By: Mel Frykberg – Middle East Times

RAMALLAH, West Bank — On Saturday as Palestinians tried to digest the latest violence and political upheaval between rival Palestinian factions Hamas and Fatah, which has left nearly a dozen Palestinians dead in Gaza and over 100 injured including women and children, a shadowy Islamic organization has crept into the political equation, creating the possibility of a new reality on the ground both in Gaza and the West Bank.

As this reporter was traveling from Birzeit to Ramallah, in the central West Bank, we were held up behind a long line of taxis and motorcars at a Palestinian checkpoint at the outskirts of Ramallah.

Members and supporters of Hizb ut-Tahrir, which seeks Islamic rule in the Muslim world but is ideologically opposed to Hamas, participate in a demonstration in Gaza City on July 31 calling for the return of the Islamic Caliphate. Members were rounded up in the West Bank for attempting to hold rallies there. (MaanImages via Newscom)

Similar checkpoints were erected throughout the territory as Palestinian police and security personnel checked identity cards, searched passengers and arrested dozens of Hizb ut-Tahrir, or Liberation Party, supporters.

According to a Hizb ut-Tahrir spokesperson, 77 party members were in detention as of Saturday including 41 in Tulkarm, 17 in Jenin, 9 in Ramallah and 10 in Bethlehem.

The supporters were trying to reach rallies, commemorating the anniversary of the downfall of the Turkish Ottoman Empire, which they regard as the successor of the Abbasid dynasty, one of the dynasties of the Islamic Caliphacy.

The Islamic Caliphacy followed the death of Prophet Muhammad and lasted from the early 600s AD to the early 20th century. The Caliphacy stretched from northern Africa and western Europe through to Asia and was a golden era during the spread of Islam when the arts, culture, science, medicine, trade and religious tolerance flourished.

The Ottoman Turks claimed the Caliphacy after the fall of the Abbasid Caliphate in 1284, but secularist and founding father of modern-day Turkey, Kemal Attaturk abolished this in 1924.

Hizb ut-Tahrir members say they applied to the respective Palestinian Authority (PA) governorate offices for permission to hold their events, and report receiving no response within the specified time period. They took this lack of refusal as an indication to go ahead and organize the commemorative rallies and conferences.

The rallies were to be held in Ramallah, and in Tulkarm, in the northern West Bank. As the Middle East Times approached Ramallah center, security forces were clearing up the remnants of demonstrators who had managed to slip through the security cordons encircling the city. The tension in the air was palpable.

Several demonstrators who had managed to unfurl black flags were quickly dragged away by Palestinian police.

Earlier in the week PA security forces had similarly prevented Hizb ut-Tahrir from holding rallies in Jenin and Bethlehem. The security forces also prevented a women’s event called by Hizb ut-Tahrir in Hebron on Wednesday.

Conversely, despite the group being ideologically opposed to Hamas and more in line with Islamic Jihad, the group managed to successfully hold its first rally in Gaza on Thursday, with over 3,000 people taking to the streets and marching.

Hizb ut-Tahrir was established in 1952, in then Jordanian-controlled Jerusalem, by Sharia court judge Taqi al-Din al Nabhani, from the village of Ijzim, near Haifa.

The organization’s goal is to reestablish an Islamic Caliphate to govern the whole Muslim world under Islamic law and to eventually bring the rest of the world under Islamic rule through peaceful means.

The group specifically advocates against violence, does not have an armed wing and neither does it stand in elections. Rather, Hizb ut-Tahrir seeks to agitate and educate, gaining supporters for the idea of restoring the Caliphate.

Since its establishment, Hizb ut-Tahrir has grown internationally and is now active in 45 countries. It is particularly active in Muslim countries such as Indonesia and Uzbekistan, while having made significant inroads into Pakistani community in the United Kingdom.

The organization is banned in several countries, including Russia, Germany and some Arab states. While the group’s activities are outlawed in the West Bank, in the Gaza Strip it is tolerated and allowed to hold demonstrations.

It is premature to ascertain exactly how Hizb ut-Tahrir will impact on the Palestinian political scene in the long run, and how popular it will become.

But as the chasm between Hamas and Fatah appears to widen, the fact that the politically intolerant de-facto rulers in Gaza tolerate the movement, while the equally undemocratic Fatah leadership in the West Bank violently opposes the organization, can only mean it will further rub salt into the wound of the debacle that currently fronts for the divided leadership in the Palestinian territories.

