Kesher Talk
Friday, March 29, 2002
Trawling the blogs: Tim Blair recommends self-help books for terrorists. The Insolvent Republic of Blogistan checks out what bloggers think about the Palestinians. Kathy Kinsley does her own blogwatch on the Passover massacres (and has a 2nd edition). Cut on the Bias dissects a New York Times "news" story about yesterday's bombings. Charles Johnson says "Palestinians should be afraid of the reaction of the American street."
News coming too fast: I can't keep up with the latest from Ramallah - too much work to do and too little time. Now would be a good moment to have a team working on this site, rather than just myself.
Oh, speaking of news, as I mentioned a few days ago, Osama has his own website. He recently stated how much he loathes Kesher Talk, saying "all good Muslims will want to avoid this site." He cracks me up, I tell ya.
Also, I will talk more about the seders when I have time next week. There are a lot of things to go over.
Oh, speaking of news, as I mentioned a few days ago, Osama has his own website. He recently stated how much he loathes Kesher Talk, saying "all good Muslims will want to avoid this site." He cracks me up, I tell ya.
Also, I will talk more about the seders when I have time next week. There are a lot of things to go over.
Jennings knows terrorists, right?: If the leader of Hezbollah denies he's a terrorist that's good enough for Peter Jennings. While "the Bush administration says Hezbollah is a terrorist organization," Jennings relayed how Hezbollah's leader assured him that "we are not terrorists." Jennings cast no doubt on the claim as he proceeded to recount, without mentioning the role of Hezbollah, how "a man" blew up the U.S. embassy in Beirut and how 241 U.S. Marines had died in another bombing. (from the MRC)
Radio: Listening to Israeli radio online, via http://www.Kol-Israel.com
Is it ok to have sex after the seder is finished? We are forbidden to turn to other forms of entertainment after the seders. The orthodox follow this easily, by carrying on their seders until they are ready to pass out around 4am. Alright, so it is an emulation of the ancient tale of four rabbis who carried on their seder discussions until daybreak, but it sounded good...
Anyhow, at our first seder, we pondered the question, "What exactly counts as entertainment?" My household always held that hockey was so necessary that watching a hockey game after the seder did not count as the forbidden indulging in entertainment. Of course, that started back in the days when April was playoff time (now that the playoffs have pushed into the early summer, it is not so pressing an issue).
However, does sex count as entertainment?
My friend sought Rabbinical response last night. She queried both the rabbis at her Reform synagogue -- and left them stammering.
The first rabbi (not know for his own personal morality) said it was permissible for a married couple to have sex after the seder. He of course jokingly added "as long as there is no leavening involved."
Lita countered "So as long as the whip cream is Kasher L'Pesach, it's okay," to which he laughed/sighed, wished her Chag Sameach and moved to talk to someone else.
The second rabbi jokingly said that it would best to be safe and have sex before the afikomen is found. (I reject this idea, as it seems quite rude to your guests). He also agreed that having sex would not be a violation of the rule.
Anyhow, at our first seder, we pondered the question, "What exactly counts as entertainment?" My household always held that hockey was so necessary that watching a hockey game after the seder did not count as the forbidden indulging in entertainment. Of course, that started back in the days when April was playoff time (now that the playoffs have pushed into the early summer, it is not so pressing an issue).
However, does sex count as entertainment?
My friend sought Rabbinical response last night. She queried both the rabbis at her Reform synagogue -- and left them stammering.
The first rabbi (not know for his own personal morality) said it was permissible for a married couple to have sex after the seder. He of course jokingly added "as long as there is no leavening involved."
Lita countered "So as long as the whip cream is Kasher L'Pesach, it's okay," to which he laughed/sighed, wished her Chag Sameach and moved to talk to someone else.
The second rabbi jokingly said that it would best to be safe and have sex before the afikomen is found. (I reject this idea, as it seems quite rude to your guests). He also agreed that having sex would not be a violation of the rule.
The world is indeed a different place: As the Thursday lunch rush was ending. Loeb's, a popular New York-style delicatessen located just a few blocks away from the White House, was visited by a group of men clad in olive. Surrounded by Washington reporters and lobbyists dining on the Passover special, the uniforms of the Uzbeki military officers and their U.S. Army companions stuck out like mayonnaise on pastrami. Though the U.S. Army lieutenant colonel who appeared to be in charge of the group couldn't talk about what they were doing, he did agree that -- with U.S. and Uzbeki military officers having lunch in a Jewish delicatessen in Washington during Passover -- the world was indeed a different place. (UPI's Capital Comment)
Wednesday, March 27, 2002
Good pesach:
I am off to the first seder of Passover. A good holiday to all.
Next year in Jerusalem.
Next year may all be free.
I am off to the first seder of Passover. A good holiday to all.
Next year in Jerusalem.
Next year may all be free.
The summit: Daniel Pipes (hey, writing in the New Republic!) says "nothing of import will take place in Beirut. In fact, in a year's time this summit and the Abdullah plan will almost certainly be well forgotten."
Why? There is a war going on; "it's putting a Band-Aid on cancer"; and "the Abdullah plan is a non-starter."
Why? There is a war going on; "it's putting a Band-Aid on cancer"; and "the Abdullah plan is a non-starter."
Moderation: The AP cites "three key moderates--the leaders of Egypt, Jordan and the Palestinians" who failed to attend the Arab League Summit. Also from the AP comes this story: "A suicide bomber blew himself up in a hotel dining room in the Israeli coastal resort of Netanya on Wednesday evening as guests gathered for a Passover Seder, the ritual meal ushering in the Jewish holiday. Police said 15 people were killed and more than 100 wounded. There was no immediate claim of responsibility." Ha'aretz reports that "Both the Al Aqsa Martyrs Brigades, linked to PA Chairman Yasser Arafat's Fatah movement, and Hamas have claimed responsibility for the attack."
