hamas – We Built It Blog by Larry Jacob

WILL TRUMP’S MIDDLE EAST PEACE PLAN HOLD TOGETHER?

The following is based on multiple media reports supplemented by my opinion as indicated.

Phase One of Trump’s Middle East Plan (the “Plan”) the exchange of 20 surviving hostages and the remains of four deceased hostages being held by Hamas for some 1,900 Palestinian prisoners that had been held by Israel is just the first step of Trump’s 20-point Plan. (It is thought that there are 24 additional deceased hostages whose remains were not returned, and as reported by NBC NEWS it is unclear when they will be.)

This was widely hailed as a great success and rightly so. The man whose enemies have characterized him as “unstable,” “power-hungry,” and a “warmonger” managed to arrange a miraculous peace agreement that few thought was possible. The euphoric and poignant sight of hostages being greeted by members of the Knesset in Jerusalem and then being reunited with their families was something to see. Of course, Trump haters such as Joe Biden, Bernie Sanders and AOC could not manage to say anything positive. As I write this, they have remained silent. Other Dem politicians tempered their praise and/or did not mention Trump by name. Also silent are the protesters who had been claiming Israeli genocide.

So, how did Trump pull this off? How did he manage to accomplish in just nine months what a host of past presidents could not? (1) Through a plethora of past actions, he established his bona fides as a tough, decisive person who means what he says and says what he means. (2) He convinced Netanyahu that America was a staunch ally in its fight against Hamas and would support it unwaveringly. (3) He demonstrated to the various Arab heads of state that he could eliminate the threat of a nuclear Iran. Everyone knew Iran was within months of attaining nuclear capability, and regardless of politics everyone was terrified what the unstable mullahs would do with it. He gave Iran a deadline to dismantle its nuclear program. Unlike prior US presidents he followed through. When Iran failed to comply, he bombed the s**t out of its reactors, thus destroying its nuclear capability. This was done precisely and decisively remotely from the US. The Arab world took notice. It was awed and cowed by America’s power and its president’s willingness to employ it. (4) He assembled a consortium of 27 nations who wanted peace and were willing to support his efforts to attain it.

(5) Along the way the US succeeded in eliminating several key senior terrorists, again precisely and decisively. (6) It decimated Hezbollah and the Houthis and convinced Qatar to cut off its support to Hamas. (7) Hamas was now weakened and isolated; its allies had been neutralized; and it knew Israel was poised to “finish the job.” Essentially, that was how the “dealmaker” brokered the peace deal.

As I said, Trump has assembled a consortium of some 27 world leaders to support his Plan. It appears that they all want this chance of peace in the ME to succeed. Trump hailed the Plan as “not only the end of a war, [but] the end of an age of terror and death and the beginning of the age of faith and hope and of God. It’s the start of a grand concord of lasting harmony for Israel and all the nations of what will soon be a magnificent region.” Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu affirmed that he is “committed to this peace [Plan]. Many other world leaders and US politicians expressed similar views. Even former President Barack Obama and former VP Kamala Harris managed to express tepid praise for the Plan and for Trump’s role in its success. However, Harris refused to mention Trump by name, citing “the president.”

In accordance with the first phase of Trump’s plan, Israeli forces have moved to an initial withdrawal line within Gaza (the “yellow line”). However, as miraculous as Phase One was, it was the easy part. Now comes the hard part, securing the agreement of all parties to the rest of the Plan and then maintaining the peace. As I delineated in my previous blog on this subject the Plan contains several contentious points, each of which is a potential dealbreaker, that need to be ironed out or else the Plan will fall apart. As the expression goes, “the devil is in the details.”

Hamas is moving quickly and decisively to fill the power vacuum that currently exists in Gaza. Some 300 miles of its vast tunnel system remain intact. They are purported to contain considerable amounts of weapons, food, and medical supplies that could easily support further fighting.

In addition, there have been multiple reports of Hamas soldiers indiscriminately and arbitrarily murdering persons of rival clans that they perceive as opponents. It claims that these clans collaborated with Israel, which is unlikely. This bloodletting is a danger to the Plan’s success. It is essential that the powers that be establish a central governing body in Gaza to stabilize and administer it. More on this later.

According to NBC News many Palestinians fear the resumption of Israel’s offensive in Gaza. They are cognizant of the fact that Netanyahu and other members of his right-wing government have said that the struggle isn’t over yet. Indeed, Netanyahu has maintained that Israel’s “campaign is not over” until Hamas’ fighting capacity has been totally destroyed. Recently, as Israeli planes carried out strikes in Lebanon, he asserted that “some of our enemies are trying to recover in order to attack us again.” Many people have interpreted those comments as a disquieting indication that the halt to the fighting in Gaza did not mean an end to the wider conflict in the region.

The NY Times correctly denoted that persuading Hamas to disarm will be difficult (an understatement in my view). Hamas has steadfastly refused to disarm, and many (including me) doubt that it will. Israel has estimated that there are as many as 18,000 Hamas fighters still at large and armed. Indeed, Hossam Badran, a member of Hamas’ political bureau, has declared that “the proposed weapons turnover is out of the question and not negotiable.” Conversely, Netanyahu has asserted that “if Hamas does not disarm there will be no further compromises,” and Trump has asserted that Hamas will disarm or “we will disarm them.”

According to the NY Post the Plan is unlikely to reduce the deep and bitter enmity between Israel and the Gazans. On the contrary the Post opines that it will exacerbate as the Israelis ascertain more details of the inhumane treatment of the hostages and as the Gazans return to their homes only to find a pile of rubble. The war has killed close to 70,000 people, according to Palestinian health officials, and most of the buildings in Gaza have been damaged or destroyed. Moreover, most of the population is still living without adequate access to food, shelter, care and other vital needs. These abhorrent conditions are not sustainable.

As I explained in my previous blog on this topic perhaps, the most problematic bone of contention is the creation of a Palestinian state alongside Israel. Support for this two-state solution has been growing internationally. Conversely, the idea is deeply unpopular among Israelis. According to a recent Pew Research Center poll only 21% of Israelis believe their country and a Palestinian state could coexist. This is the smallest percentage ever recorded since the survey commenced in 2013. Recently, when asked to opine on this issue Trump was noncommittal. He said “a lot of people like the one-state solution; some people like the two-state solution. We’ll have to see.” There is still a plethora of Muslim countries that do not recognize Israel as a country.

The rebuilding of Gaza will be an enormous task. For what it’s worth the UN has estimated that the area is covered with some 50 tons of rubble and debris that would take 30 years to remove completely. Additionally, the area is strewn with live ordnance, which must be removed for obvious reasons. It estimated the cost would be $50 billion, which will probably prove to be an understatement. Trump is expecting the various neighboring Arab nations to pony up the money, but as of yet there have been no volunteers. Furthermore, the area has suffered “brain drain” as many of the skilled and professional people have fled and are unlikely to return.

The issue of who will govern Gaza is another contentious point. The Plan calls for it to be governed initially by a “technocratic, apolitical Palestinian committee” overseen by a “Board of Peace” led by Trump and others such as former British Prime Minister Tony Blair. Some of the Arab states have suggested the Palestinian Authority. Netanyahu has declared he would “never” agree to that.

The situation is fluid and fraught with uncertainty and contradictions. For instance, according to the NY Post Iran has expressed support for terminating the “genocidal war” in Gaza but asserted it will continue to support Hamas “if Israel continues its expansionist and racial plans.” There have already been indications that the Plan is fragile and may not hold together.

