Ciao! Well, dear readers, I am off to my engagement party in New Jersey/NYC. Blogging will have to wait until Monday.
Shalom.
Kesher Talk
Friday, April 12, 2002
Latest funny from Mike Sultan: News reports say that he is trapped in the basement of his headquarters ...
... they say that he is surrounded by his enemies ... running out of supplies ...
Hey, but enough about the president of Arthur Anderson ...
... they say that he is surrounded by his enemies ... running out of supplies ...
Hey, but enough about the president of Arthur Anderson ...
CBS News reports that anti-US protests in Bahrain were encouraged by the government:
Across the Arab world, there have been frequent protests against Israel, and against its ally and patron, the US -- protests that, like one today in Beirut, Lebanon, have grown in size and fury each day the West Bank offensive continues. This public outrage has spread even to the normally quiet Persian Gulf Emirate of Bahrain, the site of a major US Navy base. ... Outside her Bahrain apartment today, American schoolteacher Kim Guodace couldn't miss the writing on the wall. It was left behind by the crowd that stormed through her neighborhood last week on its way to the American Embassy.
Guodace was shown saying, "It looked actually like the embassy had been bombed, because there was huge black smoke pouring out of the front."
She watched from her rooftop as the angry mob moved on the embassy compound with rocks and Molotov cocktails, driven back, finally, by tear gas and rubber bullets -- a lot more than Kim bargained for when she came here for the simple adventure of living abroad. ... Small and secure, this island nation has had a reputation for stability. Just over a month ago, President Bush called Bahrain America's main ally outside NATO. It's the home of the Fifth Fleet, a partner in the war in Afghanistan, one of the last places in the world the US would want to strain a friendship. When the cycle of protests began here a week ago, there was official encouragement from Bahrain's monarch. Now the King has warned his people their demonstrations should be 'peaceful and civilized.' What he's not told them to do is stop. There's little doubt the government could quiet the streets if it wanted to, but the anger's real, and the demonstrations make a point.
Thursday, April 11, 2002
Everybody comes out of the woodwork...: I'm glad to see so many new people visiting.
The most surprising visitors must be the 18-strong Palestinian National Society news group. Here's their mission statement:
The most surprising visitors must be the 18-strong Palestinian National Society news group. Here's their mission statement:
This is the first step to firmly establish an expatriate community of Palestinians and their families. Promotion of the Palestinian national identity and solidarity among all expatriates and those who remain under Israeli rule and occupation. Discussion and education on the national history of Palestine. Possibilities of preserving national values and identity and strenthening the community in host or adopted countries. The prospect of peace and restructuring of Palestine, the entire Levant and Arab World.
Anyone out there fluent in Hebrew? Jacob Shwirtz is trying to get his father, the New York correspondent for Ha'aretz, blogging, but he needs help from people who are fluent in Hebrew. Any takers?
Canadian Jewish Congress tells church leaders to stuff it: The CJC will not participate in an annual interfaith meeting until Canadian church leaders drop their anti-Israeli rhetoric and recognize the nation's right to defend itself:
... the last straw was a statement by Archbishop Michael Peers, primate of the Anglican Church of Canada, on the increasingly bloody battles between Palestinians and Israelis.
In an April 5 message posted on the church's Web site, Peers said that Israel is occupying Palestinian areas illegally and that the plight of Palestinians has been overlooked by the world.
"Since 1967, Israel has illegally occupied Palestinian territories in the West Bank and Gaza. In the wake of the Israeli war of independence in 1947-49, the homes, orchards and settlements of Palestinians became the spoils of war," he said.
"The right of Palestinians to return to their lives in those places has not been recognized by the State of Israel, and the territories annexed have not been returned."
Rev. Bruce Gregersen, the United Church of Canada's secretary for interfaith relations, said Wednesday his church also believes there won't be peace in the Middle East "until Israel addresses the impact of the occupation."
Anti-semitic semantic wars: Arabs ask, "How could we be anti-Semitic when we, too, are Semitic?"
JTA NEWS looks at the linguistic battle over the "anti-semitism":
JTA NEWS looks at the linguistic battle over the "anti-semitism":
[Wilhelm] Marr, a German political agitator and polemicist, is said to have introduced the term in 1879 in an effort to form a political movement that broadened hatred of Jews from religion to race, according to the Simon Wiesenthal Center´s Web site.
Marr founded the "League of Anti-Semites" (or Antisemites, according to other sources) and supplanted the words "Jew" and "Judaism" with "Semite" and "Semitism." The prefix "anti" was attached "to gain general currency." There was no Arab population in Germany at the time, so the reference to Jews was said to be clear.
However, while Marr´s League of Anti-Semites failed, the term thrived.
Jews wanted in New Zealand? The Orthodox Jewish community in Auckland, New Zealand, and the local B´nai B´rith both have launched campaigns hoping to bring more Jews to the country.
The Orthodox community, through a group known as the Auckland Jewish Immigration Organization, has produced a Web site in English and Spanish promoting the city´s life style and outlining the steps immigrants must take to meet New Zealand citizenship requirements. The organization was set up 18 months ago to encourage immigration that would bolster the flagging membership of the Auckland Hebrew Congregation.
About 7,000 Jews live today in New Zealand, which has a population of 4 million — and almost full employment. Most live in Auckland, the country´s largest city. (JTA NEWS)
The Orthodox community, through a group known as the Auckland Jewish Immigration Organization, has produced a Web site in English and Spanish promoting the city´s life style and outlining the steps immigrants must take to meet New Zealand citizenship requirements. The organization was set up 18 months ago to encourage immigration that would bolster the flagging membership of the Auckland Hebrew Congregation.
About 7,000 Jews live today in New Zealand, which has a population of 4 million — and almost full employment. Most live in Auckland, the country´s largest city. (JTA NEWS)
My Bibi conference reporting: Everything I've read today about what he said at the Press Club, to Congress, to gangs of newspaper editors - it is all the same message, as best I can tell, as what I got at AEI last night.
The main difference between other reports and my own may be that I did not really filter his speech. For better or for worse. Thanks to everyone for reading it.
Welcome to readers of Instapundit, Andrew Sullivan, Opinion Journal's Best of the Web, and more!
The main difference between other reports and my own may be that I did not really filter his speech. For better or for worse. Thanks to everyone for reading it.
Welcome to readers of Instapundit, Andrew Sullivan, Opinion Journal's Best of the Web, and more!
Rally in DC for solidarity with Israel: As usual, I am not a fan of this kind of political demonstration, but I support the cause. Plus, you get to see Bibi:
A solidarity rally will be held in Washington, D.C. on Monday, April 15th with the theme WE STAND WITH ISRAEL.
Sponsors: Jewish National Fund, the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations, Jewish Federation of Greater Washington, Jewish Council of Greater Washington, and others.
Speakers: Members of Congress and other governmental and civic leaders
Keynote Speaker: Former Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu
What: A major rally in support of Israel and the global war against terrorism
Where & When: Near the Capitol Building (check resources below for more
detailed information as it becomes available). For security reasons we
ask that you arrive at 12 noon, the event will start at 1:00 PM.
Please invite your family and friends to this important event! Bring Israeli and American flags. Make signs of support.
