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ISRAEL

US-Israel relations: deterioration or enhancement? Ambassador (Ret.) Yoram Ettinger

http://bit.ly/3XrrDUV

Notwithstanding the current tension between the Administrations of the US and Israel, and while there is an erosion in Israel’s high favorability among Americans (according to Gallup: Israel’s favorability – 68% compared to 71% in 2022; Palestinian Authority’s – 26%), the US-Israel defense and commercial cooperation keeps expanding.

This expansion responds to mutual threats and challenges, such as Iran’s Ayatollahs, Sunni Islamic terrorism, the vulnerability of all pro-US Arab regimes, and the need to bolster the US’ global, technological competitive edge. Facing these threats and challenges, the US is leveraging Israel’s unique defense and commercial capabilities, which have contributed to the US economy and defense – in dollar terms – more than the annual US “foreign aid” to Israel.
The mutually-beneficial US-Israel partnership has been a derivative of the following factors:

1. US-Israel relations transcend the reality of international relations, in general, and US foreign relations, in particular.  US foreign relations are usually determined by the State Department establishment and the “elite” media, streaming in an up-bottom manner to the public.

However, in the case of the US policy towards Israel, the direction of the policy has been determined by the general public’s state-of-mind – which has prevailed since the Early Pilgrims and the Founding Fathers – streaming in a bottom-up manner to elected officials in the House, Senate and White House.  Moreover, US elected officials are accountable to their constituents, who expect them to faithfully represent their worldview (including their pro-Israel sentiments), or “we shall remember in November.”

2. While the White House tends to adopt the State Department’s worldview – which opposed the establishment of Israel in 1948, and has criticized Israel since then – both chambers of Congress (which are the most authentic representatives of the US constituency in the 435 Districts and 50 States) welcomed the newly-established Jewish State in 1948, and have always favored enhanced US-Israel cooperation. Furthermore, the US Congress is the world’s strongest Legislature, co-equal and co-determining to the President, capable of blocking, altering and initiating policy, as demonstrated by a litany of precedents, such as:

*Congress overruled Nixon and Reagan, ending the US military involvement in Southeast Asia (1973), Angola (1976) and Nicaragua (1984);
*Congress prevailed over Nixon (1974), forcing the USSR/Russia to allow free emigration;
*Congress overrode Clinton, Obama and Trump (1996-97, 2011, 2013, 2017), imposing sanctions on Iran, Egypt and Russia;
*The Senate did not ratify the 2015 nuclear accord with Iran (JCPOA), which enabled Trump to withdraw from the accord;
*Congress substantially expanded US-Israel strategic cooperation, in defiance of the Bush/Baker opposition (1990-1992);
*Etc.

The Palestinians No One Talks About by Bassam Tawil

https://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/19754/palestinian-students-arrests-torture

Even if the anti-Israel activists are made aware that Palestinian students living under the Palestinian Authority are being hauled off and tortured by their own leaders, they are not likely to speak out because there is no way to blame Israel or hold it responsible.

The Palestinian Authority crackdown on students is also being ignored by the international media and human rights organizations that regularly attack Israel but indefatigably refuse to see any wrongdoing on the part of Palestinians. Many foreign journalists covering the Israeli-Palestinian conflict make it their business actually to hunt for any story that reflects badly on Israel.

If these activists really cared about Palestinians, they would be speaking out against the arrest and torture of Palestinian students at the hands of Palestinian security forces, the need for better education, jobs and above all better, less corrupt governance for Palestinians. They would also be insisting on freedom of speech and of the press for Palestinians, and protesting the reported forcible closing of human rights groups such as Lawyers for Justice, instead of denouncing Israel day and night.

The crackdown is part of an ongoing effort by the Palestinian Authority to silence and intimidate its political rivals and deter others from speaking out against Abbas and senior Palestinian officials.

In May, the Islamic Bloc won the elections for the student council at Birzeit University, defeating the Palestinian Authority-affiliated student list.

The Palestinian Authority, plainly speaking, which is rapidly losing credibility among its youths, appears to have difficulty accepting the results of the elections in which its supporters were defeated. That is most likely the real reason the newly-elected chairman of the student council was arrested.

Hassan, in recent weeks, was not the only student from Birzeit University to be arrested by the PA security services. At least another four students have been taken into custody for unknown reasons: Yahya Qassem, Fawzi Abu Kweik, Omar Kiswani and Obaida Qatouseh.

