The Jerusalem Connection - US/ Israeli News

Israel concedes Jerusalem before negotiations even begin
by Aaron Klein, World Net Daily

Ahead of the start of today's Mideast summit in Washington, the Israeli government publicly conceded sections of Jerusalem will become part of a Palestinian state while holy sites would be governed by a "special regime." Speaking in an interview with Israel's Haaretz newspaper, Defense Minister Ehud Barak outlined a deal with the Palestinians: "West Jerusalem and 12 Jewish neighborhoods that are home to 200,000 residents will be ours. The Arab neighborhoods in which close to a quarter million Palestinians live will be theirs." Speaking in an interview with Israel's Haaretz newspaper, Defense Minister Ehud Barak outlined a deal with the Palestinians: "West Jerusalem and 12 Jewish neighborhoods that are home to 200,000 residents will be ours. The Arab neighborhoods in which close to a quarter million Palestinians live will be theirs." Read on...

Iran is the elephant in the Israel-Palestinian "peace" talks
by JINSA Report #: 1,018

President Obama's speech on the end of combat operations in Iraq was a strange muddle of domestic policy, blaming our recession on borrowing for the war (although according to the Congressional Budget Office, seven years of the Iraq war cost less than one year of the Obama Administration's stimulus package) and equating the end of combat operations with providing the resources to turn our attention to economic recovery (as if we couldn't attend to the economy until we "finished" the war, which isn't finished in any event). Read on ...

Rev up the bulldozers
by Michael Freund

For the first time in nearly two years, Israel and the Palestinian Authority will be resuming direct negotiations in Washington this week, amid a great deal of fanfare.

In a clear sign of the occasion’s significance, President Barack Obama personally set aside several hours between his frequent vacations to host the restart of the talks, while former British prime minister Tony Blair abandoned the lucrative lecture circuit for a few days to attend the ceremony.

Can this possibly just be business as usual? With all the clinking of champagne glasses at the festive diplomatic dinner, and the inevitable poses for the political paparazzi, some might be tempted to get swept away by all the hope and change that seems to be in the air. Read on...

Hamas' new methods
by Debkafile

Another drive-by shooting claimed by Hamas injured Moshe and Shira Morani from Maaleh Efraim at the Rimonim junction near Ramallah Wednesday night, Sept. 1. It was exactly the same as the attack which left four Israelis dead near Hebron Tuesday night – except that the couple saved their lives by fleeing their vehicle to a nearby wadi to escape a second round of point blank fire.When finally rescued, Moshe was in serious condition.

debkafile’s counter-terror sources report that although the method of attack did not vary the two incidents were the work of different Hamas cells. Several of these cells are believed to be loose on the West Bank with instructions to accompany to keep up their terrorist attacks for as long as the Washington talks between Israeli and the Palestinians continue. Some of these death squads are expected to try and cross the Green Line from the West Bank and reach targets inside Israel. Read on...

Netanyahu's tightrope in Washington
by David Essing, Isracast

With U.S. President Barack Obama presiding, Israel’s Prime Minister Netanyahu and Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas are set to launch New peace talks in Washington on Sept.2nd. However, a major clash is threatening to torpedo this latest peace effort. Netanyahu has said he is committed to start rebuilding in Israeli settlements in Judea & Samaria (West Bank) after Israel’s unilateral building suspension expires on Sept 26th. – Abbas warns that he’ll walk out of the talks if Israel builds anew. IsraCast analyst David Essing assesses Israel’s approach to the new peace talks. Read on...

Pure, unadulterated barbarity"
by David Wilder

It’s been a while since I photographed dead bodies. The last time I remember clearly was the murder of Yossi Shok from Beit Haggai who was shot and killed similarly on a Friday afternoon a few years ago. That attack entailed a few miracles. I recall that there were others in the car, teenage girls, who miraculously weren’t hurt. But tonight, no miracles.

This morning, speaking with a friend, talking about the renewed ‘piece talks’, I told him that more than likely today or tomorrow terrorists would strike. It was just a question of where – around here, the Shomron, or Jerusalem or Tel Aviv. Tonight we received our answer. Read on...

So you think you can draw?
ALL NEW!

If you love to draw, we have a contest just for you! For the first time ever Jerusalem Connection is hosting a special kids drawing contest as part of our all new Sukkot for Kids section.

We want kids of all ages to draw anything that relates to the Sukkot holiday: 40 years wandering in the desert, a Sukkah, Aaron, Moses, the Tabernacle, or whatever you think of when you think of Sukkot.

Enter the contest by scanning your drawing and submit it by email to: SRN@TJCI.org

Entries must be submitted by September 21st. We will post the winners’ drawings on our website.

I wish I'd said that; “Arab sovereignty in Jerusalem just cannot be. This city will not be divided-not half and half, not 60-40, not 75-25, nothing.” Golda Meir

Forced to concede a homeland
by Victor Sharpe

I remember once seeing a cartoon of a Native American chief looking wistfully towards the distant horizon where once his ancestral homeland lay. He was speaking to a stranger about the peace treaties he made that were all dishonored by many Americans.The caption read: “Let me tell you about land for peace.”

With this in mind, and with the painful knowledge of Israel’s past “land for peace” fiascos, I penned an article last year published in American Thinker, called “First Two-State Solution is 87 Years Old”.

I felt it necessary to remind the world how, in 1922, the British Colonial Office, headed by Winston Churchill, had arbitrarily abrogated the promises made by Britain under the Balfour Declaration - of assisting the creation in Mandatory Palestine of a Jewish National Home. Read on...

Obama's peace plan
by Jim Hutchens

After surveying the threats Israel faces, internally and externally, Aaron Klein concludes in his best selling book, The Late Great State of Israel, “I trust and believe that Israel will ultimately survive against all odds and in spite of the threats from within and without only by the grace of God. But for now, things don’t look good.”

Indeed they don’t. And the primary reason things don’t look good is because of President Obama’s peace plan that he intends to impose on Israel. Never mind the fact that he has toured the Muslim world assuring them that American values will not be imposed on the Muslims. But the hypocrisy of double-standards is readily apparent when the President is quick to impose on Israel his own values that require a two-state solution with a divided Jerusalem. Caroline Glick, writing in the Jerusalem Post, is spot on when she concludes, “America’s betrayal of Israel by the present [Obama] government is a reality.” Read on...

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