By: Brenda Gazzar – The Jerusalem Post

It wasn’t just sermons and prayers that filled the gender-segregated soccer field in Kafr Kara on Friday night during the annual summit of the southern branch of the Islamic Movement in Israel.

Sheikh Raed Salah, the leader of the Islamic movement’s northern branch.
Photo: Ariel Jerozolimski

Thousands of devotees gathered from around the country to commemorate Muhammad’s journey to “the farthest mosque” and his ascension to the heavens on a winged steed, but politics also hung heavily in the air.

Children waved green Islamic flags, young women in hijabs sold large maps of “Palestine before the Nakba,” the “catastrophe” of 1948, and sheikhs and politicians spoke of the need to support their Palestinian brothers in the territories, defend the Aksa Mosque and fight for equal rights as Arab citizens of Israel.

In a passionate speech, Sheikh Abdullah Nimr Darwish, the founder of Israel’s Islamic Movement, said Palestinians in the territories “have the right” to choose for themselves via elections between the path of “resistance,” represented by Hamas, and that of “negotiations,” represented by Fatah.

“The solution to the [Hamas-Fatah] split is to have elections now, and the people will decide whether to elect Abu Mazen [Palestinian Authority President and Fatah Chairman Mahmoud Abbas] or Hamas,” he told The Jerusalem Post afterward. “They should be responsible for their own decisions.”

In addition to political activism, both the southern and the more radical northern branch of the Islamic Movement are working hard in the social welfare sphere to occupy every vacuum that the government has failed to fill.

“This is the way they work, from [providing] medical services to religious services to even soccer teams,” said Prof. Yitzhak Reiter from the Department of Islamic and Middle Eastern Studies at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. “If the government doesn’t give enough money for sports activities or sports facilities, they will construct them by donations and provide the services. By so doing, they will attract particularly the poor – those that don’t have enough money to pay.”

In Umm el-Fahm, the northern branch of the Islamic Movement is helping to build the city’s first hospital – a mammoth five-story structure – to serve the surrounding Wadi Ara area.

At present, the nearest hospitals for Umm el-Fahm’s residents – numbering about 45,000 people – are about 25 minutes away in Afula or Hadera.

“If the government doesn’t build a hospital here, there is a vacuum,” said Yousef Jabareen, an Umm el-Fahm resident and director of the Nazareth-based Dirasat: The Arab Center for Law and Policy. “This allows the Islamic Movement to come here and build hospitals, take the credit, provide the service and connect to the people.”

The Islamic Movement also runs a 24-hour medical clinic that offers ambulance, urgent care and emergency services and is helping to build a new shopping center.

In 1996, the Islamic Movement in Israel split into two factions, the southern branch headed by Darwish of Kafr Kassem, and the more radical northern branch, led by Sheikh Raed Salah of Umm el-Fahm.

The northern faction tends not to recognize the state as a Jewish one and opposes voting or running for Knesset elections for ideological reasons but participates in local elections, Reiter said.

The southern faction, which includes MK Ibrahim Sarsour (United Arab List-Ta’al), participates in both national and local politics to help achieve its aims.

Since 1988, the northern branch has dominated the Umm el-Fahm city council. Zaki Igbaria, the deputy mayor of Umm el-Fahm, believes it is because of the programs and services it has provided, ranging from drug rehabilitation to raising money for underpaid teachers.

“The Islamic Movement gathered money here to pay for teachers and to clean the streets, and people started trusting them,” Igbaria said recently from his office in Umm el-Fahm. “The main goal of the Islamic Movement is to bring people to the best situation here, in education, in ethics….”

Despite the high volume of activity in some areas, Reiter believes that support for the movement – which he estimates at around 20 percent among Muslims – has not changed significantly in the last decade.

One reason, Reiter said, was because of political competition. There are other strong Arab political parties, such as the Balad Party, formerly led by then-MK Azmi Bishara, “which are not less moderate,” and “they are struggling in the same political field as the Islamic Movement.”

In addition, while Israel has a unique democratic system that gives ethnic preference to Jews in certain laws and institutions, Arabs in Israel enjoy better welfare services, a strong economy and more political and other freedoms than Arabs in Arab countries such Egypt, where the Muslim Brotherhood was a powerful player, he said.

“They still know their situation is better than elsewhere in the Arab world,” Reiter said.

But over the years, some in the northern branch have pushed the limits of what is legally allowed – for example by donating money to families of Palestinian suicide bombers or attackers – until such acts were outlawed by the state.

