Monday, July 31, 2006

ISRAEL @ WAR: Show our soldiers some love - send them a chocolate "Hug" - for FREE!!!

HAS Advantage and Strauss Elite have joined forces to create the "Send a Hug" campaign.

They're there for us, be there for them.

Join us in showing support for the brave soldiers of the IDF. Please take a moment to write a message to our troops on the front line. Your letters will be delivered accompanied with chocolate, courtesy of HAS Advantage and Strauss Elite. Help us show them we care.

Send your "hug", and together we'll sweeten their day.

To take part in the "Send a Hug" (FREE) campaign, click here.

So far, over 50,000 "hugs" have been sent to our soldiers.

To see what other people have been writing to our soldiers, click here.

JBlog Me




ISRAEL @ WAR: Take your "morality" and shove it

How nice it must be to live in the ivory tower that is Europe.

A world where there is never a need to resort to violence, and where peace, tolerance & respect rule the day.

And, how fortunate are we, those living in the Jewish State, to have our European friends to enlighten us and encourage us in how we may raise ourselves up from our primitive existence and approach to life.

Irish refused bombs sent to Prestwick airport

Bombs destined to be used by Israel are being flown via Scotland only because the Irish government refused to allow them to land on its soil. Scotland on Sunday can reveal that after the conflict in Lebanon began three weeks ago, Ireland turned down a United States request for planes carrying 600lb so-called bunker busters to refuel at Shannon airport in Co Clare...

One Irish official said that the bombs would never have been allowed on Irish soil.

The source said: "There is absolutely no way that we would allow munitions or weapons to be shipped through Shannon to a location where there is an actual war going on. We would not allow it. It is correct that we allow the US to transport troops to Shannon, but sending bombs to Israel is another matter and completely out of the question for us."

Opposition critics last night seized on the situation. Scottish National Party leader Alex Salmond said: "It is highly significant that Shannon put its foot down and drew back from allowing the transport of bunker busters, which could become the tinder to escalate dramatically the Middle East conflict."

He added: "It is absolutely appalling that we should allow Prestwick to become a stopover to death and destruction."

Heaven forbid that Ireland (or any other European country) should be seen even remotely assisting the Jewish State's war on a terror organization; an organization that has been in flagrant violation of UN Resolution 1559; an organization that has fired over a thousand missiles into heavily populated areas within the Jewish State; and an organization that fortifies itself within Lebanese population centers, thus violating International Human Rights law.

How immoral it would be for Ireland or any other European country to assist Israel in their war against such terror organization!

But, in all honesty, it was to be expected.

In 1973, during the Yom Kippur War, when Egypt and Syria launched a surprise attack against the Jewish State, virtually every European country (with the exception of Denmark) refused to allow U.S. planes shipping vital arms to the Jewish State to land and refuel within their borders - with France and Britain leading this movement towards Arab appeasement - one must assume that this position came out of Europe's strong "moral" clarity, and had nothing to do with OPEC's threat to cut-off oil to any country who would not sell-out the Jewish State.

One must also presume that it was in the name of Europe's high "moral" convictions, that during WWII, the Allies refused to use their bombs to destroy Auschwitz or the railroad tracks leading to the death camp - having seemingly deemed it to be too unethical (whereas, in the name of "morality", the Allies (particularly the British) used their bombs to destroy the entire German city of Dresden, killing 25,000 German civilians).

Where would the world (and the Jewish State, in particualr) be without the beacon of "truth" and "morality" that is Europe?

JBlog Me




Sunday, July 30, 2006

ISRAEL @ WAR: Attack Iran Now!!!

No one in the Jewish State of Israel likes war.

No one in the Jewish State of Israel wants to send his or her sons off to fight (and possibly die).

No one in the Jewish State of Israel wanted this war.

Unfortunately, we do not yet live in a perfect world, and sometimes, one is forced to take actions that they would ideally prefer not to have to take.

The question that we must ask ourselves now is:

What steps can be taken to ensure the long-term security and viability of the Jewish State?

The answer:

Attack Iran NOW!

How could attacking Iran now possibly help improve the Jewish State's overall security?

Read on...

Does anyone truly believe that Israel declaring a ceasefire and retreating from Har Dov (Shaba Farms) is going to appease Hezbollah enough to make them stop attacking the Jewish State, or empower the Lebanese army to secure their southern border?

Does anyone really believe that Hezbollah started this whole conflict over the Shaba Farms?

Is it really that difficult for the world (as well as ourselves) to believe that this is about the desire of Hamas, Hezbollah, Syria and Iran to wipe the Jewish State off the map, and no amount of territorial concessions is going to change that?

Does anyone truly believe that an international force made up of Lebanese and French soldiers (with a UN mandate) is going to act against Hezbollah or prevent Syria from rearming arming Hezbollah? If the UN couldn't get it right 6 years ago, what makes anyone think that this time wil be any different?

