SWI NEWS: Sunday, January 30 2011 25 Shevat,5771
Sunday, January 30th, 2011
Huckabee Arriving in Israel Sunday, Tops Two Primary Polls
http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/142013
by Tzvi Ben Gedalyahu
Unofficial Republican party presidential candidate and former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee, a solid supporter of Israel, is en route for his 15th visit. He has said he probably will wait until summer before announcing whether or not he will run for president in 2012.
"Headed to Israel with family and friends. Looking forward to my 15th trip there," Huckabee's tweet read on Saturday, as results show him topping the polls in West Virginia and North Carolina.
Huckabee often has said that if the Arabs in Judea, Samaria and Gaza want a state, they can choose from among several Arab nations and that Jews, who are indigenous to the area, should be able to build wherever they wish to in their country.
To view his previous trip to Israel, see the following video.
Huckabee’s visit this week will take him to the Knesset, as guest of MK Nissim Ze'ev wo will host a luncheon for him and where the Immigration and Absorption Committee will make a rare exception and host him at a meeting. He also will visit Jewish communities in united Jerusalem, Judea and Samaria, including the Barkan Industrial Center at the city of Ariel.
Dr. Joseph Prager, Dr. Paul Brody and Odeleya Jacobs, all known Zionist American figures who are active in promoting positive public relations between Israel and the United States, have already arrived to help arrange the details of his visit.
His trip follows a recent visit by another GOP-Tea party contender, former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney.
Huckabee will be accompanied by actor Jon Voight, who can be seen and heard in the following video backing Huckabee and condemning U.S. President Barack Obama for “raping” the nation of the United States.
Two polls show Huckabee leading in West Virginia with 28 percent of the projected vote, three percent ahead of Sarah Palin, and more than 10 percent ahead of Romney and Newt Gingrich.
In North Carolina, he leads with a nine-point advantage.
Cairo: Anger starting to focus on Israel, US
By BY MELANIE LIDMAN, JPOST CORRESPONDENT IN CAIRO 01/30/2011 21:47CAIRO – Saturday’s optimism on the streets of Cairo for imminent political change gave way to anger on Sunday, as thousands of demonstrators became increasingly frustrated with the lack of response from major world leaders, especially the US.
During the main protest on Sunday in downtown Cairo, one man painted a 20- meter-long message in flowing Arabic cursive that echoed across the square: “Go Away, Mubarak, you are from the Americans, and you’re working for them!”
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Egyptians understand that the world is waiting to see if President Hosni Mubarak falls to popular pressure before major leaders decide which side to support. But this is infuriating the demonstrators, who realize that six days of unrest have not accomplished their goal and that they need united international pressure in order to topple the almost-30-year incumbent.
The protests have lacked a clear leader to unite them and provide an alternative to Mubarak, and demonstrators are beginning to focus their wrath not just on Mubarak and the country’s widespread corruption, but also on the United States and, to a lesser extent, Israel. They blame Israel and the US for supporting a government because it is convenient for them, not because it is good for the Egyptian people.
“The USA does not support democracy; they’re supporting Israel, which is like their baby,” said Ahmed, a 26-year-old Cairo resident. “They think Egypt is functional because it’s in favor of their considerations.”
“I don’t care if we have peace or not,” Ahmed continued, echoing the indifference of many demonstrators who don’t have a clear agenda for what they want a future Egypt to look like, as long as it does not include Mubarak. “But will Israel allow us to have a real president? For example, Turkey elected an Islamic government, but it was their choice. Will Israel give us the freedom to make the same choice?” he asked.
Demonstrators are relying on the foreign press to get their message to Obama.
“Isn’t this democracy?” they asked me over and over when I said I was a journalist from America, incredulous that the country held as the pinnacle of world democracy could ignore such widespread popular sentiment
“Obama has to be on our side. Where is your democracy?” asked Osam L, who works at a foreign bank in Cairo.
“You say Arabs are just donkeys, but the USA is supporting the system, not the people.”
The Jewish community in Cairo and Alexandria both declined to speak with the media, but told The Jerusalem Post that all of its members were safe and going about their daily routine as normally as possible.
Life is slowly returning to Cairo streets after nearly a week of unrest. Many of the stores in the downtown area remained shuttered, but convenience stores and cell phone kiosks were doing brisk business. There was significantly more traffic on the roads, and public transportation and trash collection were partially operational.
At 3:55 pm on Sunday, two fighter jets flew low over the city half a dozen times, ostensibly to remind everyone of the 4:00 pm curfew. The scare tactic was successful – by 4:30, the streets were mostly empty of cars as throngs of people headed on foot toward Tahrir Square.
Sunday’s protests were much less violent, although there was more anger directed at international leaders.
“What you are seeing here is an explosion. We have no other choice,” yelled one demonstrator.
