Haaretz Poll: 65% satisfied with Netanyahu's performance; 54% say government will draw the appropriate conclusions from disaster

(Yossi verter-Haaretz).The call from opposition leader Tzipi Livni that those responsible step down also serves Netanayhu's interests. The public atmosphere today is not what it was after the Second Lebanon War. Nobody's taking in the streets demanding a commission of inquiry.

In the Haaretz-Dialog public opinion poll published Tuesday, the Netanyahu government received an average grade of "inadequate" for its handling of the country's firefighting services, in line with the State Comptroller's Report. Netanyahu received high grades for his performance during the four days of the fire. Most of the public is prepared to make do with the report from the state comptroller, retired Judge Micha Lindenstrauss, whom most Israelis perceive as a professional and trustworthy judicial authority, and forgo a state commission of inquiry.

The bottom line of the poll (conducted by Professor Camil Fuchs of Tel Aviv University's statistics department ) is that the high level of public satisfaction with Netanyahu, combined with a feeling that the government will know how to draw the appropriate conclusions from the disaster, symbolizes calm on the domestic front. It's the embodiment of the "everything's gonna be all right" and "trust us" culture Israelis are all too familiar with.

Aluf Benn/ When Netanyahu was forced to take command - medals are awarded for bravery in battle

(Aluf benn-Haaretz).Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's behavior this week exemplified the "paradox of the leader." Going to the scene, issuing orders on live TV and displaying control as events unfold will win you popularity. But if Netanyahu and his government had reinforced the Fire and Rescue Services in advance, and had there not been a major fire, there would have been no political gain. In the army, too, medals are awarded for bravery in battle, not for preventing wars.

Netanyahu chalked up a few victories this week. He was seen as the commander-in-chief who brought to Israel the planes that fought the blaze on Mount Carmel. He employed a combination of stubbornness and cunning against the U.S. administration's demand for a further construction freeze in the settlements, forcing U.S. President Barack Obama to back off. And he conducted advanced negotiations to end the crisis with Turkey.

The immediate results are clear: The coalition was spared a crisis over a construction freeze; and Shas, whose leader was scathed, as it were, in the fire, will now be clinging to its government seats. The Labor Party will latch on to the new peace plan, that U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton is scheduled to present this evening, as an excuse to remain in the Netanyahu government.

The "hour of decision" has been postponed, and who can say when it will return? The prime minister proved to his voters on the right that he can "safeguard the Land of Israel" despite American pressure, enjoy mass popularity and avert a confrontation with Obama. The settlers can feel pleased. They believe the West Bank Jewish population is approaching a critical mass of hundreds of thousands, putting paid to any ideas of an Israeli withdrawal.

Judging from Netanyahu's behavior, he believes that currently there is no partner for peace and no target for war. Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas is refusing to talk to him and is promoting a diplomatic effort to bypass negotiations, involving international recognition of Palestine within the borders of the territory occupied by Israel in 1967. Netanyahu's response was to lift restrictions on the export of goods from Gaza, a move that strengthens "Hamastan." Abbas turned to Argentina for recognition, Netanyahu turned to Ismail Haniyeh.

The Mount Carmel fire and the collapse of the firefighting services showed that the home front is not prepared for a war with Iran and Hezbollah, in which thousands of missiles would strike Israeli cities. In such a situation, Netanyahu would hesitate to attack Iran's nuclear facilities. The exposure of Israel's vulnerability entails risks: The enemy might be tempted to attack before the "Elad squadron" of firefighting planes enters service (and before next spring, at which time, according to the Air Force Journal, Israel will achieve initial operational capability to use the new bunker-buster bombs acquired by the F-15I squadrons ). In the coming months, Netanyahu will be torn between the assessment that Obama is too weak to thwart an Israeli attack, particularly after the WikiLeaks revelations, and the evaluation of the enormous risks entailed in an operation that could wreak destruction and devastation on Israel's civilian population.

All of this leaves Israel in a "no war no peace" situation, as in the days of Golda Meir. An economic boom in the shadow of a volcano. "You are always looking for big decisions," one of Netanyahu's advisers told me a year ago. "Why can't we get through this term with a little freeze, a little settlement activity, a few quarrels and a little reconciliation with Obama?" So far, Netanyahu has succeeded pretty well with that approach. The events of the past few days showed again that he's a lot better at responding to events that are forced on him than at demonstrating initiative.

Eyal Geffen/ Netanyahu took charge, demonstrated control, gave instructions and functioned well

(Eyal Geffen-NRG translated via Google).I do not like the conduct of this man and what he stands for and He is not my cup of tea, But in my opinion, during the fire Netanyahu did a great job. Some probably may be shocked, and some will want to do a hearing test, but really, really mean what I'm saying. Netanyahu took charge of the crisis and managed in a very smart way.

First and foremost he did not deal with what he does not understand and know. He reinforced the connoisseurs and the forces; He did not comfort them by phone, via his Facebook page or tweeted on Twitter He was there next to them around the clock.

In the instruction list for A good leader it’s listed that being close and supporting, inserts a lot of motivation and power. Support and personal involvement are an important engine that promotes success and victory. Netanyahu did what he does know, in a day and a half he catapulted aircraft fleet here from around the world.

Netanyahu sat around the clock, dialed himself to the World Leaders, closed on every side possible and left them no choice. In result, in two days, 34 fire extinguishing aircraft arrived to Israel.

And in those moments a huge Media outcry consumed, since it is impossible that such a move some Journalist or Radio broadcaster will skip this without earning credits.

The media giant wheels did not stop for a moment, they immediately began to move and crush in uncontrolled drive every act, semi-angle of observation or statement that didn’t settle well on their eardrum, standing with measuring instruments to measure when he said some sentence if there was a camera or not.

For what are all these allegations? He asked someone to say something, and lets assume he asked, so what? On what exactly does the Media want to do here a drama? There's a prime minister who took charge, demonstrated control, briefed and gave instructions and functioned well.

Let him work, let him finish the job that is very complex, and despite unflattering camera shots, He fought every moment that such a situation doesn’t happen again, Assume for a moment the pen and let us viewers see what is done - to judge by ourselves, Give us some fresh air to breath..

Jpost/Smith Poll: Israel in the 'Right' direction - Election's would give Netanyahu a stronger Right gov't

Survey, taken on eve of Carmel fire, puts Netanyahu 10 points ahead of Livni as preferred prime minister. Right and Center-Right parties would rise from their current 65 seats to 69 and the Left-Center bloc would fall from 55 to 51, according to a Smith Consulting poll carried out for The Jerusalem Post before last weekend’s Carmel Forest fire.

It predicted that Likud would win one more mandate than Kadima, 30 to 29, instead of the 28 seats for Kadima and 27 for Likud in the current Knesset. Israel Beiteinu and Shas would remain at 15 and 11 seats, respectively.