Conclusion

As I said, Phase One of the Plan was a rousing success, but there is still much work to be done in order to achieve a lasting peace. For the Plan to succeed will require a considerable amount of time, money and fortitude. It will probably fall to the US to hold the current coalition together. It will be important to prevent the rise of new terrorist groups and to keep guard against outsiders who will seek to take advantage of what they perceive to be a power vacuum.

Finally, once again, one must be mindful of the lessons of history. Often, ill-advised decisions made after a war have sown the seeds for the next one. For example, during WWI the ill-conceived Balfour Declaration was intended to secure Jewish support for the Allied war effort. The declaration boosted the legitimacy of the Zionist movement and influenced the British Mandate for Palestine, leading to increased Jewish immigration and the eventual establishment of the State of Israel in 1948. Unfortunately, it was made without the consent of the majority Arab population in Palestine and came after Britain had made conflicting promises of independence to Arab leaders. This double-dealing, which many historians believe was intentional (since Britain needed both sides’ support to win the war) laid the groundwork for the ongoing Israeli-Palestinian wars that have plagued the Middle East ever since.

Also, the Allies’ harsh peace terms foisted upon Germany after WWI planted the seeds for the rise of Hitler and Nazi Party, which led to WWII.

On the positive side we should seek to emulate the success of the Marshall Plan following WWII by which the US propped up the war-torn countries of Europe which, in turn, prevented the spread of communism to those areas.

October 15, 2025 by webuiltitblog Tags: gaza, hamas, Israel, netanyahu, palestine, trump Leave a comment

PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP’S MIDDLE EAST PEACE PLAN

First, my standard disclaimer. The following blog constitutes my personal opinion, except where otherwise noted. Feel free to disagree, but to paraphrase the late Leslye Gore, “it’s my blog, and I’ll write what I want to.”

President Trump, whom some detractors unfairly and inaccurately, have labeled a “warmonger,” among many other unsavory characterizations, deserves much praise for attempting to accomplish what many, if not most, observers including me have long opined to be impossible, that is broker a lasting peace in the Middle East. He has proposed a comprehensive 20-point peace plan (the “Plan”), which, as I write this, is being negotiated between the combatants. Benjamin Netanyahu, Israel’s Prime Minister said on Saturday that he hoped to announce the release of the hostages still being held by Hamas, actually an exchange with Palestinian prisoners currently being held by Israel, “in the coming days.” According to the BBC Hamas has said it agrees to the peace plan proposals in part but has not responded to several key demands, including its disarmament and not having any future role in the governance of Gaza.

A senior Israeli security source said that initially the negotiations would focus only on the release of hostages and would give Hamas a few days to complete that phase. The 20-point plan, which has been agreed upon by Trump, Netanyahu and a plethora of other countries worldwide, proposes an immediate end to fighting and the release of 48 hostages held by Hamas, only 20 of whom are thought to still be alive, in exchange for hundreds of detained Gazans and Palestinians.

According to multiple media outlets the Plan is essentially just a framework for a potential deal. It states that within 72 hours of an agreement all remaining hostages would be released. Recently, Trump optimistically told reporters – “We have a really good chance of making a deal, and it’ll be a lasting deal.” He added that the hostages could be released “very soon,” perhaps within one week. I hope he is right, but I remain skeptical. It should be noted that Hamas is not fully onboard yet.

The Plan further stipulates that once both sides agree to the proposal “full aid will be immediately sent into the Gaza Strip.” It also states that Hamas would have no role in governing Gaza, and it leaves the door open for an eventual Palestinian state.

The BBC has cautioned that Hamas’ agreement is contingent upon certain “field conditions” being met. What does that mean? Who knows? I view that response as too vague to be meaningful. Don’t forget, the hostages are Hamas’ only bargaining chip. I want to see them freed as much as anyone, but I don’t see why Hamas would willing to release them until a deal has been signed.

JEWS FOR KAMALA

I have made this point many times during the 2024 presidential election campaign, but it bears repeating. Why in the world would any Jew who is thinking objectively and who cares about Israel and the welfare of American Jews, vote for Kamala Harris? For that matter, why would they vote for any Democrat? After all, Dem pols are supporting Harris, or at least they are reluctant to speak out in contradiction of her antipathy toward Jews. I don’t get it; it’s inane; it’s not logical.

Perhaps, it is due to habit and inertia. They’ve always voted Dem; their parents always voted Dem; so, they continue the practice without giving it serious thought or analysis. In any case the Dems have abandoned the Jews and Jewish causes. They have not been loyal to you, so you no longer owe them your loyalty. Jews need to have an open mind.

Another reason is some voters, although they agree with Trump’s policies, despise him intensely on a personal basis and refuse to vote for him under any circumstances. That is just ridiculous, inane and fatuous. If Trump were to lose the election he would, of course, be disappointed. But he would not be devastated. He would merely return to his previous life as a billionaire entrepreneur and entertainer. We, on the other hand, would be saddled with the same policies we are suffering under now. Therefore, anti-Trumpers would be “cutting off their noses to spite their face.

Perhaps, a brief review of Harris’ actions and non-actions since becoming the nominee would be helpful and appropriate.

