Tone is Important for Our Representatives on Capitol Hill

For John, BLUF:  Quotng the Article's lede sentence:  "The arch Jew-hater of the House of Representatives – and believe me, that sobriquet takes some doing to earn with all the contenders there – has been called on the congressional censure carpet again today."  That seems a bit extreme, but perhaps fair.  Nothing to see here; just move along.

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BREAKING:  The House of Reps has voted to censure Rep. Rashida Tlaib for her anti-Semitism.  22 Democrats voted in favor of it.

From Hot Air, by Reporter Beege Welborn, 7 November 2023, 8:41 PM.

Here is a quote from the UPI:

…Tlaib again inspired bipartisan criticism over the weekend when she posted another video on X, this one blasting President Joe Biden for supporting “the genocide of the Palestinian people.”  It also included footage of demonstrators chanting, “from the river to the sea,” which the Anti-Defamation League points to as antisemitic.

I don't see "From the River to the Sea, [Palistine must be free]," as anything but a call for the elimination of Israel as a nation and the extermination of the eight million Jews living there.

Good on Congress for this action  Not that I think it will cause Rep Rashida Tlaib to change her tune.

Hat tip to the InstaPundit.

Regards  —  Cliff

What is Hamas?

For John, BLUF:  To discuss the problem between Israel and Gaza one must understand the positions of the participants.  Believe what they tell you.  Nothing to see here; just move along.

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What Is Hamas?  What to Know About the Militant Group Fighting Israel

Here is the sub-headline:

Iran-backed faction has triggered the biggest crisis in Israel in decades

From The Wall Street Journal, by Reporter James Hookway, 16 October 2023, 1:20 pm ET.

Here is the lede plus one:

Hamas, an Arab acronym for Islamic Resistance Movement, was founded in 1987 after an eruption of protests and riots over Israel’s military occupation of the West Bank and Gaza.  Founder Sheik Ahmed Yassin’s initial aim was to create an Islamic state on the land now comprising Israel, the West Bank and Gaza, a goal later reaffirmed in the Hamas Charter a year later.

Hamas subsequently signaled it was willing to accept a two-state solution based on Israel’s borders as they were before 1967, but the group continues to reject Israel’s right to exist and opposed the Oslo Accords negotiated by Israel and the Palestine Liberation Organization in the 1990s.  It maintains a powerful military wing in addition to its political and social-welfare arms.  The U.S., European Union and Israel deem it to be a terrorist organization.

After Hamas won legislative elections in Gaza in 2006, the following year it forcibly removed officials from the more moderate Fatah group in a week of fighting.  More than 100 people were killed in the conflict, which separated the Palestinian territories into Hamas-controlled Gaza and the Fatah-controlled Palestinian Authority in the West Bank.

A good overal article discussing Hamas.

When we think about Hamas we should keep in mind that there is the political organization, a military wing and, in addition, a concept.  While the political and military wings can be killed, the idea could continue to exist in the minds of the larger population.  While such ideas will always exist, the question is if Israel can offer the People of Palistine a different vision for their future.  That is a core issue for any counter-insurgency effort.

Hat tip to the InstaPundit.

Regards  —  Cliff

Free Speech on Campus

For John, BLUF:  Free Speech is our right, but it can carry consequences for the utterer.  The author Mr Ken Tashjy, who served as General Counsel for the Massachusetts Community College System for over 21 years.  Nothing to see here; just move along.

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Campus unrest over Hamas attacks on Israel offers students tough lessons on free speech in higher education

Here is the sub-headline:

Many students are coming to the vivid realization that their speech, although free, may carry with it consequences they never contemplated.

From Campus Reform, by Mr Ken Tashjy, 19 October 2023, 12:00 pm ET.

Here is the lede plus four:

In the aftermath of the terrorist attacks by Hamas on Israel, there has been much attention focused on America’s colleges and universities and the profoundly conflicting views expressed by students over the origins of the ongoing conflict in the Middle East and the justification for Israel’s declaration of war and strong military action in respond to the attacks.

Following a call for a ”Global Day of Jihad” by a former Hamas leader, and a “Day of Resistance” by the National Students for Justice in Palestine, protests erupted on campuses with many students not only expressing support for Palestinians, but also endorsing the deadly Hamas attacks.

