Today at 5:00 PM Brandeis University hosted Richard Goldstone and Dore Gold to discuss the Goldstone Report.

Well Dore Gold, Israel’s former ambassador to the UN and probably one of the primary intellectuals whose ideas influence Israel’s current government, bumped into a South African Jewish judge by the name of Richard Goldstone. The icy body language and the stern look on Gold’s face told half the story – there is a deep and profound anger among those who love and care deeply about Israel towards Goldstone and what he has, wittingly or unwittingly, wrought upon Israel.

There were a couple of things that stood out for me in the discussion. The first was that Goldstone’s report was indeed colored, tainted actually, by his palpable anger at Israel for not cooperating with him or letting him visit with his commission in an official capacity. It may even be pettiness, but he seemed to relish saying over and over that had Israel participated, then the report would likely have been different.

Along those lines, however, not only is it troubling that such a damaging report was written with some immature petulance at the key accused in the report, but it was even more troubling when Goldstone suggested that his report would have been different had the Israeli government supplied the same information that Gold provided in his presentation today.

This is exceptionally troubling because most of what Gold said was publicly available information. For example, he showed the clip from Colonel Kemp saying that Israel had fought a war that more than any other war in history sought safety for civilians. Kemp had made himself available to the commission which had no interest in hearing him. The speech he gave at the UNHRC hearing about the Goldstone Report, however, was first given three months ago and is available in full on the internet. So, for that matter, are the Hamas speeches shown by Gold. So are the maps by Israel of how the Palestinians organized their preparations for the upcoming war. Is Goldstone actually saying they couldn’t do some research on the internet?

Gold also spoke about how the scale of destruction that so affected Goldstone, which may have been misleading because about 20% of the houses in some neighborhoods had been booby-trapped by Hamas. In one stunning moment, he mentioned that the IDF has no record of attacking the mosque that according to Goldstone was attacked in daylight while worshippers were inside. The IDF says it has no record of this attack. If the IDF can prove this, that alone would undermine the credibility of this report permanently.

Also troubling was that Goldstone has clearly not thought through the implications of his report. When asked how Israel could fight wars where the enemy is embedded in civilian centers, he recommended commando raids. Great idea! Except for the possibility of capture by Palestinians that increases exponentially. Goldstone is familiar with what happens to Israeli captives and even took credit for bringing up Gilad Shalit. Does he think that a few more Israeli soldiers in Palestinian captivity for years without any Red Cross visits will help anybody? The short of it is that he doesn’t have a clue about how to fight a war like this with the limitations he has placed on Israel.

Dore Gold stressed that one of the key reasons this report is flawed is that it is the product of a UN full of bias toward Israel, which he called a minority state because it has no bloc to protect it. He acknowledged that the US helps Israel in the UN, but compared that to the automatic votes other countries can garner because of these blocs. He stressed the partiality of the UN Human Rights Commission and the absolute chutzpah of calling into question Israel’s abilities to investigate itself. Goldstone tried to rebuff by claiming the IDF should not be investigating itself and the absence of real convictions to date indicates their investigations are not meaningful. Gold bristled at this and twice spoke about how there are other bodies in Israel that also have authority to investigate Israeli conduct.

More than anything, this was a sad, sad event. Goldstone has put Israel in a difficult corner and those of us who see the many flaws with the report, flaws that undermine any objective reader’s assessment of this work, are outraged and deeply saddened by this report, its implications and its consequences.

Here are questions I’d like to ask Richard Goldstone:

- Why did you agree to work for a UN body that you acknowledge is anti-Israel?

- Why did you agree to do so when the country in question is Israel?

- Why did you not consider that your Zionism and Jewish faith made you an ideal candidate to ward off the criticism that a report from this tainted body would justifiably encounter?

- Why do you believe it’s fair to critique the validity of IDF investigations, but it’s reasonable for your committee to bring aboard people who accused Israel of war crimes before the commission ever met or had evidence presented?

- Why did you permit Israel’s refusal to collaborate with your mission, that was sent by this tainted UN body, to color your views as displayed in your constant complaints about this?

- Why did you accept testimonies from people that your own report acknowledges may have been intimidated?

- Why did you not research using readily available material such as videos, maps, images, speeches and even the Israeli government’s own materials, all of which are readily and easily available on the internet?

- Why have your comments about the report differed when addressing a Jewish audience and other audiences, as can be seen in your Forward interview? There you dicount the actual legal meaning of the report, which is very different than the claims made in the report or claims you have made since the report’s publication in other media outlets?

- Since you claim to have identified that Hamas was playing a “shrewd” game with their claim that the political body doesn’t have a connection with their military body, why did you trust anything that involved them or people who might be influenced or scared by them?

- Why do you provide leniency to Hamas and their crimes by using soft language and avoiding mention of them in lieu of using “armed groups” to deflect their responsibility?

- How is it conceivable that in a report such as this, where you claim the mandate was modified at your behest to investigate both sides, that you would deny or equivocate the accusations against Hamas that it used civilian areas and installations to conduct this war?

- How could you do so when there is available evidence in the public statements and speeches of Hamas leaders?

- Considering that you now know information you claim you didn’t have before, why have you not backtracked on any of your claims?

- When the UNHRC made a mockery of your report – and especially of your claim that the mandate of the commission had been changed – by planning to vote on a document about the report which charged Israel at length but did not mention the Palestinian crimes, why did you simply express your disappointment and agree to a neutral addition to the language which still did not mention the Palestinians or Hamas?

Very sad.

24 September 2009, Israeli Prime Minister delivered a stunning speech to the United Nations. His speech could be broken down in four parts: First, he denounced Ahmadinejad as a Holocaust denier and expressed his shock and horror at the Iranian Premier being given a forum for his rabid anti-Semitism at the United Nations. Second, he called upon the United Nations and its member states to prevent a nuclear Iran, which he noted, was not merely a danger to Israel, but a danger to the worlds. Third, he questioned the Goldstone Report, noting that while the United Nations saw it fit to claim that Israel had committed war crimes (despite having repeatedly warning civilians to leave the bomb zones via flyers, phone calls, and text messages), that same United Nations had not once denounced Hamas’ actions during the eight years in which Hamas terrorized the citizens of the south of Israel. He, also, reminded the Council of Israel’s right to self defence, a right endowed to all nations, including the Jewish one. Last, he discussed peace, stating quite clearly that Israel desperately wants peace, but not at the expense of its own security and state survival; peace and security must go hand-in-hand.

The Goldstone Commission Report, or more properly the United Nations Human Rights Council’s Human Rights in Palestine and Other Occupied Arab Territories Report on the United Nations Fact Finding Mission on the Gaza Conflict, has been released. Now, I havent read all 572 pages, however, from the bit I’ve skimmed and the New York Times article on it doesn’t look good. Essentially, it would appear that while claiming to be fair by calling out both Israel and Hamas forces for war crimes, there is a disproportionate emphasis on Israeli actions, almost to the point of ignoring those taken by Hamas. While I wish to reserve judgement on the report until I have the time to read the whole report, I will say that things do not bode well for justice when it is put aside in the name of fairness.

Oh Canada.

In today’s Globe and Mail, Naomi Klein, a well known Canadian author whose leftist views have found a considerable following, wrote an op-ed explaining what the protesters who wrote an open letter attacking the Toronto International Film Festival actually meant by their letter.

