Pearl Harbor

On this day that should live on in infamy, but unfortunately goes unnoticed by many, I want to suggest that everyone send a card or care package to:

Walter Reed Army Medical Center

6900 Georgia Avenue NW

Washington DC 20307-5001

Also check out America Supports You to see what else can be done for our military. We have a volunteer military and I believe it is important for those of us not serving to show our appreciation to those who are. These are the people who fight for "Truth, Justice, and the American Way". We need to support them in every way possible.

Political Zionism is Dead ... play taps

I've got a few minutes right now to put a few thoughts on "paper".

First of all I need to address the bombing in Netanya this morning. Big shocker. Funny enough I didn't know about it till late morning since when I checked the internet news it didn't make the major headlines. Why? Only five people were murdered and it happened in Israel, so it doesn't count as "terrorist attack".

Interestingly enough, Sharon's spokesperson commented that "The Palestinian Authority continues to refuse the most elementary steps to prevent terrorism. They refuse to incarcerate terrorists. They refuse to dismantle the terror organizations and put them out of business once and for all. And we've seen these results today in Netanya." Ooooh big words, I'm sure that the PA really cares and will now see the error of their ways. Maybe Israel will withdraw from more territory if the Arabs bomb a few more cities.

What is the big surprise? We know that Hamas is part of the upcoming elections in Gaza. We know that the Palestinian Authority itself is part of the terrorist operations against Israel. We know that once we handed over Gaza to the Arabs it was to become a headquarters for Al-Queda and other undesirable groups. They have already moved in and made themselves at home.

The unilateral withdrawl, otherwise known as turning tail and running, has emboldened all Arabs, not just those in Israel and Arab occupied lands. It started when we signed a paper and walked out Sinai, turned tail and ran out of Lebanon, and continued in that honorable way this past summer when we deserted those Jews living in Gaza and nothern Samaria (Shomron), whose lives have been effectively destroyed.

Political Zionism is dead. "To be a free people in our land...Eretz Zion, Yerushalayim" is the last line in Hatikva. Are we free? Is there any land that we claim as our own that we aren't willing to trade (supposedly for peace)? Jerusalem is on the chopping block... any questions?

Political Zionism was to bring us a place of our own, a place that we were free to be Jews, free to be just like everyone else. We have accomplished part of this goal. We are just like everyone else. Flexible morals (rather, what morals? I was at that gay pride parade last summer in Jerusalem), intermarriage (yes, even in Israel), and the loss of Jewish identity.

Political Zionism is defined by some as the oppression of the Arabs. Why would anyone today want to buy into that? Why should they. If we understood history, we would know that this is not the reality of the situation. But Jews don't know their history. Jews don't even know what they stand for, or what makes them special. We've lost our vision, political or otherwise. Our job as a people as always been to bring G-dliness into the world. But what is G-dliness without knowing what it is to be Jewish?

It is a sad day when we mourn for those who are murdered for no reason. It is an even sadder day when we mourn the loss of idealism and identity.

No Surprises Here

According to news reports at the moment, a Jewish young man, 19 years old has shot up an Arab bus killing at least four people. This shouldn't be a surprise to anyone. When a supposed democratic society shuts down all avenues of expression, otherwise known as non-violent protest, it is a time-bomb waiting to go off. However, I must make very clear -- in no way does this mean that I condone his actions. The Jewish People are not prone to violent outbursts, it is not at all part of our nature.

People agree to form governments in order to protect themselves and their property (thank you John Locke). When they feel that their person or property are not being protected, and when they do not feel they have a means to get their government to hear their complaints - especially in a democratic society - they are unable to see what possible options may be open to them since many and all of them are closed. What can we expect to happen?

I feel terrible that this young man felt that he had no options. I lay complete and utter blame for this situation at the feet of Ariel Sharon. He has put the Jewish People in an untenable position in which John Locke himself would agree that this government has become tyrannical and has put itself at war with the people. People are willing to overlook the wrongs of government time and time again, but there comes a time when it is impossible to do so. I am certainly not advocating that there should be a coup (G-d forbid) since this would pit Jew against Jew. However this is a reality in which non-violent dissention must be allowed and encouraged in order for the people to feel that they are heard. This is the way of a true democracy.

