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Conference taveng::bagels

Title:BAGELS and other things of Jewish interest
Notice:1.0 policy, 280.0 directory, 32.0 registration
Moderator:SMURF::FENSTER
Created:Mon Feb 03 1986
Last Modified:Thu Jun 05 1997
Last Successful Update:Fri Jun 06 1997
Number of topics:1524
Total number of notes:18709

1488.0. "The New Middle East" by TAVENG::KREMER (Itzhak Kremer) Wed Jan 31 1996 08:23

============================================================
                                       THE NEW MIDDLE EAST
                                          By Louis Rene Beres
            Professor, Department of Political Science, Purdue University
===========================================================
      The New Middle East resembles The New World Order.  It does not exist. 
It can never exist.  It will never exist.  What is more, to believe that it
does or will exist is conceivably very dangerous, as such a belief could
generate policies built upon sand.  
      Israel, of course - or at least its current government - believes in
The New Middle East.  It builds not only its foreign policy, but its very
existence, upon this particular bit of fiction.  Not surprisingly, unless it
is turned around in time, Israel, like The New Middle East, will not exist. 
Here, the Jewish State, wedded to a government for which fantasy is de
rigueur, would dissolve into the centuries.  Exeunt omnes!
      On February 15th, Arieh Stav, one of Israel's most gifted
intellectuals and editor of the distinguished publication NATIV, will open 
an exhibition titled "The Peace - An Arab Cartoon."  To be displayed in Be'er
Sheva for a month, this exhibition - tied to Stav's very important new book -
 will reveal some salient features of Peres' New Middle East. In this
utopian universe of the Prime Minister, as we will learn from Arab cartoons,
the Jew is demonized in ways that might have made Julius Streicher blush. 
Indeed, if one were to extrapolate present Arab attitudes toward Israel
from their officially sanctioned drawings, we would see little difference
between The New Middle East and the world of Der Sturmer.
      The New Middle East is The Old Middle East.  In 1972  Yehoshafat
Harkabi published a major book titled ARAB ATTITUDES TO ISRAEL.  At that
time, in the days of The Old Middle East, Harkabi cited the Arab use of
scurrilous language about Israel to include "the Zionist monster;" "the
Zionist plague;"  "the purulent abscess;" "the illegitimate daughter of
Europe;" "a cancer in the heart of the Arab nation;" "the Zionist cancer;"
"the gang of hypocrites and criminals;" "the focus of evil;" "dirt;" "filth;"
"sewage;" "the octopus;" "the spider;" "the bacillus of evil;"  etc, etc,
etc. 
Today, as Stav's brilliant exhibition will reveal, nothing, absolutely
nothing, has changed.
      Let us return to the Nazis.  As objects of their propaganda, Jews
were notorious because they allegedly devalued German life, threatened
its "racial purity," and threatened its very physical survival.  Hence, the
Jews were "pests," "parasites," "bloodsuckers," "child murderers,"
"molesters,"  etc, who exploited "real Germans," despoiled "Aryan" purity
and, of course, always conspired to acquire power.  These are precisely the
same themes adapted by Arab propagandists against Israel, in The Old Middle
East and in The New Middle East.
      In The New Middle East, King Hussein is generally regarded as Israel's
"warmest peace partner."  On January 28 1996, the King announced that he
favors the creation of a Palestinian state under the leadership of Yasser
Arafat, and that Jerusalem must be the capital of the new state of
Palestine.  Curiously, this announcement - uttered in The New Middle East -
is vastly more hostile to Israeli survival than anything he had ever
announced during The Old Middle East. 
      Shimon Peres, the creator of The New Middle East, is - like his
creation - a phantom that has worn out its shadow.  By refashioning truth,
the Prime Minister has transformed his considerable conceptual deficits
into a shadowy new faith.  Profoundly superficial, without any sensibility
for the intrinsic, Peres now offers a vision for Israel that undermines
Zionism's already precarious future.  Before anything resembling a New
Middle East could be born from the Old, a gravedigger would have to wield
the forceps.
      Diderot, in his political writings (Histoire des Deux Indes) describes
the history of civilization:  "The history of civilised man has been only the
history of his misery.  Every page has been covered in blood, some with the
blood of oppressors, others with the blood of the oppressed."  Failing to
understand this, visionaries arise in every generation who wish to
transcend human misery without first making the essential human  changes. 
Thus, they focus incorrectly on structures of human governance and
economics rather than upon the beings who must ultimately make these
structures work.  In the end, such incorrect reasoning must always lead to
disappointment and to despair.
      In The New Middle East, as in The Old Middle East,  Israel's Arab and
Islamic enemies remain committed to ridding the region of all Jews, to
making The New Middle East judenrein.  As long as this does not change,
there is no point in pretending that there are overriding political/economic
interests or systemwide commitments to "peace."  In politics, as in every
other sphere of human activity,  all things move in the midst of death, and
where death of "the other" is all important there can be no reasonable talk
of life.

