A Future Peace-Maker? Donald Trump?

Nadene Goldfoot                                                                        

Always ready to make a deal? 

Since Donald Trump is leading in the Republican race, my question has been, how does he feel about Israel and would he be a different president regarding this tiny state from Obama or Hillary?
                                                                     

September 27, 2012-Netanyahu warning of Iran's capabilities
 to create atomic weapons soon
at UN, speaking to a lot of empty seats when
even USA Secretary Hillary Clinton and Ambassador Susan Rice walked out to keep a luncheon date

It seems the whole world is in the act of backing a Palestinian state these days.  Many women  of NWSA (see reference below) have been doing this by using BDS as a lever against them.  They do this thinking it will force Israel to bend to their feminine thoughts about how they should welcome a Palestine.  The city of Portland, Oregon has also been doing this by using BDS to stop businesses from the USA that deal with Israel.  A few volunteers on the City Council decided they were in a power seat to pass such legislation and so far it's working.  The mayor hasn't stopped it yet.   The UN is top-heavy with Palestinian backers from the Middle East.  Usually it's the USA only that stands alone in backing Israel against false accusations,but  their behavior was disgraceful in 2012 at the UN when they walked out on Netanyahu's speech. That was their example of what they thought of Netanyahu and his worry about Iran and why.
                                                                           

Palestinians teaching that Israel is Palestine.  

The fact of the matter is this, which my Israeli cousin Andi  put very directly.
1. Who will run this Palestinian state?
       A. Hamas terrorists?  Their ideology is to destroy Israel and they have been trying to do just that since they took over Gaza in a rigged voting exercise.
       B.  Hamas and ISIS?  Yes, ISIS is now in Gaza, and sometimes the 2 terrorists work together and sometimes they don't, pretty much like Hamas and Fatah had been when  groping for leadership.  ISIS has its own ideology of destroying Israel.                        

Unification of Fatah and Hamas

       C.  Fatah?  They are not in the driver's seat.  Hamas is.  Fatah joined up with Hamas and accepted their creed of destroying Israel.

"The bottom line is that there is NO WAY at the present that Israel can exist next to an independent Palestine."  

"In the near future, there will be no Palestinian state."  So harping on it will not change things.  "Since the 2003 Road map for peace, the current outline for a Palestinian–Israeli peace agreement has been a two-state solution.  Getting the Palestinians to a peace table has been hard enough.  12 years of being held back from having a stable peace is what Israel has been forced to endure.  During this time, there has been a lot of action and attacks on Israel from rockets, mortars and missiles to tunneling activity in sneaking terrorists into Israel for attacks as well as gathering up arms to use against them, and even to kidnap Israelis.  Israel and the world has been given a preview of what life would be like with a neighbor like Palestine.  
                                                                   

Night at Western Wall in Jerusalem

Donald Trump has never visited Israel, but plans to do so he said before the year's end. He said he has always wanted to visit there.  He's 71 years old so I'm glad he finally will do it.   As a Presbyterian, he should find a lot of interesting sites to visit besides speaking with Netanyahu.  I hope he leaves time for some sight-seeing , being it's first time in Israel.
                                                                           

King David Hotel in Jerusalem, where I met my 3rd cousin, Stanley Goldfoot,
a Dan Hotel

He should do it then within the next 3 weeks.  Perhaps he'll spend New Year's there.  Netanyahu has been informed of this and will meet with Trump.  He meets all major presidential candidates, no matter what party they belong to.
                                                                           
Trump told a huge rally of Jewish Republicans in Manassas, Virginia that he loves Israel, and that Israel is our real strong supporter.  The thing is that he's never let any of us know exactly how he would handle the Israeli-Palestinian situation as a president.  He's been unclear.  He told the Associated Press reporters that it would take him his first 6 months to analyze whether or not peace could be achieved, and if he read what my cousin as said in her comment, he wouldn't start any peace process yet until he sees a radical change in the Palestinian Arabs.
                                                                                   

Haifa, where I lived for 10 months going to school.  Haifa has an underground subway. 
In 1100, Jews defended Haifa against the crusaders.  Population was 225,000 in mid-1970s. 
I lived here from 1980-1985.  The Bahai Temple is in foreground.  It's the main port
of Israel.  The Cave of Elijah is here.

