Israel is considering claiming sovereignty of the Jordan Valley in the near-future to establish a secure and natural border with Jordan to the east. The pro-Palestinian press has not surprisingly taken a harsh view of the contemplated action. It is comical to read how the media describes the physical land …
Read More »Annexation: When facing a great decision, it is always easier to say ‘no’.
The difficulty of moving forward in the Jordan Valley and Area C One of the major ways our personal lives mirrors the sweep of history is in the realm of decision making. Both individuals and nations face decisions on a daily basis. Most are mundane and inconsequential. There are however, …
Read More »From Israel: “A Wrenching Struggle”
Anyone who reads my material regularly knows that I see God’s hand in the inception of the modern State of Israel and in her astounding development. It defies rational explanation. I mention this now because ‒ in spite of all our manifold blessings, and fantastic achievements, and the possibility of …
Read More »Those pesky Israelis just can’t stop disappointing diaspora Jews.
Some UK Jewish papers have already opened the ‘annexation front’, criticising Israel for unilateral action it may be about to take. I promised myself I would stay quiet on this until July – when I expected to be forced to stand up against an uproar from some of the small-but-vocal …
Read More »From Israel: Do Not Make Light of the Pain or the Outrage!!
In the pre-dawn hours on Tuesday, a unit from the elite Golani Brigade had gone into the village of Ya’abad in the northwestern Shomron, to secure the arrest of members of a terror cell. The mission had been accomplished and the unit was preparing to leave. Staff Sergeant Amit Ben …
Read More »INTO THE FRAY: Netanyahu and the “Art of the Possible”
Otto von Bismarck, (1815-1898) the German statesman, credited with the unification of Germany (1871,) and who served as its first Chancellor until 1890, famously defined “politics” as “the art of the possible” This is certainly true in the dizzyingly volatile kaleidoscope realities of Israeli politics. Indeed, only few days ago, …
Read More »MYTH: Israel has no justification for applying Israeli sovereignty to the Jordan Valley.
FACT: Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on September 10, 2019: “Today I’m announcing my intention, with the establishment of the next government, to apply Israeli sovereignty to the Jordan Valley and the northern Dead Sea. This is our essential safety belt in the east” (Ben Sales, “Netanyahu’s push to annex …
Read More »US Administration: The settlements do not violate international law.
History was made on Monday evening when US Defence Secretary Mike Pompeo made the historic announcement that the US refutes the concept of the illegality of the settlements – otherwise known as Jewish homes and factories in Judaea and Samaria. He said that this was not an issue of international …
Read More »Israel annexing the Jordan Valley: is that even legal?
In early September, 2019, Benyamin Netanyahu promised to annex a part of the West Bank called the Jordan Valley if he won Israel’s election on September 17. Netanyahu did not have a clear win in that election, but that does not mean that any combination of any subsequent government of …
Read More »MYTH: Israel has no justification for applying Israeli sovereignty to the Jordan Valley.
FACT : Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on September 10, 2019: “Today I’m announcing my intention, with the establishment of the next government, to apply Israeli sovereignty to the Jordan Valley and the northern Dead Sea. This is our essential safety belt in the east” (Ben Sales, “Netanyahu’s push to …
Read More »From Israel: “Urgent!!”
The election is upon us now – only two days away – and the situation is not substantially different from what it was when I last wrote. Neither camp has a clear majority in the polls. Likud and Blue & White are reasonably neck-in-neck. Maddeningly, each poll is somewhat different, …
Read More »From Israel: Yuck! Election campaign not an enlightening period for Israel.
I have made no secret of it: the current election campaign has not exactly been an enlightening period for Israel. For many of us, this has been a source of great sadness. Our nation is capable of better – of a more elevated campaign. There has been too much back-biting, …
Read More »Into The Fray: INSS’s puerile, preposterous proposal.
The cynically minded may be forgiven for suspecting that the prime goal of INSS’s newly launched plan is the demolition of Jewish communities, rather than the future resolution of conflict or enhanced Israeli security. You have to quit confusing a madness with a mission. – Flannery O’Connor. Fanaticism consists of …
Read More »Into the Fray:Surrealism in the square.
What took place in Rabin Square last Saturday night distorted Rabin’s memory, and dishonored the participants. ‘But I don’t want to go among mad people,’ Alice remarked. ‘Oh, you can’t help that,’ said the Cat: ‘we’re all mad here. I’m mad. You’re mad.’ ‘How do you know I’m mad?’ said …
Read More »Arlene in Israel – The Jordan Valley
Motzei Shabbat (After Shabbat) From multiple sources I am picking up considerable concern regarding the broad implications — diplomatic and security — with regard to any relinquishment by Israel of full control of the Jordan Valley. Apologies that this map says “West Bank” and not, properly, Judea and Samaria. …
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