Many have expressed surprise over the fact that while Israel is preparing to surrender nearly all the lands demanded by the Arabs, Washington - the primary driver of the land-for-peace process - maintains a cool and distant approach to the Israeli initiative. Speaking to Arutz 7, I believe Yoram Ettinger, a former official at the Israeli Embassy in Washington, hits the nail on the head:
“The State Department has always been in favor of Israel’s return all the way to the 1949 borders…” and “there are those in the State Department who feel that [Olmert’s convergence] would be sufficient and would likely lead to a return to the ‘49 borders - but others see how Israel is planning to annex settlement blocs, and cannot agree.”
The United States government, and in particular the State Department, are less than enthusiastic about the planned withdrawal because, at least initially, Israel, and not the Arabs, will decided how much land is relinquished.
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1 FERN SIDMAN // Jun 8, 2006 at 11:10 am
UNITED IN DESTRUCTION OF ISRAEL
BY: FERN SIDMAN
It has now been almost a year since the government of Israel uprooted and dispersed 10,000 of it’s citizens from their homes in Gush Katif. It has now been almost a year since Jewish homes, synagogues and yeshivas were demolished were in Gush Katif. And as we know, many former Gush Katif residents are now homeless and are struggling with dire poverty.
In the first half of the year 2005, we were told by the Sharon-Olmert government that this evacuation and demolition of Gush Katif would bring about “peace” with the “Palestinians” as they would now be on the trajectory toward independent statehood. We were told that this gesture of territorial compromise would be welcomed by the Arabs and would expedite the “Roadmap to Peace” that the Bush administration touted as the last great hope in the protracted Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
As we witness the families of Gush Katif who have suffered severe psycholgical trauma, homelessness and daily destitution, we ask ourselves if this disengagement plan achieved it’s desired results. We ask ourselves whether the relinquishing of G-d given Jewish land to our Arab enemies has brought about the “peace’ that we sacrificed life and limb for.
It was recently reported by Arutz Sheva that Yuval Diskin, head of Israel’s domestic intelligence agency, also known as the Shin Bet, told a Knesset committee that since the disengagement, “weapons smuggling into Gaza has reached unprecedented proportions.” He also added that, “Arab terrorists have succeeded in smuggling 11 tons of TNT into Gaza”, as well as, ’smuggling massive quantities of other weapons across the Egypt-Gaza border.”
Among the new weapons at the terrorists’ disposal were 10,000 rifles, 1600 pistols, RPGs, Katyushas, and shoulder-fired Strella missiles which are capable of downing civilian aircraft.
As new weapons and other armaments flow into the PA, Diskin said, groups such as Al Qaeda, which promote World Jihad, have been taking root in PA strongholds in Gaza and Judea and Samaria. In fact, Diskin told the committee, elements of the World Jihad in Sinai were responsible for intensifying the extent of weapons smuggling into Gaza. Egypt, he explained, was likewise ineffective in its efforts to curtail Al Qaeda, which has opened up a number of cells in the Sinai Peninsula. Overall, Diskin said, the Egyptians had a poor record in fighting terrorism.
These facts come as no surprise as Kassam rockets are fired on Jewish settlements on a daily basis from Gaza. These facts come as no surprise as we know that Arab terrorist bases now stand in the same place as the former Jewish settlement of Neve Dekalim in Gush Katif..
Whoever has eyes to see and ears that hear, knows that the “peace” that had been hoped for has never come to fruition and never will. Over the last year, in the aftermath of this painful and agonizing disengagement, the world saw the election of Hamas, as the sole representative of the Palestinian people. We know that this disengagement has only emboldened our enemies. It is also very clear, that our Arab enemies view any form of territorial compromise on the part of Israel as a sign of weakness and guilt and they respond to this gesture towards “peace” with even more contempt and hatred than before.
