How Hard Is it To Create Peace Talks between Palestinians and Israelis?

 Nadene Goldfoot                     

               Prime Ministers Rabin and Peres

Way back in 1992, Prime Ministers Yitzhak Rabin and Shimon Peres had worked together.  Peres had accepted Rabin's offer but the promised deadline of 6 to 9 months had had no progress.  The talks in Washington between Israel and the Palestinians from Judea-Samaria and east Jerusalem thought Israel offered too little and Israel thought their opponents were asking too much--notably to have East Jerusalem which Israel had taken back in 1967.  (Who wants to argue about Jerusalem being King David's city?)  

Then it happened, an incident that stopped the talks in 1992.  

On December 11, 1992, Nissim Toledano, a 29 year old Israeli border policeman was kidnapped as he was leaving home in Lod.  6 hours later, 2 masked men entered the office of the Muslim counterpart of the Red Cross, the Red Crescent in Judea-Samaria's town of El Bira.    The abduction and killing of Nissim Toledano began on 13 December 1992, when a squad of Hamas abducted Israeli border policeman Senior Sergeant Nissim Toledano in Lod. Although the captors demanded the release of Hamas leader Sheikh Ahmed Yassin for Toledano, Toledano was killed by his captors.   

 At about 4:30 am, 13 December 1992, a squad of Hamas terrorists kidnapped 29-year-old Israeli border policeman Senior Sergeant Nissim Toledano in Lod, as he walked from his home to attend his administrative job.  During the same day Hamas demanded that Sheikh Ahmed Yassin be released the same day until 9:00 pm in exchange for Toledano. Toledano's captors threatened to kill Toledano unless Yasin would be freed.Israel refused to negotiate until it received evidence that Toledano was alive and well.  Two days later, on 15 December 1992, Toledano's body was discovered near the communal Israeli settlement in the West Bank Kfar Adumim.Toledano's body was found bound and stabbed. Pathological findings indicated that Toledano was murdered two-to-six hours after the ultimatum expired. In addition, the findings indicated that the strangulation and stab wounds were not carried out at the site at which Toledano's body was discovered.                                  Nissim Toledano, Son of Meir and Hasiba. Meir was born in the city of Meknes, Morocco, on March 9, 1931. He studied in the “Kol Israel Haverim” school there, and was a member of a youth movement, from which he aspired to immigrate to Israel. They saw his enthusiasm as fleeting, but it was not long before he reached the age of seventeen, managed to escape from the family and together with his friends to the movement came to Israel in peace; This was in 1948. Upon arriving on the shores of Eretz Israel, he joined the combat  systems of the War of Independence. In 1951, after his parents’ pressure to return to them, he had to fulfill their request out of respect for them. Shortly after his arrival he took a wife on condition that his honeymoon be spent in Israel. Finally, he established his home in Israel and lived there, and found his bread in glass work. He fell on the 12th of Shvat 5719 (21.1.1959) while fulfilling his duties and was put to rest at the military cemetery in Kiryat Shaul. He left a wife and a daughter.                 

                                    Sheikh Ahmed Yassin

The kidnappers announced that they were members of Hamas's Islamic Resistance Movement and left a photocopy of Toledano's  identity card and a letter for the Israeli authorities demanding the release of Sheikh Ahmed Yassin.  Since 1989, Yassin been serving a life sentence in an Israeli jail.  He was released in 1997. 

In 1987, during the First Intifada, Hamas carried out its first attack against Israel in which two Israeli soldiers were abducted and killed. The Israel Defense Forces immediately arrested the founder of Hamas Sheikh Ahmed Yassin, and sentenced him to life in prison for masterminding terrorist attacks. Hamas then began planning the capture of an Israeli soldier in order to seek the release of Yassin in a swap. 

The Sheikh was a quadriplegic and a fundamentalist clergyman  and leader of Hamas, which he had established in February 1988 in Gaza.  Like other Arabs, the sheikh rejected the state of Israel and so was against peace talks with it.  However, he was a rival of the PLO.  He, in competition, called on the Arabs to help him establish an Islamic state in Israel, Gaza and the West Bank (Judea-Samaria).  He had lots of followers who attacked, killed and kidnapped Israelis.  