OpinionJournal comments "It's not clear yet if this was a "moderate" or an "extremist" mass murder."
OpinionJournal comments "It's not clear yet if this was a "moderate" or an "extremist" mass murder."
Deli-cate lobbyist: "Lobbyist Jack Abramoff, who routinely appears on the list of Washington's most powerful and influential people, reportedly has a new venture in the offing. The entrepreneurial Abramoff is said to be putting together the city's first upscale, New York-style deli -- something that most everyone can agree the city sorely needs." (UPI's Capital Comment)
Where do we stand?:
Where do we stand?:
For Jews in the Bay Area, the wave of attacks and retaliations in the Middle East has prompted painful soul-searching. Increasingly, the talk is not of peace, but of words like "hopelessness'' and "despair.''
... "I think a lot of American Jews are coming around to feeling that just maybe the Palestinians weren't sincere about wanting peace and only wanted to destroy Israel,'' said Rabbi Martin Weiner, who is senior rabbi at San Francisco's Congregation Sherith Israel and president of the Central Conference of American Rabbis -- the U.S. voice of Reform Judaism.
Weiner's own thinking began to shift after Sept. 11.
"Israel is facing that kind of terror every day,'' he said. "The terrorism of Palestinian suicide bombers is identical, in my mind, to the terrorism of the World Trade Center suicide bombers.'' (The Mercury News)
Cue the Jaws music: Just when you thought it was safe to go back in the water, think again. Beginning this Friday the Tampa, Florida region is going to be targeted for gospel bombing by the missionary storm troopers Jews for Jesus. The San Francisco-based organization is entering year two of a 5-year global strategy to proclaim Jesus as the Messiah. Their literature explains their mission: “We exist to make the messiahship of Jesus an unavoidable issue to our Jewish people worldwide.” (Jewsweek)
Hussein Ibish: Daniel Pipes asks why someone as extremist as Hussein Ibish gets so much fawning attention. The Muslim Pundit notes that Ibish
By the way, allow me to toot the horn of the Muslim Pundit. His examinations of "Muslim" organizations' statements and activities should not be missed.
is the same person who, according to ADL, contended that "Israel should be singled out for criticism" at the 2001 U.N. Conference in Durban. He was also reported to have said: “There’s no place on earth where you can find a situation worse than in the occupied territories, so to have a world conference and not talk about Jewish settlements would be a travesty, a sick joke, like having a conference on racism in the 1970s and not talking about the situation in South Africa...".
By the way, allow me to toot the horn of the Muslim Pundit. His examinations of "Muslim" organizations' statements and activities should not be missed.
Site fix: Thanks to some quick help from the Patio Pundit, I think I have my item links sorted out. Now if only someone could help me with my taxes...
What is the Arab League: Jude Thomas writes Slate's latest Explainer. She notes that the only thing the "League" has ever agreed upon is the "three nos" policy: no to recognition of Israel, no to negotiations with Israel, and no to peace with Israel.
Next year, may all be free: "As Jews at Seder tables around the world reenact our redemption from bondage, we should take special note that slavery is not history. Indeed there are more slaves today - 27 million, by conservative estimate -- than at any time in history. Slaves… not people with bad jobs, nasty bosses and low pay, but people who are forced to work for no pay under the threat of violence." Author Dr. Charles Jacobs is President of the American Anti-Slavery Group.
Democracy is the key: David Harsanyi says that the real key to peace in the Middle East lies in the Arab's hands - they need to democratize.
Democracy is the key: David Harsanyi says that the real key to peace in the Middle East lies in the Arab's hands - they need to democratize.
"The bitch set me up!": Former DC mayor Marion Barry's famous quote is back in the headlines. He left office in disgrace after serving three terms as mayor. He was caught on videotape smoking crack cocaine in the Vista Hotel during an FBI sting operation involving Mr. Barry's then-girlfriend Rashida Moore. He was later elected to a fourth term.
This time, other craven people are repeating his lines for him.
According to the Washington Times, several whacko black "community" organizations yesterday said a report U.S. Park Police leaked to the media that they found illegal drugs in former D.C. Mayor Marion S. Barry's car during a routine search is false, slanderous and reeks of racial harassment. Members of the New Black Panther Party for Self Defense, the Alliance of Concerned Black Men and the Black Citizens Action Committee yesterday demonstrated in front of Park Police headquarters. The groups maintain that Mr. Barry is being "set up for a second time" by the U.S. government's constabulary.
This time, other craven people are repeating his lines for him.
According to the Washington Times, several whacko black "community" organizations yesterday said a report U.S. Park Police leaked to the media that they found illegal drugs in former D.C. Mayor Marion S. Barry's car during a routine search is false, slanderous and reeks of racial harassment. Members of the New Black Panther Party for Self Defense, the Alliance of Concerned Black Men and the Black Citizens Action Committee yesterday demonstrated in front of Park Police headquarters. The groups maintain that Mr. Barry is being "set up for a second time" by the U.S. government's constabulary.
How many cups of wine at the seder?: Rabbi Yonason Goldson ponders why we drink four cups of wine at the seder and not five. "What is our conclusion? We have none. We simply don't know. However, we do know that we have to drink at least four cups. So that is what we do, then wait for Elijah the Prophet to come, not to drink the fifth cup, but to tell us whether or not we should drink it ourselves."
