Author: moshe

Kedumim Islamikazi Attack and Other Overnight War News …

moshe

Three Israelis killed in West Bank suicide bombing attack

3 Israelis Killed in Terror Attack at Kedumim Gas Station

Excerpts;

Three Israelis were killed Thursday night after a suicide bomber blew up inside an Israeli car near the gas station at the entrance to the settlement of Kedumim in the northern West Bank.

According to Kedumim Regional Council head Daniella Weiss, the three Israelis killed included an elderly couple from the settlement and a girl from the center of the country. The names of the victims were being held until all the families could be notified. read more

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Parsha Vayikra: Admission and Atonement For Mistakes And Failed Policies …

moshe

Parsha Vayikra: Admission and Atonement For Mistakes And Failed Policies

By Moshe Burt

The first word of our parsha; Vayikra begs discussion of why the small “aleph” in Vayikra, and what it indicates regarding Moshe Rabbeinu’s level of principle, integrity and standard of leadership of B’nei Yisrael.

We are told how Hashem, Kav’yochal, would call gently, affectionately “Moshe, Moshe” in a voice for Moshe Rabbeinu’s ears only and Moshe would respond “Here I am.” (Rashi on Perek 1, posuk 1 Metsuda Linear Chumash & Rashi with footnotes) read more

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Olmert’s “Convergence” = Expulsion2: Too Massive, Too Costly and Olmert — He’s No Sharon …

moshe

Unilateralism an Empty Dream

Commentary;

Perhaps Olmert’s “Convergence” will go the way of Barak’s pre-campaign push to draft Chareidim. It’s two massive in scope and too economically costly. The American aid that Israel banked on with the Gaza expulsion never materialized as the US was stuck with a major refugee problem of it’s own from the massive Hurricane Katrina.

In order to satisfy Labor’s socieo-economic demands, there will be no additional funds available to defray both the massive military/police costs of executing such an expulsion and the costs of restitution to the residents of an expulsion of the scale and magnitude of 80,000 Jews. read more

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Coalition Positioning Machinations …

moshe

Olmert’s Obligations

Excerpts;

Humility is not presumptive Prime Minister Ehud Olmert’s strong suit; nor is winning an election usually conducive to developing such a trait. The circumstances, however, require humility, and not just because the winner arrives as a stand-in for the comatose Ariel Sharon.

The voters have indeed given Olmert a mandate, but there is a gap between the tentative confidence shown in his path and the momentous steps our new leader has promised to take. Given the election results, it will take a mighty effort and all of Olmert’s skills not to tear this country, and its economy, apart. read more

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By the Way Rafi, Now That You’re Elected: What About Jonathan Pollard?

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US: No Comment on Eitan’s Election

Main Points;

1/ Rafi Eitan, leader of the Gil Pensioners’ Party, to the Knesset; “… considered an “unindicted co-conspirator” in the Jonathan Pollard spy case and might be taken in for questioning if he enters the US.”

2/ He was “former senior Mossad official, was head of the branch dealing with technology and science … recruited Pollard, … and served as his operator, receiving top secret information from him.” read more

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Try Strength, Not Fatigue …

moshe

Try Victory, by Daniel Pipes

Excerpts;

As Israelis went to the polls, not one of the leading parties offered the option of winning the war against the Palestinians. It’s a striking and dangerous lacuna.

Rather than seek victory, Israelis have developed a lengthy menu of approaches to manage the conflict. These include:

•Unilateralism (building a barrier, partial withdrawals): The current policy, as espoused by Ariel Sharon, Ehud Olmert, and the Kadima Party.

•Lease for 99 years the land under Israeli towns on the West Bank: The Labor Party of Amir Peretz. read more

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Parties Positioning and Strategizing on Coalition Negotiations …

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Eitan Vows to Focus on Pensioner’s Issues

Full Text;

Gil Pensioners Party Chairman Rafi Eitan, who led his party to an astounding seven mandates for the 17th Knesset, promised to focus on the issue that got him there.

“People chose for me for a specific issue, thus I have no choice but to concentrate on one thing, the pensioners,” he said in a Channel 1 interview Wednesday night.

“First we will take care of the pensioners, before anything else.”

Eitan was non-committal about coalition options, but said he believed that his party would not be a deciding factor. read more

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