Truth be told, Israel is still at war - by Prof. Efraim Inbar

The understandable desire for peace should not blur the discomforting likelihood that Israel will live by its sword for many years to come.

Prof. Efraim Inbar..
BESA Center Perspectives Paper No. 459..
04 May '17..
Link: https://besacenter.org/perspectives-papers/israel-still-war/

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY: Israel just celebrated its sixty-ninth anniversary. Its citizens can be proud of its many impressive achievements, and particularly the building of a very strong military that has withstood many tests. Yet acceptance by all its neighbors has not been attained. Israel is still at war.

After several military defeats, the largest and strongest Arab state, Egypt, signed a historic peace treaty with Israel in 1979. The defection of Egypt from the anti-Israel Arab alliance largely neutralized the option of a large-scale conventional attack on Israel, improving Israel’s overall strategic position.

Yet Cairo refrained from developing normal relations with the Jewish state. A “cold peace” evolved, underscoring the countries’ common strategic interests but also the reluctance of Egypt to participate in reconciling the two peoples.

Jordan followed suit in 1994, largely emulating the Egyptian precedent. Jordan’s peace treaty with Israel also reflected common strategic interests – but was commonly referred to by Jordanians as the “King’s peace,” indicating a disinclination for people-to-people interactions with the Jews west of the Jordan River.

The inhibitions in the Arab world against accepting Israel should not be a surprise. Muslims seem to have good theological reasons for rejecting the existence of a Jewish state. Moreover, the education system in the Arab countries has inculcated anti-Semitic messages and hatred toward Israel for decades. Unfortunately, the dissemination of negative images of Jews and Israel has hardly changed in Arab schools and media.

Israel - Settling Back to Quiet

Paula R. Stern..
A Soldier's Mother..
25 December '12..

When Elie's unit was moved south and put in position near Gaza before the Cast Lead War in 2008, I experienced about a month of unbelievable fear and all sorts of other things (I won't even attempt to summarize it all here, but it's available if you want to click back to late December 2008/January 2009). I also, amazingly enough, had a blog whose readership soared into the tens of thousands a day. It is, on the one hand, the dream of many bloggers (and the reality of a select few). The only problem was - I was too distracted to "enjoy" it.

And with all those visitors, I had so many comments, so many. A lot of those that visited came to leave these really nasty comments. More though, left comments that were so incredibly supportive - touching beyond anything I could express. There were the veterans who knew war and assured me that Elie would be fine, that he'd cope, and overcome and they were so right. There were the mothers of other soldiers (and the fathers too) who sent their love and prayers and told me to be strong...and I was trying to do that so hard. There was one woman from Montana who told me it was 3:00 in the morning and she woke worrying about Elie and me and I cried in gratitude and thought God would protect Elie just on the basis of all these amazing people.

And for some reason, I read the ones that were so nasty too. The ones that wished such horrible things on my country, my family, my son and these made me angry...and sometimes they made me cry too. Some I deleted, some I put through. Some I turned into posts called Comments on Comments and responded.

When the war was over and Elie was back home, a few weeks went by and I noticed my blog was back to its normal daily rates - nope, not 10,000+ a day, but just fine for me. I was back with my friends, back to normal. And I was happy.

Living in Israel - The Stages of War

Paula R. Stern..
A Soldier's Mother..
12 September '12..

I've done this twice before - but really not. Twice in the 19 years that I have lived in Israel, my country has gone to war. The first was after an infiltration by Hezbollah that captured two soldiers - and a massive missile barrage on the north that endangered the lives of over one million Israelis. The war was in the north, far from my home and while I agonized for all of those in the north, there was never a moment when my life or my home was in danger.

There were four days in which I could not breathe, four days in which I lived with the terror of those up north. Amira, my oldest, had decided to volunteer in Tsfat (Safed, in English). She would play with children and help families, often restricted to bomb shelters. Play with them, distract them, whatever it took to get through the day. It's an aside to what I wanted to write - but then again, that's my norm. So here's a little side story.

