UPDATES 11 am Israel time, Friday, October 4 2013:
*Shin Bet, Israel’s security service, reported–as if we didn’t already know it–a sharp rise in Palestinian terrorist attacks in September. According to data, there were were 133 attacks on Israeli targets–a 35% increase over August. Of course, this data, as is all data concerning Palestinian attacks, grossly understated. The average day here sees a minimum of 10 to 15 assaults on Israeli soldiers and civilians.
*There is talk in Jerusalem that the Women of the Wall group may be on the verge of accepting the Sharansky Compromise concerning women’s and mixed gender prayer at the Kotel. That compromise would call for the Women of the Wall to pray in the Robinson’s Arch area at the southern end of the Kotel near the Dung Gate. According to reports, however, there is much internal dissension about what the group should do.
Yesterday, ultra orthodox leaders refrained from calling on female Jewish seminary students to block the path of the Women of the Wall to the female side of the praying area in the Kotel Plaza. Nevertheless, more than 2000 girls showed up this morning to block the approximately 200 members Women of the Wall members and supporters.
*Aerial photographs of the Iranian Arak heavy water facility reveal an extraordinary buildup of defensive positions. Specifically, 3 anti-aircraft missile batteries and 50 anti-aircraft artillery batteries can be seen:
An aerial photo of the Iranian facility.
*There was more talk yesterday from the Egyptian Army about possibly attacking Hamas in Gaza. An Egyptian general said that a list of targets had been prepared and that Egypt would strike Hamas unless attacks against the Army ceased in the Rafah and Sheikh Zweid area.
More than this, the Egyptians say that they now have intelligence that terrorist groups affiliated with Al-Qaeda are now operating in Gaza under the protection of Hamas such as Jaish al-Islam (the army of Islam) which is headed by Mumtaz Durmush–a former PLO “security services” officer.
TODAY’S BLOG:
Just another peaceful Palestinian demonstration, this one yesterday celebrating the incredible Israeli decision to turn over Homesh–read below. By the way, the sign reads “Go to hell Homesh!” (photo: Danon).
The extraordinary way that Israeli left wing organizations and individuals are succeeding in supporting the Palestinian delegitimization of Israel constantly leaves your humble servant disgusted and aghast.
Yesterday we had two more examples.
First we had the freezing of plans for the proposed Mount Scopus National Park in the eastern part of Jerusalem--just down the slopes from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. The slopes, which are largely barren from centuries of Beduins overgrazing their sheep, were chosen as a spot for a national park for the same reason that most national parks everywhere are created: to stop the destruction of nature and prevent development of the area.
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Specifically, the park would serve as a buffer between the Arab neighborhoods of A-Tur to the south and Issawiya to the north–both of which have experienced an explosion of illegal building in the last decade. The hope of the Nature and Parks Authority was that the new Park would stop this building from moving down the hills.
Enter the Israeli left on the side of the citizens of A-Tur and Issawiya and the ludicrous decision yesterday by Israel Environmental Minister Amir Peretz–a leading member of Tzipi Livni’s leftist Hatnua Party. Agreeing with extreme leftist Jerusalem councilman Meir Margalit, Peretz issued this ridiculous statement:
“There is no doubt that this is an area with important natural value. It is the gateway to Jerusalem from the Judean Desert, and therefore constitutes a link between areas with a desert climate to the east, and a Mediterranean climate to the west. Nevertheless, I wish to inform you that I do not intend to support the continuation of this process until we have held additional discussions to examine the implications for natural values, as well as the national and international ramifications.”
In other words, the area has every reason to be declared a national park, but creating a park could have “national and international ramifications”. Translated, this simply means that Israel should do nothing to provoke the Arabs or the world. For the leftists, Peretz’s decision opens the door to an Arab takeover of the land.
The second and more egregious example occurred yesterday as the destroyed Jewish community of Homesh (alternately spelled “Chumash”) was handed over to the Palestinians. In previous israelstreet blogs, your humble servant has described how Homesh was one of four Jewish communities “evacuated” by Ariel Sharon back in 2005 when Sharon unilaterally uprooted and eradicated the Jewish communities in Gaza.
From that point until yesterday, the land has lain empty–despite neverending attempts by the Jewish members of Homesh to recover it.
Instead, Israel’s leftist Attorney General at the behest of equally left wing NGO Yesh Din ordered the land turned over to the Palestinians yesterday–with the proviso that under no circumstances will the IDF allow any Jews onto the land.
Yes, you read that correctly.
The Israeli Attorney General has decreed that a part of Samaria–the historic homeland of the Jews–must be Judenrein, Jew-free.
Immediately yesterday upon entering the area, Palestinian “farmers” announced that they would be planting olive trees as “symbols of peace”. But first, they had to attend to some “small” details such as removing all Jewish symbols from the place:
Note the Jewish hanukkiah on the Homesh water tower being sprayed over–and of course the Palestinian flags (picture source: Haaretz).
This image and the one at the beginning of today’s blog are perfect representations of what the left is trying to do here–and with the help of the Netanyahu government who appoints people like Amir Peretz–is succeeding.
A student from Malawi, who had worked with an Israeli health volunteer in his country battling AIDS, came up to us as we walked down the street in the UC-Davis Picnic Day Parade and wanted to carry the Israeli flag.