Did the Biden regime approve of ICC arrest warrants for Netanyahu?

According to Robert Spencer, it looks like a recent report is warning that approval could've been given by Biden for what even the ICC could be planning:

If a Wednesday report in the Israeli media is accurate, this is one of the most, if not the most, craven betrayal of an ally in American history, and in the entire world’s history.

The Israeli journalist Amit Segal published a Hebrew-language story in the popular Israeli news outlet Mako that reveals an American betrayal of Israel of stupefying magnitude. “Very senior officials associated with the International Criminal Court in The Hague,” wrote Segal, “have spoken about Israel’s fear of arrest warrants for senior officials in the context of the war in Gaza. The officials told N12 [Mako’s broadcast channel] that the intention to issue such orders would not have been possible without American consent.”

The threat of arrest from the International Criminal Court is not hanging over the heads of minor officials only. “Last week,” Segal reports, “the Prime Minister’s Office held an urgent discussion on the issue, in which serious concerns were raised about allowing the issuance of arrest warrants against senior Israeli security and political leaders, including against Netanyahu himself.” This could all happen quickly: “Reports that have recently arrived in Jerusalem,” Segal continues, “indicate that the chance of issuing arrest warrants has increased dramatically, possibly as soon as next month.”

Segal noted that this was happening with American approval: “Regarding the intention to issue arrest warrants for senior Israelis, the sources at The Hague said that it is impossible that the chief prosecutor would have decided on such a dramatic step, in a war that is still ongoing, with very little evidence, if he had not at least had a ‘green light’ from the Americans. If this is true, this is another and unprecedented low in relations between Israel and the US, at a very sensitive time, on the eve of the ground entry to Rafah.”

Let's also remember Biden's "administration" refused to oppose a UN resolution against Israel a number of weeks ago, so this is no shock either. It's just another disgusting moment in a world that's eroding under political correctness and Orwellianism.

Update: foreign minister Yisrael Katz warns there'll be a wave of antisemitism if the ICC issues arrest warrants.

Update 2: Meir Ben-Shabbat makes clear the planned raid on Rafah must take place, even without the approval of the USA and the ICC.

37th Israeli government, and Netanyahu's 6th term as premier, is sworn in

Israel's 37th government has been sworn in at the Knesset, and this also marks the beginning of Benjamin Netanyahu's 6th term as prime minister:

Israel's 37th Government was sworn in on Thursday, with Benjamin Netanyahu beginning his sixth term as prime minister.

The swearing-in ceremony began at 11:00 a.m., during which Netanyahu presented his agenda to the Knesset plenum. These include stopping the Iran nuclear program, developing state infrastructure and restoring internal security and governance.

During his address, which was interrupted by members of the opposition, Netanyahu said "Losing elections isn't the end of democracy – it's the essence of democracy. In a democracy, we don't climb the fences of the Capitol, and we don't climb the fences of the Knesset."

Unfortunately, this is something the current leftist opposition in the Knesset no longer seems willing to respect, and likely never did. I guess that's why the sad part is how Yair Lapid, upon leaving office, refused to shake Netanyahu's hand:

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was the first to take the oath of office. Most of the heads of the opposition parties were present out of respect for the ceremony, but opposition leader Yair Lapid left the plenary hall even before Netanyahu was sworn-in without shaking his hand as is customary.

What really makes this sad is that it hints at where things are headed with the left, which is bad for democratic relations. It could take years to mend the damage Lapid's causing with his ostracizing approach. But, this does demonstrate why it's good he's now out of office. He was causing all the harm he's going to cause, even in the opposition.

So let's hope Netanyahu can handle all the trouble the left's already causing. What if they intent to do everything they can to sabotage his efforts to make peace with Saudi Arabia, for example? Regrettably, that's something they're more than willing to do, if reality says anything about their conduct.

New Israeli government formed

At nighttime, Benjamin Netanyahu announced his new coalition to president Isaac Herzog:

Israel has a right-wing government: Prime Minister-designate Benjamin Netanyahu phoned President Isaac Herzog on Wednesday evening and proclaimed, “I have succeeded in forming a government”.

The phone call took place 18 minutes before the extension granted to Netanyahu from Herzog was set to expire at midnight.

Netanyahu told Herzog, "Dear President, thanks to the enormous public support we received in the last elections, I am informing you that I have been able to establish a government that will act in the interest of all the citizens of Israel."