“Where the Israeli government is neglecting or failing to set lines and limits, they go in and do whatever they can in support of their ideology until someone wakes up and says, ‘We have to show them the limits of laws,'” Reiter said.

But Igbaria insists they are realistic and that despite their ultimate goal of having a Caliphate, or a united Islamic state that would include Israel, will continue to pursue only legal and peaceful means.

“It is not a secret. We believe that the Islamic state will be the best solution for the world, but actually we live here and we are working according to the laws of the state,” he said.

By: Robert Maginnis – Human Events

Last week, corruption-plagued Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert announced that he would step down in two months — as soon as his Kadima party elects his successor in the primaries slated for September 17th. Who replaces Olmert and his successor’s ability to hold the coalition government together are important because political instability in Israel could impact regional security.

US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice has described the resignation of Olmert as an “internal Israeli matter.” But the outcome of the election should matter to America because Israel’s interests are intertwined with our regional interests. That’s why America should favor the candidate who shares our regional goal — a just and lasting stability — and will partner with the US to address key challenges that protect our vital interests.

Recently, Secretary Rice outlined Mideast challenges in the magazine Foreign Affairs that must be addressed to protect American vital interests. Those interests, according to Rice, are energy security, nonproliferation, the defense of friends and allies, the resolution of old conflicts, and finding partners in the global struggle against violent Islamist extremism.

Our Mideast interests are at risk for many reasons, not just because Israel, America’s Mideast partner, faces political instability. Israel has ongoing security talks with Syrian and Palestinian leaders which could stall due to political uncertainties. Bashar Ja’afari, Syria’s ambassador to the United Nations, said Olmert’s resignation could have an effect on the negotiations, and Mahmoud Abbas, president of the Palestinian Authority, was skeptical about the talks continuing. “We have not, up to now, settled any” of the six questions key to a final peace accord, Abbas said. There is also concern that a vacuum at Israel’s helm might embolden Iran to use terrorist proxies Hamas and Hizbullah to exploit Jerusalem’s vulnerabilities while advancing its atomic program.

Replacing Olmert could become a protracted process and not assured for Kadima. Israeli foreign minister Tzipi Livni has a clear edge in the Kadima party race to replace Olmert, but officials question her ability to form a coalition and become prime minister which creates an opportunity for her opposition.

Opposition Likud party leader Benjamin Netanyahu is on the attack. “This government has reached an end and it doesn’t matter who heads Kadima. They are all partners in this government’s total failure,” Netanyahu said. He understands that if Olmert’s replacement is unable to form a coalition, Israel must host a general election by March 2009 which according to opinion polls would favor Netanyahu.

Consider how the leading Israeli candidates — Livni and Netanyahu — stack-up to Rice’s three challenges.

First, America needs regional allies who are willing to take action against violent Islamist extremism.

Netanyahu shares Rice’s views about the terror threat. In 1995, Netanyahu wrote the book Fighting Terrorism: How Democracies Can Defeat Domestic and International Terrorism. He explains in the book that “[i]f the West doesn’t wake up to the suicidal nature of militant Islam, the next thing you will see is militant Islam bringing down the World Trade Center.”

Both candidates have negotiated with terrorists even though they are on the record as opposing terrorism, which suggests neither may work towards America’s interests. In 1996, then-prime minister Netanyahu oversaw a lopsided prisoner exchange with Hizbullah. Netanyahu granted freedom to 45 Shiite Muslims and returned 100 Hizbullah bodies in exchange for the remains of two Israeli soldiers. Last month, foreign minister Livni voted with Olmert to approve a massive trade of terrorists for dead Israeli soldiers with Hizbullah. The deal was far more lopsided than the one Netanyahu made 12 years earlier. It included the release of six murderers from prison, the bodies of 200 terrorists, and a promise not to keep terrorists’ bodies as bargaining cards for future swaps.

Second, America needs help stopping states that use violence for destructive ends. Rice specifically mentioned Syria’s undermining of Lebanon’s sovereignty, Iran’s pursuit of a nuclear capability and both states’ support for terrorism. Livni is tainted by association with Olmert’s record while Netanyahu has been consistently stalwart on the issue.

Foreign minister Livni has consistently condemned Islamic extremists like Hamas that destabilize the region. But Livni, part of Olmert’s government, participated in its deliberations during the disastrous 2006 war with Hizbullah in Lebanon, which many Israelis regard as the worst-run war in Israel’s history. It was a time of uncharacteristic indecisiveness.