In a dramatic shift on the Left, Labor would fall from 13 seats to only six and Meretz would double its current total of three mandates to match Labor.

Arab parties would win 10 seats, down one, United Torah Judaism would rise from five seats to seven, and the two religious-Zionist parties – the National Union and Habayit Hayehudi – would each win three.

Asked who they would prefer as prime minister, 40% of respondents said Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu, 30% opposition leader Tzipi Livni, and 30% had no preference or opinion. Among voters who have not decided which party to vote for, 33% said they preferred Livni and 31% Netanyahu, while 36% would not say.

Other polls taken this week have suggested that the public was relatively satisfied with Netanyahu’s handling of the fire. A Teleseker poll published in Tuesday’s Ma’ariv found that 40.7% prefer Netanyahu as prime minister, 24.5% Livni, 11.6% Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman, 2.5% Defense Minister Ehud Barak, 16% none of the above, and 4.6% did not know.

NY Democratic Rep. Gary Ackerman lashes out at Obama’s Mideast policy

While GOP Congressmen have been clear about their intention to step up criticism of the Obama administration over its stance towards Israel once Republicans take over the US House of Representatives in January, there are signs that Democrats could also be more willing to challenge the White House’s Middle East policies in the coming session.

Just hours after news that the US would be changing its approach to reviving the peace process, Democratic New York Rep. Gary Ackerman welcomed the news and issued a sharp rebuke of the Obama administration’s approach until now.

“I sincerely hope this decision represents a strategic shift in the Obama administration’s approach to the Middle East, The shift of effort away from the settlements issue, which was and is truly tangential to the future of the region, creates an opportunity to focus on the singular, totally consuming issue in the Middle East, namely stopping Iran’s determined effort to acquire nuclear weapons.”

An Ackerman aide said that the congressman chose to issue his policy statement because “he thinks it’s the right thing to do.”

“With the president’s popularity so low – and his limping from the disaster of the midterm elections – Democrats who disagree with his administration’s policies are more emboldened to speak out,” said a Washington Jewish leader who works closely with Congress.

“We’ve seen it this week with the tax compromise, and we are seeing it as well as it relates to the US-Israel relationship, Democrats who held their tongues when Obama was the most popular man in the world are now speaking their minds.”

“I think as more holes get poked in this administration’s plan for Middle East peace, more people are going to be willing to be critical,” said a congressional staffer to a Democratic member of the House. “Obviously people are less likely to criticize a very powerful administration.”

He said that on settlements, there has always been concern from members. “On the settlements issue, the vast majority of Israel’s supporters in Congress disagreed with the administration’s approach,” he said.

He also added that Ackerman’s statement isn’t the first time a member of Congress has been willing to speak out against the administration, particularly by the blunt-talking Ackerman.

“Members of Congress, even Obama’s supporters in Congress, have been willing to criticize him when they disagree with the peace process,” the staffer said.

David Harris of the National Jewish Democratic Council, however, defended the Obama administration’s approach.

“The administration has enough moving parts to keep their eye on the ball of their number one foreign policy priority, which is Iran,” he said.

“Clearly the administration is vigorously pursuing isolating Iran.”

He called it a “fallacy” to think that either the White House’s pursuit of Middle East peace or seeking to end Iran’s nuclear quest had come at the cost of the other.

Just how loudly and frequently Democratic members take issue with the White House on the Middle East could also depend on what they see Republicans do, according to the Democratic staffer.

He noted that Florida Republican Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, who was confirmed as chairwoman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee Wednesday, has not shied away from being loudly critical of Obama and aggressive in supporting Israel.

Upon being confirmed, Ros- Lehtinen put out a statement in which she praised playing “hardball” with rogue regimes, backing “strong sanctions and other penalties” against such governments.

She also said wouldn’t hesitate to call for halting US funding to “failed entities like the discredited Human Rights Council” at the UN if changes aren’t made.

“As the Republican Congress lays down new markers for what it means to be hawkish on Israel, it will be interesting to see how many Democrats supportive of Israel will feel the need to move in their direction,” the Democratic staffer said.

Charm offensive and ease of pressure plays well in Israel - only 51% of Israeli's have negative view of Obama

51 percent of Israeli Jews hold negative views of U.S. President Barack Obama, while 41 percent feel positive towards the American leader, a poll released on Thursday by the Saban Center for Middle East Policy found.

According to the poll, the world figure most admired by Israeli Jews is German Chancellor Angela Merkel, followed by former U.S. president Bill Clinton, with Obama coming in third place.

62 percent of Israel Jews polled want Israel to do more to promote comprehensive peace with the Arabs, but about half of Israeli Jews believe that Arabs would not accept a solution to the conflict.

27 percent of Israelis reject withdrawing from territories occupied during the Six Day War in 1967 and establishing a Palestinian state in the West Bank and Gaza, even if all Arab states were to recognize Israel.

Three quarters of Israeli Jews want the Palestinians to accept Israel as a "Jewish State" but only one third demand such acceptance before a peace agreement is reached.

71 percent of Israeli Jews accept accommodating non-Jewish citizens by defining Israel as "the homeland of the Jewish people and of all its citizens."

The poll also measured the opinions of the American public as well as Israel's Arab sector.

The percentage of Israeli Arabs holding positive views of Obama has dropped from 70 percent in 2009 to 45 percent in 2010.

Poll: 71% of Americans favor U.S. role in Mideast; striking partisan differences in attitude towards Israel

(Politico).A poll to be released Thursday at the Brookings Institution shows that two-thirds of Americans polled believe that the Arab-Israeli issue is among the top five American interests in the world, while one quarter believe it is one of top three American interests.

The findings "are really striking," the poll's coordinator, Shibley Telhami told POLITICO on Wednesday. "The American public thinks this is a big-time issue."

With 71 percent of those polled supporting American diplomatic efforts to mediate the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, President Barack Obama can't just walk away from the issue, Telhami said.

The poll also showed striking partisan differences in attitudes toward the conflict, with 46 percent of Republicans wanting American diplomacy to lean toward Israel, compared to 11 percent of independents and 14 percent of Democrats.

US State Dep spokesman: Decision to drop freeze demand is a recognition of reality

US Middle East peace envoy George Mitchell will head back to the region next week after Obama administration officials vowed on Wednesday to continue the push for peace despite a breakdown in direct negotiations.

"Senator Mitchell will go back to the region next week to consult," State Department spokesman PJ Crowley said.

Crowley said the US believed that direct negotiations will still be necessary to resolve the Mideast conflict, and would discuss with both sides what the best way might be to bring them to the table.

"I would describe this as a change in tactics, not a change in strategy," Crowley said.

Crowley said the US decision on settlements marked a recognition of reality.

"We thought that this had in a sense become an end in itself rather than become a means to an end."

