The US is already forcing Israel to give in

U.S. urges removal of antiterror barriers
Jews were attacked within hours previous time obstacles removed

By Aaron Klein, WorldNetDaily

JERUSALEM – An Israeli decision today to remove antiterror roadblocks from near the oldest Jewish community in the world was made under heavy pressure from the U.S., defense sources said.

Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice had requested U.S. security coordinators here monitor Israeli pledges she previously extracted to remove specific roadblocks and checkpoints throughout the West Bank to ease Palestinian travel.

Upon Rice’s visit to the region in April, she reportedly urged the removal of specific West Bank roadblocks. Within hours of the elimination of one of the barriers, a knife-wielding Palestinian attempted to attack two Jews near the area from which the roadblock had been removed. Israeli lawmakers then charged Rice’s demands were responsible for that attempted attack.

Defense officials here strongly opposed the roadblock removals, saying the obstacles impede the mobility of terrorists. Palestinians complain the roadblocks make it more difficult for them to travel throughout the West Bank. The majority of West Bank roadblocks were established in the late 1990s following repeated terrorist attacks from the territory. The barriers have been directly credited with halting scores of attacks.

This weekend, the Israel Defense Forces were instructed by Prime Minister Ehud Olmert’s government to remove more antiterror roadblocks, this time 10 barriers that protect sections of the West Bank city of Hebron, the oldest Jewish city.

Hebron is home to the Tomb of the Patriarchs, the second holiest site in Judaism. The tomb is believed to be the resting place of the biblical patriarchs and matriarchs Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Sarah, Rebecca and Leah.

Hebron’s Jewish neighborhood accounts for about 20 percent of the city’s territory; the Jewish sections are surrounded by Palestinian neighborhoods, including areas in which the Hamas and Islamic Jihad terrorist organizations are known to have a strong presence.

Rice has several times in recent months pressed Israel to remove roadblocks and checkpoints.

In April, after she specified certain of them to be removed, an Israeli man shot and killed a Palestinian armed with a knife after he approached the Israeli and a teenager at a popular hitchhiking stop between the West Bank Jewish communities of Shiloh and Eli, about 20 miles from Jerusalem. The incident occurred about two hours after a roadblock in that same area had been removed at Rice’s urging.

Senior leaders of the Al Aqsa Martyrs Brigades terror group, the so-called military wing of Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas’ Fatah organization, told WND the attacker, a Palestinian from Hebron, worked on behalf of their organization. They said the foiled attack was not an attempted stabbing but part of a planned kidnapping operation that included a car waiting nearby.

Uri Ariel, chairman of the National Union-National Religious Party, explained to reporters, “Hours after the IDF began removing roadblocks and began easing restrictions on the movement of Palestinians, a terrorist tried to murder Israelis only a few kilometers west of a roadblock that had been removed from Shiloh Junction.”

The roadblock removals were specifically called for by Rice in a series April of meetings with Israeli leaders.

At a news conference, Rice said the U.S. expected the roadblocks would be withdrawn “very, very soon” and stated American diplomat William Fraser would oversee the removals.

Fraser was deployed to the region to monitor implementation of agreements pledged by Israel and the PA during last November’s U.S.-sponsored Annapolis summit, which seeks to create a Palestinian state before the end of the year.

“Fraser will ensure that 50 roadblocks will be removed and that this will actually have an effect on the freedom of movement in the West Bank,” Rice said in Jerusalem. “The Israeli Ministry of Defense had identified the roadblocks that will be removed, but we will ensure that they carry it out,” she added.

Rice announced the U.S. “wants to monitor and ensure that their removal will begin. This is a very specific commitment on the part of Israel.”

She said that while in the past the U.S. did not micromanage the implementation of Israeli and Palestinian commitments, “this time we want to be a lot more systematic concerning the territories and what is being carried out on the ground.”

Aside from overseeing the roadblock removal, defense sources said Rice urged the Israeli government to reopen major crossings between Israel and the Gaza Strip. The crossings were closed after Hamas took over the Gaza Strip last year and in response to what Israel said were a high number of warnings about terrorist attacks at the border.

Terrorists in the Gaza Strip regularly have been firing rockets from the territory aimed at nearby Jewish communities.

The latest roadblock controversy is not the first time defense officials here have been frustrated with security deals brokered by Rice.

