Get Your Mideast Priorities Straight
By Yossi Alpher
Your Middle East agenda is huge. You are going to be preoccupied in the years ahead with Iran and Iraq, Pakistan and Afghanistan, Al Qaeda and the Taliban. These matters will loom much larger for you than will Israel and its immediate and problematic environs.
Nevertheless, you will quickly be confronted with the need to deal with Israeli-Arab issues, too. In responding, first keep in mind that Israel now looks at its security environment through an Iranian prism, not an Arab prism. Second, remember that Syria, and not the Palestinian Authority, is the linchpin in any effort to turn the tide in Israel’s vicinity against Iran and militant Islam.
Know, too, that events in the region will surprise you and your advisers. They always do — and on that Biden was right: You will be challenged here at an early stage.
Yossi Alpher, a columnist for the Forward, is co-editor of the bitterlemons family of online publications and a former director of the Jaffee Center for Strategic Studies at Tel Aviv University.
Put Families First
By Shmuley Boteach
You were very honest in your memoir about the pain caused by your father’s abandonment of your family. Yes, America has grave financial and foreign policy challenges. But historians rightly point out that great civilizations crumble from within when the fabric of society, as represented by the nuclear family, is torn asunder. So renewing America should also mean making the family the epicenter of your administration.
Marital counseling should be tax deductible so that troubled couples can get the help they need. Leave the Oval Office early every evening to dine with your children and put them to bed; American parents will follow your example. Establish a national lottery in which parents who have four family dinners per week can be chosen to dine with the president at the White House.
Finally, push for school choice. You attended some great private schools and received the best education, an opportunity that should be the right of every American child.
Rabbi Shmuley Boteach hosts a daily national radio show on Sirius and XM radio and is the author of the forthcoming “The Kosher Sutra: Eight Sacred Secrets for Reigniting Desire and Restoring Passion for Life” (HarperCollins).
Complexify
By Alan Dershowitz
In your victory speech you promised truth. Keep that promise. The campaigns consisted largely of oversimplified clichés. Complex truths don’t play well when the media pays more attention to plumbers, hockey moms and movie stars than to experts. Now you have a mandate and four years in which to address complex issues. Eschew simplicity. Embrace complexity. Do not underestimate our intelligence. Share painful truths with us.
The major issues — the economy, the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, terrorism, the Middle East conflict, health care — defy simple solutions and require that balances be struck and that difficult truths be told.
Complexity is rarely ideological. Extremists thrive on simple-minded slogans and false promises. We are a centrist nation, with vocal extremists on both sides. Truth and complexity move us toward the center.
You are a brilliant, nuanced and complex person, with an ability to inspire. Be Barack Obama.
Alan Dershowitz is the Felix Frankfurter Professor at Harvard Law School and the author, most recently, of “The Case Against Israel’s Enemies: Exposing Jimmy Carter and Others Who Stand in the Way of Peace” (Wiley).
End Torture, ASAP
By Elizabeth Holtzman
One area in which you urgently and immediately need to make a clean break with the failed policies of the Bush administration is the issue of torture. Few things have harmed America’s image more in the eyes of the world than the revelations of prisoner mistreatment at Abu Ghraib, Guantanamo and elsewhere.
Our treatment of prisoners has become a recruitment tool for Al Qaeda. Torture violates bedrock constitutional values of human dignity implicit in our Bill of Rights. And abandoning torture does not leave us defenseless; as a former district attorney, I have seen smart police work solve impossible cases innumerable times.
On your first day of office, I urge you to issue an executive order repealing any authorizations for torture or prisoner mistreatment as the first step in making that clean break.
Elizabeth Holtzman served as a member of Congress from 1973 to 1981 and as Brooklyn’s district attorney from 1982 to 1990.
Think About the Kids
By Marjorie Ingall
Dude! Dude! You won! I feel as if the entire nation just got a puppy. It’s been a very long time since I’ve been so suffused with optimism about the future, pride in my country and the sense of being in sync with my fellow Americans.
So nu, some advice? Let thoughts of your two beautiful daughters — and mine — inform your every statement and act as president. Fulfill your promise to invest in early childhood education. Work to improve all schools — charter schools and vouchers don’t help all families. Empower educators. Look at the whole child; stop the standardized testing madness. And always remember your own words about the balance between individual and governmental responsibility.
Just don’t tell my kids that yours are getting that puppy, OK?
Marjorie Ingall is the East Village Mamele columnist for the Forward and a contributing writer at Self magazine.
Show We Can Listen and Learn
By Deborah E. Lipstadt
My tradition teaches that “shem tov k’shemen tov,” a good name is like fine oil. Our country’s name has been increasingly reviled in the past eight years. Americans are often embarrassed or frightened to identify themselves as citizens of this country when they go abroad.
