2013/07/25
Syria turning into a center of global jihad IDF Intel Chief!
Israeli Military Intelligence chief said that Syria is becoming a 'center of global jihad' right on Israel's border, with extremists trying not only to topple President Bashar Assad, but also create a state governed by the Islamic religious law. Director of Military Intelligence Major General Aviv Kochavi warned that Syria is posing a regional threat as it attracts thousands of global jihadists and Muslim extremists from around the world. A center of global jihad of vast proportions is developing on our very doorstep, Israeli media quoted Kochavi as saying. It is liable to affect not only Syria or Israeli borders, but also the borders of Lebanon, Jordan and the Sinai Peninsula, and have implications for the region as a whole, he said at a graduation ceremony for Military Intelligence commanding officers. Kochavi argued that the extremists will not stop at toppling Assad, but will go further and try to establish a state based on Islamic religious law, or Sharia law. Free Syrian Army (FSA) spokesperson Zaky Mallah's interview with RT confirmed Kochavi's concerns, saying that Syrian opposition is willing to accept support from anyone, be it Bin Laden or Hitler. The situation in Syria with the opposition is complicated. Al-Qaeda took the advantage and they thought: we are going to step in, if their own brothers are being killed by this tyrant and the world is not doing anything about it, Mallah said. Some Western states, including the UK, have so far backtracked on their arms supply to the opposition voicing concerns about the threat of extremist in Syria. But Mallah explained that the opposition does not fear losing Western support. Because a prime minister of some Western country says there is extremism within the opposition, it is not a justifiable reason not to help the moderates, he argued. Fighters of the jihadist group Al-Nusra Front arrive to hold positions on April 4, 2013 in the Syrian village of Aziza, on the southern outskirts of Aleppo. AFP Photo Guillaume Briquet. The Syrian president's cousin Ribal Assad earlier said that Syrian rebels are led by jihadists who are "worse than Nazis." Jordan officials also spoke out back in December 2012, describing Syria as a black hole that will lure jihadists from all over the world. In the meantime, the House and Senate intelligence committees gave a green light to send CIA weapons shipments to opposition fighters in Syria, spokesperson for the United States Department of State Jen Psaki confirmed on Tuesday. The US will use the money already in the CIA's budget and transfer it to the Syria operation. The plan was announced last month by the Obama administration and involves giving small arms ans ammunition to some of the 1,200 groups of Syrian rebels, some of which have known affiliations with Al-Qaeda. The arms are expected to start coming in the next several weeks.
Bankers Own the World: And are ultimately destroying it!
Chris Martenson. In every era, there are certain people and institutions that are held in the highest public regard as they embody the prevailing values of society. Not that long ago, Albert Einstein was a major public figure and was widely revered. Can you name a scientist that commands a similar presence today? Today, some of the most celebrated individuals and institutions are ensconced within the financial industry; in banks, hedge funds, and private equity firms. Which is odd because none of these firms or individuals actually make anything, which society might point to as additive to our living standards. Instead, these financial magicians harvest value from the rest of society that has to work hard to produce real things of real value. While the work they do is quite sophisticated and takes a lot of skill, very few of these firms direct capital to new efforts, new products, and new innovations. Instead they either trade in the secondary markets for equities, bonds, derivatives, and the like, which perform the 'service' of moving paper from one location to another while generating 'profits.' Or, in the case of banks, theycreate money out of thin air and lend it out, at interest of course. Banking was conceived in iniquity and was born in sin. The bankers own the earth. Take it away from them, but leave them the power to create money, and with the flick of the pen they will create enough deposits to buy it back again. However, take away from them the power to create money, and with the flick of the pen they will create enough deposits to buy it back again. However, take away from them the power to create money, and all the great fortunes like mine will disappear, for this would be a happier and better world to live in.. But, if you wish to remain the slaves of bankers and pay the cost of your own slavery, let them continue to create money. Josiah Stamp, Bank of England Chairman, 1920. Because these institutions and individuals accumulate vast sums of money for their less-than-back-breaking efforts, they are well respected if not idolized by most. Many of the most successful paper accumulators are household names. They get invited to the best parties, are lured by major networks to appear on their shows, speak at the biggest conferences, and their views and words find an easy path to the ears of millions. But this is more than just an idle set of observations for the curious. It's actually a critically important phenomenon to be aware of. For the current configuration of financially powerful entities has, at the tail end of a decades long debt based money ecperiment, achieved an astonishing concentration of power, money, and influence. We raise this topic because our work centers on changing the conversation towards the things that really matter while there is still time to engineer a betteroutcome, and that requires illuminating the status quo and having a conversation about whether it needs to be modified. Unforunately, those at the center of the status quo are not at all interested i having any such conversation, because all of their accumulated power depends on maintaining things as they are. Money is power. And history has shown that power is never ceded spontaineously or willingly.