And since we're on the subject, it was shameful how the New York Times predictably assailed Netanhahu and disrespected the electorate, even if it wasn't shocking. The Jerusalem Post editorial said in response that Israel's democracy is vibrant:

It is now bon ton to forecast the demise of Israel’s democracy.

Everyone is doing it: from august forums such as the New York Times editorial board, to blogs run by North American ex-pats now living in Israel, to Facebook groups set up by disgruntled Israelis encouraging emigration.

For instance, the web headline to a Times editorial on Saturday warning of the dangers of presumptive Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s new government read: “The Ideal of Democracy in a Jewish State Is in Jeopardy.” And the headline adequately reflected the spirit of the editorial.

The editorial said that Netanyahu’s government “is a significant threat to the future of Israel – its direction, its security and even the idea of a Jewish homeland.”

The credibility of the editorial was cast in doubt further down in the piece when the renowned paper inexplicably left out Palestinian terrorism as a reason why “hopes for a Palestinian state have dimmed,” writing instead that the reasons are “the combined pressure of Israeli resistance and Palestinian corruption, ineptitude and internal divisions.”

On this, why doesn't anybody call for a boycott of the NYT, and save a lot of money by not subscribing or buying them? They've been such an insufferable paper for decades on end, and are one of the worst of the USA's most dishonest media sources. What's the use? They insult the Israeli electorate along with the USA public, and it's time to stop buying them in any way.

Not improving matters is that fraud-in-chief Joe Biden's pseudo=administration wants to hold Netanyahu accountable for any directions they oppose:

Netanyahu’s successful welding together of Zionist and orthodox parties into a solid Right-Wing coalition was completed two days after Washington wired a warning, via Politico among other media outlets, that it would hold the Israeli leader personally answerable for any decisions or actions his new government might take that the US doesn’t like.

President Joe Biden and his secretary of state, Anthony Blinken, have not hidden their alarm over the political platforms of the most significant coalition partners – the Jewish Strength Party of Itamar Ben-Gvir, who will come in as Minister of National Security, and the Religious Zionist Party of Bezalel Smotrich, slated to receive ministerial authority over Judea and Samaria.

The two men’s combined goals are to strengthen Israel’s character as the Jewish state by taking steps, among others, to increase security against terrorism, as well as criminal violence, open the Temple Mount to Jewish worship and increase and consolidate the presence of Jewish residents in the towns and cities of Israel’s biblical heartland – Samaria and Judea.

All these aims fly in the face of America’s political intent which, along with that of the rest of the world, is to see the Jews removed from the “West Bank” and the Israel-hating Arab populace enabled to establish in their place a new state called Palestine: the “Two State Solution”.

Not just removed from Judea/Samaria/Gaza, but also from Israel entire. To remove Jews from the main biblical areas is just the beginning of the anti-Israelists' twisted goals. And it's shameful as it's repulsive. This is exactly why the Likud was elected.

Netanyahu cancels trip to Obama's nuclear summit

JERUSALEM, April 9 (Reuters) - Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has canceled a planned trip to Washington next week for President Barack Obama's 47-country nuclear security summit conference.

He made the decision after learning Egypt and Turkey intended to raise the issue of Israel's presumed nuclear arsenal at the conference, a senior government official said on Friday.

Israel is believed to be the only nuclear-armed power in the Middle East but has never confirmed or denied that it possesses atomic weapons. It has not signed the nuclear non-proliferation treaty, or NPT.

Netanyahu saw Obama at the White House late last month for talks on the stalled Middle East peace process with the Palestinians, but they failed to see eye to eye and relations between the two leaders remain at a low ebb.

"The prime minister has decided to cancel his trip to Washington to attend the nuclear conference next week, after learning that some countries including Egypt and Turkey plan to say Israel must sign the NPT," the official said.

Israeli media said Netanyahu feared that Islamic countries attending the summit would try to shift its focus from nuclear terrorism to a concerted attack on his country's presumed nuclear weapons capacity.

Texas Governor Receives Pro-Israel Award

Gov. Rick Perry receives the Defender of Jerusalem Award:

JERUSALEM – Gov. Rick Perry has received the Defender of Jerusalem Award, which is given to public figures who have demonstrated support and commitment to the state of Israel and its capitol, Jerusalem. The governor accepted the award while on his trip to Israel, where he also met with Israeli President Shimon Peres, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and business and academic leaders.