Without sacrificing America’s strength and position in the world, demonstrate that we can listen and learn from others. We do not have all the answers. My tradition also teaches: “Who is wise? He who learns from everyone.”
Go out and teach what it is that makes America exceptional, demonstrate America’s goodness and, when appropriate, learn from others.
Deborah E. Lipstadt is the Dorot Professor of Modern Jewish and Holocaust Studies at Emory University and the author, most recently, of “History on Trial: My Day in Court with David Irving” (HarperCollins, 2005).
Take Things Personally
By Noam Neusner
During the campaign, your critics often said that the only thing you cared about, ultimately, was you. So what? That burning egotism got you elected president.
Whether you’re running for president or actually doing the job, you shouldn’t be afraid of acting out of self-interest. If some foreign leader offends you, be offended. If a political ally crosses you, cut her loose. If terrorists attack our people or our friends, don’t wall off the pain and the impulse for revenge and response.
Don’t separate yourself from the duties of the office — you are the office. Nobody voted for you so that you could admire the Oval Office without using its full power. Use it. Be bold. Take everything personally. Historians will look for it, and the voters demand it.
Noam Neusner, a columnist for the Forward, served as President Bush’s principal economic and domestic policy speech writer from 2002 to 2004.
Break Down Some More Barriers
By Kathleen Peratis
Having just broken down one barrier, you now have the opportunity to tear down another.
First, get Congress to repeal the Defense of Marriage Act, a nasty bit of business signed into law by President Bill Clinton in 1996, which bars federal recognition of same-sex marriage and permits states to do the same.
Second, see to it that Congress passes the Uniting American Families Act, which would afford gay couples the same status as other couples in our immigration laws.
Third, by executive order, repeal the 1993 executive order known as “Don’t Ask Don’t Tell,” in which President Clinton, reneging on a campaign promise, authorized the military to engage in a kinder, gentler bigotry against gay people.
Do these three things and you will keep your campaign promises, bring honor to your administration and dignity to gay people, and render authentic defense to marriage. Yes you can.
Kathleen Peratis, a columnist for the Forward, is a partner at Outten & Golden LLP and a trustee emerita of Human Rights Watch.
Be Careful
By Letty Cottin Pogrebin
Though the dynamics of history hinge on multiple forces, it is also true that history can be made by one person — and by the loss of one person.
At this moment of extraordinary hope and promise, despite my euphoria, I can’t help thinking of a keinahora: Abraham Lincoln, Martin Luther King Jr., Bobby Kennedy and Yitzhak Rabin were healers, seekers of peace, and advocates for justice and inter-group harmony. God only knows what the world would have been like had they lived out their lives.
In Barack Obama, hope has again been incarnated in human possibility. So I’m worried. Maybe because I’m a Jewish mother, my first piece of advice to our new president is: Don’t take physical risks. Err on the side of caution. Don’t plunge into the crowds, however adoring. Change the world, rescue the economy, play basketball, but please don’t slip away from your Secret Service detail.
Letty Cottin Pogrebin, a founding editor of Ms. Magazine and past president of Americans for Peace Now, is the author of “Deborah, Golda, and Me: Being Female and Jewish in America” (Crown, 1991), among other books.
Know Faith’s Limits
By Thane Rosenbaum
Your ascendancy to the White House is a demonstration of many things, but it was largely predicated on faith. Voters ignored your relative inexperience, the vague nature of your positions and your creepy connections to the Rev. Jeremiah Wright — and placed their faith in you. You said, “Yes we can.” We’re now taking the leap that you, actually, can.
But please don’t overvalue the symbolic statement of possibility that your victory represents. When dealing with terrorists and rogue nations, your personal magnetism and transcendent faith in conciliation over muscle will only go so far. It will take more than oratory and ovations to protect our country. All the goodwill that you generated will not, magically, end evil, and complacency should not become the new face of American foreign policy. Allowing our enemies to believe that you are naïvely without resolve would, ultimately, breach our faith.
Thane Rosenbaum, a novelist, essayist and the John Whelan Distinguished Lecturer at Fordham Law School, is the author of “The Myth of Moral Justice: Why Our Legal System Fails to Do What’s Right” (HarperCollins, 2004).
Save the World Before Repairing It
By David Wolpe
At the end of the story of Noah, God promises never to destroy the world again. The Bible does not say that we will never destroy the world. There is no more urgent task for you as president than this: to seek by all possible means to contain weapons of mass destruction.
No one should minimize the problems of economic distress, health care, environmental protection and stabilization of the international order. But the terrifying urgency of nuclear, chemical and biological weapons overrides the otherwise pressing issues of the day.
History may disdain a president who fails to uplift the poor and strengthen the social fabric of our nation. But history, or what is left of it, will never forgive a president who violates the following imperative: Preserve the world from those who would destroy it — blessing lives not only in the good we do, but in the evil we avert.