In retaliation, Israel captured and jailed him, hoping that Hamas would collapse without his leadership.  That's when the Sheikh's followers then kidnapped Toledano to force Israel to release their leader.     

     Here, Arafat, Rabin and Peres received Oslo 1994 joint Nobel Peace Prize       

Oslo Peace Talks in 1993    The Oslo Accord in 1993  was an attempt in 1993 to set up a framework that would lead to the resolution of the ongoing Israeli–Palestinian conflict. It was the first face-to-face agreement between the government of Israel and the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) 

Arab Men who kidnapped and murdered Israeli teenagers, school teachers and off-duty soldiers, Palestinian fighters who killed suspected collaborators and men from the West Bank and Gaza Strip with whom they had worked or lived side-by-side with for years are among the 104 prisoners expected to be released as a gesture to the PA for the resumption of peace talks.

A glance at the lists published by the Palestinian Prisoners’ Club (PPC) and leaked to Israeli websites by Israeli officials shows Arab men responsible for terror attacks ranging from complicated, planned-out operations to hastily crafted acts of brutal violence directed at Israelis.

Deep within the list are the names of two Gaza Strip natives, Yusef Said al-Al and Ayman Taleb Abu Sitteh, who late at night on December 31, 1993, broke into the Ramle house of David Bublil after he and an acquaintance, Haim Weitzman, had turned in for the night. They stabbed the two men to death as they slept and then mutilated their bodies, cutting off their ears as souvenirs.

Resource; 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shimon_Peres#:~:text=Shimon%20Peres%20(%2F%CA%83i%CB%90%CB%8C,Israel%20from%202007%20to%202014.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abduction_and_killing_of_Nissim_Toledano

Book:  Israel and Arabs by Ahron Bregman, and Jihan El-Tahri , p275-277.  

https://honorisraelsfallen.com/fallen/toledano-nissim/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oslo_I_Accord

Rebuttal Against Chomsky's Interview Statements About Israel and Before Operation Cast Lead Part IV

Nadene Goldfoot                                                                

IDF Entering Gaza

                                                                                                               

Noam Chomsky takes us back to November 4, 2008, day of USA elections.  He said, "Israeli forces invaded Gaza, killed half a dozen Hamas militants  (I call them terrorists as they are listed as terrorists by the USA) that led to Qassam rockets attacking Israel, huge Israeli response, lots of killings---all Palestinians, as usual."  It's the AS USUAL comment I take umbrage with and MILITANTS.  That's his opinion, not backed up with facts.  There's such a thing as cause and effect. Palestinians attack Israel and Israel strikes back.  Israel has tried turning the other cheek, and southern Israel has been blitzed.  That doesn't work.  The Palestinians are unmoved by it.   Israel and Jews are not anxious to die.  They want to live, so do everything in their power to keep their people and themselves alive.  Our motto is L' Chaim (TO LIFE).  

On the other hand, the Muslims want to die, so they say, because if they die as martyrs, they go somewhere where they each will get 72 virgins.  They will get parks named after them by Fatah.  They have a completely different outlook.  THEY'RE THE ONES WHO HAVE SUICIDE BOMBERS.  

Let's look at what had been going on in the previous scene.  A cease fire started on June 19, 2008.  Up to then, 2,378 rockets and mortars had been launched into Israel from Gaza in just that year of 2008. In 2007 there had been 1,639 attacks launched.  What would have happened if your neighborhood had been under such an attack and this had been going on, getting worse, since 2001?  You'd throw out your government and get someone in who would protect you and your family.  This was southern Israel that was always being hit.  Half of the state of Israel was under attack, and the northern part was under the gun from Lebanon.
                                                                         

Tunnel discovered in 2014 in Operation Protective Edge, One of many found and destroyed

This happened before Israel's Operation Cast Lead which occurred from December 27, 2008 to January 18, 2009.   Israel had launched a military incursion into the residential area of Dayr al-Balah in central Gaza with the aim to destroy what was a tunnel on the Gaza-Israel border dug by militants to infiltrate into Israel and abduct soldiers.

