In Israel the big news is that Ehud Olmert has resigned. Sort of. Like we said on the radio today, his saying so is like Bill Clinton’s confessions. There’s a whole lot of parsin’ goin’ on!
And as he left he did it with some nasty remarks indicating that he figures the nation doesn’t deserve him.
I agree, but he meant that they are not worthy of him. I don’t think they’ve done anything to deserve having to put up with him.
Lots of interesting stuff this week. Stick around.
LEAD STORY:
OLMERT RESIGNS, BUT HE’S NOT GONE!
8/5/2008 - McCain and the Buffalo Chip Girl; Hamas and Fatah Fighting Again
Like a kid who murdered his parents then pleads with the court for mercy because he’s an orphan, Olmert in his speech whined that he was doing the nation’s work but was constantly hindered by these pesky investigations. Well, go figger!
When one has years of shady deals under his belt, what does he expect?!
PM, bitter but dignified, says he'll quit after Kadima primary
Jul. 30, 2008
Gil Hoffman , THE JERUSALEM POST
“Prime Minister Ehud Olmert intends to hand his resignation letter to President Shimon Peres the day after the September 17 Kadima primary and ask him to entrust the new party leader with forming a new government, Olmert's associates said Wednesday night.
“They spoke soon after the prime minister had made a somber speech at his official residence in Jerusalem in which he announced that he would not seek to retain the leadership.
“By law, Olmert will remain prime minister until a new government is formed. If the new Kadima leader forms a government soon after the primary, Olmert will then leave office. But if no new government is established, Olmert, despite having formally tendered his resignation, could remain prime minister until after a general election that would likely be held in spring 2009.” (J-Post)
JUST WHEN YOU THINK YOU’VE HEARD IT ALL ABOUT NUTTY MUSLIMS
From Israeltoday.com:
Tuesday, August 05, 2008 Israel Today Staff
Muslims blast Israel for reading kindness into the Koran
Arab media around the Middle East this week reacted hysterically after learning that a Jewish professor at Haifa University is using verses from the Koran to teach Arab Muslim psychology students how to treat their future Muslim patients.
Professor Ofer Grosbard developed the Quranet course using specially chosen verses from the Muslim holy book to help students reinforce in their patients concepts like respect, responsibility, honesty, dignity and kindness.
Grosbard realized the need for the special course after one of his Muslim students complained that traditional Western psychology would be ineffective on Muslim patients who hold tightly to superstitious beliefs.
Despite the fact that the Quranet course was developed together with 15 Muslim students and was reviewed by three Islamic clerical figures, Muslim authorities around the Middle East denounced the project because it was overseen by a Jew.
Speaking to Gulf News, Dr. Abdullah Al Mutlaq of the Senior Ulema Board in Saudi Arabia insisted that all Jews hate Islam, and that Prof. Grosbard's efforts to emphasize the Koran's few lessons in human dignity and kindness would give Muslims the wrong impression of their religion.
Dr. Manae Abdel-Halim Mahmoud, professor of Koranic sciences at Al-Azhar University in Cairo, told an Egyptian newspaper that the Israeli project "aims to tarnish the image of Islam by giving wrong interpretation of the noble Koran."
Palestinian Authority officials also blasted the project, stating that the current prevalent interpretation of Islam that has led to so much regional death and destruction is the correct interpretation, and that Prof. Grosbard's kinder, gentler selection of Koranic verses is misleading.
I don’t know how to tell the good Dr. from Cairo, but it will take a lot to make the world’s image of the Muslim religion any worse.
AND WHILE WE ARE AT IT, LET’S HEAR IT FOR PRESIDENT OBAMA!!!!
I expect that you have already heard that Obama put his written prayer in the Western Wall when he visited. Lots of us do that. In his case however a yeshiva student plucked it out and gave it to Maariv newspaper, who then published the prayer.
It was nice. Asked for help with pride, for protection, etc.
There was a big uproar about the plucking and publishing. Then, Maariv sort of let the cat out of the bag. Seems that someone from the campaign said (before the fact) that if it happened as it did they could publish it.
