INTERNATIONAL PULSE Period: November 2006 6666666 End-Time Church / Pluralism Global Politics Israel

ISRAEL PM OLMERT SPEAKS WITH GERMAN CHANCELLOR ANGELOR MERKEL (Communicated by the Prime Minister's Media Adviser) - Prime Minister Ehud Olmert spoke this evening, October 10, 2006 with German Chancellor Angela Merkel and expressed his regret over the recent incident between the IDF and the German UNIFIL force http://tinyurl.com/y9uype. He emphasized Israel ascribes great importance to the arrival of the German force, which constitutes a central step in implementing UN Security Council Resolution #1701 http://tinyurl.com/eedu8, and said that Israel would do its utmost to assist, and cooperate with, this force in order to see to it that such events do not recur. The Prime Minister thanked his German counterpart for Germany's contribution to the multi-national force; the two leaders agreed to increase cooperation and coordination. http://www.imra.org.il ----- PM OLMERT MEETS PARLIAMENTARY DELEGATION (Communicated by the Prime Minister's Media Adviser) Prime Minister Ehud Olmert met this afternoon oCTOBER 29, 2006, with a senior parliamentary delegation from German Chancellor Angela Merkel's Christian Democratic Party. The friendly meeting lasted 40 minutes; both sides emphasized the special nature of bilateral relations. The talks focused on the recent activity of German naval forces. Prime Minister Olmert explained the nature of the event http://tinyurl.com/y9uype and apologized for the misunderstandings that occurred last week. He stressed the importance of German participation in the multi-national force in Lebanon and noted that there was a direct link between the German force and Israeli forces in order to see to it that such events do not recur. The Prime Minister emphasized the importance of bilateral relations and recalled his personal request that Germany participate in the multi-national force; he added that Israel ascribes special importance to this participation. The head of the German delegation stressed Germany's commitment to the existence of Israel, the extensive bilateral cooperation and the role of the German Jewish community. http://www.imra.org.il ----- HAMAS PLANS TO EXPAND FORCE IN WEST BANK RAMALLAH [MENL] The Hamas-led Palestinian government plans to introduce its new security force to the West Bank. Officials said the Palestinian Authority would begin recruitment for its new Executive Force in the West Bank. They said the Interior Ministry force would protect the Hamas-controlled legislature as well as other government ministries targeted by Fatah in Ramallah. "We will increase their numbers over and over, and they will spread through the West Bank so the parliament building is not attacked again," PA Foreign Minister Mahmoud Zahar said. The Executive Force was established in May 2006 in the Gaza Strip. The force contains more than 6,000 fighters and has been used largely against the Fatah militia. http://www.imra.org.il ----- OUR WORLD: ISRAEL'S ENCIRCLEMENT Caroline Glick, THE JERUSALEM POST October 30, 2006 Last week Iran began enriching uranium in a second network of centrifuges. Just as Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has dropped nearly all pretenses about his intention to achieve nuclear weapons, so too he makes it clear daily that he intends to use such weapons to annihilate Israel. The world's reaction to Iran's behavior is depressingly instructive. Russia tells us that we are being paranoid and continues to build the Bushehr nuclear plant. The Europeans cluck disapprovingly and threaten to pass a weak, "reversible" sanctions resolution in the UN Security Council whose main target is American security hawks. For his part, US President George W. Bush continues to adhere to the call for sanctions. And so we have Israel. With Iran speeding up its program, Israel may have as little as six months to launch a strike on its nuclear facilities before they can start churning out atomic bombs. Unfortunately, at this critical moment in Israel's history, we are led by Ehud Olmert, Amir Peretz and Tzipi Livni. Although Olmert claims that he is taking every step to prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons, through his government's actions in recent months, he has steadily undercut the IDF's ability to take decisive action against Iran. http://www.cephas-library.com/israel_our_world_israels_encirclement.html ----- UNIVERSITY OF HAIFA PRESS RELEASE 31 October 2006 - Deputy Prime Minister of Kazakhstan, Mr. Karim Masimov: "Kazakhstan will take a more active role in the war against terrorism" Haifa. In a press conference prior to an international conference on Energy at the University of Haifa, Deputy Prime Minister of the Republic of Kazakhstan, Mr. Karim Masimov announced that his country will seek for further involvement in the Middle East. Massimov had a series of successful meeting with Israel's Prime Minister, Ehud Olmert; Israel Vice Prime Minister, Mr. Shimon Peres and with a number of business people and Israeli high tech executives. He also opened the first conference of the newly established Academic Center for Energy Research at the University of Haifa. Massimov commented that the relationship between Israel and Kazakhstan are "complimentary" and that he sees an increased degree of cooperation in the economic and political fields. "Kazakhstan is an oil rich country and it is willing to cooperate more strongly with Israel and other countries in the Middle East," Massimov said. Massimov concluded by commenting on some concrete plans and projects that were discussed during the meetings earlier this week. He said that he came to Israel "with a clear message from the president that Kazakhstan is a moderate Muslim country that can offer a positive model to the Middle East," and that he "would like to Kazakhstan more involved in the Middle East since, as a moderate Muslim nation, we believe we have much to share with the people of the region" http://www.imra.org.il ----- PALESTINIAN EMIGRATION ON THE RISE THE JERUSALEM POST November 1, 2006 Palestinians are leaving the territories due to the harsh security and economic situation there, the Palestinian Foreign Ministry said on Wednesday. Israel Radio reported that thousands of Palestinians have received permits to emigrate to Arab and other foreign countries. Ahmed Suboh, a Palestinian Foreign Ministry official, said at a Ramallah press conference that over the last four months, foreign and Arab diplomats in the territories have authorized 10,000 Palestinians to enter their countries. Suboh said that some 45,000 additional emigration requests were currently being evaluated by various foreign representatives. The Foreign Ministry official noted that Palestinian emigration was likely to continue with the deterioration of the security situation. www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1161811251277&pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FShowFull ----- PM HANYIA WARNS OF ISRAELI PLANS TO REOCCUPY GAZA-EGYPT BORDER LINE GAZA, Palestine, October 31, 2006 (IPC+Agencies)[Official PA website]-Palestinian Prime Minister, Ismail Haniya, warned Monday of Israeli plans to reoccupy the Salah Eldin (Philadelphia Route), saying that such warnings constitute a flagrant violation and an attempt to separate the Gaza Strip from Egypt. Premier Haniya's remarks came during a Palestinian cabinet meeting in Gaza and Ramallah yesterday, through a video conference. Regarding possible formation of a national unity government, PM Haniya asserted that efforts are going for the purpose of finding a solution out of underway siege, on basis of the Palestinian prisoners' national conciliation document. Commenting on the issue of Israeli captured soldier