October 2010

Ahmed Moor reject Jews' Right for Self-Determination / DR.Rivka Shpak Lissak

Ahmed Moor wrote an article in The Haffington Post of October1, 2010:"Israel's Jewish Character is Subject for Debate"

My answer to Mr. Moor:
Mr. Moor is not only rewriting history. He distorts the facts.

A.Israel was established by International Consent, 1947

The Jews are not a race- but a nation. Every nation has the right of self- determination, Jews included. If Mr.Moor denies Jews this right, he is a racist.

The right of the Jewish people for self- determination was accepted by the League of Nations in 1920/1921 and by the United States in 1947.

Is the U.S. Government and the West Starting to Coprehend the Real Isues in the Middle East / Prof.B.Rubin

After acceding to U.S. requests for nine months by freezing construction on existing Jewish settlements in the West Bank and also not building over the pre-1967 frontier in Jerusalem, Israel got nothing.

While Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu seemed willing to continue it in some form, pressures from within his coalition made that impossible.Therefore, the freeze is coming to an end, though Israel is still ready to discuss limits on new construction. Palestinian Authority (PA) leader Mahmoud Abbas is threatening to walk out of the once-every-two-weeks direct talks.

Is Israel a Colonial State?The Political Psychology pf Palestinian NOMENCLTURE / Irwin J.Mamnsdorf

Israel's creation, far from being a foreign colonial transplant, can actually be seen as the vanguard of and impetus for decolonialization of the entire Middle East, including a significant part of the Arab world, following the fall of the Ottoman Empire.
What is not popularly recognized is how the Arab world benefited from the Balfour Declaration and how it served the Arab world in their nationalist goals and helped advance their own independence from the colonial powers of England and France.

Two Issues:The War Within Islam + Israel and Islamism / Prof.B.Rubin

Two readers asked me questions well worth answering. The first asked whether Islam itself isn't the enemy; the second, how these distinctions appear from an Israeli standpoint; .

The Selctive Sensitivity of Noble Price Bride, MS.Maguire / DR.Rivka Shpak Lissak

To: [email protected]
Sent: Sunday, October 03, 2010 4:46 AM
Subject: On the selective sensitivity of the Noble Price Bride
The letter was not published.
My "Open Letter to MS.Maguire," was not published too.

The Letter:
The Noble Price Bride Ms.Maguire has a selective sensitivity towards human suffering:

She is very sensitive to the suffering of Palestinian children in Gaza.

When Should U.S. Policy Try to Promote Regime Change un the Middle East / Prof.B.Rubin

“Interference in foreign countries, according to my mind," said British Prime Minister William Gladstone more than a hundred years ago, "should be rare, deliberate, decisive in character, and effectual for its end.”

While Gladstone might have overstated these limits, I'd stress that direct intervention is never something to be undertaken lightly. What does a government have to do to be a candidate for being overthrown by the United States? Let me give some general principles but restrict my examples to the Middle East.

Saui Arabia and the New Strategic Landscape / Joshua Teitelbaum

Since the end of the Cold War, a new strategic landscape has appeared in the Middle East. No longer dominated by a U.S.-Soviet rivalry, this new landscape is dominated by U.S.-Iranian confrontation. In this struggle, the United States' most important Arab ally, Saudi Arabia, plays a key role. As the Obama administration policies allow Iran to run out the clock on getting a nuclear weapon, it would appear from its recent policy moves that it believes Riyadh is primarily concerned with the Arab-Israeli conflict. While this is a concern in Saudi Arabia, it is far and away not the primary one.

DR.Jonathan Spyer Visits Northern Iraq: An Interview / Prof.B.Rubin

Dr. Jonathan Spyer, senior fellow at the Global Research in International Affairs (GLORIA) Center, has just returned from a visit to northern Iraq. He is the first Israeli analyst to meet leaders of the Kurdish-ruled region there, and to interview the leader of the radical Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK). He is interviewed here by Professor Barry Rubin, director of the GLORIA Center.

