For Israel's future, Obama should put support on paper
Barry Cohen | January 26, 2009Article from:http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,25197,24961775-7583,00.html
I'VE not had the pleasure of meeting Israel's foreign affairs spokesman Yigal Palmor but he became my favourite diplomat after describing recent criticism of Israel as "unqualified bullshit". I wonder what he really thinks?
Since Israel decided that 60 rockets a day was more than any country should have to tolerate, the global media has accused Israel of every evil imaginable. They have been aided and abetted by, supposedly, non-political UN Relief and Works Agency officials who are more extreme in their anti-Israeli venom than Hamas terrorists.
The "bullshit" is exemplified by a Sydney Morning Herald headline from last week: "Israel kept UN aid out of Gaza." Israel has been accused of crimes against humanity for refusing to permit the passage of food, medical supplies, oil, electricity (used to make rockets) and other essentials required to destroy Israel.
The precedence, undoubtedly, was that set by Britain and the US during World War II. We all know how accommodating they were in ensuring Germany and Japan were well supplied with food and fuel.
There are times when one fears for one's sanity when listening to such rubbish. How many thousands more rockets must Israelis endure before they are permitted to defend themselves? What happens as the rockets become bigger and more accurate?
The few who concede Israel has the right to defend itself then argue that the rockets aren't very accurate. Some consolation if you have to run for air-raid shelters 60 times a day. Unlike Hamas, Israel protects its citizens by building air-raid shelters.
Imagine for a moment the reactions of the good burghers of Canberra, Melbourne and Sydney if rockets were fired into their neighbourhood. Contemplate what they would say to Kevin Rudd. "Wipe the bastards out" for openers. That has not been Israel's response. After 10,000 rockets over eight years, it has been remarkably restrained. However, when Hamas resumed attacks Israel decided enough was enough.
When three years ago Israel unilaterally handed Gaza over to the Palestinian Authority, Hamas and Fatah had the opportunity, once again, to negotiate a permanent peace with Israel and the creation of a Palestinian state. Hamas preferred war, bloodshed and martyrdom. Having been democratically elected Hamas claimed a mandate. Israel, it appears, was expected to endorse the mandate that called for its own destruction.
To understand the minds of those Israel is dealing with, consider the statement of Hamas supremo, Khaled Meshaal. From the safety of Damascus, he described the recent war in which 1300 Palestinians and 13 Israelis died, as an "unequivocal victory". And a defeat?
The word in vogue to describe Israel's destruction of rocket sites, weapons stores and Hamas terrorists has been "disproportionate": a word not much used during the London Blitz, which resulted in the deaths of 67,000 British civilians. Arthur Harris, commander-in-chief of bomber command, decided to "proportionally" flatten German cities: 600,000 German civilians died.
In the Pacific the US lost 1700 civilians, mostly at Pearl Harbor, while Australia lost 700, primarily in Darwin. The US response was to "proportionately" bomb Japanese cities killing 580,000 civilians. Tokyo, Hiroshima and Nagasaki remember it well.
Had Hamas decided not to deliberately place their civilian population, arms and combatants inside schools, hospitals and mosques, far fewer innocents would have been killed and injured.
What happens now? Hamas claims it will continue to bombard Israel while one Israeli soldier remains in Gaza, ignoring the fact that three years ago Israel unilaterally withdrew from Gaza. The rocket attacks increased.
So where to now? The most oft repeated cliche regarding the Israel-Palestine dispute is that it's a very complex matter. I beg to differ. The Islamic world and the Palestinians in particular must accept that Israel will always exist. Not through the next truce or ceasefire but forever.
Israel's critics demand that it negotiate with Hamas, Hezbollah and Fatah, to create a Palestinian state, conveniently forgetting that Israelis have tried repeatedly to do so without success. How do you negotiate with those who, at the end of the negotiations, say:"No matter what we agree to we will destroy you"?
It's a cliche to say that the Arabs can lose a hundred wars and survive while Israel cannot lose one. If the Palestinians are encouraged to believe that eventually they will triumph no one should be surprised that after each defeat they regroup, rearm and plan the next onslaught.
