The Implications and Consequences of Expulsion for the Jewish People
Palestinians Kidnap 3 Foreigners
Stones Thrown at Vehicle near Kalkilya
Eleven Arab Illegals Found in Galilee Cave
IDF Arrests 10 Wanted Terrorist Suspects
Terrorists Arrested in Negev, Ramallah
119 Rockets Since Ceasefire
Palestinians Fire Two Kassam Rockets into Israel
Palestinian Group Threatens to Kidnap IDF Troops
Parsha Bo is the one which, for me, annually relates to that crazy tune which played back “in the Old Country” a couple of decades ago, “Does Your Korbon Pesach Lose It’s Flavor Tied to the Bedpost Overnight?” (Actually, the real title to the song was “Does Your Chewing Gum Lose It’s Flavor on the Bedpost Overnight?”)
Over the years, I’ve come to associate this nutty parody of mine with the very heart of our Parsha. That is the Mitzvot of taking the Korbon Pesach, applying the da’am on Jewish doorposts, the going up from Mitzrayim (Egypt) to “…a land flowing with milk and honey …” and the first mitzvah commanded of the National entity (B’nai Yisrael), the Kiddush HaChodesh — the sanctification of the New Moon and the relevance today of these mitzvot which relate to emunah (belief in) and yirat (fear of)Hashem. And each year, just like countless other stories of our heritage and Halachot, the perspective each year is unique just as the events of each year are unique unto themselves, yet part of Hashem’s “vast eternal plan.”
Academic: Israeli-Arabs Want End of Jewish State, by Yaakov Lappin (Ynet)
“The Palestinian national minority in Israel has a consensus view demanding recognition by the Jews of their exclusive guilt and their own lack of legitimacy, as well as an agreement to destroy the national Jewish project.”
Excerpts;
There was no way of accommodating the demands of Israeli-Arabs, short of the destruction of Israel and its replacement with an Arab state, a senior Israeli academic told a stormy session of the Herzliya Conference Monday, held to discuss the Arab minority in Israel.
Gov’t Group: Delay IDF Chief Appointment
For context, click here.
The Movement for Quality Government filed a petition Monday with the High Court of Justice calling for a delay in the appointment of Defense Ministry Director-General Maj.-Gen. (res.) Gabi Ashkenazi as the IDF’s 19th chief of General Staff until after the Winograd Committee publishes its interim conclusions at the beginning of February.
“There is no way a recommendation can be submitted in which both the appointing members from the political echelon and the candidates could be included in [the committee’s conclusions],” the petition said.
Kassam Falls in Western Negev: No Casualties
Related Story:
Kassam Attack While Peretz Talks
Shaar Hanegev: Kassam Rocket Lands
Palestinian Youth Makes Daring Courthouse Escape
Related Story:
Officer to Probe How Arab Escaped Custody
IDF Shoots at Armed Arabs and Arrests 3 Suspects
IDF Troops Arrest Three Suspected Terrorists [Near Chevron]
For context, click here.
The Maskiot Mess, Editorial (Jerusalem Post)
“The Jordan Valley, with only a sparse Arab population, is considered part of Israel’s national consensus and vital to Israeli security. It was settled primarily at Labor’s direct initiative and the Labor-affiliated settlements were dubbed ‘security settlements’ by Yitzhak Rabin.”
“Peace Now, which attacked Peretz’s initial decision, has raked him over the coals. Dror Etkes, its settlement monitoring coordinator, carped at “the continued zigzag… the surrender to pressure from different directions and the inability to formulate consistent policy guidelines.”
Government Continues to Plan Future Withdrawals
Commentary;
This blog’s predictions about convergence continue to be confirmed and reconfirmed. MB
Full Text;
Despite official proclamations, the Foreign Ministry continues working on Prime Minister Ehud Olmert’s Convergence plan. Olmert publicly withdrew his support for the plan months ago; however, government officials are still drawing up plans for a unilateral withdrawal from Jewish towns in Judea and Samaria. The Convergence plan would require the removal of over eighty thousand Jewish residents of Judea and Samaria from their homes.
Olmert Vows to Work with Peretz in Replacing Halutz, By Yaakov Katz, Herb Keinon (Jerusalem Post)
Commentary;
The two least knowledgeable leaders in the area of Security and National Defense in Israel’s nearly 59 years of contemporary history will apparently put their heads together to choose Dan Halutz’s successor as IDF Chief of Staff.
As a result, expect more of the same as the three leading candidates for the post; Maj.-Gen Gabi Ashkenazi, Maj.-Gen. Moshe Kaplinsky
and Maj.-Gen. Benny Gantz were all active participants, as was Halutz, in the expulsion of Jews from Gush Katif and the Shomron towns. Until the rot of the “Old Boy Network” expellers is fully excised from the IDF as well as from the political, governing sectors, the same indecision, indecisiveness, garbled orders, appeasement and incompetence before the enemy will remain and persecution of Jews cleaving to the Land of Israel will continue. MB
PA Terrorists Fire Mortar Shells From Gaza
Police Catch 3 Palestinians with Stolen Uniforms [Near Givati Junction, Gaza]
Commentary;
Islamikazi murderers planning to impersonate Israeli soldiers? MB
Kassam Rocket Lands Near Sderot; None Wounded
Column One: Where Israel Went Astray, By Caroline Glick (Jerusalem Post)
“Livni convinced Rice that it is necessary to provide a ‘political horizon’ to convince the Palestinians to replace Hamas with Fatah. After the Palestinians overthrow Hamas, he explained, it will be possible to implement the agreement and handover Judea and Samaria to Fatah (and Hamas).
That is, the Israeli government is pushing a national strategy that is based on a total lie. While Abbas plans his visit this weekend with Hamas terror master Khaled Mashaal in Syria in the hopes of facilitating the formation of an Iranian-Syrian sponsored Fatah-Hamas unity government, the Israeli government wishes to ‘strengthen’ him.”