Rabbi David Wolpe is the rabbi of Sinai Temple in Los Angeles and the author, most recently, of “Why Faith Matters” (HarperOne).
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My advice: ignore all these people and save the economy. And while you're at it, toss some dollars at our local governments so they can preserve the essential services like schools, transit, cops, etc. If you get this right, then you can worry about the Middle East in your second term. If you don't ... well, here's to President Romney!
As far as the Israeli-Palestine issue is concerned remember: A good friend of Israel will consistently place the Occupation and its abject inconsistency with democracy at the forefront until Israel learns that, indeed, it is the Occupation that is the problem. President elect Obama should not be scared off from taking a tough stand against the settlements, the Occupation and for human rights by those who would label such a position as anti-Israel when the truth is that now Israel needs a good friend who will demand from its leaders and people to face the truth: 41 years of repression is undemocratic, untenable and must not continue.
The "I KNOW WHAT TO DO, LISTEN TO ME" CHUTZPAH of some of the people on this least causes one to remind that Obama is not listening to his FORWARD rabbis but to regional experts who think of US INTERESTS FIRST. This is what more Jews than the Jews that voted for Kerry voted for Obama to do: AMERICA FIRST...their country. The list of self-appointed experts here may or may not be that but they are only SOME of the voices he should consider without deference or special attention. I must insist that a little quiet right off the bat could have gotten you all a lot further. So one wanders if these people are out to promote themselves or Israel's interests. Either way, they must stand on line amongst the many with views that Obama can profit in deciding what's best for AMERICA FIRST!
As a Democrat who enthusiastically voted for Barack Obama I believe it would be a huge mistake to misread the election results as a mandate to take the country liberal. The United States clearly is a moderate, middle of the road country in terms of its politics and if the new administration pushes too far to the left there will be a backlash which will cause the Democrats to lose big time in the next Congressional elections. This election was a vote against Bush/Cheney, the Iraq War, torture, the response to Hurricane Katrina, and Sarah Palin. If John McCain had ran a better campaign and chosen a qualified running mate the results would have been much, much closer, and that is not a mandate to take the country liberal. When a liberal State like California that votes 70% for Obama also votes to overturn gay marriage this should give the left wing pause as to how far they can push the country. What Americans want from Obama is the economy restored, the healthcare system restructured to benefit everyone fairly, the environment a priority, etc. The American people are middle of the road on social issues and misreading the election will cost the Democrats dearly next time.
I wonder what advice Bill O'Reilly would add. May I guess, "Don't spread the wealth," and make , "Merry Christmas," compulsory.
Save America first before saving the world.Bring back the hope you mentioned so many times.Before it get dissolved in the air get it lighted up.All people are equal in the eyes of America.No one nation should be favoured.Make the world a safe place to live.Do not forget to take care of yourself and the family.Israel also wants to live in peace with the rest of the world.
Right now the world is full of pain and suffering and the fear that it might get worse. The challenge before us is to find a direction where there is the hope of alleviating the pain and suffering and attracting people of different perspectives and agendas with faith in what is possible in working together to stabilize the world, global economies and establish humane programs that can take us from this dark period into the light. We need faith in that we can achieve working together and faith in ourselves. We also need strong leadership that is compassionate and able to see the big picture.
I found Alan Dershowitz's thoughts were from the heart and I share his sentiments as I often do. I would say. First Yes!! We Did It! Second. We have a lot of work to do. Now is a time where yes our economy needs to be jumpstarted in many ways, or revived. I agree this needs to come from the ground up and should be a priority. In agreement with many I would recognize this as a moment to really seek to invest wisely in alternative energy infrastructure. There are so many jobs to created in this sector and America is waiting to jump in. There are many who will try to prempt your agenda by introducing their offensive. I say yes be yourself, be bold and make your own path following your platform and agenda. It is a good plan and you have the insight and leadership to take it home, in fact America agrees. You're the right man for the job. Don't be bullied. This is a great article and I wouldn't even dare to put my advice on par with the many wonderful comments I've read above. A+ I truely hope Barack gets this and wish him and those he loves the very best. G-d Bless America Shalom, Jeremy
yo, commenter joseph katz: that's what i said! see "think about the kids," above. behold the intellectual equivalent of "two jews, three synagogues." shmuley and i obviously disagree on education policy, but that's what makes horse races. and op-ed pages.
