Another tack: It’s a rotten line

in the Jerusalem Post by Sarah Honig May 1, 2014

Lord Caradon: ‘I know the 1967 line, and it’s a rotten line. you couldn’t have a worse line for a permanent international boundary.’

NOTE: Excellent article with key points. Bookmark this one and use in your debates. 

On the eve of our Independence Day, an ultra-antagonistic independence – one that manifestly threatens to replace ours – is fast gaining ground. Many Israelis are appalled to see the Ramallah and Gaza splinters officially welcomed in UN-affiliated forums as the “State of Palestine.” However, given relentless global trends, this travesty was all but inevitable.

“Palestinian independence” had already been declared in Algiers on November 15, 1988, and within mere months the utterly fictional entity was recognized by 134 of the UN’s 193 then-members. All this took place before Oslo proved how a previously bad situation could be made disastrously worse.

By now, of course, few abroad challenge the popular axiom that a Palestinian state had existed in this country from time immemorial and that it was cruelly overrun in an act of unprovoked aggression by Israel on June 5, 1967.

Even since, it’s alleged, the state of Palestine had been under occupation.

In other words, Israel had violently extinguished Palestine’s flourishing sovereignty. This is today’s self-evident, universally worshiped gospel. No substantiation thereof is necessary and any deviation therefrom is sacrilege.

In fact, the truth is remarkably unwanted in this context lest it expose the entire fable as fake. No one wants to know that there never- ever was a Palestinian state – not in the entire annals of mankind. There are advantages to deception, especially when it yields realpolitik perks.

Thus the dysfunctional family of nations is more than happy to clasp to its selectively loving bosom another fabricated Arab addition.

The corollary to the much-censured Israeli conquest of an independent Palestine is that independent Palestine had thrived in all the territory that Israel took after June 4, 1967. The demand that Israel retreat to the June 4 lines is, consequently, endowed with moral authority.

Each time the Ramallah honchos and their jihadist partners in Gaza repeat the 1967-borders mantra, it packs greater punch. It matters little to cynical propagandists, sanctimonious fellow travelers, gullible do-gooders and know-nothing dupes that there never were 1967 borders (but only 1949 armistice lines, which don’t remotely resemble fixed borders).

The current bogus standard for elementary justice is that these 1967 borders (that never-were) must form the basis for any deal between Israel and the callously conquered Palestinian state (that never was).

This is the bedrock dictum. Zealous enforcers and sanctifiers of dogmas suffer no skepticism. Whatever they promote as incontrovertible principles must be accepted as incontrovertibly unassailable. Whatever serves their interests and/or belief system cannot be challenged – otherwise it might undermine the paradigm of whatever they present as an absolute.

And so we’re left with an assertion that a preexisting Palestinian state is oppressed by Israel and that to redress this injustice Israel must withdraw to the June 4, 1967, lines. This, we’re told, has been the position of the whole international community from the outset and this position had already been enshrined in UN Security Council Resolution 242 (adopted unanimously on November 22, 1967).

That resolution was hardly Israel- friendly. It began by laying down a rule that applied exclusively to the Jewish state. That rule determined that “acquisition of territory by war is inadmissible.” All other acquisitions of territory by war were expectedly overlooked. Just as expectedly, the UN also overlooked the fact that east Jerusalem, for example, had been under Arab rule solely because it was acquired in 1948 by an act of war launched to thwart UN Resolution 181 (the Partition Resolution of 1947).

Likewise, there was the minor matter that Israel was defending itself in 1967 against the coordinated and hoarsely broadcast belligerence of all its Arab neighbors who unabashedly vowed to annihilate it.

For weeks, the intention to destroy Israel was proclaimed vehemently and vociferously, but the international community wasn’t overly perturbed by the prospect of extinguishing Jewish independence. Indeed the UN shamefully pulled out its peacekeeping forces from Sinai to facilitate an Egyptian attack.

Nonetheless, all that appeared to pale before 242’s demand that Israel withdraw “from territories occupied in the recent conflict.” This was seized upon by the Arab world, its many accomplices and cheerleaders to unequivocally mean a full return to Square One. Israel had to plainly hand over all it gained in a classic war of self-defense.