That spells s-e-t-u-p.
Ohhhhhh. So much for help with pride.
PRIDE, ACT TWO
Obama has been practicing for the main event. He is already acting like the President.
You won’t believe this without reading it for yourself, so strap yourself in:
President Obama Continues Hectic Victory Tour
By Dana Milbank
Wednesday, July 30, 2008; A03
Barack Obama has long been his party's presumptive nominee. Now he's becoming its presumptuous President.
Fresh from his presidential-style world tour, during which foreign leaders and American generals lined up to show him affection, Obama settled down to some presidential-style business in Washington yesterday. He ordered up a teleconference with the (current president's) Treasury secretary, granted an audience to the Pakistani prime minister and had his staff arrange for the chairman of the Federal Reserve to give him a briefing. Then, he went up to Capitol Hill to be adored by House Democrats in a presidential-style pep rally.
Along the way, he traveled in a bubble more insulating than the actual president's. Traffic was shut down for him as he zoomed about town in a long, presidential-style motorcade, while the public and most of the press were kept in the dark about his activities, which included a fundraiser at the Mayflower where donors paid $10,000 or more to have photos taken with him. His schedule for the day, announced Monday night, would have made Dick Cheney envious:
11:00 a.m.: En route TBA.
12:05 p.m.: En route TBA.
1:45 p.m.: En route TBA.
2:55 p.m.: En route TBA.
5:20 p.m.: En route TBA.
The 5:20 TBA turned out to be his adoration session with lawmakers in the Cannon Caucus Room, where even committee chairmen arrived early, as if for the State of the Union. Capitol Police cleared the halls -- just as they do for the actual president. The Secret Service hustled him in through a side door -- just as they do for the actual president.
Inside, according to a witness, he told the House members, "This is the moment . . . that the world is waiting for," adding: "I have become a symbol of the possibility of America returning to our best traditions."
As he marches toward Inauguration Day (Election Day is but a milestone on that path), Obama's biggest challenger may not be Republican John McCain but rather his own hubris.
Some say the supremely confident Obama -- nearly 100 days from the election, he pronounces that "the odds of us winning are very good" -- has become a president-in-waiting. But in truth, he doesn't need to wait: He has already amassed the trappings of the office, without those pesky decisions.
The Atlantic's Marc Ambinder reported last week that Obama has directed his staff to begin planning for his transition to the White House, causing Republicans to howl about premature drape measuring. Obama was even feeling confident enough to give British Prime Minister Gordon Brown some management advice over the weekend. "If what you're trying to do is micromanage and solve everything, then you end up being a dilettante," he advised the prime minister, portraying his relative inexperience much as President Bush did in 2000.
On his presidential-style visit to the Western Wall in Jerusalem last week, Obama left a written prayer, intercepted by an Israeli newspaper, asking God to "help me guard against pride and despair." He seems to have the despair part under control, but the pride could be a problem.
One source of the confidence is the polling, which shows him with a big lead over McCain. But polls are fickle allies: A USA Today-Gallup poll released Monday found McCain leading Obama by four percentage points among likely voters. Another reason for Obama's confidence -- the press -- is also an unfaithful partner. The Project for Excellence in Journalism reported yesterday that Obama dominated the news media's attention for a seventh straight week. But there are signs that the Obama campaign's arrogance has begun to anger reporters.
In the latest issue of the New Republic, Gabriel Sherman found reporters complaining that Obama's campaign was "acting like the Prom Queen" and being more secretive than Bush. The magazine quoted the New York Times' Adam Nagourney's reaction to the Obama campaign's memo attacking one of his stories: "I've never had an experience like this, with this campaign or others." Then came Obama's overseas trip and the campaign's selection of which news organizations could come aboard. Among those excluded: the New Yorker magazine, which had just published a satirical cover about Obama that offended the campaign.
