Time for Another Reassessment
MK Dr. Arieh Eldad
The term “Reassessment” entered the diplomatic discourse between Israel and the United States in 1975. U.S. Secretary of State Henry Kissinger sought to pressure the then prime minister Yitzak Rabin into an “interim agreement” with Egypt, by which Israeli forces would withdraw from the Yom Kippur War ceasefire lines to the Mitla and Gidi passes in Sinai. Kissinger froze U.S. arms shipments and hinted that more drastic measures would follow. Rabin was unfazed and took his case to the Senate. President Gerald Ford and Kissinger relented.
Even at the height of that crisis, the United States did not dare to endanger the heart of its strategic understanding with Israel: Israel’s ambiguous nuclear policy. President Lyndon Johnson and Prime Minister Golda Meir set the policy in 1969 that has been followed by all the presidents and prime ministers since. This policy has often been articulated in written agreements between them but occasionally simply by mutual understanding. “Israel will not be the first to introduce nuclear weapons to the Middle East,” said prime ministers Levi Eshkol and Shimon Peres, Golda Meir and Yitzhak Rabin, and all who followed. U.S. presidents have come and gone; sometimes they had questions, sometimes they asked for clarifications, but ultimately they all accepted the formula and agreed to abide by it. Until Obama.
After his election, Obama promised Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to maintain the ambiguity Israel’s ambiguous nuclear policy. Two weeks ago he betrayed Israel.
On May 28, the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) Review Conference, which meets once every five years, called unanimously – with America’s support – for Israel to sign the non-proliferation treaty and open its nuclear installations to external supervision. Israel is not a signatory to the treaty; Iran is a signatory, yet Iran is rushing towards production of nuclear weapons. Syria and Libya are signatories, but their signatures have not prevented them from building uranium enrichment plants for military purposes. North Korea built a bomb and tests nuclear weapons, mocking the entire world supposedly opposed to it. Pakistani scientists led by the “father of the Pakistan’s nuclear bomb” Abed Qadeer Khan sold nuclear secrets and technology necessary for the building of nuclear weapons to Iran, Syria, Libya, and possibly North Korea. In the face of this burgeoning industry, the United States gave in to an Egyptian initiative and agreed to single out Israel as the country the world should be worried about. Israel alone was mentioned in the NPT Review Committee’s report. Apparently only its installations need to be examined.
The time has come for a reassessment of U.S.– Israeli relations.
Israel may want the billions of dollars it receives in military aid from the United States, and in the event of a long war, Israel may need the U.S. munitions reserves currently stored in Israel and re-supply lines for the Israeli army; the U.S. market is also of great importance for Israel’s economy; and U.S. intevention often limits Israel’s international isolation. But the fact is, Israel can no longer rely on the support of the United States.
Israel must reassess the value of all American promises, whether they be in writing, made ceremoniously at public festivities, or whispered privately in a room of the White House. He who without batting an eyelash has betrayed Israel on the nuclear issue, a matter whose existential importance to the Jewish state is obvious given the Iranian dash for bomb, will not hesitate to deny other commitments. Obama is currently pressuring Israel to accept dictates that would lead to a Palestinian state in the heart of its country. In return, he offers to guarantee our security, preserve our technological advantage, and ensure the Palestinian state will be demilitarized. Why would anyone in Israel be willing to take existential risks while relying on the commitment of an American president who has betrayed and denied the commitments of his predecessors and forgotten even his own?
One might think that as Israel’s military and political situation worsens, our ability to maneuver opposite the United States decreases. But with our back to the wall and knowing full well that we have no one to rely on, Israel can turn this lack of maneuverability into resoluteness and the dearth of options into strength. When doubts are resolved, fortitude may emerge. The knowledge that American promises are without value is of itself quite valuable. Even a pauper will not agree to give the little he has in exchange for a guarantee openly declared to be worthless.
Obama is no more frightening than Ford. Clinton dislikes us no more than Kissinger did. The sea we are threatened with being thrown into is the same sea. The Arabs are the same Arabs. But the wall our backs are up against is much closer and more dangerous. The depth of Obama’s betrayal must be made known to the American public today. As the November elections approach in the United States, Netanyahu has the opportunity to replicate Rabin’s achievement of 1975.
ron she would be balanced supporting you and zinging me in her own very special witty way.
I miss her too!!
JC it is said could walk on water but all carbon burns.
You’re not the only one!
Uncle,having said that I turned away from my computer and Ayn came to mind and would give anything to read her comment.
Must be divine intervention.
I think you missed your calling. G-d must have been calling you to be a Rabbi, your not listening.
