LCCC
ENGLISH DAILY NEWS BULLETIN
ِDecember
20/2010
Bible Of The
Day
Hebrews 13/5-6: "13: 5 Be free from the love of money, content with such things
as you have, for he has said, I will in no way leave you, neither will I in any
way forsake you. So that with good courage we say, The Lord is my helper. I will
not fear. What can man do to me?"
Free Opinions, Releases,
letters, Interviews & Special Reports
Is the IDF prepping for a third
war with Lebanon?By Anshel Pfeffer //Haaretz/December
19/10
Archiving Lebanon/Paige
Kollock/ December
19/10
Latest News Reports From Miscellaneous Sources for December
19/10
How Lebanon's sighting of Israeli 'spy gear' is linked to the Hariri
tribunal/Haaretz
Gov't concerned French arms for LAF will
go to Hizbullah/J.Post
Mubarak to Israel: Peace, not
occupation, will ensure your security/AP
Nadim
Gemayel: Kataeb will
not get intimidated by Hezbollah's weapons/iloubnan.info
Michel
Aoun:
“Accept the other and stay away from
cruelty, hatred and fear”/iloubnan.info
Siniora warns against coup attempts
in Lebanon/Now Lebanon
French missiles to Lebanon raise
Israel’s concerns/Now Lebanon
Cabinet not likely to convene
before holidays, says Pharaon/Now Lebanon
Sakr: March 8 recognized the need
to wait for STL indictment/Now Lebanon
Khalifeh: We attempted to find a
way out of impasse/Now Lebanon
Syrian Sources: Syria Exercising
Great Effort to Support Lebanon's Stability
/Naharnet
Israeli Army Fires Random Machine
Gun Shots at Shabaa Farms
/Naharnet
Mustaqbal to Hold Press Conference
Next Week to Respond to Raad's "Legal Errors"
/Naharnet
Israeli Army to Perform Unique
Trial for Merkava Defense System
/Naharnet
Mousawi: Resistance has Obstructed
Several Goals of the Conspiracy that is the STL
/Naharnet
Connelly: We Have No Reason to be
Fearful over the Situation in Lebanon
/Naharnet
Connelly: We
Have No Reason to be Fearful over the Situation in Lebanon
U.S. Ambassador to Lebanon Maura Connelly stressed her country's support for the
Special Tribunal for Lebanon, stating that it does not interfere in its
functioning and "neither should others." She told An Nahar in comments published
on Sunday that Washington does not accuse anyone in the assassination of former
Prime Minister Rafik Hariri, but only the tribunal does. "The STL is following a
legal course that all sides should respect," she said. She voiced her rejection
of resorting to violence in order to change the outcome of the investigation in
the assassination, adding that the U.S. "is not fearful over the situation in
Lebanon, but we need to monitor it closely." "We would like the tribunal to
instill justice and the rule of law in Lebanon to end escaping punishment in
political assassinations," Connelly emphasized. Beirut, 19 Dec 10, 08:21
Syrian Sources: Syria Exercising
Great Effort to Support Lebanon's Stability
Naharnet/Syrian sources revealed that Syria is exercising "a great effort with
regional and international sides to support Lebanon's stability." The sources
told the pan-Arab daily Asharq al-Awsat in remarks published on Sunday that
Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and French President Nicola Sarkozy's recent
meeting in Paris focused on how to encourage the Lebanese towards holding
dialogue that would help curb tensions in the country. The talks also addressed
France's role in preventing the politicization of the Special Tribunal for
Lebanon. The daily had previously reported French sources as saying that Sarkozy
had requested Assad to intervene in Lebanon to prevent any military action after
the release of the STL's indictment. It has not however received a Syrian
confirmation of this request. The Syrian sources stated that Damascus "always
stresses dialogue as the solution to Lebanon's crisis," adding that Syria will
reject any indictment not based on damning evidence. Beirut, 19 Dec 10, 09:34
Siniora warns against coup attempts in Lebanon
December 19, 2010 /“Any attempt to stage a coup in Lebanon is unacceptable
domestically, regionally and internationally,” Future bloc leader MP Fouad
Siniora said Sunday, when asked about a possible attempt by Hezbollah to
overthrow the government. “Hezbollah, or any other party, knows that such a move
does not yield results and complicates the [Lebanese] situation more,” Siniora
said, according to a statement issued by his office. “There is no way we can
choose between justice and stability, as there cannot be security without the
achievement of justice.”He also said that he does not support using the Special
Tribunal for Lebanon (STL) as a tool against certain parties. “Transferring the
issue of ‘false witnesses’ to the Justice Council is a problem, not a solution.
