Eretz Israel is our unforgettable historic homeland...The Jews who will it shall achieve their State...And whatever we attempt there for our own benefit will redound mightily and beneficially to the good of all mankind. (Theodor Herzl, DerJudenstaat, 1896)

We offer peace and amity to all the neighbouring states and their peoples, and invite them to cooperate with the independent Jewish nation for the common good of all. The State of Israel is ready to contribute its full share to the peaceful progress and development of the Middle East.
(From Proclamation of the State of Israel, 5 Iyar 5708; 14 May 1948)

With a liberal democratic political system operating under the rule of law, a flourishing market economy producing technological innovation to the benefit of the wider world, and a population as educated and cultured as anywhere in Europe or North America, Israel is a normal Western country with a right to be treated as such in the community of nations.... For the global jihad, Israel may be the first objective. But it will not be the last. (Friends of Israel Initiative)
Showing posts with label Mike Pompeo. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Mike Pompeo. Show all posts

Monday, 27 April 2020

David Singer: Jordan must not socially distance from Judea and Samaria’s Arabs

Here's the latest article by Sydney lawyer and international affairs analyst David Singer.

He writes:

Formation of a National Unity Government in Israel has focused attention on the future of Judea and Samaria – 4% of the territory of the Mandate for Palestine – in which sovereignty still remains unallocated between Jews and Arabs.

 President Trump’s Peace Plan published on 28 January 2020 has been endorsed by Israel.
Trump’s Plan proposes that Israeli sovereignty be extended into parts of Judea and Samaria – with the balance reserved to create a second Arab state in former Palestine – in addition to Jordan – for the first time in recorded history.

The PLO, Arab League and the international community have rejected Trump’s proposals.
However US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has given the greenlight to Israel proceeding with extending Israeli sovereignty in about 30% of Judea and Samaria now the new Israeli Government of National Unity is finalised.

Blue and White leader Benny Gantz has agreed that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu can seek Parliament’s approval for Israeli sovereignty to be extended into about 30% of Judea and Samaria after 1 July in accordance with the decisions of a joint US-Israel mapping committee.
Israel’s entitlement to do so is grounded in the legal rights vested by the international community in the Jewish People pursuant to:
  • The San Remo Resolution dated 25 April 1920
  • Article 95 Treaty of Sevres dated 10 August 1920
  • Article 6 Mandate for Palestine dated 24 July 1922
  • Article 16 Treaty of Lausanne dated 24 July 1923
  • Article 80 United Nations Charter 1945
These commitments have been previously breached by:
  • The Council of the League of Nations approving article 25 being inserted in the Mandate for Palestine – allowing Britain to postpone or withhold the Jewish National Home being reconstituted in Transjordan – 77% of the territory of the Mandate for Palestine
  • Britain unilaterally granting independence to Transjordan on 25 May 1946 contrary to article 5 of the Mandate for Palestine
  • Britain handing back its Mandate to the United Nations – uncompleted – on 15th May 1948 – leaving the Jews to defend themselves against six invading Arab armies from neighbouring States.
The European Union has now hypocritically chosen to strongly oppose Israel extending sovereignty into Judea and Samaria after 1 July.

EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs Josep Borrell released the following statement:
“…the EU’s position on the status of the territories occupied by Israel in 1967 remains unchanged. The EU does not recognize Israeli sovereignty over the occupied West Bank. The EU reiterates that any annexation would constitute a serious violation of international law.”
Borrell is way off the mark:
  • Not ‘’sovereignty over the occupied West Bank” – but “sovereignty over 30% of Judea and Samaria – land designated for reconstitution of the Jewish National Home under internationally-negotiated agreements”
  • Not “annexation” – but “ the restoration of sovereignty lost 3000 years ago by the Jewish people in its biblical heartland”
  • Not “a serious violation of international law”: Israeli sovereignty is being applied in accordance with international agreements that the international community is obligated to uphold.
Trump should focus on Jordan – having occupied and ruled Judea and Samaria between 1948 and 1967 – to replace the PLO in negotiations with Israel on Trump’s additional Arab State proposal.
The PLO – only founded in 1964 – expressly stipulated under article 24 of its Charter that it did:
 “not exercise any territorial sovereignty over the West Bank in the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan,”
The PLO reversed its position in 1968 after Israel gained control in the 1967 Six Day War.
Judea and Samaria’s Arab residents were Jordanian citizens between 1950 and 1988. Socially distancing from them now is the last thing Jordan should be doing.

