4 Sivan 5780
27 May 2020
The Absurd Quote of the Day
So-called “Defense” Minister Benny Gantz surveying the scene on the Gaza border yesterday–from afar.
“We are headed for peace. There will be ups and downs, and we will be prepared for all.”
Benny Gantz, speaking to a group of leaders of southern communities yesterday
Once again, it is just unfathomable how an abject failure as IDF Chief of Staff is now our Defense Minister. Nowhere can that failure be more clearly seen than in Gantz’s actions in the 2014 Gaza war and afterwards.
Yet there was Gantz in southern Israel again yesterday, paraphrasing his infamous anemones speech near the end of the 2014 war in which he talked about peace being on the way.
The reaction of one of the leaders that he spoke to was equally absurd: “The meeting was good; to his credit it will be said that he did not come here during tensions or escalations.”
Of course Gantz was not there during an outbreak of terrorism; if there had been one, he wouldn’t have shown his face–just like he didn’t in 2014.
By the way, shortly after Gantz spoke yesterday, incoming missile alarms sounded for residents of the Sdot Negev Regional Council. As always, the IDF General Command rushed out to say it was a false alarm. Then after residents reported hearing three explosions, the IDF said that the missiles hit “in open spaces.”
The News on the Israeli Street
The daily Corona update . . .
We are beginning to get to a point that OneIsrael will cease giving daily updates. The only number that is changing significantly each day now is the number of Israelis who have recovered.
As of 8:00 am this morning, 16,757 Israelis have tested positive for Corona, and 14,457 of these have recovered. 33 Israelis are on ventilators, and 281 have died.
More restrictions were relaxed by the government yesterday afternoon. As of this morning, the following can be opened subject to social distancing restrictions: restaurants, bars, pubs, swimming pools, tourist attractions, and all forms of public transportation.
Palestinian terror in the last 24 hours . . .
*As noted above, Palestinian terrorists fired 3 missiles into southern Israel.
*Explosive balloons from Gaza traveled directly over your humble servants house here in Ashdod, and then exploded on the outskirts of the city. No one was wounded.
*The Israel Police issued a pre-Shavuot statement yesterday warning Israelis not to enter Area A and B of Judea and Samaria. In the warning, the police were critical of Israelis who enter those areas and thereby “endanger the safety and peace of our troops who must then enter to rescue them” when they are assaulted, robbed, or threatened.
A shout out for Norway . . .
How many times have we criticized the Norwegian government and Norwegian “humanitarian” organizations for attempting to delegitimize Israel?
In light of that countless number, it is only fair that we praise Norway for actions taken on Monday.
Specifically, the Norwegian Parliament rejected a proposal to label all goods from Judea and Samaria. In doing so, it placed itself at odds with the European Union (remember that Norway is not part of the EU).
It was a dramatically surprising action that should be vigorously applauded!
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The winner is announced . . .
Israel’s IDE Technologies funded in part by a loan from Israel’s Bank Leumi, the German KFW Bank, and the European Investment Bank, won the bid yesterday to construct the largest desalination plant of its type in the world at Sorek.
Called Sorek 2, the plant will increase Israel’s desalination capacity by 35% and produce 200 million cubic meters of water each year.
IDE’s major competitor on the bid was a Chinese company. The Trump Administration “urged” Israel not to accept the Chinese bid—just as it has “urged” the government to rethink the bid accepted from the Chinese to construct the new port in Haifa.
The bottom line is that Israel is once again thinking ahead–not waiting for another water crisis to come. Construction is scheduled to begin soon on the new plant.
TODAY’S BLOG
The Trump Map
A photo of the Trump map which was surreptitiously leaked yesterday.
It was a day yesterday which like every other day recently saw European leaders march to the podium and condemn Israel for plans to declare sovereignty over parts of area C in July.
Most nauseating however was the statement that came from Israel’s own IDF COGAT commander Maj. General Kamil Abu-Rukun who declared: “If the government implements its plan to unilaterally annex portions of the West Bank and Jordan Valley, there will be a wave of violence and terrorist attacks which the IDF is not prepared for.”
Thank you Abu-Rokin for a statement that will actually encourage violent terrorism. And by the way, we returned to Judea and Samaria 53 years ago. If we are not ready now, when will we ever be ready?
A final thought about Abu-Roken:
Whatever happened to military leaders who follow the decisions reached by their government and do not seek to forward a political agenda?
They are long gone.
Let’s take another look at the Trump map above and make some observations:
So what can you see from this rumpled, unfolded map?
1. “Palestine” is to be compensated with land both north and south of the conventional “borders” of Judea and Samaria.
2. Israeli sovereignty will extend the entire length of the Jordanian border.
3. Eastern Jerusalem including the Old City becomes sovereign Israel (in fact, it already is).
4. Most Jewish communities in Area C will become sovereign Israel, but a significant number will not (particularly those in the heart of Judea and Samaria). As you can imagine, the Israeli “right” is up in arms about the map.
More on the Trump map in the coming days . . .
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.