We cannot [talk about] false witnesses before the STL issues its indictment [to
show] who really gave false testimonies.”The cabinet has met once since its
November 10 session and has not tackled institutional work in depth due to a
deadlock between March 8 and March 14 ministers over how to resolve the issue of
the witnesses who gave unreliable testimonies to the international probe into
the 2005 assassination of former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri. Tensions are high
in Lebanon amid reports that the STL may soon indict Hezbollah members in its
investigation of the Rafik Hariri murder, a move the party has repeatedly warned
against.
-NOW Lebanon
French missiles to Lebanon raise Israel’s concerns
December 19, 2010 /Israel fears that weapons sold to Lebanon's army could end up
in the hands of Hezbollah, a Tel Aviv official said Sunday after France
announced it would supply Beirut with anti-tank missiles."We have raised with
foreign governments our concerns of Hezbollah's growing domination of the
Lebanese government apparatus and concern that weapons transfer to the Lebanese
forces will in fact become part of the Hezbollah arsenal," said the Israeli
official, who spoke on condition of anonymity. France on Friday confirmed it
would supply the Lebanese military with 100 anti-tank missiles, despite concerns
raised by both Israel and the United States. A French official said the 100 HOT
missiles, to be used by the Lebanese military's Gazelle helicopters, would be
delivered before the end of February "with no conditions attached." In August, a
US lawmaker objected to the transfer saying the missiles could end up being used
against Israel given Hezbollah's powerful position in Lebanon. "The influence of
Hezbollah militants and their Iranian and Syrian backers in the Lebanese
government is rising," said Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, the ranking Republican on the
House Foreign Affairs Committee. "Therefore, to sell weapons to Lebanon at this
time would be very irresponsible and could jeopardize security and stability in
the region," the US representative said.-AFP/NOW Lebanon
Cabinet not likely to convene before holidays, says Pharaon
December 19, 2010 /Minister of State Michel Pharaon said on Sunday that a
cabinet meeting will not likely be held before next week’s holidays. He told
LBCI television that a cabinet vote to transfer the issue of “false witnesses”
to the Justice Council is no longer a proposed issue. He also said that
Hezbollah is trying to “[terminate] the principles that were agreed upon during
national dialogue sessions five years ago, especially on the Special Tribunal
for Lebanon (STL) issue.”“The party that tries to abolish the STL will
destabilize Lebanon, and any party that tries to use the tribunal to pressure
others will also destabilize Lebanon.”Pharaon added that “security problems in
Lebanon only happen as result of foreign orders.”Tensions are high in Lebanon
amid reports that the STL may soon indict Hezbollah members in its investigation
of the 2005 assassination of former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri, a move the
party has repeatedly warned against.-NOW Lebanon
Sakr: March 8 recognized the need to wait for STL indictment
December 19, 2010 /Lebanon First bloc MP Okab Sakr said on Sunday that the March
8 coalition has reached the mindset that March 14 has been calling for, “which
is to wait for the Special Tribunal for Lebanon’s (STL) indictment before
reacting.”“After many threats issued [by March 8], they are now back to the use
of a logical dialogue - stating that they will not be affected by the tribunal’s
indictment,” Sakr told Future News.He also said that the positive atmosphere in
Lebanon “is not new to the country… [Even] if it was interrupted by a period of
tension caused by Hezbollah’s goal to terminate the STL.”“Dealing with the STL
does not happen through the logic of confrontation.”Regarding Lebanese-Syrian
relations, Sakr said that there is continuous contact between Beirut and
Damascus. He also said that Syria’s take on the STL is positive, calling on
Hezbollah to “follow Syria’s lead.”Syrian President Bashar al-Assad said earlier
in December that no one wants civil strife in Lebanon, adding that the tribunal
would be futile if its ruling was tainted by political interference.