Yasser Arafat taught the Palestinians to believe that even if they lost a battle they would win the propaganda war. With their friends in the left-liberal media how could it have been otherwise? They must be convinced they can never destroy Israel.
Since its founding in 1948 Israel's proud boast has been that it has never asked any other country to fight its battles. It has had considerable support from the US but that support has not been one way. Israeli intelligence, military technology and scientific know-how has been Israel's payback. Israel is also the US's only reliable ally in the Middle East. It is almost certain that if Israel were under savage attack and in danger of going under, the US would come to its aid. There is, however, no formal agreement, pact or treaty to support that unstated undertaking. Which suggests the question, "Why not?"
The only way, to deter Israel's enemies is for the US to say unequivocally that it would never allow Israel to be destroyed. Most Westerners find it impossible to comprehend the mind of those Islamic fundamentalists who welcome death and martyrdom, particularly if it is achieved in an attempt to destroy Israel. On the assumption that not all Palestinians want to go to Paradise before the last possible moment, a declaration by the US and a formal agreement that it would intervene if Israel was under serious threat would have sane Palestinians looking for a peaceful solution. It's an idea the 44th President of the US might consider.
马华公会总会长翁诗杰立即宣称，国阵的华人票不减反增。如果这是事实，那就是行动党1995年的噩梦复发。当年，尽管国阵颇得民心，“丹绒第三役”在槟城还是气势如虹，林吉祥、卡巴星所到之处，人山人海。结果。票箱开出来时，行动党在槟城的14州议席蒸发了13个。
一 位年轻的旅店少东对回教党1999年到2004年的政绩没有好感。他虽然没有提起回教刑事法，却强调过去回教党的男女分开措施，让瓜登感觉像落后地区，让 他在面对外人时脸上无光。更关键的是，这些措施影响了旅游业，打击了生计。有趣的是，他却对吉兰丹回教党政府与州务大臣聂阿兹刮目相看。
今 天巫统的检讨声音，针对贪污者有之，针对候选人素质与态度者有之，请问有谁检讨纳吉在最后今天展开的“回教党反复无常”（PAS parti kluk klek）的攻势？这个攻势的重点是反对回教党在推动回教刑事法上尊重盟党意见，是反对回教党发放新村永久地契，是反对华裔行政议员掌管土地事务！说到 底，如果回教党作为一个Parti Kluk Klek的罪名成立，那么反对回教党这些措施的巫统岂不是Parti Klu Klux Klan （3K党）？ 
马大新青年协会就马来亚大学华人档口被关闭事件在校园召开记者会，惟引起亲校方代表不满前来呛声对峙，展开来回舌战；此外，加上校方较早的干预，以及最后华裔宿舍学生组织也轧上一脚，让场面一度陷入混乱。
新青年协会代表廖秋怡（右图）解释，他们本周一曾致电马大招标单位询问（UM ePerolehan）有关“Kod Bidang 080501”的详情。相关官员当时提出了上述的说法。不过，今天当他们再致电询问时，对方却不愿再说，只表示那是去年的招标条例，没有义务要向他们说明。
较早前，就在记者会要开始时，马大保安主任依斯迈哈欣（Ismail Mohd Hashim，左图右）上前质问新青年协会代表廖秋怡，为何没有申请活动准证。他也同时，质问媒体为何没有向校方取得采访批准。
亲校方的马大学生会第二副主席沈启业（右图）在新青年协会记者会前后，两度高声向媒体喊话，批评新青年协会没有真正做事，只会空口说白话，也没有任何证据，信口开河。他更坚持自己才是马大学生的真正代表。
原本宣称联同出席记者会的华人档口业主林光耀，今天并没有现身，只委派一名友人郑文超（左图）代表出席。
他控诉，真正的原因在于不合理的“Kod Bidang 080501”，“校方一早就认定如果我是华人，我一定不会煮Halal的食物，这样的指责是很过分的”。
现场几名马大生向《当今大马》遗憾地表示，现在的华人熟食档已转由马来业者经营，所提供的食物不尽理想，不像华人烹调方式，“更像是不辣的马来菜肴”。
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