The Implications and Consequences of Expulsion for the Jewish People
Weekly Commentary: No Place for “Act First – Think – If At All – Later” Initiative, by Dr. Aaron Lerner (Independent Media Research and Analysis)
Unfortunately, it appears that the Olmert Administration may already be starting to set in motion another Israeli round of “act first – think – if at all – later” initiatives with ideas to further water down requirements for Palestinian compliance while offering additional unilateral Israeli concessions.
For context, click here.
Olmert: ‘Abbas Will Be Surprised’ How Far He Will Go
Full Text;
Prime Minister Ehud Olmert said Thursday that he is prepared to meet with Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas “any time, any place,” but added that Abbas would not – and perhaps could not – participate.
“Unfortunately, he does not want to sit with me as he is under too much pressure from the Hamas hardliners,” he told a Sky reporter. Olmert said it was in Abbas’ interest to make an effort to meet with him anyway.
Population Transfer in Perspective, Dr. Alex Grobman (Israel National News)
Excerpts;
In an exclusive interview with the Sunday Telegraph, Avigdor Lieberman, Israel’s minister for strategic affairs, said that the primary way to achieve peace in the Middle East would be for Jews and Arabs – including Israeli-Arabs – to live separately. “Minorities are the biggest problem in the world,” he claimed.
Asked if Arab Israeli citizens should be removed, he said: “I think separation between two nations is the best solution. Cyprus is the best model. Before 1974, the Greeks and Turks lived together and there were frictions and bloodshed and terror. After 1974, they constituted all Turks on one part of the island, all Greeks on the other part of the island, and there is stability and security.”
UPDATE: Closed Event to Replace Gay Parade in Jerusalem on Friday
Excerpt;
“Parade organizers announced that the parade was officially cancelled, and pending final logistical arrangements the gay pride event will no longer consist of a march through Jerusalem’s streets, rather a closed event at the stadium at Hebrew University’s Givat Ram campus.”
High Court Expected to Give Ruling on Gay Parade Today, by Dan Izenberg (Jerusalem Post)
Excerpts;
If the court allows the parade to take place, the event will begin on Friday at 11 a.m. and end 45 minutes before Shabbat. The parade itself is expected to last 30-45 minutes.
Gaza: Blast Destroys PFLP Leader’s Home; 2 Missing [2 Working with Explosives?]
Kassam Attack in Western Negev
Israeli Driver Wounded in Rock Attack Near Kiryat Arba
Kassam Lands Near Kibbutz Yad Mordehai; None Hurt
Kassam Scores Direct Hit on Store in Sderot
IDF: No Certainty that IDF Shell Caused Gaza Explosion
Excerpts;
Preliminary IDF investigation of the Gaza explosion shows that 10 of the 12 fired shells hit their targets, a half-km from the building. The other two are still being sought. Kassams hit Sderot.
Vatican to Israel: Ban Gay Parade
Excerpts;
The Vatican on Wednesday asked Israel to ban a gay parade this week in Jerusalem, saying the march in the city considered holy to Jews, Muslims and Christians would offend the faithful.
Thousands of gay activists are expected to march in Jerusalem on Friday.
“The Holy See has reiterated on many occasions that the right to freedom of expression … Is subject to just limits, in particular when the exercise of this right would offend the religious sentiments of believers,” the Vatican said.
US Official: Israel Won’t Bomb Iran
Excerpts;
Iran’s nuclear facilities are too vast to be destroyed by a single air attack so Israel is unlikely to bomb it to forestall Iran from developing a nuclear bomb, a senior United States official said on Tuesday.
“This is a much more difficult problem militarily than taking on Saddam Hussein’s [nuclear] program,” he said. In Iran there are as many as 200 sites that are part of their nuclear program, although some are more important than others, he noted.
By Michael Freund (Israel National News)
Excerpts;
Yossi Beilin was at it again.
In an interview on Israel Radio, the dovish head of the Yahad/Meretz faction in the Knesset spoke about the need to start negotiations with Syria in an effort to reach a peace deal with the Dictator from Damascus, Bashar al-Assad.
It doesn’t seem to matter one whit to Mr. Beilin that Assad is a ruthless tyrant who has been busy aiding Hizbullah in Lebanon, the insurgents in Iraq, and Hamas and Islamic Jihad in Gaza. Assad’s hands may be full of blood, but Beilin just can’t wait to shake them anyway.
IAF Strike Kills One of Hamas’s Senior Leaders in Gaza
Gay Parade’s Future Up in the Air [Due to Trror Warnings After Event at Bet Hanoun]
Excerpt;
“Demonstrators against the Jerusalem Gay Pride Parade may have received a leg up from an unexpected source: the IDF strike in Bet Hanoun early Wednesday morning may have paved the way for an indefinite delay of the parade. Police said the additional manpower needed to prevent a terror attack in retribution for the early morning artillery strike could not be maintained while also supplying the 12,000 police officers deemed necessary for securing the march.”