Dr. Avi Perry

The Iraq Study Group’s unwritten conclusions

2006-12-11T19:27:00.000-08:00

The Whole Truth and nothing but – Politics

It was a long day. The Iraq Study Group has just issued their terrific ideas marinated by their highly seasoned conclusions. I was mad and discouraged. Taking it to the night, I was ready to disregard the real world and sink into the dream zone - the one, which provides occasional relief by letting raging thoughts burst out of my system into some black hole only to vanish forever.

In my dream, I have just arrived at my dentist. I drifted into the clinic, eased into the torture settee (the dentist has a different name for it), and let the - white apron wearing - Old Nick, pound on my teeth. I closed my eyes and helped my thoughts carry me back in time, into the days I took part along with old Jim Baker and the aging Lee Hamilton, studying the Iraq situation and planning a change in course.

I could hear the dentist’s voice above my head. The roguish face was half masked. I would not have to bear his breath. Good God. “So, I hear that you are recommending a breakthrough peace process between Bush and Bin Laden,” he announced. “I don’t know, but this idea does not sit well with me. What would you offer to this holy man in return for peace?” He asked.

I could not bear the ignorance pouring out of the unthinking infidel. Does he know that we, in America, have means? If we promise to stop checking airline passengers, especially the ones who look forward to life in Paradise, isn’t Bin Laden going to like us? And what about the planned luncheon at the commencement of the peace conference? I personally made sure they did not forget the humus. Osama loves it.

I looked at him pitifully. This dentist may be a good doctor, but when it comes to politics, he was absolutely clueless. “This is only the first episode in a far-reaching peace process,” I countered. “We are looking to get Iran involved by offering them a nuclear bomb at a Christmas discount. There is no need to reinvent the wheel and spend all these cultured resources on something that someone else had already mass produced.”

“But how will that gift advance the peace process?” he asked. “How will it change course in Iraq?”

I could not talk. The smiling sprite had his iron tools inside my watery mouth.

“Are you going to consult with the Israelis on that nuclear thing?” he inquired.

I wanted to jump out of my seat. I wanted to yell – “You are slow and thick!!” But, I was prisoner of my own teeth and my horizontal position.

“I thought that peace must be achieved through negotiations between the parties,” he continued. “And Allah’s messenger’s brother, Mr. Ahmadinjad sounds serious about wiping Israel off the map.”

I fixed my eyes on this dim-witted little man who dared lecturing and criticizing. I was truly annoyed, but I could not speak. I could not brew justice or unveil the truth. I could not tell this blubber mouth to his face that ‘Israel is the root cause of all the troubles we, God Blessed Americans, endure in Iraq, North Korea, Afghanistan, Venezuela, etc. I was unable to assert that the Israelis should not sit at the same table where serious negotiations for the future of their country was taking place. This stubborn bunch of Jews would only demand fairness, guarding their own human rights, unmindful of Islamic desires for booty and revenge… Simply unacceptable!

I finally gathered my courage, lifted my hand, and pulled the tools out of my mouth. “You are only a dentist, for God’s sake…”

But the rascal did not budge. He inserted the tools back while impeding my comeback. I could hear him yet again. “How could little Israel, the only Democracy in the Middle-east be responsible for Shiites murderous rampages on Sunnies and vice versa?”

“Hey,” I finally said. “If Israel gives up land for peace, including Jerusalem, Haifa, and Tel Aviv, then the whole Arab world would have no one to blame for their own misery. Can you imagine Islam without an enemy? What kind of religious teaching are they going to practice? What will replace the emptiness? It will finally become a true “Mission Accomplished.” I was excited. Water was shooting down from my open mouth and onto my paper apron as I was trying to drive sense into this bonehead dentist.

“You see,” I continued to lecture. “Palestine was a wasteland before the Jews came and transformed it. How dare these damn people of the book convert an uninhabited region into a land of milk and honey? Don’t they know that Paradise is merely in Heaven?”