Gila'd Shalit, Haniya emphasized that Egypt is exerting relentless efforts, voicing the hope that such efforts would lead to alleviation of the Palestinian people suffering. At the domestic level, the PM hailed the recent Hamas-Fatah agreement on national unity, calling on both parties to restraint for the sake of national unity. Financial Crisis Prime Minister Haniya confirmed that his government has been relentlessly trying to ensure part of the salaries of the public employees, amidst the eight-month long financial crisis. Detained Cabinet Members and MPs The PM reiterated the Palestinian cabinet demand that all cabinet members and MPs, Israel arrested in recent months, be released immediately, denouncing continued detention of Palestinian Legislative's head, Aziz Dwaik, who is in bad need for medical care. Kufer Kasem Anniversary On the fiftieth anniversary of the Kufer Kasem massacre, in which 45 Palestinians were killed by Israeli border army in 1956 in the now Israeli-Arab village of Kufer Kasem, PM Haniya reiterated the Palestinian people struggle on the path of freedom and statehood with Jerusalem as its capital. http://.ipc.gov.ps/ipc_new/english/details.asp?name=17495 ----- FREEZE. GUSH KATIF AS MODEL, ISRAELI CONTROL OF BORDERS [Dr. Aaron Lerner - IMRA November 1, 2006: Once again the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has decided not to include the late Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin's last major policy address among the material it provided in a special distribution to mark the anniversary of his assasination.] Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin: Ratification of the Israel-Palestinian Interim Agreement The Knesset October 5, 1995 * No Palestinian State: "We view the permanent solution in the framework of State of Israel which will include most of the area of the Land of Israel as it was under the rule of the British Mandate, and alongside it a Palestinian entity which will be a home to most of the Palestinian residents living in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank. We would like this to be an entity which is less than a state, and which will independently run the lives of the Palestinians under its authority." * No return to '67 borders: "The borders of the State of Israel, during the permanent solution, will be beyond the lines which existed before the Six Day War. We will not return to the 4 June 1967 lines." * Control of Jordan Valley: "The security border of the State of Israel will be located in the Jordan Valley, in the broadest meaning of that term." * Gush Katif as model: "The establishment of blocs of settlements in Judea and Samaria, like the one in Gush Katif." * All settlements remain intact during interim period: "I want to remind you: we committed ourselves, that is, we came to an agreement, and committed ourselves before the Knesset, not to uproot a single settlement in the framework of the interim agreement, and not to hinder building for natural growth." * (During interim period) "The responsibility for external security along the borders with Egypt and Jordan, as well as control over the airspace above all of the territories and Gaza Strip maritime zone, remains in our hands." http://www.mfa.gov.il/MFA/MFAArchive/1990_1999/1995/10/PM%20Rabin%20in%20Knesset-%20Ratification%20of %20Interim%20Agree ----- GIVING IRAN THE BOMB Bret Stephens - The Wall Street Journal 31 October 2006 - Does the Bush administration seriously mean to give Iran a nuclear bomb? Look carefully at confidential text of a forthcoming. Security Council resolution, and the answer, it would seem, is yes. This is a Halloween column, but it is not a prank. Through diplomatic efforts spearheaded by Undersecretary of State Nick Burns, the administration is prepared to endorse a European draft of a U.N. resolution that Imposes limited sanctions on the Islamic Republic for flouting its Aug. 31 deadline to stop enriching uranium. The chances the resolution will soon be voted and agreed on increased with last week's news that Iran has again enriched uranium using a second "cascade" of 160 or so centrifuges. Iran plans to operate 3,000 such centrifuges-which can spin uranium hexafluoride to either reactor- or weapons-grade levels-by March of next year. In an interview last month with this newspaper, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice allowed that while a sanctions resolution would not satisfy the U.S. on every point. It would usefully ratchet tip the pressure on Tehran and pave the way, if necessary, for tougher Security Council action later on. On Its face, the current draft of the resolution does just that. After noting that the International Atomic Energy Agency "is unable to conclude that there are no undeclared nuclear materials or activities in Iran," the resolution forbids the sale or transfer of "all items, materials, equipment, goods and technology which could contribute to Iran's nuclear and ballistic missile programs." It also freezes the financial assets of everyone and everything known to be involved in those programs. ----- RIGHT ON! AN APPEAL OF FAITH TO PRESIDENT GEORGE W. BUSH Michael Freund, THE JERUSALEM POST October 31, 2006 Dear Mr. President, I am writing to you because I am afraid. I have been closely following the rhetoric of Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad over the past few months, and I want you to know that I am gripped with a sense of fear. I fear for the future of Israel and for that of the entire Jewish people, as the would-be Hitler of Persia readies to do battle against us with the most horrific of weapons. I fear for the future of the West, because outside of Washington, few and far between are the leaders with the common sense and courage to stand up to the Tyrant of Teheran. And I fear for the future of the world, because if Iran's fundamentalists get their hands on a nuclear weapon, it will only be a matter of time before their extremist allies abroad become similarly armed. Hence, I am writing to you because I am convinced that you alone understand and appreciate the gravity of the current situation, and I pray in my heart that you will not let it stand. I appeal to you now, not as a political analyst nor as a newspaper columnist, but as one man of faith to another: Please strike Iran hard with military force, and dismantle its nuclear weapons program, before it is too late. I know you believe, as I do, that God guides the destiny of men and of nations. And I know you believe, just as I do, that He raised you up to the helm of power precisely at this critical period, to serve as His agent and His instrument in this world. The God of history has chosen you, Mr. President, just as He did Churchill, and He has entrusted you with a sacred mandate: to save the world from the designs of a madman. I can tell you that in Israel, a sense of dread has slowly, but surely, begun to sink in. As the Sunday Times of London reported earlier this week, a growing number of my fellow Jews have begun to build underground nuclear shelters adjacent to their homes. "The shelters," says the Times, "are built to withstand radioactive fallout, have fortified walls and doors and generate their own electricity and decontaminated air." Hundreds of such bunkers, reports the paper, have been built in recent months, and "demand is soaring." Mr. President, just the other night, I went out with my family for dinner to a restaurant in Herzliya, the city named after Zionist visionary Theodor Herzl, who foresaw the need to establish a safe haven for the Jewish people. Our waitress was an attractive and cheerful young lady who moved to Israel 16 years ago at the age of four from her native Lithuania, where her family had suffered anti-Semitism