istory tells us something very important about France - they don’t learn from it. Contemporary events tells us something else important about France. Their antisemitism is deeply embedded.

France should be able to see a similarity, if anyone cared to look, between how they approach dangerous Islamist elements today and the appeasement policy prior to WWII. Or perhaps France could see the similarity with the appeasement policy prior to WWI - when France, Russia and Britain instigated the mess, which defines the Balkans and Middle East of today. It could be said then that the unintended results of appeasement could not have been foreseen. It certainly cannot be said today.

The French appear ever-ready to pit themselves against common sense - it is an historical norm for France. From aligning themselves with the Ottoman empire to further their own imperialist ambition against England and Russia to Vichy appeasement of the Nazis; to French appeasement of Saddam and now French appeasement of Hamas.

At a time when Israel celebrates 60 years of struggle for existence against tremendous odds, it comes out that France elevates this terrorist group to the level of statehood  by treating them as a moral equivalent of Israel.

It was even more striking because French President Nicolas Sarkozy has embraced Israel since taking office a year ago, in contrast to predecessors who nurtured France’s traditionally strong relations with the Arab world. But experts noted Sarkozy has signaled the need for “bridges” in response to Carter’s contentious visit.

Speaking on French radio Europe-1, Kouchner insisted the French contacts with Hamas over “several months” did not amount to “relations” or “negotiations.”

He did not delve into the substance of the contacts, but said Hamas has become more “flexible” - even if it still refuses to recognize the Jewish state’s right to exist.

These are “contacts, and nothing else, to inform us about the situation - first on the humanitarian front, and then especially the political one. That’s it,” Kouchner told reporters later at the Foreign Ministry.

“I think … we’re not the only ones to have contacts of this type - just to inform ourselves - and particularly in the European Union,” he added.

The French government is exhibiting yet another example of the myopic approach to dealing with those who vow the destruction of not only Israel, but anything not contributing to the benefit of an Islamic caliphate. Those of you who think this is much ado about nothing have no understand of the goal of these Islamists since the 13th Century especially.

Not only is Jimmy Carter not being admitted into the offices of virtually all government officials in Israel, but his security detachment is also getting zero assistance from Shin Bet.

Carter wants to be the one who brings “peace” the the Middle East. I can’t imagine the existence of a more deluded individual. Not that “peace” in the Middle East is not possible - far from it. The issue is peace at what cost? Jimmy Carter has no credibility in the Middle East and no credibility with Israel - a legacy going back to 1976 and coming to a crescendo with Carter’s latest book, Palestine: Peace Not Apartheid

 JERUSALEM — Israeli leaders are shunning former U.S. president Jimmy Carter during a visit because of his plans to meet Hamas, and Israel’s secret servicehas declined to assist U.S. agents guarding him, U.S. sources said yesterday. “They’re not getting support from local security,” one of the sources said, on condition of anonymity. Carter yesterday toured an Israeli city often hit by Palestinian rockets and condemned the Palestinian attacks, but this did not mollify Israel’s leaders. A U.S. source described as “unprecedented” the lack of Shin Bet cooperation with the U.S. secret service. JERUSALEM — Israeli leaders are shunning former U.S. president Jimmy Carter during a visit because of his plans to meet Hamas, and Israel’s secret servicehas declined to assist U.S. agents guarding him, U.S. sources said yesterday.
“They’re not getting support from local security,” one of the sources said, on condition of anonymity.
Carter yesterday toured an Israeli city often hit by Palestinian rockets and condemned the Palestinian attacks, but this did not mollify Israel’s leaders. A U.S. source described as “unprecedented” the lack of Shin Bet cooperation with the U.S. secret service.

It is clear that Carter’s anti-Israel position is more acute than ever. He has no business trying to portray himself as a neutral arbitrator of “peace”. What he is after is to carve another Arab state out of Israel.

Tired of the day-to-day grind of attacking Israelis, a Hamas “holy mission” was carried out today in Gaza with satisfying effects, according to a Hamas spokesman.

Two members of the violent terrorist organization were killed in a self-inflicted detonation, according to Palestinian medical personnel on the scene.

I believe they are only attempting to level the playing field, said Dr. Moaiya Hassanain, a Palestinian Health Ministry official, who confirmed the deaths.

The source close to the Hamas leadership indicated that the self-detonation of explosives is a strategic move to bring the Israeli and Palestinian negotiators closer to a resolution on a possible peace initiative.

See, we also kill ourselves! We’re not so bad as everyone says. This terrorist thing is a gross mis-perception.

The Hamas source did express some frustration however regarding the kinds of holy warriors being run through the training camps these days.

We only get mentally disabled recruits these days. I miss the days when we could depend on having recruits who did not prematurely detonate their explosives, not - of course - that this is what happened in this instance. It is only that these new holy warriors tend to become martyrs more quickly than in the old days, or they become prisoners of the Zionist Entity because they are too stupid to understand how to hate our enemy! Not that we hate the Zionist Entity - that’s just a figure of speech. You know, like Jeremiah Wright does.

Due to Hamas security procedures, it is not clear whether the detonations were of Qassam rockets, explosive vests, or the manipulation of Chinese and Russian artillery shells for IEDs. But witnesses in the area did say it was a much smaller boom than they have seen on attacks shown on Israeli TV.