2013/07/24
Boehner Brags About Turning America Into Detroit
Over the weekend, CBS’ Bob Schieffer asked Speaker of the House John
Boehner very bluntly about the current gridlock in Congress, its failure
to pass any important legislation and its record-low approval ratings
among the American people.
Boehner responded by saying [1] that, “We should not be judged by how many new laws we create, we ought to be judged on how many laws we repeal.”
In other words, “Laws are bad and government is bad, so who needs either.”
Instead of working to pass the legislation that this nation desperately needs to get back on its feet and to rebuild its economy, Boehner would rather see our great nation end up like the now bankrupt Detroit. And boy is Boehner’s wish coming true.
Detroit used to be the industrial capital of America, and really the world. But, starting with Reagan, our industrial and trade policies began to change. As a result, our nation moved from a manufacturing based economy to a banking and serviced based economy. Instead of making things, we now say “would you like fries with that,” “welcome to WalMart,” and “there’s a $5.00 fee for using your credit card that way.” We embraced free trade deals, and jumped head first into outsourcing policies that vastly increased corporate profits while shipping hundreds of thousands of jobs overseas.
As a result, many of the jobs that were once done in factories in Detroit are now done in factories in China and other nations. And the same holds true for the rest of America.
When given a chance to stop the outsourcing of American jobs overseas, Speaker Boehner and his Republican colleagues balked. In September of 2010, Republicans in Congress killed a bill that would have eliminated tax breaks for companies that outsource jobs.
But outsourcing isn’t the only problem that Detroit and the rest of America have in common.
In Detroit, thanks to a severe lack of funding, public education is failing that city’s children. Only 7% of Detroit public school 8th-graders are proficient in reading, while just 4% are proficient in math [2]. And, in 2008, Detroit’s high school graduation rate was just 24.9 percent [3].
In the rest of the United States, public education is just as underfunded as it is in Detroit. As a result, in 2008, the US’ high school graduation rate was lower than [4] the rates of the UK, Switzerland, Norway, South Korea, Japan, Italy and a host of other developed nations.
And, according to multiple reports released in December of last year [5], fourth and eighth-grade students in the U.S. lag behind students in many East Asian and European nations when it comes to math and science. And those same reports revealed that European and Asian nations spend far more money and spend it more wisely on education than we do here.
But Speaker Boehner and his Republican colleagues must be content with these stats, because they have done next to nothing to boost funding for public education in America.
And Republican inaction in Congress doesn't stop at refusing to address public education, gun violence, infrastructure and jobs in America. Since John Boehner has been Speaker of the House, Republicans have voted nearly 40 times to repeal Obamacare, they've refused to address climate change, they've refused to reel in the big banks on Wall Street, and they've refused to address the home foreclosure crisis.
Meanwhile, in Detroit, that city’s infrastructure is literally crumbling to the grown. Streets are littered with potholes, power outages have become the new normal, and the buildings that once housed America’s booming automobile industry now look like scenes out of a horror movie.