Among her staunchest supporters is the antisemitic far left wing of the Dem Party. It’s obvious that she is afraid of offending them. This includes “Squad” Congresswomen, such as AOC (NY), Ayanna Pressley (MA), Rashida Tlaib (MI), and Ilhan Omar (MN), among others. She knows she needs their support to win, and she will need their continuing support to govern. All have repeatedly expressed antisemitic and Anti-Israel attitudes. Furthermore, Tlaib and Omar are representatives of states that are Anti-Israel hotbeds. Harris needs those states’ electoral votes to win.
Publicly, Harris (and Biden, for their policies and actions have been interchangeable) have stated that they support Israel, and it that it has the right to defend itself. (Thank you, Captain Obvious!) However, privately they have continually acted to restrict Israel’s response to the horrific October 7, 2013 sneak attacks. From the outset they have advocated “restraint” and demanded “precision” in its deployment of weaponry. It’s all right for the terrorists to attack indiscriminately, but the Israelis have to demonstrate “restraint” and “precision?” This is wholly unreasonable. What do “restraint” or “precision” even mean in this context? Also, tell me what other country in the history of the world when attacked has been urged to show “restraint?” The answer is “none.” Did the US show “restraint” after Pearl Harbor or 9/11? Of course not. But BH expected the Israelis to do so after October 7.
BH threatened to withhold arms and support if Israel got too aggressive. In my view, the purpose of this was to placate their antisemitic far left wing and also Iran.
BH and their minions objected to Netanyahu’s war strategy, so they tried to force him to resign or call for new elections. They trotted out political chameleon Chuck Schumer to give “the speech,” which I discussed in a previous blog. This type of outrageous interference in the internal workings of another sovereign government is not appropriate with respect to an ally, particularly one that is our only reliable one in the volatile and strategically crucial Middle East. Perhaps, BH need a lesson in geopolitics.
BH insisted that a member of their administration sit in on Israel’s war cabinet meetings to suggest/approve strategies.
BH continue to refuse to recognize that Iran is the root cause of the terrorism extant in the ME and take corrective action against it.
BH have blamed a “significant deterioration” in the level of aid reaching the citizens of Gaza on Israel. They threatened to withhold aid if the Israelis did not allow more humanitarian aid into Gaza.
Furthermore, they have long insisted that Israel not attack Rafah for “humanitarian reasons” even though there has been ample evidence that Hamas’ leadership was hiding there. Luckily, the IDF did not obey BH’s instructions. They attacked anyway. Douglas Murray, a columnist for the NY Post accompanied the IDF and filed an exclusive report describing the operation.
Lo and behold, a few days ago, we learned that the 10/7 mastermind, Yahya Sinwar, had been hiding in that very area. He had set up luxury accommodations for his family and him deep within the labyrinth of tunnels under the city. In his report Murray described it as a “Rafah rat’s nest.” He reported “for the past 12 months [Sinwar] had [been] scurr[ying] like a rat through the tunnels he [had] spent years building.”
In summary, he reported that the IDF found it to be well-stocked with food, medicine, and other provisions, including millions of dollars of cash that had been provided by the UN and had been earmarked for the Gazans. So, Sinwar and his family were living in relative luxury while the Gazans he and his men were supposedly “protecting” were starving. And all the while, the world had been criticizing Israel for keeping aid from the Gazans. How did he obtain all these goods? Either he stole them, or terrorist-sympathizing UN workers gave them to him. Either way, it is unconscionable.
In addition, the IDF ascertained that Hamas had been smuggling rockets, guns and other weapons through this area. Had BH been cognizant of this while they were telling the IDF to refrain from attacking this area? Who knows, but I wouldn’t put it past them. The IDF also found passports and UN IDs, which indicates that Sinwar was planning to flee, like a coward, to Egypt with assistance from the UN. This is further evidence of the UN’s sympathizing with terrorists over Israel.
This is just one of many examples of the UN’s blatant bias in regard to curbing terrorism in the ME. Another example is that since 2006 it has maintained a peacekeeping force in southern Lebanon to monitor the cease fire between Hezbollah and Israel. Recently, the NY Post reported that Hezbollah terrorists had dug a labyrinth of tunnels right under the noses of the peacekeepers which they had been utilizing to launch terror attacks in Israel. It described the UN as “worse than useless.”
Opponents of Israel have persistently accused it of “genocide” against the Palestinians in Gaza. This accusation is not only inaccurate, but also it is inflammatory and dangerous. In point of fact, the Israelis have gone out of their way to minimize casualties, even providing advance warning of attacks so civilians could vacate the area. It is the Hamas terrorists who have shown a blatant disregard for Palestinian civilians by hiding among them and in hospitals and schools. The collateral damage means nothing to them. In fact, they want it for the optics. Unfortunately, this accusation has been accepted by many people. In a recent campaign speech Harris added fuel to the fire by stating that “[genocide] is real.” That was totally irresponsible. She should know better. She said it to rile up her base for votes. Afterwards, an anonymous campaign official attempted to clean it up, but she said what she said.
As I have written in previous blogs BH have basically ignored the ongoing displays of antisemitism against American Jews. They have done nothing to deal with the violence on college campuses, nor the surging rate of crimes against Jews. They have many options. For example, they could have demanded that the college administrators deal with the matter or else lose funding. The Federal government provides a significant amount of financial aid to these universities in the form of grants. It also has the option to initiate legal action. They could have weaponized the Justice Department, Homeland Security and/or the FBI to investigate the masterminds behind the protests.
Few people, think the protesters are all “students” who just happened to organize. In fact, according to a recently published study conducted by George Washington University Iranian agents have been “funding and fueling hate” on college campuses.
It is no surprise that Harris has met several times with Imam Mohammed Ali Fahiem, who has deep ties with the Iranian regime, is vehemently antisemitic and anti-Israel, and is one of the suspected leaders of the antisemitic program against American Jews.
In addition, they have done nothing to curb the overt and covert antisemitism against Jewish citizens.

CONCLUSION

Kudos to Israel for standing its ground against BH. Otherwise, we would have never found and killed Sinwar and discovered the duplicity of Hamas, the UN, and perhaps BH. This operation dealt a damaging blow to Hamas. I have often said the quickest way to rescue the hostages is to let Israel win the war.

Rather than criticizing Israel for its war strategy it should be admired for its determination to eradicate Hamas, Hezbollah, the Houthis, and the rest of its enemies once and for all. In a sense it is fighting this war for all of us. Iran and the terrorists have been clear that they hate all “non-believers.” That includes all of us. If they were to succeed in annihilating Israel, they would not stop their aggression. Have we not learned anything from history?

Thankfully, there have been signs that the message is resonating with Jews. According to a recent poll by the Manhattan Institute Jewish support for Dems has been deteriorating. Currently, it is at 67%, which is the lowest in 40 years. By comparison 80% of Jews voted for Bill Clinton in 1992. The same poll reported that 86% of Jews supported Israel. Their chief complaint, according to Jesse Arm, chief of staff at the Institute was the Dem Party’s “tolerance” of the extreme criticism being levelled against Israel, notably calling it “genocidal.”

Anti-Trumpers, wake up. As I said above if you vote for Harris just because you hate Trump personally, you would onlybe hurting yourselves.

October 21, 2024 by webuiltitblog Tags: 2024-presidential-election, gaza, hamas, Israel, joe-biden, kamala-harris, politics, why-should-jews-support-harris 1 Comment

ISRAEL-HAMAS WAR – DEAL OR NO DEAL

I will spare you the suspense. The answer is NO DEAL.

Since the advent of the Israel-Hamas war the Biden-Harris Administration has been pushing for a cease fire followed by a negotiated peace between Israel and Hamas with a two-state solution. At a cursory glance, this may sound like a reasonable resolution as it would, in theory, free the hostages and stop the killing. However, anyone who understands the root causes of the war and the motivations of Iran, Hamas and the other terrorist groups, such as Hezbollah and the Houthis, would realize this is a pipedream. It was doomed from the start. It will never happen. Neither side is motivated to negotiate a peace at the present time, and neither side is in favor of a two-state solution. I will explain below.

In order to comprehend the current mindset of the combatants one must understand the history of the area. Briefly, Muslims and Jews have been fighting over the ME for thousands of years. Each has what it believes is a legitimate claim to the area. Each side considers Jerusalem and the surrounding area to be central and indispensable to its religion. Each refers to the area as The Holy Land. In my opinion, throughout history religion has been one of the most frequent (if not the most frequent) causes of wars.

Israel has been in a constant state of war since even before its founding in 1948. At one time or another it has fought against all of the Arab states in the ME, some of them multiple times, often fighting several states at once. Moreover, it has been a frequent victim of terrorist attacks. Try to imagine what it’s like to live in a constant state of war.

The Arabs’ objective has always been and still is to drive the Jews out of the area, better yet to wipe them out. That is part of Hamas’ charter. Israel’s objective is merely to survive. So far, Israel has won every war despite the heavy odds against it. It fights with a sense of desperation and determination since it knows it cannot afford to lose even one war.

At this point it realizes as do many of us that it must eliminate Hamas entirely as a threat. Otherwise, history tells that prospectively there will another attack, and another, and another, until one time the Arabs will win. If that were to happen Israel would be destroyed. So, Israel is fighting for its very survival. Each side wants total victory. Neither side wants a negotiated peace that will fall short of its objective.

The US has always been a staunch ally of Israel and vice a versa since 1948. They have developed and maintained a symbiotic relationship. The US’s support is vital to Israel’s survival, and Israel has been the US’s only reliable ally in the volatile and strategically critical ME. This goes for every Administration, whether Republican or Democrat, whether liberal or conservative. Every Administration, that is, until now.

