The Balfour Declaration of 1917 (dated November 2, 1917) was a classified formal statement of policy by the British government on the partitioning of the Ottoman Empire in the aftermath of the World War I.
The letter stated the position, agreed at a British Cabinet meeting on October 31, 1917, that the British government supported Zionist plans for a National home for the Jewish people within Palestine with the condition that nothing should be done which might prejudice the rights of existing communities there.
The statement was issued through the efforts of Chaim Weizmann and Nahum Sokolow, the principal Zionist leaders based in London but, as they had asked for the reconstitution of Palestine as “the” Jewish national home, the Declaration fell short of Zionist expectations.[1]
The "Balfour Declaration" was later incorporated into the Sèvres peace treaty with Turkey and the Mandate for Palestine. The declaration was made in a letter from Arthur James Balfour (Foreign Secretary) to Lord Rothschild (Walter Rothschild, 2nd Baron Rothschild), a leader of the British Jewish community, for transmission to the Zionist Federation, a private Zionist organization. The document is kept at the British Library.
Rabbi Jonathan Ginsburgwww.jonathanginsburg.net & www.ehnt.orgcybershull + 300 videos www.esynagogue.org www.rabbireflects.blogspot.com www.jewishconversionchicago.com +blog www.prozion.blogspot.com
Wednesday, October 31, 2007
Tuesday, October 30, 2007
Who needs Israel anyway?
Who needs Israel anyway?Date: Tue, 23 Oct 2007 03:47:54 -0500Who needs Israel anyway?By Pat Boone
Many Western and European political leaders having heard thedeprecations and the determination to wipe Israel off the face of theearth, from the likes of Palestinian Yasser Arafat, Saudi ArabianOsama bin Laden, Iraq's Saddam Hussein, Iran's Mahmoud Ahmadinejad,and so many other power brokers in the region have come dangerouslyclose to deciding that little Israel is the "thorn in the side" ofworld order.The next logical thought is: "Who needs Israel ? Let her be erased,her people dispersed (or whatever), and the Middle East can settlecomfortably into a harmonious Islamic community of states. Problemsolved!"What folly. What suicidal blindness.I just returned from a momentous event in our nation's capital. Anorganization called Christians United for Israel , or CUFI, convened4,000 people from all 50 states in several days of briefings andstrategy sessions, culminating in an exhilarating, rousing rally inthe D.C. Convention Center featuring Jewish leaders and top Christianministers celebrating the things we hold in common and the spiritualbonds that unite us. The next day, several thousand of theparticipants fanned out over Washington and Capitol Hill, lobbyingvirtually every representative and senator on behalf of Israel andits sovereignty.Why? Couldn't we all see this is an exercise in futility, anunnecessary bother that we'd all be better off if Israel didn't exist?No, we all see clearly that the world needs Israel . The whole world.What do I mean? Consider:Israel, the 100th smallest country, with less than 1/1000th of theworld's population, can make claim to an astounding number ofsociety's advances in almost every dire ction!Intel's new multi-core processor was completely developed atfacilities in Israel . And our ubiquitous cell phone was developed inIsrael by Motorola, which has its largest development center in thelittle land.Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) technology was pioneered in Israel .AirTrain JFK ï¿Â〓 the 8.1-mile light rail labyrinth that connectsJFK Airport to NYC's mass transit is protected by the Israeli-developed Nextiva surveillance system.Bill Gates calls Israel "a major player in the high-tech world"; mostof Windows NT operating system was developed by Microsoft-Israel; thePentium MMX Chip technology was designed in Israel at Intel; bothMicrosoft and Cisco built their only R&D facilities outside the U.S.in Israel; and, with more than 3,000 high-tech companies and start-ups, Israel has the highest concentration of high-tech companies inthe world apart from the Silicon Valley.Get this: Israel leads the world in the number of scientists andtechnicians in the workforce, with 145 per 10,000, as opposed to 85in the U.S. , over 70 in Japan , and less than 60 in Germany . Withover 25 percent of its workforce employed in technical professions,Israel places first in this category as well! It goes on and on.The Weizmann Institute of Science has been voted "the best universityin the world for life scientists to conduct research." Israeliresearchers have:Discovered the molecular trigger that causes psoriasis.Developed the Ex-Press shunt to provide relief for glaucoma sufferers.Unveiled a blood test that diagnoses heart attacks ........ ... bytelephone!Found a combination of electrical stimulation and chemotherapy thatmakes cancerous metastases disappear and developed the first fullycomput erized, no-radiation, diagnostic instrumentation for breastcancer!Designed the first flight system to protect passenger and freighteraircraft against missile attack.Developed the first ingestible video camera so small it fits inside apill used to view the small intestine from the inside, enablingdoctors to diagnose cancer and digestive disorders!Perfected a new device that directly helps the heart pump blood, aninnovation with the potential to save lives among those withcongestive heart failure, synchronizing the heart's mechanicaloperations through a sophisticated system of sensors.These are only a few of Israel 's recent contributions to the welfareof the world. There are just too many to list here. Water shortage,global warming, space travel, anti-virus, anti-smallpox, bloodpressure, solar power, paralysis, diabetes, data storage these andhundreds more are being addressed by Israel's scientists. They'repioneering in DNA research, using tiny strands to create humantransistors that can literally build themselves and playing animportant role in identifying a defective gene that causes a rare andusually fatal disease in Arab infants!WHO NEEDS ISRAEL ? WHO DOESN'T ?Israel produces more scientific papers per capita than any othernation by a large margin; it has the largest number of startupcompanies globally, second only to the U.S.; it is No. 2 in the worldfor venture capital funds, financing all these advances; its $100billion economy is larger than all of its immediate neighborscombined; and Israel is the only liberal democracy in the Middle East.And while it maintains, by far, the highest average living standardsand per-capita income, exceeding even those of the UK , Israel is thelargest immigrant-absorbing nation on earth, relative to itspopulation. It is truly an unparalleled marvel of our time.So what's the point of all this?Simply that the very idea of eradicating or even displacing Israelfrom its historic home is suicidal to the rest of the world, not justher Arabic neighbors. Though there are ominous biblical consequencespronounced on those who "curse Israel ," there are also wonderfulblessings promised those who "bless" her and we're seeing those real,practical, humanitarian blessings proliferate around the world,blessing all humanity.Stop just for a second and imagine a world today that never knewIsrael . And then go further: Given their living standards,ideologies and attitudes toward all who dare to disagree with them,imagine what our world would be like if Israel 's enemies held sway.Would you rather live in an Iran , Iraq , Syria or Afghanistan ? Oran Israel ?Who needs Israel ? Let's be honest. We all do.
Rabbi Jonathan Ginsburgwww.jonathanginsburg.net & www.ehnt.orgcybershull + 300 videos www.esynagogue.org www.rabbireflects.blogspot.com www.jewishconversionchicago.com +blog www.prozion.blogspot.com
Many Western and European political leaders having heard thedeprecations and the determination to wipe Israel off the face of theearth, from the likes of Palestinian Yasser Arafat, Saudi ArabianOsama bin Laden, Iraq's Saddam Hussein, Iran's Mahmoud Ahmadinejad,and so many other power brokers in the region have come dangerouslyclose to deciding that little Israel is the "thorn in the side" ofworld order.The next logical thought is: "Who needs Israel ? Let her be erased,her people dispersed (or whatever), and the Middle East can settlecomfortably into a harmonious Islamic community of states. Problemsolved!"What folly. What suicidal blindness.I just returned from a momentous event in our nation's capital. Anorganization called Christians United for Israel , or CUFI, convened4,000 people from all 50 states in several days of briefings andstrategy sessions, culminating in an exhilarating, rousing rally inthe D.C. Convention Center featuring Jewish leaders and top Christianministers celebrating the things we hold in common and the spiritualbonds that unite us. The next day, several thousand of theparticipants fanned out over Washington and Capitol Hill, lobbyingvirtually every representative and senator on behalf of Israel andits sovereignty.Why? Couldn't we all see this is an exercise in futility, anunnecessary bother that we'd all be better off if Israel didn't exist?No, we all see clearly that the world needs Israel . The whole world.What do I mean? Consider:Israel, the 100th smallest country, with less than 1/1000th of theworld's population, can make claim to an astounding number ofsociety's advances in almost every dire ction!Intel's new multi-core processor was completely developed atfacilities in Israel . And our ubiquitous cell phone was developed inIsrael by Motorola, which has its largest development center in thelittle land.Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) technology was pioneered in Israel .AirTrain JFK ï¿Â〓 the 8.1-mile light rail labyrinth that connectsJFK Airport to NYC's mass transit is protected by the Israeli-developed Nextiva surveillance system.Bill Gates calls Israel "a major player in the high-tech world"; mostof Windows NT operating system was developed by Microsoft-Israel; thePentium MMX Chip technology was designed in Israel at Intel; bothMicrosoft and Cisco built their only R&D facilities outside the U.S.in Israel; and, with more than 3,000 high-tech companies and start-ups, Israel has the highest concentration of high-tech companies inthe world apart from the Silicon Valley.Get this: Israel leads the world in the number of scientists andtechnicians in the workforce, with 145 per 10,000, as opposed to 85in the U.S. , over 70 in Japan , and less than 60 in Germany . Withover 25 percent of its workforce employed in technical professions,Israel places first in this category as well! It goes on and on.The Weizmann Institute of Science has been voted "the best universityin the world for life scientists to conduct research." Israeliresearchers have:Discovered the molecular trigger that causes psoriasis.Developed the Ex-Press shunt to provide relief for glaucoma sufferers.Unveiled a blood test that diagnoses heart attacks ........ ... bytelephone!Found a combination of electrical stimulation and chemotherapy thatmakes cancerous metastases disappear and developed the first fullycomput erized, no-radiation, diagnostic instrumentation for breastcancer!Designed the first flight system to protect passenger and freighteraircraft against missile attack.Developed the first ingestible video camera so small it fits inside apill used to view the small intestine from the inside, enablingdoctors to diagnose cancer and digestive disorders!Perfected a new device that directly helps the heart pump blood, aninnovation with the potential to save lives among those withcongestive heart failure, synchronizing the heart's mechanicaloperations through a sophisticated system of sensors.These are only a few of Israel 's recent contributions to the welfareof the world. There are just too many to list here. Water shortage,global warming, space travel, anti-virus, anti-smallpox, bloodpressure, solar power, paralysis, diabetes, data storage these andhundreds more are being addressed by Israel's scientists. They'repioneering in DNA research, using tiny strands to create humantransistors that can literally build themselves and playing animportant role in identifying a defective gene that causes a rare andusually fatal disease in Arab infants!WHO NEEDS ISRAEL ? WHO DOESN'T ?Israel produces more scientific papers per capita than any othernation by a large margin; it has the largest number of startupcompanies globally, second only to the U.S.; it is No. 2 in the worldfor venture capital funds, financing all these advances; its $100billion economy is larger than all of its immediate neighborscombined; and Israel is the only liberal democracy in the Middle East.And while it maintains, by far, the highest average living standardsand per-capita income, exceeding even those of the UK , Israel is thelargest immigrant-absorbing nation on earth, relative to itspopulation. It is truly an unparalleled marvel of our time.So what's the point of all this?Simply that the very idea of eradicating or even displacing Israelfrom its historic home is suicidal to the rest of the world, not justher Arabic neighbors. Though there are ominous biblical consequencespronounced on those who "curse Israel ," there are also wonderfulblessings promised those who "bless" her and we're seeing those real,practical, humanitarian blessings proliferate around the world,blessing all humanity.Stop just for a second and imagine a world today that never knewIsrael . And then go further: Given their living standards,ideologies and attitudes toward all who dare to disagree with them,imagine what our world would be like if Israel 's enemies held sway.Would you rather live in an Iran , Iraq , Syria or Afghanistan ? Oran Israel ?Who needs Israel ? Let's be honest. We all do.
Rabbi Jonathan Ginsburgwww.jonathanginsburg.net & www.ehnt.orgcybershull + 300 videos www.esynagogue.org www.rabbireflects.blogspot.com www.jewishconversionchicago.com +blog www.prozion.blogspot.com
Hamas, Gaza and stopping the shelling
By Dion Nissenbaum, McClatchy Newspapers Mon Oct 29, 6:59 PM ET
BEIT LAHIYA, Gaza Strip —In the four months since Hamas seized effective control of the Gaza Strip in a brutal military takeover, Israel has cut off the desolate region from the outside world and created a political crisis for the Islamist militant group now leading the government here.
Popular support for Hamas appears to be dwindling as frustration builds.
While Hamas managed to restore a semblance of safety to the Gaza Strip , it has failed to do much more. The Hamas -led government enjoys virtually no international recognition. Israel and the United States have rushed to shore up Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas , who has championed the international campaign to marginalize Hamas .
Now Hamas is confronting intense internal fissures....
Hamad, who until recently served as chief spokesman for deposed Palestinian Authority Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh , called the Hamas takeover a "serious strategic mistake that burdened the movement more than it can bear."
Other Hamas leaders in Gaza are vowing to stand fast and not let the latest Israeli steps force them to capitulate. But Israel's actions have created rank stagnation that is permeating daily life...
...Things are about to get worse. This week, Israel began tightening the screws, closing one of the two remaining crossings used to transfer food and other supplies in and out of the Gaza Strip .
Despite warnings that the actions could be illegal under international law, Israel intends to let nothing but essential food and medical supplies into Gaza . ..."This is a signal to Hamas and the Palestinian people in Gaza ," said Shlomo Dror , a spokesman for the Israeli government agency responsible for relations with the Gaza Strip . "The only reason we are doing this is to make the lives of the terrorists harder."
Israeli forces guard every exit from Gaza by land, sea and air. The Israeli military continues to stage daily operations to root out Palestinian militants, who fire mortars and rudimentary rockets into neighboring Israeli cities, towns and farms.
... But Israeli officials say the sanctions will end when Hamas cedes power to Abbas and rocket attacks from Gaza come to an end.
"If I were a Palestinian, I would go to Hamas and ask them to stop the attacks," Dror said. "The responsibility is in the hands of Hamas , not ours."
BEIT LAHIYA, Gaza Strip —In the four months since Hamas seized effective control of the Gaza Strip in a brutal military takeover, Israel has cut off the desolate region from the outside world and created a political crisis for the Islamist militant group now leading the government here.
Popular support for Hamas appears to be dwindling as frustration builds.
While Hamas managed to restore a semblance of safety to the Gaza Strip , it has failed to do much more. The Hamas -led government enjoys virtually no international recognition. Israel and the United States have rushed to shore up Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas , who has championed the international campaign to marginalize Hamas .
Now Hamas is confronting intense internal fissures....
Hamad, who until recently served as chief spokesman for deposed Palestinian Authority Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh , called the Hamas takeover a "serious strategic mistake that burdened the movement more than it can bear."
Other Hamas leaders in Gaza are vowing to stand fast and not let the latest Israeli steps force them to capitulate. But Israel's actions have created rank stagnation that is permeating daily life...
...Things are about to get worse. This week, Israel began tightening the screws, closing one of the two remaining crossings used to transfer food and other supplies in and out of the Gaza Strip .
Despite warnings that the actions could be illegal under international law, Israel intends to let nothing but essential food and medical supplies into Gaza . ..."This is a signal to Hamas and the Palestinian people in Gaza ," said Shlomo Dror , a spokesman for the Israeli government agency responsible for relations with the Gaza Strip . "The only reason we are doing this is to make the lives of the terrorists harder."
Israeli forces guard every exit from Gaza by land, sea and air. The Israeli military continues to stage daily operations to root out Palestinian militants, who fire mortars and rudimentary rockets into neighboring Israeli cities, towns and farms.
... But Israeli officials say the sanctions will end when Hamas cedes power to Abbas and rocket attacks from Gaza come to an end.
"If I were a Palestinian, I would go to Hamas and ask them to stop the attacks," Dror said. "The responsibility is in the hands of Hamas , not ours."
Tuesday, October 23, 2007
Intra Palestinian abuses
West Bank and Gaza, a cycle of retribution churns
Fatah, Hamas security forces accused of abusing Palestinian foes
By Joel Greenberg Tribune foreign correspondent
October 23, 2007
SHUYUKH, West Bank - Amer Halayqa recalled that he was rousted out of bed with a punch in the face, then dragged in his pajamas to a prison van that transported him to a Palestinian security center in Hebron, where he was shoved out of the vehicle after being hooded and handcuffed.During more than three weeks of interrogation, he said, he was shackled in painful positions, occasionally beaten and subjected to other abuse.Halayqa, 26, a Hamas follower, had been jailed previously without trial by Israel, but in August he was rounded up by the security forces of President Mahmoud Abbas in a crackdown on the Islamic group in the West Bank. Scores of police and security men descended on Halayqa's village near Hebron, seizing more than a dozen people.