"We're going to focus on the substance and try to begin to make progress on the core issues themselves, and we think that will create the kind of momentum that we need to see to get to sustained negotiations."

Crowley said the US continued to view further Israeli settlement activity as illegitimate. He said the impasse over settlements had also halted separate US discussions of a possible security package for Israel which Washington had hoped might help Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu sell a settlement deal politically.

"At this time we are not pursuing a settlement moratorium and we're not pursuing that kind of discussion with the Israelis," Crowley said.

The U.S. gives up on settlement freeze demand, de-linking negotiations from freeze

(Politico).The United States has decided to abandon an effort to persuade Israel to issue a new temporary West Bank settlement moratorium in order to get a resumption of direct Israeli-Palestinian peace talks, U.S. officials said Tuesday.

"After consulting with the parties, we have determined that a moratorium extension will not at this time provide the best basis for resuming negotiations," a U.S. official said on condition of anonymity Tuesday.

"We are still going to continue our engagement with both sides on the core issues and we continue to work towards the goal of a framework agreement,We hope obviously to get the parties to direct talks but in the meantime we will continue our engagement with both sides," the official said, declining to use the word "proximity" talks. "We are not changing course. We are still very much committed" to get a framework agreement.

"They are trying to de-link negotiations from a settlement freeze," one Washington Middle East watcher said Tuesday, of the Obama administration. "Their argument is that the intention was never to make a freeze a precondition for talks - a freeze was supposed to build confidence and energize talks, that's all. Now they are trying to formally break the linkage that inadvertently developed."

The Times reports that the U.S. gave up in part because it didn't think that 90 days would be enough to resolve the Middle East talks (shock!), and that an offer of security guarantees to Israel is now "off the table."

A senior Israeli official tells me that the U.S. abandoned its plans in part because the request for a 90-day freeze came despite a lack of clarity on "what was going to happen on day 91." While the Palestinian and U.S. sides had hoped to make a deal on borders during that period, the Israelis insisted that they wouldn't "give" a deal on borders without "getting" concessions on some other issue.

"We're entering a period of a few weeks of wanting to go to a different track, and then the question is what that track is," the Israeli official said. "Sometimes doing things out of the spotlight and without having everybody focus on it allows for more progress."

"Their overall commitment to Israeli's qualitative military edge is very strong," the official said, arguing that a promise of fighter jets to Israel was a logical response to a sale of jets to Saudi Arabia. "In the administration and in Congress, there are people who will recognize what that Saudi deal mean for Israel's needs and will be able to continue that discussion," the official said.

Jpost/Smith poll: PM Netanyahu and Likud ministers get high Good performing grades

(Jpost).Israelis view Communications Minister Moshe Kahlon, Environmental Protection Minister Gilad Erdan and Finance Minister Yuval Steinitz as the best-performing ministers in the government, according to a poll for The Jerusalem Post.

The Smith Consulting poll of a representative sample of 500 adult Israelis was carried out November 30-December 1.It asked respondents to grade the 30 ministers on a scale of one to 10, with one being the worst and 10 the best.

The ministers who scored the highest were Kahlon (6.97), Erdan (6.6), Steinitz (5.98), Welfare and Social Services Minister Isaac Herzog (5.97), Education Minister Gideon Sa’ar (5.96) and Minister-without- Portfolio Bennie Begin (5.93).

Respondents gave the worst grades to Yishai (4.4), followed by his Shas ally Religious Services Minister Ya’acov Margi (4.74).

Netanyahu was near the top of the list at 5.90.

Kahlon’s top rating was seen as connected to his fight against the cellphone companies on behalf of consumers. The poll was taken amid headlines praising Kahlon for his success in forcing the companies to cut exit fees.

Erdan, who is considering an offer to become ambassador to the United Nations, has been given credit for leading an environmental revolution, an issue that is increasingly popular with Israelis.

The fact that Steinitz has remained popular despite being finance minister is considered an accomplishment.

Herzog was given a much better grade than his competition for the Labor Party leadership, Defense Minister Ehud Barak (5.23) and Minority Affairs Minister Avishay Braverman, who at 5.16 was one of the least-popular ministers.

Begin, who has not taken any aides, is popular with the public because of his honesty and his modesty.

Mike Huckabee: Settlement freeze is counterintuitive to Peace

(The Jewish Week).Former Arkansas governor and 2008 Republican presidential hopeful Mike Huckabee got a standing ovation when Dr. Joseph Frager introduced him at the 28th annual dinner of American Friends of Bet El Yeshiva Center on Dec. 5.

It was the fifth night of Chanukah, which reminded Huckabee that if he ran with John McCain in 2008 the Republicans would have had a 'McCabee' victory.

“Where we are now is between a Barack and a hard place,” he quipped.

Huckabee denounced the administration’s pressure to freeze settlements:

“A cessation of land development in order to make peace with an adversary that refuses to recognize your right to exist is counter-intuitive, it absolutely makes no sense whatsoever... It seems to me there should be pressure put on the Palestinians, not the Israelis.”

As for those critics of the $3 billion dollars of U.S. aid to Israel, Huckabee said he wants for the people who are not Jewish to recognize why the Jewish people should be safe and secure: “Israel is strategically the most important ally we have in that part of the world. We will stand with Israel.”

Huckabee described an emotional visit 17 years ago. He took his daughter, 11 years old at the time, to Yad Vashem. “Would she comprehend?” he wondered. The girl was so overtaken with emotion, so incredulous at the recorded events of the Holocaust, that she wrote in the guest book, “Why didn’t someone do something?”

“I did not have to ask my daughter if she understood.”

Geert Wilders: We must speak the truth - The truth that Samaria and Judea are part of Israel

Dutch politician Geert Wilders called on Israel to build more settlements in the West Bank in defiance of international demands for a construction freeze on Sunday.

Wilders stated that building must continue so Israel can create defensible borders — by annexing the West Bank. Wilders is known in the Netherlands and Europe as a staunch critic of Islam and political Islamism.

Excerpts:

"I am not ashamed to stand with Israel, but proud. I am grateful to Israel. I will always defend Israel. Your country is the cradle of Western civilization. We call it the Judeo-Christian civilization with good reason.

"Israel is often being treated unfairly. The world looks at the plight of the Palestinians in refugee camps in Lebanon, Gaza, and other places, and many blame Israel. The UN claims that there are over 4.7 million Palestinian refugees, and many blame Israel. These voices say the Palestinians should be allowed to return to “Palestine.” But where is Palestine? Many say Israel must solve the problems of Palestine. But is Israel guilty of the plight of the Palestinian refugees?

"My answer is “No.” The Arab leaders are to be blamed – and Islam is to be blamed.

"Islam,conditions Muslims to hate Jews. It is a religious duty to do so. Israel must be destroyed because it is the homeland of the Jews.