To explain the “protest” letter, Klein writes about the recent Gaza war, putting into another person’s mouth the phrase “war crimes” (so that it’s not coming directly from her) and of course not mentioning any context for the war such as the thousands of missiles and mortars that were launched at nearby Israeli civilian communities from Gaza over a period of years.

I happened to be visiting Sderot for a couple of those missile attacks, including one that went over where I was hiding (and shaking in fear) and landed a mere half a mile away. I can inform Ms. Klein that the feeling that Palestinians are playing Russian roulette with your life is highly unpleasant for tourists like me, but for those who have to live with it regularly, it is personally devastating. One of the families that generously invited me into their home subsequently lost it to a rocket and only by a miracle did nobody die. Still, Israel waited for years before finally responding to the attacks with its incursion into Gaza. War crimes indeed.

Continuing her obscured coverage of the situation, Klein continues:

“Israel is refusing to co-operate even with a toothless UN fact-finding mission, headed by respected South African judge Richard Goldstone,”

But she neglects to mention why Israel is refusing.

The reason that Israel is refusing is that the mission’s mandate as spelled out by the ridiculously biased UN Human Rights Council (recently headed by a human rights stalwart country such as Iran) gave Goldstone a mandate to investigate only a range of dates that precluded looking into the thousands of rockets and mortars launched at Israel. In fact, the Council only gave him a mandate to investigate Israel and not its enemy, Hamas, even though Hamas made it a point to fight only from urban areas. Even after Goldstone attempted to negotiate the terms of of the investigation, and despite assurances from the Council’s head that the mandate terms would indeed be changed, in a later public statement it became clear that none of the mandate terms had changed.

Irwin Cotler, a well known lawyer specializing in international law and former Justice Minister of Canada has written an excellent essay about this investigation. It is called, “The Goldstone Mission – Tainted to the Core.” Cotler writes about the mission’s mandate:

Former UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Mary Robinson stated that “the resolution is not balanced because it focuses on what Israel did, without calling for an investigation on the launch of the rockets by Hamas. This is unfortunately a practice by the Council: adopting resolutions guided not by human rights but by politics. This is very regrettable.” Asked to head up the mission before Goldstone, Robinson refused.

Not mentioning any of this, Klein continues to fudge the topic by criticizing “Israel’s desire to avoid scrutiny for its actions in the occupied territories.”

Really? Here is Cotler again, giving a sample of the bias that has Israel refusing to participate in this sham investigation.

The UN Human Rights Council – a UN body systematically and systemically biased against Israel. For this is a Council that has a special and permanent agenda item targeting Israeli violations of human rights, and another agenda item for the rest of the world – thereby singling out Israel for differential and discriminatory treatment. This is a Council that targets some 80% of its resolutions at one member state, Israel, while the major human rights violators enjoy exculpatory immunity. This is a Council that has had more emergency “Special Sessions” directed against Israel than against all the other countries of the world combined. This is a Council that excludes only one country – Israel – from membership in any regional grouping, thereby denying it international due process.

Never mind the facts, Klein is on a mission herself. The next point of her op-ed is to link Tel Aviv’s 100th birthday celebration to this supposed cover up of the investigation and other issues pertaining to Israel’s conflict with the Arabs and accuses TIFF of participating in a plan the Israelis have to promote Israel’s “prettier face” by sending cultural emissaries overseas along with their work.

She neglects to mention, of course, that it is political operatives such as herself who constantly tarnish Israel’s name with selective information as shown above that force Israel to present a “prettier face” abroad. Actually, she also neglects to mention that many countries use public relations to extend their “prettier faces,” even those that are involved in wars. Nope, Klein wants to talk about Israel.

(To continue, please click on the link!)

(more…)

Yeah, yeah. Happy Birthday Gilad. I signed up for this thing on twitter called #Tweet4Shalit and I’ll be honest? I was hoping NOT to have to tweet for his release. It’s like I’d rather do ANYTHING than sit all day in front of my computer and compose plaintive messages in 140 fucking characters or less talking about how unjust it is that he’s been held in captivity for three years – boo hoo hoo – and the Hamas fuckers haven’t let anyone see him – waah waah waah – and he can’t contact anyone, and his captivity is incredibly cruel and a war crime and oh so terrible, waah fucking waah. I don’t want to “tweet 4 shalit.” Gilad Shalit is just a regular guy. He ought not merit all this attention. Shalit should be eating watermelon in Eilat. He should be coming back from his trip to India or Thailand or South America boring the shit out of everyone about the spiritual epiphanies he experienced at Machu Piccu or Ko Pi Pi or in some ashram somewhere. He should be butting in line at the bus station. He should be getting ready to begin his academic career in the pursuit of whatever Lil’ Bo Peep “toar rishon” diploma he’d be pursuing. He should be hanging out with his friends grilling way too much meat and camping out by the Kinneret and being way to fucking loud. If he was here I’d tell him to shut the fuck up and pour him another Arak limonada. But noooo. Instead I have to tweet about how tragic it is that he is spending yet another birthday in Hamas captivity.

Seriously. I’m sick of this. I don’t want to do this anymore. Bring Gilad home so I can give him a whack upside the head. It might also help if you tweet and use the #GiladShalit and #Tweet4Gilad hash tags so we can make sure it trends. If you don’t know what that means, well… I don’t know what to tell you. Do something else for Gilad today. Write a blog post, leave a comment, email your friends or find him, give him a whack upside the head from me and then bring him home to his Mom.

Hamas has reported that they are willing to deal “positively” with Obama’s Middle East Peace Plan “but only in exchange for a long-term truce.”

So let’s break this down:

1) This says that Hamas is going to engage in peace talks with the maximum its willing to do is a long-term truce. Does anyone else see the problem with this? I was under the impresion that on engaged in peace talks in order to obtain peace. I guess Hamas’ leadership is unaware of this fact.

2) One has to wonder, what could possibly possess Israel to consider giving up land and dealing with a terrorist organization in peace talks when that organization isn’t even offering peace. Let’s be clear here, if all you’re talking about is a long-term truce (hudna), peace is not on the table. This is a game of saying “we’re willing to acknowledge tha tde facto you exist, but are unwilling to recognizethe fact that you’re here because we don’t believe you have the right to be.”  This a way for Hamas to achieve a semi-long term secession of battles without giving up its right to resistance (muqawama).

Underhanded? Duplicitous? More than a tad.

A total failure of Palestinian leadership

When George W. Bush left office, he did so as one of the most unpopular departing presidents in US history with a 22% approval rating. Oddly enough, at 90%, he also enjoyed one of the highest approval ratings of any US President in history, in a poll taken shortly after 9/11. Meanwhile in Gaza, in what has been described by Eyad Sarraj, an independent Gaza politician and human rights activist, as a “total failure” of Palestinian leadership, a June 29 poll indicated that support for Hamas in Gaza and the West Bank fell to 18.8%. The low numbers were attributed to Israel’s month-long offensive against Hamas, the heightened economic blockade of Gaza, Hamas’ strong arm tactics against it’s people, Hamas’ extremist rhetoric, and the effects of the political gyrations in Iran. Well, all that and the fact that Palestinians seem to be waking up ton the fact that Hamas is simply not good for the people of Palestine. And that they’re douchebags. And that they probably snorted coke in college.

So what’s going to happen? Will Hamas sink Gaza into further isolation or will these developments spur Hamas to seek peace? I don’t know but the historical record of Palestinian leadership has never been one of stellar achievements. Oh well.

