I know something about Jewish history and something about Israeli history. I know something about World War II because I read Churchill’s six volume history. The big parallel between the Nazis and Iran is the way the world failed to take them seriously at their word and to respond with a sufficient degree of force to deter their barbaric ambitions against freedom and democracy on earth. The Nazis for example inched their way into a position where they could launch a struggle for world domination. First they reoccupied the Rhineland in violation of the Versailles Treaty. France freaked out and begged England to do something, but the government in England referred it to the League of Nations instead of giving Hitler a black eye. Which would have told him he had gone too far.

Then the Nazis started general enlistment of soldiers they started drafting thousands of soldiers also against the Versailles treaty I think and no one batted an eye. And from there it was a hop, skip and a jump till the Nazis reactivated their massive armament industries and started producing an arsenal of deadly weapons. And when Hitler saw no one lifted a hand to stop him, he went and took over Czechoslovakia and then Austria, and the rest is known. Like I said, Israel seems to be the only country palpalbly threatened by Iran’s nuclear bomb ambitions. All Obama does is kiss Muslim behinds. He won’t put the screws to Iran because he has a psychological block about dealing with Muslim evil in a fitting way. He wants to make rapprochement with Muslim evil. And also as I said the rest of the world doesn’t want the Iranian commercial cow to dry up. Meanwhile Iran inches into possessing an atom bomb. Precisely because no one – not even the world’s only superpower is willing to give these truly evil Muslims a black eye.

You know, I don’t think there is any question but that Knesset legislation to demand damages for the Jewish Refugees from Arab Lands and linking this demand to a peace settlement with the Palestinians are important developments that should have been brought up a long time ago. But I doubt these demands are enforceable. Arabs who commit crimes, as they did against the Jewish citizens of their countries they forced out, and by confiscating valuable property that belonged to someone else, will go through hell or high water to get away with impunity, and deny blame or deflect blame. The Arab countries who deported hundreds of thousands of Jews and made them refugees will deny this even happened. And where is the leverage to force them to admit their crimes? There is no leverage. The idea of obtaining justice for the Jewish refugees from Arab lands is obviously an ethically and morally based idea. But I afraid it is pie in the sky. The constellation for solving the refugee problem in the Middle East has been hijacked by the Arabs, and they have but one objective. It isn’t justice.

Knesset Aides And Counselors Have Resolved To Return Fire In Kind Against Palestinian And Other Anti-Israel Lecturers Abroad

By Zvika Brot

In lectures around the world Israel’s leaders are being forced to silence themselves in the face of pro-Palestinian demonstrators who create incessant disturbances in the auditoriums and elsewhere. But shortly there will be a surprise Israeli response created out of the Knesset in Jerusalem. An effective “Commando Unit” of Knesset Aides intends to make special visits to universities abroad for the purpose of returning fire in kind.

On the agenda: public relations activities on college campuses, public confrontations with anti-Israeli figures and even tit for tat: undermining the lectures of Palestinians and anti-Israel figures through disturbing the peace.

“We have witnessed this phenomenon for a long time, and for some reason there is no effective response from the state of Israel,” says Roy Wolf an aide to Knesset Member Aryeh Eldar. “In the first place the demonstrators disseminate lies, and it is not tolerable to allow this to pass silently. By the same token it is very difficult to cope with the matter in normal every day ways. Therefore we decided the most effective response is indeed to give them tit for tat. If it’s shouting matches during lectures that they want, we feel we can contend successfully also with this sort of cheap provocation.”

Around 20 Ministers, MKs and counselors have joined the initiative so far, Jews and Arabs from right and left, who are prepared to pay for the trip abroad out of their own pockets. They say they are interested in harnessing the Knesset to the matter, and other government ministries and Israeli offices abroad to aid them in locating the locations where there is an immediate need for Israeli public relations.

Besides Wolf others who have started packing for the trip abroad which is scheduled for the Passover break, include the media advisor for the Minister of Science Moshe Inbar, Chairman of the Knesset Aides Committee, Shuki Zohar and Knesset Aides Adi Sorek and Noga Rapaport. They intend to take with them documentation of the firing of Hamas rockets at Israel’s southern communities, testimonies of Israelis who have been injured in terrorist attacks, and instructions from their superiors.

Knesset Aides for MK Shaul Mofaz, Dalia Itzik, Ofir Akonis, Zvulun Orlov, Daniel Ben Simon, Ilan Gilaon and Shlomo Mula have joined the initiative, and also advisors to the Justice Minister, Internal Security Minister, Infrastructure Minister, Science Minister, Minister for Minority Affairs, and the Minister for Public Relations.

“We hope to contribute our part to Israeli Public Relations in an unconventional but effective way,” says Wolf. “We hope very much we will undertake the trip, and this depends mainly on coordinating everything on the ground. We would like to stress the state of Israel isn’t paying for this, each participant is paying his or her own way.” Some of the Knesset aides already have begun trying to obtain financing from a donor for part of the trip’s expenses.

