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| Visit our Web site: www.bridgesforpeace.com | November 5, 2010 |
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1. Iran Refuses to Discuss Nuclear Program, for Now 2. Palestinians Threaten UN Action to Halt Israeli Settlements 3. Election Results May Impact US-Israel Ties 4. West Bank Terrorists Target Israeli Vehicle 5. Turkey Security Chiefs Cite Israel as National Threat 6. Intelligence Chief: Don't Be Fooled by Calm 7. Meridor Cancels UK Visit for Fear of Arrest 8. Palestinians Cancel Israeli-led Journalist Event 9. Cape Town Opera Rejects Call to Boycott Israel
1. Iran Refuses to Discuss Nuclear Program, for NowIn a clarification likely to disappoint the West, a senior advisor for Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said Iran did not intend to discuss its nuclear program in upcoming talks with the P5+1 (US, UK, France, China, Russia and Germany), at least not before they first addressed Iranian concerns.
In a report by the Iranian Fars News Agency (FNA), Ali Akbar Javanfekr told the news agency, "We will not discuss the nuclear energy in our negotiations with the West as we are critical of these countries in all fields." However, Iran does not appear to be ruling out such talks.
Javanfekr also said they would be "ready for negotiations" if the P5+1 "clearly" addresses several issues, including Israel's reported nuclear weapons. Israeli policy is to neither confirm nor deny their possession of nuclear weapons.
The Israeli approach has been generally supported by the US and so far does not place Israel under any serious international scrutiny. However, Iran, which strongly opposes Israeli nuclear weapons, now seeks P5+1 answers to questions about Israel, its reported nuclear weapons, and the goals of P5+1 talks with Iran.
Fars quoted Ahmadinjad as also wanting the P5+1 to provide their stance on International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) regulations, as well as declare "their compliance with [the rules of] logic and law during the negotiations."
Fars reported the Iranian president recently repeated the demand for answers to Iran's questions. Said Ahmadinejad, "If they [P5+1] keep mum about our questions, in our view, this would mean that they do not abide by the IAEA regulations, recognize and accept possession of atomic bombs by the Zionist regime [Israel], do not comply with the law in negotiations, and are not after friendship with the Iranian nation."
Javanfekr's clarifying comments follow reports of Iran's openness to discuss their nuclear program with the West. Though sounding more positive about negotiations in their previous comments, Iran did, nonetheless, include their demand for answers to questions, including on Israel's nuclear weapons, in that statement as well.
According to a report last week from The New York Times, published prior to the latest statements from Ahmadinejad's advisor, the European Union foreign affairs chief, Catherine Ashton, characterized Iran's latest statement announcing their openness to talks as "very important."
In comments that could imply a European willingness to even comment on Israel's nuclear program, the spokesman for Ashton also told The New York Times that in response to Iran's preconditions to talking, "The issue of Iran's nuclear program must be the core part in the negotiations, but Ms. Ashton doesn't rule anything else out."
(By Joshua Spurlock, BFP Israel Mosaic Radio, October 31, 2010)
Prayer Focus
Pray that Iran's "willingness to talk" will not be a smoke screen for endangering Israel's ability to defend herself.
Scripture
"A faithful witness does not lie, but a false witness will utter lies…The wisdom of the prudent is to understand his way, but the folly of fools is deceit" (Proverbs 14:5, 8)
2. Palestinians Threaten UN Action to Halt Israeli SettlementsThe Palestinians are claiming that Egypt has proposed an Arab effort to go to the United Nations over the issue of Palestinian statehood in an effort to make Israel halt settlement expansion, according to the Ma'an News Agency. In an interview with Ma'an Radio, Palestinian chief negotiator Saeb Erekat said the Egyptian proposal was nearing finalization.
He noted that among other things, their goal would be to prevent Israel from expanding settlements in the West Bank [Judea and Samaria] prior to the resumption of peace talks. Israeli-Palestinian peace talks have been effectively suspended by the Palestinians following the end of Israel's 10-month settlement construction freeze.