Author’s note: The cartoon – commissioned exclusively for this article—is by Yaakov Kirschen aka “Dry Bones”- one of Israel’s foremost political and social commentators – whose cartoons have graced the columns of Israeli and international media publications for decades. His cartoons can be viewed at Drybonesblog.

Wednesday, 18 December 2019

David Singer: Israel Now Needs Miracle to Set Secure and Recognized Boundaries

Internet troubles due to the installment  of the Land of Oz's National Broadband Network forced me to cool my heels for a week.  But now, with no further ado, here is the latest article by Sydney lawyer and international affairs analyst David Singer.

He writes:

History will not kindly recall Israel’s power-hungry politicians who have forced a third election within twelve months on Israeli voters at a direct cost of another US$135 million.

The politicians’ inability to form a Government of National Unity is derelict – especially after Israel’s President Reuven Rivlin entreated them to do so.

The Jewish calendar is replete with both happy and sad times in the history of the Jewish people spanning thousands of years – faithfully remembered on each anniversary.

The period between 18 November 2019 and 11 December 2019 – which I call The Time of Missed Opportunity – could qualify for inclusion in that calendar.

18 November marks the day US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo declared that the US did not regard Jewish settlement in Judea and Samaria (West Bank) as being inconsistent with international law.

11 December marks the last day a Government of National Unity could have been formed to finally set Israel’s secure and recognized boundaries under Security Council Resolution 242 – within which the Jewish people would reconstitute the Jewish National Home 100 years after the San Remo Convention laid the groundwork on 25 April 1920.

Israel and the Jewish World have been divided as to where those boundaries should be – particularly since Judea and Samaria (the disputed territories) were conquered by Israel in the 1967 Six-Day War enabling Jews to return and live there after having been expelled and driven out in 1948 by six invading Arab armies.

Israelis espouse views ranging from extending Israeli sovereignty to all the disputed territories to sovereignty over none. Compromise somewhere in between could have possibly been found with a Government of National Unity making consensus decisions acceptable to the overwhelming majority of Israel’s population.

Two deadlocked Israeli elections in April and September 2019 have exposed a very disturbing political rift among Israeli voters as Israel confronts its Arab neighbours who seek to destroy it – and its international enemies at the United Nations who seek to deny that Jews have any legal right to live in the disputed territories guaranteed by article 6 of the League of Nations Mandate for Palestine and article 80 of the United Nations Charter.

This Jewish divisiveness has a bitter parallel in Jewish history – the Bible recounting that on the succession of Solomon’s son, Rehoboam, around 930 BCE, the land of Israel split into two kingdoms: the Kingdom of Israel (including the cities of Nablus and Samaria) in the north and the Kingdom of Judah (containing Jerusalem) in the south. These kingdoms remained separate states for over two hundred years.

Yuval Diskin – Israel’s former internal security chief – warned in 2015 that this could happen again:
“The two-state solution is becoming true for the Jews: The State of Judea is being built de facto side by side with the State of Israel. These are two nations whose differences are eclipsing their commonalities, a condition that is growing irreversible.
The State of Judea has different standards, different approaches to democracy, and it has two justice systems, one for Jews (Israeli law) and the other for Palestinians (martial law). Whether we want it or not, these two justice systems have divergent measures to adjudicate identical offences”.
Israel’s politicians – in rejecting a Government of National Unity and opting for a third election – have not acted in the national interest. They have chosen to continue political division and pursue personal ambition to achieve political power – rather than seeking national unity.