He was not listening. This dentist went on, his hands inside my mouth, and his head nodding in disapproval. Then, out of the blue - “We are done,” I could hear his voice. I opened my eyes feeling the freshness inside my mouth, and watching the prince of darkness hovering over my head, while his smile was extending across three time zones. "You are good for 6 months," he declared. "Here is a bonus. A new tooth brush..."

The alarm clock woke me up. Thank God, it was only a dream. A new day was making a start. I realized that the right people in Israel and the US would dismiss the great wisdom emanating out of Neville Chamberlain’s students. These old men must have forgotten that Israel and Czechoslovakia are in two different continents, and that Bashar Assad is an ugly sonofabitch who does not scream in German, and does not even have a moustache.

Jim Baker must have felt like a brain surgeon who brought a comatose patient - the course in Iraq and the rest of the Middle East - back to life. He knew that change was inevitable. His committee had been brought into being for the unique purpose of instigating change.

What else could he do after being charged with an impossible mission? He could hire Tom Cruise, or call James Bond and have them take care of business.

Or he could try to be “original” – Blame the Jews…

Some Weird Thoughts

2006-11-18T09:36:00.000-08:00

1. Ophir Paz-Pines has just resigned from the Israeli government and announced that he intended to run for the top job in the Labor party. Should he ever become prime minister or foreign minister, he will have to change his name. Pines is pronounced as “Peanes” in Hebrew. It assumes the same sound as the English word “Penis” (man’s sexual organ).
Now, try to imagine the announcement following the arrival of the honorable Israeli minister to the White House. “Please welcome Mr. Penis…” The man and his country will become the laughing stock of the whole Western world.
If you ever want to assume a top job, Mr. Pines, you had better change your name.
2. Why do gays want a parade? May be they feel that as a group they are being discriminated against, and they want to say: “we are fighting discrimination.” Or may be they just want to annoy the ultra orthodox - Haredim. These extremists deserve some “In your face” for the sake of scores settling. But wait. How about Ugly People Parade, or Hookers Parade, or just plain stupid people. Yes, how about the “Idiots Parade?” These groups I just mentioned must feel very discriminated, and unlike gays, they do not even have a closet.
3. Amir Peretz just gets under my skin every time he issues a threat. The latest one: “Israel will deal a painful and heavy blow to the terrorists" is merely a replica of many he issued in the past. Amir Peretz has grown to be the boy who cried “Wolves,” and we all know how that story ended. So, next time, Amir, if you want the terrorists to be caught unawares with their pants down, issue a very exhaustive threat, detailing the precise punishment they are about to soak up. And then – Act on it. It will turn out to be a true surprise, the most trouble-free military achievement of your career.
4. We all know that President Katsav is effectively a lame duck. I also noticed that his wife is always happy and smiling when they are together in front of the camera. You know; I fancy watching the hidden camera, which follows them into the privacy of their home. Does the wife believe him? No. I don’t think so. Does she forgive him? No. I don’t think so. Does she tolerate him? That depends on whether or not he includes her in his sexual fantasies. But, hey, she is probably not included, or better, the president has no such castles in the sky. Once he conquered these fortresses, once the fantasies became realities, he emptied the basket, and was no longer able to enjoy his lonely moments. His wife must be aware of that. Now you know why she is smiling.
5. Gaydamak’s undertaking regarding Eilat vacations for citizens of Sderot was the best protest against the government lack of will to take drastic action against the enemy. It exposed the government’s impotence by offering it a blue form of Viagra. Peretz’s negative reaction did not surprise me. How would any macho react when told that he has a small penis?