The Palestinians have demanded a new freeze before returning to the negotiating table, even though they wasted months of the last freeze before resuming direct talks with Israel. Erekat told Ma'an, "When we talk about alternatives, this doesn't mean failing [in the] talks; we want them to succeed." He said that should the talks fail because of Israel, "we will go to the other options."
Erekat also mentioned the possibility of going to the UN Security Council to recognize a Palestinian state in the West Bank, Gaza Strip and East Jerusalem. However, it appears, based on Erekat's comments, that they have not yet officially decided to go that route.
The United States holds veto power in the Security Council, which would likely make such a recognition of a Palestinian state difficult, if not impossible, to achieve. Other major world powers may block it as well.
However, Erekat told Ma'an that if the Council's five permanent members, the US, Russia, China, France and the UK, were deadlocked over their proposal for recognition, they would pursue a UN resolution to send the request in an emergency special session to the UN General Assembly, which is much more hostile to Israel than the Security Council. Just 10 emergency special sessions have been conducted in the General Assembly's history.
With the Palestinians repeating threats to go to the UN for statehood, Israeli Prime Minister's Office spokesman Mark Regev, in an interview with Bridges for Peace, said, "There ultimately is no substitute whatsoever for a negotiated agreement between Israel and the Palestinians. Everything else is a pipedream, a mirage."
Regev also pointed out that in 1988 then-Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat declared an independent Palestinian state, an announcement that was recognized by dozens of nations. However, Regev said that effort "did in no way change the status of the Palestinians or make life better for them. It was only a symbolic act. So if the Palestinians want symbolic acts that's one thing, [but] if they want real solutions to real problems, the path to peace [and] the path to Palestinian statehood is through negotiation and through a peace agreement."
As for returning to peace talks with the Palestinians, Regev said they continue to work with the US to get past the current stalemate. "We want to see the current impasse behind us, and we want to start serious negotiations with the Palestinians, negotiations that will deal with all the core issues [of the conflict]," said Regev.
"The hope is to reach a historic peace agreement with the Palestinians; we want that to happen, and we believe it is possible. If the Palestinians come to the table with the same level of flexibility and creativity, then we're going to come to the table."
(By Joshua Spurlock, BFP Israel Mosaic Radio, November 1, 2010)
Prayer Focus
Pray that Israel will stand strong in its commitment to "path to peace" they have laid out. Pray that attempts by Palestinian leaders to circumvent actual negotiation will be unsuccessful.
Scripture
"'I will plant them in their land, and no longer shall they be pulled up from the land I have given them,' says the LORD your God" (Amos 9:15).
3. Election Results May Impact US-Israel TiesThough Barack Obama still has two years left on his term as US president, his Democrat party suffered a political tidal wave in Tuesday's [November 2] election for the two bodies in the American Congress, losing control of the House and watching their edge in the Senate shrink noticeably.
According to USA Today, the opposition Republican party is expected to gain at least 60 seats in the House when all the votes are counted, the largest turnover since 1948-the year the modern state of Israel was founded. As for Israel, while Congress is typically thought of as having less power in foreign policy than the presidential office, retired Israeli ambassador Yoram Ettinger believes the turnover actually has the ability to impact the US-Israel relationship.
Ettinger-who was minister for Congressional Affairs at Israel's Embassy in Washington and is currently the CEO of Second Thought, an US-Israeli initiative that researches
national security aspects of Judea and Samaria [the West Bank]-said Israel needs to recognize and act on the power wielded by Congress. As some of his examples, Ettinger pointed to Congressional power over budgets, including foreign aid and military funds, and their role as the sole creator of legislation, although Obama can veto legislation he finds disagreeable.
"Therefore Congress has the power to direct a president towards a policy," said Ettinger, highlighting their power over budgets, potentially a significant limit on the president, since its very difficult to pursue a policy without funding. Ettinger also listed other Congressional powers that impact foreign policy.
