5 Days to Go – Netanyahu's Speech at the UN
By Sherwin Pomerantz
Five days from now Chairman Abbas will submit the request of the Palestinian Arab leadership to the UN to approve their desire for statehood. He will address the General Assembly on Thursday evening of this week and, following his address, Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu will speak to the assemblage as well.
Here is what I think our Prime Minister should say:
Members of the world body I stand here this evening as the democratically elected head of the State of Israel, the legitimate homeland of the Jewish people as reaffirmed in San Remo, Italy on April 25, 1920 at a meeting of the allied nations victorious in World War I and based on our 4,000 year connection to this land. At that time those assembled carved up the conquered Ottoman Empire into Iraq, Syria and Palestine and codified the desire of the victors to create a national home for the Jewish people.
The language used did not specify that all of Palestine was to be included in this formulation and the United Nations on November 29, 1947 voted to partition Palestine into two states, one Jewish and the other Arab. We accepted that decision and six months later, when the British departed, we declared our independence and our desire to live in peace with our neighbors. The then Arab leadership, the forefathers of the people who now are asking this body to approve its petition for statehood, refused to accept the verdict of the General Assembly and went to war against the fledgling state of Israel.
We were victorious in that war and in the many wars that followed including the Six Day War of 1967 when we captured Gaza, the West Bank, which we call Judea and Samaria, as well as the Yom Kippur War of 1973. Each time we offered to sit down with the Palestinian Arab leadership and discuss an end to the conflict and a final determination of borders so that two states for two peoples could be a reality. Each time we were rebuffed. As a result we became responsible for the welfare of the indigent population, a responsibility we never desired and found seemingly impossible to end.
In 1993 we were finally able to get the Palestinian Arab leadership to sit down with us in Oslo and craft what everyone hoped would be the start of a lasting peace in our land and an eventual end to what is generally known as “the occupation.” But the results were disappointing. The violence against our people continued and the hoped for end of conflict did not materialize. Nevertheless, in July of 2000 my predecessor, Ehud Barak, came to Camp David and offered the Palestinian Arab leadership an independent state on terms that we considered fair and just. But that offer was rejected out of hand and no alternative offer was ever forthcoming from the other side, and the violence continued.
In August 2005, in the belief that in the long term Gaza would have to become part and parcel of the State of Palestine, and as a gesture of good will, we unilaterally withdrew all of the Israelis living in Gaza amid painful discourse within Israel. Our hope was that the local leadership in Gaza, without the interference of Israeli residents and military, would take that land and turn it into the Singapore of the Middle East. Instead, it became the launching pad for continuous rocket attacks against out people and later a territory fully controlled by Hamas, a terrorist organization bent on our expulsion from the region.
Now the current Palestinian Arab leadership comes to this General Assembly and asks you to approve their application for statehood so that they can then sit down with us and negotiate peace? But why do they need this? This body voted for Palestinian statehood in 1947 and, for the last 64 years that option has not been exercised. At the insistence of the US government in 2010 we agreed to a 10 month stoppage of settlement construction in an effort to draw the Palestinian Arab leadership back to the negotiating table, but they refused. Yet, when the hiatus on construction was about to expire, they then came back and said if we would extend that suspension yet again, they would consider sitting down at the negotiating table.
In speeches at Bar Ilan University in Israel last year and again in the US Congress this year I made it clear that I fully support the two state solution, and that I was and am prepared to go to Ramallah to meet Chairman Abbas, or to welcome him to Jerusalem or to meet in a neutral location such as Brussels. Instead of an agreement to meet, the position of the Palestinian Arab leadership seemed to harden even further seeing the UN as the next forum for their desire for statehood and now saying that if statehood is approved they are then prepared to sit with us and discuss peace! Based on past history why should we believe them and, more importantly, why should you?
The issues that have been raised by the Palestinian Arab leadership as obstacles to peace need to be resolved in negotiation before this body welcomes the new State of Palestine into membership. For us to support UN membership for a new country that stands fast on its demand for the right of return of all of its past refugees and their descendants until today, that demands the re-partition of Jerusalem so that it can be the capital of the new country, and insists, 66 years after a Holocaust that killed a third of our people, that their new country be Judenrein, would be nothing less than signing our own death warrant and I was not elected Prime Minister to preside over the demise of the enterprise called Israel. And I don’t believe that your intent is to do so either.
So what options are left to me as the head of the government of a sovereign member of the United Nations in good standing, faced with the situation I have just described and having heard this week, as well, from the head of another member nation, Iran, speaking to this forum and urging the dissolution of my country? What would you expect me to do that will ensure the continued viability of the strongest democracy in our part of the world that, through our technological development, has contributed so much to the quality of life of people everywhere? Well, you will be surprised at what I am going to say next.
I am not in favor of simply approving the request of the Palestinian Arab leadership to become a member of the United Nations. But I do believe that the status quo is not sustainable either. As such, I suggest that this body agree to a one year conditional approval of Palestine as a full member of the United Nations with the caveat that if there has been no agreement finalized between us by that time that approval will be revoked. Conditional membership means that while Palestine can sit as a member of the General Assembly, it cannot access other arms of the United Nations, such as the International Court of Justice, during this interim period.
You may then ask: What incentive do we in Israel have to finalize such an agreement? The answer is very simple. Our people are as tired of war and conflict as are the Palestinians. The overwhelming majority of our population would like to see an end to the conflict so that they can live normal lives and stop sending their husbands, sons, and fathers to fight. We believe that with peace we can continue to assist the Palestinian economy to grow and prosper as evidenced by the existing investments in growth funds there by Israeli venture capitalists such as Chemi Peres. We have said for many years that it is in our mutual interest to find a way to co-exist in peace and security.
One year ago US President Obama stood here and expressed his hope that this year would see the entry of the new State of Palestine into the United Nations. But while his efforts and those of the Quartet, among others, were both sincere and appreciated, peace cannot come to our joint land by the efforts of outsiders, no matter how well intentioned. Peace between us is in our hands and, from this podium, I extend the hand of peace to Mahmoud Abbas and say let us sit down together and, between us, hammer out the framework of an agreement the will bring this conflict to a satisfactory end. Neither of us will achieve all we desire but if, at the end of this journey, the future of our children and our children’s children will be secure we will have achieved infinitely more than our predecessors, and engender the eternal gratitude of both of our peoples.