Farakhan not yet allowed into Britain - and its the Jews' fault, of course: According to Totally Jewish, Louis Farakhan, currently awaiting a court’s verdict on whether he should be allowed into the UK, has accused British Jewry of using their influence to prolong his travel ban. A decision on whether to grant admission to Louis Farakhan, the Nation of Islam leader, is expected within the next two weeks.
On Saturday March 23 2002, Minister Louis Farrakhan made history by visiting the Jewish Synagogue in downtown Kingston, Jamaica. He was received by the Synagogue President and Congregational leader of Israelites in Jamaica, Mr. Tony Lindo. It was the first time in the history of the 90-year old synagogue receiving a Muslim leader, and it was also Minister Farrakhan’s first visit.
Addressing a 300-strong audience, he said: “The Jewish deputies have constantly lobbied to keep me out of London and Great Britain.” The man who once notoriously branded Judaism “a gutter religion” and called Hitler “a great man”, added: “What I am ‘anti’ is the type of control that some interests of that community exercise over our people.”
Of course, the website Black Britain does not include those comments...
On Saturday March 23 2002, Minister Louis Farrakhan made history by visiting the Jewish Synagogue in downtown Kingston, Jamaica. He was received by the Synagogue President and Congregational leader of Israelites in Jamaica, Mr. Tony Lindo. It was the first time in the history of the 90-year old synagogue receiving a Muslim leader, and it was also Minister Farrakhan’s first visit.
Addressing a 300-strong audience, he said: “The Jewish deputies have constantly lobbied to keep me out of London and Great Britain.” The man who once notoriously branded Judaism “a gutter religion” and called Hitler “a great man”, added: “What I am ‘anti’ is the type of control that some interests of that community exercise over our people.”
Of course, the website Black Britain does not include those comments...
Ad objections: The Center for Security Policy has a new ad on TV (RealPlayer required).
ANNOUNCER [v/o]: World leaders are discussing a vision of the Middle East in which Israel and Palestine coexist in security and peace.
(On screen: Map of Middle East with Israeli and Palestinian lands)
But Palestinian terrorists and Yasser Arafat have a very different vision. The map used in Arafat's offices, Web site and textbooks show a Palestine, but no Israel.
(On screen: Map of wholly Palestinian lands --Palestinian Authority Web site)
Israel wants peace, but Arafat still wants no Israel. President Bush, tell Mr. Arafat, "Renounce this map." Tell Arafat he can't create a state by destroying another.
(On screen: PeaceThroughStrength.com; Paid for by Center for Security Policy)
Now I''ve seen everything: With the success of the Lewinsky Blog, someone has set up ... Osama Bin Laden's web log (osama's bin bloggin)
Exploding ambulances: A Red Cross worker emailed me a while back, stunned at the news from JTA that a Red Cross ambulances was used by bombers to get past Israeli security. She did not believe it. Well, it has happened again.
Reserve soldiers stationed south of Ramallah this morning stopped a Palestinian Red Crescent ambulance and, upon inspection, found a suspected suicide bomber on board. The Palestinian man was reportedly wanted by the Shin Bet, Israel's internal security agency, for suspected participation in terror-related activities.
During an initial on-site investigation, the man said he had hidden an explosive device inside the ambulance. Sappers were dispatched to the scene to examine the ambulance, Israel Radio reported. (The Jerusalem Post)
Visiting dictators hoped to boost local economy, shoot dissidents: The last time Beirut held an Arab summit, it was 1956 and before a 15-year civil war tore apart this country. So, as hundreds of Arab dignitaries arrive here for this week's Arab summit, Lebanon is hoping that the high-profile two-day meeting will help eradicate the country's war-tarnished image and restore some gloss to its international reputation. (Christian Science Monitor
If your best chance of revitalizing your country is hosting an Arab League summit, you know you are in serious trouble.
If your best chance of revitalizing your country is hosting an Arab League summit, you know you are in serious trouble.
High alert status: "Homeland Security Chief Tom Ridge has issued another alert. This Sunday, Americans should be on the lookout for brightly colored, hidden eggs. So we very careful." (David Letterman, last night)
That Sadaam, he's a laugh riot: Reuters (Mar. 27) reports, Iraqi President Saddam Hussein said Tuesday the United States was targeting his country because of its political independence and policy on the Palestinian-Israeli conflict. 'We know that there is a price for our stance on Palestine, and our stand has not changed -- that is the call to liberate Palestine from the sea to the river,' Iraqi state television quoted Saddam as saying. 'And we know that there is a price for saying we are free ... and we know our economic independence has a price and our political independence has a price,' Saddam said during a cabinet meeting."
Two Viginia men tried to become suicide bombers in Israel: Two Fairfax County men were denied entry into Israel after authorities found a letter written in Arabic inside their carry-on bags that the FBI says was a farewell note in preparation for a suicide terrorist mission, according to a criminal complaint unsealed yesterday. (see the Washington Post, Houston Chronicle and CNN)
Canadian exodus to fight for the Taliban: Canada's intelligence service has acknowledged for the first time that Canadian-based Islamic militants have set off for Afghanistan since Sept. 11 to fight alongside Taliban and al-Qaeda forces. ... It is known, however, that Canada-based Islamic militants have been going to Afghanistan for more than a decade to train and fight. The CSIS director's comments confirm that even after Sept. 11 they have continued to set off for the region. That, together with the number of Canadians known to have trained in Afghanistan before Sept. 11, raises the possibility that a Canadian version of John Walker Lindh could be fighting among the Taliban and al-Qaeda forces. (National Post)
Two Viginia men tried to become suicide bombers in Israel: Two Fairfax County men were denied entry into Israel after authorities found a letter written in Arabic inside their carry-on bags that the FBI says was a farewell note in preparation for a suicide terrorist mission, according to a criminal complaint unsealed yesterday. (see the Washington Post, Houston Chronicle and CNN)
Canadian exodus to fight for the Taliban: Canada's intelligence service has acknowledged for the first time that Canadian-based Islamic militants have set off for Afghanistan since Sept. 11 to fight alongside Taliban and al-Qaeda forces. ... It is known, however, that Canada-based Islamic militants have been going to Afghanistan for more than a decade to train and fight. The CSIS director's comments confirm that even after Sept. 11 they have continued to set off for the region. That, together with the number of Canadians known to have trained in Afghanistan before Sept. 11, raises the possibility that a Canadian version of John Walker Lindh could be fighting among the Taliban and al-Qaeda forces. (National Post)
Tuesday, March 26, 2002
They're like natives, or something: "The solution to the Israeli/Palestinian problems is simple. Let the Palestinians open casinos..." (J. Bowen, No Watermelons Allowed)
Good holiday to all: Pejman Yousefzadeh (Pejman Pundit) sums up the darkness and the light for Christians, Jews and Iranians, as he heads off for Passover.
