Monday, November 06, 2006

TRADING IN FALLACIES

George Soros: Trading in Fallacies November 5th, 2006

George Soros does not like concepts that blind. He seems to have fewer problems with those that kill. The land for peace concept is one such concept, and has been the focus of all Israeli-Palestinian negotiations which Mr. Soros urges Israel to resume. Since land for peace spread among world diplomats and blocked their rational thought and their grasp of historical truths, thousands of people have died.Another one of Mr. Soros cherished concepts is the misnamed cycle of violence.He even upgraded this ubiquitous bromide to the vicious circle of escalating violence. By seeing only a circle, with no cause and effect, he exonerates the culprits of their atrocities, he tarnishes the life-preserving right to self-defense and he tacitly encourages determined murderers. All this, presumably, in the name of peace in the Middle East.

But, his most egregious notion is that Hamas and Hezbollah should not be targeted in the war on terror because “both have deep roots in their societies.The circular concept may have spawned this pearl of wisdom. Where did these deep roots come from? A recent poll of 1,270 Palestinians, conducted by Hebrew University on September 26, 2006, found that a majority believes in terrorism and war with Israel, and 74% believe that violence and diplomacy should be conducted in parallel. What has been deeply rooted in the Palestinian Arab society is the murderous ideology expounded in the Hamas and Hezbollah Charters: eradicate the State of Israel in the name of Islam and even indulge in genocidal hatred against Jews, as the Hadith Sahih Bukhari commands. How can anything peaceful grow out of these deep roots?

Nevertheless, Mr. Soros remains in his ethereal bubble and states that the Palestinian people yearn for peace and that “Israel should have gone out of his way to strengthen [Mahmoud Abbas] and his reformist team. Let it be known that Abbas’ own party, Fatah, supports the same destructive ideology as Hamas, in words and deeds albeit without Islamic overtones which may explain why Abbas never complied with the first phase of the Roadmap which called for the dismantling of the terrorist infrastructure.Mr. Soros repeatedly makes the distinction between the political wing and the military wing of Hamas. He could have added two other wings: the exiled wing and the prisoners’ wing, as suggested by The (UK) Times. Regardless of the many wings that are attached to Hamas, this blood-thirsty bird has soared only to heights of infamy. Moreover, they will pursue their relentless campaign to destroy Israel, if we believe Moussa Abu Marzouk, the deputy head of the so-called political wing of Hamas:

One of Hamas founding principles is that it does not recognize Israel. We [participated in] the elections and the people voted for us based on this platform. Therefore, the question of recognizing Israel is definitely not on the table unless it withdraws from ALL the Palestinian lands, not only to the 1967 borders.(Interview of April 24, 2006). Abu Marzouk was in perfect sync with the late Hamas leader Abdel Azaiz Rantisi who declared in July 2001:The [Hamas] political leadership has freed the hand of the [‘military wing’ Izzedine al-Qassam] brigades to do whatever they want against the brothers of monkeys and pigs.The Hamas program all wings combined could not be more straightforward. However, diplomats believe they can skirt reality indefinitely. They negotiate with other diplomats who share the same belief. Guess what often comes out of these talks: virtual reality at its most menacing level because, in time, these concocted schemes become the sole reality. In Orwell’s words, The past was erased. The erasure was forgotten. The lie became truth. This diplomatic fallacy has mired Middle East peace negotiations since their inception in the early 1990s.

Fallacy is a word that comes often in Mr. Soros book, The Age of Fallibility. It is not hard to find how fallacy makes its way into his article. He condemns the war on terror because it strengthens Hezbollah and Hamas and our actions help shape their behavior. Why should this observation run only one-way? Could it not be that since 9/11 and many years before that in Israel they have initiated actions and made official declarations that have shaped our behavior? For someone like Mr. Soros, who claims to be versed in philosophy, to overlook the fallacy of such one-sided sequitur is surprising. A possible explanation can be found in his website where he says, [in some instances] the truth cannot be known because it is contingent on what we think. If the truth of recent facts, thoroughly documented and unassailable for the most part, is an irrelevant category and if distorting or truncating it creates no dissonance as long as it serves one’s purpose, we may be entitled to ask: what is your purpose, Mr. Soros, in showing so much understanding toward the terrorists and so little concern toward Israel?