"The Israelis would at least give you time to get dressed and say goodbye to your family," Halayqa said in an interview, recounting his arrest and interrogation. "It's harder to take when the injustice is from your own people and not from your enemy, the occupation."
Fatah, Hamas security forces accused of abusing Palestinian foes
By Joel Greenberg Tribune foreign correspondent
October 23, 2007
SHUYUKH, West Bank - Amer Halayqa recalled that he was rousted out of bed with a punch in the face, then dragged in his pajamas to a prison van that transported him to a Palestinian security center in Hebron, where he was shoved out of the vehicle after being hooded and handcuffed.During more than three weeks of interrogation, he said, he was shackled in painful positions, occasionally beaten and subjected to other abuse.Halayqa, 26, a Hamas follower, had been jailed previously without trial by Israel, but in August he was rounded up by the security forces of President Mahmoud Abbas in a crackdown on the Islamic group in the West Bank. Scores of police and security men descended on Halayqa's village near Hebron, seizing more than a dozen people.
"The Israelis would at least give you time to get dressed and say goodbye to your family," Halayqa said in an interview, recounting his arrest and interrogation. "It's harder to take when the injustice is from your own people and not from your enemy, the occupation."
items from Richard Beahr
1. Christopher Hitchens thinks Islamo Fascism is the right term. Mike Adams on why the Islamo Fascists get away with hate speechhttp://www.slate.com/id/2176389/http://www.townhall.com/columnists/MikeSAdams/2007/10/22/ why_islamic_fascists_get_away_with_hate_speech2. Stuart Taylor who co-wrote a great book on the Duke lacrosse case, has a sensible take on the current food fight in Congress over the renewal of various governmental eavesdropping programs .http://nationaljournal.com/taylor.htm3. The war in Iraq is going better. Repeat 3 times, , in case you missed this story in the New York Times...Jeff Emanuel : http://www.americanthinker.com/2007/10/ the_surge_is_only_the_first_st.htmlVictor Davis Hanson: http://article.nationalreview.com/print/? q=OGRlOTA5ZTJmZTYyZGRjMTI3MzFmYTdiMmNiYTQ2NmM=Michael Ledeen: http://online.wsj.com/article/SB119283901152765565.html4. From one of the great journals in the English language- City Journal, Andre Glucksman on the "progress" from the H-bomb to the human bombhttp://www.city-journal.org/html/17_4_modern_terrorism.html5. Niall Ferguson still sees war as a real possibility with Iran http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion/la-oe- ferguson22oct22,0,1458042.column?coll=la-opinion-centerRalph Peters on one nuke program down, one to go? http:// www.nypost.com/seven/10222007/postopinion/opedcolumnists/ nuke_nightmare.htm?page=3ABC with news on the Israeli strike on Syra: http://abcnews.go.com/ WN/story?id=3752687&page=1Is America tightening the noose around Hezbollah by negotiating for a military base in Lebanon? http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/ content/article/2007/10/21/AR2007102101230.htmlNo shock here- Mohammed El Baradei. says be happy, don't worry, Iran is years away from a nuclear program http://www.jta.org/cgi-bin/ iowa/breaking/104795.htmlAnd no shock here either. The very solid Dick Cheney with a warning to iran: http://www.nytimes.com/2007/10/22/washington/22cheney.html? _r=1&ref=us&oref=slogin6. Not sure if I buy the math on this one- that high immigration and high immigrant birth rates will grow Britain's population by a third . In any case, the caucasian population of Britain is headed down..http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/news/news.html? in_article_id=488938&in_page_id=17707. Global warming delusionshttp://www.opinionjournal.com/extra/?id=1100107638. Stephen Plaut on the nefarious farm lobbyhttp://www.www.frontpagemag.com/Articles/Read.aspx? GUID=2639D548-83C2-4A61-9BC3-5128F1FA81779. Barry Rubin on illusions that never diehttp://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite? cid=1192380615999&pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FShowFull10. Jonathan Rosenblum sees problems in the American Jewish community in terms of support for Israelhttp://www.jewishworldreview.com/jonathan/rosenblum_apathy.php3
Monday, October 15, 2007
Lech Lecha Torah portion comments from AIPAC
Building Confidence – Vayiven sham mizbei'ach "There he built an altar" (Genesis 12:7) Why did Avram pass through the land, only building an altar after God appears to him and promises him the land? Ramban explains that Avram was too scared of the Canaanites to build an altar amongst their overwhelming presence. Once Hashem promises Avram the land, he is no longer afraid. It takes a special kind of strength to take action when doing nothing would be easier. Israel has stated its commitment to pursuing peace with the Palestinians and has repeatedly said that it is willing and desirous to deal with the new Palestinian leadership. Pursuing peace in a responsible manner is the right thing to do, but comes with inherent risks. If the Palestinian leadership continues to take necessary steps to end terrorism and corruption, Israel is prepared for peace. Click here to view the complete Tidbits for Lech L'chah.
Standing Apart Together – Vayageid l'Avram ha'Ivri "And he told to Avram the Hebrew" (Genesis 14:13) Why does the Torah refer to Avram and an Ivri? Midrash (B'reishit Rabbah 42:8) teaches that R. Nehemiah explained Ivri as meaning Avram was a descendant of Ever, an explanation seized on by Radak and others. But the same midrash cites R. Yudah as saying that it means that the whole world was on one side (ever) while Avram was on the other. There is no question that Avram stood apart – not just in his generation, but in human history. Standing apart can be lonely, but it can also be a mark of inner strength and willingness to act rightly even when others act otherwise. The relationship between the United States and Israel reflects the strength of both countries and stands apart in the international community as a uniquely strong, mutually beneficial friendship. Click here to view the complete Tidbits for Lech L'chah.
Still in Captivity – Vayishmah Avram ki nishbah achiv "When Avram heard that his kinsman was captured" (Genesis 14:14) Avram comes to Lot 's rescue in fulfillment of the mitzvah to save the life of an endangered person. In his commentary, Ramban points out that it must have taken Avram a long time to reach Lot and free him because of the great distance traveled. The lesson for us is that we are required to give maximum effort over whatever length of time it takes to save the lives of our brothers and sisters when they are in captivity and danger. Kidnapped Israeli soldiers Gilad Shalit, Ehud Goldwasser, and Eldad Regev remain in captivity more than a year after they were taken by terrorists in unprovoked cross-borders raids. As Avram worked tirelessly to free Lot , we must work to free Gilad, Ehud, and Eldad. Click here to view the complete Tidbits for Lech L'chah.
Standing Apart Together – Vayageid l'Avram ha'Ivri "And he told to Avram the Hebrew" (Genesis 14:13) Why does the Torah refer to Avram and an Ivri? Midrash (B'reishit Rabbah 42:8) teaches that R. Nehemiah explained Ivri as meaning Avram was a descendant of Ever, an explanation seized on by Radak and others. But the same midrash cites R. Yudah as saying that it means that the whole world was on one side (ever) while Avram was on the other. There is no question that Avram stood apart – not just in his generation, but in human history. Standing apart can be lonely, but it can also be a mark of inner strength and willingness to act rightly even when others act otherwise. The relationship between the United States and Israel reflects the strength of both countries and stands apart in the international community as a uniquely strong, mutually beneficial friendship. Click here to view the complete Tidbits for Lech L'chah.
Still in Captivity – Vayishmah Avram ki nishbah achiv "When Avram heard that his kinsman was captured" (Genesis 14:14) Avram comes to Lot 's rescue in fulfillment of the mitzvah to save the life of an endangered person. In his commentary, Ramban points out that it must have taken Avram a long time to reach Lot and free him because of the great distance traveled. The lesson for us is that we are required to give maximum effort over whatever length of time it takes to save the lives of our brothers and sisters when they are in captivity and danger. Kidnapped Israeli soldiers Gilad Shalit, Ehud Goldwasser, and Eldad Regev remain in captivity more than a year after they were taken by terrorists in unprovoked cross-borders raids. As Avram worked tirelessly to free Lot , we must work to free Gilad, Ehud, and Eldad. Click here to view the complete Tidbits for Lech L'chah.
Friday, October 12, 2007
A colleagues view on the Ann Coutler story
Ann Coutlerhttp://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21257498/She was originally asked how an "ideal America" would look.. and long =before she went on her rant (with help from Deutsch) she spoke about =this vision of all Democrats being like Joe Lieberman (I somehow recall=that he is conspicuously Jewish). This utopian vision did include a =country where everything was like the Republican National Convention in=New York - proud Christians, friendly, pro American etc. (whichprompted =the question about "Would it be better if Jews became Christians? etc.)She says TWICE that it's okay to be Jewish (that she believes in the =O.T) but that in order to be okay.. Jews have to be PRACTICING to make=it work. She talks about how Christians have a fast track (thoughbelief =in Jesus), but Jews need to practice their faith.While she was hardly diplomatic, after several viewings, I think that =she was baited ... but she frankly put forward some fundamentalist =Christian teaching (insisting, by the way, that Jews go to heaven). =Furthermore, she stated what many of us, as rabbis, are afraid to say ="That we need to PRACTICE to be good Jews", not just have feelingsabout =being Jewish.It's very easy to be swayed one way or another on this topic depending=on how much of this interview you actually read or see, and through =whose perspective this whole thing is being refracted.
Selling Out of Israel?
*************Jewish World Review Oct. 11, 2007 / 29 Tishrei 5768Selling out Israel on the installment planBy Cal Thomashttp://www.JewishWorldReview.com Name one concession Israel has made inrecent years that has been reciprocated by its sworn enemies. This is not atrick question. There are none.That's why next month's announced "Middle East Summit" in Annapolis, Md.,should be viewed as one more installment payment in the sellout of Israeland of American interests in the Middle East. While the United Statescontinues to struggle to shore up democracy in Iraq, the Bushadministration - like administrations before it - proceeds in underminingthe likelihood that the region's first democracy will endure.At every negotiating session, Israel is pressured into making concessionsfor "peace" and receives more war in response. Mostly this is because of thewishful thinking in the West that has replaced sound policy. Why should thePalestinians make concessions when they are drawing closer to theirobjective of eradicating Israel by throwing stones and bombs andstonewalling negotiations?In an address to the Israeli Knesset, President Shimon Peres reaffirmed theflaw in Western thinking: ".even if there are some who express doubt at theability of the Palestinians to achieve peace, the impression must not becreated that Israel has doubts regarding the need and the willingness toachieve full peace." So it's not about hard bargaining resulting in thepreservation of Israel with defensible borders and the cessation ofterrorist attacks, it's about "impressions"? No wonder Israel's enemies areemboldened as never before.While details of a "joint declaration" by Israel and the Palestinians on afinal status agreement remain secret, some information has leaked. Onereport has Prime Minister Ehud Olmert preparing to divide Jerusalem byallowing Arab East Jerusalem to come under Palestinian control. The holysites, now administered by Israel and open to all (which was not the casewhen Jordan controlled East Jerusalem prior to 1967), would beinternationalized. For 40 years, Israel has provided security for the holyplaces. It is doubtful an international force would do as good a jobprotecting these sites from terrorists (think the Taliban and thedestruction of ancient Buddhist statues in Afghanistan and regular attackson Christians, their churches and schools in heavily Muslim nations). FREE SUBSCRIPTION TO INFLUENTIAL NEWSLETTER Every weekday NewsAndOpinion.com publishes what many in the media andWashington consider "must-reading". HUNDREDS of columnists and cartoonistsregularly appear. Sign up for the daily update. It's free. Just click here.According to one report, "the drafters are planning to call for a withdrawalby Israel to the 1967 lines," thus making Israel more vulnerable than everto heavily armed Arab states and Palestinian enemies and leaving itcompletely exposed to infiltration from the East. Does anyone doubt suchinfiltration would not occur? Would the United States come to the aid ofIsrael should it again be invaded? Probably not since that might hurt our"image" in the Arab world.Infidel Israelis, Americans and Europeans will not dissuade those sworn todestroy Israel. President Bush had promised former Israeli Prime MinisterAriel Sharon he could expect U.S. support to maintain defensible borders. Inthe plan now being discussed, Israel's borders would be indefensible.In all of this, the United States is trying to prop up Palestinian PresidentMahmoud Abbas. But Abbas is a figurehead, manipulated by the terroristorganization Hamas, which virtually controls the Palestinian territoriesthanks to democratic elections. Caroline Glick writes in the Jerusalem Post:"Over the past week, Abbas announced his adherence to maximal Palestiniandemands from Israel. These include the full transfer of sovereignty over theTemple Mount to the Palestinians; the complete surrender of Judea andSamaria to the Palestinians; and an Israeli acceptance of the so-called'right-of-return' that would force Israel to accept millions of foreignArabs as immigrants within its truncated borders."Why should anyone expect anything else when the real intensions of Israel'senemies can be summed up in the "phased plan" for the destruction of Israelexpressed in 2000 by Palestinian Minister of Supply, Abd El Aziz Shahian:"The Palestinian people accepted the Oslo agreements as a first step and notas a permanent arrangement, based on the premise that the war and struggleon the ground is more efficient than a struggle from a distant land . forthe Palestinian people will continue the revolution until they achieve thegoals of the '65 revolution."The "'65 Revolution" refers to the founding of the PLO and the publicationof the Palestinian Charter, which calls for the destruction of Israelthrough armed struggle.So, why is the United States hosting this sellout in Annapolis?