=====================
LOUIS RENE BERES (Ph.D., Princeton, 1971) is Professor of Political Science
and International Law at Purdue University.

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1488.1OUTSRC::HEISERwatchman on the wallWed Jan 31 1996 18:4311
    This whole scenario gets stranger all the time.  It's obvious that
    Israel is straying from democracy to maintain "peace" talks.  So
    obvious that an American professor in the Midwest writes about it, yet
    the American national news is silent about it.  Jesse Helms speaks out
    about human rights violations of Israel citizens, yet the American TV
    news is silent about it.
    
    What exactly is going on over there?
    
    thanks,
    Mike
1488.2All the news that fits - they printTAVENG::KREMERItzhak KremerTue Feb 06 1996 18:3843
Mike,

You're not the only one who is asking what exactly is going on over here?
Very few really know. The right of the people to know apparently extends
only to what the media and the upper echelons want them to know.  

Many recent events can be used to demonstrate the 'politically correct'
selectivity of the media. Some news items which are of primary importance
to the Israeli public have been trivialized or ignored. For example, have
you heard or read anything about Arafat's recent election campaign
speeches? Probably not...

A Tel-Aviv based media company, the Institute for Peace Education, has
collected films of all of Yassir Arafat's speaking appearances during and
immediately after the PLO's election campaign.  A spokesman for the
institute made the following statement:

  "In his election campaign, Arafat spoke of his commitment to the armed
  struggle against Israel. On six occasions, he promised to 'stay on the
  mountain,' which is a clear Islamic reference to waging warfare. On
  four occasions, he told his Palestinian audiences that they must
  remember that the struggle is divided into two stages, as clearly
  stated in the 1974 amendment to the PLO Covenant. The amendment known
  as the 'phased plan' calls for the destruction of Israel in stages. In
  front of his Arab audiences, Arafat makes no mention of peace; quite to
  the contrary, he states time and time again, that the prime reason he
  seeks Chairmanship of the PA, is to continue the armed struggle against
  Israel."

The spokesman added that "the speeches were not broadcasted on any
networks either in Israel or abroad despite the fact that all of them,
including those from the U.S., were there filming right next to us."
I wonder why...

Doesn't anybody care what Arafat has to say? Shouldn't the Israeli public
be concerned about how the so-called "peace" process is being viewed by
the same people that we are so enthusiatically arming to the teeth?

The institute is currently in the process of translating the speeches to
English and Hebrew. They plan to present the films with translated
sub-titles at the National Press Club in Washington on February 27th.

-Itzhak
1488.3OUTSRC::HEISERwatchman on the wallWed Feb 07 1996 19:305
    Scary.  It almost sounds like some sort of conspiracy among the nations
    with Israeli government officials joining in.  Arafat still supports
    violence and the world turns a blind eye and a deaf ear.  Why?
    
    Mike
1488.4The deadly peaceTAVENG::KREMERItzhak KremerWed Feb 28 1996 22:2038
Tonight my sister came home after spending the last 4 days at Ein Karem
hospital. On Sunday morning she was a healthy, attractive girl - today
her face is full of burns, cuts, and bruises, she has no eyebrows and no
eyelids, her hair has been partly burnt off and her hands and legs are in
bandages. The doctors say that my sister's face may never entirely return
to it's previous appearance. 

She was on her way to work that Sunday morning. She remembers approaching
the intersection near her office... and then she awoke in an ambulance.
She later found out that bus #18 which stood at the same intersection
literally blew up in her face. She didn't even hear the blast. 

Thank G-d my sister was "only" "lightly" wounded. My neighbor, a regular
member at my schul, wasn't quite so lucky. He's still in critical
condition and we are praying that he pulls through.

I wish to express my deepest sorrow to the families and friends of our
most recent "victims of peace". In three terrorist attacks this week, 28
innocent men, women and children lost their lives.  The number of terror
victims since the Oslo agreements -- only 2 and a half years ago -- has
grown and now exceeds the number of Jews killed in the entire 6 years of
intifada.  While our government continues negotiating "peace" with the
man whose life's goal is the destruction of the Jewish State, the
terrorist have only become more efficient -- they have more arms, better
explosives, and greater freedom to operate.

