It Is Absurd To Blame The West For Muslim "Honor" Crimes

On Thursday, August 29, Israa Ghrayeb was murdered by her family.

They were angered by a video she posted on social media of herself with the man she was soon to be engaged to. Her brother claimed she dishonored the family by showing the two of them together before they were married. The father called on the brother to beat Israa, and while trying to escape, Israa Ghrayeb fell from the second floor of their home, suffering serious spinal injuries. Then, while she was at the hospital, Ghrayeb was apparently attacked a second time and died.

The family claimed she died of a heart attack.

Another honor killing.
But this one was different.

No One Would Call Anyone "Palestinian" Today Without Balfour

We know that historically, there has never been a sovereign, Palestinian state.

But if there has never been a state, a country, called Palestine -- then what did the Arabs call themselves when that territory was under Muslim rule?

In his book, From Babel to Dragomans, Bernard Lewis includes a talk he gave in 2001, under the title "The British Mandate for Palestine in Historical Perspective." In just a few understated paragraphs, Lewis hints at the importance of The British Mandate for the Palestinian Arabs:

Will Palestinian Move To Exploit ICC Against Israel Ruin Another International Institution?

The State Department has condemned the move by Abbas to sign the Rome Statute and open the way for going to the International Criminal Court:

"We strongly oppose #Palestinian action at the #ICC," per @statedept. "Counter-productive" and does nothing for statehood aspirations.
— Matt Lee (@APDiploWriter) December 31, 2014

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#Palestinian move at #ICC "will badly damage atmosphere with the very people with whom they ultimately need to make peace," per @StateDept
— Matt Lee (@APDiploWriter) December 31, 2014

But there is more to this than just the Palestinian Arabs destroying the peace process.

Arlene Kushner on American-Born Palestinian Shot by IDF While About To Throw A Molotov Cocktail

From Arlene Kushner:
October 26, 2014

Tough

The word “tough” has different meanings, and I am actually using it in more than one sense in this posting.  The first meaning – difficult to deal with – applies to the video directly below.  From “Jewish Voices on Campus,” it is exceedingly important and I ask you all to take the time to see it:

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The second meaning I want to apply is slang, as in “You don’t like it? Tough.” 

Orwa Abd El-Wahab Hammad, from the village of Silwad near Ramallah, was killed by the IDF on Friday.  Arab sources said he was 14, the IDF says he was 17.  Born in America, he has lived in Arab villages in Samaria since he was a small boy.  He was shot because he was about to throw a Molotov cocktail into on-coming traffic on Highway 60.  A Molotov cocktail is a home-made incendiary device, serving as a fire bomb, that can set its target on fire. Thrown at a car, it could be lethal and might cause multiple deaths.

Explained an IDF spokesman: “The forces fired immediately to neutralize the danger....”

Palestinians Dislike Hamas -- But Not Their Methods

According to a Pew Research Poll, Palestinian Opinion of Hamas Declines

Overall, most people surveyed have an unfavorable impression of Hamas, a militant Palestinian organization that is in control of the Gaza Strip and designated a terrorist organization by the U.S. This includes people who live under its rule.

More than half in the Palestinian territories (53%) have an unfavorable view of Hamas, with only about a third (35%) expressing positive views. Negative views are higher in the Hamas-led Gaza Strip (63%), up from 54% in 2013. In the Fatah-led West Bank, 47% have an unfavorable opinion of Hamas.

When Palestinian Journalists Attack

Last year, Khaled Abu Toameh wrote that Palestinian Journalists Declare War On Israeli Colleagues:

In recent weeks, Israeli journalists who cover Palestinian affairs have been facing increased threats from Palestinian reporters.

On a number of occasions, the threats included acts of violence against the Israeli journalists, particularly in Ramallah.

Jonathan Spyer on Palestinian Magical Thinking

The following by Jonathan Spyer is reposted here with permission of the Middle East Forum:

Palestinian Magical Thinking

by Jonathan Spyer
PJ Media
May 7, 2014

http://www.meforum.org/3825/palestinian-magical-thinking

So April 29^th has passed, and the nine-month period allotted by the current U.S. administration for its effort to resolve the Israeli-Palestinian dispute has come and gone. Entirely predictably, it has failed, in its entirety.

What can be learned from the failure? And what may be expected to happen now?

The failure of the talks was predictable first and foremost because of the irreconcilable positions of the sides. This is not a matter of small details, as is sometimes maintained. It isn't that the Palestinians want 99% of the West Bank while Israel will offer only 98%.