I pray for this young man. I wish his family comfort with all the mourners of Zion. HaShem should protect us all.

Insanity!

It seems that there are three major events occuring regarding the Gaza retreat. One is that the United States is against the destruction of the Jewish homes left behind. Two is the rumor that Peres is asking the United States to help pay for the resettlement of these Gaza Jews. It also seems to be a given that the U.S. is also going to pay almost a billion dollars to reconstruct Gaza for the new Arab state which will be created.

I have several problems. Number one, as a Jewish-American citizen, why do I care if Israel decides to detroy those houses that those Jews are being forced to abandon? Why should we as Jews hand over anything free of charge to anyone (especially those who still claim to want to destroy us). As an American citizen who pays taxes, I object to paying for any or all of this. I do not want any of my money to pay for the resettlement of Jews to another area. I do not believe they should be removed from their homes in the first place -- why should I resettle them. Next, I'll be darned if I have my money given to the reconstruction of Gaza for the next Arab state. This will make a grand total of 22 Arab states. Wonderful. Why don't I just send Saudi Arabia a donation if I feel like throwing my money down the toilet?

It's not only live Jews that are being removed, it's also the Jews who have been buried there. We are unable to trust our "partners in peace" that these graves will not be desecrated. We've seen it many times before. One example being when Israel handed over the Tomb of Joseph to the "Palestinian Authority", next we see it being destroyed by Arab hands and burned to the ground. Where is the respect for the dead? There is none for the Jewish dead.

There is no respect for the Jewish living or the Jewish dead. This is what the world calls peace. This is what George Orwell would call "doublespeak". This is what I would call "insanity". Start praying.

Mahmoud Abbas: Terrorist in an Expensive Suit

I just saw this article. Well written, and incredibly important. A must read.

Column One: Sharon's terror masters

During the course of his negotiations with Damascus-based Palestinian terror masters in Cairo this week, PA chieftain Mahmoud Abbas made two revealing statements.



First, on Tuesday, Abbas said that upon receiving security control of Jericho, he would release from custody all of the Palestinian terrorists who have been incarcerated there since May 2002.



[...]



On Wednesday, Abbas went a step further. He told the terror masters who are now based in Damascus that after the exit of Israeli forces and civilians from Gaza and the transfer of control over the international border with Egypt to the PLO, they would all be invited to move their headquarters to the Gaza Strip.

Say Goodbye...

The Israeli government is preparing us for the pullout from Gaza and part of Judea/Samaria by de-legitimizing the Jews who live there. The beginnings of this de-legitimization can be seen in the newspaper, and no doubt there will be more as we get closer to the date of the pullout.

It is perhaps the strangest thing to see...the demise of democracy in Israel. Ariel Sharon was elected by a majority as a strong pro-"settlement", anti-rewarding terror prime minister, and amazingly enough, soon afterward began speaking about "occupied territories" and the need for another Arab state (21 states obviously isn't enough).

This was not the platform a majority of Israelis voted Sharon into office on. He has gone and made a complete 180 degree turn on what he promised when running for office. He has gone against his mandate. As a result of this, he now intends to remove the Jews from Gaza and part of Judea/Samaria.

How do you do all this and still stay in office? By de-legitimizing your opponents. The news has begun (and watch this trend will continue) to compare the contentious atmosphere in Israel as similar to the time prior to Yitzchak Rabin's killing.

Sharon pushed against having a national referendum (and was successful). In a statement against this referendum (Feb.10,'05) he speaks about the pressures against the disengagement. "These pressures emanate from within the Likud, as well as by parties outside the Likud, such as: "Kach" and "Yesha"....I wish to make myself clear: whoever supports the national referendum is against evacuating Gaza. He is against the disengagement."

