On Wednesday Israel's Knesset passed the first reading of a new bill that would prevent the transfer of funds to the Palestinian Authority (PA/PLO) if the latter maintains its current boycott of Jewish-made goods and services [For background information, see ENS, W/E: May 8, 2010, Item #3; W/E: May 15, 2010, Item# 5; and W/E: May 22, 2010, Item# 6.—ed]. The Arab boycott, which, among other things, has made it illegal for Arab citizens to shop at Israeli grocery stores in Judea and Samaria, has already caused an increase in economic hardship for the Arabs. [The PA/PLO has also forbidden Arabs to work on construction projects in Judea and Samaria, which is where many Arabs a employed.—ed] But Israeli lawmakers said it is hurting Jewish businesses in those areas, too. In order to convince the PA/PLO to reverse its policy, the Knesset agreed that Israel should stop transferring tax revenues and other funds to the Arab government. The transfer of such funds is part of Israel's commitment under its signed peace agreements with the Arabs. But so are regular undisturbed economic relations between Israel and the Arabs. The Israelis argue that they are under no obligation to honor their commitments if the Arab first violate theirs, of which they have fail to keep any of them.. The new bill would also provide compensation to businesses hurt by the Arab boycott or other boycotts regularly imposed on Israel by foreign elements.

Meanwhile, Jewish Voice for Peace (JVP), a Jewish grass-roots organization, has organized a campaign asking TIAA-CREF, one of the world's largest providers of financial services for individuals in the academic, medical, cultural and research fields, to stop investing in companies it says "profit from the Israeli 'occupation' of the Gaza Strip and Judea and Samaria, including East Jerusalem." Among the companies listed are Caterpillar, Motorola, Northrop Grumman, Veolia and Elbit. The organization hopes to have 15,000 signatures on a divestment petition in time for TIAA-CREF's annual meeting last Tuesday. As of Monday there were 12,000 signers (yet, as of the date of publication of this document, there are only 2,210 names showing online). JVP claims that Caterpillar benefits from the demolition of Arabs homes and that Veolia profits from a landfill it operates in Judea and Samaria, while Motorola, Northrop Grumman and Elbit all profit from security systems and military services they provide to Israel. JVP successfully petitioned TIAA-CREF to stop investing in companies linked to Sudan last year. But on June 24, when the group's Israel divestment petition had 300 signatures, TIAA-CREF issued a response. "While TIAA-CREF acknowledges participants' varying views on Israeli and Palestinian [sic] policies and the Gaza Strip and West Bank [sic], we are unable to alter our investment policy in accordance with those views," the response stated. "Our responsibility to earn a competitive financial return on the retirement savings entrusted to us by 3.7 million participants obliges us to invest in a diverse line-up of companies across all sectors of the global economy."

And now it seems that the Church of England is reviewing its investment in a company building Jerusalem's light railway amid concern that the tramline "will help to cement Israel's hold on 'occupied' east Jerusalem". The Church, however, has stopped short of endorsing a campaign urged by Arab churches to boycott "everything produced" by Jews in Judea and Samaria, preferring instead to provide support for an unholy document known as "Kairos Palestine", issued by Arab Christians last December. It denounces "Israeli 'occupation' of Palestinian land [sic]" as "a sin against God and humanity". Last week, the Methodist Church voted to circulate the document among its members, taking up the call for boycotting settlement goods. But the Church of England's missionary and public affairs committee, in a recently published response to "Kairos Palestine", said that the Church's criteria for backing a divestment campaign had not been met. However, the committee revealed that the Church of England's ethical investments advisory group (EIAG) was investigating the Jerusalem Light Rail project. The missionary and public affairs committee reported "concern in some quarters that once built, the rail system will help to cement Israel's hold on 'occupied' east Jerusalem and tie the settlements even more firmly into the State of Israel". It said the EIAG wanted to know "the tram operator will ensure access to the tram that does not discriminate between Palestinians and Israelis, and abide by any ruling on the legality of the project in an international law". The committee also described the Kairos document as "an important and fresh theological resource", which should be studied by Church groups with "care and prayerful attention". [The Kairos document calls terror a form of legal resistance, it endorses boycotts and divestment against Israel, and it denies any connection between biblical covenants and the Jewish people, making it nothing more than an unholy work in that it goes against the very God these Christians "claim" to serve, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob — the God of Israel. How can Jews being in the land that God gave to them for eternity possibly be "a sin against God"? Can Yahweh sin against Himself? How can this document possibly deny any connection between biblical covenants and the Jewish people? How does one serve Yahweh and yet reject the very people in whose midst He said he would dwell forever? This, of course, is the question many people have asked over the centuries as the mainstream Church pursued its persecution of the Jews.—ed]