Translation by yonatan silverman

“A loathsome, criminal act of murder was committed today at a site holy to both Jews and Arabs in Hebron.The Prime Minister and Defense Minister, government ministers and citizens of the State of Israel severely condemn this terrible murder of innocent people, which occurred during Ramadan prayer services.” Statement by Prime Minister Rabin on the Murders in Hebron, 25 February 1994. (Baruch Goldstein’s massacre)

‘This incident condemned by us, which is incompatible with the Palestinian national interests, and with the efforts of the Palestinian National Authority, as well as with the commitments they have undertaken.. violence that has been proven to cause damage to the higher interests of our people.” Palestinian Prime Minister Dr. Salam Fayyad 10 February 2010

The elliptical way Palestinian leaders like Sell ‘Em Fayyad, Abbas, and Arafat in his day, employed this empty unethical litany points to the total ethical and moral bankruptcy of Islam in my view. Basing a condemnation of cold blooded murder on its opposition to Palestinian national interests is communication devoid of meaning and leaches ethics of any meaning whatsoever. I ask myself if this is perhaps because the KORAN has no 10 Commandments.

yonatan silverman

THE NEW TERRORISM

SITTING ON HOT COALS

Allow me to present you with a very stupid question: what is more dangerous, a big bonfire or the smoldering coals in a pile after the fire is out? The answer is of course the smoldering coals, because even the lightest wind can bring back the fire, when everyone thinks they have put it out and are no longer around.

In January 2010 the state of Israel is sitting on a pile of smoldering coals and enjoying every moment of warmth in the middle of the winter’s chill. For all appearances, our situation was never better: the stores are filled to bursting, in the cafes people argue over the few empty seats, salaries are rising, tensions in the area of security are decreasing. There is no Intifada plaguing the busses in Jerusalem, or Qassam rockets in the streets of Sderot. How wonderful!

One needs to follow vigorously what happens in the political and military arenas to understand and discern that under the surface Israel is facing a new form of terrorism. In this kind of terrorism no one fires guns, no one blows up busses or murders Jews, nonetheless it would appear that this terrorism is more dangerous to us than bus bombings: this is deligitimization terrorism – abolishment of the state of Israel from among the nations of the world.

The turning point, the water shed, is surely the Goldstone Report following Operation Cast Lead. Of course the campaign against Israel began before that, but the Report was the wind that caused the smoldering coals to burst into flame. It pays to observe the quiet, the lack of activity on the part of the Palestinian leadership in the last period: Abu Mazen and his comrades are hardly doing anything, and talking in public even less. For what? Practically the whole world is doing their job for them ? and the enlightened Palestinians this time are silent. From all points in the globe, and with exceptional force, the Palestinians are replacing the Israelis as the world’s “underdogs”. The world is inclined more and more to their needs, and sees Israel as the “Occupier” and the Palestinians as unfortunates, mainly oppressed people.

This trend did not begin with publication of the Goldstone Report, but it has worsened since then. Abu Mazen at this stage is looking for his place in the history books and it pleases him to take no step whatsoever: time is working in his favor and his dream of a bi-national state. Another year, another five years, and the numbers will say everything: on account of a Palestinian majority between the river and the sea a democratic country will emerge here, a new country, that the whole world will recognize. But patience. The Palestinians have waited 62 years for this moment. They will wait some more. Abu Mazen who wants to enter history as a big shot is operating now according to historical trends. Who will spoil this vision this dream for him?

Under present conditions there is only a slight chance that acts of terrorism will resume. And if there is a concern, it comes from fringe groups. Abu Mazen is truly opposed to terrorism, mainly because he believes he can achieve his objectives without bloodshed.

So what should we do? There is no counter?-intelligence service for preventing political attacks. There is also no intelligence service for understanding historical trends. If the analysis is correct that Abu Mazen and his comrades intend to bet the house and they envision one state, bi-national, so in the next period, at least, there will be nothing new in the political or military spheres. Abu Mazen needs peace and quiet in Judea and Samaria, so that into our slumbering skulls the message will enter that “our situation was never?” From his perspective we need to fall asleep on guard duty.

Our hope is that the Palestinians will make mistakes in the trend detailed here ? but what is said and what will we say? In the last period the Arabs in general and the Palestinians in particular have disappointed us. We can only blow on the smoldering coals and do everything to renew the talks and bring the Palestinians to the negotiating table. According to what has happened until now the Israeli representatives fell asleep on guard duty also at the table.

Translation by yonatan silverman

Review by Yonatan Silverman

The main exhibition in the Palmach Museum is an innovative arrangement of cinema docudrama and diorama designed to bring to life the experiences of the young Israeli men and women who trained and fought with the country’s Palmach forces during the War of Independence.

