Quick Takes: News From Israel You May Have Missed

Just one month after the UN and EU launched a furious campaign against Israel’s security fence, culminating in the International Court of Justice ruling that the fence is illegal, the EU announced it’s planning to build a separation fence of its own, and invited Israel to participate in the construction, as WorldNetDaily broke the story.

The fence is being built to separate recently added EU members Poland and Hungary from their new neighbors – Russia, Belarus and Ukraine. The EU said the fence is necessary to “prevent the free movement of migrants seeking to enter” EU territory.

Israeli companies that specialize in the construction of fences and border security, including Magal Security Systems, will participate in tenders to build hundreds of miles of fences along the EU’s new eastern border. The ultimate contract is estimated to be worth several hundred million dollars.

“It’s incredible the EU has no problem building a fence just to keep illegal immigrants out, but when the Jewish state builds a security fence as a last resort for the purpose of keeping terrorists out and saving Israeli lives, we are blasted by them and the UN,” said a spokesman for the Foreign Ministry. “Makes you think, doesn’t it?”

“European hypocrisy is as rank as it is blatant,” said Daniel Pipes, director of the Middle East Forum. “And the EU wall is not even for security reasons, just economic ones.”

* * * *

Iran says it’s deeply concerned about the U.S. military presence in neighboring Iraq and Afghanistan, and announced that some Iranian generals favor pre-emptive strikes against U.S. and “evil” Israeli forces if they sense an imminent threat.

Iranian Defense Minister Ali Shamkhani told al-Jazeera television Tehran will not stand by if it believes U.S. or Israeli forces are preparing an attack. Shamkhani also said Israel needs American approval to carry out any attack.

“It’s certain to us that Israel won’t carry out any military action without a green light from America. So, you can’t separate the two,” said Shamkhani.

The comments come amid heightened tensions between Iran, the U.S. and Israel over Iran’s nuclear program. Tehran says its first nuclear-power station is to simply “generate electricity.” But President Bush and Prime Minister Sharon say they suspect Iran is planning to secretly develop nuclear weapons.

* * * *

Hamas views Sharon’s unilateral withdrawal from Gaza in 2005 as a capitulation to terror and is planning to continue its “armed struggle” against the Jewish state until “all territories” are in Palestinian hands, according to an internal Hamas memo, parts of which were obtained by WorldNetDaily.

The confidential memo, signed by Dr. Mahmoud al-Zahar, Hamas leader in the Gaza Strip, reveals that after Israel vacates, Hamas plans to become a dominating political force in Gaza.

Hamas says terror attacks will continue even after the withdrawal takes place. Hamas will “preserve the weapon of armed struggle and not relinquish it or give it away under any circumstances.”

“We will emphasize our people’s right to resist the occupation [outside the Gaza Strip] so long as the occupation of the land and the aggression continue, with the understanding that withdrawal from Gaza is not the end of the story and occupation is still present in the rest of the lands, and that not all rights and holy sites have been returned yet.”

Sharon’s withdrawal confirms that terrorism has paid off, writes al-Zahar. “The withdrawal, if it is implemented, is an important achievement by the Palestinian people, its intifada and armed struggle, its determination and great sacrifice, and confirms the willingness, correctness, and usefulness of employing an armed struggle and its ability to attain political objectives.”

* * * *

Israeli helicopters this week dropped leaflets in Palestinian territories, warning residents against allowing terrorists to use their property to launch rockets, and in response Hamas dropped leaflets of their own encouraging residents to kill Jews and kidnap Israeli soldiers, an IDF source said.

After three mortars hit a nearby Israeli settlement, Israeli helicopters dropped hundreds of leaflets over the northern Gaza town of Beit Hanoun warning residents against helping Palestinian terrorists launch homemade rockets into Israel.

The Israeli leaflets threatened to destroy residents’ houses and raze their cultivated land if they were involved in aiding terrorists who shoot rockets into Israel.

Then Hamas distributed leaflets that claimed operations “against the Israeli enemy are only the beginning” and will continue. They also asked Palestinians to “strike the Israeli enemy at any place and at any time, even killing and kidnapping Israeli soldiers until they know that the Palestinian will can’t be defeated.”

Aaron Klein is chief of WorldNetDaily.com’s upcoming Jerusalem bureau.