Monday, October 8, 2007
Caroline Glick on the upcoming peace conference
Jewish World Review Oct. 8, 2007 / 26 Tishrei 5768 In the name of 'promoting peace,' Rice and her Israeli underlingscould foment a new war By Caroline B. Glick Rice and Abbas http://www.jewishworldreview.com/ US Secretary of State CondoleezzaRice is moving boldly down the rabbit hole. This week, Rice is due back inthe Middle East for meetings in Jerusalem and Ramallah. The purpose of herupcoming visit, like her previous ones, will be to pressure the Olmertgovernment and the Fatah terror organization to reach "substantiveagreements" that she'll be able to present to the world at her peace summitin Maryland next month. It is far from clear what American interests Rice is advancing withher unswerving effort to reach a peace accord between Israel and Fatah.Indeed, Rice's efforts are detrimental to US interests in the region. On Tuesday, 77 senators signed a letter to Rice regarding her plansfor the summit. Among other things, the senators called on the Arab states,which Rice hopes will participate, to "recognize Israel's right to exist andnot use such recognition as a bargaining chip for future Israeliconcessions." The senators' warning was well placed. Far from cooperating with theUS, the Arab world is undercutting its policies. Not only are the Arabs -including Egypt and Jordan - distancing themselves from Israel; in a directslap at the US, the Arabs are subverting the US's goal of isolating Hamas.Rather than blackball the jihadist movement, the Arab states led by Egyptand Saudi Arabia are devoting themselves to bringing about a rapprochementbetween Fatah and Hamas. Unfortunately, due to Rice's missteps, the US today has littleinfluence over the Arab states. Washington's primary diplomatic leverageover the Arabs stems from its ability to confer legitimacy on them. The UScould have used this leverage if it had stated from the outset that it wouldonly invite states to the Middle East conference that support the US's goalsof isolating Hamas and accepting Israel's right to exist as a Jewish state. But rather than condition their invitation, Rice and President GeorgeW. Bush made it clear from the outset that they want Arab states toparticipate in the summit. In so doing, the US turned the turned the tableson itself. Now it is the Arabs who by accepting or rejecting the US offerwill confer legitimacy on Washington. Needless to say, in the interests ofsecuring their participation, states like Saudi Arabia and Egypt will not becalled to task for their sponsorship of Hamas or their hostility towardIsrael. So the US has been weakened just by organizing the conference. Yet, ifthere were any chance that the conference next month in Annapolis couldyield real progress toward peace, then at least the Arabs' humiliation ofWashington could be said to have been worth it. Given that since the failed Camp David summit in 2000 the Palestinianshave yet to make one substantive concession to Israel, it is clear that theonly way the upcoming conference can succeed in advancing peace is if thePalestinians make some dramatic concession to Israel. But there is absolutely no chance that the Palestinians will beforthcoming. Fatah Chairman Mahmoud Abbas led Fatah to electoral defeat toHamas in 2006 and to surrender in Gaza in June. The only reason that Abbasremains in power in Judea and Samaria is because the IDF is maintainingsecurity there. The weak, ineffectual Abbas has no ability to agree to Israeli offersthat Yasser Arafat rejected. In addition to Arafat's legacy, Abbas has Hamasto contend with. Any major concessions to Israel would imperil his rule -and his life. Over the past week, Abbas announced his adherence to maximalPalestinian demands from Israel. These include the full transfer ofsovereignty over the Temple Mount to the Palestinians; the completesurrender of Judea and Samaria to the Palestinians; and an Israeliacceptance of the so-called "right of return" that would force Israel toaccept millions of foreign Arabs as immigrants within its truncated borders.Abbas's stances are a reflection of his inability to make any concessionsfor peace. The failure of Rice's summit will directly benefit Hamas, which willbe able to say that as it had warned, diplomacy is pointless. Understandingthis, Abbas himself has let it be known that he is negotiating with Hamas.Then too, ahead of his meeting this past Wednesday with Prime Minister EhudOlmert, Abbas dispatched his representatives to threaten Israel with war. On Tuesday, Abbas confidante and representative in negotiations withHamas Azzam al-Ahmed told reporters, "If we don't prepare well for theconference so that it will result in something positive, the repercussionswill be more dangerous than what happened after the failure of Camp David." Hamas is not the only actor that will be strengthened by the failureof the summit. Anti-American, jihadist forces throughout the Arab world willsimilarly benefit. Like Hamas, they will be able to say, "We told you so."America's humiliation will also weaken liberal democratic voices in the Arabworld. With America perceived as weak and incompetent, they will feelcompelled to join the anti-American bandwagon. RICE IS dragging Israel with her in her madcap descent down thediplomatic rabbit hole - and not for the first time. Rice has a record offorcing Israel to sacrifice its security in the interest of her "peace"processes. In November 2005, Rice coerced then-prime minister Ariel Sharon intoaccepting her agreement on the passages joining Gaza to Egypt and Israel.That agreement denied Israel the ability to prevent terrorists and arms frombeing smuggled into Gaza. This week's Egyptian agreement to allow some 90Hamas terrorists - many of whom underwent military training in Iran andSyria - to enter Gaza was easily implemented in spite of Israeli objectionsin large part as a consequence of Rice's heavy-handed treatment of Israel. So too, Rice forced Israel to agree to have US Lt.-Gen. Keith Daytontrain and arm Fatah forces in Gaza. That disastrous plan led to the indirectUS arming of Hamas when Fatah forces surrendered their weapons to Hamaswithout a fight in June. And of course, Rice was the architect of thecease-fire with Hizbullah last year that has enabled the Iranian terrorgroup to rearm and to reassert its control over south Lebanon. ALTHOUGH THE content of the talks is officially secret, various leaksmake the depth of Israeli concessions clear. Israel is agreeing to transfersovereignty over Arab neighborhoods in Jerusalem to the Palestinians and torenounce its sovereignty over the Temple Mount; Olmert and his colleagueshave agreed to surrender more than 90 percent of Judea and Samaria to thePalestinians while destroying most of the Israeli communities there; andIsrael is agreeing to certain "symbolic" concessions regarding the so-called"right of return." In short, Olmert is regurgitating former prime minister and currentDefense Minister Ehud Barak's offers to Arafat at Camp David and Taba fromseven years ago. Many on the Left argue that since Israel offered these concessions inthe past, the fact that the government is returning them to the bargainingtable today is nothing to get excited about. This is untrue. There is a huge difference between the situation in 2000 and today.Seven years ago, Barak's offer of territory was based on the expectationthat in exchange for territory the Palestinians would eschew terror and liveat peace with Israel. Today, after seven years of war that was largelydirected by Fatah, after Hamas's takeover of Gaza and Iran's takeover ofHamas, this expectation is no longer realistic. By offering Barak'sconcessions for a second time, Olmert isn't simply offering land. He issending the message that Israel neither expects nor demands that thePalestinian state live at peace with Israel. Perhaps Israel's greatest diplomatic failure since 2000 has been itsfailure to disavow Barak's offers and remove them from the negotiatingtable. Once Arafat refused Barak's far-reaching concessions and choseinstead to launch a war against the Jewish state, Israel had numerousopportunities to make clear these concession were no longer on offer. Disavowing them is crucial not simply because they are diplomaticallyunwise. They are strategically suicidal. As Israel's experience in south Lebanon and Gaza show clearly, areasthat Israel vacates become terrorist enclaves. Given Abbas's embrace ofterrorism and his political weakness, it is absolutely clear that an Israeliwithdrawal from Judea, Samaria and Jerusalem will render these areas terrorbases as well. Yet here the consequences will be far worse that those ofprevious withdrawals. An Israeli surrender of Judea, Samaria and parts ofJerusalem will divest Israel of the ability to defend itself. Although theoretically attractive, it is impossible to partitionJerusalem between Arab and Jewish neighborhoods because there is nogeographical distinction between Arab and Jewish neighborhoods. Beyond that,if Jerusalem is partitioned, the Arabs with Israeli ID cards will move tothe Jewish neighborhoods and Arabs from Judea will flood the Arabneighborhoods. Far from strengthening the Jewish character of the Jewishhalf of the city, a partition will destroy Jewish Jerusalem. The Jews willflee, and the eternal capital of the Jewish people will be transformed intoan Arab city. As for Judea and Samaria, not only would their handover transform250,000 Israelis into internal refugees, it would leave 80% of the citizensof the truncated Jewish state within mortar and rocket range of thePalestinian state. Moreover, an Israeli relinquishment of the areas willclear the way for Arab armies to enter the Jordan Valley unopposed. The pathfrom there to the Mediterranean is a short and easy one. Given all of this, it is manifestly clear that by succumbing to Rice'sobsession with summitry, the Olmert government is playing with fire. It iscommitting Israel to negotiating positions that deny the country the abilityto demand that the Palestinians come to terms with the Jewish state and liveat peace with it. And it is rendering strategically suicidal seven-year oldoffers the starting point of all negotiations for years to come. On Wednesday, the State Department announced that Rice's conference isbeing postponed until the end of November to give the parties sufficienttime to "prepare the groundwork" to somehow ensure the summit's success.Also Wednesday, Olmert and Abbas reportedly agreed that the conference wouldbe nothing more than the starting point for future negotiations. It can only be hoped that these approaches will be combined. Allnegotiations should be postponed until after the summit, and the summitshould be delayed for weeks, then months, then years. Otherwise, in the nameof "promoting peace," Rice and her Israeli underlings will foment a new war.
Sunday, October 7, 2007
From Baehr wrote:
Richard Baehr <richard@richardbaehr.com> wrote:
.1. The New York Times jumped all over the purported massacre at Haditha, For the Times, this was their Duke story in Iraq- fitting all their biases about out of control soldiers, frustrated by an unwinnable war, finally losing it and turning their guns on innocent civilians. .As with the Duke story, the Times needs to turn its guns on itself. It will never happen.http://gatewaypundit.blogspot.com/2007/10/new-york-times-reports-on- haditha-then.htmlhttp://www.nytimes.com/2007/10/06/world/middleeast/06haditha.html? _r=1&pagewanted=print&oref=sloginhttp://www.americanthinker.com/blog/2007/10/ was_haditha_a_deliberate_propa.html2. The Palestinian rockets are getting more sophisticated in Gaza. And Hamas lies in waiting in the West Bank.http://www.nytimes.com/2007/10/07/world/middleeast/07cnd-mideast.html?hphttp://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite? apage=1&cid=1191257226012&pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FShowFull3. Are we winning the war on terror?http://www.aei.org/publications/pubID.26914,filter.all/pub_detail.asp4. A very pessimistic piece on our conflict with Iran. Mark Hanna says the bad guys are winning.http://www.americanthinker.com/2007/10/ iran_plans_to_checkmate_americ.html5. In Britain, soon it will be OK for some doctor to refuse to treat you for certain conditions, because they do not approve of them. . . Guess which religion these doctors practice? Glad they approve of cancer and heart disease. The BBC feeds this multicultural tolerance.http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/health/article2603966.ecehttp://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/cd1916f6-72f7-11dc-b7ff-0000779fd2ac.html6. As the song says, only the good die young. The Randy Pausch story, and the lecture that made the Carnegie Mellon professor famous. This story is almost enough to make me root to see the Steelers in the Super Bowl come January, since that is what Pausch wants. . Almost.http://online.wsj.com/article/SB119024238402033039.htmlhttp://www.etc.cmu.edu/global_news/?q=node/42http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/news/s_530835.html7. The Ukraine was one of the worst horror show places for the Jews during the Second World War. Ukrainians were among Hitler's most willing conscripts (along with Latvians) to volunteer for "camp" dutyhttp://www.nytimes.com/2007/10/06/world/europe/06priest.html? em&ex=1191816000&en=876567c8e5dfd9e8&ei=5087%0A8. Caroline Glick on Condi Rice's dangerous delusions about a peace conferencehttp://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite? cid=1191257226128&pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FShowFull9.Bartle Bull has a positive reading on what is going on in Iraq. I think Democrats in Congress will gag if they read this onehttp://www.prospect-magazine.co.uk/article_details.php?id=980410. Christopher Hitchens is not known for his humility (he was the model for the alcoholic British journalist mocked in Tom Wolfe's Bonfire of the Vanities). . Here he tackles a real tough one- that a US soldier who died in Iraq, decided to enlist based on Hitchens' defense of the warhttp://www.vanityfair.com/politics/features/2007/11/hitchens200711? printable=true¤tPage=all11. Hugh Fitzgerald on Hirsi Alihttp://www.jihadwatch.org/archives/018375.php#moreAnd two event reminders:1. Join To Protect Our Heritage PAC and Moriah Congregation in welcoming Caroline Glick on Oct. 9thTODAY ISRAEL MUST BE DEFENDED ON MANY FRONTSThis promises to be a high level briefing.Deputy Managing Editor of the Jerusalem PostChief Diplomatic Correspondent Makor Rishon News
.1. The New York Times jumped all over the purported massacre at Haditha, For the Times, this was their Duke story in Iraq- fitting all their biases about out of control soldiers, frustrated by an unwinnable war, finally losing it and turning their guns on innocent civilians. .As with the Duke story, the Times needs to turn its guns on itself. It will never happen.http://gatewaypundit.blogspot.com/2007/10/new-york-times-reports-on- haditha-then.htmlhttp://www.nytimes.com/2007/10/06/world/middleeast/06haditha.html? _r=1&pagewanted=print&oref=sloginhttp://www.americanthinker.com/blog/2007/10/ was_haditha_a_deliberate_propa.html2. The Palestinian rockets are getting more sophisticated in Gaza. And Hamas lies in waiting in the West Bank.http://www.nytimes.com/2007/10/07/world/middleeast/07cnd-mideast.html?hphttp://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite? apage=1&cid=1191257226012&pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FShowFull3. Are we winning the war on terror?http://www.aei.org/publications/pubID.26914,filter.all/pub_detail.asp4. A very pessimistic piece on our conflict with Iran. Mark Hanna says the bad guys are winning.http://www.americanthinker.com/2007/10/ iran_plans_to_checkmate_americ.html5. In Britain, soon it will be OK for some doctor to refuse to treat you for certain conditions, because they do not approve of them. . . Guess which religion these doctors practice? Glad they approve of cancer and heart disease. The BBC feeds this multicultural tolerance.http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/health/article2603966.ecehttp://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/cd1916f6-72f7-11dc-b7ff-0000779fd2ac.html6. As the song says, only the good die young. The Randy Pausch story, and the lecture that made the Carnegie Mellon professor famous. This story is almost enough to make me root to see the Steelers in the Super Bowl come January, since that is what Pausch wants. . Almost.http://online.wsj.com/article/SB119024238402033039.htmlhttp://www.etc.cmu.edu/global_news/?q=node/42http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/news/s_530835.html7. The Ukraine was one of the worst horror show places for the Jews during the Second World War. Ukrainians were among Hitler's most willing conscripts (along with Latvians) to volunteer for "camp" dutyhttp://www.nytimes.com/2007/10/06/world/europe/06priest.html? em&ex=1191816000&en=876567c8e5dfd9e8&ei=5087%0A8. Caroline Glick on Condi Rice's dangerous delusions about a peace conferencehttp://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite? cid=1191257226128&pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FShowFull9.Bartle Bull has a positive reading on what is going on in Iraq. I think Democrats in Congress will gag if they read this onehttp://www.prospect-magazine.co.uk/article_details.php?id=980410. Christopher Hitchens is not known for his humility (he was the model for the alcoholic British journalist mocked in Tom Wolfe's Bonfire of the Vanities). . Here he tackles a real tough one- that a US soldier who died in Iraq, decided to enlist based on Hitchens' defense of the warhttp://www.vanityfair.com/politics/features/2007/11/hitchens200711? printable=true¤tPage=all11. Hugh Fitzgerald on Hirsi Alihttp://www.jihadwatch.org/archives/018375.php#moreAnd two event reminders:1. Join To Protect Our Heritage PAC and Moriah Congregation in welcoming Caroline Glick on Oct. 9thTODAY ISRAEL MUST BE DEFENDED ON MANY FRONTSThis promises to be a high level briefing.Deputy Managing Editor of the Jerusalem PostChief Diplomatic Correspondent Makor Rishon News
Irony
A Yehntta reader sent me this
following article in HaAretzand was wondering whether the world sees the irony inthis:Israel is being called apartheid even though:a) it seeks an "end game" in which it lives in peacewith its Arab neighbors while 20% of its citizens areArabs living in a democracy; while b) the Arabs seek an "end game" in which any possiblePalestinian nation would be substantially Judenrein.JoelRosner's article in HaAretz: Was Desmond Tutu comparing Israel and Hitler?1.A plan to invite Archbishop Desmond Tutu to addressstudents at the University of St. Thomas was canceled,after local Jewish community leaders condemned him asanti-Israel and an anti-Semite. The plan was to havehim as a speaker next year, and it was scuttled byuniversity officials who did not want to offend theJewish community over the Nobel Peace Prize laureate'sviews on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict (Universityofficials confirmed the story to the press).Julie Swiler, public affairs director for the JewishCommunity Relations Council of Minnesota and theDakotas, told the Minneapolis Star-Tribune that Tutu'sremarks were "offensive and hurtful to Jews." Whileshe said she did not consider Tutu anti-Semitic, hisspeech "compares Jews in Israel to Hitler" and "inanother section he questions Jewish faithfulness toGod."Doug Hennes, vice president for university andgovernment relations said that "He [Tutu] has beencritical of Israel and Israeli policy regarding thePalestinians, so we talked with people in the Jewishcommunity and they said they believed it would behurtful to the Jewish community, because of thingshe's said". Hennes said the university does notbelieve Tutu is anti-Semitic, but cited a 2002 speechin which he said Tutu criticized "the Jewish lobby."Hennes also said Jewish groups feel Tutu has comparedthe Israeli policy toward Palestinians to how AdolfHitler treated Jews.
following article in HaAretzand was wondering whether the world sees the irony inthis:Israel is being called apartheid even though:a) it seeks an "end game" in which it lives in peacewith its Arab neighbors while 20% of its citizens areArabs living in a democracy; while b) the Arabs seek an "end game" in which any possiblePalestinian nation would be substantially Judenrein.JoelRosner's article in HaAretz: Was Desmond Tutu comparing Israel and Hitler?1.A plan to invite Archbishop Desmond Tutu to addressstudents at the University of St. Thomas was canceled,after local Jewish community leaders condemned him asanti-Israel and an anti-Semite. The plan was to havehim as a speaker next year, and it was scuttled byuniversity officials who did not want to offend theJewish community over the Nobel Peace Prize laureate'sviews on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict (Universityofficials confirmed the story to the press).Julie Swiler, public affairs director for the JewishCommunity Relations Council of Minnesota and theDakotas, told the Minneapolis Star-Tribune that Tutu'sremarks were "offensive and hurtful to Jews." Whileshe said she did not consider Tutu anti-Semitic, hisspeech "compares Jews in Israel to Hitler" and "inanother section he questions Jewish faithfulness toGod."Doug Hennes, vice president for university andgovernment relations said that "He [Tutu] has beencritical of Israel and Israeli policy regarding thePalestinians, so we talked with people in the Jewishcommunity and they said they believed it would behurtful to the Jewish community, because of thingshe's said". Hennes said the university does notbelieve Tutu is anti-Semitic, but cited a 2002 speechin which he said Tutu criticized "the Jewish lobby."Hennes also said Jewish groups feel Tutu has comparedthe Israeli policy toward Palestinians to how AdolfHitler treated Jews.