An Israeli official is said to have told the Washington Times that they wanted to send Hamas a message.  Evidently Hamas didn't get the message as it now appears that they've been digging tunnels all along from then till the present, using them for kidnapping and getting right into Israel proper.  Israel was to have said that the raid was not a violation of the ceasefire, but a legitimate step to remove an immediate threat.
                                                                       

Israeli infantry, tanks and bulldozers entered 250 miles into the Gaza Strip, the 1st major incursion since the June truce.  A gunfight broke out where a Hamas fighter was killed and Hamas responded with a barrage of mortar and rocket fire at the Israeli troops.  This was answered with 3 airstrikes on Hamas mortar and rocket positions that killed 5 Hamas terrorists.
                                                                             

Gaza's Hamas Terrorists 

According to eyewitnesses, (Israeli or Palestinian is not mentioned) another 3 Hamas fighters were wounded in an Israeli UAV strike over the el-Burejj refugee camp as well as 3 IDF wounded during the operation.  Hamas said they would take revenge for this "Israeli aggression" they said had violated the truce.
                                                                             

Hamas launched 35 rockets into southern Israel explained by Fawzi Barhoum as a "response to Israel's massive breach of the truce,"  He said the Israelis began this tension and they must pay an expensive price.  They cannot leave us drowning in blood while they sleep soundly in their beds."

The rocket attacks increased during November 2008 nearing pre-truce levels.  Clashes took place along the border during which 11 Hamas terrorists were killed.  Between November 4 and about December 15th, more than 200 Qassam rockets and mortar shells landed in the western Negev region.  Israel responded by shutting down the crossings in response to rocket attacks on its towns.
                                                                                 

Rocket heading for Israel from Gaza

Now, Israel's side of the story is this.  Since the truce of June 19th ,  they had had about 6 months of semi-quiet, but there had been 38 rockets and mortar shells fall into Israel from Gaza up to November 3rd.  Even back in July, PM Olmert knew there was smuggling of arms going on from the Sinai into Gaza.  So, on November 4th, "acting on intelligence that Palestinian militants were poised to infiltrate Israel and kidnap soldiers, Israeli troops cross several hundred yards into Gaza to destroy a tunnel that was to be used for the infiltration. A firefight erupts between Hamas gunmen and Israeli soldiers. One Hamas gunman is killed. Hamas launches mortar shells at Israeli targets, and an Israeli airstrike kills several Hamas members preparing to fire mortars. On the next day, "responding to the previous day's fighting, Hamas launches dozens of rockets and mortar shells into Israeli cities and towns. Israel strikes a rocket launching cell in Gaza. After the previous day's sharp increase in rocket fire, rocket and mortar attacks against Israel dip to an average of a few per day. This frequency continues until mid-December.  On the 14th of December "Hamas leader Khaled Mashaal says on Lebanon's Al Quds television that the truce expires after 6 months, and that the group will not be renewing the truce." Israel responds  on the 15th with  "Israeli official Amos Gilad arguing on Israel's Channel 2 that the truce does not expire."  

November 6-12th

Given the increase in cross-border fire, the truce agreed to five months ago is starting to flounder Between November 5th and November 12th, 22 rockets and 9 mortars were fired into Israel.

November 12–19

In this week 62 rockets and 26 mortars were fired from Gaza into Israel. The results of these attacks were that 16 people were wounded, 13 from shock and 3 from light wounds

November 21

A rocket hit the Ashkelon industrial area.

November 22–23

Four Qassam rockets were fired from Gaza into Israel over the weekend.

November 24–25

Two Qassam rockets landed in Israel.^]

November 26–27

Four Qassam rockets landed in the western Negev, one damaging a house on a kibbutz

December 3

At least four Qassam rockets and 15 mortar rounds were fired from the Gaza Strip at the western Negev. Islamic Jihad's Al-Quds Brigades claimed responsibility. One mortar attack damaged an Israeli power cable being used to transfer electricity to the Hamas-controlled Gaza Strip. 

December 6–7

At least 20 Qassam rockets and mortar shells fired from the Gaza Strip hit the western Negev over the weekend. One Qassam landed near a Sderot school. This city is on the border with Gaza, constantly hit.  

