US-Israel About to be Unfriended

Nadene Goldfoot                                                                    

Today's Sunday Oregonian issue has an article in it on page A13 where I don't know whether to laugh or to cry.  "U.S., Israel can't agree on diplomacy" makes me scream out, "What's the matter with you, John Kerry!  Why haven't you learned anything about Israel and its problems that they need to defend in order to exist in this world?"  There is evidence from this article that he doesn't get it at all, and here he is, in charge of Israel's dealings with the world, and he's anti-Israel.

I'm not the only one up in arms about today's dealings.  Diplomatic correspondent, Chemi Shalev of Haaretz newspaper in Israel wrote on their website that if you compare weather with Israel and the USA right now, this is a "superstorm" of relations.  We're talking about an issue that has been critical to Israel for a long long time concerning their very existence.
                                                                     

              Map showing the range of Katusha rockets that can rain down on Israel. Note red area of Gaza along seacoast continues to rain down rockets, mortars and missiles despite cease-fire.

Kerry was said to question in a broadcasted interview Israel's seriousness about peace with the Palestinians.  How dare he even think that - is my gut reaction.  Kerry has no idea of what is going on with the goals of the neighbors of Israel and what Israel is up against in dealings.  It's a poker game of the extreme, played by master chessmen who plot and scheme from beginning of the game to checkmate, and Kerry is simply a checker player.

The thing Netanyahu and the rest of Israel want most in this world is peace, but they have already lost 80% of what was originally promised to them in the Balfour Doctrine through dealings with Britain where they were really cheated out of land including far more than just Judea and Samaria-that and the whole state of what is today, Jordan.  That had originally been promised and planned by the nations of the world to be the Jewish Homeland.  Hoodwinked by the act of taking it outright, Israel lost it to Abdullah who created Transjordan, then later named it Jordan.  There went 80%.  Now Israel had gained back Judea and Samaria after being at war-attacked first by all the neighboring states - and winning.  Yes, winning the land back after much bloodshed.  So now we have John Kerry who insists we have no rights and are to give it back, meaning that all our people have to move out in order for it to be Judenrein like in the Nazi era?  We've already moved out of Gaza for the sake of peace, lock, stock and barrel in the name of peace, and did this lead to peace?  Did any country carry or give a ...about it or help Israel in her hour of need?  No.  We've been under attack since 2001.  It hasn't let up.

Threats have been coming from Iran to  completely destroy Israel.  The steps Islamic countries usually take is to warn first, then attack.  Israel has been warned and now she's watching the progress of the death machine they plot to use.  They are heading for atomic energy where they will have the capability to make atomic weapons.  Saudi Arabia even feels threatened and that's because they are Sunnis and not Shi'a.  The USA is taking this lightly, as if it is a joke.

Israel happens to be the only Jewish state in the world, a state as big as New Jersey which is one of the smallest in the USA.  It's like being Washington DC and the 50 states are all out to destroy their capital.

This article brings out the uncomfortable relationship between Obama and Netanyahu that both had tried to keep in abeyance.  The world knows that Netanyahu has vowed to do anything, including a military strike, to prevent Iran from reaching the point of being able to produce atomic weapons, for they know such a thing would be used on Israel.

I remember well the lecture Netanyahu gave to seemingly simple-minded Obama on TV after Obama was all for Israel to go back to the 67 lines, and Netanyahu was so shocked that he blurted out all the reasons why that was impossible for Israel's security.  Really, it showed up Obama's ignorance of the land and previous wars that Israel has had to fight.  How about the time Netanyahu was at the White House for a meeting with his staff and they were ushered in through the back door, and were not invited for dinner but kept in  a room to keep coming up with ideas.  That burned me up!  How many statesmen have been treated like that?  Obama was showing his feelings, not his diplomacy that time, and he was being crude and rude..

Josef Federman says it correctly in this AP piece that there is a lack of chemistry coming from vastly different world views. That's the problem.  Why aren't the people working with Israel studying their world?   I'm not really sure what Obama stands for, but Netanyahu believes that Israel can't trust any promises from other countries, having been burned so many times already, and must protect itself.  He's been under the delusion that he could trust Obama like Israel has of other past presidents.  He thought that they were on the same page, but dealings have showed they are not.

Why can't the USA understand what has been happening?  Israel gives in and gives in; land for peace after being attacked, and their enemies are never asked to give a thing.  This is happening right now.  Israel won a bloody battle in 1967 and again in 1973 and again in 1982 and again and again and yet they are the ones to give in?  Give land up that is so small?  Follow this rule and Israel will be a mile square island in a sea of sharks and will then be gobbled up.

Even in the Middle East in a shuk, there is give and take until an agreement is made.  You don't cave in immediately. That's what Kerry is doing.  Let's get this over with and the Palestinians are such good people, that Israel has to go along with whatever outlandish demands they make?  Israel has already let out monstrous criminals that they have demanded and that only has whet their appetite to make more demands.  The Palestinians have stuck their big toe into the water and found it was warm.  Now they're jumping into the pool.  There is no barrier to their demands on Israel, and Iran has received the same treatment.  They have been given the green light as well.  My, Kerry is really a hard negotiator.  He's really earning his money.  Just say yes to everything to the enemies of Israel, and then blame Israel.