Do it yourself course on Israel-part of our Intro to Judaism course
SESSION 14: ISRAEL
A: READINGS
BASIC JUDAISM: 91-97
LIVING JUDAISM: PGS 323-355
JEWISH LITERACY: PGS 273-369
MEMORIZATION: HaTikvah
Memorization exercises for conversion class 10-16
Kol odba-ley-vav p'nima, nefeshy'hudi homi-ya, Ulfa-atey, mizrach kadima, a-yin I 'tzion tza-fiya. Od lo avda tikva-teynu, ha-tikva bat sh 'not alpa-yim, Li-h 'yot am chosfi b 'ar-tzeynu, eretz tzion vi-y 'ru-shala-yim..
As long as true Jewish hearts yet beat, and Jewish eyes rum watchfully Eastward, our two thousand year-old hope is not lost: To be a free people in our own land, the land of Zion, Jerusalem, Israel!
C. Videos
Israel's 59th birthday Happy birthday
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r9MEKkpYU0A
Palestinian Refugees "return" wrong
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gSOnq7Q8rRY
Mearsheimer/Walt -shoddy and anti-semitic? Jewu 239
http://youtube.com/watch?v=gfgUididdj8
Israel: the greatest country
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WfoMFJ5v3So
What can we personally do to help Israel
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lOvKW0E0GSg
Zionism-The Jewish people's right to Israel Jewu 243
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CBbmuF36N7Q
It's Not Israel's Fault
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fv0xJuVFkS8
AIPAC Crucial for America and the World
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZCoiwUhFG0E
Refuting Kristof's March 17 NYT piece on Israel
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2WOVvThdUBc
What's Wrong with Jimmy Carter's Book?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7v14gvJiL7Q
Shameful British Boycott
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bJj2jqLu5oI
VALUES
34. Tsedeh Tsedek Tirdof = Pursue justice / the obligation to actively promote justice.
"Justice, justice shall you pursue, that you may live and inherit the land that the Lord your God is giving you." [Deuteronomy]
"These are the things you shall do: Speak every man the truth to his neighbor, execute the judgment of truth and peace in your gates; and let no one devise evil in your hearts against his neighbor, and love no false oath, for all these are things that I hate, saith the Lord." Zechariah 8:16
35. Tselem Elohim = the creation of every human being in the image of God.
"And God created the human being in His image, in the image of God He created him; male and female he created them." [Genesis]
E. TERMS Intro to Judaism terms #14 Israel Jewu 233
1) Spiritual Zionism
2) Political Zionism
,
3) Aliyah
4) Palestinian
5) World Zionist Congress
6) Balfor Declaration
7) British Mandate
8) Chaim Weitzman
9) Jewish Agency
10) Exodus
11) UN Partition Plan
12) David Ben Gurion
13) May 14, 1948
14) Kibbutz
15) Major Cities
16) Holy places
17) AIPAC
18) Israel Bonds
19) JUF
20) JNF
21) Knesset
A: READINGS
BASIC JUDAISM: 91-97
LIVING JUDAISM: PGS 323-355
JEWISH LITERACY: PGS 273-369
MEMORIZATION: HaTikvah
Memorization exercises for conversion class 10-16
Kol odba-ley-vav p'nima, nefeshy'hudi homi-ya, Ulfa-atey, mizrach kadima, a-yin I 'tzion tza-fiya. Od lo avda tikva-teynu, ha-tikva bat sh 'not alpa-yim, Li-h 'yot am chosfi b 'ar-tzeynu, eretz tzion vi-y 'ru-shala-yim..
As long as true Jewish hearts yet beat, and Jewish eyes rum watchfully Eastward, our two thousand year-old hope is not lost: To be a free people in our own land, the land of Zion, Jerusalem, Israel!
C. Videos
Israel's 59th birthday Happy birthday
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r9MEKkpYU0A
Palestinian Refugees "return" wrong
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gSOnq7Q8rRY
Mearsheimer/Walt -shoddy and anti-semitic? Jewu 239
http://youtube.com/watch?v=gfgUididdj8
Israel: the greatest country
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WfoMFJ5v3So
What can we personally do to help Israel
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lOvKW0E0GSg
Zionism-The Jewish people's right to Israel Jewu 243
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CBbmuF36N7Q
It's Not Israel's Fault
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fv0xJuVFkS8
AIPAC Crucial for America and the World
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZCoiwUhFG0E
Refuting Kristof's March 17 NYT piece on Israel
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2WOVvThdUBc
What's Wrong with Jimmy Carter's Book?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7v14gvJiL7Q
Shameful British Boycott
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bJj2jqLu5oI
VALUES
34. Tsedeh Tsedek Tirdof = Pursue justice / the obligation to actively promote justice.
"Justice, justice shall you pursue, that you may live and inherit the land that the Lord your God is giving you." [Deuteronomy]
"These are the things you shall do: Speak every man the truth to his neighbor, execute the judgment of truth and peace in your gates; and let no one devise evil in your hearts against his neighbor, and love no false oath, for all these are things that I hate, saith the Lord." Zechariah 8:16
35. Tselem Elohim = the creation of every human being in the image of God.
"And God created the human being in His image, in the image of God He created him; male and female he created them." [Genesis]
E. TERMS Intro to Judaism terms #14 Israel Jewu 233
1) Spiritual Zionism
2) Political Zionism
,
3) Aliyah
4) Palestinian
5) World Zionist Congress
6) Balfor Declaration
7) British Mandate
8) Chaim Weitzman
9) Jewish Agency
10) Exodus
11) UN Partition Plan
12) David Ben Gurion
13) May 14, 1948
14) Kibbutz
15) Major Cities
16) Holy places
17) AIPAC
18) Israel Bonds
19) JUF
20) JNF
21) Knesset
Visit Israel with us
Want to go to Israel with us?
Study & Experience the Many Faces of Israel, Celebrate Israel’s 60th Birthday$ 2350+Air/person double occupancy, Space is limited – register now!10 days touring, Round trip air Chicago/Tel Aviv on E1 A1 Airline. 6 Nights Jerusalem – 2 Nights Galilee – 1 Night TelAviv – (2 Nights Elilat – optional) All breakfast, 5 DinnersKabbalat Shabbat at the hotel, and private Friday nightdinner.Tour Massada and swim in the Dead Sea.The Galilee, Golan Heights, Mystical and artistic Tzefat,Haifa, Tiberius, ancient ruins and new mansion of Casarea…Tel Aviv tour, museum and Farewell dinner.Highlights:Shabbat services and kiddush brunch with anIsraeli Congregation.Old City of Jerusalem – Jewish past, archaeology,and city of three religions.New City of Jerusalem – city of today – politics,an everyday life Knessert, Yad Vashem, SupremeCourt, and more.A day in the Judean Mountains – enjoy nature,military, history, and Mini – Israel.Optional extension to Elilat.For more information contact Rabbi Ginsburg 847-675-4141 , rabbi@ehnt.org
Study & Experience the Many Faces of Israel, Celebrate Israel’s 60th Birthday$ 2350+Air/person double occupancy, Space is limited – register now!10 days touring, Round trip air Chicago/Tel Aviv on E1 A1 Airline. 6 Nights Jerusalem – 2 Nights Galilee – 1 Night TelAviv – (2 Nights Elilat – optional) All breakfast, 5 DinnersKabbalat Shabbat at the hotel, and private Friday nightdinner.Tour Massada and swim in the Dead Sea.The Galilee, Golan Heights, Mystical and artistic Tzefat,Haifa, Tiberius, ancient ruins and new mansion of Casarea…Tel Aviv tour, museum and Farewell dinner.Highlights:Shabbat services and kiddush brunch with anIsraeli Congregation.Old City of Jerusalem – Jewish past, archaeology,and city of three religions.New City of Jerusalem – city of today – politics,an everyday life Knessert, Yad Vashem, SupremeCourt, and more.A day in the Judean Mountains – enjoy nature,military, history, and Mini – Israel.Optional extension to Elilat.For more information contact Rabbi Ginsburg 847-675-4141 , rabbi@ehnt.org
Israel Bonds
Support Israel with Bonds
ISRAELINVESTMENT:Supporting the FutureInvesting in Israel bonds makes us conscious ofour shared faith, responsibility and heritage as apeople. Whether a time of dubious calm orunrelenting terror, we must continue to besteadfast in our financial support for the land andpeople of Israel.Make no mistake about it; your commitment toIsrael bonds is an investment, not Tzedakah. Sinceits inception in 1951, State of Israel Bonds hassecured $25 billion in loan capital. Israel hasrepaid this money to investors who submittedbonds for redemption and has made everypayment of principal and interest on time and infull.
ISRAELINVESTMENT:Supporting the FutureInvesting in Israel bonds makes us conscious ofour shared faith, responsibility and heritage as apeople. Whether a time of dubious calm orunrelenting terror, we must continue to besteadfast in our financial support for the land andpeople of Israel.Make no mistake about it; your commitment toIsrael bonds is an investment, not Tzedakah. Sinceits inception in 1951, State of Israel Bonds hassecured $25 billion in loan capital. Israel hasrepaid this money to investors who submittedbonds for redemption and has made everypayment of principal and interest on time and infull.
My video on islam
Islam and Judaism Jew U 198
My new video on Islam was given tis endorsement by a Moslem. Guess I was fair."I thought that your video on Islam and Judaism was very good. I hope that you can do more video on Islam & Judaism so that more people know what is the real situation between Islam & Judaism. Muslims and Jews may differ or disagree on politics but that should not be the reason to hate each other"
My new video on Islam was given tis endorsement by a Moslem. Guess I was fair."I thought that your video on Islam and Judaism was very good. I hope that you can do more video on Islam & Judaism so that more people know what is the real situation between Islam & Judaism. Muslims and Jews may differ or disagree on politics but that should not be the reason to hate each other"
Cnn and bias
Cnn and 3 segments
What do you think about the CNN series on terror?One Rabbi wrote"I see it as an attempt to say that all three religions produce"warriors"and terrorists, and one may not be singled out from the rest. TypicalforCNN, in my opinion. The Muslim segment is IN BETWEEN theJewish andChristian segments, lest we think they put the most egregious offendersfirst or last. Something that won't be shown are the reactions from themainstream in each religion toward the extremists. The overwhelmingmajorityof Jews publicly decry Jewish terrorism, and the same holds forChristianswho generally wish those few extremists who have bombed abortionclinics rotin jail for life. But there could never be a report about how themajorityof Muslims publicly denounce any and all terrorism Muslim terrorism.EvenCarter said last night that while the actions of terrorists (Muslim andanyothers, he added) must be denounced, there wouldn't be any if itweren't forthe settlements. Of course Amanpour could have taken the opportunity toquestion why there is still terrorism emanating from Gaza where thereare noJewish settlements any more, but why make things difficult for Mr.Carter?Muslim extremists behead while shouting AllahuAkbar. Then we could compare the beheadings done by Jewish extremistsandChristian extremists. None"
Posted by Rabbi Jonathan Ginsburg
What do you think about the CNN series on terror?One Rabbi wrote"I see it as an attempt to say that all three religions produce"warriors"and terrorists, and one may not be singled out from the rest. TypicalforCNN, in my opinion. The Muslim segment is IN BETWEEN theJewish andChristian segments, lest we think they put the most egregious offendersfirst or last. Something that won't be shown are the reactions from themainstream in each religion toward the extremists. The overwhelmingmajorityof Jews publicly decry Jewish terrorism, and the same holds forChristianswho generally wish those few extremists who have bombed abortionclinics rotin jail for life. But there could never be a report about how themajorityof Muslims publicly denounce any and all terrorism Muslim terrorism.EvenCarter said last night that while the actions of terrorists (Muslim andanyothers, he added) must be denounced, there wouldn't be any if itweren't forthe settlements. Of course Amanpour could have taken the opportunity toquestion why there is still terrorism emanating from Gaza where thereare noJewish settlements any more, but why make things difficult for Mr.Carter?Muslim extremists behead while shouting AllahuAkbar. Then we could compare the beheadings done by Jewish extremistsandChristian extremists. None"
Posted by Rabbi Jonathan Ginsburg
CNN's pro Muslim bias
CNN's anti Jewish pro Moslem bias
IN DETAIL:"God's Jewish Warriors" vs. "God's Muslim Warriors""God's Muslim Warriors" provided an informative look at various segments of the Muslim world, how they view and practice their faith, their thoughts on women's rights and the role of religion in government, how some Muslims seek to bring about the return of the Caliphate - a Muslim theocracy - and how some Muslims are inspired to commit violence to further their religious goals. There were several Muslims interviewed who spoke out against the Islamist extremism and the danger it poses to moderate Muslims and to the West, and Amanpour did mention that these people now had to have constant protection against attacks from extremists.The 3-part series,"God's Warriors," is ostensibly about the growing number of people around the world who center their life around their religious beliefs and how they want religious law to be the law of the land. Amanpour introduced the series with:"Over the last 30 years, each faith has exploded into a powerful political force, with an army of followers who share a deep dissatisfaction with modern, secular society and a fierce determination to bring God and religion back into daily life, back to the seat of power. We call them 'God's Warriors.' "Since there are very few Jews who are known to want to create a modern day theocracy based on Jewish law, one would assume that would leave Amanpour with a lot of time to explore the beliefs, practices and life stories of devout Jews. Or perhaps to discuss the tensions between religious and secular Jews in Israel regarding religious influence on marriages, divorces and Sabbath activities. One would assume wrong!What is most striking about "God's Muslim Warriors" vs. "God's Jewish Warriors," is the different way Amanpour approaches the two programs. In the "Jewish Warriors", Amanpour focuses primarily on:* blaming Israeli West Bank settlements (and their supporters, called "Jewish warriors" repeatedly by Amanpour) for the violence and discord in the Middle East and even for "inflaming Muslims worldwide," despite the fact that organized Muslim terror attacks against Jews (and moderate Muslims) began in 1920, long before there were any settlements in the West Bank. Long segments are devoted to discussing the settlements' alleged illegality under international law and how Jews who support or live in the settlements are allegedly defying international law. Though authorities such as former Israeli Supreme Court Justice Meir Shamgar and other international legal experts consider them legal, there is no alternative legal expert cited.* focusing on tiny fringe groups and the few individual Jews who pursued terrorism. They are so few in number that Amanpour had to do stories on people who were involved in terror long ago and have since renounced violence or on individuals who planned an unsuccessful attack. Since these few Jewish terrorists are so widely condemned by the settlers themselves and Jews worldwide, one wonders why she felt this topic was relevant.