December 12

Two rockets launched from the Gaza Strip hit open space in Israel a week before a truce is set to expire. The Qassam rockets launched Friday landed in open areas and caused no damage.

December 16

At least six Qassam rockets and a mortar shell hit Israel hours after Israeli troops killed an Islamic Jihad commander in the West Bank. One of the rockets fired landed in the soccer field of Sderot's Sapir College. Several people were treated for shock.

December 17

A Qassam rocket struck the parking lot of a shopping center in Sderot, injuring three Israelis. At least 18 rockets and 6 mortar shells were fired this day on southern Israel, 48 hours before the truce between Israel and the Hamas expired.

December 18

Hamas declares the end of the 6 Month Truce with Israel. Three rockets are fired at Israel by the Al-Quds Brigades

December 21

At least 50 rockets and mortars struck southern Israel since a cease-fire with Hamas ended on December 19. Rockets landed in Ashkelon's industrial zone, near an elementary school, a youth cultural center in the western Negev and a home in Sderot. A foreign worker was injured. In response, Israeli forces struck at least two rocket launchers in Gaza.

December 22

Three Qassam rockets were fired at Israel on Monday afternoon and evening, while Hamas had mostly stopped launching rockets at Israel for 24 hours at the request of Egypt

December 23

At least five Qassam rockets fired from the Gaza Strip struck the western Negev.

December 24

More than 60 Qassam rockets and dozens of mortar shells struck homes, factories and a playground in southern Israel. Two longer ranged Grad-type missiles struck a public area in northern Ashkelon. Homes in Kibbutz Shaar Hanegev and Sdot Negev suffered serious damage from direct hits. A rocket also struck next to a playground in Netivot. One factory in the western Negev was hit twice. Several people in those areas were treated for shock.

Two Palestinians were hurt when a rocket that did not clear the security fence at the border landed on a home in a northern Gaza town.

December 26

A dozen rockets and mortar bombs were fired from Gaza into Israel, one accidentally falling short and striking a northern Gaza house and killing two Palestinian sisters, aged five and twelve, while wounding a third.

Israel's  Operation Cast Lead will start December 27th to stop all the bombing.  

Resource: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gaza_War_%282008%E2%80%9309%29
http://www.camera.org/index.asp?x_context=7&x_issue=20&x_article=1581
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Palestinian_rocket_attacks_on_Israel,_2008
http://middleeastprogress.org/2009/01/timeline-of-israel-hamas-2008-ceasefire/

All About the Intifadas (Terrorism)

Nadene Goldfoot                Definition of an Intifada

1. The Palestinian uprising (terrorism) against Israeli occupation of  Judea and Samaria and Gaza Strip, beginning in 1987.

                                                 

First Intifada 1987-1992

The PLO initiated the intifada ("shaking off") after false rumors of Israeli atrocities circulated through Palestinian territories like they are right now by American Islamists on their Deen website.  Palestinians claim this was a nonviolent uprising, but it quickly turned violent with 27 Israelis killed and more than 1,400 Israeli civilians and 1,700 Israeli soldiers injured.  Almost half (1,000) of the Palestinian casualties were caused by other Palestinians in the "Intrafada," or internal fighting among Palestinian factions.  

                                                                             

Second "Al Aqsa" Intifada 2000-2006

A campaign of suicide bombings and terrorist attacks began September 29, 2000 and within five years had left over 1,068 Israelis dead and over 7,000 injured.  69% of them were civilians.  About 3,000 Palestinians were also killed in this conflict.  In this culture of Arabs, suicide bombers are honored and become idols.    Even though on July 11 to 25th of 2000, the Camp David negotiations to resolve the Final Status issues were held with President Bill Clinton as mediator, this intifada happened.  PM Ehud Barak of Israel had offered 95% of a contiguous Judea-Samaria for their Palestine and 100% of Gaza and okayed a capital for them in eastern Jerusalem. with the removal of Jewish communities from those areas and $30 billion to help resettle Palestinian refugees.  Palestinians did not respond to the offer. This ended Oslo process.  Intifada was planned since the end of the Camp David negotiations.  This was admitted by Imhad Falouji, Palestinian Minister of Communication.  Offers have been made since 1948 that are never accepted.   PLO officials later claimed that Barak's offer would have given them only disconnected enclaves.    Israeli and US officials disputed this claim.  Dennis Ross, negotiator asserted that proposal was contiguous and far-reaching. 