Palestinian nationalism in both its Fatah and Hamas variants rejects the possibility of accepting the permanence of Jewish statehood in any part of the area west of the Jordan River.

Efraim Karsh on Palestinian Authority Running Away from Statehood, Again

The following by Efraim Karsh is reposted here with permission of Middle East Forum:

Running Away from Statehood, Again

by Efraim Karsh
BESA Center Perspectives
April 28, 2014

http://www.meforum.org/3812/palestinian-statehood-israel

^{The Palestinian Authority' decision to strike an agreement with Hamas instead of with Israel is of little surprise. Since before 1948, the Palestinian leadership has continually rejected any possibility of attaining statehood, in favor of a commitment to violence and promoting their self-inflicted plight for their own financial benefits. With the possibility of another failed round of peace talks, one wonders whether the Palestinian leadership is even interested in independent statehood of any kind.}

Efraim Karsh

The "historic" agreement of last week between The Palestinian Liberation Organization (PLO) and Hamas, to form a united government casts a serious doubt not only on the Palestinian leadership's commitment to a two-state solution, but also on its interest in the attaining of statehood at all.

Not that this should have come as a surprise to anyone. For nearly a century, Palestinian leaders never have missed an opportunity to impede the development of Palestinian civil society and the attainment of Palestinian statehood.

Had the Jerusalem mufti Hajj Amin Husseini, who led the Palestinian Arabs from the early 1920s to the late 1940s, chosen to lead his constituents to peace and reconciliation with their Jewish neighbors, the Palestinians would have had their independent state over a substantial part of mandate Palestine by 1948, and would have been spared the traumatic experience of dispersal and exile.

Arlene Kushner on Inability of Palestinians To Condemn The Murder of Jews

From Arlene Kusnner:
April 22, 2014

Zeman Herutenu

The Time of our Freedom. Another term for the Pesach Holiday which is just completing (last night here in Israel, tonight outside of Israel).  As I picked up news over the holiday that gave me a knot of considerable dimensions in my stomach, I knew how I had to begin this first post-holiday post:

Herut.  Freedom.  It was supposed to be that the Jewish People, having reached Israel, would be free. 

Credit: Menachem Kahana/AFP

But what I see is that we are still enslaved.  Enslaved to a galut (diaspora) mentality: bowing still before international public opinion.  Worried about what “they” will say, or do.

When last I wrote, it was clear that the continuation of the “peace negotiations” was going to be a non-starter.  Or, at very least, if the two sides were to return to the table, it would come to absolutely nothing.  I had hoped to be done with writing about this, hoped that there would be nothing more to write in this regard.  But, alas, it was not to be.

Our prime minister – however ludicrous the situation and the demands of the PA – never says with finality, “Look guys, the current situation is obscene. We’ve given it our honest best, and we’ve had it.”  He prefers to play that game, so that the “failure” of the talks doesn’t appear to be our “fault,” all the while knowing it can go nowhere.

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Just hours before the beginning of Pesach here, there was a terrorist attack:

Efraim Inbar: Respond Firmly to Palestinian Blackmail

The following by Efraim Inbar is reposted here with permission of the Middle East Forum:

Respond Firmly to Palestinian Blackmail

by Efraim Inbar
BESA Center Perspectives
April 6, 2014

http://www.meforum.org/3804/israel-palestinians-diplomacy

^{In response to the latest Palestinian attempt to squeeze Israel, Israel's government should remind the Palestinians, through tough countermeasures, that adhering to maximalist political goals is counterproductive.}

Efraim Inbar

Last week, Palestinian Authority (PA) leader Mahmoud Abbas blew off the US-brokered peace talks with Israel and slapped Washington in the face by re-launching a diplomatic war against Israel through international institutions.

Several lessons should be drawn from this turn of events. First, the breakdown of the talks is a reminder of the stubborn reality that so many prefer to ignore: The gap in the positions of the two sides is too large to bridge even by a creative diplomacy backed by a superpower. Both Israel and the Palestinians still possess tremendous energy to fight for things that are important to them. Peace and coexistence are not the most important goals of the two warring societies.

Therefore, the conclusion to be drawn from this is that attempts to broker conflict resolution between the parties needs to be replaced by a more realistic approach of conflict management. The good intentions of the international community should be directed towards attaining partial understandings and minimizing the suffering on both sides, rather than pursuing an elusive end to the conflict.