Writing in Ha'aretz, Gideon Levy worries about Obama becoming too much of a "friend to Israel." http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/objects/pages/PrintArticleEn.jhtml?itemNo=1035415 Below is my response: Indyk, Ross and Kutzner (a most likable and reasonable guy, unlike the other two who accomplished nothing because they really are mostly propagandists for Wider-Israel think-tanks). But 78% of US Jewish voters proved that they are primarily America First Americans-- like the Jews who taught the US how to beat its racism-- and that the neocons indeed lie when claiming they speak for American Jews, claiming their critics to be "self-hating Jews." Obama knows that Israel is not the 51st state, nor another NATO base in the Middle East. His goal is an Israel INTEGRATED with its neighbors. With Palestine as its salesman, Israel may offer its Arab cousins leadership out of their one product banana republic status into hightech modernity. So it would not be land for peace but land for leadership, Israel truly becoming, in the words of Zionism's founders: "a light onto the [Arab] nations." No educated and forward looking Palestinian or Arab I know denies the favorability of the great Semitic family's reconciliation once Israel shows how it can lead by modernizing the Palestinian peoples, not in Bantustans but in a sister state to make two culturally two but economically one region. Most Arabs come from Jewish ancestors, so it is all a family feud that can be resolved soon. This is Obama's goal, no more one sided fueling of war. Daniel E. Teodoru NYC USA
Finally, push for school choice. While school choice would be good for religious schools run by the Jewish community it would never be a solution to the educational system in America. There are 1.1 Million students in public school in New York City alone, what good is school choice to 1.1 Million students? Where will they all go? Put them all into private church run schools and the private schools will become worse than the public schools since they don't have the infrastructure to handle the number of new students. OR you can allow a few lucky students to enter the few remaining slots and divert three times as much money to private institutions per child, thus taking money from two other children left in public schools. A better solution is to fix the public school system. That will require working with the universities training our teachers, the unions protecting teachers and of course the school boareds, but most importantly it will mean creating a FAIR method of funding schools.
This is the most arrogant display of chutzpah I've ever seen. All of you: know your place. The Jewish community just made a fool of itself in Florida. Barack Obama had to spend precious time trying to convince Jews, who think of themselves as intelligent and worldly, that he was not a terrorist-antisemitic-antiAmerican-lunatic! Thank God he has some good representatives of our people, there, to give him real advice. Perhaps we should take HIS advice and show some intelligence, integrity, thoughtfulness and humility.
Break Down Some More Barriers By Kathleen Peratis Please, I have friends and relatives who are Gay however, As a Jew who keeps Torah I strongly disagree with this. Sorry fact is you can put who ever on your taxes if they have lived in your home for a yr as a dependent, fact is Married people actually get penalized by the government more than not, fact is you can buy Insurance for anybody you want, fact is you can create an Incorporation LLC and insure a whole group of families.Now you can state to your doctor who you want to discuss your medical issues to and they honor this. So whats the issue here really? You want me to accept your idea's well, I accept and respect your free to make your choices as they are, but creating laws which demands me to respect a choice you have made and I have not is kinda tilted. I am an American your an American celebrate your really free! No one will send you to jail for being Gay and no one will fine you for it even heck you can even have a parade. So again you want to indoctrinate your idea's on me through legislation, this I do not support this is the problem not that your Gay. So be Gay however, this does not mean I have to say I agree with your life style,nor does it mean I should hate I do care about you, I simply do not want to be made to accept your lifestyle by laws which I as a heterosexual don't even get preference for I get penalized for being a married person and pay more taxes. You already have what you want so live and utilize rights you already have.
Today, Yitzhak Rabin would be considered a right wing extremist-see his last speech to the Knesset Mr. Chairman, Members of Knesset, First of all, the Government of Israel would like to wish all the citizens of the State of Israel, and the members of the Jewish people in the Diaspora, a happy New Year and an inscription for good in the coming year. We wish the entire House of Israel a year of peace and security. Members of Knesset, Today, the Government presents to the Knesset the "Israeli- Palestinian Interim Agreement on the West Bank and the Gaza Strip." The Government will seek the Knesset's approval and will view the Knesset's decision as a vote of confidence in the Government. The Jewish people, which has known suffering and pain, has also known how to preserve its faith, its heritage and its tradition during thousands of years of exile, and has realized the dream of generations. We have, with our own eyes, been privileged to see the return to Zion, the return of the children to their borders. Here, in the land of Israel, we returned and built a nation. Here, in the land of Israel, we established a state. The land of the prophets, which bequeathed to the world the values of morality, law and justice, was, after two thousand years, restored to its lawful owners -- the members of the Jewish people. On its land, we have built an exceptional national home and state. However, we did not return to an empty land. There were Palestinians here who struggled against us for a hundred wild and bloody years. Many thousands, on both sides, were killed in the battle over the same land, over the same strip of territory, and were joined by the armies of the Arab