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From: Voices United for Israel
To: heb_roots_chr@hebroots.org
Subject: ISRAEL NEWS FROM ALLY TO PROTECTORATE
From THE NATIONAL UNITY COALITION FOR ISRAEL
A Coalition of 200 Jewish and Christian Organizations
Representing 40
Million Americans, dedicated to the security of Israel.
Phone: (913) 432-7900 Fax: (913) 432-7997
Email: voicesunited@mindspring.com
See our Web Page at: http://www.Israel-unitycoalition.com
New York Post Online : Columnists 1 04 2000
FROM ALLY TO PROTECTORATE
By DAVID BAR-ILLAN
ISRAEL needed all the help it could get when it emerged from its
War of
Independence in 1948. Outnumbered 100 to one by peoples sworn to
its
destruction, the new state fought for its life, opened its gates
to Jewish
refugees from Arab countries and survivors of Nazi death camps,
and turned
them into a powerful, modern nation. No cause could more
convincingly
justify the massive assistance Israel received.
But, ultimately, assistance is truly helpful only if it enables
the
recipient to become independent. And until recently, this was the
direction
Israel was taking. The highly motivated immigration from the
former Soviet
Union and Israeli expertise in the field of high tech have given
the nation
marked advantage in today's marketplace. Israel seemed to be on
the
threshold of complete economic and political independence.
Instead, Israel is becoming more dependent on the United States
than ever.
Partly, this is due to the slow pace of its emergence from a
centralist and
inefficient economy saddled with confiscatory taxation. It is
easier to
remain addicted to American assistance than to take the painful,
drastic
steps needed to transform the economy.
But far more threatening to Israel's independence is Washington's
concept of
Middle Eastern peace. The administration is forcing Israel to do
what all
Israeli governments have vowed they would never do -- relinquish
the Golan
and most of the West Bank and agree to the establishment of a
Palestinian
state west of the Jordan River.
Some believe this reflects President Clinton's ambition to leave
the stage
as a Nobel Peace Prize winner rather than as the second president
in history
to be impeached. But a more likely explanation is that the
administration
has concluded that the only way to bring peace to the region is
to make all
its nations economically and militarily dependent on Washington.
This would
enable America to call the shots and prevent its dependents from
attacking
each other.
That dictatorial Arab regimes with crumbling armies and stagnant
economies
should accept such an U.S. solution is hardly surprising. It
enables them to
retrieve territories lost in wars of aggression, improve their
economies --
at least enough to avoid internal turmoil -- and modernize their
armies to
match Israel's. Signing peace treaties on the White House lawn is
a small
price to pay for a realistic chance to overpower Israel in the
future.
Why Israel is willing to go along with this is less obvious.
Barak's
political indebtedness to Clinton may be part of the explanation.
He owes
his election to the White House political advisers, to munificent
contributions by Democratic fat cats, and to the almost daily
savaging of
Benjamin Netanyahu by the administration during the campaign.
But it is inconceivable that Barak would relinquish the Golan, a
move he has
always considered unthinkable, only to pay a political debt. Nor
is it
possible that, after years of deriding Shimon Peres's vision of a
New Middle
East patterned after the European Union, Barak would suddenly
believe that
an agreement with the ruthless Syrian dictatorship would usher a
new era.
It is more likely that he has despaired of Israel's ability to
withstand
world pressure and internal division. So instead of striving for
greater
independence from the United States, he has opted for making
Israel a
quasi-protectorate, counting on America to provide the tens of
billions in
aid and military equipment, and the "trip wire"
military forces for the
Golan that the fake peace with Syria will necessitate.
It is a solution that negates the very purpose of Zionism. And it
is the
surest way to turn Israel from a strong, invaluable ally into a
pesky,
costly dependent. It will sour U.S.-Israeli relations, especially
if
American soldiers are killed in the process of peacekeeping, and
it will
perpetuate Israel's image as a foreign body in the Middle East.
Ironically, no one could have articulated how unworkable and
foolhardy such
a solution is than Ehud Barak himself.
