Surprise - Fatah isn't joining the WZO
At its convention in Bethlehem this week, Fatah refused to recognize Israel as a Jewish state or adopt Hebrew as its official language, and didn't conclude with a rendition of HaTikva (Israel's national anthem). What a disappointment, what a blow to the champions of peace. The Palestinians remain unchanged; an oppressed and harried people desiring independence alongside Israel without having to recognize or uphold Zionist ideals or the principles of the Jewish state. Those hoping the Palestinians were on the verge of joining the Zionist Congress and pledging allegiance to the State of Israel may be disappointed, but realists willing to take an honest look at the Bethlehem convention will have seen positive and unprecedented indications of new Palestinian willingness to make peace with Israel and drop the demand for the right of return. Cellcom ad brave display of reconciliation
Israeli cellphone giant Cellcom recently released a new commercial and, I must say, it does not leave anyone feeling indifferent: instead of a sea and sun scene, stars being born or models acting like models, Cellcom has decided to bring the security barrier smack into the middle of our lives, deep in the heart of prime-time TV as part of the backdrop to its most recent commercial broadcasted incessantly on Israeli channels. The ad shows a group of young soldiers on patrol in an IDF jeep along the security barrier when suddenly a soccer ball falls onto their jeep. Startled, the soldiers first suspect a terror attack but after a few moments, a soldier kicks the ball over the barrier onto the Palestinian side. From here, the ad continues with the ball going back and forth over the barrier from the Palestinian to the Israeli side. The moment this ad was broadcast, the Israeli left and senior Palestinian Authority officials rose up to voice their disgust with the commercial which depicts, according to them, the barrier as a positive element aroung which one can play soccer and have fun. They claim that the IDF soldiers are also portrayed much more positively than is realistic and that the Palestinians themselves remain unseen over the barrier. Netanyahu government exposed
PM Binyamin (Bibi) Netanyahu's speech at Bar Ilan University earlier this month did not bring forward any ideological change vis-a-vis the two-state solution. It can now be said loudly and clearly that the 'emperor has no clothes.' Bibi remains Bibi - with a tad more sophistication ultimately of no consequence to the State of Israel - with no vision, no direction, and no correctness to lead us through the required decisions. Netanyahu tried to reinvent himself but even the succession of the words 'Palestinian' and 'state' is no magic formula for covering up the political 'nudity' of Netanyahu and his government. It is no surprise that Minister without Portfolio Bennie Begin (Likud), Minister of Strategic Affairs Moshe (Bougie) Ya'alon (Likud), Interior Minister Eli Yishai (Shas) and Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman and his Israel Beitenu Party did not threaten to dissolve the government or force an election. They understood that there was no reason to worry. Netanyahu was and remains a right-wing leader committed to an outlook supportive of the 'Greater Israel' solution. Talk of two-states is just a tactic designed to disguise the intention to expand settlements and to prevent any real political progress towards peace. Olmert government: Go home
The Schalit affair and the fashion in which the Olmert government handled it illustrated Ehud Olmert's shortcomings as the prime minister of what was possibly the most disappointing and inept government in the history of the country. The Olmert government, seen as moderate and pragmatic, didn't succeed in reaching or even taking a single step toward a solution to the conflict in the national arena. Every time there was meaningful decision to be made, Olmert, Livni and Barak turned their backs on their responsibilities to the public and passed up every real chance to make progress. 'Right Now' government
The concern expressed by smaller right-wing parties over the inclusion of Kadima in a unity government is unfounded. Paradoxically, a wide government that includes Kadima head Tzipi Livni, Kadima MK Meir Sheetrit and MK Haim Ramon would serve the interests of the settlers and their supporters more than any narrow right-wing government with 65 'orange' MKs. In fact, the heads of right-wing parties must insist that Labor or Kadima join the coalition and appoint their leaders to senior positions within the government. Israeli society more cruel than ever
Despite the heavy blow dealt to Hamas by the IDF, the improvement of the security situation in the South and the lower-than-expected number of casualties during combat, something very bad happened to Israeli society during the 22-day offensive in Gaza - dubbed Operation Cast Lead. On the ethical and moral front, the war in Gaza exposed the many weaknesses of Israeli society. 650 innocent Palestinians, including 220 children, were killed and no one spoke up. Evict the thugs from Hebron
In recent weeks, due to the upcoming elections, the three candidates for the premiership, Ehud Barak, Tzipi Livni and Binyamin Netanyahu - have taken to verbally attacking negative elements within the extreme Right. Meanwhile, the authorities' resolve in combating settler violence has weakened even as incidents grow more frequent. None of them expected that the moment of truth would come so soon when the High Court of Justice ruled that a house invaded by several settlers in central Hebron must be evacuated. The ruling orders law enforcement authorities and the political echelon to stand alongside the court in confronting the thugs of the extreme Right, and do their utmost to turn speeches and declarations into reality. King David for the Occupation
In recent weeks, the Yesha Council (Council of Jewish Communities of Judea, Samaria and the Gaza Strip) launched a new campaign by the name of "Yehuda and Shomron - Every Jew's story". This name was used in order to blur any political elements and to provide the campaign with an educational character. Advertisements and commercials bear the signature of a new organization from the creative offices of the Yesha Council called "Yehuda and Shomron - Hasbara Center". In the framework of this campaign, biblical heroes and legendary figures were recruited to participate in the debate on the fate of the settlements; from King David and Yehuda the Maccabi to Rachel and Shmuel the Prophet, all were called aboard to fight for the vision of Greater Israel and the continuation of the Israeli occupation of the territories. The radicalization of the right-wingFrom the moment I joined 'Peace Now', threats, hate mail and hostile telephone calls have become the norm. Sometimes, the actual amount of letters and phone calls served to indicate the level of influence of 'Peace Now'. In periods where we were able to influence the public agenda, public attacks on the organization and on our persons increased accordingly and when our voice resonated less, the threats lessened accordingly. Nevertheless, I never felt that there was a tangible reason for worry, beyond the episodes of spontaneous violence during demonstrations, particularly in settlements. The feeling was that hate mail would not translate into actual physical harm. Cracking the terror equation
It is difficult to get over the feeling that arises when we see the release of hundreds of Palestinian prisoners to their homes in a unilateral move by Israel, while Gilad Schalit is still being held in the heart of Gaza, isolated from the world and from his family. Despite the anger and feelings of injustice, the unconditional release of Palestinian prisoners is a step in the right direction towards breaking the equation which encourages terror and more kidnappings. The release of 200 Palestinian prisoners is not just a gesture to Abbas and the moderate PA leadership, which believes in dialogue and curbing terrorism, the release of prisoners is first an foremost a calculated move towards weakening Hamas and Hizbullah and towards turning the capturing of soldiers into a non-worthwhile act by terror groups. |
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