Other students stood with Israel, denouncing the murder by Hamas of more than 1,200 innocent people and the rape and kidnapping of dozens more, including many Americans.

In the wake of these campus protests, renewed attention has been focused on the right of free speech in higher education, the right to protest, and the authority and responsibility of campus leaders to limit or prohibit certain speech.

Many students are coming to the vivid realization that their speech, although free, may carry with it consequences they never contemplated. For other students, these events have crystalized the glaring disconnect that exists between their views and the views of institutional leaders and faculty.

Mr Tashjy's three lessons learned are:.

1. "Students have no First Amendment protections for illegal conduct."
2. "While a person may have a right to free speech and expression, they have no right not to be criticized, ridiculed, or held to account for their opinions."
3. "Those who support Israel and have witnessed the anti-Israel protests on their campuses should expect no support or assistance from their institution’s so-called Bias Response Teams."

I admit to taking some private pleasure in seeing Pro-Palistinian protestors finding near future employment opportunities shrinking as a result of their protests.  As retired National War College Dean of Faculty Cynthia Watson titles her Blog, Actions Create Consequences.  Is this Cancel Culture come home?

And the question in the background is how our vision of ourselves and others has drifted from that of the Silent Generation to the current group of college students.  A recent CNN Poll shows the stark contrasts by age regardsing the Israel/Palestine imbroglio.

Regards  —  Cliff

Bad Political Leadership

For John, BLUF:  This is about British politicianJeremy Corbyn, but also about how anti-semitism is popular on the left.  Our political leaders on the Progressive side have forgotten the liberal attribues of free speech and tolerance.  Nothing to see here; just move along.

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How many Palestinians should die for Israel’s self-defense, asks UK’s Jeremy Corbyn

Here is the sub-headline:

The speech Corbyn read at the pro-Palestine demonstration mourned those murdered in the Negev desert, but did not mention the party responsible for the brutal attack.

From Jerusalem Post, by Danielle Greyman Kennard, 16 October 2023, 01:51.

Here is the lede plus one:

Former leader of the United Kingdom’s Labour Party, Jeremy Corbyn, has become increasingly vocal about Israel’s actions against the Hamas terrorist organization, and the casualties stemming from those actions.

Corbyn, who has refused to condemn Hamas, wrote on X on October 12 that “We should condemn the of all civilian life, no matter who does it. Why can't our politicians uphold this basic moral principle, and defend international law universally and equally? How many innocent Palestinian lives should be erased in the name of self-defence?”

My wife and I were just discussing the amount of anti-semitism that has been on display for the last week.  The idea that The Jews are responsible for everything is both old and wrong.  In the case of the Hamas attack that killed hundreds of civilian men, women and children, the cries of the deranged (or undereducated) notwithstanding, it is not Israel's fault.  Ffurther, their cries of "the river to the sea" has a strong whiff of genocide in it.

In Gaza we have a population that has no concept of a lemon aide stand.  Yes, they have been given lemons.  Why have they not been making lemon aide?  Because after making war on the new State of Israel in 1948 they decamped and now want their old property back.  They are still living in 1948, when they tried to smother the new Israel in the crib and failed.  What they could not achieve by more conventional armed conflict they are now trying to achieve by guerrilla warfare, using terror.

Professor Glenn Reynolds concludes:  "The distinction between Corby and Oswald Mosleyd is pretty much gone.  If it ever existed."♠ 

Hat tip to the InstaPundit.

Regards  —  Cliff

♠  Mr Mosely was a notorious Fascist in England in the 1920s and 1930s.  He passed on in 1980.

Acts of Stupidity

For John, BLUF:  Some people need to read Dale Carnegie's classic, How to Win Friends and Influence People.  Nothing to see here; just move along.

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The Morning Briefing: 'The Squad' Idiots Should Be Sent to a Country They Actually Like

From PJ ?media, by Stephen Kruiser, 11 October 2023.

Here is the lede plus two:

As we have discussed here a few times, Democrats often struggle with identifying who the real bad guys are in a conflict. Sure, they had a moment of clarity after 9/11, but that was all too fleeting. They have spent most of the two-plus decades since running interference or being flat-out apologists for anyone with a suicide vest.

For the longest time, the Democrats at least managed to keep the most virulent anti-Semitic voices among them out of national office. When Minnesota sent Keith Ellison to Congress in 2007, he would at least try to be coy about his true feelings. Then Ellison was succeeded by Ilhan Omar, and all Squad hell broke loose.