Additional information on the program, transportation, speakers, location, etc., can be obtained by visiting www.israelrally.org or Onejerusalem.org
The Palestinians put it all down on paper: Captain Scott has a copy of the proposed Palestinian constitution.
Conan O'Brien last night: "Much to discuss, going on in the world. President Bush working very hard on the Mideast problem. I think he'll solve it. According to a White House aide, President Bush's speech this week on the Middle East conflict went through 17 different drafts. Yeah, which is actually good, 'cause the first draft started off, 'Dear bad guys.' "
Report from Essex: Rob Johns reports on the latest occurences in the life of former journalist, currently professor, Anthony Verrier, at my alma mater, the University of Essex.
Verrier, by the way, encouraged me to write papers about Israel and UN peacekeeping. He then gave me appalling grades because (1) he disbelieved the facts I included and (2) he disagreed with my opinions. The whole point was to explain why Israel distrusted the UN and peacekeeping missions. He never got it then, he doesn't get it now. But back to the color.
"... today I saw Anthony Verrier topple over in Square 4. Two people rushed to his aid, and eventually managed to right him. Not, however, before he had gone redder than I have ever seen anyone go before. Whether this was due to embarrassment, or simply to all of the blood/alcohol rushing to his head, I can't see. But he really was that colour that the paint manufacturers would call vermilion."
Let me stress I take no pleasure in seeing him in pain, nor embarassment. He is a person worthy of pity, not hate.
Verrier, by the way, encouraged me to write papers about Israel and UN peacekeeping. He then gave me appalling grades because (1) he disbelieved the facts I included and (2) he disagreed with my opinions. The whole point was to explain why Israel distrusted the UN and peacekeeping missions. He never got it then, he doesn't get it now. But back to the color.
"... today I saw Anthony Verrier topple over in Square 4. Two people rushed to his aid, and eventually managed to right him. Not, however, before he had gone redder than I have ever seen anyone go before. Whether this was due to embarrassment, or simply to all of the blood/alcohol rushing to his head, I can't see. But he really was that colour that the paint manufacturers would call vermilion."
Let me stress I take no pleasure in seeing him in pain, nor embarassment. He is a person worthy of pity, not hate.
Wednesday, April 10, 2002
Just saw former Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu: I just got back from the American Enterprise Institute.
When I arrived there, police were everywhere. The line to go through security and get into the conference room was long, but by being near the end of the line (I was late, so sue me), I passed through the metal detectors just before Bibi came breezing in. I stepped forward to try to shake his hand and five Secret Service agents gave me the stare of death... so, no hobnobbing with greatness tonight. But I did listen to one of the most engaging and intelligent politicians I've ever encountered.
Netanyahu was Israel's ninth Prime Minister, serving from May 1996 to July 1999.
After Christopher DeMuth (president of AEI) introduced Bibi, everyone applauded for a few seconds. Not too much, I think everyone wanted to get down to business. Everyone except AEI's eminant demographer, Ben Wattenberg, who was the lone participant in a standing ovation.
Bibi began by stressing that he was not in the U.S. as an official representative of Israel, but that Ariel Sharon had asked him to come to make Israel's case to America. He said he was surprised and pleased by how supportive and amiable he had found us, "even... the media."
His first point was that Israel has not used overwhelming air power, as the U.S. did in Afghanistan. The Israelis are fighting on the ground, risking their people and losing their people, fighting house to house.
During question time, Jonathan Rauch of the National Journal asked Bibi if Israel was being as careful as the U.S. had been in Afghanistan. Bibi replied, no, they were being more careful. They were not useing their overwhelming air power and tanks cannot compare to bombers. The Israelis are "taking undue risks... in order to reduce civillian casualties."
UN General Secretary Kofi Annan has asked "Can it be that the entire world is wrong?"
Bibi's reply: "You're damned right."
"It's the regimes, stupid" Bibi dismissed the needle in a haystack metaphor: Going after the needle is a waste of time. Go for the haystack instead.
He sees two options for dealing with terrorists and their sponsors:
On restraining Israel: "If you start hedging, if you start equivocating... in the way that we can respond... then you will blunt [the war on terror]."
Per capita, Israel has suffered seven times the casualties as the U.S. did in the World Trade Center attacks.
Arafat does not want to create a state, "he wants to destroy one."
Policide - to kill a state.
Arafat has "con-artists" fronting to the Western media for his "bloody dictatorship." They are an "insult to a free press, free inquiry, free debate," etc.
Arafat promised to get rid of policide (the attempt to eliminate a state, i.e. Israel) and suicide. Once installed in power in Palestine, he proceeded to promote both.
He is not a King Hussein (a moderate who might be worth negotiating with) but a Sadaam Hussein.
Bibi did get in one self-serving point this evening. It was not necessarily self-serving, it can just be seen that way. He pointed out that under his government, there were only a handful of losses to terrorists in Israel, because he deterred Arafat. He worked through intermediaries to get one point across to Arafat - if you commits acts of terror or aid them, "We'll bring you down." That "had a way of focusing his attention."
Arafat is no longer capable of being deterred. "He has to go." Israel needs to "complete our action." Like with antibiotics, a partial dose cannot do the job. Arafat is a "cancer... If under pressure, we don't complete [our action]... if he comes out of his bunker with V-signs," it will come back against Israel, "and against you."
Powell's visit, no matter the reasons, will have no positive effect. Whether or not Arafat signs the 13th ceasefire is meaningless. His signatures and promises are worthless.
"We have to shut it down now... we have to finish the job."
Bibi invoked the history of Israel's preventive strike on Iraq's nuclear reactor in 1981. They were condemend, but it was the only thing to do. It was the right thing to do. Just as the U.S. must now take care of Sadaam, Israel must take care of Arafat.
"I don't want to sound like a Nike commercial, but "Just Do It!" "
It is easier than everyone thinks and it will be faster than everyone thinks.
People ask, if we get rid of Arafat, what next? If we topple the Taliban, what next, who will replace them? Bibi answers that the question of "What happens next" should not blunt action, but should encourage supplementary action.
Will Hamid Karzai be around in Afghanistan in five years time? Bibi replies, "who cares?" Whomever is there will be deterred from terrorism. The U.S. has taught them the fruits of terrorism - and they are not sweet.
If Arafat remains, he will wash "the brains of another generation."
Bibi proposes the example of Nazi Germany. There are no Nazis left in Germany. Just democrats of one stripe or another. There are no militant bushido in Japan today, just democrats.
"Can we affect such a change? ... Not the same kind... but some kind of pluralism" is possible.
The U.S. must begin to introduce the concepts of democracy, etc., into the Arab world. You can go on about the dangers of Islamism in a democracy, but if you don't start a democracy, you can't get rid of Islamism.
"Give them a chance!"
"Uproot terrorism... and plant the seeds of freedom."
And don't let their elections be like Arafat's fake election, where he got 94 percent of the vote while controlling a hundred percent of the media and killing or silencing all his opposition.
Bibi cites the example of Turkey. The arguments that the Islamic world, genetically or culturally, cannot be free just cannot survive the case of Turkey. It is not perfect, but we are happy that it is as good as it is.