The main protest in Tahrir Square continued to be attended by thousands of demonstrators from all walks of life – toddlers with small flags draped around their shoulders raising a fist in solidarity, old men in traditional garb walking slowly with canes near the sidewalks, giggling school girls, whole families marching arm and arm, young professionals as well as laborers.
“Those people that say we’re out here because of food or oil prices, that’s not true,” said Osam L. “I have enough to eat, thank God. I’m here for my freedom.”
Talkback
- Country: usa
- 01/31/2011 02:47
Message to Egyptians
Author: Gee Country: Israel 01/31/2011 01:00
----------------------------
OBAMANATION
Unlike Egypt before, now and future both the US and Israel are democracies. Something you are not and never have been and never will be. We are staying out of your internal affairs. Try do the same.
Author: Philabias Country: USA 01/31/2011 01:08
The protesters are right. Obama does not care for democricy he is jealous and wishes he could be a dictator. the American people support them in there fight to be free. but remember that the Obamanation is the worst thing to ever happen to America.And he will tell you to lisien to your masters and die like good little servants. because obamanation does not care for you or your freedom.SORRY!
As the government continues to closely monitor events in Egypt, protesters there have expressed anger with the Jewish state and its US ally for continuing to support the president they seek to dispossess, Cairo-based journalist Tarek Mounir told The Jerusalem Post by telephone on Sunday.
“I’ll be honest with you, protesters are angry that Israel and the US have continued to support [President Hosni] Mubarak for 30 years and that he is seen as the only solution to containing Islamist extremists in this region,” said Mounir, who has been working as a “fixer” using his local experience and contacts to smooth the way for international news agencies since the protests kicked off last Tuesday.
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“I’ve been shot at twice, and yesterday came very close to meeting my maker,” he said, adding that throughout the past five days dodging bullets at protests in the Egyptian capital he has seen many banners claiming that if it was not “for Israel and America then Mubarak would not have survived so long.”
Mounir said that the people protesting felt let down by the West in general, which has not spoken out harshly enough against the oppression of the regime and has failed to show solidarity with the Egyptian people over the past few days of demonstrations.
He said the situation had been harsh in recent days, with the Mubarak regime blocking the Internet, shutting off mobile phones, attacking protesters and, on Friday night, failing to prevent thousands of criminals from escaping from jails. These criminals were responsible for violence and looting in some neighborhoods over the weekend, Mounir said.
Asked whether a change of regime would benefit or damage relations with Israel, the former hotel employee from Sinai told the Post that former IAEA head “Mohamed ElBaradei might not be the best solution but at the moment he is the only solution.”
Mounir said ElBaradei has “not said anything discouraging about Israel since he left his post at the UN” in November 2009 and he did not believe that a nonreligious, liberal democracy in Egypt would strain relations between the two countries.
On Sunday night, Elbaradei spoke to protesters in the capital’s main Tahrir Square, and the Muslim Brotherhood called on him to take over as interim opposition leader.
In Jerusalem on Sunday, Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu told the cabinet that efforts at the moment were “designed to continue and maintain stability and security in our region.
“I remind you that the peace between Israel and Egypt has endured for over three decades and our goal is to ensure that these relations continue,” the prime minister said.
“Of course, at this time, we must show maximum responsibility, restraint and sagacity and, to this end, I have instructed my fellow ministers to refrain from commenting on this issue. Naturally, we are also holding consultations in the appropriate government forums.”
An urgent EU foreign ministers meeting in Brussels to deal with the crisis in the Arab world led German Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle to arrive in Israel Sunday for a brief visit, instead of arriving Monday with German Chancellor Angela Merkel and much of her cabinet.
Westerwelle on Sunday evening had a meeting with Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman that, in addition to the diplomatic process and Iran, was also expected to focus on Egypt and the rapidly changing situation in the Arab world.
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Westerwelle, who was originally scheduled to take part in a joint German-Israeli cabinet meeting, will leave the country for Brussels before Merkel arrives.
Egypt is also expected to be a major focus of discussion when Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu meets Merkel Monday.
Merkel is expected to arrive Monday afternoon for a joint government meeting with the Israeli cabinet, several hours after eight of her ministers arrive. This will be the third such joint meeting between the governments of the two countries since 2008.
The German ministers are slated to meet for bilateral consultations with their Israeli counterparts before the joint government meeting.
One of the bilateral accords to be signed will be a letter of intent to increase bilateral cooperation between Israel and Germany in assisting developing countries.
Deputy Foreign Minister Danny Ayalon will sign the agreement with the German Federal Minister for Economic Cooperation and Development Dirk Niebel. The first project will be the rehabilitation of contaminated regions in Kenya adjacent to Lake Victoria.
Netanyahu, discussing the joint meeting before Sunday’s cabinet session, said that Israel and Germany have many joint economic, security and diplomatic interests, and “our desire is to move the peace process forward.
