Newsletter #221     Friday, February 11, 2005

The Land of Israel Necklace consists of a crystal glass pendant filled with the entire Land of Israel including Jerusalem, Hebron, Bethlehem, Nazareth, The Sea of Galilee, The Jordan River, The Dead Sea, as well as other locations. The earth inside has beautiful color variations creating a natural layered effect. By wearing the Land of Israel as a beautiful necklace, the land remains in one's consciousness and, literally, close to the heart. A Meaningful Gift!

• Israel's Auschwitz Borders
  by Joseph Farah - WorldNetDaily.com - February 11, 2005  Let me make this crystal clear. Look at a map of the Middle East. After glancing at it for a few minutes, can anyone honestly tell me they believe the problems of violence and terrorism there have to do with the fact that Israel has too much land?
  This is apparently what we are to believe.

• Capitulating to Terror
  By P. David Hornik - FrontPageMagazine.com - February 11, 2005  It goes without saying that no one is raising hard questions about “democratization” in the Palestinian Authority. Apparently, last month’s “election”—in which Abbas ran basically unopposed, and following which dozens of Palestinian election officials resigned amid complaints of irregularities and intimidation—was enough to make everyone happy. The show goes on, and it is mainly Israel that again pays the price as it blows up in our faces.

• We've seen this movie before
  By Gerald M. Steinberg - Jerusalem Post - February 6, 2005  The broad optimism over recent improvements in Israeli-Palestinian relations hides a number of major obstacles. One of the most significant, and predictable, is the demand for the mass release of Palestinian prisoners – terrorists and their accomplices.

• Ten ways a Palestinian state will create more problems than it solves
  By Israel Zwick - Israelinsider.com - February 9, 2005  Since 1937, there have been numerous proposals for resolving the conflict. There were partition plans, armistice agreements, truces, cease-fires, Oslo Plans, Tenet plans, Wye Agreements, Geneva Initiatives, and Roadmaps -- all to no avail. All that has apparently changed now that the world's great leaders have reached a consensus on how to resolve the conflict. Liberator George, Savvy Condi, Orator Tony, Peacemaker Kofi, Moderate Mahmoud, and Bulldozer Arik, have all agreed that the way to end the conflict is to create a new Palestinian State, the 23rd Arab-Muslim state in the region.?

• Condi's Gift: Partition Plans Redux
  By Eugene Narrett - IsraelNationalNews.com - February 9, 2005  No one should say that the fashioners of a new, Israel-cleansed world order have no taste for history. Indeed, they are tenacious pursuers of one of the oldest geopolitical games on record: "'Come, let us cut them off from nationhood, that Israel's name not be remembered anymore!'" (Psalms 83:5)

• Why another photo-op?
  By Ryan Jones - www.jnewswire.com - February 9th, 2005

  Why did the Middle East need yet another photo-op “peace” summit in Sharm el-Sheikh this week?

  Why is such an event necessary in order to get the PA to, once again, declare its intention to halt anti-Jewish terrorism?

  The Israeli Left (including the Sharon government) and the international community are predictably responding to the summit by hailing a new era of cooperation and coexistence between the Jews and their Muslim enemies.

  This despite the fact the current scenario has played itself out numerous times in the past 10 years alone. And it has never once led to anything even resembling lasting peace.

  If anything, Tuesday’s summit between Prime Minister Ariel Sharon and PLO chief Mahmoud Abbas should be cause for great concern among Israeli Jews.

  The past decade shows that the PA has consistently used such high-profile summits to repeat for public consumption the same unfulfilled promises it has been making since 1993.

  The “Palestinians” know full well that the mere fact they showed up and paid lip service to peace and security is enough to produce international pressure on Israel to reciprocate with further concessions.

  But unlike the empty PA declarations, Israel’s subsequent concessions always have long-term effects – such as the relinquishing of more land, or the needless death of innocent civilians, killed because Israel was forced to let its guard down.

  The world remains so enamored by the idea of terrorists like Abbas putting on a suit and playing the diplomat that it will continue to demand Jewish blood in order to keep up the charade.

  And so Jewish men, women and children will continue to be offered up as “sacrifices for peace,” victims on the alter of the god of international public opinion.

  This will continue until Israel finally wakes up and realizes:You have no “Palestinian” peace partner, and the world is more concerned about its own interests than yours.

  But you do have loyal, war torn and weary citizens. Defend them, and everyone else be damned.

• Full text of Sharon's Sharm address - February 8, 2005

  We have an opportunity to break away from the path of blood which has been forced on us over the past four years. We have an opportunity to start on a new path. For the first time in a long time there exists in our region hope for a better future for our children and grandchildren.

  We must move forward cautiously. This is a very fragile opportunity, one the extremists will want to exploit. They want to close the window of opportunity for us and allow our two peoples to drown in their blood.

  If we do not act now they may be successful.

  There is only one answer to them: We must all announce here, today, that violence will not win, that violence will not be allowed to murder hope. We must all make a commitment not to agree to a temporary solution, not to allow violence to raise its head, but to act together, determinedly, to dismantle the terrorist infrastructure, to disarm and subdue it once and for all. Only by crushing terror and violence will we build peace.

  I have no intention of missing this opportunity – because we must not let the new spirit, which grants our peoples hope, pass us by and leave us empty-handed.

  That is why we have acted quickly and with determination, with an understanding of the needs of the Palestinian side. Over the past few days we have reached a number of understandings with our Palestinian colleagues. These will enable us to grant both peoples tranquility and security for the near future.

  Today, in my meeting with Chairman Abbas, we agreed that all Palestinians will stop all acts of violence against all Israelis everywhere and that, in parallel, Israel will cease all its military activity against all Palestinians anywhere.

  We hope that today we are beginning a new period of tranquility and hope. Furthermore, we agreed on a process of transferring security responsibility for Palestinian areas.

  I informed Chairman Abbas of our intention to take a series of confidence-building measures; soon we will release hundreds of Palestinian prisoners and also establish a joint committee to explore future prisoner releases.

  We wish to conduct a genuine and honest dialogue in order to transform these first steps into a sound basis for the foundation of our relations.

  I am determined to carry out the disengagement plan I initiated. This plan was initiated by a unilateral decision. Now, if new change emerges on the Palestinian side, the disengagement can bring hope and become the new starting point for a coordinated, successful process.

  The disengagement plan can pave the way to implementation of the road map, to which we are committed and which we want to implement. We are prepared to actively fulfill all our obligations, and we expect the other side to carry out all its obligations.

  Actions alone, and not words – this is the only way to attain the vision of two states living side by side in peace and tranquility.

  To our Palestinian neighbors: I assure you that we have a genuine intention to respect your right to live independently and in dignity. I have already said that Israel has no desire to continue to govern over you and control your fate.

  We in Israel have had to awaken from our dreams, painfully; we are determined to overcome every obstacle that might stand in our path in order to realize the new chance that has been created.

  You, too, must prove that you have the strength and the courage to compromise, abandon unrealistic dreams, subdue the forces that oppose peace and live in peace and mutual respect side by side with us.

  To the citizens of Israel, I say: We have gone through difficult years, faced the most painful experiences and overcome them. The future lies before us. We are required to take difficult and controversial steps, but we must not miss the opportunity to try to achieve what we have wished for, for so many years: security, tranquility and peace.

  May we all be found deserving of this great opportunity which we have been granted.

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