Does anyone really believe that within the next few years the Jewish State of Israel won't find itself right back where she it is now - fighting (no less than) a two-front war against the "Palestinians" and Hezbollah?

It must be understood that the Jewish State of Israel is not at war with Hezbollah or Hamas. Hezbollah and Hamas are just pawns of Iran - who is responsible for the creation, funding and arming of both terrorist organizations. In order to defeat Hamas and Hezbollah, Israel must crush the head of the snake.

Now consider that neither Hezbollah, nor Hamas are going to stop their efforts to destroy the Jewish State in the near future, and Iran is not going to cease supporting their efforts.

Israel has a choice before her.

It can either take on Iran now, before it acquires nuclear weapons, or wait another 5 years (or less), until Iran has at its disposal the means to utterly destroy the Jewish State, and will not hesitate to do so?

True, waging war on Iran (and Syria) won't be pleasant. War never is. But if we truly want to eliminate the sword sitting at the throat of the Jewish State, it is a step that must be taken...

And taken now!

JBlog Me




Thursday, July 27, 2006

ISRAEL @ WAR: It's a Little Bit Ironic...

Consider the irony within the following two phenomena:

1) Throughout the duration of the Terror War, launched by the "Palestinians" in September 2000, Jerusalem, the ancient and eternal capitol of the Jewish People; the very same Jerusalem to which the Jewish People direct all of their prayers; and to which, for 2,000 years every Jew hoped and yearned to return to; was utterly abandoned by many Israelis, who would not even consider visiting Jerusalem, deeming it to be "too dangerous".

Isn't it ironic, that today, tens of thousands of Israelis, under threat from rocket attacks in the north, have finally rerurned to Jerusalem, designating the Jewish capitol as their safe haven.

If I forget thee O'Jerusalem...

(Hat Tip: Mike)

2) During the "disengagement" that took place a year ago, this past summer, the majority of Israelis went on with their normal, daily routine.

As 10,000+ Jews were being expelled from their homes; left jobless; homeless - forced to live in caravans; without access to many of the comforts of their former homes; separated from their communities - from friends and loved ones; left to suffer the emotional trauma of having their lives destroyed, not knowing what the future held in store for them - the daily routine of the average Israeli continued on, like clockwork.

Isn't it ironic that today, just one year later, nearly one million Israelis in the north of Israel are separated from their homes - either staying in bomb shelters (or near them), or having left their homes altogether seeking refuge in "safer" parts of the country; without access to many of the comforts of their homes; virtually unemployed, as many businesses in the north have been shutdown indefinitley; separated from their communities; suffering the emotional trauma of not knowing what tomorrow will bring or when they will be able to return to their homes.

Or maybe it's just another one of those funny coincidences...

JBlog Me




ISRAEL @ WAR: Jenin Redux

On April 9th, 2002, the IDF placed the lives of the enemy over the lives of its own soldiers.

The Result: 13 soldiers were killed fighting in Jenin (known as Suicide City), during Operation Defensive Shield, after the IDF chose to use ground forces instead of using air strikes or tanks and heavy armor, out of concern for the wellbeing of the Jenin "civilians". (23 IDF soldiers were killed in total during operations in Jenin).

Palestinian Islamic Jihad militant Tabaat Mardawi, told CNN enthusiastically from his prison in Israel, that -- after learning the IDF was going to use troops, and not planes -- "It was like hunting ... like being given a prize. I've been waiting for a moment like that for years."

Mardawi told CNN that Palestinian fighters had spread "between 1000 and 2000 bombs and booby traps" throughout the camp. Time Magazine said that "some of the bombs were huge – as much as 250 lb. of explosives...compared with the usual 25 lb. a suicide bomber uses."

On July 26th, 2006, the IDF showed that it had not learned from its mistake.

The Result: 8 IDF soldiers were killed after being caught in an ambush in Hezbollah village stronghold, Bint Jbail.

As was the case with the "Palestinians" in Jenin, Hezbollah made use of a (strongly pro-Hezbollah) civilian population in their fight against the IDF - using homes, mosques and human shields to hamper the IDF's ability to fight a "fair fight".

As such, IDF soldiers are being put in a no-win situation:

Kill the enemy, with the risk of harming civilians, or don't kill the enemy - out of concern for the wellbeing of the civilians - and in return, place oneself into grave danger at the hands of an enemy that is not guided by any such "moral convictions".

The time has long since passed for the IDF to learn a number of lessons from its mistakes.

There is no reason to send IDF ground forces into ambushes, or send them to fight a battle that they can't possibly win because they are fighting with one arm tied behind their back.

If Hezbollah chooses to fight from mosques or from civilian populated areas, then those areas and individuals become legitimate targets.

The IDF has (or should have) 2 top priorities:

1) Win the war.
2) Do so with as few casualties to IDF soldiers as possible.