Next week, Jews around the world will usher in the new year of 5772. Unlike most cultures, we do so with prayer, family gatherings and awareness of the biblical injunction to hear the sound of the shofar, the ram’s horn, which reminds us all of God’s power in this universe. And then we greet each other with the words l’shanah tovah tikatev v’taihatem which means may you be inscribed and sealed for a good year. That is our wish today. That the new year about to begin will be one where all of us will be inscribed in the book of life and sealed for a good year of peace and tranquility once and for all for all mankind. We can hope for no less. Thank you!
Monday, September 19, 2011
Thursday, September 15, 2011
7 Days to Go – Is There a Solution?
By Sherwin Pomerantz
Now there is one week to September 20th when the Palestinian Arab leadership will submit its request to the UN to approve their desire for statehood. The clock is ticking.
As for what will happen in New York next week, finally the American Jewish community seems to be planning some demonstrations across from the UN, although in my opinion the number of people expected is still too low. For example, I received the following from a friend here:
"A crowd of 15,000 people is expected outside the United Nations September 21, when a coalition of Jewish and non-Jewish supporters of Israel is scheduled to hold a rally on behalf of the Jewish state. While the main focus is the Palestinian Authority's bid for General Assembly recognition as a sovereign state, the demonstration will serve as a platform to voice opposition to the "Durban III" Conference against Racism, which illustrates the UN's bias against Israel."
"Chairman Calev Myers of the Jerusalem Center for Justice, one of the movers behind the rally, said, Sunday, that people cannot be silent in face of the world's hypocrisy and that this summer has shown that demonstrations accomplish things, adding that the September 21st rally will be something that cannot be ignored."
Well, if 15,000 materialize that will be good but just a tenth of what is needed. Rumor has it that some other groups are working on demonstrations as well but, as I have found over the last few weeks when inquiring about the subject, no one wants to provide details. So it is difficult for me to understand how a good crowd will show up if no one wants to speak about it publicly, even at this late date. Time will tell whether there will be enough people there to make the point. I certainly hope so although I have met absolutely no one in my 8 days here in New York who is planning on being there, so my concern about the size of any demonstration is real.
There is now, of course, a great deal of material coming out on possible solutions to the challenges that will face Israel after the UN vote, however it goes, although the presumption is that a US veto in the security council will further isolate both Israel and the US. But the fallout will be dramatically different for both countries. The US, in spite of the current economic challenges it faces, remains a world power with a huge economy, 307 million people and still generally held in high regard worldwide. But Israel is a small country, just 7 million people, seen (incorrectly) in many places in the world as the source of all of the globe’s problems. While at the moment the Israeli economy is thriving, eventually continued isolation will have its economic effect as well and there is no telling where that will lead.
So Israel’s challenge right now is to begin to strategize how it will cope in a world that will be significantly different after September than it is today. Further political isolation, the threat of civil unrest in both the Israeli and Palestinian sectors, a potentially declining economy, all combined could have significant long term negative results for the country. As a born optimist, I believe we have both the intellectual capacity and the moral fibre to meet the challenge and come out whole, but it will not be an easy path to tread and our leadership will need to be incredibly creative as it deals with these issues.
This morning’s papers indicate that Prime Minister Netanyahu has decided to travel to New York and address the General Assembly on behalf of the people of Israel. In principle that is a good thing and he should be the one to present our case to the world, not someone else in the government as was previously planned. But he needs to be careful not to lecture the world on behalf of the Jewish people. He should, of course, underscore the need for face-to-face negotiations here in order to move forward with any end of the conflict discussions. In addition, the thrust of his comments should indicate that we recognize that the political map in the region will change after the UN session ends later this fall and that Israel has a plan to deal with that and continue in its quest to be a responsible member of the world community. I certainly hope he is up to the task as failure in this effort is simply not an option.
By Sherwin Pomerantz
Now there is one week to September 20th when the Palestinian Arab leadership will submit its request to the UN to approve their desire for statehood. The clock is ticking.
As for what will happen in New York next week, finally the American Jewish community seems to be planning some demonstrations across from the UN, although in my opinion the number of people expected is still too low. For example, I received the following from a friend here:
"A crowd of 15,000 people is expected outside the United Nations September 21, when a coalition of Jewish and non-Jewish supporters of Israel is scheduled to hold a rally on behalf of the Jewish state. While the main focus is the Palestinian Authority's bid for General Assembly recognition as a sovereign state, the demonstration will serve as a platform to voice opposition to the "Durban III" Conference against Racism, which illustrates the UN's bias against Israel."
"Chairman Calev Myers of the Jerusalem Center for Justice, one of the movers behind the rally, said, Sunday, that people cannot be silent in face of the world's hypocrisy and that this summer has shown that demonstrations accomplish things, adding that the September 21st rally will be something that cannot be ignored."
Well, if 15,000 materialize that will be good but just a tenth of what is needed. Rumor has it that some other groups are working on demonstrations as well but, as I have found over the last few weeks when inquiring about the subject, no one wants to provide details. So it is difficult for me to understand how a good crowd will show up if no one wants to speak about it publicly, even at this late date. Time will tell whether there will be enough people there to make the point. I certainly hope so although I have met absolutely no one in my 8 days here in New York who is planning on being there, so my concern about the size of any demonstration is real.
There is now, of course, a great deal of material coming out on possible solutions to the challenges that will face Israel after the UN vote, however it goes, although the presumption is that a US veto in the security council will further isolate both Israel and the US. But the fallout will be dramatically different for both countries. The US, in spite of the current economic challenges it faces, remains a world power with a huge economy, 307 million people and still generally held in high regard worldwide. But Israel is a small country, just 7 million people, seen (incorrectly) in many places in the world as the source of all of the globe’s problems. While at the moment the Israeli economy is thriving, eventually continued isolation will have its economic effect as well and there is no telling where that will lead.
