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FOREIGN AFFAIRS- ISRAEL AND PALESTINE

09/15/07 Notice that there has been no complaint or outcry from any of the Arab gulf states concerning the Israeli air strick against Iranian client Syria last week. Now it turns out that Turkey provided Israel with the key intelligence. In the Arab Sunni dominated gulf state region, fear of a nuclear armed Iranian/Syrian/Hezbollah axis is palpable. JES

10/19/06 Irrespective of the outcome of the American elections in November, a major war, most likely involving nuclear exchange, is on the way. I have no desire to sound hyperbolic, nor do I grandstand. I am simply connecting the dots of objective reality, and it is not pleasant. JES

08/11/06 In accepting a UN ceasefire proposal, Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert screws up. Where is Benjamin Netanyahu? Absolutely unbelievable. It's not clear here whether this was the direction Bush actually intended things to go. Need more details. JES

07/19/06 People who are jumping on Israel as "over reacting" are either uniformed or just plain nuts. Israel hasn't come close yet to deploying the force it could, and perhaps should. Cease fires are no different than pushing a "pause" button on your VCR player, affording an opportunity for the animals to rest and re-arm. Nothing is acceptable short of the destruction of Hezbollah. Do not even talk to the Mountain Observer about the United Nations, international club of crooks and thugs. And yes, Pat Buchanan, you are displaying your historic prejudice against Israel again, with unclear purpose. Perhaps you should re-register as a Democrat and go sit at the table of John Murtha.

Folks, during the 1930's, there were those who said of the Nazis that "first they went after the Jews, but it did not affect me. Then they went after the Catholics, but if did not affect me. Then they went after the Protestants, and the Liberals and people of color, but it did not affect me. Finally they came after me, and it was too late." America, you really need to wake up. JES

07/13/06 Finally, finally, Israel is responding to its tormentors as it should. My only concern is that Israel will back off. I hope that the real target is not Beirut, but Damascus: we are long past due to straighten out a mis-understanding about American and Israeli willingness to confront the thugs, and that has only made matters worse. Let the return of 3 Israeli soldiers, welcome as it would be, only serve as a proxy for what really needs to be done. Terrorist Arab regimes need to be destroyed, and there is only one way to do it. Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, don't back off; run them into the desert and blacken their cities There are occasions when war is the surest way to peace. Cut and run American Democrats, go to France, and may the door slap you on the ass on your way out. JES

07/03/06 Israel this time is correct: No Negotiations. Turn our soldier loose and healthy. The Mountain Observer has thought from the beginning that this Gaza experiment was a fantasy. Let them rot in hell. JES

02/03/06 Further thoughts on the elections in Gaza. It occurs to me that what we have witnessed in Gaza very closely parallels what we would see, and would have seen in Iraq, had we followed the advice of those who have advocated a policy of "cut and run". As in Iraq, I suspect that there are many good and peacefully inclined Palestinians who were either terrorized into not voting, or into voting a particular way out of genuine physical fear for their lives. No purple fingers held aloft in Gaza. This is not to suggest a latent love for Israel on the part of those so intimidated, but, perhaps there is a latent practical recognition that peace might be preferable to unending war and hate. It is possible that we will never know how truly free Palestinians would have voted. The common point I am trying to make is the difference in behaviors of Middle East populations, one enjoying some measure of new found security, the other hostage to thugs and criminals. That the elections turned out as they did was no surprise to this writer. I think the concessions in Gaza were an error in the first place, affirmed by what continues to unfold. I know many Israelis are getting fatigued, but the time has come for realism. So it is that I am a student of Benjamin Netanyahu's perspectives on these issues. And yes, Iranian threats loom over the horizon.

We Americans really do not understand our own fortune at living in a land of relatively true freedom. And yes, Israel's problem is our problem. God Bless America. JES

01/29/06 It appears that what we have witnessed in Gaza this past week was an election that endorses a civil war. Stay tuned. JES

01/28/06 Certainly a new darkness has settled on the matter of Palestine and Israel. Read the words of high ranking Hamas leader Mahmoud Zahar, spoken only days ago. "We have to go away from Israel and move toward all possible linkages with our Arab and Islamic brothers. Cooperation [with Israel] on the security and economic fields was a disaster for the Palestinians. Resistance is a legitimate right of the Palestinian people, and we will not abandon it. There is no contraction between resistance and entering the [Palestinian] legislative council. We have declared a cease-fire, but the occupation [Israel} didn't appreciate it. A one-sided cease-fire is not useful." What, of course, the Israelis would appreciate is peace and neighbors not so disturbed as to insist on the destruction of the Jewish State. Over the years the Arab world has successfully installed the idea that the Palestinians are homeless, made so by the evil Israelis, and failing to recognize the fact that Jordan, across the river, is 70% Palestinian. Elections anyone? That misses the point. Now mix in Iran. The point is the destruction of Israel. And so it goes. JES