BH either don’t understand this or are choosing to ignore it for political reasons. BH have tried to undermine Israel’s war effort from the inception. For example:

Despite the horrific attacks on October 7, they have urged Israel to use “restraint” ignoring the basic tenant that as the attacked country Israel has a right, duty and obligation to retaliate in any manner it sees fit.
They have slow-walked or even withheld aid.
When Israel retaliated in force as any country would they tried to undermine Prime Minister Netanyahu. They even advocated that he resign.
Many considered these actions and others to be blatant and unwarranted interference in the internal affairs of an ally.
By refusing to reinstate the economic sanctions against Iran they have enabled it to continue to wreak havoc in several parts of the world. In fact, it can be argued that presently Iran is the nexus of instability in the world. (a) It is supporting Hamas, Hezbollah, and the Houthis politically, militarily and financially. In addition to Hamas’ attack, Hezbollah has fired some 7,500 rockets at Israel during the war. (Israel retaliated in a small, but clever, way by the “exploding pagers” caper that killed and wounded several Hezbollah terrorists and unfortunately some civilians.) The Houthis have been causing unrest in Yemen. (b) It has been aiding for Russia in its war against Ukraine. (c) It is probably funding all the anti-Israel, antisemitic protests in the US. (d) It is likely engaging in election interference in the 2024 presidential election. It wants Harris to beat Trump because it knows she will be a “soft touch,” whereas Trump will likely reinstate sanctions and curtail its influence in the world. To that end it has hacked the Trump campaign’s website, provided confidential election material to Harris’ campaign, and possibly has been attempting to assassinate Trump.
The White House has been pressuring Israel to accept a series of flawed cease fire and peace deals in order to, it claims, secure the return of the hostages and save military and civilian lives. Everyone agrees with those goals, but the details of each of those deals were extremely disadvantageous to Israel. For example, they would have allowed Iran to continue its destabilizing activities and would have enabled Hamas to retain its fighting capabilities and its leadership, which would have virtually guaranteed another war at some point. Thus, these flawed deals may have forged a temporary peace, but they would not have constituted a permanent solution.
It is clear to me and many others that these actions were politically motivated. It is an election year, and a sizeable section of the Dem Party is pro-Hamas/anti-Israel/antisemitic. BH are trying to placate those people to win an election regardless of the consequences. They are trying to walk a fine line by paying lip service to Israel and its supporters without losing the support of these radicals.

Conclusion

As I said above, any peace deal that includes a two-state solution is dead on arrival. Neither side is in favor of it. The Israelis want to finish off Hamas as an effective fighting force. Hamas wants to annihilate Israel and all the Jews. It wants all the land “from the river to the sea.” That is their mantra. I say, take them at their word.

BH are either not cognizant of that fact or refuse to acknowledge it. Their ill-conceived, ill-advised policies have prolonged the war and will end up costing more lives. Furthermore, they refuse to comprehend that Iran is the primary instigator of instability in the region and the world at large. They will have to deal with Iran one way or another before any lasting, meaningful peace can be achieved.

So far, this has been another failed BH policy, one of many. It reminds me of that familiar disparaging expression, “everything they touch turns to s**t.”

Many Jews may hate Trump for various reasons, which have been well-chronicled. But one thing is for certain. Right now, he is the best friend Israel has, and its survival may hinge on his winning the election.

September 24, 2024 by webuiltitblog Tags: 2024-election, biden, hamas, harris, Iran, Israel, israel-hamas-war, lebanon, trump, two-state-solution Leave a comment

KAMALA AND ISRAEL

Kackling Kamala(“KK”) is trying to walk a fine line with respect to the Israel-Hamas War. On one hand, she is offering disingenuous platitudes in support of Israel to try to convince it and the Jewish portion of the electorate that she backs our ally and is not antisemitic. In that vein she has told the story that as a child she helped raise money to plant a tree in Israel. (Even if that is true, and the likelihood is that it is a Bidenesque tall tale, it does not have any relevance to her positions today.) On the other hand, she is trying to convince the pro-Palestinian, antisemitic portion of the electorate that she supports them. Biden had been pursuing this two-faced, dichotomous approach, and it did not work for him. Both sides saw right through it and criticized him for it.

Neither side is happy. Pro-Palestinian voters in Minnesota have criticized what they perceive as her lukewarm support. They have made it abundantly clear that they want nothing less than for the US to withdraw its support for Israel entirely and support Hamas unequivocally. Also, a sizeable chunk of Dems in Michigan expressed their displeasure by voting “uncommitted” in the 2024 primary rather than voting for Biden. I don’t think this vacillating approach will work for KK either.

Jews, do not be deceived by KK’s current utterings. She has a long record of antisemitism and support for extreme Palestinians. As with everything else, she says one thing but does another. Her actions speak louder than her words. For example:

She has continually demonstrated empathy and support for Palestinian rioters, such as those who occupied college campuses earlier this year. She minimized or overlooked that they committed various crimes, such as assault on Jewish students, breaking, entering and occupying university buildings, and harassing Jewish students with hateful antisemitic slogans and signs.
She has been and is in compete lockstep with Biden and the Dems tepid support for Israel in its war with Hamas. In the immediate aftermath of Hamas’ unprovoked terrorist attacks on October 7, they first tried to dissuade Israel from retaliating at all. When that didn’t work, they tried to get Israel to “show restraint” in its response. That was absurd on its face. Name one other instance in the history of the world in which a country that had been attacked was urged to show restraint. For instance, did the US show restraint after Pearl Harbor or 9/11? Then, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, aka “The Chameleon,” gave a speech in which he urged Israel to force out Netanyahu and hold new elections. Such interference in the internal workings of another sovereign nation is traditionally reserved for “banana republics,” not an ally.
Last week KK “dissed” Israel’s President Benjamin Netanyahu by not attending his speech before Congress. Not only did she disrespect Netanyahu, but also Israel, our staunchest and most dependable ally in the ME and Jews, in general, as well. Her feeble excuse was that she had to attend a previously-scheduled speech at a college sorority. That snub was consistent with the Dem Party’s policy of criticizing Netanyahu rather than Israel itself in the hope that it will prevent or at least minimize Jews’ defecting to the GOP. I think and hope most Jews will see that for what it is, code for antisemitism. Several Republicans sharply criticized this obvious snub. Texas Governor Greg Abbott’s comment that this “made it clear that Harris stands with the woke antisemitic members of her party” was a typical example. She even drew criticism from some Dems. One, speaking anonymously in fear of retaliation, said “it makes zero sense that for our most important ally [in the ME] she’s skipping out on the speech.” The representative added “a bunch of us have [made] calls [to her office] saying, ‘what are you doing.'” Later, she tried to mend fences by meeting with Netanyahu privately, but in my view that was just for optics and too little, too late. Again, actions spoke louder than words.
Recently, she offered a weak statement of support for Israel, proclaiming “Israel has a right to defend itself.” Well, duh. That was a typical KK non-sequitur. Of course, any country has that right. Rather than meaningless words how about some action such as sending needed weapons that Israel keeps on requesting.
She has continually expressed sympathy for the plight of Gazan civilians. While it’s unfortunately true that many have been murdered and have been deprived of necessities like food, medicine and shelter that is primarily the fault of Hamas, not Israel. It was Hamas that started the war. It is Hamas that is stealing much of the aid being supplied by the Red Cross and others, and it is Hamas that has been using civilians as human shields. War is hell. In all wars throughout history civilians have been caught in the middle. They have been dispossessed, robbed, raped, enslaved and murdered. It is a sad fact, but it’s true. As anyone who has fought in a war will tell you that’s the very nature of war. It’s why we say, “war is hell.” In this case, I would like to denote that Israel has gone overboard to minimize civilian casualties.
A few days ago, Hezbollah launched a rocket attack on a Druze village that borders on Lebanon. A dozen young children were killed while playing soccer. How about expressing sympathy, condemnation and outrage regarding that. As I write this, I have not heard a peep from KK.