Good holiday to all: Pejman Yousefzadeh (Pejman Pundit) sums up the darkness and the light for Christians, Jews and Iranians, as he heads off for Passover.
Arafat says he won't go: "Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat decided not to attend the Arab League summit in Beirut this week, according to aides, rejecting new, stricter Israeli conditions for lifting a travel ban on him. The conditions imposed by Israeli leader Ariel Sharon included the right to veto Arafat’s return to Palestinian territories if there were terrorist strikes during his absence." (MSNBC)
Meaning, he can't control the Palestinians. So why are we still dealing with him... ?
Meaning, he can't control the Palestinians. So why are we still dealing with him... ?
We'll let Arafat attend, if...: Damien Penny (Daimnation!) suggests a possible requirement for Arafat being allowed to go to Lebanon for the Arab League summit. Since Arafat is not the ruler of a state, how about allowing "all the other separatist movements in the region to attend? Why should the Palestinians be recognized but not the Kurds?"
My own addition: a pile of coffins can be sent to represent the city of Hama that Syria massacred then paved over.
My own addition: a pile of coffins can be sent to represent the city of Hama that Syria massacred then paved over.
Better perspective desperately needed: Nobel prize-winning Portuguese writer Jose Saramago visited Ramallah Monday. He said that "the spirit of Auschwitz" was linked to what was going on in the city. "This place is being turned into a concentration camp," he said, referring to the IDF's siege on the city. Asked by Ha'aretz where the gas chambers were, he replied; "So far, there are none." He added that, as a writer, it was his prerogative to make emotional comparisons in order to shock people into understanding. (Ha'aretz)
Speaking to Islam Online, Ahmed Taha Al-Nakr, an expert in foreign relations in the Egyptian daily Al-Akhbar, said Arafat’s presence in the summit is not important, what is really important is the Arab countries stance. “They need to support the Intifada with money and with weapons because the Israeli war-machine is eradicating the Palestininan people merciliessy in a way that is unprecedented and more barbaric than the Nazi Holocaust.” (Islam Online.net)
"It’s a holy religious war not for land or sacred places. It is a war between Islam and Judaism, between faith and disbelief. Therefore our martyrs are in paradise and their killed people are in hell. ... the false peace with Jews will never take place, the fight between Muslims and Jews will be till the coming of Allah’s victory. Those who are thinking that Muslims could not revenge are surely mistaken. You can take a look on the daily news to see Muslims are causing fear to the descendants of pigs and monkeys. Muslims will never surrender and Jerusalem will never be the capital of the Jews. And the sect mentioned in the hadith will continue fighting till the end of Jews." (Qutar's Islam Web)
Fatima Halabiyeh does not conceal the pride that is commonly worn by the parents of a suicide bomber. Her son, Nabil, she says, "is a martyr in the eyes of God and our religion . . . I feel good about it." The violence that has consumed Mrs. Halabiyeh's life is not, in her mind, unconnected to the terrorist strikes of Sept. 11, and the U.S. response. "Certainly we were all pleased," she said of the attacks on New York and Washington. "Not because we wanted those people to suffer, but because we were glad to see America weakened. America is the perpetrator of everything that happens here." (The Globe & Mail)
all courtesy of OpinionJournal's best of the web
Speaking to Islam Online, Ahmed Taha Al-Nakr, an expert in foreign relations in the Egyptian daily Al-Akhbar, said Arafat’s presence in the summit is not important, what is really important is the Arab countries stance. “They need to support the Intifada with money and with weapons because the Israeli war-machine is eradicating the Palestininan people merciliessy in a way that is unprecedented and more barbaric than the Nazi Holocaust.” (Islam Online.net)
"It’s a holy religious war not for land or sacred places. It is a war between Islam and Judaism, between faith and disbelief. Therefore our martyrs are in paradise and their killed people are in hell. ... the false peace with Jews will never take place, the fight between Muslims and Jews will be till the coming of Allah’s victory. Those who are thinking that Muslims could not revenge are surely mistaken. You can take a look on the daily news to see Muslims are causing fear to the descendants of pigs and monkeys. Muslims will never surrender and Jerusalem will never be the capital of the Jews. And the sect mentioned in the hadith will continue fighting till the end of Jews." (Qutar's Islam Web)
Fatima Halabiyeh does not conceal the pride that is commonly worn by the parents of a suicide bomber. Her son, Nabil, she says, "is a martyr in the eyes of God and our religion . . . I feel good about it." The violence that has consumed Mrs. Halabiyeh's life is not, in her mind, unconnected to the terrorist strikes of Sept. 11, and the U.S. response. "Certainly we were all pleased," she said of the attacks on New York and Washington. "Not because we wanted those people to suffer, but because we were glad to see America weakened. America is the perpetrator of everything that happens here." (The Globe & Mail)
all courtesy of OpinionJournal's best of the web
Infiltrating the universities: An Instapundit reader shows that Edward Said, the indefatiguable enemy of Israel, is on Baylor University's Academic Board of Advisors.
