Shaked Victorious: Four New Justices May Tame Hyper-Activist Supreme Court – The Jewish Press

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This looks like a very positive development...

http://www.jewishpress.com/news/israel/israeli-arabs/shaked-victorious-four-new-justices-may-tame-hyper-activist-supreme-court/2017/02/22/

Fwd: For the sake of our Creator - read this and publisize it with all your heart!: RE: Yezidis Current Situation in Iraqnough?

Bsd

This is beyond my comprehension. 

This seems obvious.

Shouldn't the victims of Islamic Jihad e.g. the Yezidis and non Muslim refugees get first priority when it comes to aid for refugees from radical Islamic terror ridden countries? 

Why are we allowing this to happen in 2017 when what happened in Aug. 2014 to the Yezidis was fully documented? Havent they suffered enough?

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: "rgoldhar2 rgoldhar2" <rgoldhar2@sympatico.ca>
Date: Feb 22, 2017 8:53 AM
Subject: For the sake of our Creator - read this and publisize it with all your heart!: RE: Yezidis Current Situation in Iraq
To: "Mirza Ismail" <ezidis@gmail.com>, "Doris Epstein" <depstein@rogers.com>, "Rachel Avraham" <ravraham86@gmail.com>, "Dr.Moti Kedar" <kedar.tour@gmail.com>, "Robin Ticker" <faigerayzel@gmail.com>, "Buddy Macey" <vegibud@gmail.com>, "Robert Walker - Hasbara Fellowships" <rwalker@hasbarafellowships.org>, "Americans for a Safe Israel" <judy@afsi.org>, <geoffrey@mozuud.org>
Cc:

---------- Original Message ----------
From: Mirza Ismail <ezidis@gmail.com>
To: Doris Epstein <depstein@rogers.com>, RANANAH GOLDHAR <rgoldhar2@sympatico.ca>, Marsha Eines <meines@rogers.com>
Date: February 21, 2017 at 11:08 PM
Subject: RE: Yezidis Current Situation in Iraq

Dear Doris, Renanah and Marsha,

Hope you and your families are well.

This is the latest news I have from my colleagues in Northern Iraq.

 

The Yezidis Current Situation in Iraq

 

On August 03, 2014, when the Islamic State terrorists attacked the Yezidis in Sinjar/Shingal, the ISIS attack cost the Yezidis more than 5,000 that including the beheading of hundreds of innocent Yezidi men. According to the Yezidi women and girls those I met in Northern Iraq in 2014 and 2015, the ISIS abducted 7450 Yezidis, mostly young women, girls and children; from the 7450 abducted Yezidis, about 4,200 have been able to escape from the ISIS captivity, many of them took risk and escaped on their own and many also were bought by different individuals and or organizations that paid sum and were able to get them back.

 

According to my colleagues who are following the Yezidi issues closely said "In late October of 2016, the Islamic State militias in Mosul transferred 150 young Yezidi those who are blond with blue eyes to Saudi Arabia and Qatar via Jordan; another 200 Yezidi girls from Mosul were transferred to Baaj city, which is about 34 KM south of Sinjar city and later were transferred those girls to Raqqa, Syria. This happened when the Iraqi army was heading to Mosul to overthrow the ISIS.

 

Some of my colleagues told me that last week between February 13 – 17, 2017, the ISIS militias have transferred 1000 abducted Yezidis from Mosul to Tal-afar and to be transferred to Raqqa, Syria. The Yezidi activists believe there are still more than 1,000 abducted Yezidis in Mosul, who are being used for human shields by ISIS.

 

I have close colleague, who lives in IDP camp in Northern Iraq; he lost 11 members of his family to ISIS; one of his niece still in Mosul and he was able to talk to her till end of last week, who explained the situation in Mosul is real nightmares and the abducted Yezidis are being used for human shields. Many Muslims are fleeing Mosul, but the abducted Yezidis are still under the control of ISIS and have not been able to flee or escape.

 

The world has decided that it is politically in their interests to allow the Yezidis to be massacred. Let the little girls be human shields. When their dead bodies are found, they won't be able to tell that they were slaves who we abandoned. . And so the conscious of the West will not be made uncomfortable by having to face that we allowed and participated in the murder of little girls while we made sure our own girls played in the best school yards and were protected from life's dangers at every turn!