The second month she was in office, Omar began letting her anti-Semitic, anti-Israel freak flag fly. By the next month, Omar had stepped in it so much that then-Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi knew that she had to address it. Granny Boxwine didn’t have the fortitude to directly admonish Omar for some reason, and instead issued a general condemnation of anti-Semitism that felt as sincere as a drunken declaration of love during a wedding at the Elvis chapel in Vegas.

I am all for differences of opinion, but the situation in Israel, with wanton slaughter of unarmed civilians would, I would think, cause right thinking people to condemn the action.  Condemn the example of political action.  Elicit responses condemning this kind of terrorism.♠ 

As for the Black Lives Matter Chicago posting a picture supporting the Palistinian attack (one of the parachute attackers), it is disturbibg.  It also draws a line between them and the rest of this nation, this world.  It says those not like us are targets.  Many of those killed and kidnaped were at an event for peace.  Those were the enemy?  Propaganda should be subtle, not a blunt instrument that harms friends and neutrals as well as opponents.

Hat tip to the InstaPundit.

UPDATE:  I am not advocating the deportation of anyone.  Those we disagree with are our fellow citizens and deserve all due respect, includingz the respect show by polite fraternal correction when they are misled.

Regards  —  Cliff

♠  With all due respect to the CBC, to not call it what it is, a political act of terrorism, designed to effect change in a political situation is not mere ignorance, but disrespectful to the victims and a sign of side taking.

Hamas Overreach?

For John, BLUF:  Terrorism is a blunt instrument and Hamas has made more blunt than usual.  Nothing to see here; just move along.

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Proportionate about Gang Rape

From Steyn on Line, by by Mark Steyn, 8 October 2023.

Here is the lede plus one:

In our initial report on this new war yesterday, we published a video showing a terrified young lady being abducted by Hamas "soldiers" from an Israeli music festival.  She was delivered to Gaza.  This is the condition she arrived in:

Paul Golding
@GoldingBF
WARNING GRAPHIC:  Palestinians strip the corpse of an Israeli woman, put it on display and desecrate it while shouting ‘Allah Akbar’.
Hamas and Israel are now at war.

"Allahu Akbar!"  Because Allah is truly great, isn't he?  He let us target the Jewess, and then strip her and beat her and rape her.  And then, when we drive what's left to the dar al-Islam, we all get to dance in the streets and desecrate her corpse.  Boy, what a generous guy that Allah is!

The infidel has a name:  Shana Louk, a citizen of Germany visiting Israel to attend a "Festival for Peace".  It didn't work out that way:

The purpose of terrorism is to mke life so miserable the other side will gldly grant political concessions..  It would appear that Hamas is working at that, hard.  The questiono is, will they succeed, or will they generate more resistance.  I could be wrong, but OI think they crossed thst magic political line.  Their supporters will say they are just resisting colonialism.  Their oponentd eill say that they have gone from moral patriots to barbaarians.

There are a couple of points that re key.  OOne is the ability of Hamas to generate international support.  Another will be the skill of the Israeli military to winkle out the Hamas fighters without ecess collateral damage.  Another will be the steady hand of Israeli Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu.  Finally, there is the question of how Iran will play its hand.

Hat tip to the InstaPundit.

Regards  —  Cliff

A Reset For Jews

For John, BLUF:  Something that is often missed in both the media and during coffee table discussions is that American Jews are being pushed into a corner, where their support of Israel is seen as just more inherent Caucasian Supremacy.  Not by everyone, but certaining by their former progressive allies.  Nothing to see here; just move along.

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A strategic reset for Jewish community relations and advocacy

Here is the sub-headline:

Do we dig in our heels with progressives because it used to make sense, or do we pivot and develop new partnerships and strategies that reflect our community’s interests today?

From Americans for Peace and Tolerance, by Mr David Bernstein, 18 October 2021.

Here is the lede plus six:

For more than a decade, the primary strategy of the Jewish community relations field has been to build ties to key non-Jewish segments on the political left deemed “fence-sitters”on Israel.  An influential report issued by the REUT Group, an Israeli think tank, in 2010 stated that “Israel and its allies should maintain thousands of personal relationships with political, financial, cultural, media and security-related elites.”  The report went on to say that “Israel should engage its critics, while isolating the delegitimizers.”