In 2006, Olmert bungled the 34-day war with Hizbullah which the terror group claimed victory by virtue of its survival. After the fighting, an Olmert government-appointed commission identified a long series of failures but declined to blame anyone. In February 2008, Livni, Olmert’s deputy, accepted blame for the commission’s “harsh” findings when she said to fellow ministers “We need to continue together — that is the meaning of taking responsibility.”

Regarding Syria, this spring, Olmert’s government secretly began peace talks with Damascus which are focused on moving that government out of Iran’s orbit and stopping its support of Hizbullah and Hamas. It’s reported that in exchange Olmert offered to surrender the Golan Heights and turn a blind eye to Syrian forces returning to Lebanon, which they left in 2004.

Livni may be weak on Iran. Last year, according to Haaretz magazine, Livni said “Iranian nuclear weapons do not pose an existential threat to Israel.” She even criticized Olmert for exaggerating the “issue of the Iranian bomb.”

Netanyahu is diametrically opposed to Livni’s words and her government’s actions. He sees Iran as the major problem facing Israel. “It’s 1938,” he told CNN, “and Iran is Germany.” Netanyahu said that “…where that [Nazi] regime embarked on a global conflict before it developed nuclear weapons this regime [Iran] is developing nuclear weapons before it embarks on a global conflict.” He says the rulers in Tehran are “…a religious messianic cult that believes in the Apocalypse, and they believe they have to expedite the Apocalypse to bring the collapse of the west.”

While Livni’s government has been negotiating with Syria, Netanyahu has been opposed. He indicated that should Olmert’s government sign a deal with Damascus, it will be rejected by the Knesset and most of the Israeli public. Additionally, Likud chairman Gideon Sa’ar said his party would not be obligated by any peace agreement reached between Olmert and Syria if Netanyahu wins the prime minister’s office.

Further, Netanyahu explained that Syria was “an inseparable part of the axis of evil” that would not disconnect from Iran. He warned that conceding the Golan Heights, which is part of Olmert’s deal with Damascus, would allow Iran to use it as a command post to endanger Israel. “The Golan must remain in Israel’s hands…I am quite amazed that the prime minister promises to hand over all of the Golan Heights even before negotiations begin,” said Netanyahu.

Third, America wants to find a way to resolve the long-standing Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Rice says that a Palestinian state must be created that can live side by side with Israel in peace and security. She explains that this state will be born through building effective democratic institutions that can fight terrorism and extremism.

Livni is Israel’s lead negotiator with the Palestinians. She favors giving land – Judea and Samaria settlement areas – as part of Israel’s peace deal but Jerusalem will be kept under Israeli control. Her party supports the achievement of two states carried out in stages such as dismantling terror organizations and collecting firearms with the end product a demilitarized Palestinian state devoid of terror.

By contrast Netanyahu’s Likud party opposes the unilateral Palestinian declaration of statehood. The settlements are “the realization of Zionist values” and “will continue to strengthen and develop these communities and will prevent their uprooting.” It “flatly rejects the establishment of a Palestinian Arab state west of the Jordan river.” It “flatly rejects Palestinian proposals to divide Jerusalem.”

Netanyahu is a sober, hard-nosed realist who has consistently opposed the current peace talks with the Palestinians and insists on retaining Jewish settlements all over Judea and Samaria — a position that is simply not compatible with creating a viable Palestinian state and is in conflict with stated US objectives for the region.

The former prime minister has also been consistent on the Palestinian issue since he first entered public life in the early 1980s. He believes that the economic sphere is one where we can make quick, tangible progress, create more jobs and generate growth which will yield political payoffs that will benefit negotiations.

Apparently, neither Livni nor Netanyahu totally satisfy Rice’s three challenges, which is to be expected because Israel has its own national interests that don’t always align with US interests. However, when Israel selects its leader, the US will have to quickly bridge any differences so the partnership can move ahead to protect our mutual interests.

* More talks with Syria, despite political turmoil After wrapping up his visit to Tehran, Syrian President Bashar Assad will touch down in Ankara on Tuesday for a meeting with Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

* Last Ethiopian airlift lands in Israel The era of large-scale Ethiopian aliya is over, the Jewish Agency for Israel said.

* Iran escalates military rhetoric Iran warned Monday that it could easily close a critical Gulf waterway to oil shipments.

* Lebanese government: Hizbullah can keep arms The Lebanese unity government unanimously approved the draft of its future policy statement, voting in favor of allowing Hizbullah to retain its weapons.

* Iran ambiguous on nuclear offer Iran has sent a message to EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana, but not a response to the latest proposals on its nuclear program.