Due to political polarization between the Democrat-controlled Senate and the Republican-controlled House, it remains to be seen how much pressure the Congress will be able to exert on Obama outside of budgetary matters. However, Ettinger noted that the American election also shows the American voters to be center and center-right, which he said is "very pro-Israel." Ettinger further said many of the new House members embrace values friendly to Israel-including religion, patriotism and opposition to terrorism-while considering "the Jewish state to be a natural ally of the US."
AIPAC, a pro-Israel lobby group, congratulated all the incoming members of Congress and pointed to members friendly to the US-Israel relationship from both parties. In a press statement, AIPAC noted that support of the US-Israel relationship is an "overwhelmingly bipartisan" issue in Congress. "It is abundantly clear that the 112th Congress will continue America's long tradition of staunch support for a strong, safe and secure Israel and an abiding friendship between the United States and our most reliable ally in the Middle East."
Following the electoral defeats of Obama's Democrat party, Ettinger, a strong critic of Obama's policies towards Israel, believes a weaker president is a good thing for Israel in this case. He just hopes Israel takes advantage of the situation, pointing to past Israeli governments that turned to Congress for support. "The results of the election provide Israel a huge potential. The big question is, 'Are we going to utilize, to leverage that potential, or are we going to give it away?'"
(By Joshua Spurlock, BFP Israel Mosaic Radio, November 3, 2010)
Prayer Focus
Pray that the changes on the US political scene due to the recent elections will, in fact, strengthen the US-Israel relationship. Pray that Israeli leaders will know how to leverage this potential to the benefit of a strong and secure Israel.
Scripture
"It is a joy for the just to do justice, but destruction will come to the workers of iniquity" (Proverbs 21:15).
4. West Bank Terrorists Target Israeli VehicleAn Israeli vehicle was fired at Saturday [October 30] evening northwest of Bethlehem. No injuries were reported in the shooting attack. A couple residing in the settlement of Har Gilo was traveling from the Mount Hebron area to Jerusalem when it came under fire. Security forces identified bullet holes on the vehicle.
The driver of the car reported the attack when he arrived at the Ein Yael roadblock in the area. Israel Defense Forces (IDF) troops were promptly dispatched to the shooting site and are scouring the area in an effort to apprehend the shooters.
More than a month ago, an Israeli couple sustained wounds in a shooting attack in the south Mount Hebron area. The woman hurt in that attack was at late stages of pregnancy and gave birth the same night at the hospital. In late August, four Israelis were murdered in a West Bank [Judea and Samaria] shooting attack perpetrated by Hamas terrorists. About three weeks ago, IDF troops killed two terrorists involved in the attack.
(By Yair Altman, Ynetnews, October 30, 2010)
Prayer Focus
Pray that the Lord will put a shield of protection around His people; that these terrorist attacks will be stopped and the perpetrators brought to justice.
Scripture
"He sits in the lurking places of the villages; in the secret places he murders the innocent; his eyes are secretly fixed on the helpless…Arise, O LORD! O God, lift up Your hand! Do not forget the humble" (Psalm 10:8, 12).
5. Turkey Security Chiefs Cite Israel as National ThreatIn a new national security assessment, Turkey's National Security Council (NSC) has cited Israeli policies as a new "major threat" to the country. The new assessment removes Iran, Syria, Bulgaria, Georgia and Armenia from the list of countries that pose a threat to the Turkey, which belongs to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization [NATO]. Greece, Ankara's long-time foe and fellow NATO member, retained its status as a threat.
The Turkish NSC's "Red Book," also known as its "secret constitution," warned that Israel's policies could lead to a regional arms race. Analysts have said Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan, who leads a mildly Islamic party, may be using the Red Book as a means of convincing his secular nationalist opponents into adopting his hostile attitude toward Israel.
(By The Media Line, October 31, 2010)
Prayer Focus
Pray that Israel's important relationship with Turkey may be restored. Pray that the Lord will intervene and prevent any sort of regional arms race.
Scripture
"The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the LORD and against His Anointed, saying, 'Let us break Their bonds in pieces and cast away Their cords from us.' He who sits in the heaves shall laugh; the LORD shall hold them in derision. Then He shall speak to them in His wrath, and distress them in His deep displeasure" (Psalm 2:2-5).