Fence sitters include, among others, segments of the African American community, mainline Protestants, Latinos and LGBTQ activists.  The strategy had been to engage these groups on social justice issues that they — and many Jews — care about, and in the process influence their thinking on Jews and Israel.

With the rise of the Black Lives Matter movement in 2015, many in the Jewish community, myself included, were especially concerned about the prospect of growing hostility toward Jews and Israel.  We worried that a total breakdown would mean many mainstream Jews would become politically disenfranchised.  In 2016, as the president and CEO of the Jewish Council for Public Affairs, the Jewish community relations umbrella, I wrote:

“If the (Jewish) community wants to have any influence on how today’s civil rights activists view Jews and Jewish issues, it must show up to the planning meetings, press conferences and protests.”

But, I cautioned:

“We must find our own voice on civil rights.  It will not be easy integrating the Jewish community into civil rights coalitions, some of which hold very different political sensibilities. Young activists routinely invoke phrases like -‘white supremacy’ – to describe America’s prevailing power structure…Rather than feeling obliged to use these terms, however, the Jewish community can…come to the table in its own voice.”

This strategy of engaging progressive activists, I am sorry to say, has largely failed.  The attitudes toward Israel among progressives have markedly worsened in the past five years.  And the prevailing ideological environment has become toxic and fundamentally illiberal.  Aligning ourselves too closely with the progressive movement, especially insofar as such alignment requires conformity to its pieties and credos, gives succor to an ideology that will ultimately harm us.  It’s time for the mainstream Jewish community to do a strategic reset.

It was just over a year ago that the Labour Party in the United Kingdom forced out its leader, Mr Jeremy Corbyn.  Part of Mr Corbyn's problem was his antisemitic presentation.

We are seeing the same sort of anti-Israeli attitude on the part of some Progressive Democrats, including members of The Squad.

Many GOP voters are clearly supportive of an independent home for Jews in the Holy Land.  Based on that, the Republican party should be making room for those Jews who can accommodate a more conservative philosophy, one oriented on freedom, including freedom of thought, speech and religion.

Regards  —  Cliff

Unsettling the Middle East

For John, BLUF:  I expect this is the Biden Administration nodding to its anti-Israeli Progressive Wing.    The further Corbynization of the Democratic Party.  Nothing to see here; just move along.

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Biden reiterates plan to reopen Jerusalem consulate despite Israeli objections

Barak Ravid, author of from Tel Aviv, 8 September 2021.

Here is the lede plus one:

President Biden told Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett during their White House meeting that he will not abandon his plan to reopen the U.S. consulate in Jerusalem, setting up a major point of contention between the administrations.

Why it matters: The consulate handled relations with the Palestinians for 25 years before being shut down by Donald Trump. Senior officials in Bennett's government see the consulate issue as a political hot potato that could destabilize their unwieldy coalition.

Behind the scenes: Biden raised the consulate issue several times in his bilateral meeting with Bennett and in the expanded meeting with their aides, Israeli and U.S. officials briefed on the meetings tell me.

No, this is not the US moving its Embassy back to Tel Aviv.  This is about placing the US Consulate for Palistine in the Capitol City of Israel, subtly implying that it might also be the Capitol of the State of Palistine.

This is a subtle payoff to the Progressive side of President Biden's support, the side that sees the State of Israel as an occupier of Palistinian territory.  What is missing in this is any suggestion of where the People of Israel should be.♠

Frankly, I think the Israelis are exactly where they should be and Jerusalem is their rightful capitol.

Hat tip to the InstaPundit.

Regards  —  Cliff

♠  Frankly, if the People of Israel are not to live in their historic homeland, then they should all be brought to the United States, lock, stock and barrel.  Something like as described in this novel, but with a permanent homeland.

Quo Vadis

For John, BLUF:  Where we are going in the Middle East is not clear.  Nothing to see here; just move along.

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Condition Palestinians Should Be Required To Meet Before Biden Restores Relations

Here is the sub-headline:

Keep The Commitments They Made But Never Fulfilled

From The Lid, by Messrs Moshe Phillips And Jeff Dunetz, 9 March 2021.