“I have long supported the right of a Jewish state to exist in the Middle East and firmly believe in the protection and preservation of democratic states in that part of the world,” Gov. Perry said. “After visiting several sacred and historic sites, meeting with business, civic and government leaders and seeing the day-to-day lives of the people on my trips to Israel, I am even more convinced that a safe, secure Israel is an essential part of stability in this part of the world.”

The Defender of Jerusalem Award was created in 2008 by Guma Aguiar, head of the Lillian Jean Kaplan Foundation, as a tribute to dignitaries within Israel and around the world who have demonstrated strong support for the people of Jerusalem and Israel. The first award was presented to Israeli President Shimon Peres.

Gov. Perry continues to be a staunch supporter of Israel. After a trip to the area in 2007, the governor supported Texas’ divestment from companies that do business with Iran, a main opponent of Israeli freedom.

Additionally, as a result of meetings with Israeli leadership during the governor and first lady’s visit to Israel in 2007, the Texas-Israel Chamber of Commerce was created to help launch future commercial interests and solidify the strong business and cultural connections between the two states.

Texas is Israel’s fourth largest American trading partner. Texas and Israel’s commercial relationship began with agriculture and natural resources, and has grown in recent years to include a variety of major business sectors, including information and communication technologies, aerospace and defense, medical technologies, homeland security initiatives and renewable energies.

The governor is scheduled to return to Texas on Saturday.

For those so inclined, like me, you can support the good Governor's re-election bid in 2010 by clicking here.

Senator "DC" Kay "Bailout" Hutchison is challenging him in the Republican primary.

One Jerusalem

The indivisible capital of the Jewish state:

President Obama's campaign to take control of Jerusalem from the State of Israel intensified over the weekend.

Michael Oren, Israel's Ambassador to the United States was summoned by the Obama administration and told that Israel must stop building in Jerusalem Jewish homes in what is wrongfully called East Jerusalem. The administration disturbed the Jewish Sabbath to deliver this order because the lame duck President of the Palestinian Authority had asked them to stop Jewish people from moving into parts of Jerusalem.

In the past, Israel would respond to an American request like this with quiet acquiescence. But this time, Israel's Prime Minister, speaking on behalf of his coalition and his country set down a new course for relations between Israel and the United States of Barak Obama.

Netanyahu said, "There is no prohibition against Arab residents buying apartments in the west of the city and there is no prohibition barring the city's Jewish residents from buying or building in the east of the city. That is the policy of an open city that is not divided."

He continued,"We cannot accept the notion that Jews will not have the right to buy apartments specifically in Jerusalem. I can only imagine what would happen if they were forbidden from purchasing apartments in New York or London: there would be an international outcry. This has always been Israel's policy and this is the policy of the current government."

Netanyahu also stated that Jerusalem is the "unified capital of the Jewish people, and sovereignty over it is indisputable."

We applaud Netanyahu and his government for setting the record straight. Send the Prime Minister an email supporting him in this decision. While we have been warning that Obama would move against Israeli sovereignty over Jerusalem we are saddened that he has taken this course.

Once again we urge you get as many people as you can to sign the united Jerusalem petition. It is the best way to keep informed about the battle for Jerusalem and to learn about ways you can help defend the capital of the Jewish people.

*The above petition emanates from the One Jerusalem organization.

Another Tzipi

This is Likud's Tzipi and she is none too happy with PM Netanyahu these days.

Not to be confused with my favorite Tzipi, leader of the Kadima Party!

If you want to know more about the youngest, prettiest member of Likud's party in the Knesset, I have provided some relevant links below:

Official Knesset website

Official Facebook profile

Personal Facebook profile

More pics

Netanyahu on NBC-Video

Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy

Source: Israel Politik

Netanyahu Proposes De-Militarized Palestinian State

"Above all else, the Palestinians must decide between the path of peace and the path of Hamas. The Palestinian Authority will have to establish the rule of law in Gaza and overcome Hamas. Israel will not sit at the negotiating table with terrorists who seek their destruction." Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu


The text of the speech, as communicated by the Prime Minister's Office, follows:

Honored guests, citizens of Israel.

Peace has always been our people’s most ardent desire. Our prophets gave the world the vision of peace, we greet one another with wishes of peace, and our prayers conclude with the word peace.

We are gathered this evening in an institution named for two pioneers of peace, Menachem Begin and Anwar Sadat, and we share in their vision.