The Geneva Convention is out of date and requiring amendments

2006-10-08T10:30:00.000-07:00

The Geneva Convention was designed as a whole system of legal safeguards that cover the way wars may be fought. It was designed under the assumptions that war may be conducted between countries whose governments employ military means for the sake of capturing and controlling territory while subjecting the conquered population to rules of law and dignity.
These assumptions have also spawned specific rules designed to protect non-combatants by restricting the scope of wars solely to military targets, and the scope of weapons or methods of warfare to the type which do not cause unnecessary losses or excessive suffering.
In summary, the rules imply that wars may be fought between armies. All sides to the conflict must avoid inflicting civilian casualties. And once a combatant is unable to fight due to injury, capture, or a medical (rather than a fighting) role, he or she should be treated with dignity and respect for his/her life and duties.
It all makes sense as long as we exclude the Islamic terror organizations and their methods. Once we understand their agenda, we realize that it is a perfect one hundred and eighty degrees south of Geneva. Accordingly, under the circumstances, the $64,000 question is – ‘how do you defend against these terror groups, and more importantly, how do you win?’
A very recent debate in the US Senate on the subject of treatment of Al Qaeda detainees brought onto the surface the question of whether or not these terrorists warrant a Geneva Convention designation of Prisoner of War (POW) status. Although the debate focused on one single aspect of the Convention, it exposed its limited scope, and it reflected the need for broadening its boundary. The POW issue is a small one compared to the major uneasiness facing the Israeli defense operations.
Israel is fighting militias and terror organizations whose targets are innocent civilians, women, children, and anyone who could help pave their way to heaven. The terrorists employ human shields as cover. One of their chief tactics is suicide bombing, which utilizes innocent looking, brain washed young people, including women, who move through unsuspecting crowds and explode themselves causing maximum deaths and suffering. Everything they do is in clear violation of the Geneva Convention. In fact, the Geneva Convention is their major weapon. They use it for their cover, for their disguise, for their defense and offense. It is their umbrella.
There is no choice. If we want to fight terror and win, we must strip the terrorists off their major weapon. The Geneva Convention should be broadened to exclude these international outlaws from its scope. If terrorists operate from within a civilian center, especially one that provides them with support and shelter, they must be considered responsible for any collateral civilian suffering or death. Once the terrorists understand that human shield is ineffective, they may stop using it as their chief strength. Once the terrorists understand that attacks on civilians trigger counter attacks on their brother civilians, they may think twice before launching their aggression.
We should stop treating terrorists as non-human. These people have feelings just like the rest of us. They have mothers, sisters, wives, children, and friends who love them and are loved back. If we are unable to target the terrorists directly because of their reliance on the present form of the Geneva Convention but find their loved ones out in the open and used as their human shields, then the Convention should allow us to treat them along the same ways their loved ones treat our civilians. It will definitely hurt them. It will teach them a lesson they are capable of learning.
Of course, that’s only if we want to win.

