JINSA is the "Jewish Institute for National Security Affiars," a think tank in Washington DC. This post really spoke to me. The original is to be found athttp://www.jinsa.org/node/2315
Fred
JINSA Report #1092
May 24, 2011
Prime Minister Netanyahu Before the U.S. Congress
He looked as if he belonged there. He spoke as if he was one of us. And in the ways that count, he was.
Not because his English is impeccable, but because he spoke to the convergence of historical, religious, political, security, moral, and ethical views and values between the State of Israel and the United States. In the broadest and deepest sense, he came from where we come from. He came from the camp of deeply held core values that Americans understand. He came from the camp of compromise and political realism. He may not always have been in that camp, but he could not have been clearer about his membership now, and Americans relate to that.
He came from the pro-American camp in which most of us reside. (Can you imagine Abu Mazen saying, "God bless America"?)
On the merits, the speech turned the most important table, as Prime Minister Netanyahu said the conflict was not about forming a Palestinian state - which, he noted, Israel agreed to in 1947 and which the last six Israeli Prime Ministers have reiterated - but rather that the Palestinians are unwilling to accept a Jewish state. Congress applauded.
He called for an end to Palestinians teaching their children that Israel would disappear and an end to the glorification of terrorists. Congress applauded.
He said Palestinian refugees would not be resettled in Israel, but in their own country. Congress applauded.
He said Jerusalem would not be re-divided because only under Israel has the city been accessible to adherents of all religions including Judaism. Congress applauded.
He said Israel needs defensible borders, not arbitrary lines; the Jordan River Valley is one such line. Congress applauded and we think the King of Jordan did as well.
He called on the Palestinian Authority to end its relationship with Hamas - "the Palestinian version of al Qaeda" - and negotiate with Israel. Congress applauded.
Prime Minister Netanyahu invited the Palestinian Authority to join Israel in expanding and enhancing the economic improvements that have already come to the West Bank since Israel rooted out the terrorists who orchestrated the so-called "second intifada" and since the IDF works with the Palestinian Security Forces to maintain security there. It was a generous invitation and Congress applauded.
Netanyahu spoke the thoughts of the Congress of the United States and the Congress stood and applauded twelve times (in case you were counting). Republicans and Democrats, liberals and conservatives made clear their appreciation of the difficult conditions under which Israel lives, the determination of Israel to be strong and defend its people, and the desire of Israel to find a way to give the Palestinians what they have been unable to take since 1948 - a peaceful, prosperous state next to Israel, the national home of the Jewish people.
Wednesday, May 25, 2011
Sunday, May 15, 2011
The End of the Zionist Enterprise
A terrific post from my friend Rabbi Micky Boyden
This morning (Sunday), on what Palestinians call Yawm an-Nakbah (the Day of the Catastrophe), Hamas’ Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh is reported to have addressed some 10,000 worshippers in a Gaza mosque and to have declared that they were protesting “with the great hope of bringing the Zionist enterprise in Palestine to an end.”
Haniyeh’s remarks should come as no surprise given the clause in the Hamas Charter that states that ”Israel will exist and will continue to exist until Islam will obliterate it, just as it obliterated others before it.”
It is in that context that the recent accord between the Palestinian Authority and Hamas should be viewed. A united Palestinian leadership that expresses such views is not the kind of government with which Israel can be expected to do business.
The Middle East quartet was, therefore, absolutely right in insisting back in June 2009 that all Palestinians commit themselves to non-violence, recognition of Israel, and acceptance of previous agreements and obligations.
However, those essential pre-conditions for a negotiated settlement between Israel and the Palestinians would now appear to be less emphatic. Only last month, in a press conference with the Arab media, quartet envoy Tony Blair is reported to have stated that they would work with a Palestinian unity government if Hamas would renounce violence. Despite being asked twice by reporters, Blair apparently did not insist that they recognize Israel’s right to exist.
Against that background, a United Nations declaration recognizing a Palestinian state in the Gaza Strip and on the West Bank including East Jerusalem would effectively give a stamp of approval to the establishment of a nation of which a major component of its political leadership has no intention of living in peace with Israel.
While that would no doubt be welcomed by Iran, Syria and a host of other countries, it is to be hoped that western democracies, headed by the United States, will resist all efforts to recognize a nation state committed to Israel’s destruction.
This morning (Sunday), on what Palestinians call Yawm an-Nakbah (the Day of the Catastrophe), Hamas’ Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh is reported to have addressed some 10,000 worshippers in a Gaza mosque and to have declared that they were protesting “with the great hope of bringing the Zionist enterprise in Palestine to an end.”
Haniyeh’s remarks should come as no surprise given the clause in the Hamas Charter that states that ”Israel will exist and will continue to exist until Islam will obliterate it, just as it obliterated others before it.”
It is in that context that the recent accord between the Palestinian Authority and Hamas should be viewed. A united Palestinian leadership that expresses such views is not the kind of government with which Israel can be expected to do business.
The Middle East quartet was, therefore, absolutely right in insisting back in June 2009 that all Palestinians commit themselves to non-violence, recognition of Israel, and acceptance of previous agreements and obligations.
