Israel’s Red Herring: A Military Presence in the Jordan Valley

I’ve predicted failure for Secretary of State John Kerry’s push for peace negotiations and a settlement to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. One of the (many) reasons past efforts to “broker” a deal have failed is because Israel makes a handful of demands that are beyond the pale and obviously unacceptable to the Palestinians, thus triggering a break-up in talks.

One of the demands Israel is making this time around is that any final agreement allows for a permanent Israeli military presence in the Jordan Valley, an area constituting some 20% of the West Bank. Understandably, the Palestinians reject this, since “it is impossible to say that an occupation has ended when the occupying army is still there,” writes Mitchell Plitnick.

Israel says it needs the military presence in the Jordan Valley for security reasons, to protect itself from terrorism and invasion. But Dov Weisglass, who was a top advisor to former Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon, writes this week that there really is no security justification for a military presence in the Jordan Valley:

What would it be intended for? Preventing terrorism? Not really. The Jordan Valley is almost unpopulated (with the exception of the Jericho area). Terrorism in the Jordan Valley has always been small in scale in comparison with other areas of Judea and Samaria; and the Israeli force would not be supposed to reach these other areas or serve in them in any case.

Would the force be intended to prevent an invasion into Israel? For many years, until 2003, Israel was greatly troubled by the size of the Iraqi ground forces, and the fear of an invasion was tangible; but not today. Once Iraq ceased to pose a military threat to Israel, there is no state or other military force east of the Jordan River that could invade Israel or pose a land-based military threat to Israel. Certainly not the kingdom of Jordan, which enjoys strong security ties with Israel.

If, heaven forbid, the kingdom of Jordan collapses and hostile forces penetrate its territory and the danger of attack by land is resumed; or if, heaven forbid, missile, rocket or shell fire starts from there, then the IDF, with its full force, will be required to carry out a serious military operation, either defensive or offensive. It will not be the garrison force, limited in its scale and capabilities, which will engage in this. In general, past experience shows that sparse military forces, deployed along a long defensive line, do not contribute to security.

So why is Israel demanding continued military occupation? You might call it a stalling tactic. The way things are now, Israel militarily occupies the whole of the West Bank and uses the backdrop of endless “peace negotiations” to do so in perpetuity until it can expand and have sovereignty over all of the land from the Jordan river to the Mediterranean Sea. So Israel seems to deliberately foil a final agreement because the charade of negotiating for peace allows it to continue the occupation and colonization of what is left of historic Palestine. If a final deal is successful, Israel can’t annex the West Bank at some point in the future.

As Yousef Munayyer has written at The Daily Beast, “Israel needs negotiations to provide cover for its continued colonization of Palestinian territory and create the impression that its presence in the West Bank is temporary and its withdrawal around the corner.”

21 thoughts on “Israel’s Red Herring: A Military Presence in the Jordan Valley”

  1. Israel will always stonewall the peace efforts. That would get in the way of achieving their "God given right" to the Greater Israel, which encompasses Palestine and parts of Syria and Lebanon. The US enables this future growth plan by blocking Palestine's full membership in the UN and by funding Israel's war machine to the tune of $6 Billion per year while bribing other Middle East countries to stand back…Like the $1.3 Billion we give each year to Egypt.

    1. The one and only reason for this ongoing situation is the Zionist – controlled US and Congress
      and with this,Time to take action by " the people " to send most of the Congress packing.

      No better time,with the 2014 midterm elections about to come, to replace most of these " good for nothing SOB`s " for denying benefits to millions Americans.
      However,adding insult to injury,they have no problems of approving " $ Billions " to Israel – which has been dispossessing millions of Palestinians living in the
      Occupied Territories, confiscating their lands, destroying homes, bulldozing orchards and setting-up ‘Jews-only’ colonial settlements and occupying soldiers.

      Americans must stop the Genocide of the Palestinians by Zionist Israel – now !

  2. Pride comes before a fall. They have enemies to the South, to the North, and to the East. These people are willing to travel to Syria and Iraq. I bet they will also make their way to Israel if they want to. Israelis can brutalize a virtually unarmed population while the mujahedin is fighting and defeating opponents much stronger than it is. Israel has self esteem because of its technological superiority and prior victories. The mujahedin from my understanding is gaining self esteem from winning. Who knows this might be Israel's last chance to play nice. It is better to survive than to nurse a Napoleon complex to one's ultimate detriment. Israel has made its decision and I don't think it was a wise one.

