SWI NEWS: Thursday, September 30 2010 22 Tishri,5771
Thursday, September 30th, 2010
White House: Nothing Offered in Exchange for Freeze
by Maayana Miskin
Netanyahu was criticized by the Left after a report Wednesday according to which he had rejected a promise of U.S. support in exchange for continuing the freeze on construction for Judea and Samaria Jews. Washington insider David Makovsky had claimed that the U.S. sent Israel a letter offering, among other things, to sell some of its most sophisticated weapons to Israel if it would freeze construction for two more months.
The letter also allegedly offered a U.S. veto on an Arab League attempt to get the United Nations to vote, without waiting for Israel and the PA to reach an agreement, for the creation of an Arab state, to be named Palestine, in Judea, Samaria and Gaza. In addition, Obama was said to have committed not to ask for an additional construction freeze when the two months were over.
On Thursday night, White House officials denied the report. “No letter was sent to the Prime Minister,” they stated.
The officials went on to say that they “are not going to comment on sensitive diplomatic matters,” and did not confirm or deny that the U.S. may make future promises in exchange for a construction freeze.
Chairman Yaakov Katz (Ketzaleh) of the National Union party criticized Yitzchak Molcho, a senior advisor to Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu, Thursday evening for his reported role in the affair. MK Katz warned, "The offer of advisor Molcho is like the advice of Achitofel, which will bring about the downfall of Netanyahu for the same reason he fell a decade ago." Achitofel was a wise man of the time of King David who gave the king bad advice with disastrous results. The expression "advice of Achitofel" is an Israeli idiom alluding to suggestions for actions which sound sensible but are fraught with disaster.
Ten months ago, Israel offered a one-time temporary construction freeze under which the hundreds of thousands of Jews living in Judea and Samaria would be prohibited to build in any way, including adding on to existing homes, building much needed classrooms or beginning construction on approved building projects. The offer was meant to bring the Palestinian Authority to the negotiating table.
The PA initially refused to negotiate despite the freeze, but agreed to start talks in the ninth month, so as to use the continuation of the freeze as a condition for continuing talks. PA Chairman Mahmoud Abbas then demanded that Israel continue the freeze, threatening to leave talks if building resumed.
Netanyahu refused, and building resumed this week.
(IsraelNationalNews.com)
US Ignores Lieberman’s Land Plan; Mitchell Faces Talks Freeze
by Tzvi Ben Gedalyahu
The United States has ignored Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman’s controversial speech in the United Nations Tuesday as U.S. Middle East envoy George Mitchell talks with Palestinian Authority and Israeli leaders in an effort to thaw the freeze in direct talks.
Lieberman raised a storm by suggesting a land transfer that in effect switches large Arab and Jewish population centers from Israel to the Palestinian Authority and vice versa without expelling anyone from his home, but he has stated the same proposal several times the past year. The only new element was that he chose the United Nations as a forum to repeat his idea.
Lieberman, known for a “straight talk” style that belies modern Western diplomacy that tries to cast an optimistic light on most issues, said that a peace agreement between the PA and Israel is likely to take several decades. U.S. President Barack Obama has said he wants a final status agreement in one year.
U.S. State Department spokesman Philip Crowley told questioning reporters Tuesday, “I’m not questioning that there may be divergent views between the Prime Minister and the Foreign Minister, but I’ll defer to the Israeli Government to explain the difference."
Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu so far has played the diplomat by carefully preserving his government coalition while trying to satisfy both President Obama and PA Chairman Mahmoud Abbas. He distanced himself from Lieberman’s speech without totally rejecting his oft-stated proposal.
However, the timing of the speech in the United Nations hours before Mitchell talked with the Prime Minister Wednesday morning was not welcome. "Lieberman's address was not coordinated with the Prime Minister," the office of the Prime Minister said in a statement. "Netanyahu is the one handling the negotiations on Israel's behalf. The various issues surrounding a peace agreement will be discussed and decided only at the negotiating table, and nowhere else."
Lieberman stated that his population transfer idea is not only nothing new but also has been reported several times,. He told The Australian last week, "This is a subject that we've run away from until now, but we can't go on like this. It's as if someone were selling you an apartment on the condition that his mother-in-law continue living there."