A Hamas Government - Better than the alternative

2006-10-07T09:24:00.000-07:00

I realize that many in Israel, as well as Dr. Rice, the American secretary of state, want to see the Palestinian president, Abbas, dissolving the Palestinian government and replacing it with a more rational, moderate, less militant one. On the surface, it looks like this action would advance the peace prospects for the Israeli-Palestinian issue. Unfortunately, it would accomplish the exact opposite.
It is a fact that just about 70% of the Palestinian people do not want to recognize Israel’s right to exist and want to see Israel wiped off the map. The 70% number may be an underestimate, as it does not include the Israeli Arabs or the Palestinians who live in Jordan and in Lebanon. It does include the Al Aktsa Martyr’s Brigades, a Fatah militia, taking in cover under the same umbrella that masquerades the nature of the political wing of the Palestinian president.
Disbanding the Hamas government and replacing it with peace seeking rational people will not make Hamas disappear. It will not make the Al Aktsa Brigades disappear. It will, however, pull world sympathy and contribute to an attitude change by the international community toward the Palestinian cause. It will help alleviate the economic pressure imposed on the Palestinian population, will provide them with political support, and will bring American pressure on Israel demanding concessions in the name of peace. No longer will Israel be able to claim that there is no partner for a prolific dialog. No longer will Israel be able to claim ‘self defense’ for every military operation against a “peace loving” neighbor. All this while Hamas and the other militias will keep trying to elevate the terror score just to make evident their relevancy, notwithstanding their status outside the government.
Can you imagine a Palestinian government, which does not represent the will and the yearnings of its population and does not control its murderous militias, signing a peace treaty with Israel? Can you imagine a continuous or even a stepped up terror activity emanating out of the neighboring Palestinian state whose government is claiming: “It’s not me. It’s them.” Can you imagine the international outcry including the ones coming from the US after Israel attacks terrorists and their bases inside a sovereign state, with which she has just signed a peace agreement? Is not it far better having an enemy who declares his true intentions versus a ‘friend’ who seeks to destroy you while playing nice in front of the world and getting everyone’s sympathy?
Let’s make sure that Israel does not fall into this trap and does not encourage Abbas to form a government, which does not represent the people it rules. Let’s make sure that the US understands that a government, lacking control over its militias, is a virtual rather than a valid entity whose word and whose signature are meaningless. Let’s make sure that the Palestinian agenda is loud and official, well understood by the international community, and continues to provoke resentment by every decent human being. Let’s make sure that Hamas stays in power inside Gaza and the West bank so that a genuine Palestinian façade does not disguise its heart.
Let’s face it. Israel will never have a bona fide peace with those who believe that the holy land is holy merely because it is an occupied Islamic land. Let’s make peace with the idea that Israel will never have peace with those who dream of returning to homes that no longer exist. Let’s make peace with the idea that a Hamas government in the Palestinian territories is a preferred status to a Fatah government, whose Al Aktsa Martyr’s Brigades militia does not abide by the words of its political leaders, and whose Hamas opposition is attacking on all fronts. Let’s make peace with the idea that logical reasoning would never penetrate the brain of those who washed it with a detergent made by the religious extremists.
Let’s make sure that we do not let impossible dreams of peace make us ignore the harsh realities of the neighborhood we live in. And while an unelected moderate Palestinian government may epitomize the dream, a Hamas government is the best reminder that dreams tend to vanish at the instant you wake up.

Enough with Retaliation

2006-06-02T11:07:00.000-07:00

It happened without ado after September 11. Elected officials from opposite poles of the political spectrum were calling for Retaliation, and the more they chattered, the more irate I became. I found it hard to believe that mature and sophisticated people could opt for an emotionally satisfying act that under nearly all circumstances serves as grounds for a counter act that fuels a vicious revenge cycle.
Retaliation is analogous to inflicting a minor injury, a superficial gash, on an adversary, without causing a permanent disabling devastation that would put the bad guys out of business for good. As long as the enemy is able to stand up back on their feet and rebound, retaliation would only fire up their emotions, energize them, enhance their popularity among their peers, and transform their criminal acts to heroic martyrdom.
Now. Why did I bring this subject up? Why at this time? Is it because I am worried?
I have got the impression that the Israeli government has been, for some time, putting a policy of Retaliation into practice. The recent escalation on the Lebanese border and the Israeli response, although it received aggressive coverage in the media, still has not quite eliminated Hezbollah’s ability to rebuild and repeat their acts of violence. Evidently, their leaders are already talking revenge. Palestinian terrorist organizations continue to launch rockets and the Israeli government continues to retaliate. Hamas is claiming that their rocket technology has been improving, and they may be able to hit farther and more accurately. Is Israel going to wait for a terrorist big bang before eradicating this cancer, or treat it with aspirin to make the temporary pain go away?
It is evident that one day, one of those Qassam rockets would hit a sensitive target. This is only a matter of chance, and the odds against such an event are getting thinner. Time has come for abolishing Retaliation and trading it for Eradication. Israel must put a stop, once and for all, to the constant challenge that the Palestinian and the Lebanese terror organizations put through.
Settling on Eradication may yield a transitory resentment by those around the world who label themselves as ‘civilized’. They may complain that such actions are too harsh, that innocent lives get caught in the cross fire, and that this is not a measured response. But the outcome and its associated benefits would be more permanent, and would last long after the memory of the global fury has been faded away.
I do hope that the Israeli government does not wait for a disaster before ceasing the Retaliation policy and substituting it for a policy that affects Eradication. It must be a difficult decision for those who believe in measured responses. But if safety and security of Israeli citizens precedes the safety and security of its enemies, then the way for taking the vicious revenge cycle to an end is by opting for a policy that would make it happen.

