7 pm Israel time, Tuesday, December 23 2014
83 Days Until The Election
It’s the last night of Chanukah and our chanukkiya burns brightly! Israelstreet wishes joy to all as we conclude our celebration (image courtesy of rotter.net).
*The so-called “Palestine Proposal” was submitted to the United Nations Security Council yesterday. PLO Chief Negotiator Saeb Erekat said the Council will vote on the proposal by the end of the year, and that while the Palestinians have nine countries that will support the proposal, the PLO fully expects a U.S. veto.
Meanwhile, PLO Chairman Mahmoud Abbas commented this morning during his current visit to Algeria that if the proposal fails, there will be no more negotiations with Israel–and he suggested that Israel will have to assume full control over Areas A and B of Judea and Samaria.
Of course, there have never been any Palestinian “negotiations” with Israel; there have only been Israeli concessions to the PLO.
As for Israel taking over Areas A and B of Judea and Samaria, why in the world would we want these areas? They have been a de facto Palestinian state ever since Oslo back in the early 1990s.
*Israel U.N. Ambassador Ron Prosor submitted an Israeli pledge yesterday to donate $8.75 million dollars to the United Nations “Ebola fund”.
This means that Israel has become the leading donator in the world, per capita, to the fight against Ebola.
Coupled with Israeli emergency Ebola clinics already set up in Cameroon, Guinea, Liberia, and Sierra Leone, Israel has once again finds itself in the lead in terms of battling natural and unnatural disasters.
*During the war with Hamas during the summer, many of us in southern Israel had our spirits continually bolstered by Haim Yellin, the head of the Eshkol Regional Council. Yellin was constantly on the news exhorting the Netanayhu government and the IDF to act decisively against the terrorists in Gaza.
In this context, it was especially disappointing to hear Yellin yesterday saying: “Whoever thinks that a strong IDF response is the solution for quiet in the Gaza border communities does not understand that wars are decided by politicians, who with courage can bring peace and security.”
Why the change of heart? Yellin has just joined leftist Yair Lapid’s party Yesh Atid for a run in the coming elections. Lapid advocated endlessly during the summer for ceasefire after ceasefire. Yellin the forceful advocate for the South has become Yellin the Yesh Atid appeaser.
TODAY’S BLOG:
Speaking of the South, there is an abundance of news from Gaza again today. Hamas terrorists fired more missiles into the Mediterranean in what has become a daily occurrence, and Gaza border residents are watching as Hamas bulldozers–provided by Israel to supposedly clear rubble–are being used to create anti-tank earthen berms 500 meters from the Gaza border fence.
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In a radio interview today, the leader of the Chof Ashkelon region, Yair Farjun, commented on the fact that the residents of his region are now treated to nightly explosions and machine gun fire as Hamas terrorists train for the next war with Israel. According to Farjun, plans are already being put in place for a massive evacuation of the Chof Ashkelon, Sha’ar Hanegev, and Eshkol regions when Hamas decides to go to war again.
However, the most unbelievable comments of the day came from Israel’s so-called “Defense” Minister Boogie Ya’alon:
“What we saw [last Friday] was that Hamas acted immediately to arrest those who fired the rockets. In other words, Hamas does not want an escalation. I hope this situation remains. It means that Hamas is deterred in the Gaza Strip. I don’t think it has interest in an escalation. Nevertheless, we have to be prepared for all developments. We certainly see reconstruction of defensive tunnels, there is such activity. With regards to offensive tunnels, we are following all developments.”
Let’s dissect this statement:
1. Note that Ya’alon immediately praises Hamas.
2. Note that Ya’alon mentions “rockets” not “rocket”. As your humble servant reported exclusively last week, 3 missiles hit southern Israel, not the 1 that was reported.
3. Note that Ya’alon claims that Hamas is deterred in Gaza when nothing could be further from the truth–as we see from his next statement (No. 4 below).
4. Note that Ya’alon admits that Hamas is busy rebuilding tunnels. But now our wonderful “Defense” Minister wants us to know that they are only “defensive” ones. What in the world is the difference between a defensive tunnel and an offensive one?
Actually, this difference was made clear later when Ya’alon later observed that “defensive” tunnels are “only” the ones that are built within Gaza to house missiles, mortars, launchers, etc.
Can you believe this? Suddenly we are asked to believe that Hamas missiles, mortars, and launchers are “defensive weapons”?
Your humble servant cannot.
The time is long past for Ya’alon to be unceremoniously dumped as Defense Minister.
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.