Israeli Poll On West Bank Contradicts Rice

Jerusalem – Speaking before the annual general assembly of Jewish federations that gathered in Nashville on Tuesday, U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice voiced her assessment that most Israelis are ready to cede the vast majority of Judea and Samaria, also known as the West Bank, in the framework of the forthcoming Middle East negotiations that are scheduled to commence in Annapolis on Nov. 26.

However, “The Center for Parliamentary Democracy and Jewish Values in Israeli Public Life in Jerusalem,” run by Prof. Yitzhak Klein, who also advises the Israel Parliament Knesset Parliament Law Committee, issued a poll this week which showed that 65 percent of Israeli respondents responded that due to the lessons of 2005’s disengagement from the Gaza Strip, they opposed any large withdrawal in the West Bank.

According to Mr. Klein’s survey, If Israel did withdraw, some 55 percent of the respondents said they believe any territory ceded to the Palestinians would be used to fire rockets at Israelis and 65 percent believe there is a high or very high chance Hamas would take control of the area. In addition, 77 percent said that Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas lacked the power to prevent attacks from the West Bank.

Israeli Arab Students

In Rebellion

In the past few days, Israeli Arab students, full-fledged citizens of Israel, have been distributing the “Palestinian Student Diary” at Haifa University where they are studying. Thousands of copies of the diary have been distributed, and it includes hate messages about the IDF, the “occupation army,” and against the State of Israel, the “Zionist establishment.”

The new diary features a song about IDF soldiers. Two of its verses are:

“They destroyed my home, murdered my son, raped my wife.

“You have scarred my face, trampled my body and planted a bullet in my heart.”

Later, the diary quotes a speech delivered by Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah to his troops during the Second Lebanon War. “You are men of war, you are our next victory and thanks to you the land will be liberated. We will guard our home and our honor, for you are the chosen people.”

The diary was produced and is being distributed by members of the Sons of the Arab Village organization. The foreword was written by Mohammed Canaane, who is serving a jail sentence in Israel. He was convicted of collaborating with Hezbollah and delivering instructions on how to assemble bombs for terrorist attacks, to Fatah members in Jenin.

Mr. Canaane’s message to the students is: “We believe in our right to be here as a people and a nation, even though the Zionist establishment is trying to brainwash us, the Palestinians, and to tear us from our identity.”

Jewish students who saw the diary and its content said, “this is shocking. We don’t understand how the university permits the Arab students to create these provocations year after year.”

Haifa University Spokesman Dr. Amir Gilat said in response that “the diary in question was not submitted to the dean of students for approval as required, and anyone who distributes it does so without approval and is breaking university regulations. The university administration will look into the matter and, if necessary, will take the appropriate measures.”

Israel’s Security Establishment: Syria

Will Try To Destroy

Israeli Airliners

In the wake of the reports that Israel bombed the nuclear reactor in Syria, the Israel security establishment has decided not to take any chances, and to tighten security arrangements for all Israeli passenger planes. It is feared that Syria may try to take revenge on Israel using one of the terrorist organizations under its protection, by attacking one of the airliners at an overseas airport, or by trying to bring down airliners when they are in the air.

Sources in the Israeli security establishment are treating very seriously the statements by President Bashar Assad that Syria will react to any attack on it at the time and place which it chooses. Recently the security establishment discussed possible scenarios and targets the Syrians might choose in revenge for the attack on its nuclear reactor.

Consequently, a series of precautionary steps have been adopted in order to prevent terrorist attacks against these targets. For example, it was decided security for flights of all the Israeli airlines would be stepped up. These security plans include extra security at the airports where the planes land, in cooperation with the local security units and police at those airports. In addition, it was decided that the number of security guards on flights classified as “sensitive” would be increased.

In extraordinary cases, the airline companies have been compelled to change the landing and take-off times of these planes at certain airports, in order to prevent attacks on the planes.

Ashkenazi: We Could

Have Achieved More

In Lebanon War

IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Gabi Ashkenazi admitted Tuesday the Israel Defense Forces could have been much more successful in the Second Lebanon War and could have achieved these better results at a lower cost and in less time.

“I am convinced that the achievements of the war, and perhaps even greater achievements, could have been accomplished faster and at a lower cost. My statement is based on the most comprehensive investigation ever conducted in the history of the IDF, after the war,” Mr. Ashkenazi said in a lecture to NATO commanders at a conference at NATO headquarters in Brussels.

“We have to be prepared for complex threats,” he added. “These challenges range from terrorists and suicide bombers, to high-trajectory weapons being fired from the other side of the border, and guerrilla warfare; from improvised explosive charges to sophisticated weaponry, and even from conventional threats to threats from weapons of mass destruction.”

Mr. Ashkenazi is also holding meetings during his visit with most of his counterparts in the NATO armed forces, who have come to the conference.

He had a meeting with UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, with the U.S. Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, with the Spanish chief of staff and the chairman of the military committee of the European Union, the NATO secretary general and other senior officials of the organization.

In his address to the chiefs of staff, who included that of Egypt, he told them about the main activities which the IDF had undertaken since the Second Lebanon War. “We have undergone a comprehensive and sometimes heart-rending process of learning lessons, from top to bottom. We wanted to learn where we had gone wrong, what we have to put right and when was the best time to do this. As a result of this process the IDF today is a stronger, more astute and more invigorated army,” he said.

©The Bulletin 2007