Thursday, January 26, 2006

Worldwide Exam Time

It's interesting actually living at the heart of the matter, rather than watching it through the 29" flat screen divine provider of all information. Yesterday, here in an area of Jerusalem populated largely by Jerusalem Arabs, the directors of my work place recommended we avoid walking outside the fences of our offices today in order to avoid finding ourselves in any predicament.

As the taxi driver said to be this morning as he 'escorted' me to work, "Isn't it strange? They vote and we are frightened".

It is rather peculiar that we should be afraid to walk some streets on Palestinian election day. Israeli security officials are aware of the risks of unrest and violence and hence the very noticeable increase in police forces in and around this area. To no surprise though, there's probably more concern (reflected in intelligence reports) that election rejectionists Islamic Jihad (among others) will try to turn the heat up by murdering Jews. Why not they say? What else is there to do on election day?

What else indeed? How about taking the opportunity to take an opportunity? A little wise, constructive and forward-looking voting might do the trick. Or not.

As regular KICreaders are aware, Ashley Perry has been keeping you current for the last few weeks while I prepare for the rather daunting law exams of the Israeli Bar Association. Still, I reasoned that it might be worth my while giving a quick KICpost seeing as it's exam time for others too - and not just law students.

These vital Palestinian elections lay down the gauntlet to the world (and in particular the Europeans). They might not have quite known what they were in for when they happily registered for the Middle East Craziness 101 course. Regardless, it's exam time now and we'll be waiting to see the results.

If Hamas gains much of the vote, and even more so if they become a party in the ruling PA government, the world must be seen to reject this result. Democracy - great! Hitler rose to power through democratic means, a means not dissimilar to Hamas' popularity, that also relies on and abuses citizenry desperation, poverty and brainwashed fanaticism. This most famous and most powerful of Palestinian terror groups has by no means changed its 'all of Palestine by all means' platform and like its friends Hezbollah, it continues to follow instructions and receive financial backing from Iran (remember them?) and others.

The Europeans (and even the Americans at times) have played with the idea of relations with these murderers. When it comes to the crunch, declarations of intent by world powers mean precious little right now. Their actions towards a Hamas-controlled PA will tell us much more.

In my books, any whif of 'the people of spoken' from world leaders would be a most revolting switch in the war on terror. It's a multiple choice question but there is, by definition, only one correct answer to circle. Failing this exam, not through lack of knowledge but by misguided and dishonest diplomacy, would be an international kick in the guts for the thousands of Israeli terror victims, the 3000 of 9/11, the 50 or so of 7/7, the 200 in Spain, the 200 in Bali, the thousands of Iraqi terror victims and those Palestinians who do desire true peace.

If all these people did indeed die so that we should learn and grow, the world must prove that here and now.

UPDATE (Thursday morning): Here we are Mr & Mrs World - here is your exam paper. You may begin. Good luck!

Tuesday, January 17, 2006

Jan 23rd - online Israel course


Register now for the next online eAcademy "Stating the Case" course. A course run by the Israeli Foreign Ministry and the Jewish Agency for Israel, it is taught by well-known experts in the field. This is an opportunity to learn and discuss the topics at the heart of the Middle East conflict from the comfort of your own home.
The video lectures review the security fence, terror and Israel's responses, refugees, human rights, disengagement and beyond.

Join now!

Monday, January 16, 2006

Chevron Tales

At a session I gave to an AUJS Birthright group on Saturday night, we looked at Israel's relationship with the media. To a great extent, we looked at Western media but I did point out that even in Israel itself, each newspaper, TV station and the like present a different view on a specific event.

A case in point is Disengagement, where some news outlets demonized the Israeli residents of Gaza ("settlers", as the unhelpful label reads). Similarly, we have a situation unfolding now in Judaism's second holiest city, Chevron, where IDF police and soldiers are facing off against their brothers and sisters.

From one side of the Israeli media spectrum, we are receiving reports of egg throwing, rock hurling, Nazi salutes, masked crazies and extremist Jews who are being removed from homes occupied by Palestinians until a few years ago. From other sources, we are told of police abuse and brutality against excitable ideological Jewish teenagers and the subsequent loss of historic Jewish sites that extend back to before the 1929 murder and expulsion of Chevron's Jewish community by Arabs residents. And then there are the Palestinians who claim that the IDF is allowing attacks by Jews.

Still there are others like President Katsav and the Mafdal (National Religious Party) who have called for an end to any violence against IDF soldiers. Attacking an IDF soldier is a big major taboo in this country and there are Rabbis who are coming out strongly to warn against crossing those red lines and others. These are people who would tie orange ribbons on their cars and yet they educate to a more widely-appreciated tune.

What is clear is that what we are talking about, in the words of Police Insp.-Gen. Moshe Karadi, are "small groups of hoodlums," and that "we met them during the disengagement and we will continue to deal with them appropriately." He added that most Hebron residents were "law-abiding citizens".

We should not therefore allow ourselves to be taken in by any naive blanket condemnation of a certain people or group thereof.

All this is Israel's democracy and freedom of speech and press at work and I'm proud that such exists. Such a wide range of opinion never surfaces from (or is permitted to surface from!) Palestinian or other Arab societies. Yet it leaves the onlooker confused at best and judgmental at worst. It's not difficult to predict how the international media (and Joe Smith of surburbia) will make up his mind.