 

The world has decided that it is in their interests to support the Islamic Jihad - not of ISIS apparently - but of the KRG government, and the UN Moslem-run camps for refugees where non-Muslim refugees are abused by the Moslem authorities there. The Iraqis and the world have decided that it is better to allow the Kurds or Iraqis to take the land of the Yezidis especially the oil rich Yezidi holy indigenous land of Lalish and Sinjar Mountain. The world has decided to appease the Islamic Jihadist of the Iraqi government and the Kurds who prefer that there not have non-Muslim Yezidis and Chaldo-Assyrian Christians among them. And the world has decided that if these Islamists will do the West's dirty work of fighting ISIS, then we in the West are fine to let them enslave, rape, murder Yezidis, and all we ask is that our gentle sensitivities not be offended by having to read about it in the newspapers.

Best regards,

Mirza Ismail

 

Fwd: [Mattotarim] עדכון מהיישוב עפרה Jewish Solidarity. Ofra homes scheduled to be demolished...Is it because we are dealing with an unworthy yet Powerful, Self Appointed, Self Serving, Israel Supreme Court whose decisions and rulings have their Foundation based on tainted money coming from evil sources? Or perhaps we can judge them favorably, since their choices of judges are fair and their rulings based on Truth and Justice and the Torah? But Who Will Investigate? Will the Israel Supreme Court investigate itself objectively or are they above the Law and therefore have to answer to noone but themselves? Yesh Din veYesh Dayan! Hoshiva Shofteinu KeVaRishona....

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: <mattotarim@mattotarim.org>
Date: Feb 21, 2017 1:47 PM
Subject: [Mattotarim] עדכון מהיישוב עפרה Jewish Solidarity
To: <mattotarim@mattotarim.org>
Cc:

English & unsubscribe info -- see below

רוצה להימחק מרשימת התפוצה? ראה בסוף

Can't read the Hebrew? Click Facebook Mattot Arim:

https://www.facebook.com/MattotArim/posts/1416017518422628

 

עדכון: עוול נורא ביישוב עפרה

 

 תשעה בתים בלב הישוב עפרה , עומדים בפני הריסה תוך גירוש  9 המשפחות על ילדיהם.

 

ראש הממשלה נתניהו היה אמור לרסן את הבג"צ -- להודיע בפשטות שמדובר בשאלה מדינית ולא משפטית ("דוקטרינת השאלה הפוליטית" - https://www.law.cornell.edu/wex/political_question_doctrine) – אך רוה"מ לא מצא לנכון לעשות זאת.

 

רק לפני זמן קצר נתניהו נעתר לגירש 40 משפחות מעמונה    http://www.inn.co.il/News/News.aspx/339467 – כעת הוא ממשיך.

 

לפרטים:  http://www.srugim.co.il/181343-%D7%91%D7%92%D7%A6-%D7%93%D7%95%D7%97%D7%94-%D7%91%D7%97%D7%95%D7%93%D7%A9-%D7%90%D7%AA-%D7%94%D7%A8%D7%99%D7%A1%D7%AA-%D7%94%D7%91%D7%AA%D7%99%D7%9D-%D7%91%D7%A2%D7%A4%D7%A8%D7%94

 

      http://www.davar1.co.il/53202   

  http://www.themarker.com/blogs/erezzadok/1.3079282     

http://www.iba.org.il/bet/?entity=1211012&type=1&topic=&page=     http://www.maariv.co.il/news/law/Article-573025

 

     http://www.mako.co.il/judaism-religious-news/Religious-at-facebook/Article-9579ecb77bd0a51006.htm

 

 

http://www.20il.co.il/%D7%9B%D7%AA%D7%91%D7%AA-%D7%95%D7%99%D7%93%D7%90%D7%95-%D7%97%D7%B4%D7%9B-%D7%96%D7%95%D7%94%D7%A8-%D7%A4%D7%99%D7%A0%D7%95%D7%99-%D7%A2%D7%9E%D7%95%D7%A0%D7%94-%D7%99%D7%9B%D7%95%D7%9C-%D7%9C/

 

פינוי  9 הבתים בעפרה, הינו עיוות דין  - הרס לשם הרס בלבד.  לא נוכל לעבור על כך בשתיקה!

ההרס  מתוכנן כנראה לימים שני  ו.או שלישי  הקרובים - 27-28 פברואר.  

הציבור העירוני מתבקש מאד להתנדב לעמידה בצומת ליד מקום מגוריך, באחד מהימים הנ"ל. 

 

יש לדאוג לעוד 2 אנשים נוספים לפחות, שיהיו איתך: שכנים שלך, חברים שלך, ילדים שלך או הורים שלך.

נדאג  להעביר לכם שלטים ו.או פליירים לחלוקה. 

אנא לעדכן (לחץ השב): שמך המלא. גיל. טלפון נייד. צומת בה תוכל לעמוד. באילו שעות (בדרך כלל שעות אחה"צ ערב מתאימות)

 

תודה רבה, נשמח לשמוע מכם, כל אדם חשוב ברגעים נחושים שכאלה

 

9 homes in Ofra, in which familes with children are living,  are about to be demolished to satisfy the extreme left. Last-ditch efforts to save the homes are ongoing, but unfortunately are expected to fail http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/225351 -- due to the ultra-liberal makeup of the Israeli Supreme Court.

