A Daily Analysis
By Marc Schulman

October 8, 2009 Mitchell Accomplishes Little, Lieberman Speaks Too Much, Interesting Developments in the Charedi Communithy

Senator Mitchell is once again in Israel and once again it looks like he will not accomplish anything. He has been unsuccessful in getting the sides any closer to resuming peace talks. As one Israeli correspondent stated, it’s beginning to look like the harassment of elders by making Mitchell, who is 76, travel back in forth, for so little to show for it.

Minister of Foreign Affairs Lieberman even went so far as to publicly state that there is no chance for peace for many years and the world needs just live with that. He may be right, but it is certainly not something someone in his position should and it's certainly not what the world wants to hear. Even what the majority of Israelis would like a more positive attitude. He is trying to compare the Israeli- Arab conflict to the conflict in Cyprus between Greeks and Turks, which has never been resolved. Making that comparison shows a lack of understanding of history, the Arab world, or the world at large for that matter. That is dangerous.

There were two interesting news pieces on the Israeli TV in the last two days. One story was about the growing number of Haredi woman who have been trying to leave join the secular world. This not something that is happening in large numbers but a growing number does not seem to accept that their lot in life in the 21st century is to stay home in poverty and give birth and raise on average 9.5 kids.

The second story was the growing active opposition to Neturi Karta within the Haredi community. There used to be a fear of them, but their recent actions in support of Muslim fundamentalists seems to have gone too far and Haredi rabbis have been attacking them. The story showed an exchange caught on camera where one major rabbi was speaking, and he received a question from a Neturi Karta member. When the Neuturi Karta member identified himself he was widely booed but the rabbi insisted he be heard. The Neturi Karta member then went on to say that Jews must always beg from the non-Jews to be left alone. He stated that if Jews had gone down on their knees and begged Hitler more Jews would have been saved. The rabbi then answered that all of the major rabbis of today have rejected that approach it is totally against Judaism to take that approach

An item that seems to have not received much coverage is the fact that in the last few days Al Qaeda has declared war on China. That is because China refuses to allow the Mulsim separatists in Sinkian to create a separate state. Y ou have to give it to Al Qaeda, it certainly does not mind making enemies.