Here is the lede plus two:

Biden administration officials have indicated that they intend to restore some aspects of the U.S. relationship with the Palestinian Authority (PA) that the previous administration suspended in the near future.  The PA is anxious for a resumption of American financial and diplomatic support.  But what should Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas be required to do in order to merit a renewal of relations?

Although I represent a right-of-center Zionist organization, Herut North America, I don’t agree with those on the right who say that Abbas should be required to make a new commitment or gesture in order to resume relations with the United States.  I think Abbas should merely be required to honor the commitments and promises he has already made in the 1993-1995 Oslo Accords.  Is that really so much to ask?

Middle East policy experts constantly say there is not enough trust between Israel and the PA.  They’re right.  The reason most Israelis — and also most American Jews — have so little trust in the PA is because Yasser Arafat, chairman of the PA from 1994 until he died in 2004, and his deputy, Abbas, made a series of written promises in the Oslo Agreements of 1993-1995.  The Palestinians killed the Oslo Accords before the ink on Yasser Arafat’s signature was dry.

Yes, I think living up to the Oslo Accords would be a good confidence building measure.  The authors of this piece do not think it is happening.

Keep in mind that a failure to settle this discord could result in the United States having to open its arms to some 7 million Israelis refugees.  The alternative is another Holocaust, or, the End Times.

I do wonder if the Trump Administration's Abraham Accords will be the basis for moving forward, or will be left by the side of the road?  And where are we going with the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.  We seem to be kicking them to the side of the road.

He is an approach from Ms Annelle Sheline, a research fellow for the Middle East at the Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft.  It was published in Politico, on 26 February 2021:

Biden should help support Saudi Arabia in this transition. But to avoid the Iran model, i.e., Saudi Arabia going through a violent revolution and 40 years of hostility toward the U.S., Biden should support Saudi normalization, despite MBS’ murderous despotism.

For sure, making an enemy of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia will not make Iran like us any more.&nbp; Do we really wish to make enemies of everyone in the Middle East, with no visible payoff.

Hat tip to the InstaPundit.

Regards  —  Cliff

Biden/Harris and the Middle East

For John, BLUF:  While I think the lawyers for President Trumpk still have a shot, it is OK to hold two views in one's mind, one being a Biden win.  Preparing for the worst.  Nothing to see here; just move along.

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Will Joe Biden undo President Trump’s progress toward Middle East peace?

From The New York Post, by The Post Editorial Board, 14 November 2020.

Here is the lede plus two:

Will Joe Biden throw President Trump’s Middle East achievements in the dirt, betraying a host of US allies to fecklessly chase after the goodwill of the Iranian regime? If not, he needs to choose carefully as he names his Cabinet and White House staff.

For starters, many retreads from Team Obama will want to bribe Tehran back into that dangerous nuclear deal — a slap in the face to Israel and most Arab states.

They’ll also push for a return to anti-Israel policies such as funding the Palestinian Authority even as it pays off terrorists and their families, and to allowing anti-Israel UN resolutions to pass.

A shift to a new line on Middle East peace by a new Biden Administration would be a major peace setback.  It would be worse if a new Biden Administration shifted back to a futile attempt to placate the Ayatollahs in Iran.

One can hope that Candidate Joe Biden's previous clse relationship with Israeli Prime Minister Bibbi Netanyahu will be the cement that holds together the Abraham Accords.

Good luck to us.

Hat tip to the InstaPundit.

Regards  —  Cliff

Welcome the Jews

For John, BLUF:  The question of the Jews is several thousand years old.  I think we are called upon to show tolerance and to provide living space.  Nothing to see here; just move along.

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Anti-Semitism in Our Commonwealth

Here is the tweet, linked above:

Seth Mandel
@SethAMandel
Great moments in Just Anti-Zionism
Quote Tweet
Jewish Journal
@JewishJournal
· Apr 21
On Holocaust Remembrance Day, the Hillel at the University of Massachusetts (UMass) Amherst was vandalized with the word “Palestine” written in Arabic.

https://jewishjournal.com/news/united

Here is the website For the UMass Hillel at Amherst.

This act is both Anti-Semitic and un-American.

Further, it fails to address the question of what becomes of the Jews in Israel.  Can they remain as full fledged citizens in the new Palestine?  Or do the have to leave again, for a safer place?

If it is "leave again", then where?  I am thinking the places left, with the space and the tolerance, are Australia, Canada and the USA.