Rubin: What were your impressions of Kurdish-ruled northern Iraq?

Turkey and the Gulf States in the 21th Century / Sean Foley

This article argues that Turkey's improved relations with the Gulf states in recent years reflect Ankara's refusal to allow Washington to use its territory to invade Iraq in 2003, Turkey's promotion of regional trade, and the decline of traditional Cold War security alliances in the Middle East. Ankara and Gulf states have increasingly seen each as viable alternatives to their traditional strategic partners--the European Union for Turkey and the United States for Gulf governments.

Jewish - Muslim Interaction in Canada / Interview with David Goldberg , Part One

The number of Muslims in Canada has grown exponentially, while the size of the Jewish community has remained more or less stable. There are now 780,000 Muslims in the country, representing 2.5 percent of the total population, while the 373,000 Jews account for about 1 percent.

Prime Minister Salam Fayyad's 2 Year Path to Palestinian Statehood / Dan Diker & Pinhas Inbari

In August 2009, Palestinian Prime Minister Salam Fayyad announced a unilateral plan to establish a de facto Palestinian state in the West Bank and eastern Jerusalem following a two-year state-building process. Fayyad's plan is the first serious Palestinian outline of a state-building effort since the PLO was founded in 1964 and replaces the traditional PLO position of armed struggle to "liberate Palestine."

The New Demographic Balance in Europe and its Consequences / Raphael Israeli

The aftermath of World War II brought about an acute shortage of manpower in Europe. Former colonies, where manpower was available that required relatively limited cultural adaptation, became the plentiful sources for unskilled laborers who would replenish the dwindling pool of workers in Europe.

Muslim Brotherhood Declares War on America:Will America Notice? Prof.B.Rubin

This is one of those obscure Middle East events of the utmost significance that is ignored by the Western mass media, especially because they happen in Arabic, not English; by Western governments, because they don't fit their policies; and by experts, because they don't mesh with their preconceptions.

This explicit formulation of a revolutionary program makes it a game-changer. It should be read by every Western decisionmaker and have a direct effect on policy because this development may affect people's lives in every Western country.

Forward to the Past:The Fall and Rise of the One - State Solution /Jonathan Spyer

Deeply embedded in Palestinian nationalism is the notion that Israeli Jewish identity is analogous to that of communities born of European colonialism, which are not seen as having legitimate claim to self-determination. No reconsidering of this characterization took place during the period of the peace process of the 1990s.

Arafat Gave the Green Light to the Intifada, Says Senior Hamas Leader / Jonatha D.Halevi

The Palestinians celebrated on September 208, 2010 the tenth anniversary of al-Aqsa Intifada, known as the war of terror launched against Israel after MK Ariel Sharon visited the Temple Mount in the Old City of Jerusalem. The debate in Israel regarding the question who initiated the Intifada is not yet over. Some analysts and commentators believe that the Intifada was a spontaneous burst of popular rage against Israel and not a premeditated attack made by Yasser Atafat, the chairman at that time of the Palestinian Authority, and the leader of the PLO and Fatah movement.

The Controversy on the Dormant or Lost Jewish Accounts in Swiss Banks and its Aftermath / DR.Simon Erlanger

The affair of the dormant, or lost, Jewish accounts in Swiss banks is still seen today by a large part of the Swiss population not as an attempt to achieve historic justice, but as an outright attack not only on Swiss banking but on Swiss identity and on Switzerland as a whole. The notion of "Jewish blackmail" is still rampant.

Iran - Syria Bloc Consolidates Alliance with Turkish Regime and Hold Over Lebanon / Prof.B.Rubin

Here's one more in a whole series of Iranian and Syrian statements that Turkey--which means the current Islamist-oriented regime in Ankara--is now a strategic ally of these two radical states.