states. Today, after innumerable wars and bloody incidents, we rule more than two million Palestinians through the IDF, and run their lives by a Civil Administration. This is not a peaceful solution. We can continue to fight. We can continue to kill -- and continue to be killed. But we can also try to put a stop to this never-ending cycle of blood. We can also give peace a chance. The Government chose to give peace a chance. The Government chose to do something to achieve it. Members of Knesset, The agreement before you is the continuation of the implementation of the agreements which were signed between the Government of Israel and the Palestinians. The first agreement which was brought to you was the Declaration of Principles, which was signed in Washington on 13 September 1993. The second agreement which was presented to you is called the Cairo Agreement, which was signed in Cairo on 4 May 1994. Both of these agreements were ratified by the Knesset. Mr. Chairman, Both of the previous agreements, and the third which was submitted today, separately and together, give expression to the policy of the current Government, and to its path of promoting peace in the Middle East. As is known, when we formed the Government, over three years ago, we said that we would aspire to reach a permanent solution to the Palestinian Arab-Israeli conflict. And today, this Government brings, in addition to the signing of the peace treaty with the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan -- which would not have been achieved without the agreement with the Palestinians -- a significant breakthrough in resolving the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, and an attempt to put an end to decades of terrorism and blood. Members of Knesset, We are striving for a permanent solution to the unending bloody conflict between us and the Palestinians and the Arab states. In the framework of the permanent solution, we aspire to reach, first and foremost, the State of Israel as a Jewish state, at least 80% of whose citizens will be, and are, Jews. At the same time, we also promise that the non-Jewish citizens of Israel -- Muslim, Christian, Druze and others -- will enjoy full personal, religious and civil rights, like those of any Israeli citizen. Judaism and racism are diametrically opposed. We view the permanent solution in the framework of State of Israel which will include most of the area of the Land of Israel as it was under the rule of the British Mandate, and alongside it a Palestinian entity which will be a home to most of the Palestinian residents living in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank. We would like this to be an entity which is less than a state, and which will independently run the lives of the Palestinians under its authority. The borders of the State of Israel, during the permanent solution, will be beyond the lines which existed before the Six Day War. We will not return to the 4 June 1967 lines. And these are the main changes, not all of them, which we envision and want in the permanent solution: A. First and foremost, united Jerusalem, which will include both Ma'ale Adumim and Givat Ze'ev -- as the capital of Israel, under Israeli sovereignty, while preserving the rights of the members of the other faiths, Christianity and Islam, to freedom of access and freedom of worship in their holy places, according to the customs of their faiths. B. The security border of the State of Israel will be located in the Jordan Valley, in the broadest meaning of that term. C. Changes which will include the addition of Gush Etzion, Efrat, Beitar and other communities, most of which are in the area east of what was the "Green Line," prior to the Six Day War. D. The establishment of blocs of settlements in Judea and Samaria, like the one in Gush Katif. Members of Knesset, This government, with the Labor Party at its center, this party made its positions known through its party platform, which it made known to the public. Even before the elections to the current Knesset, we made clear and we emphasized to the electorate, at every opportunity, that we preferred a Jewish state, even if not on every part of the Land of Israel, to a binational state, which would emerge with the annexation of 2.2 million Palestinian residents of the Gaza Strip and the West Bank. We had to choose between the whole of the land of Israel, which meant a binational state, and whose population, as of today, would comprise four and a half million Jews, and more than three million Palestinians, who are a separate entity -- religiously, politically, and nationally -- and a state with less territory, but which would be a Jewish state. We chose to be a Jewish state. We chose a Jewish state because we are convinced that a binational state with millions of Palestinian Arabs will not be able to fulfill the Jewish role of the State of Israel, which is the state of the Jews. Members of Knesset, We re-emphasize that the Palestinians were not in the past, and are not today, a threat to the existence of the State of Israel. Despite this, the primary obstacle today, to implementing the peace process between us and the Palestinians, is the murderous terrorism of the radical Islamic terrorist organizations, Hamas and Islamic Jihad, which are joined by the rejectionist organizations. Terrorism wounds civilians and those serving in the IDF, the Police, the Border Police, and the other security forces, without distinguishing between them. It is clear that murderous terrorism has wounded and woundss Israelis' sense of personal security within the area of the state, and Israelis who live in the area of Judea, Samaria, and Gaza. The PLO, those in it subject to the authority of its chairman, Arafat, has stopped the terror against us, as they committed themselves in the Declaration of Principles. And yet, other terrorist organizations, continue to attack us, because it is their political aim to murder Israelis, because they are Israelis, through acts of terror, in order to cause the cessation of the Israeli-Palestinian peace process. Because this is their aim, we have no intention of shirking from the efforts toward peace, even if the acts of terrorism continue to harm us. We, on our side, will make every effort against the