Headlines for October 28 - November 3

A Stand For Justice


Palestinian children face increasing settler violence: study
Palestinian children are coming under increasing attack by a handful of violent, extremist Jewish settlers, a rights group said Monday in a report on the human cost of settlement expansion.

The study, which was compiled over two years by Defence for Children International–Palestine (DCI), investigated 38 separate incidents of settler violence towards minors, which resulted in the deaths of three children and injuries to 42 others.




Israel Quietly Accedes to Huge Saudi Arms Deal, The Largest Ever
one of the most important parties involved in the negotiations for this huge deal is making its position clear simply through its silence. Israel and its supporters in the United States have chosen to quietly allow the deal to pass unopposed Congress.


...“The U.S. did a good job of convincing Israelis,” said Michael Knights, a military expert at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy. He added that in exchange for its acceptance of America’s need to strengthen the Saudi military, Israel could be well compensated on its next arms request

.....the administration has stated it believes, based on quiet discussions held with key congressmen, that Congress will not block the deal. This optimism is based in part on the fact that the pro-Israel lobby is not fighting against the deal.


Who runs Congress? ...Not you and I.


Palestinians to declare statehood in 2011



Netanyahu: Settlement building won't affect final status peace deal
Speaking after a meeting with U.S. Senator Joseph Lieberman on Thursday, Netanyahu seemingly rejected the Palestinian stance, saying the settlement issue was "not substantial" and that construction in the settlements "will not influence the peace map."


The Tea Party Disconnect by Philip Giraldi
Palin is something quite different, and a good deal more dangerous than the lumpish and frequently strident Gingrich. She knows nothing of foreign policy and even less of security and defense related issues and is basically a neocon creation being promoted by them as a national candidate. Palin was discovered by Weekly Standard editor Bill Kristol in 2007 while he and a group of National Review stalwarts were on an Alaska cruise. Kristol assiduously pushed the right buttons to get her on the Republican ticket with John McCain. Palin returned the favor, describing how she had an Israeli flag on display in her governor’s office and describing her love for Israel during the debate with Joe Biden, but her ignorance of foreign policy issues was palpable during the campaign Another excellent article by former CIA Philip Giraldi.


Does Obama Need a War? by Patrick J. Buchanan
The first result of a U.S. strike would be to pull Iran’s oil off the world market. If Iran responded by mining the Gulf or sinking a tanker, oil would go to $300 a barrel and gasoline to $10 a gallon. Does Broder think that would give a nice boost to the U.S. and world economy?
....Israel calls Iran “an existential threat.”

But Israel has 200 nukes and the planes, subs and missiles to deliver them, while U.N. inspectors claim Iran has not diverted any of its low-enriched uranium for conversion to weapons grade.


Jewish-Arab relations in Israel hit boiling point
Relations between Israel's Jewish majority and its Arab minority have never been warm, but they appear to have hit a new low that has activists on both sides worried the troubled relationship is beyond repair.

In the past month alone, Israeli lawmakers have introduced a series of bills that aim to marginalize Arabs. Rabbis in a northern town have urged followers not to rent homes to Arabs. Extremist Jews marched through this town and set off a violent riot. And a prominent Arab activist has admitted in a plea bargain to spying for the Lebanese guerrilla group Hezbollah.




In Beirut, a crash course in Arabic -- and Mideast politics
For student Sajjad Dewji, a political science major at the University of British Columbia in Canada, the most memorable experience was a visit to a rundown Palestinian refugee camp.

"While the subject ... has been one that many of us would have discussed academically ... visiting the Palestinian camps was a very emotional and eye–opening experience," said the 21–year–old Vancouver resident.

Lebanon is home to hundreds of thousands of Palestinian refugees who are crammed into a dozen destitute camps across the country.


Israeli military occupy Palestinian house



American professor invited to Israel 'humiliated' by El Al security personnel
An American professor who was invited to a conference in Israel claims she was humiliated by Israeli security personnel at London's Luton airport on Thursday.


Israel bans Palestinian PM from East Jerusalem event
Fayyad was scheduled to make an appearance on Tuesday at two East Jerusalem schools to mark the PA-sponsored renovation of 15 educational institutions in the city. The reception and ceremony was to take place in the Dahyat al-Salam neighborhood.