CONCLUSION

This entire debacle is a prime example of cause and effect. Biden’s ME policies have been the cause, and the effect is what we see now. KK fully endorses those policies, and her comments and actions as delineated above have not been helpful. In actuality, they have served to encourage Hamas to keep holding the hostages and keep fighting and have extended the war. It’s clear to objective observers that her motives are disingenuous. In reality, she’s trying to placate the radical, antisemitic left wing of her party for political reasons, for votes in the upcoming election.

Israel is embroiled in an existential battle against enemies that have vowed to exterminate it as evidenced by their mantra “from the river to the sea.” They have consistently proclaimed they don’t want a two-state solution. They want a one-state solution. Theirs. Their desire to negotiate a cease fire is just a ploy to stop Israel from destroying them. When they feel the time is right, they will attack again. This is what they have always done.

Israel’s entire history has been characterized by a series of wars and terrorist attacks. All of them have been started by their enemies. If they don’t finish the job this time by destroying Hamas and Hezbollah entirely there will just be another war, and another, and another. Ultimately, it will cost more lives and treasure. I say to KK. Just get out of the way, and let Israel do what it has to do to finish the job.

One final comment. Let’s not forget that Iran has been sponsoring all these terrorist groups. Also, let’s not forget the root cause of all the terrorist attacks that have plagued the region in the last 3 1/2 years. Iran has been able to fund the various terrorist groups because Biden, in one of his more fatuous decisions, stopped domestic drilling for oil and ended the embargoes that Trump had put in place, which has allowed Iran to make a fortune selling its oil and use those funds to sponsor terrorism in the region.

Cause and effect.

July 30, 2024 by webuiltitblog Tags: 2024-election, biden, gaza, hamas, harris, Israel, palestine, politics Leave a comment

BIDEN’S SHAM SUPPORT OF ISRAEL

President Biden has continued to reiterate that the US’s support of Israel in its war with Hamas is “iron clad.” However, his actions have consistently belied that statement. More on this later.

This disparity between what he says and what he does has been a continuing characteristic of his entire 50-year tenure as president, vice president and congressman. For example: (1) He claims to be a supporter of the working class, yet one of his first actions as president was to halt the construction of the Keystone Pipeline, which destroyed the livelihood of thousands of blue-collar workers. (2) He has continually supported raising taxes on the middle class. (3) His policies have fomented inflation, which has crippled the spending power of the middle class. (4) He has professed to be a friend and ally of African Americans (“If you don’t vote for me you ain’t black.”), yet he was buddies with segregationists like former senators Robert Byrd and Strom Thurmond, and he strenuously opposed busing saying he didn’t want his children to be educated in a “racial jungle.” (5) He was a co-sponsor of the 1994 crime bill, which resulted in a huge increase in the incarceration of blacks. (6) With respect to his foreign policies who can forget his, abrupt, ill-conceived and botched withdrawal from Afghanistan, which led to the abandonment of hundreds of Americans and Afghani allies, who were then likely hunted down and tortured. I could continue, but you get the point. Throughout his career Biden has demonstrated that rather than being loyal to his political convictions he will do anything for political benefit. His mendacity knows no bounds.

Which brings us to the current situation regarding Israel. Since the advent of the current Israel-Hamas war Biden has been playing both sides against the middle, so to speak. Despite what he has said, his support for Israel has been far from “iron clad.” First, he urged Israel not to retaliate. That had never happened before in the entire history of the world. If a country is attacked, they hit back, pure and simple.

Then he advocated a two-state solution, which, by the way, neither Israel nor Hamas wants. Hamas has repeatedly stated its goal is to destroy Israel, wipe it and all Jews out. Its slogan “from the river to the sea” makes that clear. Israel, for its part, realizes that it will never have a meaningful peace until and unless it totally destroys Hamas. Otherwise, Hamas will simply resurrect itself as it has before, and the fighting will recur again and again.

Peace advocates keep pushing for a cease fire and hostage release. A cease fire would only provide a temporary respite. Sooner or later Hamas would break it, and fighting would recommence. I view it as just a stalling tactic to give Hamas time to reorganize and rearm. Also, I hate to say it but after all this time who knows how many unreturned hostages are even still alive. I say, let Israel finish the job.

When Israel ignored Biden’s “don’t” warning, Biden threatened to withhold aid. Moreover, he directed, or at least influenced, the “Chameleon” to give “THE SPEECH.” Such meddling in the affairs of an ally can only be interpreted as a huge “slap in the face.” Israel, as is its wont, has refused to be intimidated, and has prosecuted the war on its own terms albeit in as humanitarian a manner as possible.

At the present time, it has commenced operations against Hamas in Southern Gaza, Hamas’ last stronghold, and Biden has reacted by withholding the shipment of war material that Congress had previously approved. This is outrageous! As a further slap in the face he announced this on Holocaust Remembrance Day, a day that commemorates the Nazis’ genocide of six million Jews during WWII. Talk about tone deaf!

Congressional leaders are viewing this as a blatant usurpation of its authority, and they are none too pleased. Remember, Congress controls the purse strings. I expect them to retaliate at some time in some way, which would cause additional chaos in the Biden Administration.

Many observers are maintaining that this action is clearly signaling that Biden wants to prevent Israel from finishing the job. That could be true, but it is a fatuous course of action and makes no sense. Israel is our only reliable ally in the dangerous, mercurial and strategically critical ME, while Hamas is a terrorist organization, which would destroy us if it could. I believe his motivation is to placate the far-left radicals in his party, who have been revolting against his ME policy. It’s an election year, and he needs their support. It really is as simple as that. Political expediency trumps what’s right.

These radicals are fueling the riots with their rhetoric and their money. There have been multiple reports in the media that the rioters are being bankrolled by many of the same groups that have contributed to Biden’s campaign. I believe the college riots are just the appetizer. The Dem convention may be the main course. Remember the 1968 convention also in Chicago? Those riots may have cost the Dems the presidential election.

CONCLUSION

So, let’s be clear. All these actions to hamstring Israel’s war effort are designed to garner votes. Biden’s loyalty to Jews, like his loyalty to Blacks and Hispanics, is proving to be transitory. Political expediency is trumping what’s right.

Everyone claims they want peace. Don’t they realize that the only way to achieve peace is for Israel to win the war decisively and totally. Any half-assed cease fire will just kick the can down the road. In addition, every action to restrict Israel only serves to encourage Hamas to continue to fight thus prolonging the war. In summary, Biden’s attempt to please everyone has, in fact, pleased no one.

May 7, 2024 by webuiltitblog Tags: biden, hamas, Israel, politics Leave a comment

ANARCHY AND ANTI-SEMITISM ON COLLEGE CAMPUSES

The anarchy we have been witnessing on college campuses is not merely about antisemitism. It is not merely about Israel. It is not merely about the Palestinians. It is not merely about the war in Gaza. It may have begun as such. But it has metastasized into a war on America itself. The anarchists are flat-out announcing their evil and sinister intent by displaying signs with words such as “death to America.”

Yes, these anarchists, for that is what they are, are out to destroy America, itself. They are not “demonstrators.” They are not “protesters.” Those characterizations are way too benign and grossly misleading. They are criminals and anarchists pure and simple. They have trespassed on school and city property; they have threatened students, primarily but not exclusively Jews, and have prevented them from attending classes. Just listen to the chants “death to America” and “we are Hamas.” That tells you all you need to know, and we’d best pay attention. This is not just about Jews, Israel, the Palestinians, or the hostages. Their aim is broader and more sinister. It is to destroy America, itself.