and persecution. But when we asked her if she was happy living here in the Jewish state, the smile on her lips quickly faded. Glumly, she answered us with the following words: "That Ahmadinejad of Iran, he scares me. It is a very scary situation." And indeed it is, Mr. President, because my people are in danger once again. It was just six decades ago that the Europeans tossed us into Hitler's ovens and turned 6 million Jews into ashes. Now, with no shame, they stand by silently as Iran seeks to do the same. The United Nations is a lost cause, and we have no faith in Russia, China or international institutions. The sad fact is that most of the world will not shed a tear if Mr. Ahmadinejad succeeds in achieving his dreadful aims. Here in Israel, our own leadership is tired and weak. They have lost their way, and they are no longer anchored in faith. As we saw this past summer in the Lebanon war, they stumble about as though walking in darkness, oblivious to the danger that stalks us all. There is only one person now, Mr. President, who can stop this terrifying scenario from coming to pass, and I believe that person is you. I think of you often, and when I do, I am guided in faith to the fourth chapter of the Book of Esther in the Bible, where the evil Persian court officer Haman threatened the Jewish people with extinction. After Mordechai the Jew got wind of Haman's plot, he passed along a message of great urgency to Queen Esther: "Who knows, perhaps it was precisely for a moment such as this that you have attained power?" Mr. President, that message was as compelling then as it is today, and I believe it is clearly directed to you too. The decision you face is not an easy one, and I do not mean to suggest otherwise. But there are moments when a leader, like Joshua of old, must "be strong and of good courage" (Joshua Chapter 1), and not shy away from doing what must be done. In the case of Iran, there can be no room for retreat or for shrinking back from the task at hand. The stakes are simply too great. Iran can and must be stopped, and the only way to do so is through the use of military force. Diplomacy and resolutions are a smoke screen, and you know as well as I do that they will not slow Iran's steady drive toward obtaining a nuclear arsenal. Only the long and powerful arm of the United States, flexed with all its might, can and will be able to do the job. Sure, the critics and the nay-sayers will try to tear you down, just as they have been doing since you the day you were elected. They will heap scorn on you, call you a warmonger and worse, and denigrate you and your family for many, many years to come. But please don't allow them to deter you or to drive you to despair. Don't let them drown out that still, small voice within, the one that reaches into each of our hearts and calls out every day: "I am the Lord, and there is none else" (Isaiah Chapter 45). Mr. President, you know as well as I do that history's final verdict is not written by academics, nor is it determined by the opinion-mongers at The New York Times. The one and only verdict, the one that really, truly counts, is the one that is penned in heaven, by He Who gave each of us life. It is to Him, and Him alone, that we will all have to answer. In just over two years you will leave office. In the greater scheme of things, I am convinced that your legacy will depend largely on the decisions that you make in the coming few months about what to do with Iran. I urge you, I plead with you: don't walk out of the White House in January 2009 without having stopped Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. Don't leave the fate of Israel and the Jewish people hanging in the balance. Remember the promise that God made to Abraham in Genesis Chapter 12: "I will bless those that bless you, and those that curse you I shall curse". Note that when it comes to standing by Israel and the Jewish people, there is no middle ground. God delineates two categories, and two categories only: those who bless Israel, and those who curse it. You are in a unique position to bless Israel, and through it, all of humanity, by removing the nuclear sword from the hand of the Persian executioner. The same God Who spoke, and said, "Let there be light", and there was light, surely expects you to do nothing less. I will be praying for you, as will many others, and I hope that you take this message to heart. Be strong, be strong, Mr. President, and through you, may we all be strengthened. www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1161811246424&pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FShowFull ----- EUROPEAN CHRISTIAN LEADERS DECLARE UNITED STAND FOR ISRAEL Pentecostal European Fellowship Hosted at ICEJ - November 1, 2006 - The board of directors of the Pentecostal European Fellowship, an umbrella of over 40 denominations across Europe representing close to 5 million members, has decided to take a stand of friendship and solidarity with Israel, the group announced at a reception hosted at the International Christian Embassy Jerusalem on Wednesday evening November 1, 2006. "We regret that certain churches are considering divesting from Israel, while we've also seen some nations in Europe stepping away from Israel," said PEF Chairman Rev. Ingolf Ellssel from Germany. "Pentecostal and Charismatic churches in Europe have a tradition of praying for and engaging with Israel, but we are determined to harness our rapidly growing movement to do even more for the Jewish people and their embattled nation." Ellssel estimates that there are now as many as 34 million Christians on the European continent who identify themselves as Pentecostals/Charismatics - the fasting growing segment of Christianity with some 625 million followers worldwide. Ellssel's group is seeking to organize this expanding constituency into a lobbying force in Europe that will also be able to positively impact European relations with Israel. The PEF leaders are currently in Israel on a solidarity and study mission, and are holding their annual board meetings in Jerusalem as a sign of their determination to support the Jewish State. The directors will report on their visit at the annual meeting of PEF's governing association in March 2007 and will recommend that all its constituent churches join in standing with Israel. "Our agenda will include more than prayer and words of support, but practical measures such as encouraging business investment in Israel and Christian tourism to the Holy Land," said Ellssel. "In this regard, we are excited to be working alongside the Christian Embassy, which has been a channel for Christians to bless Israel for many years now. "We recognize that Israel remains elect of God and a focus of His redemptive plan for the entire world," added Ellsell. "We understand that the remarkable Jewish return to this land is a fulfillment of biblical promises to Israel, and this encourages us to believe that God will keep His prophetic promises to us as well." IMRA - Independent Media Review and Analysis Website: http://www.imra.org.il ----- IRAN TEST-FIRES LONG-RANGE SHIHAB-3 Associated Press, THE JERUSALEM POST November 2, 2006 - Iranian state-run televison said Thursday the country had test-fired dozens of missiles, including the long-range Shihab-3, during the first hours of new military maneuvers. The report said the elite Revolutionary Guards also had launched several kinds of short-range missiles in a central desert area of Iran. The newscaster did not elaborate about where the maneuvers were located. But earlier Wednesday, the head of the Revolutionary Guards, Gen. Yahya Rahim Safavi, said the 10-day maneuvers, named "Great Prophet," would take place in the Gulf, the Sea of Oman and several provinces