If you really want to get a handle on what it means to boycott Israel, then be sure to view this video. As this video shows, if these people are really serious about boycotting Israel, they will have to learn to do without things such as laptop computers, cell phones, instant messengers, and even Google. There are also many other items; so much, in fact, that, as the video shows, it's almost virtually impossible to completely boycott Israeli/Jewish products. [Israel Today, JTA, The Jewish Chronicle]
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Tens of thousands of Jews gathered at the Western Wall in Jerusalem's Old City on Tuesday to mark Tisha B'Av and publicly mourn the loss of the first and second Temples and the removal of the presence of Yahweh. But Rabbi Chaim Richman, director of the Temple Institute of Jerusalem, insists the time has come to stop mourning and to turn Tisha B'Av into a day of yearning and anticipatory prayer, especially in light of the rebirth of the State of Israel. Richman noted that while at least half of all Israelis want to rebuild the Temple, "we hear many excuses, such as 'who are we to rebuild the Temple? We are not ready. The time has not yet come. The Temple is a thing of the past.'" But, the rabbi explained, this is not different than the attitude of the people of Israel during the time of the prophet Haggai, who urged the rebuilding of the Temple following the end of the Babylonian exile: "Thus said the Lord of Hosts: This nation has said, 'the time has not yet come.' But I say, it is time for the Temple of God to be rebuilt!" (Haggai 1). The Temple Mount and Land of Israel Faithful Movement has been encouraging the Jewish people to do this ever since Moshe Dayan gave control of the Temple Mount to the Arab Waqf in 1967. As Gershon Salomon, leader of the Temple Mount Faithful, pointed out in a recent article, Israel can build the Temple now; there is no need to wait for the Messiah.

In fact, a recent poll commissioned by the Knesset Television Channel and carried out by the Panels Institute shows that 49% of the Israeli public said they want the Holy Temple rebuilt, while 23% said they do not and the remainder said they were unsure. [While polls can many times be skewed to fit the findings one way or another, which is why ENS does not rely on them in general, this one seems like it may be accurate, given that there have not been any reports to the contrary on such a sensitive topic.—ed] However, 48% said they don't think the State of Israel should take active steps to reclaim control of the Temple Mount and build the Third Temple there. Israelis across the board fear the hostile and violent international and Muslim reaction that such a move would certainly evoke. The Muslim authorities that today control the Temple Mount play off those fears, and Jews are rarely allowed to visit the site. Jews and Christians alike are forbidden to utter prayers or carry Bibles atop the Temple Mount. The complete results of the poll were broadcast on Channel 99, the Knesset channel on Monday night, after the traditional evening prayers and mournful recitation of the Book of Lamentations in synagogues throughout the country. [Israel Today]
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In addition to rejecting a request made by the US to begin direct peace talks with Israel, PA/PLO President Mahmoud Abbas has introduced a new precondition that is almost sure to make it impossible to resume direct negotiations. The demand was seconded by the Fatah Central Committee of the PA/PLO. The new precondition is in addition to an absolute freeze on all building in Jewish communities located in Judea and Samaria, including the eastern half of Jerusalem. What is the new precondition? Israel must agree to the stationing of a foreign military force in Judea and Samaria. Abbas insists that former Prime Minister Ehud Olmert had verbally agreed to such a condition, and that Netanyahu must honor that commitment. Even if he did agree to a foreign peacekeeping force, Olmert's decision was never ratified by the government. Other Israeli leaders, including some in the current government, have expressed a willingness to try foreign peacekeepers in Judea and Samaria, but have pointed out that past and current peacekeeping forces have failed to do their job. For instance, the 13,000 man UN peacekeeping force in southern Lebanon is known to have utterly failed to prevent Hizb'Allah from rearming and threatening the Jewish state with tens of thousands of missiles. Similarly, the European peacekeeping force that took over the Rafah crossing in southern Gaza after Israel's withdrawal in 2005 fled the area at the first sign violence, allowing Hamas and its terrorist allies to import large quantities of weapons. Many Israelis fear a peacekeeping force in Judea and Samaria would serve no purpose but to prevent Israeli forces from carrying out anti-terror operations.