What Sharon is doing is very smart. First he compares Kach and Yesha. Yesha is the representative body of Jews living in Gaza, Judea and Samaria. Kach is supposedly a "terrorist" organization, which supports the repatriation of the Arabs living in Israel to the surrounding Arab countries. Since Kach is supposedly a terrorist organization, by placing Kach and Yesha in the same sentence -- Sharon is placing them in the same camp of "terrorists", thereby de-legitimizing those against disengagement (and those living in those areas).

Second, Sharon makes it clear that anyone for the national referendum is against disengagement. This may be true, however, this a slap against democracy. Such an important decision should certainly be brought to a general vote. He has effectively disenfranchised the general Israeli population who had originally placed him in office.

Rallies against disengagement have taken place all over Israel. Hundreds of thousands of Israelis -- settlers and others, have demonstrated against what they feel will hurt Israel. Of course none of these rallies or demonstrations are shown on the mainstream media.

Continue to listen for certain key words: "incitement", "threatening atmosphere", "intimidation", or "Yitzchak Rabin". When the day arrives that the Jews are taken out of their homes, they will not be treated with the respect they deserve. Those who do not evacuate by the deadline can be sent to jail for up to six months. Other people in the area can be sent to jail for two years. Families may be sent to jail together.

The people living in Gaza, Judea and Samaria are heroes. They have settled the area knowing they would be open to attack by Arabs. They have settled and made their homes there believing that the land was given to them by G-d. They deserve better than to be vilified as "crazy" or "terrorists" or "obstacles to peace". They deserve better than to have their homes taken from them by undemocratic means. They deserve a lot better. They deserve our thanks and our support.

The Retreat from Gaza

I'm including an excellent analytical piece here by David Bedein about the "Disengagement Plan". Take a moment to read it.

"A DISPASSIONATE VIEW OF THE SHARON PLAN:

From a Disengagement Plan to a Retreat Plan"

by David Bedein

Emanuel A. Winston, a Middle East analyst & commentator, says: Emphasis added with some comments in brackets.]

I strongly urge you to read the enclosed Bedein analysis of Prime Minister Sharon's withdrawal plans. As you read, you will see the fingerprints of the Arabist U.S. State Department and the Bush advisors.

Note particularly the concept of leaving homes, factories, farms, businesses intact for the Arab Palestinians - all are to remain as if Gaza is a protectorate of Israel and without cost to the incoming recipients or just compensation for the evicted Jews who invested their own money, blood, sweat and tears for 3 generations.

Note also the pledge to provide employment, electricity, water, sewage treatment, telecommunications, gasoline - and training of the Arab "Security Forces".

What you will likely conclude is that President Bush and the U.S. State Department do NOT wish to take responsibility for what they have provoked. They refuse to finance the Arab Palestinians but rather have Israel surrender the land and all its hard-earned infrastructure. Then they expect Israel to continue supporting the international Terrorist Organizations who will take over after Sharon's shameful retreat.

Because this Gaza retreat plan is a direct extension of the failed Oslo plan and the newly re-packaged Geneva plan (all promoted by the E.U., the U.N. and the U.S. State Department) it would wise and prudent to vote against its adoption. PLEASE FORWARD THIS TO YOUR LISTS, THE MEDIA, CONGRESS & OTHER INFLUENTIALS!

A DISPASSIONATE VIEW OF THE SHARON PLAN:

FROM A DISENGAGEMENT PLAN TO A RETREAT PLAN

By David Bedein

Bureau Chief

Israel Resource News Agency

Beit Agron International Press Center

Jerusalem.

The Sharon Plan will be voted on in an unprecedented referendum which will take place among the 200,00 members of the Likud Party in Israel this coming Sunday [May 2].

This is no internal election.

The Sharon Plan has become a hotly debated news item in Israel and throughout the world.

Essentially, the vote on the Sharon Plan will provide the first referendum on the eleven year Oslo process.

Whatever the result, the situation in Israel will radically change.

If the Sharon Retreat Plan is ratified, the precedent will be established for the Israeli government to uproot Jewish communities.

A new government will be formed. The architect of the 1993 Oslo process, Shimon Peres, once again the leader of Israel's Labor Party, will again assume the post of foreign minister. The Oslo process will continue.

If the Sharon Plan is rejected, the Oslo process will be dead in the water.