Having received these unique clips (below) from a man who also recorded Disengagement with his own video camera, I invite you to delve into his live take on Chevron and beyond. I took a tour of the Gaza Jewish communities with him before Disengagement and while he is a tremendous guy, I leave it over to each KICreader to evaluate Shlomo's commentary, footage and analysis.

I have to say that his Chevron footage as it stands does not indicate any horrific police treatment. In fact, what I can see is a sad repeat of Disengagement whereby we are sadly forced to watch Jew challenge Jew. Our political views aside, it's simply a KIC in the guts to watch it all unfold again and we all know who benefits the most from the internal strife.

Take a look at the video clips and so on through the link below and leave a comment on the KICblog to let us know your thoughts.

Michael and the KICteam

*************************************

URGENT UPDATE FROM CHEVRON FROM EDITOR SHLOMO WOLLINS

ARMY INVADES MAIN AVRAHAM AVEINU NEIGHBORHOOD IN CHEVRON

This is Shlomo Wollins reporting from the Holy City
of Chevron,which has just been invaded (contrary to promises
from security forces) and the army has taken control of the Avraham Aveinu
neighborhood...the army has locked down all the buildings and is going house
to house toforcefully evict the children...

I have posted massive update, with 13 video clips (ranging from 30 seconds

to 11 minutes in length--in streaming format) as well as 3 audio clips....
go to this link to view and listen

http://israelreporter.com/2006/01/16/exclusive-video-coverage-of-chevron-shuk-struggle/

This situation here is very dangerous.... pls forward this link to EVERY
person in America that cares about Chevron and the Jewish children here, who
with great bravery and injury are defending the land of ALL the Jews... also
pls post to blogs, forums, and forward to journalists...we must involve
American Jewry here, or Chevron will be entirely lost in the Olmert
regime, that misguided Israelis are about to elect in landside...

The state of Israel is in dire peril....pray for us...

Shlomo

CONTACT INFORMATION:
Shlomo Wollins, Publisher & Editor
http://www.israelreporter.com/
054-7388-054




Wednesday, January 11, 2006

Voting Now - Blog Awards

Voting stations are open for the Jewish and Israeli Blog Awards 2005. This KICblog has been nominated in two categories. (Sounds like the Oscars doesn't it?!!)

Put a KIC into our campaign in the Best Israel Advocacy Blog category and the Best Politics and Current Affairs Blog category or vote for others if you're that way inclined. Make sure to read the voting rules before jumping in to the fray.

If you're feeling extremely generous, send this post through to your fmaily and friends so they can get a KIC out of this blog as well and maybe they'll feel inclined to vote for us too.
Enjoy and thanks...

Thursday, January 05, 2006

Every Israeli Morning, A Different World

Like a cricket batsman run out without facing a ball, our Prime Minister Ariel Sharon appears to have been beaten by a ball that came from a direction he least expected... and that we least expected until a few weeks ago. We pray for his speedy recovery. May G-d reduce his suffering and give him strength.

World media is going mad, I mean, has gone mad. It's just incredible how very center of the world Israel is. Jews make news it appears. Post-disengagement sees Sharon as a respected and strong world leader with the courage to take tough decisions even against his own instinct and that of many Israelis. The way the media relate to him now is quite unrecognizable on days gone past.

It is no exaggeration that the Israeli political scene has just taken a big hit by an earthquake of Hollywood proportions and the aftershocks will continue up until election day and beyond.
Riding high (very high!) in the polls, Sharon is largely viewed as the only man able and willing (even if with heavy heart) to finally lead the Israeli people away from those who seek to hurt us. It isn't that he likes Palestinians nor trusts them. How could he? Still, he recognized their need for separation from us too and wanted to use his next term to draw the final boundaries of the Jewish state, with or without Palestinian goodwill and cooperation.

His recent UN speech saw him proudly stand and declare to the the entire world that this Land has enveloped Jewish history for thousands of years and that it is a land to which he feels utmost commitment and love. And yet, a few sentences later he recognized the right of the Palestinians to a State and to rights. He believed that regardless of wholesome Jewish rights to the land, modern realities led us to new understandings of what the future must be.

I'm not eulogizing him yet. Still, it's worth considering the fate of Kadima and its leaders who jumped from various ships to have a free ride on the Arik Sharon bandwagon to power. Noone holds the clout nor the respect that Sharon does, neither within Kadima nor elsewhere.

It's incredible when you think about it, that PM Rabin was murdered while pursuing a risky (proven to be very risky) 'land for peace' path. Many say that had Rabin lived, we would have had peace now. People trusted Rabin and believed that his strength would lead to quiet and growth.
Sharon, also a great military figure-come-politician holds similar (though not identical) aspirations. In his pursuit of separation (also a Rabin goal), Ariel Sharon has also been cut down in his prime.

Coincidence? Uncanny? Strange? Sad? Hmmm...

Even if many Israelis did not agree with him nor his methods, all MKs and citizens pray for his recovery. Sharon was a stable, solid leader and the ever-hungry neighborhood bullies are sure to remind us how much we will miss his Jewish-Zionist pride, his insight and experience.

I think I've said it before (yes, in several posts in the last month)... three months is a very long time in the life of the State of Israel!