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May 23, 2004
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· The West Bank Fence: A Vital Component in Israel's Strategy of Defense - Maj. Gen. Doron Almog
· A Defensible Fence: Fighting Terror and Enabling a Two-State Solution - David Makovsky
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 IDF Rafah Operation Preempts Imminent Katyusha Delivery to Gaza by Gideon Alon
The current IDF operation in Gaza was sparked by an impending large delivery of antitank rockets, Katyushas, and perhaps even shoulder-launched anti-aircraft missiles that could be a strategic threat to Israeli aircraft - all waiting on the Egyptian side of the border for an available tunnel, military sources said last week. Egypt, a sovereign state with powerful and effective security services, is doing almost nothing to prevent weapons shipments. (Ha'aretz)
Israeli Chief of Staff: "Only IDF Can Secure Gaza" by Nina Gilbert
IDF Chief of Staff Lt.-Gen. Moshe Ya'alon told the Knesset last week that there is a "great quantity of weapons" that smugglers are waiting to transfer into Rafah. The 12-km long corridor along the Egypt-Gaza border, which is only 70-100 meters wide, is abutted by homes along about 4 km in the Rafah area. The weapons are being delivered on the Sinai shores by an operation that is almost entirely financed by Iran and being conducted via Palestinian groups in Damascus and Hizbullah in Lebanon. (Jerusalem Post)
See also Searching for Gaza's Tunnels - Photo Exhibit by Nadav Neuhaus
A photographer accompanied Israeli soldiers on a recent mission into southern Gaza. (BBC)
Bush: Defending the Security of Israel Serves the Cause of America
President Bush told the AIPAC convention last week, "Our nation is stronger and safer because we have a true and dependable ally in Israel....A free, prosperous and secure Israel is in this nation's national interest." Israel is "a small country in a tough neighborhood. The Israeli people have always had enemies at their borders and terrorists close at hand. Again and again, Israel has defended itself with skill and heroism. And as a result of the courage of the Israeli people, Israel has earned the respect of the American people....The United States is strongly committed, and I am strongly committed, to the security of Israel as a vibrant Jewish state. Israel is a democracy and a friend, and has every right to defend itself from terror." (White House)
Amnesty International: Demolitions Must Stop
Israel's unjustified destruction of thousands of Palestinian and Arab Israeli homes as well as vast areas of agricultural land has reached an unprecedented level and must stop immediately, Amnesty International said last week. (Amnesty International)
See also Israeli Response to Amnesty Report on Demolitions
While there is no question that the Palestinian population is suffering from the ongoing conflict, that suffering is a direct result of Palestinian terrorism aimed at innocent Israelis, and the need for Israel to protect its citizens from these abhorrent attacks. Regrettably, Palestinian terrorists choose to carry out many of their terrorist activities from within Palestinian population centers. Terrorist groups use civilian buildings in order to conceal openings of tunnels used to smuggle arms, explosives, and terrorists from Egypt into the Gaza Strip. Other buildings are used for the manufacturing and concealment of rockets, mortars, and explosive devices to be used against Israel. The demolition of these structures is often the only way to combat this threat. (Israel's Ministry of Foreign Affairs)
Pro-Israel Activism on Campus Overcoming Anti-Israel Sentiment by Carl Schrag
At scores of schools across the country, pro-Israel students have mounted a dramatic effort over the past two years to take back campuses from anti-Israel activists. "We have spent the last two years trying to tip the balance on campus in favor of Israel," said Alexander Ross Berger, 20, a junior at George Washington University. "We were given the tools to take back the campus," Daniel Frankenstein said at an outdoor cafe near Berkeley's campus. "Not only have we taken it back - we own the campus now."