  3. Let's not forget the economic importance of the Jordan Valley to Israel; namely, water. The real red herring involved is Israel pretending to occupy the Jordan Valley for "security reasons," when it is siphoning off water from the Jordan River and Dead Sea in massive quantities.

  4. The twin impetus of settlement expansion and water resources control will guarantee that there will never be peace between the Israelis and the Palestinians. What it also guarantees is that Israel will do anything and everything required to remove the Palestinians from the equation.

    Pure pipe dream: Obama has done little to resolve the issues and I don't expect that to change one iota. So, what I'd really like to see is as one of his final acts in office would be to reverse his position on Palestine being admitted to the UN as a full voting member. Everyone knows Obama and Netanyahoo do not like each other so he should do the right thing and advise his UN Ambassador to vote "YES" on the statehood of Palestine…and then vote "YES" when Palestine files charges against Israel for their genocide against the people of Palestine. Would love to be a fly on the wall in Bibi's office when that hits the fan.

    But, that's just this old Curmudgeon's opinion…and wishing aside, I actually have little faith that Obama would do something as historic as that.

  5. The truism of "you can fool some of the people some of the time but you cannot fool the people for ever" always seems to take for ever but rarely does.

    As long as most of the Israelis and almost all Americans of the Jewish faith consider themselves as a chosen people and their influences on US policy as the only arbiters of determining the kind of equitable peace between Israelis and Palestinians it will still be the same song and dance of "the peace process" that has taken over 50 years.

  6. http://www.washingtoninstitute.org/uploads/Docume

    this is the clearest map i can find the maps start at page 18

    page 22 is a map of "the triangle plan."

    the point of the triangle plan is to give up as many israeli arabs to the pa and in essense puge them of citizenship.

    if you look at the jordan valley, starting at the south, we have the dead sea. and almost no habitation for a larger area to the west, anyone who has been a tourist to israel has had a nice fun time at the dead sea with out a hint of Palestinians.

    just north of the dead sea is Jericho the biblical walled city Jericho which also has a large system of walls and barriers but for the opposite purpose.
    the rest of the jordan valley is clearly occupied by about 20 or so Israeli settlements.

    jerico poses as palestines bridge to the outside world. israel wants the entire jordan valley.

    the important thing to notice in the triangle plan(page 22) at least in Israels concessions, is that as any zionist will tell you over and over again how narrow israel is and thus defenseless, but the triangle plan will take israels most narrow point and make it even more narrow, the only reason this is acceptable is that palestine within walls will never be a problem, any independent access to the outside world is to be avoided at all cost.
    just look at gaza.

    israel wants the jordan valley at all cost and would make a temporary agreement with big concession land wise if it means a palestine cut off from the world.

  7. Israel has never been willing to negotiate its stance on retaining the jordan valley. Which is why the settlements there continue to grow.

  8. Why does the world stand by and watch the Israelis killing the Palestinians.
    I this was any other race of people it would be called a holocaust DAM you ISRAEL

    1. Wondering about this all the time, You are perfectly OK.
      I,m afraid we are all in their pockets.

  9. This article telling many 100's % the TRUTH.
    Many many Israelis PM had dozens of SILLY EXCUSES for not leaving The WB, GAZA, and East Jerusalem, (22% 0f original Palestine) many of them believing that the WORLD POPULATIONS are just SILLY and do not see what they are up to.
    Now the NEW Excuses are that the PA LESTINIANS ONLY" Must be recognised ISRAEL as a Jewish State, not America, Not Russia, not Egypt BUT PALESTINIANS.
    2nd EXCUSES IDF must stay in JORDAN Valley to defend Israel (with powerful weapons) against
    the STONE THROWING Palestinians.
    Question is WHY IDF can secure the Jordan Valley not for State of Israel securuity but NOT SOLDIERS from the Q U A R T E T .
    It does make one thinks. "Do we really that S I L L Y.?

  10. Jesus died for You You will go to Heaven

    What is Prophecy?
    Prophecy is always a promise of God. God gives prophecy-promises of hope to His children. GodWhat is Prophecy?
    Prophecy is always a promise of God. God gives prophecy-promises of hope to His children. God also gives prophecy-promises of judgment to those who disagree wither are indifferent to Him. 