Two and half months ago, I took the oath of office as the Prime Minister of Israel. I pledged to establish a national unity government – and I did. I believed and I still believe that unity was essential for us now more than ever as we face three immense challenges – the Iranian threat, the economic crisis, and the advancement of peace.

The Iranian threat looms large before us, as was further demonstrated yesterday. The greatest danger confronting Israel, the Middle East, the entire world and human race, is the nexus between radical Islam and nuclear weapons. I discussed this issue with President Obama during my recent visit to Washington, and I will raise it again in my meetings next week with European leaders. For years, I have been working tirelessly to forge an international alliance to prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons.

Confronting a global economic crisis, the government acted swiftly to stabilize Israel’s economy. We passed a two year budget in the government – and the Knesset will soon approve it.

And the third challenge, so exceedingly important, is the advancement of peace. I also spoke about this with President Obama, and I fully support the idea of a regional peace that he is leading.

I share the President’s desire to bring about a new era of reconciliation in our region. To this end, I met with President Mubarak in Egypt, and King Abdullah in Jordan, to elicit the support of these leaders in expanding the circle of peace in our region.

I turn to all Arab leaders tonight and I say: “Let us meet. Let us speak of peace and let us make peace. I am ready to meet with you at any time. I am willing to go to Damascus, to Riyadh, to Beirut, to any place- including Jerusalem.

I call on the Arab countries to cooperate with the Palestinians and with us to advance an economic peace. An economic peace is not a substitute for a political peace, but an important element to achieving it. Together, we can undertake projects to overcome the scarcities of our region, like water desalination or to maximize its advantages, like developing solar energy, or laying gas and petroleum lines, and transportation links between Asia, Africa and Europe.

The economic success of the Gulf States has impressed us all and it has impressed me. I call on the talented entrepreneurs of the Arab world to come and invest here and to assist the Palestinians – and us – in spurring the economy.

Together, we can develop industrial areas that will generate thousands of jobs and create tourist sites that will attract millions of visitors eager to walk in the footsteps of history – in Nazareth and in Bethlehem, around the walls of Jericho and the walls of Jerusalem, on the banks of the Sea of Galilee and the baptismal site of the Jordan.

There is an enormous potential for archeological tourism, if we can only learn to cooperate and to develop it.

Israel wants to live in peace.

Those who think that the continued enmity toward Israel is a product of our presence in Judea, Samaria and Gaza, is confusing cause and consequence.

I turn to you, our Palestinian neighbors, led by the Palestinian Authority, and I say: Let’s begin negotiations immediately without preconditions.

Israel is obligated by its international commitments and expects all parties to keep their commitments.

We want to live with you in peace, as good neighbors. We want our children and your children to never again experience war: that parents, brothers and sisters will never again know the agony of losing loved ones in battle; that our children will be able to dream of a better future and realize that dream; and that together we will invest our energies in plowshares and pruning hooks, not swords and spears.

I know the face of war. I have experienced battle. I lost close friends, I lost a brother. I have seen the pain of bereaved families. I do not want war. No one in Israel wants war.

If we join hands and work together for peace, there is no limit to the development and prosperity we can achieve for our two peoples – in the economy, agriculture, trade, tourism and education - most importantly, in providing our youth a better world in which to live, a life full of tranquility, creativity, opportunity and hope.

If the advantages of peace are so evident, we must ask ourselves why peace remains so remote, even as our hand remains outstretched to peace? Why has this conflict continued for more than sixty years?

In order to bring an end to the conflict, we must give an honest and forthright answer to the question: What is the root of the conflict?

Like Herzl, speak in simple terms.

In his speech to the first Zionist Conference in Basel, the founder of the Zionist movement, Theodore Herzl, said about the Jewish national home “This idea is so big that we must speak of it only in the simplest terms.” Today, I will speak about the immense challenge of peace in the simplest words possible.

Even as we look toward the horizon, we must be firmly connected to reality, to the truth. And the simple truth is that the root of the conflict was, and remains, the refusal to recognize the right of the Jewish people to a state of their own, in their historic homeland.

In 1947, when the United Nations proposed the partition plan of a Jewish state and an Arab state, the entire Arab world rejected the resolution. The Jewish community, by contrast, welcomed it by dancing and rejoicing.

The Arabs rejected any Jewish state, in any borders.

Those who think that the continued enmity toward Israel is a product of our presence in Judea, Samaria and Gaza, is confusing cause and consequence.

