Turn Back the Page

“Norway, November 2, 2004, the phone rang; Hi, Bruce. Have you heard about Theo van Gogh? Apparently the latter had been cycling to work along a street called Linnaeusstraat when Mohammed Bouyeri, the Dutch-born son of Moroccan parents and a member of a radical Muslim network had shot him, knocking him off his bicycle.

Bouyeri, wearing a long jellaba, pumped up to 20 additional bullets into van Goch’s body, stabbed him several times, and slit his throat. He then pinned to van Goch’s chest with a knife a 5 page letter addressed to the filmmaker’s collaborator, Parliament member Ayaan Hirsi Ali, quoting from the Koran and promising her and several other Dutch leaders [who he named], a similar end.” [2007 -Bruce Bawer, author of “While Europe Slept – How radical Islam is destroying the West from within.]

“Within the Arab-Israeli conflict, the central focus today is the prospect of the establishment of a sovereign Arab state west of the Jordan River in the West Bank and Gaza Strip.” [Simon Wiesenthal Center 1990 – IASPS]

“PLO spokesman Marwan Kanafani was videotaped telling reporters, ‘This is not an amendment. This is license to start a new charter in 2009. Fatah officials, among them Azzam al-Ahmad and Nabil Shaath, confirmed that the Charter [Phased Strategy] would remain unchanged——“

Gatestone Institute: “Why the Palestinian Authority Is No Better than Hamas” by Bassam Tawil, a highly credible journalst, was published on January 4, 2024. He commencer’s with, “If the Biden administration is hoping that the PA will halt its ongoing campaign of incitement against Israel in the mosques, media and the rhetoric of Palestinian officials, it is living in a dream world.”

The Biden administration can continue to dream about “revamping” the PA, but every “Palestinian child knows that this will never happen” as long as Palestinian leaders continue to finance the murder of Jews and call for the elimination of Israel.

As the Biden administration doubtless knows, replacing Hamas with the PA will change nothing in the Gaza Strip. Shortly after the killing of al-Arouri, PA President Mahmud Abbas’s ruling Fatah faction issued a statement condemning the “cowardly assassination” and praising the Hamas terrorist as a “prominent Palestinian national figure, fighter and martyr. According to Fatah, “the martyrdom of al-Arouri hurt the feelings of all Palestinians.”

Back on June, 1974, the PLO adopted the “Phased Strategy” which has served as the PLO’s guiding principle ever since. It stipulates that the Palestinians should seize whatever territory, Israel is prepared or compelled to cede to them and use it as a springboard for further territorial gains until achieving the “complete liberation of Palestine.”

There are many problems involved in the relations between Israel and the autonomous regime for the Palestinians established under the Oslo accords. Provisionally, the West Bank had been divided into 3 areas: area A, covering the cities and adjacent areas, in which the elected Palestinian Authority is in control; Area B, in which the Palestinians exercise civilian authority, but the Israeli forces have overall responsibility for security; and the C areas, which were still in Israel’s control.

A Palestinian Arab state west of the Jordan would not bring a stable Middle East peace. Rather, it would likely lead to chronic regional instability ending in a general Arab-Israeli war.

In 1967, the US Joint Chiefs Staff [JCSM-373-67] said that Israel’s best security line would be the Jordan River, with a minimum requirement of a defense line holding the West Bank mountain ranges. Increased territory allows for the dispersal of forces —something which increases their security from a surprise massive attack.

Fanatical religious fundamentalism would likely expand in a Palestinian state due to present trends inside the Hamas-Palestinian community and the rising prestige of religious fanaticism in the Muslim world in recent years and undoubtedly antisemitism.

Shortly after the killing of al-Arouri, PA President Mahmoud Abbas’s ruling Fatah faction issued a statement condemning the “cowardly assassination “ and praising the Hamas terrorist as a prominent Palestinian national figure, fighter and martyr. According to Fatah, “the martyrdom of al-Arouri hurt the feelings of all Palestinians.” Fatah also called for a general strike in the West Bank on January 3 to mourn the death of al-Arouri and other Hamas terrorists.

Israeli retention of Gaza, the West Bank, as well as a Jordan River defense line—is critical to checking the terrorist threat. Jordan’s basic interests oppose a Palestinian Arab state in the West Bank, notwithstanding Jordanian lip service to the contrary.

Approximately a year ago, Front Page posted, “Biden Convenes Antisemitism Summit While Funding Murder of Jews” by Daniel Greenfield. It is extremely revealing for members of the public. The author recognizes that if the Biden administration wants to fight antisemitism, it can stop funding antisemitic terrorists.

He addresses those of the murdered Jews, whose lives had been taken by the pro-terrorist policies that Blinken and the anti-Israel group were celebrating, had imposed on Israel. It furnishes a detailed exposure to the ignorance or prejudice of Biden and Blinken.

