Israel is Burning

One of the endless wonders of Israel, especially for a visitor, is the forests and other foliage that blanket this once-barren wasteland.

But Eden is burning.

Twenty five years of diplomatic futility have brought us dead Israelis, a degradation of Israel’s deterrence, and increased Palestinian arrogance.

Remember, when George H.W. Bush allowed Western diplomats to pluck the odious Yasser Arafat from his desert lair in Tunisia, the Palestinians were no longer relevant. Almost inexplicably, the Americans and Europeans then forced a “peace framework” on Israel and set up the “Palestinian Authority” from the evil Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO).

I’ve seen the PLO handiwork in Israel, when terrorists murder Israelis. It is unconscionable that this evil “land for peace” model has been forced on the Jewish state.

Now, at a moment when the Palestinians are all-but-irrelevant again, the scum have committed widespread arson and the land is burning. The forests, homes, and dreams are going up in smoke.

According to the Jerusalem Post:

“Arab leaders on Saturday accused the government of fanning hatred in Jewish-Arab relations by suggesting that Arab arson was the cause of the wave of fires in the country that started five days ago.

“Leaders and political activists said Arabs are being scapegoated for the fires and predicted the government’s posture would lead to an outpouring of anti-Arab hostility.”

More Marxist-inspired propaganda. But it does beg the question:

Why not cut the Palestinians loose? Why not a new strategy by Israel and the West?

If I were in charge, I’d annex the West Bank and Gaza and dare the Arabs to do something about it?

In the past 25 years, any time suggested expelling the Palestinians (“population transfer,” “ethnic cleansing”), he or she was labeled a dangerous psychotic. That’s how we got treated to an endless parade of failures like Dennis Ross and Martin Indyk, diplomats who were clueless about the true nature of human nature.

None of it ever worked, and Jews died.

It is true that some Palestinian firefighters have joined the effort to put out the fires. Others have condemned the terrorism.

But when is enough enough?

And don’t think I have faith that the new Trump Administration will do what is really necessary to buttress our most important ally. No doubt the nonsensical “land for peace” failure will march on. So Israel should take matters into her own hands.

Historically, the Arabs have only understood force. When Egyptian and Syrian soldiers were staggering through the deserts during ’67 and ’73 battlefield losses, they understood they could not defeat Israel. I think it’s time for a return to that strategy: peace through strength.

The Palestinians do not deserve a state and I hope they never get one. Their grotesque disregard for human life is unacceptable.

Twenty-two terrorists have been arrested. Russia is sending planes to combat the fires. Even Obama is hamstrung from making mischief for Israel.

The greening of Israel has been underway for decades. Even standing in Jerusalem, standing at the edge of the Kidron Valley, I have seen how the country has bloomed since 1948. Now, the Palestinians threaten all that.

I hope to see the day when the Palestinians pay for the destruction and murder they have unleashed on Israel. God, may it be so.

Move the Embassy!

The transition period for the new Trump administration is comical. The media are howling if he doesn’t name all his cabinet picks in 30 minutes. Of course, if he did that, they’d scream that he wasn’t deliberate enough.

One interesting discussion at the moment is a potential role for Mike Huckabee. The former Arkansas governor is rumored to be in line for the ambassadorship to Israel.

That’d be a great pick.

In an interview with Eric Bolling at FOX, Huckabee said that, in fact, he had not discussed that position with Trump. The media had been reporting late this week that the deal was sealed. Somebody is not telling the truth!

But in the event Huckabee is installed as ambassador, does that make it more likely the U.S. embassy will be moved from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem?

We don’t know.

I met Huckabee when he was a 37-year-old Southern Baptist preacher running for Lt. Governor of Arkansas. Naturally, he was ambitious, and I’ve always been ambivalent about preachers running for political office. However, Huckabee was a great governor later, for a decade, and his conservative credentials are legit. Further, his love for Israel and his friendship with Bibi Netanyahu is unquestioned.

George H.W. Bush, Bill Clinton, George W. Bush, and Barack Obama would not move on the senate vote of 1995 to move the embassy, and everyone knew it was because they didn’t want to offend the sensibilities of the Palestinians and thus “influence” the “negotiations” between Israel and the Arabs.

The real issue here is that these men indirectly influenced the violence unleashed by the death-loving Palestinians. All the presidents knew what Yasser Arafat was, but they refused to hold the Palestinians accountable. And let’s be clear: moving the embassy does not violate “international law,” as the leftist media and politicians howl. It is a matter of political will.

IF the Americans do move the embassy, it will be a watershed moment, and signal that the infamous Oslo Accords and the flawed model they rode in on are dead.

We shall see. I do believe Donald Trump is a genuine friend of Israel and that alone will be a difference from the Marxist-leaning Obama, who loathes the Jewish state.

Currently, there are no foreign embassies in Jerusalem, as the nations cower before the hurt feelings of the Palestinians. The U.S. Embassy in Tel Aviv is just south of the beautiful marina, steps from the beach.

You might be interested to know that the plot of ground earmarked for the U.S. embassy in Jerusalem is located in the neighborhood of Talpiot…where Benjamin Netanyahu grew up. The family home of Benzion Netanyahu is located in Talpiot and there the three boys fierce Zionism was formed. How delicious it would be if the new embassy finds its home there, finally.

We will know soon about Huckabee’s appointment, and it’s no coincidence I think that Christmas approaches.

What a gift that would be!

Jim1fletcher@yahoo.com