"It's not a perfect democratic model, but its a hell of a lot better than Taliban Afghanistan."
During the question period, a Turkish TV reporter asked Bibi about the recent strains in Israeli-Turkish relations, after the Turkish leader's "genocide" remark about the Israeli actions in Palestine. "An unfortunate term." Turkey is under pressure to say these things, to take that kind of stance. But Turkey has taken the same, necessary actions in its own country to root out domestic terrorism.
Iraq: Defeating Sadaam is not a puzzle, it is a foregone conclusion. Bibi had a recommendation on how to defeat Sadaam with ease. "When you land your first landing craft, I would say [to the Iraqi Republican Guard], you will all die [if you do not surrender]." Tell the same to the missile commanders. Make it public knowledge that those who side with Sadaam will simply die.
The wall: Bibi favors a "physical line of separation" between Israel and the Palestinians. There is a fence around the Gaza Strip, and the bombers cannot get through. But he claims not to favor setting up a comparable fence. He stresses that it is a physical boundary, not a political one. It is not a political solution. It is "agenda neutral."
It should be one-way: The Israelis can go into Palestinian territories if need be, but the Palestinians cannot come into Israel.
"You have it in order not to get killed."
A Palestinian State: A representative from the Egyptian Embassy asked Bibi if he supported the establishment of a Palestinian state. Bibi replied that he supported Palestinian self-government, but would hold off on a state. When it can be run by non-terrorists, a state might be possible. One that won't import masses of weapons and make military pacts with terrorist states.
"I don't want them to have the power to destroy my state."
Anyone who supports an Arafat-ist state has "learned nothing from history."
The Saudi Plan: It is not a peace plan, just a plan. It has two goals:
The Arabs are offering the words of peace, but the conditions of destruction.
Negotiators: Dr. Zinni (Bibi made fun of his name - "That's your name? You're serious?") from the Council of Democracy asked if the U.S. should send Clinton or Bush senior to the Middle East to negotiate.
Bibi said it does not matter who you send. Arafat cannot be negotiated with.
Iran: Bibi says Syria is only passively involved in the Hizbullah attacks from Lebanon, but Iran is actively orchestrating them.
"It is not by accident that Iran is doing what it is doing... they know they're next..."
Europe: - When asked, 'what should the Europeans do,' Bibi replies, "Be ashamed."
- Sadaam's missiles are of a range to threaten Europe, but instead of opposing him the Europeans support him
- How to explain European attitudes and actions? How to build understanding? Bibi says he will try to give a constructive answer rather than a nasty one.
Bibi says Europe is "twisted" because their formative experience was colonialism. They see Israel as practicing a new colonialism, no different from French Algeria, the Belgian Congo, and so forth. Their prism makes them eat up the anti-colonialist message put forth by Arafat's cronies.
Bibi's grandfather came from America in the 19th century to Zion and he was the only person to do so who stayed. The Jews built a country from a wasteland of sand. That is why Churchill said, in the interwar years, "The Arabs have no grievances whatsoever against the Jews." The Jews made Israel.
But America, "The New Jerusalem," is immune to the colonialist frame. The U.S. has a "basic affinity" for Israel "which cannot be cluttered even by bad media coverage."
And just like that, Bibi was gone. He was at the National Press Club this morning, the Senate at mid-day and G-d knows where else before he met with us this evening. Not a bad day's work.
When I arrived there, police were everywhere. The line to go through security and get into the conference room was long, but by being near the end of the line (I was late, so sue me), I passed through the metal detectors just before Bibi came breezing in. I stepped forward to try to shake his hand and five Secret Service agents gave me the stare of death... so, no hobnobbing with greatness tonight. But I did listen to one of the most engaging and intelligent politicians I've ever encountered.
Netanyahu was Israel's ninth Prime Minister, serving from May 1996 to July 1999.
After Christopher DeMuth (president of AEI) introduced Bibi, everyone applauded for a few seconds. Not too much, I think everyone wanted to get down to business. Everyone except AEI's eminant demographer, Ben Wattenberg, who was the lone participant in a standing ovation.
Bibi began by stressing that he was not in the U.S. as an official representative of Israel, but that Ariel Sharon had asked him to come to make Israel's case to America. He said he was surprised and pleased by how supportive and amiable he had found us, "even... the media."
His first point was that Israel has not used overwhelming air power, as the U.S. did in Afghanistan. The Israelis are fighting on the ground, risking their people and losing their people, fighting house to house.
During question time, Jonathan Rauch of the National Journal asked Bibi if Israel was being as careful as the U.S. had been in Afghanistan. Bibi replied, no, they were being more careful. They were not useing their overwhelming air power and tanks cannot compare to bombers. The Israelis are "taking undue risks... in order to reduce civillian casualties."
UN General Secretary Kofi Annan has asked "Can it be that the entire world is wrong?"
Bibi's reply: "You're damned right."
"It's the regimes, stupid" Bibi dismissed the needle in a haystack metaphor: Going after the needle is a waste of time. Go for the haystack instead.
He sees two options for dealing with terrorists and their sponsors:
- Deterrence
- Destruction
On restraining Israel: "If you start hedging, if you start equivocating... in the way that we can respond... then you will blunt [the war on terror]."
Per capita, Israel has suffered seven times the casualties as the U.S. did in the World Trade Center attacks.
Arafat does not want to create a state, "he wants to destroy one."
Policide - to kill a state.
Arafat has "con-artists" fronting to the Western media for his "bloody dictatorship." They are an "insult to a free press, free inquiry, free debate," etc.
Arafat promised to get rid of policide (the attempt to eliminate a state, i.e. Israel) and suicide. Once installed in power in Palestine, he proceeded to promote both.
He is not a King Hussein (a moderate who might be worth negotiating with) but a Sadaam Hussein.
Bibi did get in one self-serving point this evening. It was not necessarily self-serving, it can just be seen that way. He pointed out that under his government, there were only a handful of losses to terrorists in Israel, because he deterred Arafat. He worked through intermediaries to get one point across to Arafat - if you commits acts of terror or aid them, "We'll bring you down." That "had a way of focusing his attention."
Arafat is no longer capable of being deterred. "He has to go." Israel needs to "complete our action." Like with antibiotics, a partial dose cannot do the job. Arafat is a "cancer... If under pressure, we don't complete [our action]... if he comes out of his bunker with V-signs," it will come back against Israel, "and against you."
Powell's visit, no matter the reasons, will have no positive effect. Whether or not Arafat signs the 13th ceasefire is meaningless. His signatures and promises are worthless.
"We have to shut it down now... we have to finish the job."
Bibi invoked the history of Israel's preventive strike on Iraq's nuclear reactor in 1981. They were condemend, but it was the only thing to do. It was the right thing to do. Just as the U.S. must now take care of Sadaam, Israel must take care of Arafat.
"I don't want to sound like a Nike commercial, but "Just Do It!" "
It is easier than everyone thinks and it will be faster than everyone thinks.
People ask, if we get rid of Arafat, what next? If we topple the Taliban, what next, who will replace them? Bibi answers that the question of "What happens next" should not blunt action, but should encourage supplementary action.
