Promoted by Steven D.
by Abdelkader Benali
BEIRUT (VrijNederland) July 18 — Today I was told the number of victims runs into the hundreds. In Prague a friendly Italian tells me the city will run out of their gas supplies within three days.
I live in Hamra close to the AUB, the large university campus at walking distance from the Mediterranaen Sea. They say the Israelis will not bomb the AUB because it’s American property. But as I’m writing this, I keep thinking they will do it, they will do it.
«« click on pic for BBC profile
Minister of Defense - Amir Peretz
The Israeli Minister of Defense, Amir Peretz, the man who appears to be leading this operation, left Morocco in 1956 for Israel. He is, just as I, of Moroccan descent, we are both second generation. He in the Jewish state, I in the Netherlands. Had he stayed in Morocco, somewhere in Middle-Atlas, perhaps we would have met this summer. I could have bought a carpet from him or I would have read him from my own published book. Now he is in Tel Aviv, surrounded by military staff. I watched him on television yesterday with his moustache and bright Moroccan eyes. He was made totally useless by the military. He tried to make a pose as a strong man, he attempted to look like a leader. However, you could see that shame got a hold of him: a political man diminished to irrelevance, Amir Peretz from Middle-Atlas in Morocco.
Al Jazeera has a continuous presentation of various commentators from Israel, analysts and ME political experts. Most of them speak Arab, some fluently, and a few make a worthwhile comment. One of them even got me to laugh, although there is no place and time for laughter. He called Hezbollah ‘HezbSjitan’, Party of the Devil. He pronounced it with so much sharpness and contempt that it drops right in your lap. The population is fooled by their military and political leaders. Leaders who are not willing to exchange soldiers for Lebanese prisoners. Israel has met a partner in battle: Hassan Nasrallah.
Hezbollah was “inspired by the success of the Iranian Revolution” and was formed primarily to wage war (both defensive and offensive) against Israel.
Christian Science Monitor — Hizbullah winning over Arab street
Military means won’t end Israel’s abduction crisis
TEL AVIV (Radio Netherlands) — … Furthermore, Prime Minister Olmert’s popularity has been dipping of late, and his main aim – a unilateral withdrawal from the West Bank – has been put on the back burner by events in Gaza. It could, therefore, be to the long-term advantage of the prime minister to do what his cabinet has so far steadfastly refused to contemplate:
- “In the history of the conflict between the Israelis and the Arabs and the Palestinians, leaders who felt they are politically strong and had the stamina and the political authority did negotiate and did conduct exchanges of prisoners.”
In the 1980s, for example, then prime minister Yitzak Rabin controversially exchanged six Israeli soldiers 1,500 Palestinian prisoners. Later, ‘hardliner’ Ariel Sharon swapped 400 prisoners with Hizbollah for the release of one Israeli citizen. Mr Ben-Ami comments:
- “He [Sharon] did it because he felt he was politically strong and had sufficient authority to sustain criticism.”
‘Friendly advice’
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Ehud Olmert and Ariel Sharon
Despite Mr Ben-Ami’s belief that Ehud Olmert (photo) needs to show such strength and realise that military means alone will not resolve the current crisis, he also thinks that such a change in attitude,
- “will have to be assisted by some ‘friendly advice’ from the United States and third parties.”
The question then is whether such ‘friendly advice’ will be enough to sway the Israeli government. Shlomo Ben-Ami believes, in any event, that Washington will not apply serious pressure on Mr Olmert:
- “You see, the Americans are not pressuring, because they have confused the issues in a way. Because of that ‘War on Terror’ of President Bush, to him what is happening in Gaza is an extension of that same war, and he doesn’t feel he should put pressure on Israel because Israel is doing – presumably – in Gaza what he is doing in Iraq. I think that his advisors need to explain to him that, yes, indeed, there is a problem of terrorism, but the political context is entirely different.”
Exclusive interview with opposition leader Benjamin Netanyahu
“Israel is subject to restraint, we are a moral country facing immoral savages, having no moral boundaries”.
Click on VIDEO button in article – 
The interview will be in English.
● ‘HezbSjitan’ ¶ A Blogger from Beirut
● Hezbollah Drone Sets Israeli Warship Ablaze
● Gaza Beach Deaths: ‘Incoming fire’ – HRW Expert
● No News for America
● New Settlement in Jordan Valley Breaks Israeli Vow
● Warren Buffett Invests $4bn In ME Peace Effort
"But I will not let myself be reduced to silence."
▼ ▼ ▼ MY DIARY
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When a Lebanese political figure was assassinated by parties unknown: perhaps the Israeli Mossad or agents of Syrian President Assad, the U.N. and world community were torn apart with sorrow.
Today Israel has massacred nearly three hundred innocent civilians in Lebanon, the silence in the world community is deafening. The roots cause for future devastating suicide bombings has been laid down this July 2006. As in the article above was mentioned: powerful leaders don’t need to resort to war in search for peace.