And, in the rest of the United States, things aren’t much better.
Each year, the American Society of Civil Engineers releases a “report card” for America’s infrastructure. And, in its 2013 report card [6], the ASCE gave a D to America’s roads and highways, a D to America’s transit system, a D to America’s aviation system, a D+ to America’s energy infrastructure, and a C+ to America’s bridges.
But, despite America’s crumbling infrastructure, Speaker Boehner and the rest of Republicans in Washington have repeatedly refused to provide the funding needed to bring America’s infrastructure out of the 1800’s and into the 21st century.
Back in Detroit, that city is also dealing with increases in violent crime and gun violence.
In 2012, there were 386 homicides in the city [7]. There were 54.6 homicides per 100,000 residents in Detroit in 2012, the highest homicide rate that city has seen in nearly two decades.
Nationwide, there were nearly 8,600 homicides by firearms in 2011 [8], which accounted for more than two-thirds of all homicides in 2011. And, as we know, mass shootings like the ones in Aurora and Newtown have become the norm.
But again, Speaker Boehner and Republican lawmakers in Washington have failed to pass any comprehensive legislation to address the gun violence epidemic in America, or the inequality and poverty that are driving it.
So, while Speaker Boehner may be content with being at the helm of the worst Congress in history, and with the fact that surveys show more Americans prefer lice and colonoscopies [9] over their elected lawmakers in Washington, the results, or lack thereof, speak for themselves.
Thanks to the record-breaking inaction and gridlock in Washington, the entire country is following in the path of Detroit, and that’s a very dangerous and devastating path to be on.
We the people deserve an economy that keeps jobs in America, roads that don’t crumble, schools that our children can excel in, and neighborhoods that we can live safely in.
Call your elected officials, and tell them to get to work and save our country.
Boehner responded by saying [1] that, “We should not be judged by how many new laws we create, we ought to be judged on how many laws we repeal.”
In other words, “Laws are bad and government is bad, so who needs either.”
Instead of working to pass the legislation that this nation desperately needs to get back on its feet and to rebuild its economy, Boehner would rather see our great nation end up like the now bankrupt Detroit. And boy is Boehner’s wish coming true.
Detroit used to be the industrial capital of America, and really the world. But, starting with Reagan, our industrial and trade policies began to change. As a result, our nation moved from a manufacturing based economy to a banking and serviced based economy. Instead of making things, we now say “would you like fries with that,” “welcome to WalMart,” and “there’s a $5.00 fee for using your credit card that way.” We embraced free trade deals, and jumped head first into outsourcing policies that vastly increased corporate profits while shipping hundreds of thousands of jobs overseas.
As a result, many of the jobs that were once done in factories in Detroit are now done in factories in China and other nations. And the same holds true for the rest of America.
When given a chance to stop the outsourcing of American jobs overseas, Speaker Boehner and his Republican colleagues balked. In September of 2010, Republicans in Congress killed a bill that would have eliminated tax breaks for companies that outsource jobs.
But outsourcing isn’t the only problem that Detroit and the rest of America have in common.
In Detroit, thanks to a severe lack of funding, public education is failing that city’s children. Only 7% of Detroit public school 8th-graders are proficient in reading, while just 4% are proficient in math [2]. And, in 2008, Detroit’s high school graduation rate was just 24.9 percent [3].
In the rest of the United States, public education is just as underfunded as it is in Detroit. As a result, in 2008, the US’ high school graduation rate was lower than [4] the rates of the UK, Switzerland, Norway, South Korea, Japan, Italy and a host of other developed nations.
And, according to multiple reports released in December of last year [5], fourth and eighth-grade students in the U.S. lag behind students in many East Asian and European nations when it comes to math and science. And those same reports revealed that European and Asian nations spend far more money and spend it more wisely on education than we do here.
But Speaker Boehner and his Republican colleagues must be content with these stats, because they have done next to nothing to boost funding for public education in America.