Tensions are high in Lebanon amid reports that the STL may soon indict Hezbollah
members in its investigation of the 2005 assassination of former Prime Minister
Rafik Hariri, a move the party has repeatedly warned against.-NOW Lebanon
Khalifeh: We attempted to find a way out of impasse
December 19, 2010 /“We were trying to find an exit to the current impasse in the
last cabinet session,” Health Minister Mohammad Jawad Khalifeh said on Sunday.
He told LBCI television that President Michel Sleiman made the right move by
adjourning last Wednesday’s cabinet session after the ministers were not able to
reach an agreement regarding the issue of “false witnesses.” “The cabinet should
meet this evening and have the issue of ‘false witnesses’ as the first item on
its agenda.” Sleiman adjourned Wednesday night’s cabinet session to prevent a
divisive vote after ministers again failed to reach an agreement on the “false
witnesses” controversy. The last session, on November 10, was postponed for the
same reason. March 8 politicians have called for the cabinet to task the Justice
Council with investigating the issue of witnesses who gave unreliable
testimonies to the international probe into 2005 assassination of former Prime
Minister Rafik Hariri. However, March 14 figures have said that the regular
judiciary should handle the matter. Tensions are high in Lebanon amid reports
that the Special Tribunal for Lebanon (STL) may soon indict Hezbollah members in
its investigation of the Rafik Hariri assassination, a move the party has
repeatedly warned against.-NOW Lebanon
Archiving Lebanon
Paige Kollock, December 19, 2010
Now Lebanon/In 2008, Lokman Slim, founder of several Lebanese NGOs, was having a
coffee with someone in Hamra. In a taxi on his way back to his office in Haret
Hreik, he passed by the old Carleton Hotel. The hotel had been sold, but was not
yet torn down, and in front of the building was a truck full of papers. He
stopped the taxi and inquired after the truck’s contents. As it turns out, they
were the hotel’s archives and they were headed to the dump. “This,” said Monika
Borgmann, a colleague of Slim’s, “is how Lebanon treats its history.”
Luckily, Slim re-directed the truck to his office and ended up saving a piece
Lebanon’s national heritage. The papers, and other documents like them, are
stored in the archives of UMAM, a non-profit that works to document and protect
Lebanon’s artifacts and history.
For a population that tends to rely on oral history for historical facts, UMAM’s
operation is impressive. Situated in a villa in Haret Hreik, its collection
spans thousands of documents, ranging from periodicals to newspapers to books to
audio and video files. Newspapers dating as far back as the 1930s are scanned,
catalogued and archived, then wrapped in plastic and stored on a shelf under
publication’s name.
“I want you to see this,” said Zeina Assaf, UMAM’s librarian and researcher, as
she pulled a box labeled “Hariri” off of the shelf. She held out a tie with a
patch of Rafik Hariri on it and a party slogan. “This [too] is part of history…
and we archive it.”
UMAM is so serious about its various archiving projects that it hopes to bring
them to “another level,” says Slim. In an effort to do that, they’ve assembled
what they call a ‘Consultative Council’ consisting of experts from as far away
as Denmark and Japan. Trudy Peterson, a US-based archivist who specializes in
archiving and documenting in post-conflict societies is on the council and says
archiving in a country like Lebanon can be a formidable challenge.
“In post-conflict countries… you have less computer records, or sometimes
records go astray or get destroyed, or the archivists are under-resourced
because no one wants them to collect. In these situations, archivists can’t keep
up with international standards,” she said.
Indeed there are international standards by which to archive. In transition
countries like Lebanon, which is still recovering from a 15-year civil war,
Peterson says there are four popular demands that proper documentation can help
meet: holding perpetrators accountable, vetting those who want to be in the
government, getting the truth out (i.e. finding out what happened to the
disappeared) and reparation. She explains that every country should have two
kinds of institutions: national actives that hold the records of government, and
permanent records of non-government institutions, including individuals.
