EHUD BARAK ALMOST GOT ARRESTED IN ENGLAND

Israeli defense minister Ehud Barak almost got thrown in the clink while travelling to Britain, because of Arab families hostile to Israel exploiting Britain's legal loopholes that are similar to their allowing libel tourism suits to take place there. Luckily, the UK court rejected the petition they gave because of Barak's diplomatic immunity.

However, as Phyllis Chesler rightfully worries, this could signal the possibility that those Israelis who don't have diplomatic immunity could be less fortunate if they travel to countries like Britain. And she's right, this is a serious concern, that countries like Britain, if anyplace, will do to Israeli soldiers and other officials with lesser status what the Hamas did to Gilad Shalit - make them prisoners of a political form of terror.

I'll say for now that this is one more reason why Britain does not deserve your hard-earned money if you're thinking of going on a travel tour. Some serious tasking is going to have to be done in order to speak against this atrocious violation of rights that Britain is committing, and make it clear that they're going to have to cut it out.

One more question this brings up: will Ehud Barak finally start to realize that the palestinians are not worth his time in pandering to, and would only do him harm? We can only hope, but not be sure.

ABANDON THE FAILED 2-STATE NOTION

Moshe Ya'alon continues with some wise observations about why the 2-state propaganda must be left behind:

(IsraelNN.com) Minister of Strategic Affairs Moshe (Boogie) Yaalon believes that the time has come for Israel to “free itself from the failed paradigm” of the “two-state solution.” Yaalon spoke Tuesday at a meeting of MKs dedicated to finding an alternative to the creation of a Palestinian Authority-led Arab state.

While the creation of a PA-led state in Judea, Samaria and Gaza is perceived as a necessity both in Israel and worldwide, such a state would not solve the Israel-PA conflict, said Yaalon. In fact, he said, it is doubtful that the possibility of creating such a state exists, due to Arab and Muslim reluctance to take any step that would imply recognition of Israel or compromise on Arab claims to the entire Land of Israel.

On some related notes, aside from that, the government is going to have to a]take convincing steps to prove that it will allow for new homes to be built, and b]will not keep on dismantling "outposts". So far, I assume that Ehud Barak, who wants to do the latter, has been convinced by those concerned in the coalition not to, as he has backed off of destroying several homes in Ofra. But there's still much more that needs to be done about the problem, and let us note that even Netanyahu cannot be ignored here.

RELIAPUNDIT ADDS:

I BELIEVE IN THE TWO STATE SOLUTION: ISRAEL AND JORDAN.

• BRITISH "PALESTINE" CONSISTED OF WHAT IS NOW ISRAEL AND WHAT IS NOW JORDAN.
• ISRAEL WAS SUPPOSED TO INCLUDE MOST OF WHAT IS NOW JORDAN.
• I SAY, WE LET THE ARABS KEEP JORDAN, WE ANNEX THE SO-CALLED "OCCUPIED TERRITORY"/'WEST BANK", OFFER ARABS IN THE "WEST BANK" AN ISRAELI PASSPORT OR A JORDANIAN ONE; AND GIVE ARABS WHO TAKE AN ISRAELI PASSPORT A LOT OF LOCAL POLITICAL POWER.
• AND WE TREAT GAZA EXACTLY THEY DESERVE TO BE TREATED: AS A HOSTILE STATE WE ARE AT WAR WITH.

IDF RESPONDS TO HAMAS CONTINUED THUGGERY

IsraellyCool informs us about the IAF's response to repeated transgressions of the "cease-fire" by that Islamo-Fascist hive of malevolence, Hamas.

Of course, those "evil" officers of the IDF actually had the audacity to actually warn their intended victims/collateral damage possibilities.

The actual IDF news brief reads as follows:

In response to the barrage of Qassam rockets and mortar shells fired at Israel today, which wounded an Israeli civilian and two IDF soldiers, the Israel Air Force attacked a number of targets throughout the Gaza Strip a short while ago.

The targets attacked include six smuggling tunnels and a Hamas
outpost.

As the sole authority in the Gaza Strip, Hamas bears full responsibility for all terror activity originating within its area of control.

However, DEBKAFile cites the ongoing tension between Defense Minister Ehud Barak and Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni, as to the appropriate manner to counter-act the continued provocations of Hamas in Gaza.