6. Intelligence Chief: Don't Be Fooled by CalmOutgoing Military Intelligence [MI] Chief Major-General Amos Yadlin offered a grim assessment in his last appearance before the Knesset's [parliament's] Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee Tuesday [November 2]. Yadlin advised Knesset members not to be fooled by the calm security situation and addressed threats from Syria, Hizbullah and Iran.
The MI chief said Russia was providing Syria with portable, state-of-the-art anti-aircraft systems, warning that the Israel Defense Forces may find itself facing a similar situation to that which prevailed in the early 1970s in the Suez Canal.
"These are fairly inexpensive missiles compared to the [advanced] S-300, but they are no less lethal or effective," Yadlin said. The MI chief also warned that the Russians are renovating old Syrian weapons systems. "Syria is engaged in a very intense campaign to procure highly advanced weapons, so advanced, in fact, that anything that comes off the Russian assembly lines ends up in Syria."
The major-general claimed that Syria is trying to have the best of both worlds-tightening relations with Iran and Hizbullah while also trying to show willingness to finalize a peace deal with Israel. Referring to reports that Hizbullah is planning to take over Lebanon, Yadlin said: "The organization keeps getting stronger. Hizbullah could get all the most advanced weapons systems possessed by Syria if it asks for them."
"Should the international tribunal rule that Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik Hariri was murdered by Hizbullah, it will be a PR disaster for them and could lead to instability in all of Lebanon," he said. "If it wanted to, Hizbullah could take over Lebanon in a matter of hours. This is not very likely, but there is no military force that can stand up to Hizbullah in Lebanon."
Addressing the Iranian threat, the MI chief intimated that Israel is well informed on the intelligence level. "Israel's intelligence coverage there is much better," he said. Yadlin also noted that "Iran today has enough nuclear material to make one bomb, and soon it would have enough to make two bombs."
Overall, Yadlin advised the MKs not to be fooled by the "unprecedented" calm on the security front. "Syria, Hizbullah and Hamas are quietly working on building up their strength. The next round won't be focused on one theater, but rather, will incorporate two or three. One cannot predict the future according to what happened during Operation Cast Lead or the Second Lebanon War. It will be much bigger, much wider in scope, and with many more casualties."
(By Roni Sofer, Ynetnews, November 2, 2010)
Prayer Focus
Pray that these dire predictions do not come to pass. Pray that the Lord will protect Israel from any such attacks, and the intention of these enemy nations be blatantly exposed to the international community.
Scripture
"Arise, O God, plead Your own cause; remember how the foolish man reproaches You daily. Do not forget the voice of Your enemies; the tumult of those who rise up against You increases continually" (Psalm 74:22-23).
7. Meridor Cancels UK Visit for Fear of ArrestDeputy Prime Minister Dan Meridor has canceled a scheduled trip to the UK for fear he would be arrested upon his arrival, Ynet reported Monday evening [November 1]. Meridor, who was due to speak at an event organized by the Britain Israel Communications & Research Centre [BICOM] instead of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, called off the trip after officials in the justice and foreign ministries warned that he may be arrested because the UK has yet to pass legislation preventing the arrest of senior Israeli officials over lawsuits filed by local political elements.
BICOM is an independent British organization dedicated to "creating a more supportive environment for Israel in Britain."
In December 2009, an arrest warrant was issued in the UK against opposition leader Tzipi Livni over "war crimes" allegedly committed during Operation Cast Lead. In 2005, Maj.-Gen. (res.) Doron Almog arrived in London but remained on board his plane and was forced to fly back to Israel after learning that a local Muslim organization sued him for his "military activity against the Palestinian people." Last January, Israel canceled the departure of a military delegation to the UK after British authorities could not guarantee that IDF officers would not be arrested.