The Lebanese Foundation for the National Library is working on both of them.
When Beirut was nominated as the cultural capital of the Arab world in 1999, the
Ministry of Culture commissioned a group of architects, journalists and
historians to organize an exhibition entitled "National Archives, Collective
Memory.” The exhibition proved so popular that the Council of Ministers and the
Ministry of Interior signed off on a foundation to help rebuild Lebanon’s
national library.
“The state of the library was terrible,” said Randa Daouk, president of the
foundation. “It was in a depot… the manuscripts were eaten by insects. We
brought in a team from France to disinfect the library. We moved it to a better
place at the port and we have a team there doing the stockage and cataloging.”
Lebanon’s national library was established in 1921 by Viscount Philippe de
Tarazi who donated his personal collection to what he called the “Great Library
of Beirut.” Three years later, a copyright deposit law required publishers to
print two copies of their publications for archiving purposes. The library was
open to all and enjoyed prosperity and growth for many years. Then came the
civil war. Because the national library building was situated near the
demarcation line, it became inaccessible and essentially stopped functioning.
Only now are its collections being refurbished.
“War has affected everything in Lebanon. It has separated things,” said Daouk.
Both the foundation and UMAM help raise awareness about archiving through
special exhibits. In June, the foundation held an exhibit in downtown Beirut
called “100 Years of Press”. Meanwhile, UMAM is working on several projects,
including a history of Dahiyeh and creating a massive database of Lebanon’s
disappeared.
While Daouk says the Ministry of Culture is keen on such projects, they lack
adequate funding, so other entities, such the European Union and the Qataris are
providing financial assistance.
Clinton a danger to Israel
Op-ed: Hillary Clinton’s disregard for Arab desire to eliminate Israel
delusional, evil
Moshe Dann Published: 12.18.10, 18:03 / Israel Opinion
Secretary of State Hillary Clinton's address to the Saban Forum should leave
little doubt that she is a danger to the State of Israel and, thereby, to the
Jewish people. For those who care about Israel, her words, because she expresses
the position of President Obama's administration, are alarming.
Clinton's speech was praised for not demanding a further settlement freeze; this
was because US policy makers realized it would accomplish nothing, and PM
Netanyahu had already agreed to stop, or severely limit building de facto.
Instead, she emphasized state-building, "ending the occupation," and borders.
Coupled with international recognition of Palestinian statehood, this side-steps
Israeli resistance to a freeze and insistence on Palestinian acceptance of
Israel, further isolating Israel. What she did not say is worse.
Analysis
Peace impasse: Israel at risk / Ron Ben-Yishai
Analysis: Vacuum in wake of stalled negotiations recipe for trouble; Israel must
act quickly
Not once did she mention official PA support, directly and indirectly, for
incitement and terrorism. While passing on the usual gesture to America's
"commitment to Israel's security," her focus was elsewhere.
Blindly obedient to the notion of building a Palestinian state, she ignored the
recent statement of Fatah, the PA's ruling party in the West Bank: "No to Israel
as a Jewish state, no to interim borders, no to land swaps." And that's only for
openers.
She did mention how important it was to "ease the situation in Gaza," and
"foster legitimate economic growth." Yet she forgot to mention the plight of
Gilad Shalit.
Clinton's focus was "the core issues of the conflict on borders and security;
settlements, water, refugees; and on Jerusalem itself." Her solution was
"state-building work of the PA" and support for the Arab (Saudi) Peace
Initiative – which grants the Palestinians a state based on the 1949 Armistice
Lines, including Jerusalem's division, and returning the Golan Heights to Syria.
Israel gets "normal relations," as long as that may last.
Clinton waves at "fundamental compromises," but given her pro-Palestinian
agenda, and her "two-state" axiom, this means Israel's capitulation and
surrender. Although she refers to "security arrangements" to prevent terrorism,
she never spells out how that is possible; her vagueness is either lack of
understanding, or ignorance. Even-handedly, she moves on to the issue of
settlements: "we do not accept the legitimacy of continued settlement activity."