of the country. The Shihab-3 missile is capable of carrying a nuclear warhead and is believed to have a range of more than 2,000 kilometers (1,242 miles). It can reach Israel and US forces in the Middle East. Safavi said the war games are aimed at demonstrating the deterrent power of the Guards against possible threats. He stressed the drills were not a threat to neighboring countries, but his announcement came two days after US-led warships finished a two-day maneuver in the Gulf - an exercise that Iran described as "adventurist." The state-run TV said that among the other weapons tested during the maneuvers was the Shahab-2, which Iran says has a cluster warhead that can send 1,400 bomblets at the same time. Solid-fuel Zalzal missiles also were launched, as were guided missiles as well as Scud-B, Zolfaghar-73 and Z-3, it said. Iran has said that the US-led six-nation drills this week in the region would not improve security in the Gulf waters, through which about 20 percent of the world's oil passes. It also called on Gulf nations to set up their own regional security arrangements. The US-led maneuvers focused on surveillance, with warships tracking a ship suspected of carrying components of illegal weapons. The nations that took part were Australia, Bahrain, Britain, France, Italy and the United States. Iran regularly holds large maneuvers, often using them to test weapons developed by its arms industry. www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1162378310274&pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FShowFull ----- ASSAD TARGETS THE HOUSE OF SAUD Excerpted from: Eurasia Security Watch No. 138, November 2, 2006 American Foreign Policy Council, Washington, DC - The already-chilly relations between Saudi Arabia and Syria are about to get even frostier. According to a new expose in a leading Gulf paper, the government of Bashar al-Assad in Damascus is gearing up to unleash a wave of attacks against leading Saudi figures. Syria's intelligence service, the report says, is recruiting Saudi, Algerian and Moroccan extremists who live in Syria and Jordan to target key members of the House of Saud, including Prince Bandar Bin Sultan, the Kingdom's former Ambassador to Washington and current head of the Saudi National Security Council. The Syrian campaign appears to be motivated by revenge; observers say officials in Damascus blame recent acts of violence in the Ba'athist state on Saudi and Saudi-influenced extremists. (Kuwait Al Seyassah, October 20, 2006) http://www.imra.org.il ----- WHY ISRAEL WILL GO TO WAR AGAIN SOON By John Keegan - Military Correspondent - Daily Telegraph (UK) November 11,2006 There will soon be another war in the Middle East, this time a renewal of the conflict between the Israel Defence Force (IDF) and Hizbollah. The conflict is inevitable and unavoidable. It will come about because Israel cannot tolerate the rebuilding of Hizbollah's fortified zone in south Lebanon, from which last year it launched its missile bombardment of northern Israel. Hizbollah has now reconstructed the fortified zone and is replenishing its stocks of missiles there. Hamas is also creating a fortified zone in the Gaza Strip and building up its stocks of missiles. Israel, therefore, faces missile attack on two fronts. When the Israel general staff decides the threat has become intolerable, it will strike. What happened in south Lebanon earlier this year has been widely misunderstood, largely because the anti-Israel bias in the international media led to the situation being misreported as an Israeli defeat. It was no such thing. It was certainly an Israeli setback, but the idea that the IDF had suddenly lost its historic superiority over its Arab enemies and that they had acquired military qualities that had hitherto eluded them was quite false. Hizbollah suffered heavy losses in the fighting, perhaps as many as 1,000 killed out of its strength of up to 5,000 and it is only just now recovering. What allowed Hizbollah to appear successful was its occupation of the bunker-and-tunnel system that it had constructed since June 2000, when the IDF gave up its presence in south Lebanon, which it had occupied since 1982. Although the IDF had got into south Lebanon, the casualties it had suffered in entering the fortified zone had alarmed the government and high command, since Israel's tiny population is acutely vulnerable to losses in battle. Israel's plan was to destroy Hizbollah's tunnels and bunkers, but the sending of a United Nations intervention force did not allow the destruction to be completed before the IDF was forced to withdraw. Tunnel systems have played a crucial part in many modern campaigns, without attracting much attention. That is a serious oversight. The success of the Viet Cong in sustaining its war effort in Vietnam in 1968-72 depended heavily on its use of the so-called War Zone B, a complex of deep tunnels and underground bases north of Saigon, which had been begun during the war against the French in 1946-55. ----- LEBANON FACES POLITICAL CRISIS IN AFTREMATH OF WAR Tensions Escalate Between "March 14 Forces" and Hizbullah, Pro-Syrian Camp - Inquiry & Analysis-Lebanon/ Jihad & Terrorism Studies Project November 3, 2006 No. 299 By H. Avraham Introduction In the aftermath of the July-August 2006 war, political tension between Hizbullah and the "March 14 Forces"(1) is increasing - to the point that street clashes may break out by November 13. Once the war ended, Hizbullah, together with other pro-Syria elements in Lebanon such as General Michel Aoun, launched a scathing campaign against the current Lebanese government under Prime Minister Fuad Al-Siniora, and particularly against the majority in the Lebanese parliament, that is, the March 14 Forces. On October 31, 2006, Hizbullah Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah threatened to take to the streets and topple the Lebanese government. He stated that Hizbullah could instigate civil disobedience and bring about the fall of the government "by tomorrow morning." He issued an ultimatum, saying that Hizbullah's demand to establish a national unity government must be accepted by November 13, 2006. Hizbullah spokesman Hussein Rahal likewise said that the Al-Siniora government would fall within a few weeks, while General Aoun accused it of corruption and of conspiring against Lebanon. The March 14 Forces, for their part, stepped up their accusations against Hizbullah, saying that the latter would use its weapons against elements within Lebanon, that it would try to spark civil war, that it was acting as a "state within a state," and that it was harming Lebanon's sovereignty and following orders from Syria and Iran. ----- HIGH COST OF BLOCKING WEBSITES ARAB NEWS Saudi - November 6 2006 - Abid Khazindar - Al-Riyadh - EXCERPTS: Blocking terrorist web communication.Hope for secular/religious cooperative Islam.6 November 2006 - A recent article said that the German Interior Ministry is looking to invest 130 million euros (SR715 million) to block more than 4,500 Internet websites used by terrorists. This amount is more than the amount of money specified for the poverty fund. If it is true that the King Abdul Aziz City for Science and Technology (KACST) is blocking more than 45,000 websites - something I read in a local newspaper and which I find hard to believe - then we must be spending over SR7.1 billion in blocking websites. ----- SECULARISM AND ISLAMISM IN THE 21ST CENTURY THE DAILY STAR (Lebanon) 6 November 6, 2006:- by Abbas Barzegar - Ultimately, dedication to the 'human' in 'humanism'' alongside an equal dedication to the 'Islam' in 'Islamism'might offer solutions to our current series of stalemates" - The recent decision by Tunisian authorities to reinstitute a