********************************************************************
To:
arutz-7@ArutzSheva.org
From:
Arutz-7 Editor <neteditor@ArutzSheva.org>
Subject: Arutz-7 Op-Ed: THE
PSYCHIATRIC WARD
THE PSYCHIATRIC WARD
by Elyakim Haetzni
Arutz Sheva Israel National Radio <http://www.arutzsheva.org>
In This Article:
1. I Think I'm Normal
2. The Peace Inventory
3. Closing the Window of Opportunity
4. Conversations Overheard
I THINK I'M NORMAL
I'm normal. Or at least I think I am. I take my cue
from the fact
that no psychiatrist has yet recommended that I be put away in
the
nearest institution. Even so, I sometimes think that I am
indeed
living in a mental ward. Permit me to explain.
Yasser Arafat was unwilling to receive another 5% of Judea and
Samaria
"free." He wanted in exchange, and received, a
commitment from Israel
that the next Oslo withdrawal will include neighborhoods
bordering
Jerusalem, namely, Abu Dis and El Azariya.
You might want to read the above paragraph a second time.
If it seems
logical to you, you may be advised to undergo some psychiatric
tests.
Assad, too, is not willing to receive the Golan "for
nothing." In
exchange for Assad's agreement to accept the Golan, he is
demanding -
and will probably receive - billions of dollars and modern
military
equipment for the hopelessly outdated Syrian army.
If all this seems logical to you - call your psychiatrist.
THE PEACE INVENTORY
Minister Chaim Ramon of Labor promises us the end of the
"cycle of
war" after Israel withdraws from the Golan. For the
record, the IDF
presented the Americans with the following "Peace
Inventory": Tomahawk
missiles, Apache Helicopters, Hercules jets, hundreds of Hellfire
missiles and AWACS intelligence aircraft.
The list also includes: observation towers with high-power
floodlights, 60-centimeter walls next to each home, the closing
of the
northern road for the entire stretch of the Galilee panhandle to
civilian traffic, and the distribution of beepers and personal
ammunition to each citizen.
People who live on the outside of the mental ward have always had
a
slightly different perspective: we think that "the end of
war" means
less, and not more, arms!
Israel has enjoyed almost 30 years of quiet in the Golan, as a
result
of our sitting 60 kilometers from Damascus. But we are now
told that
"quiet" is not enough, and that we also need
"peace" - that which
will bring the Syrians back to the Golan, will modernize their
army,
and will solidify their presence on our northern border.
This has
frightened the directors of the mental ward, and they have asked
the
Americans for even deadlier ammunition provided by the U.S. to
the
Syrians. Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the new Middle
East arms
race!
CLOSING THE WINDOW OF OPPORTUNITY
Fact: The Syrian army is old and tired. As a result, says
the ward's
directors, "the window of opportunity has been now opened,
and through
it we must toss the Golan, before that window of opportunity
slams
shut!"
Question: Along with the Golan, the Syrians are to receive
American
arms of the type and amount that will transform the Syrian army
into a
major power. According to the very logic of those running
the
psychiatric ward, this means that the window of opportunity will
have
closed. If so - why give up the Golan?
"Just think," yell the ward attendants, "a person
can hop into his car
in Tel Aviv, and reach Paris via Damascus!" It's
worthwhile noting
that residents of Paris have been able, for a long time now, to
reach
Tel Aviv via Damascus. If so, why has not one of them
jumped at this
fantastic travel opportunity?
The ward directorate says that we can take chances with the
Golan,
since Assad can be trusted, and Syria honors its signed
agreements.
And yet, the Golan deal would itself be a violation of one of
Assad's
commitments. It would solidify Syria's occupation of
Lebanon, thus
violating the Ta'if agreement, in which the Assad regime
committed
itself to leave Lebanon. Is the belief of the ward that
although
Syria violates agreements it made with the U.S. and the Arabs, it
will
honor treaties with the Jewish state?