A relative didn't think Amira should go into the war zone, even to help. She said that it was too dangerous. Rockets were falling all over and she had a point but there is something inside of me that needs to give my children the freedom to be who they are and this need to help others is so much of what Amira is. Then, this relative invoked Jewish law, saying that one is not allowed to do something that would endanger one's life. This is true...and so I did what most Orthodox Jews do - I asked. Boy, did I ask. I called the Chief Rabbi of Maale Adumim and explained my problem.

"Is she going on vacation? Of course, she can go! What a wonderful thing she does." But, he warned me, "I can't promise she will be okay. I can't tell her to go. But if she goes, tell her she goes with the blessing of a Kohen." To this day, my eyes fill with tears when I think of those precious words. A Kohen is a direct descendant of Aaron, the High Priest of Israel. His blessing meant so much to me. I held on to that for all the time that she was there.

There were massive attacks in the north daily - including on Tsfat. There was a direct missile attack on Tsfat on the Sunday morning that Amira left. That didn't stop her. She agreed to my pleas to call me often, especially if something happened. She was there by mid-afternoon and stayed that night, the next day and the next. Finally, on Wednesday, she left that northern city and came home. As had happened while she was heading to Tsfat, a missile hit the city after she had boarded the bus and begun her journey home. But for the entire time she was there, nothing had hit - this was an amazingly long period of time for a city that had been hit practically every day and often more than once. Without doubt, I have always recognized this lull in attacks as the blessing of a Kohen.

The second war that occurred while I was living here was the Cast Lead Operation - what I often call the Gaza War. Again, it was not my life or my home that was endanger, but my son was on the front lines and it was a period of my life I will never forget, ever. There was no Kohen who blessed Elie as personally as this Chief Rabbi blessed Amira, but I know that there were blessings said every day - for Elie and for all the soldiers.

The stages of war include:

Goldstone Gets His Facts Wrong

Yaacov Lozowick
Yaacov Lozowick's Ruminations
28 September 09

Wandering around the Internet I've come across an organization called UN Watch. They look like an interesting outfit, and offer all sorts of interesting materials. On their blog I found an interveiw from July with Richard Goldstone in which he defends Christine Chinkin. You can decide for yourself if he's convincing or merely revealing.

I have a different reason for writing about him.

Interviewer: Maybe this is one reason why the Israeli government decided not to cooperate with your commission. I mean the commission, your commission, Mr. Goldstone, was established only after the Israeli military operation which was a reprisal act, not after seven or eight years of Palestinian shelling of innocent civilians in Israel.
Goldstone: I understand that and I’m sure that’s one of the reasons for the lack of cooperation, but you know at the same time I don’t believe this was an issue, the shelling. I don’t believe it was really taken to the Security Council by the Israeli government. I may be wrong but that’s my impression.