So Israel’s challenge right now is to begin to strategize how it will cope in a world that will be significantly different after September than it is today. Further political isolation, the threat of civil unrest in both the Israeli and Palestinian sectors, a potentially declining economy, all combined could have significant long term negative results for the country. As a born optimist, I believe we have both the intellectual capacity and the moral fibre to meet the challenge and come out whole, but it will not be an easy path to tread and our leadership will need to be incredibly creative as it deals with these issues.
This morning’s papers indicate that Prime Minister Netanyahu has decided to travel to New York and address the General Assembly on behalf of the people of Israel. In principle that is a good thing and he should be the one to present our case to the world, not someone else in the government as was previously planned. But he needs to be careful not to lecture the world on behalf of the Jewish people. He should, of course, underscore the need for face-to-face negotiations here in order to move forward with any end of the conflict discussions. In addition, the thrust of his comments should indicate that we recognize that the political map in the region will change after the UN session ends later this fall and that Israel has a plan to deal with that and continue in its quest to be a responsible member of the world community. I certainly hope he is up to the task as failure in this effort is simply not an option.
Tuesday, September 13, 2011
8 Days to Go – The Time to SHOUT!
By Sherwin Pomerantz
The countdown continues with just 8 days to September 20th when the Palestinian Arab leadership will submit its request to the UN to approve their desire for statehood. One gets the feeling that it is a replay of the final scene from the movie Thelma & Louise, with great numbers of experienced diplomats worldwide saying this is a bad move, while the powers that be continue to the edge of the cliff undaunted by such concerns.
It seems inconceivable that it was just eighteen years ago today, September 13, 1993, that then Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin, of blessed memory, former President Clinton and then PLO Chairman Arafat with Shimon Peres looking on signed what has become known as the Oslo Accords which many of us thought heralded a new era of peace and understanding in our part of the world. I can remember Rabin’s words even today when he turned to Arafat and said “no more wars.” How we were all misled.
Today, 18 years later, Israel finds itself probably more isolated than it has been since the founding of the state. Some salient points:
Item: Iran threatens Israel and the Jewish people with annihilation, its president denies that the Holocaust existed, and he never misses an opportunity to threaten the US as well. Yet, he is given a visa to enter the US and, according to news reports today, will have a number of meetings while there including a dinner with at least 15 students from Columbia University (and I have no doubt, to our eternal shame, that some of them will be Jewish as well).
Item: The prime minister of Turkey continues his inflammatory rhetoric against Israel which began not, as some would have it, with the Mavi Marmara incident in May 2010 but in Davos on January 29, 2009. Art that time he castigated Shimon Peres, the President of Israel, for Israel’s alleged commission of war crimes and then walked off the stage in a huff saying he would not return to Davos. Today, as he ramps up his anti-Israel tone to new levels he sees himself as the new political leader of the Muslim world who must vilify Israel in order to gain credence with that constituency. It amazes me that anyone is surprised by his behavior and the direction he is trying to take Turkey. No doubt Ataturk, the founder of modern Turkey, is rolling over in his grave watching this. This, the very same Turkey that openly welcomed the Jews of Iberia to its shores during the inquisition and gave them a safe haven for over 500 years.
Item: Europe, with a history of anti-Semitism of which it should be ashamed for all time, chooses to take sides with the enemies of Israel under the so-called protection of human rights umbrella. Witness this statement made on August 12th by Catherine Ashton, the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy and Vice-President of the Commission: "It is with deep regret that, once again, I received information of the publicly stated intention of the Israeli government to continue settlement expansion in East Jerusalem. The EU has repeatedly called on Israel to end all settlement activity, including natural growth, and to dismantle outposts erected since March 2001. Settlement activity threatens the viability of an agreed two-state solution and undermines ongoing efforts to resume negotiations." No mention made, of course, that Israel halted all settlement activity for 10 months last year and that still was not sufficient to bring the Palestinian leadership to the table.
Item: Egypt’s new political leadership, in an effort to protect the building which houses the Israeli embassy in Cairo (after protesters took down the Israeli flag a week earlier) builds a wall around the building. But the mob is not satisfied and late last week attacks the wall in an attempt to tear it down. As a result, Israel brought all of its people home as Egypt could not guarantee the safety of the legation. So a cold peace just went into the deep freeze.
The UN General Assembly, when it most likely approves the request of the Palestinian Arab leadership for the recognition of statehood, will create a major problem for the region, as the New York Times said in an editorial a few days ago: “A United Nations vote on Palestinian membership would be ruinous. Yet with little time left before the U.N. General Assembly meets, the United States, Israel and Europe have shown insufficient urgency or boldness in trying to find a compromise solution. The need for action is even more acute after alarming tensions flared in recent days between Israel and two critical regional players — Egypt and Turkey.”
The saddest part of all of this is that the world has not heard much in the way of objections, concern and anger about all of this from the Jewish community. Yes, there are some petitions circulating on the Internet and that is good, but where are the mass demonstrations? Why won’t 350,000 American Jews and their friends demonstrate at the UN next week and show their concern for the future of Israel which is also the key to the long term future of the American Jewish community?
Last weekend I met committed religious Jews who were not even aware of what will be going on over the next weeks at the UN and its potential impact on them as well as those of us who live in Israel. How can we understand that? Is that even possible? Are we to stand by silently once again and watch as the world demonizes us? And does the world really believe that if there was a Palestinian state that there would be peace in the Middle East? Or that the simple act of validating Palestinian statehood will solve the world’s problems?
Let’s hope that what Martin Luther King said during his lifetime remains true, “A lie cannot live.” But the lie needs to be exposed and the way to do it is for First Avenue in New York City to be made impassable next week by the sheer numbers who are prepared to stand there and expose the lie to the world. The lessons of history demand no less than that from us!
By Sherwin Pomerantz
The countdown continues with just 8 days to September 20th when the Palestinian Arab leadership will submit its request to the UN to approve their desire for statehood. One gets the feeling that it is a replay of the final scene from the movie Thelma & Louise, with great numbers of experienced diplomats worldwide saying this is a bad move, while the powers that be continue to the edge of the cliff undaunted by such concerns.
