Ted Belman

Netanyahu’s Nationality Bill passes Cabinet

The bill is aimed at giving equal weight to the principles of Israel as a democracy and as a Jewish state.

The peace process serves to maintain the conflict

John Kerry is insane. At least that is what Albert Einstein would say because he keeps restarting the peace process, expecting a different result.

Intractable differences

PM Netanyahu, when addressing the UNGA this week, started out calling the brazen lies uttered at the UN as just that, "brazen lies". His language was anything but diplomatic. One of those lies had been uttered by Mahmoud Abbas when he charged Israel with genocide and ethnic cleansing.

Obama has the blood of 200,000 Syrians on his head

When Obama took office he set about undermining Gaddafi, Mubarak and Assad. He worked in concert with Qatar, Turkey and the Muslim Brotherhood.

What a mess Obama has got the US into

When Obama took office he set about undermining Gaddafi, Mubarak and Assad. He worked in concert with Qatar, Turkey and the Muslim Brotherhood.

A view from inside the halls of power in Israel

Recently, I interviewed in depth a leading expert on the politics in the Middle East who is also a welcomed visitor to the PMO. What he had to say, fascinated me.

What’s the point in futile negotiations

On behalf of the State Department, Jen Psaki said,

““At this point, it appears that President Abbas has formed an interim technocratic government that does not include ministers affiliated with Hamas,”

At least this story has a good ending

Although Howard Rotberg and I grew up in small town Ontario, Canada, 16 miles apart, and both went to Law School, we never met. I became aware of him in 2008 as a result of his outrageous treatment as herein described. Howard just sent me this press release:

Israel must continue to build east of the greenline

In his first term in office, President Obama targeted Israel’s settlement activity with a vengeance, like no one before him did. He continued American policy of calling them “illegitimate” whatever that means, rather than illegal which was the term of choice put forward by the UN and the EU representatives. But he went further and forced PM Netanyahu to agree to a nine month construction freeze to enable negotiations to take place. This wasn’t enough to induce Abbas to enter negotiations until the last weeks of the freeze. Ultimately all his efforts to bring about a settlement failed. It was generally accepted that his insistence on making the freezing of settlement construction the centerpiece of his efforts was largely to blame for their failure.

Michael Oren: ” What happens if we can’t make peace?” ‎

Michael Oren, the former Israel Ambassador to the US in a recent interview, said Israel should consider unilaterally withdrawing from parts of the West Bank and declaring its own borders if the current peace negotiations with the Palestinians fail. This idea has often been raised, and rejected, by Israeli leaders across the political spectrum.

The US should cut a deal with Israel and end the conflict

In 2002 as the US was preparing to invade Iraq, she began negotiations for the creation of a Palestinian state and the roadmap to get there.

A land for peace deal would be a mistake of historic proportions

Herb Keinon, writing in the JPOST, makes the point that in present negotiations between Israel and the PA, Sec. Kerry is prepared to concede on most of Netanyahu’s security demands but expects Netanyahu to concede the land demands of the PA supported by President Obama. This deal is called “land, with minor swaps, for peace”.

Why Israel is losing the propaganda war and what she should to do about it

During the UN World Conference in Durban in 2001, large numbers of NGOs organized a parallel NGO Forum which produced what is known as “The NGO Declaration.” NGO Monitor reported,

“[It] was written in highly politicized language and reflected a concerted effort to undermine Israel. Article 164 states targeted victims of Israel’s brand of apartheid and ethnic cleansing methods have been in particular children, women and refugees. Article 425 announces a policy of complete and total isolation of Israel as an apartheid state…the imposition of mandatory and comprehensive sanctions and embargoes, the full cessation of all links (diplomatic, economic, social, aid, military cooperation and training) between all states and Israel. Furthermore, Article 426 talks of condemnation of those states who are supporting, aiding and abetting the Israeli apartheid state and its perpetration of racist crimes against humanity including ethnic cleansing, acts of genocide.”

Haaretz: Annexation would be the ruination of Israel

Haaretz just published, Getting in a terrible state, by Nehemia Shtrasler where he argues against annexation because we would end up with a bi-national state with a 60% majority leaving out Gaza. He acknowledges that the proponents of annexation intend to give citizenship because as MK Reuven Rivlin put it: “Better that the Palestinians be citizens of the state than divide the land.”

E-1 is Israel’s for the keeping

UNSC Res 242 passed in the wake of Israel’s great victory required negotiations to determine secure borders . The Oslo Accords also required negotiations. Israel believed she held all the aces. After all, the Palestinians wanted a state and would compromise their demands to get it.. Little did she realize that the international community would keep bolstering the Palestinians both with financial support and diplomatic support so that they could remain intransigent. In the absence of necessity, the Palestinians had no need to compromise. And little did she realize at the time that the Palestinians didn’t want a state but wanted to destroy Israel.

Has Israel and the Islamists joined forces against Iran?

According to DEBKA the answer is yes. But who believes DEBKA? On Nov 23^rd DEBKA reported Obama's pledge of US troops to Sinai next week won Israel's nod for ceasefire. If this pans out, it will be a great victory for PM Netanyahu and Israel.

Antisemitic Qatar casts a giant shadow

Qatar is a small country with few people (1.87 million of which only 300,000 are citizens), yet it casts a giant shadow over N. Africa, the Middle East and Europe. It has the highest GDP per capita in the world and the highest energy reserves per capita in the world. While it treats its women more liberally than S. Arabia does, it has been indicted for immigrant labour violations and human trafficking. It is notorious for how badly it treats its foreign workers.

The Ceasefire Agreement is no agreement at all

The “ceasefire agreement” is no agreement at all. Let’s look at the wording:

Romney: “Jerusalem, the capital of Israel”

In the last week, spokespersons for the State Department and for Obama were pressed on the issue of Jerusalem. Not only were they unwilling to say the Jerusalem is the capital of Israel but they were not prepared to acknowledge that the western section of Jerusalem, which Israel conquered in the ’48 War and which lies to the west of the armistice lines, was even in Israel.

Is it Danny Dayan or Seth Mandel who is wrongheaded?

The NYT published a strongly worded Op-Ed this week by Danny Dayan, Chairman of the Yesha Council of Jewish Communities in Judea and Samaria, under the title “Israel’s Settlers are here to stay”. Seth Mandel, in an article in Commentary Magazine, called his comments “wrongheaded”.