    Can men give prophecy?
    No! Genuine prophecy comes only from God. “No prophecy was ever an act of human will” (1 Peter 1:21)

    Why is prophecy (a great gift from God), avoided today by many? Why do Lutheran pastors often avoid preaching on prophecy?
    In recent years a small group of Baptist, Pentecostal, Charismatic, and Dispensationalist preachers have predominated television preaching. These preachers claim that the key prophecies of God deal with the state of Israel. These misguided preachers have twisted God’s prophecies and removed Christ from the center of prophetic preaching. By doing this, they replace Jesus Christ with the geographical state of Israel. This misuse of prophecy has cause many Lutheran pastors to avoid teaching about prophecy altogether, thereby leaving their people in the dark and without the hope that God desires to give His people through Christ-centered prophetic preaching. 

    If you were to make a tree diagram of all Old Testament prophecies–with a branch or twig representing each specific prophecy–why would Genesis 3:15 be the root of this big “tree” of many old testament prophecies?
    There are 1,189 chapters in the Bible. Already in the third chapter of the first book, God gives His “root,” His “foundation block,” or His cornerstone prophecy. This cornerstone prophecy on which all other prophecies are built is Genesis 3:15. Every activity of the entire Old and New Testament is tied in some way to Genesis 3:15, just as every branch and smallest twig of a tree is in some way tied to the root. 

    WHY IS GOOD NEWS DEVOTING AN ENTIRE ISSUE TO PROPHECY?
    The primary purpose of GOOD NEWS is to give its readers hope. As You turn these pages and see specific prophecies explained, you will also experience the hope God desires to give you.

    HOW CAN YOU EASILY DETECT THE HERETICAL TEACHING OF TODAY’S TELEVISION PREACHERS AND DISTINGUISH IT FROM THE SOLID AND RELIABLE TEACHING THE CHRISTIAN CHURCH HAS ALWAYS USED REGARDING PROPHECY?
    Popular and heretical preachers of prophecy usually focus on the Bible books of Revelation, Daniel, and Ezekiel. These books are then used to explain current world politics, especially current events, and to guess when Jesus will return. The greatest condemnation of these charlatans is the clear teaching of Jesus: “But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father alone” (Matthew 24:36)

    WHY IS IT SO IMPORTANT FOR CHRISTIANS TO KNOW ABOUT THE TWISTED HERESY OF DISPENSATIONALISM?
    As already noted, the Dispensationalist teaching of prophecy takes Jesus from the center of all prophecy and replaces our blessed Lord with the state of Israel. In Luke 24:44, Jesus says, “All things which are written about Me in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms must be fulfilled.” Dispensationalists, in effect, have recast this section of God’s Word to say, “All things written about the state of Israel in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms must be fulfilled.” Furthermore, as Luther points out, Israel, even in the Old Testament, has always referred to those who believed and followed God, not to a particular race of people or to a certain geographical area. 

    WHY IS IT ABSOLUTELY CRITICAL FOR CHRISTIANS TO KNOW WHAT THE WORD ‘ISRAEL” MEANS TODAY?
    Over the centuries, in its worship services, the Christian church has always used the Psalms. The Psalms regularly refer to Israel. When the Psalmist is referring to Israel, he is pointing to those whom God has promised to bless. In their false understanding of Scripture, the Dispensationalists have misled millions to believe that the Psalms are referring to God blessing the state of Israel, when, in fact, the Psalms refer to a blessing God wants to give to all who are worshiping him. In other words, the heretical Dispensationalist theology twists and redirects God’s promises of blessings from children who are His through Baptism to those they believe are His through geography.
    So, the bottom line is this. When people in your congregations are hoodwinked into believing Dispensationalist theology, they do not experience the blessings that God has to give them as His New Israel! (Romans 9:1-8)

    WHERE ARE THE CHIEF THEOLOGICAL SCHOOLS THAT TEACH DISPENSATIONALISM?
    Among themselves Dispensationalists would agree that the leading schools teaching their interpretation of the Scriptures would be Moody Bible Institute in Chicago, Illinois, and Dallas Theological Seminary in Texas. One of the founders of Fuller Theological Seminary was also a major promoter of Dispensationalism.