* presenting American pro-Israel activists as allegedly all-powerful scheming bullies, distorting U.S. foreign policy contrary to American interests and ganging up on anyone who criticizes Israel.Meanwhile, in "God's Muslim Warriors," even though Muslim extremists number in the millions and there have been thousands of terror attacks by Muslims across the globe, Amanpour provides very little context on the scope of the violence. A few terrorist attacks are highlighted, similar to the few terrorist attacks that were highlighted in Part One.She has playful discussions with spokesmen of Islamist groups such as the Muslim Brotherhood. She points out that they are striving to create a theocracy, but says they are non-violent and makes no mention that they are deeply anti-Semitic, anti-American and support terror attacks on Israelis and violence against Americans in Iraq.In Part One, Amanpour refers again and again -- 20 times -- to "Jewish warriors," clearly a pejorative term in the context of the series. The effect is striking, even jarring, as viewers are reminded time and again that there are distinctly Jewish warriors who present a threat to the world -- expansionists whose "settlements have inflamed much of the Muslim world." (Never mind that among those labeled a "Jewish warrior" is Chanan Porat, a religious Jew residing in the West Bank who explicitly states that "religious belief as a fuel for violence is wrong.")Amanpour also freely uses the term "warriors" in Part Two of the series, but with a difference; she much less frequently directly pairs "warrior" with "Muslim." Thus, while Amanpour harps on "Jewish warriors," repeating the phrase 20 times in the first episode, she refers to "Muslim warriors" just four times in the second program. Why does she utter the words "Jewish warrior" five times more often than "Muslim warrior" when violent Muslims have inflicted thousands of times more death and destruction in the world than violent Jews have?Amanpour devotes two segments (one each) to two young Muslim women who are not described as being involved in anything political, who simply speak about why they wear a head covering, and how Islam enriches their lives. There is no such segment in the Jewish episode. What would have been an appropriate counter-part to American Muslim Rehan Seyam speaking about how her hijab is a public statement of her faith and her belief in the importance of modesty? Perhaps an American Jewish man talking about why he wears a kippah and how Judaism enriches his life. Or a Jewish woman who wears modest clothing, covers her hair and finds comfort and spiritual meaning in her religion.And in contrast to the huge focus on the so-called "Israel Lobby" in "God's Jewish Warriors," in "God's Muslim Warriors," Amanpour doesn't mention the powerful Oil Lobby operating in America and advocating for Muslim, Arab and Palestinian perspectives. She doesn't highlight any of the numerous activist Muslim/Arab organizations that lobby and propagandize to influence American public opinion and foreign policy. Related to this is the minimal discussion or outright omission of several key factors in the rise of Islamist extremism and increased support for terror:- thousands of Saudi-funded mosques and schools built worldwide, including many in the U.S., that spread an extreme supremacist form of Islam. Saudi Arabia has also funded extremist training for those who want to work as Muslim chaplains in the U.S. military and the U.S. prison system. - Saudi-funded Middle East Studies chairs and departments in universities all over the world, including the U.S. - Saudi-funded organizations whose goal is to provide American elementary, middle and high schools with slanted curricula and books about the history of the Middle East and Islam- Saudi-funded student activists and organizations that indoctrinate and propagandize against Israel, the U.S. and for extreme Islamist causes. - extremist websites, online videos, and satellite TV networks that foster Muslim supremacist values and support for terrorism among Muslims across the globe.Instead of examining any of the above reasons for the spread of Muslim extremism, Amanpour includes two highly questionable explanations: reactions to alleged Israeli brutality and feelings of hopelessness. She commendably does mention repressive Arab/Muslim governments as a factor, but doesn't note how these same governments often intentionally use propaganda to fan the flames of hatred for Israel and the West to deflect attention away from their repressive regimes.FLAWSWhile overall, "God's Muslim Warriors" is informative and covers a number of vital topics, there are several flaws:* Amanpour's description of the Muslim Brotherhood as non-violent:"But the group has now officially renounced violence and today's Supreme Guide claims it was never condoned." But this isn't true. According to translations of articles by MEMRI, the leader of the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt, Muhammad Mahdi Othman Akef stated "...the bombings in Palestine and Iraq are a [religious] obligation. This is because these two countries are occupied countries, and the occupier must be expelled in every way possible. Thus, the [Muslim Brotherhood] movement supports martyrdom operations in Palestine and Iraq in order to expel the Zionists and the Americans." "If the gates of Jihad in Palestine open before the [Muslim] Brotherhood, we will not hesitate a single moment, and we will be with them on the battlefield." "In Israel, there should be no [differentiation between] a civilian and a member of the military. All are enemies of the Arab homeland and of Islam. They are occupiers and have no right to one handsbreadth of the land of Palestine." "We have no relations with the U.S. It is a Satan that abuses the region, lacking all morality and law." (Memri Special Dispatch Series #655, Feb 4, 2004) Akef has also stated that the Holocaust is "a myth." (BBC News, Dec 23, 2005)* Lack of examination of how widespread support for terrorism is in the Muslim world (other than a mention of one poll about American Muslims). Amanpour says, "Muslims, like people everywhere, abhor terrorism. The small minority who resort to violence is symptomatic of something many of us have failed to understand."While it would certainly be accurate and fair to say that not all Muslims support terror, it is questionable to imply that all Muslims "abhor terrorism" and a small number are compelled to "resort" to violence. According to the Pew Global Attitudes Project poll published on July 24, 2007, the percentage of those surveyed in predominantly Muslim countries who agreed that "suicide bombing and other forms of violence against civilian targets are never justified" ranged from only 6% (Palestinian Authority) to 77% (Indonesia). That leaves a significant number of Muslims who don't appear to "abhor terrorism."After all, most of the winning candidates in the most recent Palestinian legislative election are members of Hamas, a terrorist organization. And who can forget the Palestinians who celebrated in the streets when America was attacked on 9/11? Amanpour herself notes that if Egypt were to hold elections today, the Muslim Brotherhood would "win, hands down". And the Brotherhood praises the terrorists murdering Jews in Israel.* There was also a lack of appropriate follow-up to some inaccurate or highly questionable statements, such as that made by Taji Mustafa, spokesperson for Hizb Ut-Tahrir, an Islamist organization: "Under Islamic rule, under the caliphate, there was stability even in Palestine. Jews, Christians, Muslims lived in harmony under an Islamic political order."Under Islamic rule, non-Muslims lived a life of severe discrimination, humiliation and fear. While some years were more peaceful than others, violence against Jews was a constant thread in the fabric of life under Islamic rule. Discrimination included being forced to wear a special tag on their clothing identifying them as non-Muslims, paying a special tax required of non-Muslims, deferring to Muslims in all situations, such as moving off the sidewalk into the dung-filled street if a Muslim approached where they were walking. In court, the testimony of a Muslim would always be accepted over that of a non-Muslim. For more info and compelling accounts of the hardships suffered by Jews under Muslim rule, click here.For CAMERA's initial analysis of "God's Jewish Warriors", click here. For a transcript of "God's Jewish Warriors," click here.For a transcript of "God's Muslim Warriors," click here.Continue to check CAMERA's Web site for updates on this issue.With thanks,Lee GreenDirector, National Letter-Writing Group
IN DETAIL:"God's Jewish Warriors" vs. "God's Muslim Warriors""God's Muslim Warriors" provided an informative look at various segments of the Muslim world, how they view and practice their faith, their thoughts on women's rights and the role of religion in government, how some Muslims seek to bring about the return of the Caliphate - a Muslim theocracy - and how some Muslims are inspired to commit violence to further their religious goals. There were several Muslims interviewed who spoke out against the Islamist extremism and the danger it poses to moderate Muslims and to the West, and Amanpour did mention that these people now had to have constant protection against attacks from extremists.The 3-part series,"God's Warriors," is ostensibly about the growing number of people around the world who center their life around their religious beliefs and how they want religious law to be the law of the land. Amanpour introduced the series with:"Over the last 30 years, each faith has exploded into a powerful political force, with an army of followers who share a deep dissatisfaction with modern, secular society and a fierce determination to bring God and religion back into daily life, back to the seat of power. We call them 'God's Warriors.' "Since there are very few Jews who are known to want to create a modern day theocracy based on Jewish law, one would assume that would leave Amanpour with a lot of time to explore the beliefs, practices and life stories of devout Jews. Or perhaps to discuss the tensions between religious and secular Jews in Israel regarding religious influence on marriages, divorces and Sabbath activities. One would assume wrong!What is most striking about "God's Muslim Warriors" vs. "God's Jewish Warriors," is the different way Amanpour approaches the two programs. In the "Jewish Warriors", Amanpour focuses primarily on:* blaming Israeli West Bank settlements (and their supporters, called "Jewish warriors" repeatedly by Amanpour) for the violence and discord in the Middle East and even for "inflaming Muslims worldwide," despite the fact that organized Muslim terror attacks against Jews (and moderate Muslims) began in 1920, long before there were any settlements in the West Bank. Long segments are devoted to discussing the settlements' alleged illegality under international law and how Jews who support or live in the settlements are allegedly defying international law. Though authorities such as former Israeli Supreme Court Justice Meir Shamgar and other international legal experts consider them legal, there is no alternative legal expert cited.* focusing on tiny fringe groups and the few individual Jews who pursued terrorism. They are so few in number that Amanpour had to do stories on people who were involved in terror long ago and have since renounced violence or on individuals who planned an unsuccessful attack. Since these few Jewish terrorists are so widely condemned by the settlers themselves and Jews worldwide, one wonders why she felt this topic was relevant.* presenting American pro-Israel activists as allegedly all-powerful scheming bullies, distorting U.S. foreign policy contrary to American interests and ganging up on anyone who criticizes Israel.Meanwhile, in "God's Muslim Warriors," even though Muslim extremists number in the millions and there have been thousands of terror attacks by Muslims across the globe, Amanpour provides very little context on the scope of the violence. A few terrorist attacks are highlighted, similar to the few terrorist attacks that were highlighted in Part One.She has playful discussions with spokesmen of Islamist groups such as the Muslim Brotherhood. She points out that they are striving to create a theocracy, but says they are non-violent and makes no mention that they are deeply anti-Semitic, anti-American and support terror attacks on Israelis and violence against Americans in Iraq.In Part One, Amanpour refers again and again -- 20 times -- to "Jewish warriors," clearly a pejorative term in the context of the series. The effect is striking, even jarring, as viewers are reminded time and again that there are distinctly Jewish warriors who present a threat to the world -- expansionists whose "settlements have inflamed much of the Muslim world." (Never mind that among those labeled a "Jewish warrior" is Chanan Porat, a religious Jew residing in the West Bank who explicitly states that "religious belief as a fuel for violence is wrong.")Amanpour also freely uses the term "warriors" in Part Two of the series, but with a difference; she much less frequently directly pairs "warrior" with "Muslim." Thus, while Amanpour harps on "Jewish warriors," repeating the phrase 20 times in the first episode, she refers to "Muslim warriors" just four times in the second program. Why does she utter the words "Jewish warrior" five times more often than "Muslim warrior" when violent Muslims have inflicted thousands of times more death and destruction in the world than violent Jews have?Amanpour devotes two segments (one each) to two young Muslim women who are not described as being involved in anything political, who simply speak about why they wear a head covering, and how Islam enriches their lives. There is no such segment in the Jewish episode. What would have been an appropriate counter-part to American Muslim Rehan Seyam speaking about how her hijab is a public statement of her faith and her belief in the importance of modesty? Perhaps an American Jewish man talking about why he wears a kippah and how Judaism enriches his life. Or a Jewish woman who wears modest clothing, covers her hair and finds comfort and spiritual meaning in her religion.And in contrast to the huge focus on the so-called "Israel Lobby" in "God's Jewish Warriors," in "God's Muslim Warriors," Amanpour doesn't mention the powerful Oil Lobby operating in America and advocating for Muslim, Arab and Palestinian perspectives. She doesn't highlight any of the numerous activist Muslim/Arab organizations that lobby and propagandize to influence American public opinion and foreign policy. Related to this is the minimal discussion or outright omission of several key factors in the rise of Islamist extremism and increased support for terror:- thousands of Saudi-funded mosques and schools built worldwide, including many in the U.S., that spread an extreme supremacist form of Islam. Saudi Arabia has also funded extremist training for those who want to work as Muslim chaplains in the U.S. military and the U.S. prison system. - Saudi-funded Middle East Studies chairs and departments in universities all over the world, including the U.S. - Saudi-funded organizations whose goal is to provide American elementary, middle and high schools with slanted curricula and books about the history of the Middle East and Islam- Saudi-funded student activists and organizations that indoctrinate and propagandize against Israel, the U.S. and for extreme Islamist causes. - extremist websites, online videos, and satellite TV networks that foster Muslim supremacist values and support for terrorism among Muslims across the globe.Instead of examining any of the above reasons for the spread of Muslim extremism, Amanpour includes two highly questionable explanations: reactions to alleged Israeli brutality and feelings of hopelessness. She commendably does mention repressive Arab/Muslim governments as a factor, but doesn't note how these same governments often intentionally use propaganda to fan the flames of hatred for Israel and the West to deflect attention away from their repressive regimes.FLAWSWhile overall, "God's Muslim Warriors" is informative and covers a number of vital topics, there are several flaws:* Amanpour's description of the Muslim Brotherhood as non-violent:"But the group has now officially renounced violence and today's Supreme Guide claims it was never condoned." But this isn't true. According to translations of articles by MEMRI, the leader of the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt, Muhammad Mahdi Othman Akef stated "...the bombings in Palestine and Iraq are a [religious] obligation. This is because these two countries are occupied countries, and the occupier must be expelled in every way possible. Thus, the [Muslim Brotherhood] movement supports martyrdom operations in Palestine and Iraq in order to expel the Zionists and the Americans." "If the gates of Jihad in Palestine open before the [Muslim] Brotherhood, we will not hesitate a single moment, and we will be with them on the battlefield." "In Israel, there should be no [differentiation between] a civilian and a member of the military. All are enemies of the Arab homeland and of Islam. They are occupiers and have no right to one handsbreadth of the land of Palestine." "We have no relations with the U.S. It is a Satan that abuses the region, lacking all morality and law." (Memri Special Dispatch Series #655, Feb 4, 2004) Akef has also stated that the Holocaust is "a myth." (BBC News, Dec 23, 2005)* Lack of examination of how widespread support for terrorism is in the Muslim world (other than a mention of one poll about American Muslims). Amanpour says, "Muslims, like people everywhere, abhor terrorism. The small minority who resort to violence is symptomatic of something many of us have failed to understand."While it would certainly be accurate and fair to say that not all Muslims support terror, it is questionable to imply that all Muslims "abhor terrorism" and a small number are compelled to "resort" to violence. According to the Pew Global Attitudes Project poll published on July 24, 2007, the percentage of those surveyed in predominantly Muslim countries who agreed that "suicide bombing and other forms of violence against civilian targets are never justified" ranged from only 6% (Palestinian Authority) to 77% (Indonesia). That leaves a significant number of Muslims who don't appear to "abhor terrorism."After all, most of the winning candidates in the most recent Palestinian legislative election are members of Hamas, a terrorist organization. And who can forget the Palestinians who celebrated in the streets when America was attacked on 9/11? Amanpour herself notes that if Egypt were to hold elections today, the Muslim Brotherhood would "win, hands down". And the Brotherhood praises the terrorists murdering Jews in Israel.* There was also a lack of appropriate follow-up to some inaccurate or highly questionable statements, such as that made by Taji Mustafa, spokesperson for Hizb Ut-Tahrir, an Islamist organization: "Under Islamic rule, under the caliphate, there was stability even in Palestine. Jews, Christians, Muslims lived in harmony under an Islamic political order."Under Islamic rule, non-Muslims lived a life of severe discrimination, humiliation and fear. While some years were more peaceful than others, violence against Jews was a constant thread in the fabric of life under Islamic rule. Discrimination included being forced to wear a special tag on their clothing identifying them as non-Muslims, paying a special tax required of non-Muslims, deferring to Muslims in all situations, such as moving off the sidewalk into the dung-filled street if a Muslim approached where they were walking. In court, the testimony of a Muslim would always be accepted over that of a non-Muslim. For more info and compelling accounts of the hardships suffered by Jews under Muslim rule, click here.For CAMERA's initial analysis of "God's Jewish Warriors", click here. For a transcript of "God's Jewish Warriors," click here.For a transcript of "God's Muslim Warriors," click here.Continue to check CAMERA's Web site for updates on this issue.With thanks,Lee GreenDirector, National Letter-Writing Group
Israel is so interesting
The Kibbutz is coming back, not as a socialist entity but as a kind of suburban living. NYT Forward had an editorial of Israel's hidden crisis in the huge number of unworking Haredi fanatic men-cause huge numbers of children to live in poverty and do not serve in the armed forces. One started as socialist, hardworking secular movement, the other fanatic non working. Oh Israel is so interesting
Redemption clock
North Korea says it will shut down nuclear weapon programTICK TOCK Away From REDEMPTION CLOCKIran announces nuclear enrichment. Guess is a nuclear bomb within the year.Prof. Berk told rabbis Aipac lunch that 28% of Israel says they'll leave if Iran has bomb.
