Weekly Quotes
“I think for there to be peace, the Palestinians will have to accept some basic realities. The first is that while Israel is prepared to make generous compromises for peace, it cannot go back to the 1967 lines, because these lines are indefensible.… Remember that before 1967, Israel was all of 9 miles wide—half the width of the Washington Beltway. And these were not the boundaries of peace; they were the boundaries of repeated wars.… The second…is that Israel cannot negotiate with a Palestinian government that is backed by Hamas. Hamas…is a terrorist organization, committed to Israel’s destruction.… [Hamas] recently fired an antitank rocket at a yellow school bus, killing a 16-year-old boy.… [Palestinian Authority] President Abbas has a simple choice. He has to decide if he…keeps his pact with Hamas, or makes peace with Israel.… A third reality is that the Palestinian refugee problem will have to be resolved in the context of a Palestinian state but certainly not in the borders of Israel. The Arab attack in 1948 on Israel resulted in two refugee problems, Palestinian refugee problem and Jewish refugees, roughly the same number, who were expelled from Arab lands. Tiny Israel absorbed the Jewish refugees, but the vast Arab world refused to absorb the Palestinian refugees. Now, 63 years later, the Palestinians come to us and they say: accept the grandchildren, and the great-grandchildren of these refugees, thereby wiping out Israel’s future as a Jewish state.… Everybody knows it’s not going to happen. And I think it’s time to tell the Palestinians forthrightly, it’s not going to happen.…”—Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, following a meeting at the White House with U.S. president Barack Obama, rebuking Obama’s Middle East policy speech in which he set Israeli withdrawal to the 1967 borders as a precondition to future Israeli-Palestinian negotiations, and outlining his own criteria for the creation of a Palestinian state. (NY Times, May 20.)
“The overall importance of Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu’s speech to a special joint meeting of Congress was not in the substance…but rather in the overwhelmingly warm ovation he received.… The nearly four-minute ovation he received when he entered the historic chamber…was not only heard by Netanyahu, but also by US President Barack Obama, the Palestinians and the world at large. With all the talk of the country’s existential loneliness, and Israel’s real sense of isolation, when Netanyahu spoke to the most important parliament in the world, it exuded nothing but warmth toward Israel.… With the resounding applause, on both sides of the aisle, to Netanyahu’s comments on a unified Jerusalem, not returning to the 1967 lines, not negotiating with Hamas, not allowing the descendants of Palestinian refugees to enter Israel, Obama…received a clear signal from Congress that when it comes to Israel, his hands are not free.”—Excerpts from Herb Keinon’s Jerusalem Post article, entitled Applause Heard in White House, Around World, describing the outpouring of support shown to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu during his historic speech to a joint session of Congress, and reinforcing the fact that the world responds positively to Israel when the Jewish state relates a strong, principled message (Jerusalem Post, May 24.)
“The Zionist Organization of America (ZOA), the oldest pro-Israel organization in the United States, strongly condemns President Obama’s Mideast speech…promoting and supporting the establishment of a Hamas/Fatah/Iran terrorist state on the Auschwitz 1967 indefensible armistice lines.… President Obama has dealt Israel a severe diplomatic blow, which harms all those who care about peace and fighting terrorism.… Obama was recently given a Noble Peace Prize; he should now receive the Nobel War Prize for increasing the likelihood of a Mideast war and endangering Israel’s very existence.…”—Excerpts from a statement issued by the Zionist Organization of America (ZOA), condemning U.S. president Barack Obama’s Mideast policy speech in which he adopted the most pro-Palestinian position of any American president in history. (ZOA Website, May 19.)
“The President’s habit of drawing a moral equivalence between the actions of the Palestinians and the Israelis while assessing blame for the conflict is, in and of itself, harmful to the prospect for peace. In reality, Israel—since its creation—has always proven willing to make the sacrifices necessary for peace, while the Palestinians on numerous occasions have rejected those offers.… By keeping the burden and thus the spotlight on Israel, the president is only giving the Palestinian Authority more incentive to carry on its unhelpful game of sidestepping negotiations and failing to put an end to terrorism.”—Republican House Majority Leader Eric Cantor, reinforcing the invariable reality that peace cannot be achieved until such time that the Palestinians are held accountable for their belligerence. (Haaretz, May 19 & Wall Street Journal, May 20.))