Don’t know why; I am in a Biblical mood today. 🙂
FOR THOSE WHO EXPECT JUSTICE AND MORALITY FROM THE NATIONS:
“There is a futility that takes place on the Earth — there are righteous ones who are treated as [if they had performed] the actions of the evil ones; and there are evil ones who are treated as [if they had performed] the actions of the righteous ones — I declared that, also, this is a futility.” (Ecclesiastes 8:14)
“Woe unto those who speak of Evil as [if it were] Good, and of Good as [if it were] Evil; who make Darkness into [the semblance of] Light, and Light into [the semblance of] Darkness; who make Bitter into [the semblance of] Sweet, and Sweet into [the semblance of] Bitter.” (Isaiah 5:20)
ron again my comments were directed to the Jews reading and commenting on Israpundit, not our Christian friends and supporters.
The Jews are the main culprits of not learning from history and thus keep repeating the same mistakes over and over.
ron my good friend I agree with you but to learn from history one must first learn history un-embellished with untruth and myths however pleasant they may be.
No Shy, I don’t need to. It’s not necessary. I can live with Uncle because we understand one another. I respect him for his beliefs.
I just don’t pay attention to your comments merely because unlike others you don’t appear to care for Christian or non-Jews who support Jews and Israel. Your glass is always half empty.
Fortunately your attitude doesn’t interfere with my respect and love for Jews and Israel.
I am always seeking support for Israel while you discourage it.
Addendum link to Yamit’s article above:
SDLTC
Uncle, I feel the same as you, I don’t feel it’s necessary to or would want to forgive Christians for 16 centuries of the most gruesome atrocities. I am certain when they entered G-d/God’s court, His justice was with vengeance.
I can’t change or punish those who lived in the past however, since I live in the present, I have the ability to voice my objections and call out those who reflect anti-Semitism and trust me I do.
The only thing we can do with the past is learn from it and hopefully if we are smart we should be able to avoid mistreating and be respectful and tolerant of others.
ron my comments were not directed towards you. I used you as a foil to make a much broader point and what I write is for Jews not for non Jews
The Real Story of Christmas
The Christmas Challenge
· Christmas has always been a holiday celebrated carelessly. For millennia, pagans, Christians, and even Jews have been swept away in the season’s festivities, and very few people ever pause to consider the celebration’s intrinsic meaning, history, or origins.
· Christmas celebrates the birth of the Christian god who came to rescue mankind from the “curse of the Torah.” It is a 24-hour declaration that Judaism is no longer valid.
· Christmas is a lie. There is no Christian church with a tradition that Jesus was really born on December 25th.
· December 25 is a day on which Jews have been shamed, tortured, and murdered.
· Many of the most popular Christmas customs – including Christmas trees, mistletoe, Christmas presents, and Santa Claus – are modern incarnations of the most depraved pagan rituals ever practiced on earth.
Many who are excitedly preparing for their Christmas celebrations would prefer not knowing about the holiday’s real significance. If they do know the history, they often object that their celebration has nothing to do with the holiday’s monstrous history and meaning. “We are just having fun.”
Imagine that between 1933-45, the Nazi regime celebrated Adolf Hitler’s birthday – April 20 – as a holiday. Imagine that they named the day, “Hitlerday,” and observed the day with feasting, drunkenness, gift-giving, and various pagan practices. Imagine that on that day, Jews were historically subject to perverse tortures and abuse, and that this continued for centuries.
Who gives a flying nun!!!!!!!
My agenda is truth. If you think that the Vatican repented anything of true relevance in Nostra Aetate, and I reference you an article which shows that the Vatican side-swiped the crux of the issue, and all you can do is whine like a child that you weren’t talking to me, I’d say you’re just proving my point.
If you’re looking for your very own private chat room, by all means, run away.
In any case, I see that Yamit also replied in a similar manner and then some. Try dealing with it. After all, won’t the truth set you free?
This is the Jewish way:
“So Samuel returned after Saul, and Saul prostrated himself before HaShem. Samuel then said, ‘Bring me Agag, king of Amalek.’ And Agag went to him submissively. And Agag said, ‘Surely, the bitterness of death has passed.’ And Samuel said, ‘As your sword made women childless, so shall your mother be childless among women.’ And Samuel cut Agag into pieces before HaShem in Gilgal.” (I Samuel 15:31-33)
“The righteous man shall rejoice when he sees Vengeance. He shall wash his feet in the blood of the Wicked. And Mankind shall say, ‘Truly there is a reward for the Righteous. Truly there is a G-d Who judges on Earth.'” (Psalms 58:11-12)
ron, most Jews by their dysfunctional natures are willing to forget the past, even if they know their past which few do, too few do.
