Mr. Friedman you wrote: "For many, perhaps most, "green line" Israelis, Jews living in Judea and Samaria (and until last August, Gaza) are little more than gun-toting, violent, settler-terrorists." May be you made a mistake when you descided the "Mercaz haLikud" and extensive Lobbying became more important than making your point understood? When you started demanding and threatening ignoring those people who send their taxmoney as well as their kids (army) to your settlements? You become to selfsecure and arrogant, I mean this without insult. And now you have to face reallity.

First of all, you overestimate the importance of the likes of Beilin or Oz. They're radical, often it seems more so because they (think) they have a reputation of being radical left to uphold, rather than their genuine belief in it. There is place for right-wing but legitimate right-wing seems not to exist in Israel anymore. Instead, from Qadimah rightward one stumbles straight into the reich-wing: one-agendum individuals who use specious arguments all leading to one end: the land, the land, the land--don't give up the land. Look at the Israeli political scene:the usual smolim, centrist Qadimah, and then the assortment of religious parties (don't give up the land because "god" "says" so) together with Likud (don't give up the land because we'll have rockets coming from there--yes, we had rockets coming from Aza while we were there, too, but never mind). Secondly, the Palestinians in their so-called intifada starting in 2000 have scarcely been using the weapons they got as part of the Oslo Accords. They got light arms, not explosives or mortars. Oslo may have been wrong (it wasn't: its benefits have by far exceeded the problems it occasioned) but it was inevitable. As far as the territories, it's simple: we stay or we go. We stay, and we'll before long have to give the Palestinians the citizenship. We go, and we won't. The events yesterday in the WB, however, are an entirely different story. This is a question of law and order--nothing more, nothing less. Israel's democratic institutions reached their decisions (which made those decisions LAW), and law enforcement agencies came to enforce the law. Those who attacked shoterim and khayalim are criminals; no different from those who were trashing parts of France for several weeks or those who riot in England after a soccer match and get clubbed good. They were basically rioting and threatening public order and peace--in other words, the democratic establishment and rule of law. There's nothing to debate here: you attack the police (with premeditation!)--you get what you deserve. As far as the "bigger picture," the vast majority of Israelis did absolutely nothing against the Hitnatqut. They're tired of the settlements and of the settlers and of all the problems they bring. The election results will show this, too. And don't rip at Dr. Sharon: the fact that while he once said that "The fate of Netzarim will the same as the fate of Tel Aviv" and then effected the Disengagement does not show a defect. On the contrary: it shows wisdom through an bility to adapt to changing circumstances and new realities, and not being enslaved to ideology.

"...and whatever else the kids could find that came in response might be the lowest point, not just in Israeli history, but in Jewish history. " Give me a break...don't be so dramatic...were you born yesterday? And by the way, the settler teens and adults threw rocks, bricks, etc BEFORE the police beat them with batons.....did you watch the full footage?

If the removal of nine houses in Amona caused such problems what can be expected if a future Israeli government decides to vacate places like Efrat in order to placate the Palestinians?

NOVEMBER 29 1948 !!!

Mr. Friedman's "on the other hand" is the principal issue:, isn't it? The behavior of the kids , egged on by their elders, is what precipitated the violence. Hamas meet Meshugas is not an acceptable strategy -- and it's time for the settler movement to begin rethinking its position. Most Israelis (and most American Jews) do not believe that there is any divine right to West Bank territories which it is NOT IN ISRAEL'S INTEREST to hold on to.

The press outside of Israel took great delight in talking up civil war amongst the Jews, a great Chilul Hashem. Lets not be too impartial. It's quite evident that Olmert is asserting political authority in the lead up to an election, and stirring up emotions does him no harm. Hopefully Israeli voters will recognise that for what it is worth. Andrew - Where is the political leadership for Jewish unity?

Barbaric Muslim terrorist murderers show no mercy to Jewish children. But Israel's police and IDF don't go to war against the terrorists. Israel's police and IDF go to war against defenseless Jewish children. Police on horseback charged at a gallop into Jewish peaceful protesters. Jews passively sitting down were savagely hit repeatedly in the head with metal batons. This is the U.S. EU, UN/Russia' Road Map peace process in action, to give Jewish Land and holy places to Islamic terrorists. Shlomo Wollins of: http://www.israelreporter.com "I have just been contacted by a medic who has been involved with the treatment of the 200+ wounded child protestors. He said that doctors who have worked in Israel for 20 years are shocked at extent of wounds and numbers of injured. The doctor said that when the IDF raids an arab “terror-den”, that the terrorists wounded in raid are usually less-severe than the majority of the cases with the child-protestors." Pictures and video evidence of the criminal, brutal, violent pogrom against Jewish children: http://www.hashkafah.com/index.php?showtopic=20215 http://www.israelreporter.com/ http://www.guysen.com/diaporama.php?file=amona http://www.guysen.com/diaporama.php?file=amona_hosto http://www.israelnationalnews.com/news.php3?id=97758 http://www.israelnationalnews.com/news.php3?id=97839 http://www.landofisrael.info/Video/amona-alimut.wmv