Even Bush hasn't tried that. But then again, Obama has been outdoing the president in ruffles and flourishes lately. As Bush held quiet signing ceremonies in the White House yesterday morning, Obama was involved in a more visible display of executive authority a block away, when he met with Pakistani Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gillani at the Willard. A full block of F Street was shut down for the prime minister and the would-be president, and some 40 security and motorcade vehicles filled the street.
Later, Obama's aides issued an official-sounding statement, borrowing the language of White House communiqués: "I had a productive and wide-ranging discussion. . . . I look forward to working with the democratically elected government of Pakistan."
It had been a long day of acting presidential, but Obama wasn't done. After a few hours huddling with advisers over his vice presidential choice, Obama made his way to the pep rally on the Hill. Moments after he entered the meeting with lawmakers, there was an extended cheer, followed by another, and another.
"I think this can be an incredible election," Obama said later. "I look forward to collaborating with everybody here to win the election."
Win the election? Didn't he do that already?
Washington Post online.
WHILE YOU ARE BEING STUNNED BY OBAMA’S GALL, CONSIDER WHO SOME OF HIS GREATEST SUPPORTERS ARE
TERRORISTS FROM THE HAMAS CLAN IN GAZA!!
Yep. Two of them went so far as to pony up 30 grand for his campaign. Maybe that’s what was used to scrub the American flag off his plane’s rudder and paint the gigantic “O” in its place.
Tuesday, August 05, 2008 Israel Today Staff
Obama received campaign contributions from Gaza Palestinians
US Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama was apparently the recipient of nearly $30,000 in campaign contributions from a pair of Palestinian Arabs in the Hamas-ruled Gaza Strip.
While recently investigating online campaign contribution logs, Pamela Geller of the blog Atlas Shrugs discovered a curious set of entries from mid-2007 showing a series of contributions from two Arab men who listed their place of residence as "Rafah, GA."
Skeptical about the existence of a town in Georgia called Rafah, Geller did some digging and discovered that the contributions had in fact come from the Gaza Strip border town of Rafah.
It is illegal for a US presidential candidate to receive contributions from non-US citizens, or to receive in excess of $2,300 from a single individual.
Curious for more information, WorldNetDaily correspondent Aaron Klein tracked down the two Gaza Arabs, brothers Monir and Hosam Edwan.
The Edwan brothers said that they and many other Palestinians love Obama, and are confident he will be the US president to force Israel to surrender land for the birth of a Palestinian Arab state.
When pressed about their illegal contribution, the brothers altered their story and insisted that they had not made an online donation, but had rather purchased $30,000 worth of t-shirts from the Obama campaign website.
WorldNetDaily also learned that while Monir and Hosam are themselves believed to be non-religious, their clan is known for supporting Hamas.
IS MCCAIN LOOSENING UP?!?!
Yes, John McCain! Two points here. He was at the giant motorcycle rally in Sturgis, SD and was making jokes about his wife even. John’s humor is always out there leaving most of wondering “whudhesay?”
This time, it was even funny.
McCain visiting motorcycle rally, nuke power plant By GLEN JOHNSON, Associated Press Writer
STURGIS, S.D. - Thousands of motorcyclists greeted Republican presidential candidate John McCain with an approving roar Monday as he sought blue-collar and heartland support by visiting a giant motorcycle rally.
"As you may know, not long ago a couple hundred thousand Berliners made a lot of noise for my opponent. I'll take the roar of 50,000 Harleys any day," McCain said, referring to Democrat Barack Obama's recent visit to the German capital.
Billed as the largest event of its kind in the world, the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally has become something of an annual bikers' Woodstock during the past 70 years. It features nine nights of entertainment, with bands including Def Leppard, Lynyrd Skynyrd and REO Speedwagon.
McCain played to a crowd that paused for a veterans salute. He criticized Obama for supporting a timetable for withdrawing U.S. troops from Iraq while opposing efforts to reduce record-high energy prices.
"My opponent wants to set a date to come home. I want us to come home with victory and honor so we will never go back again," the Arizona senator said.