Jews always wanting to be loved and accepted by the Christian majorities in the countries they live have a penchant for symbolism. Get a Pope who mouths a few consoling words to Jews, goes to a synagogue or even the wall and most Jews read into that ecumenism. So a Pope at the wall (which cost him nothing) buys the gratitude of most Jews who need only to be petted like a dog to love his master.
You still haven’t caught on, it was never just naughty Christians who didn’t behave like Christians should. They did and they still do.
No living Jew today is empowered to forgive the Christians for 16 centuries of the most gruesome atrocities known to man against Jews because they were Jews.
I can live with and befriend any individual Christian, and I do like some even many but I can never reconcile the creed upon which they believe. That same creed is responsible for what happened to the Jews who lived in and under the Christian Banner.
Bullshit symbolism never sucked me in. It only made me despise those Jews who were even more.
Like saying people don’t kill guns do. Christianity sure had a lot of bad Christians that loved to kill Jews in the Name of Christianity and Jesus.
How come Buddhists and Hindus, Taoists etc. didn’t kill Jews because they were Jewish?? Even Pagan Barbarians were not noted for slaughtering Jews because they were Jewish. Just those Bad Bad Christians who didn’t follow Christianity. Get Real!!
Shy Guy says:
Shy, I don’t recall soliciting your comment!!!!!!!
I know your agenda and it’s by no means ecumenical.
My comment to Uncle was purely to emphasize the importance of the current Pope to follow in the direction of respect of our Jewish brothers and sisters by declaring full support of Israel now while the rest of the world is not.
No need to respond.
Not really. A whole lotta white smoke.
Uncle, this Pope should have followed in the footsteps of his predecessors Pope John XXIII and Pope John Paul II.
ron I wasn’t referring to the Pope ther but a Catholic commenting on another blog.
That said, now that you bring it up, The Pope Pisses me off too.
Uncle, that makes two of us.
Unfortunately the Pope is off base. It is one thing to be concerned about Catholics of all nationalities however, he should be just as concerned about how those so called Arab Catholics treat their Jewish neighbors. I don’t recall God promising the Palestinians/Arabs a state in Israel.
He is in definite need of Divine intervention to wake him up.
He should really focus on doing an audit of the church and remove those child molesters who by all means give the good priest and the church a bad name.
Leave the poor guy to his dementia He’s no match for you and he pisses me off just reading his erudite (sic) misunderstanding of the Tanach and Judaism. Debbie must be enjoying the thread.
Yamit, if you wanna have some fun, lookee down here.
WE HAVE no clearer picture of the degradation and abhorrence which Israel face in the exile and which result in Chilul Hashem (desecration of G-d). In response to this Chilul Hashem, G-d comes in anger and wrath to take revenge against the nations and sanctify His name which was profaned through Israel’s abject state.
It, therefore, says, “I had pity for My holy name which the house of Israel profaned among the nations, whither they came” (Ezek. 36:21). When the time for redemption arrives, G-d has pity on His holy people, profaned among the nations by Israel’s very presence in exile among them, living under them, subject to and dependent upon them. Even when the nations allow Israel to live in peace among them, Israel still depend on their goodness and tolerance, and that, too, is a Chilul Hashem. The fact that Israel live as a minority constantly dependent on the kindness of the nations, itself diminishes the glory of Israel, and of G-d, so to speak.
This is the intent of Targum’s rendering of the verse, “There [in the exile] you will serve other gods” (Deut. 28:36,64): “There you will serve nations that worship idols.” Israel, by being subject to these nations, even if this just means living under their sovereignty as a minority in the territory of the alien majority, magnify and exalt the gods and culture of the nations, and belittle G-d’s omnipotence, not to mention where the nations humiliate, murder and exterminate them.
G-d, thus, intends to blot out the Chilul Hashem among the nations, occurring through Israel, in the only way that the nations will understand, namely, Israel’s redemption and their victory over the nations who blasphemed G-d.
Therefore, although Israel are unworthy of redemption in terms of their deeds, which are insufficient, still, a certain “time” arrives in G-d’s calculations when He has compassion for His holy name, profaned among the nations.
“And I will sanctify My great name, which has been profaned among the nations, which you have profaned in the midst of them. The nations shall know that I am the L-rd, says the L-rd G-d, when I am sanctified through you before their eyes” (Ibid., v. 23).
Rashi comments, “What does this sanctification involve? ‘I will take you from among the nations.’” This is from verse 24 which follows: “I will take you from among the nations, and gather you out of all the countries, and bring you into your own land.”
