“I Prevented Pollard Deal”: Excerpt from Ex-CIA Chief Tenet’s Book

Ex-CIA Chief: I Prevented Pollard Deal in 1998, by Gil Ronen


Related reports and commentary:

Malcolm: What About Jonathan Pollard?

How Former CIA Chief Foiled Pollard’s Release, Yitzhak Benhorin (Ynet)

Excerpts;

Former CIA chief George Tenet claims, in a new book, that he was the person who prevented the release of Jonathan Pollard during the Wye Plantation talks in October of 1998. The talks, between then-Prime Minister of Israel Binyamin Netanyahu and then-head of the Palestinian Authority Yasir Arafat, were brokered by President Bill Clinton and focused on an Israeli withdrawal from most of the biblical city of Hevron. read more

Winograd Report Fallout: The Days After

1/ Will Olmert be Forced Out?

Kadima Rebellion Against Olmert Gathers Pace, By Gil Hoffman and Sheera Claire Frenkel (Jerusalem Post)

Excerpts;

An effort inside Kadima to overthrow the party’s chairman, Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, began to snowball Tuesday as more and more MKs said privately that Olmert would soon have no choice but to resign.

Amid reports that Olmert himself does not know whether he will survive, his main Kadima rival, Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni, is expected to make a statement about Olmert in Wednesday’s cabinet meeting that could decide whether the opposition to the prime minister will escalate into full-scale rebellion. read more

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Wednesday War News

Shooting, Firebomb and Rock Attacks Continue

Excerpt;
“Terrorists threw three firebombs and shot at soldiers near Jenin, and the soldiers returned fire. No was injured.

Attackers threw building blocks at cars one mile south of the Gush Etzion junction, where the IDF recently removed a checkpoint, lightly injuring one person. Rock attacks also caused damage to a car near Tekoa, east of Efrat.”

Palestinian, 17, Caught With Mortar at Checkpoint

Gaza Strip: IDF Detains Six Palestinian Fugitives read more

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A Commission Born in Sin: Olmert’s Handpicked Committee

Our World: What Commissions Cannot Do, by Caroline Glick (Jerusalem Post)

“Ma’ariv reported protocols of cabinet meetings in the weeks which preceded the 2000 withdrawal where then IDF chief of staff Shaul Mofaz and then IDF OC Northern Command Gabi Ashkenazi begged Barak not to go through with the withdrawal precisely because the Hezbollah buildup and aggression were so predictable.”

Related report: Summary of the Winograd Committee Interim Report

Excerpts;

When thousands of IDF reservists were released from service at the end of last summer’s war they were angry and demanded an accounting from the Olmert-Livni-Peretz government and from the IDF’s General Staff. The reservists rightly felt that they and the country had been betrayed by failed political and military leaders who chose the wrong strategy, prosecuted it incompetently, and led the IDF and the nation to an ignominious defeat that could have been a victory if they had been less incompetent, arrogant and foolish. read more

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Anti-Climactic War Report Formalizes What All Knew: What Will Israelis Do About It?

‘Olmert Made the Decision to Go to War Unprepared’, by Herb Keinon, Gil Hoffman, Mark Weiss (Jerusalem Post)

Excerpts;

The Winograd Committee’s interim report harshly criticizing Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, Defense Minister Amir Peretz, and former IDF Chief of General Staff Lt.-Gen. (res.) Dan Halutz over their actions during the first five days of the Second Lebanon War was released to the public Sunday afternoon.

According to the report, Prime Minister Ehud Olmert bears the responsibility for the decision to go to war without sufficient preparation, a decision the committee called “lacking in judgement, responsibility, and caution.” read more

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Monday War News: Syria Secretly Built 30 Underground Bunkers to House Long-Range Missiles

Foreign Experts: Syria Secretly Built 30 Underground Bunkers to Enable Rocket Attack Before IAF Can Destroy Them, Dr. Aaron Lerner (IMRA)

Excerpt;

Syria has built a huge underground compound that includes 30 steel reinforced concrete bunkers, production facilities, development labs and command posts. This new “rocket city” has missiles that can cover the entire area of Israel. In contrast to mobile deployment systems that are easy prey to air attacks, the bunker system is designed to enable Syria to launch many missiles against Israel before the IAF can take them out. read more

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Parsha Emor 5767: The Kohen; The Paradigm of The Divine Am Segula

by Moshe Burt

The positioning in Torah of our Parsha Emor, following last week’s Parsha Kedoshim gives rise to thought and contemplation.

Kedoshim teaches “…You shall be holy, for holy am I, Hashem, your G’d.” (Sefer Vayikra, Perek 19, posuk 1) And we learn that the epitome of this holiness is the principle taught by Rabbi Hillel to the convert, on one foot, says “V’ohavtoh L’reiachoh Komochoh” — “… you shall love your fellow as yourself…” (Sefer Vayikra, Perek 19, posuk 18) The Halachot subsequently taught in Parsha Kedoshim are all built upon the emulation of Hashem. read more

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Clearing the Air of Deception or Selective Amnesia: Olmert’s Own Words to Knesset 17 July, 2006

Archives: Address by PM Olmert The Knesset, July 17, 2006 – Goals of Lebanon War Set (IMRA)

Excerpts as per Dr. Aaron Lerner, IMRA;

“And in Lebanon, we will insist on compliance with the terms stipulated long ago by the international community, as unequivocally expressed only yesterday in the resolution of the 8 leading countries of the world:

– The return of the hostages, Ehud (Udi) Goldwasser and Eldad Regev;
– A complete cease fire;
– Deployment of the Lebanese army in all of Southern Lebanon;
– Expulsion of Hezbollah from the area, and fulfillment of United Nations Resolution 1559. read more

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Olmert: Credibility of His Words Long Since Lost — Totally!

PM: We Can No Longer Ignore Kassam Rocket Fire

Full Text;

Israel can no longer ignore the continuation of Kassam rocket fire on the western Negev, and continued attempts by Palestinian terrorists to infiltrate into Israel, Prime Minister Ehud Olmert said at the beginning of Sunday’s cabinet meeting.

“Israel sent clear messages to the Palestinian Authority and to other international authorities saying that we are not interested in escalation, but that we won’t avoid taking the steps necessary to defend our citizens in the south,” Olmert said. read more

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