Mitchell displayed his usual optimism although tempered it by saying that the Obama administration knew there would be “bumps” along the road. He added that the American government is "more determined than ever" to achieve Middle East peace.
State Department reporters have become increasingly skeptical, and their questions at the daily State Department briefing suggest they feel the Obama administration is trying to reach an agreement more for the sake of having a document than for creating a lasting peace.
Reuters noted that a collapse in the diplomatic process would be a “major political embarrassment for Obama, “ who likely will lose his Democratic party majority in Congressional midterm elections in November, according to almost all polls.
Returning Mitchell's optimistic tone, Prime Minister Netanyahu told him at his private home in Caesarea Wednesday, "I am committed and the government is committed to reaching a peace agreement that will preserve the security and vital interests of the State of Israel. We are committed to following this path. I hope the good talks that began with (Abbas) will continue without interruption so that we can try to achieve this goal.”
Abbas has frozen the talks, threatening to put a final end to them if Israel does not restore a 10-month building freeze on new Jewish homes in Judea and Samaria that was instituted to meet his condition to sit down at the same table with Israel. He only agreed to the talks as the freeze was about to expire, an obvious ploy to have the freeze extended
(IsraelNationalNews.com)
Israeli Jews in 'Second Hakafot' Dances
by Gil Ronen
Simchat Torah ended Thursday evening in the Land of Israel but tens of thousands of Jews will be dancing with the Torah scrolls in the 'Second Hakafot' (Hakafot Shniyot), in a tradition that is meant to show identification with the Jews who live abroad, for whom Simchat Torah only began Thursday evening. The "plus" in the land of Israel is that the holiday is over and musical bands can accompany the dancers.
'Dubai police chief claims Mossad threatened to kill him'
In Jerusalem, the official Second Hakafot were scheduled to begin at 8:00 PM in Gan HaPaamon's basketball courts. Second Hakafot will also be held in Nazareth, Akko and Yafo, with police approval and security arrangements, as well as in many towns, synagogues, and neighborhoods all over the country.
Shmini Atzeret falls on the eighth day of Sukkot but is considered a holiday unto itself, and is specified in the Bible. The holiday is an extension of Sukkot, signifying G-d and the Jewish people's desire to extend the holiday.
Simchat Torah is the celebration marking the annual completion of the Torah, which is read in weekly portions on Sabbaths. This holiday is not mentioned in the Bible but was established by the Jewish Sages at a later period. The two holidays occur on the same day in the Land of Israel, but for Jews living outside the land of the forefathers, Simchat Torah is held on the day after Shmini Atzeret. By dancing the Second Hakafot, Israeli Jews share the celebration of their brothers and sisters abroad.
(IsraelNationalNews.com) Dubai police chief Lt.-Gen. Dahi Khalfan Tamim claims to have received threats from individuals connected to the Mossad to keep quiet about the details of the Mahmoud al-Mabhouh assassination if he wants to remain alive, according to a Thursday report by the al-Ittihad daily cited by AFP.
The first death threat reportedly came days after Tamim publicized photos of the suspected assassins and accused the Mossad of involvement in the murder. "Protect your back if you plan on keeping your tongues loose," said an email that Tamim allegedly received.
RELATED:
'Mossad doesn't accept losers'
Poland: Israeli 'spy' faces extradition
The second death threat according to the reports was received via a telphone call made to one of Tamim's relatives, a retired senior Emirati official, from a dual-nationality Westerner who "asked my relative to advise me to remain silent," Tamim was quoted as saying. He added that it was later proven that the caller was a former Mossad agent.
In another significant break in the Mabhouh case, Tamim also reportedly told al-Ittihad that a "Western country" had arrested one of the suspected Mabhouh assassins "two days ago" and the UAE is seeking the suspect's extradition to the UAE.
Tamim was eager to comment in June on a planned shakeup in the Mossad's leadership.
In an interview with the Emirati newspaper Gulf News which was cited by Army Radio, Tamim said that Meir Dagan was pressed to leave his job as Mossad chief because "the Mossad certainly does not accept losers."
Tamim was referring to the suspected Mossad hit of Mabhouh and the subsequent international fallout generated by the use of stolen identities and forged passports by the alleged members of the assassination team.