However, those essential pre-conditions for a negotiated settlement between Israel and the Palestinians would now appear to be less emphatic. Only last month, in a press conference with the Arab media, quartet envoy Tony Blair is reported to have stated that they would work with a Palestinian unity government if Hamas would renounce violence. Despite being asked twice by reporters, Blair apparently did not insist that they recognize Israel’s right to exist.
Against that background, a United Nations declaration recognizing a Palestinian state in the Gaza Strip and on the West Bank including East Jerusalem would effectively give a stamp of approval to the establishment of a nation of which a major component of its political leadership has no intention of living in peace with Israel.
While that would no doubt be welcomed by Iran, Syria and a host of other countries, it is to be hoped that western democracies, headed by the United States, will resist all efforts to recognize a nation state committed to Israel’s destruction.
Saturday, May 7, 2011
A Jewish Perspective on the Death of Osama Bin Laden
When Jewish people escaped from Egypt, they saw the Pharaoh’s army descending upon them. Then the miracle occurred. They saw Pharaoh's army drown in the sea. It was the seminal moment in the lives of those present and was to become the seminal moment in the lives of our people and the Jewish nation.
In their great joy, they sang triumphantly what has become known as the “Song of the Sea.” According to biblical historians, this is one of the oldest passages in the entire Hebrew Bible.
Cheering and celebrating the death of tyrants and mass murders goes way back in Jewish tradition.
Similarly in the story of Purim, after Haman and his ten sons were executed, we are told that: "On the thirteenth day of the month Adar; and on the fourteenth day of the same they rested, and made it a day of feasting and gladness" (Esther 9: 17).
Proverbs 11:10 observes: "When the wicked are destroyed there is rejoicing."
These responses come from the part of our brain which has been called the Reptilian brain. We have felt threatened and now the threat has partially been removed. Bin Laden is not able to murder again and for that we feel as great sense of relief.
On the other hand, both biblical and rabbinic traditions give us a somewhat different perspective on the death of a mass murderer like Bin Laden.
Proverbs 24:17 says: "Do not rejoice when your enemy falls."
The Talmud teaches us in the name of Rabbi Yochanan that "The Ministering Angels sought to sing the Song of the Sea (in celebration of the death of Pharaoh’s soldiers.) Said the Holy One of Blessing: The works of My hands are drowning in the sea, and you say the Song?!" (Sanhedrin 39b).
I am curious as to why this rebuke was addressed to the angels and not to the human being who crossed the sea.
Perhaps in addressing the angels, our tradition was trying to say that that part of our higher selves, the angelic or Godly part, should not be celebrating the death of a tyrant in such a way.
At the Passover Seder, we pour out ten drops of wine to represent the ten plagues. We do not drink these drops lest we be seen as celebrating the deaths of others. As a matter of fact, traditionally when we pour out these ten drops, we do so with our pinky finger and as such we are told that we are not even to lick off the remaining wine in order not to be seen as celebrating.
The higher brain functioning helps us understand what has happened in a different way.
First, we understand that just because Bin Laden is dead does not mean that the struggle against terrorism is over or had been won.
Second, theologically we can even empathize with God’s sadness. Bin Laden was after all a creature created in God’s image. He was not born with a tattoo on his chest which said: "This is an evil baby!" When he was a toddler, he did not wear a shirt which said, "I will grow up to be a mass murderer." The ability to hate others is something that we learn from others. It is not a "God given" ability. Bin Laden’s story represents the most extreme example of educational failure.
As a Jew, I do not celebrate his death.
Having said that, I am not going to be critical of those students from American, George Washington and George Mason universities who descended upon the White House. These young people were 10 to 14 years old at the time of 9/11. To a very real extent, the events of 9/11 have shaped the world during the past ten years the adult identities of these young people. This celebration was an expression of their Reptilian Brain. As time goes on and with added maturity, they will begin to understand the significance of this event on a higher level.
My higher brain functioning tells me that the problem of terrorism and its very real threat, not only to the United States, but especially to Israel and the Jewish people remains very real.
In Egypt, the Muslim Brotherhood referred to Bin Laden by the honorary term "sheikh."
In the Al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem, an Imam vowed to take revenge on "the Western dogs" who killed Osama bin Laden.
Ismail Haniyeh, the head of Hamas in the Gaza Strip, told reporters: "We condemn the assassination and the killing of an Arab holy warrior (shahid). We regard this as a continuation of the American policy based on oppression and the shedding of Muslim and Arab blood."
A new Pew Global Attitudes poll shows that respect for Al Quada and Osama Bin Laden was the highest in the entire Muslim world among Palestinian Muslims with 34 percent expressing confidence in him to "do the right thing in world affairs."
We have lots to consider in our world. We are glad that the man responsible for the deaths of more than 3,000 Americans on 9/11 and many more, including thousands of Muslims, has been brought to justice. We know as well that the fight against terrorism is not over and that reconciliation is a long way off.
We pray that the Holy One of Blessing, the God who is the God of all Humanity, will bless us with peace.
May we live to see that day when as the Prophet Isaiah said, "Nation will not lift up sword against nation."
But let us interpret the second part of this verse in the following manner: "Neither shall they, children and adults, ever again be taught to hate and to be violent towards others for we are all created in God’s image!"