Meanwhile, Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak met separately in Cairo with Abbas and Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu but by the end of the day no traction in negotiations seemed apparent. Although US Special Envoy to the Middle East George Mitchell — who also spent an hour with Mubarak before Abbas and Netanyahu arrived — had hoped Mubarak would find the right formula to elevate the talks from indirect to direct, the breakthrough never materialized. Egyptian Foreign Minister Ahmed Aboul Gheit, who was the only one to address reporters, said after the meetings that no basis for moving to direct talks had been found. The Arabic-language London newspaper A-Sharq Al-Awsat reported on Monday that Mubarak told Netanyahu to go back and rework his proposed borders for the agreement and to bring them into line with what the Arab world is demanding.

In Washington, DC, US State Department spokesman Phillip Crowley told reporters that there will be no final status issues discussed until the Israelis and Arabs sit down face-to-face. When Crowley was asked by reporters about the latest Abbas remarks, the spokesman said final status issues will be on the table only when the two sides meet directly. The key issues considered to be "final status issues" are borders and security; the status of Jerusalem; and Arab 'refugees'. Abbas continues to insist that he has not received answers on critical issues that he posed to President Obama. Both the Israeli moratorium on building in post-1967 areas and the mandate for indirect talks issued by the Arab League expire in September.

At the start of the proximity talks in May 2010. Abbas declared that the PA/PLO would fulfill its commitments, with special focus on stopping incitement. However, the first two months saw no changes in the quality of the messages being transmitted from the PA/PLO and Fatah to Arab citizens. An examination of the Arab leaders' statements, official media, children's programs and PA/PLO- and Fatah-controlled events reveals that the conditions, principles and expectations set by the US and the Quartet [United States, United Nations, European Union, and Russia] for accepting the PA/PLO as a partner in the peace process continue to be violated by the PA/PLO. Contrary to the its moderate statements to the West, PA/PLO statements made to its people in Arabic continue to delegitimize Israel's existence, deny Israel's right to exist, define the conflict with Israel as a religious war for Allah, promote hatred through demonization, slander and libel, and glorify terror and violence:

• On PA/PLO educational TV, children are taught that all Israeli cities across the entire country are Arab cities;
• Official PA/PLO media deny Israel's right to exist by using terminology to refer to Israel as "the homeland occupied in '48";
• The conflict with Israel is defined by PA/PLO-appointed political and religious leaders not as territorial but as a religious war for the god of Islam;
• The PA/PLO senior religious leader demonizes Jews as the "enemies of God";
• The PA/PLO continues to honor terrorists;
• PA/PLO-Fatah leaders defend "the right to return to the armed conflict"; and
• A PA/PLO-Fatah leader explained negotiations as "a tactical decision, i.e., a temporary, defensive decision".

[The Media Line, Israel Today, PMW]
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Israel's new anti-rocket system, called the Iron Dome, has passed final tests and is expected to be deployed near the country's borders by November. The system was produced by the state-owned Rafael Arms Development Authority and is partially financed by the United States. The Iron Dome is designed to help neutralize the rocket threat from Hizb'Allah in Lebanon and Hamas in the Gaza Strip. The two Islamic terrorist groups have bombarded Israel with rockets in the past, exposing a strategic vulnerability. The system uses small radar-guided missiles to blow up incoming rockets with ranges of between 5 and 70 kilometers (3 and 43.5 miles), as well as mortar shells of a caliber as small as 120 millimeters, but no smaller. It can also destroy mortar shells in mid-air. While defense officials warn that the system will not completely eliminate the rocket threat from Lebanon and Gaza they say it will sharply reduce the number of rockets able to hit populated areas and strategic facilities. One drawback is the cost. Each battery is estimated to cost between 40 and 50 million shekels ($10.4 and $13 million) and funding will also be required for radar systems and interceptor missiles. Various estimates speak of a need for at least 20 batteries to cover the Galilee and the Negev, which face missile threats from Lebanon and Gaza, respectively. As a comparison, an interceptor missile costs $50,000 while an Arab rocket costs only $500. The question of costs becomes all the more pressing in view of the government's decision last week to cut 2.7 billion shekels ($702 billion) from the defense budget, although the IDF already said it would oppose the use of its budget for purchase of the units. Some of the generals believe the units should be kept in air force bases even in the case of war, arguing the top priority in such a scenario would be allowing the continuation of IAF attacks and protecting strategically important sites.