They held off because their charters will not allow peace or acceptance of the Jews in the area.  They want all of Israel and no Jews.  Yasser Arafat was PLO leader, but died in Paris on November 11, 2004-American Armistice Day.  Abbas became Chairman and later President of PA.

Israel left Gaza completely on August 15, 2005 after 38 years by removing the 8,500 Jews who lived there.  The 1.3 million Palestinian Arabs  then voted in Hamas terrorists as their government and used Gaza as a staging ground to attack Israel with rockets.  Israel realized that this was one of their mistakes.  

May 7, 2006; Israel foils Palestinian plot to kill Palestinian president.  It was a Hamas plot to assassinate Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas.  This was reported in the Sunday Times of London.  

Summer of 2006, Hezbollah, the Iranian-Syrian-sponsored Islamist terrorist group from Lebanon attacked Israel in a surprise move.  They had long-range missiles that could deliver non-conventional weapons.  Their goal: to destroy Israel.  

                    

Third Intifada June 2014-? 

Threatened to start by John Kerry at result of a meeting about peace that would not come together as he wished when the Arabs walked away and created Palestine without a peace agreement on June 2nd.  Developed with kidnapping and murder by Hamas of 3 Jewish teens on June 12th,  then the coincidental kidnapping and murder of Arab teen,  which caused violent riots of the Arabs including the destruction of the modern rail system in Jerusalem that Arabs loved to ride on.   This and large increase of rockets launched into Israel  must be an intifada.  On the 5th day, 700 +rockets fell into Israel, reaching Jerusalem and Tel Aviv. To be exact,  "Day #5 status: 748 rockets shot at Israel so far, 143 intercepted by Iron Dome (Klipat Barzel), about 5 people lightly wounded and 1 serious yesterday at the petrol station. Today one rocket hit and utterly destroyed the house of a 86 years old woman, who was asleep and came out unhurt from the rubble. Miracles? #IsraelUnderFire."  Israel is planning on having to go into Gaza to put an end to this.  Rockets are now long range hitting all of Israel, coming in from Iran through Sinai, then through tunnels.  Egypt caught 20 some in Sinai.  

.

Resource:  Israel 101 produced by StandWithUs page 13.  

Albert Benamou posting.  

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/08/10/AR2005081000713.html

http://israel-nadene.blogspot.com/2014/07/recent-attacks-on-israel.html

 http://www.thedeenshow.com/page/about  American Islamist website; false propaganda

http://www.thejerusalemfund.org/ht/d/ContentDetails/i/2970

http://www.rabincenter.org.il/Web/En/Museum/Room7/Default.aspx

Shameful Hamas: No Honor Here

Nadene Goldfoot                                                                 

Hamas now has access to Judea-Samaria being the USA and the EU recognized them as a state and they had already united as one government.  It's only taken one week and they have kidnapped 3 Israeli Jewish teenagers who attend a Yeshiva there, two 16 year olds of which one has dual citizenship with USA and Israel, and a 19 year old.  They are Gilad Shaar, 16, Naftali Frenkel 16, and Eyal Yifrach 19.  They were waiting for a ride home at night after their last class in a Yeshiva.   Israel's police and military are searching for them and the whole nation is praying for their safety.  Gilad Shalit was held by this group for over 5 years and it took the trade of 1,027 terrorists in Israel's prisons to free this one person.

""Suddenly, Hamas' cruel acts of terrorism were forgotten, their never-ending attempts to harm innocent civilians, along with the Hamas Charter, which calls for the total destruction of the state of Israel." Now, he (Netanyahu) wrote, "the international community has been given a second chance to correct its moral, diplomatic and strategic mistakes. Wall to wall condemnations of the kidnapping are called for, as well as placing responsibility on the Palestinian government, including the threat of taking physical, economic and diplomatic steps against it."
                                                                       

While we moan and groan over the recent episode of releasing of 5 from the USA prison for one American soldier who was breaking rules by being out of his assigned area at the time of kidnapping, we wonder about a "trade of 1,027 prisoners  for our young Israeli soldier, Gilad Shalit,  who was released October 18, 2011– after being held for 5 years and 4 months, releasing mainly Palestinians and Arab-Israelis, though among the prisoners released there was also a Ukrainian prisoner, a Jordanian prisoner, and a Syrian prisoner."    For this country, to save a life is of utmost importance in their value system.  They are not people who want to take lives.  Perhaps it was time to release these particular 1,027 anyway.

