The Sgt. Dayan Case: IDF Degrading Due to Rejecting, De-Humanizing its Best Soldiers and Recruits, the Religious?

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Our World: The IDF’s Suicide Attempt, by Caroline Glick

Excerpts;

… The IDF’s treatment of Dayan; its new recruitment guidelines and Halutz’s anti-religious rhetoric reveal a dangerous politicization of the IDF. It seems that today, with Hamas now in charge of the Palestinian Authority and Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and Defense Minister Amir Peretz now in charge of Israel, the IDF views Israelis rather than Arabs as its principal threat. Halutz and Stern, in criminalizing actions like Dayan’s while minimizing the significance of the Hamas takeover of the Palestinian Authority are sending a clear signal of where they believe the IDF should be devoting its energies. read more

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This Report is Notable for Who has Published It …

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Poll: 62% Want Arab Emigration

More Than Half of Israelis Want Gov’t to Help Arabs Emigrate

Excerpts;

More than half of Israelis think the government should encourage its Arab citizens to emigrate from Israel, according to an annual survey by the Israel Democracy Institute.

A poll published Tuesday on the state of democracy in Israel found that 62 percent of Israelis support government-backed Arab emigration, compared to the 40 percent detailed by Geocartography Institute poll in March.

The annual survey of the status of democracy in Israel was published Tuesday morning, in preparation for the Israel Democracy Institute conference to be held Wednesday sponsored by President Moshe Katzav. read more

OJT for Amir …

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The Indefensible Defense Minister

Excerpts;

These passages from a Jewish Telegraphic Agency story carried by Philadelphia’s Jewish Exponent lay out much of what even the most able defense minister is up against: “How to deal with Palestinian terrorism under a radical, Hamas-led Palestinian Authority that refuses to condemn attacks; how to prepare for the challenge posed by Iran’s nuclear program, which is led by a regime that talks about wiping Israel off the map; how to accelerate completion of Israel’s West Bank security fence, delayed in part by bureaucratic bottlenecks in the Defense Ministry itself; and how to facilitate a major West Bank evacuation with minimal friction between the army and evacuated settlers.” read more

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Olmert’s Achilles Heel: Labor ??

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Bread Increase May Launch a Coalition Crisis

Full Text;

Shouts of disapproval regarding last week’s decision by Prime Minister Ehud Olmert ordering a 7% increase in the price of subsidized bread can be heard from members of the coalition government, not just among opposition lawmakers.

Minister of Industry, Trade & Labor (Shas) Eli Yishai announced he will be leading the battle, but others, including MKs from the Labor Party are already flexing their coalition muscles, explaining they may oppose the state budget when voted upon in budget. Some Laborites tactfully reminded the prime minister via the media that the Labor Party can topple the government at any moment. read more

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Overnight and Tuesday War News …

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LAW Missiles, Explosives Found Near Kibbutz Na’an

Kassam Lands Near Sderot, None Wounded

244 Palestinian Exiles from Iraq Arrive in Syria

Navy Shoots Suspicious Ship Off the Coast of Gaza

Navy Thwarts Attempt to Smuggle Half a Ton of TNT into Gaza

Update: 300-500 Kg. of Explosives Captured at Sea

IDF Spokesman: We Bombard Fields In Response to Kassam Attacks

IDF Spokesman: “… if the IDF sees Arab rocket launchers fleeing into a populated area, they will not shoot to kill the terrorists “in order not to harm innocent Palestinians.” The spokesman declared that killing terrorists amidst civilians is illegal. read more

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The Way to KO Olmert Regime, Coalition in the First Round …

moshe

Knesset Budget Vote Delayed

Excerpts;

Opposition MKs won a small victory over the government Monday by pushing back the vote on the 2006 state budget by two days.

The budget was scheduled to go to a first reading and vote in the Knesset Monday afternoon. However, following the objections of several Pensioner and Labor MKs to the hike in the bread prices, the Knesset’s Interim House Committee decided to delay the vote to Wednesday.

While Kadima MKs shrugged off the delay, calling it a “generous gesture” to allow other parties to review the budget, others said it pointed to the weakness of Olmert’s coalition. read more

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Kadima Strategy to Pass “Convergence”, “Consolidation”: More Arabs on Knesset Committees, to Heck with Security and Wellbeing of Nation …

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Kadima Boosts Arab Influence in Knesset

Excerpts;

Ruling party to assign greater number of Arab MKs to major Knesset committees, in bid to ensure approval of future plan to withdraw from West Bank.

Right-wing MKs were outraged with the decision, claiming that the Arab parties have been granted representation not proportional to their relative power in parliament. Worried that the proposed distribution will be approved by the Knesset’s arranging committee, the rightist factions are trying to form a “plenum rebellion” that would take shape in constant interruptions during Knesset sessions, until the committees’ distribution is changed. read more

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Overnight War News …

moshe

IDF Troops Arrest 93 Illegal Arab Aliens

More Details on the Arrest of the Illegals;

IDF Nabs 93 Palestinians found Hidden in Back of Cargo Truck

IDF Fires Artillery into Gaza

Arabs Fire Eight Kassams into Western Negev

Four Kassams Land in W. Negev

Arabs Fire on IDF Troops in Southern Gaza

20 Arrested in Counter-Terrorism Operations

Peretz Permits 13,000 PA Workers to Cross the Green Line
In keeping with past experience, this is definitely a War story in the making. MB

IDF Soldiers Nab Armed PA Arab

Firebomb Attack South of Shechem read more

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Seeking a Leader With Alternatives to Retreat, Surrender, Concern for Long-Term National Interests Above Personal Interests …

moshe

Wanted: An Unrealistic Leader

Excerpt;

Who is unrealistic, those who want to ‘converge’ or those who oppose it?

If you will it, it is no fanciful dream -Theodore Herzl

In the prevailing political reality in Israel today, it has become more and more common to dismiss political programs that oppose Israeli withdrawal from territories beyond the 1967 Green Line as “unrealistic” or “impractical.”

However, in light of the dismal failure of the alternative approach – that endorses such withdrawal – one cannot avoid broaching the question of whether any particular political philosophy should be labeled – or rather libeled – as “unrealistic”. read more

IDF Seeks: Soldiers With Intellect and Thought-Powers, or Automatons?

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For context, click here and here.


A Soldier’s Freedom of Expression

Excerpts;

Sergeant Hananel Dayan’s refusal to shake hands with the chief of staff at the traditional ceremony for outstanding soldiers at the President’s Residence might have remained an anecdote on the margins of the Independence Day events. The soldier came up onto the stage, saluted Lieutenant General Dan Halutz as required by military orders and therein fulfilled his duty. He neither said anything explicit nor explained his action, which could perhaps have constituted illicit public expression on a political or military matter, contrary to General Staff regulations. read more

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