McCain also criticized Congress for adjourning for a five-week recess without approving a new energy plan.
"Tell em' to come back and get to work," McCain said, yelling into the microphone. "When I'm president of the United States, I'm not going to let them go on vacation. They're gonna become energy independent."
McCain was accompanied by Sen. John Thune, R-S.D., who has been mentioned as a potential running mate. He had warned the McCain campaign that a politician might receive an unfriendly welcome, but McCain relished the warm embrace.
His wife, Cindy, also paid tribute to the crowd, saying: "I'd like to thank all of you for your support of our troops, and here's why: I'm many things in my life, and one thing I'd like to be is your first lady. But more importantly, I'm Jack McCain's mother and Jimmy McCain's mother, one in the U.S. Navy and another one in the Marine Corps, an Iraqi vet."
Taking back the microphone, McCain joked that he wanted her to enter the beauty contest held at the site, the Buffalo Chip campground on the edge of town.
"I told her with a little luck, she could be the only woman ever to serve as both the first lady and Miss Buffalo Chip," McCain quipped….
YOU BET YOUR GRANDPA’S MOUSTACHE!
And then there was the story this week about Hamas and Fatah (the Palestinian’s two evil twins of terrorism) going to battle in Israel again.
Seems that Hamas decided to do something different than chucking Fatah guys off five story buildings and watch them bounce. This time when they got bored killing Fatah, they decided to grab a bunch of them and shave off their moustaches.
Yes, you read it right. They shaved off their moustaches. That’ll show ‘em!
My guess is that the guys with shiny lips showing no tan line will be glad that was their fate as opposed to getting the five story flying lesson.
WHO’S NEXT IN THE PM CHAIR?
We’ve told you this before, but the public opinion hasn’t changed since August 2006 when Israel lost the first war. Benjamin Netanyahu has continued to rise in the polls as Israel’s most popular politician and clear choice for the Prime Ministership.
Then why isn’t he there?
In Israel the government is a parliamentarian system. The PM is elected through a general election like this:
The party with the most votes has a list of candidates within that party. The top person is then tasked with forming a “coalition government” if his party doesn’t get enough votes for a clear majority of all voters. That rarely happens.
When Ari Sharon ran under Likud’s banner the country was fed up with Barak’s ineptness and the Palestinian terrorism. Sharon was a popular old general and promised to clamp down on the terrorists. He was elected and did indeed stop much of the Intifada and ran the rest of it underground. It was his government that killed two of Hamas’ top leaders in as many months. Nice job, Ari.
Then of course came Kadima. It was a “centrist” government brought into existence because Likud would not countenance Sharon’s plan (instigated by his deputy, one Ehud Olmert) to pull all Israelis out of Gaza. (And then next, the West Bank.)
Then of course, God had another plan, Arik suffered his two major strokes, Ehud Olmert became acting, then regular Prime Minister. The rest is a dismal history.
Then came the 2006 Lebanon War debacle with over a million people living underground, no national support for the North and finally a lost war on the ground. Ehud was sunk in the public’s eye. The following Winnograd Commission Report (members appointed by Olmert) whitewashed his ineptness but the public wasn’t buying it.
BIBI’S SOUND MOVE
To his great credit, Netanyahu didn’t give any trouble to Olmert when the war was ongoing, and even afterward kept a very low profile.
Finally it was necessary for him to stand and report.
LIKUD’S PROBLEM
I sent Bibi a note last year. He needs to work on Likud strategy. All during the last national election all they did was whine about Olmert. No vision. No answers. No hopefulness for their plan over his own.
They might have taken a lesson from the almighty Obama. Even if you don’t have a plan, sound hopeful.
Needless to say Bibi didn’t answer my note, but he came out on the record with some sound ideas on a personal basis and those thoughts were reported in the Israeli press.
Now Kadima is scared of a national election because everyone except those still living underground know that they will lose – with out without Ehud O.
LONG MEMORIES
Let it be known that Israelis have long memories. The following analysis is pretty accurate and the thoughts will be a part of voters in Israel for a long time.