In their great joy, they sang triumphantly what has become known as the “Song of the Sea.” According to biblical historians, this is one of the oldest passages in the entire Hebrew Bible.
Cheering and celebrating the death of tyrants and mass murders goes way back in Jewish tradition.
Similarly in the story of Purim, after Haman and his ten sons were executed, we are told that: "On the thirteenth day of the month Adar; and on the fourteenth day of the same they rested, and made it a day of feasting and gladness" (Esther 9: 17).
Proverbs 11:10 observes: "When the wicked are destroyed there is rejoicing."
These responses come from the part of our brain which has been called the Reptilian brain. We have felt threatened and now the threat has partially been removed. Bin Laden is not able to murder again and for that we feel as great sense of relief.
On the other hand, both biblical and rabbinic traditions give us a somewhat different perspective on the death of a mass murderer like Bin Laden.
Proverbs 24:17 says: "Do not rejoice when your enemy falls."
The Talmud teaches us in the name of Rabbi Yochanan that "The Ministering Angels sought to sing the Song of the Sea (in celebration of the death of Pharaoh’s soldiers.) Said the Holy One of Blessing: The works of My hands are drowning in the sea, and you say the Song?!" (Sanhedrin 39b).
I am curious as to why this rebuke was addressed to the angels and not to the human being who crossed the sea.
Perhaps in addressing the angels, our tradition was trying to say that that part of our higher selves, the angelic or Godly part, should not be celebrating the death of a tyrant in such a way.
At the Passover Seder, we pour out ten drops of wine to represent the ten plagues. We do not drink these drops lest we be seen as celebrating the deaths of others. As a matter of fact, traditionally when we pour out these ten drops, we do so with our pinky finger and as such we are told that we are not even to lick off the remaining wine in order not to be seen as celebrating.
The higher brain functioning helps us understand what has happened in a different way.
First, we understand that just because Bin Laden is dead does not mean that the struggle against terrorism is over or had been won.
Second, theologically we can even empathize with God’s sadness. Bin Laden was after all a creature created in God’s image. He was not born with a tattoo on his chest which said: "This is an evil baby!" When he was a toddler, he did not wear a shirt which said, "I will grow up to be a mass murderer." The ability to hate others is something that we learn from others. It is not a "God given" ability. Bin Laden’s story represents the most extreme example of educational failure.
As a Jew, I do not celebrate his death.
Having said that, I am not going to be critical of those students from American, George Washington and George Mason universities who descended upon the White House. These young people were 10 to 14 years old at the time of 9/11. To a very real extent, the events of 9/11 have shaped the world during the past ten years the adult identities of these young people. This celebration was an expression of their Reptilian Brain. As time goes on and with added maturity, they will begin to understand the significance of this event on a higher level.
My higher brain functioning tells me that the problem of terrorism and its very real threat, not only to the United States, but especially to Israel and the Jewish people remains very real.
In Egypt, the Muslim Brotherhood referred to Bin Laden by the honorary term "sheikh."
In the Al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem, an Imam vowed to take revenge on "the Western dogs" who killed Osama bin Laden.
Ismail Haniyeh, the head of Hamas in the Gaza Strip, told reporters: "We condemn the assassination and the killing of an Arab holy warrior (shahid). We regard this as a continuation of the American policy based on oppression and the shedding of Muslim and Arab blood."
A new Pew Global Attitudes poll shows that respect for Al Quada and Osama Bin Laden was the highest in the entire Muslim world among Palestinian Muslims with 34 percent expressing confidence in him to "do the right thing in world affairs."
We have lots to consider in our world. We are glad that the man responsible for the deaths of more than 3,000 Americans on 9/11 and many more, including thousands of Muslims, has been brought to justice. We know as well that the fight against terrorism is not over and that reconciliation is a long way off.
We pray that the Holy One of Blessing, the God who is the God of all Humanity, will bless us with peace.
May we live to see that day when as the Prophet Isaiah said, "Nation will not lift up sword against nation."
But let us interpret the second part of this verse in the following manner: "Neither shall they, children and adults, ever again be taught to hate and to be violent towards others for we are all created in God’s image!"
Sunday, April 3, 2011
Goldstone and Slander
I urge all of us to read all of us to read an incredible article by Richard Goldstone himself. It is the closest thing to a person "al chet" that we will see from him. Considering that damage that he did to the state of Israel, it is an exasperating article to read. Those in our community who wish to honor him or to make him into a hero should really think twice. Here is a man who sadly was used to smear Israel because he was a South African judge and a Jew by the detractors of Israel to do great harm to the international reputation of Israel.
By the way, the same could be said of those who were so critical of Israel's response to the Flotilla given that last month a ship laden with arms for Hamas attempted to run the embargo.
The Goldstone article is at:
www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/reconsidering-the-goldstone-report-on-israel-and-war-crimes/2011/04/01/AFg111JC_story.html
See also the excellent article by David Horowitz on this at
http://www.jpost.com/LandedPages/PrintArticle.aspx?id=214866
and the statement from the American Jewish Committee at
http://www.ajc.org/site/apps/nlnet/content2.aspx?c=ijITI2PHKoG&b=849241&ct=9313921
In a commentary on this week’s Torah portion, Parashat Metzora, my colleague Paul Citrin writes: “”A person sees all plagues except his own.” (Nega’im 2:5). This phrase from the Mishna makes it clear that the Sages already understood that the disease spoken of in Metzora is not a physical blight. It is universally known in the Jewish world that the Rabbis understood Metzora to point to “motzi shem ra”, a slanderer. The unclean nega was an outer sign of inner moral deficit."