Ever since Harry S. Truman  backed Israel's right to exist and to come into this world, the USA has been of the same mind.  Up till now, Israel has been the USA's friend in the Middle East when others haven't, and vice versa.  Our very leadership today is not made of the same mettle.  Federman wrote that Obama is a proponent of diplomacy and consensus.  Well, he hasn't been very diplomatic with Israel unless the cameras are on him.  As to consensus, he's made a lot of decisions without our Senators' approval.  Either he makes decisions on his own or waits too long and then all is swept under the rug, like Syria or Benghazi.

 Barack Obama's approval rate from Jan 20, 2000 to now has sunk to 49%.  His high was 69% from Jan uary 22-24, 2009 and low was 38%. October 15-17, 2011.  With ObamaCare's results right now it should reflect an even lower score.  This change, something he brought into his office, is bombing. He warned and ran on change, and he certainly has changed all our ways and means including our bank accounts.   Where Israel was a friend, Kerry  just unfriended her.    No, Israel should not go along with these one-sided demands.  There's nothing in it to protect Israel from another battle breaking out.

Resource: Oregonian newspaper11/10/13, Front page, Obama's magnetism now less of a draw by Jennifer Agiesta and on A15, AP
Oregonian newspaper 11/10/13, page A13, US, Israel can't agree on diplomacy, by Josef Federman, AP

Releasing Murderers to Sate Arabs At Peace Table

Nadene Goldfoot                                                                        

Who does Israel have in prisons that the Palestinian Authority will not continue talking until they are all released?  "A recent terrorist release saw the government set free several convicted murderers, including terrorists who burned young children alive, and who slaughtered senior citizens with axes.  These are not nice murderers such as you might find in the USA, if you can consider any murderer "nice."  These acts are revolting!  We're dealing with a people who make it a science to be cruel just to get their own way.

Justice Minister, Tzipi Livni, 55,  is in a bind.  She heads Israel's negotiations with the PA.  The PA leaders have repeatedly  threatened that there will be no peace agreement with Israel unless Israel releases "every terrorist" from their prisons, no matter what they have done.

A bill has been brought into the Knesset that would ban the release of terrorists as a good-will gesture to the PA because of the crimes committed by these people.  It is ludicrous to release such criminals who will undoubtedly go out and commit such crimes again until caught.  Livni has been actually working to bury this bill because she thinks it will make life harder for her to appease the PA leaders.  They'll probably just walk out.  So she's been pressuring Netanyahu to join her to stop the bill before it is voted on.  The Bayit Yehudi (Jewish Home) party was outraged and said that it's more important to keep terrorist murderers in jail that to keep Livni in the government.  What it comes down to for many as they see it is that she can get permits for construction in Judea and Samaria for Jews if terrorists are released.  What's important is to save lives and keep murderers in jail, not building, they said.

Names up for release of course are of mass murderers and arch-terrorists.  There are no nice guys that are terrorists in Israel's jails.

Personally, the deaths I've been reading about in our Oregonian newspaper as violent ones that are occurring in Syria and Lebanon.  Today, the story of Portland nurse Martina Ford met a mother whose baby had been shot to death while she held the child in her arms.  In past days I've read about children shot in Syria just for being on the street, as if someone were target practicing using them as targets.  The deaths are hideous.  It's unimaginable cruelty  that is going on.  Terrorists lead the way in practice and then get to be glorified for doing so.

I know that Israel does not nor ever intended to let such prisoners out of their jails.  They are under pressure by the world to bring about Abbas to the peace table and have gone to such lengths, putting themselves in harm's way.  Our government should be ashamed of themselves for allowing or encouraging this to have ever taken place.   Whatever happened to such decisions as the Geneva Convention?  There should have been an outrage of expecting such a thing to bring about peace when murderers are not of the same mind.

"US Secretary of State John Kerry, who in July nudged Israel and the Palestinian Authority into resuming talks frozen since September 2010, was on Wednesday meeting Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu in Rome, according to officials, to discuss Iran, Syria and the talks with the Palestinian Authority.  The talks were due to run for seven hours. "

Resource:  Arutz Shevaa news@israelnationalnews.com, Report:  Livni triying to avoid vote on terrorist release by Maayana Miskin
http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/173141
Oregonian newspaper 10/25/13 , traveling the globe to give:  a nurse's trip to Lebanon by Richard Read, front page,
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tzipi_Livni

Abbas: Really Pushing the Envelope Over Jerusalem

Nadene Goldfoot                                                                  

PA President Mahmoud Abbas is so anxious to take over all of Jerusalem that he has created a Facebook page showing the PA flag superimposed over the picture of the Western Wall!  All this as peace talks have just commenced.  Wanting something belonging to another is called "coveting," and is the 10th of the 10 Commandments not to do.  "Thou shalt not want anything of your neighbor's;  his wife or anything else belonging to him."

Jerusalem is a Jewish city proven by its history.  It was created by King David as the capital of his empire, and remained the capital from  1000 BCE to 586 BCE and again was the capital from 516 BCE to 70 CE when Rome burned it and took Judah.

Though others came and ruled, it was never their capital.  "Only for Jews has it been the capital of the nation living in this Land."  Jordan had illicitly taken Judah and Samaria in 1948 CE but by coveting more land and attacking Israel in 1967, a war which the Arabs lost, the land reverted back to its proper owners, Israel.  It had been part of the package approved by the League of Nations in 1922 to be the Jewish Homeland.  Isn't it amazing how G-d moves in mysterious ways?  The Arabs coveted all of Israel but lost land instead.  It should have been a lesson to the world but this part of the 10 Commandments is ignored by all, except Israel, of course.

