At last, the truth has finally come out.

It was nearly a year ago that Prime Minister Ariel Sharon waved a letter from US President George W. Bush before the Israeli public, claiming that the convoluted missive signified American acceptance of Israeli “settlement blocs” in Judea and Samaria. This, the Prime Minister assured us, was a tremendous diplomatic achievement, one that justified far-reaching concessions on Israel’s part.

Well, now we know better.

As Yediot Aharonot reports:

Rice denies understandings with Israel

U.S. Secretary of State tells Washington Post there are is no agreement between Israel and the White House regarding Jewish settlement blocs 

By Yitzhak Benhorin

U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice called a Washington Post reporter twice Friday to clarify the American position on Jewish settlement expansion, saying Israel and the U.S. have no agreement on the matter.

The two sides are engaged in talks ahead of a possible freezing of settlement activity, Rice noted, and added the question is a complex one and has not yet been resolved.

The letter delivered by President Bush to Sharon on April 14 meant to indicate the American leader recognized certain realities, but he did not attempt to conduct negotiations on a final-status agreement, Rice said.

When Bush’s letter was publicized last year, skeptics immediately pointed out its vague language as well as its insistence that any territorial changes in a final Palestinian-Israeli settlement would have to be acceptable to “both parties” – effectively giving the Palestinians veto power over Israel retaining “settlement blocs”.

But, as is so often the case, the skeptics were dismissed with a “hush” and a wave of the hand, since no one wanted to rain on Mr. Sharon’s parade.

Now, however, after Condoleezza Rice’s clarification, it should be clear that the presidential letter of which Sharon was so proud was little more than a smokescreen – one designed to give the Prime Minister political cover for his decision to withdraw from Gaza and northern Samaria.

So in exchange for the proposed retreat, Israel will truly be receiving nothing - absolutely nothing - in return.

Except, of course, for another empty dose of diplomatic smoke.

Israeli democracy suffered yet another blow over the weekend, when the army issued decrees barring Jews from moving to the Gaza Strip and Samaria communities slated for expulsion this summer.

This heavy-handed move undermines some of the country’s most basic civil liberties, such as freedom of assembly, freedom of speech, and the right to protest against government policy.

The IDF is also reportedly planning to declare these areas to be “closed military zones”, thereby making it illegal for any non-residents to be there – a move aimed clearly at limiting the size, and extent, of on-site protests.

On the surface, this might seem eminently logical – after all, if the government plans on removing the Jewish residents, then why make the task more difficult by allowing others to join them in advance of any withdrawal?

But that argument simply doesn’t hold water for one very simple reason: a government’s job is not to make its own life easier, but to safeguard the freedoms of its citizens. And that includes the freedom to give the government a policy-oriented headache.

Issuing such over-arching decrees only serves to reinforce the government’s image as plowing ahead with little or no regard for the niceties (and basic requirements) of democracy.

And in the end, regardless of where one stands on the proposed withdrawal, that is something that no one can, nor should, countenance.

For those basking in the relative calm of recent days, Israel’s Chief of Staff Moshe Yaalon set off an important alarm clock Friday, one that should awaken us all from our (largely) media-induced slumber.

Speaking to a forum of businessmen from Haifa, Yaalon had this to say:

The terror organizations want the period of calm, but see it as a time to regroup and rearm before the fighting is resumed, without waiving their strategic goals.

Until I see terror groups disarmed, and [PA Chairman Mahmoud Abbas] fulfilling his commitments to having only one political entity and one law, I cannot say this war is behind us.

We must not be intoxicated by the relative calm. We must deal with that which lies ahead and can break out soon if the terror infrastructure is not dealt with.

Of course, this is not what the Government, or much of the Israeli media, would like us to hear, preferring instead to lull the people into a state of complacency. After all, the more distracted everyone is, the easier it will be to move forward with the Gaza expulsion plan.

So kudos to the Chief of Staff for having the courage to remind us all of the obvious – namely, that Palestinian terrorists remain intent on sowing havoc and murdering innocent Jews.

And while I doubt that Yaalon’s warning will make much difference, here’s hoping that the public will nonetheless heed his alarm and have the foresight not to roll over and go back to bed.

In today's Jerusalem Post, I wrote an article calling upon US Christians to stand up and raise their voices against the proposed withdrawal from Gaza and the possible establishment of a Palestinian state.

I am convinced that pro-Israel Christians in America are in a unique position to influence events given their political clout and their unwavering support for the right of the Jewish people to all the Land of Israel. Hence, they need to speak out now and make a difference. The article appears below - so if you know of any Christian leaders, organizations or activists in the United States, please feel free to pass it on.

The Jerusalem Post, March 16, 2005

Calling All Christians

By Michael Freund

Is George W. Bush missing a couple of pages from his Bible? In a speech last week at the National Defense University, the president repeated what has become one of his primary foreign policy mantras.

Asserting that the only way to bring about tranquility in the Middle East is through the establishment of a Palestinian state, Bush said, "We seek two democratic states, Israel and Palestine, living side-by-side in peace and security."

In addition, Bush insisted that Israel must "freeze settlement activity" and "ensure that a new Palestinian state is truly viable, with contiguous territory on the West Bank," meaning that he expects the Jewish state to withdraw not only from Gaza and northern Samaria, but from large chunks of the rest of the territories as well.