I was struck buy these words given the recent almost “al Chet” by Richard Goldstone.
Unfortunately there are many within our midst who are so quick to believe every slanderous assertion against Israel and who are so hesitant to even give Israel any credit where credit is due. Those who are guilty of this are indeed engaging in the sin of being a “motzi shem ra.”
Consider the following. When Judge Goldstone encountered difficulties in attending his grandson’s Bar Mitzvah, a letter of support was written. Taanit Tzedek- Jewish Fast for Gaza , Shomer Shalom Institute for Jewish Nonviolence, Tikkun and The Shalom Center. This letter from last May may be found at http://www.theshalomcenter.org/node/1715.
Now I have no problems with saying that Goldstone should be able to attend his grandson’s Bar Mitzvah, but the letter said so much more. Specifically the letter stated
“We affirm the truth of the report that bears your name…. We affirm your findings and believe you set up an impeccable standard that presents strong evidence that during the war in Gaza Israel engaged in war crimes that revealed a pattern of continuous and systematic assault against Palestinian people and land that has very little to do with Israel’s claim of security…. Your report made clear the intentional targeting of civilian infrastructures such as hospitals, schools, agricultural properties, water and sewage treatment centers and civilians themselves with deadly weapons that are illegal when used in civilian centers…. Judge Goldstone, we want to offer you our deepest thanks for upholding the principles of justice, compassion and truth that are the heart of Jewish religion and without which our claims to Jewishness are empty of meaning…. We believe your report is a clarion call to Israel and the Jewish people to awaken from the slumber of denial and return to the path of peace.”
Much of the content of this letter has now been rejected by Goldstone himself. I urge all who signed this letter to consider carefully their actions. Were you too quick to condemn Israel for Operation Cast Lead or for that matter the flotilla incident? Will you be so quick to condemn Israel next time or will the words of Pirke Avot to “Be Patient in Judgment” be taken to heart? My hope, my prayer, is that those who are so quick to slander Israel will be more careful next time.
Last spring on its 25th anniversary, Tikkun Magazine gave Judge Goldstone its Ethics Award. I call upon Tikkun to rescind this award in light of the most recent admissions by Goldstone himself. TO ITS CREDIT – Tikkun published on its website an article entitled “Rethinking Goldstone?” by Mitchell Plitnick. http://www.tikkun.org/nextgen/rethinking-goldstone Although I may not agree with this article in its entirety, I applaud Tikkun for its intellectual honesty in “Rethinking Goldstone.”
So this Shabbat, maybe we should all take a closer look at our willingness to believe anything terrible about Israel.
Now please do not accuse me of seeing only Israel’s’ good side and not its blemishes. I am a supporter in word and financially of BOTH AIPAC and the New Israel Fund and frankly see no conflict in supporting both of these fine organzations, As a matter of fact, my brother in law is the program director for AIPAC in Jerusalem and my sister in law, his wife, is the associate director of the NIF. It works for them and it works for me!
By the way, the same could be said of those who were so critical of Israel's response to the Flotilla given that last month a ship laden with arms for Hamas attempted to run the embargo.
The Goldstone article is at:
www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/reconsidering-the-goldstone-report-on-israel-and-war-crimes/2011/04/01/AFg111JC_story.html
See also the excellent article by David Horowitz on this at
http://www.jpost.com/LandedPages/PrintArticle.aspx?id=214866
and the statement from the American Jewish Committee at
http://www.ajc.org/site/apps/nlnet/content2.aspx?c=ijITI2PHKoG&b=849241&ct=9313921
In a commentary on this week’s Torah portion, Parashat Metzora, my colleague Paul Citrin writes: “”A person sees all plagues except his own.” (Nega’im 2:5). This phrase from the Mishna makes it clear that the Sages already understood that the disease spoken of in Metzora is not a physical blight. It is universally known in the Jewish world that the Rabbis understood Metzora to point to “motzi shem ra”, a slanderer. The unclean nega was an outer sign of inner moral deficit."
I was struck buy these words given the recent almost “al Chet” by Richard Goldstone.
Unfortunately there are many within our midst who are so quick to believe every slanderous assertion against Israel and who are so hesitant to even give Israel any credit where credit is due. Those who are guilty of this are indeed engaging in the sin of being a “motzi shem ra.”
Consider the following. When Judge Goldstone encountered difficulties in attending his grandson’s Bar Mitzvah, a letter of support was written. Taanit Tzedek- Jewish Fast for Gaza , Shomer Shalom Institute for Jewish Nonviolence, Tikkun and The Shalom Center. This letter from last May may be found at http://www.theshalomcenter.org/node/1715.
