Yes, our beloved Prime Minister Netanyahu is on a roll. Millions of viewers are now enjoying watching him deliver short, eloquent speeches about current affairs in Israel.
However, as a result of the last of 10 videos (or so) from PM Netanyahu, the US State Dept. is apparently quite unhappy over claims that the Palestinians are intent on doing what amounts to ethnic cleansing in the West Bank territories. There’s only one thing I have to say to Mr. Keyes, the English Media Advisor for the PMO who is in charge of the videos: “You’ve done a great job.”
In fact, if I were Mr. Keyes, I would call FOX News in NYC tomorrow and get Mr. Netanyahu to publicly respond over broadcast media to the criticism that followed shortly thereafter from the Obama administration, and simply call it a ‘clarification.’ Shortly after this latest video was released, spokeswoman Elizabeth Trudeau professed to disagree with Israel’s position yesterday at the White House daily press briefing, stating that “…those who oppose settlement activity… are somehow calling for ethnic cleansing of Jews from the West Bank.” But can you see how she is spinning the story for the press?
It’s not just that the settlers and the Arabs won’t get along in the region and therefore the settlements must be removed. What Bibi is saying in effect, is that once a peace deal is (theoretically) reached in the framework of a two-state solution, the Palestinian leadership will not allow a single Jew to set foot in their territory even then. Afterwards, that is. Meaning to say…. forever. Kapish? Now that really is ethnic cleansing. After the dirty work is already imposed on Israel to dismantle ala Gush Katif, then it’s just a matter of keeping the Jews out, and an international task force would be commissioned to do just that. What the Israeli PM is doing is giving the world a head’s-up (as it were) to a proposed UN Security Council resolution scheduled for November whereby Israel would be forced into this type of scenario. It is already rumoured that President Obama will not use the US right to veto the resolution.
Therefore Bibi should set the record straight immediately, and I’m sure Mr. Keyes also realizes this. Exploit that shift in tone from the White House and ask the PM to write an Op-Ed in the New York Times, similar to what Russian President Putin did when the Obama administration failed to inforce its own red lines vis-à-vis Syria using chemical weapons against its own people.
Putin went on to take advantage of the West’s faults, and in a master-stoke, asserted control of the region and cleaned up there. In the end, it was he who became the hero. And speaking of hero’s, the truth of the matter is that many thousands of Americans see our Israeli PM as a strong, moral leader, and as the US elections approach, I actually know quite a few of them that would love to vote for Netanyahu as their next President, if it were only possible.
Furthermore, even as Ms. Trudeau continued to state her “undisputed facts” about alleged illegal building on Israel’s part, several particulars appeared to have become rather twisted in the process. As a result, I think that the next video should deal with illegal building done by the Arabs on Israeli land. The reality on the ground is that her undisputed facts, are in fact quite disputed. A colleague of mine and Director of the JCPA, Amb. Alan Baker, has published many articles on how the West Bank is not illegal or “occupied” territory at all according to international law, and EU lawmakers are having a difficult time trying to grapple with that. And especially in trying to convey ambiguous facts to their NGO’s that are in Israel on their payrolls.
Bottom Line? It’s not necessarily about removing all settlements from land that is slated to be taken over by the PA (heaven forbid). Even if a Labour or Meretz government were in power and agreed to such an outrageous demand, i.e. - making ‘courageous’ and ‘unpopular’ decisions to pull out, the PA would continue to insist that no Jew enter there. Isn’t that the point the latest video is really trying to make? I mean, let’s face it, Israeli’s aren’t frierim (suckers) anymore, and have democratically chosen what is probably the most right-wing Likud government in the history of the Jewish State. Signed security promises from high-ranking (mostly retired) generals just won’t cut it anymore when Israeli children have been busy getting run over or stabbed in the back by teenage Palestinian girls. Interesting to note here that the Bible mentions more than once that if the gentile nations were to remain living in Israel proper they would end up becoming a “thorn in the side” of the Jews. Now, as to whether those verses hold true to the geopolitical situation of today depends entirely on who you ask. Of course.
As Managing Director of my own media company, I would strongly suggest that Keyes tap into human rights activist Bassem Eid and record what he has witnessed with respect to the Palestinian leadership regarding these cleansing issues. Bassem claims that Israel should have annexed all of the West Bank right after the Yom Kippur War in 1973, but as a result of (what I would call) misplaced mercy nothing was done in the end, and to this day the international community is turning the other way, which allows the PA to wreak havoc over the population in areas that have been ceded as a result of various agreements.
And while we’re at it, as far as a final status agreement goes, I have a personal question: What will happen to all the treasures that are hidden deep below the ground down there? The archaeological excavations that are ongoing in the West Bank, biblical discoveries that historically belong to ancient Israel. Indeed, if no Israeli authority can be present to supervise, there will only be rabid destruction. We already know how illegal excavation that occurs on the Temple Mount using heavy machinery changes the status quo on a daily basis (see www.harryhmoskoff.net).
The next challenge for Keyes to ask the Israeli PM to address in the next video is the issue of illegal Arab building and (surprise!), a proposed Israeli annexation.
Should be fun. Stay tuned!