 Remember, Israel does not shoot and kill anyone when captured.  They are imprisoned.  In this they differ completely from their neighbors.  Collectively, these 1027 were responsible for the murders of 569 Israelis by terrorism.  

What was bad was being forced to release  104 extreme terrorists in order to keep Fatah talking at the peace table by Kerry.  At the time, Israel had nothing but horrible murderous terrorists with a list of evil killings that they were forced to release.  In the end, Netanyahu kept back the 4th group of 26 and did not release them due to the way the peace was progressing.   I don't think Israel's government will ever do such a thing again.  We can now see the outcome of such moves.

All  day "Friday celebrations were held in Gaza and other Palestinian Authority cities. Video footage showed residents waving Hamas and PLO flags and distributing sweets, as jubilant music could be heard in the background."  This was done after finding out about the kidnappings of the 3 Jewish boys.

 The  Palestinians did the same thing when they heard about the Twin Towers falling in New York and all the deaths.  "A group of Palestinians were filmed celebrating in the street in celebration of the attacks on the World Trade Center and the deaths of Americans. Fox News reported that in Ein el-Hilweh, Lebanon's largest Palestinian refugee camp, revelers fired weapons in the air, with similar celebratory gunfire heard at the Rashidiyeh camp near the southern city of Tyre as well." 

Update: 9:38 am 6/15/14    Just found on Fatah's Facebook page:  Thanks USA and EU for rewarding Israel with such a nice neighbor.  You're just as much to blame for this as Abbas is.  

Resource:  Aish, personal report, http://www.aish.com/jw/s/The-Kidnapping-of-Three-Israeli-Teens.html
http://www.cnn.com/2014/06/15/world/meast/west-bank-jewish-teens-missing/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2013%E2%80%9314_Israeli%E2%80%93Palestinian_peace_talks
http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/kerry-appeals-to-israeli-palestinian-leaders-not-to-let-peace-talks-collapse/2014/04/03/c6ced55a-bb0d-11e3-9c3c-311301e2167d_story.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gilad_Shalit_prisoner_exchange
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KrM0dAFsZ8k  video of Palestinians celebrating over Twin Towers
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reactions_to_the_September_11_attacks
http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=617421&utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter  List of 104 terrorists Palestinians demand to be freed with name, year convicted, place of origin.  
http://jewishfactsfromportland.blogspot.com/2014/06/3-yeshiva-teenagers-missing-near-hebron.html

Hezbollah's First USA Soldier Kidnapping, Lt. Col. William Higgins

Nadene Goldfoot                                            

The Lebanese Shiite terrorists, Hezbollah, kidnapped and murdered an American Lt. Colonel Marine in 1988.  It was on February 17, 1988, 26 years ago,  that Lt. Col. William Higgins came up missing as the Chief, Observer Group in Lebanon for the United nations Truce Supervision Organization.  He was driving on the coastal highway between Tyre and Naqoura in southern Lebanon, going home from returning from a meeting with a local leader of the Amal movement, when he was pulled from his vehicle by armed men. The Amal movement was a political group.  It is, by a small margin, the largest Shia party in parliament, having thirteen representatives to Hezbollah's twelve.  

 Amal is currently in an alliance which includes the Free Patriotic Movement, Hezbollah, and the Progressive Socialist Party. The Greek Catholic Archbishop of Beirut, Mgr. Grégoire Haddad, was among the founders of the Movement.

 I wonder if Major Haddad of Lebanon, of the Christian Militia was a relative of his.  He was a friend of Israel and guarded the border with his men.  He took his R and R in the Hospital in Haifa, Israel.  Israel promised to take care of his family if anything happened to him.  "Saad Haddad's daughter Arza (meaning "Cedar Tree" in Arabic) as a researcher in ballistics and rocket science at the Technion University in Haifa. She obtained master's degree in aeronautics in June 2012.  