In 1967 after winning, Israel was able to unite the coveted Eastern section of Jerusalem with the rest of the "City of David," Jerusalem's other name.  The Jews living here are people with the longest unbroken historical association with this special city, dating back 3,000 years.  Only to Jews has Jerusalem always been the focus of national and religious aspirations.  Since 1948 it has been the seat of the President of the State, the Knesset, the Government, the Supreme Court, the Chief Rabbinate, the Hebrew University and the Israel Museum.  It's a sorry fact that the United States has not understood this and hasn't recognized it as Israel's capital.  They maintain their affairs in Tel Aviv.  They're afraid of angering the Arabs.

The holiest shrine for Jews is the Western Wall in Jerusalem, the one Abbas has superimposed his flag over now that he has thrilled everyone by sitting down at the peace table.  This wall dates back to the time of the 2nd Temple.  When the war of 1967, which was won in 6 days was concluded, Moshe Dayan arranged that the Muslims would still control the mosque of Al Aqsa on the Temple Mount in Jerusalem which is their holy shrine in Jerusalem.  The Muslims administer the area and do not allow Jews near it.  They cannot even pray at a distance.  The mosque is built over the Temple's site and this  is why observant Jews want to pray, but can't there.  We only had the one temple, built by King David's son, King Solomon.  It was he who was known as a peaceful king, standing for peace and wisdom.  It had been rebuilt in the same site.  That was our most precious remainder of our religion, and now, because of Moshe Dayan's generosity and good heartedness, find that they are only left with the Western Wall.

Our Tanakh (Old Testament) is full of references about Jerusalem.  Zechariah, 8,3 said, "Jerusalem shall be called "the city  of truth."  So let the truth come out about Jerusalem's city and why is must remain as a whole city under the auspices of Israel.  Notice in the picture above that all 3 religions are viewed; the wall, Christian churches and the Mosque.  All have been honored by Israel.  There is no reason to tear apart this holy city.

Psalms 122:6  said, "Pray for the peace of Jerusalem; those who love you will be serene.  May there be peace within your wall, serenity within your palaces.  For the sake of my brethren and my comrades, I shall speak of peace in your midst.  For the sake of the House of "Hashem (G-d), our G-d, I will request good for you." "The built-up Jerusalem is like a city that is united together."  "Jerusalem, which is bound firmly together."  It has been united under one mayor.  Jerusalem by name, as it is in the Tanakh 622 times, is not found in the Koran even once.

What's good for Jerusalem is that it remain a Jewish city, it's capital, as a whole city, not a divided one as before 1967.  Nir Barkat, Israel's present mayor, said in an interview about the peace talks on Friday, " “If the deal collapses because it hinges on the Jerusalem issue, so be it.  It is better not to make any deal than to agree to a bad deal,” Barkat told Israel Hayom .  Nir is fully aware of the condition Eastern Jerusalem was found in at the end of the 67 war when Jews could not enter for 19 years.  The word is "tragic."  

Jerusalem was divided in two-between Israel and Jordan.  Barbed wire and concrete walls separated the two parts of the city.  Jordanians didn't allow any movement of people from one part to another of the city.  Today it is a thriving city of coexistence between Jews and Arabs, between people of all faiths, and between the religious and the secular ways of living.  Since 1973 there had been a serious housing shortage so a large building program was carried out in all parts of the city, both Arab and Jewish.  The Municipality has been planning the future of the city so that a balance between ancient and modern is maintained.  

In order to appease the Arabs, Netanyahu went for 10 months without building a thing, and since the result was nothing, has decided not to ever do that again, which of course angers the Arabs who want to maintain that nothingness on the part of the Jews.  Yesterday, Israel  approved building about 1,200 more homes, but in order to do it, had to agree to freeing 26 Arab killers out of prison in a few days.  The total number of criminals is about 104 and will be released in 4 stages.  

Israel's Housing Minister, Uri Ariel, has approved construction of 1,187 apartments in Judea and Samaria and East Jerusalem which almost caused the Arab contingent to walk away.  They claim they do not understand why Israel is doing this and of course will complain to Kerry and the EU.  Martin Indyk of the USA group met with Abbas on Sunday in Ramallah.  After all, the Palestinian Arabs had their sites on much of the Jews' land for themselves.  

Israel has had to put up with wars with the Arabs since 1947 and attacks of mortars, missile and rockets that rain down even to this day on southern Israel from Gaza.  The Arabs were offered many times the opportunity to have their own state and instead chose trying to take it all away from the Jews.  Now it is the Arabs that are impatient?  It's only because Israel is building after being stopped for reasons that didn't pan out so many times.  What Israel has given up in land, such as Gaza, is viewed as a huge error on their part.  They did it in the promise of peace only to find that it was a piece of their land that the Arabs wanted, like the whole piece.  The Arabs think that Israel has just put up a smokescreen, but what have they been doing?  Trust is something that is earned, and it is not at this table.  Certainly not with Abbas putting up the flag of Palestine over the Western wall, even on Facebook.  