(By Attila Somfalvi, Ynetnews, November 1, 2010)
Prayer Focus
Pray that this preposterous situation be remedied, so Israeli dignitaries can be afforded the same rights to travel and be treated with as much respect in the UK as those of any other country.
Scripture
"Do not keep silent, O God! Do not hold Your peace, and do not be still, O God! For behold, Your enemies make a tumult; and those who hate You have lifted up their head. They have taken crafty counsel against Your people, and consulted together against Your sheltered ones" (Psalm 83:1-3).
8. Palestinians Cancel Israeli-led Journalist EventA media tour scheduled for last week in the city of Jericho for international journalists was canceled by a spokesman for the Palestinian Authority (PA) since the organization leading the tour is Israeli. The tour was to be led by MediaCentral, a media-liaison organization based in Jerusalem that among other things arranges tours and briefings for foreign journalists.
In an email sent out by MediaCentral, they quoted official Palestinian spokesman Ghassan Khatib as saying that "journalists coming through an Israeli organization are not welcome." MediaCentral pointed out that the tour had been coordinated with Palestinian Authority Tourism Minister Dr. Kholoud Daibis before the PA canceled it. The tour was to include a briefing with Dr. Daibis.
In the email, Aryeh Green, director of MediaCentral, released a statement in response: "In four years of providing professional, credible services to the foreign press based in or visiting Israel and the PA, I am concerned and appalled that a representative of the Palestinian Authority would lay down such an exclusionary and divisive policy.
"The PA-interested in promoting coverage of subjects such as the history of a city like Jericho with its multi-faceted and multi-religious layers of settlement-has in the past been a partner with MediaCentral in helping foreign correspondents develop a more nuanced understanding of the complexities of the issues surrounding the conflict(s) in this region.
"I very much hope this is not a new and worrying step in the hardening of a Palestinian anti-Israel stance, nor a reflection of mounting restrictions on freedom of the press in the Palestinian areas." MediaCentral said in their email they hope to reschedule the tour, "in cooperation with the PA and its tourism ministry, in the near future."
(By Joshua Spurlock, BFP Israel Mosaic Radio, November 3, 2010)
Prayer Focus
Pray that this action by the Palestinian leadership will be seen by the international community for the exclusionary and divisive policy that it is. Pray that the Lord will protect the freedom of the press in Palestinian areas.
Scripture
"Arise, O LORD, confront him, cast him down; deliver my life from the wicked you're your sword" (Psalm 17:13).
9. Cape Town Opera Rejects Call to Boycott IsraelDespite a call by retired South African Archbishop Desmond Tutu to boycott the Jewish state, the Cape Town Opera has decided to keep their plans to perform in Israel. The South African group's managing director, Michael Williams, said in a statement on their Web site that while they respect Tutu's views, they are "first and foremost an arts company that believes in promoting universally-held human values through the medium of opera, and we are accordingly reluctant to adopt the essentially political position of disengagement from cultural ties with Israel or with Palestine."
Williams went on to emphasize the importance of the "transformative power of the arts," believing their production should "provide food for thought for audiences in Israel." The opera's statement noted that they also welcomed the opportunity to perform in what they called "Palestine," although officially there is no such nation.
Said the statement, "Cape Town Opera´s visit to Israel is the outcome of negotiations that began four years ago, and we have contractual commitments to artists both locally and abroad. We were throughout aware of the possibility of being seen as being partisan in the Middle Eastern conflict, and accordingly, negotiations to perform within the Arab world have been and are ongoing."
The Cape Town Opera is scheduled to perform in Israel for the first time in the Tel Aviv Opera House November 12-27. Performing with them will be the Israel Symphony Orchestra Rishon LeZion.
(By Joshua Spurlock, BFP Israel Mosaic Radio, November 2, 2010)
Prayer Focus
Praise the Lord for the decision of this South African organization to go forward with its performances in Israel. May the Lord bless them for this courageous stand.
Scripture
"The way of the LORD is strength for the upright, but destruction will to the workers of iniquity" (Proverbs 10:29).
Note: All Scripture is taken from the New King James Version, unless otherwise noted.
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