The attacks against us began in the 1920s, escalated into a comprehensive attack in 1948 with the declaration of Israel’s independence, continued with the fedayeen attacks in the 1950s, and climaxed in 1967, on the eve of the six-day war, in an attempt to tighten a noose around the neck of the State of Israel.

All this occurred during the fifty years before a single Israeli soldier ever set foot in Judea and Samaria .

Fortunately, Egypt and Jordan left this circle of enmity. The signing of peace treaties have brought about an end to their claims against Israel, an end to the conflict. But to our regret, this is not the case with the Palestinians. The closer we get to an agreement with them, the further they retreat and raise demands that are inconsistent with a true desire to end the conflict.

The Disengagement brought missiles

Many good people have told us that withdrawal from territories is the key to peace with the Palestinians. Well, we withdrew. But the fact is that every withdrawal was met with massive waves of terror, by suicide bombers and thousands of missiles.

We tried to withdraw with an agreement and without an agreement. We tried a partial withdrawal and a full withdrawal. In 2000 and again last year, Israel proposed an almost total withdrawal in exchange for an end to the conflict, and twice our offers were rejected.

We evacuated every last inch of the Gaza strip, we uprooted tens of settlements and evicted thousands of Israelis from their homes, and in response, we received a hail of missiles on our cities, towns and children.

The claim that territorial withdrawals will bring peace with the Palestinians, or at least advance peace, has up till now not stood the test of reality.

In addition to this, Hamas in the south, like Hezbollah in the north, repeatedly proclaims their commitment to “liberate” the Israeli cities of Ashkelon, Beersheba, Acre and Haifa. Territorial withdrawals have not lessened the hatred, and to our regret, Palestinian moderates are not yet ready to say the simple words: Israel is the nation-state of the Jewish people, and it will stay that way.

Achieving peace will require courage and candor from both sides, and not only from the Israeli side.

I say that if the state of Israel would have been established earlier, the Holocaust would not have occured.

Conditions for the Palestinian leaders.

The Palestinian leadership must arise and say: “Enough of this conflict. We recognize the right of the Jewish people to a state of their own in this land, and we are prepared to live beside you in true peace.”

I am yearning for that moment, for when Palestinian leaders say those words to our people and to their people, then a path will be opened to resolving all the problems between our peoples, no matter how complex they may be.

Therefore, a fundamental prerequisite for ending the conflict is a public, binding and unequivocal Palestinian recognition of Israel as the nation state of the Jewish people.

To vest this declaration with practical meaning, there must also be a clear understanding that the Palestinian refugee problem will be resolved outside Israel’s borders. For it is clear that any demand for resettling Palestinian refugees within Israel undermines Israel’s continued existence as the state of the Jewish people.

The Palestinian refugee problem must be solved, and it can be solved, as we ourselves proved in a similar situation. Tiny Israel successfully absorbed tens of thousands of Jewish refugees who left their homes and belongings in Arab countries.

Therefore, justice and logic demand that the Palestinian refugee problem be solved outside Israel’s borders. On this point, there is a broad national consensus. I believe that with goodwill and international investment, this humanitarian problem can be permanently resolved.

So far I have spoken about the need for Palestinians to recognize our rights. In am moment, I will speak openly about our need to recognize their rights.

But let me first say that the connection between the Jewish people and the Land of Israel has lasted for more than 3500 years. Judea and Samaria, the places where Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, David and Solomon, and Isaiah and Jeremiah lived, are not alien to us. This is the land of our forefathers.

The right of the Jewish people to a state in the land of Israel does not derive from the catastrophes that have plagued our people. True, for 2000 years the Jewish people suffered expulsions, pogroms, blood libels, and massacres which culminated in a Holocaust - a suffering which has no parallel in human history.

There are those who say that if the Holocaust had not occurred, the state of Israel would never have been established. But I say that if the state of Israel would have been established earlier, the Holocaust would not have occured.

This tragic history of powerlessness explains why the Jewish people need a sovereign power of self-defense.

A vision of peace.

But our right to build our sovereign state here, in the land of Israel, arises from one simple fact: this is the homeland of the Jewish people, this is where our identity was forged.

As Israel’s first Prime Minister David Ben-Gurion proclaimed in Israel’s Declaration of Independence: “The Jewish people arose in the land of Israel and it was here that its spiritual, religious and political character was shaped. Here they attained their sovereignty, and here they bequeathed to the world their national and cultural treasures, and the most eternal of books.”

