Monday, June 23, 2008

Sarkozy Too Cozy With Division of Jerusalem


In the news today, France's leader spoke out in a healthy and tough stand against Iran, and just in case we would start to think him too wise beyond his years, in the interests of even-handedness he also made a foolish statement so he could remain on par with many other world leaders. Sarkozy said that:

"There can be no peace without recognising Jerusalem as the capital of two states and the guarantee of freedom of access to the holy places for all religions," (AFP)

First of all, this statement of Sarkozy shows ignorance of the strife between PA goals for Jerusalem, and Israeli goals for Jerusalem. The destruction of Joseph's tomb, and countless other offenses, prove that the PA is untrustworthy to share secular control over religious institutions. Only Israeli control can guarantee freedom of religion for non-Muslims. Sarkozy's first statement on Jerusalem, of shared political centers, contradicts his second statement on Jerusalem, that there should be freedom of religion in the holy city.

Secondly, the Sarkozy statement seems something of a paraphrase of a quote from Isaiah, but misses the intent of God's statement entirely...

"And the children of foreign lands who join themselves to the Lord to serve Him and to love the Name of the Lord, to become his servants unto Him... I will bring them to My holy mountain, and I will gladden them in My house of prayer... for my House will be called a house of prayer for all the peoples. The word of my Lord, God, Who gathers in the dispersed of Israel: I shall gather to him even more than those already gathered to him."
(Isaiah 56.6-8)

The prophecy implies both the facts of today and of recent history, that Israel must be in possession of "The House" and only then can it be a house of prayer for all.

Not only Jewish freedom of religion depends on it.

Friday, June 20, 2008

A Critique of the Elon Plan and a Summary of the Everyone Wins Peace Plan


The Rabbi Binyamin Elon peace plan, despite a few issues that bother me, is currently the best peace plan widely known in the world today, while the “Roadmap to Peace” is an assault on Jewish Human Rights in the form of freedom to practice Judaism in their own land. The Palestinian Authority has failed to show any indication that they intend to keep the International Laws of Succession and safeguard Jewish freedom of religious access to their religious landmarks and holy sites, as was proven, for example, with the desecration of the Tomb of Joseph and countless other examples. Further, and more urgent, every time the IDF surrenders more control, more people have died on both sides.

Even if the Roadmap is scrapped, there has to be a good alternative peace plan waiting in the wings, so that any other plans even worse than the Roadmap do not ever get a chance to gain strength. I feel the need for an alternate peace plan is vital to avoid further desecration of God’s Holy Name and needless bloodshed. If my plan is unacceptable for whatever reason, at least the Elon plan does not placate terrorists. Yet here are the main reasons that I was unsatisfied with the Elon plan and wrote up a whole new plan, by the grace of God...

Issue 1

Involving another country, effectively takes control of peace out of the hands of Israel and places it into the hands of that other country. Not only does the Elon plan depend on Jordan to change their policy and allow mass immigration, (which they may view with as much disdain as Israel views the Saudi plan) but it also depends on Jordan to keep the peace in their own country and should that fail, there is a danger of Israel being pressured to take back terrorists into their country, because to the UN, why would Israel’s sovereignty be more important than Jordan’s? True peace should bring more stability, not less, more order, not more potential for randomness and chaos. This is the first issue I have with the Elon plan.

Issue 2

In my variation of one state solutions such as the Elon peace plan, which I call the “Everyone Wins” plan, nobody loses their homes except for terrorists and those who support them. Now even if at the end of the day this means only a minority of Palestinian Arabs keep their homes, as it does not discriminate due to race, but moral choice, it is much more politically acceptable to the mainstream than any variant of a Rabbi Kahane plan. The Elon plan which seeks to toss every Palestinian Arab out of the West Bank and Gaza, has the negative appearance of a Kahane style plan. Not that Rabbi Kahane was a racist. Indeed, if everybody listened to him many lives would have been spared, more Arabs than Jews, even. Yet, the unfortunate reality is that any Kahane-esque plan causes a knee-jerk reaction in the left, and makes it morally difficult for the politically moderate to give their full support. We must deal with actualities in order to implement loftier ideals. We cannot ignore how the electorate feels. This is the second issue that I have with the Elon plan.