Subsequent to the disengagement from Gush Katif we watched the Arabs in Gaza and all over Israel celebrate with overwhelming joy and glee as Jews were being forcibly evacuated from their homes. We watched as Arabs burned down Jewish synagogues and other abandoned buildings. We watched ourselves being humiliated by our enemies. And to those who proclaimed that this disengagement would bring about the “peace” that they so desperately want, that they want now, we must let them know that there is no “peace’ and their continued efforts to attain “peace” even in light of the fact that Hamas swears the destruction of Israel, are guilty of working hand in hand with the Arab terrorist enemy.
Yes, it is quite true that their is no significant difference between Peace Now, Hamas and Al Qaeda. They all have one common denominator that binds them together and that is the destruction of the State of Israel. It is true that those who swell the ranks of Peace Now are mainly Jewish leftists and those in Hamas and Al Qaeda are Arabs of Muslim and Christian descent, but other than that fact there are more similarities than differences.
It was recently reported that Peace Now has gone to the Supreme Court of Israel demanding that six outposts in Yesha be immediately evacuated and demolished as the organization claims that the demolition orders are about to expire at the end of the month. As we know, Peace Now has fought a no-holds-barred war against the Jewish presence in Judea, Samaria and Gaza for over 25 years.
The Supreme Court rejected Peace Now’s demand and ruled that the suit is basically irrelevant, as Defense Minister Amir Peretz recently signed a document extending the validity of the demolition orders. The Court essentially accepted the State’s request to be allowed to formulate its policies on the issue according to its own timetable and security considerations.
The six outposts in question are Givat Assaf, Givat HaRoeh, Ramat Gilad, Mitzpeh Yitzhar, Mitzpeh Lachish and Maaleh Rehavam.
We must send a bold and clear message to our enemies from within and without that we know that you are united in your goal to seek the annihilation of the State of Israel. We know that you are both kindred spirits in your quest to vanquish the Jewish presence from the land of Israel. We know that you are both aided in your goal by the morally and spiritually bankrupt leaders of Israel.
We must also let you know, that as long as we have mouths to speak and feet to march with, we will never desist in speaking the truth and we will never desist from opposing your insidious efforts to destroy the Jewish nation. We must make you aware that you can never destroy the Jewish nation, because as we say in our daily prayers, the Almighty G-d of Israel is our “King, Helper, Savior and Shield”. Our faith in G-d will never be diminshed. To quote the words of the sweet singer of Israel, Dovid HaMelech, “I will not fear the myriads of people that have set themsleves around me. Arise, Hashem, deliver me my G-d, for you have smitten all of my enemies, upon the jawbone, the teeth of the wicked, You have broken. To Hashem belongs deliverance, upon Your people is Your blessing.” (Psalms, chapter 3)
May these words penetrate our hearts and minds and may Hashem give us the strength, power and wisdom to defend the Jewish nation against those within and without who seek our destruction.
2 Susan Spreitzer // Jun 8, 2006 at 2:41 pm
Amen Fern. I am with you 100%. Unfortunately, appeasers are in power and are calling the shots. The Lord Himself will defend Israel. My heart is broken for the displaced settlers.
3 Aaron S. // Jun 10, 2006 at 3:38 pm
No one is responsible for Israel’s current situation except for Israel. Unfortunately, the Jews did not wander in the desert for forty years psychologically to really become a people full of pride. Instead, Israel walks around like a guilty dog, a Josef K., guilty of something of which it is not cogniscent. So instead of acting out of pride, it acts out of shame. It has become a believer that it has absconded Arab lands rather than understanding that it is the Arabs who are slowly conquering Jewish lands.
A time must come that Jews stop walking around like second class citizens who are nothing more than shtetl Jews afraid of another pogrom. Jew must obtain what Jobotinsky wrote about, HADAR, pride in being a Jew. until that day, Israel will be a reactive nation, reacting to its Arab neighbor’s attacks, rather than going on the offensive and crushing their enemies. Israel has come to accept a daily barrage of quassam missiles and terrorist attacks.