Question: Can you be simultaneously an ally of the United States and an ally of Iran? Sounds hard to pull off, doesn't it?

Senior Human Rights Activist Sympathizers with a "Retired" Serial Killer / Jonathan/D.Halevi

The Israeli Criminal Law clearly defines the punishment for committing a murder. Clause no. 300 determines that a person who intentionally caused the death of a human being will be charged with murder and will be sentenced to lifetime imprisonment. The International Humanitarian Law prohibits targeting civilians during an armed conflict under any circumstances. Israeli and international human rights organizations are united in regards to viewing terrorist attacks, and particularly suicide bombings, as a “war crime” and unequivocally demand bringing to justice their planners and perpetrators.

When it Comes to Jews Mairead is no Peace-Lover / Ben Dror Yemini

We must not mistake her: The Nobel peace prize laureate is no “peace activist.” She identifies in absolute terms with Hamas, despite the fact that she knows that it is an anti-Semitic organization that has insisted on continued violence, openly preaches for the annihilation of the Jews and supports global jihad and the Islamic conquest of the entire free world.

Abu Mazen declared He Will not Recognize Israel as A Jewish National State / DR.Rivka Shpak Lissak

http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3969948,00.html

Abu Mazen Declared

Abu Mazen declared he would not recognize Israel as the Jewish National Home of the Jewish people.

This is the real issue of the Israeli- Palestinian conflict: the refusal of Arabs and Palestinians to have a Jewish state in the Middle East.

The Netanyahu Government at Halfway Point:Keeping Things Quiet?Jonathan Spyer

The key policy challenge put forth by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has been the threat of the Iranian nuclear program. Yet there is a sense of contradiction between his bold assertion of dangers that must be stopped (when in opposition) and his cautious, tentative treatment of issues once in office. This contradiction appears to mirror his performance as prime minister from 1996 to 1999. At its halfway point, the second Netanyahu premiership has been characterized by pragmatism, caution, and a general desire to preserve the status quo.

The Mount of Olives in Jerusalem:Why Continued Israeli Control is Vital / Nadav Shragai

The Jewish cemetery on the Mount of Olives, that the Palestinians demand to transfer to their control, is the most important Jewish cemetery in the world. The area has constituted a religious and national pantheon for the Jewish people and the State of Israel, containing the tombs of the illustrious dead of the nation over the course of 3,000 years and serving as a site for Jewish gathering and prayer at the time of the ancient Temple and even prior to it.

Anti-Zionist and Antisemitic Discourse on Guardian's Comment is free website / Hadar Sela

The British newspaper, the Guardian, has been described as waging a high-priority campaign against Israel in its pages and on its popular website. Does the evidence available--especially regarding the latter--support this opinion, and if so, in what way does this bias express itself, how far-reaching are its effects and consequences, and what--if anything--can be done to counteract it?

Understanding the Breakdown of Israeli- Palestinian Negotiations, 2000 / LT.COL.(RES) Jonathan D.Halevi

The Declared Objectives of the Palestinian Authority / The Difference Between a Political Solution and a Historic Solution / The Path to Achieve Palestinian Strategic Goals / Steps to Eradicate Zionism: Unite the National and Islamic Forces / The Demographic Time Bomb / Alliance with Israeli Palestinians / Support from the Arab World / Conclusions and Future Prospects

The Declared Objectives of the Palestinian Authority

Turkish Islamic Regime Sounds Just Like Iran / Prof.B.Rubin

We constantly see the use of the "Israel excuse" for problems and policy moves in the Middle East. The argument is repeatedly made that if only Israel settled the Palestinian issue there would be no problems, a claim also made regarding growing antisemitism in Europe.

Islamic Terror- 22,691 People Were Killed By Muslims Since January 2010 / DR.Rivka Shpak Lissak

DR.Yohai Sela is an expert in Middle East studies.He has a web site called the Mideast Forum, in which he publishes his articles on Middle East Issues.