But we must also tell the truth in its entirety: within this homeland lives a large Palestinian community. We do not want to rule over them, we do not want to govern their lives, we do not want to impose either our flag or our culture on them.

In my vision of peace, in this small land of ours, two peoples live freely, side-by-side, in amity and mutual respect. Each will have its own flag, its own national anthem, its own government. Neither will threaten the security or survival of the other.

These two realities – our connection to the land of Israel, and the Palestinian population living within it – have created deep divisions in Israeli society. But the truth is that we have much more that unites us than divides us.

I have come tonight to give expression to that unity, and to the principles of peace and security on which there is broad agreement within Israeli society. These are the principles that guide our policy.

This policy must take into account the international situation that has recently developed. We must recognize this reality and at the same time stand firmly on those principles essential for Israel.

I have already stressed the first principle – recognition. Palestinians must clearly and unambiguously recognize Israel as the state of the Jewish people. The second principle is: demilitarization. The territory under Palestinian control must be demilitarized with ironclad security provisions for Israel.

Without these two conditions, there is a real danger that an armed Palestinian state would emerge that would become another terrorist base against the Jewish state, such as the one in Gaza.

Peace means no Grads on Tel Aviv.

Hamas will not even allow the Red Cross to visit our kidnapped soldier Gilad Shalit, who has spent three years in captivity, cut off from his parents, his family and his people.

We don’t want Kassam rockets on Petach Tikva, Grad rockets on Tel Aviv, or missiles on Ben-Gurion airport. We want peace.

In order to achieve peace, we must ensure that Palestinians will not be able to import missiles into their territory, to field an army, to close their airspace to us, or to make pacts with the likes of Hezbollah and Iran. On this point as well, there is wide consensus within Israel.

It is impossible to expect us to agree in advance to the principle of a Palestinian state without assurances that this state will be demilitarized.

On a matter so critical to the existence of Israel, we must first have our security needs addressed.

Therefore, today we ask our friends in the international community, led by the United States, for what is critical to the security of Israel: Clear commitments that in a future peace agreement, the territory controlled by the Palestinians will be demilitarized: namely, without an army, without control of its airspace, and with effective security measures to prevent weapons smuggling into the territory – real monitoring, and not what occurs in Gaza today. And obviously, the Palestinians will not be able to forge military pacts.

Without this, sooner or later, these territories will become another Hamastan. And that we cannot accept.

I told President Obama when I was in Washington that if we could agree on the substance, then the terminology would not pose a problem.

And here is the substance that I now state clearly:

The Palestinian state.

If we receive this guarantee regarding demilitirization and Israel’s security needs, and if the Palestinians recognize Israel as the State of the Jewish people, then we will be ready in a future peace agreement to reach a solution where a demilitarized Palestinian state exists alongside the Jewish state.

Regarding the remaining important issues that will be discussed as part of the final settlement, my positions are known: Israel needs defensible borders, and Jerusalem must remain the united capital of Israel with continued religious freedom for all faiths.

The territorial question will be discussed as part of the final peace agreement. In the meantime, we have no intention of building new settlements or of expropriating additional land for existing settlements.

But there is a need to enable the residents to live normal lives, to allow mothers and fathers to raise their children like families elsewhere. The settlers are neither the enemies of the people nor the enemies of peace. Rather, they are an integral part of our people, a principled, pioneering and Zionist public.

Unity among us is essential and will help us achieve reconciliation with our neighbors. That reconciliation must already begin by altering existing realities. I believe that a strong Palestinian economy will strengthen peace.

If the Palestinians turn toward peace – in fighting terror, in strengthening governance and the rule of law, in educating their children for peace and in stopping incitement against Israel - we will do our part in making every effort to facilitate freedom of movement and access, and to enable them to develop their economy. All of this will help us advance a peace treaty between us.
Knock out Hamas

Above all else, the Palestinians must decide between the path of peace and the path of Hamas. The Palestinian Authority will have to establish the rule of law in Gaza and overcome Hamas. Israel will not sit at the negotiating table with terrorists who seek their destruction.

Hamas will not even allow the Red Cross to visit our kidnapped soldier Gilad Shalit, who has spent three years in captivity, cut off from his parents, his family and his people. We are committed to bringing him home, healthy and safe.

With a Palestinian leadership committed to peace, with the active participation of the Arab world, and the support of the United States and the international community, there is no reason why we cannot achieve a breakthrough to peace.