Chilul and Kiddush Hashem are opposites, and the ways that each is expressed are opposites as well. The non-Jew understands Israel’s exile and abject state as G-d’s inability to help His people, or, Heaven forbid, as G-d’s nonexistence. This is the greatest Chilul Hashem there is. It follows that only through Israel’s return to Eretz Yisrael and their being exalted and gaining power over the nations will those nations understand that, indeed, the L-rd is G-d, Supreme, Omnipotent King of Kings, and accept His sovereignty.
The exile, itself, in the eyes of the nations is the pinnacle of Chilul Hashem, whereas Israel’s return to Eretz Yisrael, the land from which they were exiled, and the establishment of a sovereign state triumphantly, against the will of the nations, is the pinnacle of Kiddush Hashem; the proof to the nations that, indeed, a G-d exists in Israel, and He is the Supreme Master and King of Kings. Thus, His might, valor and victory are revealed through the might, valor and victory of Israel.
The exile is the pinnacle and essence of Chilul Hashem. Indeed, the liquidation of the exile is a Kiddush Hashem, and regarding this mitzvah all of Israel are commanded.
Now, we finally understand the true meaning of the exile and its Chilul Hashem of national dimensions, and most of all, the reason for the rebirth of the Jewish state in our day. “I do not do this for your sake, O house of Israel, but for My holy name, which you have profaned among the nations” (Ezek. 36:22). Not because the Jewish People were worthy of it did the State of Israel rise up and come into being. Spiritually, the vast majority of Jews remained as before or were even worse off. The leaders of the people and the State did not even contemplate repentance, remaining confirmed heretics and rebels against G-d. Yet, this alters nothing, for the State was not established as a reward for Israel’s righteousness or good deeds.
The exile and everything bound up with it — Israel’s abject state, their defeats and persecutions, the gathering of crumbs from the table of others, and the incalculable bloodshed suffered by our fellow Jews — constitute a Chilul Hashem, a blasphemous mockery of Hashem, the G-d of Israel, for His “weakness and inability” to aid His people. Therefore, the Jewish state — the result of the return to Zion and the ingathering of the exiles, which affords the Jew a home, a majority in his land, sovereignty, an army, retribution to Israel’s enemies, and the exalting of His glory on the battlefield — constitutes the exact opposite, Kiddush Hashem! This is the proof, the renewed confirmation of G-d’s existence and of His dominion, of Divine Providence over the universe and over all His creations: “For I will take you from among the nations, gather you out of all the countries, and bring you into your own land” (Ezek. 36:24).
“Where is their G-d?” Here He is, in all His splendor and majesty! In the return of a wandering people from the four corners of the earth to their land, in the revival of Israel’s military might, so shocking to all the nations of the world, in their valor and in their might.
“I shall be sanctified through you” (Ezek. 36:23). Through the sanctification of the Jew, G-d’s name is sanctified as well, and through the exaltation of the Jewish People, G-d’s name is exalted. This is the meaning of the creation and rising up of the Jewish state. This is Kiddush Hashem. This is the beginning of the complete redemption. This State of Israel is the beginning of G-d’s wrath against the nations who do not know Him and who have profaned His name with scorn and derision. It is time for your redemption. Sanctify My name!
However, there will be no “hasty” redemption (Isaiah 60:22), glorious and majestic, devoid of dreadful suffering, unless the Jewish People return to their Father in Heaven, accept His yoke, and chiefly, unless they trust in Him completely and are ready to sanctify His name through self-sacrifice.
The redemption which began despite our sins in order to sanctify G-d’s name before the nations in might and splendor, has, in the hands of an “ungrateful, unwise nation” (Deut. 32:6), turned into a profanation and a blasphemy carried out precisely by those whom G-d thought to redeem. If the beginning of the redemption and the state served to sanctify G-d’s name, then the only way to move on to “hasty” redemption is to continue reinforcing the Kiddush Hashem which the state’s very establishment constituted.
The Divine imperative is continued Kiddush Hashem through trusting in G-d, and liquidating the Chilul Hashem without fear of the non-Jew, without fear of flesh and blood. Every retreat, every submission, every concession to the non-Jew, every hand raised against the Jew, every attack, let alone murder, of a Jew in the Land, every taunt and curse by a non-Jew in the Land, is a Chilul Hashem. If such Chilul Hashem exists, it is many times more severe than any other type, for it occurs within the state which arose exclusively to eradicate Chilul Hashem. Now, instead of continuing to reinforce the Kiddush Hashem process, the Jewish People retreat and profane G-d’s name.
