12.2% cited Jewish communities in Judea and Samaria as responsible for the conflict.
More Americans felt a PA state would increase problems in the Middle East than felt a PA state would be a solution. 25.5% said that if a PA state were created, terrorism against Israel would increase, while 18.7% said terror would decrease and 41.2% said it would remain unchanged.
22.1% said the creation of a PA state would increase anti-American sentiment in the Arab world. 15.7% said a PA state would decrease anti-American sentiment, and 50.2% said anti-American sentiment would be unchanged.
51.6% agreed that Obama has been less friendly to Israel than previous presidents, while 35.4% disagreed. 54.4% said they disagree with Obama's policy of publicly criticizing Israel and not the PA, while 27% agree with Obama's actions.
46.5% said they believe Obama's attempt to reach out to the Muslim world has left America less secure, while 33.1% said they believe America is now more secure.
A candidate's image as pro-Israel or anti-Israel could affect elections, the poll found. 52.7% said they were more likely to vote for a candidate they perceive as pro-Israel, while 24% said they are less likely to vote for someone pro-Israel. 53.6% said they would not vote for an anti-Israel candidate even if they agreed with them on other issues, while just 31.6% said they would.
Another finding was a strong concern that America could be the target if Iran obtained nuclear weapons. 49.8% said Iran is at least somewhat likely to attack America if it develops nuclear weapons, while a smaller number, 45.4%, termed such a scenario unlikely.
59.8% expressed support for destroying Iran's nuclear facilities in order to prevent the creation of a nuclear weapon, if sanctions fail.
6. Israel Police Demolish Maoz Esther--Again
by Chana Ya'ar
Israel Police again targeted the tiny hillside neighborhood of Maoz Esther, outside the Jewish community of Kochav HaShachar in Samaria Wednesday morning, demolishing three wooden homes and attempting but failing to destroy a concrete house as well.
More than 100 police officers and IDF soldiers uniformed and in plain clothes, arrived at the homes, together with approximately a dozen Arab workers, according to eyewitnesses.
Tractors quickly made short work of the wooden structures, the witnesses told Arutz Sheva’s, but they were largely unsuccessful in destroying a cinderblock home built on the side of a hill, inaccessible to construction vehicles.
After several hours of attempting to destroy the little cement house with manual labor, power tools, drills and jack hammers, the witnesses said, authorities finally abandoned the effort, leaving the structure intact.
The fledgling neighborhood has been repeatedly destroyed since its founding in 2007 in memory of Esther Galia, who was shot and killed by terrorists on her way home to Kochav HaShachar. Each time, residents return and rebuild, undeterred.
A local resident commented bitterly during the last round of demolitions, “To the government of Israel and to the nations of the world, Maoz Esther is ‘illegal.’ As for the Bedouin encampment on the next hill over, just as ‘illegal,’ nobody seems to mind. It is my guess that if anyone would try to knock that one down, every single government in the world would condemn Israel.”
7. Ahmadinejad 'At Home' in Lebanon, Vows to Fight 'Zionist Enemy'
by Tzvi Ben Gedalyahu
Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad triumphantly arrived in Lebanon Wednesday morning and immediately met expectations, saying he feels” at home” in the country and vows to continue to fight the “Zionist enemy” and its supporters.
The media highlight of his visit will come on Thursday, when he plans to speak at Bint Jbil, the village near Israel’s northern border where a fierce battle was fought during the Second Lebanon War in 2006.
Ahmadinejad has backed down from his bravado that he would throw stones at the border, but if he changes his mind and does so, “He cannot be allowed to return home alive,” said National Union Knesset Member Aryeh Eldad.
Hizbullah-backed Shi’ite Muslims in Lebanon gave Ahmadinejad a hero’s welcome, signaling increasing Iranian influence over Beirut. However, hours before Ahmadinejad left Iran, Saudi Arabian King Abdullah called him in a rare telephone conversation. Details were not revealed, but Saudi Arabia is highly concerned over Iran’s interference in the stalemated Iraqi government as well as in Lebanon.
Ahmadinejad thoroughly enjoyed the reception from thousands of supporters, who tossed rice and flowers at his heavily armored motorcade from the airport in Beirut to the residence of Lebanese President Michel Sleiman.
TIME magazine noted Wednesday, “Weakened leadership in Washington and in Tehran, and scores of potential flashpoints stretching from Kabul to Jerusalem, have created a dangerous, unstable moment in the Middle East. Ahmadinejad may have backed down from throwing stones, perhaps in deference to Hizbullah's delicate position, but his trip is a signal that Iran won't be backing down from its confrontation with the U.S. - a confrontation that may yet play out once again on Lebanese soil.”
Israel and the United States are deeply worried over the new Syrian-Iranian-Hizbullah-Hamas axis, which also has attracted Turkey, once considered a friend of Israel. U.S. State Department spokesman P.J. Crowley said last week that Iran is trying to undermine Lebanese sovereignty by aiding Hizbullah.
The visit is timely for Hizbullah, which is the subject of a United Nations investigation into the assassination of former anti-Syrian Prime Minister Rafik Hariri several years ago. Hizbullah is a minority member of the Lebanese coalition government but holds a grip on legislation through its veto power in the national cabinet.
Hizbullah, which is financed by Iran, has gained wide support on southern Lebanon, where it created a state within a state following the hasty departure of Israeli troops in 2000, ordered by then-Prime Minister and current Defense Minister Ehud Barak.
Six years later, Hizbullah built a stockpile of 20,000 missiles and constructed a maze of underground bunkers across from the Israeli border, enabling it to inflict heavy damage and casualties on Israel in the 34-day Second Lebanon War.
"He stood by us during Lebanon's troubles, and the 2006 aggression. It's not much to stand here to welcome him -- even if we had to stand for two whole days," 50-year-old Mahmoud Darwish told Reuters as he waited with his son to welcome Ahmadinejad. "He helped us rebuild Lebanon. If he hadn't, our houses would still be destroyed and we would still be living in tents."
Since the war ended with a ceasefire that has failed in its stated aim of demilitarizing foreign armies in Lebanon, Hizbullah has amassed tens of thousands of missiles, many with a longer range and which can strike central and southern Israel.
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