The Biden team never condemns terrorists by name. They only condemn the abstract principle of terrorism, not the actual terrorists who commit the attacks. The PA spends hundreds of millions of dollars every year on its “Pay-to-Stay” program, which rewards terrorists on their surviving family members with large sums of money.

Fatah, and not Hamas, does not exercise condemnation alone. Fatah emphasizes that vengeance must be wreaked upon the “occupation”, and that the souls of the martyrs must be avenged, an official warned, while boasting of the PA’s involvement in the murder of Jews.

“Gaslighting” is at the heart of Democrat foreign policy towards Israel. The constant undermining of Israel and empowerment of its enemies is always rationalized. And Jews do much of rationalizing. At J Street, Blinken went on a tear, warning that his administration would “work relentlessly to prevent any parties from taking actions that could raise tensions or push the infamous ‘two-state solution’ even further out of reach.”

The Biden administration continues to threaten Israel and to warn that it will boycott some Israeli ministers, whom it considers to be ‘far right.’ Their embrace of Abbas and his administration was ably challenged by Morton A. Klein, President of the Zionist Organization of America [ZOA] on November 20, 2022. He says Israeli Jews are sick of weak responses to and appeasement of the Palestinian Arab terrorism that has destroyed the lives of so many innocent Israeli Jews.

Klein firmly states the Biden administration should have absolutely no say as to whom Israel approves as any minister. In 1982, when then Senator Biden threatened the then–Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin regarding settlements, Begin stood up to Biden. He famously told the senator:”I am not a Jew with trembling knees.” One wonders whether he had David Axelrod and Rahm Emanuel in mind.

Outpost, July/August 2010, featured Daniel Greenfield’s “How the Media, UN and Diplomats Saved Hamas.” After enough browbeating by James Baker and Warren Christopher, Rabin agreed to take the terrorists back. In a bizarre charade that would serve as a tragic foretelling of events to come, “Rabin agreed to accept 100 terrorists immediately.”

The world insisted that Israel take back the Hamas leadership and we did. The world insisted that Israel had no business being in Gaza, and Israel withdrew from there, which allowed the very same Hamas terrorists that the world insisted Israel take back, take over. Interestingly, 18 years prior, Israel wasn’t even allowed to throw the same terrorists out of the country.” The people who saved Hamas 18 years previously, were responsible for it in 2010.”

Compromising with terrorism did not bring peace. Not in Somalia, where US troops were brutally murdered, not in Afghanistan, where the Taliban slaughtered aid convoys. Not in Indonesia, York or Paris or Egypt, and certainly, not in Gaza.

Daniel Greenfield concludes,” The Islamic Fundamentalists had won many more since then.”

The Jerusalem Post published Shmuel Katz’s “A Palestinian state will not bring peace” on March 20, 2005. He commences with, “The prophet Isaiah also had a vision of peace, about 3,000 years ago. It was a vision of the wolf dwelling with the lamb. He did not, however, suggest it as a practical policy.

Thrice had Sinai, a territory almost empty of settled inhabitants, been used as a launching pad for war on Israel. No political entity called “Palestinian” or “Palestinians” existed. It was only after 1967 that the Arabs of Palestine, when expanding worldwide, used it as a tool for the pan-Arab campaign to eliminate Israel.

In an interview with the Dutch newspaper “Trouw” on March 31, 1977, PLO executive committee member Zahir Muhsein said “The Palestinian people do not exist.” The creation of a Palestinian state is only a means for continuing our struggle against the state of Israel for our Arab unity.”

In reality today there is no difference between Jordanians, Palestinians, Syrians and Lebanese. “Only for political and tactical reasons, do we speak today about the existence of a Palestinian people”, since Arab national interests demand that we posit the “existence of a distinct Palestinian people to oppose Zionism.

‘However, the moment we reclaim our right to all of Palestine, we wll not wait even a minute to unite Palestine and Jordan.”

On March 20, 2009, the Jerusalem Post published Sarah Honig’s “Afraid of Victory”. Apart from remembering the author for her unbelievable skills, this remarkable piece speaks to today. She said Benjamin Netanyahu should inaugurate FDR’s 1933 address on his “firm belief that the only thing we have to fear is fear itself –nameless, unreasoning, unjustified terror which paralyzes needed efforts to convert retreat into advance.”

She said further that his second administration should act boldly and unambiguously unlike the morale issues of Depression-era America.” In our case irrational fear is an existential threat.” Successive governments have been crippled by fear. This already manifested fear—contagious as it is –might also overwhelm Netanyahu’s psyche and infect the new Likud-led government.

We have every cause to fear the establishment’s transmittable fear. We’d be crazy not to fear it. The danger of fear in high places reasserting it is too palpable to pooh-pooh. We didn’t eradicate or even significantly reduce its rocket arsenals. Indeed, both Hezbollah in the north and Hamas in the south continue to arm themselves. Hamas, moreover, also continues its intermittent barrages on civilians, with the international community chillingly indifferent and evidently taking no notice!