[S]he noticed bruises all over his body…. “My son told me that he has been warned not to tell anyone about the torture [in Palestinian prison]….” — Mother of Yahya Qassem, Twitter, June 17, 2023.

Lawyers for Justice, a Ramallah-based independent Palestinian organization, reportedly now being forcibly shut down by the PA, said that it has documented 20 cases of arbitrary arrests by the Palestinian security forces since the beginning of June.

“Additionally, [the Palestinian security forces] have endangered the rights of detainees by fabricating new charges against them or re-detaining them under the pretext of review or appeal. In addition, the group has observed the presence of signs of torture on the bodies of many detainees….” — Lawyers for Justice, Facebook, June 18, 2023.

It is time to call out the anti-Israel activists on US campuses for their hypocrisy and lack of respect for Palestinian human rights. By ignoring the plight of their Palestinian colleagues who are being arrested and tortured by fellow Palestinians, the anti-Israel activists are in fact proving that they are also anti-Palestinian.

GOOD NEWS FROM AMAZING ISRAEL FROM MICHAEL ORDMAN

The Torah is Israel’s GPS. Wherever you wander you see links in the unbreakable chain of survival of the Jews from ancient Hebron and the Patriarchs to the present.

And, as Michael Ordman reminds us, the present and future also dazzle as medicine, science, technology, satellite exploration, computers and intel break barriers into new research and development to improve and enrich the lives of billions.

Ki Tavo, Deuteronomy 26:1–29:8-The Commandment to Love and Help the Stranger.

rsk

www.verygoodnewsisrael.blogspot.com 

 

ISRAEL’S MEDICAL ACHIEVEMENTS
 
New treatment for chronic kidney disease. (TY Hazel) Israel’s Curespec, founded by Israel’s Avner Spector, has developed Europe-approved Nephrospec. It uses an acoustic wave treatment called eHAT to treat chronic kidney disease (CKD) by promoting new blood vessel formation and restoring damaged tissue function.
https://www.jpost.com/health-and-wellness/article-746236   https://www.curespec.info/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D_g2b0ufSuU
 
Detecting pressure injuries before they happen. Israel’s IR-Med has developed an AI device powered by infrared light spectroscopy that spots pressure injuries, bedsores, and ulcers at an early stage. The PressureSafe device noninvasively detects them, preventing infections and even saving lives.
https://www.israel21c.org/prevent-painful-bedsores-by-spotting-them-before-they-happen/  
https://www.ir-medical.com/  https://www.ir-medical.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/Pressuresafe-Long.mp4
 
Healing wounds in 30+ countries. Israels RedDress (see here previously) is saving lives with its ActiGraft bandage for chronic wounds in over 30 countries, including Brazil, Turkey, and France. In Israel, it is available to patients of Clalit – the country’s largest health maintenance organization.
https://nocamels.com/2023/06/bandage-made-from-your-own-blood-treats-non-healing-wounds/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x1vHe_nJ1Do
 
US approves synthetic eye tissue. The US FDA has approved a synthetic tissue substitute for the eye that will address the worldwide shortage of donors. The EverPatch from Israel’s CorNeat Vision (see here previously) is made of a polymer that stimulates the cells to accept it and reinforce the sclera (outer layer of the eyeball).
https://nocamels.com/2023/06/fda-okays-worlds-first-non-degradable-synthetic-eye-tissue/
 
No more peanut allergies. Researchers at Israel’s Sheba Medical Center and Volcani Institute have developed a powder made from unripe peanuts that weans children off peanut allergies. There are no allergenic proteins in unripe peanuts, and food made from their powder (cookies, pancakes etc.) will slowly desensitize the allergy.
https://worldisraelnews.com/no-more-epipens-israeli-breakthrough-will-make-nut-allergies-disappear/
https://www.shebaonline.org/oral-immunotherapy-decreases-allergic-reaction-to-peanuts-in-children-sheba-study-finds/
 
When melanoma becomes dangerous. A new study at Tel Aviv University and Israel’s Sheba Medical Center reveals how melanoma cancer cells metastasize. They change their environment to spread deeper into the skin and to other parts of the body. Research continues and could eventually lead to the development of a vaccine.
https://nocamels.com/2023/06/discovery-on-how-skin-cancer-spreads-raises-hopes-of-vaccine/
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0022202X23018365
 