While the purchase of the batteries is expected to begin at the end of the year, the training of enough anti-aircraft teams to operate the system may take longer. At the moment, the air force is training only crews from one battalion, which will only be able to operate a small number of batteries. And although theoretically one Iron Dome battery should be able to defend a medium-sized town like Sderot, the air force may keep the batteries in bases until and unless the situation escalates. That plan has been slammed by Negev mayors and council heads, who demanded last week to deploy the units as quickly as possible.

The widespread deployment of the Iron Dome is not without political ramifications and seems to be part of the motive of the Obama administration in seeking additional military aid for Israel. (Recently, the US Congress and the Obama administration confirmed a special aid package of $250 million to Israel, a sum that is meant to cover the purchase of up to nine Iron Dome batteries.) "It will change the equation," said Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak. "It will hit so much of these small-caliber rockets and 'misslets,' that it will change the equation for the other side." "It will save time of fighting and will deter in many cases a potential enemy from really launching an attack," said Barak. With that in mind, consider the statement made last week by Andrew Shapiro, US Assistant Secretary of State for Political-Military Affairs. In a lecture in Washington, Shapiro said that missile interception systems would allow Israel to make tough decisions required for lasting peace — in other words, that Israel would be able to retreat from more territories, without fearing an increased threat from terrorists' missiles.

Meanwhile, the US and Israel are close to agreement on a deal for a new warplane. Israel's purchase of 19 Lockheed Martin Corp. F-35 fighter jets would mark the first foreign military sale of the new military jet, Reuters reported Tuesday. The deal is reportedly worth $3 billion. Eight international partners that helped develop the plane already have signed purchase agreements. The eight countries are Canada, Turkey, Britain, Italy, Norway, Denmark, Australia, and the Netherlands. The deal between Israel and the United States has been in the works since September 2008 when the Pentagon approved the sale of 25 of the fighter jets with an option for 50 more. One of the sticking points in the purchase by Israel has been its desire to incorporate Israeli systems in the plane. Pentagon Defense Security Cooperation Agency, Vice Admiral Jeffrey Wieringa did not disclose what specific radars and other equipment would be included with the F-35 fighters for Israel, but sources reported that Israel is satisfied with the technology in the final agreement. [Ha'aretz, VOA, IDF Spokesperson, JTA, Reuters]
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Russian officials announced that they are still committed to the terms of a contract on the delivery of the sophisticated anti-aircraft S-300 missile system to Iran. A top Russian military official said the S-300 defense system deal with Iran is pending the decision of President Dmitry Medvedev and has not been cancelled yet. Moscow signed a contract with Tehran in 2007 to supply the powerful S-300 missiles to Iran but it has refrained from delivering the system to the county due to the US and Israeli pressures. The S-300 surface-to-air system, known as the SA-20 in the West, can track targets and fire at aircraft 120 kilometers (75 miles) away. It also features high jamming immunity and is capable of simultaneously engaging up to 100 targets. However, Iran Deputy Commander of Khatam ol-Anbia Air Defense Base for Coordination General Hassan Mansourian announced several months ago that Tehran is able to replace the Russian-made anti-aircraft S-300 missiles with other air defense systems, if needed.