Will Hamid Karzai be around in Afghanistan in five years time? Bibi replies, "who cares?" Whomever is there will be deterred from terrorism. The U.S. has taught them the fruits of terrorism - and they are not sweet.
If Arafat remains, he will wash "the brains of another generation."
Bibi proposes the example of Nazi Germany. There are no Nazis left in Germany. Just democrats of one stripe or another. There are no militant bushido in Japan today, just democrats.
"Can we affect such a change? ... Not the same kind... but some kind of pluralism" is possible.
The U.S. must begin to introduce the concepts of democracy, etc., into the Arab world. You can go on about the dangers of Islamism in a democracy, but if you don't start a democracy, you can't get rid of Islamism.
"Give them a chance!"
"Uproot terrorism... and plant the seeds of freedom."
And don't let their elections be like Arafat's fake election, where he got 94 percent of the vote while controlling a hundred percent of the media and killing or silencing all his opposition.
Bibi cites the example of Turkey. The arguments that the Islamic world, genetically or culturally, cannot be free just cannot survive the case of Turkey. It is not perfect, but we are happy that it is as good as it is.
"It's not a perfect democratic model, but its a hell of a lot better than Taliban Afghanistan."
During the question period, a Turkish TV reporter asked Bibi about the recent strains in Israeli-Turkish relations, after the Turkish leader's "genocide" remark about the Israeli actions in Palestine. "An unfortunate term." Turkey is under pressure to say these things, to take that kind of stance. But Turkey has taken the same, necessary actions in its own country to root out domestic terrorism.
Iraq: Defeating Sadaam is not a puzzle, it is a foregone conclusion. Bibi had a recommendation on how to defeat Sadaam with ease. "When you land your first landing craft, I would say [to the Iraqi Republican Guard], you will all die [if you do not surrender]." Tell the same to the missile commanders. Make it public knowledge that those who side with Sadaam will simply die.
The wall: Bibi favors a "physical line of separation" between Israel and the Palestinians. There is a fence around the Gaza Strip, and the bombers cannot get through. But he claims not to favor setting up a comparable fence. He stresses that it is a physical boundary, not a political one. It is not a political solution. It is "agenda neutral."
It should be one-way: The Israelis can go into Palestinian territories if need be, but the Palestinians cannot come into Israel.
"You have it in order not to get killed."
A Palestinian State: A representative from the Egyptian Embassy asked Bibi if he supported the establishment of a Palestinian state. Bibi replied that he supported Palestinian self-government, but would hold off on a state. When it can be run by non-terrorists, a state might be possible. One that won't import masses of weapons and make military pacts with terrorist states.
"I don't want them to have the power to destroy my state."
Anyone who supports an Arafat-ist state has "learned nothing from history."
The Saudi Plan: It is not a peace plan, just a plan. It has two goals:
- Exulpation - to reduce attention on Saudi support for terrorism
- Extripation - to remove Israel from the scene and "bring about the end of the Jewish state."
The Arabs are offering the words of peace, but the conditions of destruction.
Negotiators: Dr. Zinni (Bibi made fun of his name - "That's your name? You're serious?") from the Council of Democracy asked if the U.S. should send Clinton or Bush senior to the Middle East to negotiate.
Bibi said it does not matter who you send. Arafat cannot be negotiated with.
Iran: Bibi says Syria is only passively involved in the Hizbullah attacks from Lebanon, but Iran is actively orchestrating them.
"It is not by accident that Iran is doing what it is doing... they know they're next..."
Europe: - When asked, 'what should the Europeans do,' Bibi replies, "Be ashamed."
- Sadaam's missiles are of a range to threaten Europe, but instead of opposing him the Europeans support him
- How to explain European attitudes and actions? How to build understanding? Bibi says he will try to give a constructive answer rather than a nasty one.
Bibi says Europe is "twisted" because their formative experience was colonialism. They see Israel as practicing a new colonialism, no different from French Algeria, the Belgian Congo, and so forth. Their prism makes them eat up the anti-colonialist message put forth by Arafat's cronies.
Bibi's grandfather came from America in the 19th century to Zion and he was the only person to do so who stayed. The Jews built a country from a wasteland of sand. That is why Churchill said, in the interwar years, "The Arabs have no grievances whatsoever against the Jews." The Jews made Israel.
But America, "The New Jerusalem," is immune to the colonialist frame. The U.S. has a "basic affinity" for Israel "which cannot be cluttered even by bad media coverage."
And just like that, Bibi was gone. He was at the National Press Club this morning, the Senate at mid-day and G-d knows where else before he met with us this evening. Not a bad day's work.
As a Jew, can I safely say Arafat is going to hell? Judaism does not have vivid notions of the afterlife like Christianity and Islam. So I can't simply say that Yasser has a date with Satan.
We do have something like hell, referred to as Gehinnom or She'ol. There is supposed to be a limited period of punishment there (insert appropriate Dante's Inferno graphics) (I've just read that it lasts 12 months... whatever) after which the person's soul goes on to our equivalent of heaven, Olam Ha-Ba. Of course, I've just discovered that a few specially reprehensible souls simply get snuffed out of existence. So I guess not all dogs go to heaven after all... The Torah does discuss the afterlife, just not a lot.
Judaism focuses on the here-and-now, how we lead our lives while we are alive. That's why through my years in Sunday school, the subject of the afterlife was not discussed even once. We were just supposed to be good, for goodness' sake - lead life the right way, or else... or else... well, just be quiet and behave!
The Torah itself puts the focus on reasonably immediate rewards and punishments, not ones in the far-off future.
Confusing the issue, Olam Ha-Ba has also been used to described the age of the Messiah. So I guess at that point, the living world and the "afterlife" merge in some fashion?
Oh, and some of the more Kabbalah-minded Jews, particularly among the Chabad, believe in reincarnation of souls, something that I presumed was just an Asian thing.
Kabbalah and Jewish mysticism not only makes me uncomfortable, I often find them to be genuinely sneer-worthy. While I was never a fan, my outlook hardened dramatically when I encountered the idiocy of the "Bible Codes" and other "magic number" propositions.
We do have something like hell, referred to as Gehinnom or She'ol. There is supposed to be a limited period of punishment there (insert appropriate Dante's Inferno graphics) (I've just read that it lasts 12 months... whatever) after which the person's soul goes on to our equivalent of heaven, Olam Ha-Ba. Of course, I've just discovered that a few specially reprehensible souls simply get snuffed out of existence. So I guess not all dogs go to heaven after all... The Torah does discuss the afterlife, just not a lot.
Judaism focuses on the here-and-now, how we lead our lives while we are alive. That's why through my years in Sunday school, the subject of the afterlife was not discussed even once. We were just supposed to be good, for goodness' sake - lead life the right way, or else... or else... well, just be quiet and behave!
The Torah itself puts the focus on reasonably immediate rewards and punishments, not ones in the far-off future.
Confusing the issue, Olam Ha-Ba has also been used to described the age of the Messiah. So I guess at that point, the living world and the "afterlife" merge in some fashion?
Oh, and some of the more Kabbalah-minded Jews, particularly among the Chabad, believe in reincarnation of souls, something that I presumed was just an Asian thing.