Dutch ad watchdog criticizes Israeli tourism maps
The Dutch advertising watchdog on Thursday alleged that Israel is publishing misleading information on its tourism website that blurs the borders between Israel and occupied Arab territories.
The Advertising Code Committee stated in a nonbinding ruling that material distributed by the Dutch branch of the Israeli National Tourism Board does not "clearly show where the border lies between what is internationally recognized as Israeli territory and 'disputed' areas."
RELATED:
Union of Local Authorities to ‘reassess’ Netherlands relationship
Gush Shalom blames Israeli leaders for Dutch rejection
Pro-Palestinian activists complained that the maps gave the impression that parts of the Palestinian West Bank and East Jerusalem are in Israel, as well as the Golan Heights captured from Syria.
Israeli Foreign Ministry spokesman Yigal Palmor rejected the criticism. He said, that concerning the borders of Israel, "the situation is ambiguous."
Thursday's ruling by the Advertising Code Committee represents the second recent incident in Israel's outreach efforts to the Netherlands marred by Dutch reticence over recognizing Israeli control of the West Bank.
In a letter sent out two weeks ago, the Association of Netherlands Municipalities (VNG) withdrew its support from an October trip of Israeli mayors to Holland after it learned that settler council heads were among the group’s participants.
The association said in the letter that the Union of Local Authorities, which had helped organize the trip, had not initially provided information regarding the list of participants when it requested organizational support.
“Surely you are well aware that the composition proposed is controversial, which places VNG in a very delicate position vis-a-vis different stake holders,” the association said in a letter.
It added that it had informed the Dutch Foreign Ministry and the Israeli Embassy in the Netherlands of its decision. The Association could not be reached for comment.
The Union of Local Authorities and settler leaders publicly attacked the decision on Sunday. Although the letter never explicitly stated an objection to “settlers,” Israelis told The Jerusalem Post that this was in fact the issue.
With this move, “Holland has not helped peace in the region,” Local Authorities head Shlomo Buhbut said in a letter he sent to the Dutch ambassador to Israel.
A spokesman for the Dutch Embassy in Tel Aviv confirmed that the decision was made by VNG, and was not a federal government decision. The spokesman said the Dutch government “respects” the decision of that body. He said that Dutch policy on the settlements is in line with that of the EU.
Jpost.com staff contributed to this report.
Jpost.com staff contributed to this report.
If you sell your $400,000 home,
there will be a $15,200 tax.
Is this Hope & Change great or what?
If you were a jihadist, you'd be rich by now
These two headlines caught my attention this morning.
September 25, 2008 - ten days after the near-collapse of the world economy. On nothing less than the front page of the Washington Post, we learn that
Numerous postings on Islamist websites in the past two years reflect the mujahideen's growing interest in the state of the U.S. economy. As was argued in a 2007 MEMRI analysis, many of the jihadists and their supporters have come to view their struggle against the U.S. and the West as an economic war. More specifically, they have come to the conclusion that it is financial, rather than military, losses that will prompt the U.S. to change its policies in the Middle East and elsewhere. Consequently, they emphasize the importance of targeting U.S. interests around the world, and of directing their military jihad primarily at targets that affect the U.S. economy.
The mujahideen's growing interest in undermining U.S. economy is reflected, for example, in an article in the 26th issue of the GIMF's e-magazine Sada Al-Jihad (Echo of Jihad), recently posted on Al-Hesbah and on other Islamist websites. The article, titled "Why the Dollar Collapsed and How America Controls the Price of Oil," discusses the factors that contributed to the devaluation of the dollar in recent years.
The author lists among the key factors the economic damage caused by Hurricane Katrina; the losses caused by the September 11 attacks; the cost of the war on terror and of the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq; the U.S.'s persistent trade deficit and growing government debt; investors' growing faith in the Euro; the recent subprime crisis in the U.S.; and the fact that financial institutions around the world have started to reduce their dollar reserves, thereby flooding the market with dollars and decreasing the demand for this currency.
The author ends his analysis with the following threat: "The dollar can expect two additional blows that will break its back... the announcement of the return of the Caliphate..." and the reinstatement of the gold standard in international monetary trade.