ban on the veil in public spaces will surely make great fodder for Islamist activists. Advancing their anti-Western agenda, they will conjure up the memory of Muslim women being physically forced to remove their veils by the regimes of Kamal Ataturk in Turkey and Shah Pahlavi in Iran, reinforcing the image of secularism in the Muslim world as an alien, anti-Islamic ideology enforced by self-serving autocratic regimes. Meanwhile the religious zealousness of those opposed to the ban will reinforce the image of political Islam, or Islamism, in the West as an intolerant, anti-liberal ideology seemingly stuck in pre-modernity. ... How will secular humanism and political Islam coexist in a global community? ...Hesitation in applying the inalienable rights of religious freedom and political self-representation destroys hope not only for political reform in the Middle East and the rise of moderate Islamism, but more importantly, it undermines the legitimacy of the democratic project as a whole, leaving radicalism to fill the vacuum. Tunisian authorities seem to be using secular humanism as an ideological cover to maintain an autocratic political system. Embarrassingly, it is in this light that the Tunisian government - once thought to be a model for Arab development - shares the company of Saudi Arabia, whose use of Islam as a mechanism for preserving an antiquated monarchy has long been exposed. ...The solution in coming decades ...Secular humanism may have to compromise and accept some forms of religious expression in public space, but the pay-off will be an expansion of the borders of tolerance and inclusion. In turn, political Islam may have to accept constitutionalism, along with its procedures and guarantees, in place of an absolute notion of divine legislation. . . . Ultimately, dedication to the "human" in "humanism" alongside an equal dedication to the Islam in "Islamism" might offer solutions to our current series of stalemates. *Abbas Barzegar is a PhD candidate in Comparative Religion in the Department of Religious Studies at Emory University. THE DAILY STAR publishes this commentary in collaboration with the Common Ground News Service. Sue Lerner - Associate - IMRA http://www.imra.org.il ----- POLL: OLMERT, PERETZ AND LIEBERMAN SEEN AS THE MOST CORRUPT MINISTERS By Ruth Sinai, Haaretz Correspondents November 8, 2006 - [Dr. Aaron Lerner - IMRA: It is noteworthy that just yesterday VPM Peres' team explained that there was nothing wrong with Peres accepting a gift of $320,000 from three American businessmen since it was (technically) legal.] Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, Minister for Strategic Threats Avigdor Lieberman and Defense Minister Amir Peretz are considered by the Israeli public to be the most corrupt ministers in the government. The ministers considered least corrupt are Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni, Vice Prime Minister Shimon Peres and Transportation Minister Shaul Mofaz. The ranking is based on a poll conducted as part of the preparation for the Sderot Conference for Society and was released Tuesday night at the opening event of the conference at Sapir College. According to the survey conducted by Maagar Mochot Interdisciplinary Consulting Research Institute, 42 percent of the 1,111 respondents said Olmert's public behavior was corrupt to very corrupt, compared to 26 percent and 24 percent for Lieberman and Peretz, respectively. They were followed by Ministry of Trade and Industry Eli Yishai (Shas), who was perceived as being corrupt to very corrupt by 24 percent of respondents, and by Interior Minister Roni Bar-on (22 percent). Finance Minister Abraham Hirchson and National Infrastructure Minister Benjamin Ben-Eliezer shared sixth place. On the opposite end of the spectrum, 38 percent believe that Livni's public behavior is honest to very honest, compared to 35 percent for Peres, 28 percent for Mofaz and 22 percent for Acting Justice Minister Meir Sheetrit. In 2005, Olmert was in fourth place. Lieberman was unchanged in second. Livni and Peres were in second and third place, respectively, on the honesty scale last year. http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/785373.html ----- IRAN BUYING 'WHOLE VILLAGES' OF CONVERTS IN SYRIA Assad gives 'carte blance' - Geostrategy-Direct, November 8, 2006 - WASHINGTON - Iran is moving in on Syria to the point of encouraging Alawis and Sunnis to convert to Shi'ite Islam. Syrian opposition sources said the regime of President Bashar Assad has given Iran "carte blanche" in Syria. Unlike his late father, Bashar has allowed Iranian clerics to spread the Shi'ite religion in Syria. "Syrians have been observing over the last year a dangerous phenomena mostly witnessed by an alarming number of non-Shia turning to Khomeini-style Shia in return for financial rewards," the opposition Reform Party of Syria stated. "Whole villages and urban areas are adopting the Hizbullah model whereby clinics, schools and social services are provided by Iran in return for Syrians to convert to Shi'ism." In August 2006, RPS stated, Iran opened two centers in the Syrian port of Latakia. The centers, which teach Farsi, have been converting Sunni Muslims. "Assad is logically calculating that if Hizbullah, with its 15,000 fighters and a God-like following of its figurehead Sheik [Hassan] Nasrallah, can achieve with $100 million a year the military prowess it exhibited against Israel then why not turn all of Syria into a larger Hizbullah laboratory in the hope of attaining the same results?" the Syrian opposition party stated. Sunnis comprise 70 percent of Syria. About 11 percent of the country consists of the ruling Alawite community, with the remainder Christians and Druze. Opposition sources said the spread of Shia in Iran has angered many Sunnis, particularly those aligned with the Muslim Brotherhood. Sunni clerics envision a backlash against Iran and its representatives. "Many [Sunni clerics] have voiced the following logic: We see the next confrontation in the Middle East along the lines of Israel vs. Iran and we have no choice but to stand by Israel to protect our religion," RPS stated. "This logic emanates from the fact that no Sunni Arab country has the military competence to stand-up to the Iran-Syria-Hizbullah axis and also because Israel, unlike Iran, is not interested in converting Sunni Muslims," it said. http://www.geostrategy-direct.com ----- ESTHER POLLARD ADDRESSES ISRAEL SUPREME COURT Justice4JP Release - November 8, 2006 - In an unexpected turn of events today, the President of Israel's Supreme Court, Dorit Beinish, recognized Esther Pollard, wife of imprisoned Israeli agent Jonathan Pollard, allowing her to address the court in her husband's case to have Rafi Eitan removed from his position as a government minister. Speaking straight from the heart without notes and with no prior preparation, Esther pled before the three-judge panel consisting of Supreme Court Justices Dorit Beinish, Ayala Procaccio, and David Cheshin. Pollard opened with the hope that her words would be sufficient for the great task of addressing the justices in order to save her husband's life. She spoke passionately about the deliberate abandonment of her husband by successive governments of Israel for 22 years. Pollard said that it is an open secret both in Washington and in Israel that Rafi Eitan ran Jonathan as an agent, with the full consent and awareness of all of the top Government officials at the time - most of whom are still holding public office or senior positions in the defense intelligence establishment today. She said that it is well known that Rafi Eitan single-handedly facilitated the Government's long-standing abandonment of her husband by claiming that he (Eitan) acted