The Israel on Campus Coalition, established in 2002 by the Charles and Lynn Schusterman Foundation as anti-Israel agitation on college campuses was growing, set out to coordinate multiple efforts to help students adopt a proactive approach to pro-Israel activity. (JTA)
 U.S. Jews Come to Israel's Aid, But How Deep is their Engagement? by Carl Schrag
Many American Jews have a passion and a sense of mission, spurred by a feeling of connection to the Jewish state and its inhabitants. But how significant is this spate of activism, concern and advocacy? "There are real changes going on," agreed Daniel Rosove, a freshman at the University of Oregon who said pro-Israel activity on his campus boomed over the past year. (JTA)
Can Israel Fight Terror Without Breaking International Law? by Bradley Burston
Does a war on terror spur, perhaps even necessitate, military operations that constitute war crimes? If so, are the decisions of policymakers and IDF officers' actions modified by international pressure, or the fear of possible future prosecution for war crimes? "Regarding the charges of war crimes," said Foreign Ministry Director-General Yoav Biran, "these are allegations of a propaganda nature, and we, along with our legal advisors, have assembled all the points needed to emphasize that this is a matter of self-defense in the context of international law, and that it is not collective punishment." (Ha'aretz)
Finally, Good News in Mideast by David Brooks
The first good thing is that the Israeli security fence is turning out to be a boon to stability, rather than an irritant. The fence separating Israel from Gaza has been highly effective at preventing terrorist incursions, and with large stretches of the West Bank fence already erected in the north, there's been a drop in suicide bombings. The second bit of good news is that Ariel Sharon's proposal to withdraw from Gaza and a few West Bank settlements has punctured the myth of Greater Israel and shifted the Israeli debate. Now discussion of the settlements centers not on the murky issues of security or history, but on the clearer issue of democracy. (New York Times)
Oberlin Holds Referendum on Divesting from Israel by Marilyn H. Karfeld
Earlier this month, 496 Oberlin students voted that the college administration stop investing endowment funds in U.S. companies that manufacture or sell arms to Israel. Almost an identical number, 494, voted against the divestiture proposal set forth in a student referendum initiated by Oberlin Students for a Free Palestine (SFP). Nearly half the students did not vote on the issue and another 551 marked "abstain" on their e-mail ballots. Because of the large number of abstentions, the Oberlin Student Senate, which approved placing the question on the referendum, did not endorse the vote, the SFP said in a press release claiming victory. Nancy Dye, Oberlin president, was "furious that the SFP put out the press release," says Rabbi Shimon Brand, Hillel Director. "This was pure propaganda and untrue." (Cleveland Jewish News)
Rutgers Delays Degree For Student Who Threw Pie At Israeli Official
A Rutgers University student charged with throwing a pie in the face of Israeli Minister Sharansky will not receive his diploma until Dec. 31 as part of disciplinary actions taken by the school, his lawyer said. Leon Grauer said his client, Abe Greenhouse, has fulfilled the requirements for a bachelor's degree and should receive his diploma with his classmates on Thursday. Grauer said the delay "really hurts him economically and professionally" because he cannot tell prospective employers that he has his degree until January. (AP/WNBC)
Stanford: President Receives $1 Million Grant for Israel Projects by Jessica Borowick
The grant will also support two new initiatives in the Middle East. The first, Bridging the Rift, is a project aimed at redesigning and developing the academic program of an environmental research facility on the border between Israel and Jordan. The second initiative is a marine-science research workshop in Eilat and the Gulf of Aqaba in which Stanford students and faculty will participate with their Jordanian and Israeli counterparts. (Stanford Daily)
Faculty Hold the Key to Improving Israel's Image on Campus by Rachel Pomerance
The belief that students are the main instigators of anti-Israel activity on college campuses is wrong - it's actually the faculty. At least, that's the premise of a soon-to-be released report by the Israel on Campus Coalition, a group of 27 Jewish organizations that aid pro-Israel activists at U.S. colleges, and the American-Israeli Cooperative Enterprise, a group that aims to bolster the U.S.-Israel relationship. "The real problem is the absence of scholars who can teach about Israel in a way that is factual and even remotely sympathetic to Israel," said Mitchell Bard, who prepared the report. (JTA)
Columbia: Cleansing Gaza by Dennis Schmelzer
Israeli soldiers are currently preparing to ethnically cleanse the Gaza strip - of Jews. This is part of Prime Minister Ariel Sharon's plan to unilaterally withdraw from Gaza, which includes removing Israeli settlements from Gaza and parts of the West Bank. In the end, perhaps cleansing Gaza of settlers - while morally reprehensible - is a step in the right direction. Ultimately, though, Hamas must be evicted from Gaza as well. If Gaza must be cleansed for peace, it cannot be cleansed of Jews alone. (Columbia Spectator)
Mississippi: Let Israel Make Own Decisions by Lacy Holley
President George W. Bush told Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon he is to keep his hands off Yasser Arafat. It is not Bush's job to tell Ariel Sharon what to do. The United States may not like it, but Israel should make this decision for itself. We would not like it if another country decided that they knew more than we did and had the right to tell us how to run our country. That's what we're doing in Israel all in the name of protection. Protection is not the same thing as domination. (Daily Mississippian)
Yeshiva: Living the Zionist Dream - in Zion by Tzvi Kahn
According to the World Zionist Organization, an average of 1,300 American Jews make aliyah each year. American Jewry has excellent excuses for staying put. Making aliyah is hard. Really hard. But surely, with several million Jews in America, we can do better. A lot better. Israelis desperately want to see American Jewry make aliyah in greater numbers. Let us remind ourselves that the most authentic way to support the Zionist dream is to live it. (Commentator)
CUNY Queens: Jenin, The Passion, and other Classics by Asher Kest