Ehud Olmert, son of a founder of the militant Zionist group Irgun, the big divider as mayor of Jerusalem, have you found the two IDF soldiers yet?
"But I will not let myself be reduced to silence."▼ ▼ ▼ MY DIARY
Very informative, as usual. You are the first I’ve read who focuses on the real why of political power. You may find this article interesting, which explains that one of the first triggers for this current action goes back months to when Israel supplied arms to the presidential guards protecting Abbas to help Fatah fight Hamas and execute coup to remove Hamas from power, and then Hamas asked Hezbollah to help prevent the coup, which led to capture of Israeli soldiers. It is all discussed in the larger political context of a paper written by US neocons Perle, Feith, etc who recommended back in 1996 that Netanyahu implement their plan to force the unconditional surrender of the Palestinians to Israel (a plan which included removing Saddam from power in Iraq) and how this current conflict may escalate quickly into regional war if Israel attacks Syria on the pretext of failing to hand over the soldiers. While Israel claims kidnapping or capture of soldiers was the trigger, this article shows that “kidnappings and prisoner exchange is fairly normal in the area.” So, Hezbollah captures 2 soldiers to “relieve the pressure on Hamas.” According to the 1996 strategy paper, the goal is to remove Iraq, Syria, Hezbollah and Iran from the picture, as they support the Palestinians, and then the Palestinians will be forced to “accept whatever Israel puts on the negotiating table.”
So, Israeli leaders not only establish power and strength but resume their 1996 plan to force a Palestinian surrender — as the success of this plan was threatened by the democratically elected Hamas. Certainly not an expert in this area, but it all seems to make sense?
The military are Ashkenazi-Jews from former Eastern-Europe
Current commander Dan Halutz – born to Iranian Jewish parents. Ditto for the previous one Shaul Mofaz.
they have positioned the Arab Jews in an inferior position in their society as second rank citizens because they arrived later in Israel with their strange Arab customs.
True. What’s also true is that they are on average much more hawkish than the Ashkenazim. That’s also true of the more recently arrived immigrants from the former Soviet Union. The most dovish group in Israeli society are the descendants of the East European Jews who arrived before and right after the establishment of Israel.
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Haaretz Newsletter – just arrived by email
Homes reduced to rubble by enemy fire…
Fathers and sons called to active duty…
Children forced to spend their summer days in bomb shelters…
“The Meir Panim organization has been distributing basic foodstuffs to residents in the threatened areas, particularly to the elderly and infirm located in bomb shelters.” — Arutz Sheva
≈ See also a comment in a recent diary — Israel’s Poor ≈
"But I will not let myself be reduced to silence."▼ ▼ ▼ MY DIARY
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PARIS (AFP) – Saudi Arabia’s Crown Price Sultan Ben Abdel Aziz began a three-day visit to France likely to be dominated by the Middle East and French hopes for large arms contracts. He held an hour of talks with President Jacques Chirac in which the sole topic was the situation in the Middle East and in Lebanon “with a view to strengthening efforts for a de-escalation and a return to peace”, according to Chirac’s office.
The prince will also meet Defense Minister Michele Alliot-Marie and Prime Minister Dominique de Villepin. Although Saudi Arabia has used stronger language than France to criticize the Israeli bombardment of Lebanon, and in particular civilian infrastructure, the views of the two countries are close.
Sultan Bin Abdel Aziz who is also defense minister, is in Paris to discuss the fighting in Lebanon and Iraq and international efforts to stop Iran's nuclear program, as well as economic questions. AP Photo/John Schults, PoolOn his part, Prince Saud said views of the two countries were about to be identical on issues that concern the Middle East region, and …
Prince Saud underlined the importance of enabling the Lebanese government to spread its influence throughout Lebanese territories, and said “we should extend economic and political support to Lebanon in all spheres. We are friends of Lebanon, and we cooperate with it.”
Original statement by Saudi Arabia on Hizbollah and Lebanon
"But I will not let myself be reduced to silence."▼ ▼ ▼ MY DIARY
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Under his command, execution of extra-judicial assassinations in Gaza and the West Bank occupied territories. Defended the bombing of an appartment building killing 16 civilians including nine children by F-16 precision strike, dropping a one ton bomb to take out a ‘terrorist’.
Controversy lasted through appointment cycle as new chief of staff, ended before the Israel Supreme Court where he lied out of the dilemma.
Pilots have no concern or responsibility for consequences of target where the bomb is dropped. The leadership is culpable, let the protesters come to me, according to Dan Halutz. Iranian descent!
Excellent qualification for indictment before a war crimes tribunal.
● Why we Refuse – Avihai Becker
≈ Cross-posted from my diary — Diplomacy Gaining Support in ME ≈
"But I will not let myself be reduced to silence."▼ ▼ ▼ MY DIARY