Ted Belman @ Israpundit goes into greater detail regarding this row and, personally, as one who admires Livni but comprehends that Bibi is now the proper option, I would postulate that she in major damage control mode, especially as Kadima could actually come in fourth place on the 10th of February.

Read more about the actual strikes and its intended targets here.

Also, outstanding live blogging @ The Muqata here.

On another note, apparently, according to YNETnews.com, all is NOT quiet on the Eastern Front as IDF soldiers had to take out some dangerous psychopath in the West Bank, who no doubt is presently enjoying his 72 trans-gendered virgins (or more likely camels) in Hell!

Lastly, and this is a little dated, Little Green Footballs has a video from Davos wherein Pres. Shimon Peres goes on an electrifying 20 minute diatribe against the extremist Prime Minister of Turkey......It is a must watch and can be found here.

***On a personal note I would like to state that this is my first post on this incredible blog, and it is an honor and privilege to have been extended the courtesy to do so. I will invariably do my level to best to carry its message and battles to all corners of the globe!!!

I can also be found & read on my main site, Let's Get It Right.

A REAL IRONY

One thing that may be certain about this upcoming election in Israel: if there's anyone who's going to come out the loser in the race, it looks like Labor will be it.

Surprisingly enough, that's what looks to be the result, that the party of David Ben-Gurion may be on its way to becoming just a mere blip on the radar after this election. They've really stumbled badly ever since Ehud Barak reneged on his agreement to topple the government due to Ehud Olmert's refusal to step down following the corruption charges against him, and now, things are really looking gloomy. In the Jerusalem Post, they say:

Under the shadow of a new poll predicting that the party will win only six seats in the February 10 national elections, almost 60,000 Labor Party members were lining up to vote in Tuesday's primary.

Note: the primaries have been posponed until Thursday, because of an alleged crash in the computer program they wanted to use for voting.

According to a poll published on Monday and conducted by 'Panels Ltd.' for Channel 2, were elections held today, Labor, headed by Defense Minister Ehud Barak, would crash to only six Knesset seat. Labor won 19 seats in the last election. [...]

Nevertheless, Labor officials were trying to stay positive, and on Monday senior MKs said they were hoping for the best despite the fact that this primary campaign has been characterized by no more than 70-80 supporters at each members' rally.

Six seats, you say? Now that's pretty low for a party that once was able to get at least 40 in many past elections. But that seems to be the case now: they're left with nothing left to sell to the public, not even leftism, which seems to be the only thing they've been good at in the past decade.

Yes, things do look gloomy for the Labor party, which is, perhaps ironically, losing seats to Kadima and Meretz, to name but some other political parties.

Update: here's an op-ed Ynet wrote at least a week ago.

ISRAELI GOVERNMENT APPROVES JEWISH BUILDING IN HEVRON

A surprisingly positive step:

IsraelNN.com) For the first time in many years, the Israeli government has approved Jewish construction in Hevron, the City of the Patriarchs.

Defense Minister Ehud Barak has given his approval to the expansion of the dormitory in Yeshivat Shavei Hevron, the largest Jewish institution in Hevron. Rabbi Chananel Etrog, Acting Dean of the yeshiva, said, "The expansion is an elementary need on the most basic level."

Approval of the expansion has been held up for no fewer than eight years. Rabbi Etrog said that a deviation of 90 centimeters (three feet) was the excuse for a court suit by left-wing elements. "And even after we submitted corrected plans, the Defense Minister at the time held things up by not signing the necessary papers," Rabbi Etrog said. "Ever since then they stalled and sidetracked the various Defense Ministers for years, until finally now Barak has signed the approval."

I do suppose though, that's he's doing it in order to offset his zigzag. Should that be overlooked? Not really.

EHUD BARAK'S ERROR LOSES ONE OF HIS ALLIES

Danny Yatom of the Labor party has decided to call it quits. Here's why:

Defense Minister Ehud Barak's Labor Party suffered a blow on Monday when MK Danny Yatom resigned from the Knesset due to Barak's decision last week not to quit Prime Minister Ehud Olmert's coalition.

Yatom became the second security-minded Labor MK in five weeks to quit the Knesset, following the May 25 departure of Ephraim Sneh. Unlike Sneh, who formed a new party, Yatom decided to leave politics in favor of business and academia.