We see Germany as a central anchor in our relations with Europe, as one of the most important countries in Europe, and one of the most important countries to Israel.”
One of the issues the Merkel and Netanyahu are expected to discuss is the upcoming Quartet meeting in Munich on Saturday, where Israel expected to offer a package of confidence- building measures to the Palestinians, partly as a way to blunt any harshly critical statement coming from that meeting.
The last Quartet meeting was held in September on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly.
One diplomatic source, however, said that with events rapidly unfolding in the Middle East, it was not clear that the Israeli-Palestinian agenda would be the main focus of that meeting. In what appears to be preparation for the Quartet parley, Netanyahu met Sunday night, for the second time in a week, with Quartet envoy Tony Blair.
Merkel will stay on through Tuesday, when she is to receive an honorary doctorate from Tel Aviv University. She will also participate in a conference at the Institute for National Security Studies on “Security Challenges of the 21st Century.”
Obama Consults With World Leaders
by Elad Benari
U.S. President Barack Obama consulted with world leaders on Sunday following the latest developments in the uprising in Egypt.
Among those leaders with whom Obama spoke was Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu. The President also consulted Jordanian King Abdullah, Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, and British Prime Minister David Cameron.
The White House said in a statement that "During his calls, the president reiterated his focus on opposing violence and calling for restraint; supporting universal rights, including the right to peaceful assembly, association, and speech; and supporting an orderly transition to a government that is responsive to the aspirations of the Egyptian people."
Earlier on Sunday, the U.S. embassy in Cairo told its citizens to consider leaving the country as soon as possible and warned against traveling in the country. The warning is more severe than the previous statement to citizens to avoid non-essential travel in Egypt.
Approximately 90,000 Americans are estimated to live, work and study in Egypt, and several companies have told their employees’ families to leave.
Meanwhile on Sunday, Egyptian television showed President Hosni Mubarak meeting with the heads of the military along with his new deputy, Omar Suleiman. Mubarak also spoke with his new Prime Minister, Ahmed Shafik, and asked him to make the return to quiet in Egypt a top priority.
Fathi Srour, Chairman of the Egyptian Parliament, said on Sunday that the parliament would respect any legal decision concerning the results of the parliamentary elections which were held in Egypt two months ago, and added that the parliament “will make the necessary amendments” if it has to.
“There are more and more voices calling to dissolve the parliament,” said Srour. “This is now being investigated by the Court of Appeals.” He went on to explain that it would be better if the parliament “accepts the amendments to the election results than be pursued by doubts.”
(IsraelNationalNews.com)
Israel watches with concern as Egypt teeters on the brink
While Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ordered his government to refrain from commenting publicly on the situation in Egypt, Israelis watched with concern as the regime of Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak appeared ready to collapse, and wondered what that will mean for the Jewish state.
Over the weekend, a large number of Egyptian troops that were went into Cairo to quell the uprising actually ended up joining the protestors, even allowing them to ride on their tanks. The pictures in local Middle East newspapers gave the impression that Mubarak’s downfall was a foregone conclusion.
Mubarak has already appointed his first ever vice president, Egyptian intelligence chief Omar Suleiman, in an effort to calm the waters and demonstrate that he is not trying to create a dynasty.
Suleiman is well respected in Egypt, even by the opposition, and has kept himself largely clean of the corruption that has characterized Mubarak’s government. But Suleiman is also old at 74, and he has dealt roughly with Islamic extremists in the past, meaning that even if he did take over, it likely wouldn’t mean an end to the unrest.
The other possibility that everyone is talking about is that the Muslim Brotherhood, the forerunner of the Palestinian Hamas, will take over. Experts have noted that he Brotherhood is the only large organized opposition force in Egypt, so if the Mubarak regime falls completely, the likelihood of a Brotherhood takeover is high.
If that scenario plays out, there are many that fear Egypt will go the route of the 1979 Islamic Revolution in Iran. The only thing that is currently missing is a charismatic Islamic figurehead. Iranian leaders on Saturday said they were pleased with how things are going in Egypt, and said they felt the revolution there had been inspired by their own.
An Egypt controlled by the Muslim Brotherhood would suddenly become the greatest regional threat to Israel, and precipitate a major restructuring of the IDF operational policies and a beefing up of Israeli forces in the south of the country.
If it gains control of Egypt, the Muslim Brotherhood would be in command of the Arab world’s largest and most powerful military, built on a foundation of advanced American weaponry.
It would mean Israel would have to seriously consider facing a major war on two fronts, something it has not had to do since the 1973 Yom Kippur War.
Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez on Sunday called the US role in Egypt's political crisis "shameful," Reuters reported.
"It makes you kind of sick to see the meddling of the US, wanting to take control," Chavez said after being briefed on the situation in Egypt by Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi and Syria's President Bashar Assad.
"See how the United States, after using such-and-such a president for years, as