In November 2005, Rice brokered an agreement in which Israel transferred all security control at the border between Egypt and the Gaza Strip to the PA and outside countries.

Israeli security officials speaking to WND in 2006 labeled the deal an “abject failure” threatening the Jewish state’s national security.

Rice’s deal restricted Israel to monitor the Egypt-Gaza crossing by camera, called for a European presence at the border station and gave the Palestinians some veto power on vehicles and persons entering Gaza.

The Europeans many times fled their duties in response to threatened violence. Israeli security officials charged the Palestinians tampered with the names of entrants, accusing Palestinian border workers of deliberately disguising the personal information of terrorists crossing the border.

Rice’s border deal went up in smoke last year when Hamas completely took over the Gaza Strip and expelled the PA monitors from the border. Hamas-backed gunmen multiple times breached the border, including an episode in January when a large chunk of the border fence was destroyed and hundreds of thousands reportedly passed between Egypt and Gaza.

Egyptian security forces did not interfere as massive quantities of weapons were transported across the Egyptian border into the Gaza Strip in January, according to Palestinian militant sources who were speaking to WND then from the border scene.

June 9, 2008 | 17 Comments »
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  1. NoNameDenton:

    The US pressures Israel by threatening to with hold wital systems for Israel (especially military ones, like upgrades to Israel’s all important air force)

    Maybe but it has happened and it isn’t upgrades that we do ourselves, but America supplies thousands of low ticket items like uniforms, combat boots and a thousand other such sundry itmes. Any delay in supply or sactions will put thousands of Americans on Unemployment. If prolonged we will find other sources or produce ourselves. Spare parts could ground some of our air force planes but here to there isn’t much we can’t make ourselves or buy from other sources. If that happens America has lost a steady loyal and profitable partner. We supply over a hundred thousand jobs in America. El Al buys Airbus instead of Boeing and Lockheed. etc. We don’t need the Aid just the technology, which we can invent ourselves or steal just like everybody else. Then there is Congress who are Israels true friends in Washington, A President can’t for very long hold Israel up as congress would exercise her prerogatives and power to check an anti Israel Government.

    USAF gets Jewish boss

    General Norton Schwartz comes from US Air Force Special Operations. Quite often, Jews at the service of other countries are the most vicious antisemites, but this case might be different, we’ll see

  2. NoNameDenton, Yea, but they help arrived to late when the Third Army of Egypt was already surrounded and America was pleading with Israel to supply them with lifesaving water. Europe barred both American overflights for supplying Israel or landing privileges with supplies to Israel aboard. so It took time for America to organize and when it came it was of no importance. Why did Nixon , no Jew lover agree to supply Israel with material depletions resupply? Kissinger told him that Israel was about to use her Nukes on Egypt and Syria.

    Israel never had a friend in the White House period !!!

  3. The US pressures Israel by threatening to with hold wital systems for Israel (especially military ones, like upgrades to Israel’s all important air force). The only president who sent weapons and aid to Israel with no conditions when needed was Richard Nixon (say what you want about the man, but when Israel was about to be defeated in the Yom Kippur war, he was there to help).

  4. I have asked the question maybe a hundred times, here on Israpundit and never received from anyone even a semblance of an ans. That question being-: What pressure? and if Israel refused what would or could America do to Israel so severe that our leadership feels that we have no choice. My ans. is nothing!!! If some one could add to that I would love to hear. I maintain and have always maintained the the American pressure is an Israeli invention in order to justify either wrong decisions by our politicians or to impose unpopular decisions, in order to cover their asses, with American pressure fig leaf , meaning WE HAD NO CHOICE!!! As long as it falls in Line with basic American objectives and policy, The Americans are only to happy to play the game as it increases their leverage with the Arabs and re: Israel , we can not expect America to be more Catholic than the POPE!

    THE LIMITS TO U.S. PRESSURE ON ISRAEL

    By Yoram Ettinger

    *Has the Department of State reflected the position of the US President, Congress and public toward Israel?

    *Has the Administration expressed – in an exclusive or a dominant manner – the US position on Israel?

    *Has Israel’s defiance of Administration’s pressure undermined US-Israel relations, and have the bilateral relations been advanced by Israel’s succumbing to pressure?