Upside thinking about Islam
Upside down thinking
Reform Jewish leader tells U.S. Muslims that Islam is being demonized By Shlomo Shamir, Haaretz Correspondent and Reuters The president of the Union for Reform Judaism accused American media, politicians and religious groups on Friday of demonizing Islam. Addressing the annual convention of the Islamic Society of North America, Rabbi Eric Yoffie said Muslims have been turned into "satanic figures." "There exists in this country among all Americans, whether Jews, Christians, or non-believers, a huge and profound ignorance about Islam ... there is no shortage of voices prepared to tell us that fanaticism and intolerance are fundamental to Islamic religion, and that violence and even suicide bombing have deep Koranic roots," he said.Yoffie said his organization is discussing with Muslim leaders a dialogue and education program in the near future to increase understanding between the two faiths. He said Americans need to know "how far removed Islam is from the perverse distortions of the terrorists who too often dominate the media, subverting Islam's image by professing to speak in its name." Yoffie also called for an end to racial profiling and legal discrimination of any kind against Muslim Americans, and urged North America's Muslims to keep condemning violence committed in the name of Islam until the message sinks in. In his address, Yoffie said "to all those who desecrate God's name by using religion to justify killing and terror, let us say together: Enough." "No cause in the world, and surely no religious cause, can ever justify murdering the innocent or targeting the uninvolved ... You cannot honor God if you do not honor the image of God in every human being; and you cannot get to heaven by creating hell on earth," he said. He's calling for more dialogue. NYT said last time Jews tried this it broke up over Israel. After Yoffie left, today's NYT reports (page a12) "Leaders of American Muslim organizations attribute the growing intolerance to three main factors: global terrorists attacks i the name of Islam, disappointing reports from the Iraq war AND THE AGENDA OF SOME SUPPORTERS OF ISRAEL WHO TRY AND TAINT ISLAM TO UNDERMINE THE PALESTINIANS"UPSIDE DOWN THINKING
1. Who fired 70 missiles from Gaza at Israel on the first day of school, with a tree stopping a missile from landing squarely on the day care center? They say it as retailiation for Israel for killing 3 kids in Gaza the day before in an airstrike. That is after daily missiles from Gaza flying at Sderot. What is Israel to do? Let missiles continue to fly? Stop sendig kisssiles, rearming for a conflict and peace will reign.2. Open up any major newspaper-yesterdays NYT front section, story of Lebanon fighting militant in camps, Chaos in Darfur as arabs fight Arabs, Iran defiant, Iraq, Pakistan militants, etc al on the front page or front section. That Islam based trouble is Jews fault? 3. What are we supposed to do when polls show about 1/3 of US Muslims under 30 think suicide bombing is legitimate?SO OK WHERE IS THE WORLDWIDE MUSLIM CONDEMNATION OF TERROR?
Reform Jewish leader tells U.S. Muslims that Islam is being demonized By Shlomo Shamir, Haaretz Correspondent and Reuters The president of the Union for Reform Judaism accused American media, politicians and religious groups on Friday of demonizing Islam. Addressing the annual convention of the Islamic Society of North America, Rabbi Eric Yoffie said Muslims have been turned into "satanic figures." "There exists in this country among all Americans, whether Jews, Christians, or non-believers, a huge and profound ignorance about Islam ... there is no shortage of voices prepared to tell us that fanaticism and intolerance are fundamental to Islamic religion, and that violence and even suicide bombing have deep Koranic roots," he said.Yoffie said his organization is discussing with Muslim leaders a dialogue and education program in the near future to increase understanding between the two faiths. He said Americans need to know "how far removed Islam is from the perverse distortions of the terrorists who too often dominate the media, subverting Islam's image by professing to speak in its name." Yoffie also called for an end to racial profiling and legal discrimination of any kind against Muslim Americans, and urged North America's Muslims to keep condemning violence committed in the name of Islam until the message sinks in. In his address, Yoffie said "to all those who desecrate God's name by using religion to justify killing and terror, let us say together: Enough." "No cause in the world, and surely no religious cause, can ever justify murdering the innocent or targeting the uninvolved ... You cannot honor God if you do not honor the image of God in every human being; and you cannot get to heaven by creating hell on earth," he said. He's calling for more dialogue. NYT said last time Jews tried this it broke up over Israel. After Yoffie left, today's NYT reports (page a12) "Leaders of American Muslim organizations attribute the growing intolerance to three main factors: global terrorists attacks i the name of Islam, disappointing reports from the Iraq war AND THE AGENDA OF SOME SUPPORTERS OF ISRAEL WHO TRY AND TAINT ISLAM TO UNDERMINE THE PALESTINIANS"UPSIDE DOWN THINKING
1. Who fired 70 missiles from Gaza at Israel on the first day of school, with a tree stopping a missile from landing squarely on the day care center? They say it as retailiation for Israel for killing 3 kids in Gaza the day before in an airstrike. That is after daily missiles from Gaza flying at Sderot. What is Israel to do? Let missiles continue to fly? Stop sendig kisssiles, rearming for a conflict and peace will reign.2. Open up any major newspaper-yesterdays NYT front section, story of Lebanon fighting militant in camps, Chaos in Darfur as arabs fight Arabs, Iran defiant, Iraq, Pakistan militants, etc al on the front page or front section. That Islam based trouble is Jews fault? 3. What are we supposed to do when polls show about 1/3 of US Muslims under 30 think suicide bombing is legitimate?SO OK WHERE IS THE WORLDWIDE MUSLIM CONDEMNATION OF TERROR?
Amazing Facts about Israel
Interesting Facts about the Israeli Economy
Israel, the 100th largest country, with less than 1/1000th of the world's population, can make claim to the following:
· In proportion to its population, Israel has the largest number of startup companies in the world. In absolute terms, Israel has more startup companies than any other country in the world, except the US (3,500 companies mostly in hi-tech).
· Israel is ranked #2 in the world for venture capital funds, right behind the US.
· Israel has the highest average living standards in the Middle East. The per capita income in 2000 was over $17,500, exceeding that of the UK.
· Israel's $100 billion economy is larger than all of its immediate neighbors combined.
· Israel has the third highest rate of entrepreneurship - and the highest rate among women and among people over 55 - in the world.
Information Technology & Communications:
· With more than 3,000 high-tech companies and start-ups, Israel has the highest concentration of hi-tech companies in the world (outside of Silicon Valley).
· Israel produces more scientific papers per capita than any other nation by a large margin - 109 per 10,000 people - as well as having one of the highest per capita rates of patents filed.
· Israel leads the world in the number of scientists and technicians in the workforce, with 145 per 10,000, as opposed to 85 in the U.S., over 70 in Japan, and less than 60 in Germany. With over 25% of its work force employed in technical professions. Israel places first in this category as well.
· The cell phone was developed in Israel by Motorola, where it has its largest development center
· Most of the Windows NT operating system was developed by Microsoft-Israel.
· The Pentium MMX Chip technology was designed in Israel at Intel.
· Voice mail technology was developed in Israel.
· Both Microsoft and Cisco built their only R&D facilities outside the US in Israel.
· Four young Israelis developed the technology for AOL Instant Messenger in 1996.
· The first PC anti-virus software was developed in Israel in 1979.
· A small Israel company developed a revolutionary electro-optic processor, which operates one thousand times faster than any known Digital Signal Processor.
· An Israeli-developed algorithm enabled NASA to transmit images from Mars.
· Israel hosts IBM's largest R&D facilities outside the United States.
· Warren Buffet’s first and only company purchase outside the U.S. is in Israel, for $4.4 billion.
Agriculture & Environment:
· In response to serious water shortages, Israeli engineers and agriculturists developed a revolutionary drip irrigation system to minimize the amount of water used to grow crops.
· A team of Israeli and US researchers has designed a watermelon-picking robot endowed with artificial vision to do the job of harvesting.
· An Israeli company has developed sensors that pick up signs of stress in plants.
· An Israeli company is providing the technology behind an American all-electric bus for urban use.
· Israeli, American and Canadian researchers are working together to develop nanotech-based solutions to the water shortage in the Middle East.
· Israeli company is developing cotton plants resistant to adverse salinity conditions and drought.
· An Israeli two-flush system has the potential to save billions of gallons of water a year.
Security and Defense:
· According to industry officials, Israel designed the airline industry's most impenetrable flight security. U.S. officials look to Israel for advice on how to handle airborne security threats.
· Israel designed the first flight system to protect passenger and freight aircraft against missiles
· Israeli-developed security precautions have been adopted in Maryland and Washington.
· Israeli researchers have developed an engine-less, nano-RPV (remote piloted vehicle).
Life Sciences:
· An Israeli company has unveiled a blood test that diagnoses heart attacks via telephone.
· The Israeli-developed Ex-Press shunt is providing relief for American glaucoma sufferers.
· An Israeli research team has found that the combination of electrical stimulation and chemotherapy makes cancerous metastases disappear.
· Israeli scientists developed first fully computerized, no-radiation, diagnostic breast cancer tools.
· An Israeli company developed a computerized system for ensuring proper administration of medications, thus removing human error from medical treatment.
· Israel developed the first ingestible video camera, so small it fits inside a pill. Used to view the small intestine from the inside, the camera helps doctors diagnose cancer and digestive disorders.
· Israeli researchers developed a new device that directly helps the heart pump blood, an innova-tion with the potential to save lives among those with congestive heart failure. The new device is synchronized with the heart's mechanical operations through a sophisticated system of sensors.
· Israeli researchers are playing an important role in identifying a defective gene that causes a rare and usually fatal disease in Arab infants.
· An Israeli company has been given a U.S. grant to develop an anti-smallpox first aid treatment kit.
· Israeli microbiologists developed the first passive mosquito-borne West Nile virus vaccine.
· Israeli research indicates lycopene - the red pigment found in tomatoes - lowers blood pressure.
· Israeli stem-cell technology is being used in the U.S. to regenerate heart tissue.
· An Israeli company has developed a insulin device for diabetics to painlessly inject themselves.
· Israeli scientists used strands of DNA to create tiny transistors that can literally build themselves.
· An Israeli company has developed a new device for monitoring coronary disease that will be integrated into future generation of cell phones.
· An Israeli has invented a 'bone glue' that will reduce the need for bone transplants and heal bone defects caused by cancer.
· Israeli scientists have created a DNA nano-computer that not only detects cancer, but also releases drugs to treat the disease.
· Israeli scientists have alleviated Parkinson's-like symptoms in rats.
· Israeli scientists are developing a nasal spray that will provide a five-year flu vaccine.
· Israeli scientists have discovered how to turn mismatched cells into cancer fighters.
· An Israeli-developed device painlessly administers medications thru microscopic pores in the skin.
· Israeli researchers have created a 'biological pacemaker’, which corrects faulty heart rhythms when injected into the failing hearts of pigs.
· Two Israelis won the 2004 Nobel Prize for Chemistry for their work in cancer research.
· Israeli researchers have proven that Prozac can improve the effectiveness of chemotherapy.
· An Israeli-developed elderberry extract is one of America's best-selling flu prevention medicines.
· An Israeli company developed a simple blood test that distinguishes mild and severe cases of MS.
· Israeli research has found that citrus oils may hold the key for asthma treatment.
Israel, the 100th largest country, with less than 1/1000th of the world's population, can make claim to the following:
· In proportion to its population, Israel has the largest number of startup companies in the world. In absolute terms, Israel has more startup companies than any other country in the world, except the US (3,500 companies mostly in hi-tech).
· Israel is ranked #2 in the world for venture capital funds, right behind the US.
· Israel has the highest average living standards in the Middle East. The per capita income in 2000 was over $17,500, exceeding that of the UK.
· Israel's $100 billion economy is larger than all of its immediate neighbors combined.
· Israel has the third highest rate of entrepreneurship - and the highest rate among women and among people over 55 - in the world.
Information Technology & Communications:
· With more than 3,000 high-tech companies and start-ups, Israel has the highest concentration of hi-tech companies in the world (outside of Silicon Valley).
· Israel produces more scientific papers per capita than any other nation by a large margin - 109 per 10,000 people - as well as having one of the highest per capita rates of patents filed.
· Israel leads the world in the number of scientists and technicians in the workforce, with 145 per 10,000, as opposed to 85 in the U.S., over 70 in Japan, and less than 60 in Germany. With over 25% of its work force employed in technical professions. Israel places first in this category as well.
· The cell phone was developed in Israel by Motorola, where it has its largest development center
· Most of the Windows NT operating system was developed by Microsoft-Israel.
· The Pentium MMX Chip technology was designed in Israel at Intel.
· Voice mail technology was developed in Israel.
· Both Microsoft and Cisco built their only R&D facilities outside the US in Israel.
· Four young Israelis developed the technology for AOL Instant Messenger in 1996.
· The first PC anti-virus software was developed in Israel in 1979.
· A small Israel company developed a revolutionary electro-optic processor, which operates one thousand times faster than any known Digital Signal Processor.
· An Israeli-developed algorithm enabled NASA to transmit images from Mars.
· Israel hosts IBM's largest R&D facilities outside the United States.
· Warren Buffet’s first and only company purchase outside the U.S. is in Israel, for $4.4 billion.
Agriculture & Environment:
· In response to serious water shortages, Israeli engineers and agriculturists developed a revolutionary drip irrigation system to minimize the amount of water used to grow crops.
· A team of Israeli and US researchers has designed a watermelon-picking robot endowed with artificial vision to do the job of harvesting.
· An Israeli company has developed sensors that pick up signs of stress in plants.
· An Israeli company is providing the technology behind an American all-electric bus for urban use.
· Israeli, American and Canadian researchers are working together to develop nanotech-based solutions to the water shortage in the Middle East.
· Israeli company is developing cotton plants resistant to adverse salinity conditions and drought.
· An Israeli two-flush system has the potential to save billions of gallons of water a year.
Security and Defense:
· According to industry officials, Israel designed the airline industry's most impenetrable flight security. U.S. officials look to Israel for advice on how to handle airborne security threats.
· Israel designed the first flight system to protect passenger and freight aircraft against missiles
· Israeli-developed security precautions have been adopted in Maryland and Washington.
· Israeli researchers have developed an engine-less, nano-RPV (remote piloted vehicle).
Life Sciences:
· An Israeli company has unveiled a blood test that diagnoses heart attacks via telephone.
· The Israeli-developed Ex-Press shunt is providing relief for American glaucoma sufferers.
· An Israeli research team has found that the combination of electrical stimulation and chemotherapy makes cancerous metastases disappear.
· Israeli scientists developed first fully computerized, no-radiation, diagnostic breast cancer tools.
· An Israeli company developed a computerized system for ensuring proper administration of medications, thus removing human error from medical treatment.
· Israel developed the first ingestible video camera, so small it fits inside a pill. Used to view the small intestine from the inside, the camera helps doctors diagnose cancer and digestive disorders.
· Israeli researchers developed a new device that directly helps the heart pump blood, an innova-tion with the potential to save lives among those with congestive heart failure. The new device is synchronized with the heart's mechanical operations through a sophisticated system of sensors.
· Israeli researchers are playing an important role in identifying a defective gene that causes a rare and usually fatal disease in Arab infants.
· An Israeli company has been given a U.S. grant to develop an anti-smallpox first aid treatment kit.
· Israeli microbiologists developed the first passive mosquito-borne West Nile virus vaccine.
· Israeli research indicates lycopene - the red pigment found in tomatoes - lowers blood pressure.
· Israeli stem-cell technology is being used in the U.S. to regenerate heart tissue.
· An Israeli company has developed a insulin device for diabetics to painlessly inject themselves.
· Israeli scientists used strands of DNA to create tiny transistors that can literally build themselves.
· An Israeli company has developed a new device for monitoring coronary disease that will be integrated into future generation of cell phones.
· An Israeli has invented a 'bone glue' that will reduce the need for bone transplants and heal bone defects caused by cancer.
· Israeli scientists have created a DNA nano-computer that not only detects cancer, but also releases drugs to treat the disease.
· Israeli scientists have alleviated Parkinson's-like symptoms in rats.
· Israeli scientists are developing a nasal spray that will provide a five-year flu vaccine.
· Israeli scientists have discovered how to turn mismatched cells into cancer fighters.
· An Israeli-developed device painlessly administers medications thru microscopic pores in the skin.
· Israeli researchers have created a 'biological pacemaker’, which corrects faulty heart rhythms when injected into the failing hearts of pigs.
· Two Israelis won the 2004 Nobel Prize for Chemistry for their work in cancer research.
· Israeli researchers have proven that Prozac can improve the effectiveness of chemotherapy.
· An Israeli-developed elderberry extract is one of America's best-selling flu prevention medicines.
· An Israeli company developed a simple blood test that distinguishes mild and severe cases of MS.
· Israeli research has found that citrus oils may hold the key for asthma treatment.
Israel, Democracy and the Arabs
Israel, Democracy and the Arabs
Even as Israel is continually attacked and condemned, today the paper reported the Israel's High Court orders rerouting of separation barrier. Dozens of court cases have been filed. The Court "usually rules in favor of the easing hardships caused to Palestinians." That's democracy and a great nation. Contrast that with the horrible abuses, lack of rights and tyranny in virtually all Middle East nations
Even as Israel is continually attacked and condemned, today the paper reported the Israel's High Court orders rerouting of separation barrier. Dozens of court cases have been filed. The Court "usually rules in favor of the easing hardships caused to Palestinians." That's democracy and a great nation. Contrast that with the horrible abuses, lack of rights and tyranny in virtually all Middle East nations
Israel and Syria and American Jewish ties
1. Tribune today:Military probes how nukes flew over U.S.A bomber carrying missiles armed with nuclear warheads flew across the central U.S. after the weapons were mistakenly attached to the plane's wing."If we don't do something, in a year those will be real nukes , made in Iran. See my video above.