Uh huh. Here's the list of letters Israel sent to the UN complaining about the rockets from Gaza - the complaints Goldstone thought had never happened. (I've copied from Israel's report, which I wrote about here).
Letters of 3 October 2000 (U.N. Doc. S/2000/937 • A/55/441), 7 October 2000 (U.N. Doc. S/2000/970 • A/55/460), 11 October 2000 (U.N. Doc. S/2000/980 • A/55/470), 12 October 2000 (U.N. Doc. S/2000/985), 20 October 2000 (U.N. Doc. S/2000/1007 • A/55/508), 2 November 2000 (U.N. Doc. S/2000/1065 • A/55/540), 20 November 2000 (U.N. Doc. S/2000/1108 • A/55/634), 22 November 2000 (U.N. Doc. S/2000/1114 • A/55/641), 29
December 2000 (U.N. Doc. S/2000/1252 • A/55/719), 1 January 2001 (U.N. Doc. S/2001/1198 • A/56/706), 2 January 2001 (U.N. Doc. S/2001/2 • A/55/725), 23 January 2001 (U.N. Doc. S/2001/71 • A/55/742), 25 January 2001 (U.N. Doc. S/2001/81 • A/55/748), 2 February 2001 (U.N. Doc. S/2001/103 • A/55/762), 9 February 2001 (U.N. Doc. S/2001/125 • A/55/777), 13 February 2001 (U.N. Doc. S/2001/132 • A/55/781), 14 February 2001 (U.N. Doc. S/2001/137 • A/55/787), 2 March 2001 (U.N. Doc. S/2001/187 • A/55/819), 6 March 2001 (U.N. Doc. S/2001/193 • A/55/821), 7 March 2001 (U.N. Doc. S/2001/197 • A/55/823), 14 March 2001 (U.N. Doc. S/2001/24 • A/55/730), 19 March 2001 (U.N. Doc. S/2001/244 • A/55/842), 26 March 2001 (U.N. Doc. S/2001/278 • A/55/858), 27 March 2001(U.N. Doc. S/2001/280 • A/55/860), 29 March 2001 (U.N. Doc. S/2001/291 • A/55/863), 16 April 2001 (U.N. Doc. S/2001/364 • A/55/901), 23 April 2001 (U.N. Doc. S/2001/396 • A/55/910), 1 May 2001 (U.N. Doc. S/2001/435 • A/55/924), 9 May 2001 (U.N. Doc. S/2001/459 • A/56/69), 11 May 2001 (U.N. Doc. S/2001/473 • A/56/72), 18 May
2001 (U.N. Doc. S/2001/506 • A/56/78), 25 May 2001 (U.N. Doc. S/2001/524 • A/56/80), 30 May 2001 (U.N. Doc. S/2001/540 • A/56/81), 4 June 2001 (U.N. Doc. S/2001/555 • A/56/85), 11 June 2001 (U.N. Doc. S/2001/580 • A/56/91), 13 June 2001 (U.N. Doc. S/2001/585 • A/56/92), 18 June 2001 (U.N. Doc. S/2001/604 • A/56/97), 19 June 2001 (U.N. Doc. S/2001/611 • A/56/98), 21 June 2001 (U.N. Doc. S/2001/619 • A/56/119), 2 July 2001 (U.N. Doc. S/2001/656 • A/56/131), 3 July 2001 (U.N. Doc. S/2001/662 • A/56/138), 13 July 2001 (U.N. Doc. S/2001/696 • A/56/184), 17 July 2001 (U.N. Doc. S/2001/706 • A/56/201), 26 July 2001 (U.N. Doc. S/2001/737 • A/56/223), 27 July 2001 (U.N. Doc. S/2001/743 • A/56/225), 6 August 2001 (U.N. Doc. S/2001/768 • A/56/272), 7 August 2001(U.N. Doc. S/2001/770 • A/56/275), 9 August 2001 (U.N. Doc. S/2001/775 • A/56/280), 10 August 2001 (U.N. Doc. S/2001/780 • A/56/286), 14 August 2001 (U.N. Doc. S/2001/787 • A/56/294), 28 August 2001 (U.N. Doc. S/2001/825 • A/56/324), 30 August 2001 (U.N. Doc. S/2001/834 • A/56/325), 5 September 2001 (U.N. Doc. S/2001/840 • A/56/331), 