On borders: "the occupation will be over."
On Palestinian refugees: "a just and permanent solution."
On Jerusalem: "the religious interests of people and all faiths around the world
must be respected."
"Palestinian state-building" inspires her: "The lack of peace and the occupation
that began in 1967 continue to deprive the Palestinian people of dignity and
self-determination. This is unacceptable, and ultimately, it too is
unsustainable."
She missed the fact that Jordan is a Palestinian state, carved out of the
Palestine Mandate by Britain in 1922, with a population that is two-thirds
Palestinian.
This is not, however, what makes Ms. Clinton, and those who think like her, so
dangerous; it's the notion of what the core issues really are.
If the dispute between Arabs and Israelis is territorial, it would have been
resolved long ago. It's not about the "occupation in 1967;" it's about the Nakba
(Catastrophe), as Arabs see it, the establishment of the State of Israel in
1948.
The problem is not the area that Israel occupies, but her existence. Enshrined
in the charters of the PLO and Hamas, Palestinians don't want a state alongside
Israel, but one that replaces Israel. Not understanding this is delusional; not
including this as a core issue is evil.
Evil is a harsh word, so here's why I use it. Clinton, Obama's Administration,
and everyone else know that Israel cannot accept her agenda, since that would
mean exposure to significant risks. Rejecting her efforts will create more
tension, and serve to isolate and vilify Israel, while strengthening the forces
of de-legitimization.
She chose her words carefully: "We hope to see a significant curtailment of
incursions by Israeli troops into Palestinian areas." What about the reasons for
those incursions? What about the lives that will be saved by capturing
terrorists before they attack? From her impressions, Israel is not only wrong,
but wicked.
And Clinton knows – as experts have informed her – that the Palestinian security
forces that "stood watchful guard" during her visits may easily turn into
executioners. They have done little or nothing to protect Israelis, nor should
that be expected.
PA "corruption and mismanagement," billions in US funds wasted? No problem; "I
was pleased to announce the transfer of an additional $150 million in direct
assistance to the PA" – and to Hamas. That should soothe American workers on
unemployment lines.
Clinton's emphasis on "an independent, viable sovereign state," may be
misguided; but in her insistence that there is no other alternative, linking
such a state with vital American interests, condemning "provocative (Israeli)
announcements on east Jerusalem," and blaming Israel for preventing peace,
Madame Secretary has contributed to a global climate of anathema towards Israel.
She cannot say, "I was only following orders;" she gives them.
Stabbing and
feared abduction of American woman by Palestinians
DEBKAfile Special Report December 18, 2010,Two Arab men, believed Palestinians,
stabbed two women hiking near Moshav Matta not far from Beit Shemesh west of
Jerusalem inside the Green Line Saturday, Dec. 19. One of them, an Israeli tour
guide, reached a group of sightseers in serious condition from knife wounds with
bound hands. She was taken to hospital after sounding the alarm that her
companion, an American woman was missing. She had seen her being dragged off by
the two men before she escaped.
Her report placed police and IDF forces in the Jerusalem, Bethlehem and Mt.
Hebron districts on a high alert.
Jerusalem police chief Aharon Franco reported that the police and Shin Bet are
investigating the possibly that the missing woman is no longer in the region and
using all their resources, including undercover informants, to discover her
whereabouts and who the kidnappers are.
Meanwhile, exhaustive searches of the area, backed by helicopters using flares,
are taking place to locate the missing woman amid fears for her life. They are
scouring the Tzur Hadassa, Beirut Illit and Gush Etzion areas after setting up
police roadblocks around Jerusalem. Saturday night, the section of Route 375
between Matta and Roglit Junction linking Tzur Hadassah to the Elah Valley was
closed to traffic in both directions. Military sniffer dogs were sent out
overnight in search of the trail of the missing woman and her abductors
Is the IDF prepping for a third war
with Lebanon?
