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Friday, June 30, 2006

JINSA Article Digest for June, 30th

Articles added to JINSA Online from June, 23rd to June, 30th.
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#579 The Double Standard, Part I About Them

(2006-06-29) That the White House is critical of Israeli action against Hamas
is both ridiculous and dangerous. Hamas, an State Department-described
terrorist organization, is at war with Israel. Not fighting is not a viable
option. The Bush Administration, of all, should recognize this as America
fights its terrorist enemies all around the world. Read the analysis in JINSA
Report #579.

Read more @ http://www.jinsa.org/articles/view.html?documentid=3443
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#580 The Double Standard, Part II About Us

(2006-06-29) It is never a good idea to foment American government criticism
of actions taken by the Israeli government. It is never a good idea for
Israelis to come to the U.S. to air political disagreements with their own
government. It is never a good idea for American Jews to help Israelis who
come to the U.S. for that purpose by inducing our government to do the
dumping. Read the analysis in JINSA Report #580.

Read more @ http://www.jinsa.org/articles/view.html?documentid=3444

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Thursday, June 29, 2006

JINSA Report #580 The Double Standard, Part II About Us

JINSA
1779 Massachusetts Ave., NW
Suite 515
Washington, DC 20036

202-667-3900
202-667-0601 Fax

June 29, 2006

JINSA Report #580

The Double Standard, Part II About Us

Before Prime Ministers Olmert's maiden voyage to Washington, we were approached
by people from Israel and from Jewish organizations in the U.S. who wanted
JINSA to participate in a campaign to get the administration to reject Mr.
Olmert's "unilateral realignment" plan for the West Bank. They were genuinely
concerned about the security situation in Israel and genuinely believed that
the U.S. would quash the plan if approached by the right people; we were asked,
for example, to enlist retired American military officers.

"Friends dont let friends drive drunk", they said, arguing for the U.S. to take
control of a situation they believed was out of hand and dangerous.

One of JINSA's immutable principles is not to take positions on internal
Israeli political decision-making - Israel has a sovereign, democratically
elected government for that purpose. We declined, and were denounced for our
"leftist attitudes", which will come as some surprise to both our supporters
and detractors. But we were on solid ground.

It is NEVER a good idea to foment American government criticism of actions
taken by the Israeli government. It is NEVER a good idea for Israelis to come
to the U.S. to air political disagreements with their own government. It is
NEVER a good idea for American Jews to help Israelis who come to the U.S. for
that purpose by inducing our government to do the dumping.

That is not to say we in the U.S. should never disagree with Israel - we can,
we should, we have and we surely will again. But IN NO WAY should friends of
Israel encourage the mighty machinery of the American government to substitute
its judgment on critical military or political matters for the judgment of the
sovereign government of Israel.

Because once you wind it up, you can't necessarily stop it and consider,
please, how often it works to Israel's detriment. Like today, when Secretary
Rice and French Foreign Minister Douste-Blazy are in accord that Israel should
cease military action against Hamas and try "diplomacy" and "international
intervention."

David Steinmann, Chairman of JINSA's Board of Advisors notes, "Israel...
doesn't need Hamas' acknowledgement. Hamas ought to need Israel's forbearance
to exist and there is no reason in the world why that should be forthcoming or
why America should be asking for it on Hamas' behalf. Its time for the usual
formula to be turned upside down - instead of the world 'suggesting' that Hamas
pretty please acknowledge Israel's right to exist - how about the world
acknowledge Israel's right to destroy an enemy whose goal is Israel's
destruction?"

That's a banner JINSA will proudly wave and a demand we will happily make of
our own government - the American government that really does share fundamental
values and security requirements with Israel, but which sometimes needs a pull
in the right direction - the direction of support for Israel, not criticism.