"Influential Islamic scholars, such as Muhammad Tantawi, the Grand Imam of Al-Azhar in Cairo, the most prestigious center of Muslim learning, call Jews “enemies of Allah.” Tantawi, who died last March, was generally considered a moderate by the Western media and policy makers. But how did this “moderate” address a delegation of Palestinian Muslims who visited him in 2002?

"He urged them to intensify suicide attacks against Israelis, stating that every so-called “martyrdom operation” against – I quote – “any Israeli, including children, women, and teenagers, is a legitimate act according to [Islamic] religious law, and an Islamic commandment, until the people of Palestine regain their land.” – end of quote.

"Israel, on the other hand, is a beacon of light; it is like a Hanukkah menorah whose lights have been kindled in a region that until 1948 was engulfed by darkness.

"Friends, Israel is not to blame for the situation in the Middle East. The problem is Islam’s rejection of Israel’s right to exist. Only last month, Fatah concluded its convention in Ramallah by declaring its blatant refusal to recognize Israel as a Jewish state.

"The problem is also our Western leaders’ refusal to understand that Israel is the West’s canary in the coalmine: If the Jews are denied the right to live in freedom and peace, soon we will all be denied this right. If the light of Israel is extinguished, we will all face darkness. If Israel falls, the West falls. That is why we are all Israel.

"But as long as the West refuses to understand how the Palestinians are used as a weapon against Israel, it will not be able to see who is truly to blame; it will not be able to see that it is not Israel’s duty to provide a Palestinian state – for the simple reason that there already is a Palestinian state and that state is Jordan.

"Indeed, my friends, Jordan is Palestine. Take a look at the map of this part of the world after the collapse of the Ottoman Empire following World War I. Both contemporary Israel and contemporary Jordan were part of the British Mandate of Palestine.

"In 1922, the British partitioned Palestine into Cisjordan and Transjordan – the latter comprising 78 per cent of the territory of Palestine. The British handed that territory over to their ally, the Hashemite strongman Abdallah ibn Hussein. Abdallah was the son of the emir Hussein bin Ali, guardian of the Islamic holy city of Mecca. The Hashemites belong to the Quraish tribe – the tribe of Islam founder Muhammad. They are a foreign body in Palestine.

"Israel, including Judea and Samaria, has been the land of the Jews since time immemorial. Judea means Land of the Jews. Never in the history of the world has there been an autonomous state in the area that was not Jewish. The Diaspora of the Jews, which began after their defeat by the Romans in AD 70, did not lead to the departure of all the Jews from their ancient homeland. Jews had been living in the Jordan Valley for centuries until the Arab invaders drove them out in 1948, when the provinces of Judea and Samaria were occupied by the Hashemite Kingdom of Transjordan, which abbreviated its name to Jordan in 1950.

"And until 1967, when Israel regained the ancient Jewish heartland of Judea and Samaria, no-one, not a single Islamic scholar or Western politician, ever demanded that there be an independent Palestinian state in the so-called West Bank.

"People are mistaken when they assume that giving up Judea and Samaria and East Jerusalem and letting the Palestinians have it, will end the conflict between Israel and the Arabs. In 2005, Israel sacrificed the settlements in Gaza for the sake of peace. Did it get peace?

"On the contrary, because the conflict is essentially ideological, the situation worsened. Because the conflict is ideological, territorial concessions are counterproductive. Ideologies cannot be defeated by concessions. They are encouraged and emboldened by it.

"Ideologies must be confronted with the iron will never to give in, “never, never, never, never – in nothing, great or small, large or petty.” That is the lesson which the world learned from Winston Churchill when he confronted the evil ideology of nazism.

"This conflict here in the Middle East is not about land and borders, but about Islamic jihadism opposing Western liberty. From the moment that Israel was founded, the Arab leaders have rejected every partition plan and every initiative for a territorial settlement. The Islamic ideology simply does not accept the concept of a Jewish state. Neither Hamas nor Fatah are willing to recognize the right of the Jewish people to a state of their own in their historic homeland. No territorial concession on Israel’s part can ever change that.

"For the sake of its own survival and security, Israel needs defendable borders. A country that is only 15 kilometers wide is impossible to defend. That is the strategic reason why Jews need to settle Judea and Samaria.

"Therefore, the Jewish towns and villages in Judea and Samaria are not an impediment to peace; they are an expression of the Jewish right to exist in this land. They are tiny outposts of freedom, defying ideological forces which deny not only Israel but the entire West the right to live in peace, dignity and liberty.

"Let us never forget that Islam threatens not just Israel; Islam threatens the entire world. Without Judea and Samaria, Israel cannot protect Jerusalem. The future of the world depends on Jerusalem. If Jerusalem falls, Athens and Rome – and Paris, London and Washington – will be next.

"Thus, Jerusalem is the main front protecting our common civilization. When the flag of Israel no longer flies over the walls of Jerusalem, the West will no longer be free.

"To the skeptics, I say: What is the alternative? Leaving the present situation as it is? No, my friends, the world must recognize that there has been an independent Palestinian state since 1946, and it is the Kingdom of Jordan.

"And to the Western world I say: Let us stand with Israel because the Jews have no other state, while the Palestinians already have Jordan. Let us stand with Israel because the history of our civilization began here, in this land, the homeland of the Jews. Let us stand with Israel because the Jewish state needs defendable borders to secure its own survival. Let us stand with Israel because it is the frontline in the battle for the survival of the West.

"We must speak the truth. The truth that Jordan is Palestine, the truth that Samaria and Judea are part of Israel, the truth that Jerusalem may not fall, the truth that Israel is the only democracy in a dark and tyrannical region, the truth that Israel is the linchpin of the West.

Walla Poll: Netanyahu strengthened following the Carmel Fire, Public satisfied of rapid response to crisis

Increase of support for Benjamin Netanyahu and the ruling party Likud after the fire in Carmel, A Survey conducted by the Research Institute "Maagar Mochot" for Walla News reveals that if the elections were held today, Netanyahu-led Likud would win 32 seats, an increase of five seats compared to previous elections.

The public is Demonstrating satisfaction with Netanyahu's performance and functioning during the fire crisis - Netanyahu gets 78 points out of 100 possible -a very high grade of satisfaction in relation to the Israeli public of its leaders. It seems that the public appreciates the rapid response to the crisis, and that Netanyahu's own public relations offensive in recent days has achieved its goal.

The survey was conducted by telephone, by the Research Institute "Maagar Mochot" headed by Professor Yitzchak Katz, a sample of 502 respondents, representing the Israeli adult population (ages 18 and over), The maximum sampling error is 4.5%.

