Jack Shattuck http://www.jta.org/user/profile/3197 en-us zsilberman@washingtonjewishweek.com Copyright 2012 2012-02-09T;22:54:00-05:00 Let's recall that the League of Nations voted unanimously (51-0) in 1922 that a Jewish state - and an Arab state - should be established in the Holy Land under the Mandate for Palestine, a quarter-century before the Holocaust, Britain subsequently expropriated 77% of the Mandate for a Judenrein Arab state, Transjordan, but the League and its successor UN never repudiated the Mandate. When the Arabs rejected the 1947 GA recommendation for yet another Arab state West of the Jordan, and then invaded the new Jewish State (and again later), they caused their own undoing. 2012-02-09T;22:54:00-05:00 JTS' e-mailed summary of this report by J-Street refers to them as "A leading pro-Israel advocacy group". This is hardly the case as they are one of the most leftist-leaning Jewish organizations which hardly stands up for Israel's rights or Israeli government policies.. You want a real pro-Israel advocacy group? Look at Z Street (ziostreet.wordpress.com/) for a pro-Zionist perspective. 2012-02-09T;22:54:00-05:00 John Q. is entitled to his perspectives, especially on target as to inappropriate terminology. However, it must be clearly understood that there is not a united position among Jews, neither here nor in Israel, and it is extremely questionable why the settlements are believed to be illegal, when enforcing the (unanimous) ruling of the League of Nations that the Mandate for Palestine authorized Jews to dwell in the whole of the Land of Israel. Britain's severing 77% of the Mandate for a Judenrein Arab state (Jordan) and present desires of remaining Palestinians does not make such a position either kosher or legal, nor do advisory opinions of the General Assembly and the World Court stand up either (as the American judge on the ICJ noted at the time of its ruling on the separation barrier). 2012-02-09T;22:54:00-05:00 Ari. the legal commitment goes back to the Unanimous 51-0 Vote of the League of Nations in 1922 including all of Eretz Yisrael; or at least all territory from the Jordan River to the Meditteranean Sea even when Britain reneged by separating Transjordan. Jordan gave up its claim to the West Bank in 1988, but only Britain and Pakistan (another British colony the Brits split off, from India in 1947) had recognized its occupation from 1949-1967 anyway. As we know, no "Palestinian State" ever existed there, and Jordan lost its illicit takeover by waging war and losing in 1967. So the last international authority, the League of Nations, with sway over the Mandate for Palestine, gave rights to the Jewish State on the West Bank. No other international authority was cited by the International Court of Justice in its ADVISORY opinion, which ruled outside its jurisdiction according to its own statutory terms anyway. 2012-02-09T;22:54:00-05:00 Israel already has begun removing "outposts" (small groups of trailers as opposed to settlements) on land the Mandate for Palestine supported for a Jewish State and where (on the West Bank) Jews lived before the invasion of the Arab Legion made the area Judenrein. Israel withdrew from Lebanon and Gaza and got rockets in return. Israel has allowed many humanitarian trips into Gaza despite Hamas hijacking them. Look what has NOT been done in Gaza by the Arabs with Arafat's $millions before, and since Sharon expelled 8,000+ residents in 2005. (40% still not resettled,) Now let's see the PA start publishing textbooks and maps showing and identifying Israel, and ceasing the blood libels and anti-Semitic verses from the Haditha, and naming events and places after Arab murderers of Jewish civilians. The PA operates TV and other mass media and can do this. And Oh yes, what about letting the Red Cross see Gilad Shalit? Let's see what those Americans who seek a two-state solution really know about what's going on. The Arab peace initiative wants to return to the 1949 "Auschwitz borders"; a pullback from the Golan would be as suicidal as from the Jordan Valley. It's all a bunch of camel poop, what have the Arabs done to advance peace? 2012-02-09T;22:54:00-05:00 Would we see the rabbonim ask for their case to be heard by the Sanhedrin (see TheSanhedrin.org), like Tzivya Sariel? 2012-02-09T;22:54:00-05:00 DOE apparently never heard that a "federal court" (the Supreme Court!) ruled on this and has already held that Jews ARE considered a "race" per se entitled to protection under the Civil Rights Act, even if they may also be coincidentally Caucasians. See SHAARE TEFILA CONGREGATION v. COBB, 481 U.S. 615 (1987) at http://caselaw.lp.findlaw.com/cgi-bin/getcase.pl?court=us&vol=481&invol=615 2012-02-09T;22:54:00-05:00 "It's not fair to demand that we recognize you as the state of the Jewish people because that means an evacuation of the Arabs from Israel".. CAMEL POOP! 10 states call themselves Islamic under their constitutions, 12 more declare Islam the state religion by statute, while 20% of Israeli citizens are Arab now, hold seats in the Knesset, serve in the Cabinet, sit on the Supreme Court, etc. despite Israel being proclaimed as a "Jewish state" under its Declaration of Independence, as well as the League of Nations, etc. The quoted statement is made because most (if not all) of the Islamic states are Judenrein, and selling property to Jews is forbidden - liable to death in some cases (like the PA under Fatah and Hamas). That's what a democratic state allows, which the Palestinians cannot conceive of, let alone accept. 2012-02-09T;22:54:00-05:00