To view this JINSA Report online click on the link below.
http://www.jinsa.org/JINSAReports/3444
___________________________________________________
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JINSA Report #579 The Double Standard, Part I – About Them

JINSA
1779 Massachusetts Ave., NW
Suite 515
Washington, DC 20036

202-667-3900
202-667-0601 Fax

June 29, 2006

JINSA Report #579

The Double Standard, Part I – About Them

Before Israel captured 60 Hamas members last night, including senior
government officials, in an investigation into their links to terrorism
(like the understatement?), the Bush Administration was criticizing
Israel's military forays into Gaza, including targeted assassination.
According to an Israeli government source, "The messages have taken the
form of ‘We understand your anger but any attack would only make things
worse for you.'" The official said the messages encouraged Israel to
"employ the international community" to help free the Israeli soldier
abducted by Hamas on June 25 and taken to the southern Gaza Strip.

Ridiculous and dangerous. Hamas is at war with Israel. Fighting the war
is messy and ugly, but nothing "makes things worse for you" faster than
not fighting. Killing people who seek your destruction is appropriate
whether they wear uniforms or not, and arresting the people who do the
planning, financing, training, agitating and venerating is as well. No
one counts the number of people who will not die because terrorists were
disrupted before they could do the deed, but somewhere in the great
reckoning, there must be a column for "lives saved by preventive
action." The administration should praise Israel for arresting rather
then killing them - the intelligence value is greater. And the Israeli
offer of trials and legal representation should shame the Bush
administration, which is having some difficulty with the care and
feeding of terrorists in our own zoo.

We offer as evidence against enlisting the "international community"
French Foreign Minister Phillipe Douste-Blazy. He condemned the arrests,
saying, according to The Jerusalem Post, "diplomacy was the only
solution to the conflict between the Israelis and the Palestinians and
that political figures should not be arrested."

There is no point asking European leaders, terrified of their own
radicalized Muslim minorities, to kowtow to Hamas, begging a favor and
by the very fact of diplomatic intercourse, offering recognition and
legitimacy to a terrorist organization on behalf of a sovereign state,
Israel, that makes no such offer.

Israel IS a sovereign country, charged by its elected leadership with
safeguarding the people and fighting the enemy. Israel is not only
sovereign, it is democratic and has safeguards in its military and legal
system that protect the rights even of terrorist plotters picked off the
streets - although, quite correctly, the right of Israeli citizens to
live comes first. Israel does a lot of things wrong; it does a lot of
things right - we have bones to pick on occasion - but it does those
things based on its proven democratic determination of the circumstances
and the rules of domestic and international law.

Quite clearly, Secretary Rice is on a mission for U.S.-European comity,
seeking European participation in the civilian reconstruction of Iraq
and unity on Iran. But the U.S. and most of Europe will never see
eye-to-eye on Israel any more than we will on American military
involvement in Iraq or on Gitmo. It would be shameful if the
administration decides to stand firm on American independence of action
while selling out Israel's priorities to the French.

To view this JINSA Report online click on the link below.
http://www.jinsa.org/JINSAReports/3443

___________________________________________________
Have a comment on this JINSA Report? Send an email to feedback@jinsa.org to let us know.

Access past JINSA Reports at: http://www.jinsa.org/

If you would like to receive JINSA Reports by e-mail, please sign up online at
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http://www.jinsa.org/lists/unsubscribe.html

If you would like to support JINSA, please click on the following link
http://www.jinsa.org/member/member.html

Wednesday, June 28, 2006

AJC News Update

American Jewish Committee News Update

Update 212  |  June 28, 2006

Mideast Briefing: Crisis in Gaza

In his weekly analysis, Eran Lerman, director of AJC’s Jerusalem Office, presents an updated assessment of the crisis looming over the kidnapping by Hamas of an Israeli soldier. “The mood of the country, underneath the strained effort to go on with normal daily activities, is fierce: If this is our ‘reward’ for offering the people of Gaza the prospect of life without our presence, then our presence will soon be with them again—not in the form of settlements, but as the result of an intensifying military operation, dubbed ‘Summer Rains,’ which began this morning,” writes Lerman. “It is rare to hear a word of criticism: Our collective patience, even that of prominent ‘doves,’ has been taxed, then broken. Moreover, the need to restore an effective deterrence, upon which our lives here depend, is now as clear to the ‘civilian’ defense minister, Amir Peretz, as it is to his commanders in the field or at IDF headquarters in Tel Aviv.” Read full briefing.