Nuclear Iran

2006-04-20T10:10:00.000-07:00

Intellectuals on the left side of the Western Democracies are crying foul. They seem puzzled by what they refer to as the American and European hypocritical position concerning Iran’s nuclear ambitions. They point to the US relations with Nuclear India, the administration tolerance of the Pakistani bomb, and the world absentmindedness concerning Israel’s refusal to admit its undeniable status. Why is Iran different? They question. Why can’t Iran try to seek what others already possess?
Is there really no distinction, or are these intellectuals blinded by superficial generalities?
It is a fact that among the official and unofficial nuclear club members none is controlled by an Islamic religious fanatic leader, whereas Iran is.
It is a fact that Islamic religious fanatics have no regard for innocent lives. They believe that Allah wants them to kill anyone who stands on the way to their version of world order. 9/11 proved that point.
It is a fact that Islamic religious fanatics take their orders directly from Allah’s earthly self appointed representatives and follow it blindly without a question.
It is a fact that Iran’s leader has already announced his intent to wipe Israel off the map. He clearly implied that he would use a nuclear bomb for the task had he had one.
There is a strong suspicion that Iran’s leaders view Israel as a requisite bus stop on the way to other Middle-Eastern countries, Europe, and beyond, in their Jihadic mission to cleanse the world from its infidels.
There is a strong suspicion that Iran may actually bring its nuclear bomb into play, or let its Islamic comrades experiment with it on real human beings. There is no analogous anxiety when it comes to other members of the nuclear club.
But what about Israel? Why does the Western World beg off pressuring the Jewish state to open its nuclear facilities to international inspections? Why is Israel given a preferential treatment on the issue?
Apparently, the West, and the US specifically, understand that Israel would not use its nuclear arsenal in battle unless it is attacked or about to be attacked with WMD first. They understand that the Israeli capability is defensive, while the Iranian aspirations are offensive. They understand that Israel is the only country in the world whose citizens rather than their government are targeted for elimination by its religious fanatic enemies. Israel is the only country in the world whose citizens are subject to a massive genocide by those aspiring to nuke it.
The North Korean government does not want to kill all of its Southern neighbor citizens. It wants to control them. India and Pakistan do not want to kill all of their enemy civilians. Their dispute is confined to territorial control. All recent wars among nuclear members and other nations amounted to wars, cold or hot, between governments over territorial or political jurisdiction. These objectives are in contradiction to the utilization of WMD.
Iran’s “wipe them off the map” call is clearly a departure from the norm. If these neurotic desperados place their hands on this WMD button, the world may actually witness mushroom clouds for the first time since Nagasaki. And that is why Iran should never be allowed to exercise the nuclear potential.

