November 5, 2009: Peace prospects between Israel and the Palestinians are bleaker than ever. The main reason for this is something that is rarely reported in the mass media; decades of really vile anti-Semitic propaganda in the Arab media (and now in many other Moslem nations as well). This propaganda calls for the destruction of Israel, not peace negotiations. This stuff is very nasty, so much so that even Arab editors know better than to let much of it appear on their English language web sites. But a lot of it does get onto English language sites (mainly pro-terrorist ones seeking support in the English speaking world), and it doesn't take much time, using a search engine, to uncover the stuff. The mainstream line on Israel is that peace talks are just a subterfuge to distract the Israelis, and weaken them, while preparations continue for a final battle that will destroy Israel and drive all the Jews from the Middle East. The Israelis know about all this, and have pretty much given up trying to get Western media, or politicians, to appreciate the real Arab attitudes, and go through the motions of negotiating just to keep their Western allies happy.
At the moment, there's no one to negotiate with among the Palestinians. Fatah has called for elections in January, to resolve the split between themselves and Hamas (which controls the 40 percent of the Palestinians that live in Gaza). But Hamas (which has lost much of its popularity because of its harsh and inept rule in Gaza), has refused to allow anyone in Gaza take part in these elections. So the elections will settle nothing. Arab diplomatic efforts to get Fatah and Hamas to reconcile have failed. So have efforts by Western diplomats. Hamas is fixated on its plans to destroy Israel, and imposing Islamic law on the people of Gaza. This leaves no time for diplomacy. To make matters worse, many Arab nations, are responding to the years of "kill the Jews" propaganda by passing laws against even negotiating with Israel, or having any contact at all.
Many Arabs view this situations with the Israelis and Palestinians more realistically, but there's not much they can do. Public opinion, and the politicians, are firmly behind the genocide solution. The only bright spot is a growing frustration, among Palestinian students, with the failed strategy of trying to destroy Israel. But these kids are not in power yet, and won't be even close for another 20-30 years. Unless there's some kind of Palestinian revolution first. But that approach has not worked well elsewhere in the Arab world.
Egypt continues to arrest Islamic terrorists, and seize bomb making material. These arrests are linked to Islamic terror groups that Hamas shelters in Gaza.
November 4, 2009: Off the coast of Cyprus, an Israeli warship sent commandos to seize a German container ship, that was transporting 500 tons of rockets, and other weapons, from Iran to Syria. Israel brought the ship to an Israeli port for unloading, witnessed by media. The weapons were meant for use against Israel, by the Iran backed Hezbollah terrorists in southern Lebanon. Iran denied any involvement.
November 3, 2009: The Israeli military has spotted Hamas testing longer range (60 kilometers), Iranian made, rockets. These tests were conducted by firing several of the rockets out into the Mediterranean. Israeli intelligence has warned, earlier this year, that such rockets were being smuggled into Gaza, via the tunnels. The rockets are broken into sections, to get through the tunnels, and then reassembled. Such rockets can reach Israeli cities, and would be used to cause civilian casualties (as they are unguided, and can only be aimed at urban areas.)
October 31, 2009: Police arrested a Jewish extremist, Yaakov Teitel, living in the West Bank, and charged him with several terrorist acts. These include the murder of two Palestinians, and the bombing of the home of an Israeli critic of the settler movement. Such extremists, who believe that Israel should include the West Bank, and other adjacent territories, are becoming more numerous, as more Israelis are frustrated by many failed attempts to negotiate with the Palestinians. But Israel, unlike the Palestinians, can control their extremists, if they have to. Otherwise, the Israeli extremists, who vote in tightly disciplined blocks, are allowed to expand their settlements in the West Bank.
October 28, 2009: Lebanese troops found four more 107mm rockets set up along the Israeli border, near the site of another rocket launching yesterday. The rockets were disabled. This is the fifth time this year that someone has set up or fired rockets into Israel. Groups claiming affiliation with al Qaeda have said they were responsible, but Lebanese police have been unable to track down the individuals responsible.
October 27, 2009: Islamic terrorists fired a 107mm rocket from Lebanon into Israel (which responded with some artillery fire.)