It’s clear that even after three years in captivity, it’s unlikely that Hamas is going to let Gilad Shalit go any time soon. Some of the reasons for this, beyond the fact that Hamas are heartless motherfuckers, were succinctly elucidated by Guy Bechor in an opinion piece in YNet titled Hamas fears a swap. Bechor outlines 10 reasons why including the fact that Shalit is the only asset currently possessed by Hamas; Hamas’ Damascus based leadership doesn’t really want to release prisoners like the domestic Hamas leaders currently in prisons as well as Fatah’s Marwan Barghoutti, both of whom will challenge their control etc. etc. The bottom line is that Hamas needs an Israeli prisoner. But does it have to be Gilad Shalit?

I suggest that they let Gilad Shalit go. Three years without even a visit from the Red Cross is enough already. Instead, they can take me. By letting Gilad rejoin his friends and family, they can show what awesome humanitarians they are and by taking me, they can retain the advantages they have secured from kidnapping an Israeli. I think I’d be a pretty good hostage too! Like Shalit I hold dual citizenship, my Mom and sisters are sure to go batshit – crying for the camera and begging for my release while my Dad can present the stoic figure of a simple man thrust into the limelight, begging Israeli and world leaders to do what they can to secure my release. Unlike Shalit I can bide my time preparing excellent Tahini and Shakshuka for my captors and if Hamas wants to get really creative, they can allow me Internet access which will enable me to blog and tweet about how awful or awesome my captors are. But that’s entirely up to them. I’m willing to go with absolutely no preconditions. I’ll even bring a few cartons of Marlboro cigarettes as a humanitarian gift to my future captors who must be getting seriously raspy throats from all those nasty Egyptian Cleopatra cigarettes they’re forced to smoke because of Israel’s blockade. I’d really be an awesome hostage. Really. My lease expires September 15th and doing the swap by then would allow Shalit to rejoin his family in time for the holidays. I don’t have much going on right now, I’m not dating anyone and it might not be a bad idea to ride out the bad economic times in a Gaza prison as a guest of Hamas.

Now it’s entirely possible that some other reader of Jewlicious would make for a better hostage. If you think you’d be a superior replacement to Gilad Shalit, let me know! Send me a photo of you holding a “Dear Hamas, Take me!” sign and let me know why you’d make a better hostage and we’ll repost it here. If you convince me that you’re tougher and more congenial than me, I may even send you a free “I Love Hashem” t-shirt which I am sure would serve you really well in Gaza… REALLY well… Send all entries to jewlicious at gmail dot com and enter “Dear Hamas Take Me!” into the subject line.

I am a Zionist.

What that means on a very basic level is that I believe that the Jewish people have a right to self-determination, particularly in their historic homeland Israel and Judea. I believe in a vibrant democracy where a Jewish majority provides equal and fair status to any minorities who live in its midst. I believe that Jews have every right to have access to the Western Wall and also to what is behind it and under the mosques which the Muslim world have taken to calling the third most important site in Islam.

I do not believe that Israel should have religion as part of state law. It is a state for the nation of Jews not a religious state. While aspects of the religion should inform laws and lawmakers, they should not be the defining element in the authority of the government.

I wish for and dream of peace in a smaller Israel that does not have enemies.

I do not believe in war, although I believe in the right to self-defense and believe it is imperative to win any wars or battles decisively.

I believe that the wars that have been inflicted on Israel have given it the moral authority to exist and to remain in control of certain areas that are pertinent to its security. I include the Golan Heights and sections east of the Green Line in this equation. That does not mean that I rule out compromise over these areas, such as for example, giving the Syrians the Golan Heights but with an agreement to turn them into an international park for, say, 500 years.

I do not believe that I should lord it over the Palestinians, rule over them, tell them what they should or shouldn’t do, fight them or anything of the sort. I do not believe in ruling over another nation and in fact seek to not only separate from them but to enable the Palestinian nation to prosper and live in peace side by side a la Canada and the US.

I do not believe that holding Israel to a different standard than other nations is “anti-Zionism.” I believe it is an updated version of anti-Semitism where the small group that can get pushed around is pushed around and bullied. For example, Russia gets away with Chechnya, China gets away with Tibet, the EU and NATO get away with the Balkans, Turkey and Iraq get away with the Kurds, but somehow Israel is on the receiving end of biased censure from all of the above and many more for doing far less. It has become a ping pong ball at the UN, often in the hands of countries that are far less democratic and have human rights violations that stain their hands without the valid excuse Israel possesses that it is fighting an existential series of wars brought on by implacable enemies.

I write this in response to Antony Loewenstein who wrote an article today in Ha’aretz (yes, the newspaper whose publisher whispered in Condoleeza Rice’s ear that the US should rape Israel in order to bring about a resolution to the Arab-Israeli conflict) entitled, Why aren’t Jews outraged by Israeli occupation?

In that article Loewenstein describes how criticism of Israel is becoming widespread, but he is focused on Jewish and particularly Jewish-American criticism of Israel. He brings examples of the criticism, quoting individuals such as Roger Cohen, who is probably writing another column right now about how wonderful it must be to be Jewish in that lovely and hospitable country Iran, as well as the criticism such critics of Israel receive.

“The decades-old ability of Zionist groups to manage the public narrative of Israeli victimhood is breaking down. Damning critics has therefore become a key method of control.

But, writes Salon.com’s Glenn Greenwald, a leading Jewish-American blogger, “whereas these smear tactics once inspired fear in many people, now they just inspire pity. They no longer work.”

What does he mean by this?

Well, Loewenstein believes that the positive change which is washing over parts of American Jewry is that

“A thinking, more enlightened Judaism is emerging, a necessity in the face of apartheid realities. The cause is human rights, not Zionist exclusion.”

Holy cow, the guy just called me exclusionist. He accused me of supporting apartheid, of being unenlightened and of ignoring human rights.

(more…)

Okay, so maybe there’s some hostility towards Jews at university campuses across Canada, and maybe “Israel Apartheid Week” is spreading like a cancer through those cold provinces, and maybe Canada has let in half of the Muslim Middle East as immigrants over the past twenty years so that in a short time the Muslim population of Toronto alone is larger than Canada’s entire Jewish population. Maybe.

But, those Canadians are showing the kind of moral fiber that not many others are willing to show. For this we have the Harper government to thank.

For instance, Durban II is coming up and until recently Israel was on the menu as the sole dish for the international community to devour. But Canada has steadfastly refused to attend. Even when the US sent a trial balloon by sending over a delegation from the State Dept., the Canadians did not budge from their boycott. That’s courageous and highly ethical!

What else is great about Canada, other than its entire West Coast? Those Canucks gave the world basketball!

And the telephone!

And Irwin Cotler! The man is Jewlicious great. One of the world’s leading authorities on international law and a former Minister of Justice for those amazing Canadians, he makes Alan Dershowitz wish he were Canadian too.

You know who else? Alanis Morissette and Second City are Canadian. So is NEIL YOUNG! And Bruce Cockburn! And the Barenaked Ladies.

That’s right, Canada produced the Barenaked Ladies!

Well, even so, today Canada outdid itself.

Yes, today, Canada’s judiciary agreed with its politicians that terrorist sympathizers are unwelcome and may not come to this lovely land.

A judge declined Monday to overturn a Canadian government ruling that bans an outspoken anti-Israel British lawmaker from entering the country.