When the ventilator can be removed. Four women students at Ben-Gurion University won the 9th round of the “Students Leading Innovation in the Public Sector” competition initiated by Shoham hospital in Pardes Hanna-Karkur. Their Clarity decision-support model predicts if patients can be weaned off ventilator support.
https://www.jpost.com/health-and-wellness/article-746001
https://americansforbgu.org/bgu-students-win-first-prize/
 
Better training for ADHD sufferers. Trainers at Tel Aviv University’s Constantiner School of Education have developed Computerized Progressive Attention Training (CPAT) that significantly improved the attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) symptoms of many participating students.
https://www.israel21c.org/training-the-brains-attention-mechanisms-helps-in-adhd/
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36794845/
 
Transforming hospital healthcare. (TY Hazel) Israel’s Sheba Medical Center has signed an agreement with Deloitte Consulting to transform the future of healthcare. Deloitte operates in 150 countries and aims to implement Sheba’s revolutionary ARC (Accelerate, Redesign, and Collaboration) platform worldwide.
https://www.israel21c.org/deloitte-and-israels-sheba-plan-global-healthcare-redesign/

Palestinians: We Prefer Terrorism to Peace with Israel by Bassam Tawil

https://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/19746/palestinians-terrorism-peace

The findings of the poll, which was conducted between June 7 and 11, show that the Biden Administration and all those who continue to talk about reviving the peace process between Israel and the Palestinians are living under an illusion. The results of the poll indicate that most Palestinians are more interested in killing Jews than making peace with them. The results, in addition, show that most Palestinians want as a successor to their current leader, PA President Mahmoud Abbas, who has ties to terror.

According to the poll, the largest percentage of Palestinians (24%) believe that the rise of extremist Islamist terror groups such as Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) was “the most positive or the best thing that has happened to the Palestinian people since the Nakba.”

[A] majority of the Palestinians see terrorist groups and the murder of Jews — not the construction of schools and hospitals — as their proudest accomplishment over the past seven decades.

More than half of the Palestinians, the poll showed, prefer an “armed struggle” (terrorism) against Israel to negotiations with it.

The only thing that seems to disturb the Palestinian public is the possibility that Mahmoud Abbas’s Palestinian Authority security forces might go after the terror groups.

The armed terrorists of these groups are regularly hailed by Palestinians as heroes and martyrs.

The Palestinians want the gunmen to remain on the streets and continue their terror attacks against Jews. The vast majority (86%) say that the PA does not have the right to arrest members of these terrors groups to prevent them from carrying out attacks against Israel. This view seems to be one of the reasons that Abbas is reluctant to order his security forces to crack down on these terror groups and confiscate their weapons. Abbas is undoubtedly aware of the widespread support the terrorists enjoy among the Palestinian people. He undoubtedly knows that if he goes against the terrorists, he will be denounced by his people as a traitor and Israeli collaborator. Abbas and the Palestinian Authority are already facing severe criticism for conducting security coordination with Israeli security forces in the West Bank.

According to the latest PSR poll, support for the concept of the “two-state solution” stands at 28% and opposition stands at 70%. A poll conducted by the same center three months earlier showed that support for the “two-state solution” stood at only 27%, while opposition to it stood at 71%.

When it comes to choosing their leaders, Palestinians again showed that they prefer a candidate who killed Jews and wants to destroy Israel to anyone who is perceived as being overly moderate towards Israel.

While the Biden administration seems to have confidence in Abbas and his Palestinian Authority, 84% of the Palestinians — with good reason — believe that PA institutions are corrupt. Moreover, the level of dissatisfaction with the performance of Abbas, the poll showed, stands at 80%.

The results of the latest Palestinian poll show that the Biden administration and the European Union, by believing that they can promote the idea of a “two-state solution” between Israel and the Palestinians, continue to engage in self-deception. The Americans and Europeans appear blithely oblivious to the sentiments of the Palestinian street and prefer to listen only to what senior Palestinian officials tell them behind closed doors in Ramallah. The Palestinian officials are clearly misrepresenting the situation when they talk about the Palestinians’ desire to achieve peace and establish a Palestinian state next to Israel. They are saying that because they are hoping to get a state in the West Bank which they could then use as a launching pad from which to attack Israel. This is exactly what the Palestinians did after Israel pulled out of the Gaza Strip in 2005 and handed it over to the Palestinian Authority: they started firing rockets from the Gaza Strip at Israel.