PM Netanyahu should have invoked the political question doctrine  https://www.law.cornell.edu/wex/political_question_doctrine   to save the 9 families from pro-Palestinian lawfare. Unfortunately, he is not willing to do so.

Bottom line: these homes are slated to be bulldozed THIS COMING MONDAY OR TUESDAY, 27 or 28 February. We who don't live in Ofra need to show solidarity otherwise this disgrace can happen yet again. .

So, if you can man a junction near your home on either Monday 27.2 or Tuesday 28.2, with another 2 friends or family members, please let us know by IMMEDIATE return email, and we will arrange for some signs and/or flyers to reach you. Please simply email your full name, cellphone, what junction can you stand at (any junction close to where you live) and when (afternoon/evening hours are usually best). Streetside vigils of this kind are fully legal and do not require any police permission at all.  

We'd love to hear from you – every person counts.

Mattot Arim, Israeli NGO, working toward peace-for-peace since 1992

 

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Fwd: Mike Huckabee newsletter Feb 22 2017 re: Trump Executive Order...Phoenix Just Made A Big Decision

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: "Mike Huckabee" <newsletter@mikehuckabee.com>
Date: Feb 22, 2017 11:32 AM
Subject: Phoenix Just Made A Big Decision
To: <faigerayzel@gmail.com>
Cc:

The message you have just received was delivered by Mike Huckabee and includes a message from Huck PAC, his political action committee.  Robin, President Trump's threat to cut off federal funding to "sanctuary cities" is having an impact. First, Miami dropped its sanctuary city status, and now, the Phoenix City Council has voted 7-2 to reject an effort to make Phoenix a sanctuary city. Even the Democratic mayor, who opposes Trump's immigration policies, rejected the measure because of the potential financial fallout, voter opposition and the fact that it would violate part of Arizona's state law on immigration that bars any jurisdiction from harboring illegal aliens. The mayor said he'd look into a legal challenge to the law, but that's unlikely to succeed since the SCOTUS already upheld it. That brings up a point that makes this story particularly interesting, due to Arizona's history with challenging the President on immigration law. When Obama refused to enforce federal immigration laws, causing severe problems for Arizona, the state attempted to step in and do it. But the SCOTUS overturned most of the Arizona immigration law, ruling that when state and federal laws conflict, federal law prevails. And Obama decided how to enforce federal immigration laws, even if his decision was to refuse to enforce them. Yet just five years later, a federal judge in Washington State seems to think that states have the power to overrule President Trump on immigration policy. I'm still trying to think of some explanation for that ruling that doesn't involve Washington State having legalized marijuana. Sincerely, Mike Huckabee ------ Message from Huck PAC:   HUCK PAC NEEDS FINANCIAL HELP: Support conservative Republicans in 2017 and beyond. Help us raise $15,000 in February by chipping in $5 today. We are $7,071 away so please help us reach our goal with a donation in the amount you can afford! Thank you! CONTRIBUTE HERE

And in case you missed these:   The End of the World By Mike Huckabee The Department of Homeland Security just released two memos detailing how they plan to cite existing laws to implement President Trump's executive orders on immigration. You can tell things have really changed in Washington. First, with Trump's immigration orders. Then, with an executive agency citing existing laws rather than ignoring them. And finally, the DHS memos announce the creation of the Victims of Immigration Crime Engagement (VOICE) office within ICE, which will "reallocate resources that are currently used to advocate on behalf of" unauthorized immigrants. So ICE will spend tax money on helping victims of criminal illegal immigrants rather than illegal immigrants. Liberals are right: it's the end of the world as we know it.

Chocolate Giant Melts In California By Mike Huckabee The chocolate giant Nestle is melting under the liberal policies of California and leaving Glendale for the sweeter environs of Rosslyn, Virginia. That will mark another 1200 jobs lost to Californians because of the state's high tax, high regulation "progressive" leadership. It's become an all-too-typical story, but there is something remarkable about this version of it. If any company would feel comfortable under California's liberal government, you'd think it would be Nestle. In fact, they're so "progressive" that their CEO inspired Jonah Goldberg's landmark book, "Liberal Fascism." Goldberg told National Review that he went to Switzerland to hear a talk by Nestle's CEO. He said, "It became very clear to me that he had little to no interest in free markets or capitalism properly understood. He saw his corporation as a 'partner' with governments, NGOs, the U.N., and other massive multinationals. The profit motive was good for efficiency and rewarding talent, but beyond that, he wanted order and predictability and as much planning as he could get. I think that mindset informs the entire class of transnational progressives, the shock troops of what H. G. Wells hoped would lead to his liberal-fascist 'world brain.'" Obviously, Nestle couldn't find any brains running California, so they're hitting the road. It's a perfect illustration of how far off the leftwing deep end California's government has become when even the company that inspired "Liberal Fascism" thinks the place has become too darn liberal. ------ Message from Huck PAC:   HUCK PAC NEEDS FINANCIAL HELP: Support conservative Republicans in 2017 and beyond. Help us raise $15,000 in February by chipping in $5 today. We are $7,071 away so please help us reach our goal with a donation in the amount you can afford! Thank you! CONTRIBUTE HERE