Canada banned George Galloway on national security grounds earlier in March, saying he provided money to Hamas, which is considered a terrorist organization in Canada.
…
Earlier in March, Galloway was awarded an honorary Palestinian passport in a secret meeting with the Hamas prime minister. Ismail Haniyeh’s office released a photo of the two men embracing.

…

A spokesman for Canadian Immigration Minister Jason Kenney said that Canadian border officials made the decision on grounds Galloway was a national security threat. Spokesman Alykhan Velshi said the government declined to overturn the decision because of Galloway’s financial support for Hamas.

In a letter to Galloway, the government said the lawmaker delivered humanitarian goods to war-torn Gaza and gave US$45,000 to Hamas.

Martineau said in a written ruling that he’s not willing to exempt Galloway from Canada’s Immigrations laws.

That’s right, Canada is not only a land of beautiful women (and men, but who cares), but in Canada, if you hug a terrorist, you are out on your ass because that’s just like, uh, sorta like, um, ah, hmmm, I know! It’s like lying in bed with a murderer and smiling for the photo op “Oh Ismayil, you launch such beautiful rockets.” “Why thank you George, and your soft beard gives me great pleasure as well.”

Those Canadians won’t put up with that sort of crap. Uh uh. Not in Alberta, or Nova Scotia. Not in Banff or Vancouver Island. Not in Algonquin Park and not in Niagara Falls. That’s right, nowhere in Canada, not even in Quebec, will they let terrorist huggers in to give lectures to people lest those folks also become terrorist huggers.

Actually, it’s not even because of that. It’s just BECAUSE.

Here are some Barenaked Ladies. Dance along kids!

So there’s been some discussion regarding Pat Oliphant’s most recent cartoon depicting Jews and Israelis as blood thirsty Nazis intent on driving Palestinians over a cliff. While I feel that Oliphant’s cartoon is idiotic, I believe in his right to express himself. I don’t feel we need to be protected against cartoons by the Simon Wiesenthal Center and the Anti Defamation League. The ADL called Oliphant’s cartoon “hideously anti-Semitic” (I think it’s hideously ignorant) while the Simon Wiesenthal Center has urged the New York Times and other Web sites to remove it. Of course, given the publicity and attention this dumb drawing has received, it’s now been seen by much more people and in all likelihood will never disappear. I understand that these otherwise well meaning organizations are hurt by the perceived defamation of Israel and the Jewish people, but in civilized countries, we don’t ban such expression – we discuss why we think its wrong and let intelligent people make up their own minds.

The ADL and the SWC should have asked the World Jewish Congress for advice. Today the United Nations Human Rights Council passed a resolution calling “defamation of religion” a human rights violation. The Council adopted the text proposed by Pakistan on behalf of the Organization of the Islamic Conference that essentially deems criticism of Islam a human rights violation. This was condemned by the World Jewish Congress whose President, Ronald S. Lauder stated “We see it as weakening the rights of individuals to express their views and criticize other religions, and, in the case of this specific resolution, particularly Islam … This resolution is an attempt to bring to the international body the blasphemy laws prevalent in some Muslim countries. In accordance with human rights laws, the rights of individuals to express their views should be protected and not restricted or punished by the state. Today’s vote is unfortunately only a harbinger for what may yet transpire in Geneva at the upcoming Durban Review Conference as proposals such as this one keep coming to the fore.”

The Jewish Community ought to adopt a consistent policy regarding freedom of expression. If it’s ok to be critical of radical Islam, then it ought to be ok to be critical of Judaism – regardless of how idiotic such criticism may be. In that vein, I hope you enjoy my cartoon showing a heartless creature representing Hamas, it’s Iranian supporters and radical Islam seeking to devour and destroy the people of Gaza in order to further their own political and religious agendas. How else do you explain firing thousands of rockets at a much stronger neighbor in order to provoke an attack that would inevitably lead to the deaths of your own otherwise innocent people?

Whatever. Where do I pick up my Pulitzer already? And the prize money. I have rent to pay!

Apparently so…
Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert today stated that “Israel has never had stronger deterrence than it has gained in the last few years. Those who need to know are aware that there is no place that Israel can’t reach.” Many have seen this as a not so subtle nod to recent reports that Israel bombed an arms convoy in Sudan in January carrying Iranian supplied weapons on their way to Hamas in Gaza. The airstrike in a desert area northwest of Port Sudan city, near Mount al-Sha’anoon killed 39 people and destroyed 17 arms laden trucks.

Ha’aretz quoted unnamed Israeli security sources who stated that “an international network has been set in place in which smugglers move arms caches from Iran through the Persian Gulf to Yemen, on to Sudan and then to Egypt and Sinai where they are brought into the Gaza Strip through tunnels.” These weapons include anti-tank missiles, small arms, and military grade high explosives, as well as missiles.

The government of Sudan is said to be very embarrassed by this attack but apparently not so embarrassed by the arrest warrant issued against Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir by the International Criminal Court on charges of war crimes in the Darfur region. Bashir has been to Egypt and Eritrea in recent days, is visiting Libya today and is expected in Ethiopia and Qatar for an Arab Summit. It’s enlightening to see that an ICC arrest warrant need not stand in the way of racking up major frequent flier points!

With the news continuing from Gaza and Israel each day, I decided to escape through cinema, and see some films in NYC over the past few weeks. Looking through the offerings, what could I see?

Well first there is DEFIANCE. Defiance stars the actors Daniel Craig, Liev Schreiber and Jamie Bell and is directed by Edward Zwick. Zwick wrote the screenplay with Clay Frohman (the grandson of a Vilnius Jew) and based it on the book of the same name by Nechama Tec. The story is based on the true exploits of three Jewish farmers, Tuvia, Zus, and Asael Bielski, in the forest of Belarus during World War II. The brothers were born in Stankevich and escaped from the Novgorod ghetto after 4000 Jews were slaughtered in a mass execution. They weren’t saints and had their sibling rivalries, but were still able to resist Nazis and Nazi supporters and 1,200 Jews survived the war under their leadership. Zwick, who filmed the project in Lithuania, was attracted to this Holocaust story since it was not about the iconography of Jewish victimization, but about fighting back.

A Jewish Harvard grad, known for his earlier film, “Blood Diamonds” and “Glory,” Zwick was asked whether by opening in Europe, he would create an equivalency between the current situation in Gaza and the story of Defiance. Zwick replied that, “…the argument comparing what the Jews are doing and what the Nazis did is just such a preposterous exaggeration, because one when one uses the word genocide, you have to ask: If Israel were interested in genocide than they have more than the means necessary to accomplish such a thing, and given that, in context, they’re using a certain amount of restraint. Yes, I know the word “restraint” is hard to talk about, given what’s happening in Gaza, but it is a type of restraint. What I’m responding to is equivalence. Words are important. Genocide is a word thrown around too easily. This is happening now in Poland and Lithuania. There’s an attempt to make an equivalence between alleged war crimes of the Bielskis and the Holocaust.“ Asked about comparing Israel and Hamas, Zwick replied, “What I see is that there is a double standard, that on one side you have an organization dedicated to creating the maximum amount of destruction and horror, and doing it in a way that is deliberately bloody-minded and terrorizing. On the other hand you have an extremely powerful state with all the means at its disposal to create a horrifying result, and yet trying, despite the resulting horrible casualties, nonetheless seeming to use extraordinary restraint. It’s really an interesting contradiction.”