Racial Profiling – It has finally reached American shores

2006-03-10T06:22:00.000-08:00

September 11, 2001 brought about a turning point in American attitude toward security. The task of protecting American citizens from Islamic terror became most animated, beating at full volume in and around American airports. Still, it was baffling to watch the subsequent, though random, screening process carried out by the worn-out security agents, who picked on Swedish looking old ladies at a frequency greater than Arab looking young unshaved males.
What a farce. Why not using common sense, save time, save on labor and focus on the usual suspects? Why not learn from Israel? My little country has perfected the early warning system, the preventive maintenance, the unearthing of the ticking bomb, by resorting to racial profiling, thus shortening the list to a manageable inventory. It does make sense.
Oh. America could not do this. “Racial profiling” has been and still is, against the law. “Racial profiling” comprises two dirty words on the streets of the former slave owners. Sorry. Can’t be done. America would rather be extremely redundant and exceedingly inefficient rather than resorting to despised practices.
But wait… Here comes Dubai Ports. They have almost taken over management of five key ports in the US. They have bought the privilege from a British company, just as foreign as the UAE owned entity.
Well, there is a need for a slight fine-tuning, a minor embellishment. Foreign or not, but unlike the UAE, “British” is European. “British” has the sounding of an ally. Except, the UAE is an ally of the US. It has been established, or so they say. The kingdom’s government provides a great deal of assistance to the US on its war on terror.
Notwithstanding the official friendship between the governments, the deal frightens the citizens of the New World. They have not admitted to it, but they have been stereotyping.
Americans may not want to see an Arab government in charge of Air Force 1, the Secret Service, or even Continental Airlines. The American public may not want to experiment with letting Dubai Ports manage the New York City port either. Is that surprising? Some of us still remember the Egypt Air disaster over Long Island, where the Egyptian pilot crashed his passenger-loaded plane into the waters while shrieking “Allah Aqbar.” The Egyptian government and the airline officials have never accepted the only sad though documented conclusion. They were clearly in denial. And so is the Dubai Ports management and all those who support the take over deal.
It is true that not all Muslims are crazy fanatics, but nonetheless, all of Al Queda members and admirers are Muslims. These believers have been brainwashed to the point of hopelessness. They have infiltrated civilized organizations, and have silently contaminated them while establishing dormant cells ready for action when the opportunity arises. Dubai Ports may have been contaminated, albeit its top management is unaware or in denial.
And this is where “Racial Profiling” makes perfect sense. Unfortunately, innocent people will become suspects as a result. They will be denied opportunities that are afforded to others who are just as qualified. But when the price of misjudgment reaches a zenith, the side effects associated with the Racial Profiling sin is a price worth paying… Even in America.

The Palestinian population – Should they be penalized in consequence of Hamas’ takeover?

2006-02-21T10:09:00.000-08:00

The side effect of having a Democracy, where a government represents the will of the people who elected it to power, is that the chosen leader does actually epitomize his or her citizens. When the voting is through and the massive landslide victory is established, the elected chief becomes the true unmasked face of the population he or she portrays.
Hamas’ victory at the polls unveiled the true nature of the Palestinian population. It has become unambiguous - the majority of them are Hamasnics. Accordingly, most of them want to see Israel wiped off the map. A good number of them refuse to recognize Israel’s right to exist, and nearly everyone supports suicide bombing or other means comprising armed struggle against the Zionists.
There is no longer any disparity between the Palestinian population and their newly elected leadership. Thanks to the democratic elections, the association has become transparent. By electing Hamas to power, the Palestinian population was looking for trouble. Once again, they lost an opportunity for a peaceful transition that could have pulled them to statehood. It was their will, and they should bear the consequences.
The Israeli government should be wise to use its means in an effort to squeeze the juice out of Hamas’ coffers. Massive layoffs or government salary freeze could frustrate the population and turn them against their new leaders. Making life more difficult by obstructing foreign trade, communications, travel, electrical power, etc. may be used intermittently by Israel as means for retaliating against terrorist actions. Collective punishment is now fully justified since the collective Palestinian body has opted for a path of confrontation.
Indiscriminate suicide bombing, shooting missiles at residential neighborhoods, is nothing more than collective punishment. This policy is widely endorsed by those who scream that imposing retaliatory measures upon them amounts to the same.
The answer to the title question is a categorical ‘Yes’ with only one tweak. Hamas did not take over the PA. The Palestinian population did it by voting Hamas in. And punishing the responsible community is equivalent to inflicting pain on the guilty party.

