Michigan Arabs Protest Israel's Self-Defense

A collection of the usual suspects turned out on Tuesday to rally against Israel's use of force in Gaza. Arabs, 'clerics', members of the Green Party and 'other political groups' gathered in Dearborn, Michigan to form a human chain and chant slogans condemning Israel and President Bush.

In Dearborn, emotions ranged from fear for loved ones, to grief and anger. The protest was followed by a standing-room-only memorial service for those who have died in Gaza over the past week.

"I have two daughters in Palestine -- one of them has three children, two girls and a boy," said Iman Jasin, 48, of Dearborn, who protested on Warren Avenue.

She helped hold a sign that said, "Stop the Holocaust in Gaza," and led protesters in chanting.

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Protesters angrily waved Palestinian flags and held banners and photos of Palestinians injured during four days of military airstrikes on a range of targets in the Hamas stronghold.

Many along Warren Avenue in Dearborn chanted "Down, Down Israel" and other angry slogans. Metro Detroit is home to about 10,000 to 15,000 Palestinians and about 75,000 Jews.

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Photo credits: Detroit News

A local interfaith group called for a cease-fire, while area Jewish leaders voiced their continued support for the action in defense against repeated Hamas rocket fire into Israel.

"Hamas forced Israel to embark on this campaign by dramatically increasing its rocket attacks against Israeli civilians, firing as many as 60 on Christmas Eve alone," said Robert Cohen, executive director of the Jewish Community Relations Council of Metro Detroit. "Israel has to defend its citizens -- if there were a million Detroiters daily being showered with missiles from Windsor, our citizens would demand that our government do whatever it took to put a stop to it."

Where are the 'interfaith groups' calling for Hamas to stop bombing innocent Israelis? Why do the terrorist supporters parade around in 'peace scarves'? Where are the signs reading 'Victims of Islamic Hate'? Why aren't the Arabs more grateful for all President Bush and our State Department have done to undermine Israel's national security in the name of 'peace'?

These are, of course, rhetorical questions. We know perfectly well what the agenda is, and I have no 'hope' that the Obamastration will 'change' things for the better. Israel, defend thyself! Sadly, you can no longer count on the United States for even token moral support.

Cartoon credit: Townhall.com

Condappeasa: Israel Must Do More For Palestinians. Olmert, Livni Agree

Matthew Lee of the Associated Press reported on a speech given Tuesday by Secretary of 'Lets-Give-'em-a-State' Condappeasa Rice to a Palestinian investment forum held at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.

"The parties need to redouble their efforts," Rice said ...

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"Israel must also halt settlement activity which can be seen as prejudging the outcome of negotiations and undermining its negotiating partner," she said.


"And while there have been some lowered restrictions to access and movement, more progress needs to be made in order for Palestinian businesspeople and workers to be able to conduct business in an environment in which they can thrive," Rice told the audience, which included Palestinian Prime Minister Salam Fayyad.

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In her speech, Rice vowed that she would continue to work hard to meet the year-end deadline, although she acknowledged that "there are many challenges" still to overcome.

"We must do everything that we can with the negotiating partners to get to the Annapolis solution and that would be to find an agreement between these parties by the end of the year," she said. "It is very difficult, there's a hard road ahead, but if we do not try, we almost certainly will not succeed."

"Until that moment when I leave office, I will leave no stone unturned to see if we can finally resolve this conflict," Rice said.

Apparently the government of Israel is not committing suicide fast enough to suit the State Department. It's not for lack of trying.

In an interview published September 29, 2008 in the UK Guardian, outgoing Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert said

"We have to reach an agreement with the Palestinians, the meaning of which is that in practice we will withdraw from almost all the territories, if not all the territories."... "We will leave a percentage of these territories in our hands, but will have to give the Palestinians a similar percentage, because without that there will be no peace."

Olmert said the withdrawal would have to include parts of east Jerusalem, which Israel captured in the 1967 war.

"What I am saying to you now has not been said by any Israeli leader before me. The time has come to say these things."

Give me a break. 'These things' have been said, off and on, since 1967. Mr. Olmert's successor, Ms. Tzipi Livni shows every sign of continuing the slow death spiral. The BBC reported in September 2008 that

Ms Livni, 50, a lawyer, former Mossad agent and mother of two, has moved from a strongly Zionist nationalist background to become a passionate advocate of a land-for-peace deal with the Palestinians.

Hang in there, Condappeasa. You may yet see the demise of Israel before your term ends in January.