Resource:  http://palwatch.org/main.aspx?fi=157&doc_id=9544
Facts About Israel page 62,
Tanakh, Psalms, page 1549, The Stone Edition
http://uk.answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20080127162649AAy11F5
Oregonian 8/12/13, page A4: Israel, Palestinians will trade new settlements for prisoners by Karin Laub and Mohammed Daraghmeh, AP 

To Talk or Not to Talk, That is the Question John Kerry is Asking

Nadene Goldfoot                                                                

Evidently neither Israel nor the Palestine Authority were aware of Secretary of State John Kerry's decision to publicize a story announcing on Friday evening that both of them had agreed to resume talks in Washington, possibly as early as this week.  It was news to both of them!

Some people think this has been done as a pressure tactic and is trying to dare both of them not to show up.  The truth is that neither party has publicly endorsed Kerry's framework for restarting talks.  Gosh, and Arabs like to think that Israel is so untrustworthy. Israel has Gaza to remember which turned into a shooting platform to hit southern Israel.  Israel gave that back for an exchange of peace.  How honest were the Arabs with Israel?  How can Israel trust them?

 Look at Kerry go.  He's such a newbee at the shuk!  One of the spokesmen is Yasser Abed-Rabbo, secretary-general of the PLO.  He talked on Palestine radio and said that "direct talks would be "conditioned on many clarifications about core issues," and that several "sticking points" remain unresolved.  But his side has not yet confirmed it will resume direct talks.

Yes, Yasser.  That's what a meeting is for:  to talk about the core issues and to clarify them as well as these unresolved sticking points.  I guess he wants it all settled before they all sit down for tea and crumpets to sign papers.  The Palestinians don't want to do the palavering.

Pressure on Israel is coming from the EU who on Friday decided to not award any funding, grants, scholarships or prizes to Jews living in Judea and Samaria or in the Golan Heights or East Jerusalem.  They are pushing harder to make Israel accept a peace deal with Palestine, which would look something like handing over all of Israel to them, no doubt and kicking everyone out except a few 90 year old sabras. Pressure is coming from Kerry as well as the media who keep rubbing in the fact that this is his 6th trip to the region to try to restart talks between the Israelis and Palestinians.  Of course Kerry doesn't talk about the Palestinian leadership which is divided between Hamas and Fatah with Hamas having taken over Gaza years ago and just happen to be out and out terrorists.  What kind of a deal can be made with a minor representative such as Abbas of Fatah?

Kerry has set his working sites on this situation in his new position.  Is he starting with the easiest or hardest or most important goal on his list?  He's ignoring the 2 year old civil war "raging" in Syria that has taken over 100,000 lives so far (100,191+) that has affected the lives of the 22,505,000 Syrians.  Is he ignoring the threat of Iran against Israel with nuclear weaponry?  Believe me, that will affect all the countries surrounding Israel as well.   Netanyahu feels that Iran has about 2 more weeks to reach the red line, he said last week. He spoke on July 14th about their nearness and the world's distraction to this problem by Syria and Egypt.     Aren't the EU people worried about these other problems?  Why are they trying to interfere with  the  borders of Israel?  That's not in their realm of decisions.
                                                                       

About 320,000 Jews live in 250 towns and cities in Judea and Samaria and East Jerusalem.  1.6 million Arabs are living in Israel and are citizens, just like the Jewish ones.  Is the EU made up of only Catholics?

Oh yes, the Palestinians keep on saying that they WANT all of Judea and Samaria as a state and will call it Palestine.  Actually, they lost that chance, didn't they, in 1967 when they declared war on Israel and lost?  They have been asked since then, for 46 years, to make peace with Israel and haven't.  Was there really any reason why Israel should stay out of land they won fairly and squarely that was theirs anyway according to the League of Nations in about 1922?  For people to wait for 46 years to establish a state of their own, I wonder as to the necessity of such a move or if they are prepared to be state builders?

Now we know that the EU is backing down from Muslim pressure.  They are backing the Palestinians who are demanding to take land illegally.  Why?  All the Arab states stand with the Palestinians and they have oil.  It's a matter of the righteous losing over the mighty.  They seem to forget that back in 1967 Israel stood up to them all and overcame all the odds.  Israel won.  Just who was on Israel's side then?  Perhaps the EU is backing the wrong horse in this race.

Resource: Oregonian Newspaper; 722/13 page A4, News Update-Middle East
http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/middle_east/eu-acts-against-israeli-settlements/2013/07/16/d4ff2366-ee29-11e2-bb32-725c8351a69e_story.html
http://www.newsdaily.com/article/6e2fc8ea8bcb42af984b3a7ea60f5e04/israels-netanyahu-says-iran-closer-to-nuclear-red-line

Obama's Song to Israel

Nadene Goldfoot
Obama is singing the same old song he did at the beginning of his presidency. He reiterates that "Peace is the only path to true security.  The American president calls for negotiations with the Palestinians, saying Israel has a true partner with Abbas and Fayyad;  at the same time, Obama insisted continued settlement construction is "counterproductive."

Mr. President, If I were the Prime Minister of Israel I would have built a home for every rocket, missile or mortar that the Palestinians attacked Israel with.  I would also have taken a mile of land for each and every one as well.  Peace is not made with weapons of death.

Let the building that is going on show the Palestinians that Israel is staying where they are and cannot be driven out.
 Let them see that it has not paid to be unwilling to make peace for these past 65 years.
 Let them see that Israel belongs in the Middle East.
This is what the building should be telling them visually.