“There is already a Palestinian state in Jordan. Eighty percent of the Jordanian people are Palestinians, and it is built on 65% of the Jewish homeland allocated in the Balfour Declaration and given to us at the San Remo conference. Once the Palestinians lose their orphan status as a people without a state, their international demands will become much weaker. If what happened in Tahrir square happens in Amman we could find in a single day that on our eastern border there is no Hashemite Kingdom, but a Palestinian state controlled by 80% of the public.”—Arye Eldad (National Union), “requesting that King Abdullah [mark Jordanian Independence Day by] declar[ing] Jordan as the national homeland of the Palestinian people.” Eldad also referred to a comment made by Kind Abdullah’s father, who said that “Jordan is Palestine, Palestine is Jordan.” (Jerusalem Post, May 24.)
“Abbas has decided not to run for Palestinian Authority chairman in the next elections, primarily following developments in the Arab world, and is focusing on building his heritage by leaving ‘on his own accord’ and not being ousted like Mubarak.… It can be clearly stated that Abu Mazen (Abbas) is not a partner to advancing the political process, but quite the opposite. Abu Mazen is subjugating the PA’s interests and resources as well as the political process to his and his family’s wellbeing as well as his place in history.”—Excerpts from an internal document drafted by an aide to Israeli Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman, claiming that Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas is not a “partner for peace”, and that “recent events in the Arab world have led [Abbas] to adopt an exit strategy.” (Ynet News, May 22.)
“Their scheme is to save the Zionist regime, global arrogance and US interests. The main enemies of nations are the US, its allies and the Zionist regime. All regional countries must be vigilant.… [A] new Middle East and North Africa is about to emerge without the dominance of the US or the existence of the Israeli regime.”—Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, accusing the US of being engaged in plots to save Israel and protect its own interests, as well as “to pit regional nations and countries against each other and to wage a war between them.” (Jerusalem Post, May 24.)
“The actions the administration has taken today send an unequivocal message to President Assad, the Syrian leadership, and regime insiders that they will be held accountable for the ongoing violence and repression in Syria. President Assad and his regime must immediately end the use of violence, answer the calls of the Syrian people for a more representative government and embark upon the path of meaningful democratic reform.”—Acting U.S. under secretary for terrorism and financial intelligence David Cohen, announcing U.S. sanctions against Syrian president Bashar Assad in response to the violent crackdown on protestors throughout the country, which has killed more than 850 Syrians. In a letter to members of Congress, U.S. President Barack Obama said the sanctions were due to the “continuous escalation of violence against the people of Syria.” Obama’s comments raise the prospect that American president could call for Assad’s ouster, as he did of deposed Egyptian president Hosni Mubarak and beleaguered Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi. (Jerusalem Post, May 18.)
“We commit and promise to stand behind you, oh Mahmoud Abbas, until Judgment Day. I am returning to you, the purest land, oh land of the free. No matter how long the nights of exile, I am returning to you, oh land. From Rafah to Rosh Hanikra (northern Israel) our coast, and Beit Shean (Israeli city).… From Haifa (Israeli city) and Tantura to the [Jordan] valley (i.e. all of Israel). I am returning to you, the purest land, oh land of the free.”—Excerpts from a song performed for Palestinian Authority leaders, including president Mahmoud Abbas, at a Fatah-organized concert, presenting all of Israel as “Palestine.” (Palestinian Media Watch, May 12.)
Short Takes
CANADA WON’T BACK OBAMA’S MIDEAST PEACE PROPOSAL—(Ottawa) The Harper government has refused to join the United States in calling for Israel’s return to the 1967 borders as a starting point for Mideast peace. At a briefing ahead of the upcoming G8 summit in France, Canadian officials said the basis for the negotiations must be mutually agreed upon. The Prime Minister’s director of communications, Dimitri Soudas, added that Canada’s position continues to be the search for a two-state solution, but affirmed that “no solution, ultimately, is possible without both parties sitting down, negotiating and agreeing on what that final outcome will look like.” (Globe and Mail, May 22.)
