December 2008

Dear Friends,

Welcome to a special edition of the Israel Connection. As you are all aware, Israel is currently under daily rocket-fire attack from Hamas into southern Israel. Attached are some articles that we hope that will put into perspective the situation that Israel is facing. We will keep you posted as the situation progresses.

The Israel Connection is brought to you by THE ASSOCIATED: Jewish Community Federation of Baltimore and the Baltimore Jewish Council. This e-newsletter includes such items as: news updates about Israel and the Middle East, Action Alerts, and upcoming programming.  Our goal is to provide you with relevant information that you can use in your advocacy efforts and to express your support and solidarity with the people of Israel. We always enjoy your feedback - please email us at rrone@baltjc.org or call Rafi Rone at the Baltimore Jewish Council at 410-542-4850 with your comments.

Sincerely,

Abba David Poliakoff, Chair
Israel Awareness & Advocacy Committee		 Jennifer Meyerhoff, Vice Chair
Israel Awareness & Advocacy Committee

Please take a moment to read the following articles:

Palestinians Need Israel to Win
If Hamas gets away with terror once again, the peace process will be over
By MICHAEL B. OREN and YOSSI KLEIN HALEVI, The Wall Street Journal, December 29, 2008
JERUSALEM —A quarter century has passed since Israel last claimed to go to war in the name of peace."Operation Peace for Galilee" -- Israel's 1982 invasion of Lebanon -- failed to convince the international public and even many Israelis that its goal was to promote reconciliation between Israel and the Arab world. In fact, the war had precisely the opposite results, preparing the way for Yasser Arafat's disastrous return to the West Bank and Gaza, and for Hezbollah's ultimate domination of Lebanon. And yet, Israel's current operation in Gaza is essential for creating the conditions that could eventually lead to a two-state solution …read more

Israel's Gaza Defense
The more damage to Hamas, the better the chances for peace.
Review & Outlook, The Wall Street Journal, December 29, 2008
Israel's air assault on Gaza in response to Hamas rocket attacks is inspiring familiar international denunciations. But the best commentary we've heard might be this one: "If somebody was sending rockets into my house where my two daughters sleep at night, I would do everything to stop that, and would expect Israel to do the same thing."…read more

Hamas Knows One Big Thing
By Bret Stephens, The Wall Street Journal, December 30, 2008
If only it were a parable, the endless confrontation between Israel and its enemies would be the case of the hedgehog and the fox. The fox, said the Greek poet Archilochus, knows many things, while the hedgehog knows one big thing.…read more

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Send an email with your comments to Rafi Rone at rrone@baltjc.org.