This became one of the most blatant (and successful) distortions ever, even when judged by the distorters’ dishonorable record.  Please CLICK HERE to keep reading

Politics trumps peace process

by Tony Badran in NOW at now.mmedia.me

In a move that surprised many in Washington, last Wednesday, Palestinian Authority president Mahmoud Abbas's Fatah movement and its Islamist rival Hamas announced that they had reached an agreement to reconcile and end their seven-year rift. American commentators overwhelmingly approached the news from the angle of its impact on the already faltering US-sponsored peace talks. Unsurprisingly, Abbas's move drew furious reactions from American and Israeli officials. 

What possibly could Abbas be thinking? According to some analysts, the Palestinian leader's motivation was to put pressure on the US and Israel in order to extract concessions in the negotiations. However, the Americans and the Israelis were hardly the first thing on Abbas's mind. Instead, his eye was on something much closer to home, inside Fatah. Namely, Abbas is concerned with heading off the challenge from former Gaza security chief Muhammad Dahlan. But since the Palestinian arena is subordinate to wider Arab politics, Abbas's maneuver also needs to be viewed against the backdrop of Arab dynamics and the efforts of Arab states to project power onto the Palestinian arena. The central Arab player in this sphere is Egypt, in alliance with Dahlan’s other patron, the United Arab Emirates, with Qatar the principal actor on the other side of the divide. Cairo, which has been squeezing Hamas, also seems unimpressed with Abbas and is looking for an alternative to the 79-year-old Palestinian president. 

Against this backdrop, the Palestinian players and their respective Arab backers have been maneuvering for months, leading to the current convergence between Abbas and Hamas. For their part, Egypt and the UAE want to reintroduce Dahlan into Gaza and back into Fatah, and they're helping him build up his ability to reconstitute his influence.    Please CLICK HERE to keep reading

BDS movement employing guerrilla tactics

San Diego Jewish World By Alex Joffe posted 4.30.14

NOTE: BDS is "winning" because this is all students hear day in and day out. And this is all one hears growing up in Europe, Latin and South America. The long game appears to be one of spreading anti-Semitic, anti-Israel propaganda. Integrity and truth don't factor into the equation.

Alex Joffe

NEW YORK — April saw the focus of BDS activities pivot back to academia. It is no coincidence that Passover and Easter were celebrated in April; indeed, the timing of BDS resolutions in student government settings has long centered around holidays when attention, presumably wanes.

Analysis: A series of BDS proposals were presented to student governments at North American universities in April. These were accompanied by various demonstrations and guerilla theatrics. At Cornell University a BDS resolution was presented to the student assembly by the local branch of Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP). The resolution was presented at the last minute as ‘new business’ and as not listed on the original assembly agenda but only later on a revised version. This provided less than 48 hours notice to the Cornell community that a BDS resolution was to be debated. The timing of the resolution was designed to both avoid public notice and minimize the involvement of Jewish students, since the initial debate was scheduled only days before Passover. Had the resolution not been noticed, and a debate not held, it would have passed and been subject to a formal vote a week later, in the middle of Passover. A debate was held at the initial meeting, however, and the proposal was tabled indefinitely by a large margin.

The SJP, however, claimed that the defeat was undemocratic and called for a protest at the student union the following week. The call appeared to threaten a takeover of university premises of the sort that occurred recently at the University of Michigan. A small number of protestors appeared and at the regular student assembly meeting, the session was suspended and SJP supporters were given two hours to vent against Israel and the student government process. The incident typifies the BDS strategy of secrecy and ambush, designed to circumvent public scrutiny of BDS proposals and to minimize the involvement of Jewish student by scheduling debates in conflict with the Jewish religious calendar. This latter strategy was also telegraphed by the SJP’s called for a ‘National Day of Action’ on behalf of BDS proposals during Passover.

The Cornell incident also illustrates the growing tactic of declaring BDS defeats as anti-democratic, and to threaten protests and takeovers of facilities. At other institutions, BDS resolutions were usually defeated when opponents had sufficient time to organize. At San Diego State University a BDS resolution was soundly defeated after five and a half hours of debate. A similar resolution was also defeated at the University of California at Santa Barbara. A resolution was narrowly approved, however, at the University of California at Riverside in a closed vote. At Riverside, a campus with a long record of anti-Israel and antisemitic activity, a pro-BDS resolution was adopted last year, then overturned, and has now been reinstated. A BDS proposal at the University of New Mexico was defeated. A BDS proposal is also making its way through the student government at the University of Washington.  Please CLICK HERE to keep reading

Fact checking J Street and its critics

by Ami Eden May 2, 2014 jta.org


NOTE: A calmer look at the recent events.