Last update-12:20 31/07/2008
ANALYSIS / Ehud Olmert failed in war and failed in peace
By Aluf Benn
With eyes glittering with tears and a soft voice, Prime Minister Ehud Olmert appeared last night before the few reporters who attended the event that marks his leaving office. Behind him, on the piano at the prime minister's residence, stood a large vase of white flowers, hiding the large painting of cypress trees painted by his wife, Aliza, hanging on the wall. In the near future the couple will look for a new home for that painting, and the aides who listened in silence to the announcement that their boss was stepping down will begin new careers.
The short tenure of Olmert has left many of them wishing for more - a sense that they missed out on something big.
"We were nearly there," one of the aides said. "On Passover last year we emerged from the Winograd Committee, and with the Lebanon War behind us, and with politics being stable it was possible to move ahead on the peace process. And then came the Talansky affair, and everything crashed on top of us. Too bad, Olmert could have done great things," his aide lamented.
Olmert came into office in a storm, with the collapse of Ariel Sharon, and is departing in a storm of police investigations. During the 31 months as prime minister, he failed to meet the main mission he had set for himself: a new border with the Palestinians on the West Bank that would ensure the future of Israel as a Jewish State. The task is now being left to his successors.
Olmert excelled as a political manager and a leader of a coalition, but did not manage to gain public affection. His victory in the March 2006 elections was not decisive, and prevented him from transforming Kadima into the dominant ruling party. Only his exceptional skills in running political systems enabled him to enjoy relative stability in his post, until the collapse of recent weeks.
He was better than his predecessors in giving attention and support to politicians, and appreciated the fact that their wish to keep their jobs and avoid early elections was more powerful than the public criticism directed against him. Olmert established a particularly good relationship with world leaders, and this year he managed to host the leaders of the United States (twice), France, Britain and Germany.
Olmert's tenure was diverted from its path on June 25, 2006, the day Gilad Shalit was abducted to the Gaza Strip, and crashed completely two and a half weeks later, with the abduction of Ehud Goldwasser and Gilad Regev by Hezbollah. The abductions transformed him from being Sharon's successor, who intended to continue the process of disengagement, into the leader of a nation at war.
Olmert failed this test three times: in the appointment of Amir Peretz as Defense Minister, in his rushed decision to embark on the Second Lebanon War, and in his decision to continue the war that had lost its point after the first strike of fire.
The helplessness of the government during the war, the serious shortcomings in the conduct of the army, wore down the meager popularity of Olmert. The public was tired of him, and did not want his leadership, even when he tried to lead the country in a different direction.
The irony is that the Tzipi Livni and Shaul Mofaz, who are contending to be his successors, offered him ways out during the war. Livni suggested avoiding an escalation and bringing the offensive to an end a few days after it had started; Mofaz suggested an operation that may have saved Israel the frontal assault and spared the many casualties in the final week of the war.
The disappointment of the public as a result of the war only became deeper as the corruption cases turned into an avalanche.
MY ANALYSIS: TECHNOCRATS ARE NOT FOR DEMOCRACIES.
Politicians who don’t hold strong ideals are worthless because they do not inspire and share their passion.
In America McCain has passion, but he seems unable to transmit it to others. Obama is passionate about himself. Any fool can see that he is mostly consumed by a desire to be ahead of everyone else. That doesn’t translate to thinking people who want more than 143 days as a back-bench Senator from a state inundated with dishonest politicians for a President.
Bibi Netanyahu is a hard charging man with strong, conservative ideals. He was willing to withstand the anger and hatred directed toward him as Sharon’s Finance Minister when he reworked the government’s spending. For a while that kept him back. Now, a nation faced with the long face and self-serving ineptness of Olmert seems ready for a strong hand on the tiller again. Someone they know loves Israel at least more than he loves himself.
CONSIDER THIS: LIVNI SAYS SHE WILL SURRENDER THE GOLAN TO SYRIA.
It might interest you to know this about the Golan Heights.
