"Robust"? Or "Violent"?

The UK Telegraph reports that in reaction to the clearing away of scaffodling, which even Haartz admits is unnecessary but just there,

The Waqf, the Muslim council, had threatened a robust response if any changes were made to the so-called little Western Wall, next to which 17 Palestinian families live. The families, who have objected in the past to the removal of the scaffolding, said they were not consulted ahead of the alterations.

I had just posted a picture of the new street sign at the courtyard and my wife has pictures from 2005 in which you can see, besides my wife, our daughter and good friend Yehudit Tayar, the "scaffolding", as EOZ notes. I also have posted pictures but can't at present locate them.

Here's one I found here which is directed to the entrance/exit the leads in/out of the courtyard:

and from another photographer:

In any case, if all Israel has done is to permit more people to visit a site adjacent to the last remnant of the Temple, a place which was a substitute at times when they couldn't reach the Wester Wall area, aplace that had been used as a urinal in the past, well, why should a violent, er, robust response be required?

And while we are on the subject of violence, I would think that the headline Haaretz gave the story of Akiva Eldar

Jerusalem opens Muslim Quarter Jewish site to prayer, upsetting status quo

was quite violent and violent-provoking.

^

Following Condi, Hillary Goes Robust

I have noted the too-many times Condoleeza Rice used the adjective "robust" (see here and here, for example).

Now, Hillary seems to be adopting herself to State Dept. lingo despite claiming otherwise:

As I said yesterday in the State Department, we are going to work toward robust diplomacy. And I challenged my colleagues in the State Department to think more broadly, more deeply, outside the proverbial box, to let us know the ideas you have that will make what you do more effective for us.

P.S.

I have asked [Senator George Mitchell] to be the Special Envoy for Middle East Peace. He will lead our efforts to reinvigorate the process for achieving peace between Israel and its neighbors. He will help us to develop an integrated strategy that defends the security of Israel, works to bring an end to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict that will result in two states living side by side in peace and security, and to achieve further agreements to promote peace and security between Israel and its Arab neighbors.

Condi Rice Is Being Robust, Again

And, again, she's being robust at the wrong party (for some previous robustness, see here and here).

Worried Rice to discuss Gaza with Olmert in Japan

Prime Minister Ehud Olmert will meet with U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice while both are in Japan next week. The meeting was requested by Rice. It is particularly surprising because Rice is due to come to Jerusalem for a working visit the following week.

Haaretz has reported that the U.S. - like its fellow members of the Quartet, the EU, UN and Russia - is increasingly unhappy with Israel's policies in Gaza. Rice's deputy, David Welch, even told the last Quartet meeting that the U.S. "is not comfortable" with Israel's operations in Gaza. [what? we should be carpet bombing Gaza like the U.S. does? YM]

General William Fraser, the U.S. envoy responsible for monitoring implementation of the road map peace plan, visited Israel this week and met with officials in the Prime Minister's Office, the defense establishment and the Foreign Ministry. Fraser's job is to determine whether both sides are fulfilling their obligations under the road map's first stage, which includes evacuating illegal settlement outposts for Israel and fighting terror for the Palestinian Authority.

A government official said that on his next trip, Fraser would present a plan for how both sides should move forward on these obligations.

"Kinda-Lies" Rice is dangeroulsy turning into a British Mandate High Comissioner figure.

And I do hope these generals that come and go are being presented with the full picture, which includes the history of Arab terror against Jews sionce 1920 as well as military perspectives from peopl eon the ground and most definitely not solely the IDF or the Ministry of Defense. There are people who have good knowledge of the situation which might prove useful. We residents of Yesha have been in touch with military advisors to US officials and I only hope that the current fly-in generals have the opportunity to speak and listen to all points of view.