The president's statement, of course, is nothing new. It is a theme he has harped on for the past few years, laying down his conviction that the Land of Israel should be partitioned between Arabs and Jews.

But what is truly remarkable, and as yet inexplicable, is that a man so committed to his Christian faith and to belief in the Bible could possibly be unaware of the inherent contradiction in his policy toward the region.

Indeed, how is it that the most devoted Christian to sit in the White House in decades is the same person pressing to divide God's Holy Land, the very same land promised exclusively to the Jewish people by Divine right?

Now, I am neither a theologian nor a Christian, but I do know that the words "Palestine" and "Palestinians" do not appear anywhere in the New Testament. So Bush could not have gotten the idea to establish "Palestine" while attending Sunday school. Did he not learn that Jesus was a Jew who, like the Jews who today are called "settlers," lived in land given by God to the Jews, the same land in which he would now create a hostile Palestinian state?

To be fair, Bush has been a great friend of Israel, deflecting international criticism over the Jewish state's efforts to defend itself while pushing to reform and democratize some of our nasty neighbors.

Nonetheless, his insistence on pressing for the establishment of a Palestinian state remains baffling, if not incomprehensible, as it would appear to conflict with both his religious and his ideological worldviews.

Even in terms of the war on terror, Bush's stance on the Middle East is laden with inconsistency. In that same National Defense University speech last week, Bush said, "The theory here is straightforward: Terrorists are less likely to endanger our security if they are worried about their own security. When terrorists spend their days struggling to avoid death or capture, they are less capable of arming and training to commit new attacks. We will keep the terrorists on the run, until they have nowhere left to hide."

And yet, when it comes to the Palestinians, that is precisely the opposite of Bush's policy, as the creation of a Palestinian state would inevitably give terrorist groups such as Hamas and Islamic Jihad a perfect place "to hide."

In light of the president's position, as well as his religious beliefs, there is one group in particular that should seize the moment now and come out against the current drive toward Israeli withdrawal and retreat: American Christians.

As the core group of Bush's Republican constituency, and as a growing factor to be reckoned with on the American political stage, evangelical Christians have the clout, the numbers and the conviction to help forestall the creation of "Palestine."

Efforts by Bush and by Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon to carve up the Holy Land and turn over parts of it to the Arabs should offend anyone who takes the Bible seriously, including evangelicals. To stand by and watch this process unfold without speaking out is simply unthinkable.

There are three things – the three P's – that US Christians can and should do to make their voices heard: protest, pressure and pray. They shouldn't wait for a divided American Jewry to take the lead, because time is of the essence, as the planned withdrawal from Gaza is just four months away.

Hence, there is no reason why American Christians can't start taking to the streets to organize rallies and protests under the banner of "Don't Divide the Holy Land." What a powerful message it would send to decision-makers in Washington and Jerusalem to see hundreds of thousands or even millions of non-Jewish Americans speaking out on this important issue.

US Christians can also apply pressure on their elected representatives. Next Thursday, March 24, when Jews mark the Fast of Esther, a grassroots effort is being planned to get as many American Jews and Christians as possible to phone, fax and e-mail the White House, with the central theme being "President Bush: Honor God's covenant with His people. Stop Disengagement."

Lastly, it is time for Jews and Christians to pull out the most potent weapon in their arsenal, the power of prayer. The Land of Israel is in danger, and there can be no better way to influence events than by turning in prayer to the One who guides all human events.

There is still time to act, to make a difference. American Christians have been put in a unique position, one in which they can have a direct impact on the future of Israel and its land. At this critical hour, when the integrity of the Holy Land is at stake, they cannot and must not be silent.

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The writer served as an aide to former Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu.

Clashes broke out today in Hebron, as angry Palestinian youth hurled stones and various other objects, venting their wrath at those who had dared to cross them.

Interestingly, however, the target of their fury was not Israel, nor the United States, nor even the West – but other Palestinians.

The violence occurred at Hebron University, when supporters of Fatah and Hamas clashed ahead of student government elections.

This incident is about far more than just your usual campus concerns regarding cafeteria food and the length of spring break.

The rivalry between Fatah and Hamas is heating up, with the Palestinians planning to hold legislative elections in July. Hamas is feeling increasingly emboldened, and announced over the weekend that they would formally take part in the balloting.

Apparently, the purveyors of suicide terror now sense a growing level of support for their position on the so-called “Palestinian street”, and Hamas’ leaders aim to exploit that to their advantage at the polling booth.

For those who support the planned Israeli withdrawal from Gaza – this development should be setting off alarm bells, as it underlines precisely what opponents of the move have been saying all along: namely, that an Israeli retreat will only strengthen Palestinian extremists, and encourage them to believe that their resort to violence will ultimately produce results.

While the outcome of the Hebron University election may not actually matter much in the overall scheme of things here in the Middle East, today’s clashes should not be dismissed as a mere Palestinian food fight. If anything, they demonstrate once again just how confident and assertive Hamas feels it can be, thanks to the widespread support for its murderous ways among large sectors of the Palestinian public.

And, unfortunately, that is likely to mean that in the upcoming weeks and months, Fatah and Hamas will be competing with each other for votes by showing who is more proficient at killing innocent Israelis.