alone, thereby deflecting responsibility from the Government. She said that the Americans knew from the start that Jonathan's operation was known and approved by Israel's top officials, and they reacted to Eitan's falsehoods by taking their revenge upon Jonathan. Pollard said that the appointment of Eitan as a Government minister sent a clear message to the Americans that- even after 22 years - Israel has no interest in Jonathan Pollard and that they can do as they wish with him. She said that she and Jonathan know from their own contacts in US officialdom that the appointment of Rafi Eitan by Prime Minister Olmert has been taken as a declaration by Israel that Olmert has no intention of ever intervening on behalf of Jonathan. Pollard said that Israel's abandonment of Jonathan for the last 2 decades has left him to be exploited by elements in the US hostile to Israel. She pointed out that those American officials who have no appreciation for the US - Israel special relationship use her husband's continued incarceration to call into question Israel's reliability as ally and the status of the American Jewish community as loyal citizens. She said that as long as Israel continues to abandon Jonathan, he will be continue to be used as a weapon against the Jewish State. Pollard pointed out that Prime Minister Ehud Olmert's appointment of Rafi Eitan to a ministerial position was a complete negation of the responsibility that the State owes to Jonathan. The State, she said, had officially acknowledged Jonathan as an agent in 1998 (ending years of lies and denial) but in fact, has never done anything to discharge its responsibility to Jonathan. Pleading passionately before the judges, Pollard acknowledged that she is not a lawyer and that she does not seek to convince the judges on legal grounds. Instead, she said, she is appealing to them on a moral basis. She said that in appointing Rafi Eitan as a minister, the Prime Minister had essentially changed Jonathan's life sentence to a death sentence. She reminded the judges of the moral touchstone espoused by the State of Israel never to abandon an agent in the field. She pointed out that the government's lack of responsibility towards its agent, Jonathan Pollard, now thrusts the moral imperative upon the court. She urged the judges not to allow the appointment of Rafi Eitan to stand, on moral grounds alone. She ended her appeal urging the court to go beyond the letter of the law and do what is right and moral, because a human life depends upon it. Prior to Pollard's address, Pollard's attorney Nitsana Darshan-Leitner presented compelling oral arguments for the dismissal of Eitan as a minister. The respondent's attorneys disputed the court's authority to intervene. The judges themselves expressed doubt about the legality of the court ordering the dismissal of a minister, and therefore asked Darshan-Leitner to consider withdrawing the case. At that point it appeared that if Darshan-Leitner would not agree to withdraw the petition, the court would simply reject it without further discussion. That is when, without prior warning, Esther Pollard was suddenly given permission to come forward and address the court. After Pollard spoke, Supreme Court President Dorit Beinish indicated that the court would consider the petition further and give its ruling in due course. SEE ALSO: Israeli Spy Challenges Cabinet Appointment: Associated Press www.jonathanpollard.org/2006/050106.htm Pollard To Supreme Court: State has no right to forfeit my life to appoint Eitan: J4JP Release www.jonathanpollard.org/2006/050106a.htm Legal Doc [Hebrew]: Jonathan Pollard's Petition to Prevent Appointment of Rafi Eitan As Minster (Word file) www.jonathanpollard.org/2006/050106.doc IMRA - Independent Media Review and Analysis Website: http://www.imra.org.il -----   OLMERT PALESTINIANS MUST GIVE UP THE RIGHT OF REFUGEE RETURN Jerusalem Post by HERB KEINON November 27, 2006 Prime Minister Ehud Olmert laid out a far-reaching vision of peace on Thursday, reaffirming that Israel would be willing to withdraw from a great deal of territory in return for a true peace. "I am extending my hand in peace to our Palestinian neighbors in the hope that it will not be returned empty," Olmert said in a major policy address at the grave of David Ben-Gurion in Sde Boker, during a ceremony commemorating the death of Israel's first prime minister, David Ben Gurion. "We, the state of Israel, will agree to withdraw from a large amount of territory, and from the settlements that we established there -something that is very difficult for us, [equivalent to] a parting of the Red Sea - but we will do that in exchange for real peace," he said, directly addressing the Palestinians. Read the full text of Olmert's address Right-wingers slam PM's speech "You must end the violence and terrorism, and the desire to harm Israeli citizens in the south, north and center, recognize our right to live in peace alongside you, and give up your demand for the right of refugee return'," he said. Olmert told the Palestinians that "the terror, the violence, the acts of murder and unending attacks on Israeli citizens are liable to lead to us a new painful wave of horrible violence." He called on them to reject the "uncompromising extremism of your terrorist organizations" and choose a new path. Referring to Saturday night's declaration of a cease-fire in Gaza, Olmert said that a new path was begun. "We started on a path that I hope will bring us to the goal that we all want to achieve: peace, quiet, and mutual trust," he said. The prime minister said that if a new Palestinian Authority government accepts the Quartet's conditions fore legitimacy, implement the road map and release Cpl. Gilad Shalit, he would suggest a meeting with PA Chairman Mahmoud Abbas to conduct a "true, open and serious" dialogue between us. Olmert said that within this framework, and in line with the road map, the Palestinians could establish an independent, viable state with contiguous territory in the West Bank, and have full sovereignty over recognized borders. He said that within this framework Israel's borders would be established that "would be different from the territory which is now under Israel's control." According to Olmert, he understood the importance of the release of Palestinian prisoners to the Palestinians, said that with the release of Shalit "Israel would be willing to release many Palestinian prisoners, including those who were sentenced to long prison terms, in order to increase the confidence between us and prove that our hand is outstretched in true peace." Olmert told the Palestinians that he believed many of them were tired of the high price extremism is exacting on their society. "An end to terror and violence could enable us to present you with a long list of steps that can be done between us," he said. He stressed that if the Palestinians responded, Israel would significantly reduce the roadblocks, increase freedom of movement, open and improve border crossings for goods and merchandise, and release Palestinian tax revenues held in Israel since Hamas's victory in last January's elections. Full story: :http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?apage=2&cid=1162378492106&pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FShowFull ----- OLMERT SAYS READY TO FREE PALESTINIAN PRISONERS [Check the fingers] Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert speaks during the opening ceremony for a new high school...   