No one should have to accept that. The Arabs should be given an ultimatum: cease all violence or fave the wrath of Jehovah. Then, when the next terror attack occurs, the Arabs should be struck with the equivalent of ten plagues. They should be hit with such force that their teeth shake in their gums.
Enough of Islamic expansionism.
The Arabs must be stopped in their quest for global dominance. The front line is Israel. The Arabs must be driven east of the Jordan River from whence they were spawned.
4 FERN SIDMAN // Jun 12, 2006 at 1:40 pm
DEMOCRACY OR POLICE STATE??
BY: FERN SIDMAN
It has been reported by Yekutiel Guzofsky, the Editor in Chief of the Voice of Judea web site that rumors are circulating concerning his impending arrest. In a statement released early Sunday morning, June 11th, Guzofsky states, “While I am not on the run, and I have no reason to go underground, rumor has it that the Israeli authorities are planning to arrest me and several others next week. I have done nothing wrong. I have violated no law of the land. This would not be the first time that I would be arrested by the Shin Bet or Israeli police without due cause. This would not be the first time I am persecuted for my Torah views and my love of Israel.”
This news comes as no surprise to those who are familiar with Mr. Guzofsky. He is an outspoken opponent of the Olmert government’s convergence-expulsion plan and has been a long time critic of the Israeli government’s attempts to eradicate Jewish settlements in Judea, Samaria and Gaza and was active in attempts to prevent the expulsion of 10,000 Jews from their homes in Gush Katif last summer.
His statement goes on to tell of the reasons leading to his possible arrest. It states, “Thursday afternoon, Jeffrey Seath and Shmulik Bezalel were arrested at the port in Haifa waiting to release a container of tools shipped to Jeff from the states. Jeff, a 37 year old new immigrant to Tapuach Israel, converted to Judaism, and came home to Israel several months ago. He came to Israel during these critical times to help secure “settlements” with his specially trained tracking dogs. In spite of the news black-out related to his and Shmulik’s arrest, the attorneys who have been prevented from seeing their clients claim that more arrests are on the way and that Jeff is being accused of importing a weapon or parts of a weapon. Shmulik had evidently driven Jeff to the port and why exactly they are holding him remains unclear.
As far as I am concerned Jeff is innocent until proven guilty. The fact is that Jeff comes from North Carolina where guns are bought and sold over-the-counter. I have no idea if Jeff made the stupid error of bringing one of his licensed weapons from the states to Israel on his lift. It is clear that the police plan on rounding up more people, very likely including myself the former leader of the outlawed Jewish Legion.”
It is clear from Mr. Guzofsky’s statement, that charges against these two men have not yet been made and we are not certain if they have engaged in any form of weapons smuggling. It is also clear that if Guzofsky is arrested it will be an egregious violation of his civil rights. In a true democracy one cannot be charged with “guilt by association”. It is also quite clear that the police witch hunt as been accelerated against opponents of the Olmert government.
Anyone who dare speaks out against expulsion of Jews from their homes and the subsequent demolition of Jewish settlements can be a target for persecution in what has become a totalitarian regime in Israel. As we know, the State of Israel does not have a constitution which protects the rights of free speech and of due process in cases of arrest. It is quite probable that Guzofsky could be remanded and held under administrative detention for a protracted period of time. This move would prevent him from having contact with any legal representation that he may have. The Shin Bet would have ample time to interrogate and torture him into a false confession that could potentially lead to an indictment and a very long prison term.
Anyone who is familiar with the basic tenets of a democratic government knows that these draconian measures do not fall within the parameters of a “democracy”. Mr. Guzofsky has spent many years protecting the Jewish residents of Yesha while involved in The Jewish Legion. He was the first to import canine dogs in to Israel for the express purpose of bomb sniffing. These dogs have been prepared for their task by qualified and experienced dog trainers. While on patrol of Jewish settlements, these dogs and their handlers have prevented numerous attacks aimed at Jewish settlements. In response to the efforts made by The Jewish Legion in attempting to protect and preserve Jewish lives, the Israeli government has sought and was successful in outlawing The Jewish Legion. Many Jewish Legion members live on the settlement of Tapuach in the northern Shomron. It is the same settlement that Binyamin Kahane, HY’D, ZTK’L and many Kahane supporters lived.