Elihay Vidal/ Operation Benjamin - The Weekend which Netanyahu appeared as a leader

(Elichay Vidal-The Marker).For One weekend - as sad as it may be - Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu received a gift few Israeli prime ministers (if any) ever received, for One weekend Netanyahu served as the leader of a normal, sane State, An Israeli national leader- The commander of an operation not related to terrorist attacks, fighting against the enemy, or a Coalition threat from the right or left coalition, From Thursday evening, Netanyahu managed efforts to defy the raging fire in Carmel with tight political media coverage yet seen in Israel.

From the Hasty press conference on Thursday evening, through the visit at the hospital, the helicopter flight over the disaster area till assessing the situation from the point of view of Caramel - Prime Minister was sucked into the organization vacuum formed to halt the disaster. "You sir, should command the operation," Netanyahu in the top of his voice boomed at the Minister of Public Security, in front of television cameras and microphones of radio stations - with pathos that leaves no doubt about who really is the commander in the field.

In between, he managed to talk to all the heads of the relevant countries - Russia, USA, France, Greece, Italy, Cyprus and even Turkey. When was the last Israeli prime minister was to receive empathy, physical words of encouragement and assistance from so many world leaders? Even Erdogan speaking with Netanyahu could not ignore the disaster, and perhaps even use it as a ladder to climb down on which the two countries climbed the last two years.

Without pressure from the Americans, no complaints from left and right, without the extortion of the religious parties, without threats from the Palestinian Authority and the appalling screaming Hezbollah, Netanyahu was able to mobilize the whole world in our favor, for the first time. The Frequent flights of foreign aircraft in Israel's flyzone in perfect unison with the Israeli Air Force this weekend seemed like the apocalypse.

Even the political sector Netanyahu won industrial peace. Besides, you can not blame Netanyahu and / or the ruling party and hang on them the responsibility for the disaster, because the ongoing fiasco was built for decades. Netanyahu supposedly only inherited the problem and had to now deal with its terrible consequences.

Benjamin Netanyahu appeared this weekend for the first time in many years as a leader and commander, and he seemed to enjoy every minute of it.

Judith Apter Klinghoffer/ Netanyahu demonstrates Leadership under fire

(Judith Apter Klinghoffer-HNN.us).Fairly or unfairly, leaders are made or unmade during emergencies. George W. Bush grasped was made by 9/11 and unmade during Katrina. Barack Obama was unmade by the Gulf oil spill. In Israel Ehud Olmert was unmade by the second Lebanon War. Benjamin Netanyahu is being made by his brilliant response to the Carmel mega fire. He has set clear goals, acted with decisiveness, dispatch and caring. Unlike Olmert, he repeatedly demonstrated solidarity with the burning North. Not only did he visit with the first respondents, flew over the affected area but had his cabinet meet in one of the formerly evacuated towns.

Life and property first. Forrest second. False dignity last. It is no disgrace to ask for help, he said. His people were delighted to discover that Israel is not as isolated and reviled as they have feared. Even Muslim countries such as Turkey, Jordan, Egypt and the PA sent help and good wishes. Recriminations and finger pointing should be put off until the fire is extinguished, he insisted. Regardless of the media's best efforts, he kept to keep the nation united and focused on the job at hand. It was not easy. The Druz were defensive. Their youngsters were to blame and their villages were in the line of fire. Arsonists trying to make matters worse, lit fires all over the country. Netanyahu held his tongue. He even looked right.

The country responded as it always does. Everybody offered to help. Volunteerism was evident everywhere. Arab and Hasidic villages rushed to offer food and shelter to the evacuees as did hotel chains and Galilee bed and breakfasts. There was nothing unique in the actions of the 16 year old volunteer fire fighter who lost his life trying to save those of others.

Israel is getting hotter and drier. It is also committed to reforestation. Next time it will be better prepared because It is time to stop waiting for wake up calls. They cost too many precious lives and valued treasure.

Still, emergencies happen. Netanyahu's leadership provided Israel and the world with an opportunity to act according to their best nature. What a Hanukkah miracle that was.

Netanyahu: We managed to put out a big fire in less than three days, while in other countries it takes 3 weeks

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu visited the Druze village of Usfiya on Sunday after convening his cabinet in the northern city of Tirat Carmel. Although the fire raging on Mount Carmel in the past few days began in Usfiya, Israel's Druze residents are among its main victims.

Netanyahu spoke about the sights and sounds he experienced on the way. "We stopped on the Carmel range and heard the whisper of the great bird," he said, referring to the Evergreen Supertanker aerial firefighting aircraft which went into action on Sunday morning.

"We are less than 72 hours into the event, and I think we are beginning to gain control, We will know more tonight, and we may use this Supertanker tonight. We'll operate it in a bid to put the fire out once and for all."

Netanyahu, who met with senior Druze officials in Usfiya, preferred to look on the bright side. "In other countries, big fires took longer. We have been asked, 'How can you put out a big fire in less than three days, while it takes other countries three weeks?' My response was, 'We have no other country, and it's a very small country.'

"The government's mission, the firefighters' mission, the IDF's mission, the Air Forces' mission is one – saving our small country, our Carmel. I hope we will get there today. This is the land of all of us."

Netanyahu said he was advancing a plan to restore the green mountain, which has turned black. "The Carmel is something special, so there is international willingness to restore what has been destroyed. The international recruitment included our Arab neighbors. We received help from Jordan's King Abdullah. Egypt's president, the Palestinian Authority chairman. May this disaster bring about good, bring about peace."

Amos Regev/ Netanyahu stood the test of fire - Netanyahu made the right decisions as he took command of disaster

(Amos Regev-Yisrael Hayom, translated by google).Unlike Bush at Katrina, Obama at Gulf oil spill, Benjamin Netanyahu acted well, as he took over management of the crisis

The First to understand the quantum leap of this disaster was Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. In retrospect, this may seem obvious. But on Thursday afternoon there was needed a right battle cry to understand the situation, and make the right decision to focus primarily: to save lives here, and to ask for assistance from the world. Understand that the war on fire, more than it is on the ground - will be decided from the air, using Water jets.

There is no depreciation of national honor to ask for help in state of a natural disaster, It is customary, this is acceptable, it is humanitarian. For 62 years, Israel enjoyed the privilege be asked to help others, This time, the others came to help us. The Prime Minister's personal ties with several world leaders, including the Prime Minister of Greece, certainly could not hurt, But will go down to the fact that on Thursday he just did the right thing: took charge, showing the direction.

Our disaster should be put in perspective, In California huge fires break out every summer, where, with a large fleet of water aircraft's , they run rampant for two weeks - three, and reach almost always, the prestigious neighborhoods next to the beach, In Australia huge fires break out every summer, and there, with aircraft's and firefighter teams - the fire still reaches the cities. These are the force of nature: It is hard to deal with them, even with the best technology.