The radicalization is the direct result of decades of brainwashing and incitement against Israel taking place nonstop in mosques, throughout the media, in schools, on university campuses, in sports, at summer camps and even in crossword puzzles.

If anything, the results of the poll show that the Americans and Europeans are wasting their time trying to convince the Palestinians to return to the negotiating table with Israel.

Are the EU or the Biden Administration putting any pressure on Abbas and the Palestinian leadership to crack down on the terror groups and cease their incessant incitement against Israel? No, instead the EU is sending equipment to the Palestinians to help them illegally build on land to be negotiated. The US, for its part, not only pretends that fighting terrorism is morally equivalent to committing terrorism, but also, in defiance of the US Congress, continues to reward Mahmoud Abbas’s “pay-to-slay” “jobs program” with fungible money, still incentivizing Palestinians to murder Jews.

The Biden Administration has resumed its efforts to relaunch peace negotiations between Israel and the Palestinians.

On June 19, US Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs Barbara Leaf arrived in Ramallah, the de facto capital of the Palestinian Authority (PA), and met with Hussein al-Sheikh, a senior Palestinian official who serves as Secretary-General of the PLO Executive Committee.

Intel bets $25 billion on Israel By Thomas Lifson

https://www.americanthinker.com/blog/2023/06/intel_bets_25_billion_on_israel.html

Bibi Netanyahu have been beaming when he announced to his cabinet via television that Israel is to receive its biggest foreign investment yet: a $25 billion commitment from Intel to build a new chip making factory and other facilities in Israel. it is a great sign of confidence that Israel will continue to exist, and it keeps Israel are the forefront of an important area of technology, where it is a global power despite its tiny size.

But in understading the scale of the investment,  keep in mind that early last year:

Intel today announced plans for an initial investment of more than $20 billion in the construction of two new leading-edge chip factories in Ohio. The investment will help boost production to meet the surging demand for advanced semiconductors, powering a new generation of innovative products

So, Intel probably is getting two factories or fabs as they are called. Plus roughly 5 billion dollars more, some for inflation and some for other uses, most likely R&D. This is far from Intel’s first investment in Israel.

During its almost five decades of operations in Israel, Intel has grown to become the country’s largest privately held employer and exporter and a leader of the local electronics and information industry, according to the company’s website.

Specifically,

Since entering Israel in 1974, Intel has invested more than $17 billion in Israel and employs 11,700 employees at its three R&D centers — in Haifa, Petah Tikva and Jerusalem — as well as at its manufacturing plant in Kiryat Gat. Intel says it is currently responsible for creating indirect employments positions for approximately 42,000 workers in Israel.

GOOD NEWS FROM AMAZING ISRAEL FROM MICHAEL ORDMAN

Israel bashers in academia and the media have a field day defaming Israel with selective headlines and deceptive narratives occasioned by the democracy’s political follies and the biased and venal BDS (Boycott, Sanction & Divest) movement. Michael Ordman’s comprehensive catalog of Israel’s outsize contributions to the welfare and aspirations of humanity worldwide, gives the lie to the libels.

BDS indeed! Israel is Beautiful, Diverse & Special.  rsk

michael.goodnewsisrael@gmail.com

ISRAEL’S MEDICAL ACHIEVEMENTS
 
Predicting immunotherapy response. Ben-Gurion University researchers have partnered Israel’s OncoHost to develop a biosensor that safely predicts if anti-PD1 therapy may cure a specific cancer patient. The leading immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI) therapy is invasive and other treatments may be better. (see also here).
https://in.bgu.ac.il/en/pages/news/elkabets_porgador_immunotherapy.aspx
https://nocamels.com/2023/06/cancer/   https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/sciadv.adg2809
https://www.timesofisrael.com/new-technology-improves-prediction-of-patient-response-to-immunotherapy/
 
Nano-treatment for eye diseases. Israel’s BioNanoSim (see here previously) is joining forces with Greek-based manufacturer RAFARM, to market BioNanoSim’s eye disease treatments globally. Its product, BNSO-1, is a topical medication that will shortly begin trials on patients suffering from Chronic Anterior Uveitis.
https://nocamels.com/2023/05/eye-disease/  https://www.bionanosim.com/
 