I skipped this film for the moment…

My other choice was Golden Globe Winner and potential Oscar nominee “WALTZ WITH BASHIR.” It is an animated film, and soon to be a graphic novel, by Ari Folman, that concerns Filman’s recollections of Israel’s 1982 War in Lebanon and the role of him and his comrades in Beirut and Southern Lebanon. Interviewed by The New York Times Sunday magazine, director Ari Folman, said that his film will always feel up to date, because something will always happen again [whether it be Lebanon in 1982, Gaza in 2009, or whatever is next]. Folman’s parents met in the Lodz ghetto in Poland during WWII and married in August 1944. Their honeymoon was spent at Auschwitz. This had a definite influence on his thoughts about war and non combatants.

I skipped this film for the moment as well.

Hmmm.. How about ONE DAY YOU’LL UNDERSTAND, Directed by Amos Gitai. In this film, during the Klaus Barbie trial of 1987, a French businessman, Victor Bastien, uncovers the truth about his family’s actions during the Holocaust It is a meditation on loss, memory, identity and a family legacy and it stars Jeanne Moreau as his mother Rivka.

I skipped this film for the moment as well.

My decision? BOLT. The animated story of a dog who is lives a hermetically sealed existence and is lied to, so that he thinks he has super powers, and can fight crime and terrorism for the good of the world. What a nice fantasy.

See. It is possible to escape the themes of the news

Isn’t it?

Working my arse off since the Gaza war began a little more than 2 weeks ago, I have been confronted by many people concerning the abundance, or lack of (depending who you ask), Israel Solidarity Rallies. The organization I work for, StandWithUs (www.standwithus.org), has been on the front lines in organizing or assisting the organizers of these rallies around the world. 

But for what purpose?

Many people have approached me and said, “Dani, what’s the point? What does this accomplish?” I often feel this way as at the rally itself we often see loud, sometimes obnoxiously loud, vocal rally-goers or protesters. Sometimes we have a screaming match between the opposing sides… and sometimes, when all marketing has failed, no one shows up.

And so, even though I often find myself at numerous rallies in support of Israel, I also find them awkward. Is this the best thing I can do with my time? 

After much inner searching and analysis, I’ve come to my conclusion:

YES. We need these Israel Solidarity rallies. 

(more…)

Earlier today, the IDF unveiled a Hamas map found by a unit of the Paratroopers Brigade in the al-Atatra neighborhood in the northern Gaza Strip. The map is hand-drawn, and depicts the neighborhood being broken down into three color-coded sections. According to Chief IDF Intelligence Officer Brigadier-General Yuval Halamish, “Inside the map, the terrorists also marked sniper positions, as well as the location of roadside bombs, anti-tank bombs and landmines.” They specifically marked civilian cites, such as mosques, gas stations, fuel depots, houses, et al, for use in guerrilla tactics. For example, some entrances to civilian homes were marked with booby traps. In others, dolls or mannequins dressed in military garb were placed in the entrances to draw Israeli troops into the homes, where they would be ambushed and kidnapped. Moreover, next to a gas station, a large explosive device was planted so that if it had been detonated, it would have likely exploded the gas station and injured many civilians. Throughout the three regions, sharp shooter positions were, also, labeled. Hamas uses civilians as shields, and intentionally places their citizens in harm’s way. This map, clearly, testifies to this fact, in no uncertain terms.

This piece below from the Huffington Post nicely frames the current conflict. NO amount of flexing of muscles by Jews is ever allowed.

This blog was filed on January 3rd 1944. There may have been a slight delay with the post appearing due to server problems…

Dateline: January 3rd 1944

Fury continues to mount worldwide about the senseless loss of civilian life in Germany caused by England’s callous bombing of German cities including Berlin, Hamburg and Dresden.

As of today many innocent German women and children have died in these utterly brutal bombing missions. And now there are ground offensives starting on mainland Europe.

The English have claimed that they are merely retaliating against the V-1 flying bombs being launched indiscriminately by Nazis at their civilian population in London, Manchester, Liverpool, Birmingham, Coventry and other cities.

It takes huge, uhm, chutzpah, to stand up to the the UN and its chorus of Arab and Muslim ambassadors shouting genocide at the new war. And while some might argue that this campaign wins Israel nothing but more sympathy for Hamas – others have reached a different conclusion. As did England in WWII.

The night of Saturday, 3 January 2009, Israeli ground troops entered Gaza. Since then, they have killed over 50 Palestinian gunmen, destroyed what was reported to be Hamas’ military headquarters, multiple tunnels in the Philadelphi corridor, a mosque which had been used to store and fire rockets, and several other targets. Approximately 500 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza since the beginning of the Operation. Over 400 of these were Hamasmen. With a force of approximately 1000 men, this means that Hamas lost approximately 40% of its force – a dire loss for any military apparatus. The IDF is moving to encircle the densely populated Gaza City, where Hamas has concentrated (or hidden) the bulk of its forces. The IDF has explained that this phase of the Operation, that of the employment of ground forces, is to function as a “root canal” against terrorism.

Why was the ground necessary? On the small scale, it is to stop rocket fire. How do you stop rockets from being fired? Destroy the rockets. For our purposes, rockets can be broken down into two subgroups: short and long range. Long range rockets can be destroyed by bombing, such as by an aerial assault. These rockets are larger, require more fuel, and thus render themselves more susceptible to destruction by air strike. Short range rockets, however, are not so easily destroyed from the air. (As a side notes, short range includes those rockets which can reach Ashkelon). These rockets are shoulder launched, relatively small, easily fired, and, also, easily hidden. The only way to stop them from being fired is to control the territory from which they are being fired. This has proven true statistically in that 73% of the rockets fired on Israel over the last week were fired from areas which the IDF now controls, and from which rockets are, now, not being fired. [Note: this does not mean that Israel wants to annex or occupy Gaza. No one, not the Likud or anyone to the Left, wants to occupy Gaza and another 2.1 million Palestinians].

The real goal of the military campaign, however, is not a body count (i.e. of gunmen, rockets, munitions, etc). Rather, it is to deter the enemy from using those means which are in their possession
(i.e. the ones you haven’t managed to prevent them from acquiring). At present the goal is to break the taboo that Israel would not put troops on the ground. This taboo was believed by Hezbullah in 2006 and was believed by Hamas for the last few years. It is the essential problem with casus belli. If you fail to act after stating that a given assault would be seen as casus belli, then you risk looking like a paper tiger. This is what allowed Hamas to attack a country which it knows to be 100 times stronger than it. A lack of a red light is perceived as a de facto  green light. Without going into the reasons for which Gaza began to launch missiles into Israel quite heavily over the last 6 months (which includes an attempt to renegotiate the ceasefire terms in their favor, including the opening of the “border crossings”), it is evident that Hamas did not actually believe that Israel would attack them back, and certainly not with a ground incursion. The Operation will likely result in a ceasefire. The ceasefire will, in all likelihood, be broken in another year, 2 years tops, at which point there will have to be another, stronger, ground incursion. However, if Israel responds well, as in with a crushing force, there will not likely be a third time, or if so, it will be far smaller than the second time. Deterrence is built over time. We cannot convince these people to recognize Israel’s right to exist, nor can we convert them to Zionists. However, we can convince them that it is not in their interest to continue attacking Israel. [In deterrence literature, the parallel chosen is that of the school yard bully. You may not be able to convince him that it is wrong for him to steal your lunch money, nor can you make him like you, butif you punch him in the nose enough times and stand up for yourself, you can convince him that its not worth it for him to mess with you]. Let us hope that Israel continues to do well during this second part of Operation Cast Lead, and not withdraw too soon.