Counterproductive?  Did it bring about peace to leave Gaza?  Quite the contrary, Mr. President.

Does Obama not understand that Israel is the proponent of peace between the two people?  Does he not understand who refuses to make peace?  Israel is the one that needs true security and is more than aware of false security measures.

Resource: Jerusalem Post

From former Governor Mike Huckabee to President of the United State, Barack Obama on his upcoming visit to Israel.  

Well, first let me say thanks for the wonderful frank reminder of Gush Katif. (a group of Israeli communities in the Gaza Strip deliberately destroyed by Arik Sharon while giving all of Gaza to the Arabs in a self-serving gesture of insanity for which Sharon was visited with a devastating stroke and now remains maintained, for some questionable reason, in a permanent vegetative state – jsk)

It has been a delight getting to share a fellowship with you, to share a mutual passion with you, for the protection of the security of Israel. And I was asked earlier, “Why would a Goy, a Christian, be interested in Israel?” Sometimes I feel that my passion for the goodness of Israel, maybe exceeds even my Jewish friends – and I tell people, I say, “you have to understand – It is entirely possible to be Jewish and not have a complete relationship to Christians – but it is impossible to be Christian and not have a complete relationship with Judaism – because it is in fact the foundation upon which every Christian believes and every Christian understands – that Israel is G-d’s Chosen Land! And we recognize that, and respect it and understand that the Nations Who Bless Israel Will Be Blessed And Those Who Curse Israel Will Be Cursed!

My first trip to Israel was exactly forty years ago this year, when in July 1973, just a couple of months before the Yom Kippur war, I made my first trip to Israel when I was just a teenager. I’ve been going back to Israel ever since 1973 for 40 years! You know Moses had the children in the wilderness for 40 years. There has got to be some connection there.

When I visited the Gush Katif Museum just a couple of years ago, it was a brutal reminder of what happens when politicians make decisions that don’t involve their brains! Because in a way, when you ask people – no, when you demand that people abandon their homes, when you do it because you somehow believe you can trust radical Islamic fascists to keep their word and make nice if you make nice, then it shows a level of naiveté that make Chamberlain look like Churchill.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

It is time we recognize you don’t negotiate with people who do not believe you have a right to exist–much less live next to you! I cannot understand why the Secretary of State visited Egypt and handed over a check of $250,000,000 when we are closing the White House to tours? That makes no sense at all! Why did he give F16’s and Abram tanks to a country whose elected President is associated with a terrorist organization who has openly and publicly called Jews bloodsuckers and the descendants of apes and pigs?

Why would you reward someone with that kind of behavior? And even in his Senate confirmation hearing, Mr. John Kerry said they will be held accountable. I got to wondering, “Is accountability being given F16’s, tanks and $250 million?”

Dear Mr. Secretary please hold me accountable ‘cause I’d like $250,000,000. And if that‘s what it takes, to make radical, ridiculous, offensive and inexcusable statements like this, then we should all share in the spoils.

This is absurd!

And now word is that when the President visits Israel, he will not ask the Israeli gov’t leaders (because it would be seen as bad form to lecture them although, he’s been willing to do it before) – but, he will ask the Israeli people to make sacrifices for peace. If that is the case, I would like to escort him personally to the Gush Katif Museum and say, “Mr. President, the Israelis have made many sacrifices for peace, and show me one sacrifice that the Palestinians have made for peace! I have yet to see it!” I would say, “Mr. President, I believe the Israelis have given and given and given, and so far have received nothing in return!”

And, every trip I make to Israel, I always venture into the Old City. I go into some of the shops where one can purchase a Palestinian map. This past month, in February, I had two hundred people that I took with me, most of whom were Christians, most of them had never been there before. I wanted them to understand what is unique about this situation. And I get one of these maps and I said. “By the way – Open the map up and show me where Israel is.” And they opened it up and they didn’t see it. And I said, “Interesting isn’t it? And somehow, the people of Israel are asked to make peace with a people who even in their published maps refuse to acknowledge even so much as the existence of the Nation of Israel?”

The Gush Katif Museum is a stark reminder that sometimes things happen in our past that we need to commemorate — not because they were pleasant, but because they are sobering reminders of the mistakes that have been made in the past.

And so, I say tonight that I wish that the President — I wish he would be accompanied by as many of the Israeli officials as is possible – would attend the Gush Katif Museum while he’s there and watch those films, and talk to the people like Rivka (Rivka Goldschmidt) who is here tonight, who personally experienced it. I wish that, that could happen. So, that the next time he suggests that the Israelis stop building bedrooms for their children, in the Land that is theirs, that instead, he would spend his time not asking the Israelis to stop building bedrooms, but that he would demand that the Iranians stop building bombs pointing at Israel and the rest of the free world!

We would never tolerate in our own cities what the people of Sderot have been asked to tolerate. And I have been to Sderot, and I have seen the thousands of Katyusha rockets stacked up behind the Police Station. I stood there with Dov Hikind and Joe Frager and Paul Brody and others who are in this room tonight, and I can tell you that it is an absolute sobering experience to understand that people have fear every day that a Katyusha rocket would land on their children’s bedroom, land in the park where they play, in the schools they attend, in the synagogues where they worship. And we would not tolerate that!