Think about it and get back to me.  In the mean time, avoid Anti-Semitic acts.

Hat tip to the InstaPundit.

Regards  —  Cliff

Jihad In Our Future

For John, BLUF:  Peace in the Holy Land has been long sought, but progress has been halting.  I can understand President Trump thinking that an overall solution that would make life better fo rPalestinians as well as Israelis might work.  Nothing to see here; just move along.

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Iran's Khamenei Calls for Global Jihad Against Israel and America in Response to Trump Peace Plan

From PJ Media, by Writer Tyler O'Neil, 5 February 2020.

Here is the lede plus three:

On Wednesday, Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei responded to President Donald Trump's Israel-Palestine peace plan by calling on "all Muslim nations & the world of Islam" to engage in a jihad against "the Zionist enemy & the U.S."  President Trump and Israeli President Benjamin Netanyahu unveiled the "Deal of the Century," a two-state plan for peace between Israel and Palestine, on January 28.  Palestinian leaders immediately rejected the plan and cut off ties with the U.S. and Israel.

Khamenei's declaration of war echoes his previous diatribes against Israel and the U.S., but it may take the tensions to another level.

The Iranian leader argued that the peace plan "is indicative of the U.S.' [viciousness] and manipulation.  They have come to negotiate with the [Zionists] over what belongs to the Palestinians! Palestine belongs to the Palestinians.  Who are you to make a decision on it?!"

He advocated jihad as the "remedy" for the situation.

I think we can pretty much blame President Trump for this Iranian call for Jihadism.  If he hadn't tried to break the logjam that is the Middlee East Peace Negotiations Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei might have settled for WWIII.  But, no, President Trump had to try and broker peace between Palestinian Israel.  For which he got no bouquets here in the US.

Exit question:  Do the Palestinians want anything that is short of Israel disappearing?

Hat tip to the InstaPundit.

Regards  —  Cliff

Elections in Israel

For John, BLUF:  The Holy Land is not a place where peace can be promised, except Post-Apocolypse.  Nothing to see here; just move along.

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The end of Netanyahu’s unchecked reign

From Brookings Institution, by Researcher Natan Sachs, 20 September 2019.  This article originally appeared in The Atlantic.

Here is the lede plus one:

Israel’s second election of 2019 managed to produce both high drama and anticlimax.  The top-line result:  There is no clear winner.  Neither the right-wing bloc led by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, nor the center-left bloc led by former military Chief of Staff Benny Gantz, commanded a majority of the 120 seats in the 22nd Knesset.  But there was still a loser of sorts:  Netanyahu.

The one thing that was clear, following the election, was that the results signal a dramatic shift in policy. Israel had stepped all the way to the brink on two fundamental issues, and it has now taken a half step back.  These results scuttle Netanyahu’s plans to officially apply Israeli law to parts of the West Bank, annexing the Jordan Valley, and to curtail the Israeli Supreme Court’s powers in order to secure himself immunity from prosecution on corruption charges.  Both issues would have had serious ramifications, the former for the possibility of resolving the Israeli-Palestinian conflict in the future, and the latter for the health of Israeli democracy.  Tuesday’s results will not produce peace nor resolve Israel’s internal challenges, but they stave off those prospects, at least for the moment.

Mr Sachs is no friend of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, But he seems to do a fair job of laying out the political situation in Israel.

For me the real question is if there can be peace for Israel this side of the Second Coming.  I have my doubts.  We, here in the US, should be prepared to welcome all Israelis if push comes to shove.

Hat tip to the InstaPundit.

Regards  —  Cliff

Israel in the Long Run

For John, BLUF:  At some point there will need to be hard choices.  Will we back Israel against its revanchist neighbors or will we provide shelter for the seven million citizens of Israel, or will we just abandon them.  Nothing to see here; just move along.

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Abbas Doubles Down on ‘Pay-to-Slay’ Policy, Says Palestinians Will ‘March Into Jerusalem By the Millions’

From The Jewish Journal, by Reporter Aaron Bandler, 22 August 2019.

Here is the lede plus three:

Palestinian Authority (PA) President Mahmoud Abbas continued to defend the PA’s “pay-to-slay” policy of paying terrorists to murder Israelis in an Aug. 10 speech and declared that the Palestinians will one day “march into Jerusalem by the millions.”

