Israel and The Sin of Expulsion
The Implications and Consequences of Expulsion for the Jewish People
Raising the Flag of Surrender Michael Freund (Israel National News)
Just days after Syria’s President spoke openly of “liberating” the Golan Heights by force, a prominent Israeli government minister has now signaled a willingness to surrender to Damascus’ demands.
In a thinly-veiled trial balloon aimed at testing public opinion, Israel’s Internal Security Minister Avi Dichter said today that he believes that in exchange for peace with Syria, the Jewish state can abandon the Golan.
No Confidence in the Commander
His claim that he is “more ethical than many others” does not meet the test of taking responsibility. “A victory on points, not a knockout,” as Halutz summed up the war, is not good enough for a small, threatened country such as Israel.
Excerpts;
For now, the weekend papers are taking the place of a commission of inquiry. The frustration and anger expressed by both reservists and regular soldiers who took part in the fighting may never be heard by any official investigative body, but they will echo throughout Israeli homes for many months to come.
Who Ordered the Cuts to the Religious Services Budget?
Full Text;
At a meeting today of the Knesset Finance Committee, committee chairman Yaakov Litzman (United Torah Judaism) challenged a representative of the ministry of finance to explain what he said was a disparate cut in funding for yeshivas and municipal religious councils. According to Litzman, the cuts in religious services and yeshiva education (15%) are proportionally greater than the across-the-board cuts to all other ministerial budgets. Officially the proposed across-the-board cuts are to average 6 percent.
IDF Helicopters, Tanks Move Into Gaza for Searches
Excerpt;
“Moved into Palestinian-controlled areas near the main Israel-Gaza cargo crossing on Tuesday, conducting house-to-house searches and arrests.”
Elite Forces Raid Gaza City Neighborhood; Arrest 5
IDF Hits 2 Gunmen Near Gaza Fence; Destroys Houses
Excerpt;
“Two houses belonging to terrorists in the Gaza Strip were targeted as well; the IDF said the buildings were being used to store weapons.”
For context, click here.
State Comptroller Investigating Lebanon War
Excerpt;
“The state comptroller’s office will start gathering information, documents, and protocols connected to the management of the war in the North. Among other things, Lindenstrauss will look into the home front’s preparation for the war and the treatment of confrontation line residents.”
Commentary;
Shlomo Avineri has often been seen as a flaming Lefty, but read this! Incredible — No Agenda At All.
Elections Now By Shlomo Avineri
Excerpts;
Israel’s future as a democracy – not the personal fates of Ehud Olmert and Amir Peretz – is in question following this latest war.
Prime Minister Ehud Olmert should consider stepping down. His resignation would also result in the resignation of the rest of the government, and would thereby pave the way for new elections.
Commentary;
Avi Dichter is just another in a long line of cheap, slimey Israeli political agendists who’s hate and disdain for anything Jewish is soo blind and all-consuming. He would walk away from a part of Israel, from any part of the Land of Israel — in a heartbeat.
The Golan, just as Gaza and Yehuda and the Shomron are part of Hashem’s divine mandate: biblical Israel, those areas which HaKadosh Borchu brought to our possession once again in our contemporary times. There is NO Divine mandate, NO Moral mandate to even hear of, let alone consider abandonment of even an inch of Biblical Israel now in our reshus.
The Lessons of Lebanon, By Lenny Ben-David (Jerusalem Post)
Excerpts;
The war did not go well. It’s easy to point to Hizbullah’s six years of preparations, its fanatic devotion to death, and an endless supply of technologically advanced Iranian and Syrian weapons. But the analysis of what went wrong must first be focused on ourselves.
Five of my sons and sons-in-law fought in this war. Now coming out of Lebanon and surviving some of the bloodiest fighting, they are filled with anger. Their short-term and long-term orders were confused and ever-changing. The emergency stocks for their reserve units were in horrible condition. One reservist special forces unit lacked basic communications equipment, they were provided guns that they had never trained on, and their rushed training was done in conditions unlike anything they would see in Lebanon.
IDF Kills 3 Hezbollah Guerrillas[Terrorists] in Western Sector
Excerpt;
“The men were seen four kilometers from the Israeli-Lebanese border when the IDF force opened fire.”
Update: IDF Fired After Hezbollah Approached
Excerpt;
“Israeli soldiers opened fire on Hezbollah terrorist guerillas after they approached the IDF force in a ‘threatening manner,’ The Associated Press reported.”
Analysis: Olmert Realigns Master Plan By Anshel Pfeffer (Jerusalem Post)
For context, click here.
Excerpts;
The weekend headlines regarding Prime Minister Ehud Olmert’s apparent decision to set aside, at least for the time being, his beloved realignment plan were stating the obvious.
It would be political suicide for the embattled prime minister, who will count himself lucky if he manages to avoid a state commission of inquiry on his government’s conduct of the war, to proceed with such a controversial plan now that unilateral withdrawals have proven so disastrous and his personal credibility is in tatters.