    THE DEPARTMENT OF STATE LEADS THE EXECUTION OF U.S. FOREIGN POLICY, BUT it acts under the President and it is supervised by Congress. THE DOVISH LEANING OF THE DEPARTMENT OF STATE SHEDS LIGHT ON THE DISCONNECT WITH MOST OF THE AMERICAN PUBLIC. Thus, the Department of State opposed the 1991 war on Saddam, which was supported by the public. In contrast to US public opinion and to positions upheld by the majority in Congress, the Department of State opposed the establishment of the Jewish State in 1948, it pressured Israel to cede the Negev and to internationalize Jerusalem, it has pressured Israel to withdraw to the 1949 Lines and it has been preoccupied with theestablishment of a Palestinian State west of the Jordan River.

    THE POSITIONS OF SECRETARY POWELL ON CHINA, RUSSIA, NO. KOREA, IRAQ, IRAN, BALLISTIC MISSILES, THE U.N., COMBATING TERRORISM, THE PLO, ISRAEL, etc.HAVE NOT BEEN CONSISTENT WITH THOSE OF THE PRESIDENT, VICE PRESIDENT, MOSTOF THE PUBLIC AND CONGRESS. When Powell announced, early in 2001, his intentions to soften US policy on Iraq, President Bush reaction was expressed via a massive bombing of Iraqi military headquarters. That was a loud and clear signal on the identity of the chief policy formulator. The Department of State has opposed the White House attitudes toward Arafat and Israel’s incursion into PLO-controlled areas, but it has had to accept a policy determined by those who espouse a non-Foggy Bottom world view.

    Rarely has the influence of the Department of State been as limited as of the one headed by Powell, who lacks the special clout possessed by Baker, Schultz, Kissinger and even Albright.

    NO ONE CAN DENY THE CENTRAL ROLE PLAYED BY THE PRESIDENT IN THE FORMULATION AND THE EXECUTION OF FOREIGN AND NATIONAL SECURITY POLICY. HOWEVER, NO ONE SHOULD UNDERESTIMATE THE CRITICAL ROLE PLAYED BY CONGRESS IN POLICY-APPROPRIATION, POLICY-IMPLEMENTATION, as well as POLICY-INITIATION.

    While the White House has been shifty on Israel since 1948, Congress has been a bastion of CONSISTENT FRIENDSHIP toward Israel since the establishment of the Jewish State, REFLECTING PUBLIC OPINION in the United States. President Clinton aimed at cutting foreign aid to Israel beyond Israel’s own voluntary phase-out ($60MN annually), but Congress prevented the excessive cut. Congress played a similar role when Clinton suggested to reduce the funding of ballistic defense, including the US-Israel Arrow project. The Administration rejected Israel’s request, in 1991, for an emergency aid package, covering cost caused by Iraq’s invasion of Kuwait and the resulting Gulf War. However, Congress forced the Administration to approve a comprehensive aid package, including a $650MN in cash and $700MN in military hardware (Drawndown Authority).

    UNLIKE THE ISRAELI/EUROPEAN POLITICAL SYSTEM, where the Prime Minister and Cabinet Members are the leading legislators, the US system prides itself with a genuine SEPARATION OF POWERS, CHECKS AND BALANCE and Independence of the legislature (legislators owe their election, mostly, to constituents rather than to the President). While the President is the chief policy-shaper and executor, implementation of policy depends on Congressional Power of the Purse and the Power of Oversight. Congress may approve a budget, cut, add or suspend it. The Senate possesses the powers of Advise and Consent, Ratification and Confirmation, approving or rejecting treaties and top appointments. Thus, the current Senate has opposed and precluded a series of judicial appointments, as was the fate of Clinton’s appointments to the head of the CIA (Tony Lake), ambassador to Mexico (Gov. Weld), etc. Congress has become much more assertive in the area of foreign policy, and has the privilege of SELF-EMPOWERMENT. Congress may create/ban executive agencies, may delegate/suspend authority to the president, may obligate/stop foreign policy programs, may summon top administration officials for criss-cross investigation, may mandate the executive to submit periodical reports (as a precondition for policy implementation), may initiate policy, may trim/suspend/extend the duration of administration policies and programs, may approve/disapprove/’precondition or initiate the transfer/sale of military systems and the extension of foreign aid programs, may order the development of weaponry and the initiation of military cooperation programs, may establish/close military bases, may mandate studies on foreign policy and defense programs, etc. SOME 12,000 PROFESSIONAL AND PERSONAL STAFF MEMBERS assist Congress in its oversight duties.