SDE BOKER, Israel (Reuters) By Yehuda Gruber - November 27, 2006 - Israel will be prepared to release many jailed Palestinians, including long-serving prisoners, in return for a soldier militants seized in June, Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert said on Monday. In a major policy speech, Olmert said he was reaching out to the Palestinians for peace -- offering a series of humanitarian and economic incentives if violence against Israel ceased. Within hours of Olmert's address, Palestinian militants in Gaza fired rockets into the Israeli border town of Sderot, despite a ceasefire declared on Sunday. There were no reports of casualties. Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades, part of Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas's Fatah faction, claimed of responsibility for the attack, which followed the killing of two Palestinians in an Israeli raid in the West Bank, where a truce is not in effect. Militants in Gaza fired several rocket salvoes into Israel soon after the ceasefire began but the launchings stopped after Palestinian leaders appealed for adherence to the truce. In the speech, Olmert repeated a willingness to dismantle, for "real peace," some of the settlements Israel has built in the West Bank, territory captured in the 1967 Middle East war. Olmert did not give details or mention a unilateral "realignment plan" shelved after the recent Lebanon war. "With Gilad Shalit's release and his return safe and sound to his family, the Israeli government will be willing to release many Palestinian prisoners, even those who have been sentenced to lengthy terms," Olmert said. It was the first time Olmert had offered to exchange prisoners for Shalit, whose capture in a cross-border raid by Palestinian militants triggered an Israeli offensive into the Gaza Strip. LUKEWARM RESPONSE for the whole story; http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20061127/wl_nm/mideast_dc_81 ----- OLMERT OFFERS CONCESSIONS TO PALESTINIANS By RAVI NESSMAN, Associated Press Writer - JERUSALEM - Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert offered wide-ranging peace concessions to the Palestinians if they turned away from violence, saying on Monday they would be able to achieve an independent state in the West Bank and Gaza Strip in real peace talks with Israel. In what was billed as a major policy speech, Olmert directly addressed the Palestinians, promising to reduce checkpoints, release frozen funds and free prisoners in exchange for a serious push for peace. Israel would also pull out of West Bank land and uproot settlements under a peace deal, he said. "I hold out my hand in peace to our Palestinian neighbors in the hope that it won't be returned empty," Olmert said. "We cannot change the past and we will not be able to bring back the victims on both sides of the borders," he said. "All that we can do today is stop additional tragedies." His offer to restart long-stalled peace talks came a day after the two sides began observing a cease-fire in the Gaza Strip, ending five months of widespread violence in the coastal area and raising hopes that the truce would lead to new peace efforts. Despite the cease-fire, Palestinian militants fired two rockets at Israel Monday afternoon, causing no injuries, Israeli authorities said. Olmert's speech also raised the diplomatic stakes ahead of a visit to the region by U.S. President George W. Bush. Olmert said that if the Palestinians establish a new, moderate Cabinet committed to carrying out the U.S.-backed "road map" peace plan and securing the release of a captured Israeli soldier, then he would call for an immediate meeting with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas "to have a real, open, honest, serious dialogue." Israeli officials denied the possibility of a summit between Abbas and Olmert on the sidelines of Bush's visit to neighboring Jordan later this week. Olmert spokeswoman Miri Eisin said the sides were discussing when the leaders would meet, but no date had been set. Palestinian legislator Saeb Erekat, a top aide to Abbas, head of the moderate Fatah Party, said the Palestinians were ready to negotiate a final peace deal. "I believe Mr. Olmert knows he has a partner, and that is President Abbas. He knows that to achieve peace and security for all, we need to shoot for the end game," Erekat said. Full story: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20061127/ap_on_re_mi_ea/israel_palestinians_143 ----- PERETZ TO QUIT DEFENSE MINISTRY Harry P. Levin - California, USA - November 23, 2006 - Mr. Peretz, you have failed. You have failed not because the IDF wasn't ready. Given that was the case, it was your duty to alert the country and to immediately remedy that situation. But you don't have the ability or personality to take such action. Your trying to change into the garb of Finance Minister or any other capacity is merely a pathetic attempt to hide your nakedness. You are not qualified for any position. Resign-completely, permanently and take the PM and Chief of Staff with you. http://www.jpost.com ----- PM [OLMERT] MAY BE STUCK WITH PERETZ 'TIL MAY Jerusalem Post - By GIL HOFFMAN AND HAVIV RETTIG Nov. 23, 2006 - Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and Defense Minister Amir Peretz may have to continue working together until at least the May Labor leadership primary, after Olmert failed to pressure Peretz to leave the ministry for a socioeconomic portfolio, a source close to Olmert said on Thursday. Olmert had hoped to rid himself of Peretz by taking advantage of the controversy over the defense minister's secret conversation with Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas. But Olmert decided against firing him and instead tried to indirectly pressure Peretz to leave via public pressure and the persuasion of Labor Party leaders. But the Labor leaders and a series of political deals offered to Peretz all failed to convince him to give up the ministry. According to one such deal, the primary would be delayed until just ahead of the next general election in return for Peretz abdicating the Defense portfolio in favor of former prime minister Ehud Barak and receiving Vice Premier Shimon Peres's ministry if he becomes president. Peretz denounced all the deal-making and vowed to remain defense minister in a meeting of the Labor Executive Committee at the party's Tel Aviv headquarters, where a December 17 date was set for a vote on setting May 1 as the date for the primary. "I invite everyone who wants to run for party leader to do so," Peretz told the crowd. "No one needs to make deals with anyone. Whoever wants authority in the party should run. Whoever thinks they can win with tricks, I say, I was chosen by you and I will continue to serve you. Labor will not remain in the government without a senior position and that position will continue to be the Defense portfolio." Peretz lashed out at Barak for being responsible for many of the current security problems by withdrawing unilaterally from Lebanon. "When I hear about the list of candidates for defense minister, I am amazed," Peretz said. "The candidates in that list are the ones who should be held accountable for their policies of closing their eyes. I helped Israel wake up. I will repair the IDF faithfully and no one will stop me." A source close to Peretz said the only position he would leave the Defense Ministry for would be the Finance portfolio, but Peretz's office issued a statement ruling out the idea. Rejecting the latest political deals in the headlines, Peretz said, "It looks like there are a bunch of bored friends putting together governments and switching ministers. Did somebody give these people the right?" Referring to Peres, he said that "no one will decide for us that we have to support a presidential candidate from another party," and that Labor would support the candidacy of its own candidate, MK Colette Avital. In comments aimed at the Prime Minister's Office, Peretz said that "the mudslinging