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Fwd: Israel Natl News: ZOA Exposes 5 Fmr Amb Friedman Critics as Biased/Hostile to Israel

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: "Zionist Organization of America" <info@zoa.org>
Date: Feb 20, 2017 3:40 PM
Subject: Israel Natl News: ZOA Exposes 5 Fmr Amb Friedman Critics as Biased/Hostile to Israel
To: "faigerayzel@gmail.com" <faigerayzel@gmail.com>
Cc:

Zionist Organization of America  ZOA in the News   DONATE NOW

Israel Natl News: ZOA Exposes 5 Fmr Amb Friedman Critics as Biased/Hostile to Israel They Previously Harmed US-Israel Relations, Undiplomatically Share       For more information contact Morton A. Klein 212-481-1500 Follow @mortonaklein on Twitter NEW YORK, February 20, 2017 Responding to the claims of five former US ambassadors who said David Friedman is "unfit" to serve as US ambassador to Israel, Zionist Organization of America President Morton A. Klein released the following statement: "It's important to examine the harmful records and anti-Israel actions of the five left-wing, hostile-to-Israel, pro-Iran deal former US Ambassadors to Israel who signed a coordinated letter to the Senate Foreign Relations Committee unfairly and falsely maligning Ambassador-nominee David Friedman. The five signatories – Thomas Pickering, Daniel Kurtzer, Edward Walker, Jr., James Cunningham, and William Harrop – damaged US-Israel relations and exacerbated the situation in the Middle East. At least several of them have financial or other ties to hostile-to-Israel groups. "It's important to examine the harmful records and anti-Israel actions of the five left-wing, hostile-to-Israel, pro-Iran deal former US Ambassadors to Israel who signed a coordinated letter to the Senate Foreign Relations Committee unfairly and falsely maligning Ambassador-nominee David Friedman." "Revealingly, the very same five former ambassadors signed a letter in July 2015 promoting the Iran deal (which provided Iran with a path to a nuclear bomb and $150 billion to fund its terrorist operations throughout the world). ("Former US Ambassadors to Israel Back Iran Deal," by Deb Riechmann, Times of Israel, July 27, 2015.) "Thomas Pickering (Ambassador 1985-1988) has a long record of pro-Iranian regime, pro-Palestinian-Arab, friendly to Hamas, and problematic anti-Israel activism. "Pickering is a member of the American Iranian Council (AIC) board of directors. AIC promoted the dangerous Iran deal; now insists that the US must "fully implement" the Iran deal (while ignoring Iran's violations); opposes US sanctions for Iran's violations of UN Security Council Resolution 2331; and opposes designating as terrorist organizations the Iran Revolutionary Guard Corp and Muslim Brotherhood – despite the fact that both groups support terror throughout the world. "In Pickering's bombshell secret December 18, 2011 email to then-Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, Pickering recommended undermining Israel by secretly employing NGOs (including Peace Now) and Palestinian-Arab women to foment and carry out massive demonstrations "against all aspects of the occupation" (meaning against Israel) including against "roadblocks, land confiscations, new settlement activity, [and] around military government installations," in Jerusalem, Tel Aviv, Area C (the portion of Judea and Samaria administered by Israel) and Palestinian-Arab-controlled areas – to exert "continuing pressure" on Israel's leaders to give in to Palestinian-Arab demands. "Shockingly, Pickering also mentioned potential advantages of a Middle East war (apparently an Arab or Iranian war against Israel), but then opined that war was much too dangerous "with all that is happening there – despite the fact that it might be a game changer." (See Pickering's email; and "JPost – Obama's Disgraceful Covert War Against Israel," by Caroline Glick, Jan. 18, 2016; and "Ex-Ambassador Pitched Clinton Secret Plan to Spark Palestinian Protests," by Adam Kredo, Washington Free Beacon & Fox News, Jan. 11, 2016.) "The five signatories damaged US-Israel relations and exacerbated the situation in the Middle East. At least several of them have financial or other ties to hostile-to-Israel groups. "Pickering's April 8, 2014 op-ed in Politico, co-authored with the notoriously anti-Israel Zbigniew Brzezinski (entitled "Stand Firm, John Kerry"), also revealed Pickering's one-sided, left-wing anti-Israel views. Pickering justified violence against Jews by falsely calling Israel's presence in the lawfully designated Jewish homelands in Judea/Samaria "illegal land grabs . . . that will trigger renewed violence." "Pickering's op-ed also falsely claimed that Israel already possesses "78% of Palestine." (In fact, Israel has only 22% of the British "Mandate for Palestine" – despite the fact that all of the mandate was lawfully designated for the Jewish homeland.) Pickering