Annapolis and the Fall of America: Part III
Wednesday, November 28, 2007

Israpundit reports:

Prime Minister Ehud Olmert Monday categorically rejected assertions by American Jewish leaders that Jerusalem is not an Israeli issue but "a Jewish one."

Speaking at a news briefing Monday, Olmert said that the Jerusalem issue had "been determined long ago" and that "the government of Israel has a sovereign right to negotiate anything on behalf of Israel."

He said that at this stage, the matter was a theoretical rather than practical one, as the subject of Jerusalem was not yet on the negotiating table.

This morning, I got to sip my coffee while listening to Olmert declare, "I have no doubt that the reality created in our region in 1967 will change significantly." Somehow, I don't think he was talking about corn fields in downtown Bethlehem.

For a brilliant news wrapup with commentary, check out Carl in Jerusalem's post on the announcement of the division of Jerusalem on Israel Matzav. Most interestingly, note the Palestinian "demand" to separate the concepts of "Jewish" and "nation of Israel."

Of course, should anyone be in doubt as to the Jewishness of Jerusalem or Israel, check out the JPost's Aaron Rubinstein's edifying op/ed.

The most phenomenally interesting thing to come out of this entire escapade so far stems not from the American Naval academy, but from a group of Jerusalem-friendly Jewish Israelis calling themselves The New Jewish Congress. Excerpts from their press release published on Israpundit read:

Rabbi Dov Stein, a central rabbinical activist in an attempt, spearheaded by talmudic scholar Rabbi Adin Steinzaltz, to revive the Sanhedrin, described the civil service and warned of the dangers of nepotism in the ranks of the civil servants of the Jewish state. Blanat favoritism toward relatives and friends is not conducive to the Jewish sovereignty that is to be striven for, Stein said.

Dr. Amnon Hever spoke of social justice in the spirit of Israel’s prophets, such as Isaiah, Amos and others, and emphasized that this was a prerequisite for rebuilding of the Temple according to various Jewish sources. Hever regretted that Israel’s early pioneers, who were committed to social justice, attempted to implement it relying on the principles of communism and socialism as opposed to sterling Jewish principles.

...Former Knesset member Elyakim Haetzni lashed out at the Annapolis Conference, which he said was intended to create two Quartet protectorates which are to entirely replace and eradicate the independent Jewish state of Israel. These protectorates, Palestine and, in name only, Israel, would be “defended” by NATO. Neither would enjoy sovereignty; the Palestinian entity so as not to endanger world peace and the Jewish entity because its people and supporters worldwide would, perhaps, not speak out sufficiently for Israel to retain the Jewish sovereignty it currently enjoyed. Haetzni repeated his known position regarding the advisability of civil disobedience.

And if you think the Arabs really plan on letting any Jews OR Israelis survive, Carl in Jerusalem reminds you to think again.

Of course, the real downer for American Jews in this is the disappointment many of our Israeli brothers and sisters have in President Bush who, ironically, was the first Republican President to garner 25-30% of the Jewish American vote in the 2004 election. Many, of course, attribute this to his strong pro-Israel platform, a platform that was quickly forgotten around January 21, 2005.

For some historical perspective, check out Caroline Glick's comparison of Annapolis with U.N. Resolution 181, aka the "partition resolution" passed in 1947, along with Frank Gaffney's analysis from the Washington Times, comparing Annapolis to the infamous "peace in our time" meeting in Munich in 1938, where Chamberlin and the French decided to allow Hitler to have his way with the Czechs.

...I'm still letting all of this sink in before I make any commentary of my own. Not that I don't already know what I think of it all-- but I'd rather make an attempt to forge some new insight, rather than simply mimic the already brilliant thoughts of others.

Stay tuned...

posted by Shoshana @ 8:00 PM