How to Respond to Inaccuracies About Israel

Inaccuracy: Israeli settlements are a provocation, and their existence is the ongoing cause of Palestinian violence. The Israeli advocate’s response: Palestinians first claimed the current violence was provoked by Ariel Sharon's visit to the Temple Mount, and then claimed that it was provoked by Israeli settlement activity, declaring that if only settlement activity ended, the violence could cease. Such assertions are absurd.

As part of the coalition agreement, Prime Minister Ariel Sharon has declared that no new settlements will be built. Current construction in settlements is for purposes of natural growth only. The issue of settlements will only be resolved through peace negotiations, and not through ongoing Palestinian violence and terrorism. Indeed, at Camp David the Palestinians were offered the uprooting of settlements from the entire Gaza Strip and much of the West Bank. At the Summit, then-Prime Minister Barak offered to redeploy and uproot settlements from up to 95% of the West Bank and 100% of the Gaza Strip. Settlements in the remaining 5% of the West Bank -- where the majority of the settler population lives -- would be annexed to Israel. The Palestinians refused and turned to violence. Since the start of Palestinian violence in September, the Palestinian Authority has authorized the daily targeting of Israeli settlers by snipers and terrorists, leading to many deaths and injuries. Source: The website of the Anti-Defamation League, http://www.adl.org

Talking Points: Why is the Security Fence an Imperative for Israel?

(1) After 35 years of living with the Palestinians and facing this blatant, ugly, terrorist wave, Israel had no choice but to put up a barrier as an important element in an overall defensive system that would intercept those on their way to blow themselves up among us. (2) When the Palestinians speak among themselves about occupation, they speak about Israel occupying Tel Aviv and Haifa, not Judea and Samaria. (3) Palestinian propaganda tries to make the fence the issue, and ignores the issue of terrorism which makes the fence necessary. If not for Palestinian terrorism, we would not need the fence in the first place. (4) The segments of "wall" comprise about 4 percent of the barrier and were built on the "green line" next to Tulkarm and Kalkilya because, in the past, Palestinians have fired from those areas on Israeli vehicles. (5) Israel had to weigh the inconvenience of some Palestinians having to pass through gates to reach their fields against seeing Israeli families blown to bits if the fence is not built. Faced with these two alternatives, which is morally more compelling? (6) It is absolutely natural that over one million Arabs live within Israel today. For those who say Jews cannot live in Judea and Samaria, the immediate conclusion is that Arabs cannot live in Israel. I think they can, and the symmetry should be kept. (The comments of Mr. Uzi Landau, a Knesset Member since 1984, who serves as Minister in the Prime Minister's Office and previously served as Minister of Internal Security.)

Advocacy for Israel Committee Information

The Advocacy for Israel Committee was formed in September of 2001 to organize pro-Israeli activities and to rally support in the form of Hasbara. The A Team meets monthly in the CBI Library at 9:45 and the next meeting is Sunday September 19. Please join us and make a difference for Israel! See the reverse for news on an exciting speaker coming to CBI on September 27. Walid Shoebat has made an amazing transformation from Palestinian terrorist to Israeli advocate. Come here what he has to say about this remarkable journey. For more information, visit the web site http://www.cbistpete.org/ or email A Team Chairmen Jay Epstein (jhe@tampabay.rr.com) or Sheldon Scheinert (Sheldo123@aol.com)

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