And I’ll ask Americans, “How many Katyusha rockets fired from Toronto into Buffalo, NY, do you think it would take before Americans would demand that we do something and absolutely stop it? Five thousand? Four Thousand? Three Thousand? One hundred? NO! One Katyusha rocket.” We would demand it STOP! And the Israeli’s have been asked to let it go after thousands of them? I say NO! One is enough. Thousands are too many, and it’s time for the Israeli’s to quit apologizing to the world and to say “We have a right for the secure and safe homeland – Not just for us, but for those grandchildren and great grandchildren of our descendants and who come after us – a place that is a safe place, a haven.”

And, that’s why I believe with all my heart, that when the President goes to Israel, it is important that the American people give him the message – rather than him give Israelis a message! And the message is Mr. President, Americans stand with Israel because they are a mirror image of our freedom and our democracy in this country. And, we suggest that before you make any demands of the Israeli’s to give anything, you set down and look the Palestinians in the face and ask them ‘What have they given up?’ And tell them, as I would love to do, if I was making that trip as the Chief Executive.

Rather than say to the Israeli’s, “Stop Building in Judea and Samaria,” I would suggest that YOU BUILD AS RAPIDLY AS YOU CAN, AND AS MUCH AS YOU CAN, AND AS MANY HOUSES AS YOU CAN! And tell the Palestinians that if they don’t like that, the way they can fix it is to sit at the peace table and sign an agreement that they recognize Israel’s right to exist, within the borders that G-d gave them and to exist with safety and security!

That my friend will probably never happen!

So I say, “POUR THE CONCRETE, BUILD THE HOUSES AND LET ISRAEL BE STRONG!”

That is the message we need to give to the world!

Mike Huckabee (b:August 24, 1955) was a Republican presidential candidate in 2008, and former 44th governor of Arkansas from 1996 to 2007.  He's also a southern Baptist minister and has his own TV program.  

Resource: http://israel-commentary.org/?p=6102

Excerpted from a Keynote Address at Gush Katif Museum Dinner
Razag Ballroom, Brooklyn NY
March 9, 2013

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mike_Huckabee
forwarded from Victor Sharpe

Wrong Accusations About Jews Living in Judea and Samaria

Nadene Goldfoot
American and European press have misled readers and listeners about how Jews happen to be living in Judea and Samaria.  Jews are sticklers for doing the right thing.  Our whole religion is mostly a matter of doing the right thing and that's  something that's pounded into our whole being.  So how would we be out to do the wrong thing and cheat the Palestinians?  Not true.

Israel was brought to life again on May 15, 1948.  Negotiations had been going on with England, who held the mandate for over  30 years. Yucky malaria infested swampy land was bought and paid for.  So was the desert-type land.  Any land was legally contracted. The total land of Palestine was a waste, an unwanted waste of what had once been a Jewish empire originally.   The state went through the UN and was voted on as a state.  Legally, every point had been covered.  Our founding fathers didn't want to be accused of anything illegal.

 Israel has a darned good court system.  They can be in competition with any court in the world for fairness.  When the Israeli government has given its approval for the building of a Jewish village, town, building or home, it has to advertise its intentions in the Arab newspapers and invite any Arabs who have claims to the land to come forward with them.  We do similar things of advertising in our newspapers in the USA.  When there are no claims for at least 6 months, the courts rule and also have a thorough review of facts.  The court system bends over backwards to be fair to all Arab claimants.  The same goes if there is a claim.  Everything is investigated.  The courts have forbidden the Israeli government from confiscating any Arab-owned land since 1980.  The government hasn't authorized any new building since the Israeli-Palestinian "peace process" began in 1993.

The state bends over backwards to make sure that building does not take place on Arab-owned land.  Authorized and unauthorized Jewish communities were built on unoccupied, uncultivated and uninhabited "waste land."  No Arab homes were destroyed.  No Arab residents were expelled.  No Arab farmland was taken in creating any Jewish communities.

There are land ownership laws of Judea and Samaria dating to when the land was under Turkish rule (Ottoman Empire) and are respected by all governments since then including Israel.  All the wasteland belongs to the state of Israel, not private owners.  There have been almost no Arab buyers of such land because it involved paying past taxes on it for anyone who bought it.

One of my friends in Safed was an American lawyer who of course would have to take the bar in Israel to practice.  He said it was far more complicated than anything he had ever seen because of the rules left over from the Ottoman Empire that were still in effect.  It was too much for him and he tried  teaching English in the local high school, finding that needed a skill he didn't have as well.

Along comes the far left of Israel, also without any background in legal matters, such as Peace Now and other groups who have been overly zealous in wanting to be fair with the Palestinians about land and obviously not trusting anyone who have challenged any building at all  with their worthy human rights projects without being able to back them up with true facts.  They haven't been able to prove any of their conclusions in the courts.

Both groups want to be fair.  Our Jews are not followers.  Each one is a leader in his own mind.  Israel even has a Freedom of Information law, but the leftists who attack the system haven't been able to come up with one document that supports their claims about Jewish "settlements" on "privately owned Arab land" that's ever been brought to someone's attention.   They allowed themselves to be the victims of hearsay instead of the facts.  Americans think they are the land of the free.  Israel's freedom of speech and writing sometimes undermines itself.  Israelis seem to understand it, but the outside press doesn't and takes advantage of it.  Let any Jewish Israeli say something against their state saying they are wrong and it makes headlines in every paper in the world an hour later.