also condemned Netanyahu's peace overtures as "morally unacceptable"; insisted that Israel should have no presence in the Jordan Valley (an area that is in fact vital for Israel's security); expressed support for the pre-1967 lines (which would be suicidal for Israel); falsely portrayed the Palestinian-Arabs as having made significant concessions; and urged the Obama administration to be tougher on Israel. "And in July 2009, Pickering secretly met with senior leaders of designated terrorist organization Hamas to discuss "easing the Israeli siege of Gaza" – a euphemism for ending Israel's lawful weapons blockade of Gaza to prevent Hamas from importing more missiles to fire at Israeli Jewish kindergartens. (There is no Israeli "siege.") Pickering engaged Hamas without permission from the US administration. ("Former US Officials Talk With Hamas," Politico, Apr. 2, 2010.) "Daniel Kurtzer (Ambassador 2001-2005) has a long record of hostility to Israel. His statements, policies and actions have provoked criticism from Israeli and American Jewish leaders, including the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations; Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu; former Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Shamir; the Labor Party's former Israeli negotiator and ambassador Itamar Rabinovitch; former AIPAC Executive Director Morris Amitay; and leading Israeli newspaper Yediot Ahronot. (See "ZOA: Sen. Obama Should Rescind Appointment of Daniel Kurtzer As Middle East Adviser," Apr. 16, 2008.) "Arutz Sheva explained: "Kurtzer's bias goes all the way back to his graduate school days. In his Ph.D. dissertation (Columbia University, 1976), Kurtzer said Israel's counter-terror actions were the "catalysts to interstate violence," and blamed Israel for "the radicalization of the Palestinians to violence" (p.253). "Throughout the dissertation, Kurtzer referred to Palestinian Arab terrorists as "guerrillas," not as terrorists–even though he was discussing the groups that carried out such horrific massacres as the Lod Airport massacre of Puerto Rican tourists and the slaughter of Israeli athletes (including an American) at the Munich Olympics." ("Should Daniel Kurtzer Be America´s Next Ambassador to Israel?, Arutz Sheva, July 24, 2001.) (The article concluded after reviewing Kurtzer's lifelong hostile-to-Israel activities: "Daniel Kurtzer represents the old, tired, and failed policy of fruitlessly trying to appease Yasir Arafat and his terrorist dictatorship.") "Former Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Shamir recalled that: "Kurtzer frequently pressured Israel to make one-sided concessions to the Arabs; he constantly blamed Israel for the absence of Mideast peace, and paid little or no attention to the fact that the Palestinians were carrying out terrorist attacks and openly calling for the destruction of Israel." (Id.) "Kurtzer hasn't changed, and apparently still believes that the US should force a deal that would endanger Israel's existence down Israel's throat. During an Al Jazeera special television program marking the 20th Anniversary of the failed Oslo Accords in 2013, after he was asked what could be done to place more "serious pressure" on Israel, Kurtzer responded: "I have made the argument publically that the United States should now lay out very strong parameters that define quite narrowly the issues still to be negotiated. . . And then expect the parties not taking no for an answer." ("Transcript: The Peace Process," Al Jazeera, Aug. 26, 2013.) "This past December (2016), after the Obama administration engineered and assured the passage of the extraordinarily anti-Israel UNSC Resolution 2334, instead of condemning the terrible UNSC Resolution, Kurtzer condemned Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu's reaction as "nasty," "unprecedented," and "not proper and unacceptable." (Netanyahu had merely disclosed that Israel had unequivocal proof that the Obama administration had orchestrated the anti-Israel resolution.) ("Former US ambassador to Israel Criticizes Netanyahu's 'Nasty' UN Reaction," AP, DW, Dec. 26, 2016.) "It is remarkably hypocritical that after Kurtzer accused Israel's Prime Minister of being "nasty," Kurtzner attacked Ambassador-nominee David Friedman as "not diplomatic." Kurtzer is obviously not a judge of what is or isn't diplomatic. "Moreover, Kurtzer has a habit of accusing those who disagree with his extreme anti-Israel views of being "not diplomatic." In mid-2015, Kurtzer leveled such charges against Israeli Ambassador to the US Ron Dermer and former Israeli Ambassador to the US Michael Oren. Kurtzer stated that Ambassador Oren, "appears to be following in the footsteps of his successor, Ron Dermer, who has prized Israeli politics above the diplomacy that he was appointed to practice." ("Ex-US Envoy Daniel Kurtzer Blasts Oren's 'Astounding' Obama