כל הכבוד לצה”ל

After a grueling air campaign that began seven days ago tonight, Israeli Defense Force troops marched into Gaza in the dark.

From where I stood, close to the border, one could feel the ground shake as the sound of massive explosions reverberated throughout the countryside. I could see the darkness of the Gaza skyline, punctuated by red flares and tracer bullets and I could hear the sounds of combat between the IDF and Hamas as evidenced by artillery and machine gun fire.

This was the fruition of a carefully executed plan, formulated ten days ago and executed in a private meeting Friday night between Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, Defense Minister Barak, and Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni.

The IDF entered Gaza at three different points – these included from the north close to the Mediterranean Sea and through the old Israeli settlements as well as from the Karni crossing. As I write this troops are already at least 2 km inside Gaza.

Large and varied forces are taking part in this stage of the operation including infantry, tanks, engineering forces, artillery and intelligence with the support of the Israel Air Force, Israel navy, the Shin Bet and other security agencies.

The cabinet has authorized an emergency call up of tens of thousands of IDF reservists. Hamas for its part, has long prepared for Israel’s invasion, using the cease fire period to dig strategic tunnels and rig some areas with explosives in anticipation of an IDF ground assault.

I watched live television coverage of the young men who are the brothers, sons and husbands of the entire country marching head on into enemy territory. Hamas publicly announced, “If Israel dares to go into Gaza, it will turn it into a graveyard for Israeli soldiers.”

Hamas also said that the IDF was “getting closer to the trap we laid for it,” adding that “our people will fight to the last drop of blood and won’t surrender. We prepared hundreds of suicide bombers meant to kill and capture dozens of soldiers taking part in the ground operations.”

Tonight Defense Minister Ehud Barak addressed the Israeli nation saying, “We didn’t want to do this but 800,000 people are now under the threat of Hamas rocket fire. Any nation would take the same measures.” He somberly added that the ground incursion would put the lives of Israeli troops at risk.

Barak stressed that a lengthy debate preceded the ordering of the ground incursion. He added that Israel was a peace-loving country and pledged that the IDF will have the upper hand by the operation’s end.

I was with several IDF Infantry soldiers this week before they went into Gaza. They are in the prime of their lives, handsome, smiling – some as young as 17. They could not tell me at the time, but they knew they would be going in tonight. When I asked one if he was scared, he shrugged and humbly answered “Of course not.” The soldiers know very well that the risk of them getting kidnapped is extremely high. It is already presumed that Israel will suffer casualties. The operation thus has to produce concrete results, lest the IDF withdraw from Gaza stigmatized by yet another perceived failure.

Cross posted to ROI120

Operation Cast Lead seems to be going well, so far. Over 325 targets have been bombed, and over 360 Palestinians killed (almost completely Hamas-people. Some human rights estimates place the number of civilian casualties as low as 45). Police Headquarters, Hamas safe-houses, munitions stores, rocket launchpads, prisons, a Hamas-run mosque, grad trucks, smuggling tunnels, et al, have been hit. The death toll on the Israeli side has been low, considering the number of rockets being lobed into Israel (80 just on Monday), with only 4 dead, (2 of whom were Israeli Arabs, proving that Hamas’ rockets do not distinguish between Jews and non-Jews), and 2 wounded. Israel reports that it is readying to send in ground troops (though this will undoubtedly increase our death toll). On Hamas’ end, things are not so clear.

Iranian clerics and Hezbullah’s Nasrallah call for a third Palestinian Intifada and that Muslims throughout the world rise up against their governments, mentioning Egypt in particular, in order to support the Palestinians, whom they have deemed to be the most “noble” of people. Egypt’s Foreign Minister, Ahmet Aboul Gheit, however, has slammed Nasrallah for such statements, saying that Nasrallah’s comments are as good as a declaration of war on Egypt, and that Nasrallah just wants there to be as much chaos in Egypt and other countries as exists in his [Nasrallah's] own country. In addition, Aboul Geit, while condemning Israel’s actions, places the blame squarely on Hamas for firing rockets and/or allowing rockets to be fired into Israel. Egypt’s President Mubarak has, also, issued a statement refusing to open the Rafah crossing with Gaza unless Abu Mazen (Mahmoud Abbas) is in charge there. (Egypt does not need more Islamistspouring into its country, and unlike Israel, does not conduct itself while on the one hand running a military campaign and on the other letting in aid professionals due to concerns for civilians). Egypt and Turkey are working to broker a peace deal, or more accurately, a form of ceasefire. Showing concern over Hezbullah’s posturing, Egypt has warned Israel that a ground incursion into Gaza will likely result in the opening of a Northern front, with Hezbullah attacking Israel. Nasrallah, however, has made no mention of a possible attack on Israel. Nonetheless, it would be foolhardy for Israel not to be prepared for such a surprise attack, and thus, the North of the country, particularly in Kiryat Shmona, is preparing for the possible outbreak of war.
(more…)

When I took my dog for a walk early this morning on Dizengoff Street in central Tel Aviv, all was business as usual. Merchants were opening up their shops, parents walking their children to school, trash was collected.

One-hour’s drive later and I found myself on the Gaza-Israel border in the south of the country, where life was the extreme opposite. The sky was covered in thick black smoke. F16’s were flying overhead. Dozens of tanks began massing on the border. A white balloon floated overhead. It’s a missile defense system called an Aerostat.

I could hear explosions and gunfire sporadically. I counted about 8-10 large booms an hour. More and more troops began arriving at the border, shooting their tanks’ cannons to make sure the equipment was working properly. Other soldiers lined up on their stomachs looking out towards Gaza. Some put on tefilin and said prayers. Others spoke to the crowd of international media that had gathered. Many chose to meditate alone and keep to themselves.

This is day two of Operation Oferet Yetzuka (‘Cast Lead’). The goal of the operation according to Defense Minister Ehud Barak: “To bring a fundamental improvement in the security situation in the south. To protect 250,000 people in the south, 100,000 children that have been under constant rocket fire for months.”

Day two began with another series of airstrikes. The number of fatalities now stands at 280 with 600 injured. One air strike targeted the headquarters of Al-Din Al-Qassam Battalion, Hamas’ military wing. Another targeted a Hamas-run jail; hundreds of prisoners ran for freedom. Other strikes hit a warehouse and a tanker holding smuggled fuel. Another hit a mosque and police stations throughout Gaza.

Israeli Intelligence reports issued today note that accuracy has not been an issue for the Air Force: almost all strikes were right on target. In all, the IDF has dropped 100 tons of explosives on Gaza since the start of the operation.

At around 4pm, the IDF had bombed over 40 weapons smuggling tunnels on the The Philadelphi Route (corridor / buffer zone — an IDF code name for the strip of land along the border between Egypt and Israel). These tunnels have been used by Hamas since Israel’s disengagement from Gaza.

At 5pm, more armored personnel tanks from around the country have arrived at the Gaza border in preparation for a possible ground operation. About a kilometer out, artillery batteries, soldiers from different infantry brigades as well as Special Forces began stationing themselves about one kilometer from the Gaza border. Some 6700-reserve soldiers have been called up for possible reinforcement.

Today Hamas fired fewer than 20 rockets, significantly fewer than yesterday. Why? Is Hamas trying to fool Israel into thinking they have no more rockets. Are they saving their firepower?