Judea and Samaria, what Jordan has dubbed "West Bank"  was Jewish land long ago. In 933 BCE  Judea was the Kingdom of Judah of the Jews.  When King Solomon, King David's son was dead, Judah was divided into two parts.  Judah was the southerly of two Jewish kingdoms.  The northern part became the Kingdom of Israel.  This land is precious to Jews, especially to the religious Jews who have moved there to live.  That's why they are there.  The tribe of Judah lived in Judah along with most of the tribe of Benjamin.  They also took in the tribe of Simeon which was isolated in the extreme south.  It had become poor without advantages of exits to the sea and were not on the trade routes.  It was like being a city that the freeway had bypassed.  Jerusalem sat in Judah which means the Temple was there.  It was able to preserve Mosaic monotheism in a purer form than Israel did.  The monarchy was the house of David and it went from father to son peacefully with a few exceptions, like Athaliah 843-37.  There were a few others.

Then along came the Assyrian expansion which overwhelmed Israel in the north but was stopped at the walls of Jerusalem in 701 BCE.  Finally in 586 the Babylonians overwhelmed it and the city and state fell to them.  They took large numbers of Jews and deported them to other parts of the Middle East.  The Jewish exiles in Babylonia continued to keep Judaism alive.  Prophets continued with their work from there and you will find great parts of the Bible that were composed from their exile.  So Judea has special meaning for Jews.

Samaria was the capital of Israel in the north.  It was founded in 880 BCE by King Omri who bought it from from Shemer (I Kings 16:24).  The site is about 7 miles NW of Shechem, today's city of  Nablus on a slight elevation that dominated the countryside.    It was made up of 25 acres and royal palace.  The biblical patriarchs camped under its walls.  It had been marked as the territory for the tribe of Ephraim and was picked as a city of refuge and the center of the House of the tribe of Joseph.  Joseph is buried there.  Finally it became a Roman city with people being the Samaritans.  In 1967 the population was 44,000 of mostly Moslems and has become the center of fanatical Arab nationalism.  A small Jewish community had existed there in Shechem.   Samaria is also the name to the entire northern region of the central highlands.  I believe that is what is referred to when they say Judea and Samaria or "the West Bank", which Jordan named it as it is land west of the Jordan River.

1967's War against Israel lasted 6 days with Israel being the winner.  This area had been in Jordan's hands, but since they were one of the attackers, lost it to Israel.  Before that, Jordan didn't allow Jews to even be in East Jerusalem.  I remember when the war was over that the solders were able to dance and pray at the Western Wall for the first time and how everyone cried in joy.

The PLO was founded in 1964.  At that time this area of Judea and Samaria and Gaza were under Arab rule.  The PLO wanted to liberate the land, not Judea and Samaria and Gaza which they already had, but Israel! They were talking about Israel within the 1967 borders.  Their official PLO insignia is on the map including all of Israel.  The Muslims speak of their religious savior coming to take all the land and of course they hate Jews.  They hate this well known remnant of the 12 tribes of Israel, Judah and Levi, born when Jacob had 12 sons, "the traditional division of Israel into 12 tribes: Reuben, Simeon (Levi), Judah, Issachar, Zebulun, Benjamin, Dan, Naphtali, Gad, Asher, Ephraim, and Manasseh."  They don't even have a reason to hate us, except that there is the remnant of us who refuse to convert to Islam, which is not a good reason to hate a people.  The land they are living on in their eyes must be "Judenrein", free of all Jews.  They are not tolerant such as Americans and Israelis are.  There are 1.4 million Arabs living in Israel who are citizens.

Resource:  FrontPage Magazine http://frontpagemag.com Are Jewish Settlements built on Arab Land?  by Rachel Neuwirth and John Landau, Daily Mailer.FrontPage
http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/judaica/ejud_0002_0020_0_20039.html

To Build or Not to Build; Decision Made For Shiloh

Nadene Goldfoot
Shiloh is a very important modern Israeli community in Judea-Samaria's mountain ridge which covers several miles of the densely populated coastal plain.  This mountain ridge is indispensable to Israel's defensibility according to American military studies.  In 1967 a study said that in Judea and Samaria Israel should "control the high ground running north and south."  A study done in 1974 by the US Army's Command and Staff College said the same thing.  Therefore, to defend itself in attack, this ridge must stay in Israel's hands.

An attack happened, but from the US State Department's spokesman, Mark Toner.  He's complaining that Israel is planning to build in Shiloh by putting up 500 housing units and said-it's not constructive.  Of course, just like he's speaking for the Palestinians instead of the USA's friend, the Palestinians want this land so don't want Israel to build.  I personally don't see the Palestinians making any effort to come to peace terms, and until such time, I see Israel going ahead with life.   Leave it to the State Dept to get all in a dither with Israel's building plans instead of zoning in on problems with Iran, Iraq, Syria and Egypt, real hot-spots.  Instead, it's always Israel who gets the pressure.

If peace ever does come, which isn't likely, such a place as Shiloh must stay in Israel's hands.  It's a living viable community and people from there serve in the Israeli army.  67.1% of the draftees from such communities serve in combat roles, of which only 10% of the population does. 16% of the residents are officers compared to the average of 8.3%.  It doesn't help the USA to make Israel a weak army.  In fact, Israel's army helps the USA a great deal.  The USA has never had to come with its army to fight for or with us as they have in other countries. 