One thing we should have learned about Hamas, Hezbollah and all the other radical Muslim terrorist groups by now. Their hatred is not limited to just Jews. They also hate Christians, Blacks, Hispanics, women, gays and anyone else who is not a “true believer,” even Muslims that are not of their particular sect. Wikipedia lists seven different Muslim sects – Sunni, Shia, Wahabi, Salafi, Berelvi, Sufi and Deobandi. Each one hates all the others, and they have been at each other’s throats for centuries.

If the terrorists get the chance, they will slaughter all of us. Non-Jews beware and heed the famous words of Martin Niemöller who was a prominent Lutheran pastor in Germany in the 1920s and early 1930s. His famous quote regarding the Nazis was true then, and it is still true today regarding radical Muslim terrorists.

“First, they came for the communists, and I did not speak out because I was not a communist. Then, they came for the socialists, and I did not speak out because I was not a socialist. Then, they came for the trade unionists, and I did not speak out, because I was not a trade unionist. Then, they came for the Jews,
and I did not speak out, because I was not a Jew. Then, they came for me, and there was no one left to speak out for me.”

These riots are not spontaneous. They are well-planned and well-coordinated through social media. Many of the rioters are not even students. We know this because many of those arrested have produced identification that shows they are in their mid or late 20s. It may have started as a student protest, but it has been hijacked by anarchists, and the authorities need to treat them as such. The truth of the matter is that we have no idea who most of them are. We don’t even know if some of them are even US citizens. Some of them are likely illegals who crossed the open southern border; some of them could very likely be foreign-based agitators looking to foment trouble. We need to stop treating them as misguided, misinformed, rowdy students.

Where are our leaders? Where are the presidents of these universities? Moreover, where are our elected leaders – President Biden, Governor Hochul, Mayor Adams, and Chuck (the “”Chameleon”) Schumer to name a few? None of them has taken any effective action. To my knowledge, none has even condemned the riots.

Biden refuses even to address the matter. He wouldn’t even answer a question about it at his last press conference. He seems oblivious to the entire matter. It makes me wonder if in his cognitively-challenged state he even knows about the riots. In my view, Biden’s lack of attention to these riots is not an anomaly. It is eerily consistent with his ignoring the loss of American lives resulting from his hasty, ill-advised withdrawal from Afghanistan, his lack of empathy for all those murdered by illegal aliens, his ignoring the East Palestine tragedy for a whole year, his failure to empathize with the families of slain police officers, and many other tragedies.

Hochul and Adams have been nowhere to be found. They appear to be overwhelmed and incapable. The worst, however, is the Chameleon. It is one thing for the others to exhibit a lack of support and empathy for Israel and the Jews, in general. But Schumer is Jewish, and he represents a heavily Jewish constituency. Moreover, he is the Senate Majority Leader, one of the highest-ranking politicians in the country. He has enormous influence. Unfortunately, all we have gotten from him are empty platitudes and “The Speech.” Frankly, his attitude disgusts me. I wrote a whole blog about him a few weeks ago, and I don’t want to waste any more time and space on him at the present time. (Full disclosure – some governors, notably Governor Abbott in Texas and Governor DeSantis in Florida, have taken effective action, but they have been the exceptions.)

It is clear to me that the Dems are trying to walk a fine line to avoid offending the radical left wing of the Dem Party in an election year. They are willing to sacrifice America and Israel, our one reliable ally in the volatile and strategically critical ME to win an election. So far, that strategy has been backfiring as they have been offending all sides. All of them have shown a total lack of leadership at a time when we need it desperately. Instead of addressing the matter, they waste time, energy and money trying Donald Trump on bogus, politically-motivated matters. The longer they sit on their hands and ignore the problem the worse it will get.

Conclusion

For those of us who know our history these riots are eerily similar to those in Germany in the 1930s. Those, too, were ignored, and we all know how that turned out.

So, what can we do? What should we do?

In no particular order, I advise the following initial actions:

Prompt decisive action.
Biden and Congress should express clear, unequivocable support for Israel and condemn the rioters’ actions.
Biden should reiterate that the State Department has designated Hamas as a terrorist organization, and anyone who claims to be a supporter, or worse, a member will be prosecuted. If they are a student, their school will suspend and/or expel them. If they are here on a visa or illegally they will be deported.
The federal government has the hammer. It should use it. If these riots were aimed at any other group – Blacks, Hispanics, women, or gays, for example, the government would have cracked down immediately. But with respect to Jews, it doesn’t seem to care.
The governors should consider utilizing state troops to restore order.
Donors should strongly consider cancelling further donations (as a few have done already).
Pressure should be brought on the presidents of these universities to resign immediately.
Schools should investigate whether radical tenured professors who support terrorist groups can be terminated for cause.
Perhaps, schools could require all students to view a tape of the October 7 massacre and even the concentration camps of the Holocaust in order to gain an appreciation of the horror of those events and gain some perspective.
Parents don’t get a free pass either. Any self-respecting parent whose kid is spouting such hateful antisemitic garbage should be horrified. I don’t think they raised their kids that way; at least, I hope not. Also, they should reconsider if they want to continue to pay hundreds of thousands of dollars for these universities to “educate” their kids.

The deterioration of America’s social and moral fabric as exhibited by these riots is most shocking to me. Our college-age kids may be well educated, but many of them are ignorant of history, are devoid of common sense and a sense of right and wrong, have a distorted view of current events, and are easily manipulated by social media and radical professors. It should be shocking to you as well. We’re talking about America’s future leaders. I hope and pray that it is not too late to repair the damage.

April 25, 2024 by webuiltitblog Tags: antisemitism, donald-trump, hamas, Israel, joe-biden, palestine, politics Leave a comment

IRAN’S BLATANT ATTACK ON ISRAEL

Once again, the powder keg that we call the Middle East is in danger of exploding. Unfortunately, this seems to recur every few years. Israel has been in a virtually constant state of war ever since its founding in 1948. Many observers are fearful that this situation could easily morph into a wider war, or even WWWIII. Before you scoff at that remember your history. WWI commenced following the assassination of one man, Austrian Archduke Franz Ferdinand by a deranged Slav activist named Gavrilo Princip. That set off a chain of events that culminated in WWI. It doesn’t take much to light a powder keg. To illustrate the gravity of the situation President Biden took the unusual step of interrupting his vacation on the beach to return to DC to deal with it.

The following comments are based on multiple news reports unless stated otherwise. The situation is very fluid, and by the time you read this it may very well have changed.

Normally, Iran has attacked Israel indirectly through various proxies such as Lebanon, Syria, Hamas and Hezbollah that it supports through financing, training or other means. This time Iran launched a massive direct attack of some 300 drones and rockets. Incredibly, Israel with some help from the US, UK and Jordan managed to thwart the attack destroying 99% of them. Israel employed its Iron Dome defense system and also a new defense system it called “David’s Sling.” As I write this the only reported casualty was a seven-year-old girl.

Many Israelis and Jews the world over are very concerned by the possible ramifications of Iran’s blatant attack. Why did Iran do it? Why did it attack Israel directly instead of employing proxies as it has normally done? The ruling mullahs had to know Israel would likely retaliate against them. They had to know that their attack could very easily set off a chain of events that would culminate in a much broader war involving multiple nations.