And Republican inaction in Congress doesn't stop at refusing to address public education, gun violence, infrastructure and jobs in America. Since John Boehner has been Speaker of the House, Republicans have voted nearly 40 times to repeal Obamacare, they've refused to address climate change, they've refused to reel in the big banks on Wall Street, and they've refused to address the home foreclosure crisis.
Meanwhile, in Detroit, that city’s infrastructure is literally crumbling to the grown. Streets are littered with potholes, power outages have become the new normal, and the buildings that once housed America’s booming automobile industry now look like scenes out of a horror movie.
And, in the rest of the United States, things aren’t much better.
Each year, the American Society of Civil Engineers releases a “report card” for America’s infrastructure. And, in its 2013 report card [6], the ASCE gave a D to America’s roads and highways, a D to America’s transit system, a D to America’s aviation system, a D+ to America’s energy infrastructure, and a C+ to America’s bridges.
But, despite America’s crumbling infrastructure, Speaker Boehner and the rest of Republicans in Washington have repeatedly refused to provide the funding needed to bring America’s infrastructure out of the 1800’s and into the 21st century.
Back in Detroit, that city is also dealing with increases in violent crime and gun violence.
In 2012, there were 386 homicides in the city [7]. There were 54.6 homicides per 100,000 residents in Detroit in 2012, the highest homicide rate that city has seen in nearly two decades.
Nationwide, there were nearly 8,600 homicides by firearms in 2011 [8], which accounted for more than two-thirds of all homicides in 2011. And, as we know, mass shootings like the ones in Aurora and Newtown have become the norm.
But again, Speaker Boehner and Republican lawmakers in Washington have failed to pass any comprehensive legislation to address the gun violence epidemic in America, or the inequality and poverty that are driving it.
So, while Speaker Boehner may be content with being at the helm of the worst Congress in history, and with the fact that surveys show more Americans prefer lice and colonoscopies [9] over their elected lawmakers in Washington, the results, or lack thereof, speak for themselves.
Thanks to the record-breaking inaction and gridlock in Washington, the entire country is following in the path of Detroit, and that’s a very dangerous and devastating path to be on.
We the people deserve an economy that keeps jobs in America, roads that don’t crumble, schools that our children can excel in, and neighborhoods that we can live safely in.
Call your elected officials, and tell them to get to work and save our country.
2013/07/22
Michael Shrimpton: The Zimmerman Case!
Yes I know everyone else is calling it the Trayvon Martin Case, but he wasn't the guy on trial. The verdict of the petit jury did not take me by surprise. Indeed I hinted at it in previous comments on this website. Right from the day one it looked as though the Sanford Police Department got it right when they decided not to charge George Zimmerman. His injuries were consistent with his account of being attacked by Trayvon Martin. Zimmerman was clearly not a racist and Trayvon was clearly not a racist and Trayvon was clearly not the butter wouldn't melt in his mouth' young teenager portrayed in the mainstream media, using carefully selected out of date photos. Why not go the whole hog and use cute baby photos? Of course Zimmerman may have profiled Martin initially, but so what? It's standard intelligence technique. The trick is not to take it too far. Most police officers and INS agents use it, even if they deny it. Pretending it doesn't happen is just silly. As long it's based on fact not prejudice profiling is fine. It fit certain profiles, English barrister etc. The Injuries. There seem to me to be two critical pieces of evidence. The first was the injuries to George Zimmerman. These were consistent with his account that Trayvon was violent towards him and put him in fear of his life. If that account was right, then Zimmerman was entitled to use force, lethal force if necessary. All the vaporing and posturing by civil rights and African American groups doesn't alter the facts as presented to the jury. The 911 Call. Someone is heard screaming and shouting for help. That person was mostly likely the victim. The prosecution had to prove beyond reasonable doubt that it was Trayvon Martin appealing for help. They couldn't. It doesn't sound to me like a case which turned on the onus of proof however. My impression is that the jury decided that it was George Zimmerman shouting for help. That was a view they were entitled to form. Is George Zimmerman Racist? There is no evidence that he is, either from the facts of the incident itself, or his life story. He isn't white, he had no priors for racist assault or abuse and he isn't a vigilante. He was a neighborhood watch captain, looking out for the community, for which he deserves credit. The attempt to portray him as a racist comes across a character smear, an attempt to put Zimmerman in the frame if you like. It was almost as though Thames Valley Police were investigating! The Jury's Verdict. It comes across as a true verdict according to the evidence. The jury saw and heard the witnesses and considered all the evidence. Their verdict has to be respected. I am not bothered by the racial profile of the jury. Far too much is made in my view of diversity on juries. In my experience as a trial lawyer most juries are fair and reach verdicts according to the evidence.