One: it is the source for the water of all Israel. The Jordan River has three headwaters. All could be controlled from the Golan one way or another.
Two: The high ground in the north east side of Israel is the Golan Heights.
Some people say Israel could always take it back if Syria tries to quench the flow of water. Others say that in this day of missiles the high ground doesn’t matter any more.
None of these “sayers” are generals or tacticians.
I interviewed a man who is part of the leftists in Israel. He is also one of the officers of a group of Golan communities. His attitude was that if it would bring peace they would give up their land (obviously expecting large money in government compensation in return) IF IT WOULD BRING LASTING PEACE.
When I asked him where the war was, he sort of stumbled at that. Why with Syria. They have never signed a truce agreement. And that’s true.
Neither have lots of Arab countries. So what? Syria doesn’t attack Israel (even when Israelis F-15s take out a nuke site from North Korea located in Syria).
Why worry about a truce. Israel holds the land, water, etc. Why have to consider taking it back when they can just not give it up in the first place.
Livni’s remark about giving it back is telling. She is vacuous about the importance, and values treaties and talks more than political reality.
It is in her nature to trade Israel’s pieces away one at a time with no quid pro quo. It is utter nonsense! Will she get elected? Maybe. We certainly hope not.
SPEAKING OF SYRIA
As most folks know, Syria is an Iranian proxy. Ditto Hezbollah in Lebanon and Hamas in Gaza.
Now there is talk of giving Hezbollah an advanced anti-aircraft system from Iran. Read on:
A warning to Syria, Iran
Israel will not accept deployment of advanced anti-aircraft systems by Hizbullah
Ron Ben-Yishai
Security and intelligence chiefs are expected to present a discouraging assessment at the cabinet meeting Wednesday. In recent months, Hizbullah has been able to establish a military presence north and south of the Litani River that is already prepared to a large extent to fire rockets and missiles on northern and central Israel – while at the same time hindering the IDF ground forces who would enter Lebanon to curb the fire.
In principle, Hizbullah’s rockets and missiles (estimated at 40,000) are found on both sides of the Litani. Yet the heavy arsenal, made up of several hundred rockets with warheads weighing hundreds of kilograms and featuring a range of up to 250 kilometers (roughly 160 miles) is found underground north of the Litani and is well-fortified in land bought by Hizbullah. In south Lebanon, the group established a fortified underground system that would be used to fight the IDF armored corps and infantry troops that advance towards the rocket arsenal north of the Litani. Meanwhile, the logistical and training center of Hizbullah, which has been boosted with thousands of new fighters, is in the Beqaa Valley region in Lebanon.
Yet the most worrisome development has to do with a new component that Hizbullah is attempting to set up in Lebanon with Syrian assistance. We are talking about an anti-aircraft system that is aimed at limiting Israel’s ability to gather intelligence above Lebanon, and later make it more difficult for the Israeli Air Force to strike in Lebanon and Syria. Should Iran, Syria, and Hizbullah be able to establish a massive anti-aircraft system in Lebanon, this will fundamentally change the strategic balance of power.
Hizbullah already possesses old models of anti-aircraft missiles and cannons; our Air Force has an answer for them. Some of them have already been deployed in the Second Lebanon War. Yet what the Syrians and Iranians may give Hizbullah at this time poses a different danger and is of a different scope than anything we have known so far (it should be noted these weapons have not yet been received by Hizbullah.) In fact, this system is supposed to provide aerial defense to the entire Syrian-Iranian rocket and missile arsenal in Lebanon and western Syria. Israel cannot reconcile itself to such development alongside Hizbullah’s rocket arsenal and ground fortifications.
Therefore, Jerusalem has embarked on a diplomatic-PR offensive in Europe and in the United States under the leadership of the army chief and defense minister, who recently visited Washington. Meanwhile, Olmert spoke about this with Sarkozy in Europe. The message to Syria, which is also being conveyed via Wednesday’s cabinet meeting and through other means, some of them clandestine, is as follows: Israel would not accept the establishment of an advanced anti-aircraft system in Lebanon; should it be set up, Israel will not hesitate to act against it.