He wants to know if both sides want peace.  Of course Israel does, but the Palestinian leaders since 1948 have been saying no to any plans.  I wonder if any president has ever read the Covenant of Hamas drawn up in 1988?  Their goal is the destruction of Israel.  Are they up to date in events of the area like IS?   He mentioned if Israel is ready to sacrifice anything to make a deal, and does Israel want a Trump deal?  The San Bernadino IS connected Californian was obsessed with Israel-in a bad way.  One of the co-workers he shot to death was a Christian Israeli backer.
                                                                         

Safed, built on a mountain 2720' high, as high as Jerusalem, where I lived for over 4 years
in Upper Galilee. 1990 it had a population of 16,400,
a summer resort and an artist colony and center live here.  This is from the old city.  .  

 Trump  may love Israel, but is he ready to show his love in dealing with the 2 entities?  Or is he going to be like Obama and figure only Israel is expected to sacrifice something precious to her?  Is he aware of Israel's history and does it matter to him?  He let it be known that though many have failed to bring about peace, he wants to be the one to do so.  Is he more interested in that prestige or in helping Israel?  How far does love go?  Would he try to use his dealing-ship in forcing Israel into an uncompromising position?

"In Jewish rabbinic tradition, Aaron, the older brother of Moses and the first high priest of the Israelites, is the ideal peacemaker, known for “loving and pursuing peace.”  Aaron would “pursue peace between a man and his fellow, husband and wife, family and family, tribe and tribe.”  Aaron himself is described as never having fought with anyone: “If a man curses him, he says to him, ‘Peace be upon you!’ Should a man quarrel with him, he keeps silent.”  In rabbinic literature, the high priest (and eventually the rabbi) was the model peacemaker."  No wonder nobody has been able to act as the peacemaker.  There hasn't been the likes of such a man yet.   

I ask the question.
1. Is Iran being up front, honest and sincere about following the expectations they now have that they sought from the USA over their uranium deal?  I've read that they've been breaking all their agreements.
2. Do you think the Palestinians want peace enough to be good neighbors to Israel and stop teaching their children to hate them and will put Israel back on their maps next to their Palestine?

UPdate:12/11/15 11:35am   Trump cancelled trip to Israel so as to not put Netanyahu under pressure.  
Resource:  http://www.breakingisraelnews.com/55359/donald-trump-headed-israel-ive-always-wanted-to-visit-jerusalem/?utm_source=Breaking+Israel+News&utm_campaign=3a1bdd4fcc-BIN_morning_12_15&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_b6d3627f72-3a1bdd4fcc-83518689#BeuivkeTXftl5x56.97
http://jewishbubba.blogspot.com/2015/12/the-bds-virus-american-women.html
http://fas.org/irp/world/para/docs/880818a.htm
http://www.camera.org/index.asp?x_context=56&x_miscitem=20
http://www.theguardian.com/world/blog/2012/sep/27/binyamin-netanyahu-israel
http://www.nationalreview.com/article/329155/obama-out-lunch-un-claudia-rosett
http://www.religionconflictpeace.org/volume-4-issue-2-spring-2011/peacemaker-jewish-rabbinic-and-arab-islamic-traditions

Syria's Chemicals Topic of Netanyahu and Obama in TV Coverage

Nadene Goldfoot                                                             Emblem of Jerusalem 
The first day of Spring found that Netanyahu met Obama at the airport today for Obama's first trip to Israel as president.  I hope this time he learns how close things are to Israel.  It just happened that somebody used chemical weapons in a northern village near Aleppo.  Both sides accused each other of using it.   A US official said there was no evidence of any such attack, but everyone was talking about it.    Obama thought the rebels would never use this.  He said this needs investigation.  He wants evidence.  The regime (army) was backed up by Russia in their allegations and said that 31 people were killed including 21 civilians and 10 soldiers.  There are tight media restrictions in Syria so could not be independently verified.  Obama said that this would change the picture if true.  .