* Libya says Mediterranean Union will divide Africa Libya’s leader Muammar Gaddafi has reaffirmed his critical stance towards the Union for the Mediterranean.

* Kurd president says Iraq vote bill a ‘conspiracy’ The president of Iraq’s autonomous Kurdish region Massud Barzani has sharply criticised a provincial election bill as a “conspiracy.”

* ‘Murdered Syrian officer knew too much’ Amid increasing speculation, some Arab media and Syrian dissidents suggested Monday that the reported assassination of a senior Syrian intelligence officer over the weekend may be a case of one man knowing too much.

* Oil price falls further to $118 Oil prices touched three-month lows of $118 a barrel on Tuesday amid signs of rising supplies and slowing demand.

* Russia warns Georgia over breakaway region Russia said on Tuesday it would not be indifferent if violence escalated further in Georgia’s breakaway region of South Ossetia.

* Syrian source says regime in bad condition Damascus official tells London-based newspaper ‘mystery man’ assassinated over weekend was in charge of all of country’s sensitive security issues.

* Israel Ignoring Hamas Bid to Conquer Judea/Samaria Pinchas Inbari writes that Hamas has a realistic plan for a peaceful takeover of Judea and Samaria in the near future – and that Israel is not paying enough attention.

* Talks not derailed by Assad’s Iran trek Israel will not reevaluate its indirect talks with Damascus as a result of Syrian President Bashar Assad’s visit to Teheran over the weekend.

* Possible VP Nominee: Jerusalem is “Ground Zero” Eric Cantor, whom McCain is considering as running mate, said in a speech last November that Jerusalem is “Ground Zero in the global battle between tyranny and democracy” and is “Israel’s lifeblood.”

* Israel’s Islamic Movement: Filling the vacuum, aiming for a caliphate It wasn’t just sermons and prayers that filled the gender-segregated soccer field during the annual summit of the southern branch of the Islamic Movement in Israel.

* Proof of Jeremiah Unearthed in Jerusalem Archaeologists have unearthed proof of another Biblical story at Jerusalem’s ancient City of David, this time corroborating the Book of Jeremiah.

* National-Religious Parties Considering Historic Merger Once again, voices in the national-religious parties are calling for unity – in time for the possibly upcoming national elections.

* New Sect Joins Volatile Palestinian Political Brew A shadowy Islamic organization has crept into the political equation, creating the possibility of a new reality on the ground both in Gaza and the West Bank.

* EU plans further nuclear talks with Iran Iran has missed an unofficial deadline to respond to an offer from the world’s key powers on its nuclear program but the EU’s negotiators are planning to get in touch with Tehran in the coming days.

* Iran: We tested new naval weapon Iran’s official IRNA news agency quoted the chief of the elite Revolutionary Guards on Monday as saying that Iran has tested a new marine weapon.

* ‘Hizbullah stronger than during war’ Hizbullah is stronger than it was during the Second Lebanon War.

* Israel warns on Iran nuclear aims Israeli Deputy Prime Minister Shaul Mofaz has warned that Iran is near a breakthrough in its nuclear program.

* Ahmadinejad: Iran will stand against its enemies Iran will “stand against” its enemies, Reuters quoted Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad as saying.

* In Egypt, Muslim-Christian divide seems wider A monastery was ransacked in January. In May, monks there were kidnapped, whipped and beaten and ordered to spit on the cross.

* Iran fails to respond by int’l deadline A European Union official said Saturday that EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana’s office has not yet received an answer from Iran.

* Hizbullah: Option of war awake A senior Hizbullah commander says that while the group does not seek war with Israel, it is ready for one.

* ‘Syria willing to cut Iran ties for peace with Israel’ A peace agreement with Syria is within reach, according to Prime Minister Ehud Olmert’s envoys to talks with Syria.

* Syrian President arrives in Iran as nuclear deadline looms Syrian President Bashar Assad arrived for talks in Tehran on Saturday, a few weeks after he told France he would use his good relations with Iran to help resolve the Islamic republic’s nuclear stand-off with the West.

* South Asian Leaders Want Joint Action to Fight Terrorism South Asian leaders, at the beginning of their summit on Saturday, pledged in vague terms to work together to fight terrorism.

* Tensions run high in Iraq over disputed Kirkuk More than 1,000 Sunni Arabs and Turkomen staged a demonstration Saturday to protest calls by Kurds to annex the oil-rich city of Kirkuk.