It seems inconceivable that it was just eighteen years ago today, September 13, 1993, that then Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin, of blessed memory, former President Clinton and then PLO Chairman Arafat with Shimon Peres looking on signed what has become known as the Oslo Accords which many of us thought heralded a new era of peace and understanding in our part of the world. I can remember Rabin’s words even today when he turned to Arafat and said “no more wars.” How we were all misled.
Today, 18 years later, Israel finds itself probably more isolated than it has been since the founding of the state. Some salient points:
Item: Iran threatens Israel and the Jewish people with annihilation, its president denies that the Holocaust existed, and he never misses an opportunity to threaten the US as well. Yet, he is given a visa to enter the US and, according to news reports today, will have a number of meetings while there including a dinner with at least 15 students from Columbia University (and I have no doubt, to our eternal shame, that some of them will be Jewish as well).
Item: The prime minister of Turkey continues his inflammatory rhetoric against Israel which began not, as some would have it, with the Mavi Marmara incident in May 2010 but in Davos on January 29, 2009. Art that time he castigated Shimon Peres, the President of Israel, for Israel’s alleged commission of war crimes and then walked off the stage in a huff saying he would not return to Davos. Today, as he ramps up his anti-Israel tone to new levels he sees himself as the new political leader of the Muslim world who must vilify Israel in order to gain credence with that constituency. It amazes me that anyone is surprised by his behavior and the direction he is trying to take Turkey. No doubt Ataturk, the founder of modern Turkey, is rolling over in his grave watching this. This, the very same Turkey that openly welcomed the Jews of Iberia to its shores during the inquisition and gave them a safe haven for over 500 years.
Item: Europe, with a history of anti-Semitism of which it should be ashamed for all time, chooses to take sides with the enemies of Israel under the so-called protection of human rights umbrella. Witness this statement made on August 12th by Catherine Ashton, the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy and Vice-President of the Commission: "It is with deep regret that, once again, I received information of the publicly stated intention of the Israeli government to continue settlement expansion in East Jerusalem. The EU has repeatedly called on Israel to end all settlement activity, including natural growth, and to dismantle outposts erected since March 2001. Settlement activity threatens the viability of an agreed two-state solution and undermines ongoing efforts to resume negotiations." No mention made, of course, that Israel halted all settlement activity for 10 months last year and that still was not sufficient to bring the Palestinian leadership to the table.
Item: Egypt’s new political leadership, in an effort to protect the building which houses the Israeli embassy in Cairo (after protesters took down the Israeli flag a week earlier) builds a wall around the building. But the mob is not satisfied and late last week attacks the wall in an attempt to tear it down. As a result, Israel brought all of its people home as Egypt could not guarantee the safety of the legation. So a cold peace just went into the deep freeze.
The UN General Assembly, when it most likely approves the request of the Palestinian Arab leadership for the recognition of statehood, will create a major problem for the region, as the New York Times said in an editorial a few days ago: “A United Nations vote on Palestinian membership would be ruinous. Yet with little time left before the U.N. General Assembly meets, the United States, Israel and Europe have shown insufficient urgency or boldness in trying to find a compromise solution. The need for action is even more acute after alarming tensions flared in recent days between Israel and two critical regional players — Egypt and Turkey.”
The saddest part of all of this is that the world has not heard much in the way of objections, concern and anger about all of this from the Jewish community. Yes, there are some petitions circulating on the Internet and that is good, but where are the mass demonstrations? Why won’t 350,000 American Jews and their friends demonstrate at the UN next week and show their concern for the future of Israel which is also the key to the long term future of the American Jewish community?
Last weekend I met committed religious Jews who were not even aware of what will be going on over the next weeks at the UN and its potential impact on them as well as those of us who live in Israel. How can we understand that? Is that even possible? Are we to stand by silently once again and watch as the world demonizes us? And does the world really believe that if there was a Palestinian state that there would be peace in the Middle East? Or that the simple act of validating Palestinian statehood will solve the world’s problems?
Let’s hope that what Martin Luther King said during his lifetime remains true, “A lie cannot live.” But the lie needs to be exposed and the way to do it is for First Avenue in New York City to be made impassable next week by the sheer numbers who are prepared to stand there and expose the lie to the world. The lessons of history demand no less than that from us!
Friday, September 9, 2011
10 Days to Go – Upping the Ante
By Sherwin Pomerantz
In just 10 days the 66th Regular Session of the UN General Assembly will receive a request from the Palestinian Arab leadership to approve their desire for statehood, even though there is a ground swell of opinion worldwide that this is not a smart move on their part. Reports now indicate that the US has issued a formal request to Chairman Abbas that he not go ahead with this initiative. The US has also reiterated its position that if the vote comes to the Security Council, which it will prior to going to the General Assembly, the US will use its veto to block the Council’s approval.
News coming out of Israel this week quotes Chairman Abbas as saying that once the UN approves the request for statehood, the Palestinian leadership is prepared to sit down with Israel and return to negotiations. One wonders why they need to wait until then when the opportunity to sit down with Israel has been out there for not months, but years? Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu this week has even done what I have been urging for months, openly stating that he is ready to sit down with Abbas anywhere: Jerusalem, Ramallah, or even Brussels, to negotiate peace without prior conditions. But, of course, Abbas wants all kinds of preconditions in place so that Israel can tip its full hand before the negotiations begin. Welcome to the Middle East!
Simultaneously Turkey continues its sabre rattling with PM Erdogan saying that when he decides to go to Gaza he will be accompanied by Turkish military vessels for protection. But clearly this will not be for protection, but simply to dare Israel to engage those vessels in order to prevent the breaking of the blockade of Gaza which would then lead to an even further deterioration of relations or even regional war. To top it off Turkish President Gül calls Israel an “ungrateful burden” to the world and to the region.
The only people that don’t seem to be perturbed by any of this negativism is Standard & Poor’s, which just raised its rating of Israel’s financial condition from A to A+ saying that this reflects “the responsible economic policy of the Government of Israel.” This is the same S&P that recently downgraded the US’ credit rating but that seems to have no problem with Israel in spite of all the sabre rattling going on. What a world eh?