Criticism," Haaretz, June 24, 2015.) "Kurtzer also blasted Israeli Ambassador to the US Ron Dermer earlier in 2015, in unpleasant graphic terms, after Congress invited Netanyahu to address Congress regarding Iran, saying: "He [Dermer]'s a political operative, he's not really an ambassador. . . What he did was totally unacceptable from a standpoint of diplomacy. . . He [Dermer] has soiled his pad; who's he going to work with?" ("Administration Official Criticizes Israeli Ambassador Over Netanyahu Visit," by Julie Hirschfeld Davis, NY Times, Jan. 28, 2015.) "And speaking of diplomacy, in 2014, Kurtzer wrote that it "would demean American diplomacy" to release Jonathan Pollard. Kurtzer did not care that Pollard was in extremely ill health after being incarcerated under brutal conditions in US prison for 29 years – decades longer than any similarly situated spy. Ironically, in the very same article, Kurtzer demanded that Israel must live up to commitments to release imprisoned Palestinian-Arab terrorists who had been convicted of murdering innocent Israeli civilians (a far worse crime than what Pollard had done). ("Releasing Pollard: Don't Do It, Mr. Secretary, by Daniel Kurtzer, The American Interest, Apr. 1, 2014.) "Sadly, Kurtzer's "diplomacy" has consisted of closing his eyes to or excusing Palestinian Arab terrorism, and pushing for dangerous Palestinian-Arab "rights." During Kurtzer's tenure at the State Department in 1988, a time when the PLO was engaged in constant terrorism against Israel, Kurtzer kept (falsely) insisting "that the PLO under Yasir Arafat was moving in a moderate direction." Kurtzer became "a key figure in the process of formulating" the US decision to recognize the PLO in December 1988. "Arutz Sheva noted that "Kurtzer's claim of PLO "moderation" proved to be completely mistaken, because the PLO continued its terrorism and in early 1990, the US broke off its dealings with Arafat." (See "Should Daniel Kurtzer Be America´s Next Ambassador to Israel?, Arutz Sheva, July 24, 2001, quoting "Washington Talk: State Department; Wordsmiths of the Mideast Move, by Robert Pear, NY Times, Jan. 13, 1989.) "Morris Amitay, former executive director of AIPAC, said: "Kurtzer has a track record of . . . pushing for Palestinian rights. . . . He will use his Jewishness as a protective cover for his anti-Israel views." ("Likely Nomination of Orthodox Jew As US Ambassador Splits US Jews," Jewish Telegraphic Agency, March 29, 2001.) "Kurtzer was also the principal author of one of the most significant anti-Israel statements of US policy in the Middle East, a speech by Secretary of State George Shultz to a conference at the Wye Plantation in Maryland in 1988, in which he said that "The legitimate rights of the Palestinian people, including political rights, must be recognized and addressed." "Kurtzer's book "Negotiating Arab-Israeli Peace: American Leadership in the Middle East" (co-authored with Scott Lasensky), praised former Secretary of State James Baker, who applied ruthless pressure on Israel and held Israel responsible for obstacles to peace. Kurtzer and Lasensky also claimed that America falsely labeled Arafat and the Palestinian-Arab leadership as responsible for the collapse of the Oslo process – a claim contradicted by virtually all American officials engaged in the 2000 Camp David and Taba negotiations, including President Clinton and Middle East envoy Dennis Ross. "In addition, in their book, Kurtzer and Lasensky condemned Bush 43 for being too "deferential" to Israel. Kurtzer and Lasensky stated that Presdient Bush: "proved overly deferential to the stated political problems of the Israeli government while tending to turn a blind eye towards domestic constraints on the Arab side. (page 34). (See "Obama's New Foreign Policy Advisor Daniel Kurtzer," by Ed Lasky, American Thinker, Apr. 10, 2008.) "In yet another display of Kurtzer's own lack of diplomacy, Kurtzer publicly interfered with, falsely insulted and criticized Israel's internal budgetary policy. Kurtzer stated, "Instead of taking care of the disabled and or economic development, Israel is investing in Jewish settlements, which should be dismantled." This led a member of Israel's Knesset (parliament), Zwi Hendel, to denounce Kurtzer on the Knesset floor. MK Hendel stated: "No Israeli diplomat would be allowed to act as he [Kurtzer] does. . . I have the right to criticize this little Jew who is interfering in our internal affairs." ("Embassy Row: Denouncing Kurtzer," Washington Times, January 9, 2002.) "Kurtzer also rebuked Israeli negotiators for being insufficiently concessionary: The Israeli Labor government's then-ambassador to the US, Itamar Rabinovitch, described a "stormy dispute" between Kurtzer and the head of Israel´s negotiating team, in which "Kurtzer thought that Israel was not going far enough with the Palestinians. There were sharp exchanges