By: Isi Leibler – The Jerusalem Post

A global conference promoting interfaith dialog sponsored by the current Saudi regime sounds somewhat like South African proponents of apartheid holding a global kumbaya extolling the virtues of racial equality.

A rabbi, a priest and an Imam
Rabbi David Rosen on Saudi-sponsored interfaith conference he attended.

That is not to deny that King Abdullah broke new ground by hosting an interfaith conference and for the first time inviting Jews to participate in a Saudi-sponsored event. Rabbi David Rosen, chairman of the International Jewish Committee on Interreligious Consultation, exuberantly described it as “an historic event” and a prelude “to the opening up of Saudi society,” although he did caution that “time will tell if this is the beginning or just another event of no consequence.”

Regrettably, being hosted by King Abdullah had such an intoxicating impact on some Jewish participants that they lost their bearings and indulged in excessive praise of their host that degenerated into groveling.

Rabbi Brad Hirschfeld, chairman of the National Center for Learning and Leadership, stressing that he was not naïve, claimed that immediately after he had blessed King Abdullah “with whom God shares divine glory,” he saw the king’s eyes fill with tears. Rabbi Michael Lerner, head of the radical Tikkun group, suggested that “for those of us who despair about Christianity and Judaism having gone astray… the notion that Islam might be the spark that generates a new religious revival based on mutual respect and spiritual intensity could dramatically expand our understanding of the endless potential for God to surprise us.”

Walter Ruby, from the Foundation for Ethnic Understanding, compared King Abdullah’s initiative to Mikhail Gorbachev’s perestroika, forgetting that the Soviet reformer initiated dramatic reforms within his country, whereas Saudi Arabia still represents the most extreme example of fanatical Wahhabi style Islamic extremism.

In fact, state sponsored export of Wahhabism has produced a global network of jihadist Islamic schools and institutions which sanctify violence. This has led to the creation of centers throughout the world nurturing terrorist cadres and incubating many of the suicide bombers who are at the forefront of terrorist activities.

Saudi Arabia denies entry to Jews and prohibits all religions other than Islam the right to establish houses of worship. Saudi imams openly promote virulent anti-Semitism, depicting Jews in mosques and on TV as descendants of apes and pigs who should be killed. To this day, the Saudi educational system continues to incorporate obscenely anti-Semitic texts.

CLEARLY, KING Abdullah in his old age did not become transformed overnight into a liberal. But he is astute enough to realize that his country is under great threat from the expanding Iranian dominated Shi’ite crescent and is desperately seeking to bolster the regime’s poor standing in the United States and Europe. That was the prime objective of Abdullah’s interfaith conference.

Not surprisingly, the conference took place in Madrid rather than Jedda or Mecca.

Initially, “Rabbi” Yisroel Dovid Weiss, the New York Natorei Karta crackpot who had previously attended the Iranian Holocaust denial conference, was designated to be the only Jew to speak from the podium. After protests supported by an American Muslim imam engaged in interfaith activity, the Saudis backed down and disinvited Weiss. He was substituted by US interfaith guru Rabbi Arthur Schneier, who had hosted Pope Benedict XVI at his Park Avenue synagogue during his recent visit New York.

No Israeli rabbis were invited. Rabbi David Rosen, being Israeli with dual nationality, was designated as an American. In fact, aside from a brief exchange, Israel was kept off the agenda.

More importantly, whereas King Abdullah extolled the virtues of peace and condemned terrorism, participants were informed that only at a subsequent conference would “terrorism” be defined. Hitherto Moslems have denied that attacks against Israel were acts of terror, describing them as legitimate resistance.

IT IS inexplicable why Jewish participants lacked the courage to raise the crucial issues that would not resonate with their hosts. How could Jewish leaders participate in such an event without even relating to the obscene, state-sanctioned religious anti-Semitic incitement openly promoted by the country sponsoring the event? How could they remain silent when a Saudi deputy minister of culture stated that “Islam is a moderate culture and we are determined to prevent extremists from hijacking Islam”? Surely they had an obligation to point out that while all three major monotheistic religions incorporate elements of militant piety and violence, Islam, with its dominant jihadist branches, today represents the most violent doctrine. To remain silent on these issues enabled the Saudis to exploit interfaith dialog as a vehicle to obtain respectability and cover up their extremism.

Jewish representatives also failed to protest when the concluding communique of the conference called “for international organizations to work to issue a document stating respect of faiths and religious symbols and criminalizing those insulting them.” This seemingly innocuous statement embodies a call to legally sanction Islamic bullying against all who criticize or question Islamic beliefs or behavior as exemplified by the violence and vicious campaign in relation to Danish cartoons of the prophet Muhammad. Jews who are sensitive to the demonization of religious practice must nevertheless strongly oppose this.