campaign against me is hurting the national morale" and that if Abbas should call him, he "won't hang up the phone on the chairman of the PA if [talking to him] could bring hope for peace." Peretz and Olmert met Thursday for routine security consultations that were described by both sides as courteous, positive and completely professional. They agreed to meet in upcoming days to discuss their political dispute. At the beginning of the meeting, Olmert tried to break the ice and praised Peretz's son who was drafted into the IDF Thursday morning. "Please tell him good luck and a pleasant service," Olmert said. http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1162378469010&pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FShowFull ----- ROCKETS FIRED INTO ISRAEL DESPITE GAZA TRUTH DEAL. Fresh attacks put agreement in doubt, even as Israeli troops pull out An Israeli woman stands in her living room in the town of Sderot after it was hit by a rocket fired by Gaza-based Palestinian militants. JERUSALEM - AP November 26, 2006 - Israeli troops withdrew from the Gaza Strip as a last-minute cease-fire deal took hold Sunday morning, but two major Palestinian militant groups, saying they had no intention of stopping their attacks, fired volleys of homemade rockets into Israel. The ongoing rocket attacks by Hamas and Islamic Jihad tempered hopes for a lasting truce, which was meant to end five months of deadly clashes. The attacks caused no injuries. A senior Israeli official said Israel would wait a few hours to see if the attacks were isolated breaches or a full-scale violation of the agreement before deciding whether to respond. The official spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak to the media. The truce agreement, if it holds, would be a significant achievement for Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas as he tries to put together a more moderate government to replace the one currently led by Islamic Hamas radicals. Abbas, a moderate from the Fatah Party, hopes a deal with Hamas will persuade the West and Israel to lift crushing economic sanctions against the Palestinians. The two sides announced the truce late Saturday after Abbas telephoned Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert with an agreement from Palestinian militant groups to halt rocket fire and other violence from Gaza. Olmert pledged to end the wide-scale military offensive Israel launched in Gaza in June, less than a year after it pulled out of the coastal strip after 38 years of occupation. Israel’s launched its offensive after Hamas militants in Gaza launched a cross-border raid on a military outpost, killing two soldiers and capturing another. Hundreds dead The violence has claimed the lives of more than 300 Palestinians and five Israelis. Most of the Palestinians killed have been militants, but scores of civilians have been killed as well, including 19 members of an extended family killed earlier this month in a botched Israeli artillery attack. Abbas spokesman Nabil Abu Rdeneh said the cease-fire deal would revive a truce reached in Egypt in February 2005. Ahead of the new agreement, which took effect at 6 a.m. Sunday, Israel pulled all its forces out of Gaza, the army said. Dozens of tanks and armored vehicles were parked just over the border in a military staging ground in southern Israel early Sunday. Rockets rain down on Israel But Palestinian militants continued firing rockets into Israel throughout the morning. Israeli police reported at least four rockets fired at the Israeli town of Sderot and an Associated Press photographer in the border town heard at least two more strikes. “Let’s hope that’s just the problems of the beginning,” Israeli government spokeswoman Miri Eisin said of the rockets. “But if Israel is attacked, we will respond. If there are Palestinian factions that are not part of the cease-fire, it’s hard to see how the cease-fire will hold.” A spokesman for the Hamas-led Palestinian government, Ghazi Hamad, said all the armed groups had committed to the agreement, and any violations were rogue acts. “There is a 100 percent effort to make this work, but there is no guarantee of 100 percent results,” Hamad said. Hamas’ own militants claimed responsibility for firing rockets into Israel after 6 a.m., clouding prospects for the truce’s longevity. The Hamas militants said they continued their attacks because some Israeli troops remained inside Gaza, an accusation Israel denied. “(We) reiterate that our attacks against the enemy continue,” the group said in a statement posted on its Web site. http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/15894040/ ----- BEWARE OF SURRENDER PLAN November 19, 2006 - Israeli officials are believed to be exploring a new diplomatic shady overture that calls for the surrender of large swathes of the West Bank to a new Arab Palestinian leadership in exchange for a decade-long ceasefire (Not even peace). The plan, still in the formative stages, was outlined in the Hebrew daily Ma'ariv on Nov. 16, as a "bold and original" initiative (Only self-hating Jewish traitors can think this way) . The plan would enable the creation of a provisional Arab Palestinian state as a first step toward normalization with Palestinians and the wider Arab world (What a delusional idea. How many of those self-destructive steps can Israel survive?) It is alleged that Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert secretly presented the concept to President George W. Bush during a meeting at the White House Monday. (If it is not treason, why in Israel 's democratic society, the important plan like this is kept secret from the public?) Nothing Less. PA Chairman Mahmoud Abbas is calling on Israel to renew diplomatic contact with the PA (they need US and EU money to finance terrorism and corruption) in the framework of a total Israeli withdrawal from Judea, Samaria , Gaza and eastern Jerusalem. In an address televised in the PA, he called on Israel to "seize the opportunity for peace." (What about the framework of a total departure of all Arabs from the Jewish land – Judea , Samaria , Gaza and Trans Jordan! Abbas can also seize the opportunity. It works both ways. This approach will definitely bring peace to Israel! All previous negotiations and compromises made by Israel only encouraged more demands from Arabs and escalated Islamic terrorism, not only in Israel but all over the world.) Stupidity Unlimited . Olmert government is considering to authorise 1500 armed Arab Palestinian terroristss, based in Jordan, to move into the West Bank and Gaza Strip, as a way to counterbalance the growing power of Hamas. No official announcement has been made, although US President George Bush had formally requested the troop transfer before the 45-minute private meeting he held with Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert last week. (Why not allow Iran to move armed force to Iraq, to help the coalition to fight al-Caida? For how long will Jews tolerate this ugly attitude from so-called friends? We must do what is good for our own state, as any self-respecting nation does!) http://www.thestar.com/NASApp/cs/ContentServer?pagename= thestar/Layout/Article_Type1&call_pageid=971358637177&c=Article&cid=1163631019081 Israeli Leaders Surrender. The recent fatal rocket attacks on Southern Israel have brought Israel to its knees. Israel's weekend newspapers are full of articles quoting Israeli leaders who have given up hope in stopping the ongoing attacks on Sderot and the Western Negev. On the Iranian front, Israeli leaders are no less clueless. The international media quoted Shimon Peres stating, that Israel must not take the lead in international efforts to curb Iran.  NEWSLETTERS  NEWS INDEX  MAIN INDEX