Abbas gave the speech at the Jalazone Refugee Camp, which is close to Ramallah. In his message to Israel, he said:  “Every stone you have built on our land and every house you have built on our land – there is no escaping that they will disappear, Allah willing.  And the more they announce houses here or settlements there – they will all disappear, Allah willing, and will be in the garbage dump of history.”

He added that “this land belongs to the Canaanites who were here 5,000 years ago – and we are the Canaanites! We will enter Jerusalem as fighters by the millions.  We will all enter it, all of the Palestinian people and all of the Arab and Islamic and Christian nations!  Everyone will enter Jerusalem!”

Abbas then denounced Israel’s law that reduces funding to the PA for each time they provide money to a terrorist.

I do not see any Palestinian entities being interested in cutting a peace deal with Israel.  I do not see the BDS Movement as encouraging a peace settlement  I do not see Congressional visits to encourage Palestinian resistance as being helpful..

Long time readers of this blog know I am for what I call Jewish Dakota.  If it gets really ugly in the Holy Land we should be prepared to land troops to allow an evacuation, to the United States of all Israelis wishing to settle here.  I would create land in the upper Plains States.

Hat tip to the InstaPundit.

Regards  —  Cliff

Conflicting Ideas

For John, BLUF:  The Democrats are supporting Palestinian groups, which, in turn, oppose civil rights for homosexuals and the broader LGBTQ Community.  Nothing to see here; just move along.

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INTERSECTIONALITY ON THE WEST BANK

From Powerline Blog, by Blogger John Hinderaker, 18 August 2019.

Here is the lede plus one:

If Rashida Tlaib and Ilhan Omar had made their visit to “Palestine,” their time would have been devoted exclusively to bashing Israel.  Their attacks would have combined American-style leftism with Palestinian religious solidarity.  And yet, as Scott [Johnson] has pointed out more than once, there are obvious tensions between Islam and the contemporary Left, as embodied by the Squad.  What branch of Islam is it, exactly, that celebrates abortion, homosexuality and transgenderism?

It would be interesting to see a reporter ask Tlaib or Omar about this news story:  “PA Bans LGBTQ Activities In West Bank.”

On the one hand, the Republicans are trying to find unifying themes, while, on the other, the Democrats are trying to find what distinguishes groups from one another, appealing to each.

We should have some admiration for the Democrats, for as Author F Scott Fitzgerald said:

The test of a first-rate intelligence is the ability to hold two opposed ideas in mind at the same time and still retain the ability to function.

Hat tip to the InstaPundit.

Regards  —  Cliff

Megan MeCain Stands Up

For John, BLUF:  It is a terrible thing the way the Democratic Party is turning is back on Jews in its support of Palestinians.  Nothing to see here; just move along.

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Taking the fight to them …

Here is the sub-headline:

Bravo …

From Blaze Media, by Mr Rob Eno, 8 May 2019.

Here is the lede:

Meghan McCain has been unafraid in recent months to take the fight to her fellow mainstream media and entertainment personalities.  On Tuesday, she took it right to Seth Meyers over his support of Ilhan Omar despite her anti-Semitic views.  Meyers insinuated that McCain had been putting Omar’s life at risk by criticizing her.  That’s when McCain quipped, “Are you her publicist?”

The Corbynization of the Democratic Party.

And it is nice to see Ms Megan McCain on the side of the angels on this issue.

Regards  —  Cliff

Best Hope For Peace

For John, BLUF:  I think, if this works, and we are generous with Palestine, that other problems may also yield solutions.  Nothing to see here; just move along.

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Trump: Two-State Solution 'More Difficult Because It's a Real-Estate Deal' But Better for Peace

From PJ Media, by Ms Bridget Johnson, 26 September 2018.

Here is the lede plus one:

President Trump said today that he thinks a two-state solution between the Israelis and the Palestinians could be "more difficult because it's a real-estate deal" but "works better because you have people governing themselves."

Trump indicated at his UN press conference in New York that he'd "love to be able to make a deal with the Israelis and the Palestinians."

"You know, my whole life I was told that's the toughest deal.  And I disagree, I think healthcare is probably tougher, OK, you want to know the truth," he said.  "...Every possible thing is tough about that.  I think we're going to make a deal."