Israel is also warning Lebanon against granting Hizbullah the freedom to act, in light of the latest government decision in Beirut that in fact defines Hizbullah as part of the national army. And the third issue: A warning to Hizbullah to refrain from carrying out acts of revenge for the killing of Imad Mugniyah; such acts would meet a “disproportional response.” The Israeli government is attempting to convey all these messages at this time to Lebanon, Syria, Iran, and the international community. Israeli officials hope that exposing the Syria-Hizbullah intentions will deter Damascus and Tehran and stop them from implementing their plans in Lebanon.
AND FOR SOME GREAT NEWS
Thursday, July 31, 2008 Ryan Jones
Hamas leader's son becomes Christian, embraces Israel
The son of the leading Hamas figure in Judea and Samaria (the so-called "West Bank") said in an interview with Ha'aretz that he has converted to Christianity and repented of his sins for being an active part of a culture of hate and death that targeted God's Chosen.
Massab Yousef, son of Sheikh Hassan Yousef, spoke to the Israeli newspaper from a cafe in California. He knows that he can never return to visit his family in Ramallah without facing certain death.
Saying that he now prefers to be called "Joseph," the young man urged his Jewish interviewer and the entire nation of Israel to beware of phony peace gestures by Hamas or any other Arab authorities that are ultimately guided by Islam.
HELP, MY BROTHERS WANT TO KILL ME!
It’s a rough day at the terrorist factory when they surrender to Israel for protection.
What now? Interrogation. In depth, in earnest and until the Israelis get what they want to know.
Nine killed, 90 wounded in Hamas-Fatah clashes in Gaza
Aug. 2, 2008
KHALED ABU TOAMEH and YAAKOV KATZ , THE JERUSALEM POST
Nine Palestinians were killed - including members of Hamas's security forces - and more than 90 were wounded in fighting that erupted Saturday between Hamas and Fatah members in Gaza City.
That’s the lead story about the infighting in Gaza.
Another sad/funny/interesting follow up:
FATAH TERRORISTS SEEK ASYLUM IN ISRAEL!!
Col. Ron Ashrov, commander of the Northern Gaza Regional Brigade, said Saturday night that more than 180 Palestinians had been allowed into Israel, including 22 wounded, most with light injuries.
Ashrov also said the shooting into Israel by Hamas constituted a breach of the Gaza cease-fire reached in June.
The decision to allow the group to enter Israel was made in coordination with the political echelon.
Ashrov said the fighting around 5 a.m. in the Shajayieh neighborhood of Gaza City.
"We saw what was happening and stood on the side and did not get involved," he said. "At 5 p.m. a group tried approaching the fence [at Nahal Oz]. We saw that some of them were wounded and we decided to allow them to bring the wounded and evacuate them into Israel."
The evacuation, Ashrov said, ended after 9 p.m. Most of the group consisted of men, but there were also women and children. During the evacuation into Israel, the group came under mortar and sniper fire from Hamas terrorists, he said. …
PA and Fatah leaders in Ramallah expressed deep concern over the Hamas clampdown and urged Egypt and other Arab countries to intervene to stop the bloodletting.
"What's happening in the Gaza Strip is a real massacre against innocent people," said Fatah official Fahmi Za'arir. "What's happening is part of a well-planned scheme to consolidate the divisions among the Palestinians."
Samir Mashharawi, another senior Fatah official, accused Hamas of committing "war crimes against humanity." He added that the latest Hamas measures were intended to send a message to Fatah that the Islamist movement was not really interested in resolving the ongoing crisis in the PA territories.
THEN SOME 90 OR SO ARE KEPT IN ISRAEL THE REST RETURNED, WHERE THEY ARE IMMEDIATELY ARRESTED BY HAMAS IN GAZA.
BUT…
That’s not the end of this mess…
Mahmoud Abbas did not want any kept, including wounded. He said he wanted to maintain a Fatah presence in Gaza.