Roi Tov Columnist: Strategic Sewage!
The chances that the sewage system of Tel Aviv would be featured here a third time were slim, yet, after a deep-kept secret, literally underground kept, was disclosed on July 20, 2013, the topic was unavoidable. Hebrew media are suspiciously obsessed with the topic, suspiciously so, until one remembers Prime Minister Netanyahu's nickname. If asked, he probably would claim that it was derived by duplicating the first two letters of his name in Hebrew, Binyamin became Bibi. Having grown up in the USA and being more Republican than Israeli, he probably failed to see that most Hebrew speakers would analyze the word differently. Bib is a hole in the ground, bib shofchin is a sewage hole, though the second word is usually skipped. Bibi can be understood as my sewage. Humbly, Hebrew media are secretly laughing at the stained, stinky leader. Sunken Bus, Tel Aviv's Crumbling Infrastructure, Sewage Sludge Management. A Short but Stinky Introduction. Crumbling infrastructures are one of the most evident signs that a terror attack took place. Nowhere was that as evident as in the 9/11 attacks. The rubble and the dust left behind by the twin towers on what used to be the world's largest financial center were an undeniable and large testimony of the perpetrators' violence. The USA government was fast, incredibly fast, in the destruction of the evidence, thus sabotaging any credible investigation of the event. Too bad for the Afghani and Iraqi people. Ayalon Highway, January 8, 2013. The Great Deluge: Hurricane Katrina, New Orleans, and the Mississippi Gulf Coast. Crumbling infrastructures are one of the most evident signs that a terror attack took place, however, sometimes they appear far away from the attack site, and do so in an unpredictable way. In Israel, crumbling infrastractures are a reminder that the State is spending incredible amounts of money attacking humanity. Little is Ayalon Highway, January 8, 2013. Superstorm Sandy: A Diary in the Dark. In mid-2011, a bus parked on the busy intersection of Derech Namir and Arlosoroff fell into the ground after the sewage system below it collapsed Crumbling Testimony of Terror. On January 1, 2012, a water main burst underneath Shaul Hamelech Street and Derech Namir blocking the north bound lanes of the latter, which is the main road out of the city. The result was a traffic jam that probably will be remembered for the rest of this young century. These and other events lose significance compared with the Superstorm in Tel Aviv. On January 7, 2013, 60mm of rain fell on the city in a few hours. This is unusual. The images show the dramatic result. Ayalon Highway was flooded. Secret Sewage. On July 20, 2013, the drivers using the Ayalon Highway while listening to the radio were surprised to find out that in the last three years, a sewage tunnel had been activated under the highway.
Gordon Duff: Israel Hit with EU War Crimes Sanctions!