It is now clear what the motivation behind the impending arrest of Mr. Guzofsky is. It is clearly a government plot to destroy the last vestiges of Jewish resistance to further expulsion of Jews in Judea and Samaria. How easy it would be to arrest a “Kahanist” and call him a “terrorist”. How simple it would be to gain public support for such an arrest. After all, the fascist media in Israel, with the help of the government of Israel has successfully indoctrinated the Israeli public to believe that anyone associated with the late Rabbi Meir Kahane, HY’D, ZTK’L is a potential terrorist.
After all, who would go to bat and speak out on behalf of Mr. Guzofsky and others in the Kahane movement? Surely, it wouldn’t be the Israeli Association for Civil Rights or any other public advocacy group. They are clearly associated with defending the rights of Arabs and Jewish leftists who are arrested in Israel. Tragically, we cannot depend on the support of the organized, mainstream Yesha community, who are dependent on the IDF for protection and have defended their actions when it came to forcibly evicting Jewish settlers from their homes.
Mr. Guzofsky unequivocally proclaims his innocence of any involvement in any weapons smuggling charges, as he states in his release. “I am not hiding and I am not running away. I did nothing wrong and I will not behave like a fugitive on the run. Furthermore, while I am not condoning weapon smuggling into Israel, I find it hard to condemn anyone for taking basic
measures to defend himself, his community or his family, especially when the government refuses to offer all of the necessary defense to its citizens for political reasons in order to appease the Arabs and international community. That having been said, I must again stress that I have no idea if Jeff brought anything in his lift that would be considered illegal in Israel.”
We must not allow the Israeli government to falsely arrest and possibly indict Mr. Guzofsky on any bogus charges of weapons smuggling or engaging in any criminal act. Now is the time to galvanize our community and speak out against this outrageous violation of basic civil rights. It is time to provide total support and succor to Mr. Guzofsky and others who are potential targets in this witch hunt.
Mr. Guzofsky appeals to the public for their support in his release, when he states, “For those of you who have supported me and the various projects I direct on behalf of Israel and Jewish defense, please continue to support these projects. Don’t allow the authorities to silence me or destroy the vital programs I have started. The raising of defense dogs for Israel will continue, regardless of any arrest that may be carried out against me. The vital referendum to save Israel will continue. The Voice of Judea will continue, with G-d’s help and with your generous support.
Now more than ever I appeal to you for desperately needed funds for Jeffrey and Shmulik’s defense as well as for the defense of others such as myself who may be arrested in spite of the fact that we did nothing wrong whatsoever. Please help our defense and help us spread the Jewish message of truth and survival in Israel by sending a generous contribution to:
Yekutiel Guzofsky POB 6592 Jerusalem Israel.”
Let us remember Mr. Guzofsky’s final words of his reIease which states, “I am not scared of the Israeli police. Their hysteria and persecution of people like me, show how desperate they are and how much they indeed realize that we enjoy the support of the grassroots and masses. It is only a question of time and they know that. The police and their prisons do not scare me, nor do the Arabs. I am much more scared and frightened of Jewish apathy.
Dont stand by idly. Please help now.”
The time has come to muster up enough strength to have the courage of our convictions. Now is the time to support those who are being unfairly targeted for their beliefs. Now is the time to prevent Israel from transforming in to a complete police state, with no regard for democratic principles. For if we do not speak out when we had the ability, who will be there for us, when we choose to speak out and our views are not popular.
The Torah enjoins us to preserve and defend justice and righteousness. “Tzedek, tzedek tirdof”. Justice, justice shalt thou pursue.
May the Almighty G-d of Israel give us the strength and courage to speak out and defend justice and may He protect those who are falsely charged and imprisoned.
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