In the wake of the attack many analysts have posited the opinion that Iran sensed weakness in the Biden Administration and the US’s resolve to support Israel and it determined to seize on the opportunity to attack. One strong possibility was that Iran was emboldened by Biden’s recent well-publicized criticisms of Israel and Prime Minister Netanyahu. Indeed, he has been pressuring Israel to show “restraint” in retaliating against Hamas in Gaza; he has called for Netanyahu to resign; he has threatened to withhold aid; and he has threatened to reassess the US’s staunch support for Israel. Moreover, Biden has continually shown weakness in foreign policy, in general, since he has been in office. From Iran’s point of view, it would be reasonable that there would be no significant consequences for the attack. Indeed, speaking on ABC’s Good Morning America National Security Council spokesman John Kirby cautioned that a response “could result in the conflict spreading,” the implication being that Israel should just let it go. Biden was less discrete saying that Israel should just be satisfied that 99% of the drones and rockets were shot down and “take the win.” I guess the Iranian rulers were not deterred by Biden’s simplistic, vague and inane warning of “don’t.” Finally, you know that our other enemies, Russia, China and North Korea, are paying close attention to developments and re-assessing their own foreign policies.

As reported by Mark Dubowitz and Behnam Ben Teleblu in the NY Post Iran is claiming that the attack was in retaliation for Israel’s recent bombing attack, which killed several senior Hamas officials including General Mohammad Reza Zahedi who reputedly played a significant role in the planning and execution of the October 7 terror attacks. Of course, that is a specious argument as that bombing was, itself, in retaliation for those attacks. Afterwards, Iran warned Israel against any “reckless behavior” in retaliation vowing it would engender a much more robust response. Regardless, Iran has left itself open to a significant retaliatory attack. Israel would have a plethora of rich targets to choose from including Iran’s oil refineries and nuclear bomb facilities.

Following the attack Israel’s war cabinet met immediately to discuss how to respond. Ominously, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu assured that Israel had been prepared for such an attack and vowed it would “respond accordingly.” War Cabinet Minister Benny Gantz asserted that Israel “would take the actions [against Iran] that it deems appropriate [and] exact the price from Iran in the fashion and timing that is right for us.” It’s safe to assume that Israel will brook no interference from the US, the UN, or anyone else.

Israel has few friends in the world, and it will need the unwavering support of the US to survive this war. In view of the current lukewarm relationship between Israel and the US it is appropriate to wonder how strongly the US will support Israel. In my opinion, such concern is warranted. True, President Biden has assured that the US’s support for Israel is “ironclad.” But wait, isn’t that the same Joe Biden who abandoned hundreds of Americans and Afghanis who had supported us for years at great personal risk to an uncertain fate due to his ill-advised and ill-timed withdrawal of US troops from Afghanistan? Isn’t that the same Joe Biden who has been assuring us for three plus years that the southern border is secure when anyone with two eyes can see evidence daily that it is not? Isn’t that the same Joe Biden that has been assuring us that inflation is under control when a quick trip to the grocery store or the gas station tells you it is not? Isn’t that the same Joe Biden who brags about his modest working-class roots in Scranton but yet has managed to accumulate a published net worth in excess of $10 million, excluding any surreptitious payments from foreign governments for access and favors, even though he has never held a job outside of government service? Of course it is. Biden is well known for saying one thing and doing another. Furthermore, Biden’s recent lukewarm, wishy-washy, often contentious attitude toward Israel would suggest his support for Israel will be far from “ironclad.”

Meanwhile, in other developments:

In various US cities “activists” cheered and celebrated after learning that Iran had launched the attack on Israel.
Despite Iran’s claim that the attack was a “retaliation” the IDF views it as a desire to “escalate” the ongoing conflict.
Various media outlets in the US and elsewhere published scathing criticisms of Biden’s “timid” policy toward Iran and mocked his ineffectual “don’t” admonitions to Iran.
Campaigning in PA former President Trump attributed Iran’s attack to the US having shown “great weakness,” and it “should not have happened” and “wouldn’t have [if he were president]”. Many would agree.
In the US and elsewhere groups of “activists “have been taking to the streets disrupting traffic brandishing flags of Iran, Hamas and Hezbollah while burning the American flag and chanting death to America, death to Israel, and death to Jews. More on this later.
Some commentators predicted that oil prices would “surge,” the extent of which would depend on how long and how extensive the fighting turns out to be.
Appearing on Sunday Morning Futures John Ratcliffe, former Director of National Intelligence, delineated an extensive list of Biden’s “blunders” with respect to relations with Iran and opined that the US’s “fractured” relationship with Israel emboldened Iran to launch its attack. Many other commentators have expressed similar thoughts.
Israel has augmented its forces in southern Gaza, which many believe is an indication it will attack Rafah. Located on the border with Egypt Rafah is Hamas’ last refuge in Gaza. In addition, it houses an estimated one million displaced Palestinian non-combatants. Biden has advised Israel “don’t,” but Israel is not inclined to heed his advice. According to today’s NY Post an attack is “imminent.” As always, Israel will do its utmost to minimize civilian casualties, and as always it will be severely criticized if there is but one.
Appearing on CNN PA Senator John Fetterman, a Democrat, strongly disagreed with Biden’s statement that the US would not participate in any offensive operations against Iran. He added that he would never “capitulate to the fringe” of the Dem party, as Biden has.
Appearing on Fox News Sunday John Kirby called on China to help “de-escalate” tensions in the ME. Good luck with that.

So, what can the US do? Biden convened a meeting of the G7 to examine diplomatic solutions. Fine as far as it goes, but I don’t have much faith that diplomacy, by itself, will resolve this situation. Additionally, the Wall Street Journal reported that he moved two destroyers to the region as a deterrent.

Short of war, which no one wants, the best course of action would be to reinstitute sanctions. Put together a consortium of nations. Strangle Iran financially. Freeze the $10 billion of its money that Biden has unfrozen. Convince other countries to cease importing Iran’s oil. We could even resume domestic drilling (not likely). Fighting wars takes money, lots of it. If Iran doesn’t have money, it can’t finance war or even terror activities. Passing an aid package would be a good idea, but so far Congress has been unable to do so. Typically, each party is blaming the other for that.

Conclusion

In his foreign policy regarding Israel Biden has continually tried to walk a tightrope worthy of the Flying Wallendas’ circus act. He is trying to please both Jewish voters and the far-left radicals in his party. So far, he has pleased neither. With typical lack of clarity and decisiveness, which has characterized his entire foreign policy, Biden recently made two contradictory statements regarding support for Israel. On the one hand, he reaffirmed the US’s “ironclad commitment” to Israel, but then as reported by CNN he also informed Israel that the US would not participate in any “offensive” actions against Iran. Huh?

As the expression goes, “actions speak louder than words.” As I said above, Biden consistently says one thing then does another. His mendacity knows no bounds. He is willing to sell out Israel, a staunch and reliable ally and the only one in the ME, in order to win an election. According to the polls his support among Blacks and Hispanics has been sharply declining, and in my view, he is kowtowing to the far left because he is terrified he will lose their support as well and hence the election.

These people he is courting are despicable. They are antisemitic and anti-American. Many of them are not even citizens. They are here on work visas or college visas or perhaps illegally. They are guests in the US and have no right to chant “death to America.” In my opinion they should all be deported. If Biden really truly intends to support Israel, he needs to communicate that to Iran clearly, decisively and definitively and above all act like it. I wouldn’t hold my breath waiting for that.

April 16, 2024 by webuiltitblog Tags: antisemitism, biden, hamas, Iran, Israel, middle-east, news, trump Leave a comment

CHUCK SCHUMER – POLITICAL CHAMELEON

Chuck Schumer has been a strong supporter of Israel for all of his nearly 50-year career in public service – until last week. Now, I sense that his formerly strong support of Israel has waned. Furthermore, he has not been as supportive of American Jews as he should be in light of the recent plethora of antisemitic incidents in our schools and in general. He has not condemned, criticized, or even commented. His silence has been most disappointing as he is in a unique position. Many Jews feel he should be more outspoken. What has caused this seminal change? See below for my opinion.