19.12.10/Haaretz
IDF commanders insist their decision to hold a huge military exercise last week
up north has nothing to do with rising tensions in Lebanon.
By Anshel Pfeffer
Typically, wars break out in the summer in the Middle East. But that didn’t stop
the IDF from holding its biggest military exercise of the year in the dead of
winter last week, just as snow was painting the Hermon white and rain flooded
other parts of the North, where two brigades − Nahal and the 401st Armored
Brigade − were carrying out maneuvers.
Despite the fierce cold Monday night, Nahal fighters ascended the Golan Heights
on foot, marching on hilly roads and carrying heavy loads of ammunition and
equipment. Only two soldiers failed to reach their destination: One lost body
fluids from perspiring too much in his storm suit, and the other suffered an
attack of appendicitis.
On Tuesday afternoon, as the combat fighters grabbed a few hours of sleep and
prepared for the major live fire exercise, their officers went up to Tel Shifon
in the southern Golan to familiarize themselves from above with the following
day’s “conquest” objectives. The area is the quite familiar Golan, but the
operational scenario is South Lebanon. “In any emergency situation, the northern
zone is key,” said Col. Amir Abulafia, commander of the Nahal Brigade. “The
exercises carried out here on the Golan are entirely realistic emergency
scenarios.”
Before last week’s big exercise, the Nahal brigade held four battalion-wide
exercises, in which the battalion operated for four days in the field in the
exact same way it would under circumstances of all-out war.
“We tried to create a simulation here of what would be required of us in an
emergency,” said Abulafia, “in the number of kilometers we’ll have to walk and
the number of kilograms we’ll have to carry. We also went a little beyond that
to improve our capabilities. All these kilometers create a tough mental and
physical burden. A soldier who finishes a week like that understands that the
battle will be tough.”
In the four days of the simulated war week, the soldiers march 60-70 kilometers
on foot, carrying up to 40 kilograms on their backs.
Preparing for a long stay
The debate within the IDF over the best way to deal with the tens of thousands
of missiles in the hands of the Hezbollah has yet to be resolved. One position
holds that aerial attacks and localized operations of special forces is the best
strategy, while the other advocates using land divisions for extended periods of
fighting. The two brigades that exercised this week on the Golan are preparing
for the second option.
During a parallel three-month training period, each brigade carries out its
major brigade exercise on adjacent areas in the southern Golan.
Occasionally, those in charge − Brig. Gen. Agai Yehezkel, commander of the 162nd
Division, and Brig. Gen. Moti Baruch, commander of a reserve division −
introduce unexpected elements and instruct the brigades to intensify fighting
and assist one another.
On Wednesday, each brigade held its own live-fire exercise, and on Thursday,
they held a bilateral exercise, battalion versus battalion.A combined battle
exercise of 10 battalions of regular soldiers in full force on the Golan Heights
is a rare event. In this case, all the battalions also belong to the 162nd
Division. Although it wasn’t an official division exercise, Yehezkel, the
division commander, set up headquarters near the forces in order to simulate a
real-war situation. This is one of the lessons learned from the Second Lebanon
War, when the Nahal brigades and the 401st fighting near Saluki and Kantar were
not coordinated.
“You can plan it as much as you like,” said a senior officer in the division,
“but there’s no substitute for training in the field. Only there do you see the
effect of 10 tanks passing on a certain traffic artery and understand that in
order for the 11th tank not to sink in the mud, you have to make sure that a
tractor is there, too, to level the road. In this exercise we have 96 tanks in
operation.”
In another lesson of the Second Lebanon War, the protective systems of the tanks
have been also improved. The 401st Brigade is now equipped with the advanced
model of the Merkava, the Mark 4, and with the Windbreaker system, which offers
active protection from anti-tank missiles. The brigade forces are also activated
by a DLA (digital land army) system, which enables the commanders to see the
location and situation of the forces on digital maps. But in order to prepare
for a worst-case scenarin in which the system stops functioning, the commanders
participating in Thursday’s bilateral exercise had to turn off the DLA monitors
and return to the old paper and cardboard maps.