I don't know about that.  I spent 5 years from 1980 to 85 in Israel watching the Syrian army do despicable things on TV showing how tough and mean they were, things they did to little animals.  How the rebels managed to fight against them and to have the guts to face such a mean army is more than I can imagine.  How it must have affected the general  population seeing such grotesque behavior by their to be admired army has to have shaped their minds and behaviors as well.  So maybe it would be possible for them to put an end to 2 years of fighting such an army that has already taken 70,000 of their people.

The point for Israel is that these horrid chemical weapons can easily fall into the hands of even worse terrorists to be used against Israel.  Netanyahu pointed out that Damascus is only 100 miles away from Israel.  It's like from Boston to Chicago, Obama said.

Obama, an eloquent speaker, spoke a little more haltingly this time, I thought, but took his time to answer questions.  He was such an eloquent speaker that this is what got such a young man and new senator elected the first time.  He lost Israel's approval when he made a bee line to Egypt and told them that the USA would have a new approach and that's what made me nervous, that and the friendships he had back in Chicago with people who were definitely anti-Semitic.  His actions have spoken louder than his words, and so the 10 times that he has met with Netanyahu haven't always been so hot, especially when on TV Obama wanted Netanyahu to go back to the 67 lines which is what the Palestinians want, and then it'll be the 48 lines, and so on.  I think he'll find that Netanyahu is a gracious host.  Obama was smart enough to mention Netanyahu's brother who had died fighting for Israel which brought a few tears to Benyamin's eyes, as I saw they glistened a little then.  We are an emotional people.

Obama was joking that he was happy to be away from the Senate and Netanyahu and he kept saying how close the USA and Israel were, which was a good message for the neighbors of Israel to realize.

Of course they spoke about Iran, and have different opinions when the window will be shut so that action might have to be taken.  I understand that Iran is very close to completion of getting the uranium grade level enriched where it must be to use in weapons .    Obama figures that they won't be ready till the weapon itself is made.  I'm wondering why they couldn't be working on both at the same time, so that when the uranium is ready,  the weapon will be, too.  If so, time is awasting!  Obama thinks they won't be ready for another year.  It's plain that Obama understands that if Israel feels they must defend themself, they will do so, and that's okay with him.  As I remember, Netanyahu really would like to do this together and not have to go it alone.   Plans are in the works for the 2 countries to work together for many more years, hopefully past 2017.  .

Obama's mother taught him to listen before he talks.  This time he plans on following her advice and do a lot of listening.  Still, he didn't talk to heads of state at the Knesset, which is a downer.  He spoke at a hall in Jerusalem, though, where there were plenty of news reporters and Secretary of State, John Kerry,  and a few got to ask questions.  Obama mentioned the blue line.  I thought there was the green line to consider.  Then, Iran is almost at Netanyahu's red line.  The USA will be giving Israel some $200 million for defense.

Chuck T of NBC asked a question of Obama that I thought showed that Chuck didn't know much about the interactions between the Palestinians and the Israelis.  He asked why Obama hadn't got a peace program accomplished in his first 4 years.  Obama had to say it wasn't an easy thing to do.  Oh Chuck, there's so much to inform you about.  Chuck asked what went wrong!  I was amazed.  Yes Chuck, the Palestinians certainly would be healthier if they came to a peace.  So would the Israelis, and it isn't as if they don't want peace.  How would you like it it the USA were attacked almost constantly for 65 years by people 100 miles away or less?

In the meantime, all the women in Israel were busy doing their Passover cleaning and trying to shop and get ready for their first night of the Seder.  It's an all encompassing job.  I hope the people in the old city of Jerusalem can get out and shop.  They have been so blocked because of Obama's visit that they haven't been able to do the things they must get done.

Resource:  Oregonian newspaper 3/20/13 page A8 Syrians trade accusations of chemical use by the Associated Press
NBC TV
CNN TV