Israel Matzav

If we don't stand up to our enemies, why stand up to our friends?

Amazing, simply amazing. These are some of the results of Wednesday's cabinet meeting:

The security cabinet ... adopted a number of resolutions aimed at satisfying American requests in advance of Prime Minister Ehud Olmert's visit to Washington in another 10 days.

It decided to work to strengthen "elements in the Palestinian Authority other than the Hamas government," thereby effectively giving its approval to a plan by General Keith Dayton, the American security coordinator in the territories, to arm and train forces loyal to PA Chairman Mahmoud Abbas. Dayton wants to prepare Abbas' forces in Gaza for a confrontation with Hamas, which the United States believes is inevitable.

Forget for a minutes what we all know - that the 'moderate' Fatah differs with Hamas only on methods and not on goals. For those of you who have forgotten this means that the Israeli cabinet has approved the transfer of weapons to 'moderate Palestinian President' Mahmoud Abbas Abu Mazen's 'Presidential guard' which is also known as Force 17.

It also decided to give positive consideration to the PA's request to transfer thousands of rifles from Egypt and Jordan to Abbas' forces, as well as to America's request that Israel allow the Badr Brigade - a wing of the Palestine Liberation Army that is currently stationed in Jordan - to relocate to the territories. Israel has previously refused to admit the Badr Brigade, but Dayton wants to turn it into Abbas' rapid reaction force in Gaza.

That's just great, isn't it? Now the Americans are going to arm Palestinian terrorists with Israel's approval. Remember CIA director George Tenet and the 'Palestinian police'? Have we learned nothing since then?

However, both decisions require approval from both Olmert and Defense Minister Amir Peretz, and a source in Olmert's office said: "We don't see approval being granted just now."

I will guarantee you that Spineless and Clueless will give their 'approval' whenever they are told to give it.

Additionally, the cabinet agreed to "launder" the presence in the West Bank of some 5,000 Palestinians who hold American or European passports but returned to the West Bank after the Oslo Accords were signed. Because they had lost their residency permits due to long absence, they entered on tourist visas, but for years, these visas were automatically renewed.

Recently, however, the Interior Ministry has refused to renew them, resulting in many being "trapped" in Jordan, cut off from their jobs and families.

This development has elicited sharp protests from the U.S. and the European Union, and the coordinator of government activities in the territories, Major General Yosef Mishlav, therefore recommended giving them residency permits on a humanitarian basis.

Peretz approved this idea and forwarded it to the diplomatic-security cabinet, which ratified it Wednesday.

How many Jews have been cut off from their families in Syria, Iraq and Yemen (at this point, the rest of the Arab countries are likely Judenrein)? How many of them are being accorded similar 'humanitarian' consideration? How many Jews who are trapped in those countries are being allowed out for 'family reunification' due to 'humanitarian' considerations?

The forum also decided to expand cooperation with Egypt in an effort to prevent arms smuggling from Sinai into Gaza.

WHAT cooperation with Egypt?

posted by Carl in Jerusalem @ 1:40 AM