    WHO HAVE BEEN SOME OF THE LEADING AND MOST POPULAR TEACHERS OF THE TWISTED THEOLOGY OF DISPENSATIONALISM?
    The most popular teacher of dispensationalism has been Hal Lindsey, the author of The Late Great Planet Earth which sold some 35 million copies and was translated into over 50 languages. In more recent years, Tim LaHaye and Jerry Jenkins authored the Left Behind series of books, which netted each author over fifty million dollars. These figures demonstrate how widely this 19th-century American heresy has been spread and the threat that it poses to Christ’s church. Jesus says, “Many will … mislead many” (Matthew 24:5). 

    WHY DO THESE RELIGIOUS FICTION BOOKS, ESPECIALLY THOSE THAT DEAL WITH PROPHECY, SELL SO WELL?
    All people, even those committed to secularism, are interested in getting a peek into the future. Thus, when a charlatan comes along who claims to be interpreting present and future events ACCORDING TO THE BIBLE, there are many buyers! Even members of the U.S. Department of Defense were known to be reading The Late Great Planet Earth in the hope of seeing the future of world political and military movements. One author noted that reading The Late Great Planet Earth was like getting an advance copy of tomorrow’s newspaper!
    Finally, on e could read many, many books explaining how the twisted theology of Dispensationalism has impacted politics in the United States and other parts of the world. But politics is not our mission at GOOD NEWS. While we have taken some space to point out the deadly menace of Dispensationalism, you can see that the greater percentage of this issue is devoted to the true and correct Biblical understanding of prophecy, a great blessing God wants you to have! 
    Dispensationalism is effectively exposed in volume XIII of Confessional Lutheran Dogmatics: Escatology by John R. Stephenson. p. 83-97, in the essay titled, “Fictitious Signs of His Coming: Sundry Dreams of the Dispensationalists” (Published by the Luther Academy, Fort Wayne, IN. 1993).

    For Bible Study questions about this page, turn to page 41 and use questions 43 through 45.

    43. The heresy of Dispensationalism has been promoted by many popular evangelical preachers on television and radio. Major schools of theology, such as the Moody Bible Institute, promote Dispeationalism. Bestselling books like The Late Great Planet Earth, and even the series, sow the tares of dispensational thinking in the minds of million of Christians (Matthew 13:24-30). Nevertheless, Dispensationalism is not a God-Pleasing doctrine. Jesus warns us: “Many will come in My name … and will mislead many” (Matthew 24:5).

    44. Jesus claims that the entire Old Testament speaks of Him (Luke 24:44). Dispensationalism removes Jesus from the center of Biblical prophecy and replaces Him with the modern state of Israel. Dispensationalists base their teaching on obscure passages while ignoring the Bible’s clear teachings, such as: “But of that day and hour no one knows” (Matthew 24:36). Finally, Dispensationalism robs God’s children of the comfort of their Baptism. By focus-ing on bringing back the political state of Israel, Dispensationalism denies God’s promise that, through Baptism, He has established the Christian church as His New Israel (Romans (:1-8)

    45. No matter how persuasive and exciting television preachers or popular books may be, always remember: Christ, not the state of Israel, is the center of all Scripture (Luke 18:31). When you hear novel interpretations drawn from books such as Revelation or Daniel, keep in mind: “No prophecy of Scripture is a matter of one’s own interpretation” (2 Peter 1:20). Search the Scriptures daily (Acts 17:11), and compare the claims of Dispensational teachers to God’s clear testimonies, such as Matthew 24:36 and Romans 9:1-8. Fix your eyes on Jesus (Hebrews 12:2), knowing that the entire OLd Testament speaks of Him (Luke 24:44). And bear in mind that all prophecy springs from the root of Genesis 3:15. When you are armed with these clear Biblical teachings, and refreshed by God’s forgiveness in Word and Sacrament, you will be able to “stand firm against the schemes of the devil” (Ephesians 6:11).

    (Good News Magazine Prophecy Issue 35, Concordia Mission Society, P.O. box 8555 St Louis MO 63126)

  11. As I’ve written in the past, these Pentagon plans are part of the Air-Sea Battle strategy. The idea is to have enough US bases and Air Force capabilities peppered throughout the region so that China would be too surrounded to safely attack in the event of a conflict.

  12. As Ia??ve written in the past, these Pentagon plans are part of the Air-Sea Battle strategy. The idea is to have enough US bases and Air Force capabilities peppered throughout the region so that China would be too surrounded to safely attack in the event of a conflict.

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