Sex in the Jewish City: I'm told that people like this HBO series. My friend Distler passed on an article that Sex in the City
is a show without blacks, without Hispanics, without Asians (except the occasional appearance by Margaret Cho), without foreigners and, most significantly for this little Semite, it’s a show about New York City taking place in New York City and it’s got no Jews. PopPolitics.com - Sex and What City?
Gaddafi asks for Israel to be liquidated. For peace, of course:
When they are firing at you, you tend not to want to live within range of them. Common sense, unfortunately, has never been a Moammar trademark.
"Isratine" sounds like a diet milk shake.
Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi said Israel should be replaced by a democracy called ''Isratine'' where unarmed Israelis and Palestinians can live in peace.
... Gaddafi, who has rejected a Saudi Middle East peace bid, said it was ''impossible'' to create an independent Palestinian state along with Israel because ''the Israelis would not accept to live within (the range) of Palestinian guns.'' (Reuters)
When they are firing at you, you tend not to want to live within range of them. Common sense, unfortunately, has never been a Moammar trademark.
"Isratine" sounds like a diet milk shake.
Sadaam, we'll see you in court?: I almost busted a gut when I saw this Nicholas Kristof op-ed in the Times this morning: "Try Suing Saddam."
Arab League to Sharon - Nyah, nyah: The Wall St. Journal Europe (subscription required) comments on the Arab League summit in Lebanon:
"The search"?: Paul Greenberg has a perplexing column about Passover and the eternal search. Forgive me, I don't get it.
In a much-ballyhooed gesture, the 22 members of the Arab League -- 19 of which do not recognize the state of Israel and maintain no diplomatic relations with Jerusalem -- will sit down in Beirut to discuss the so-called Saudi plan for peace. The funny part is that Israel, which is by any account a central figure in any plan to bring about peace between the Palestinians and the Israelis, is not invited and not welcome at this particular gathering. Indeed, the Arab League had a good chuckle about the whole thing when Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon asked for an invitation.
Secretary-General Amr Moussa, who called the suggestion a joke. He parodied Mr. Sharon's reaction to the request that Palestinian terrorist Yasser Arafat be permitted to go to Beirut, saying that the League would consider whether he could come, and if they let him, they would then decide whether they would let him go home again. Ha ha.
The joking didn't stop there, either. The Lebanese minister for refugees chimed in with a little snicker about how Mr. Sharon should think carefully about the last time he went to Lebanon before he decided to return, referring to Israel's military campaign to drive Arafat's Palestine Liberation Organization out of Lebanon in the early 1980s. We're not sure we get the joke, since the Israeli campaign achieved its primary objective.
... anyone interested in weighing the seriousness of this new Saudi-sponsored push for peace would do well to ask what it means when those who profess to be interested in "dialogue" engage in the diplomatic equivalent of putting their fingers in their ears and sticking out their tongues when the other side tries to speak.
"The search"?: Paul Greenberg has a perplexing column about Passover and the eternal search. Forgive me, I don't get it.
Don't forget to write: Former president Jimmy Carter wants to go to Cuba. I don't see any problem here, I see an opportunity. Perhaps Carter will stay and browbeat Fidel off the Cuban throne.
Airport security: "Good to see the government back in this business. Screeners at 32 airports that were tested failed to detect hundreds of knives, guns and simulated explosives. They all got through. But the good news, not one pair of nose clippers got by security." (Jay Leno, last night)
Airport security: "Good to see the government back in this business. Screeners at 32 airports that were tested failed to detect hundreds of knives, guns and simulated explosives. They all got through. But the good news, not one pair of nose clippers got by security." (Jay Leno, last night)
Monday, March 25, 2002
Amanpour: Last week, in what Christianne Amanpour's CNN
described as a "rare encounter," she met in a secret location with black-hooded Palestinian terrorists. The killers waved their weapons freely and displayed scary stores of ammunition.
Needless to say, Amanpour - like most sensible journalists in similar situations - stayed as far as possible from the tough questions.
Indeed, if a top New York public relations firm had been hired to make the terrorists look good, it couldn't have done a better job.
When the terrorists announced a "preference" for attacking "military infrastructure or army checkpoints" - something that is patently false - the reportedly highest-paid foreign correspondent in the world let them off without a follow-up question.
Indeed, two days after her story aired, members of the very same group (Yasser Arafat's Al Aqsa Brigades) showed their true preference when they bombed a Jerusalem shopping district, killing three civilians and wounding 60. (Neil J. Kressel in the New York Post)
Say it ain't so: "U.S. Park Police said Sunday "apparent" traces of marijuana and cocaine were found in the car of former Washington Mayor Marion Barry during a search last week." (CNN)
And he could be back in DC government soon. Once again, thank G-d I no longer live on the Hill.
And he could be back in DC government soon. Once again, thank G-d I no longer live on the Hill.
Calculating equivalence: Keeping count of the body bags is a favorite media pastime. This commentator for IMRA complains that all the foiled terrorist attacks don't count towards Israel's side of the ledger.
What a ridiculous thing to be arguing about!
What a ridiculous thing to be arguing about!
Syria looking for a few good nuclear bombs:
The United States has reiterated concern over what it terms Syria's search for nuclear weapons.
