18 Av 5778
30 July 2018
Quote of the Day:
“The decision-making process, in the face of identifying the threat and taking into consideration the short timetable, was correct. Additional technical aspects of the event cannot be published for information security reasons.”
The IDF spokesman speaking yesterday about the failure of the Magic Wand missiles last week.
If you remember, two SS-21 missiles were launched out of Syria toward Israel. In response, Israel launched two Magic Wand (aka David’s Sling) interceptors. The IDF claims that it activated the self-destruction of one; the other flew into Syria, missed its target, and crashed–where it was immediately found and examined by Iranian, Russian, and Syrian technicians.
In short, the Magic Wand was a resounding failure.
But you would never know that reading the spokesman’s statement above. The IDF is so engaged in covering its own hind end that everyone knows that no words coming from the spokesman’s mouth can be trusted.
The News on the Israeli Street
Palestinian terror in the last 24 hours . . .
On the Gaza Border:
Local citizens trying to extinguish another “nonexistent” fire at Be’eri yesterday.
Eleven fires occurred at the following locations: at Kibbutz Erez, Zikim (30 meters from a kindergarten), Nahal Oz , Be’eri (2), Moshav Malilot, Yoshiviya, Sa’ad, Nahal Hanoun, Kissufim, and Ein Hashlosha.
Remember that according to the government and IDF, there are no such things as fires.
In Judea and Samaria:
Another day another 25+ attacks by Palestinian terrorists at such places as Tekoa, Qalqilha, Nabi Saleh, on Road 443, on the road between Gush Etzion and Hevron, on the road between Gush Etzion and Jerusalem, and Hizma.
“The Return” will not be returned . . .
You will recall that we discussed in this blog yesterday how yet another fauxtilla full of “humanitarian” crackpots was on its way toward Gaza but would be intercepted and taken to Ashdod.
The lead ship in the 4-vessel fauxtilla was a Norwegian fish trawler renamed ‘The Return.”
Imagine the crackpots’ surprise yesterday when they discovered after reaching Ashdod that the “The Return” will not be returned. In fact, due to the laudatory work of Shurat HaDin, the boat will be auctioned off, and the proceeds given to victims of Palestinian terror.
It is thought that the total valued of the “armada” approaches $1,000,000.
Finally a change of policy? . . .
As has been reported here, Turkey continually foments unrest in Israel–particularly in Jerusalem on the Temple Mount.
Despite this, Israel has been loathe to stop PM Erdogan from sending tens of thousands of Turkish “tourists” to Israel–“tourists” who are paid by the Turkish government to stay in Israel and be provocateurs.
Yesterday, however, 90 Turks landed at Ben Gurion airport ostensibly to embark on a tour to the “holy sites” (read “the Temple Mount). Fortunately, they were denied entry and sent back to Turkey.
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TODAY’S BLOG:
The Egyptian-Jordanian-Saudi Arabian “Moderate Arab” Illusion
If we have all heard it once, we have heard it a thousand times: “the Middle East has changed; never has the time been more ripe for Israel to make a peace deal with the Palestinians because moderate Arab countries have now joined forces with Israel to oppose Iran.”
Each time this nonsense has been blathered, it is always Egypt, Jordan, and Saudi Arabia which are are described as “moderate” and interested in making accommodations with Israel in the pursuit of peace.
The truth however is simply that none of these dictatorships are making any accommodations with Israel unless such accommodation somehow benefits them. There is absolutely no movement to embrace Israel whatsoever. Let’s consider each briefly.
First of all we have Egypt with whom Israel cooperates in the Sinai. Why does such cooperation exist? Because the Sinai has become overrun with terrorists of every stripe who regularly carry out attacks against Egyptian soldiers. Because many of these terrorists come through tunnels from Gaza, Egypt wants to find some way of tamping down Hamas terrorism.
At the same time, there are regular calls in Egypt for Sisi to abrogate the peace treaty with Israel signed long ago, and there are few places in the Middle East more viciously anti-Israel than the Egyptian street.
As for Jordan, it needed Israel’s help to stop the spread of Islamic State from Syria. And the help of Israel to supply water to the drought-ridden country, in which regard it is more than happy to drain the Kinneret of water.
Nevertheless, the Jordanian public is as fervently anti-Israel as ever, as is the Jordanian faux-legislature. Hardly a day goes by that Jordan does not lambaste Israel in every possible international venue–particularly as relates to the Temple Mount in Jerusalem. Just last week, we had the Jordanians proclaiming to the world that Israel was violating international law by permitting 1200 Jews to go to our Temple Mount on Tisha B’Av.
When it comes to Saudi Arabia, all of the talk has been about the apparent king-to-be, Mohammad Bin Salman. All we hear about are how women can now drive and how one day there will be international tourist resorts along Saudi Arabia’s Sinai coastline.
But has Saudi Arabia really changed its position concerning Israel and the Palestinians? Of course not.
Just this morning we have multiple reports from Riyadh about how King Salman has chastised his son for his “irresponsible outlook.” At the same time, Saudi officials speaking for the King let it be known that there will never be peace until “East Jerusalem” is the capital of Palestine, and until the Palestinians are given the “right to return” to their homes in Israel.
In short, it is the absurd Saudi “peace” initiative from 2002 all over again. Nothing has changed.
By the way, the same Saudi officials also heavily criticized the Trump Peace Initiative saying it “crosses too many red lines” and is doomed to failure.
In sum, it is way past time for Israel to wake up and recognize the situation for what it is. “President” Sisi, “King” Abdullah, and “King” Salman are nothing more than third-rate garden variety Arab dictators whose supposed rapprochement with Israel is nothing more than an illusion.
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.