Right. How about a larger Fatah cemetery?!
Then at Israel’s urging that the 90 or so be allowed into Ramallah, Abbas still outraged that his men embarrassed him so refused again.
Finally he said they could be transported across Israel and let loose in Jericho. That should help the tourist trade in the oldest city in the world.
THAT’LL SHOW ‘EM!!
Not to be trifled with, Mahmoud Abbas ordered his West Bank security forces to fire 1000 Hamas-affiliated “police” officers. That of course, is a nice way to say Arab terrorists on the payroll so they won’t attack Abbas.
What’s he going to do now? Be assured they are being watched carefully and that if they plot any nefarious activity Abbas loyalists will whack them. That’s how it works in fun city, otherwise known as Ramallah.
MOORE’S MUSINGS
There are a lot of conservative talk shows on the AM band in America. Glenn Beck in the AM, Rush Limbaugh at noon and Sean Hannity from 3-6 or rebroadcast afterward. Michael Savage in the evening.
Of course there are lots of others as well, but these and Mike Reagan are the more famous.
Most of their conversations are negative. The least of these is in my opinion Hannity who posts constructive ideas.
But a Savage seems completely off the reservation with some of his hairbrained opinions. I listened to his listeners recently. Not him, his listeners. The whole conversation of “what needs to be done” was anarchical, dangerous and as far from Godly as possible.
I like some of talk radio. I admit I have never listened to liberal talk radio. Oh, that’s right, they don’t have any. Air America crashed.
I am not much for many of the callers, but I appreciate that when some political outrage comes out the better ones like Beck, Rush and Sean get the news out to folks. Their manner and mannerisms leave tons to be desired, but I appreciate their stand for America, our troops and conservative ideas.
Whether you listen or not, it might be a sensible thing to check out their web sites where some of the better points will be for your perusal.
Rush Limbaugh celebrated 20 years of his show this past Friday. Kudos to him. He obviously offers something or he would not have survived. Our roots are similar regarding the kitchen table conversations with a grandfather (and in his case a father). These opinionated exchanges helped mold both our belief systems and world views about patriotism and love of the free enterprise system.
Obama has a O-Force One jet. Complete with throne room. You should read the reports on this if you have time. We didn’t provide them. I don’t want to spend too much time on the guy. I do believe he’s dangerous, but I trust the Lord in these matters and leave the results up to Him. I try to give you some information.
Honestly McCain doesn’t give one much to love. He’s not charming, though I trust his integrity. I note who hates him, denigrates his patriotism and slanders him. They are people whose morals, mindlessness and politics I have long despised. That is enough to make me vote for him.
WHAT I WISH
Is that a candidate with some charisma and conservative positions would suddenly fly onto the political scene and sweep all the voters off their feet. Pending that, I am worried for our nation. I’m not convinced most voters have enough sense to get in out of the rain, much less to know why they should not support Obama with his terrorist buddies, black-liberation theology and militant wife.
But I do support your right to disagree, to vote against my position, and to take our dialogue to the point where we can at least decide to disagree without having to hate one another because of our positions.
That is a part of America too. Will I laugh at you for supporting Obama? Sure. And pity you. But I’ll pity America more when he begins to tear her down more than even the Clintons and Carter did.
Maybe by then – if he wins – someone with conservative values that are rock solid will show up.
I am ever hopeful, positive about the Lord’s love and praying fervently for America.
Thanks for your sharing some time with us. Israel is in a state of flux even as we are, and I’ll do my best to keep you posted. Come tour with us next year. If you are interested, then drop me a line. In the mean time, you and yours are in our prayers.
Shabbat Shalom,
Ernie Moore
Genesis 12:3 And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all the families of the earth be blessed.
Psalm 25:22 Redeem Israel, O God, out of all his troubles.
Psalm 60:12 Through God we shall do valiantly: for he it is that shall tread down our enemies.
Psalm 122:6 Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: they shall prosper that love thee.
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