Signs Of The Times
Why do a lot of us armchair eschatologists believe we're in "the end times" just prior to the return of Jesus Christ to this planet? Actually, there are a number of compelling reasons, but in the current context it is because a lot of us never thought we'd see the day when Israel would flinch from fighting a war of national survival. And the ignominious aftermath of their flight from Lebanon continues to depressingly ensue.
How bad is it? Now Kofi Annan has a free hand to "negotiate" on their behalf - and the regime of Ehud Olmert didn't even know it:
Why do I think that? Look what he's doing to get returned Gilad Shalit - Hamas' IDF captive in Gaza whose capture started the latest "cycle of violence":
Do you also realize that Olmert could have emptied Israeli jails to begin with, and probably wanted to, but believes that only now does he have the political cover (from the UN) to do so? How is this pussy remaining in their premiership? Where's Bebe Netanyahu when you most need him?
No, I'm not exaggerating; look what Olmert's about to give away next:
Four years ago Israel rejected this so-called plan because it would have meant their national suicide. "Right of return" would mean an influx stampede of Pals who would quickly outnumber and overwhelm the Jewish population, and do it legally to boot. Withdrawal to the undefendable pre-1967 frontiers - in effect, conceding all the high ground in the Holy Land, with Israeli territory reduced, at one point, to a coastal strip no more than nine miles wide - would also be insane.
But that was four years ago, when the Jewish state was led by a still-lucid Ariel Sharon. Today it is led by the cowardly, feckless Ehud Olmert, for whom, it mordantly appears, no "deal" is beyond the pale. This Saudi one could, in his mind, provide the cover for the West Bank withdrawal he was forced to abandon a few weeks back.
Olmert isn't the False Prophet, but he's digging his people a hole so deep that only such a one will be able to sell them on the truly and desperately dangerous gambit yet to come.
UPDATE: Olmert is bailing on the Israeli bockade of Lebanon's seat and air ports, effective Thursday evening, local time. With the "international force" providing security for Iranian arms shipments, Hezbollah will be restocked and replenished in no time at all. Maybe this is what Kofi Annan was implicitly referring to when he said, "There has to be a national consensus among the Lebanese to disarm."
How bad is it? Now Kofi Annan has a free hand to "negotiate" on their behalf - and the regime of Ehud Olmert didn't even know it:
"We did not agree that Kofi Annan and the UN would be the mediators," so reported the Jerusalem Post on Monday evening.
The Post was quoting sources in Prime Minister Ehed Olmert's office, which claimed that despite comments made by Annan spokesman, Ahmed Fawzi, Israel had not given the secretary-general any authorization to negotiate the release of two Israeli soldiers captured by Hezbollah.
That would be Eldad Regev and Ehud Goldwasser, the two IDF soldiers for whose release Olmert felt reluctantly compelled to go to war against Hezbollah, the UN- (which is to say, US-) the terms of the imposed ceasefire to which did not include said release. Little wonder than that....
With more than three weeks since the cease-fire and no movement on the releaseUh-huh. Naw, ya think? And into THAT atmosphere comes this:
of the soldiers, the pressure has been building on the Olmert government.
Then, on Monday, Annan released a surprise statement that he had been authorized by Israel to appoint a "secret" negotiator to free the two soldiers.I'll bet you your yamulke it IS true, and now it's been leaked, and the hapless Olmert is in full and frantic damage-control mode.
While the Israeli foreign ministry had no comment, the prime minister's office claimed it was not true.
Why do I think that? Look what he's doing to get returned Gilad Shalit - Hamas' IDF captive in Gaza whose capture started the latest "cycle of violence":
The Jerusalem Post reports that Cpl. Gilad Shalit, the IDF soldier who was kidnapped in Gaza some weeks ago and has been held prisoner by the terrorists ever since, will be exchanged for eight hundred Palestinians now being held by Israel. Shalit may already be in Egypt, which apparently brokered the deal. [emphasis added]Eight frakking hundred terrorists for a single IDF soldier. My God. Do you realize if the terrorists could kidnap the entire IDF they could force Olmert to agree to the Palestinian "right of return"? And Olmert would do it, too, all the while assuring the Israeli populace that only those Pals "without blood on their hands" would be overrunning them.
Do you also realize that Olmert could have emptied Israeli jails to begin with, and probably wanted to, but believes that only now does he have the political cover (from the UN) to do so? How is this pussy remaining in their premiership? Where's Bebe Netanyahu when you most need him?
No, I'm not exaggerating; look what Olmert's about to give away next:
Israel will be watching a meeting of the foreign ministers of Egypt, the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia scheduled for Tuesday in Cairo with "interest, but little expectation," senior diplomatic officials said Monday.
The meeting, which is also likely to include the PLO's foreign minister Farouk Kaddoumi, is expected to discuss an Arab League peace initiative that will likely be presented at the UN later this month.
UN Secretary of State Kofi Annan said in Damascus Friday that the Arab League has called on the UN Security Council to formally recognize "the need to reactivate the Middle Eastern peace process and establish a mechanism for us to proceed on all tracks." The details of the plan are sketchy, but it is believed that it will be based on the Saudi initiative from 2002, involve the UN Security Council, and call for an end to the Arab-Israeli conflict based on the principle of land for peace.
The Saudi initiative, adopted at the Arab Summit in Beirut in March 2002, calls on Arab states to "normalize relations" with Israel in return for the establishment of a Palestinian state following an Israeli withdrawal to the Green Line, and a solution to the issue of Palestinian refugees in accordance with UN Resolution 194. This resolution called on Israel to allow the return of Palestinian refugees and compensate those who don't want to do so.
Four years ago Israel rejected this so-called plan because it would have meant their national suicide. "Right of return" would mean an influx stampede of Pals who would quickly outnumber and overwhelm the Jewish population, and do it legally to boot. Withdrawal to the undefendable pre-1967 frontiers - in effect, conceding all the high ground in the Holy Land, with Israeli territory reduced, at one point, to a coastal strip no more than nine miles wide - would also be insane.
But that was four years ago, when the Jewish state was led by a still-lucid Ariel Sharon. Today it is led by the cowardly, feckless Ehud Olmert, for whom, it mordantly appears, no "deal" is beyond the pale. This Saudi one could, in his mind, provide the cover for the West Bank withdrawal he was forced to abandon a few weeks back.
Olmert isn't the False Prophet, but he's digging his people a hole so deep that only such a one will be able to sell them on the truly and desperately dangerous gambit yet to come.
UPDATE: Olmert is bailing on the Israeli bockade of Lebanon's seat and air ports, effective Thursday evening, local time. With the "international force" providing security for Iranian arms shipments, Hezbollah will be restocked and replenished in no time at all. Maybe this is what Kofi Annan was implicitly referring to when he said, "There has to be a national consensus among the Lebanese to disarm."
posted by JASmius at 5:00 PM
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