CONVERSATIONS OVERHEARD
A conversation overheard in the mental ward: "What
good is Assad's
signature - isn't he sick and about to die? What will become of
our
peace deal?" Their concerns were soon
alleviated: "Don't worry,"
came the answer. "Whose signature could be worse and
less reliable?
Assad has violated every water agreement he ever signed with the
Jordanians and the Turks, and his cease-fire with us; slaughtered
tens
of thousands of his own people; awarded a medal of honor to the
soldier responsible for the axe-murders of Israeli captives;
provided
refuge for Adolph Eichmann's right-hand man, Alois Bruner; and
murdered a major Druze leader as well as Lebanese President Amin
Jemayal. And this is only a partial list." The
listeners were
comforted.
Experts hired by the psychiatric ward are looking for solutions
for
the expected lack of water after Israel recognizes "Syrian
rights" to
Golan water. One serious possibility being
considered: Offer the
Syrians water from Turkey!
It is told that in Chelm, somebody removed the protective railing
from
the local bridge. Carriages fell off and many people
unfortunately
died. But the Chelmites found a way to rectify the
situation: "Let's
build a hospital under the bridge!" In the mental
ward, too, they are
preparing similar solutions for: the Jewish population that is to
be
evacuated, the IDF which is to retreat, the new arms race, the
Palestinian refugees in Lebanon and Syria, the water shortage,
and the
environmental and security problems. How comforting!
*
*
*
*
*
* *
Atty. Elyakim Haetzni, a former Knesset Member of the Techiyah
party,
resides in Kiryat Arba. He authors a column in Yediot
Acharonot, and
speaks weekly on Arutz-7.
********************************************************************
FROM: Clarence H. Wagner, Jr., International Director - Jerusalem
Weekly News Update and Prayer Focus from Israel
Week Ending: January 14, 2000
1) MOSSAD OBTAINED URINE SAMPLE: ASSAD IS DYING
2) SYRIA ALREADY MOVING ON THE GOLAN
3) POINTS OF CONTENTION BETWEEN ISRAEL AND SYRIA
4) JEWISH LANDS IN SYRIA
5) ARAB FAMILIES CLAIM TO OWN LAND ALLOCATED FOR US EMBASSY
1) MOSSAD OBTAINED URINE SAMPLE: ASSAD IS DYING
According to a report released by the
Sunday Times of London, the
Mossad Intelligence Agency has acquired a urine sample from
Syrian
President Hafez el-Assad and a diagnosis revealed that the Syrian
leader was "living on borrowed time." According to the
report, the
sample was obtained last year while el-Assad joined many
international
leaders at the funeral service for King Hussein of Jordan. The
Times
report indicated that the urine sample was processed in a
laboratory
in Tel HaShomer Hospital in Tel Aviv where it was confirmed that
the
Syrian leader has cancer of his urinary tract and enabled
physicians
to obtain an accurate reading on the Syrian ruler's diabetes
mellitus.
(IsraelWire, January 10, 2000)
2) SYRIA ALREADY MOVING ON THE GOLAN
Syria is building a huge reservoir on the Golan
Heights in what
is expected to be the first of several projects to capture water
that
feeds Israel's Sea of Galilee. Military sources said the
reservoir is
meant to also serve as an obstacle to any Israeli ground
offensive
against Syria in the Golan Heights. The sources said the
reservoir is
four kilometers wide (2.4 miles) and is being constructed near
the
town of Kuneitra, in Syrian territory. The area is flat and
located on
a major armored offensive route between Israel and Syria. So far,
the
sources said, the reservoir is not expected to be fed by
tributaries
that flow directly into Israel. But one source said the reservoir
is
expected to be followed by other projects meant to stem the flow
of
water from the Golan Heights to the Sea of Galilee, regarded as
Israel's only source of fresh water. "There is no question
that this
is the first of several projects," the source said.
"The idea is to
capture as much water as possible within Syria before it enters
Israeli territory." Syria and Jordan are constructing the al
Wihdat
dam that will feed off the Yarmouk River, shared by Israel.
Israeli
officials said the Jordanians are coordinating their part of the
project with Israel. The sources said, the reservoir could be
emptied,
flooding the surrounding area, further slowing down Israeli
troops.