EU Sanctions keep Israel guessing. Palestinian protesters confront Israeli Occupation Forces' soldier near the West Bank town of Idna.In a surprise last last minute move, the European Union set forth a strong set of economic sanctions against Israel, leaving that nation both surprised and reeling. The sanctions, stimulated by what the EU refers to as "Israeli intransigence" regarding peace talks with the Palestinians, cover all financial dealings, loans, awards, transfer of instruments and severely limiting economic cooperation between Israel and all EU member nations starting in 2014. The sanctions are against any Israeli "economic activity," not just within what has been referred to as the "occupied territories" but broad areas of Israel that had been designated for the establishment of an Arab State in 1949. Those territories extend in an almost contiguous line from Lebanon border to the Red Sea. Israel has referred to these territories as Golan Heights, Judea, Samaria and eastern Jerusalem. The term Judea alone could refer to the entire Roman province including large regions of Lebanon and Jordan. Thus, one might question why the European Union would include such broad territories, clearly intended to offset Israeli Prime Minister Natanyahu's demands for defensible borders. The EU has gone much further than imagined, an act Israel sees as an ambush. Israeli Response. Israel has responded with a number of objections citing, initially that they feel the EU attacks us because we are small, as cited by Gil Ronen with Arutz Sheva, Israel National News. The sanctions, to be published Friday, July 19, 2013, will prohibit all European Union member states from any economic contacts with Israeli entities that operate outside the 1949 Armistice lines. These territories differ greatly from the ceasefire lines of the 1967 war and include up to 25% of the territory of Israel, according to an article in Arutz Sheva. According to that publication, the EU has made further differentiations based on the 1967 truce lines, clearly delineating territories seized as occupied and requiring Israel to identify any economic activity originating from those regions for exclusion. EU officials have commented that there has been significant pressure to modify and limit the approved sanctions prior to their upcoming publication. Syria: The decision to move against Israel falls on the eve of announcements from France and then Britain to hold back material support for pro-Israeli factions fighting against the Syrian government. Germany had previously announced that no aid would would be forthcoming. The United States, although announcing, in June, that arms would be supplied, has withheld promised military aid through through the Syrian government has made significant advances against rebel held enclaves.
2013/07/21
Israel Hit with EU War Crimes Sanctions
In a surprise last minute move, the European Union set forth a strong
set of economic sanctions against Israel, leaving that nation both
surprised and reeling.
The sanctions, stimulated by what the EU refers to as “Israeli intransigence” regarding peace talks with the Palestinians, cover all financial dealings, loans, awards, transfer of “instruments” and severely limiting economic cooperation between Israel and all EU member nations starting in 2014.
The sanctions are against any Israeli “economic activity,” not just within what has been referred to as the “occupied territories” but broad areas of Israel that had been designated for the establishment of an “Arab State” in 1949.
Those territories extend in an almost contiguous line from the Lebanon border to the Red Sea.
Israel has referred to these territories as “Golan Heights, Judea, Samaria and eastern Jerusalem.” The term “Judea” alone could refer to the entire Roman province including large regions of Lebanon and Jordan.
Thus, one might question why the European Union would include such broad territories, clearly intended to offset Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu’s demands for “defensible borders.”
The EU has gone much further than imagined, an act Israel sees as an “ambush.”
ISRAELI RESPONSE
Israel has responded with a number of objections citing, initially that they feel the “EU attacks us because we are small,” as cited by Gil Ronen with Arutz Sheva, Israel National News.
The sanctions, to be published Friday, July 19, 2013, will prohibit all 28 European Union member states from any economic contacts with Israeli “entities” that operate outside the 1949 Armistice lines.
These territories differ greatly from the ceasefire lines of the 1967 war and include up to 25% of the territory of Israel, according to an article in Arutz Sheva.
According to that publication, the EU has made further differentiations based on the 1967 truce lines, clearly delineating territories seized as “occupied” and requiring Israel to identify any economic activity originating from those regions for exclusion.
EU officials have commented that there has been significant pressure to modify and limit the approve sanctions prior to their upcoming publication.
SYRIA
The decision to move against Israel falls on the eve of announcements from France and then Britain to hold back materiel support for pro-Israeli factions fighting against the Syrian government.
Germany had previously announced that no aid would be forthcoming.