So, on Thursday, there was the need to do a quick assessment, make the right decisions, And it was done: no matter whoever claims about Israel's diplomatic global isolation - the world stands with us, When such a disaster takes place this size, you do not deal with poor grammar. Regardless of the fire equipment shortages - organizing was also done with the proceedings on the ground.

Remember for a moment what happened here during the Second Lebanon War: while IDF forces were complicated in an unsuccessful battle especially between the "nature reserves" of Hezbollah, the Israeli home front suffered a barrage of rockets - and the central government's hand disappeared. "Administrative vacuum", called it a inquiry commission of the Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee. In the face of the current disaster in Caramel, despite the bad start, and despite the hard feeling over the tragic deaths of more than 40 people - order was settled immediately, instructions were given and Thousands were evacuated from their homes, Nothing stopped from operating.

As to managing the crisis that erupted suddenly, sometimes the truth is an option, even if some media outlets will not like it - Former President Bush was wrong when did not stabilize his command post as soon as the disaster hurricane Katrina took place, which destroyed New Orleans, President Barack Obama was wrong when it took him over a month to take command treating the gulf oil spill, the reins once the disaster treatment oil stain. Prime Minister Netanyahu did the right move when he flew straight up to Haifa with a helicopter to take command of the situation, In Israel's Worst natural disaster on his watch, he took command, and stood the test of his first real fire - with respect.

Abraham Sharon/News1: The Fire Leader - Netanyahu emerges in real time as a national leader

While there are quite a few among us that instead of putting out the fire to help, deal with increasing it,Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, emerges as a real national leader in real time ,He deserves praise, blessings and appreciation.

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(Abraham Sharon/News1, translated by Google, and edited by Jacob Kornbluh).Before the fire was extinguished, at which it appears that it still  isnot subsided, while one by one out comes the water jets, one can and should say: The national disaster is being very striking managed by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Here's the responsible adult, practical, goal-oriented, that knows what is required of him in these difficult times.

Netanyahu emerges as a leader who can distinguish between the most bland, understands the importance of priority, the director is performing well when the entire Nation is flooded by fire and tears.

With Honesty and fairness i must admit: even the fiercest opponents of the prime minister - and I, among them - must, if they are honest and decent, to fully disclosure: The Prime Minister functions at this sudden crisis with a exemplary manner, It seems that he is the only only one in this country that is not only able to raise international support and solidarity, but what is more important - effective means of extinguishing fires, - planes that can carry large amounts of water and flame retardants.

While there are quite a few among us that instead of putting out the fire to help, deal with increasing it,Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, emerges as a real national leader in real time ,He deserves praise, blessings and appreciation.

The bottom line is that it's important to be written and emphasized - In the necessity of circumstances The Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu turns out to be a national and impressive leader . It's Possible that in the history of the prime minister he will be remembered above all as having been the leader of the fire.

Netanyahu: The point of light during Hanukkah: The Israeli people are standing together and many other peoples are standing together with us

From PM Netanyahu's Remarks at the Press Conference at the Haifa University Forward Command Center:

".....The Israeli people know how to come together. The State of Israel knows how to come together and unite in moments of crisis and this is happening here very well....

"I have spoken with approximately 30 heads of state and government, presidents and prime ministers, in the past three days. I must tell you that their mobilization, the warmth of their remarks, their willingness, the desire to help immediately, sometimes even before we have managed to request it, must warm the heart of all Israelis. There is very great solidarity here and there is very great cooperation, of course in keeping with their abilities. People are bringing what they have. Governments are bringing what they have, as per the distances which are often considerable; but not even this is deterring people......

"I think that there is a very serious crisis here but from the bitter shall proceed something important, I do not want to say sweet, because very harsh things and personal tragedies have occurred but one thing is becoming clear.. The Israeli people are standing together and many other peoples are standing together with us. This is not a small thing. This must certainly be a point of light during Chanukah.

"Perhaps I will add one other point because I see that somebody has sent me a message. In the framework of the countries that are aiding us, there have been very interesting things. First, the fact that during Chanukah, Turkish pilots speaking Turkish, and pilots speaking Greek are flying together with Israeli pilots and this is important. This will certainly have positive repercussions from Israel's point-of-view.

"But we have also witnessed displays of admiration and assistance from Egypt, from Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak, from Jordanian King Abdullah, and from Palestinian Authority Chairman Abu Mazen, who volunteered to send three firefighters. I think that these things are very important. I had a very good and warm talk with him. I expressed appreciation both for this step and for his solidarity in conveying his condolences, as others have also done, and I told him that we re in the same neighborhood.

"The fire is once here and once there. We are, in effect, creating a regional network, after we purchase the planes, the planes will join a regional network that I believe we can establish here for the benefit of all of our peoples."

PM Netanyahu thanks World leaders for valuable assistance; says :It's not a shame to ask for help

US President Barack Obama phoned Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu yesterday evening to convey his condolences to the families who lost their loved ones in the blaze and expressed his support for the citizens of Israel. President Obama said that he has made providing urgent assistance to Israel a top priority and that he has instructed government bodies to make arrangements to transfer the necessary resources.

The Prime Minister thanked the President personally and for the entire country for Americas readiness to help and for the substansial assistance that the US Government has already provided and on its intention to provide additional aid.

Netanyahu also spoke on Friday for the first time with Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan and thanked him for the assistance in the efforts to control the Carmel brushfire: "We very much appreciate this mobilization and I am certain that it will be an opening toward improving relations between our two countries, Turkey and Israel."

President Mahmoud Abbas received on Saturday, a telephone call from Prime Minister Netanyahu, expressing his gratitude for the help of the The three units of the Palestinian Civil Defense were sent to assist in extinguishing Carmel fire.

Carmel.

On Friday, Netanyahu spoke with the heads of state of Russia, Germany, Turkey, Britain, Norway, Finland, Belgium, the Ukraine and the United States.

in addition PM Netanyahu's office released video of Phone call with his Russian counterpart PM Vladamir Putin and thanked him and his country for their assistance in the effort to control the deadly forest fire.

Speaking at the Haifa University command post on Saturday evening, Netanyahu explained that similar incidents have taken place across the world, "in the huge fires in Russia, the United States, Greece and several other countries. These fires have nothing to do with arson. Huge fires require the operation of combined forces. This requires aerial activity, as the ground forces cannot stop the fire from spreading."

The prime minister elaborated on his requests for the world's help in battling the fire, noting that "We have nothing to be ashamed of. We live in a global world. We give help and receive help." He called the foreign aid "heartwarming".

Netanyahu said the Evergreen Supertanker, a Boeing 747-200 modified into an aerial firefighting aircraft, was expected to land in Israel from the US on Saturday night, at around 1 am.

He said the contract with the company was signed within an hour after he had heard that "there was such a plane"..."We are bringing a Boeing Supertanker, the largest plane of its kind in the world, and we have been told that it can also do night flights – there is nothing like that in the world."