terrorists. We are well aware of the seriousness of terrorist acts, and in all of our considerations on the road to achieving a solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. We are taking the necessary and permissible steps, in accordance with Israeli law, in order to fight it. This terrorism will not achieve its political goal. We are also repeating our demand that the Palestinian Authority fulfill its obligation, in accordance with the agreements that we have signed with it has signed to be more severe, to step up, and to intensify its actions against the murderers and enemies of peace in the area under its control. We know the Palestinian Authority has taken a series of measures that have foiled attacks, but they can do more, much more, against the terrorist organizations -- the enemies of peace. Members of Knesset, The Interim Agreement that has been placed on your tables, is based upon much work by teams with many members, and is spread over 300 pages, with many sections dealing with security matters and the daily life of Israeli citizens in Judea, Samaria, and Gaza, and of the Palestinian residents. I want to emphasize a number of subjects: As a Jewish nation, we must, first and foremost, pay attention to the holy places, to our religion, tradition, and culture. We were strict about this in the Interim Agreement. Here are several examples: A. In the Cave of the Patriarchs, the current arrangement for security and the Jewish and Muslim prayers will continue as is. We agreed that we would examine the overall arrangements in Hebron after three months. We do not intend to change anything at the Tomb of the Patriarchs. B. At Rachel's Tomb, the principle was determined that worshippers and visitors would not encounter Palestinian police, neither on their approach to the Tomb nor during their prayers. The main road to Rachel's Tomb from the Gilo area up to the tomb itself, will be the responsibility of the IDF. Guarding Rachel's Tomb compound will be the responsibility of the IDF (or the Border Police), including three guard-posts outside the compound, which overlook the parking lot. Moreover, security for the area will be provided by joint Israeli- Palestinian patrols activities, in order to preserve the peace and security of those coming to Rachel's Tomb. C. We have found a solution to the matter of Joseph's Tomb in Nablus. As is known, the students of the yeshiva and their teachers at Joseph's Tomb are there only during the day, and do not remain there at night. The current agreement will enable students to travel daily to the Tomb. The inside of the Tomb will be guarded by armed Israelis. The area will be guarded by the Palestinian Police according to the currently existing format and according to the procedures for movement and prayer at the "Shalom al-Yisrael" synagogue in Jericho. These arrangements have been in place in Jericho for a year and five months. There was one incident. A single Jew was prevented from praying. As for the other Jewish holy places -- most of them are located in Area B, which is under the overall security control of the IDF. And as for the archaeological sites, we found a solution by mutual agreement, that no changes whatsoever will be made at any archaeological site, without the agreement of both sides. Members of Knesset, The way in which Israel will implement the agreement so as to achieve its political goals regarding the permanent solution and the security of the settlements and Israelis in the territories, will ensure the continuation of daily life and security, both for the Israeli side and for the Palestinian side. The first stage of the redeployment of IDF forces will be done in order to enable the Palestinians to hold elections for the Palestinian Council and its chairman, without the IDF being permanently present inside Palestinian communities. The first stage of this redeployment of IDF forces will be caried out in three areas, in order to enable the Palestinians to hold elections for the Palestinian Council, and for its Chairman, without the IDF being permanently present in Palestinian communities: Area A -- or the "brown" area; the redeployment of IDF forces will be carried out in three areas -- will include the municipal areas of the six cities -- Jenin, Nablus, Tulkarm, Kalkiliya, Ramallah, and Bethlehem. Responsibility for civilian security in this area will be transferred to the Palestinian Authority. Area B -- or the "yellow" area -- includes almost all of the 450 towns and villages in which the Palestinians of the West Bank live. In this area, there will be a separation of responsibilities. The Palestinians will be responsible for managing their own lives, and Israel will have overall responsibility for the security of Israelis and the war against the terrorist threat. That is, IDF forces and the security services will be able to enter any place in Area B at any time. The third area, Area C, or the "white" area -- is everywhere that is not included in the areas that have been mentioned until now. In this area are the Jewish settlements, all IDF installations, and the border areas with Jordan. This area will remain under IDF control. Areas A and B constitute less than 30% of the area of the West Bank. Area C, which is under our control, constitutes more than 70% of the area of the West Bank. However, I must bring it to the attention of the Members of the Knesset, that we have committed ourselves to an additional redeployment, in three stages, beyond the redeployment that I have already mentioned. The redeployment will be carried out according to a timetable, with each stage being carried out after the previous stage. The first will be approximately six months, beginning from the establishment of the Palestinian Council after the elections. I must emphasize that we have not committed ourselves, and I repeat, we have not committed ourselves to the scope of the redeployment at each stage. Most importantly, it was defined in the agreement that the restrictions on the completion of the redeployment are issues that will be discussed during the negotiations on the permanent settlement, as is stated in the Agreement itself, and I quote: "During the further redeployment phases to be completed within 18 months from the date of the inauguration of the