Issue 3


Is this how you treat your friends? Remember that Abraham prayed for even just ten people out of a whole city, if they are righteous. So how can anyone suggest tossing out so many potentially good people without giving them a chance to prove themselves innocent of terror?


Real Change

To do more than win over just a few politicians, but to actually change American Foreign Policy you need to offer a non-offensive (to American sensibilities) alternative to current foreign policy. The peace plan alternative must be as moderate and evenhanded as possible without ignoring the key needs of Israel, external and internal security, and religious freedom.

Everyone Wins

The "Everyone Wins" Peace Plan requires the tying of West Bank/Gaza Arabic naturalization rates to the immigration rates of foreign born Jews. Whereas previous one state solutions called for relocating masses of people, this plan calls for no segregation whatsoever. Nobody has to give up their homes (except for terrorists and those who support them), neither Jews nor Arabs. Palestinians slowly but surely become complete Israelis without overwhelming the Israeli economy and infrastructure.


The key to making this work is twofold. First: the categorization of the level of security risk of each naturalization applicant. The ones who are at zero risk are immediately placed in cue and await a corresponding number of immigrants to raise enough quota to allow them entry as naturalized Israelis. Second: setting a fair and an appropriate ratio. If current demographics in Israel are that 15% of Israelis are Arabs, then the ratio could be set at 15%. That is, for every 100 immigrants, 15 West Bank and Gaza Arabs who are not a threat are allowed in. So if in a given year there are 100,000 Jewish immigrants, 15,000 friendly Arabs would naturalize.

Once true peace exists, I would expect that Jewish immigration will likely increase by no less than 300% of current rates. Plus financial stability and growth will be at unheard of levels. The ability to power infrastructure growth and the greater Jewish immigration numbers will allow Israel to naturalize more Arabs faster and safer than currently possible. Thus the entire conflict will come to an end that much sooner, by the grace of God.

Saturday, June 14, 2008

Palestinian Leaders Indicate Trust in the IDF


As reported in yesterday’s edition of the Jewish Press (page 69, citing MAAN News), PA negotiator Qurei recently gave something of an historic revelation. He suggested that if things do not improve in the current Roadmap guided peace process, the Palestinian leadership may press for a single bi-national state. Back in 2004 he revealed his personal preference for this, but never before in the context as a spokesman for West Bank and Gaza Palestinian opinion at large. While the terrorist PA leaders mean this as a negative, as a threat to compel the Israelis to give up more than they are willing to, or to overwhelm the Israeli immigration infrastructure as in the underhanded and evil spirit of the Saudi Arabian “peace” plan, this statement does serve a good purpose, as far as fans of the Everyone Wins Peace Plan are concerned. It shows without a doubt that the idea of the IDF being the leading security force over Palestinians is not a real issue of contention. Palestinian Arabs, even the militants among them, do not consider a dominant IDF a negative in a future unified State of Israel. So for all those who were concerned for Palestinians not feeling oppressed following any peace deal, they need no longer worry that the Everyone Wins Peace Plan was over the top in suggesting that the Israel Defense Force be the supreme security force over the all Israeli citizens, even the newly immigrated West Bank and Gaza Palestinian Arabs. This Qurei statement implicitly tells us that Palestinian militants know that once they stop attacking Israelis, the IDF will not be used against them.

This Qurei statement also shows that this conflict is not about the giant oppressing the shepherd. It’s not about Israel violating Palestinian Human Rights every second. It’s about the cynical use of peace processes as a “strategic choice” (Arafat’s words). It’s about the gullibility of governments and news organizations, and a terrorist organization (PLO / PA) that knew how to play them in concert with a willing accomplice in the form of a UN instigating Arab League. The idea of this conflict being the fault of “both sides” is the biggest hoax in recent world history.

The PA card of terror as foreign policy has been revealed.

Friday, June 13, 2008

A United Jerusalem is the Only Chance for True Peace


The Roadmap to Peace is founded upon a fallacy. The UN initiative to seek a land for peace deal and settle the differences between Israelis and Palestinians by division of the Holy Land is at the heart of all the problems involved in making peace work. It is no wonder that most Israelis and Palestinian Arabs have
lost hope for current peace talks to be successful.