between them [and Kurtzer] rebuked" the Israeli negotiators. ("ZOA: Sen. Obama Should Rescind Appointment of Daniel Kurtzer As Middle East Adviser," Apr. 16, 2008, quoting Haaretz, April 6, 2001.) "Kurtzer also had a "vocal conflict" with an Israeli government official in Philadelphia in the summer of 1990, after Kurtzer "attacked the Israeli government for refusing to include the PLO in the peace process [and] said that this constituted the main obstacle to peace." (Id.) "Kurtzer also criticized Israeli strikes at Palestinian terrorists. In August 2001, Kurtzer publicly criticized Israel for striking at Abu Ali Mustafa, head of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP), which over the years has murdered at least 14 American citizens and numerous Israelis. "The Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations issued a statement on August 28, 2001 saying it was "surprised and dismayed" that Kurtzer "felt compelled to raise the issue with Prime Minister Sharon," yet "we did not hear of any similar actions when American citizens were the victims of terror attacks over the past few months." Indeed, just hours after Kurtzer's statement, an American Jew, Ben Dansker, was shot and wounded by Arafat´s terrorists near the town of Rogalit – yet Kurtzer made no statement about the attack. (Id.) "Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu "has said more than once that with Jews like Kurtzer, it is impossible to build a healthy relationship between Israel and the United States." (Id.) "Kurtzer's poor relations with Jerusalem's political bureaus reached a new climax" in 1990, when he authored a speech by James Baker strongly criticizing Israel, which was delivered at an AIPAC conference, "causing a commotion among the conference participants . . . A Jewish community leader told Kurtzer [shortly afterwards], 'Your children will bear the consequences of the Israeli policy you are encouraging.'" (Id.) "Israeli daily Yediot Ahronot editorialized on Kurtzer's malign influence: "Possibly more than any other US State Department official, Kurtzer has been instrumental in promoting the goals of the Palestinians and in raising their afflictions to the center of the US policymakers' agenda." ("ZOA: Sen. Obama Should Rescind Appointment of Daniel Kurtzer As Middle East Adviser," Apr. 16, 2008, quoting Yediot Ahronot, Aug. 9, 1991.) "Edward Walker, Jr. (Ambassador 1997 – Jan. 2000) won acclaim throughout the Arab world when he wrote an op-ed in the Washington Post during the Second Intifada, condemning Israel for its targeted assassinations of Hamas terrorists plotting attacks on Israeli civilians.(Palestinian-Arab terrorists murdered close to 2,000 innocent Israelis and injured 10,000 innocent Israelis during the Second Intifada.) "In Walker's view, providing "due process" to terrorists ensconced in the midst of hostile territory was more important than stopping attacks on innocent Israeli and other civilians. Walker's op-ed also made an immoral "moral equivalence" between Israel's defensive actions and murders carried out by hostile Arab regimes. ("No Exceptions for Israel," by Edward Walker, Jr., Washington Post, Aug. 21, 2001.) "Impressed with Walker's anti-Israel op-ed, Egyptian weekly Roz Al-Youssuf's editor-in-chief enthusiastically wrote: "together with us [Edward Walker] wages the cruel battle against the Israeli lobby and Israel's claims and deceits." (MEMRI Analysis, Nov. 22, 2001.) "Although Walker acknowledges that Hezbollah is a terrorist organization, Walker has also defended and justified Hezbollah attacks on non-civilian Israelis. Walker told Egyptian paper Al-Mussawar that one of Hezbollah's roles is as "a resistance movement legitimately fighting the Israeli occupation in southern Lebanon. All of Hezbollah's attacks against Israeli forces are legitimate acts of resistance, not terrorism." (Id.) "Walker reiterated this view in another interview, saying: "The Lebanese government claims that Hezbollah are not terrorists because they were engaged in legitimate resistance against Israel, which was in occupation of southern Lebanon. In that specific case, I happen to agree with them. What Hezbollah did in south Lebanon was not terrorism; it was resistance, because it was directed solely at military targets." Walker ignored the fact that Israel's presence in southern Lebanon at that time was necessary to stop deadly Hezbollah attacks on innocent Israeli civilians living in northern Israel which had made normal life in northern Israel impossible. (Middle East Quarterly Interview, Spring 2002.) "Walker also served as president of the pro-Arab, unfriendly-to-Israel Middle East Institute (MEI). MEI's website blog defended Hezbollah for its 2015 raid and murder of two Israeli soldiers and a UN peacekeeper; approvingly wrote about anti-Israel UNSC Resolution 2334 and former Secretary Kerry's speech