AJC Launches National Service Task Force

AJC President E. Robert Goodkind announced that Steven Trachtenberg, president of George Washington University, will chair the new AJC National Service Task Force. The task force, first proposed by Goodkind in his address last month before AJC’s 100th Annual Meeting, will seek to formulate a plan, in coalition with other groups, to make voluntary national service the norm for Americans between the ages of 18 and 22. “Imagine an America where Americans from all backgrounds feel a common bond because each has had the opportunity to experience service to our nation, service that will make America stronger, more secure and better for all of us,” said Goodkind.


Leadership Delegation Returns from Moscow

An AJC leadership group met in Moscow with senior Russian officials, including the Foreign Minister, the National Security Adviser to the President, and the Director of International Cooperation of the Atomic Energy Commission. Discussions focused on Russia’s role in current efforts to dissuade Tehran from pursuing a nuclear enrichment program, the struggle against anti-Semitism and other forms of racism, and the complex state of Russian-American bilateral relations. The trip, following a similar visit to Moscow last July, reflects the growing importance AJC attaches to engaging in dialogue with Russia, which is playing an increasingly active role on the global scene.


Latvian Leaders Praise AJC

Following Moscow, the AJC delegation visited Riga, where Latvian leaders praised AJC for its early support for Latvia’s independence movement in 1991, and for its endorsement of the country’s 2004 campaign to join NATO. The delegation met with the country’s president, prime minister, and foreign minister, all of whom AJC urged to stand strong in support for Israel.


AJC Urges Ukrainian Leaders to Combat Anti-Semitism

In Kiev, the AJC delegation urged the expected incoming prime minister, the foreign minister, and the leader of the opposition to combat the negative influence of MAUP, the largest private university in Ukraine and a known purveyor of anti-Semitism. The delegation also called on the Ukrainian government to withdraw its membership in an anti-Israel committee at the UN, and to urge the new Geneva-based UN Human Rights Council to avoid excessive and unnecessary anti-Israel discourse. Ukrainian officials voiced appreciation for AJC’s leading role in the decision of the U.S. Congress to “graduate” their country from the restrictions of the Jackson-Vanik Amendment earlier this year.


AJC Executive Director Addresses Chautauqua Institution

David Harris was a guest lecturer at the legendary Chautauqua Institution, part of a weeklong program of speakers from Russia and the U.S. on the themes of "Russia: A Post-Soviet Identity" and "Religion in Contemporary Russia." Harris spoke on "Jewish Life in Contemporary Russia." The Chautauquan Daily newspaper published a front-page profile on Harris, alongside an article on Dmitri Trenin, deputy director of the Carnegie Moscow Center, another speaker, who met with the AJC delegation in Russia last week and has an important article in the current issue of Foreign Affairs entitled "Russia Leaves the West."


AJC Radio Message: Londonistan A Must Read

Londonistan, the penetrating book on the spread of Islamist extremism in England, by prominent British journalist Melanie Phillips, tops the summer reading list of AJC’s executive director. In his national radio commentary this week, David Harris urges listeners to read the book to better understand the threats we face and how to deal with them.” Phillips was honored last month by AJC with its Mass Media Award. Click to listen.


JBI Director to Chair Federal International Human Rights Body

Felice Gaer, director of AJC’s Jacob Blaustein Institute for the Advancement of Human Rights, has been elected to serve as chair of the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom, an independent federal commission consisting of nine persons appointed by the President, Senate, and House of Representatives. “This is a significant and well-deserved tribute to Felice’s key role on the Commission and in the field of international human rights more broadly,” said David Harris. Initially appointed in 2001, Gaer previously served as commission chair in 2002-03, and has since been serving as vice chair. The Commission monitors violations of religious freedom worldwide and makes independent policy recommendations to the President, Secretary of State, and the Congress. Among those countries cited by the Commission this year as egregious violators were Saudi Arabia, China, Iran, Sudan, and North Korea.


Transatlantic Institute on Ehud Olmert’s realignment concept

“Withdrawal symptoms? Assessing Ehud Olmert’s Realignment Concept” was the latest in a series of Common Agenda Roundtable Discussions hosted by AJC’s Transatlantic Institute in Brussels. Speakers included Mark A. Heller, Director of Research, Jaffee Center for Strategic Studies, Tel Aviv Unversity; Dan Schueftan, Deputy Director, The National Security Studies Center, University of Haifa; Paul Taylor, European Affairs Editor, Reuters; and Emanuele Ottolenghi, Lecturer in Israeli Studies at St. Anthony’s College, Oxford University. Jason Isaacson, director of AJC’s Office of Government and International Affairs, moderated the discussion which focused on EU and U.S. reactions to the realignment plan and related issues concerning the peace process.


Presbyterian Church Pulls Back from Divestment

AJC applauded the Presbyterian Church’s decision to adopt a more constructive and positive approach to peacemaking in the Middle East. The resolution, which passed overwhelmingly at the church’s General Assembly, ends the process set in motion by the church’s 2004 resolution singling out Presbyterian investments in companies doing business in Israel for special scrutiny, a policy that might have led to divestment. AJC has played a critical leadership role at the national and local levels, working with the Presbyterian Church to foster better understanding of Israel. Two AJC staffers, David Bernstein of Washington, D.C., and Jonathan Schwartz, of Chicago, attended the PCUSA gathering in Birmingham, Alabama. Read news release.


International Red Cross Admits Magen David Adom

AJC welcomed Magen David Adom’s admission into the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies. MDA, shunned by the world body for decades, gained entry after a third international relief symbol, a Red Crystal, was approved. “This action, long overdue, ends the outrageous anomaly of excluding one nation, Israel, from full membership in the apolitical international humanitarian movement," said AJC. Read news release.


AJC Addresses Major Latino Conference

Dina Siegel Vann, director of AJC’s Latino and Latin American Institute, addressed the League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC) conference. Joining her on a panel entitled “An American dialogue: race, ethnicity, religion, and civil rights,” were Janet Murguia, president of the National Council of La Raza, and Dr. Joe Shirley, president of the Navajo Nation. The League is oldest national grass roots advocacy Latino organization in the U.S.


New Book on Holocaust of Greek Jewry

AJC cosponsored with the Greek Embassy in Washington, D.C. an event on Capitol Hill for the release of The Holocaust of the Greek Jewry: Monuments and Memories, published by the Central Board of Jewish Communities. Speakers included Senator Paul Sarbanes, Rep. Shelley Berkley, Greek Ambassador Alexandros Mallias, as well as Barry Jacobs, AJC’s director of strategic Studies, and Moses Constantinis, president of the Central Board of Jewish Communities in Greece and a close friend of AJC.


Los Angeles Chapter Darfur Initiative

AJC’s Los Angeles Chapter raised more than $8,000 to help refugee families from Darfur. The funds raised at the chapter’s 61st Annual Meeting will help buy solar cookers for more than 300 families, reducing the need for firewood and the risk associated with its collection. The solar cooker campaign is coordinated by Jewish World Watch and seeks to provide cookers for every family at the Iridimi Refugee Camp in Chad, which borders the Darfur region of Sudan. Jewish World Watch a coalition of synagogues in southern California mobilizing the community to combat genocide.


Take Action Now - AJC Advocacy Center

Visit www.ajc.org/advocacy and let your government officials know where you stand. Current action items include Defend First Amendment Rights, Support DC Voting, Protect Voting Rights; Stop Iran’s Nuclear Arms Drive; Stand Against Hatred. The Advocacy Center provides background materials on each issue and makes its simple to send letters to government officials.


Project Interchange Seminar for University Presidents

Four university presidents from the University of Florida, State University of New York - Stony Brook, Washington and Lee University, and the University of the District of Columbia participated in a Project Interchange educational seminar chaired by Harold Shapiro, president emeritus of Princeton University and the University of Michigan, and accompanied by Steven Bayme, director of AJC’s Koppelman Institute on American Jewish-Israeli Affairs. The seminar focused on offering a comprehensive introduction to Israel, creating relationships between colleagues and institutions and providing opportunities for collaboration in research, faculty and student exchanges. During the week they met with presidents and leading faculty of Israeli and Palestinian universities.


In the Media

Religion News Service reported on the AJC’s newly launched bonus program for employees to purchase fuel-efficient cars.

Kommersant, a major daily newspaper in Russia, published an interview with David Harris in which he spoke about anti-Semitism in Russia. Agence France Presse reported on the interview.

On the Presbyterian vote on divestment, the Associated Press and Reuters quoted David Bernstein, Chicago Tribune and JTA quoted Jonathan Schwartz and Religion News Service quoted Rabbi James Rudin. The three wire stories appeared in major newspapers and media websites across the country.

UN Watch Executive Director Hillel Neuer was quoted on the front page of Canada’s National Post after UN Watch identified an accused torturer as part of Iran’s official delegation to the UN Human Rights Council.

Juan Mariano Dircie, assistant director of AJC’s Miami Chapter, was interviewed live on "Shalom Israel," the only Jewish radio program in Spanish in the U.S., making some comments about AJC's work regarding the new resolution of the Presbyterian Church and the incorporation of the Magen David into the International Red Cross Organization.

Proche-orient, a French-language news website, featured an interview with David Harris on AJC’s Centennial.

NOTE: The next issue of AJC News Update will appear on July 12.

Please contact Kenneth Bandler, AJC's Director of Communications,
at bandlerk@ajc.org with any questions or comments.
© 2006 American Jewish Committee


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Monday, June 26, 2006

Who kidnapped the Israel we once knew?

 
  Israel's daily newsmagazine
June 25, 2006
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OPENING LINES:
The Israeli government is an embarrassment

Dear Readers,

When I fiercely opposed the Israeli retreat from Gaza, I and people who shared my view presented the nightmare scenarios that are now coming true. The Hamas election, the rocket attacks, the infiltrations. This is just the beginning.

Then it was theoretical. Now it's real. And getting worse.

Today Fatah Al-Aksa Martyrs Group, a terrorist faction under the command of PA Chairman Mahmound Abbas, has announced that it has developed 20 varieties of chemical and biological poison for use against Israel. And that too is just a foretaste of things to come.

The killing of an Israeli officer and soldier this morning, and the kidnapping of another, by a Palestinian cell emerging from a 300 meter long tunnel -- what does that say about us? What does that say about the viability of the so-called security barrier? Will it stop rockets flying over it? Will it stop gunmen burrowing under it? Will it stop ostensible "Palestinian workers" from importing weapons of mass destruction?

And who do we have confronting this ever-increasing threat? We have Ehud Olmert as Prime Minister and Amir Peretz as Defense Minister. This combination I lacked the imagination to foresee. I don't think I fully grasp that this is Israel's leadership. Oh, I forgot Tzipi Livni and Shimon Peres.

Israel, I am sorry to say, has lost its way. Not lost: the Jewish State has been led astray by powerful interests that care nothing about our legacy, and think nothing of stealing our birthright, or bringing us to ruin. They hope to pick up the pieces after a ruinous war, or after our nation is utterly demoralized and discredited by a war of attrition.

Who kidnapped the Israel we once knew? The Israel that made us proud to be Jews. The Israel that wouldn't take crap. The Israel that inspired fear among its enemies and respect among the nations. The Israel that was competent.

That Israel still exists. But the present government is holding it hostage.

The desperation of our current condition cannot be underestimated. We are being led by short-sighted fools who lack a clue about what to do.

Speaking the truth is an extreme sport here is Israel. Nadia Matar is on trial for "insulting a public official" for comparing Yonatan Bassi to and his Expulsion Authority to the Nazi-area Judenrat collaborators. But are we not now in a situation where key members of the current government are now collaborating with foreign powers at the expense and risk of the citizens of Israel? There's a word for people like that.

Thomas Paine once wrote: "These are the times that's try men's souls. The summer soldier soldier and the sunshine patriot will in this crisis shrink from the service of their country. But he who stands it now deserves the love and thanks of man and woman. Tyranny, like hell, is not easily conquered. And yet we have this consolation with us: that the harder the conflict, the more glorious the triumph."

I may have mangled this a bit, but the point is this: Courageous voices of reason will gain a hearing, and the naked absurdity of the Emperor plans, and the unsuitability of his "Defense Minister," is being shown for all to see. We are becoming a laughingstock for incompetence.

Will it save us? I don't know. But Israel Insider, now celebrating more than five years of daily publication, will be part of the struggle. We're not going away.

So, dear readers, please forgive me my repeated absences, and join me in this "good fight"! And let's rescue the hostage!

Reuven Koret
Publisher

TOP OF THE NEWS:
Israeli soldier kidnapped, 2 dead after Palestinian attack on military outpost
Hamas militants infiltrated southern Israel through a tunnel Sunday, lobbing grenades and bombs inside a tank at a border military post.



Articles
Israel stages first arrest raid in Gaza since pullout
Israeli commandos carried out the first arrest raid in the Gaza Strip since Israel's withdrawal from the coastal area last year.

"Extremist" Jewish settlers ordered away from outposts
The Israeli army has authorized restraining orders against 12 Jewish settlers to keep them away from West Bank settler outposts.

Olmert blames PA for deadly attack; chief of staff admits army surprised
Israeli PM Ehud Olmert said he holds the PA and the Hamas-ruled government responsible for the militant attack on an IDF outpost via a 300m tunnel.

Pink Floyd founder tells Israelis to tear down "The Wall"
Roger Waters, performed before tens of thousands of Israeli fans on Thursday, called on Israel to tear down concrete blocks stopping bombers from entering.

Red Cross movement admits Israeli society, ending long exclusion
The Red Cross humanitarian movement Thursday admitted the Israeli society that had been left waiting for nearly 60 years.

Olmert, Abbas say they'll meet again in coming weeks, with conditions
Israeli PM Ehud Olmert and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas shook hands, embraced and kissed each other at a breakfast meeting in Jordan.

Explosion in car in Gaza City wounds Palestinian security official
An explosion in a car near Palestinian Preventive Security Service headquarters in Gaza City injured a security official and two other people.

In additional failure, Israeli airstrike misses terrorists, kills civilians
Israeli aircraft missed their target in Gaza for the second time in two days, crashing into a house and killing two Palestinian civilians.

Residents of southern Israeli town protest rocket attacks from Gaza
Residents of Sderot brought the community to a standstill for several hours on Tuesday, blocking roads and cutting municipal services, in protest.

Palestinian militants vow revenge; killing of children was unintentional
Palestinian militant groups vowed Wednesday to carry out revenge attacks against Israel after an Israeli airstrike killed three Palestinian children.

Israel targets car in Gaza airstrike, wounding militants, killing 3 bystanders
Israeli aircraft fired a missile at a car in the crowded Jebaliya refugee camp in northern Gaza on Tuesday, missing targeted Palestinian militants.

Romeo in Jericho
The Palestinian man whose Web romance with a 16-year-old Michigan girl said he genuinely loves the young woman who fled her mother's home to be with him.

Islamic Jihad rejects "prisoners' document"
The Islamic Jihad on Monday announced that it is rejecting a document that was to serve as a basis for Palestinian national consensus.



RECENT VIEWS
The Proper Response to the Kidnapping of Israeli Soldiers
By Ze'ev Orenstein
Israel must make it perfectly clear that terror just doesn't pay, and the way to do so its cutting off supplies to Gaza and targeting PA officials.

Restraint is Not Heroism
By Nadia Matar
The response of Sderot residents is normal. It is inconceivable that daily life will go on in the country when the enemy attacks civilians in an Israeli city.

Shake the Earth
By Paula R. Stern
Israel has, for the most part over the last year, appeared weak and inefficient in its dealings with the Palestinians.