Last month, Abulafia organized an event for all his officers in which they spent
an entire evening analyzing the brigade’s battles in the Second Lebanon War.
“Officers who fought spoke there, and that’s very important psychologically,
especially for young company commanders who weren’t there,” he said. “What it’s
like to be a new officer who enters a war when his soldiers don’t know him yet
and he loses five people. What it’s like to see a Merkava tank rising into the
air from a missile strike.”
IDF sources insisted that last week’s big exercise has been in the making for
more than a year and has no connection whatsoever to present tensions in Lebanon
surrounding the upcoming publication of the U.N. report on the assassination of
Rafik Hariri. Abulafia, the first Nahal commander who has been in the brigade
from his first day in the army, served previously as head of the operations
department in the General Staff Operations Directorate and is very familiar with
the IDF’s updated plans in the event that open conflict with Hezbollah is
renewed. This, he said, is what inspires how he designs the brigade exercises.
“It’s clear to me what achievement is required,” he said, “where we have to
fight with determination, and where tactical sophistication is required. I know
what I should rightly insist on with the commanders and the soldiers, and
therefore, I feel that I can demand a great deal of them.”
Paratroopers Brigade commander Col. Aharon Haliwa was the chief monitor of the
exercise. Haliwa sparked a public uproar last week when he was quoted in Maariv
saying he “abhors” the Hesder yeshiva track (which combines Torah study with
army service) because its soldiers and officers serve a much shorter time and
that he would prefer not accepting them to the brigade. Abulafia also gained
media publicity in recent weeks after the IDF magazine Ma’arachot published an
article he wrote as part of his studies at the National Security College, in
which he contended that IDF officers are afraid to express independent opinions
when they contradict the opinions of their superiors.
“I was surprised that the issue was covered so extensively in the media,” said
Abulafia, “though some of the newspapers took it to a direction somewhat
different from what I had intended. What I said is let’s recognize that we have
a problem here.”
From the reactions he received, Abulafia said, it emerged that the majority of
his colleagues agreed with him. “Many officers came and told me that they had
taken my ‘test,’” he said, referring to the nine questions he recommended that
every senior commander ask himself in to see whether he encourages independent
thinking among his subordinates.
Regarding the uproar over his comments about Hesder yeshivas, Abulafia said that
in the Nahal he is delighted to recruit yeshiva students. “First of all,” he
said, “ because they’re outstanding soldiers, and second because it balances the
population of the brigade. I want us to be a brigade of all Israelis and to have
skullcap wearers here. On the other hand, Aharon, who’s been a friend of mine
for many years, raised practical issues regarding the Hesder track that should
be discussed within the army. I don’t think that he should have talked about it
in such a manner in front of his soldiers and squad commanders.”
Mubarak to Israel: Peace, not occupation, will ensure your security
19.12.10
Egyptian leaders tells parliament session that Israel is to blame for stalemate
in talks, urges U.S. and other peacebrokers to 'assume' responsibility.
By The Associated Press Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak blamed Israel on Sunday
for the stalemate in negotiations with the Palestinians, warning that security
could be ensured only through peace and not occupation or force.. Addressing a
joint session of the Egyptian parliament's two chambers on Sunday, Mubarak
called on the United States and other Mideast peace brokers to "assume their
responsibility" to break the stalemate in the peace process. Earlier this month,
Egypt Foreign Minister Ahmed Aboul Gheit said that major powers should push
Israel and the Palestinians to agree to a deadline for establishing an
independent Palestinian state before a two-state solution becomes impossible to
achieve.
Israelis and Palestinians held three rounds of U.S.-backed talks in September.
Palestinians pulled out when a 10-month freeze on Jewish settlement building in
the West Bank and East Jerusalem ended on Sept. 26. In some of Egypt's strongest
language since the talks ended, Gheit said discussions should shift to an
"end-game for a Palestinian settlement" after Washington had failed to push
Israel to halt building work. Egypt in 1979 became the first Arab nation to sign
a peace treaty with Israel, but relations between the two neighbors have been
cool, chiefly over the lack of progress in reaching a regional peace settlement.