Danny Navon, Prof. at Haifa Univ., in an article in Ha'aretz, clarifies what, according to international law, should be the IDF's attitude towards Lebanese civilians:

Harming the civilian population in Lebanon constitutes a war crime. Untrue.

War ethics calls for abstention from an intentional harm of non-combatant populations, and to prevent as much as possible unintentional harm to those populations. But it is not always possible to prevent all unintentional harm. It is much harder when enemy troops systematically use the cover of a civilian population, in order to put the opposing side in a cruel dilemma between the achievement of its goals and an attempt to abstain as much as possible from violating war ethics.

In our case, Hezbollah intentionally operates from within a civilian population, often from house terraces and mosque courts. Furthermore, most of the civilians used for these ends do so in full consent and thus they cross the line from non-combatant to combatant.

It's time for the IDF to put the lives of our soldiers first.

It's time for the IDF to untie our soldiers’ hands.

It's time to let our soldiers fight.

It's time to let our soldiers win.

JBlog Me




Wednesday, July 26, 2006

ISRAEL @ WAR: Appeasement Inc.


For a brief period, it seemed as if Appeasement Inc., with branches throughout the United States and Europe, as well as in Jerusalem, was in danger of being shut-down.

The Jewish State of Israel was fighting a two-front war against Hamas and Hezbollah - two terror organizations (that dabble as political parties on the side) - and both the U.S as well as many in Europe recognized that the IDF was not just fighting Israel's fight, but leading the fight against the threat posed by Islam to the western world (even if it was more difficult for some to admit than for others).

In that reality, which lasted about 7 - 10 days, there were no buyers for what Appeasement Inc. was selling. There was no talk of Israeli concessions, or international pressure to bring about an immediate cease-fire. It was recognized that nothing short of the elimination of Hezbollah and its Iranian / Syrian supplied arsenal could truly bring an end to the fighting in Lebanon - not to mention that there wasn't much pressure on Israel to make diplomatic "progress" on the "Palestinian" front, where the Hamas led government had started its own war against the Jewish State.

Well, times have changed, and Appeasement Inc. is back in business.

Consider the following:

Proposed international force would not disarm Hezbollah
The role of the international force that will be sent to Lebanon following a cease-fire will be to assist the Lebanese army to deploy in the south, ensure that Hezbollah does not rebuild its positions there and ensure that quiet is maintained along the Israeli-Lebanese border... this force will not be responsible for disarming Hezbollah nor will it be stationed at the border crossings between Lebanon and Syria in order to halt the flow of weapons from Syria to Hezbollah.
From the above we can draw two conclusions:

1st, the international community will not allow for Israel to destroy Hezbollah and its terror infrastructure (including its deadly arsenal of missiles).

2nd, the international force to be deployed will be as successful in stopping Hezbollah as was UN Resolution 1559, which called for disarming Hezbollah and deploying the Lebanese army in the south over six years ago.

If that weren't bad enough, the United Nations (branch of Appeasement Inc.) is not only calling upon the Jewish State to immediately cease its military operations in Lebanon, but to cede territory to Hezbollah, as well:
UN envoy Terje Roed-Larsen, at a press conference at the UN on Friday, touched on the issue and said, according to a UN communiqué , that "Much of Lebanon's support for Hezbollah was linked to the Shaba issue, so if that was resolved, that would hit hard at the justification for a resistance..."
Even though, Roed-Larsen himself, admitted that Lebanon has no legitimate claim to the area in question:
Last year Roed-Larsen, who is the UN special envoy on implementation of UN Security Council Resolution 1559, issued a report saying that both he and the Security Council had said repeatedly that "the Shaba Farms area is not part of Lebanon. Therefore, any Lebanese 'resistance' to 'liberate' the area from continued Israeli occupation cannot be considered legitimate."
Appeasement Inc. is not limiting the scope of its operations to Lebanon only.

Rice says need to keep focus on Palestinian state

Not only should Israel allow Hezbollah to remain in southern Lebanon (with their deadly arsenal); not only should Israel consider making territorial concessions to Hezbollah, but Israel must make further concessions to the Hamas led "Palestinians", who seek nothing short of the destruction of the Jewish State - and whom the IDF is currently at war with in Gaza - with the goal of reviving the Oslo-esque "Land (, weapons and release of terroritsts) for Peace" process.

Sadly, Appeasement Inc. is not only based overseas, but it is also very active within the Jewish State itself.

Olmert: 'West Bank withdrawal still on'

Prime Minister Ehud Olmert said yesterday Israel will forge ahead with his plan to pull out of Judea and Samaria.

"We will yet evacuate communities and it is important to me to complete this chapter as soon as possible so that we will be able to continue as a strong and united nation for the challenges that await us," Olmert told a group of Israelis evacuated last summer from the Gaza Strip.