Middle East Quarterly Spring 2014: Efraim Karsh on The Real Enemies of the Palestinians

The following by Efraim Karsh is reposted here with permission of Middle East Forum:

The Palestinians' Real Enemies

by Efraim Karsh
Middle East Quarterly
Spring 2014

Efraim Karsh

For most of the twentieth century, inter-Arab politics were dominated by the doctrine of pan-Arabism, postulating the existence of "a single nation bound by the common ties of language, religion and history. … behind the facade of a multiplicity of sovereign states";[1] and no single issue dominated this doctrine more than the "Palestine question" with anti-Zionism forming the main common denominator of pan-Arab solidarity and its most effective rallying cry. But the actual policies of the Arab states have shown far less concern for pan-Arab ideals, let alone for the well-being of the Palestinians, than for their own self-serving interests. Indeed, nothing has done more to expose the hollowness of pan-Arabism than its most celebrated cause.

Ever Notice Palestinian Negotiation Is Based on Victory -- Not Compromise?

The following by by Alexander Joffe and Asaf Romirowsky is reposted here with permission:

The Politics of the Palestinian Right of Return

by Alexander Joffe and Asaf Romirowsky
Forbes
February 24, 2014

http://www.meforum.org/3762/palestinian-right-of-return

US-backed negotiations between Israel and the Palestinian Authority are entering a critical period. With reports suggesting Israeli acceptance of the 1967 lines and land swaps, what about Palestinian concessions? Two issues are paramount: the 'right of return' and recognition of Israel as a Jewish state.

Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas recently stated, "Let me put it simply: the right of return is a personal decision. What does this mean? That neither the PA, nor the state, nor the PLO, nor Abu-Mazen [Abbas], nor any Palestinian or Arab leader has the right to deprive someone from his right to return."

The Palestinian Red Line

The following by Efraim Inbar is reposted here with permission of the Middle East Forum:

Palestinian Red Line

by Efraim Inbar
Israel Hayom
December 16, 2013

http://www.meforum.org/3695/palestinian-red-line

Efraim Inbar

The media reported that Mahmoud Abbas, head of the Palestinian Authority (PA), rejected the peace proposals submitted by US Secretary of State John Kerry. The Palestinians leaked that Abbas sent a letter to Kerry reiterating his complete opposition to the demand to recognize Israel as a Jewish state. This was declared a "red line" that the Palestinians will not cross.

This "red line" is not just about semantics, but rather the essence of the conflict. The Palestinian position amounts to denying the Jews the right to establish their state in their homeland. It also indicates without any doubt that the Palestinians, despite the conventional wisdom, are not ready to reach a historic compromise with Zionism, the Jewish national revival movement. Therefore, a stable peace based on mutual recognition and ending all demands is not in the cards. The weak PA seems to accept partition of Mandatory Palestine into two states – perhaps in accordance with the PLO's stages approach – but it still refrains from accepting the legitimacy of the Zionist enterprise.

Video: Eugene Kontorovich: Why Israel Should Not Fear A One State Solution -- And The Palestinians Should

Here is Eugene Kontorovich's first public lecture since making Aliyah, exposing the hoax behind the threat of a one state solution.

Eugene Kontorovich is a professor of international law at Northwestern University School of Law and a visiting professor at the Hebrew University.

Here is the video:

Mideast Media Sampler 12/6/13: Why Does Kerry Handle Palestinians as Gingerly as Iran?

by David Gerstman, contributing blogger at Legal Insurrection

Kerry Tries to Sell Security Plan

Secretary of State John Kerry. Photo: JewishNewsOne / YouTube

A few months ago, Secretary of State John Kerry allowed as to how he was worried about Israel’s future if it did not reach a peace deal with the Palestinians. Israel’s Prime Minister has played along sending his emissaries to negotiate with Palestinian partners who don’t want to make a deal.

So this week, out of his deep seated concern for the Jewish State, the New York Times reported Wednesday that U.S., Stepping Up Role, Will Present West Bank Security Proposal to Israel:

Arlene Kushner: More Proof Obama Is Not An Ally Of Israel

From:Arlene Kushner
November 5, 2013

A Tangled Affair

When I returned to my postings recently after a two-week hiatus, I joked about not being sure what "normal" was. Well, I have since discovered that there is no "normal" for me right now, and that -- with the on-going attention to be devoted to the Levy Report Campaign -- it will be necessary for me to post less frequently than has been my custom for some time now.  First things first...