1) Claim: J Street is beyond the communal pale

J Street might not have rounded up the votes, but in defeat it put to bed the argument that the group falls outside of the communal mainstream. If the Reform movement, the Conservative movement, the Anti-Defamation League and the Jewish Council of Public Affairs (a body bringing together the largest synagogue movements, several national organizations and scores of local community relations councils) say you belong in the Conference of Presidents, then by definition you are operating within the communal tent. You got a problem with that? Don’t shoot the messenger — take it up with all of the above, not to mention the prominent Jewish and Israeli figures associated with the organization.

2) Claim: J Street is more left wing than the other dovish members in the Conference of Presidents

I’ve heard the arguments, but I don’t see it. Other groups in the conference have pushed for the U.S. government to exert pressure on Israel. J Street hasn’t endorsed a settlement boycott, or even sort of endorsed settlement boycott in contrast to Americans for Peace Now. And in sticking by the Obama administration’s side on Iran through various policy shifts, J Street has at times found itself to the right of some of those on the left in the Conference.

3) Claim: J Street is just like any other left-wing group Please CLICK HERE to keep reading

Read more: http://www.jta.org/2014/05/02/news-opinion/the-telegraph/fact-checking-j-street-and-j-streets-critics#ixzz30abBOA3p

Jewish students to university administrators: time to stop hiding

By Tammi Rossman-Benjamin/JNS.org

As soon as an African American student at San Jose State University who was racially harassed and bullied by his dormitory roommates came forward, university, county, and state officials began an investigation. Within days, prosecutors labeled it a hate crime, battery charges were filed against three of the roommates, and the university had suspended them. Within weeks, California State Assembly Speaker John Perez announced the creation of a Select Committee on Campus Climate, and its first task was to look into this incident and find a way to prevent others like it.

When a white male threw a beer at Trinity College sophomore Juan Hernandez and yelled, “Get off our campus,” Trinity launched an investigation and charges were brought against the perpetrator. When anti-gay remarks were written on message boards that hang on dorm-room doors, Elizabethtown College began an investigation, engaged the FBI, and disciplinary action was taken.

Compare that to the situation for Jewish students. Over the last several years, Jewish students on campuses across the country have been physically, emotionally, and intellectually harassed, intimidated, threatened, and bullied, not only by their fellow students but also by some of their professors.   Please CLICK HERE to keep reading

RELATED!  CLICK HERE

RELATED!  Winnipeg shul drops speaker who allowed campus ‘apartheid’ week Read more: http://www.jta.org/2014/05/02/default/winnipeg-shul-drops-speaker-who-allowed-campus-apartheid-week#ixzz30aZGV7Vi

A full day session criticizing UNRWA - at the UN!

from Elder of Zyon May 2, 2014
The The American Association of Jewish Lawyers and Jurists (AAJLJ) and the International Association of Jewish Lawyers and Jurists (IAJLJ) will be presenting a most interesting program at the UN on May 19th called "UNRWA - Providing Humanitarian Relief or Prolonging the Palestinian Refugee Problem?"

I know that the IAJLJ is an accredited UN NGO, which is probably how they were able to get space at the UN itself.

Here's the description (received via email):

According to its charter, the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) is a humanitarian group helping Palestinian refugees. In reality, it has become an obstacle to Palestinian-Israeli peace by engaging in incitement and holding Palestinians back from rebuilding their lives.

While some have suggested that UNRWA be abolished, we believe it is not UNRWA's existence but rather how it executes its mandate that is the root of the problem. UNRWA has broken all the rules that are supposed to govern humanitarian enterprises. Consequently, UNRWA is the exact opposite of other refugee relief operations. While other relief operations seek to resettle refugees; UNRWA is dedicated to blocking resettlement. While other relief operations limit the definition of "refugee" to individuals who flee their homeland; UNRWA uniquely inflates the number of Palestinian refugees by defining all descendants of the original refugees of 1948-1949 as "refugees." While all other relief operations help refugees live normal lives so that they can move on with their existence; UNRWA ensures the refugees' lives remain abnormal so that the refugees will be filled with anger and a thirst for revenge that inspires violence and can only be quenched by a victorious return. While relief organizations try to create stable conditions for refugees; UNRWA enables radical political activity and indoctrination by armed groups which ensure a continual state of near chaos.

People often wonder why violence and instability persist and why the Arab-Israeli conflict is so seemingly impossible to resolve. An important part of the answer is that UNRWA perpetuates the problem. UNRWA has kept Palestinian refugees in suspended animation and at low living standards. Their suffering and anger is maintained as a weapon to encourage them toward violence and intransigence.