Kabbalah and Jewish mysticism not only makes me uncomfortable, I often find them to be genuinely sneer-worthy. While I was never a fan, my outlook hardened dramatically when I encountered the idiocy of the "Bible Codes" and other "magic number" propositions.
Whatever became of the spirit of Balfour? Therese Raphael writes in the Wall St. Journal Europe (requires subscription) that Blair and other Britons seem to have abandoned the spirit of Balfour in favor of kissing Arab ass.
UPDATE: Reader Scott Thompson points out a glaring inconsistency in this article. If the Balfour Declaration was made in November 1917, how could the Czar have made any judgement of it? He was overthrown in March of that year.
Perhaps the Czar's statement preceeded the Balfour Declaration... ?
British policy for decades has taken the Israelis for granted while currying favor with the oil-rich Arab world. This is a long way from former Prime Minister Arthur James Balfour's famous message of "sympathy with Jewish Zionist aspirations."
That Nov. 2, 1917 Balfour letter, communicated to the head of the Zionist Federation in Great Britain, Lord Rothschild, stated: "His Majesty's Government view with favour the establishment in Palestine of a national home for the Jewish people, and will use their best endeavours to facilitate the achievement of this object ...." Britain thus became the first major world power to back a Jewish homeland.
The declaration posthumously fulfilled the vision of Theodor Herzl, who was perhaps the first to recognize that there would be no Jewish state without British support. In a message to a Jewish conference in London, the Zionist leader wrote "the first moment I entered the Movement my eyes were directed towards England because I saw that by reason of the general situation of things there was the Archimedean point where the lever could be applied."
Britain's support for a Jewish state unleashed a chain reaction. The first me-too vote came from Russia's minister of the interior, who communicated the Czar's pledge of "moral and material assistance with respect to the measures taken by the [Zionist] movement which would lead to a diminution of the Jewish population in Russia." The French issued a short statement in February 1918, followed a few months later by Italian support. The Balfour Declaration was ultimately incorporated into the League of Nations British Mandate for Palestine, which eventually led to the state of Israel.
Historians argue over the motives behind the declaration, which went through numerous drafts and was the result of many consultations. Some have emphasized that a Jewish homeland, loyal to Britain, could help Britain restore a channel through the Middle East to India and East Africa that had been closed off by the Ottoman Turks. Others stress the Christian, pro-Zionist sympathies of Balfour, Lloyd George and other key players at the time. And yet it seems likely that the Declaration was intended to cement American backing for the war effort -- as part of what historian Paul Johnson called "one of the post-dated cheques Britain signed to win the Great War."
The lesson of Balfour was that the marrying of a principled cause with pragmatic considerations can produce historic change. And yet the Balfour precedent has been much trampled on since -- most notably in 1939, when the British government published the pro-Arab White Paper on Palestine. The White Paper effectively reversed the Balfour Declaration in that it placed a cap on future immigration of Jews into Palestine and limited the purchase of land by Jews. The logic then was perfectly clear. Jewish support for the Allies was assured, while the Arab countries were still to play for.
Balfour has never seemed to sit comfortably with British diplomats. "Despite the Balfour Declaration, the prevailing ideology of the Foreign Office has been anti-Zionist, if not indeed anti-Semitic," British Journalist Daniel Johnson wrote on this page in October 2000. Though individual ministers, such as Margaret Thatcher, have not fitted the mold, their numbers have not been sufficient to alter the thrust of British foreign policy.
UPDATE: Reader Scott Thompson points out a glaring inconsistency in this article. If the Balfour Declaration was made in November 1917, how could the Czar have made any judgement of it? He was overthrown in March of that year.
Perhaps the Czar's statement preceeded the Balfour Declaration... ?
Man-on-the-street opinions captured artfully by The Onion. "I saw something about Arafat in the news last week, but I didn't catch exactly what it was any of the 63 times."
Bibi is in DC, come see him: Benjamin Netanyahu is making the rounds in Washington today. I plan on catching him at the American Enterprise Institute this evening. If any other DC bloggers are coming, do let me know:
Winning the War against Terror
Wednesday, April 10, 2002
5:00–7:00 p.m.
Wohlstetter Conference Center, Twelfth Floor, AEI
1150 Seventeenth Street, N.W., Washington, D.C. 20036
In the midst of Secretary of State Colin Powell’s mission to the Middle East, former Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu shares his thoughts on the current Middle East violence and analyzes the future of U.S.-Israeli relations.
4:45 p.m. Registration
5:00 Welcome: Kenneth R. Weinstein, Hudson Institute
Introduction: Christopher DeMuth, AEI
Presentation: Benjamin Netanyahu
7:00 Adjournment
Winning the War against Terror
Wednesday, April 10, 2002
5:00–7:00 p.m.
Wohlstetter Conference Center, Twelfth Floor, AEI
1150 Seventeenth Street, N.W., Washington, D.C. 20036
In the midst of Secretary of State Colin Powell’s mission to the Middle East, former Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu shares his thoughts on the current Middle East violence and analyzes the future of U.S.-Israeli relations.
4:45 p.m. Registration
5:00 Welcome: Kenneth R. Weinstein, Hudson Institute
Introduction: Christopher DeMuth, AEI
Presentation: Benjamin Netanyahu
7:00 Adjournment
Spending money: Jay Leno last, night: "President Bush announced today that he wants to spend $280 million on volunteer police officers and emergency workers. Here's my question. If people are volunteers, what's the $280 million for? This may sound crazy, but why don't we spend the $280 million on real police officers?"
Human rights and suicide bombers: "The laws of war, as codified in the Fourth Geneva Convention, severely restrict armies from involving civilian populations in military actions. The dignity of each and every person much be respected at all times; the wounded and sick must be cared for."
OK, so this NY Times piece sounds decent, yes?
No. The civillians the author cares about are not the ones actually under assault.
"Yet each additional day of this invasion increases the attack on the civilian population. As an Israeli human rights lawyer representing Palestinians in the West Bank, I am witnessing another stage of the human rights violations that the Israeli occupation has caused."
Allegra Pacheco, an Israeli lawyer who represents Palestinians in the West Bank, is only concerned with the human rights of terrorists.
OK, so this NY Times piece sounds decent, yes?
No. The civillians the author cares about are not the ones actually under assault.
"Yet each additional day of this invasion increases the attack on the civilian population. As an Israeli human rights lawyer representing Palestinians in the West Bank, I am witnessing another stage of the human rights violations that the Israeli occupation has caused."
Allegra Pacheco, an Israeli lawyer who represents Palestinians in the West Bank, is only concerned with the human rights of terrorists.