Yet what is even more newsworthy, given the charged emotions that this debate has created, is the fact that very few people across the political spectrum in Israel, and even in the media and diplomatic corps represented in Israel, have bothered to read the Sharon Plan. Even though it is posted on the official web site of the Israeli Prime Minister, at http://www.pmo.gov.il , I repeat, few people have taken the time to read the Sharon Plan.

On one of Israel's most popular call-in shows last Friday morning, where everyone calling in had a passionate comment on the issue, the talk show host revealed that not one of the callers had read the Sharon Plan.

Likud Party Chairman and Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon had promised to mail out a copy of his plan to all of the Likud voters.

Well, if you take a dispassionate view of the plan, you will understand why he did not send it out.

The Sharon Plan is officially called the "Disengagement Plan", because, according to the preamble to clause 1, section 1, "Israel has come to the conclusion that there is currently no reliable Palestinian partner with which it can make progress in a bilateral peace process." The preamble goes on to say that "In order to break out of this stalemate, Israel is required to initiate moves not dependent on Palestinian cooperation…Accordingly, it has developed a plan of unilateral disengagement."

In other words, after 12 years of negotiations with the PLO, the Israeli government has reached the solemn conclusion that the negotiations have failed completely, and that the PLO is indeed at war with the state of Israel. After more than 22,000 terror attacks and almost one thousand people murdered in cold blood by Palestinian Arab terrorists in less than four years, that would be a seeming understatement. [1500 Jews have been murdered since Oslo in 1993, with tens of thousands injured - many maimed for life.]

Yet the paragraph that follows the preamble of the Sharon Plan is a seeming non-sequiter:

The Sharon Plan's answer to the PLO terror campaign is that "there will be no Israeli towns and villages in the Gaza Strip" and that "upon completion of this process, there shall no longer be any permanent presence of Israeli security forces or Israeli civilians in the areas of Gaza Strip territory which have been evacuated." Why retreat in the face of PLO adversity? No reason is given.

The plan offers an analysis, however, which states that "The relocation from the Gaza Strip and from Northern Samaria will reduce friction with the Palestinian population, and carries with it the potential for improvement in the Palestinian economy and living conditions."

Why would the Israeli government suddenly state that Jewish communities in Gaza and Northern Samaria are a "source of friction"? No reason is given. Why would it improve the economy and living conditions to abandon Jewish homes and farms? Again, no reason is given. After all, the Jewish communities in Gaza and Northern Samaria did not replace a single Arab family nor do they encroach on any Arab owned land. They were, in fact, built on vacant land not owned by any individuals, be they Palestinian, Jordanian or Egyptian after 1967 Six Day War.

The Sharon Plan does state that now "there will be no basis for claiming that the Gaza Strip is occupied territory," a specious claim that no government of Israel has ever accepted, since Israel does not define itself as a foreign "occupier" of any area of the historical land of Israel.

The Sharon Plan continues with a statement that seems to belie the preamble that the PLO is not a "reliable Palestinian partner" by stating that "the hope is that the Palestinians will take advantage of the opportunity created by the disengagement in order to break out of the cycle of violence and to reengage in a process of dialogue."

Why would an Israeli abandonment of Jewish communities cause the Palestinians to "break out of a cycle of violence"? It got them all of Gaza and will result in the deportation of Jews.

Since the majority of the Palestinians in Gaza, who live in the squalor of UN Arab refugee camps, are nurtured by the ideas of the "right of return" to liberate lands where their Arab villages existed in 1948, why would Israel's dismemberment of Jewish communities established on lands where no Arab villages were lost in 1967 satisfy their political goals?