10 September 2001 (U.N. Doc. S/2001/858 • A/56/346), 17 September 2001 (U.N. Doc. S/2001/875 • A/56/367), 20 September 2001 (U.N. Doc. S/2001/892 • A/56/386), 25 September 2001 (U.N. Doc. S/2001/907 • A/56/406), 4 October 2001 (U.N. Doc. S/2001/938 • A/56/438), 5 October 2001 (U.N. Doc. S/2001/943 • A/56/444), 8 October 2001 (U.N. Doc. S/2001/948 • A/56/450), 17 October 2001 (U.N. Doc. S/2001/975 • A/56/483), 19 October 2001 (U.N. Doc. S/2001/990 • A/56/492), 25 October 2001 (U.N. Doc. S/2001/1011 • A/56/506), 30 October 2001(U.N. Doc. S/2001/1023 • A/56/514), 6 November 2001 (U.N. Doc. S/2001/1048 • A/56/604), 13 November 2001(U.N. Doc. S/2001/1071 • A/56/617), 28 November 2001 (U.N. Doc. S/2001/1121 • A/56/663), 29 November 2001(U.N. Doc. S/2001/1133 • A/56/668), 3 December 2001 (U.N. Doc. S/2001/1141 • A/56/670), 4 December 2001(U.N. Doc. S/2001/1150 • A/56/678), 27 December 2001 (U.N. Doc. S/2001/1262 • A/56/758), 4 January 2002 (U.N. Doc. S/2002/25 • A/56/766), 11 January 2002 (U.N. Doc. S/2002/47 • A/56/771), 16 January 2002 (U.N. Doc. S/2002/73 • A/56/774), 17 January 2002 (U.N. Doc. S/2002/79 • A/56/778), 18 January 2002 (U.N. Doc. S/2002/86 • A/56/781), 22 January 2002 (U.N. Doc. S/2002/104 • A/56/788), 24 January 2002 (U.N. Doc. S/2002/115 • A/56/793), 29 January 2002 (U.N. Doc. S/2002/126 • A/56/798), 8 February 2002 (U.N. Doc. S/2002/155 • A/56/814), 13 February 2002 (U.N. Doc. S/2002/164 • A/56/819), 19 February 2002 (U.N. Doc. S/2002/174 • A/56/824), 20 February 2002 (U.N. Doc. S/2002/185 • A/56/828), 27 February 2002 (U.N. Doc. S/2002/208 • A/56/843), 4 March 2002 (U.N. Doc. S/2002/222 • A/56/854), 5 March 2002 (U.N. Doc. S/2002/233 • A/56/857), 11March 2002 (U.N. Doc. S/2002/252 • A/56/864), 12 March 2002 (U.N. Doc. S/2002/257 • A/56/867), 15 March 2002 (U.N. Doc. S/2002/280 • A/56/876), 19 March 2002 (U.N. Doc. S/2002/293 • A/56/880), 22 March 2002 (U.N. Doc.
S/2002/301 • A/56/884), 25 March 2002 (U.N. Doc. S/2002/302 • A/56/886), 27 March 2002 (U.N. Doc. S/2002/315 • A/56/889), 28 March 2002 (U.N. Doc. S/2002/322 • A/56/891), 1 April 2002 (U.N. Doc. S/2002/337 • A/56/895), 2 April 2002 (U.N. Doc. S/2002/345 • A/56/898), 3 April 2002 (U.N. Doc. S/2002/348 • A/56/899), 8 April 2002 (U.N. Doc. S/2002/360 • A/56/905), 11 April 2002 (U.N. Doc. S/2002/373 • A/56/912), 12 April 2002 (U.N. Doc. S/2002/415 • A/56/909), 1 May 2002 (U.N. Doc. S/2002/503 • A/56/936), 8 May 2002 (U.N. Doc. S/2002/533 • A/56/940), 22 May 2002 (U.N. Doc. S/2002/572 • A/56/957), 23 May 2002 (U.N. Doc. S/2002/583 • A/56/964), 24 May 2002 (U.N. Doc. S/2002/584 • A/56/965), 30 May 2002 (U.N. Doc. S/2002/604 • A/56/967), 5 June 2002 (U.N. Doc. S/2002/620 • A/56/970), 14 June 2002 (U.N. Doc. S/2002/669 • A/56/983), 19 June 2002 (U.N. Doc. S/2002/683• A/56/992), 21 June 