Our people have already proven that we can do the impossible. Over the past 61 years, while constantly defending our existence, we have performed wonders.

Our microchips are powering the world’s computers. Our medicines are treating diseases once considered incurable. Our drip irrigation is bringing arid lands back to life across the globe. And Israeli scientists are expanding the boundaries of human knowledge.

If only our neighbors would respond to our call – peace too will be in our reach.

I call on the leaders of the Arab world and on the Palestinian leadership, let us continue together on the path of Menahem Begin and Anwar Sadat, Yitzhak Rabin and King Hussein. Let us realize the vision of the prophet Isaiah, who in Jerusalem 2700 years ago said: “nations shall not lift up sword against nation, and they shall learn war no more.”

With God’s help, we will know no more war. We will know peace.

Related Links:

Netanyahu gets lambasted from the right and the left

Kadima supportive, Nationalist bloc excoriates Bibi

PM's important conditions

Abbas reacts negatively

Abbas aides reject terms

Jerusalem Post's critique of speech

Robert Spencer does not believe it is feasible

Elliot Abrams weighs in

Two state solution proposed

Gateway Pundit opines

Pat Dollard reports regarding the shift

Bibi to Palestine a la Nixon?

Via Insrapundit:

Policy speech to outline strict Israeli conditions:

• Any Palestinian state must be demilitarized, without an air force, full-fledged army or heavy weapons.

• Palestinians may not sign treaties with powers hostile to Israel.

• A Palestinian state must allow Israeli civilian and military aircraft unfettered access to Palestinian airspace, allow Israel to retain control of the airwaves and to station Israeli troops on a future state’s eastern and southern borders.

• Palestinians must accept Israel as a Jewish state.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, in a major shift, will accept the notion of a Palestinian state — a policy pushed by the Obama administration but resisted until now by Mr. Netanyahu, Israeli officials and Americans briefed on the Israeli leader’s thinking said.

The policy reversal, which is expected to go public this weekend, could help restart negotiations between Israel and the Palestinians and allow the Israeli leader to steer a course between Mr. Obama’s view and those of his own hawkish base.

The Israeli and American officials, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, told The Washington Times on Thursday that Mr. Netanyahu, in a major speech Sunday, will, however, set Israeli parameters for recognizing Palestinian sovereignty.

The officials said Mr. Netanyahu will emphasize Palestinian obligations under the “road map” to peace in the Middle East — a three-phase process for negotiations initiated by the George W. Bush administration, which so far has not been followed.

Any discussion of a two-state solution and negotiations on so-called final-status issues — including the borders of a future Palestinian state would represent a major modification of Mr. Netanyahu’s campaign platform in which he promised a “bottom up” approach to negotiations focusing on economic issues.

Read original Washington Times article here.

IDF Gaza Response Authorized

Israeli cabinet approves new security measures in light of latest border incidents:

With the US breathing heavily down Israel's neck to ease up on the blockade of the Gaza Strip, the security cabinet convened Wednesday and discussed ways to allow more goods and material into the area without endangering Israel's security.

This discussion was part of a larger conversation on the situation in the Gaza Strip, including the foiled terrorist attack near the Karni crossing earlier this week, and the fate of kidnapped soldier Gilad Schalit.

Following the meeting, a statement was issued that read, "Israel views Hamas responsible for all aggressive actions against Israel coming from the Gaza Strip. The cabinet directed the IDF to respond to all aggressive actions against Israel from Gaza."

Regarding Schalit, the security cabinet - in its first announcement on him since Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu appointed Hagai Hadas two weeks ago as his envoy on the matter - issued a statement saying the "relevant authorities" have been directed to do everything to bring about his release.

Including Schalit in this statement seems a strong signal that negotiations for a prisoner swap, dormant since former premier Ehud Olmert's last ditch effort to hammer out a deal in his final days of office, may once again be in the offing.

Regarding the Gaza border crossings, this - along with the settlement construction and two-state issue - was one of three major sticking points between Israel and the US during Netanyahu's visit to Washington last month. US officials made clear to Netanyahu that they were unhappy with what they considered to be "foot-dragging" on the opening of the crossings into Gaza, and the reconstruction of the area, and wanted to see more movement on the issue.

The issue was also raised by US envoy George Mitchell in his meetings in Jerusalem on Tuesday. The US has made clear it wanted to see more goods and materials allowed into Gaza to enable reconstruction.