Meanwhile, another premise of the Sharon Plan is that "the process of disengagement will serve to dispel claims regarding Israel's responsibility for the Palestinians in the Gaza Strip." So why does the plan continue to obligate Israel to provide water pipes, electricity, industrial zones, markets and employment to sustain the Palestinian Arab economy of Gaza? In the words, the Sharon Plan promises that the "Infrastructure relating to water, electricity, sewage and telecommunications serving the Palestinians will remain in place" and that " In general, Israel will enable the continued supply of electricity, water, gas and petrol to the Palestinians, in accordance with current arrangements. Other existing arrangements, such as those relating to water and the electro-magnetic sphere and economic arrangements shall remain in force". These arrangements include, inter alia:

i. The entry of workers into Israel in accordance with the existing criteria.

ii. The entry and exit of goods between the Gaza Strip, the West Bank, Israel and abroad.

iii. The monetary regime.

iv. Tax and customs envelope arrangements.

v. Postal and telecommunications arrangements.

Meanwhile, Israel will continue to operate The Erez industrial zone, situated in the Gaza Strip, which employs some 4,000 Palestinian workers."

So what the Israeli Prime Minister's office describes as a "disengagement plan" does anything but disengage Israel from the Palestinian Arab population.

For whatever reason, the Sharon plan assumes that the PLO will abandon its terror campaign.

The plan says, "When", and not "if" "…there is evidence from the Palestinian side of its willingness, capability and implementation in practice of the fight against terrorism and the institution of reform as required by the Road Map, it will be possible to return to the track of negotiation and dialogue."

While the premise of the Sharon plan is that the PLO will not fight terrorism, and with evidence that the PLO continues to run a system based of corruption, what basis does the Sharon plan have for any assumption that the PLO will "fight against terrorism" or institute any "reform"? There is no answer.

And when it comes to security issues in other areas, the Sharon plan promises to "evacuate an Area in the Northern Samaria Area (the West Bank) including 4 villages and all military installations, and re-deploy outside the vacated area. The move will enable territorial contiguity for Palestinians in the Northern Samaria Area "while Israel will improve the transportation infrastructure in the West Bank in order to facilitate the contiguity of Palestinian transportation." Israel will provide them buses as they blow ours up?

Does this also mean that abandoned villages and military installations will be handed over to a PLO that is "not a reliable peace partner"? Once more, since the Sharon Plan defines the PLO as maintaining a state of war with Israel, why does the same Sharon Plan provide the PLO with the strategic assistance of "territorial contiguity"? No answer is given as merrily we roll along.

Meanwhile, the Sharon Plan mandates that the Gaza Strip "be demilitarized and shall be devoid of weaponry, the presence of which does not accord with the Israeli-Palestinian agreements."

However, the Sharon Plan does not even allude to the fact that the PLO violated all previous agreements in this regard and refused to implement the agreement with Israel to have their personnel vetted by Israel. Did Sharon forget that the PLO increased against the Oslo agreement the size of the agreed upon security force from 9,000 in 1993 to more than 50,000 by 1995, ignoring protestations of the government of Israel?

The Sharon Plan that demilitarizes Gaza provides no process to disarm the PLO armed forces now in Gaza.

And what does the Sharon Plan mandate in terms of Israeli security? The Sharon Plan asserts that " Israel reserves its inherent right of self-defense, both preventive and reactive, including where necessary the use of force, in respect of threats emanating from the Gaza Strip." Incredibly, Israel's right to pursue terrorists into Gaza is not mentioned anywhere. They can shoot at us but we may not go after the terrorists.

As far as the security situation in the West Bank is concerned, the Sharon Plan states that "upon completion of the evacuation of the Northern Samaria Area, no permanent Israeli military presence will remain in this area," while another section states that " Military Installations and Infrastructure in the Gaza Strip and Northern Samaria will be dismantled and removed, with the exception of those which Israel decides to leave and transfer to another party ..."

Does that mean that the PLO security forces, described in clause 1 of the Sharon Plan as "not a reliable peace partner," will now inherit Israel's abandoned IDF miltary bases?

Why would Israel cede military installations to an entity with who it is in a state of war?

The Sharon Plan also states that "In other areas of the West Bank, current security activity will continue" and that "...as circumstances permit, Israel will consider reducing such activity in Palestinian cities…" and that "Israel will work to reduce the number of internal checkpoints throughout the West Bank."

So here we have a situation where Israel moves its forces out of cities and reduces checkpoints and is expected to maintain mobility to respond to the PLO terror war.