U.S. officials said the regime of President Bashar Assad continues to negotiate with former East Bloc states and North Korea for nuclear expertise and components. They said Assad wants to build a nuclear infrastructure in a strategy similar to its ally Iran.
"We remain concerned about Syria's intentions regarding nuclear weapons," CIA strategic and nuclear programs officer Robert Walpole said.
So far, Walpole told a Senate subcommittee hearing earlier this month, Syria has succeeded in weaponizing chemical agents on Scud-class missiles. Damascus has also advanced its biological weapons program. (Middle East Newsline)
Good to see some unbiased journalists:
It is so nice that she draws a line.
“I could live in Europe if I wanted to,” says Algerian-born Salima Khalil, a handsome woman in her 40s who works as a correspondent for the France 2 TV network. “But I won’t do it. I will stay in the land of my husband and my kids.” Educated in Paris, Salima says she once admired the West, but the intifada has radicalized her. “The only solution—it pains me to say it—is for even more violence than exists now,” she says. “When Israelis begin to realize that they have no security, that their young people are dying for nothing, then they will begin to feel our suffering.” Salima draws the line at suicide bombings of civilians, but her two sons aren’t bothered by it. “They hate the Jews,” she says. “It makes me fear for the future.” (Newsweek Int'l, "The Way They Live Now")
It is so nice that she draws a line.
Gulf News "survey": A new survey from Gulf News shows how much the Arab world hates the U.S. and Israel and blames everything on the Jews.
Of course, this "survey" as best I can tell is simply a bunch of anecdotal interviews. That means it is not only pathetic propoganda; it is dubious data.
Of course, this "survey" as best I can tell is simply a bunch of anecdotal interviews. That means it is not only pathetic propoganda; it is dubious data.
Arafat, Iran. Surprised?: The New York Times reported yesterday that "American and Israeli intelligence officials have concluded that Yasir Arafat has forged a new alliance with Iran that involves Iranian shipments of heavy weapons and millions of dollars to Palestinian groups that are waging guerrilla war against Israel."
Not a big shocker. But I did notice this headline on the "news ticker" for CNN headline news yesterday. The kicker of the ticker was what they chose to focus on for the explanation of the headline.
A key sentence: "... Iran's support for terrorism around the world has been on the wane, with the notable exception of its ties to Hezbollah..."
"notable exception"?
How would the Times feel about this sentence: "Osama Bin Laden's love and kindness has been growing, with the notable exception of a lot of bombings and campaigns of mass murder of innocent civillians." ?
On second thought, it is probably best not to ask.
Not a big shocker. But I did notice this headline on the "news ticker" for CNN headline news yesterday. The kicker of the ticker was what they chose to focus on for the explanation of the headline.
A key sentence: "... Iran's support for terrorism around the world has been on the wane, with the notable exception of its ties to Hezbollah..."
"notable exception"?
How would the Times feel about this sentence: "Osama Bin Laden's love and kindness has been growing, with the notable exception of a lot of bombings and campaigns of mass murder of innocent civillians." ?
On second thought, it is probably best not to ask.
Noise, fear, that's all? Thomas Friedman rambled on Sunday:
And Matthew Hoy replied at length. "If they just want to create noise or fear, why don't the suicide bombers in Israel walk into a mall and warn everyone to back off before they kill themselves? Why didn't the terrorists that bombed the Marine barracks in Lebanon just keep the truck parked outside and blow it up there? Because they want to kill a lot of people."
Read his extended commentary: Hoystory.
Real terrorists don't want to kill a lot of people. Rather, they use limited, but indiscriminate, violence or hijacking to create noise or fear that draws attention to their cause and ultimately builds political or diplomatic pressure for a specific objective.
And Matthew Hoy replied at length. "If they just want to create noise or fear, why don't the suicide bombers in Israel walk into a mall and warn everyone to back off before they kill themselves? Why didn't the terrorists that bombed the Marine barracks in Lebanon just keep the truck parked outside and blow it up there? Because they want to kill a lot of people."
Read his extended commentary: Hoystory.
Israel and Jordan cooperate: At least in killing terrorists. "Jordanian and Israeli forces foiled over the weekend what appeared to be a planned attack in northern Israel by militant Arabs. The Jordanians reportedly killed two people Saturday night, on their side of the border, and Israel killed four Sunday afternoon on its side of the line." (UPI)
Nazi Schmatzi? "I got your Swastika right here, Adolf"
(Joe Bob Briggs commenting on the "Mirroring Evil" Nazi art exhibit)
(Joe Bob Briggs commenting on the "Mirroring Evil" Nazi art exhibit)
Journalism lecturer unbowed by things like truth and fact: Conn Hallinan, journalism lecturer and provost at the University of California, Santa Cruz, writes in The San Francisco Examiner about Middle East "myths."
You know, that "myth" that Arafat was offered the whole hog and turned it down in 2000 to start war instead. Just a myth. Oh, and the myth that the U.S. is neutral. Just a myth because we supply lots of aid and sell weapons to Israel. (Conn ignores that we have done the same, extensively, for the Palestinian Authority).
"No one in Europe believes the Camp David proposal was fair. If there is to be any progress in future talks, Americans are going to have to put that fairy tale aside and recognize that both sides have legitimate demands, and that military strength will solve nothing."
Conn's base point, aside from throwing away facts, is that there can be no Jew living on territory that will make up a Palestinian state. Nothing like some good old myth-busting, eh?
You know, that "myth" that Arafat was offered the whole hog and turned it down in 2000 to start war instead. Just a myth. Oh, and the myth that the U.S. is neutral. Just a myth because we supply lots of aid and sell weapons to Israel. (Conn ignores that we have done the same, extensively, for the Palestinian Authority).