Nevertheless, defense officials continue opposing bringing concrete and steel into the Gaza Strip, arguing that it would be used not only to reconstruct buildings, but also to construct arms smuggling tunnels and rebuild Hamas' rocket building capacity.

US, UN and European efforts to put together a mechanism that would enable goods and material into the Gaza Strip without strengthening Hamas have so far been unsuccessful.

Defense Minster Ehud Barak, meanwhile, continues to maintain that there is no humanitarian crisis inside the Gaza Strip. At a cabinet meeting two weeks ago he said that more material was entering Gaza now than was the case during the cease-fire that existed there last year.

Netanyahu said at that meeting that Israel was "continuously asked to make things easier for the population in Gaza, to let in materials and equipment, but we have security interests there." He said that a balance needed to be found between "making things easier for the population and making it harder for Hamas to gain more weapons."

That sentiment was reflected in the statement issued after Wednesday's meeting. "The security cabinet," the statement read, "was studying additional ways to make things easier for the Palestinian population inside the Gaza Strip, while maintaining Israel's security interests.

Obama vs. Israel

Yoda opines...Dick Morris is the master and any serious GOP Presidential candidate in the future would do well to have him either running or advising his/her campaign in a leadership role!!!

Netanyahu is at the White House

YNet News reporting:

The meeting between Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and US President Barack Obama is currently underway, the first such meeting since both entered office. Over the course of the past several weeks Netanyahu's advisors have prepared for any potential points of conflict that may emerge, while American officials have tried to assuage those concerns.

Netanyahu left the official state guest residence, the Blair House, at 2:30 pm (GMT) and made the short journey to the White House. President Obama exited to Oval Office to greet him.

The meeting is expected to last over three hours. The two will hold a private discussion before being joined by their entourages. There will also be a shared meal. A handful of protestors gathered outside the White House to speak out against the two-state solution.

Photo: GPO

Bibi Coming to America

Photo courtesy of YNet-GPO

Via Fox News:

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu may endorse the creation of a Palestinian state during his upcoming meeting with President Obama in Washington,Israel's defense minister said Saturday.

But sources close to the Israeli government told FOX News that Netanyahu will first seek assurances from Obama that neighboring Arab nations will back the weak Palestinian government of Mahmoud Abbas in concessions for peace.

Netanyahu's government was encouraged by Vice President Joe Biden's speech to the American Israel Political Affairs Committee in which he said one of the clear responsibilities the Arab states have is to support the Palestinian Authority's effort to govern on the West Bank, "develop and reform its institutions, help the people of Gaza work toward returning to Gaza."

The endorsement would be a significant shift for the Israeli leader, who has made clear in the past that he does not think the Palestinians are ready to rule themselves. But that position has put him at odds with long-standing U.S. policy that supports Palestinian statehood as the cornerstone of Mideast peace efforts.

"I think and believe that Netanyahu will tell Obama this government is prepared to go for a political process that will result in two nations living side by side in peace and mutual respect," Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak told Channel 2 TV on Saturday.

In a revealing passage of this article, the Likud government is apparently willing to cede the following to the Palestinian Authority:

Netanyahu has said the old formula of trading land for peace has been unsuccessful. He has suggested focusing instead on building up the Palestinian economy and security services loyal to moderate Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas.

But Netanyahu has acknowledged neither track is a substitute for political negotiations. And on trips to Egypt and Jordan last week, he said he wanted to quickly renew talks with Palestinians that stalled last year without any breakthrough.

Aides say he favors giving Palestinians the powers to govern themselves but minus the powers that could threaten Israel -- establishing an army, making treaties with states including Iran, importing heavy weapons, or controlling air space close to Israel's international airport.

For the record, this sounds very similar to the concept which former Foreign Minister and Kadima Party Chief Tzipi Livni was proposing, although her model would have had slightly enhanced rights, & in line with Pope Benedict XVI's call for a "homeland" as opposed to an outright state.

Related Links:

Pres. Peres meets with King Abdullah II of Jordan, endorses hypothetical peace overture with the 57 Islamic states

In depth strategies being pursued by Israelis prior to sit down with Barack Obama

Netanyahu lands in Washington, ready for White House meeting

Likud rebellion could be brewing in the Knesset & cabinet

Royal intrigue in the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan

MSM will pick apart or engender anti-Bibi rhetoric, original W road map could be in play

UPDATE 1:

Ode to my infidel, anti-Jihadist brother in arms, Midnight Rider: