Shut Down Orient House!!

It is time for Israel to stop looking the other way whenever the Palestinians assail everything we hold dear
For some time, the Palestinians have been waging a systematic and methodical campaign targeting some of Israel's most-cherished symbols, from the unity of Jerusalem to the resting places of some of its Biblical forebears.

This has included the desecration of Joseph's Tomb in Shechem (Nablus), and the reopening of the Orient House in Jerusalem, which is aimed at undermining Israel's sovereignty.
 
As I argue in the column below, if it is a war of symbols that the Palestinians want, then Israel should respond in kind, and send our foes a loud and clear message.

Shut Down Orient House

By Michael Freund

Another day, another affront. For all the talk of peace and reconciliation, the Palestinians seem to be keeping themselves quite busy these days by finding ways to undercut, undermine, and even insult Israel and its sovereignty.

Last week, Israel Radio reported that Mahmoud Abbas' Palestinian Authority has chosen to defy the law, which bars it from operating in Jerusalem, by reopening the Orient House.

The century-old structure, which a decade ago came to embody our neighbors' attempts to gain a political foothold in Israel's capital, was closed down by the police in 2001 after it had become a hotbed of illicit Palestinian activity.

But now the Orient House is apparently playing host once again to official Palestinian functions, such as diplomatic meetings. As its Web site states, "the Orient House aspires to develop Arab East Jerusalem as the capital of the emerging Palestinian state."

This is nothing less than a clear Palestinian slap in the face to the Israeli government, which only recently reaffirmed the ban on PA activity in Jerusalem, something to which the Palestinians themselves had agreed in the Oslo Accords.

More importantly, though, it is a slap in the face to the people of Israel, the overwhelming majority of whom cherish Jerusalem and are against re-dividing the Holy City.

And that is precisely why the Palestinians are doing it. They understand the power that symbols have to influence, shape and yes, even to alter reality.

Indeed, for years our foes have been methodically focusing on Israel's icons, doing their utmost to tear them down - both literally and figuratively - as a means of advancing their agenda.

TAKE, FOR example, Joseph's Tomb in Shechem (Nablus), the resting place of the Biblical figure revered in Jewish tradition as "Yosef HaTzaddik," or "Joseph the righteous."

It was nearly eight and a half years ago that a Palestinian mob seized control over the tomb, ransacking the Jewish holy site and setting it ablaze. Despite repeated promises to restore it over the years, the Palestinians wantonly desecrated it at will, dumping garbage on its grounds and periodically setting it on fire.

Last month, dozens of Knesset members from a broad range of parties wrote a joint letter to Prime Minister Ehud Olmert demanding that Joseph's Tomb be repaired. "The tombstone is completely shattered, and the holy site is desecrated in an appalling manner, the likes of which we have not seen in Israel or anywhere else in the world," they wrote.

The premier duly conveyed the request to the Palestinians, and their response was not long in coming: they reportedly vandalized the tomb and set fire to it again.

This kind of outrage can not be allowed to pass quietly. It would be a grave error for Israel to ignore the Palestinians' wanton attempts to assault the national symbols and collective heritage of the Jewish people and the State of Israel.

And yet that is what our leaders seem only too happy to do. Time after time, they choose to ignore the Palestinian onslaught, which of course only invites still further abuse. Thus, the government has largely stood by and watched as the Palestinian-controlled Muslim Wakf digs up the Temple Mount in broad daylight and destroys priceless Jewish religious and archaeological relics.

There are other examples as well. Two months ago, Palestinians desecrated the tombs of the Biblical Joshua, his father Nun, and Caleb ben Yefuneh, all of which are located in the Samarian village of Kifel Haress, near Ariel.

The gravesites, which Jewish pilgrims have visited for centuries, were reportedly smeared with animal and human feces and covered with garbage. The vandals also painted Nazi symbols and anti-Semitic slogans on the holy sites.

Yet this disgraceful act was also allowed to pass unanswered.

It is time for Israel to stop looking the other way whenever the Palestinians assail everything we hold dear. If it is a war of symbols they want, then Israel should not hesitate to respond. A good place to start would be to tear down the Orient House in Jerusalem, raze the site, and close it once and for all.

Similarly, the Muslim Wakf must be held accountable for the damage that it causes to the Temple Mount, site of the ancient Jewish temple. If the Wakf is unwilling to cooperate, their authority can and should be taken away.

We simply can not afford to allow the Palestinians to continue to spit in our faces, and then call it rain.

Our foes understand well the importance of symbols. They realize that despite their name, symbols are not merely symbolic, but have substantive value too.

The question is, when will we?

--- from the February 20 Jerusalem Post

Save Us From Livni's Logic

Either way one looks at Livni's logic, there is simply no good reason to forge a deal with PA Chairman Mahmoud Abbas
In case you were wondering if the people negotiating away Israel's future with the Palestinians have any idea what they are doing, you can stop wondering.

Speaking at the Jerusalem Conference, Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni made the following statement today: "It's true that they [the Palestinians] are still unable to implement agreements, but I believe that it's time, otherwise it will be too late."

Say what?

On the one hand, Livni is essentially admitting that any agreement signed with the Palestinian leadership is worthless because they won't stick to it anyway. On the other hand, she insists, Israel needs to sign a deal with them now, before they are swept from power.

If you are scratching your head over that one - you aren't alone. Either way one looks at Livni's logic, there is simply no good reason to forge a deal with PA Chairman Mahmoud Abbas.

If his position is so weak that he will be gone tomorrow, then of what value is an agreement that is reached with him? And if he won't keep to his commitments, then why bother signing with him in the first place?

It is truly frightening to think that Livni's logic is what lies behind Israel's mad rush to give away the store and make a deal. All one can say is: the sooner this government is sent packing, the safer Israel will be.

Egypt & Michael Corleone

this rather undiplomatic outburst by Egypt's top diplomat is in fact quite revealing. It demonstrates just how empty Cairo's professed concern for the welfare of Gaza's Palestinians truly is.
This past week the world was given a glimpse, however fleeting, of the true nature of Arab solidarity and brotherhood.

In an interview on Egyptian television, Foreign Minister Ahmed Abul Gheit said that Cairo would no longer tolerate Palestinians crossing illegally into Sinai from Gaza, as hundreds of thousands did just last month seeking food and other supplies.

Sounding like a member of the Corleone family in The Godfather trilogy of films, Gheit stated that, "Anyone who breaches the border will have their legs broken".

Talk about laying out a welcome mat for tourists.

But this rather undiplomatic outburst by Egypt's top diplomat is in fact quite revealing. It demonstrates just how empty Cairo's professed concern for the welfare of Gaza's Palestinians truly is.

For all their talk about the humanitarian crisis in the area, when push comes to shove, Egypt would much rather push and shove the problem away.

Indeed, it brings to mind a scene from Fiddler on the Roof, when the rabbi of Anatevka is asked if there is a blessing to be said for the hated Russian czar. Of course, responds the sage, declaring, "May G-d bless and keep the Czar…. far away from us."

Needless to say, Gheit's street-thug remarks were met with pure and utter silence, and failed to elicit even a peep of protest from the international community.

Imagine what would have happened had an Israeli official used similar language? Well, 20 years ago, then-Defense Minister Yitzhak Rabin reportedly instructed the IDF to "break the bones" of Palestinian terrorists in the intifada, and they're still talking about it.

The contrast speaks for itself.