In my view, Chuck Schumer is the consummate politician, and I don’t mean that as a compliment. He epitomizes what I always say about politicians: their best abilities are to get elected and to get re-elected. He sees the seismic shift in the Dem Party to the left on major issues, plus away from Israel, and toward antisemitism that we all see, and he is reacting to it. Sure, he could stick to his guns and resist the trend. He could continue to espouse unwavering support for Israel, but the politician in him won’t permit him to do it. His overriding instinct of preserving his Senate seat against a possible primary challenge in 2028 won’t permit it (even though four years is a lifetime in politics). Moreover, his desire to maintain his Majority Leadership position in the Senate won’t permit it. And so, we have “THE SPEECH.”

Schumer began his political career in the NY State assembly in 1975. In 1981 he was elected to the House of Representatives. In 1998 he was elected to the US Senate. Currently, he is serving his 5th term, which makes him the longest-serving senator ever from NY. He has worked his way up to the very influential post of Senate Majority Leader.

For most of his career Schumer has been a staunch and outspoken supporter of Israel. This was understandable since he is Jewish, and he has represented a heavily Jewish constituency.

For instance:

In 1994, Schumer joined the Anti-Defamation League and the American Jewish Congress in a campaign to petition the IRS to revoke the tax-exempt status of the Palestinian-American charity the Holy Land Foundation, which by the time it was shut down in 2001 was the largest Muslim charity in the US.
In June 2010, while speaking at an Orthodox Union event in Washington D.C., Schumer expressed support for Israel’s blockade of the Gaza Strip, which was then a controversial topic. He buttressed his position by denoting statistics to demonstrate that the Palestinian citizens of the West Bank were experiencing “economic prosperity”, crediting this to their government’s cooperation with the Israeli government on combating various terrorist groups.
When the Palestinian citizens of the Gaza Strip voted to be governed by Hamas he advocated for Israel to “strangle them economically until they see that’s not the way to go,” while also stating that Israel should continue providing “humanitarian aid” to Palestinian civilians.
He has steadfastly supported Israel in its various conflicts involving others in Gaza and elsewhere. He defended the Israeli blockade of the Gaza Strip in 2007 as being justified not only because it kept weapons out of the Palestinian territory, but also because it showed the Palestinians living there that “when there’s some moderation and cooperation, they can have an economic advancement.”
In May 2017, Schumer co-sponsored the Israel Anti-Boycott Act, Senate Bill 720, which made it a federal crime, punishable by a maximum sentence of 20 years imprisonment, for Americans to encourage or participate in boycotts against Israel and Israeli settlements in the occupied Palestinian territories if protesting actions by the Israeli government.
In May 2018, Schumer praised Trump for opening the U.S. embassy in Jerusalem, saying, “I sponsored legislation to do this two decades ago, and I applaud President Trump for doing it.”
In the past he has frequently criticized the Palestinians for opposing a Jewish state or even a two-state solution, although presently he appears to be supporting the Biden Administration’s party line of a two-state solution.
Schumer was a co-sponsor of a Senate resolution expressing objection to the UN Security Council Resolution 2334, which condemned Israeli settlement-building in the occupied Palestinian territories as a violation of international law.

The US and Israel have been strong allies since Israel’s inception. Some of you students of history may recall that the US under President Harry Truman was the first country to recognize the State of Israel a mere eleven hours after it declared its independence. Over the years through Administration after Administration both Republican and Democrat, both liberal and conservative, the US and Israel have forged and maintained a symbiotic relationship that has worked out very well for both countries. The US has realized that Israel is its only reliable ally in the dangerous, mercurial and strategically critical Middle East, and Israel has realized that the US is its only staunch and powerful defender in an otherwise very hostile world.

Unfortunately, it appears clear to me that the US’s support has grown tepid in the last few years. It began in the Obama Administration, and the trend has accelerated under the Biden Administration. Both Biden and his administration have exhibited anti-Israel and pro-Iran and Hamas attitudes, particularly with respect to the aftermath of the October 7 terrorist attacks. More on that later.

Prime Minister Netanyahu has long had a contentious relationship with certain US presidential administrations. Most notably, I recall President Obama declined to invite him to the White House during his 2015 visit to the US in March 2015 to address Congress. Obama’s excuse was that it was policy not to meet so close to an election, but many interpreted it as a snub.

The Netanyahu-US relationship has deteriorated significantly following Hamas’ terror attack of October 7. Briefly, the Biden Administration has been pressuring Israel to exercise “restraint.” It has been pressuring Israel not to retaliate militarily. It favors negotiation and cease fires. It has been trying to balance its policy between the anti-Israel far left wing of the Dem Party and the majority of the rest of the country. Based on the polls I have seen it is not succeeding, and there is much concern. Many people in the US, particularly Jews, have interpreted the foregoing as anti-Israel and antisemitic. Israel has been adamantly pursuing a strong military response. Its attitude is that Hamas will continue to attack prospectively unless and until it is totally wiped out. It resents what it perceives as US interference.

Hence, we got “The Speech.” Essentially, Schumer threatened Israel. He said, in part, that “it’s become clear to me that the Netanyahu coalition[‘s reaction to Hamas’ October 7 terrorist attack] no longer fits the needs of Israel. … If Netanyahu won’t step down and continues to pursue dangerous and inflammatory policies that test existing US standards for assistance [the US will be forced to] play a more active role in shaping Israeli policy by using our leverage.” President Biden doubled down by calling it a “good speech” that had been cleared in advance by his staff.

The speech was interpreted by many as blatant and inappropriate interference in the elections of a sovereign nation and a clear threat. “Do what we want or else.”

Reaction was immediate and fiercely critical. Benny Ganz, Israeli’s opposition leader stated “Israel is a strong democracy, and only its citizens will determine its leadership and future.” Former PM Naftali Bennett, no fan of Netanyahu’s, stated “we are an independent nation, not a “banana republic.” In the US Mitch McConnell, Senate Minority Leader, called the speech “unprecedented,” and Speaker of the House Mike Johnson called it “just plain wrong.”

CONCLUSION

I would characterize it in stronger terms as a “sell-out” and “antisemitic.” In my experience such outrageous, blatant interference of a nation’s self-governance should be limited to dictatorships with massive human rights violations, not a staunch and reliable ally. Furthermore, every nation has a right, even an obligation to its citizens to defend itself in a manner in which it sees fit. Think what our reaction would have been if after the Japanese sneak attack of Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941 or the terror attacks on 9/11 if the world had urged us to stand down and not retaliate with force. Why should Israel be any different? Because it’s a Jewish state? You decide.

So why did Schumer give that speech? It was especially odd especially given his past support of Israel. Only he knows for sure, but I think he wanted to ingratiate himself with the members of the far-left wing of the Dem party, many of whom have expressed clearly antisemitic opinions. They are small but vociferous, and they have been pressuring the Biden Administration to scale back its support of Israel. They are particularly influential with the election looming. I don’t think Schumer is antisemitic, but, as I said, he is a political chameleon, and he perceives the trend of his party is to offer only tepid support to Israel in its fight with Hamas.

I seriously doubt that Israel will allow itself to be bullied by the US or anyone else, so it remains to be seen if the US will follow through on its threat.

March 19, 2024 by webuiltitblog Tags: benjamin-netanyahu, hamas, Israel, palestine, politics Leave a comment

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