The "peace process" is a bigger danger than Hamas
By Ted Belman
The biggest threat Israel faces today is the ?peace process? with its insistence on the Saudi Peace Plan.

Who Cares About Jonathan Pollard?
By Professor Kenneth Lasson
Who wants to hear anything more about Jonathan Pollard? Not the government of the United States, or its criminal justice system.

Cowardly Options
By Moshe Kempinski
Kassam rockets are falling in Sderot and the western Negev and the Israeli Defense Minister speaks about the virtue of restraint.

Olmert keeps ignoring reality, but public opinion shift may clip his wings
By Dr. Aaron Lerner
With Olmert incapable or unwilling to protect Sderot from the results of the Gaza retreat, will the most populous areas of Israel become one big Sderot?

Time to Try Something Else
By M.J. Rosenberg
Palestinians, Israelis and Americans are all sticking to a script that experience shows is bound to fail. What will it take to get them to turn the page?

Pink Flawed or Pink Fraud?
By David Bedein
Few who went to Roger Waters' show thought that they were coming to a political demonstration. But Waters came to demonstrate.

At the Nadia Matar Trial
By Shalom Pollack
In a stuffy court room in Jerusalem, I had the honor of sharing limited space and air with some of Israel's resolute soldiers in the war for the Jewish People.

Stop Apologizing for Defending Ourselves
By Isi Leibler
It is bizarre to continue providing water and electricity to neighbors who proclaim that their aim is to destroy us and rain rockets on our civilians.

Israel's Right to Invade
By Bruce S. Ticker
Now Israel has far more of a right to conduct a full-scale war against the Palestinians than it ever did.

Is it moral to die for human shields?
By Dr. Aaron Lerner
Kofi Annan may think it's not nice for Palestinians to manufacture, store and launch rockets from among Palestinian civilians, but he rewards such behavior.

My "Reward" for Serving My Country
By Yehezkel Bin-Nun
The consequences of my conscientious objection were not immediate, but come they did. Three times I have received "visitors" in the middle of the night.

The Invisible Man and the Squeaky Wheel
By David Potter
Israel isn't squeaking enough. Until it does, Jonathan Pollard won't be on the radar at State. Not even close. He will be invisible, lost in the system.



Briefs
Attack on Israeli military post leads to closing of Gaza-Egypt border
The Gaza-Egypt border was closed to passage on Sunday after Palestinian militants attacked an Israeli military post.
Palestinian president urges Rice to get Israel to stop escalating tensions
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas has urged U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice to press Israel to stop escalating tensions.
Israeli air force chief says despite miss, air strikes will continue
The Israeli army will not halt its policy of firing airborne missiles at Palestinian militants despite recent error that killed five civilians in two days.
U.S. Presbyterian Church shifts investment plan away from targeting just Israel
The Presbyterian Church national assembly has revised a 2-year-old policy on Mideast investments to avoid singling out Israel.
Palestinian militant killed during army arrest operation in West Bank
Israeli troops shot and killed a Palestinian militant early Wednesday during an army arrest operation in the West Bank city of Nablus.
Egypt-Gaza crossing closed due to security alert
The Gaza Strip's main gateway to the outside world was closed Wednesday following an Israeli security alert in the area.
Israeli air force hits metal workshop in Gaza Strip
Israeli aircraft fired missiles at a metal workshop in Gaza City early Tuesday, residents and the Israeli military said.
Ghana apologizes for player waving Israeli flag
Ghana's Football Association apologized after Israel-based defender John Pantsil pulled out an Israeli flag during celebrations for Saturday's victory.
Israeli DM says Gaza beach killings could have been from Israeli ordnance
Israeli DM Amir Peretz has not ruled out the possibility that Israeli ordnance caused a blast on a Gaza beach that killed eight Palestinian civilians.
Klimt painting recovered after it was looted by Nazis is sold to New York museum
A portrait by Gustav Klimt that was the focus of a battle between the Austrian government and the subject's niece was purchased by a New York museum.
Holocaust Museum to help trace Jews held in German-occupied France during World War II



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