2.Youth's bond to Israel loosensBy Margaret Ramirez Tribune religion reporter September 6, 2007 Article toolsYounger Jews in the U.S. feel less attached to Israel and even alienated from the Jewish nation, reflecting a major shift in the American Jewish identity that some leaders find troubling, according to a new study released Thursday.Many older American Jews who still vividly remember the horror of World War II and the Holocaust forged a strong connection to Israel as the homeland of the Jewish people. But younger non-Orthodox Jews, especially those under age 35, show far less support and caring for Israel than their elders, said Steven M. Cohen, a prominent sociologist of American Jewry at Hebrew Union College and lead author of the report.The study found this lack of attachment is unlikely to change even as the younger generations age, marry and have children. "That each age group is less Israel-attached than its elders suggests that we are in the midst of a long-term and ongoing decline," the report states.All the more reason our kids need to be encourage to go there, and thank God for the wise philanthropists like Michael Steinhardt, who have donated many millions to offer free trips to 18-26 year olds under the Birthright program.
2.Youth's bond to Israel loosensBy Margaret Ramirez Tribune religion reporter September 6, 2007 Article toolsYounger Jews in the U.S. feel less attached to Israel and even alienated from the Jewish nation, reflecting a major shift in the American Jewish identity that some leaders find troubling, according to a new study released Thursday.Many older American Jews who still vividly remember the horror of World War II and the Holocaust forged a strong connection to Israel as the homeland of the Jewish people. But younger non-Orthodox Jews, especially those under age 35, show far less support and caring for Israel than their elders, said Steven M. Cohen, a prominent sociologist of American Jewry at Hebrew Union College and lead author of the report.The study found this lack of attachment is unlikely to change even as the younger generations age, marry and have children. "That each age group is less Israel-attached than its elders suggests that we are in the midst of a long-term and ongoing decline," the report states.All the more reason our kids need to be encourage to go there, and thank God for the wise philanthropists like Michael Steinhardt, who have donated many millions to offer free trips to 18-26 year olds under the Birthright program.
Israel and Syria
Tribune today:Military probes how nukes flew over U.S.A bomber carrying missiles armed with nuclear warheads flew across the central U.S. after the weapons were mistakenly attached to the plane's wing."If we don't do something, in a year those will be real nukes , made in Iran. See my video above.2.Youth's bond to Israel loosensBy Margaret Ramirez Tribune religion reporter September 6, 2007 Article toolsYounger Jews in the U.S. feel less attached to Israel and even alienated from the Jewish nation, reflecting a major shift in the American Jewish identity that some leaders find troubling, according to a new study released Thursday.Many older American Jews who still vividly remember the horror of World War II and the Holocaust forged a strong connection to Israel as the homeland of the Jewish people. But younger non-Orthodox Jews, especially those under age 35, show far less support and caring for Israel than their elders, said Steven M. Cohen, a prominent sociologist of American Jewry at Hebrew Union College and lead author of the report.The study found this lack of attachment is unlikely to change even as the younger generations age, marry and have children. "That each age group is less Israel-attached than its elders suggests that we are in the midst of a long-term and ongoing decline," the report states.All the more reason our kids need to be encourage to go there, and thank God for the wise philanthropists like Michael Steinhardt, who have donated many millions to offer free trips to 18-26 year olds under the Birthright program.
Muslim converts?
Muslim converts?
Osama bin Laden appeared for the first time in three years in a video Friday released ahead of the sixth anniversary of the Sept. 11 attacks, telling Americans they should convert to Islam if they want the war in Iraq to endVSGermans concerned about Muslim converts By ALEXANDER G. HIGGINS, Associated Press Writer Fri Sep 7, 1:49 PM ETBERLIN - Fritz and Daniel — two of the three militant Islamic suspects arrested in a purported plot to bomb American targets are as German as their names. The pair allegedly are among the small number of Western converts who have been used by terrorism masters because their ability to blend in is matched by their willingness to become violent, Muslim and non-Muslim experts say.
Osama bin Laden appeared for the first time in three years in a video Friday released ahead of the sixth anniversary of the Sept. 11 attacks, telling Americans they should convert to Islam if they want the war in Iraq to endVSGermans concerned about Muslim converts By ALEXANDER G. HIGGINS, Associated Press Writer Fri Sep 7, 1:49 PM ETBERLIN - Fritz and Daniel — two of the three militant Islamic suspects arrested in a purported plot to bomb American targets are as German as their names. The pair allegedly are among the small number of Western converts who have been used by terrorism masters because their ability to blend in is matched by their willingness to become violent, Muslim and non-Muslim experts say.
protect Israel from rockets
Tuesday, September 11, 2007
Why doesn't Israel do more to protect its citizens?
The IDF, who confirmed theattack, said that the rockets were fired from Beit Hanun.These attacks wounded 60 soldiers - could have killed many but wewere lucky. I don't get it. There is no nation on the face of theearth that wouldn't consider this an all out act of war.Some sugestions:alternative response to these shellings should be:1. Create and drop leaflets with the names of 500-1000 of the top Hamasofficials/terrorists and demand that they deliver their bodies, dead oralive to the Israeli border within 24 hours.2. If this isn't done within 24 hours, turn off electricity for all ofGaza3. If this isn't done within 48 hourse, cut off all water4. If this isn't done in 72 hours, start shelling one kilometer perday into the Gaza Strip. The longer they wait, the less their country willremain intact.How many deads Israel's will it take? Hamas is lobbying missiles everyday.But maybe we should let Israel's pros handle this-Ehud Barak, the current Defense Minister and a former Prime Minister isalso aformer Chief of Staff of the IDF and is the most decorated officer inthe IDFbarring none. He is not Peretz. The current Chief of Staff is highlyregarded.The Head of Shin Bet is a highly respected professional.
Posted by Rabbi Jonathan Ginsburg at 7:29 AM
Why doesn't Israel do more to protect its citizens?
The IDF, who confirmed theattack, said that the rockets were fired from Beit Hanun.These attacks wounded 60 soldiers - could have killed many but wewere lucky. I don't get it. There is no nation on the face of theearth that wouldn't consider this an all out act of war.Some sugestions:alternative response to these shellings should be:1. Create and drop leaflets with the names of 500-1000 of the top Hamasofficials/terrorists and demand that they deliver their bodies, dead oralive to the Israeli border within 24 hours.2. If this isn't done within 24 hours, turn off electricity for all ofGaza3. If this isn't done within 48 hourse, cut off all water4. If this isn't done in 72 hours, start shelling one kilometer perday into the Gaza Strip. The longer they wait, the less their country willremain intact.How many deads Israel's will it take? Hamas is lobbying missiles everyday.But maybe we should let Israel's pros handle this-Ehud Barak, the current Defense Minister and a former Prime Minister isalso aformer Chief of Staff of the IDF and is the most decorated officer inthe IDFbarring none. He is not Peretz. The current Chief of Staff is highlyregarded.The Head of Shin Bet is a highly respected professional.
Posted by Rabbi Jonathan Ginsburg at 7:29 AM
Let Osama bin Laden be first
Let Osama bin Laden be first
"Osama bin Laden urged sympathizers to join the "caravan" of martyrs as he praised one of the Sept. 11 suicide hijackers in a new video that emerged Tuesday to mark the sixth anniversary of the attacks on the World Trade Center and Pentagon. "I nominate him for the first one.
"Osama bin Laden urged sympathizers to join the "caravan" of martyrs as he praised one of the Sept. 11 suicide hijackers in a new video that emerged Tuesday to mark the sixth anniversary of the attacks on the World Trade Center and Pentagon. "I nominate him for the first one.
Mearsheimer and Walt
Mearsheimer and Walt
Tim Rutten, LA Times: "Anyone familiar with the tortured history of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict will have a hard time recognizing the history Mearsheimer and Walt rehearse. Every hoary old Israeli atrocity tale is trotted out, and the long story of Palestinian terrorism is rendered entirely as a reaction to Israeli oppression. The failure of every peace negotiation is attributed to Israeli deviousness under the shield of the American Israel lobby. There is nothing here of Palestinian corruption, division and duplicity or even of this unhappy people's inability to provide a reliable secular partner with whom peace can be negotiated. At times, the authors simply contradict themselves, asserting -- rather remarkably -- at one point that the United States has nothing to fear from a nuclear-armed Iran and, at another, that the dangerous prospect of a nuke-equipped Tehran is the Israel lobby's fault. Similarly, they write, Al Qaeda would hammer its swords into ploughshares and Osama bin Laden would lay down with the lamb if only the United States would come out from under Israel's thrall and create by coercion a Palestinian state. Baloney. If -- as was long ago proposed -- the Jewish state had been established in Uganda, the Twin Towers still would be rubble."David Remnick, The New Yorker: "Where many accounts identify Osama bin Laden's primary grievances with American support of "infidel" authoritarian regimes in Islamic lands, Mearsheimer and Walt align his primary concerns with theirs: America's unwillingness to push Israel to end the occupation of the West Bank and Gaza. (It doesn't matter that Israel and the Palestinians were in peace negotiations in 1993, the year of the first attack on the World Trade Center, or that during the Camp David negotiations in 2000 bin Laden's pilots were training in Florida.) Mearsheimer and Walt give you the sense that, if the Israelis and the Palestinians come to terms, bin Laden will return to the family construction business. It's a narrative that recounts every lurid report of Israeli cruelty as indisputable fact but leaves out the rise of Fatah and Palestinian terrorism before 1967; the Munich Olympics; Black September; myriad cases of suicide bombings; and other spectaculars." Steve Huntley, Chicago Sun Times: "The two go to lengths to try to rebut any suggestion of anti-Semitism in their criticism of the American Israeli Political Action Committee and other pro-Israel groups. But you can't read The Israel Lobby without realizing that whenever two interpretations exist for some action by Israel or its supporters, Mearsheimer and Walt automatically default to the darker view."William Grimes , The New York Times: "The general tone of hostility to Israel grates on the nerves, however, along with an unignorable impression that hardheaded political realism can be subject to its own peculiar fantasies. Israel is not simply one country among many, for example, just as Britain is not. Americans feel strong ties of history, religion, culture and, yes, sentiment, that the authors recognize, but only in an airy, abstract way. They also seem to feel that, with Israel and its lobby pushed to the side, the desert will bloom with flowers. A peace deal with Syria would surely follow, with a resultant end to hostile activity by Hezbollah and Hamas. Next would come a Palestinian state, depriving Al Qaeda of its principal recruiting tool. (The authors wave away the idea that Islamic terrorism thrives for other reasons.) Well, yes, Iran does seem to be a problem, but the authors argue that no one should be particularly bothered by an Iran with nuclear weapons. And on and on." Mark LeVine, Asia Times: "Mearsheimer and Walt seem to know little about the Middle East, Israel's role in US foreign policy, and what are core US goals and strategic interests in the region. They argue that this is a case of the "tail wagging the dog" - a small client state and its allies in the US leading the US government to engage in policies that are manifestly against its interests because of undue political power. But this is nonsense. In fact, it is the other way around." Richard Cohen, The Washington Post: "In the end, Mearsheimer and Walt disappoint. They had an observation worth making and a position worth debating. But their argument is so dry, so one-sided -- an Israel lobby that leads America around by the nose -- they suggest that not only do they not know Israel, they don't know America, either."
Tim Rutten, LA Times: "Anyone familiar with the tortured history of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict will have a hard time recognizing the history Mearsheimer and Walt rehearse. Every hoary old Israeli atrocity tale is trotted out, and the long story of Palestinian terrorism is rendered entirely as a reaction to Israeli oppression. The failure of every peace negotiation is attributed to Israeli deviousness under the shield of the American Israel lobby. There is nothing here of Palestinian corruption, division and duplicity or even of this unhappy people's inability to provide a reliable secular partner with whom peace can be negotiated. At times, the authors simply contradict themselves, asserting -- rather remarkably -- at one point that the United States has nothing to fear from a nuclear-armed Iran and, at another, that the dangerous prospect of a nuke-equipped Tehran is the Israel lobby's fault. Similarly, they write, Al Qaeda would hammer its swords into ploughshares and Osama bin Laden would lay down with the lamb if only the United States would come out from under Israel's thrall and create by coercion a Palestinian state. Baloney. If -- as was long ago proposed -- the Jewish state had been established in Uganda, the Twin Towers still would be rubble."David Remnick, The New Yorker: "Where many accounts identify Osama bin Laden's primary grievances with American support of "infidel" authoritarian regimes in Islamic lands, Mearsheimer and Walt align his primary concerns with theirs: America's unwillingness to push Israel to end the occupation of the West Bank and Gaza. (It doesn't matter that Israel and the Palestinians were in peace negotiations in 1993, the year of the first attack on the World Trade Center, or that during the Camp David negotiations in 2000 bin Laden's pilots were training in Florida.) Mearsheimer and Walt give you the sense that, if the Israelis and the Palestinians come to terms, bin Laden will return to the family construction business. It's a narrative that recounts every lurid report of Israeli cruelty as indisputable fact but leaves out the rise of Fatah and Palestinian terrorism before 1967; the Munich Olympics; Black September; myriad cases of suicide bombings; and other spectaculars." Steve Huntley, Chicago Sun Times: "The two go to lengths to try to rebut any suggestion of anti-Semitism in their criticism of the American Israeli Political Action Committee and other pro-Israel groups. But you can't read The Israel Lobby without realizing that whenever two interpretations exist for some action by Israel or its supporters, Mearsheimer and Walt automatically default to the darker view."William Grimes , The New York Times: "The general tone of hostility to Israel grates on the nerves, however, along with an unignorable impression that hardheaded political realism can be subject to its own peculiar fantasies. Israel is not simply one country among many, for example, just as Britain is not. Americans feel strong ties of history, religion, culture and, yes, sentiment, that the authors recognize, but only in an airy, abstract way. They also seem to feel that, with Israel and its lobby pushed to the side, the desert will bloom with flowers. A peace deal with Syria would surely follow, with a resultant end to hostile activity by Hezbollah and Hamas. Next would come a Palestinian state, depriving Al Qaeda of its principal recruiting tool. (The authors wave away the idea that Islamic terrorism thrives for other reasons.) Well, yes, Iran does seem to be a problem, but the authors argue that no one should be particularly bothered by an Iran with nuclear weapons. And on and on." Mark LeVine, Asia Times: "Mearsheimer and Walt seem to know little about the Middle East, Israel's role in US foreign policy, and what are core US goals and strategic interests in the region. They argue that this is a case of the "tail wagging the dog" - a small client state and its allies in the US leading the US government to engage in policies that are manifestly against its interests because of undue political power. But this is nonsense. In fact, it is the other way around." Richard Cohen, The Washington Post: "In the end, Mearsheimer and Walt disappoint. They had an observation worth making and a position worth debating. But their argument is so dry, so one-sided -- an Israel lobby that leads America around by the nose -- they suggest that not only do they not know Israel, they don't know America, either."