Already, the sources said, Syria is bolstering its units around
the
Golan Heights with new electronic equipment and is quietly
dismantling
Israeli mines placed in the area. (TNS, January 9, 2000)
3) POINTS OF CONTENTION BETWEEN ISRAEL AND SYRIA
The London-based al-Hayat newspaper reported the
expected points
of contention between Israel and Syria in future negotiations.
The main Points cited:
Borders:
Syria: Israel must withdraw to the June 4, 1967 border.
Israel: The June 4 line is not a border, but rather the
cease-fire
line on the eve of the Six-Day War. Israel is ready to withdraw
to the
international border.(The Israeli delegation and State Department
Spokesman James Rubin strongly emphasize that such an Israeli
stance
is not included in the working document. Israel says its position
is
different from Syria's and will be finalized through
negotiations.)
Normalization: Syria: Ready to establish ordinary peace relations
between two neighborly states, but refuses to sign agreements
between
the two governments regarding normalization.
Israel: Demands the opening of borders and exchange of embassies
immediately after the start of withdrawal.
Security: Syria: Adheres to the principle of parallel, equal and
equitable security arrangements. Rejects any security
arrangements
that undermine Syrian sovereignty on the Golan, including
establishing
an Israeli ground station.
Israel: Demands keeping an early-warning ground station on Mount
Hermon and does not mind the Presence of US forces there.
Believes
the geographic features in Israel call for greater, more intense
and
more severe security arrangements on the Syrian side.
Water: Syria: The principle of land and borders should be
discussed before water. Water resources can only be discussed
through
a Syrian-Israeli- Lebanese-Jordanian framework.
Israel. The Golan water resources constitute one-third of
Israel's
resources. A pledge not to obstruct the flow of water is
necessary.
The issue of water is equivalent to the issue of security and
normalization. (Jerusalem Post, January 1, 2000)
4) JEWISH LAND IN SYRIA
In the 1930's, Baron Edmund de Rothschild purchased lands
in
Syria, 53,000 dunams (13,250 acres), about 30 kilometers (18
miles)
south of Damascus. The lands are described as mountainous and
agricultural lands that are now under Syrian control. Jewish
National
Fund officials today hold the documentation attesting to the fact
that
the lands were eventually turned over to the quasi-governmental
agency. The ownership is also registered in the Syrian land
registry
according to JNF officials. With the hostile situation that
existed
over the years between Israel and Syria, no attempt was made to
exercise ownership of the lands. JNF Chairman Shlomo Gravitz
stated on
January 6th that Israel might try to use the land to work a deal
with
Syria whereby it would maintain portions of the Golan Heights.
JNF Officials realize that a deal would have to be reached
soon,
prior to the signing of a peace accord with Syria that would
include
Israeli land concessions and border demarcations. (IsraelWire,
January
10, 2000)
5) ARAB FAMILIES CLAIM LAND ALLOCATED FOR US EMBASSY
Arab families are now claiming the area known as Mahane Alanbi,
designated as the home for the planned US embassy in Jerusalem.
The
families trace their rights to the land to the time period of the
British Mandate. Prior to signing a lease with the Israel Lands
Administration, US officials in Israel have launched an
investigation
into the land claims and it was learned that the area was
designated
for public needs by the British and claims to the land as
absentee
properties was unfounded. (IsraelWire, January 11, 2000)
-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+
WHO ARE WE?
For those who are new to the list,
Bridges for Peace is a Christian
charitable organization, headquartered in Jerusalem, Israel.
Since
1977, we have been working to build Christian-Jewish
understanding and
support for the people and land of Israel. We do this through
twelve
different aid projects to help the people of Israel, while
disseminating information about Israel and teaching Christians
about
the Hebraic roots of Christianity. We have national offices in
Israel,
the U.S., Canada, the U.K., S. Africa, Japan, Brazil, Australia
and
our Spanish World office located in Puerto Rico.
We also invite you to look
at our WEB SITE at: http://www.bridgesforpeace.com
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