As for the need to demonstrate at the UN in the coming weeks, kudos go to Rabbi Avi Weiss of New York who is organizing what he calls “massive civil disobedience” opposite the UN on September 20th. Rabbi Weiss, who has consistently been at the forefront of demonstrations in places where the organized Jewish community has generally cautioned a soft approach, is to be commended for taking the leadership in this area and organizing this protest of what will surely be a major period of Israel-bashing at the UN. He is an example for all of us as to what one person can do when properly motivated.
All of this, of course, supports the old adage that there are people who look at a glass and see it half full while others look at the same glass and see it as half empty. As I have often said you cannot live in Israel and be a pessimist, as only optimism enables people to prevail here.
Tomorrow, in synagogues worldwide the portion of Ki Tetze will be read from the Torah. In addition to setting out a series of laws to be observed when living in the land of Israel, the portion also includes the reference to Amalek and the fact that he was representative of those who arise in every generation to do terrible things to the Jewish people. It will be a sobering reminder, as it is supposed to be, of both the continuing threat to our survival that we face on a regular basis and, more importantly, that all of those who have sought to destroy us are long gone from this earth. May that positive outcome continue for all time to come.
By Sherwin Pomerantz
In just 10 days the 66th Regular Session of the UN General Assembly will receive a request from the Palestinian Arab leadership to approve their desire for statehood, even though there is a ground swell of opinion worldwide that this is not a smart move on their part. Reports now indicate that the US has issued a formal request to Chairman Abbas that he not go ahead with this initiative. The US has also reiterated its position that if the vote comes to the Security Council, which it will prior to going to the General Assembly, the US will use its veto to block the Council’s approval.
News coming out of Israel this week quotes Chairman Abbas as saying that once the UN approves the request for statehood, the Palestinian leadership is prepared to sit down with Israel and return to negotiations. One wonders why they need to wait until then when the opportunity to sit down with Israel has been out there for not months, but years? Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu this week has even done what I have been urging for months, openly stating that he is ready to sit down with Abbas anywhere: Jerusalem, Ramallah, or even Brussels, to negotiate peace without prior conditions. But, of course, Abbas wants all kinds of preconditions in place so that Israel can tip its full hand before the negotiations begin. Welcome to the Middle East!
Simultaneously Turkey continues its sabre rattling with PM Erdogan saying that when he decides to go to Gaza he will be accompanied by Turkish military vessels for protection. But clearly this will not be for protection, but simply to dare Israel to engage those vessels in order to prevent the breaking of the blockade of Gaza which would then lead to an even further deterioration of relations or even regional war. To top it off Turkish President Gül calls Israel an “ungrateful burden” to the world and to the region.
The only people that don’t seem to be perturbed by any of this negativism is Standard & Poor’s, which just raised its rating of Israel’s financial condition from A to A+ saying that this reflects “the responsible economic policy of the Government of Israel.” This is the same S&P that recently downgraded the US’ credit rating but that seems to have no problem with Israel in spite of all the sabre rattling going on. What a world eh?
As for the need to demonstrate at the UN in the coming weeks, kudos go to Rabbi Avi Weiss of New York who is organizing what he calls “massive civil disobedience” opposite the UN on September 20th. Rabbi Weiss, who has consistently been at the forefront of demonstrations in places where the organized Jewish community has generally cautioned a soft approach, is to be commended for taking the leadership in this area and organizing this protest of what will surely be a major period of Israel-bashing at the UN. He is an example for all of us as to what one person can do when properly motivated.
All of this, of course, supports the old adage that there are people who look at a glass and see it half full while others look at the same glass and see it as half empty. As I have often said you cannot live in Israel and be a pessimist, as only optimism enables people to prevail here.
Tomorrow, in synagogues worldwide the portion of Ki Tetze will be read from the Torah. In addition to setting out a series of laws to be observed when living in the land of Israel, the portion also includes the reference to Amalek and the fact that he was representative of those who arise in every generation to do terrible things to the Jewish people. It will be a sobering reminder, as it is supposed to be, of both the continuing threat to our survival that we face on a regular basis and, more importantly, that all of those who have sought to destroy us are long gone from this earth. May that positive outcome continue for all time to come.
Wednesday, September 7, 2011
14 Days to Go – Turkey Goes “Bananas”
By Sherwin Pomerantz
With 14 days to go to September 20th when the Palestinian Arab leadership intends to present their petition for the UN approval of statehood, things are definitely heating up in the region.
On Monday morning the early flight on Turkish Airlines from Tel Aviv to Istanbul landed there with, of course, dozens of Israelis traveling to Turkey on business. Many of these people are there regularly, either once a week or once a month. Contrary to normal procedure, those traveling on Israeli passports were herded into a holding area before arriving at passport control. All of their passports were taken by the authorities and, according to the report of one of the passengers each of the Israelis had two Turkish policemen guarding them during the 90 minutes that they were detained. The travelers were not advised as to what the problem was and at the end of the 90 minutes, their passports were returned and they entered the country. My information is that in retaliation Israel did something similar later in the day with Turkish passport holders trying to enter the country. Sounds like a game we used to play as kids but, sadly, this is real.
For my readers who have not traveled to Turkey, it is important to know that those of us who hold Israeli passports generally use them to enter Turkey even though we might also have US passports. The reason is one of pure economics. US citizens need to purchase a visa to enter the country whereas Israelis enter under Turkey’s visa waiver program. So one can imagine not only the shock of this change of procedure, but also the feelings of discomfort (and even rage) on the part of those Jews who, once again in history, were asked to surrender their passports simply because they were Jewish. I need not go further into the memories generated by such action.
Clearly the Erdogan government is on a track to use Israel as a scapegoat to divert attention from all his other problems including the frustration with Syria with whom Turkey shares a border, the continuing protests and bombings by the Kurds living in Turkey, the frustration of the Armenians in not having Turkey recognize the Armenian Genocide and the general snubbing of Turkey by the EU. Erdogan’s most recent move on Tuesday to also consider freezing bilateral trade between Turkey and Israel which represents a hefty $1.5 billion annually to the Turkish economy shows just how far he is prepared to go to make his point. If he also carries out his threat to travel to Gaza accompanied by Turkish warships, the winds of war in the region will pick up considerable speed and strength.