Yup. That’s what people who want peace and stability do. They kill unarmed men of the cloth.

At least seven people have been killed and at least six people wounded by a gunman who infiltrated and attacked a Jewish seminary in West Jerusalem.

Witnesses said the gunman went into a crowded hall during dinner at the Mercaz Harav seminary in the city’s Kiryat Moshe quarter and opened fire.

The assailant was then shot dead by Israeli security personnel.

The attack is the worst of its kind for a number of years. There were no attacks within Jerusalem during 2007.

The Palestinian Islamist group, Hamas, praised the attack, calling it “heroic”, but did not claim responsibility. There was also celebratory gunfire in Gaza.

Hamas has been allowed to usurp any notion of peace in Palestine. Our Sec State goes to Israel and reads them the riot act, while rockets fall on Sderot and “poor Palestinian victims of Israel’s aggression” kill unarmed men of God.

A 47 year old father of 4 was killed in Sderot when one of 30 Qassam rockets struck near him in the parking lot of Sapir College.

Kfir Waldman, a communications student, told Army Radio: “I was at the radio station when the missiles fell. I saw the ambulances arrive. They tried to save his life, but it was clear to all of us standing around that it was too late.”

The college, which has remained open throughout the bombardments, told the students to go home for two days and cancelled classes. At least one missile landed further afield, in the compound of the Barzilai Hospital in Ashkelon, where some of those lightly wounded in the bombings were taken.

The military were especially concerned that al-Fajr missiles had apparently been used to target a hospital, a major escalation.

To me the issue is clear - No Peace, No Consideration.

Palestinians need to fear the drastic measures being considered as a result of Hamas’ actions.

You have Hamas and Fatah battling in the streets. Crime is more rampant between Palestinians  today than ever. Food shortages are the norm now. Access to medical care has become limited. These things are not the fault of Israel. These things are wholly own subsidiaries of Hamas activities.

What Palestinians should fear is Israel thinking this is their only resort for security. The question is, “Should we retake Gaza?”

The average Israeli goes to sleep these days as his lips whisper a prayer, and with great hope in his heart: To wake up in the morning and hear that the IDF has reoccupied the Gaza Strip, and “Sderot experienced its first quiet night.”

Admittedly, there are reasons offered for and against retaking Gaza, but the point I make is Hamas offers Israel very little choice except military action to solve the problem of security for Israel. Palestinians should be very afraid of that - although Israel is likely to be a much better benefactor than Hamas has been.  The question is why should the Palestinians suffer because of Hamas?

The next generation of Islamists is trained to hate. Once they have been taught to hate, they are taught how to resolve their hate.

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Imagine.

Terrorists, operating out of the Gaza Strip, fired rockets into an Israeli kibbutz, wounding a 3-year-old girl.

A report released by the Israeli army on Sunday revealed that with recent improvements in Palestinian rocket technology, some 190,000 Israeli civilians now live under direct threat of artillery attacks from Gaza.

Here is a little background on the Qassam rockets.

Qassam rockets are named after the Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades, the armed branch of Hamas, itself named after an Islamic Mojahed and fighter Izz ad-Din al-Qassam who led a Palestinian fighters group during the 1930s. According to Hamas, the Qassam rocket was first developed by Nidal Fat’hi Rabah Farahat and Mohamed Khaled and produced under the direction of Adnan al-Ghoul, the “Father of the Qassam”, who was assassinated by the Israeli army on October 22, 2004.

Qassams were first fired at Israeli civilian targets in October 2001.The first Qassam to land in Israeli territory was launched on February 10, 2002. The first time an Israeli city was hit was on March 5, 2002, when two rockets struck Sderot. Some rockets have hit as far as the edge of Ashkelon. The total number of Qassam rockets launched exceeded 1000 by June 9, 2006. During the year 2006 alone, 1000+ rockets were launched.

Israel is justifiably concerned about Egypt opening a border crossing from Gaza to allow pilgrimages to Muslim religious sites.

Israel has protested to Egypt over the opening of a border crossing to allow Muslim pilgrims from Gaza to make their way through Egypt to Saudi Arabia.

The Israelis say they are concerned that militants may leave Gaza and go for training in Iran.

Gaza has been largely sealed off since June, when Hamas took control in Gaza. Some 2,000 Palestinians are said to have left Gaza via Rafah since Monday.

The Rafah crossing is the only exit from Gaza that bypasses Israel.

Training in Iran is one reason, but this is another:

Egyptian police confiscated 500 kg (1,100 lb) of explosives in northern Sinai on Wednesday which were probably destined for Gaza, a security official said.

Police found the TNT in 12 plastic bags hidden in mountains near to Rafah on Egypt’s borders with the Gaza Strip. They said smugglers were likely trying to move the explosives across the nearby border.

Twenty-one rockets were fired into Israel today by Palestinian armed forces in the Gaze Strip today, injuring thre. Five others were treated for shock.

The two Palestinians killed belonged to the Islamic Jihad group, which said in a statement to reporters in Gaza that it launched most of the rockets. The IDF took responsibility for one death, saying troops shot an armed man, while saying the second victim may have been killed by a stray rocket.

Negotiators for Israel and Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas held talks in Jerusalem today aimed at a peace agreement and creating a Palestinian state. Gaza is controlled by the Hamas movement, Abbas’s rival, which opposes talks and calls for the destruction of the Jewish state.