Most of the U.S. Congress is on-side: The Los Angeles Times reports this morning, "As President Bush comes under growing international pressure to rein in Israel's military offensive against Palestinians, he faces countervailing pressure from an overwhelmingly pro-Israeli Congress where some members are pushing for new statements of support for the country. As lawmakers returned to work Tuesday after a recess that spanned two weeks of rapidly escalating violence in the Middle East, Rep. Tom Lantos (D-San Mateo) prepared to introduce a resolution expressing U.S. 'solidarity with Israel in its fight against terrorism.' Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) said she would reintroduce legislation to cut US ties to the Palestinian Authority if Secretary of State Colin L. Powell's mission in the region does not produce results." And "Vice President Dick Cheney, meanwhile, traveled to Capitol Hill to meet with Senate Republicans at a time when some conservatives have questioned the Bush administration's willingness to continue negotiating with Palestinian Authority President Yasser Arafat." While "some congressional leaders are struggling to balance their desire to show support for Israel against fears that legislative meddling could upset diplomatic efforts to stabilize the region. Still, the unflagging congressional support for Israel -- even as Israeli leaders have been slow to respond to Bush's personal pleas to end the incursion into Palestinian-governed territory -- is a strong reminder of the tremendous influence wielded by the Jewish community and the pro-Israeli lobby in US politics." Lantos's resolution "would put Congress on record as backing Israel 'as it takes necessary steps to provide security to its people by dismantling the terrorist infrastructure in the Palestinian areas.'" But "House Majority Leader Dick Armey (R-Texas) said Tuesday that he did not think it was appropriate for Congress to act while the situation is in such flux."
A Passover benediction: Rain-angel relays an Israeli variation of the Haggadah's refrain 'In every generation, a person must see himself as if he personally went out of Egypt.'
Tuesday, April 09, 2002
Recognizing a synagogue in Italy: Jeremy Lott gets a report on how you spot the Jews in Rome: "The first day, when we walked by the synagogue, we knew that it was a synagogue because the people going into it were wearing skullcaps on their heads. The second day, we knew it was a synagogue because it was flanked with armed guards."
Why ain't there no Muslims on Star Trek? In response to the cries of a Muslim activist that Star Trek commits cultural genocide by not having any Muslims on board, Dr. Weevil points out that no other real-world denominations are on board either...
What it means to equate the Israelis with Nazis:
Tying the Jews to the Holocaust in this way has a special resonance that is as old and evil as anti-Semitism itself. For it is not simply that the Jewish state is being falsely accused of genocide, but specifically of the same genocide of which they were themselves the victims. Tying Israel to Hitler and his crimes has a way of appearing to excuse the real Holocaust. Binding together Israel and Nazi Germany in this way thus has the benefit of relieving Europe's lingering, deep-seated guilt over the Holocaust.
To be sure, not everyone in Europe who opposes Israel's current military campaign has embraced this bizarre form of moral equivalence. And some Europeans acted heroically to save Jews threatened by Hitler. But since the slanderous equivalence was first suggested, apparently by Nobel Prize winning author Jose Saramago some two weeks ago, it has spread with alarming rapidity across the EU. It is now appearing not only at pro-Palestinian rallies, but as graffiti in public places and on public transportation.
This ugly association is not merely revisionist. In attempting to implicate the Jews as somehow to blame for their horrible fate, it echoes Hitler's own original vilification of the Jews, a campaign of lies that paved the way for the original Holocaust. ("The Swastika Retuns" Wall St. Journal Europe [subscription required])
Why can't I get married between 4:30 and 5:30 pm? According to the Aish UK rabbi Shaul Rosenblatt,
The Jewish marriage contract (the kesubah) must be dated on the date of actual wedding. If it is dated before or after, it is not valid. As we know, the Jewish day begins at night. There is, however, a doubt amonst our sages as to when exactly night begins. Does it begin at sunset, or does it begin at nightfall, which is about an hour later. This period between sunset and nightfall has therefore become a period of doubt in Jewish law. We are always stringent with regards to it. On Shabbas, for example, we begin Shabbas at sunset, but end it at nightfall - just in case.
... If you were to get married in that period, we would not know which date to put on the ketubah. And we are concerned that by having a guess and getting it wrong, we would invalidate the contract and hence the marriage. To be safe, we do not marry at that time.
What D&D character am I?
I Am A: Lawful Good Half-Elf Ranger Fighter
Alignment:
Lawful Good characters are the epitome of all that is just and good. They believe in order and governments that work for the benefit of all, and generally do not mind doing direct work to further their beliefs.
Race:
Half-Elves are a cross between a human and an elf. They are smaller, like their elven ancestors, but have a much shorter lifespan. They are sometimes looked down upon as half-breeds, but this is rare. They have both the curious drive of humans and the patience of elves.
Primary Class:
Rangers are the defenders of nature and the elements. They are in tune with the Earth, and work to keep it safe and healthy.
Secondary Class:
Fighters are the warriors. They use weapons to accomplish their goals. This isn't to say that they aren't intelligent, but that they do, in fact, believe that violence is frequently the answer.
Deity:
Mielikki is the Neutral Good goddess of the forest and autumn. She is also known as the Lady of the Forest, and is the Patron of Rangers. Her followers are devoted to nature, and believe in the positive and outreaching elements of it. They use light armor, and a variety of weapons suitable for hunting, which they are quite skilled at. Mielikki's symbol is a unicorn head.
Find out What D&D Character Are You?
I Am A: Lawful Good Half-Elf Ranger Fighter
Alignment:
Lawful Good characters are the epitome of all that is just and good. They believe in order and governments that work for the benefit of all, and generally do not mind doing direct work to further their beliefs.
Race:
Half-Elves are a cross between a human and an elf. They are smaller, like their elven ancestors, but have a much shorter lifespan. They are sometimes looked down upon as half-breeds, but this is rare. They have both the curious drive of humans and the patience of elves.
Primary Class:
Rangers are the defenders of nature and the elements. They are in tune with the Earth, and work to keep it safe and healthy.
Secondary Class:
Fighters are the warriors. They use weapons to accomplish their goals. This isn't to say that they aren't intelligent, but that they do, in fact, believe that violence is frequently the answer.
Deity:
Mielikki is the Neutral Good goddess of the forest and autumn. She is also known as the Lady of the Forest, and is the Patron of Rangers. Her followers are devoted to nature, and believe in the positive and outreaching elements of it. They use light armor, and a variety of weapons suitable for hunting, which they are quite skilled at. Mielikki's symbol is a unicorn head.
Find out What D&D Character Are You?
Could he be the first Israeli in the National Hockey League? I've not gotten to see him play for the Albany River Rats (I don't make many minor league hockey games), but Max Birbraer might make the roster of the New Jersey Devils some day.
The Muslim vote in Frace: A UPI dispatch shows the Muslim vote in France is of more consequence than the one here (despite what Grover Norquist would have you believe):
as politicians gear up for this spring's presidential and legislative elections, few can afford to ignore the country's 5 million ethnic Arabs, Africans and Turks, Western Europe's largest Muslim community, who account for about 10 percent of the French population.
"All the political parties have taken into account the reality of the Muslim voting potential in France," said sociologist Franck Fregosi, of the presidential and legislative elections that will run from April through June. "But the reality is there's nothing that shows French Muslims will vote for one party or another. Most think neither the left nor the right has done much for them."
Only about a third of French Muslims are eligible to vote. But as the population shops around this election season, an eclectic array of presidential candidates is scrambling for their support.
Who is a peace activist? Last week, the American press bestowed a dubious title on the 50 or so Western demonstrators who marched into Yasser Arafat's besieged Ramallah compound to volunteer their services as human shields. The New York Times, Washington Post, Los Angeles Times, Christian Science Monitor, USA Today, and a host of other media outlets described them as "peace activists."