All of this, of course, seemingly in response to Israel’s reaction to the attempt by some Turkish ships in May 2010 to break the blockade of Gaza and the just-issued UN Palmer Report on the incident.
The Wall Street Journal in a lead editorial earlier this week was on target when it said:
"Here's a story for the man-bites-dog folder: The United Nations has conducted another inquiry into an Israeli military operation—and produced a report that mainly vindicates the Jewish state. And here, alas, is a story for the dog-bites-man folder: The Turkish government has responded to the U.N. report by withdrawing its ambassador from Tel Aviv and expelling Israel's from Ankara."
"The Palmer report—named for the inquiry's chairman, former New Zealand Prime Minister Geoffrey Palmer—was commissioned by the U.N.'s Secretary General to investigate the May 2010 "flotilla incident," when six ships sailing from Turkey to Gaza on an alleged humanitarian mission were boarded by Israeli commandos enforcing a naval blockade of Gaza. Nine passengers were killed (and several Israeli soldiers badly beaten) in the ensuing melee, sparking a crisis in Jerusalem's already frayed relations with Ankara."
One can never predict what will happen in the Middle East as everything here defies logic.
Meanwhile, the UN activities related to our part of the world remain on track for later this month preceded by the Durban 3 conference against racism which, once again, will disintegrate into an Israel-bashing event of significant proportions. There does not seem to be any activity against this going on in the Jewish community in the US except for some petitions that are being circulated on the internet. However, there is one group planning a huge demonstration at the Isaiah Wall across from the UN (see http://www.protestdurban3.com/). A group of Christian clergy is putting this together on September 21st at noon on 47th Street between 1st and 2nd Avenues in order to demonstrate their disappointment in using the UN as a platform to target Jews and Israel. While I applaud their efforts it is sad, once again, that the local Jewish community is not part of this.
Nevertheless, the pressure at the UN and in other spheres of activity must remain at a high level so that the world is made to understand that Israel is here to stay and that all of the world’s problems cannot reasonably be blamed on the existence of 7 million people in one small piece of land at the eastern end of the Mediterranean. The perverse logic that brings people to such a conclusion speaks to the ignorance of mankind in the face of truth.
By Sherwin Pomerantz
With 14 days to go to September 20th when the Palestinian Arab leadership intends to present their petition for the UN approval of statehood, things are definitely heating up in the region.
On Monday morning the early flight on Turkish Airlines from Tel Aviv to Istanbul landed there with, of course, dozens of Israelis traveling to Turkey on business. Many of these people are there regularly, either once a week or once a month. Contrary to normal procedure, those traveling on Israeli passports were herded into a holding area before arriving at passport control. All of their passports were taken by the authorities and, according to the report of one of the passengers each of the Israelis had two Turkish policemen guarding them during the 90 minutes that they were detained. The travelers were not advised as to what the problem was and at the end of the 90 minutes, their passports were returned and they entered the country. My information is that in retaliation Israel did something similar later in the day with Turkish passport holders trying to enter the country. Sounds like a game we used to play as kids but, sadly, this is real.
For my readers who have not traveled to Turkey, it is important to know that those of us who hold Israeli passports generally use them to enter Turkey even though we might also have US passports. The reason is one of pure economics. US citizens need to purchase a visa to enter the country whereas Israelis enter under Turkey’s visa waiver program. So one can imagine not only the shock of this change of procedure, but also the feelings of discomfort (and even rage) on the part of those Jews who, once again in history, were asked to surrender their passports simply because they were Jewish. I need not go further into the memories generated by such action.
Clearly the Erdogan government is on a track to use Israel as a scapegoat to divert attention from all his other problems including the frustration with Syria with whom Turkey shares a border, the continuing protests and bombings by the Kurds living in Turkey, the frustration of the Armenians in not having Turkey recognize the Armenian Genocide and the general snubbing of Turkey by the EU. Erdogan’s most recent move on Tuesday to also consider freezing bilateral trade between Turkey and Israel which represents a hefty $1.5 billion annually to the Turkish economy shows just how far he is prepared to go to make his point. If he also carries out his threat to travel to Gaza accompanied by Turkish warships, the winds of war in the region will pick up considerable speed and strength.
All of this, of course, seemingly in response to Israel’s reaction to the attempt by some Turkish ships in May 2010 to break the blockade of Gaza and the just-issued UN Palmer Report on the incident.
The Wall Street Journal in a lead editorial earlier this week was on target when it said:
"Here's a story for the man-bites-dog folder: The United Nations has conducted another inquiry into an Israeli military operation—and produced a report that mainly vindicates the Jewish state. And here, alas, is a story for the dog-bites-man folder: The Turkish government has responded to the U.N. report by withdrawing its ambassador from Tel Aviv and expelling Israel's from Ankara."
"The Palmer report—named for the inquiry's chairman, former New Zealand Prime Minister Geoffrey Palmer—was commissioned by the U.N.'s Secretary General to investigate the May 2010 "flotilla incident," when six ships sailing from Turkey to Gaza on an alleged humanitarian mission were boarded by Israeli commandos enforcing a naval blockade of Gaza. Nine passengers were killed (and several Israeli soldiers badly beaten) in the ensuing melee, sparking a crisis in Jerusalem's already frayed relations with Ankara."
One can never predict what will happen in the Middle East as everything here defies logic.
Meanwhile, the UN activities related to our part of the world remain on track for later this month preceded by the Durban 3 conference against racism which, once again, will disintegrate into an Israel-bashing event of significant proportions. There does not seem to be any activity against this going on in the Jewish community in the US except for some petitions that are being circulated on the internet. However, there is one group planning a huge demonstration at the Isaiah Wall across from the UN (see http://www.protestdurban3.com/). A group of Christian clergy is putting this together on September 21st at noon on 47th Street between 1st and 2nd Avenues in order to demonstrate their disappointment in using the UN as a platform to target Jews and Israel. While I applaud their efforts it is sad, once again, that the local Jewish community is not part of this.