01/27/06 Updated Palestinian election results show that Hamas actually won a clear majority, 76 of 132 seats. Fatah says they will not cooperate. Those pretending to be "surprised" and "in shock" over the Hamas victory, should have known better. Perhaps the positive of all of this is that now political leaders serious about peace will be forced to deal with reality. JES

01/26/06 Elections reveal Palestinian politics for the shambles it has always been as Hamas, in reality, prevails over Fatah. Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas' Fatah party's narrow victory, given the reality of parliamentary politics, is a huge loss. It was always a great stretch of imagination to attempt to do business with Fatah, but Ariel Sharon did his best, surrendering Gaza to do so. However Palestinians reformulate themselves now, the objective remains as it has always been: the complete destruction of Israel. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice points out that the U.S. position on Hamas as a terrorist organization has not changed despite the election outcome. Sooner or later Israeli voters, and the world wide Diaspora, will need to recognize hard facts, and come to grips. Binyamin (Benjamin) Netanyahu, where are you?

01/12/06 The medical misfortunes of Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon have left the country in a political turmoil, far too complicated for anyone to sort out predictions for the future. A list of issues is stranded for early attention. On an international level, two matters stand out:

a). Israel's relationship with the Palestinians, and how best to proceed.

b). How best to proceed regarding the recent threats by Iran in the context of ongoing Iranian nuclear development activity.

These are hard issues that need to be addressed. The clock is running and will not stop. Yes, the United States has vital national interests involved. JES

01/07/06 On both a secular and a theological level, Pat Robertson's comments are out of line. Concerning Arial Sharon's medical condition as punishment for withdrawal from Gaza, there is no evidence that Pat Robertson has any more insight into God's thoughts on the matter than I do. As a practicing Catholic, I can say that Mr. Robertson is theologically over stepping his bounds, imagining himself to be something he isn't. He is straining my patience to avoid a public (divisive) commentary on certain matters that separate Catholics from Protestants regarding theological understanding and secular strategy. On a secular level, his judgment with respect to timing, human dignity, and politics, both foreign and domestic, is atrocious and counter productive to the larger objectives of Conservatives here on Earth. By itself alone, this disqualifies his theological credentials to speak on matters secular. There have been several of these Pat Robertson incidents lately that are simply not welcome by Conservatives serious about getting some serious work done. I am compelled to be blunt: Mr. Robertson, until you are able to understand the discussion, do everyone a favor and just SHUT UP. JES

12/11/05 Evidence is accumulating that Israel's diplomatic position in the Middle East neighborhood is improving. While Arab hate continues, perhaps there is growing recognition of the fact that, in terms of real politick, cooperation with Washington runs thru Tel Aviv. While from the Arab perspective, this is not new, what is new is the fundamental change in American policy from one of accommodation with the status quo to a new priority of regional democratization. All the old despots are suddenly nervous to discover that the old oil card is not worth what it used to be. The world is shifting beneath their feet, and the long range strategic value of al Qaeda and terrorism has backfired on them. For the Arab world, September 11, 2001, and George W. Bush have changed the whole picture. The Jordanian response to fellow citizen Abu Musab al Zarqawi's bombing of a wedding in Amman is but a single illustration of the point. Suddenly there is a recognition of the fact that only Washington, if it chooses to do so, can provide the security necessary to protect certain segments of the Arab crowd from others. Now if only our own State Department bureaucracy, and the CIA, would catch on. But perhaps they do: Witness the Wilson's. It is an age when personal ambition and careers trump honor and national security. There are moments in history when civilization itself swings on a narrow thread. Stay tuned. JES

12/02/05 We need to recognize the honesty and courage of king Abdullah II of Jordan for his recent initiative in coming before a gathering of American rabbis in Washington DC. It took guts, and he was entirely candid about the regional problems relating to Israel and its neighbors. I am not aware of any other Arab leader ever being so forthcoming, and honest, in extending a hand of reconciliation on these matters. The king deserves our total support in his efforts. JES

11/22/05 The political seismograph in Israel has shaken hard as Prime Minister Ariel Sharon chooses to opt for early elections, abandoning Likud and setting up a new party in the middle between Labor and Likud. Benjamin Netanyahu most likely will inherit Likud. Basically, the question to be posed to the voters is whether or not to continue a policy of appeasement, or to demand performance on the part of Palestinians. With a system of proportional representation, the issue may become further confused than it already is. JES

11/14/05 Whether by accident or design, 35 year old Sajida Mubarak Atrous al-Rishawi failed to detonate her belt of high explosives in Amman Jordan, while her husband and 2 others succeeded with their mayhem. We must be slow to judge her; the possible scenarios are multiple. al-Qaeda’s public relations problems seem to be growing. You see, Amman Jordan is Abu Musab al-Zarqawi’s home town, and the home town crowd became upset with this turn of events. Israelis and Americans are always fair targets, but fellow Arabs and Palestinians? (Jordan is 70% Palestinian, the actual defacto Palestinian state were the King to dare have an election, but I digress). So it is that Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, Osama bin Laden’s heir apparent in Iraq, has some explaining to do to the hometown crowd, certainly not impressed with his zealotry in behalf of Allah. JES

10/18/05 The Palestinian Authority Interior Ministry has made it official. More Palestinians have been killed so far this year by Palestinians than by Israeli soldiers. Go see my comments on 09/12/05 JES.