He went on to say that he planned to purchase a fleet of firefighting aircraft. "This is something we need in the era of global warming and fires. We must change our ability to deal with huge fires."

President Obama: Hanukkah candles represent not just a triumph of the past, but also hope for the future

(via Suntimes, YWN, ABC). President Barack Obama and first lady Michelle Obama have convened a Hanukkah celebration at the White House on the second night of the Jewish festival of lights.

The celebration occurred in the East Room Thursday, where 500 guests, including Rabbi Capers C. Funnye, Jr. who is Mrs. Obama's cousin recited traditional prayers while lighting candles in a menorah lent by a congregation in New Orleans that was devastated by Hurricane Katrina. The president and first lady looked on as the candle-lighting ceremony took place, Among the others present: the three Jewish Supreme Court justices: Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Stephen Breyer and Elena Kagan.

Unlike last year, there was a photo line with the president, who greeted his guests with Mrs. Obama for remarks and a menorah lighting. Quipped Obama, who was elbowed last weekend in a basketball game and required stitches, "Yes, they will be able to photo shop my lip for the picture. 

Saxophonist Joshua Redman played a poignant "Rock of Ages," a traditional Hanukkah song and the Marine Band in the foyer was playing a medley of Hanukkah tunes.

"Tonight, we gather to celebrate a story as simple as it is timeless. It’s a story of ancient Israel, suffering under the yoke of empire, where Jews were forbidden to practice their religion openly, and the Holy Temple — including the holy of holies — had been desecrated.

It was then that a small band of believers, led by Judah Maccabee, rose up to take back their city and free their people. And when the Maccabees entered the temple, the oil that should have lasted for a single night ended up burning for eight.

That miracle gave hope to all those who had been struggling in despair. And in the 2,000 years since, in every corner of the world, the tiny candles of Hanukkah have reminded us of the importance of faith and perseverance. They have illuminated a path for us when the way forward was shrouded in darkness.

And as we prepare to light another candle on the menorah, let us remember the sacrifices that others have made so that we may all be free. Let us pray for the members of our military who guard that freedom every day, and who may be spending this holiday far away from home.

Let us also think of those for whom these candles represent not just a triumph of the past, but also hope for the future — the men, women and children of all faiths who still suffer under tyranny and oppression.

That’s why families everywhere are taught to place the menorah in public view, so the entire world can see its light. Because, as the Talmud teaches us, “So long as a person still has life, they should never abandon faith.”

Now, the menorah we’re using tonight, and the family who — who is going to help us light it, both stand as powerful symbols of that faith.

This beautiful menorah has been generously loaned to us by Congregation Beth Israel in New Orleans. (Applause.) Five years ago, when Hurricane Katrina hit, the synagogue was covered in eight feet of water. Later, as the cleanup crew dug through the rubble, they discovered this menorah, caked in dirt and mold. And today it stands as a reminder of the tragedy and a source of inspiration for the future.

And that feeling is shared by Susan Retik. It’s a feeling they know all too well. After her husband, David, was killed on September 11th, Susan could have easily lost herself in feelings of hopelessness and grief. But instead, she turned her personal loss into a humanitarian mission — co-founding “Beyond the 11th,” a group that reaches out to Afghan widows facing their own struggles.

So on this second night of Hanukkah, let us give thanks to the blessings that all of us enjoy. Let us be mindful of those who need our prayers. And let us draw strength from the words of a great philosopher, who said that a miracle is “a confirmation of what is possible.”

President Obama Pledges US assistance - "what friends do for each other" in WH candle lighting

(via YWN).President Barak Obama Mentioned the Israeli Wildfire In his yearly Chanukah Speech at the White House Chanukah party. In his opening remarks the President offered his deepest condolences to the families of those lost in today’s wildfire in Northern Israel. The President then stated that the United States is in touch with Israel, and will be providing assistance to Israel as quickly as possible.

"I want to begin by offering our deepest condolences to the families and loved ones of all of those who’ve died as a result of the terrible forest fire in northern Israel.

As rescuers and firefighters continue in their work, the United States is acting to help our Israeli friends respond to the disaster. A short while ago, our ambassador in Tel Aviv, Jim Cunningham, issued a disaster declaration, which has launched an effort across the U.S. government to identify the firefighting assistance we have available and provide it to Israel as quickly as possible. Of course, that’s what friends do for each other.

And, Mr. Ambassador, our thoughts and prayers are with everybody in Israel who is affected by this tragedy and the family and loved ones of those in harm’s way...."

Netanyahu takes command and declares national day of mourning as disastrous fire rages in northern Israel

Mass evacuation on, Haifa under threat: More than 15,000 people were evacuated from their homes by late Thursday as a massive fire continued to rage in northern Israel.

Thursday night, officials in Haifa, Israel's third largest city, ordered the evacuation of several streets in the Denia neighborhood. Mayor Yona Yahav estimated that some 2,500 people will be evacuated from their homes and sent to stay at shelters elsewhere in the city.

Earlier in the evening, some 5,000 residents in the town of Tirat Carmel were ordered to leave home and thousands of others were evacuated from various northern communities. Two prisons and a psychiatric hospital were also evacuated for fear the flames would reach them.

At least 40 Prison Service officer course cadets were killed in the fire earlier Thursday after their bus burned down en route to an evacuation mission in Damon Prison. Several other people were injured in the blaze, including Haifa Police Chief Ahuva Tomer, who was gravely hurt.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says he will declare a national day of mourning to mark a massive northern Israel blaze that claimed at least 40 lives.

The Israeli Giuliani -  Netanyahu looking over the fire scene from helicopter

The PM made the remarks during his visit at the command post set up at University of Haifa,.

"At this hour a terrible fire is ravaging Mt. Carmel; there are many casualties. We are mobilizing all of our forces to deal with this disaster, to rescue the injured and to stop the fire. This is an unprecedented disaster.

I spoke a few minutes ago with Public Security Minister Yitzhak Aharonovitch. His Ministry and the Israel Police are dealing with the matter responsibly and I have asked them to make every effort. I also spoke with Defense Minister Ehud Barak, who has offered the assistance of the IDF. I also spoke with Fire and Rescue Service Commissioner Shimon Romach and instructed him to request all necessary assistance in stopping the fire.

We have known difficult moments and, naturally, we will need to learn very many lessons in order to deal with disasters of this kind but right now all of our efforts are directed to saving lives and also watching over the lives of the forces dealing with the disaster. I think that they are acting in an exemplary fashion, as President Shimon Peres has said, with courage, dedication and responsibility."

Prime Minister Netanyahu spoke with Cyprus President Demetris Christofias. It was agreed Cyprus would soon dispatch its sole firefighting helicopter to Mt. Carmel in order to assist in the efforts to stop the fire.