Mr. Soros sinks deeper into a quagmire of his own making. In an interview with Eric Schmidt conducted by the Google Authors Series on August 9, 2006, he declared,our biased, distorted understanding actually shapes reality. … And this is really an amazing example of how a false perception can actually shape reality. Thank you, Mr. Soros, for being so candid! You may be eager to shape an alternate reality, as Bill Clinton and other “liberals” urge the world to do, but it is not through ignorance of the facts that problems are solved.Mr. Soros certainly invested a great deal of intelligence to create an illusion that his thought process could apprehend. Sixty five years ago, at a time of a comparable global threat to our safety and our democracy, Sir Winsotn Churchill had a clearer view in his address to the Joint Session of Congress:

Duty and prudence alike command first that the germ-centers of hatred and revenge should be constantly and vigilantly surveyed and treated in good time, and, secondly, that an adequate organization should be set up to make sure that the pestilence can be controlled at its earliest beginnings before it spreads and rages throughout the entire earth. Now is certainly not the time to bury our heads in the sands of utopia.Salmon Benzimra contributed to this article Contact Rachel Neuwirth

Saturday, November 04, 2006

MIDEAST PEACE REMAINS ELUSIVE

ANALYSIS: Mideast peace remains elusive By STEVEN GUTKIN,
Associated Press Writer Sat Nov 4, 4:35 AM ET

JERUSALEM - Negotiators are reporting progress on efforts to form a more moderate Palestinian government and swap prisoners in Israeli custody for a captured Israeli soldier two issues that could help reverse an alarming deterioration in Israeli-Palestinian relations. But this week's violence in the Gaza town of Beit Hanoun, which included Israeli forces opening fire Friday on women serving as human shields for militants holed up at a mosque, highlighted the challenge for anyone interested in peace.Both U.S. and Israeli officials have made clear that they see no possibility for peace overtures unless the Palestinians' ruling Hamas movement accepts the three conditions put forth by the so-called quartet of international Mideast negotiators recognizing Israel, accepting past peace accords and renouncing violence.

After weeks of up-and-down negotiations, both Hamas and the rival Fatah Party of President Mahmoud Abbas say they are close to a deal to form a national unity government that many Palestinians hope could help end a crippling international aid boycott.The agreement would be based on a document put together by prominent Palestinians jailed in Israel calling for a Palestinian state in the West Bank and Gaza. It's doubtful, however, that the so-called prisoners' document will be enough to satisfy demands that Hamas recognize Israel the main sticking point in the West's refusal to lift its boycott.The document has vague references to respecting past peace accords and accepting a Palestinian state only in the lands captured by Israel in the 1967 Mideast War.

But there's no explicit recognition of the Jewish state.The Palestinians are also hoping a prisoner swap with Israel could help reduce tensions and get aid flowing again. The IMF reported this week that the Palestinian Authority's income fell by 60 percent since Hamas took power in March.

A senior Israeli official, speaking on condition of anonymity because he is not an official spokesman, said we are closer than we were two or three weeks ago to swapping prisoners for Cpl. Gilad Shalit, the young soldier captured by Hamas-linked militants on June 25.Israeli officials refused to give details about the negotiations, conducted through Egyptian mediators to avoid direct contact between Israel and Hamas, which Israel brands a terrorist organization. However, a senior Fatah official with knowledge of the contacts said Israel had softened its previous position refusing to discuss the criteria for which prisoners would be freed in exchange
for Shalit.Moussa Abu Marzouk, the Syria-based deputy to Hamas political chief Khaled Mashaal, complained that Israel was dragging its feet on the deal, but nevertheless predicted there will be a prisoner swap.Abu Marzouk told The Associated Press by phone in Damascus that talks held in Cairo this week between a Hamas delegation and Egypt's chief of intelligence, Omar Suleiman, about the captured Israeli and the formation of a unity government were good. He did not elaborate.

An official close to the talks, speaking on condition of anonymity because of the sensitive nature of the contacts, said Hamas doesn't trust Israel to live up to its part of the deal, and wants Shalit handed over to a third party until Israel fulfills its part of the exchange.The senior Israeli official confirmed back-channel contacts between Hamas representatives and members of Israeli civil
society with close links to their government. He offered no details, but Palestinians with knowledge of the talks said Hamas reiterated its offer of a 10-year cease-fire, or hudna, during which Israel and the Palestinians could seek a more permanent settlement.Ahmed Yousef, political adviser to Prime Minister Haniyeh, has begun a media offensive to tout the hudna idea Hamas's only diplomatic card.

I hope that one day America will find time to read a hudna as a concept,Yousef told the AP in a recent interview in Gaza. This concept could be at least a process to build confidence, and it might be a long strategy for peace.The U.S., whose involvement is seen as necessary to any hope of reviving a Mideast peace process, has been concentrating on opening Gaza's border crossings and bolstering the firepower of President Abbas as a counterweight to Hamas.