Another major question: Will the IDF be able to finish this operation from the air? Many Kassam rocket launchers are located next to schools or in the bottom stories of warehouses. The air force has decided not to destroy these infrastructures yet, due to the risk of the massive potential number of civilian causalities. To get to these structures without incurring a large civilian loss, the IDF needs troops on the ground.

Today, rockets continued to land in Israel. The Ashdod hits were the furthest for Hamas ever, about 40 km from the Gaza Strip. Rockets also landed for the second day in Ashkelon and other areas in the Western Negev. The IDF advised residents of Beer Sheva, G’dera and Yavneh to locate a fortified room. Sderot residents are also gearing up for more barrages. Schools within a 20 km radius of Gaza will remain closed indefinitely. Deaf residents in the area have received beepers in case of an attack. Israel’s northern residents are also preparing for possible attacks from Lebanon and are examining the preparedness of their fortified rooms.

What really worries me… that Israeli Arabs and Palestinians will go wild and that a front will open up in Lebanon and that we’ll find ourselves in an all-out war.

Today the Kerem Shalom border crossing was open for humanitarian support. Foreign journalists have petitioned the high court to let them into Gaza to cover the other side; they may be allowed in tomorrow, but I was not permitted into Gaza because I am an Israeli citizen. Covering the conflict on the other side proves extremely difficult. The Hamas regime there is in the Taliban style. There is no way to verify what Hamas is saying. The western world should treat with caution statistics coming out of the Gaza Strip.

There is a wall-to-wall coalition with the Iranians that says Hamas is solely responsible for this crisis. Hamas ripped up Egyptian-brokered deal for a truce between Gaza and Israel brokered recently. One day last week, Hamas fired more than 40 rockets and mortar shells into Israel.

Today the Prime Minister’s spokesman, Mark Regev, said, “If we have quiet from Gaza we will answer with quiet.”

I spoke to Haled, an acquaintance of mine who lives in Gaza City today. It took me hours to get through to him. He told me that he saw someone’s head blown off last night and that he is traumatized. Haled went out two days ago to get groceries and was caught in the crossfire. He has been unable to make his way home and cannot reach his family. He told me there is no food, no water and that the city is in complete darkness. But he told me what most Gazans would never say to a camera that wiping out Hamas is not a bad thing, that life could be different – peaceful – bearable in the Gaza Strip, if not under Hamas’ tyranny.

Is the Arab world behind Hamas or not? It seems like they are behind them in the media, but that really, they are blaming Hamas. Fatah said Hamas is to blame for their troubles.

How long will this battle rage on? How long will the suffering go on for residents on both sides of the border? Are we talking about days, weeks or months? This morning, in a meeting of the Israeli cabinet, there was a positive assessment of what’s going on: the Israeli Air Force has been knocking out Hamas infastructure in Gaza as planned. But the Hamas military machine is still very strong and this could get worse before it gets better. The Prime Minister called on Israeli citizens in the South to be strong and resilient. All of us must be prepared for the long haul.

Cross posted to ROI120

The morning of Saturday, December 27, Israel launched an offensive on Gaza. The Israeli Air Force struck 40 sites simultaneously, and a total of 170 sites. The attack was a surprise, according to Hamas sources. Hamas claims that all police headquarters have been destroyed, and the Gazan Chief of Police Tawfik Jaber has been killed. Expecting an Israeli attack to be similar in nature to past ones, Hamas lost much of its infrastructure. 195 Palestinians, mostly Hamasmen, have been killed. Though, recent media reports place the death toll as high as 225. In retaliation, Hamas has fired over 80 rockets into southern Israel, hitting Ashkelon and Netivot, where an Israeli citizen was killed. The IDF is mobilizing tanks to be prepare for the event of a ground incursion, and stationing combat units around the “borders” of Gaza to prevent a potential attack on Israel. Minister of Defense,Ehud Barack has said that, “Our purpose is to hit Hamas in such a way that will force it to halt any firing and other hostile activities against Israeli citizens and against the IDF.” This task will be made more difficult in that, according to Hamas spokesman, Fawzi Barhoum, Hamas is prepared and “will continue the resistance until the last drop of blood.” In addition, Hamas official Khalid Mashaal has called on Palestinians to start a “third intifada.”

Israeli security strategy is based on a concept known in Hebrew as hachra’ah. While there is no direct translation into English, the closest concept would be that of a decisive victory. The point is to show your enemy that you are so strong that you can absolutely destroy them, should you so choose. This should deter the enemy from continuing its course of action and prevent future wars or attacks against you. It is essential that Israel show that it is strong, in order to prevent further attacks.

For years now, Hamas and the PIJ (the Palestinian Islamic Jihad) have been firing rockets on Israel with no real military threat against them. When checkpoints or de facto “border-crossings” were blocked, Hamas continued with its activities, winning over the hearts and minds of its populace, who do not realize that Hamas’ activities are the cause of their suffering. Israel has made itself look weak in the eyes of its enemies by allowing rocketfire to go unchecked, and thus Hamas has continued with its actions. However, the implications of this operation, “Operation Cast Lead,” go far beyond Gaza. It is crucial that all of Israel’s potential enemies view Israel as strong, so as to deter all those wish to wipe Israel off the map. These enemies grow stronger by the day, including Iran and its satellite organizations (though this is a different discussion, perhaps better suited for a separate blog). As a result, it is crucial that Israel fully complete this operation, and not leave it “half done.” This will be made more difficult by the fact Gaza is very crowded, giving little room for movement. In addition, Hamas has had time to prepare for an incursion; they will have studied Israel’s performance in its last war, and will know its weaknesses. While they will be, clearly, weakened by the loss of personnel and valuable munitions and weaponry, the IDF should still expect a considerable amount of fighting, particularly in light of Hamas’ dedication to their cause, and their willingness to sacrifice their lives in the name of Allah and jihad. (Note: I am not claiming that there is a lack of logic in such actions. Rather, I believe that these individuals will act very rationally. It is simply a question of to what rationale or logic they hold. Clearly, theirs is rather different from ours). In short, Israel will have great difficulty in completing its tasks with regards to the Gaza Strip. Yet, it is crucial, for Israeli national security, that Israel show a considerable display of strength, force, and reach a quick and decisive victory.

December 19 is a significant day for Israelis civilians living on the other side of the Gaza Strip.

It is the day where the Hamas-Israel ceasefire officially comes to an end and the question to whether Palestinian rocket fire will resume on Israelis civilians living in the south, will officially be answered.

The question has been answered–to some degree–a little earlier than expected. After Israel entered the Gaza Strip to blow up a Hamas dug tunnel intended for the killing or kidnapping of Israeli soldiers, Hamas fired a massive barrage of rockets-over 60–upon Israeli civilians through November 4-5.
Several more Palestinian rockets were fired at Israel throughout the past week, with a barrage of Qassam rockets fired at Sderot and the Eshkol region on Sunday, November 16 and Monday, November 17. The ceasefire to this effect has been violated, two and a half weeks into November, more than 80 times by Hamas with the firing of over 80 Qassam and mortar rockets at Israelis civilians living in the Negev.