"No one in Europe believes the Camp David proposal was fair. If there is to be any progress in future talks, Americans are going to have to put that fairy tale aside and recognize that both sides have legitimate demands, and that military strength will solve nothing."
Conn's base point, aside from throwing away facts, is that there can be no Jew living on territory that will make up a Palestinian state. Nothing like some good old myth-busting, eh?
Adventures in stupid headline writing:
"U.S. Stations Lethal Jets at Afghan Air Base."
As opposed to those cuddly-wuddly bombers and jet-fighters we've had there so far?
"U.S. Stations Lethal Jets at Afghan Air Base."
As opposed to those cuddly-wuddly bombers and jet-fighters we've had there so far?
4 secular questions: Safire proposes four secular questions: (1) Why is this war different from all other Arab wars to destroy Israel? (2) Why is it said that Jews "occupy" Judea and Samaria? (3) If a final peace settlement seemed so close two years ago, why can't America actively negotiate a peace agreement now? (4) Wouldn't it be better for Israel to give the Palestinians all they want so that Arab nations will then help the Americans defeat Saddam Hussein?
Conversion: The New York Times Magazine looks at conversion to Judaism at great length.
Because of demographic urgency, some Jews think we should seek converts. Others think we should make the religion easier. Others, more strict. The debate continues.
Because of demographic urgency, some Jews think we should seek converts. Others think we should make the religion easier. Others, more strict. The debate continues.
No disrespect intended...: I have no comment, I am speechless:
Czech Jewish leaders are shocked about reports that the former wartime transit camp of Terezin is being used to shoot scenes for a pornographic film.
The Czech tabloid Super reported Saturday that the film, starring top Czech porn star Robert Rosenberg, is set at the end of World War II and will tell the story of how women at the camp were raped by Nazis.
The paper, which printed the story with a collage of a semi-naked woman posing in front of a picture of Terezin, said the film´s working title is "How It Was."
Rosenberg, 27, was quoted in Super as saying that the main plot will revolve around Terezin but there will be no erotic scenes shot inside the former camp, which was also known as Theresienstadt.
"Terezin will not have anything to do with erotica, we don´t want to treat the victims of the war with disrespect," he told the newspaper. (JTA NEWS)
Good news: This NY Daily News highlights some Passover good works: volunteers befriending home-bound seniors and Holocaust survivors.
If you are in the DC-area, the best place to start is with B'nai Brith's Project Hope. Please contact me if you are interested in it.
If you are in the DC-area, the best place to start is with B'nai Brith's Project Hope. Please contact me if you are interested in it.
Separating Nazisim from Christianity: Robert Bartley stresses that Nazism and Christianity were not properly linked.
"Nazism was itself a "political religion," Cardiff University historian Michael Burleigh stresses in his magisterial "The Third Reich: A New History." It sought to displace the traditional church and command spiritual authority as well as temporal. Its special animus toward Jews was not religious but racial, and it "had one foot in the dark irrationalist world of Teutonic myth, where heroic doom was regarded positively, and where the stakes were all or nothing--national and racial redemption or perdition." "
"Nazism was itself a "political religion," Cardiff University historian Michael Burleigh stresses in his magisterial "The Third Reich: A New History." It sought to displace the traditional church and command spiritual authority as well as temporal. Its special animus toward Jews was not religious but racial, and it "had one foot in the dark irrationalist world of Teutonic myth, where heroic doom was regarded positively, and where the stakes were all or nothing--national and racial redemption or perdition." "
Hungry and needy: Rabbi Tom Meyer comments on the Haggadah portion: "All who are hungry -- come and eat. All who are needy -- come and join the Passover celebration."
After the Afikomen, no more: Rabbi Shimon Apisdorf offers this insight on why the Afikomen is the last bit of food and the seder is the last bit of 'entertainment':
Of course, in my home, you can always turn to other forms of entertainment after the seder, as long as they are a hockey game!
It's hard to believe that as you're reciting this on Passover night, any hungry, homeless people will be hanging around outside your door. So what's the point? The message is that we cannot have a relationship with God unless we care about other people -- both their physical and psychological needs. Judaism absolutely rejects self-absorbed spirituality.
The Haggadah says: "All who are hungry... All who are needy..." The first one refers to physical hunger -- if you're hungry, come have a bite. The second is psychological -- if you're lonely or depressed, come join us.
The purpose of the Seder is to bring us closer to God. Closeness in the physical world is measured by distance. Closeness in the spiritual realm is measured by similarity. We come closer to God by becoming more like Him. Since God provides food for all creatures and tends to all their needs, at the very beginning of the recitation of the Haggadah we issue an invitation to the poor and needy. Thus we define ourselves as givers, whether or not any poor people rush in to accept our invitation. And don't forget: Next year invite needy guests before Passover.
After the Afikomen, no more: Rabbi Shimon Apisdorf offers this insight on why the Afikomen is the last bit of food and the seder is the last bit of 'entertainment':
After the Afikomen, nothing else should be eaten for the remainder of the night -- except for the drinking of water, tea, and the remaining two cups of wine.
... The law of the Afikomen -- once it's over, it's over -- is a hint to the lost spiritual art of savoring, a sensitization technique which allows us to become completely immersed in an experience.
It means fine-tuning our senses to consciously engage every day and every moment; to celebrate life and to imbibe the totality of every experiential step we take.
Upon concluding the Seder, Jewish law bids us not to taste anything after the Afikomen. This is a night for savoring: ideas, feelings, and images. Parents teaching, children learning, and all of us growing together. Allow it to become a part of you. Savor this night of connection and freedom. Only then can you leave. Not with souvenirs, not with photos, but as a different person. A different Jew. And this you will never forget.