A third deadlocked election is the miracle and opportunity Israel needs to enable a Government of National Unity to set Israel’s boundaries.

 Author’s note: The cartoon – commissioned exclusively for this article—is by Yaakov Kirschen aka “Dry Bones”- one of Israel’s foremost political and social commentators –  whose cartoons have graced the columns of Israeli and international media publications for decades. His cartoons can be viewed at Drybonesblog.

Tuesday, 10 December 2019

David Singer: Trump, Netanyahu and Gantz Can End in 2020 What Began in 1920

Here's the latest article by Sydney lawyer and international affairs analyst David Singer.

He writes:

Designating the territory for reconstitution of the Jewish National Home in Palestine – begun with the San Remo Convention and Treaty of Sevres in April and August 1920 respectively – could finally be completed 100 years later in 2020.

Achieving this long-overdue outcome will require Israel to forma Government of National Unity by 11 December 2019 – headed initially by Benjamin Netanyahu as Prime Minister for a minimum term of six months  – enabling the new Parliament to ratify those areas of Judea and Samaria to which Israeli sovereignty will be extended as delineated by the Government.

This Unity Government should ideally hold at least 80 of the 120 seats in the Knesset so that there is an overwhelming majority of Israel’s elected politicians supporting any determinative decisions made by the Knesset in relation to Judea and Samaria.

Israel has been presented with this amazing opportunity following President Trump’s Secretary for State – Mike Pompeo – issuing this declaration on 19 November 2019:
“After carefully studying all sides of the legal debate, this administration agrees with President Reagan. The establishment of Israeli civilian settlements in the West Bank is not per se inconsistent with international law.”
Pompeo’s statement followed US Ambassador to Israel – David Friedman – stating on 8 June 2019:
“Under certain circumstances I think Israel has the right to retain some, but unlikely all, of the West Bank.”
Friedman had then cautioned:
“We really don’t have a view until we understand how much, on what terms, why does it make sense, why is it good for Israel, why is it good for the region, why does it not create more problems than it solves.These are all things that we’d want to understand, and I don’t want to prejudge.”
Friedman  will get the  answers with the formation of Israel’s Government of National Unity – which hangs delicately by a thread and can vanish into thin air if it does not gain some oxygen by midnight on 11 December.

Fresh  elections  on  3  March 2020  – for  the  third time  in  a year – will then become mandatory and this wonderful opportunity will have flown out the window.

It would be a national disgrace and betrayal of Israelis and Jews worldwide if Israel’s political parties allowed their political differences and personal rivalries  to stymie the opportunity to determine the area within which the reconstitution of the Jewish National Home will be mandated after 100 years of fighting many wars and diplomatic battles.

Israel’s extended boundaries would be determined in coordination with President Trump and ratified over the next six months.

The fact that no Arab interlocutors will participate in any such decision-making process is regrettable.

However continuing Arab intransigence in refusing to commit to negotiate with Israel on Trump’s still unreleased deal  of  the  century – despite Trump’s best efforts to involve their participation in such decision-making with Israel – leaves Trump with no other option.

A Unity Government could be  reasonably  expected to agree to  extend Israel’s sovereignty  to  about 75% of Area C – about 45% of Judea and Samaria.

Gantz reportedly told close associates he is: 
“ready to make tough decisions in the coming days”.
 Hopefully Gantz as Deputy Prime Minister can rise to the occasion and allow Netanyahu – enjoying a unique  relationship  with  Trump – to  head  a  Government  of  National  Unity  to  grab  this once in  a hundred years opportunity.

An unprecedented – almost miraculous -confluence of events has emerged since Israel’s second-deadlocked September elections – that cries out for a national consensus and historic response by Trump, Netanyahu and Gantz.

Seize the moment – seize the day....

Author’s note:The cartoon – commissioned exclusively for this article—is by Yaakov Kirschen aka “Dry Bones”-one of Israel’s foremost political and social commentators – whose cartoons have graced the columns  of  Israeli  and  international  media  publications  for  decades.  His  cartoons  can  be  viewed at Drybonesblog.