Analysis: It’s About Ideology, Stupid, Herb Keinon (Jerusalem Post)
Excerpts;
The newest buzzword in Middle East diplomacy is “strengthening the moderates.” This is an expression that continuously rolls off the tongues of both world and Israeli leaders these days. Prime Minister Ehud Olmert uses this phrase repeatedly and heard it often on his visit two weeks ago to Rome and Berlin, and in his meetings last week with the visiting prime ministers from Britain and Norway.
The question is how to do it. How do you prop up the moderates? On Saturday night, Olmert gave his answer: by providing the moderates with money. And he is not alone in the belief that this is the way to help combat Islamic extremists.
The money that Israel freed up Saturday night is intended to prop up Abbas. It will go to him directly, and there is little real fear – because of the intra-Palestinian fighting – that he will then pass this money on to Hamas. This money is clearly meant to buy him support on the Palestinian street.
The problem with this approach, however, is that it underestimates the strength of religion and ideology in the society, and reduces everything to shekels and agarot. It is a throwback to the Shimon Peres way of thinking of the early 1990s, that if you just improved the Palestinian economic situation, peace would spring up along with the next branch of McDonalds.
While few dispute that destitution nurtures terrorism, alleviating the poverty will not necessarily dry up the reservoir of terrorists. Remember that those who brought down the World Trade Center were not destitute refugees in rags.
If this summer’s war in Lebanon taught Israel anything, it is that our conflict is as much an ideological/religious one as it is territorial. Hizbullah had no legitimate territorial claim on Israel, yet it provoked a war.
The same holds true in Gaza. Israel has left Gaza completely, yet the rockets continue to fall. It’s not only territorial, not even mostly territorial, but largely ideological and religious.
Which doesn’t mean that Saturday night’s decision to try and prop up the moderates in the PA was wrong. Just that it should be done with eyes wide-open, fully aware that in this part of the world – where religion and ideology have such a powerful pull – money isn’t everything, and throwing money at the problem won’t necessarily solve it.
Commentary;
This author finds reports and commentaries such as this distasteful, either in it’s totality or as excerpted here.
The point is that money will never work as a substitute for and abrogation of our inalienable, divine right as Jews — as Hashem’s chosen people, to exist and to possess our legacy — Eretz Yisrael.
But money, release of murderous terrorists and the other perks being thrown the Holacaust denier and Munich Olympic Massacre financier Muhmoud Abbas’ way by leftist, elitist national leadership and leftist MSM pundits are the lame substitutes of disdain and denial of who and what these leaders and pundits are — Jews.
Below is yet another distasteful display of disdain and denial of Jewishness and the lame substitutes by Olmert and his gang for direct confrontation with Islam and asserting and possessing our divine legacy. MB
Latest Olmert Zig-Zag: Free Terrorists Before IDF Prisoner, by Hillel Fendel (Israel National News)
Full Text;
PM: “We’ve freed prisoners for the Id el-Adha holiday before; I see no reason not to do it this year too. It could be that this is a change of my past position.” Shalit has been held for 6 months.
“The time has come to show flexibility and largesse regarding the terrorist prisoners,” Prime Minister Ehud Olmert told the Cabinet yesterday (Sunday). “It could be that this opinion is different than that which was presented at previous government meetings, but this is my opinion.”
Ministers Shimon Peres, Amir Peretz, Sha’ul Mofaz and others agree that there is no reason not to free terrorist prisoners in honor of the upcoming Moslem holiday Id el-Adha and thus strengthen Abu Mazen. The Palestinian Authority chairman faces tough opposition from Hamas within the PA.
IDF Corp. Gilad Shalit was captured by Hamas just outside Gaza six months ago; two soldiers were killed in the attack, in which eight terrorists tunneled under the Gaza fence.
For the last several months, Olmert has been adamant that he would not free any prisoners until Gilad Shalit is released first.
Shortly after Shalit’s capture, Olmert gave orders to prepare for an invasion into Gaza to secure the soldier’s release, and said he would not conduct negotiations with Hamas on the issue. Just two days after the kidnapping, he said that “time is running out” before he gives the go-ahead for the military action.
Olmert met with PA Chairman Abu Mazen on Saturday night, and the new policy is thought to be a direct outgrowth thereof.
Rumors of a prisoner exchange deal involving 1,400 terrorist prisoners for Shalit have been floating for many weeks. The reports stated that the main obstacle was Olmert’s refusal to free the terrorists before Shalit’s capture[typo, should read “release”]. With the removal of this obstacle, the way appears to be paved for the trade of Shalit for the 1,400 terrorists.