"We are staying here, and the Israeli Army should know that if it opens fire, it will also open fire on Europeans," one of Arafat's houseguests told the New York Times.
Slate's Benjamin Soskis asks, "What did these demonstrators do to deserve the peace imprimatur? And where, exactly, did they come from?"
"We are staying here, and the Israeli Army should know that if it opens fire, it will also open fire on Europeans," one of Arafat's houseguests told the New York Times.
Slate's Benjamin Soskis asks, "What did these demonstrators do to deserve the peace imprimatur? And where, exactly, did they come from?"
Writing in the Chicago Tribune last week, Northwestern University law professor Steve Lubet suggested that if peace were really the protestors' aim, they'd be dining in Jerusalem cafes and acting as human shields against Palestinian suicide attacks as well. That probably won't happen any time soon, considering the activists' political partiality. So, besides abolishing the term, the only other solution is to extend it. Let's call the Israelis who put their lives on the line by visiting Netanya hotels and Tel Aviv discos, in the interest of living normal lives, peace activists, too.
The Arafat-Jordanian wars: CBS reported las night on the "idea floated in Israel that was unspeakable just weeks ago, the idea of transference, the mass transportation of Palestinians across the border."
Note that the Jordanian regime waged war on the PLO and nearly killed Arafat, who was trying to overthow King Hussein, back in the early 1970's. Why the hell would they want Arafat back? But it is amusing that Rather does not bother to mention that little historical tidbit. I would not be surprised if he does not even know about it!
Rather: "There's been new talk of so-called transference. Is Jordan prepared to take additional Palestinians into your country?"
Abdullah: "Not at all, and that is a tremendous red line. We will never allow another diaspora of Palestinians to be displaced from their homeland. No way."
Rather: "Under no circumstances?"
Abdullah: "Under no circumstances. This would be a catastrophe to the future of Palestinian state. It would be extremely detrimental to Jordan."
Rather: "Are you prepared, under any circumstances, to take Yasser Arafat?"
Abdullah: "No. It would be the destruction of everything that all of us have worked for in bringing the Israeli and Palestinian problem to the forefront."
Note that the Jordanian regime waged war on the PLO and nearly killed Arafat, who was trying to overthow King Hussein, back in the early 1970's. Why the hell would they want Arafat back? But it is amusing that Rather does not bother to mention that little historical tidbit. I would not be surprised if he does not even know about it!
Poll data not pretty: What emerges from a reading of polls of Palestinian attitude and opinion is "that the conflict is not about land or settlements or holy sites or water. The plain truth is that Yasser Arafat's war, instigated and funded by the Arab world, is about Israel's very right to exist."
Some Canadian Liberal MPs in bed with terrorists: Joe Volpe, Liberal MP for Eglinton-Lawrence, said a decision by nine MPs to visit the West Bank next month for a fact-finding mission was wrong. Four of the MPs are Liberals.
"My colleagues are allowing themselves to be used as political pawns in a game that is clearly, at this stage, in spin mode," said Mr. Volpe, a pro-Israeli MP. Mr. Volpe said the visit would have no credibility because it is to be paid for by Palestine House, a Toronto non-profit group that supports Yasser Arafat, the Palestinian leader.
Mr. Volpe acknowledged for the first time a major split within the federal Liberal caucus since Israel launched its offensive in the occupied territories on March 29 after a wave of suicide bombings. "There are people who are pro-Palestinian, people who are pro-Israeli," Mr. Volpe said of his fellow Liberals. (National Post)
"My colleagues are allowing themselves to be used as political pawns in a game that is clearly, at this stage, in spin mode," said Mr. Volpe, a pro-Israeli MP. Mr. Volpe said the visit would have no credibility because it is to be paid for by Palestine House, a Toronto non-profit group that supports Yasser Arafat, the Palestinian leader.
Mr. Volpe acknowledged for the first time a major split within the federal Liberal caucus since Israel launched its offensive in the occupied territories on March 29 after a wave of suicide bombings. "There are people who are pro-Palestinian, people who are pro-Israeli," Mr. Volpe said of his fellow Liberals. (National Post)
Monday, April 08, 2002
Saudi missiles: William Quick (DailyPundit) e-mailed me about my piece last week on Saudi Arabia's missile programs. He wanted me to know that it was old news.
Chile soccer scrape over Palestine: Acting on a complaint by Chile's Jewish community, soccer authorities summoned the chairman of First Division club Palestino for talks after he refused to stop holding a minute's silence for Palestinian martyrs before games.
The club, founded by Arab immigrants, is also in trouble for flying a Palestinian flag at half-staff at its ground in Santiago in apparent defiance of a national ban on displaying political symbols at stadiums. (Jordan Times (News Section))
The club, founded by Arab immigrants, is also in trouble for flying a Palestinian flag at half-staff at its ground in Santiago in apparent defiance of a national ban on displaying political symbols at stadiums. (Jordan Times (News Section))
More French anti-semitism: A bomb was found and defused on Friday at the entrance to a Jewish cemetery outside Strasbourg, in eastern France, police officials said. The police also said today that at least eight people were being detained in connection with the firebombing of synagogues in two other French cities early Thursday.
The police in Paris said that five people had been arrested in connection with a firebomb that was thrown at a synagogue in the southern Paris suburb of Le Kremlin-Bicętre in the early hours of Thursday. The bomb landed on a sidewalk, causing little if any damage to the building. In Montpellier, in the south of France, the police said that three people suspected of hurling firebombs at a synagogue there later Thursday morning had confessed. They were expected to appear later today before prosecutors, in the French form of an arraignment. (NY Times)
The police in Paris said that five people had been arrested in connection with a firebomb that was thrown at a synagogue in the southern Paris suburb of Le Kremlin-Bicętre in the early hours of Thursday. The bomb landed on a sidewalk, causing little if any damage to the building. In Montpellier, in the south of France, the police said that three people suspected of hurling firebombs at a synagogue there later Thursday morning had confessed. They were expected to appear later today before prosecutors, in the French form of an arraignment. (NY Times)
Pet Food, Kosher for Passover, Part IV (The Final Chapter): I hope so. Esther's comments defending the notion last week changed my mind. And John Braue has a more extensive look at the logic.
Iraq: Saul Singer interviews Bernard Lewis:
Meanwhile, Kenneth M. Pollack argues that, on balance, we need to invade and topple Sadaam. Safire has warned against letting Sadaam use negotiations over weapons inspections to prevent us from targetting him. The WSJ agrees it would be "wild weapons chase."
And in Iraq itself, reports indicate that Saddam is quaking in his boots.
...while no one doubts Saddam's despotism, America's European and Arab allies seem hesitant to rid themselves of "the devil they know." Lewis, by contrast, is "very optimistic" about a post-Saddam Iraq.
"I think Iraq is in many ways the most advanced, most developed of the Arab countries. The Iraqi government of the time probably did a better job than any other of putting its oil revenues to constructive use. They built an infrastructure, they built a good educational system. I have personal dealings with Iraqi universities through their graduate students who came to study with me, and they were in general much better prepared, much better trained, than those of other universities in the region.