Council, powers and responsibilities relating to territory will be transferred to Palestinian jurisdiction that will cover West Bank and Gaza Strip territory, except for issues that will be negotiated in the permanent status negotiations." Several words about what the current agreement says about the permanent agreement, and I quote from the agreement itself; the words speak for themselves: 1. "Permanent status negotiations will commence as soon as possible, but not later than May 4, 1996, and will end no later than May 4,1999, between the Parties. It is understood that these negotiations shall cover remaining issues, including: Jerusalem, refugees, settlements, security arrangements, borders, relations and cooperation with other negotiations, and other issues of common interest." That is, among the criteria to be taken into account in every discussion on continuing the redeployment, with the consent of the Palestinians, according to this agreement, the criteria of the final agreement constitute considerations concerning the redeployment, continuing the redeployment. 2. "Nothing in this Agreement shall prejudice or preempt the outcome of the negotiations on the permanent status to be conducted pursuant to the DOP. Neither Party shall be deemed, by virtue of having entered into this Agreement, to have renounced or waived any of its existing rights, claims. or positions." "Neither side shall initiate or take any step that will change the status of the West Bank and the Gaza Strip pending the outcome of the permanent solution negotiations." I want to remind you: we committed ourselves, that is, we came to an agreement, and committed ourselves before the Knesset, not to uproot a single settlement in the framework of the interim agreement, and not to hinder building for natural growth. Members of Knesset, We are aware of the fact that the Palestinian Authority has not -- up until now -- honored its commitment to change the Palestinian Covenant, and that all of the promises on this matter have not been kept. I would like to bring it to the attention of the members of the house that I view these changes as a supreme test of the Palestinian Authority's willingness and ability, and the changes required will be an important and serious touchstone vis-a-vis the continued implementation of the agreement as a whole. The relevant article speaks about this: "The PLO undertakes that, within two months of the date of the inauguration of the Council, the Palestinian National Council will convene and formally approve the necessary changes in regard to the Palestinian Covenant, as undertaken in the letters signed by the Chairman of the PLO and addressed to the Prime Minister of Israel, dated September 9, 1993 and May 4, 1994." Members of Knesset, An examination of the maps and of the paragraphs of the agreement regarding the additional stages of the redeployment shows that Israel retains complete freedom of action, in order to implement its security and political objectives relating to the permanent solution, and that the division of the areas gives the IDF and the security branches complete security control in Areas B and C, except for the urban areas. A difficult problem arose in Hebron, and with both sides agreement it was determined that, prior to the completion of the Halhoul bypass road, there would not be a complete redeployment in the city of Hebron, and this will take another half a year from the signing of the agreement, that is, until 28 March 1996. In our assessment, six months are required in order to build this bypass road. When the Halhoul bypass road and the Hebron bypass road (in the Beit Hagai- Har Manoah-Kiyrat Arba section) are built, this will enable the movement of Israelis without their passing through those sections of Hebron which do not have a Jewish presence. By the way, these are the same sections of the road which passed through the densely populated Arab population centers, and were subject to lethal attacks, such as theone at "The Glass Junction". Here before you are additional details from the agreement which was achieved through great effort: * The passage of police forces from Area A, which is entirely under the control of the Palestinians, to Area B, in which there are authorities shared by Israel and the Palestinians, requires the permission of the joint coordination apparatus, the DCO. This means that there will be no passage of Palestinian police without Israeli approval. * The passage of Palestinian Police forces in uniform and/or armed, from the 25 Palestinian villages in which police stations will be located, to the rest of Area B, will require coordination and approval from the Joint District Coordination Office. * There will be a deployment of Israeli-Palestinian liaison offices in the area. These liaison offices will employ joint mobile unites for needs which will arise on the ground. I should further emphasize that activity for providing security measures for the Israeli communities -- fences, peripheral roads, lighting, gates -- will continue on a wide scale. Bypass roads will be built, whose purpose will be to enable Israeli residents to move about without have to pass through Palestinian population centers in places which will be transferred to the responsibility of the Palestinian Authority. In any case, the IDF will not carry out a redeployment from the first seven cities, before the bypass roads are completed. In all, investment in the bypass roads will be about NIS 500 million. The responsibility for external security along the borders with Egypt and Jordan, as well as control over the airspace above all of the territories and Gaza Strip maritime zone, remains in our hands. Members of Knesset, The road to reconciliation leads through the prisons. In our prisons, there are currently more than five thousand Palestinian prisoners who, in accordance with the Government's decision, will be released. Detainees and prisoners who are included on condition that they fall into the following categories: female detainees, and prisoners who have served more than two- thirds of their sentence, detainees and/or prisoners accused of or imprisoned due to security crimes that did not result in death or serious injury. What follows from this, is that murderers of Jews or those who