Progress toward resolving the Israeli-Palestinian conflict could go a long way toward repairing America's badly damaged credibility in the Arab and Muslim world and help bolster President Bush's legacy, especially if he becomes a lame duck after next week's congressional elections in which the Democrats are expected to fare well.But the U.S. administration has done little to get Israelis and Palestinians to talk peace, and U.S. officials privately concede they
have no intention of asserting any pressure as long as an unreformed Hamas is in power. Israel, for its part, has been concentrating its efforts on winning the release of Shalit and two other Israeli soldiers whose July 12 capture by Hezbollah guerrillas in Lebanon set off a 34-day war this summer. The government of Prime Minister Ehud Olmert has indefinitely shelved the top policy initiative for which it was elected a pullback from the West Bank. Unless we see the emergence of a more stable political situation in the Palestinian territories, a Palestinian government that wants to cooperate with the international community, there is unfortunately a
feeling that not much can be done, said Israeli Foreign Ministry spokesman Mark Regev.
Israeli officials are alarmed by what they say is a surge in arms smuggling from Egypt into Gaza following Israel's 2005 withdrawal from the seaside territory and Hamas' subsequent rise to power.

Israeli troops have been battling gunmen in Beit Hanoun for the past three days as part of a fierce campaign to halt militant rocket fire on southern Israel. On Friday, the troops fired toward a crowd of women who streamed into a mosque to serve as human shields for militants holed up inside. One woman was killed and at least 10 were wounded before the militants escaped under the women's cover. Editor's Note: Steven Gutkin is the AP's bureau chief in
Jerusalem.

Wednesday, November 01, 2006

THE SAUDI PLAN

Israeli defence minister says Arab peace initiative could be basis for talks Aron Heller, Canadian PressPublished: Wednesday, November 01, 2006

TEL AVIV, Israel (AP) - Israel's defence minister said Tuesday that a dormant Saudi initiative for Mideast peace could be a basis for negotiation, indicating a new possibility for talks with the Palestinians after years of stalemate. The Saudi plan calls for a comprehensive peace between Israel and the Arab world, based on a complete Israeli withdrawal from lands it captured in the 1967 Mideast war, namely the West Bank, Gaza Strip, east Jerusalem and Golan Heights. Israeli Defence Minister Amir Peretz said he was not endorsing the plan. But he was the most senior Israeli official even to publicly consider it. We could see the Saudi initiative as the basis for negotiation. This does not mean that we are adopting the Saudi initiative, but it can serve as a basis, Peretz said at an academic conference at Tel Aviv University.

The Saudi initiative was adopted at an Arab League summit in Beirut, Lebanon, in March 2002. For the first time, it offered Israel normal relations with the entire Arab world in exchange for a complete withdrawal from captured territory. Israel reacted skeptically at the time, rejecting an addition by Saudi Arabia requiring Israel to recognize the demand to take back Palestinian refugees from the 1948-49 war that followed creation of the Jewish state, as well as their descendants, an estimated four million people. Israel has offered compensation instead, maintaining that demanding a right of return is a way of undermining the Jewish character of the state and destroying it from within.Israel also questioned the meaning of normal relations and rejected a total withdrawal from all the territories. In various unsuccessful rounds of peace talks, Israel has offered an almost complete pullout from the West Bank and Golan Heights, and last year it withdrew unilaterally from the Gaza Strip. However, it maintains that the pre-1967 ceasefire lines are not a border, and it wants to adjust the line to include main West Bank Jewish settlement blocks in Israel. At the time, Israel asked Saudi Arabia to send an envoy to clarify the proposal, but that did not happen.

In 2003, the Saudi initiative was overtaken by the U.S.-backed road map peace plan, which called for establishment of a Palestinian state in a three-stage process and mentioned the Saudi initiative as part of the basis for the solution.However, the plan was frozen from the outset when neither side implemented its initial steps. Israel failed to dismantle dozens of unauthorized West Bank settlement outposts, and the Palestinians declined to disarm violent groups. Peace moves have been stalled since 2000, when the outbreak of Palestinian violence followed a failed summit meeting of Israeli and Palestinian leaders in the United States. Israel's official position has been that the road map is the only plan on the table now, but Foreign Ministry spokesman Mark Regev indicated the Saudi plan could be the basis for talks.

Israel has never accepted the Saudi initiative but would see positive elements in the initiative, particularly the call for reconciliation and the call for establishing normalized realizations between Israel and her Arab neighbours, Regev told The Associated Press. Though Prime Minister Ehud Olmert's election platform this year called for a unilateral Israeli pullout from much of the West Bank, he shelved the proposal in the aftermath of the unpopular, inconclusive war with Lebanese Hezbollah guerrillas in the summer. The addition this week of an ultra-hawkish party to shore up Olmert's governing coalition made a new peace drive unlikely. In violence Tuesday, Israeli troops shot and killed three Hamas militants in the Gaza Strip as the army pressed ahead with a four-month-old offensive, Palestinian officials said. Israel has indicated it would expand its offensive, aiming to stop arms smuggling through tunnels from Egypt to Gaza and rocket fire by Palestinian militants at Israeli towns and villages. © The Canadian Press 2006