2002 (U.N. Doc. S/2002/696 • A/56/995), 10 July 2002 (U.N. Doc. S/2002/743 • A/56/1001), 17 July 2002 (U.N. Doc. S/2002/775 • A/56/1006), 19 July 2002 (U.N. Doc. S/2002/800 • A/56/1008), 26 July 2002 (U.N. Doc. S/2002/841 • A/56/1014), 31 July 2002 (U.N. Doc. S/2002/852 • A/56/1016), 1 August 2002 (U.N. Doc. S/2002/859 • A/56/1018), 7 August 2002 (U.N. Doc. S/2002/893 • A/56/1021), 14 August 2002 (U.N. Doc. S/2002/919 • A/56/1025), 19 August 2002 (U.N. Doc. S/2002/1049 • A/57/419), 25 August 2002 (U.N. Doc. S/2002/1076 • A/57/431), 27 August 2002 (U.N. Doc. S/2002/1089 • A/57/438), 10 October 2002 (U.N. Doc. S/2002/1134 • A/57/463), 23 October 2002 (U.N. Doc. S/2002/1186 • A/57/495), 30 October 2002 (U.N. Doc. S/2002/1214 • A/57/579), 1 November 2002 (U.N. Doc. S/2002/1220 • A/57/585), 7 November 2002 (U.N. Doc. S/2002/1224 • A/57/592), 13 November 2002 (U.N. Doc. S/2002/1241 • A/57/601), 15 November 2002 (U.N. Doc. S/2002/1260 • A/57/615), 25 November 2002 (U.N. Doc. S/2002/1295 • A/57/625), 29 November 2002 (U.N. Doc.
S/2002/1308 • A/57/632), 11 December 2002 (U.N. Doc. S/2002/1347 • A/57/642), 2 January 2003 (U.N. Doc. S/2002/1440 • A/57/697), 6 January 2003 (U.N. Doc. S/2003/9 • A/57/703), 14 January 2003 (U.N. Doc. S/2003/46 • A/57/706), 17 January 2003 (U.N. Doc. S/2003/62 • A/57/710), 29 January 2003 (U.N. Doc. S/2003/110 • A/57/719), 12 February 2003 (U.N. Doc. S/2003/171 • A/57/729), 26 February 2003 (U.N. Doc. /2003/225 • A/57/741), 5 March 2003 (U.N. Doc. S/2003/252 • A/57/745), 11 March 2003 (U.N. Doc. S/2003/299 • A/57/750), 1 April 2003 (U.N. Doc. S/2003/395 • A/57/770), 25 April 2003 (U.N. Doc. S/2003/502 • A/57/799), 1 May 2003 (U.N. Doc. S/2003/517 • A/57/804), 6 May 2003 (U.N. Doc. S/2003/527 • A/57/807), 12 May 2003 (U.N. Doc. S/2003/540 • A/57/810, 20 May 2003 (U.N. Doc. S/2003/557 • A/57/815), 2 June 2003 (U.N. Doc. S/2003/603 • A/57/820), 13 June 2003 (U.N. Doc. S/2003/645 • A/57/839), 20 June 2003 (U.N. Doc. S/2003/662 • A/57/842), 10 July 2003 (U.N. Doc. S/2003/699 • A/57/846), 13 August 2003 (U.N. Doc. S/2003/809 • A/57/858), 10 September 2003 (U.N. Doc. S/2003/873 • A/57/862), 9 October 2003 (U.N. Doc. S/2003/972 • A/58/424), 14 January 2004 (U.N. Doc. S/2004/33
• A/58/682), 30 January 2004 (U.N. Doc. S/2004/80 • A/58/697), 25 February 2004 (U.N. Doc. S/2004/142 • A/58/721), 2 March 2004 (U.N. Doc. S/2004/172 • A/58/726), 16 March 2004 (U.N. Doc. S/2004/212 • A/58/736), 16 March 2004 (U.N. Doc. S/2004/211 • A/58/735), 3 May 2004 (U.N. Doc. S/2004/350 • A/58/780), 8 June 2004 (U.N. Doc. S/2004/465 • A/58/837), 28 June 2004 (U.N. Doc. S/2004/521 • A/58/850), 13 August 2004 (U.N. Doc. S/2004/647 • A/58/870), 30 August 2004 (U.N. Doc. S/2004/702 • A/58/881), 24 September 2004 (U.N. Doc. S/2004/757 • A/59/380), 2 November 2004 (U.N. Doc. S/2004/880 • A/59/548), 11 January 2005 (U.N. Doc. S/2005/14 • A/59/667), 19 January 2005 (U.N. Doc. S/2005/40 • A/59/678), 28 February 2005 (U.N. Doc. S/2005/130 • A/59/717), 15 April 2005 (U.N. Doc. S/2005/250 • A/59/781), 19 May 2005 (U.N. Doc. S/2005/327 • A/59/805), 7 June 2005 (U.N. Doc. S/2005/375 • A/59/829), 8 June 2005 (U.N. Doc. S/2005/457 • A/59/873), 23 June 2005 (U.N. Doc. S/2005/410 • A/59/854), 13 July 2005 (U.N. Doc. S/2005/452 • A/59/870), 29 August 2005 (U.N. Doc. S/2005/552 • A/59/905), 26 September 2005 (U.N. Doc. S/2005/609 • A/60/382), 27 September 2005 (U.N. Doc. S/2005/610 • A/60/385), 17 October 2005 (U.N. Doc. S/2005/655 • A/60/435), 27 October 2005 (U.N. Doc. S/2005/680 • A/60/448), 5 December 2005 (U.N. Doc. S/2005/756 • A/60/580), 5 December 2005 (U.N. Doc. S/2005/757 • A/60/581), 31 March 2006 (U.N. Doc. S/2006/205 • A/60/742), 26 May 2006 (U.N. Doc. A/ES-10/334 • S/2006/336), 12 June 2006 (U.N. Doc. S/2006/382 • A/60/885), 26 June 2006 (U.N. Doc. S/2006/436 • A/60/905), 30 June 2006 (U.N. Doc. S/2006/463 • A/60/913), 5 July 2006 (U.N. Doc. S/2006/485 • A/60/931), 10 July 2006 (U.N. Doc. S/2006/502 • A/60/935), 10 October 2006 (U.N. Doc. S/2006/798 • A/61/507), 14 November 2006 (U.N. Doc. S/2006/887 • A/61/574), 15 November 2006 (U.N. Doc. S/2006/891 • A/61/578), 24 November 2006 (U.N. Doc.
S/2006/916 • A/61/594), 5 December 2006 (U.N. Doc. S/2006/941 • A/61/608), 19 December 2006 (U.N. Doc. S/2006/1000 • A/61/647), 26 December 2006 (U.N. Doc. S/2006/1029 • A/61/681), 19 January 2007 (U.N. Doc. S/2007/23 • A/61/705), 7 February 2007 (U.N. Doc. S/2007/60 • A/61/729), 22 February 2007 (U.N. Doc. S/2007/101 • A/61/755), 7 March 2007 (U.N. Doc. S/2007/129 • A/61/787), 4 September 2007 (U.N. Doc. S/2007/524 • A/61/1038), 12 December 2007 (U.N. Doc. S/2007/728 • A/ES-10/406), 19 December 2007 (U.N. Doc. S/2007/750 • A/ES-10/407), 15 January 2008 (U.N. Doc. A/62/647-S/2008/24), 4 February 2008 (U.N. Doc. A/62/673 - S/2008/72), 8 February 2008 (U.N. Doc. A/62/685 - S/2008/86), 11 February 2008 (U.N. Doc. A/62/688 - S/2008/90), 27 February 2008 (U.N. Doc. A/62/710 - S/2008/132), 13 March 2008 (U.N. Doc. A/62/735 - S/2008/169), 27 March 2008 (U.N. Doc. A/62/770 - S/2008/209), 9 April 2008 (U.N. Doc. A/62/797 - S/2008/233), 18 April 2008 (U.N. Doc. S/2008/261), 22 April 2008 (U.N. Doc. A/62/812 - S/2008/269), 25 April 2008 (U.N. Doc. A/62/820 - S/2008/277), 9 May 2008 (U.N. Doc. A/62/839 - S/2008/311), 12 May 2008 (U.N. Doc. A/62/840 - S/2008/316), 14 May 2008 (U.N. Doc. A/62/843 - S/2008/328), 5 June 2008 (U.N. Doc. A/62/857 - S/2008/367), 24 June 2008 (U.N. Doc. S/2008/420), 22 December 2008 (U.N. Doc. S/2008/807), 24 December 2008 (U.N. Doc. S/2008/814). 30 See, e.g., Letters of 13 March 2008, 18 December 2008, 29 December 2008.
.