Now I have no problems with saying that Goldstone should be able to attend his grandson’s Bar Mitzvah, but the letter said so much more. Specifically the letter stated
“We affirm the truth of the report that bears your name…. We affirm your findings and believe you set up an impeccable standard that presents strong evidence that during the war in Gaza Israel engaged in war crimes that revealed a pattern of continuous and systematic assault against Palestinian people and land that has very little to do with Israel’s claim of security…. Your report made clear the intentional targeting of civilian infrastructures such as hospitals, schools, agricultural properties, water and sewage treatment centers and civilians themselves with deadly weapons that are illegal when used in civilian centers…. Judge Goldstone, we want to offer you our deepest thanks for upholding the principles of justice, compassion and truth that are the heart of Jewish religion and without which our claims to Jewishness are empty of meaning…. We believe your report is a clarion call to Israel and the Jewish people to awaken from the slumber of denial and return to the path of peace.”
Much of the content of this letter has now been rejected by Goldstone himself. I urge all who signed this letter to consider carefully their actions. Were you too quick to condemn Israel for Operation Cast Lead or for that matter the flotilla incident? Will you be so quick to condemn Israel next time or will the words of Pirke Avot to “Be Patient in Judgment” be taken to heart? My hope, my prayer, is that those who are so quick to slander Israel will be more careful next time.
Last spring on its 25th anniversary, Tikkun Magazine gave Judge Goldstone its Ethics Award. I call upon Tikkun to rescind this award in light of the most recent admissions by Goldstone himself. TO ITS CREDIT – Tikkun published on its website an article entitled “Rethinking Goldstone?” by Mitchell Plitnick. http://www.tikkun.org/nextgen/rethinking-goldstone Although I may not agree with this article in its entirety, I applaud Tikkun for its intellectual honesty in “Rethinking Goldstone.”
So this Shabbat, maybe we should all take a closer look at our willingness to believe anything terrible about Israel.
Now please do not accuse me of seeing only Israel’s’ good side and not its blemishes. I am a supporter in word and financially of BOTH AIPAC and the New Israel Fund and frankly see no conflict in supporting both of these fine organzations, As a matter of fact, my brother in law is the program director for AIPAC in Jerusalem and my sister in law, his wife, is the associate director of the NIF. It works for them and it works for me!
Tuesday, March 22, 2011
Japan, Libya and Israel in the news
In light of all of the news from Japan and Libya in recent weeks, people might have missed two critical incidents which occurred in Israel.
The first was the interception of a cargo ship bound for Gaza with advanced “game changing” weaponry which would have been used against Israeli civilian populations.
I suggest that you look at a short film from the Israeli Defense Forces as to what was captured on this ship. The film is at:
http://www.youtube.com/user/idfnadesk
My friend Mickey Boyden has written a terrific piece on this incident and the previous incident with the Turkish ship the Mavi Marmara. I can recall outrage by some in our midst at that time about Israel’s boarding of this ship which was carrying supplies to Gaza. By the way, perhaps you have forgotten that Israel offered to ship all of the supplies overland to Gaza after inspection and off loading of the cargo in Ashkelon. Mickey writes: "Those who question the legality of the naval blockade on the Gaza Strip should understand why such measures are essential when not a day passes without mortar shells and rockets raining down on Israel’s towns and villages."
Mickey Boyden's article may be accessed at
http://weareforisrael.org/2011/03/22/the-tale-of-two-ships/
The second incident was that on Saturday more than 50 mortars were fired from the Gaza Strip at civilian communities and IDF bases in the Western Negev. The mortars slightly injured two people and damaged two buildings. The mortar fire came from Hamas and not from other militant groups in the Gaza Strip. This was the first time since the end of Operation Cast Lead in January 2009 that Hamas has openly attacked Israel.
Now of course if this continues and Israel is forced by Hamas to respond, there will be those who are quick to criticize Israel for a disproportionate response. Such people are silent now when Hamas is clearly the aggressor, but their shrieking voices will be heard the moment that Israel’s actions can be criticized. Their silence in light of the callous murder of the Fogel family, including the murder of a three month old baby a week and a half ago, is also striking.
Perhaps the reason why there is no outrage concerning the above is not only their lack of coverage because of Japan and Libya. Perhaps it is also the result that even in the best of times, Israelis (Jews) being shot at is hardly news.
Fred Guttman
The first was the interception of a cargo ship bound for Gaza with advanced “game changing” weaponry which would have been used against Israeli civilian populations.
I suggest that you look at a short film from the Israeli Defense Forces as to what was captured on this ship. The film is at:
http://www.youtube.com/user/idfnadesk
My friend Mickey Boyden has written a terrific piece on this incident and the previous incident with the Turkish ship the Mavi Marmara. I can recall outrage by some in our midst at that time about Israel’s boarding of this ship which was carrying supplies to Gaza. By the way, perhaps you have forgotten that Israel offered to ship all of the supplies overland to Gaza after inspection and off loading of the cargo in Ashkelon. Mickey writes: "Those who question the legality of the naval blockade on the Gaza Strip should understand why such measures are essential when not a day passes without mortar shells and rockets raining down on Israel’s towns and villages."
Mickey Boyden's article may be accessed at
http://weareforisrael.org/2011/03/22/the-tale-of-two-ships/
The second incident was that on Saturday more than 50 mortars were fired from the Gaza Strip at civilian communities and IDF bases in the Western Negev. The mortars slightly injured two people and damaged two buildings. The mortar fire came from Hamas and not from other militant groups in the Gaza Strip. This was the first time since the end of Operation Cast Lead in January 2009 that Hamas has openly attacked Israel.
Now of course if this continues and Israel is forced by Hamas to respond, there will be those who are quick to criticize Israel for a disproportionate response. Such people are silent now when Hamas is clearly the aggressor, but their shrieking voices will be heard the moment that Israel’s actions can be criticized. Their silence in light of the callous murder of the Fogel family, including the murder of a three month old baby a week and a half ago, is also striking.
Perhaps the reason why there is no outrage concerning the above is not only their lack of coverage because of Japan and Libya. Perhaps it is also the result that even in the best of times, Israelis (Jews) being shot at is hardly news.
Fred Guttman
Monday, March 21, 2011
Thoughts on Israel - March 2011
I recently read an article by a former teacher of mine at Hebrew University, Professor Meron Medzini. The article is entitled “Israel’s Evolving Security Concept.” Medzini, who worked for Golda Meir and has written a biography of her tenure as PM, writes:
“In 1974, a year after the Yom Kippur War, Israel gave Washington a list of requests for weapons to replace equipment lost or damaged in that war. It contained thousands of items, including airplanes, tanks, and armored personnel carriers. In response, the United States dispatched a senior Pentagon official to Israel. He met in Jerusalem with then Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin and Defense Minister Shimon Peres.
The official asked why the Israeli list was so extensive, whether Israel had the means to maintain all of this equipment (including the necessary pilots and tank crews), and whether the entire country would become one huge maintenance base. Rabin became angry and retorted, “Look, this is what we think we need. If something goes wrong we pay the price and not you.” This factor has been accepted by U.S. as well as Israeli policymakers regarding arms sales.”
I think that the quite illustrates why I am so afraid of organizations such JStreet which seek a prescriptive approach to the Middle East peace process. At its recent conference, JStreet sought to lobby the administration to come up with its own bridging proposals, even though many in the administration fully understand that at the present time, such proposals would not work and would only have the effect of isolating Israel internationally. It is also interesting to note that JStreet seems to have lost support with center left Israeli politicians as well as many of its supporters in Congress such as Gary Ackerman. JStreet lost Ackerman due to its support of a UN Resolutions condemning Israel.
Rabbi David Saperstein warned JStreet that its tendency to appease the far left would make it a non player among American Jews. He cited the UN resolution as an example. In my opinion, he did not go far enough. There are many other instances of where JStreet has taken dangerous positions inimical to the security of the Israel, not the least of which was its allowing those who favor BDS, Boycott Divestment and Sanctions, a forum at its conference. In my opinion, this would be tantamount to a Federation General Assembly allowing a presentation by Jews for Jesus at a GA.
Now back to Medzini – Certainly, Rabin was a warrior for Israel’s security and Israel’s peace. He was in each case an “Israeli.” His statement “If something goes wrong we pay the price and not you,” needs to be well considered by those of us sitting in safety and security in the United States while the fathers and sons of fellow Jews in Israel live under the threat if Hamas and Hezbollah rockets and Iranian nuclearization.
Finally, did anyone notice that Roger Walters, the front man of Pink Floyd, decided to join the artist boycott of Israel. It is interesting to note however that Walters has nothing to say about the callous murder of the five members of the Fogel family a week and a half ago. My friend Ron Kehrman wrote an article on this which appeared in the Huffington Post. You may find the article at
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/ron-kehrmann/an-open-letter-to-pink-fl_b_837750.html
It is really worth reading. Ron’s daughter Tal was murdered in 1983 in a bus bombing on the Carmel. She was 17 at the time of her murder.
Fred Guttman
“In 1974, a year after the Yom Kippur War, Israel gave Washington a list of requests for weapons to replace equipment lost or damaged in that war. It contained thousands of items, including airplanes, tanks, and armored personnel carriers. In response, the United States dispatched a senior Pentagon official to Israel. He met in Jerusalem with then Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin and Defense Minister Shimon Peres.
The official asked why the Israeli list was so extensive, whether Israel had the means to maintain all of this equipment (including the necessary pilots and tank crews), and whether the entire country would become one huge maintenance base. Rabin became angry and retorted, “Look, this is what we think we need. If something goes wrong we pay the price and not you.” This factor has been accepted by U.S. as well as Israeli policymakers regarding arms sales.”
I think that the quite illustrates why I am so afraid of organizations such JStreet which seek a prescriptive approach to the Middle East peace process. At its recent conference, JStreet sought to lobby the administration to come up with its own bridging proposals, even though many in the administration fully understand that at the present time, such proposals would not work and would only have the effect of isolating Israel internationally. It is also interesting to note that JStreet seems to have lost support with center left Israeli politicians as well as many of its supporters in Congress such as Gary Ackerman. JStreet lost Ackerman due to its support of a UN Resolutions condemning Israel.
Rabbi David Saperstein warned JStreet that its tendency to appease the far left would make it a non player among American Jews. He cited the UN resolution as an example. In my opinion, he did not go far enough. There are many other instances of where JStreet has taken dangerous positions inimical to the security of the Israel, not the least of which was its allowing those who favor BDS, Boycott Divestment and Sanctions, a forum at its conference. In my opinion, this would be tantamount to a Federation General Assembly allowing a presentation by Jews for Jesus at a GA.
Now back to Medzini – Certainly, Rabin was a warrior for Israel’s security and Israel’s peace. He was in each case an “Israeli.” His statement “If something goes wrong we pay the price and not you,” needs to be well considered by those of us sitting in safety and security in the United States while the fathers and sons of fellow Jews in Israel live under the threat if Hamas and Hezbollah rockets and Iranian nuclearization.
Finally, did anyone notice that Roger Walters, the front man of Pink Floyd, decided to join the artist boycott of Israel. It is interesting to note however that Walters has nothing to say about the callous murder of the five members of the Fogel family a week and a half ago. My friend Ron Kehrman wrote an article on this which appeared in the Huffington Post. You may find the article at
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/ron-kehrmann/an-open-letter-to-pink-fl_b_837750.html
It is really worth reading. Ron’s daughter Tal was murdered in 1983 in a bus bombing on the Carmel. She was 17 at the time of her murder.
Fred Guttman
Saturday, February 5, 2011
The Egyptian Crises as seen by me in Israel
I am currently in Israel and have had several important briefings since I have arrived. These are my impressions and I speak for no one but myself. I hold dual citizenship, although I currently live in North Carolina. These comments may be shared with others in my name if you wish.
Media coverage in Israel is somewhat different than that of CNN and that the security concerns of Israel given its geographical proximity to Egypt and the more than 36 billion in advanced weaponry that could fall into the hand of radical Islamists, are very real.
It seems that politicians from Likud to Labour, that is from the right to the left, are quite concerned about the way in which President Obama is managing the situation in Egypt. Basically, they feel that Obama cut off Mubarak way too quickly. This risks a power vacuum in Egypt and in a power vacuum the chances of radical Islam taking over could be considerably greater. Although I have not heard it specifically, I think they might have rather seen president work more closely with Mubarak for a solution such as a call for elections in 45-60 days in Egypt.
I must admit that it is hard to feel sorry for Mubarak. Ambassador Dan Kurtzer of the US said that both in the Bush and Obama administrations, an effort was made to get Mubarak to try to loosen up and democratize. After the debacle in Gaza in 2006, the Bush administration backed away from this effort. I also heard today that Israeli intelligence had warned the Bush administration (and later the Obama administration) as early as 2008 during the Egyptian bread riots that the situation in Egypt was reaching a boiling point.
Nevertheless, there is something quite frightening in general about such a herd or mob mentality as one now sees in Egypt. What is playing out on the street of Egypt seems to me to be a conflict between a “thug-ocracy” and a “mob-ocracy.” I see very little respect for democracy on either side. Certainly this is not a great way to manage political change!
As we have seen with the Hamas election in Gaza, elections are not necessarily a panacea. A democracy works because of strong respect and democratic institutions and infrastructure. It is hard to see these in Egypt at this time.
One thing that has come out is how much the Israeli military budget might have to be increased, especially if the Muslim Brotherhood takes over Egypt. Hamas, Hezbollah and the Muslim Brotherhood – not really a happy prospect for Israel’s security planners!
From what I am seeing, this is a time for reassessment in Israel of everything from the defense budget to the peace process.
To the Israelis, Mohammed El Baredei is certainly not a hero. Many feel that he was responsible as the head of the IAEA for helping Iran cover up its pursuit of nuclear weapons and there is a feeling that in some way, he is close to Iran. In addition, were he to become the head of Egypt, there would be an open pipeline of weapons to Gaza.
I am also a little concerned about those who wish to compare what is happening in Egypt to Tiananmen Square. I am not sure that there is a parallel. What is happening there could be far more significant than simply a group of people trying to gain their freedom. It could very well be an effort by radical Islam to take over the largest and most powerful country in the Arab world and to use the myth of freedom fighters and the person of El Baradei to accomplish these ends. Americans, especially American Jews, who want to identify with the struggles of the Egyptian people would be well advised to exercise a little more caution in their judgment. I can imagine some of such people praising the Khomeini revolution as a "righteous
revolution" against the Shah. As we know, the results from that “struggle for freedom” are less than encouraging, for we are now looking at a country bent upon obtaining nuclear weapons and extending its hegemony over the entire Middle East and possibly more.
Herb Keinon gives us something to consider in an article entitled “Recent unrest in Arab world is not about us” when he writes:
The Middle East is now at a crossroads. There is a democratic moment fast approaching, but one looks at it with fear and trembling. The events in Tunisia and now in Egypt may indeed represent the Arab world’s first popular revolutions, but they are by far not the world’s first revolutions.
The fear and trembling is that what happened in France in 1789, in Russia in 1917 and in Iran in 1979 will repeat itself in Egypt and the Arab world in 2011. After the old was thumped out by the new in those countries, there was a brief moment when democratic forces arose – be it the National Constituent Assembly and the Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen in France, Alexander Kerensky in Russia, or Shapour Bakhtiar in Iran – only to be swept away by the radicals: Robespierre in Paris, the Bolsheviks in Moscow, Ayatollah Khomeini in Teheran.
In Egypt, too, democratic forces are on the march, but the radical extremists are lurking in the shadows, ready to pounce.”
These words from Keinon should cause us to be cautious in viewing the anti Mubarak demonstrators as being parallel to the Civil Rights movement in the US or to Tiananmen Square.
A final thought. In one briefing, there was a theory that in 1979 the Arab would accepted the idea that it could not defeat Israel. This represented a significant paradigm shift. With the prospect of a nuclear Iran, the paradigm is once again shifting. A nuclear Iran would lead the Arab world to once again feel that Israel could be defeated. If such were to be the case, then the conflict is no longer one which is solvable, but simply one which needs to be managed until such time as would warrant the possibility of achieving a lasting peace.
Fred Guttman
Media coverage in Israel is somewhat different than that of CNN and that the security concerns of Israel given its geographical proximity to Egypt and the more than 36 billion in advanced weaponry that could fall into the hand of radical Islamists, are very real.
It seems that politicians from Likud to Labour, that is from the right to the left, are quite concerned about the way in which President Obama is managing the situation in Egypt. Basically, they feel that Obama cut off Mubarak way too quickly. This risks a power vacuum in Egypt and in a power vacuum the chances of radical Islam taking over could be considerably greater. Although I have not heard it specifically, I think they might have rather seen president work more closely with Mubarak for a solution such as a call for elections in 45-60 days in Egypt.
I must admit that it is hard to feel sorry for Mubarak. Ambassador Dan Kurtzer of the US said that both in the Bush and Obama administrations, an effort was made to get Mubarak to try to loosen up and democratize. After the debacle in Gaza in 2006, the Bush administration backed away from this effort. I also heard today that Israeli intelligence had warned the Bush administration (and later the Obama administration) as early as 2008 during the Egyptian bread riots that the situation in Egypt was reaching a boiling point.
Nevertheless, there is something quite frightening in general about such a herd or mob mentality as one now sees in Egypt. What is playing out on the street of Egypt seems to me to be a conflict between a “thug-ocracy” and a “mob-ocracy.” I see very little respect for democracy on either side. Certainly this is not a great way to manage political change!
As we have seen with the Hamas election in Gaza, elections are not necessarily a panacea. A democracy works because of strong respect and democratic institutions and infrastructure. It is hard to see these in Egypt at this time.
One thing that has come out is how much the Israeli military budget might have to be increased, especially if the Muslim Brotherhood takes over Egypt. Hamas, Hezbollah and the Muslim Brotherhood – not really a happy prospect for Israel’s security planners!
From what I am seeing, this is a time for reassessment in Israel of everything from the defense budget to the peace process.
To the Israelis, Mohammed El Baredei is certainly not a hero. Many feel that he was responsible as the head of the IAEA for helping Iran cover up its pursuit of nuclear weapons and there is a feeling that in some way, he is close to Iran. In addition, were he to become the head of Egypt, there would be an open pipeline of weapons to Gaza.
I am also a little concerned about those who wish to compare what is happening in Egypt to Tiananmen Square. I am not sure that there is a parallel. What is happening there could be far more significant than simply a group of people trying to gain their freedom. It could very well be an effort by radical Islam to take over the largest and most powerful country in the Arab world and to use the myth of freedom fighters and the person of El Baradei to accomplish these ends. Americans, especially American Jews, who want to identify with the struggles of the Egyptian people would be well advised to exercise a little more caution in their judgment. I can imagine some of such people praising the Khomeini revolution as a "righteous
revolution" against the Shah. As we know, the results from that “struggle for freedom” are less than encouraging, for we are now looking at a country bent upon obtaining nuclear weapons and extending its hegemony over the entire Middle East and possibly more.
Herb Keinon gives us something to consider in an article entitled “Recent unrest in Arab world is not about us” when he writes:
The Middle East is now at a crossroads. There is a democratic moment fast approaching, but one looks at it with fear and trembling. The events in Tunisia and now in Egypt may indeed represent the Arab world’s first popular revolutions, but they are by far not the world’s first revolutions.
The fear and trembling is that what happened in France in 1789, in Russia in 1917 and in Iran in 1979 will repeat itself in Egypt and the Arab world in 2011. After the old was thumped out by the new in those countries, there was a brief moment when democratic forces arose – be it the National Constituent Assembly and the Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen in France, Alexander Kerensky in Russia, or Shapour Bakhtiar in Iran – only to be swept away by the radicals: Robespierre in Paris, the Bolsheviks in Moscow, Ayatollah Khomeini in Teheran.
In Egypt, too, democratic forces are on the march, but the radical extremists are lurking in the shadows, ready to pounce.”
These words from Keinon should cause us to be cautious in viewing the anti Mubarak demonstrators as being parallel to the Civil Rights movement in the US or to Tiananmen Square.
A final thought. In one briefing, there was a theory that in 1979 the Arab would accepted the idea that it could not defeat Israel. This represented a significant paradigm shift. With the prospect of a nuclear Iran, the paradigm is once again shifting. A nuclear Iran would lead the Arab world to once again feel that Israel could be defeated. If such were to be the case, then the conflict is no longer one which is solvable, but simply one which needs to be managed until such time as would warrant the possibility of achieving a lasting peace.
Fred Guttman
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