have wounded them seriously will not be released. Detainees and prisoners accused or convicted of non-security criminal offenses, and also citizens of Arab states held in Israel until implementation of expulsion orders against them. We will also examine the release of prisoners and detainees over 50 years of age, and 18 years of age or less, who have remained in prison 10 or more years and prisoners and detainees who are infirm and unhealthy. But, consistent with the categories which I described before, no detainee or prisoner will be released unless he signs a committment to obey the law, to not commit acts of terrorism and involvement in them. We have had experience, following the Cairo Agreement, and hundreds remained in jail because they refused to sign. Recently, the question of the extradition of fugitive murderers has arisen in all its intensity. We are not dealing lightly with this problem and we are continuing to demand the extradition of such murderers, according to the agreenment which was signed. Members of Knesset, Ten days after the signing of the agreement in Washington, the redeployment will begin -- in the first stage,the withdrawal of Civil Administration representative offices will begin in 14 Palestinian communities. The overall timetable will be completed within two weeks after the signing of the Agreement. The agreement includes dozens and hundreds more details, among them, elections, including the manner of voting by the Palestinians in united Jerusalem who did not want Israeli citizenship as proposed to them by Israeli governments, water, electricity, expansion of the Jericho area by 10% without affecting the lives of the residents of the Jordan Valley, safe passage and more. In the time available today, we cannot relate to every detail separately and you will see that all of these matters are addressed in the Agreement before you. Mr. Speaker Members of Knesset, The agreement, with all its articles lies before you. There are no secret appendices or letters. This is the agreement that dozens, perhaps hundreds, of civil servants, and IDF officers led by Foreign Minister Shimon Peres worked on, and to all of them I say -- thank you from the bottom of my heart. Today we may be opening a new stage in the annals of the Jewish people and the State of Israel. We know the chances. We know the risks. We will do our best to expand the chances and reduce the risks. From the depths of our heart, we call upon all citizens of the State of Israel, certainly those who live in Judea, Samaria, and the Gaza strip, as well as the Palestinian residents to give the establishment of peace a chance, to give the end of acts of hostility a chance, to give another life a chance, a new life. We appeal to Jews and Palestinians alike to act with restraint, to preserve human dignity, to behave in a fitting manner,-- and to live in peace and security. We are embarking upon a new path which could lead us to an era of peace, to the end of wars. That is our prayer. That is our hope. A happy New Year and may the members of Knesset and the entire house of Israel be inscribed for a good life.
Obam; Leave for Israel what is for Israel and be full engaged in the US economy crisis, pull the army out of Iraq in orderly fashion and try to complete mission in Afghanistan. Put some efforts in new energy sources, let the factories roll along and flourish, improve the US automobiles and don't forget to give a warm and open hand to small businesses. You should know that the US can't solve the Israeli Palestinian problem; all that can be done is to keep the flames down. The Palestinian authority is ruined and shattered and their sporadic leaders can't deliver stability and good intention. The Fatah's Abu Mazen can't provide peace even IF they want, the Hamas' Haniye may he can provide peace but sure he doesn't want. Let the Israelis take care of their own interests and look for change in Damascus, may be the little tyrant president agrees to leave the Iranian connection and cove even handed towards Israel. As for Iran, keep your ties with Israel and Europe close and the understanding alive, listen to their advice and act when appropriately in needed time. Israel
For Renee Gold, Jeffrey Koch, and the rest of the Obama supporters, and especially Louis Frankenthaler, who considers Jews living in their own land as being occupiers. One, in your communities you have never had to face anti-Semitism. Maybe if you had a taste of it you might have been more thoughtful about voting for a guy who sat in a pew for 20 years listening to the most virulent hate and not doing a damn thing about it. It's called having character and principle, which your guy didn't have then, and I frankly doubt he has it now. Two, he's made a good surface impression by choosing Centrists for Administration posts. Of course I don't care for a single one of his choices, and that does include the foul-tempered, mean-spirited wuss named Rahm Emanuel, but again, he has kind of assured mainstream America. Note I said "kind of" because I am also looking at who he might be choosing beneath the surface. For example, he "fired" the two vicious anti-Semites Samantha Power, whom, Renee, Jeffrey, Louie, et. al., called for a U.S. Invasion of Israel on behalf of Hamas, and Rob Malley, Yasser Arafat's little boy in the Clinton White House, but now with the election over with, they are back - and advising him. Both of them are vicious anti-Semites and Jew-baiters. If Obama fired them, then re-hired them, then he's a liar and certainly NO friend of Israel. We who urged you of the 77-78 percent to think, to look, to view his positions, will now say that yes, he will be given an opportunity to prove he's no appeaser of Islamic terrorism and no enemy of Jews or Israel. But if he pressures Israel to "Auschwitz Borders", if he allows Iran to develop the bomb, if he compromises the security of this country in any shape or form, then it will be assuredly hell for him to pay. And God help us as Jews if you are wrong. If he appoints Power and Malley and the Baker Boys to high positions, if he does cause the destruction of Israel, and if we face another 9/11 here at home. In that case, please board the cattle cars first. You voted for him, live with the consequences if they are bad.