A former IDF general and Mossad chief, Yatom said he had grown frustrated with his inability to change things at the Knesset and his lack of influence as a back bench MK. [...]

Although Yatom described his relationship with Barak as "terrific," he told the Labor faction that he decided to quit politics because Barak had rejected his advice to remove Labor from the government after the Second Lebanon War and after US financier Morris Talansky's testimony against Olmert.

"It's not a secret that in the two years since the war, I have felt uncomfortable," Yatom told the faction. "The leadership in Israel has made political survival its only goal. Moral and ethical codes that were once fundamental have been eroded."

Yatom blamed Olmert for the deterioration of Israeli politics and hinted that Barak was collaborating with the prime minister by enabling him to remain in power.

"Olmert failed in the task of leadership in war and did not succeed in moral and public tasks, [but] he is not alone, and corruption standards and improper behavior continue," Yatom said. "As a Knesset member in a coalition party, I feel as though I am a partner in the deterioration when I vote in favor of the government. I can no longer function in a reality in which political considerations fill the void of leadership and take precedence over basic values."

Yatom said he hoped that his resignation would send a message that the public should not accept corruption.

He's doing the right thing to leave, and is right in any criticism he's got for Barak.

EHUD BARAK ZIGZAGS AGAIN

Well now, maybe this isn't too surprising, or shouldn't be. Just a day after Ehud Barak and the Labor party say they'd support a bill for dispersing the Knesset, they backtrack over the ostensible assurance that there will be primaries for a new leader in Kadima in a few months, which does little more than to give Ehud Olmert some more borrowed time. It says here:

The Labor-Kadima agreement does not specify when Olmert will actually step down from office, under the assumption that the primaries will produce another paty leader.

Politicians from the right and the left were quick to slam the deal. MK Zahava Gal-On (Meretz) criticized the Labor Party for allowing a prime minister under investigation of corruption charges to remain in power several additional months instead of replacing him with a "suitable" government immediately. One Likud Party spokesman said Labor chairman Ehud Barak "once again failed to take responsibility," a reference to the Defense Minister's broken promise to resign upon publication of the Winograd Report in January, 2008.

They are quite right, I'll say. Barak is no leader. Update: Netanyahu, much more of a leader than he'll ever be, has responded in an address to Olmert on how the dam of confidence has been broken.

Update 2: Olmert has announced that he'll run for reelection in the coming primary, much to the embarrassment of the Labor party. Well, I hope some of them are happy with how ridiculous they've made themselves look.

It's said that Shas holds the key to the government's survival. However, that's exactly why now, all eyes should be turned to them as well, because they are going to have to take responsibility.

WINOGRAD COMMITTEE SLAMS EHUD BARAK

What a surprise for him too, I'm sure. The former prime minister has just gotten a very rude awakening:

(IsraelNN.com) The Winograd Committee has sharply criticized Defense Minister Ehud Barak, whose order for a hasty withdrawal from Lebanon when he was Prime Minister is cited as leaving a vacuum for Hizbullah to exploit, journalist Yoav Yitzchak reported on his Hebrew NFC website. Barak also is chairman of the Labor party, and a negative report on his policies may hinder his previously stated plan to quit the coalition after the report is issued.

Winograd Committee member Prof. Ruth Gabizon reportedly described a direct connection between the withdrawal in 2000 and the subsequent stockpiling of weapons by Hizbullah. The committee has said it will release its final report by the end of the year without laying blame on individuals for the failures of the government and military in the Second Lebanon War.

This is likely to be a blow to Barak's influence, and damage his reputation, deservedly so.

CALLED IT! BARAK PLANS MASSIVE STRIKE ON HAMAS

From the Times of London: (Hat tip: Captain Ed)

ISRAEL’s new defence minister Ehud Barak is planning an attack on Gaza within weeks to crush the Hamas militants who have seized power there.

According to senior Israeli military sources, the plan calls for 20,000 troops to destroy much of Hamas’s military capability in days.

The raid would be triggered by Hamas rocket attacks against Israel or a resumption of suicide bombings.

Barak, who is expected to become defence minister tomorrow, has already demanded detailed plans to deploy two armoured divisions and an infantry division, accompanied by assault drones and F-16 jets, against Hamas.

Damn I'm good!