"Get Rid of American Dollars... and Buy Gold"
A recent posting on the Al-Ikhlas forum urges the mujahideen and their supporters to sell their dollars, if they have any, because Al-Qaeda is planning a strike inside the U.S. so that it will undermine the American economy: " to get rid of American dollars... and buy gold instead... or real estate. The next attack inside the U.S. is imminent... Zawahiri will convey his instructions in his next ... This attack will put an end to the so-called United States of America and destroy its economy completely... The day of the attack is very near...
Given that it is highly atypical for Al-Qaeda to give prior warning of its attacks, the message is probably an attempt to pressure Muslims to sell dollars, in order to generate pessimism in the dollar market and thus accelerate the drop in its value.
[1]See MEMRI Special Dispatch No. 387 "The Battle... Is Economic Rather than Military" - An Economically Oriented Concept of Jihad Emerges in Islamist Discourse," September 11, 2007, http://memriiwmp.org/content/en/report.htm?report=2371. [2]http://www.myhesbah.net/v/showthread.php?t=182568. [3]http://www.ek-ls.org/forum/showthread.php?t=152815.
[1]See MEMRI Special Dispatch No. 387 "The Battle... Is Economic Rather than Military" - An Economically Oriented Concept of Jihad Emerges in Islamist Discourse," September 11, 2007, http://memriiwmp.org/content/en/report.htm?report=2371. [2]http://www.myhesbah.net/v/showthread.php?t=182568. [3]http://www.ek-ls.org/forum/showthread.php?t=152815.
Given today's headlines, I am now even more curious to know if the dots I was pointing out 19 mos. ago can be connected or not, even tentatively. In brief, my thinking then was constructed along the following timeline:
June 16, 2008 We hear from MEMRI about the mujahideen's "growing interest" in the state of the our economy. Early September 2008 McCain is leading Obama in the polls by 3-5 points. Sept. 15, 2008 - almost 16 years to the day since George Soros "broke the Bank of England" - the Federal Reserve notices a "tremendous draw down of money market accounts in the U.S. to the tune of $550 billion dollars in a matter of an hour or two."Had they not closed down the accounts they estimated that by 2 PM that afternoon. Within 3 hours. $5.5 Trillion would have been withdrawn and the entire economy of the United States would have collapsed, and within 24 hours the world economy would have collapsed.
[See especially the video of Rep. Paul Kanjorski (PA), explaining later what Congress had been told by Paulson and Bernanke in a closed door session... that shocked them into supporting the first - $700 billion - bailout.]
-- "Some foreign investors who had previously (i.e., normally) provided crucial injections of capital remained on the sidelines."
-- And more specifically: "the sovereign wealth funds of Asian and oil-rich Middle Eastern nations, which have come to the rescue of U.S. firms before...showed little interest in taking a similar gamble ."
At this juncture, I noted -chapter, verse and link- that "boycotting" an enemy's commodities is one of the "ways" of jihad. Does this apply to the Washington Post report? I have no idea; I barely even know what a commodity is. But it might apply, and if it does, what does that mean?
More follows along these same lines, on October 1, 2008, when Sen. Jim DeMint (R-SC) says on the Mark Levin radio show:
"... this is just my theory, so I’m not passing around as fact—but I think China and Saudi Arabia are holding a lot of these securitized mortgages. And I think they’ve basically said they’re not going to loan us any more money until we buy them back. And if they don’t give us loans every day, we default on our loans we have so much debt as a nation. So, we’re going to borrow more money to try to make this situation right. There’s nothing else for me, Mark, that explains the urgency in using a sledgehammer to fix something that most of us know a few screwdrivers could fix.”
Then on November 4th, as we all know, Barack Obama is elected to the presidency... in spite of the facts that he
- prevented public scrutiny of virtually all documentation of his past;
- may or may not be constitutionally eligible to be president as a "natural-born" American citizen;
- recited the Islamic call to prayer "with a first rate accent" to a New York Times columnist and described it as "the most beautiful sound on Earth at sunset"
- is conceivably indebted to the Saudi royal family (as per former Manhattan Borough President Percy Sutton, also former attorney for the Nation of Islam leader Malcolm X)... and
- "would fail the standard security clearance process for Federal employees" based on his ties to Islamists and to the Nation of Islam.