One of his projects deals with the question:How Many People were Killed every month by Muslims.

This project was initiated as a respond to the current accusations against Israel for killing innocent Palestinians. The project is a respond against the unjustified demonization of Israel as a murderer.

Here are the facts brought by DR.Yohai Sela:
The number of people killed every month by Muslims:
2010:
January - 2,166

A Reader Asks: Why Won't Israel Define its Borders in Advance of Negotiations / Prof.B.Rubin

A reader asks: "You wrote, `But if Israel defined it's final boundaries before negotiations, the Palestinian Authority [says it] would return to the talks. Israel won't do that, of course.' Why is that `of course'"?
I first joked that it was because the article was getting to be too long. In other words, I didn't have the space to discuss it. But let me explain that point now.

Arab World in Crisis: Another Summit Failure / Zvi Mazel

An extraordinary summit of the leaders of the Arab world was held on October 9 in the Libyan city of Syrte. It had been convened in accordance to the decision taken at the regular yearly summit in March. The press – international and Israeli alike – did not have much to say about the October summit. Most of its attention had been diverted to another meeting, that of the Arab League monitoring committee.

How the Changing Nature of Threats to Israel Affects Security Arrangements / Maj.- Gen.(res.)Giora Eiland

How do we resolve the dilemma of a peace agreement that includes handing over the Golan Heights to the Syrians, while facing the fact that Israel cannot be defended without the Golan Heights? The way around this was supposed to be the inclusion in any peace agreement of specific security arrangements. Yet this approach was based on a number of assumptions, all of them misguided.

Does the Media Give you the Full Picture; The 60 Minutes Interview / DR.Rivka Shpak Lissalk

To the CBS reporter
I saw the 60 Munutes interview on Siluan, East Jerusalem.
I do not belong to the right wing and do not agree with what they are doing there.
But,the questions asked showed the interviewer had an agenda on the Israeli - Palestinian situation.
This is politization of the media.

I am an historian and the truth should be said.

Ahmadinejad in Lebanon / Shimon Shapira

Iranian President Ahmadinejad's visit to Lebanon constitutes an additional stage in the process of the Lebanese state's collapse. From now on, Hizbullah supporters will find it difficult to argue that theirs is a national Lebanese party operating in the Lebanese reality on behalf of Lebanese objectives.

Ahmadinejad arrived in Lebanon not as the head of a friendly country who wants to promote good relations with a sovereign state, but as the supreme commander who came to review his soldiers at the front against Israel, and as an investor who was coming to check on his investments.

Are U.S. Officials Understanding and Responding to Middle East Crises? Prof.B.Rubin

If you've lost faith in the current administration's ability and mass media's ability to respond to Middle East developments, here's more evidence. There's a relatively new American idiomatic expression, "Ya [you] think?" Said sarcastically, it means: Wow, duh, the answer to that question is really obvious!

Present Day Anti - Semitism in Turkey / Rifat N.Bali

Turkish intellectuals have always taken a pro-Palestinian and anti-Israeli stance. Islamists associate the "Palestine question" with alleged Jewish involvement in the rise of Turkish secularism. Leftists see Israel as an imperialist state and an extension of American hegemony in the Middle East. Comparable themes are found among nationalist intellectuals.

How Has U.S, Policy Towards Hamas and Gaza Strip Turned Around 360 Degrees / Prof.B.Rubin

A reader asks what I meant when I wrote:
"Should I mention the total reversal of U.S. policy on Hamas from trying to undermine that radical Islamist group's rule in the Gaza Strip to believing Hamas will fall if Gaza becomes prosperous?"

Here's my answer:

From the time Hamas seized the Gaza Strip until last summer, the U.S. government supported a strategy of trying to bring down the Hamas government. It did this by both political isolation and supporting embargos to minimize Gaza's imports and exports. The idea was that weakening Gaza's economy would weaken Hamas's rule.