Nevertheless, the pressure at the UN and in other spheres of activity must remain at a high level so that the world is made to understand that Israel is here to stay and that all of the world’s problems cannot reasonably be blamed on the existence of 7 million people in one small piece of land at the eastern end of the Mediterranean. The perverse logic that brings people to such a conclusion speaks to the ignorance of mankind in the face of truth.
Sunday, September 4, 2011
16 Days to Go – Cooler Heads Needed Here
By Sherwin Pomerantz
With 16 days to go to September 20th when the Palestinian Arab leadership intends to present their petition for the UN approval of statehood, there seems to be a new initiative on the part of the United States to convince the Palestinians not to go through with this.
The reasons are pretty obvious to all. In the first place, the US has indicated that while it will use its veto power in the Security Council to block that body’s approval of the petition, it really does not want to do this. If it does use the veto it will destroy the US’ credibility both with the Palestinian Arab leadership as well as the rest of the Arab world and make it impossible for the US to have any long term role in further peace efforts in the region.
Secondly, there is great concern throughout the world and the region as to what will happen on the ground after the vote and clearly the US would prefer to see the issue not come to the table thereby averting an unpredictable set of events that could be difficult to manage and contain. The Palestinian Arab leadership for its part seems hell bent on going through with this but, of course, this is the Middle East and the word “certain” does not appear in the general diplomatic language of the region.
As if this was not enough of an issue to deal with over the next two weeks, Turkey continues its threats against Israel and every day seems to up the ante for restoring relations between the two countries to the level they were up until the flotilla incident in May 2010. Turkey has now downgraded its emissary in Tel Aviv to the level of 2nd Secretary and is threatening to take military action should anyone try to interfere with their shipping in the Eastern Mediterranean. The clear implication being that if it should try to break the blockade of Gaza by itself and Israel were to try to block such an attempt, Turkey would resort to military action. That threat seems to be spooking the west as well.
In a reversal of its general trend to always criticize Israel for whatever ills befall the region, the New York Times today in a lead editorial said the following on this subject:
"We don’t blame Israel for wondering if Turkey is keeping this conflict going to burnish its standing in the Arab world. Turkey is risking a lot, including billions in trade with Israel and its reputation as a responsible international player. Israel certainly doesn’t need to be any more isolated than it is. Israel should apologize for the deaths. And Turkey should stop upping the ante."
I would agree that Israel should apologize for the deaths of the Turks on board the Mavi Marmara, which is simply good conduct between friends. We would expect no less if the tables were turned. The Israeli government’s reluctance to do so is just foolhardy diplomacy. But Turkey’s continued harping on the subject and using it as an excuse to change the relationship between the two countries is even more unreasonable.
Herman Wouk would say that the winds of war are kicking up quite a storm in our region and, of course, when that happens any misstep can cause the diplomatic parrying to turn into full scale hostilities.
Cooler heads need to prevail if war of any kind is to be averted. Turkey should tone down the rhetoric, Israel should do what it needs to do to show its good faith in that effort, and the Palestinian Arab leadership should withdraw their petition for UN membership as they stand to lose much more by going ahead with this than the gain they might have convinced themselves will be theirs.
But, of course, when was the last time cool heads prevailed in our part of the world? Let’s hope!
By Sherwin Pomerantz
With 16 days to go to September 20th when the Palestinian Arab leadership intends to present their petition for the UN approval of statehood, there seems to be a new initiative on the part of the United States to convince the Palestinians not to go through with this.
The reasons are pretty obvious to all. In the first place, the US has indicated that while it will use its veto power in the Security Council to block that body’s approval of the petition, it really does not want to do this. If it does use the veto it will destroy the US’ credibility both with the Palestinian Arab leadership as well as the rest of the Arab world and make it impossible for the US to have any long term role in further peace efforts in the region.
Secondly, there is great concern throughout the world and the region as to what will happen on the ground after the vote and clearly the US would prefer to see the issue not come to the table thereby averting an unpredictable set of events that could be difficult to manage and contain. The Palestinian Arab leadership for its part seems hell bent on going through with this but, of course, this is the Middle East and the word “certain” does not appear in the general diplomatic language of the region.
As if this was not enough of an issue to deal with over the next two weeks, Turkey continues its threats against Israel and every day seems to up the ante for restoring relations between the two countries to the level they were up until the flotilla incident in May 2010. Turkey has now downgraded its emissary in Tel Aviv to the level of 2nd Secretary and is threatening to take military action should anyone try to interfere with their shipping in the Eastern Mediterranean. The clear implication being that if it should try to break the blockade of Gaza by itself and Israel were to try to block such an attempt, Turkey would resort to military action. That threat seems to be spooking the west as well.
In a reversal of its general trend to always criticize Israel for whatever ills befall the region, the New York Times today in a lead editorial said the following on this subject:
"We don’t blame Israel for wondering if Turkey is keeping this conflict going to burnish its standing in the Arab world. Turkey is risking a lot, including billions in trade with Israel and its reputation as a responsible international player. Israel certainly doesn’t need to be any more isolated than it is. Israel should apologize for the deaths. And Turkey should stop upping the ante."
I would agree that Israel should apologize for the deaths of the Turks on board the Mavi Marmara, which is simply good conduct between friends. We would expect no less if the tables were turned. The Israeli government’s reluctance to do so is just foolhardy diplomacy. But Turkey’s continued harping on the subject and using it as an excuse to change the relationship between the two countries is even more unreasonable.
Herman Wouk would say that the winds of war are kicking up quite a storm in our region and, of course, when that happens any misstep can cause the diplomatic parrying to turn into full scale hostilities.
Cooler heads need to prevail if war of any kind is to be averted. Turkey should tone down the rhetoric, Israel should do what it needs to do to show its good faith in that effort, and the Palestinian Arab leadership should withdraw their petition for UN membership as they stand to lose much more by going ahead with this than the gain they might have convinced themselves will be theirs.
But, of course, when was the last time cool heads prevailed in our part of the world? Let’s hope!
Friday, September 2, 2011
11 Days to Go – Resetting the Clock
By Sherwin Pomerantz
With 11 days to go to the opening of the 66th Regular Session of the UN General Assembly on September 13th it seems now that the Palestinian Arab leadership will not submit their request for statehood until September 20th, so we will re-set the countdown clock by one week and now call it 18 days to go.