Of course, in my home, you can always turn to other forms of entertainment after the seder, as long as they are a hockey game!
My unrelated article: My latest TechCentralStation column examines the link between climate change and infectious diseases.
For Pittsburghers only: And for the record, despite growing up there, I never adopted Pittsburgh-ese.
You know you're from Pittsburgh PA when...
1. You walk carefully when it is "slippy" outside.
2. You often go down to the "crick".
3. You have to "red up", before company comes over.
4. You've ever gotten hurt by falling into a " jaggerbush".
5. You know that Ahia is a river, a boulevard, and a state.
6. You've ever "warshed" or "wershed" the laundry.
7. You know where Beer Falls is. (Beaver Falls)
8. Mr. Webster is wrong. You know full well that "ain't" is correct English.
9. You know you can't drive too fast on back roads, cause-udda-deer.
10. "Gumbands"... need I say more?
11. You've ever drank an "Arn"
12. You've ever told someone to "quit jaggin around".
13. You know that Clinton, Monaca, and Beaver, are actually names of towns.
14. You've called someone a 'jaggoff'.
15. You hear "you guyses", or "yins" and don't think twice.
16. You know the three rivers by name and can pronouce them correctly,but refer to them as... da Mon, da Al, and da O.
17. You hate Cleveland, although you've never been there.
18. You know where KerNEGgy is, and you like his museum and 'liberries'.
19. You drink "pop", eat "hoagies", pierogies, and gyros (jy-rows)
20. You drink melk.
21. You didn't have IHOP's or Waffle Houses.
22. You know what a still mill is.
23. You cheer for the Stillers.
24. You know where Picksburgh is.
25. You expect temps in the winter to be record breaking cold and temps in the summer to be record breaking hot.
26. You go Dahntahn to da-Strip District, and take your wife with you. Be sure to get a Permanee's sammich while yins guys are der hangin' out an nat.
27. You can find Zillionopal on a map.&nbs! p;
28. You go 'food shoppin' at 'Jine Iggle'.
29. You don't have a spring break in high school.
30. You believe that "Ize" is the abreviaton for "I was".
31. You know someone from 'Sliberty, E-sliberty, or Wesliberty.
32. You've played with a dekkacards..
33. You know the Pittsburgh Zoo is in 'Hilinpark' and have been there for school field trips.
34.You say "McConnell's Mills", although you know there is only one mill there.
35. You know what is meant by "The Point".
36. You love Pensivanya.
37. Chipped ham was always in your refrigerator when you were growing up.
38. If you've ever been "ascared" because that "nebby" old lady across the street saw you do something bad, and you know she will "tell on you".
39. No matter how hard you try you can't stop speaking Pittsburghese.
40. You are reading this, and will forward it to family and friends who used to live in 'da-Burg'
41.When somebody tells you that Kenneywood is open you know to check your fly as it is probably unziped (and you know what Kenneywood is for real).
For Pittsburghers only: And for the record, despite growing up there, I never adopted Pittsburgh-ese.
You know you're from Pittsburgh PA when...
1. You walk carefully when it is "slippy" outside.
2. You often go down to the "crick".
3. You have to "red up", before company comes over.
4. You've ever gotten hurt by falling into a " jaggerbush".
5. You know that Ahia is a river, a boulevard, and a state.
6. You've ever "warshed" or "wershed" the laundry.
7. You know where Beer Falls is. (Beaver Falls)
8. Mr. Webster is wrong. You know full well that "ain't" is correct English.
9. You know you can't drive too fast on back roads, cause-udda-deer.
10. "Gumbands"... need I say more?
11. You've ever drank an "Arn"
12. You've ever told someone to "quit jaggin around".
13. You know that Clinton, Monaca, and Beaver, are actually names of towns.
14. You've called someone a 'jaggoff'.
15. You hear "you guyses", or "yins" and don't think twice.
16. You know the three rivers by name and can pronouce them correctly,but refer to them as... da Mon, da Al, and da O.
17. You hate Cleveland, although you've never been there.
18. You know where KerNEGgy is, and you like his museum and 'liberries'.
19. You drink "pop", eat "hoagies", pierogies, and gyros (jy-rows)
20. You drink melk.
21. You didn't have IHOP's or Waffle Houses.
22. You know what a still mill is.
23. You cheer for the Stillers.
24. You know where Picksburgh is.
25. You expect temps in the winter to be record breaking cold and temps in the summer to be record breaking hot.
26. You go Dahntahn to da-Strip District, and take your wife with you. Be sure to get a Permanee's sammich while yins guys are der hangin' out an nat.
27. You can find Zillionopal on a map.&nbs! p;
28. You go 'food shoppin' at 'Jine Iggle'.
29. You don't have a spring break in high school.
30. You believe that "Ize" is the abreviaton for "I was".
31. You know someone from 'Sliberty, E-sliberty, or Wesliberty.
32. You've played with a dekkacards..
33. You know the Pittsburgh Zoo is in 'Hilinpark' and have been there for school field trips.
34.You say "McConnell's Mills", although you know there is only one mill there.
35. You know what is meant by "The Point".
36. You love Pensivanya.
37. Chipped ham was always in your refrigerator when you were growing up.
38. If you've ever been "ascared" because that "nebby" old lady across the street saw you do something bad, and you know she will "tell on you".
39. No matter how hard you try you can't stop speaking Pittsburghese.
40. You are reading this, and will forward it to family and friends who used to live in 'da-Burg'
41.When somebody tells you that Kenneywood is open you know to check your fly as it is probably unziped (and you know what Kenneywood is for real).