May Arafat, his PLO comrades and his Hamas brethen quickly join that
growing list of "victims of peace". Only then will peace have a chance.










1488.5Its Heartbreaking, the things that people doCPCOD::JOHNSONA rare blue and gold afternoonThu Feb 29 1996 00:065
You and all the families affected by the latest incindents have my
sympathy and prayers.

Leslie

1488.6growing up fast in IsraelTAV02::FEINBERGDon FeinbergThu Feb 29 1996 13:5830
My daughter, who is 19, is doing her Sherut Leumi (national service) working 
as a paramedic/aide for the MADA (the Magen David Adom; Israel's ambulance
and rescue service).

On Sunday, she got to spend 3-1/2 hours working at the scene in Jerusalem. 
She has had to deal with death in accidents before, but the first thing
she saw at the scene was a car (behind the bus) with a dead man in the front 
seat, decapitated. His head was in the back seat, eyes still open. She told 
us that she just "lost it" at that moment, and almost couldn't continue.

During the time, she had to do CPR on one of her friends from her high 
school class. Fortunately, the girl will live. She also saved the life of a 
child.

She was also troubled by small body parts falling out of the trees as she 
moved around; you know, a couple of fingers here and there...

So, she contributed. Bravely. Kal hakavod, she did superbly well. But,
afterwards, we spent two days and two nights working with her, talking to
her. She couldn't eat or sleep. If she closed her eyes, she said that all
she could see was burned up, charred people with shrapnel sticking into
them. She would just burst out crying in the middle of the day. 

Nice education for a 19-year-old. What a way to grow up!

Nice "peace" we have here. And at a Palestinian rally in the near future, 
you can be sure that Arafat will give his congratulations, in Arabic
of course, to the boys.

don feinberg
1488.7CSC32::J_CHRISTIEThu Feb 29 1996 22:429
    Itzhak (.4) and Don (.6)
    
    	This is painful, disheartening and infuriating news.  You have my
    prayers.  May G-d be with you and your loved ones.  May G-d deal
    swiftly with the enemies of peace.
    
    Shalom,
    Richard
    
1488.8"Palestinian peace" - again !!!!TAVENG::CHANOCHC. Gotlieb, Israel Engineering, DTN 882-3346Sun Mar 03 1996 09:5930
Onec agaaaaain!!! 

Twenty families lost their most loved, lots of new widows and orphans, blood
and parts of bodies around -- again, in Jerusalem our holy capital for ever.

Who said that terror is not "existing problem" for the state of Israel??

It's a strategic existence problem!

WE MUST FIGHT BACK IF WE WANT TO SURVIVE IN THIS WAR! 

NO MORE -- 
	No more political tricks,
	No more negotiations with the archi-murder Arafat (yes we know he 
	        arrested 200 from the Hamas, no ONE from them is in the list
                I.D.F asked him to arrest, and we also know that they will be 
		free soon)
	No more defensive attitude, we need OFFENSIVE approach!


A good friend of mine from one of the Shomer Atsair Kibutsim (belong to left
parties) told me three years ago "What's the problem, let's give the peace a 
chance and if it will not work we will bomb them with our artillery, and our 
well known air force"....


I'm Crying (yes I'm really, physically crying!!) with all the Jewish nation --

				But we shouldn't let the tears close our eyes!

1488.9CSC32::J_CHRISTIESun Mar 03 1996 18:005
That seems to be what they're asking for.  That certainly seems to be what
they want.

Richard

1488.10Baruch Dayan EmetTAVENG::KREMERItzhak KremerSun Apr 14 1996 09:315
Yitzchak Weinstein, my neighbor who was critically wounded from the bus
blast in Jerusalem over a month ago, died of his wounds yesterday
morning. 

Hashem Yikom Damo.
1488.11TFOSS1::HEISERwatchman on the wallMon Apr 15 1996 22:515
    I caught something this weekend about tensions between Syria/Lebanon
    and Israel.  Anyone care to clarify what's going on?
    
    thanks,
    Mike
1488.12TAVENG::KREMERItzhak KremerTue Apr 16 1996 16:0672
Back in 1993, Israel launched an offensive against Hizbullah targets in
Lebanon in response to repeated rocket attacks into northern Israel. The
offensive ended with a cease-fire agreement between Israel and the
Hizbullah terrorist which was supposed to have assured the tranquility of
Israel's northern civilian population. 