Iran’s nuclear ambitions in the eyes of the American media

2006-02-20T09:21:00.000-08:00

Many of the talking heads who populate the political colloquy on CNN, NBC, and FOX news advocate that Israel would most likely take care of the forthcoming Iranian nightmare along the same lines she applied to Sadam’s dreams. Problem is, the Iranian learned from the Iraqi experience. They are far more prepared, and any military attack designed to destroy their nuclear capability may require superior comprehensive and sophisticated means.
Most Israelis understand the difficulty associated with taking charge of eliminating the Iranian threat. In discussions I had recently with friends in Israel they all suggested that the Americans could and probably would take care of the problem. They did not believe diplomacy would work. They believed that the only option was a violent one. The Americans, they argued, possessed the technology. They had already hinted that the military option was on the table, and the American president viewed the Iranian government as a major component making up the axis of evil.
The means and the will are there, so why are the American TV commentators so fixed on a solution cooked in Israel?
There are a couple of reasons –
1. Americans believe that Israel is amazingly capable. Many Americans hold Israeli military capabilities, intelligence, imagination, and creativity, far above their own.
2. Americans understand that Israel is the first stop on the Iranian terror train. The Israeli anxiety is at least a notch above everyone else. They understand that Israel may not want to wait until Iran acquires the capability. Others may have a little more patience since they perceive less imminence, while still hoping for a non-violent solution.
There is another misconception argued by American TV commentators. Some of them, in an attempt to display objectivity, claim that Israel already possesses the nuclear capability, and should Israel sign off on the non-proliferation treaty, the Iranian may lose their key argument and foremost motive for reaching out to meet parity. At the same time, they argue, nuclear parity steers adversaries to mutual restrain as demonstrated by the Soviet Union and the US and by India and Pakistan.
Of course, this argument is naïve at best. And one should not forget that Israel - unlike the other nuclear pairings - has been threatened with annihilation by one religious fanatic who may want to prove that he means business.
There is no doubt. The Iranian nuclear aspirations must be stopped before they mature. The only question remains as to who should take the lead and assume responsibility for making that feat happen. The US and Israel must agree on a course and not rely on the other party to take care of the situation.
Hopefully, this is what the governments are seeing to. And with any luck, the American media may be unaware.

Israel's Actions regarding non-payment to the PA amounts to "Collective Punishment." Does it really?

2006-02-02T08:09:00.000-08:00

As Reuters, Adam Entous, reported – ‘Palestinian Economy Minister Mazen Sonnoqrot decried what he called Israel's "illegal decision," saying it amounted to "collective punishment".
Unjust “collective punishment” is in effect when the majority endures consequences of an act committed by a tiny minority. On the other hand, when punishment is directed at a group, most of whose members are offenders, collective punishment meets its specific target with little side effects.
This is the case with the PA. The latest election in the West Bank and Gaza unearthed the life-size secret – most of those who live in these areas comprise Hamas Silent Majority. Their objectives are Hamas’ objectives, their wishes are Hamas’ wishes, and their dreams of a homeland from the Mediterranean to the river Jordan are on a collision course with Israel’s existence.
All those who voted for Hamas should gulp down the consequences of their wishes. This terror organization is no longer a small faction of immature bandits. This is the true face of the Palestinian majority.
The Israeli Government was right to exercise pressure on this new Genie who has just come out of the bottle. The government has recognized the PA for what it has become – a true representative of the suicidal enemy.
“Collective Punishment” is proper when almost every individual within the “collection” is wrapped with green while yelling “Death to the Jews.”
Sorry, Mr. Mazen Sonnoqrot. You are right, but you are out of your own main stream. You can only deal with an adversary when you recognize his/her right to exist. If you fail this simple test, if you do not recognize this simple reality, then you have no facility to demand fairness from a fictional entity.
You better grow up, get real, change your ways, and only then, you may gain credibility and respect. Only when the “collective Palestinian majority” faces reality and acknowledges Israel’s rights there are grounds for reciprocity.
Until then, your complaints are falling on ears, which according to the people you represent, do not exist, and therefore cannot hear you.