    WHILE THE PRESIDENT ENJOYS A NATURAL EDGE, OVER CONGRESS, IN THE FORMULATION AND EXECUTION OF NATIONAL SECURITY AND FOREIGN POLICIES, THE JEWISH STATE HAS NOT BEEN PERCEIVED AS A GENERIC FOREIGN POLICY ISSUE. Israel has been perceived by most Americans, and therefore by most of the legislators onCapitol Hill, as well as by President George W. Bush, Vice President Cheney, Secretary of Defense Rumsfeld and other top administration officials, as a special domestic/international issue, embedded in the foundations of US culture, Judeo-Christian values, Western democracy, pluralism and patriotism, a role-model in the defiance of natural and ideological challenges and the willingness to sacrifice short-term convenience for long-term principles.

    THE SEPTEMBER 2001 TRAUMA HAS BOLSTERED THE SPECIAL AFFINITY TOWARD, AND THE COMPREHENSION OF, ISRAEL’S OWN PREDICAMENT. 9/11 has further accentuated the gap between Foggy Bottom and the American public as far as worldview in general, and attitudes toward Israel in particular. The traditional sources of anti-Israel sentiments (such as the major oil companies, some of the multi-national companies, etc.) have usually been outperformed by SHARED VALUES, JOINT INTERESTS and MUTUAL THREATS (Islamic terrorism, Iraq, Iran, ballistic missiles, etc.) binding together the leader of the Free World and its Sole Soul Ally in the Middle East, the Jewish State.

    CONTRARY TO THE SUPERFICIAL OBSERVATION, succumbing to administration pressure has not necessarily led to the improvement of US-Israel relations, and standing up to pressure has not necessarily worsened the LONG-TERM binational ties. For instance, the 1989 BOMBING OF IRAQ’S NUCLEAR REACTOR triggered a US military embargo on Israel, but – in the long run – it has dramatically enhanced the strategic status of Israel in Washington. 1948-1992 was characterized by a systematic disagreement between Israel and the US on the resolution of the Arab-Israeli conflict. All Israeli prime ministers (from Ben Gurion to Shamir) have fended off administration attempts to coerce Israel to undertake painful, sweeping and reckless territorial concessions. However, US-Israel LONG-TERM strategic relations were improved drastically during the same period, while bickering, tensions and SHORT-TERM crises featured frequently in the headlines of US and Israeli media. The most comprehensive strategic agreement was signed in April 1988, at the height of the Intifada, while Israel and Prime Minister Shamir were castigated by US officials and media. A major strategic agreement was concluded in 1983, while Israel was severely criticized for its war against PLO bases in Lebanon. Thus, short-term considerations were overtaken by mutual long-term principles and interests, and the wider regional and global context (USSR and radical threats) outshined the narrow context of the Arab-Israeli conflict.

    US-ISRAEL RELATIONS HAVE NOT EVOLVED AROUND THE OSLO PROCESS OR THE ARAB-ISRAELI CONFLICT. US-ISRAEL SPECIAL TIES HAVE BEEN NOURISHED BY A MUCH WIDER CONTEXT (HISTORICALLY, GEOGRAPHICALLY, CULTURALLY, RELIGIOUSLY, MILITARILY, EDUCATIONALLY AND POLITICALLY) OF SHARED VALUES, JOINT INTERESTS AND MUTUAL THREATS. The US would not benefit from a wimpy ally, which can hardly withstand the pressure of the tiny Hizballah, the weakling Lebanese government, the regionally despised PLO/PA, despotic Egypt, etc. The US would rather have, on a rainy day, an determined conviction-driven ally, willing to withstand any pressure (even that exercised by the administration), in order to pursuit its just principles and interests, and ready to pay ANY price for the preservation of its own sovereignty and long-term concerns.

    *Has the Department of State reflected the position of the US President, Congress and public toward Israel?