"Although all this has suffered terrible damage at the hands of Saddam Hussein, it has not been entirely destroyed. I see the possibility of a genuinely enlightened and progressive and - yes, I will say the word - democratic regime arising in a post-Saddam Iraq. They will have been fully inoculated against the Fascist-style governments that otherwise seem to prevail."
Meanwhile, Kenneth M. Pollack argues that, on balance, we need to invade and topple Sadaam. Safire has warned against letting Sadaam use negotiations over weapons inspections to prevent us from targetting him. The WSJ agrees it would be "wild weapons chase."
And in Iraq itself, reports indicate that Saddam is quaking in his boots.
Debunking the myths of the Crusades: Flipping through the U.S. News & World Report, Vincent Carroll finds that myths of the Crusades are hard to kill."
Europeans show courage in face of evil Israelis: The European Union, coming to the rescue of its terrorist lackeys in Palestine, "is preparing billion-dollar sanctions against Israel if Ariel Sharon continues to defy international opinion and reject calls for an end" of the "invasion", the London Independent reports.
Yom Hashoah in DC:
Monday April 8, Noon
Market Square in Old Town Alexandria (301 King Street)
City of Alexandria 15th Annual Rememberance of Holocaust Ceremony
Rabbi Arnold G. Fink (Beth El Hebrew Congregation) will lead memorial
ceremony. Mayor Kerry Donley will also speak. Music and memories from
survivors as well. For more information please call 703-838-4842 or
703-548-2723.
Monday April 8, 7:30pm
Congregation B'nai Tzedek, 10621 South Glen Road, Potomac, MD
JCC of Greater Washington and Congregation B'nai Tzedek
Yom HaShoah V'hagvurah/Heroes and Martyrs Day
Dr. Michael Berenbaum will be the keynote speaker. Survivors will also speak. Special program with teens and survivors to take place at 6:30pm.
For more information, please call 301-770-0881
Wednesday April 10, Noon
Congregation Har Shalom, 11510 Falls Road, Potomac, MD
Congregation Har Shalom Daytimers Forum: Yom HaShoah Observance
Charlene Schiff, Holocaust survivor and member of speakers bureau of US
Holocaust Memorial Museum, will speak. Please bring dairy lunch. For more
information, please call 301-299-7087
Monday April 8, Noon
Market Square in Old Town Alexandria (301 King Street)
City of Alexandria 15th Annual Rememberance of Holocaust Ceremony
Rabbi Arnold G. Fink (Beth El Hebrew Congregation) will lead memorial
ceremony. Mayor Kerry Donley will also speak. Music and memories from
survivors as well. For more information please call 703-838-4842 or
703-548-2723.
Monday April 8, 7:30pm
Congregation B'nai Tzedek, 10621 South Glen Road, Potomac, MD
JCC of Greater Washington and Congregation B'nai Tzedek
Yom HaShoah V'hagvurah/Heroes and Martyrs Day
Dr. Michael Berenbaum will be the keynote speaker. Survivors will also speak. Special program with teens and survivors to take place at 6:30pm.
For more information, please call 301-770-0881
Wednesday April 10, Noon
Congregation Har Shalom, 11510 Falls Road, Potomac, MD
Congregation Har Shalom Daytimers Forum: Yom HaShoah Observance
Charlene Schiff, Holocaust survivor and member of speakers bureau of US
Holocaust Memorial Museum, will speak. Please bring dairy lunch. For more
information, please call 301-299-7087
Sunday, April 07, 2002
Telegraph: Sadaam and Arafat planning joint attacks: The London Telegraph is reporting that "COLIN POWELL, the US secretary of state, left Washington on his Middle East mission last night amid reports that Saddam Hussein and Yasser Arafat were planning to stage joint terrorist attacks in the region. Senior officials of Saddam's General Intelligence Agency (GIA) are reported to have held talks with Mr Arafat's Palestinian Authority to identify potential targets, according to Western intelligence experts."
What to do when the world is against us?:
In this topsy-turvy, irrational scenario, we might be tempted to lose faith in our cause. After all, can we be right and the whole world be wrong? And, even if we are convinced we are waging a just and justified battle, can we successfully take on virtually the entire international community?
The answer, on both counts, is a resounding yes. First, we have a long tradition of standing our ground on moral and ethical issues, even if we stand alone. Indeed, Abraham, the father of our nation, was known as a Hebrew, from the word Ivri, which means, "he who comes from the other side." Abraham stood on his side of the spiritual divide, smashing the idols of polygamy and converting a reluctant world to the truth of one God.
Later in our history, we rejected the pantheistic hegemony of the Greek empire, and rebelled against mighty Rome when it sought to crush our independence. And in this century alone, we heroically withstood the "War Against the Jews" fought by Hitler and his many accomplices, and established the State of Israel in the face of staggering odds. So we are no strangers to struggles.
Second, this is a war that we can, and shall, win. Deep down, the world - including the Arab world - understands the existential threat that Palestinian terror poses to the entire planet. It knows there is no honor among thieves - or terrorists - and that Israel will not be the sole or final victim of their barbaric crimes. Even France, whose national policy of capitulation and appeasement inspires the cowardly posture of the European Union, will not forever be spared an honored place on terror's "hit list" when it suits the terrorists' purpose.
Like most destructive forces, the plague of terrorism is not easily contained nor restricted to any one specific target, a fact that should not be lost on the entire civilized world. As America discovered in Afghanistan, opposition to the forces of good suddenly evaporates when it becomes apparent they are serious in confronting the forces of evil and preventing a world-wide cataclysm.
In the final analysis, we must demolish the terrorist infrastructure, despite the odds and despite the opposition, for it is the right thing to do - for us and for the world at large. Perhaps, in truly messianic times, the Jewish people will be seen as a light unto the nations, a beacon of hope and justice that will be universally acknowledged by the diverse peoples of the world. But until that glorious day arrives, we will just have to battle on, even if we battle alone.
For everything else, there's MasterCard: The Flying Monkeys have Yasser Arafat's Mastercard commercial.
Equivalence on Berkeley's campus (anti-semitic criminals): They should arrest those damned Jewish students:
Jewish students coming out of worship services have been pelted with eggs and subjected to epithets, Oleon said. Last week someone threw a cinder block through the front windows and wrote "F-- Jews" in black marker on the Jewish Hillel cultural center's recycling bins. Some Jewish students believe that Berkeley professors, even those who are Jewish, have unfairly come down hard on Israel in lectures.
But Palestinian students say they too are harassed on campus -- labeled as terrorists and as being anti-Semitic just for voicing their opposition to Israel. Some say Zionist students have tried to intimidate them by declaring their intentions to join the Israeli army after graduation.
More than just two aging leaders and an old score: "Israelis get it. The international diplomatic community doesn’t. As Arafat was underlining the need for continuous jihad on Al-Jazeera, the EU's chief diplomat, Javier Solana, was on Spanish television explaining that this war is nothing but an old grudge between two aging leaders – Sharon and Arafat – and could end if they would kindly step aside for younger, less antagonistic leadership. For Solana then, there is no difference between Sharon, who has alienated his own political base to seek a cease-fire, and Arafat, who calls for his "political base" to die murdering Jews." (Caroline B. Glick in the Jerusalem Post)