UPDATES 9 am Israel time, Tuesday, October 29 2013:
*Demonstrations have erupted across Israel in protest against the release of Palestinian terrorist murderers approved by the Netanyahu government yesterday. More than 3000 protesters were at Ofer Prison last night and linked arms around the prison in a symbolic effort to try to stop the release. Led by the Bereaved Families Association, the protesters decried the sheer immorality of releasing such murderers on the street to kill Israelis again and chanted “Jewish Blood Is Not Cheap.”
A protester at Ofer Prison last night. “Blood on their hands”–true of the murderers being released, and true of the 8 Netanyahu cabinet members who voted to release them (picture source: Maariv).
Hundreds more demonstrated here in the south with the largest demonstration taking place in Sderot. There, the main speaker called on Benjamin Netanyahu to “return to his senses” and added: “It’s a terrible step that makes the blood of Jews in Israel worthless.”
But the most cynical comment of the afternoon and evening came from Netanyahu himself who disingenuously emoted: “I’m sure that all of the ministers [the 8 who voted for the release] agonized over the decision. My heart is with the bereaved families and it hurts. The decision was dictated by the reality of the international arena in which there are complex and multi-faceted challenges.”
What a bunch of self-serving nonsense.
Netanyahu’s heart is no more with the bereaved families than it is with the people who live along the Gaza Border.
The simple fact is that Netanyahu kowtowed to John Kerry and Barack Obama in return for a worthless promise to support if not engage in an attack on Iran. In fact, last night in a speech at the American Institute for Peace, Kerry implicitly lambasted Netanyahu for attempting to employ “the tactics of intimidation” in order to stop the U.S. from now embracing Iran diplomatically. More than that, Kerry said the U.S. would not succumb to such a Netanyahu strategy.
The reality of the situation is that Netanyahu has released Palestinian terrorist murderers in return for absolutely nothing.
TODAY’S BLOG:
Just how nothing is nothing? The Palestinians leaked their “final bargaining position” to the Palestinian media yesterday with the comment that they have not budged one iota from the positions they established at the outset.
As you read the 17 points of their position, you may want to ask yourself, dear reader, what in the world Netanyahu and Livni doing? In what stage of delusion are they?
Here is the 17 point Palestinian position–on which they will not compromise:
1. Israel will recognize the “State of Palestine Under Occupation.”
2. Israel will cancel the law that annexed “East Jerusalem” to Israel.
3. “Palestine” will have sovereign control of the Mediterranean Sea off the coast of Gaza and of the Dead Sea where it touches “Palestine.”
4. “Palestine” will have sovereign control of all water sources underground in “Palestine.”
5. “Palestine” will have sovereign control of the air over “Palestine.”
6. “Palestine” will have sovereign control of the demilitarized areas established by the 1949 Armistice agreement including those in the Ayalon Valley and near Latrun. The 1949 Armistice Lines will be the borders of “Palestine.”
7. “Palestine” will have sovereign control over all electromagnetic waves including radio and television transmissions and satellite reception in “Palestine.”
Musli Kaunch capsules are the best herbal remedies to increase male desire. cialis samples Only men tend to be trapped in this particular disorder. find now now cheap levitra If prssure continues, these hormones remain levitra 20 mg in body for a long duration. This pacemaker makes sure electrical signals are sent on a regular basis and thus helping in keeping a track of the lowest price for tadalafil regular heartbeat.
8. “Palestine” will agree to a 1.9% land swap with Israel.
9. “Palestine” will have sovereign control over all religious sites in eastern Jerusalem.
10. Israel will stage a gradual withdrawal from “Palestine” over the course of three years at which time the IDF will be completely removed from “Palestine.”
11. Six months after the IDF completely evacuates “Palestine” a final peace treaty will be signed between “Palestine” and Israel.
12. Each “Palestinian refugee” (the 5,000,000+ and increasing–as defined by UNRWA) will have 3 options:
A. Return to Israel
B. Return to “Palestine”
C. Stay in their current place of residence
13. No matter which option is chosen that “refugee” will receive “just” compensation.
14. An international mechanism will be developed to handle the refugees and their return to Israel and Palestine. The countries that will participate in this international mechanism are: “Palestine”, Israel, the United States, countries in the Arab League and European Union, Canada, Australia, and Japan. Upon resolution of the refugee problem, the Palestinians will announce an end to the Israel-“Palestine” conflict.
15. The Palestinian state will be able to sign treaties, including military ones, without the involvement of a third party. Israel will have no right of intervention in these treaties.
16. “Palestine” will have complete control of all border crossings into and out of “Palestine” including transitions to and from Israel.
17. No IDF presence and no Israeli citizen will be permitted in “Palestine.”
Really, what is there to talk about? Position number 12 alone spells the end of a Jewish Israel. Position 2 puts an end to the June 4, 1967 canard and returns Israel to the “Auschwitz Lines”. Positions 6 and 9 mean that Jerusalem will be divided again, and Jews will be excluded from Judaism’s holiest places again. Position 17 establishes a Jew-free Judea and Samaria. All of the positions mean that there will be no security for Israelis.
Why are all of these issues (as Livni proudly loves to say) “on the table”–and why has Israel agreed to talk about them? Has Netanyahu’s obsession with the Iranian nuclear weapons program really driven him stark, raving, mad? Is there any chance that he–in the words of the speaker in Sderot–can come to his senses?
Sadly, your humble servant doesn’t think so.
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.