After repeated violations of the agreement by the Hizbullah, Israel last
week renewed it's military offensive.

The following list of recent Hizbullah events was copied from the IRIS
Web site.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------

The list below shows 15 of the most serious Hizbullah attacks against
Israeli targets, both military and civilian, and the Israeli allied South
Lebanese Army (SLA), in the six weeks preceding Israel's current operation
against Hizbullah.  Unless otherwise specified, those killed and injured are
Israeli soldiers. 

In total, 7 Israeli soldiers and 2 SLA soldiers were killed in these
incidents.  Also, 22 Israeli soldiers and 36 civilians were injured.

Since Katyusha fire from Lebanon began in 1968, Kiryat Shmona has been hit
by some 3,800 Katyusha rockets, and a similar number has fallen on
surrounding mountains and villages, as of 11 April 1996.

(Sources:  Israeli dailies Maariv, 11 April, p. 2, and Haaretz, 11 April,
pp. A2,A3.)


Date     Event
====     ==================================================================
28 Feb:  Hizbullah suicide bomber attempts to infiltrate Israel by hang
glider. Explodes within kilometers of Israeli village.

4  Mar:  Hizbullah ambushes soldiers near Israeli border town.  4 killed, 7
injured

9  Mar:  Hizbullah mortar fire on Israeli position.  1 injured

9  Mar:  SLA soldier killed by Hizbullah action in security zone.

10 Mar:  Israeli unit hits explosive device near border.  1 killed, 4 injured

11 Mar:  Heavy Hizbullah artillery fire in security zone.  No injuries.

12 Mar:  SLA soldier killed by Hizbullah explosive.

12 Mar:  Hizbullah anti-tank fire against 19 Israeli positions.

14 Mar:  Hizbullah explosive injures 8 soldiers, 2 of them seriously.

20 Mar:  Israeli officer killed by Hizbullah suicide attack in security zone.

30 Mar:  Hizbullah launches several Katyusha salvos into Galilee.  No injuries.

2  Apr:  Hizbullah fires mortars and Sagger missiles at two SLA posts.

9  Apr:  Hizbullah fires two volleys of Katyushas at Kiryat Shmona and
Galilee.  36 civilians injured.

10 Apr:  Hizbullah mounts mortar and Sagger attack on Israeli positions in
security zone. One killed by direct Sagger hit and two injured.

11 Apr:  Israel launches major offensive, codenamed Operation Grapes of
Wrath, to defend northern Israel against Hizbullah attacks.
----

Leiah and Jason Elbaum
IRIS
IRIS Web Page: http://www.netaxs.com/~iris/

1488.13STAR::FENSTERYaacov Fenster, Process Improvement, Quality & Testing tools @ZKTue Apr 16 1996 16:1529
                                    <<< Note 1488.11 by TFOSS1::HEISER "watchman on the wall" >>>
    
    I think the word "tensions" is understating it.
    A bit of background, back in 1993 when the Hizbullah attacks became too
    frequent, Israel launched an operation called "Accountability" and
    forced ~300K lebanese towards Beirut. This put pressure on the Syrians
    and Lebanese who in turn put pressure on the Hizbullah to came to some
    sort of an agreement with regard to refraining from attacks. Since then
    Hizbullah has had an ever-expanding understading of the agreement as
    it violates it more and more. The last few rounds of Katyusha rockets
    into Israel were the last straw. As of the last week or so, Israel has
    been launching air attacks throughout Lebanon, pinpointing Hizbullah
    headquarters and strongpoints, and sending a message to the Lebanese
    (who just finished with their civil war) that if there isn't any quiet
    in Israel, there shall be no quiet in Lebanon. As always, the Israeli
    army does it's best to prevent what the Americans call "Collateral
    damage". Usually it is prevented, but the media loves to show what
    happens when it doesn't or acts put on by the terrorists. Remember that
    these terrorists are using the local population as a human shield.
    
    While the technical part seems to be going well, one should remember
    that this will not destroy the Hizbullah and I doubt that any large
    scale ground operations will be undertaken. One hopes that any
    understanding reached this time will be better enforced and that the
    Lebanese will understand that it is in their best interests to rid
    themselves of the Hizbullah.
    One shouldn't forget the broader context of the Syrians using terror as
    a political leverage against Israel while discussing "peace".
    The operation is called "Grapes of Wrath".