Hamas’s Ceasefire Violations
(more…)

Something close to 140 rockets have been fired into the western Negev from Gaza over the past two weeks. Only yesterday, another 10 rockets were fired into Israel. Color Red Alerts (the rocket warning system in place in the southern communities located in the vicinity of the Gaza Strip) have been heard in multiple communities, including those of Ashdod, Sderot, and Sha’ar HaNegev (also referred to as Otef Aza). Hamas and the Al-Quds Brigadeof the Palestinian Islamic Jihad have, respectively, taken credit for various rocket launching.

It all started when the IDF discovered a tunnel linked with the Gaza Strip which could be used to smuggle supplies, weapons, and people into and out of the Gaza Strip. Should it be used to allow terrorists out of Gaza, this would be of great danger to Israeli security. In response to the destruction of the tunnel, rockets have been fired into Israel, which has warranted Israeli air strikes against the rocket launchers. Minister of Defense Ehud Barak has said, “No country can accept the consistent shelling of its citizens from a foreign entity. Israel won’t accept this. When conditions are ripe and there is a necessity to do so, we will act.” Perhaps this has led to the most recent incursion into Gaza this morning, in which Palestinian militants fired mortars at IDF tanks which briefly entered the Strip.

Technically the cease-fire is still in effect, as it has not yet been called off by either side. In case that the questions were not lacking prior to the beginning of the ceasefire, they ought to be asked now. It is clear that the ceasefire is simply giving Hamas and the other militant groups time to rearm and regroup. This being said, what is the purpose of the ceasefire. While most Israelis would like to have peace with their neighbors, and this, in fact, is a part of Israel’s Grand Strategy towards all of its neighbors (in particular, Gaza, the West Bank, Syria, and Lebanon), Israelis, in general, are split as to what is a reasonable cost. The Ehud Baraks of the Israeli government would like Israel’s Grand Strategy towards Gaza to be one which brings quiet for the short term. It does not matter for them if, in 5, 10, or ever 20, years time, Hamas will be more powerful than it ever was and in even less of a position to accept Israel’s existence. Thus, they will be willing to make whatever concessions are necessary in order to maintain this ceasefire. This being said, the objective ought not be quiet, but rather containment.

A terrorist organization uses force against a civilian population with a political motive. Allowing such an organization to grow stronger will not yield peace, nor will it yield tranquility in the long term (or even the short term, as the renewed rocket barrage ought to show). Jabotinsky argued that the only way to have peace with those who want to push you into the sea is to prove to them, beyond any measure of doubt, that you are going nowhere, and that you will not be pushed into the sea. He, as did the Talmud, also, argued against meeting those halfway, who have no wish to even take a baby step in your direction. A ceasefire, or defacto recognition of Hamas’ right to use acts of terror against Israel’s civilian population cannot result in peace. Rather, it will probably result if far more death and destruction than would direct confrontation.

The spectacle of Gay Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza fleeing to Israel in the face of intolerance, torture and death threats at home is now a well established fact. Most recently, a gay Palestinian from the northern West Bank village of Tamon, fearing for his life if he was deported back, petitioned the Israel High Court of Justice to allow him to stay in Israel with his Israeli boyfriend. He was granted a residency permit because the Court determined that his fears of being harmed were well founded.

But clearly that’s not the case! This was demonstrated by the Gay flag hoisted proudly on the yacht carrying 27 international activists that sailed into the Gaza Strip on Wednesday. The Yacht, chartered by the Free Gaza movement, was carrying supplies (and stuff) to the beleaguered Palestinians, in defiance of Israel’s embargo. Obviously homosexuals are very welcome in Gaza despite the fact that it is controlled by Islamic fundamentalist Hamas.

Can’t wait till the next Gaza pride parade! I’ll sell a ton of rainbow “Palestine is for Lovers” t-shirts for sure!

OK but seriously now folks… how can anyone gay support a regime that systematically victimizes homosexuals? Is there anything more innately ludicrous than the spectacle of a “liberation boat,” prominently bearing a symbol of Gay Pride, undoubtedly manned by one or a number of gay activists, steaming (so to speak) into the port of Gaza City? Well, probably the notion that conditions in Gaza are a “humanitarian crisis on the scale of Darfur.” But other than that, pretty ridiculous right?

Late Sunday, Iran admitted to arming Middle East “liberation armies.” This is despite the fact that Iran has traditionally maintained that while it supported some “liberation organizations” morally, politically, and at times financially, it did not provide them with arms. However, Hossein Hamedani, appointed by Ayatolla Khameini as commander of the volunteer Basij militia, was quoted as saying, “Not only our armed forces are self sufficient but the freedom armies of the region get part of their weaponry from us.” This statement is in addition to a recent press release by the Iranian officials stating that they now possess a functional and tested “solid fuel motor for the medium-range Shahab-3 ballistic missile.”

So what does this mean? Let us break it down into a couple of more basic units, shall we? First, who are these “Middle East Liberation Armies” which are being armed? We can reasonably conclude that Iran is probably arming those same groups which it has been so kind as to support morally, politically, financially, et al. These groups include Hezbollah, Hamas, and the Mahdi Army. Islamic Jihad may, also, be a recipient of such arms, but it would appear that the connection is a bit tenuous. Second, where are these “Freedom Armies” located? Well, Hezbollah has its stronghold in the South of Lebanon. However, as it has now become an official political party, it has, also, reinforced its support base in Beirut, converting it into a secondary headquarters, of sorts. Hamas has its stronghold in Gaza. However, it is struggling to take over the West Bank (a.k.a. Judea and Sumaria). In addition, Hamas has some of its operational headquarters, such as its P.R. department, based in Damascus. The Mahdi Army, for something a little different, is based in the Shiite stronghold of Iraq, led by the Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr.

Third, what does this mean for us? A key to war fighting is having superior technology. Now, while this is not always the most important thing, after all, many wars have been fought and won by a side with far weaker technology, it helps if, all other things being equal, such as public support, determination to win, well thought-out strategies, etc., your side has a supreme technological advantage against your enemy. With Iran arming terrorist organizations and militia groups, you can be sure that those fighting those terrorists will have a harder time and see higher casualty rates. This means that Hezbollah and Hamas will have better war-faring capabilities and be able to hurt Israel more on the battlefield (though, one should hope that the Israeli military will attempt to develop techniques and battle plans which take into account such information), as well as on its homefront, such as by firing “new and improved” rockets into Israeli civillian locations (i.e. kibbutzim, cities, etc.) Moreover, the Mahdi Army will probably be able to wreak even greater havoc in Iraq, causing even more friction between the already precarious ties of the Sunnis, Shiites, and Kurds, in addition to causing more damage to American/Iraqi state building attempts and killing/wounding more American and Iraqi soldiers.

Now here’s the kicker: nations arm other states all the time. This is part of statehood, treaties, alliances, and other such nation-related things. What do you do, however, to prevent a State from arming a non-State. You can sanction a state (which, depending upon your school of thought may or may not be completely and utterly useless), but how do you sanction a non-State? Do you deny it recognition? Well, you’ve already done that; that’s why it is not a state. Do you sanction it? Well, what are you going to sanction? And when your sanction doesn’t work, as it undoubtedly will not, given that as a non-state, it doesn’t exactly have typical state functions of land borders, intensive trade structures, and such. Do you deny humanitarian aid to its members? You can’t do that as it would be inhumane. Do you conduct a military campaign against it? Well, that was what you were trying to avoid in the first place. Or do you placate it, play a game of detente, appeasement, and simply hope that the nice paper you signed with it really will prevent it from attacking you (which will probably work about as well as the paper to which i am referencing).