Perhaps the most amazing issue of all is that the Sharon Plan agrees to provide "advice, assistance and training" to "the Palestinian security forces for the implementation of their obligations to combat terrorism and maintain public order, by American, British, Egyptian, Jordanian or other experts, as agreed with Israel."

The Sharon Plan ignores Israel's decade-long failed experience with security assistance that Israel facilitated for the PLO.

The Sharon Plan ignores how military training facilitated by Israel and western countries for the PLO was abused to conduct a terror campaign against Israel in every part of the country for the past four years. The U.S. State Department trained Palestinian policemen for "security" who then used that training to kill Israelis.

The Sharon Plan goes on to say that "Israel will be willing to consider the possibility of the establishment of a seaport and airport in the Gaza Strip, in accordance with arrangements to be agreed with Israel." Did Israel not try that already? And weren't guns and rockets smuggled in?

In terms of Israel's border area between the Gaza Strip and Egypt, (called the Philadelphi Route), the Sharon Plan only states that "Initially, Israel will continue to maintain a military presence along the border between the Gaza Strip and Egypt" and that "...subsequently, the evacuation of this area will be considered…. dependent, inter alia, on the security situation and the extent of cooperation with Egypt in establishing a reliable alternative arrangement."

Why "initially" and "subsequently"?

Does Israel expect that situation on the Egyptian border to change?

Will weapons continue to be smuggled through tunnels on Egypt's frontier?

And how does the Sharon Plan deal with the fate of the 25 Israeli communities that it has slated for abandonment? Three generations of families who worked hard and built productive lives on vacant sand dunes to make a thriving agricultural community?

The Sharon Plan makes no mention of the property rights, human rights or civil liberties of the residents and landowners in these communities.

Instead, the Sharon Plan relates only to the property values of Jewish owned property in terms of how they might help their new occupants, stating that "Israel will strive to leave the immovable property relating to Israeli towns and villages intact," while "Israel reserves the right to request that the economic value of the assets left in the evacuated areas be taken into consideration" and that "The transfer of Israeli economic activity to Palestinians carries with it the potential for a significant improvement in the Palestinian economy."

In other words, terrorism pays.

But worse still, the Sharon Plan does not take into account that only the leadership of the PLO would likely take this property for themselves, irrespective of the economic needs of the Palestinian society. The record of corruption of the highest levels of the PLO is a matter of public record throughout the world.

Instead, the Sharon Plan states that "Israel proposes that an international body be established (along the lines of the Ad Hoc Liaison Committee), with the agreement of the United States and Israel, which shall take possession from Israel of property which remains, and which will estimate the value of all such assets." In other words, the Israeli government has decided to implement a process designed to confiscate the private property belonging to thousands of people, without any mention of the human rights, civil liberties or the property rights of people who have the rightful deed to their homes, businesses and farms.

Instead of recognizing the rights of landowners of the Israeli communities scheduled for abandonment, the Sharon Plan offers hundreds of Israeli homes to the PLO, stating that "Israel will strive to leave in place the infrastructure relating to water, electricity and sewage currently serving the Israeli towns and villages."

Finally, The Sharon Plan envisions continued international support for the PLO , " in order to bring the Palestinians to implement in practice their obligations to combat terrorism and effect reforms, thus enabling the parties to return to the path of negotiation."

And if the support for the PLO continues and the terror does not cease? What then? The Sharon Plan provides no answer.

So there you have it. The text of the Sharon Plan speaks for itself: Ethnic Cleansing of Jews, strengthening of the PLO, and no disengagement whatsoever. This is not a disengagement plan. This is a plan of hasty retreat that doesn't even include a request of the Palestine Authority to stop endorsing the murder of Jews from their government's Public Broadcasting Corporation shows.

What sanctions are listed if the PLO does not comply? Is this not worse than the Oslo Accords?

Brotherly Love

Surprise, surprise. The United States is donating 350 million dollars to the relief effort after the tsunami devastated hundreds of thousands.

Saudi Arabia is donating how much to its fellow Muslims in Indonesia? 10 million. It's good to know they care.