09/12/05 Yesterday Israel lowered the flag in the Gaza Strip, ending a 38 year military presence. Will this bring peace? On the contrary; only the political bankruptcy of the Palestinian Authority will be totally exposed. JES

08/27/05 Simon Wiesenthal, 96, passes on in his sleep in Austria, a giant moral leader of the 20^th century. May he finally rest in peace. JES

08/19/05 We stand by helplessly watching Jewish anguish in Gaza, and next week, the West Bank. There are those of us who think Israel has blundered, while at the same time recognizing that, from the outside, we have no moral authority to lecture on this matter. So we are confined to simple observation, and silent prayer. Through the processes of democratic institutions, otherwise hard to find in the Middle East, Israel has chosen a course of action in an attempt to "reach out" to the more reasonable elements of the Palestinian population. It is an attempt that may prove fatal to the Jewish state, for by all objective historical reference, these gestures will not be reciprocated, but rather seized upon as weakness, provoking response opposite of that which is sought. We beg for the assistance of a higher power. JES

08/08/05 The Mountain Observer now believes Israel has crossed a line, possibly of no return, and is in a lot of trouble. Finance Minister Benjamin Netanyahu resigned in protest over the planned pull-out from Gaza, and this writer believes he is right. Israel is about to commit an act of national suicide. It is a policy of feeding fish to the sharks, no different from those who propose an American pull-out from Iraq. The blood will continue to flow, and there is no peace in sight. JES

07/20/05 Regarding the ongoing Middle East rain dance between Israel and the Palestinian "Authority", which has never displayed any authority over anyone except the long suffering common folks of Palestinian ancestry, the latest version of this fandango appears to have collapsed. Frankly, I have never understood the wisdom of surrendering anything back to the Palestinians in the absence of their correcting their own internal turmoil first. Nothing has changed except the passing of Yasser Arafat; otherwise it is still the same old crowd. Where is Benjamin Netanyahu when you need him? He has had it all exactly correct for years. JES

04/17/05 Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon and President Bush are in conference down in Texas. This could mean many things, including the future of the Iranian nuclear weapons program. However, what the Mountain Observer finds disturbing is an apparent agreement to proceed with further withdrawal from Gaza in return for nothing. The so-called "Roadmap to Peace", now ragged around the edges, demanded certain performance criteria of the Palestinians, on a timetable, none of which has happened, yet Israel is expected to continue to cave in. Israel continues to die a death of a thousand cuts, and the United States continues (perhaps forcing the issue?) to be complicit. Where is Benjamin Netanyahu ?

12/25/04 As the year draws close to a close, and we celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ, we pray for world peace, an illusive condition in the affairs of men. Peace cannot be wished into existence, and to imagine that it can invites the worst instincts of mankind, and terrorism. In the Middle East today, in the wake of the death of terrorist thug Yasser Arafat, Palestinians are groping for a new approach, or are they? There seems to be a heavy investment, especially in the western press, in the formal election to office of one Mahmoud Abbas, aka Abu Mazen, new candidate chairman of the PLO, founder of Fatah. Perhaps this will happen, perhaps not, and in any event, in the context of Palestinian disarray, it may not matter.

Meanwhile, on the Israeli side, Prime Minister Ariel Sharon is taking steps to form, in effect, a coalition government with his old rival, Labor Party Chairman Shimon Peres. This is the ultimate political act of national self defense, intended to erect a national political mechanism for negotiations over Palestinian statehood on the West Bank, on the premise that Palestinians can get their act together. A very big "if". The Prime Minister's step is major, and, in his judgment, necessary, in the overall context of domestic Israeli politics and international pressure. So it is that, once again, the Israelis are at the table, inviting Palestinian sensibility yet to be determined.

Among a long list of difficult issues to be confronted is the issue of the future of Jerusalem, arguably the ultimate touchstone of peace or hell on earth, and possibly elsewhere.

In addition to the absence of Arafat, but not his followers, Palestinians must eventually adjust to a new reality in the Middle East: the possible unfolding success of Arab democracy. However things eventually play out in Iraq, the tectonic plates of Arab culture are shifting. So it is that on this Christmas Day, in celebration of the birth of our Lord Jesus Christ, we pray for eventual peace in the tortured Holy Land, and the world. May God bless President George W. Bush, and the American Military for their precious sacrifices and perseverance. The trail ahead will be long and hard, however which way it turns. In God we Trust. JES

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FMOWEB 110-046 FOREIGN AFFAIRS- ISRAEL AND PALESTINE