condemning Israel; complained that during the 2014 Gaza war many Arab regimes were "silent" (instead of rushing to help Hamas), that the PA was not simultaneously rioting in the "West Bank" (to make life difficult for Israel on two fronts); and, MEI promotes J Street conferences. Walker also served in posts in Arab nations throughout the Middle East (Saudi Arabia, Syria, Lebanon, the UAE, Egypt and Tunisia). "As with the rest of this gang of five, Walker also promoted the horrible Iran deal. "James Cunningham (Ambassador from 2008-2011) also has a pro-Iran, pro-Palestinian-Arab, anti-Israel record. As noted above, Cunningham promoted the catastrophic Iran deal. "During his previous tenure as Deputy US Representative to the United Nations, Cunningham condemned a 2004 Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) operation to stop attacks emanating from Gaza. On behalf of the US, Cunningham abstained on UN Security Council Resolution 1544 (May 19, 2004), which viciously and unfairly condemned Israel's defensive actions. Cunningham's abstention was tantamount to a "yes" vote, and enabled this anti-Israel resolution's passage. "After the vote, Cunningham criticized Israel, saying that the IDF operation "worsened the humanitarian situation and resulted in confrontation between Israeli forces and Palestinians." Cunningham also pushed for Israel to withdraw from Gaza, stating that these events were a "reminder of the wisdom of Israel disengaging from Gaza and having its security presence replaced by reformed Palestinian security forces." ("U.N. Security Council Critical of Israeli Operations in Gaza," by Judy Aita, Washington File United Nations Correspondent, Washington File, May 20, 2004.) Israel did withdraw from Gaza the following year (2005) – which resulted in Hamas lobbing 19,000 rockets at innocent Israelis over the next decade. So much for Cunningham's "wisdom." "Interestingly, Cunningham's lack of expertise was noted when Cunningham became the US Ambassador to Israel. (See "New US Envoy To Israel Announced," by Herb Keinon, Jerusalem Post, July 2, 2008: "One official noted that Cunningham, although he did deal with Middle East issues at the UN, is not considered a Middle East expert.") "William Harrop (Ambassador 1992 – May 1993) revealed his anti-Israel and left-wing prejudices during a recent interview, in which Harrop proclaimed that Israeli "occupation" is the "principal problem." Harrop ignored that the real problem is Palestinian-Arabs' unrelenting goal of destroying Israel. ("An Interview With William C. Harrop," by Maria Livingston, Foreign Service Journal, Sept. 2015.) "Interestingly, during the same interview, Harrop admitted that he had no experience in the Middle East prior to what he called his "surprising appointment" as US Ambassador to Israel. Harrop further admitted: "I'm not sure I did all that well there, to be honest." After admitting to his own lack of qualifications and the poor job he did as US Ambassador to Israel, it is the height of audacity for Harrop to now try to pass judgment on an Ambassador-nominee with far more knowledge of Middle East issues than Harrop had. "Harrop also noted during his Foreign Service Journal interview that the US Ambassador post to Israel is perhaps less important than ambassadorships to other countries, because "much of the work is done in personal telephone calls between the US president or the Secretary of State and the prime minister, so you're often paddling about trying to catch up on what's happening instead of being the one who makes things happen." "In another interview on August 24, 1993, for The Association for Diplomatic Studies and Training Foreign Affairs Oral History Project, Harrop repeatedly referred to Likud as "hard right"; complained that former Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon tried to "justify his 'settlement policy'"; further condemned Likud as "disingenuous about the peace process" and "not serious about negotiations . . . which I think in retrospect was reprehensible"; and criticized the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations" as an entity that was set up to "rationalize" the "world" of Jewish groups in the US. "During the same interview, Harrop also excused former Secretary of State James Baker's "F–k the Jews" remark as merely "the kind of thing that politicians say privately." And yet now, Harrop hypocritically condemns Ambassador-nominee David Friedman for far less egregious remarks said as a private citizen. "And as mentioned above, Harrop joined in promoting the dangerous Iran deal in 2015. "Accordingly, the letter criticizing Ambassador-nominee Friedman, signed by these five biased former ambassadors, deserves no credence. In fact, the letter deserves our repudiation and disgust."

Full story can be found here:  http://zoa.org/?p=353566

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