Failure to oppose such initiatives parallels liberal American Jewish leaders endorsing Muslim demands to outlaw security profiling, despite the fact that 95 percent of acts of global terrorism emanate from that group.

WE ALSO do ourselves a great disservice if we endorse the false allegation that Islamaphobia is rampant. It is in fact a tribute to tolerance in Western countries that despite the violence and intimidation emanating from Muslims, overt aggression or discrimination against them has been extremely limited. Indeed, unlike synagogues, mosques rarely require armed guards, and in Europe, much of the violence directed against Jews actually emanates from Muslims.

We must also demand reciprocity. Tolerance and rights for Muslims in Western countries must be matched by tolerance to non-Muslims in Islamic states.

None of this detracts from our obligation to raise our voices against those who would condemn an entire religion because of the criminal behavior of individuals. Yet it is galling that in the Muslim arena there are virtually no such condemnations in relation to incitement against Israel, Jews, or even the US.

Bottom line: Dialog with the Catholic Church only succeeded because of openness and a will to proceed by both parties. Reputable Jewish organizations must recognize that dialog with Muslims becomes counterproductive when they fail to present the Jewish case for fear of offending the other party or demean themselves by groveling to appease or curry favor with their hosts. All that is achieved is a facade of goodwill which ultimately only strengthens extremists at the expense of the few genuine moderates within the Islamic community.

It was particularly scandalous and shameful that at a conference presided over by Saudi Arabians who babbled on about tolerance and goodwill, the Jewish participants did not insist on raising the issue of state-sponsored clerical anti-Semitism which is endemic in the country which hosted them.

* Syria Chooses: Assad to Visit Iran; Israel Continues Talks Syrian President Bashar al-Assad is to visit Iran this weekend, even as Syrian and Israeli negotiators are slated to continue talks in mid-August.

* ‘No chance of peace deal by 2008 end’ Prime Minister Ehud Olmert’s decision to step down after the Kadima primaries in September means the chances of reaching an agreement between Israel and the Palestinians before the end of this year are non-existent,.

* Be firm with Iran, Mofaz urges U.S. leaders Deputy Prime Minister Shaul Mofaz raised “strong concerns” on Thursday during his meeting with senior U.S. officials in Washington over the administration’s recent diplomatic overtures to Iran.

* EU awaits Iran nuclear response The clock is ticking for Iran to respond to an offer by major powers on its nuclear program.

* EU hails Turkish court decision not to ban ruling party The EU has welcomed a decision by Turkey’s Constitutional Court on Wednesday (30 July) not to ban the country’s ruling party.

* Lowest US monthly deaths in Iraq The US military has announced the death of a soldier in northern Iraq, which brings the toll for July to 12, the lowest since the 2003 US invasion.

* Leaders arrive for SAsian summit overshadowed by tensions South Asian leaders on Friday began arriving in Sri Lanka ahead of an eight-nation summit where heightened tensions between nuclear-armed India and Pakistan have seized centre-stage.

* Seal of King Zedekiah’s minister found in J’lem dig A seal impression belonging to a minister of the Biblical King Zedekiah which dates back 2,600 years has been uncovered completely intact.

* Hamas arrests more Fatah leaders in Gaza Hamas forces seized the leaders of Fatah in Gaza early Friday.

* Bashir Pending Arrest Too Close for Cairo’s Comfort A request by the International Criminal Court (ICC) for an arrest warrant to be issued against Sudan’s President Omar al-Bashir has left Egypt.

By: Gil Hoffman – The Jerusalem Post

Prime Minister Ehud Olmert has less than a month to decide whether to join the Kadima leadership race or become “a lame duck,” after the party’s election committee decided on Tuesday to set an August 24 deadline to join the race, which it scheduled for September 17.

‘I’ll beat him too,’ says Livni about Olmert

Sources close to Olmert said he would announce his decision very soon and well ahead of the deadline, because it would be clear he was not running if he did not announce his intentions in the near future.

A source close to Olmert denied a report that he would make a decision over the weekend and announce it next week. But another Olmert associate said the prime minister’s attacks against the state prosecution last weekend and Labor chairman Ehud Barak on Monday were part of a last-ditch effort to revitalize himself politically, and if they did not work, he was ready to throw in the towel.

If none of the four Kadima leadership candidates wins 40 percent of the votes in the primary, a runoff would be held on September 24.