Police Strip Shirt Off Jewish Mother During Protest 17:31 Feb 02, '06 / 4 Shevat 5766 By IsraelNN Staff During a protest at the Shiloh junction north of Amona, a dozen police jumped a mother of nine, delivered strong blows to all parts of her body and then stripped off her shirt in public. The woman, who recently gave birth, told her story to our correspondent on condition of anonymity. She explained that she is ashamed to gain publicity for being stripped in public by the police. Click here to listen to an eyewitness account The incident began when a small group of people, including women and children, began a protest at the police roadblock against the demolition of homes in Amona. One girl crossed the road, and an officer told her to move out of the way. When she talked back to the officer, a policewoman teamed up with the officer, and they pushed her with force to the ground. "At this point," said the mother of nine, "I approached the officers and told them that they were using excessive force for no reason. A friend of mine tried to take a picture of the policewoman's badge, but it was tilted to the side. I extended my hand to straighten her badge, and my friend took the picture." According to the mother, the badge displayed the name: Yana Rosenfeld, #7467875. As per photographer's testimony, this policewoman wore badge "Yana Rosenfeld" "Yana ripped her badge away from me and called out to all the policemen there to arrest me. Within seconds, a dozen officers approached me to arrest me. They grabbed me, pushed me to the ground, and kicked me in my stomach, head, and all parts of my body. Yana kicked me right in my womb. Yana was yelling, 'Hit her hard. Smash her.'" Naomi Shachor, wife of the chief Rabbi of nearby Maaleh Levonah, came over when she saw the policemen trying to arrest a protestor. Naomi says, "We were trying to pull her back towards us. They grabbed her… I saw her on the ground, and they started to pull off her sweater… The ones who did it and pushed her were men... It was a very terrible and shocking moment for me. I am still trying to get myself together from it." The assaulted mother identified this policeman as one of the attackers The assaulted mother continued, "As they assaulted me, they began ripping my shirt. With no shame, several officers deliberately ripped off my shirt, and I was left there exposed. At this point, I started resisting so strongly that they backed off of me a bit, I grabbed my shirt from an officer who was holding it, and fled away in shame."... http://www.israelnationalnews.com/news.php3?id=97820

This is a new nation. Beilin & Aloni, possible Olmert, are not Jews, but mutants of Jews, as many other Istaelies.

THE SELF DESTRUCT DOUBLE STANDARD by Yoram Ettinger, January 20, 2006 Illegal Arab construction has become a norm, led by the Palestinian Authority (many PA officials reside in illegal homes), bankrolled by Saudi petrodollars and observed by the wide-closed eyes of Israel. Illegal construction has become an effective means to challenge Jewish sovereignty over Jerusalem, to undermine major infrastructure and housing projects in the Negev and Galilee, to limit the freedom/security of Jewish movement along major transportation arteries, to facilitate terrorism and to exacerbate crime. While Israel has faced that threat meekishly, it is enforcing the law in an iron-fist manner when it comes to a few scores of Jewish houses throughout Judea & Samaria and Hebron (built on a Jewish-registered property, which was ravaged by Arabs in 1929). Over 1,000 illegal houses are built annually – by Jerusalem Arabs – since 1997. Only 30-40 are demolished by the authorities. About 10,000 illegal houses are built, annually, by "Green Line" Arabs in the Galilee, Negev, "Triangle", Lod and Ramleh. About 100 are demolished. Since 1967, there has been more Arab residential (largely illegal) construction in Jerusalem than Jewish construction in the capital of the Jewish State. But, Israel is enforcing the law in an iron-fist manner when it comes to a few scores of Jewish houses throughout Judea & Samaria and Hebron (built on a Jewish-registered property, which was ravaged by Arabs in 1929). Legal and governance impotence have characterized Israel's battle against illegal Arab construction, which threatens Israel's sovereignty and the rule of law in Jerusalem and all over the country. Palestinian documents, found at the PLO's "Orient House", highlight illegal construction as a key instrument in the campaign to erode the Jewish character of Jerusalem. According to the documents, the Palestinian Authority (PA) has enticed illegal construction in Jerusalem's Arab neighborhoods of Shoafat, Beit Haninah and A-Zaim, in order to prevent continuity between the Jewish neighborhoods of French Hill and Pisgat Ze'ev, and to avert the unification of Jerusalem and Ma'aleh Adoumim. Illegal construction is raging along Highway 443, the critical road from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, with the aim to transform it into an Arab road, threatening the security of Jewish transportation. While a 1999 Palestinian document anticipated that Israel was determined "to demolish 400-500 illegal houses in Beit Haninah and Shoafat", a 2000 document notified the PA that "no need to worry", since Israel would only demolish a few houses, and illegal construction could proceed with full speed ahead. But, Israel is determined to enforce the law in an iron-fist manner when it comes to a few scores of Jewish houses in Hebron and throughout Judea & Samaria. Illegal Arab construction has become a norm, led by the Palestinian Authority (many PA officials reside in illegal homes), bankrolled by Saudi petrodollars and observed by the wide-closed eyes of Israel. Illegal construction has become an effective means to challenge Jewish sovereignty over Jerusalem, to undermine major infrastructure and housing projects in the Negev and Galilee, to limit the freedom/security of Jewish movement along major transportation arteries, to facilitate terrorism and to exacerbate crime. For instance, illegal construction in the Jerusalem Arab neighborhood of Silwan has been a platform for intensified terrorism and felony. Forging real estate titles has proliferated in the Arab sector, robbing state-owned land as well as privately owned Arab land, fueling extortion, protection, gang-wars and the importation of illegal Arab residents from Hebron and other towns to Jerusalem – a fertile ground for terrorism. But, Israel is determined to enforce the law in an iron-fist manner when it comes to scores of Jewish houses in Hebron and throughout Judea & Samaria...

Amona is Isrqel's Kent State. Just as Kent State was a blot on the history of America so is Amona a blot on the history of Israel. To kill and hurt one's own children is not only a sin against G-d and Man, it is insanity.