The United States, although announcing, in June, that arms would be supplied, has withheld promised military aid though the Syrian government has made significant advances against rebel held enclaves.
ISRAEL’S POSITION
Quoting a high ranking Israeli official:
“The attack by the EU disproportionate and is likely to have no positive effect on restarting meaningful dialog over the Palestinian question. When it comes to disputed territories, the Europeans prefer to attack a small country like Israel instead of taking on more powerful states, because they are afraid of retaliation.
We were only informed at the last moment.”
Israel’s position was confirmed by Deputy Foreign Minister, Ze’ev Elkin. In a statement to the press, Elkin referred to the EU directive as a “mistake” likely to undermine any progress already made.
“We are not ready to sign on this clause in our agreements with the European Union.”
Elkin also cited Israel’s failure to get in front of the issues that led to this confrontation which will, as he also stated, “halt all cooperation in economics” and be extremely harmful to Israel’s economy.
CONTRADICTORY EU POSITIONS
Speaking for the European Union, David Kriss is quoted:
“These are guidelines on the eligibility of Israeli entities and their activity in the territories occupied by Israel since June 1967 for grants, prizes and financial instruments funded by the EU from 2014 onwards.
(Sanctions)It makes (sic) a distinction between Israel and the entities in the West Bank, east Jerusalem, the Gaza Strip and the Golan Heights.”
It’s a very worrying initiative launched at a bad time, because it only reinforces the Palestinians’ refusal to restart negotiations.”
Kriss then called for Israel to cooperate fully with the sanctions, threatening Israel with defunding of joint projects already scheduled, projects that would otherwise not be impacted by sanctions.
PALESTINIAN RESPONSE
Arutz Sheva reports that Palestinian leaders will only negotiate based on pre-1967 lines and “if Israel freezes all settlement activity in Judea and Samaria.”
Thus far, the world press has been unaware of these expanded Palestinian demands that would require Israel to not only stop all settlement activities in areas referred to as “occupied” but over wider areas now settled by up to 1.8 million Israelis.
There are already over 550,000 Israelis living in the “occupied zones,” primarily eastern Jerusalem, known as Al Quds, and the West Bank.
The EU position impacts nearly one third of Israel’s population, one third of its economic base.
ALL ABOUT MONEY
The real impetus for increased pressure on Israel has been the failure of western economies and their disastrous currencies.
The real subtext for scaling back support for Israel has been seen in the strangely unreported change in America’s deficits.
During the last fiscal quarter, the United States has shown a net budget surplus for the first time in decades. Two of the last three months have yielded surpluses in excess of $100 billion.
The message has been clear to EU leaders, as America has drawn down its role as “policeman of the world,” the real security issue, potential economic collapse, has become less of a threat.
What is unlikely to be admitted is the simple fact that the projection of military power to secure resources, when those resources are exploited by multi-national entities, offers a very poor return.
Thus, Israel’s current dilemma is much more rooted in its role as an economic liability than in any concerns regarding human rights.
The sanctions, stimulated by what the EU refers to as “Israeli intransigence” regarding peace talks with the Palestinians, cover all financial dealings, loans, awards, transfer of “instruments” and severely limiting economic cooperation between Israel and all EU member nations starting in 2014.
The sanctions are against any Israeli “economic activity,” not just within what has been referred to as the “occupied territories” but broad areas of Israel that had been designated for the establishment of an “Arab State” in 1949.
Those territories extend in an almost contiguous line from the Lebanon border to the Red Sea.
Israel has referred to these territories as “Golan Heights, Judea, Samaria and eastern Jerusalem.” The term “Judea” alone could refer to the entire Roman province including large regions of Lebanon and Jordan.
Thus, one might question why the European Union would include such broad territories, clearly intended to offset Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu’s demands for “defensible borders.”
The EU has gone much further than imagined, an act Israel sees as an “ambush.”