The real question remains what the Palestinian Arab leadership really wants at the end of the day, a state or the ultimate elimination of Israel? Many people, of course, believe the latter.
But today there is yet another new regional development that is also quite worrisome. The UN has published what is known as the Palmer Report on the Gaza Flotilla Incident of May 2010. The report sustains Israel’s right to impose the blockade on Gaza as an enemy entity bent on Israel’s destruction while somewhat castigating Israel for the manner in which the country approached the Mavi Marmara and carried out its attempt to foil the blockade.
Turkey is clearly disturbed that the report was not more forceful and that it did not lay the entire blame for everything at the feet of Israel. Given that the Turkish Government announced today that it was expelling Israel’s envoy to the country and cutting all military cooperation with Israel, and that this is only the first of a series of steps to downgrade the relationship between the two countries, the situation is of concern.
On the Israeli side some of the members of the government here suggested that diplomacy demands that we, in turn, expel the Turkish envoy to Israel in retaliation for Turkey’s action. Time will tell whether there is sufficient support for that in Israel but, no doubt, it will be a popular action among the locals here.
But what is more disturbing is the severing of military cooperation. On the one hand, the strategic cooperation in the defense sector between Israel and Turkey has been critical to the long term interests of both countries and the attempt to maintain a relatively balanced military footprint in the region. My guess is that the defense establishments in both countries are upset about this decision by the political leadership in Turkey.
However, what is of even more concern is the indication as to who is really calling the shots in Turkey. Traditionally ever since the modern country of Turkey was founded by Ataturk as a secular society, it has been the military that has zealously protected that concept and made it work in this Muslim country. In the past when the political element tried to move the country away from secularism to a more traditionally religious framework, the military took action to prevent that.
Two months ago the political leadership sacked a whole raft of senior generals and replaced them with people more in keeping with the desire to increase the religious influence in society. Today’s action takes this one step further by clearly indicating that the political establishment is in full control even over the military. The stage seems set, therefore, for an increasing amount of religious influence in all spheres of government which will also have the effect of moving the country further out of the western political orbit.
To those of us who have spent considerable time in Turkey this is a sad turn of events as the country was always held up as an example of a Muslim country that could be politically secular, democratic in nature and a full respecter of human rights. Over the last few years as a result of the emergence of the AKP party as the dominant political force in the country, human rights have been consistently violated. Recent statistics have shown, for example, that Turkey has the largest number of media people in jail for taking public positions against the stance of the ruling party. The purge of the military last month was another nail in the coffin of the secular democracy. Today’s action against Israel shows just how far the power balance has shifted in favor of the AKP.
The sands in the region have shifted dramatically over the past six months and there is no telling how far they will move. Israel, of course, as the only truly democratic country in the region (admittedly not as much of a western democracy as a Bolshevik one) will have its mettle tested as it attempts to navigate these difficult waters simultaneously dealing with the ongoing events at the UN. To say the least, the next few months will bear critical watching.
By Sherwin Pomerantz
With 11 days to go to the opening of the 66th Regular Session of the UN General Assembly on September 13th it seems now that the Palestinian Arab leadership will not submit their request for statehood until September 20th, so we will re-set the countdown clock by one week and now call it 18 days to go.
The real question remains what the Palestinian Arab leadership really wants at the end of the day, a state or the ultimate elimination of Israel? Many people, of course, believe the latter.
But today there is yet another new regional development that is also quite worrisome. The UN has published what is known as the Palmer Report on the Gaza Flotilla Incident of May 2010. The report sustains Israel’s right to impose the blockade on Gaza as an enemy entity bent on Israel’s destruction while somewhat castigating Israel for the manner in which the country approached the Mavi Marmara and carried out its attempt to foil the blockade.
Turkey is clearly disturbed that the report was not more forceful and that it did not lay the entire blame for everything at the feet of Israel. Given that the Turkish Government announced today that it was expelling Israel’s envoy to the country and cutting all military cooperation with Israel, and that this is only the first of a series of steps to downgrade the relationship between the two countries, the situation is of concern.
On the Israeli side some of the members of the government here suggested that diplomacy demands that we, in turn, expel the Turkish envoy to Israel in retaliation for Turkey’s action. Time will tell whether there is sufficient support for that in Israel but, no doubt, it will be a popular action among the locals here.
But what is more disturbing is the severing of military cooperation. On the one hand, the strategic cooperation in the defense sector between Israel and Turkey has been critical to the long term interests of both countries and the attempt to maintain a relatively balanced military footprint in the region. My guess is that the defense establishments in both countries are upset about this decision by the political leadership in Turkey.
However, what is of even more concern is the indication as to who is really calling the shots in Turkey. Traditionally ever since the modern country of Turkey was founded by Ataturk as a secular society, it has been the military that has zealously protected that concept and made it work in this Muslim country. In the past when the political element tried to move the country away from secularism to a more traditionally religious framework, the military took action to prevent that.
Two months ago the political leadership sacked a whole raft of senior generals and replaced them with people more in keeping with the desire to increase the religious influence in society. Today’s action takes this one step further by clearly indicating that the political establishment is in full control even over the military. The stage seems set, therefore, for an increasing amount of religious influence in all spheres of government which will also have the effect of moving the country further out of the western political orbit.
To those of us who have spent considerable time in Turkey this is a sad turn of events as the country was always held up as an example of a Muslim country that could be politically secular, democratic in nature and a full respecter of human rights. Over the last few years as a result of the emergence of the AKP party as the dominant political force in the country, human rights have been consistently violated. Recent statistics have shown, for example, that Turkey has the largest number of media people in jail for taking public positions against the stance of the ruling party. The purge of the military last month was another nail in the coffin of the secular democracy. Today’s action against Israel shows just how far the power balance has shifted in favor of the AKP.
The sands in the region have shifted dramatically over the past six months and there is no telling how far they will move. Israel, of course, as the only truly democratic country in the region (admittedly not as much of a western democracy as a Bolshevik one) will have its mettle tested as it attempts to navigate these difficult waters simultaneously dealing with the ongoing events at the UN. To say the least, the next few months will bear critical watching.
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