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That said, what I want to look at here are some of the facts, rumors and speculations circling around the "negotiations," and the positions of our prime minister.  Prepare for a convoluted ride:  

When the terrorist prisoners were released some days ago, Netanyahu -- in the face of enormous national protest -- insisted that he had to do this because we had promised (as part of the deal for entering negotiations), and because it was ultimately in our best interest.  Minister of Defense Ya'alon made a statement about security that echoed the "best interest" theme.

Mideast Media Sample 10/14/13: New York Times Thinks Palestinian Murderers of Civilians Qualify As "Freedom Fighters"?

by David Gerstman, contributing blogger at Legal Insurrection

The New York Times on Sunday featured an article, Behind Flurry of Killing, Potency of Hate, which focuses on how dehumanizing an enemy makes it easier to kill. The article focuses on a convicted, jailed and released IRA terrorist and how he could be conditioned to kill. Then the article continues:

Historical parallels are inevitably flawed. But a recent flurry of horrific bloodletting — the attack in Nairobi that left 60 dead, the execution by Syrian jihadis of bound and blindfolded prisoners, an Egyptian soldier peering through his rifle sight and firing on the teenage daughter of a Muslim Brotherhood leader — raises a question as old as Cain and Abel: Do we all have it in us?

Many experts think we do. For Mr. O’Callaghan, it was a matter of focus.

“What you’re seeing in that moment,” he said in an interview last week, “is not a human being.”

The article also mentions how Nazis could be brought to slaughter Jews (and describes the murderers in oddly sympathetic terms!). But it left out the most systematic delegitimization campaign going on now: the one by Palestinians that targets Israel.

Arlene Kushner on Palestinian Statements Proving They Won't Make Peace With Israel

From Arlene Kushner:
October 10, 2013

Pride

Before speaking about that pride, I simply wanted to alert my readers to a slowdown in my postings that will be taking place for the next 10-14 days.  I am well, but focused on both a personal family situation and on a major project -- about which you will hear in due course.  Please, unless it is important, refrain from writing to me during this time.

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Two Israeli professors have won the Nobel Prize in Chemistry, sharing it with an Austrian Jewish American, Prof. Martin Karplus, who fled to the US before the Holocaust.

MEQ 2011: Jonathan Schanzer: What Palestinians Are Saying Online

The following by Jonathan Schanzer is reposted here with permission of the Middle East Forum:

What Palestinians Are Saying Online

by Jonathan Schanzer
Middle East Quarterly
Winter 2011, pp. 15-24 (view PDF)

Jonathan Schanzer

During the past decade, Washington has repeatedly failed to gauge the extent of Palestinian anti-peace sentiments with devastating consequences. The July 2000 Camp David summit triggered the worst wave of Palestinian violence since 1948 (euphemized as the "al-Aqsa Intifada"); the Palestinian parliamentary elections of January 2006 led to a victory for the Hamas Islamist group. Now that President Obama has announced his ambitious timeline for Israeli-Palestinian peace, could the administration be rushing headlong into yet another diplomatic failure?

A recent nine-week study by the Foundation for Defense of Democracies (FDD) of online Palestinian political sentiments suggests that this could be the case.[1] Palestinian Internet users often derided diplomatic initiatives, and their discussion of the peace process was overwhelmingly negative. More alarmingly, the study revealed several troubling trends among Palestinian social media users—notably the prevalence of Islamism, fissures between factions, and the inability of liberal reformers to be heard—that cast doubt on both the prospects for peace and the likelihood that a democratic Palestinian state will emerge.

Arlene Kushner: Netanyahu's Bar-Ilan Speech Will Impact Peace Talks With Palestinians

From Arlene Kushner:
October 7, 2013

Good Going!

I am referring to the speech Prime Minister Netanyahu gave at Bar Ilan University last night.

Credit: TimesofIsrael

There had been considerable anxiety prior to that talk.  Four years ago, when he delivered a similar talk at Bar Ilan, he first embraced the "two state solution."  In the run-up to his talk this time, the word was that he was going to announce a change in policy.  Rumor had it that it would involve a proposal for an "interim" state, since reaching a final accord would not be possible; but such a proposal would have been a disaster.

Thus were we most pleasantly surprised when no such proposal was advanced. Nor was any suggestion made that we have to give more, sacrifice, etc. etc. in order to make an accord possible.  What a relief!

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This talk by the prime minister indeed did represent a new policy.  What he has done - which is marvelous and long overdue - is to tell the truth about the situation and put the onus where it belongs: squarely on the Palestinian Arabs.

This was truth that was unvarnished and most definitely not politically correct.  He spoke for the Israeli position.

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