Israel Matzav

Link dump

Sorry, I have many more links open right now than I can intelligently handle, so I'm going to let you all read a few of them for yourselves.

Hamas refuses to let Gilad Shalit have his holiday CARE package from his parents (link in Hebrew). Some hopefully believe that the very fact that Hamas said this indicates that Shalit is alive. I'm afraid that could still be wishful thinking.

Trying to attract attention, Osama Bin Laden employs the world's oldest hatred.

Hamas seeks a new doctrine after its Gaza war failures.

San Francisco Jewish Federation chief resigns after controversy over showing Rachel Corrie film. Jennifer Rubin believes that it shows that donors expect Jewish organizations to defend Israel. But alas, it's just a 'promotion.' Mr. Sokatch is moving on to head the New Israel Fund, an extreme Leftist organization that funds the same anti-Israel NGO's that are funded by European governments.

Peace can't be built on Presidential hubris (the New York Times seeks to blame Bibi again for the lack of peace).

And though the Times’s editorialists have adopted the self-congratulatory stance of the president and his acolytes, Obama is no more committed to the idea of Middle East peace than either Bill Clinton or George W. Bush was. Though liberals are loath to give any credit to the latter, it should be remembered that it was he who first proclaimed America’s support for the concept of a Palestinian state in peaceful coexistence with Israel, though it should be noted that in making that concession, he was no more or less successful than any other American leader in getting the Palestinians to buy into the notion that they could acquire sovereignty in exchange for recognizing the legitimacy of their Israeli neighbors.

And that not inconsiderable point is the crux of the fallacy that forms the basis of not only the Times editorial but also the policies of the Obama administration. The focus on Jewish settlements has served to divert the world’s attention from this fact, but Palestinian rejectionism remains the key issue, as has been proved over and again since Yasir Arafat rejected a state in the West Bank, Gaza, and Jerusalem in July 2000. Arafat’s successor Mahmoud Abbas repeated this performance when Ehud Olmert desperately tried last year to make peace. Indeed, the “moderate” Abbas made it clear in interviews with the Western press this year that he wasn’t even inclined to talk to Israel. As Israel has demonstrated time and again, anytime there is an actual partner for peace, the existence of settlements in disputed territories is no impediment to Israeli concessions.

The failure of Obama to cajole America’s Arab allies into even the tamest of confidence-building measures toward Israel stems from the same problem that has little to do with anything Netanyahu does or does not do. The result of several generations of fomenting hate against Israel and Jews in Palestinian society as well as in the wider Arab and Islamic world means that the constituency for peace there is virtually nonexistent.

Read it all.

Yossi Beilin and friends present yet another delusional peace plan.

Is it legal for Human Rights Watch to suspend Marc Garlasco? It may violate New York law.

Wow has this been a busy week....

posted by Carl in Jerusalem @ 2:38 PM