The orginal Shiloh lay where the tribe of Ephraim (of the 12 tribes) lived in Judea-Samaria.  It was the religious capital of the Jews for 300 years before Jerusalem was built by King David when Israelites came into the land with Joshua.  .  It's even mentioned in "Judges" in the Bible.  So it was south of the ancient city of Tirzah, which was the capital of Samaria before the time of King Omri, and now is said to be where Khirbet Seilun is today in Judea-Samaria, or 10 miles north of Beth El. Bethel was also an ancient Israelite city, 10 miles north of Jerusalem and called Luz formerly.  This is where Abraham erected an altar and later was where Jacob had his dream.  It was after the dream that it was named Bethel.  (House of G-d).   It was a temporary capital of Israel before the First Temple was built.  We had an amazing history right in Judea-Samaria.  The town and the Tabernacle were destroyed by the Philistines after the battle of Aphek in 1050 BCE when the Ark was captured.

Life goes on.  People in Shiloh are marrying and having children.  The city is growing.  Hillary Clinton had once complained about "natural growth" in Israel's cities.  That is quite a shunda to tell people who lost 6 million of their ancestors in the Holocaust to not allow their cities to grow and be repaired.  At least Jews only have one wife, unlike Muslims who have 4 or more and dozens of children. 

The "Palestinians," already inhabiting Gaza, plan to take all of Judea and Samaria as their "Palestine" as well and will have no Jews living there as they will have no enclave of Jews.  That's not acceptable to Israel and hasn't been in any past negotiations.  The more they plan their greedy takeover, the more Israel builds.  Why is the USA making such extreme demands on a friend? They're not looking at the whole picture.  They want a quick fix to a problem to get the Palestinians off their back.  It's like having a check list and wanting to check this problem off.  It's not showing that they care about Israel's welfare or future. 

Resource: http://frontpagemag.com/2012/02/24/israel-builds-obama-administration-squirms/?utm_source=FrontPage+Magazine&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=22058884c6-Mailchimp_FrontPageMag
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shiloh_(biblical_city)
The New Standard Jewish Encyclopedia

Insidious Plans to Take Over Israel

Ever since March 11th when the Oregonian came out with the article, "Building plans rile Palestinians" telling about the 1,600 apartment units to be built in East Jerusalem by Israel and the huge editorial of the same day, "In Israel, new construction drowns out new peace talks", the hate mongers have been coming out of the walls.

Whatever is printed in the paper is the bible for so many people. The news never came out with the facts that Israel is building on their agreed -to side in East Jerusalem or any of the other important pieces of information that goes along with this.

The USA has decided they were highly insulted by our unforseen announcement and in reacting violently have empowered the Palestinians to also react accordingly, which they are. Rioting was going on in Jerusalem just before Biden's visit and has increased greatly since then. Talk about aiding and abetting a peace process!

One letter to the Editor criticizing Israel , I have deduced, was from the president of the local Americans United for Palestinian Human Rights and who is also on the board of national US campaign to end the Israeli Occupation. It was full of inaccuracies and falsehoods he is trying to spin. Then the editor got on board with a huge editorial against Israel. Another letter today thanks the article for information "like this" to be informed about Israel's negative contributions for peace.

I throw my hands up. This is the only information that people know and read; biased, and most likely based on a dislike for Jews to start with.

I feel like the old joke's subject where the person goes to the doctor and says, "doctah, I feel that people don't like me; they're saying terrible things about me, am I paranoid?"
"No dear," the docter answers, "They really don't like you. You got it right."

There is so much to know and to understand about what is happening between the Palestinians and Israel. Where is it ever written in a newspaper that the Palestinians are being used by their leaders as pawns in a chess game to destroy Israel? For instance, the Palestinian children watch a kid's show on the official Palestinians Authority television that uses a map of "Palestine" that teaches kids that Israel doesn't exist. This program is called "Chicks" and it shows them all of Israel yet is labeled "Palestine." Another heading in English and Arabic reads, "Explore Your Country." This is to reinforce the message to them to not recognize Israel. They've already done a good job on the adults from conditioning earlier telling them all of the land is theirs. That's what they have in store for Jerusalem, and Israel is highly aware of it, though America has decided to pretend not to know.

This is what we're up against. Expecting people to move in next door who hate us and who want to take over our land is not a happy experience, no matter how many of us feel sympathy and would like to see these people settle down and live and let live as we want to do. I've even thought that they really are a little crazy to want to live so close to us when Iran would like to pop off an atomic rocket or two our way. They'd be right in the way. How little they realize that Iran would be most happy to sacrifice their lives in order to take ours. After all, they have so many more Muslims.

Expecting people to move into our capital that want to take it over is not what any other country has had to put up with, either. We ask, why should we? There's not going to be any tea and crumpet exchange in daily events there between the two groups at the rate the education of their people continues like this. So far what I've seen as exchanges are attacks on Israelis, even from Fatah.

Netanyahu was elected to keep Jerusalem in Israel's hands. Why our USA is reacting in such shock is a shock to me. Israel at this point is not against a two state solution, but is against the Palestinians taking over our state; one for Fatah and one for Hamas! You see, we've already given away so much of our original intended land that the Palestinian children already think the whole state is theirs! Please, give me a break.