Hamas’ victory - The best thing that Israel could hope for -

2006-01-29T13:11:00.000-08:00

Surprised?
Well, let’s think about it.
Imagine.
You are a kid again. You want a new toy, but your mom and dad refuse it. They simply can’t afford the cost. They have their priorities - bread on the table, warm clothes for the winter, the home mortgage, or monthly rent, and, of course - the electrical bills. They already figured out that their monthly income barely covers these essentials. But you; you don’t care. You do not bear their responsibility. You scream and protest. You threaten, and you even dare to break your mom’s favorite picture frame. You have broken her heart, and slammed the door when she tried to explain, but you would not listen. You still want your toy or else.
Then, you wake up.
But this time you are the parent and your kid is the one who is testing your patience while you assume the role of your responsible folks. You hate it, but you must follow the path of responsibility. Otherwise, you would fail your kid and the rest of the family including yourself.
Now, consider the analogy.
As long as Hamas was a fringe force, they could act irresponsibly, putting forward unreasonable and unrealistic demands. They could declare a futile war against Israel, which they could have never won, and they could proclaim jihad in the face of their peace-seeking leader. It did not matter. They wanted their toy.
The election results would force Hamas to grow up. They have become the new parents. They may truly hate the outcome, being children is a lot more fun, but the burden of responsible existence is suddenly borne on their adult shoulders. They must act maturely or else.
At the same time, Abu Mazen, may no longer wear the peacenik mask. As long as Hamas was out of the political mainstream, the Palestinian president could pretend to lead a peace-seeking nation. Those Hamas terrorists were mere nuisance. The fact that he, the president, could not control them very effectively was only a diversion, but otherwise peace was on the table, and everything else was Israel’s fault.
Hamas’ victory at the polls lifted the mask. No Palestinian president could talk peace while the official government, which represents the will of its citizens, declares jihad. Abu Mazen may want to make peace with Israel, but unless he has the backing of his people (as represented by Hamas), the only peace he can make is with himself, not with his people. In other words, Abu Mazen had no mandate, and his signature was not worth the weight of its ink.
Responsibility and transparency on the Palestinian end are the best hope for mature and responsible conduct. Otherwise, the enemy is in the clear, and if they form a hostile army, it would become an unmistakable target as well as its political leaders. At the same time, once the former (or even present) terrorists turn out to be in charge, their word would become the will of the masses including the largest terror organization. It would be under government control and in the open.
No longer would there be a government who is unable to control its fringes, and therefore, its word bears no credibility, but rather a government who is in charge of the fringes… Finally.

Harmonizing Intelligent Design and Evolution

2005-11-15T07:48:00.000-08:00

The idea that Intelligent Design is in contradiction to Evolution is rooted in the belief that God created the world in six days as described in the Bible. The Bible also tells us that the creation of the sun succeeded that of Light, and that Earth was there even before the Chaos. In the Sun’s absence, it is difficult to understand what the source of light was on the first few creative days, or what constituted a day in the first place, since the notion of day and night hinges on the sun being there.
The idea that Intelligent Design is in contradiction to Evolution is rooted in a strict religious belief that the Bible provides an accurate depiction of God’s work.
Throughout the many years that passed since Jesus was crucified, the church has given in (although reluctantly) to the realities that the world is round, that it revolves around the sun rather than the contrary, and that Earth is not the center of the universe. These revolutionary and daring thoughts fought their way to ultimate victory over stringent religious beliefs, so that today, even those who view the Bible as God’s exclusive dictation admit to its legitimacy.
The world is very complex. Life and its origin are still a mystery. And the Laws of Nature or Physics that make it all work the way they do are and have been determined by something or someone that various people identify as Mother Nature, God, or Allah. There is no contradiction between Physics and the belief in a supreme force, call it whatever you wish.
For the same reason, there is no contradiction between having a supreme force, a designing mind, and Darwin’s Evolution, as long as we accept the fact that Mother Nature, or God, opted for the Evolutionary process as their design choice.
The only contradiction is the one that is confined to bridging the creation story in the Bible with Darwin’s theory. It is easily bridged if the belief in God, the belief in a supreme designing force, is divorced from the belief that the Bible was written by it. If we accept the fact that humans authored the Bible after they became literate, then Intelligent Design and Evolution can walk together, get married, and live in peace and harmony with each other. It is that simple.
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