Does “occupation” refer only to territories we have held since 1967 or also where Jews settled in 1870? If FDR spoke of “efforts to convert retreat into advance”, Netanyahu’s unparalleled challenge is not to allow collective defeatism to convert advance into yet another retreat —-no Batman will rescue us from the Scarecrow of our own making.

January 9, 2024: “Where is the outrage” by Rabbi Steven Pruzansky was posted by Israel National News. We cannot expect the world’s outrage or even recognition of its own hypocrisy. We must muster our own opinion.

There is a daily stream of anti-Israel outrage about the plight of the Gaza civilians that certainly elides the role that they play in their own suffering – and they continue to play gathering intelligence for Hamas.

“But Hamas rockets are still launched against Israel’s cities, towns and villages and we are still forced into our safe rooms. Where’s the outrage? “

In defiance of international law, Antony Blinken has trumpeted a number of conditions that are supposed to serve as the end game, the ultimate goal of the cessation of hostilities: the first – “no forcible displacement of Palestinians from Gaza” – is hollow, as even voluntary displacement is denied them. What other country in the world is forced to tolerate missiles on its citizens – and receives no sympathy for it, no expression of outrage?

There is a daily stream of anti-Israel outrage about the plight of the Gaza civilians that certainly eludes the role that they play in their own suffering – and they continue to play gathering intelligence for Hamas. But Hamas rockets are still launched against Israel’s cities, towns and villages, and we are still forced into our safe rooms.
Where’s the outrage?

What we must do, however, is define our ultimate interests, stand up for them and not back down, until achieving them. Then we will garner the respect we deserve from our friends, and gain even more allies.

Why does the world not find it intolerable that Hamas, presumably on its last legs, continues to target Israeli civilians after massacring 1200 of us on October 7? Do not Israeli civilians bleed as well? Why did the “world” ever find it tolerable? Why is Antony Blinken silent about this continued affront to civilization?

And if the answer is that, well, the flow of rockets and missiles has decreased significantly in the last few weeks, Why is any rocket or missile acceptable, and not worthy of a devastating response?
What we must do, however, is define our ultimate interests, stand up for them and not back down, and achieve them. That is how nations act when they want to prevail and not simply stalemate.

Israel National News, Dec 31, 2023, Binyamin Regional Council Governor Israel Ganz addressed a letter to US President Joe Biden calling on the President to cease advocating for the creation of a Palestinian Arab state in Judea and Samaria in the aftermath of the Hamas massacre of October 7. Discard perilous idea of a Palestinian state.

The letter he penned to US president warned that continued push for 2- State solution will lead to more bloodshed.
“I must address the time that Your Honor has devoted to an issue that directly impacts the lives of hundreds of thousands of Israelis, including those under my jurisdiction and, by extension the entire State of Israel.

The war between Israel and Gaza did not commence on October 7, 2023; rather, it has been unfolding over the past few years, particularly in Judea and Samaria.
It is no secret that the Palestinians use the same language as Hamas with regard to Israel, as expressed by the Palestinian Authority leadership, their educational systems and media outlets.
.——-The establishment of a terrorist state in Gaza. A mere 15 kilometers from Tel Aviv, signifies the impending demise of Israel and, subsequently serves as a direct threat to other Western countries. ——–
In retrospect, one has to wonder if 2000 years ago, Tsafrir Renon had Joe Biden, Antony Blinken, Adam Schiff, and the Squad in mind when they convinced themselves that there was a country named Palestine or the history of Hadrian’s Curse. “Hadrian’s Curse” was to expose the BIG lie of the “Palestinian cause” in a full-length 120-minute documentary. Regrettably this did not appear as planned by Ronen. [ Think-Israel May-June, 2008]

Zachary Foster in his doctoral dissertation wrote that “Most scholars believe the Roman Emperor Hadrian changed the provincial administrative name of Judaea to Palestine to erase the Jewish presence in the land,” opining that “it’s equally likely the name change had little to do with Jew hatred and more to do with losing our identity.”
The Jerusalem Post’s, “Debunking the claim that Palestinians are the indigenous people of Israel” on May 12, 2015 authored by Daniel Grynglas, can be regard as indisputable. It defies any counter arguments and includes a meaningful contribution from the Peel Commission of 1937 and Joan Peter’s book, “From Time Immemorial” Page 252.
The Peel Commission 1937:

“The Arab population shows a remarkable increase ….. Partly due to the import of Jewish capital into Palestine and other factors associated with the growth of the [Jewish] National Home.
Joan Peter’s book

.”.In the Jewish settlement Rishon l’Tsion founded in 1882, by the year 1889, the forty Jewish families settled there, had attracted more than four hundred Arab families…. Many other Arab villages had sprouted in the same fashion.”

British PM Winston Churchill said in 1939:” Far from being persecuted, the Arabs have crowded into the country [Palestine] —“