The Jenin massacre has been roundly debunked, and trying to use it as a weapon against Israel really is akin to accusing the Jews of killing Jesus. So, the old Jenin massacre myth rises again. Oh, well, I was getting bored of the the "Passion" Christ killer accusation, along with other classic libels, such baking Christian (nowadays they say Arab) blood into our holiday pastries, the Protocols of the Elders of Zion, Jews control the media/economy, we caused the black plague, the Holocaust was a 'Zionist conspiracy' and other oldies but goodies. (The Knight News)
A Good Neighbor Program for Jews and Arabs
To fill the need for increased cooperation between neighboring Jewish and Arab communities within the state of Israel, the organization Sikkuy, The Association for the Advancement of Civic Equality, has launched a unique pilot project, which that they hope will become a model that will be adopted by the government for countrywide implementation: the Mayor's Forum for Jewish-Arab Regional Cooperation. (Israel21c)
No Israel Concert for Madonna by Jeannette Walls
Madonna has crossed Israel off her tour list. Seems the country is too precarious - even for the risk-taking performer. "I know Madonna really wanted to go there but perhaps the political climate has been a bit difficult to plan such a huge undertaking in that area," said spokeswoman Liz Rosenberg. But one source believes that Madonna may be ditching Israel for slightly more complicated reasons. "Kabbalah, as it's practiced by Madonna, is held in great scorn by rabbinical leaders in Israel," says cult expert Rick Ross. (MSNBC)
American Mayors Return to the Classroom in Israel
Nine American mayors spent the week in Israel for the 22nd Jerusalem Conference of Mayors along with 22 other mayors from around the world. They got first-hand exposure to Israeli expertise in disaster preparedness and emergency response, homeland security issues, as well as information about hi-tech business opportunities. In addition to their working sessions, the mayors also got to tour the country, from the Old City of Jerusalem to the Dead Sea and the Golan Heights. (Israel21c)
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 - Who Should Be Responsible for the Security of the Gaza Strip? | The Day That Bush Took Gaza
by Martin S. Indyk
- Sharon's radical initiative would evacuate all Israeli settlements and military positions, unilaterally, within the next 18 months. His purpose is to end the Israeli occupation of Gaza and thereby absolve Israel of responsibility for the Palestinians there.
- But who's going to take over that responsibility? Not the tattered Palestinian Authority. Not cautious Egypt, which once ruled Gaza. Instead, de facto responsibility for what happens in Gaza once Israel withdraws will fall to the United States.
- Having trumpeted his support for an independent Palestinian state, Bush is now taking on responsibility for ensuring that the Gaza mini-state created by Israel's withdrawal does not turn into a failed terrorist state.
- Like it or not, Bush's endorsement of the Sharon plan means that the United States will end up inheriting the problems of Gaza.
- Bush can, of course, turn to others to help ease the burden of this newly acquired responsibility. Egypt, for example has declared that its own national security interests require that order be maintained in Gaza after the Israeli withdrawal.
- There is one answer to all of these challenges that Bush will have to contemplate - an American-led international force that could take over the settlements, police the corridor and control the sea and airspace around Gaza. (Washington Post)
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Gaza and the Lessons of Oslo
by Gerald Steinberg
- Operation Rainbow, the massive IDF incursion now under way in Gaza, is designed to strengthen the IDF's ability to defend the strategic Philadelphi Route along the border with Egypt and to prevent the smuggling of explosives and weapons into Gaza.
- A wider patrol road protected by a ditch plus other obstacles, and removal of structures used by Palestinians to hide tunnels or for attacks against Israeli forces should significantly improve ongoing security.
- IDF actions demonstrate that in planning the implementation of the unilateral disengagement from Gaza, the most important lesson of the Oslo catastrophe has been understood. As a result of the failure of the Israeli negotiators to take security seriously, the Oslo "peace plan" became a vehicle for waging a terrorist war and not for peace, as advertised.
- Although there was a brief flirtation with the idea that an international force, along with Egypt, would assume responsibility for preventing smuggling of weapons and missiles into Gaza, more realistic heads soon prevailed. The international force pledged by the UN and the EU, under French leadership, to disarm Hizbullah after the Israeli withdrawal from Lebanon exactly four years ago vanished into thin air. International involvement is a recipe for abandoning all pretense at serious security limits.
- And although Egypt might be persuaded to take its obligations a bit more seriously in order to avoid costs, this is also a limited proposition. Plainly, if Cairo were doing its job, there would be little need for Operation Rainbow. Ultimately, only an immediate Israeli presence on land, sea, and air can intercept and deter Palestinian efforts to obtain long-range weapons in Gaza. (Jerusalem Post)
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The Israel on Campus Coalition is a partnership of the Charles and
Lynn Schusterman Family Foundation and Hillel: The Foundation for Jewish
Campus Life, in cooperation with a network of national organizations committed
to promoting Israel education and advocacy on campus.
To contact the Israel on Campus Coalition: info@israeloncampuscoalition.org
The Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations speaks for organized American Jewry on vital issues of international and national concern. Representing 52 national Jewish organizations, the Conference provides a common voice for affiliated American Jews from across the political and religious spectrum, forging diverse groups into a powerful, unified force for Israel's survival, and for protecting and enhancing the security and dignity of Jews abroad.
To contact the Conference of Presidents: info@conferenceofpresidents.org
The Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs is an independent, non-profit institute for policy research and education serving Israel and the Jewish people since 1976.
To contact the Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs: jcenter@jcpa.org
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