The United Nations General Assembly established UNRWA in 1949. It is highly unlikely, however, that the General Assembly would support any meaningful reform of the agency without a tremendous amount of persuasion and pressure. But there are important and common sense changes to UNRWA that can be effectuated outside the General Assembly.

During the past year, the International Association of Jewish Lawyers and Jurists (IAJLJ) met in Israel with the Ambassadors and staff of donor countries that support UNRWA. At these meetings, the IAJLJ provided the government officials with a letter describing the problems associated with UNRWA's activities. During these discussions, the IAJLJ questioned whether UNRWA, established over 60 years ago, is fulfilling its mission or failing in its mission. Facts on the ground demonstrate the need for substantial change in the way UNRWA is handling the Palestinian refugee crisis.

The IAJLJ and the American Association of Jewish Lawyers and Jurists (AAJLJ) have organized as a side event at the United Nations headquarters in New York, a symposium focusing on UNRWA. The event will be held on May 19, 2014, and will gather representatives from the United States and other donor countries to discuss and confront these difficult issues, and to develop ideas to address these challenges.

Speakers include Ambassador Ron Prosor, Prof. Alexander H. Joffe, Prof. Asaf Romirowsky, Dr. Einat Wilf and James M. Lindsay.

It will be livestreamed over the UN's WebTV channel.   LINK

Bakery Fresh, From Your Kitchen

Think you  can't make bagels at home? Think again.
by Amy Spiro in the Jewish Week

NOTE: I know what I'm doing in a little while... 

There are some foods you might think just aren't worth making at home. Croissants, for one. Sushi, for another. Until recently I thought that bagels—the ultimate Jewish New York food—were on that list. But when I decided to experiment and make them at home, I was pretty surprised by how easy they were, and how incredibly delicious.

If you've never made bread or yeasted dough before, then maybe this isn't the recipe for you, but if you've dabbled around, then I would urge you to try these next . This recipe makes about 10-12 bagels, depending how big you want them; you can also make minis. Regardless, they will still be a bit smaller than bakery-style, which are, in my opinion, too big. Although some recipes call for an overnight rising period, after trying these I can't see how it's necessary. These are amazingly tasty and on your table in about two hours.

I listed sesame seeds and poppy seeds as topping options, but you can go crazy and add whatever you want: coarse salt, dried onion flakes, etc. After all, it's not like you've had your fill of post-Passover chametz yet!  Please CLICK HERE to keep reading

Rand Paul on Israel: Flip, Flop?

The possible 2016 Republican presidential candidate used to call for ending US aid to Israel. Now he's targeting aid to the Palestinians. Hmmm, why might that be?  Mother Jones David Corn May 1, 2013

NOTE: Maybe file this under "with friends like this...."

This week, the top headlines on GOP Sen. Rand Paul's official website ostentatiously proclaim his support for Israel. On Monday, the lead item noted that Paul, a foreign intervention skeptic who's been accused of isolationism by the Dick Cheney/neocon wing of the Republican Party, intended to introduce legislation that would end US aid to the Palestinian government until it recognizes Israel's right to exist. The next day, Paul's websiteannounced that the senator had introduced the "Stand with Israel Act of 2014," which would make all future aid to the Palestinians conditional on the new unity government—the result of the recent deal struck by Hamas, which controls the Gaza Strip and does not recognize Israel, and Fatah, which is based in the West Bank—acknowledging the right of Israel to existand to exist as a Jewish state. The bill was widely regarded as a brazen effort by Paul to get right—or somewhat less wrong—with the GOP's foreign policy mainstream. But the reporting on Paul's bear-hug of Israel left out a rather relevant fact: Not too long ago he was calling for cutting off funds to...Israel.

Just weeks after Paul was sworn in as a senator in early 2011, he proposed a budget plan that would end all US aid to Israel. The US supplies about $3 billion in military assistance to Israel annually. And Paul wanted to zero it out with all other foreign aid. He explained that he didn't have anything against Israel: "I'm not singling out Israel. I support Israel. I want to be known as a friend of Israel, but not with money you don't have." He added, "I think they're an important ally, but I also think that their per capita income is greater than probably three-fourths of the rest of the world. Should we be giving free money or welfare to a wealthy nation? I don't think so."  Please CLICK HERE to keep reading

Excellent Source of Resource Material

Stand With Us Resource Store

NOTE: This is a great source of inexpensive and well written informational booklets, as well as pens, buttons, wrist bands, etc. This will really help you get the truth out there. Buy some and donate to your local College and/or High School Pro-Israel campus group. Or spread them around town. 