The Hezbollah captors called themselves the "Organization of the Oppressed on Earth" and announced his execution 529 days after his capture.  Being he was a Lt. Col. Marine, he knew a lot of important information.  This kidnapping must have been pre-planned, not a random move.  They might have thought of him as a walking encyclopedia and with that much info, should not have even been in Lebanon, but he was very interested in Lebanon and had wanted to be there.

This Marine was interrogated and tortured during his captivity, then finally murdered.  He was hung by his neck.  The UN adopted a Resolution 618 and demanded his release, but he was held only 1 1/2 years and was murdered.  Pictures were shown of his body by the terrorists and were televised around the world by videotape from his captors.  On July 6, 1990 he was declared dead.  His remains were dumped beside a mosque near a south Beirut hospital.  William was finally buried at Quantico National Cemetery on December 30, 1991.

This was pure terrorism.  There was no reason to kidnap a UN officer.  Also responsible were Iran and Syria, countries that gave sanctuary to the terrorists.

Lt. Col. Higgins was born in Danville, Kentucky and earned a Bachelor's degree from Miami U in Oxford, Ohio.  He was a scholarship student in the Navy ROTC.  He got his Master's degrees from Pepperdine U and Auburn U.  He also graduated from the Army Infantry Officers Advanced Course, the Air Force Command and Staff College, and the National War College.

He served in Vietnam in 1972 as an infantry battalion advisor to the Vietnamese Marine Corps and the next year served as a rifle company commander with B Companiy, 1st Battalion, 4th Marines.  .

Resource:  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_R._Higgins
Myths and Facts, a concise record of the Arab-Israeli conflict by Mitchell G. Bard and Joel Himelfarb, p. 108-109
http://articles.philly.com/1989-08-01/news/26146569_1_huge-security-lapse-peacekeeping-force-william-richard-higgins
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amal_Movement

Leftist Can't See What's Wrong With Hamas's Tunnel Making

Nadene Goldfoot                                                                      

Amira Hass has written in Ha'aretz of her feelings about not seeing what's wrong with Hamas terrorists building tunnels in Gaza.  She was serious!   Her reputation is that of being a Jewish woman who is most leftist.    "She is particularly recognized for her reporting on Palestinian affairs in the West Bank and Gaza, where she has also lived for a number of years." She uses the old argument that a piece of iron can either be shaped into a plow or a pistol, or a stone can either be thrown to kill someone or be a part of decoration in a garden.

She is unable to see why their tunnel is considered a "terrorist" tunnel and uses intent as her argument.

To me and others, there is no room or reason to debate the issue.  It's as plain as day.  The terrorists dug the tunnels.  That's a fact.  They dug them to carry on illicit activities; otherwise their routes would have been out in the open.   It's the work of smugglers.  They have smuggled in anything.   They dug them to deliver arms from their source of receiving them from the outside of Gaza.  Since the early 2000 era, they have been bombing southern Israel with mortars, rockets and missiles.  Where do you think they got them from?

Now a new tunnel 1.5 miles long has been found to go from Gaza right to Israel.  This one is thought to be dug in this direction in order to kidnap Israelis.  As a result, construction materials will not be delivered into Gaza by Israel.  There's a freeze on these things now.  Hamas, being very defiant, has vowed to dig more.  Perhaps the upper crust of Gaza will simply implode with all the tunnels underneath them and they'll find that they have dug themselves into a huge pit.

Israel delivers all their needs every day by big trucks.  Any goods they want that are not things that can be used as deadly weapons are being brought in just like any other town receives in the USA.  In fact, Israel had become more lenient in what was going in, and like the old saying, if you give an inch, they'll take a foot.
At a time when peace talks are going on, here we find tunnels right into Israel for anti-peaceful reasons.  What Chutzpa!  Egypt has closed their borders to the Hamas-led people as well.

Resource:  http://honestreporting.com/amira-hass-why-shouldnt-hamas-dig-tunnels/
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/10/13/gaza-tunnel-israel-border_n_4092976.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amira_Hass