ISRAELI RESPONSE
Israel has responded with a number of objections citing, initially that they feel the “EU attacks us because we are small,” as cited by Gil Ronen with Arutz Sheva, Israel National News.
The sanctions, to be published Friday, July 19, 2013, will prohibit all 28 European Union member states from any economic contacts with Israeli “entities” that operate outside the 1949 Armistice lines.
These territories differ greatly from the ceasefire lines of the 1967 war and include up to 25% of the territory of Israel, according to an article in Arutz Sheva.
According to that publication, the EU has made further differentiations based on the 1967 truce lines, clearly delineating territories seized as “occupied” and requiring Israel to identify any economic activity originating from those regions for exclusion.
EU officials have commented that there has been significant pressure to modify and limit the approve sanctions prior to their upcoming publication.
SYRIA
The decision to move against Israel falls on the eve of announcements from France and then Britain to hold back materiel support for pro-Israeli factions fighting against the Syrian government.
Germany had previously announced that no aid would be forthcoming.
The United States, although announcing, in June, that arms would be supplied, has withheld promised military aid though the Syrian government has made significant advances against rebel held enclaves.
ISRAEL’S POSITION
Quoting a high ranking Israeli official:
“The attack by the EU disproportionate and is likely to have no positive effect on restarting meaningful dialog over the Palestinian question. When it comes to disputed territories, the Europeans prefer to attack a small country like Israel instead of taking on more powerful states, because they are afraid of retaliation.
We were only informed at the last moment.”
Israel’s position was confirmed by Deputy Foreign Minister, Ze’ev Elkin. In a statement to the press, Elkin referred to the EU directive as a “mistake” likely to undermine any progress already made.
“We are not ready to sign on this clause in our agreements with the European Union.”
Elkin also cited Israel’s failure to get in front of the issues that led to this confrontation which will, as he also stated, “halt all cooperation in economics” and be extremely harmful to Israel’s economy.
CONTRADICTORY EU POSITIONS
Speaking for the European Union, David Kriss is quoted:
“These are guidelines on the eligibility of Israeli entities and their activity in the territories occupied by Israel since June 1967 for grants, prizes and financial instruments funded by the EU from 2014 onwards.
(Sanctions)It makes (sic) a distinction between Israel and the entities in the West Bank, east Jerusalem, the Gaza Strip and the Golan Heights.”
It’s a very worrying initiative launched at a bad time, because it only reinforces the Palestinians’ refusal to restart negotiations.”
Kriss then called for Israel to cooperate fully with the sanctions, threatening Israel with defunding of joint projects already scheduled, projects that would otherwise not be impacted by sanctions.
PALESTINIAN RESPONSE
Arutz Sheva reports that Palestinian leaders will only negotiate based on pre-1967 lines and “if Israel freezes all settlement activity in Judea and Samaria.”
Thus far, the world press has been unaware of these expanded Palestinian demands that would require Israel to not only stop all settlement activities in areas referred to as “occupied” but over wider areas now settled by up to 1.8 million Israelis.
There are already over 550,000 Israelis living in the “occupied zones,” primarily eastern Jerusalem, known as Al Quds, and the West Bank.
The EU position impacts nearly one third of Israel’s population, one third of its economic base.
ALL ABOUT MONEY
The real impetus for increased pressure on Israel has been the failure of western economies and their disastrous currencies.
The real subtext for scaling back support for Israel has been seen in the strangely unreported change in America’s deficits.
During the last fiscal quarter, the United States has shown a net budget surplus for the first time in decades. Two of the last three months have yielded surpluses in excess of $100 billion.
The message has been clear to EU leaders, as America has drawn down its role as “policeman of the world,” the real security issue, potential economic collapse, has become less of a threat.
What is unlikely to be admitted is the simple fact that the projection of military power to secure resources, when those resources are exploited by multi-national entities, offers a very poor return.
Thus, Israel’s current dilemma is much more rooted in its role as an economic liability than in any concerns regarding human rights.
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