The new permanent exhibition perhaps has less action in the script but it depends on the same docudrama and diorama techniques. And its story is most engaging for anyone interested in the history and human background of Israel’s War of Independence.

Shoah Survivor With Nazi Number On His Arm Holding A Rifle In Israel's War Of Independence

Perhaps the most salient fact in this new permanent exhibition is that 30,000 out of 60,000 Jewish combat soldiers during the War of Independence were Shoah survivors. They were recruited for combat in the midst of the process of immigration and absorption. Around 1400 were killed in combat.

As the guide explained, this story is not limited to the Palmach, but relates to the birth and development of the entire IDF.

The main part of the exhibition is a long cinema docudrama featuring young Shoah survivors in period costumes discussing the issues that mattered to them at the time. Including living arrangements and Hebrew learning.. Other young people in Palmach dress also play roles in this cinema production. Also, the camera is angled so that the actors could almost be playing their parts live on stage.

Group of Young Sabras, All Fighting Members Of Palmach ca 1948

The exposure to this rare chapter of Israeli history in the exhibition is remarkable. There’s no question why most of the visitors around me when I reviewed the new show were Israeli high school pupils just before recruitment into the IDF.

The Palmach Museum is of course an official IDF institution and there were even two strict security guards checking everyone who entered. The guard asked me for my Israeli ID card and driver’s license. I don’t have a driver’s license. But in my experience the one way to reassure security guards you are not dangerous is to speak with them in Hebrew.

CLOSED BORDERS BUT OPEN HEARTS

In Wolfson Hospital’s Children’s Emergency Room Two Year Old Hamad Lies In Bed Recovering From A Difficult Operation.
His Mother, Fairuz, His Father Zaitar, Can Hardly Believe That In Israel Of All Places They Would Save The Life Of A Gaza Infant Who Became Ill With A Rare Disease.
“If This Miracle Can Happen, Anything Is Possible,” Says Fairuz.

“Even Peace”

By Smadar Shir

Two years ago, on November 27, Hamad Abu Zaytar was born in Jebalya in Gaza. This week on November 23, he was born again in Wolfson Hospital in Holon. “He was dead, completely dead,” says his mother Fayruz, who leans over his be d and with the aid of a syringe puts drops of water in his mouth. “Now he is thirsty, he already wants to eat.”

“He will return to play and carry on,” Dr. Tzion Hori, director of emergency medicine for children, assures her in Arabic. “Inch Allah” she whispers. “It is a miracle. If this miracle happened, anything can happen, even peace.”

Until a month ago Hamad was a completely healthy child. One day his mother detected that he had a rash on his cheeks. The next day his face swelled up. On the day after that his eyes were almost completely shut. Last Sunday morning the mother saw that her young son had trouble breathing. ”

Dr. Hori (55) immigrated from Tunis at age 15 and still remembers Arabic.” But even if my Arabic is flawed, I am happy to have it. For basic communication with the Palestinian patients it is sufficient.”

Palestinian Child Saved by Israeli Doctor

ALL OF GAZA PRAYS

On Sunday morning, while visiting the office of Dr. Tamir, there was a phone call from Gaza. “They told us about a two year old boy with kidney problems – nephritic syndrome. The kidney is like sieve, when its holes grow on account of the penetration of blood vessels, also good things, like proteins, are eliminated through urine,” explains Hori, “They explained to us that a month ago the child was brought to the hospital with swelling of the eyelids and that same morning the child returned with difficulty breathing. We did an echocardiogram and there were many large blood clots in the heart and blood vessels that were entering the lungs. This condition is called respiratory embolism. It is an illness that mainly happens among adults. This is the first time I have seen it in a child.”

“Hamad came to us on Monday morning,” Hori continues, “and we started immediately administering tests to verify the diagnosis from Gaza. We saw that not only was the diagnosis from Gaza correct – the embolisms were huge. I quickly called Dr. Avigdor Mendelberg, director of children’s respiratory medicine and Dr. Lior Sasson, our heart surgeon, and we decided to put the child into the operating room immediately, but on the operating table he wheezed and stopped breathing. We did not say “kaddish” – we resuscitated him. His mother sat outside the operating room and it did not occur to her what sort of drama was transpiring inside. When he started breathing again, we connected him to a heart lung machine, and in a three hour operation we took out all the large growths.” The night after the operation the child was still being ventilated. The morning after the operation the child returned to breathing on his own, and was started on anti blood clot therapy so his body will not produce clots in the future.

“I don’t know why they frightened me against the Israeli physicians,” Fayruz observes, “They are perfect angels here. All of Gaza already knows about the miracle that happened here. When Hamad grows up we will tell him that he is the most special child in the world. He was born twice – In Gaza and in Israel.”

Translation by yonatan silverman