JEWISH DONORS WARN OBAMA ON ISRAEL—(New York) Jewish donors and fund-raisers are warning the Obama re-election campaign that the president is at risk of losing financial support because of concerns about his handling of Israel. In response, the U.S. president has asked Penny Pritzker, Obama’s 2008 national finance chairwoman, to talk with Jewish leaders about their concerns. Malcolm I. Hoenlein, the executive vice chairman of The Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations, believes that discontent amongst the Jewish community could affect fund raising capacity for Obama’s 2012 campaign, especially since Obama has not yet visited Israel, despite having been to several Muslim nations. (Wall Street Journal, May 19.)
MUBARAK AND SONS TO FACE TRIAL OVER PROTESTER DEATHS—(Cairo) According to Egypt’s prosecutor-general, ex-President Hosni Mubarak will stand trial on charges of ordering the deadly shootings of protesters during the uprising that ousted him. The 83-year-old leader, his two sons and a close business associate have also been charged with abusing their power to amass wealth. The referral to trial is a key demand of many Egyptians who have rallied to insist that Mubarak face justice, and called for the lifting of the emergency laws that remain on the books more than three months after he was ousted. Mubarak has been in custody in a hospital since last month. A trial date has not yet been set. (Washington Post, May 24.)
EGYPT TO OPEN RAFAH CROSSING—(Jerusalem) Egypt’s official news agency has confirmed that the Rafah border crossing with Gaza will be permanently opened on Saturday. The decision marks a sharp departure from the policies of ex-President Hosni Mubarak, who had restricted the movement of people and goods through Rafah in keeping with the blockade imposed on Gaza, after Hamas seized control of the strip in 2007. According to MENA, Egypt’s new military rulers set the date for the opening of the crossing as part of efforts “to end the status of the Palestinian division and achieve national reconciliation.” (Associated Press, May 25.)
NATO STEPS UP AIRSTRIKES IN LIBYAN CAPITAL—(Benghazi) North Atlantic Treaty Organization warplanes have bombarded targets in Tripoli, in the heaviest night of bombing of the Libyan capital since the alliance launched its air campaign against Col. Moammar Gadhafi’s forces. The airstrikes, which struck near Col. Gadhafi’s residential compound, came as the U.S. invited Libya’s rebel leadership to open a representative office in Washington and NATO moved toward considering adding ground-attack helicopters to its military campaign in hopes of breaking a stalemate between the Libyan leader and rebels seeking to overthrow him. (Wall Street Journal, May 25.)
FIGHTING SPURS FEARS OF WAR IN YEMEN—(San’a, Yemen)The White House has stepped up pressure on Yemen’s embattled president, Ali Abdullah Saleh, to step aside, as the country edges closer to civil war. Mr. Saleh has repeatedly balked at signing an Arab-brokered deal that would end his 33 years in power and give him immunity from prosecution. Western counterterrorism officials say the ongoing instability gives Yemen-based al Qaeda militants greater freedom to plot attacks. The Pentagon had previously increased support for Mr. Saleh’s security forces, providing them with arms and training to help combat al Qaeda’s most active affiliate, Yemen-based al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula. (Wall Street Journal, May 25.)
NEW PA LAW TO GRANT ALL CONVICTED TERRORISTS MONTHLY PAY—(Jerusalem) A new Palestinian Authority law grants a monthly salary to all Palestinians and Israeli-Arabs imprisoned in Israel for terrorism. Among those now eligible for salaries are Abdullah Barghouti, serving 67 life sentences for acts that include planning the Sbarro restaurant (2001) and Moment cafe (2002) suicide bombings in Jerusalem, and Hassan Salameh, serving 38 life sentences for offenses that include planning a series of 1996 bus bombings. The law stipulates that those serving lengthier prison terms will receive higher salaries, which will be paid from the day of arrest until release. The new law was published in the official PA Registry on April 13, 2011. (Jerusalem Post, May 20.)
