On Eve of Obama’s Visit, the Right is Silent
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Yair Lapid and Naftali Bennett at the Knesset, February 11, 2013.
Photo Credit: Miriam Alster/FLASH90
Malcolm Hoenlein, Executive Vice President of the Conference of Presidents, is again asked why Obama is coming to Israel.
He laughs.
“Why is he coming? First they asked why he didn’t come. Now that he’s coming, they ask why he’s coming.”
Hoenlein’s view is that Obama is coming to Israel simply because of the constant attacks on him for not coming.
Still, I ask him, do you believe there is a danger that we will pay a political price for the visit—retreating from territory, freezing construction in Judea and Samaria, releasing terrorists from prison?
Hoenlein allows that the possibility exists. “But principally, as the White House said, the visit is meant to show the continuing friendship between the two countries.”
Hoenlein has been in the business for 35 years. When he warns of a danger, it’s not just because a Jew always has to worry. It’s a concrete warning—not least when we both know that there are Jews who will see to it that we have good reason to worry.
You can be quite sure that parallel to the official Israeli emissaries making their way to Washington at this time, there are a number of Israelis who make a living off the Palestinian issue going as emissaries of themselves.
Who is sponsoring these peace-mongering harbingers of terrorist attacks?
There are for-profit corporations, among them Israeli companies, that make their money from political consulting and brokering services. Their patrons include governments, government foundations, and intelligence bodies.
This is nothing new, though. In every generation there are people who work in the service of the enemy. Otherwise why would the prayer against informers be an integral part of the Amida prayer?
Judging by past experience, these brokers will offer their good offices—or have already offered them—to the State Department and the foreign media, both journalists writing background articles prior to Obama’s visit and those who will tag along during the trip. The brokers are already preparing beautifully produced folders with diagrams and flowcharts detailing the steps toward peace with the Palestinians and the prices to be paid: freezing Israeli construction in Judea and Samaria, giving away more of Area B, releasing terrorists from jail … forgetting only the additional price to be paid in blood.
These proposals have been floated previously, including several that were published in The New York Times. They are a cause for concern for the people of the State of Israel, who at the moment are living relatively peacefully.
Transferring parts of Areas B and C to the Palestinians would diminish the ability of the IDF to move around those areas. Enough blood has already been spilled for it to be crystal clear that Palestinian police officers simply don’t deliver the goods when it comes to providing security. Only the IDF does that. Moshe does the job. Moussa does not.
Benny Begin was among the first to see the problem with outsourcing Israeli security to the P.A. He was warning already in 1993 about people who during the day are P.A. policemen, but at night are terrorists. I spoke with him this week, and he discussed at length why he hasn’t changed his mind.
The release of terrorists, which is liable to accompany the surrender of territory, is a catalyst for terrorist attacks. It funnels high-quality manpower to the terrorist organizations and reduces Israel’s capacity to punish and deter the terrorists.
Ostensibly, the rationale for “gestures” such as these is that the world will see that the Palestinians fail to reciprocate and then stand at our side.
The problem is that it never worked. And it still doesn’t.
Every gesture or concession simply sets the stage for the next set of Israeli concessions. Menachem Begin thought that the evacuation of Sinai would save Judea and Samaria. Then came the pressure on Shamir to participate in the Madrid Conference. Then the retreat from Gush Katif was supposed to save Judea and Samaria. No sooner was the retreat from Gaza completed than the world renewed its pressure on Israel to withdraw from from Judea and Samaria.
Isn’t it time to switch approaches and change direction, to bring something truly new to the political arena, to put up an iron wall that will stand up against these pressures? To signal that the era of limited political endurance and insufficient national stamina is finally over?
tell a friendAbout the Author: Lt.-Col. (ret.) Meir Indor is CEO of Almagor Terror Victims Association. In his extended career of public service, he has worked as a journalist, founded the Libi Fund, Sar-El, Habaita, among many other initiatives, and continues to lend his support to other pressing causes of the day.
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Thank you very much for the eloquent warnings Lt.-Col. (ret.) Meir Rishon. Pres. Obama is extremely cunning he has timed his visit perfectly and his visit will be accompanied by maximum diplomatic and leftist media pressure on Israel and Zionism. The division and infighting on the right turned what could have been a strong victory for the right into a very weak victory. If the division and infighting continues the enemies of Israel will work quickly to take full advantage of the situation. A DISCIPLINED, COMMITTED and UNITED Likud-Betayanu-Shas-UTJ-Jewish Home rightwing coalition is the option for defending Zionism against its enemies.
There is no parliamentary Right now in Israel. They are doing their best to be Center.
Security! Is this what it is really all about? How about the fact that Israel currently gets half of all water consumed from the West Bank and the Golan Heights? How can you shake hands, end the occupation, and make peace, when you are living off the occupation?
http://zoltansustainableecon.blogspot.com/2013/02/water-israels-true-barrier-to-peace.html
United Torah Judaism may have just endorsed uprooting all settlements outside of the settlement blocks:
http://www.theyeshivaworld.com/news/General+News/157531/Chareidi-Parties-Shift-Left-to-Save-Yeshivos.html
Israel just needs to affirm with Obama seeing that he says he is a christian Psalm 105 verse 4-5.
"Firm stands G-d's Word to Abraham spoken.
His oath to Isaac never broken.
His everlasting covenant.
With Israel – G-d will not recant.
He said "To you this land I give.
That as my heirs you there may live.
When few in number and neglected.
They by the nations were rejected.
And when they wandered far and wide.
The Lord remained their faithfull guide.
So none His people could oppress.
Kings could not curse when G-d did bless".
Not to fear Obama, as he isn't trustworthy, but look to the Lord God of Israel, as He is your defender and protector. shalom and G-d bless.
Israel just needs to affirm with Obama seeing that he says he is a christian Psalm 105 verse 4-5.
"Firm stands G-d's Word to Abraham spoken.
His oath to Isaac never broken.
His everlasting covenant.
With Israel – G-d will not recant.
He said "To you this land I give.
That as my heirs you there may live.
When few in number and neglected.
They by the nations were rejected.
And when they wandered far and wide.
The Lord remained their faithfull guide.
So none His people could oppress.
Kings could not curse when G-d did bless".
Not to fear Obama, as he isn't trustworthy, but look to the Lord God of Israel, as He is your defender and protector. shalom and G-d bless.