    ———————-

  5. Already forcing Israel to give in? I cannot remember when Israel has not be forced to give in. The return of territories won in defensive wars holds Israel to a different standard than all other countries. That is antisemitism. Quite simply, Israel is America’s puppet state made to kowtow to Foggy Bottom’s benefactors in D’ar al Islam. CIA retirees are well paid lobbyists in DC for their Muslim overlords.

  6. The United States has no reason to be making Israel remove these roadblocks when the US military uses them in Iraq to prevent terrorism.

  7. Rice is poison for Israel. That would be OK and she would be irrelevant if the Olmert government was not lapping it up.

    What is quite amazing is that the Defence officials, which presumably includes the army so opposed to lightening up on the Palestinians and removing roadblocks for all the reasons that materialize when the roadblocks are removed, that the Defence officials have not had a stronger voice.

    The Defence officials I guess do not have a good press agent to get the Israeli MSM to publish their disagreement with the Olmert government on defence issues and to also publish all the facts that prove their position is warranted.

    Since they have not tried that, I don’t expect they have what it takes to mutiny against the Olmert Government.

    Just what the hell are the Defence officials waiting for, before more Israeli lives are lost because the Olmert government is caving in to Condoleeza Rice.

  8. I mean how much can you blame her for bullying Israel if Israel always takes it.

    It’s not bullying when it come from lovers. Republicans are the Jews’ lovers. Jews like strong lovers. Republicans give the Jews (as described on this site and other sites) tough love. Take Bush and Rice as an example. These two know how to really love the Jews.

  9. I dont know why Israel doesn’t tell Rice to fcuk off.

    I mean how much can you blame her for bullying Israel if Israel always takes it.

  10. In November 2005, Rice brokered an agreement in which Israel transferred all security control at the border between Egypt and the Gaza Strip to the PA and outside countries.

    Israeli security officials speaking to WND in 2006 labeled the deal an “abject failure” threatening the Jewish state’s national security.

    CEO World Net Daily (WND) is none other than Joseph Farah. Farah endorsed George W. Bush for U.S. president in 2004, though he (Farah) vowed he would never do such a terrible thing as this. He did it.

  11. What we Jews fail to understand is this simple fact. The Republicans are Israel’s best friend. The Republican party is the party of Judeo-Christian values. The GOP is the party of the Christian right. Vote Republican and we will get great friends of Israel.

  12. George W. Bush is Israel’s best friend ever! What is wrong with all of you. Bush is our friend! Come on people.

  13. Question: Are the Israelis deferring their attack on Gaza until Bush leaves office, perhaps as a stalling because the next President will be more understanding of the urgency in Israel? Most other nations would have attacked any enemy when the first rocket blast off.

    Condi Rice, at this point, should be considered irrelevant regarding any action demanded by the Palis. Moses and Joshua had no qualms about going to war with those that would harm them, so why should the Israelis of today, and I’m speaking of the Government, do so? I’m really puzzled and pissed off.

  15. Holiday in the Holy Land:

    Curfew is imposed on the West Bank so that Palestinian terrorists don’t enter Israel.
    An 18-year-old Palestinian arrested with 6 bombs at a roadblock near Schem.
    Rocket barrages from Gaza increased, one foreign worker wounded in the Negev.
    IDF killed a Palestinian guerrilla who was planting a bomb near the Israeli fence with Gaza.
    Jews start Shavuot celebrations.

    Barak gives green light to terrorists in Hebron

    In order to please Rice, the Defense Ministry removed ten roadblocks in Hebron, facilitating the murder of Jews by Palestinian terrorists.

    Left isn’t that bad in terms of roadblocks

    Amid the peace promises and commitments to reduce the number of roadblocks that intercept Palestinians and terrorists in the West Bank, the number of roadblocks actually increased. The UN whines that in the last six months Israel removed 103 roadblocks and added 144, bringing the total to 607.

    One Jew dead, three wounded by mortar fire from Gaza

    in Nir Oz kibbutz.

    Army sides with Arabs against Jewish settlers

    Residents of Kedumim Jewish village in Samaria protest the IDF’s ugly behavior this Sabbath. More than a hundred Arabs attacked the nearby Shvut Ami hamlet (”illegal outpost”), hurled stones at Jewish women and children. After many hours, an IDF detachment arrived, fired in the air failing to disperse the Arabs who knew full well the soldiers are prohibited from shooting them, and retreated. Shortly thereafter, the army came again – to evict the Jews.