Mearsheimer and Walt
My outline of Gelb's critique of Mearsheimer and Walt book
Leslie Gelb published a great review of the troubling book by Mearsheimer and Walt in the NYT book review section Sunday. Here is MY OUTLINE of his arguments using his words. Dual Loyalties By LESLIE H. GELBPublished: September 23, 2007Jennifer DanielTHE ISRAEL LOBBY AND U.S. FOREIGN POLICY By John J. Mearsheimer and Stephen M. Walt. 484 pp. Farrar, Straus & Giroux. $26. 1. John Mearsheimer, a professor at the University of Chicago, and Stephen Walt, a professor at Harvard, can’t, because the Middle East is vital and because they’re arguing that the Jewish lobby pushes policy in directions that “jeopardize U.S. national security.” 2. This commentary could not be more serious, and I believe that the authors are mostly wrong, as well as dangerously misleading. Former President Jimmy Carter made similar points, if rather hotly and self-righteously, in his recent book, “Palestine Peace Not Apartheid.” Mearsheimer and Walt, together with Carter and their phalanx of backers at universities and research institutes, have to be answered, not by calling them anti-Semites, but on the merits.3. no one familiar with their extensive scholarship or their lives ever accused them of harboring anti-Semitic sentiments ... until the appearance of their article last year. …“They asked for trouble” — by the way they make their arguments, by their puzzlingly shoddy scholarship, by what they emphasize and de-emphasize, by what they leave out and by writing on this sensitive topic without doing extensive interviews with the lobbyists and the lobbied.Specifics:1. Publishing these one-liners as some kind of evidence is not the stuff of good scholarship.2. Mearsheimer and Walt move on to one story after another, premised on the lobby’s domination of United States policy toward the Middle East. But they rarely back that premise up. 3. There isn’t much discussion about the $2 billion yearly aid package for Egypt. The United States regards this $5 billion as insurance against an Egyptian-Israeli war, and it’s cheap at double the price.4. But instinctively and without being lobbied, American presidents don’t want to gang up on Israel, since virtually every other state does so. While most countries hammer Israel for crackdowns on the Palestinians, they hardly ever criticize Palestinian terrorists or other Arab terrorists and say little about the misdeeds of Arab and Muslim dictators. 5. As for the American government, the record clearly shows that when Israel crosses certain important lines, as when it expanded Jewish settlements into Palestinian areas like the West Bank and Gaza, Washington usually expresses its displeasure in public and, even more so, in private. Mearsheimer and Walt just don’t mention that.6.. More troublingly, they don’t seriously review the facts of the two most critical issues to Israel and the lobby — arms sales to Arab states and the question of a Palestinian state — matters on which the American position has consistently run counter to the so-called all-powerful Jewish lobby.7. But at a deeper level, one ignored by Mearsheimer and Walt, these problems would not disappear or seriously lessen if Washington abandoned Israel. The main source of anti-Americanism and anti-American terrorism is America’s deep ties with highly unpopular regimes in countries like Saudi Arabia and Egypt, not to mention the war in Iraq. 8. Similarly, Mearsheimer and Walt mostly dodge the question of how to fix this problem. They don’t want to abandon Israel, they say, but they do want the United States to distance itself from Israeli policies. Does that mean talking to the Hamas and Hezbollah terrorists? These groups are relentlessly committed to violence and to the total destruction of Israel. What is there to talk about? 9. As for pressing Israel to turn over the territories and accept Palestinian statehood now, there is the slight problem of which Palestinians to bargain with — the Hamas leaders, who genuinely have broad support, or the far less popular and far more corrupt Fatah party. Besides, what concessions do Mearsheimer and Walt want Israel to make beyond what it has made? In the closing days of the Clinton administration, Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak met almost all Palestinian demands for a negotiated solution and was effectively turned down.10.. historically, the prime effect of the relationship has been to provide Arab leaders and discontented Arabs with an excuse for not putting their own houses in order. I doubt Mearsheimer and Walt believe that if Washington stiff-armed Israel, this would induce Arab leaders to address their real problems or produce peace in the Middle East. 11. Then there is the issue of nuclear weapons and taming the proliferation genie. Yes, Israel’s nuclear ability adds to the hurdles Washington faces. But Mearsheimer and Walt should know that the driving force behind Saddam Hussein’s quest for these arms had much less to do with Israel’s nuclear weapons than with the threats he saw from Iran and the United States. The same is true for Iran today. Like Hussein, President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad knows that only the United States can topple him and the regime of the mullahs he represents, and he wants the bomb principally for deterrence.12. America’s central strategic problem in the region — the main reason to worry about future terrorists, nuclear proliferation and energy supplies — is that we need our corrupt, inept and unpopular Arab allies because the likely alternative to them is far worse. There is no reliable and strong Arab moderate force in the Middle East at present. Washington’s long-term goal must be to help build one. Yet Mearsheimer and Walt offer us no counsel on how to do this.13. As it happens, America’s commitment to Israel rests far more on moral and historical grounds than on strict strategic ones. Israel does not harm American security interests to anywhere near the degree that Mearsheimer and Walt claim it does. And the major reality is that despite whatever difficulties the Israeli-American relationship might cause, the United States is helping to protect one of the few nations in the world that share American values and interests, a true democracy. This is the greatest strategic bond between the two countries. (And not to be overlooked is the fact that when push has come to shove, Israel has always defended itself.)14. The inevitable last question is this: Why have two such serious students of United States foreign policy written so weak a book and added fuel, inadvertently, to the fires of anti-Semitism? The answer lies in their treatment of the Iraq war. Their vitriol about the Iraq war — about being so right while others were so wrong — is so overwhelming that they minimize two key facts. First, America’s foreign policy community, including many Democrats as well as Republicans, supported the war for the very same reasons that Wolfowitz and the lobby did — namely, the fact that Hussein seemed to pose a present or future threat to American national interests. Second, the real play-callers behind the war were President George Bush and Vice President Dick Cheney. They hardly have a history of being in the pockets of the Jewish lobby (more like the oil lobby’s), and they aren’t remotely neoconservatives. The more we know, the clearer it is that the White House went to war primarily to erase the “blunder” of the elder Bush in not finishing off Saddam Hussein during the Persian Gulf war of 1991.Now, Mearsheimer and Walt fear that Israel and the lobby will shove the United States into a new war with Iran: “They are the central forces today behind all the talk ... about using military force to destroy Iran’s nuclear facilities. Unfortunately, such rhetoric makes it harder, not easier, to stop Iran from going nuclear.” …Meanwhile, plenty of foreign policy experts and politicians now call for “getting Iran.” And by the way, so do the two most powerful men in America, who neither need nor heed lobbying — George Bush and Dick Cheney.Leslie H. Gelb, a former columnist for The Times and the president emeritus of the Council on Foreign Relations, is finishing a book on international power in the 21st century.
Leslie Gelb published a great review of the troubling book by Mearsheimer and Walt in the NYT book review section Sunday. Here is MY OUTLINE of his arguments using his words. Dual Loyalties By LESLIE H. GELBPublished: September 23, 2007Jennifer DanielTHE ISRAEL LOBBY AND U.S. FOREIGN POLICY By John J. Mearsheimer and Stephen M. Walt. 484 pp. Farrar, Straus & Giroux. $26. 1. John Mearsheimer, a professor at the University of Chicago, and Stephen Walt, a professor at Harvard, can’t, because the Middle East is vital and because they’re arguing that the Jewish lobby pushes policy in directions that “jeopardize U.S. national security.” 2. This commentary could not be more serious, and I believe that the authors are mostly wrong, as well as dangerously misleading. Former President Jimmy Carter made similar points, if rather hotly and self-righteously, in his recent book, “Palestine Peace Not Apartheid.” Mearsheimer and Walt, together with Carter and their phalanx of backers at universities and research institutes, have to be answered, not by calling them anti-Semites, but on the merits.3. no one familiar with their extensive scholarship or their lives ever accused them of harboring anti-Semitic sentiments ... until the appearance of their article last year. …“They asked for trouble” — by the way they make their arguments, by their puzzlingly shoddy scholarship, by what they emphasize and de-emphasize, by what they leave out and by writing on this sensitive topic without doing extensive interviews with the lobbyists and the lobbied.Specifics:1. Publishing these one-liners as some kind of evidence is not the stuff of good scholarship.2. Mearsheimer and Walt move on to one story after another, premised on the lobby’s domination of United States policy toward the Middle East. But they rarely back that premise up. 3. There isn’t much discussion about the $2 billion yearly aid package for Egypt. The United States regards this $5 billion as insurance against an Egyptian-Israeli war, and it’s cheap at double the price.4. But instinctively and without being lobbied, American presidents don’t want to gang up on Israel, since virtually every other state does so. While most countries hammer Israel for crackdowns on the Palestinians, they hardly ever criticize Palestinian terrorists or other Arab terrorists and say little about the misdeeds of Arab and Muslim dictators. 5. As for the American government, the record clearly shows that when Israel crosses certain important lines, as when it expanded Jewish settlements into Palestinian areas like the West Bank and Gaza, Washington usually expresses its displeasure in public and, even more so, in private. Mearsheimer and Walt just don’t mention that.6.. More troublingly, they don’t seriously review the facts of the two most critical issues to Israel and the lobby — arms sales to Arab states and the question of a Palestinian state — matters on which the American position has consistently run counter to the so-called all-powerful Jewish lobby.7. But at a deeper level, one ignored by Mearsheimer and Walt, these problems would not disappear or seriously lessen if Washington abandoned Israel. The main source of anti-Americanism and anti-American terrorism is America’s deep ties with highly unpopular regimes in countries like Saudi Arabia and Egypt, not to mention the war in Iraq. 8. Similarly, Mearsheimer and Walt mostly dodge the question of how to fix this problem. They don’t want to abandon Israel, they say, but they do want the United States to distance itself from Israeli policies. Does that mean talking to the Hamas and Hezbollah terrorists? These groups are relentlessly committed to violence and to the total destruction of Israel. What is there to talk about? 9. As for pressing Israel to turn over the territories and accept Palestinian statehood now, there is the slight problem of which Palestinians to bargain with — the Hamas leaders, who genuinely have broad support, or the far less popular and far more corrupt Fatah party. Besides, what concessions do Mearsheimer and Walt want Israel to make beyond what it has made? In the closing days of the Clinton administration, Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak met almost all Palestinian demands for a negotiated solution and was effectively turned down.10.. historically, the prime effect of the relationship has been to provide Arab leaders and discontented Arabs with an excuse for not putting their own houses in order. I doubt Mearsheimer and Walt believe that if Washington stiff-armed Israel, this would induce Arab leaders to address their real problems or produce peace in the Middle East. 11. Then there is the issue of nuclear weapons and taming the proliferation genie. Yes, Israel’s nuclear ability adds to the hurdles Washington faces. But Mearsheimer and Walt should know that the driving force behind Saddam Hussein’s quest for these arms had much less to do with Israel’s nuclear weapons than with the threats he saw from Iran and the United States. The same is true for Iran today. Like Hussein, President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad knows that only the United States can topple him and the regime of the mullahs he represents, and he wants the bomb principally for deterrence.12. America’s central strategic problem in the region — the main reason to worry about future terrorists, nuclear proliferation and energy supplies — is that we need our corrupt, inept and unpopular Arab allies because the likely alternative to them is far worse. There is no reliable and strong Arab moderate force in the Middle East at present. Washington’s long-term goal must be to help build one. Yet Mearsheimer and Walt offer us no counsel on how to do this.13. As it happens, America’s commitment to Israel rests far more on moral and historical grounds than on strict strategic ones. Israel does not harm American security interests to anywhere near the degree that Mearsheimer and Walt claim it does. And the major reality is that despite whatever difficulties the Israeli-American relationship might cause, the United States is helping to protect one of the few nations in the world that share American values and interests, a true democracy. This is the greatest strategic bond between the two countries. (And not to be overlooked is the fact that when push has come to shove, Israel has always defended itself.)14. The inevitable last question is this: Why have two such serious students of United States foreign policy written so weak a book and added fuel, inadvertently, to the fires of anti-Semitism? The answer lies in their treatment of the Iraq war. Their vitriol about the Iraq war — about being so right while others were so wrong — is so overwhelming that they minimize two key facts. First, America’s foreign policy community, including many Democrats as well as Republicans, supported the war for the very same reasons that Wolfowitz and the lobby did — namely, the fact that Hussein seemed to pose a present or future threat to American national interests. Second, the real play-callers behind the war were President George Bush and Vice President Dick Cheney. They hardly have a history of being in the pockets of the Jewish lobby (more like the oil lobby’s), and they aren’t remotely neoconservatives. The more we know, the clearer it is that the White House went to war primarily to erase the “blunder” of the elder Bush in not finishing off Saddam Hussein during the Persian Gulf war of 1991.Now, Mearsheimer and Walt fear that Israel and the lobby will shove the United States into a new war with Iran: “They are the central forces today behind all the talk ... about using military force to destroy Iran’s nuclear facilities. Unfortunately, such rhetoric makes it harder, not easier, to stop Iran from going nuclear.” …Meanwhile, plenty of foreign policy experts and politicians now call for “getting Iran.” And by the way, so do the two most powerful men in America, who neither need nor heed lobbying — George Bush and Dick Cheney.Leslie H. Gelb, a former columnist for The Times and the president emeritus of the Council on Foreign Relations, is finishing a book on international power in the 21st century.
Iran and its President
Cruelty and Mercy 1.Iran
And so we learn:One who becomes compassionate instead of cruel, will ultimately become cruel instead of compassionate, as it is written (I Samuel 22:19): “And Nov, the city of priests, he smote with the edge of a sword.” Is Nov any worse than the descendants of Amalek?!Midrash Rabba, Ecclesiastes 7:16.1. Time to be cruel, not merciful-Iran and bomb-and Sukkot Haftorot The Haftorot during the Festival of Sukkot speak of end times-a huge final battle of Gog and Magog, and final a celebration in Jerusalem at the end when all nations will celebrate Sukkot and recognizes Adonai as God (the final verse of Alenu prayer comes from this Zachariah Haftarah.) Sometimes the events of the world feel like those days.From The Chicago Tribune editorial Saturday:Case closed? You wishFresh from his performance as a human pinata at Columbia University, the Iranian president took the opportunity this week to remind the nations of the world just how much contempt he and his country held for the UN Security Council. In sum, a lot.After two sets of sanctions, and many more deadlines for Iran to suspend its nuclear program, Ahmadinejad dared the nations of the world to stop Iran's nuclear program. He scoffed at the power of the UN Security Council and declared that "the nuclear issue of Iran is now closed." That brought the quick response from the U.S: You wish."The Iranian president is badly mistaken if he thinks the international community is going to forget about the fact that his country is continuing -- against the will of the UN Security Council -- its nuclear research programs," said Undersecretary of State Nicholas Burns.And from Germany: "Let's not fool ourselves," German Chancellor Angela Merkel said. "If Iran were to acquire the nuclear bomb, the consequences would be disastrous."One of the sharpest warnings came from France's new president, Nicolas Sarkozy. Allowing Iran to build a bomb, he said, would be an "unacceptable risk to the stability in the region and in the world." In his first major foreign policy speech a few weeks ago, he startled some of his countrymen by asserting that Iran could be attacked militarily if it did not abide by Security Council resolutions to suspend its uranium enrichment program.Whatever Iran does, or doesn't, divulge about its years of deceit is beside the point. Tehran is still running its outlaw nuclear program. It is building and installing centrifuges, enriching uranium and following a path that could lead to the bomb. It is defying the Security Council.Copyright © 2007, Chicago Tribune
And so we learn:One who becomes compassionate instead of cruel, will ultimately become cruel instead of compassionate, as it is written (I Samuel 22:19): “And Nov, the city of priests, he smote with the edge of a sword.” Is Nov any worse than the descendants of Amalek?!Midrash Rabba, Ecclesiastes 7:16.1. Time to be cruel, not merciful-Iran and bomb-and Sukkot Haftorot The Haftorot during the Festival of Sukkot speak of end times-a huge final battle of Gog and Magog, and final a celebration in Jerusalem at the end when all nations will celebrate Sukkot and recognizes Adonai as God (the final verse of Alenu prayer comes from this Zachariah Haftarah.) Sometimes the events of the world feel like those days.From The Chicago Tribune editorial Saturday:Case closed? You wishFresh from his performance as a human pinata at Columbia University, the Iranian president took the opportunity this week to remind the nations of the world just how much contempt he and his country held for the UN Security Council. In sum, a lot.After two sets of sanctions, and many more deadlines for Iran to suspend its nuclear program, Ahmadinejad dared the nations of the world to stop Iran's nuclear program. He scoffed at the power of the UN Security Council and declared that "the nuclear issue of Iran is now closed." That brought the quick response from the U.S: You wish."The Iranian president is badly mistaken if he thinks the international community is going to forget about the fact that his country is continuing -- against the will of the UN Security Council -- its nuclear research programs," said Undersecretary of State Nicholas Burns.And from Germany: "Let's not fool ourselves," German Chancellor Angela Merkel said. "If Iran were to acquire the nuclear bomb, the consequences would be disastrous."One of the sharpest warnings came from France's new president, Nicolas Sarkozy. Allowing Iran to build a bomb, he said, would be an "unacceptable risk to the stability in the region and in the world." In his first major foreign policy speech a few weeks ago, he startled some of his countrymen by asserting that Iran could be attacked militarily if it did not abide by Security Council resolutions to suspend its uranium enrichment program.Whatever Iran does, or doesn't, divulge about its years of deceit is beside the point. Tehran is still running its outlaw nuclear program. It is building and installing centrifuges, enriching uranium and following a path that could lead to the bomb. It is defying the Security Council.Copyright © 2007, Chicago Tribune
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