When forming a peace plan you cannot simply make a hodgepodge checklist of issues to cover in negotiations and then hope they will be somehow be achieved through mutual compromise by the parties involved here and there and along the way. You need to offer solutions that have the best chance to succeed, that take into account the highly improbable areas and treat them as non-options for inclusion. Every other peace plan that I have heard of, besides the Everyone Wins Peace Plan, requires the surrender of at least parts of Jerusalem by one side or the other. Everyone Wins rejects the concept of people leaving their homes, and says that everyone should share Jerusalem.


The first stage of Sharon/Kadima Party's support of the Roadmap has not only created a terror state in Gaza, but hundreds of families STILL remain homeless years later. The government is so busy fighting terror and negotiating down a path that leads nowhere, that it doesn't take the time or allocates the resources needed to help the citizens that they dispossessed of their land. The same mistakes are being repeated over and over. Rather than starting off on the right foot of humanitarianism, the governments of Israel and her friends allows it to take a back seat to politics. Isn't this how we got into this situation in the first place? The beginning of conflict is in the unjust application of dissatisfaction and disfranchisement. If Western governments value the right to vote everywhere the world over, then how can they value so much less the right to a roof over one's head?


The crisis for former Gazans is only getting worse, as time makes donors forget, even as the government still does not provide housing and jobs for the forcibly displaced and unemployed.


Some of the disturbing quotes of the homeless of Gaza upon receiving food for the Spring holidays from a charity drive by National Council of Young Israel and Mosdot Yad Ezra:


"Imagine opening the refrigerator and seeing it full," said one woman, "We were able to enjoy the true spirit of the holiday. It was the first time that we had to worry about having ample room in the freezer since the expulsion."

"All of a sudden we had food in the house," said one woman, "My children thought that my husband had finally been able to find a job."

"Someone from America cared," said a man from Nitzan, "It was almost as if people had forgotten about us."

"In the beginning everyone remembered - now only you," said one of the mothers whose family received food.

"We were always givers, not takers," said another man, "We didn't want to be in this situation - it wasn’t by choice."

"My husband died in 2004 in a terrorist attack," remarked one woman, "On behalf of myself and my seven children, thank you. May you always be able to be on the giving side and not on the receiving side."

* * * * *

Good, innocent people, made homeless. For what!?! If only it were for peace, but history has shown it was in order to create a terrorist state and for our politicians to be self satisfied that they are "working for peace" even as they incidentally torture the innocent with their sick preoccupation with the fallacious Roadmap to Peace!!


The Roadmap seems to reject the hope of true peace and would seem to be a roadmap to a homelessness crisis and mass destitution of untold proportions. No true friend of Israel should support it even a moment longer!

Friday, June 6, 2008

Russia & Iran: Avoiding a New Cold War

Earlier this year, I mentioned that pressure needed to be brought down on Russia's support of Iran's nuclear project so that Iran would not be encouraged to ignore Western political pressure. But there is another reason as well. CNN reported today that a key Israeli government member gave Iran an explicit warning of ceasing their nuke program, or else Israel will attack. If things stay on the same path, and Israel does have to perform a preemptive strike on Iranian nuclear installations, it is vital for American interests that no Iranian based Russian workers are involved in the matter.


Russian leader Putin has shown willingness in the past to play chicken with the safety of his people in foreign borders, having assumed that no one would risk Russian wrath, and having accepted that performing violence against anyone who dares threaten citizens of Russia is perfectly legitimate, even if poor judgment placed them in harm's way to begin with. American and her allies must make it clear to Russia, that if any of their workers were to become casualties in any conflict between Iran and Israel, then Russia would have no legitimate option for vendetta under international norms and beliefs. What do you think Russia's reaction would be if Iran was attacked and some of its people were killed in the process?


The current situation is a risk for a 21st Century cold war, where Russia could be tempted to openly support terror orientated governments in the name of pseudo "justice". Russia must be made to understand that it is its own fault if it fails to adequately remove it workers from harm's way. Indeed, even Iran would not be in danger of an Israeli strike if not for Russia pushing the timetable of Iran's nuclear program ahead of any attempts by the West to seek peaceful solutions to the burgeoning conflict. It may already be too late to avoid further conflict in the Middle East, but let's make sure it does not become a decades long cold war between East and West as well.