Trump added that senior advisor Jared Kushner, who is overseeing Middle East peace talks, "loves Israel but he's also going to be very fair with the Palestinians."

"He understands it takes two people to be happy, two groups of people to be happy," he said.  "Everybody's got to be happy and that's why it's so tough, because there's been so much hatred and anger for so many years, that's what probably the number one ingredient of toughness is."

The Poster at InstaPundit, Mr Stephen Green, says:

On the outside chance the Palestinians are willing to sit down for genuine negotiations, it will be because Trump was the first U.S. President willing to disabuse them of their notion that all of Israel could be theirs for the taking.

Yes, the President is trying an alternative approach.  Breaking the mold means a chance for peace.  On the other hand, some don't like the idea of peace in the area.  Frankly, the alternative is moving Israel, lock, stock and Wailing Wall to the US.

Hat tip to the InstaPundit.

Regards  —  Cliff

Progress in the Holy Land?

For John, BLUF:  I think President Trump is actually making progress in resolving the problems in the Holy Land  and the Palestinians are not all happy about it.  Nothing to see here; just move along.

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On the Palestinian Refugee Issue, President Trump Is Magnificently Right

From PJ Media, by Mr David P Goldman, 31 August 2018.

Here is the lede:

President Trump appears to have undertaken a revolution in Middle Eastern diplomacy.  Reportedly, the United States will eliminate refugee status for the descendants of Palestinian refugees of 1948, the only group of people anywhere in the world to inherit refugee status.  The U.S. also reportedly will eliminate funding for UNRWA, the only UN agency dedicated to a single group of refugees, namely the Palestinian Arabs.

I guess the alternative is to declare that all those people crossing our border from the South will always be refugees and insist on their right—and responsibility—to someday return from whence they came.

Hat tip to the InstaPundit.

Regards  —  Cliff

Palestinians Throw in With Democrats

For John, BLUF:  The Palestinians seem to have thrown their lot in with the Democrats, which means no progress on peace in the Near East.  Nothing to see here; just move along.

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Palestinian Leaders Bet Future on Trump Impeachment

Here is the sub-headline:

Palestinian leader hopeful Democrats will seize control of Congress, stall Trump agenda

From The Washington Free Beacon, by Adam Kredo, 29 August 2018.

Here is the lede plus two:

Palestinian leaders are betting their future on President Donald Trump being impeached by Democrats following the mid-term elections, according to Arabic language comments by a senior Palestinian government leader who praised Special Counsel Robert Mueller for targeting Trump and his top allies.

Palestinian government leaders, under pressure from the Trump administration as it slashes U.S. taxpayer aid to the embattled government, say they are betting on a Democratic takeover in Congress that will stall the administration's agenda and put the still languishing peace process on the back burner.

Muhammad Shtaya, a member of the Fatah government's Central Committee, said regional officials are counting on Democrats winning the midterms and seizing control of Congress, a scenario the Palestinians believe would work in their favor as the Trump administration pursues efforts to isolate regional governments for their support of terrorism.

Apparently our November Elections will have major implications for world peace.

Hat tip to the InstaPundit.

Regards  —  Cliff

Palestine Instransigence

For John, BLUF:  Maybe it is a last effort to built support before he folds to Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman (MBS).  Nothing to see here; just move along.

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This is from 1 May, and thus is a week old, but the mindset has a long history.

Abbas says Jews’ behavior, not anti-Semitism, caused the Holocaust

Here is the sub-headline:

In rambling speech, PA president gives a 'history lesson' in which he tries to negate Jewish connection to Israel, accuses Zionists of cooperating with Hitler

From The Times of Israel, by TOI staff, on 1 May 2018.

Here are the first two paragraphs:

Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas on Monday said that the Holocaust was not caused by anti-Semitism, but by the “social behavior” of the Jews, including money-lending.

In a long and rambling at speech in Ramallah in front of hundreds at a rare session of the Palestinian National Council, Abbas touched on a number of anti-Semitic conspiracy theories during what he called a “history lesson,” as he sought to prove the 3,000 year-old Jewish connection to the Land of Israel is false.

I must say, President Mahmoud Abbas doesn't sound much like he is interested in cutting a deal.

I am hoping that things are in play behind the scenes, and that actions such as Swamp People messing with Mr Jared Kushner don't derail things.

Hat tip to the InstaPundit.

Regards  —  Cliff