The winner will then try to form a new government that would be ready when the Knesset returns from its summer recess at the end of October.

Kadima MK Tzahi Hanegbi, who is close to the prime minister, told Channel 10 that contrary to reports that Olmert would try to stay in power as long as possible if he did not run, Olmert does not intend to interfere with the efforts of whoever wins the race to form a government and keep Kadima in power.

Likud faction chairman Gideon Sa’ar.
Photo: Ori Porat [file]

However, it appeared unlikely that Olmert could transfer power smoothly if Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni won the race after they were seen publicly sparring at a Knesset session on Monday. Kadima sources said that in the argument, Livni expressed anger over the guidelines for the indirect talks with Syria currently taking place in Turkey, which she was given before entering the plenum.

Kadima officials speculated that due to the ongoing tensions between the two, Olmert might fire Livni from her post of vice prime minister as a last, defiant act of revenge before he quits or suspends himself.

Livni made a point of being respectful to Olmert in three radio and television interviews she gave on Tuesday, while vowing to defeat him if he decided to run in the primary. She said her continuing disputes with Olmert were over matters of principle.

“I have nothing personal against the prime minister, but it’s time for the public to regain faith in politics,” Livni told Army Radio. “If the prime minister decides to run in the Kadima primary, which doesn’t seem reasonable to me, I will beat him.”

Livni took the offensive for the first time in responding to charges from her main competition in the race, Transportation Minister Shaul Mofaz, that she lacked the security experience need to lead Israel.

“We need a good defense minister and there will be a good defense minister,” Livni said. “But security [expertise] doesn’t mean only that you served in the army. It’s how you make decisions, plan strategy and think things through.”

Livni said she had “made decisions under pressure,” and that she possessed “all the qualifications to be prime minister.”

“I am ready to be tested,” she said, “not only on what I say, but also on what I have done.”

Livni referred indirectly to decisions about how to react to Iran’s nuclearization in an interview with Channel 10.

“There are decisions that cannot wait until the processes we are in [inside Kadima] are complete,” she said. “There are matters that also cannot be expedited because of this. There are decisions on security issues that have to be made regardless of what is happening.”

Livni convened her campaign strategists Reuven Adler and Eyal Arad at her Tel Aviv home on Monday evening after press time and decided that her campaign would paint her as the true successor of Kadima founder Ariel Sharon.

The first slogan of Livni’s campaign will be “Kadima [Forward] Tzipi Livni,” which was used with Sharon’s name when he headed the party.

Olmert’s term as prime minister and party leader will be painted as an aberration in Kadima’s short history that she intends to fix.

Livni indirectly accused Mofaz of violating the law by signing up thousands of Kadima members en masse ahead of Thursday’s deadline to join the party and vote in the primary.

“People have told me in parlor meetings that they were joining the party, because they wanted to be a counterweight to all the people who joined the party illegally,” Livni said.

* Olmert: I’ll resign after Kadima primary Prime Minister Ehud Olmert intends to hand his resignation letter to President Shimon Peres the day after the September 17 Kadima primary.

* Snap poll call as Olmert departs Israeli right-wing opposition leader Binyamin Netanyahu has called for snap elections, after Prime Minister Ehud Olmert announced he would stand down.

* Arab media: Peace process suspended in light of Olmert’s announcement “Israel and the peace process are awaiting the post-Ehud Olmert era,”.

* Turkey’s ruling party escapes ban Turkey’s Constitutional Court has decided not to ban the ruling AK Party, accused of undermining the country’s secular system.

* Gaza summer camps teach kids to fire rockets In the Gaza Strip, as in Israel, children are currently in the midst of summer vacation, and the Hamas and Islamic Jihad’s “summer camps” are in full gear.

* Iraqis squeeze rebel stronghold Iraqi security forces backed by US troops are pressing ahead with a major offensive in Diyala province, an insurgency stronghold north of Baghdad.

* US tells Israel military option still on table with Iran The United States has told Israel a military strike on Iran was still on the table.

* ‘PM will try for peace deal with Palestinians before end of term’ An official close to Prime Minister Ehud Olmert said that the prime minister will keep working towards a peace agreement with the Palestinians until he leaves office.

* Ireland mulls autumn 2009 Lisbon revote The Irish government is considering calling a second Lisbon treaty referendum in autumn 2009.

* Hamas threatens PA officials in W. Bank Palestinian Authority security forces were put on high alert Wednesday following threats by Hamas against its senior officials.