Whoever allows the non-Jew in Eretz Yisrael to rise up, profanes G-d’s name with terrible contempt. If G-d gave us large portions of Eretz Yisrael as part of the start of redemption, in order to sanctify His name through the most remarkable, mighty victories, and someone is later ready to concede parts of the Holy Land and hand them over to the nations, he profanes G-d’s name with disgraceful blasphemy. Whoever does not allow Jews to live everywhere in the Land, whoever ties their hands and prevents their taking the revenge of G-d and Israel against the nations who curse and revile G-d and His Messiah, profanes G-d’s name and profanes the great miracle and the powerful dream realized by G-d at the start of the redemption.
Whoever sees the rebirth of Eretz Yisrael and a Jewish state and understands that he can easily flee the defilement of the nations and the exile and move to the Holy Land; whoever knows that G-d has opened the last chapter of the existence of the world, which is approaching the end of the sixth thousand, and that G-d is beginning to sanctify His name, profaned among the nations, by returning Israel to their land, thereby preparing to blot out the exile, symbol of Chilul Hashem — whoever knows all this, yet remains among the nations and their defilements, loathing the delightful Land, profanes G-d’s name and His beloved land.
And whoever remains there out of fear and dread of the nations, or out of doubts and uncertainties regarding his livelihood or the dangers of the Land, thereby demonstrates total lack of faith in Hashem as the G-d of Israel, Supreme, Omnipotent King of Kings; and there is no Chilul Hashem more degrading, for it borders on atheism. Yet, all attempts to flee the challenge and mission which G-d placed on our necks as a dear and gladdening yoke will be to no avail.
(Condensed from the book, “The Jewish Idea” Vol.2; Ch 27, “The Final Redemption.”)
BB is to much of a cowardly wuss to be prodded.. Regime change is all now that’s left us.
How he is booted out is irrelevant. BB is a greater danger to Israel than is Husein.
It’s not easy to volunteer to be assassinated.
But – yeh – that would help us, just like it staved off an even greater disaster last time.
You are right, Netanyahu has the opportunity to replicate Rabin’s achievement. To make a very long story short, I believe the U.S. in spite of “Evil Obama” will rise to the occasion.
It appears clear to me, THE LARGER PROBLEM is that Netanyahu will need an Enormous amount of encouragement and an Enormous amount of prodding to do what Rabin did.
God can and will, protect Israel – however, it bears repeating, IT IS ABSOLUTELY VITAL that Israel strengthen and prod Netanyahu to it’s UTMOST ABILITY!
Uncle, don’t get me started on Joepa. I love him for looking after football players as students first and his contributions to PennState. However, when it comes to football he was slow. It was just a few years ago he stated the shotgun was a trick play and it took sometime for him to come around and employ its use.
Soon to be big 12. Don’t know I’m a traditionalist especially in sport.
I always liked the Corn Huskers and thought they should be in a better conference. Woody Hays and “Besides pride, loyalty, discipline, heart, and mind, confidence is the key to all the locks.” Paterno, made the Big ten boring. Like the Yankees When was the last time the Big ten was wide open and competitive?
Your right Joy, by the way you can call him Uncle Nahum, as long as you don’t call him late for a drink or a meal.
Damn Joy, I miss Ayn, she was for real regardless of what name she used. I am still in mourning.
Uncle by the way Nebraska is the new member of the Big Ten. A great addition, great school, coming back football power and class fans.
Until the day comes that the powers of the US and/or the EU countries prove that they are allied with Israel, Israelis should take the attitude to hell with you and we don’t give a damn what you think.
We will be tested, that’s for sure and if I may say, there will be at least two of us who plan on sticking around whether they like it or not. I for one don’t plan on asking anyone’s permission.
Hello, Jeff. I guess Ron was confused by me calling you Jeff, so I will call you Yamit. I’m relieved that so many anti-Semites are coming out of the closet and admitting it isn’t occupation, settlements, etc. It’s Israel’s existence they can’t accept. Whether it’s Helen Thomas or Deb’s fellow freaks on the lib websites, they’re finally dropping their masks. Now, we can have it out on the real issue, which is whether Patton was right about Jews being sub-humans or whether we have a “right to exist”. Personally, I plan on existing whether the Gentiles like it or not.
Hi,
Every time we think it’s the final straw BB finds more, maybe shorter, the kind that bends at the top but he always finds more. I hope you and Hanson are right.
The Weekly Standard is reporting that Obama will support a UN kangaroo court to lynch Israel about the flotilla. Victor Davis Hanson believes that Israel is reaching the point of no longer caring about world opinion. We’ll see; maybe this will be the final straw.
What do you get when you mix obama with common sense?
The gulf of mexico
Because as we all know oil and water don’t mix
Time for major rethink and revisions in our strategic thinks is closing. The Barbarians are already approaching our gates.