The power of sleep. Researchers at Tel Aviv University and UCLA have shown that long-lasting memories are consolidated during sleep by communication between the hippocampus and the cerebral cortex. Deep-brain stimulation during sleep improves memory consolidation and provides hope for dementia patients.
https://english.tau.ac.il/memory_sleep  https://www.nature.com/articles/s41593-023-01324-5
https://unitedwithisrael.org/israeli-research-reveals-brains-mechanism-for-memory-consolidation-during-sleep/
 
Choose your hospital. From 1st Sep, Israeli patients will be able to pick the hospital of their choice to undergo free or subsidized treatments in neurosurgery, mental health services, gynecological surgery, and in-vitro fertilization. They can already choose hospitals for oncology and obstetrics.
https://www.jpost.com/health-and-wellness/article-743221
 
A chatbot for cancer patients. Israel’s Belong.Life (see here previously) has launched “Dave” – the world’s first AI chatbot for cancer patients. Its purpose is to improve access to quality cancer care for patients around the world. It is available free of charge on Belong. Life’s Beating Cancer Together app. “Be well, Belong”.
https://www.israel21c.org/meet-dave-worlds-first-ai-chatbot-for-cancer-patients/  https://belong.life/cancer
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tkD9i1qzJAo  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1bEjH6-tiAo
 
$100 million cancer center. Jerusalem’s Shaare Zedek Medical Center has just opened its new state-of-the art Helmsley Cancer Center. The 12,000-square-meter center houses all Shaare Zedek’s medical, radiotherapy, counseling, spiritual and palliative oncological services under one roof.
https://www.timesofisrael.com/shaare-zedek-hospital-opens-oncology-center-designed-with-healing-aesthetic/
 
Prize for pain treatment. Israeli-founded TrainPain won the Grand Prize in the American Academy of Pain Medicine (AAPM) & MIT Hacking Medicine Innovation Challenge. TrainPain measures and retrains sensory neuroplasticity through home-based haptic (body-movement) mobile games, remote monitoring, and training.
https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/trainpain-awarded-grand-prize-in-the-american-academy-of-pain-medicine–mit-hacking-medicine-innovation-challenge-301814260.html   https://www.trainpain.com/
https://pain.haifa.ac.il/projects/train-pain/   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BBMrU7gdGUI

Israel develops world’s first system to shoot down hypersonic missiles against which Russia & Iran claimed there is no defense and more defense news from Tom Gross Tom Gross

https://madmimi.com/p/06e2961?pact=168249-174108441-7235361215-013d0ba9f2f1fb56788e00ac2a3b474156542426

The new hypersonic missile interceptor system, developed by Israeli state-owned Rafael Advanced Defense Systems has already been shown to the US military, who are considering buying it.

Both Russia and Iran have stepped up production of hypersonic missiles in recent months amid claims that they cannot be intercepted, in what could prove to be a major defence problem for Israel, Ukraine and their allies.

Russia’s hypersonic cruise missiles fly in the upper atmosphere and travel at five times the speed of sound and have already been used in Ukraine.

Iran’s new “Fattah” missile is even before advanced and has been pointed at Tel Aviv, possibly to deter a potential Israeli strike on the regime’s nuclear program. Iran says the Fattah can fly at 15 times the speed of sound and strike Tel Aviv within 400 seconds.

Tehran is also sending thousands of shorter-range missiles and drones to Russia for use against Ukraine, in return for Russia sending its advanced fighter jets to Iran that could be used by the regime to attack Israel.

Israel, What Have You Done For Us Lately? (#754 in a Series) All the best people are rooting for you. by Hugh Fitzgerald

https://www.frontpagemag.com/israel-what-have-you-done-for-us-lately-754-in-a-series/

1. Cyber Defense

“Security Aces: The Israeli startup that’s taking Europe by storm,” by Daniel Gal, Israel Hayom, June 7, 2023:

Israel’s startup scene is constantly moving forward and crossing new borders where innovative and revolutionary developments are concerned, with one of the country’s prominent strengths being the security field. The world has always looked to Israel for groundbreaking defense and security solutions, with the main emphasis being on cyber defense developments.

One of the newest and most promising players in cyber defense is startup company GlobeKeeper. The company, founded in 2016, aims to deal with one of the most complicated challenges in the world of secure communications – the older generation of communication systems, which are not protected from cyberattacks – and has developed an advanced multichannel communications app for security entities, specialized to meet their needs and offering maximum security.