More Great Stuff CLICK HERE!

Venezuelan Jewish Leader Says Anti-Semitism Has ‘Exploded’ in Recent Years in Latin America

the Algemeiner May 1, 2014

NOTE: I've been worried about the rising Latin and South American anti semitism for years. This article just adds to my worries. Once again we're losing a propaganda and media war. Will Aliyah be the only answer?

Sammy Eppel, activist and director of The Commission for Human Rights at B’nai B’rith Venezuela, said on Monday that anti-Semitism in Latin America has significantly increased in recent years.

“The problem is that there is big damage that has been done in the last 12, 10  years,” he said. “I was born in Venezuela and I lived there all my life and I never felt anti-Semitism from anybody… we were never discriminated and all of a sudden in 2004, it explodes.”

Eppel made his comments as a panelist at a special conference held at the United Nations in honor of Holocaust Remembrance Day.

In 2006, he said, the Venezuelan Jewish community had to open an office and hire five professionals to monitor anti-Semitism in government and government-sponsored media.

In April 2011, while former Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez was in Cuba undergoing treatment for various health problems, a correspondent for Venezuela’s national radio, Radio Nacional de Venezuela, did a series of programs promoting theProtocols of the Elders of Zion. The book, which is the second most printed publication in the Arab world after the Koran, describes a popular anti-Semitic notion that the Jewish people are planning global domination. The book is also available at book fairs in Venezuela promoted by the government, Eppel added.

Please CLICK HERE to keep reading

2,495 Israelis Killed in Terrorist Attacks Since 1948

The National Insurance Institute announces figures ahead of Memorial Day, which begins Sunday night.

By Yosef Berger in Israel National News 

In advance of Memorial Day, which will take place next Monday, the National InsuranceInstitute (NII) announced Thursday that 2,495 Israelis had been killed in terror attacks since the establishment of the State.

Two people were killed in attacks last year. Since 2000, 996 people have been killed in terror attacks.

In addition to the victims themselves, terror attacks have turned 2,853 Israelis into orphans, with 99 of them losing both parents in the attack. There were also 978 widows, and currently there are 800 parents alive who have a least one child killed in a terror attack.

NII head Yehoshua Mor-Yosef said that the NII sees assisting terror victims injured in attacks, and their families, as among its most importantjobs. The NII also assists the families of those killed in attacks, and works to preserve their memories. In 2013, the NII paid out NIS 453 million in benefits to victims and their families, he said.

On Sunday, for the fifth year, the State will conduct a special memorialceremony dedicated to the victims of terror. The ceremony will be held in the Knesset, at 8 PM Sunday night. Some 800 people – family members, representatives of organizations that help families of victims, and others – will participate in the event. An official State ceremony will be held Monday at 1 PM. The event will be attended by the Prime Minister, the President, the Speaker of the Knesset, the IDF Chief of Staff, the Director of the National Insurance Institute, and the President of the High Court. Please CLICK HERE for the link

Arab vs Israeli Peace Negotiations and Concessions

from Elder Of Ziyon 

Please CLICK HERE for the link

J Street Wins Fresh Support as President Conference Snubs Application

By Nathan Guttman

Published May 01, 2014, issue of May 09, 2014.

the Forward on line 

One day after American Jewry’s pro-Israel umbrella group strongly rejected its bid for admission, J Street, the dovish lobby, posted a tongue-in-cheek thank you note.

Entitled “Thank You, Conference of Presidents,” the post invited readers to sign on to a letter to the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations thanking its executive vice chairman, Malcolm Hoenlein.

“Thank you,” the letter said, addressing Hoenlein, “for finally making it clear that the Conference of Presidents is not representative of the voice of the Jewish community.”

The virtual thank you cards are unlikely to reach Hoenlein’s desk. But in the aftermath of the vote rejecting J Street, even some of the umbrella group’s own largest organizational members are voicing frustration with the group that purports to speak for American Jews on issues related to Israel.

The Reform movement, American Judaism’s largest denomination, has been leading the charge for reforming the Conference, which was established in 1956 and tasked with serving as the communal voice on issues relating to Israel and foreign policy.

“As of yesterday, it is clear that the Conference of Presidents, as currently constituted and governed, no longer serves its vital purpose of providing a collective voice for the entire American Jewish pro-Israel community,” said Rabbi Rick Jacobs, president of the Union for Reform Judaism, in a statement.