On Monday, however, Jerusalem policemen arrived at the Dahyat al-Salam reception hall, handing over a warrant signed by Public Security Minister Yitzhak Aharonovitch, according to which PA-sponsored events were forbidden on Israeli soil.


Obama can let Palestinians seek state recognition at the UN
If the UN declares a state of Palestine, Israeli settlements would then clearly be in violation of international law. They already are.


Murders, Deemed ‘Honor Killings,’ Rock an Israeli City



So Much For The Triumph of the National Interest
I agree with Miller that Obama should not focus on foreign policy for the next two years, but that is because anything substantial he is likely to achieve will most likely undermined or sabotaged by political opposition at home.


U.S. midterms / Israeli Democrat leader says American voters need to grow up
What about Jewish voters who, according to polls, are beginning to abandon the Democrats, because of, among other things, Obama's approach to Israel?

The Jewish American voter also has to grow up and recognize that Obama is Israel's friend and acts in its interests.


Equal Time for Arab Voices
The stunning disinterest in Arab-American opinion, or its productive role in genuine peacemaking, is the result of decades of demonizing the Palestinian narrative and reducing it to an intellectually dishonest caricature of a violently anti-Semitic people squatting on the land, always rejecting peace.




Some good news for Obama from Israel "Tea Party"
The Israel Tea Party launch did not mark the start of a breakaway right–wing party, he said. It was meant to help Netanyahu reject Obama's pressure to bend to Palestinian conditions for the revival of flagging peace talks.




Jewish Federations acknowledge Israel’s ‘paradigm shift,’ then circle the wagons
If we are to effectively respond to the delegitimization/BDS campaign against Israel, the People of the Book also have to become the People of Cyberspace. Understanding how much anti-Israel material is out there, monitoring attacks and crafting tailored pro-Israel messages to the right audiences—especially to the younger generation—is now dependent on our ability to strategically and effectively utilize the Internet, new media, Websites and social networks. This workshop will provide hands-on guidance on how Federations, and other organizations, networks and individuals can implement advocacy and communications strategies for the 21st Century. Be warned: MORE pro-Israel propaganda is on the way.


Israeli Jews at odds with liberal brethren in US
Rubin is at the center of a deepening rift between the world's two biggest Jewish communities – the American and Israeli. Religious life in Israel is dominated by the strict ultra–Orthodox establishment, which has growing political power and has become increasingly resistant to any inroads by the more liberal movements that predominate among American Jews.

....."There are a lot of Americans who normally would not get involved in Israeli politics but who are saying, 'What you are doing is delegitimizing me. It is not enough to want my support and want my money, you have to be willing to recognize me as a human being and as a Jew,' and they feel that is not happening,"


Israel PM to fly to US for talks on peace process



Turkey policy paper: Israel's actions threaten Mideast



Questioning A Congresswoman's Jewishness (or Jewessness)
His name is Bruce Ash, and he is a member of the RNC national committee. Ash also served in the past as chair of the Southern Arizona federation. According to a report in the Jewish News of Greater Phoenix, Ash posted a letter on a conservative website in which he referred to Giffords as the congresswoman “who claims to be a Jewess.” The broader context of the sentence was an attack on Giffords’ stance on Israel, which Ash believes is not strong enough.




Opening Minds on Campus
In Imran’s first week of college, he immediately had someone to hate. Or at least his dorm neighbor thought so. “Wait, Imran, why are you going to Shabbat this Friday?” he asked. “I thought Muslims hated Jews.”




Christian pilgrims flock to Jordan River for baptism
Qasr al–Yahud is located in a closed military zone near Jericho. Although it has been opened to pilgrims on special occasions, Israel recently allowed access to the site six days a week.




Price of Beauty: Boycotts and ‘Buycotts’
The escalation of both the boycott campaign and opposition to it come as supporters of Israel increasingly point to BDS as part of an effort to “delegitimize” Israel. On October 26, the Jewish Council for Public Affairs and the Jewish Federations of North America announced the creation of the Israel Action Network to actively combat BDS campaigns.