The Israeli success story of young entrepreneurs Dan Peleg and Shai Slobodov begins with their first acquaintance, at the IDF’s elite Unit 81. “I came from Moshav Shilat and my partner Shai came from Lehavim. We’re two moshavniks who enlisted to the Intelligence Corps with no background or financial backing, we met there and today we’re marketing the system we’ve developed ourselves to Europe’s largest law enforcement agencies. At the end of the day, if that kind of entities are using products developed in Israel, that’s an Israeli success”.

Q: What advantages does the app have?

GlobeKeeper’s app is installed on smartphones and replaces the old-school radios used by cops, security guards and other security officials”, explains Dan Peleg. “It enables them to access all communication channels under one Virtual Command Platform (VCP): multidirectional communication, live streaming video, location sharing, chat, notifications and transferring files, images and videos. The system allows users to monitor, manage, operate and integrate all equipment in real time. Unlike WhatsApp, the communication is secure and cyber-protected using some of the strongest and strictest measures available”.

THE ETTINGER REPORT

https://theettingerreport.com/

This website challenges Western conventional wisdom on critical aspects of US-Israel relations, Jewish-Arab demography, Iran, the Palestinian issue and Middle East affairs, in general.

This website highlights:

*Israel’s contribution to the US taxpayer exceeds US foreign aid to Israel.
*Israel: from a misperceived burden to a force and dollar multiplier for the US.
*The 400-year-old roots of the unique US-Israel nexus.
*The debunked myth of the Arab demographic time bomb, while exposing Israel’s Jewish demographic momentum.
*The gap between Middle East reality and Western conventional wisdom.
*The inherent flaws of the US diplomatic option toward Iran’s Ayatollahs.
*Is the Palestinian issue the crux of the Arab-Israel conflict, a core cause of Middle East turbulence and a crown-jewel of Arab policy making?
*The proposed Palestinian state – advancing or undermining US interests?

The content of this website is based on my 50-year-experience in the areas of Middle East affairs, US-Israel relations and US policy in the Middle East in my capacity as a researcher, diplomat (Ambassador), writer, lecturer, media commentator and consultant to US and Israeli legislators.  

Hopefully, this website adds value for your own endeavors.

Israel and the “Kissinger Era” — A Zionist response This is the man who said: “The best result [of the Yom Kippur War] would be if Israel came out a little ahead but got bloodied in the process.” Op-ed. Moshe Phillips

https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/372627

A military historian and author recently asked me for comment on Israel and the “Kissinger era” (as he put it) for an essay he was working on marking the occasion of Henry Kissinger’s 100th birthday—he had read several of my op-eds about Kissinger.

I believe my response to him is worth sharing with a wider audience.The “Kissinger Era” in Middle East diplomacy refers to the years when the secretary of state brokered agreements based on the idea that Israel should give up tangible assets in exchange for something less than actual peace. Thus in 1975 he pressured Israel into surrendering the Mitla and Giddi passes in the Sinai and the Abu Rodeis oil fields there in exchange for a brief “non-belligerency” pledge from Egypt.

After Kissinger left office, the dynamics of Arab-Israeli diplomacy changed, in ways that Kissinger–for all his reputed brilliance–never expected. Egypt’s Sadat realized the only way to get back the entire Sinai was to sign a peace treaty with Israel, and so he did. Yasser Arafat realized the only way to get an almost-sovereign territory and a de-facto army was to sign a peace agreement with Israel, so he did. Jordan, and then more recently several Gulf kingdoms, decided it was more advantageous to them to sign peace treaties with Israel, so they did.

But two essential problems haunt both the Kissinger Era agreements and the post Kissinger agreements. The first is that a treaty signed with a dictator can be tossed out at any moment, for any reason. That happened during the brief rise to power of the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt. It also happened when Israel agreed to give Gaza to the PA, and then shortly afterwards Hamas took over.

But the second, and also a very serious problem, is that not a single of the aforementioned Arab regimes has undertaken genuine peace education. They have not taught their citizens to embrace peace and coexistence with Israel. They have likewise made no effort to teach their children in this regard. So anti-Semitic and pro-terrorist hatred still simmers just below the surface among the Arab masses in all of those countries, ready to explode. Thus the extraordinary concessions Israel made for each of those treaties, in the end, secured for the Jewish State what are little more than ceasefire agreements.