The example of Musharraf is a good one, but Pakistan is not a Middle Eastern country.

from Arutz Sheva

Dozens of trucks carrying tons of food and medical supplies have entered Gaza since the Hamas terrorist organization took over the area. Another 400 tons were transferred via the Kerem Shalom border crossing on Thursday.

Included in the delivery were 130 tons of flour, 50 tons each of rice and sugar, 34 tons of pasta, 33 tons of lentils, 30 tons of margarine, 20 tons of beans, 18.5 tons of barley, 15 tons of chickpeas, 8 tons of powdered milk, 7 tons of astringents, 5 tons of tea, 2 tons of soup and thousands of liters of oil.

Jordan supplied the lion’s share of the basics – flour, legumes and oil – and international aid organizations provided the rest, to be distributed by their representatives to Palestinian Authority residents now being ruled by the Hamas terrorists.

Thousands of liters of gasoline, diesel fuel and natural gas supplies were delivered through the Nahal Oz terminal.

Tons of medical supplies were provided as well, and Red Cross surgeons were sent in to add their expertise to doctors working round the clock in Gaza hospitals. Medics also evacuated residents to Israel for specialized medical care.

And that’s only in Gaza.

Propping Up the PA in Judea and Samaria

U.S. officials have asked the Congress to restore $27 million in aid, to purchase more arms for PA Chairman and Fatah leader Mahmoud Abbas’ personal militia, Force 17.

The Defense Ministry is considering allowing the transfer of thousands of new weapons to Abbas’ forces as a “good will” gesture to prop up the new PA emergency government.

Officials explained Friday on Voice of Israel government radio that Abbas needs the weapons to replace the arsenal that was lost to Hamas terrorists who routed Fatah loyalists in Gaza over a week ago. Thousands of weapons and millions of bullets and other ammunition had been shipped to the PA militia by American allies Egypt and Jordan, with Israel’s full knowledge and approval.

The government will also transfer most, if not all, of the $700 million that remains of the tax revenues collected by Israel on behalf of the PA but withheld after Hamas won the legislative elections in January 2006.

Prime Minister Ehud Olmert has said he might also agree to dismantle numerous security checkpoints and roadblocks throughout Judea and Samaria as another “confidence building” measure.

Strategic Affairs Minister Avigdor Lieberman (Yisrael Beiteinu) objects to providing arms to Fatah. "It has been proven in the past that giving arms and money to Fatah serves to support terrorism," Lieberman said. "Even if we give guns to Abu Mazen, he has no ability and no chance."

The People's Choice

With the PLO backing Abbas in his bid to hold new elections, the latest polls indicate that the most popular leader in the PA is Marwan Barghouti, now serving five life sentences in a Negev prison for murder.

That Barghouti must be released in any prisoner swap deal for IDF Cpl. Gilad Shalit, kidnapped a year ago by Hamas terrorists, is the one point both Fatah and Hamas have agreed on this year.

Barghouti masterminded more than 30 terrorist attacks against Israeli citizens, in which some 35 were killed. Sufficient evidence was found to convict him of only five murders, however. Prime Minister Olmert has said he will not free Barghouti, even at the expense of Shalit’s freedom.

But if PA elections were to be held today, Marwan Barghouti would be the people’s choice to lead them.

Just ratchet up this level of support and make it permanent.

that this week at least 20 forest fires in Northern West Bank are suspected arson. Way to go PLO!

I hope as do most people hope they use it for good not for evil. I still maintain though that perhaps the smartest thing to do would be to declare them a permanent protectorate and subsidize them 100% in perpetuity both in cash and in services and infrastructure. It would cost far less in the long run for the west to simply maintain them directly, perhaps no more than 20 billion a year.

I wondered when Hastur would be mentioned. Of course, the reason you're not supposed to mention him is that he just might show up if you do...kind of like Ctheney.

Israel released several hundreds of millions of dollars to the PA as quid pro quo for divorcing themselves from the Hamas. So it's unimportant what Krauthammer or Glenn Greenwald for that matter imagine they'd like to see.

Sometimes I wonder if the Krauthammers and Greenwalds of the world secretly delight in needing each other as sounding boards for their respective apocalyptic fantasies?

But of course this column isn't about news or information it's about the opinions of people commenting on other people commenting about news or information, or more likely each others vivid imaginative texts.

I'm sorry that there were so many comments that I didn't read them before I posted. I just wanted to say something about what seems to be the operating definition of "anti-semitism" nowadays, as is evidenced by what happens whenever an alternative viewpoint is expressed on the subject of Palestine.

That definition for "anti-semitism" seems to be: Any statement, sentiment, suggestion or even suspicion that the dreaded Palestinians are actually human beings with hopes, dreams, loves, fears and passions; family, friends and lovers; talents, skills and hobbies --- real, whole lives --- who perhaps shouldn't be slaughtered wholesale.

Anyone who so much as flirts with such a wild and radical notion is instantly slapped with the dreaded "anti-semetic" label and hit with an avalanche of angry letters, e-mails, denunciations and other assorted expressions of scorn (if not worse).

Because of this, anyone who wishes to look at the Palestinian situation from a perspective ANYWHERE to the left Benyamin Netanyahu is literally forced to issue lengthy disclaimers like the one in Glenn's update to clarify what should be obvious. Just look at the apology tour Jimmy Carter had to launch over his recent book. The US president who presided over the historic peace talks at Camp David now has defend himself against charges of anti-semitism. Meanwhile, "conservatives" who call for the wholesale slaughter of Palestinians on a weekly basis are, of course, credible social commentators. It's just nuts!

This should be simple and uncontroversial. Expressing concern for the human tragedy in Palestine is NOT tantamount to launching a new Holocaust. Life, liberty and justice for a Palestinian is not mutually exclusive of continuing existence of the Jewish people. It's a damned shame that such a thing even needs to be explained.