The harsh language was followed by a stern warning: “We may choose to advocate for a significant overhaul of the Conference of Presidents’ processes. We may choose to simply leave the Conference of Presidents. But this much is certain: We will no longer acquiesce to simply maintaining the facade that the Conference of Presidents represents or reflects the views of all of American Jewry.”

Please CLICK HERE to keep reading

Read more: http://forward.com/articles/197490/j-street-wins-fresh-support-as-president-conferenc/?p=all#ixzz30W9iVgHk

Why Abbas Reconciled With Hamas

from the NY Times May 1, 2014 OP ED by Ali Jarbawi

NOTE: Amazing how we can all look at the same situation and have such disparate viewpoints. I wonder what the REAL truth, if any, is? 

RAMALLAH, West Bank — A week before the deadline expired on the stalled Israeli-Palestinian peace talks sponsored by John Kerry, the Palestinian factions Fatah and Hamas announced an end to their seven-year split. The announcement paved the way for the formation of a Palestinian unity government in the coming weeks, with elections following at least six months later.

The unity deal was greeted in Palestinian circles with a mixture of joyous relief and caution. The split has proved harmful to Palestinians, and has increased their collective suffering over the past seven years. It has also distracted them from major issues like ending the Israeli occupation and establishing an independent state. Indeed, for seven years, ordinary Palestinians have demanded that the two factions reconcile.

Despite the optimism, there is a pervasive fear that this latest deal will be reconciliation in name only. After all, the latest announcement doesn’t contain anything new; it merely declares that earlier agreements will be upheld. This has led many to wonder: Why now? Is this latest agreement more serious than earlier ones? Does it signal a change in strategy on both sides? Or is it merely a necessary tactical step whose effects will soon fade away?

Please CLICK HERE to keep reading

Opinion: International Community Criminally Negligent on Terror Against Israel

This article was first published by The Gatestone Institute. Author Richard Kemp spent most of his 30-year career in the British Army fighting terrorism and insurgency and was involved in the direction of national policy at the highest level.

British terrorism expert Col. Richard Kemp blames the international community for tolerating endless rocket attacks against Israeli civilians.

There is the criminal failure of the international community, as both accomplice and accessory before the fact, to make any meaningful effort to prevent endless salvoes of terrorist rocket attacks against Israeli civilians for over nine years.

As we saw with the Iranian arms shipment aboard the Klos-C last month, Iran’s sponsorship of terrorism continues unabated — even as the international community is rehabilitating its extremist regime.

Three hundred and thirty two drone attacks against Al Qaida and Taliban targets on Pakistani territory since 2005 demonstrate U.S. President Barack Obama’s strong resolve against terrorists that threaten the United States. Only last week, the latest wave of air strikes launched or enabled by his government against Al Qaida networks in Yemen killed 55 suspected extremists, possibly including master bomb-maker Ibrahim al-Asiri.

Of course no one expects the U.S. to send drones in reply to the news that thePalestinian Authority [PA], upon which he has lavished billions of dollars and thousands of hours of diplomacy, was going into business with Hamas, which the United States has branded a terrorist organization.

EU Response to Fatah-Hamas Deal ‘Treacherous’

But one could hope for something more forceful from Washington than State Department spokesman Jen Psaki’s weak and vacillating response in which she attempted to take the heat off Hamas and the PA by taking a gratuitous dig at Israel. “There have been unhelpful steps from both sides throughout this process,” she said.

If the US response was feeble, the EU’s was treacherous.

Like America and several other countries, the EU designates Hamas as a terrorist organization. Yet the spokesman for Catherine Ashton, EU foreign affairs head, actually welcomed the proposal to bring Hamas into the PA.

Though shameful, this is far from surprising. It is part of a lengthy pattern of witting or unwitting EU encouragement of Middle Eastern terrorism.

The EU has contributed its taxpayers’ money to paying the salaries of convicted Palestinian terrorists via unconditional donations to the PA amounting to billions of dollars since 1994. Some of this money has also been spent on school textbooks, television programs and other PA propaganda that incite hatred and terrorism against Israel.

Ashton and the EU have called repeatedly for an end to the Israeli-Egyptian security operation on land and sea around Gaza. The operation is designed to prevent predominantly Iranian-supplied munitions and materiel for terrorism from entering the Gaza Strip, and to stop Gaza terrorists and weapons moving to attack Israeli or Egyptian targets.  Please CLICK HERE to keep reading