Iranian Defense Minister Brigadier General Ahmad Vahidi announced last Monday that the country plans to launch a newly developed hi-tech submarine, equipped with advanced weapons, in early August. Vahidi made the remarks in the central city of Isfahan where he is attending a ceremony to mark the first round of national competitions of Iran-made unmanned submarines. "The submarine enjoys advanced technology, high power of maneuvering and underwater operations and is equipped with hi-tech weapons," Vahidi said, elaborating on the characteristics of the new home-made submarine. Iran has been pushing an arms development program in recent years in a bid to reach self-sufficiency. It has produced its own jet fighters and armored vehicles as well as radar-avoiding missiles and other high-tech weapons.

Meanwhile, Shi'ite Iran and Wahhabi Saudi Arabia, historically not on the best of terms, are making overtures towards each other. Iran's Foreign Ministry announced on Tuesday that disagreements and differences between the two countries "merely serve the interests of the Zionist regime and enemies of the region and the Muslim world." The two countries, separated by Iraq and the Persian Gulf (in northwest-southeast order), were at major loggerheads during the Iran-Iraq war of the 1980's and shortly afterwards. Relations have gradually thawed since then, however — though Saudi Arabia has reason to fear that Iran's emerging nuclear power could be used against it. Iran's Foreign Ministry spokesman Ramin Mehman-Parast told reporters that conditions are now ripe for expanding and boosting ties and cooperation with Saudi Arabia. Just this past Shabbat, Saudi Foreign Minister Saud Al-Faisal told a French daily that Iran "deserves" to be treated as a leading force in the Middle East. [FNA, Arutz Sheva]
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More than 80 countries signed an agreement to cooperate in the fight against anti-Semitism and Holocaust denial. The Task Force for International Cooperation on Holocaust Education, Remembrance, and Research (ITF) and the Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) signed the agreement at Israel's Foreign Affairs Ministry. "This agreement is a step that doubles the power of 87 states' cooperation in the fight against the de-legitimization of Israel and anti-Semitism towards Jews around the world," said Deputy Foreign Minister Daniel Ayalon, who signed the agreement on behalf of Israel. "There are those who deny the Holocaust and are preparing for the next Holocaust. We must remember the Holocaust so that the horrors will not return, and we will make the world a safer place." Israel was selected to lead the task force for the first time in 2010. The task force, established a decade ago at the initiative of the Swedish government, aims to promote the remembrance of the Holocaust through education, research and memorial sites. It is comprised of 27 member countries, mostly European. Six international organizations belong as observers: United Nations, DPI (Department of Public Information), UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization), the EU (European Union), FRA (European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights), and the European Council. The Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights, which has 57 members, deals with educational programs and monitors instances of xenophobia, mainly anti-Semitism and Islamophobia.

This is all very interesting in light of the fact that, in spite of whatever these organizations may be doing (their work doesn't seem to receive much media attention), anti-Semitism is on the rise and has been for many years. Aside from what they try to put forth in the public, several nations, the Swiss included, claimed neutrality during WW II but facts have since proved otherwise. It's now been proven that almost every nation participated either directly or indirectly to further the holocaust, including the United States. To say that this Task Force was formed "on the initiative of the Swedish government" is akin to slapping Israel in the face. Despite the fact that the task force was established 10 years ago, anti-Semitism has been on the rise. The Jewish Agency for Israel (JAFI) stated in January 2010 stated that anti-Semitism has reached its highest level since the end of World War II. The Stephen Roth Institute for the Study of Contemporary Anti-Semitism and Racism in Tel Aviv released a new study this year revealing a strong surge in violent anti-Semitism in 2009, which in western Europe has now reached the highest level in decades. B'nai Brith Canada reported in February that the number of anti-Semitic incidents in Canada rose to record levels in 2009, with an 11.4 percent increase in incidents over the previous year, making it the highest number ever reported in the audit's 28-year history. The report also said that anti-Semitic incidents increased globally in 2009, linking them to a rise in Middle East discord. Robert Wistrich, a professor of European and Jewish History at Hebrew University in Jerusalem, recently stated, "One of the extraordinary paradoxes is that the very places of learning where you expect to educate, to enlighten, in many cases they have become a kind of fountain for anti-Semitism, wrapped up of course in their anti-Israel human-rights rhetoric". The Vatican published a document back in January 2010 blaming Israel for the exodus of Christians from Arab-occupied territories and the plight of Christians across the entire Middle East. [JTA, Israel Foreign Ministry]
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