Ahmadinejad aide says Iran not ready to talk nuclear
Ahmadinejad has also asked the parties to declare their opinion on Israel's alleged nuclear arsenal. Israel says a nuclear–armed Iran would threaten its very existence and does not rule out striking Iran militarily to stop that happening.




Meet your new House Foreign Affairs chairwoman Ileana Ros-Lehtinen The Cable
Over the mid to long term, Ros-Lehtinen is poised to thwart Obama's efforts to move toward repealing sanctions on Fidel Castro and resist any White House attempts to pressure Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. She isn't likely to move Berman's foreign-aid reform bill through the committee and she is likely to seek cuts in the foreign-aid budget in her authorization bill.

She is one of Israel's top agents on Capitol Hill. Thus will the American national interest further suffer with her in power.


Nigeria: Shipper confirms weapons came from Iran
Israeli military officials, speaking on condition of anonymity as they were unauthorized to discuss the matter with journalists, said Thursday that it appeared Iran hoped to smuggle the weapons into the Gaza Strip. Israel instituted a naval blockade of the region in 2007 after Iranian–backed Hamas seized control of the Palestinian territory.




Obama's star fades in Muslim world



Syria flouts Lebanon sovereignty, arms militants: U.S.



US says Syria, Iran, Hezbollah endanger Lebanon



Obama's message to Israel: Freeze settlements or get rid of Dimona
Ross, who has served both Republican and Democratic presidents for the last three decades, predictably lauded Obama, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and National Security Advisor Thomas Donilon for leading the campaign to prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons.

But he also took care to mention that Congress, with "strong encouragement from AIPAC," had enacted tough sanctions against Iran with bipartisan support.


GOP Hawks and Dovesby Philip Giraldi
Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, born in Cuba and currently representing Florida, will almost certainly become chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, where she will energetically pursue a policy of undying enmity towards Fidel Castro coupled with total alignment with Bibi Netanyahu. Eric Cantor of Virginia, currently minority whip, will likely move up to become Speaker of the House. Cantor has proposed that Israel’s $3 billion plus per annum be removed from the foreign aid budget, where it is bunched with a number of countries that Cantor does not like, and that it come directly from the Treasury, making Israel a permanent and institutionalized beneficiary of the United States taxpayer. Cantor and Ros-Lehtinen and those of a like mind would then be able to vote against foreign aid without damaging Israeli interests. Both Cantor and Ros-Lehtinen also support preemptive action against Iran.


Some Israelis Hoping for A GOP Win, But Will History Repeat Itself?
“Netanyahu fears a strong Obama who can apply pressure,” said Yaron Deckel, Israeli TV’s Channel 1 political commentator. “If the Republicans win big in the midterm elections, Obama will be weaker and less inclined to pressure Israel, and that will buy Netanyahu more time.”

....“If you need the president, you need us as chairs of the committees,” Ackerman said as he listed what he called the “first-class team” of Jewish pro-Israel Democrats who chair key House committees: Berman at Foreign Affairs, Barney Frank at Financial Services, Henry Waxman at the Energy and Commerce committee, Sander Levin at Ways and Means, and Ackerman himself in his role as head of the Middle East subcommittee. “We are all pro-Israel and we all have major, major, major influence in the executive branch.”




As Some Retire From ADL, Will Abe Be Next?
While the ADL was founded as a civil rights and human relations agency, Foxman in recent years has clearly focused on defending Israel, which some say is to the detriment of the ADL’s legacy and stated mission. Targeting Jewish Voice for Peace — a left-wing group but a Jewish one — is one example. The recent award to Murdoch is offered as another.

.....said Klein of the group’s award to Murdoch, “It’s this ‘wink wink nod nod,’ we’ll take Murdoch’s money because he supports Israel, and we’ll ignore everything happening on Fox News.” On several recent occasions when Klein posted polite but critical comments of the Murdoch award on the ADL’s Facebook page, they were deleted within hours. Through Gutnick, Foxman declined to be interviewed for this story.




BDS success Africa Israel pulls out of settlement development Jews for Justice for Palestinians

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