Prime Minister Netanyahu also spoke with his friend, Greek Prime Minister George A. Papandreou. It was agreed that Greece would dispatch several of its firefighting helicopters to Israel.

Honestly, who is dishonest and weak? who's policies stalled the peace process?

(NOTE: This article is not aimed to attack president Obama or undermine the US-Israeli relationship, its aimed to The Israeli Public to get the real picture , and the media that report the fabricated , untruthful attacks on Netanyahu and his Governemt).

Opposition Chairwoman Tzipi Livni slammed Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu Wednesday, accusing him of being weak and not keeping his promises.

"If you know that you're going to divide this country, how can you send a young couple to build a house in a place that you know they will have to leave?" She said during a special Knesset session. "How can you look into the eyes of abused women, whom you promised a budget that you didn't deliver. How can look into the eyes of students, whom you promised a tuition-free year, which didn't happen?"

Livni implied that the party that Netanyahu heads, Likud, has a "culture of lying." "How could you sell your principles for survival?" she asked. "You were quoted in one of the newspapers as saying a sentence, and I don't know if it's true - 'If I get through 2011, I will survive the rest of the term.' This is your whole truth."

Well here is the Truth:

There is no doubt that Netanyahu extended an olive branch further than any previous Israeli prime minister has, yet Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas and the Arab world replied with disdain. Detractors called his policy shift an about face and said it came too late. Right-wing supporters in his Likud party had mixed feelings – anywhere from praise to comparing his policy shift to a u-turn but ultimately supported it. Left-wing supporters in the Kadima Party said it was a step in the right direction but some went as far as calling it a PR move.

“I have been making the case for Israel all my life. But I did not come here to win an argument. I came here to forge a peace. I did not come here to play a blame game where even the winners lose. I came here to achieve a peace that will bring benefits to all.” (Netanyahu in White house peace summit September 1 2010).

"In my speech at Bar-Ilan University, I outlined the principles for a peace agreement with the Palestinians: a demilitarized Palestinian state which recognizes the state of the Jewish people and lives beside it in peace.

In order for the compromise to lead to peace and not war, it must be accompanied by two fundamental components: recognition and security arrangements.
Although the Palestinians did not answer my call to begin direct negotiations for over a year, we took action. 

We removed hundreds of roadblocks and checkpoints.  We encouraged impressive growth in the Palestinian economy – impressive by any standards, especially given the fact that at the same time the entire world was mired in recession and economic crisis.
 
We also suspended new construction in the Jewish settlements for ten months.... As the U.S. Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton, stated, it was an unprecedented move that no other government in Israel had taken before....We enforced the moratorium with determination and without compromise.  For ten months.

Unfortunately, the Palestinians wasted those ten months as well.

Now they demand that we continue the moratorium as a condition to continuing the talks.  I hope they are not doing so to avoid   making the real decisions necessary for a peace agreement.
  
I know what kind of decisions we will have to make, but I also know what kind of decisions they will have to make.  The only way to reach a peace agreement is to try, through direct talks, to bridge the gaps and make decisions. 

However, as Prime Minister of Israel, I am committed and want to advance towards an agreement, one that will bring an end to the conflict and achieve peace between us and our Palestinian neighbors". 
(Netanyahu’s Speech at the Opening of the Knesset Winter Session 11/10)

While PM Netanyahu made a clear and open offer to the Palestinians to discuss all issues on the table by the table, offered a compromise in exchange for compromise deal , the Palestinians rejected, but as Abbas declares day and night that he will never sign deal demanding recognition of Israel as Jewish state .

Abbas,and the Palestinian Authority not having its act together does not help left leaning Israeli’s to have the strength to pressure Netanyahu and others on the hard right to go along with the extension of the settlement freeze or any confidence in the worth of igniting the Israeli hard right wing over giving any concessions for a peace deal.

But why go so far and accuse the PA , when it is Abbas Himself offering a candid explanation: “When Obama came to power, he is the one who announced that settlement activity must be stopped,” he said. “If America says it and Europe says it and the whole world says it, you want me not to say it?”

As Jackson Diehl writes in the Washington Post:

“The statement confirmed something that many Mideast watchers have suspected for a long time: that the settlement impasse originated not with Netanyahu or Abbas, but with Obama — who by insisting on an Israeli freeze has created a near-insuperable obstacle to the peace process he is trying to promote….

“To the surprise of both Netanyahu and some in his own administration, Obama reintroduced the settlement issue. First in a press conference and then in his September address to the UN General Assembly, he called on the Israeli government to extend the settlement moratorium, which expired on Sept. 26. In doing so, he made it impossible for Abbas not to make the same demand…Abbas is the prisoner of Obama’s misguided rhetoric”.

So here are the facts, and these are the reasons why the peace process is stalled:

--The Obama administration raising the construction freeze idea in the first place.

--The position that promises made by the Bush Administration would not be fulfilled by his successor.

--Praising Israel for a construction freeze that didn't include Jerusalem and then screaming when Israel fulfilled the agreed conditions;

--And announcing last year that intensive Israel-PA negotiations would begin in two months when no such agreement had been made by the PA.

PM Netanyahu on defense: Our gov't wants peace based on truth, not spin and lies

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Wednesday defended his policies against opposition claims that he had not kept his promises in regard to the peace process. Netanyahu's comments came at a special discussion of the Knesset initiated by Kadima, after the opposition party gathered 40 MKs' signatures, therefore obligating the prime minister to listen to their complaints.

Netanyahu defended his policies, blaming the Palestinians for the lack of progress in the peace process in the Knesset and calling on Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas to condemn a PA report denying the Jewish people's connection to the Western Wall in Jerusalem.

"I'm trying to imagine what the world's reaction would be if Israel would say that Islam had no connection to Mecca or Catholicism had no connection to the Vatican, I say to Abu Mazen [Abbas], condemn this phenomenon. Tell your people 'there is a Jewish nation here that we recognize.'"

"We want a true peace, based on truth, not on spin and lies,"

The prime minister added that Iran, not the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, was the main factor causing a lack of stability in the Middle East.

Netanyahu criticized Kadima for not supporting the recently passed Referendum Law.

He stated that Kadima had supported the idea of a referendum in the past and had even been among those that initiated the law.

"Do you want to take the place of the people?" Netanyahu asked. "A referendum is the best option from the moral standpoint," he added.

Netanyahu set off Livni's wrath when he reprimanded her for sending and receiving text messages during his speech in support of the referendum law. "I see that the chairman of the opposition, while I'm talking, is always looking at her cell, reading and typing." he said.

Opposition leader Tzipi Livni responded to Netanyahu, asking him, "When is the last time you told the truth in public? When was the last time that you told the truth to your ministers?"

The Bibi Report radio show 11/29 on Israel, Wikileaks, Iran and US pro Israel activist groups W/ Z-Street President