SWISS FREEZE FUNDS FOR PRO-PALESTINIAN NGO—(Berlin) The Swiss government has frozen its funding for a pro-Palestinian NGO, due to the appearance of an anti-Semitic cartoon on the group’s website. Switzerland, Holland, Sweden and Denmark together fund the NGO Development Center (NDC), which has allocated $270,000 since 2008 to BADIL: Resource Center for Palestinian Residency and Refugee Rights. “By stopping funding to BADIL, NDC is acknowledging that NGOs sometimes misuse foreign government funding to pursue radical political agendas,” wrote Gerald Steinberg, the head of the Jerusalem-based watchdog organization NGO Monitor. The cartoon showed a caricature of a Jewish man holding a blood-soaked pitchfork and keys while standing over a dead Arab child. BADIL, founded in 1998, advocates a boycott, sanctions and divestment (BDS) strategy against the Jewish state. (Jerusalem Post, May 22.)
MAJORITY OF ISRAELI ARABS SEE JEWS AS FOREIGNERS—(Jerusalem) The results of the 2010 Arab Jewish relations survey, compiled by Professor Sami Smocha in collaboration with the Jewish-Arab center at the University of Haifa, have been released. The study found that 62.5% percent of Arab citizens of Israel believe that Jews are a foreign imprint on the Middle East and are destined to be replaced by Palestinians, while 61.4% believe that Israel has no right to exist as a Jewish state. Furthermore, 71% of Israeli Arabs blamed Jews for the hardships suffered by Palestinians during and after the “Nakba” in 1948, and 37.8% said they don’t believe that millions of Jews were the victims of a campaign of genocide waged by Nazi Germany. (Jerusalem Post, May 19.)
KNESSET MOVES TOWARD RECOGNIZING ARMENIAN GENOCIDE—(Jerusalem) Shortly before the one year anniversary of the Mavi Marmara Flotilla incident, that marked a low point in Israel-Turkey relations, the Knesset has held its first open discussion on recognition of the Armenian genocide. With a number of Armenian religious and lay leaders watching in the visitors’ gallery, MKs took the stand to speak in favor of officially recognizing the series of massacres and deportations that killed an estimated 1.5 million Armenians in the years during and shortly after World War I. For years, consecutive Israeli governments had blocked attempts by MKs to raise the subject of recognizing the genocide out of concern that such recognition could damage relations with Ankara. (Jerusalem Post, May 18.)
RABBI WINS ‘JEOPARDY!’—(West Bloomfield, Michigan) Rabbi Joyce Newmark has won an episode of the television game show Jeopardy, finishing with $29,200. The 63-year-old Conservative rabbi, who wore a yarmulke during the taping of the show, answered correctly the Final Jeopardy question: “From the Latin for ‘Free,’ this 2-word term for a type of College refers to the old belief of what a free man should be taught”—“What is liberal arts?” At her audition, Newmark was asked to fill out a form informing the producers if there were specific dates when she would not be available to tape; she wrote “Jewish holidays.” (JTA, May 17.)
SAN FRANCISCO/SANTA MONICA TO PUT CIRCUMCISION BAN ON THE BALLOT—(San Francisco) A measure seeking to ban male circumcision will appear on the November ballot in San Francisco. More than 7,700 signatures from city residents on a petition in support of the measure were approved as valid by city officials; at least 7,168 signatures were required, and more than 12,000 were submitted. The measure would make it a misdemeanor crime to circumcise a boy before he is 18 years old, and would carry a maximum penalty of one year in jail and a $1,000 fine. Opponents of the ban claim that the prohibition would violate the 1st Amendment prohibition of government interference with a person’s religious practice.(JTA, May 19.)
WORLD RECORD: LARGEST FALAFEL BALL IS CERTIFIED—(Washington) According to the Los Angeles Daily News, a falafel ball weighing 52.8 pounds, created at the Santa Clarita Valley Jewish Food and Cultural Festival, has been certified by the Guinness Book of World Records as the largest ever. The previous Guinness record for a falafel ball was 24 pounds. (JTA, May 16.)