Why should those who seek the destruction of the Jewish State, whether through military or diplomatic means, ever despair of their ability to succeed, when at the very moment that the IDF is fighting a two-front war against those who seek the destruction of Israel - in the very areas from which the Jewish State had retreated - the Prime Minister of Israel is promising to carry out even more retreats in the near future!?!

Appeasement Inc.: Why worry about tommorow today?

JBlog Me




Sunday, July 23, 2006

ISRAEL @ WAR: GAY AWAY!!!

Let me preface the following remarks by stating that I do not have any intimate knowledge of G-d's thoughts, or even a remote understanding of why He runs the world the way He does - aside from what's written in the Torah.

With that behind us...

Jerusalem 'gay' parade called off due to war

An international "gay pride" parade scheduled for next month in Jerusalem has been called off due to Israel's war with Hezbollah.

As WorldNetDaily reported, some rabbis who have urged that the World Pride parade to be cancelled see the war as God's judgment for the Israeli government's tacit support of the homosexual-activist celebration.

I don't know if these rabbis are right.

It is clear that the Torah speaks very critically of homosexuality, referring to it as an abomination (a term reserved for only the most serious of acts), but can it be said with absolute certainty that as a result of this parade the Jewish State is fighting a two front war today, with over a quarter of her citizens under immediate threat of missle attack, along with three of her soldiers being held captive by our enemies?

I honestly don't know.

There is something, however, that I do know with absolute certainty.

This was not the first time that the Gay Pride parade, scheduled to take place in Jerusalem, was cancelled.

The Gay Pride parade was originally scheduled - amid major protests - to take place in Jerusalem last summer.

It was cancelled.

Why?

Due to the "Disengagement" plan, where 10,000+ Jews expelled from their homes in Gaza and the northern Shomron, with the land being handed over to those who seek the destruction of the Jewish State.

Now, maybe it's purely coincidental that the Gay Pride parade has managed to conflict with these two rather traumatic events.

But, then again, maybe it's not such a coincidence.

Either way, whether as a result of Divine intervention or just plain bad luck, the Gay Pride parade, scheduled to take place in Jerusalem these past two summers, has been cancelled due to major calamities striking the Jewish State.

For that reason alone, next year, I urge the planners of the Gay Pride parade to do us all a favor by finding somewhere else - somewhere far, far away from Jerusalem to hold their parade.

Coincidence or not, I don't even want to begin to think about what might happen if the organizers try to hold the Gay pride parade in Jerusalem next summer.

Clearly, the odds aren't in their favor (or ours).

JBlog Me




Thursday, July 20, 2006

ISRAEL @ WAR: When "I'm Sorry" isn't good enough...

A mere couple of days before Hezbollah’s deadly attack on the Jewish State, which led to Israel finding itself fighting a two-front war, Aluf Benn of Ha'aretz, in an article entitled, "We need a Nasrallah", had nothing but words of praise for Hezbollah leader, Hassan Nasrallah (which I highlighted in this post).

"His behavior is rational and reasonably predictable. Under the present conditions, that's the best there is. Hezbollah is preserving quiet in the Galilee better than did the pro-Israeli South Lebanese Army."

The mistake in my assessment stemmed, as always, from the idee fixe that what was is what will be. I believed that if Israel and Hezbollah had learned to live according to the "rules of the game" that had developed along their common border, they would be interested in maintaining the balance of power rather than violating it.

Now, before I get to the crux of this post, I recognize that it must have taken a lot for Aluf Benn to come out and publicly admit that he made a mistake - an unfortunate rarity within the world of media and politics. However, as admirable as Benn's mea culpa might appear, frankly, it's not good enough, and the reason it's not good enough can be found in Benn's attempt to put his mistake in perspective.

...the responsibility for the mistake is entirely mine... But Nasrallah made a bigger mistake, and his mistakes are lethal.

Benn has failed to internalize that his mistakes, just like Nasrallah's, are, in fact, very lethal, indeed.

It was journalists such as Aluf Benn, working for media outlets such as Ha'aretz, who used their enormous influence to help shape public opinion to support (which ultimately led to the political support - or vice versa) of the following policies:

* Support for the Oslo Accords
* Support for providing the "Palestinians" with weapons
* Support for releasing terrorists from Israeli prisons - either as a good will gesture, or in negotiation with terrorists.
* Support for the IDF exercising a policy of restraint against the enemies of the Jewish State who actively seek her destruction.
* Support for the unilateral withdrawal from the buffer zone in Southern Lebanon - from where Hezbollah is currently firing rockets.
* Support for the expulsion of 10,000+ Jews from Gaza and the northern Shomron and the handing over of those areas to the enemies of the Jewish State who have used them to build terror bases and to fire thousands of rockets into Israel - not to mention the destruction of the lives of the 10,000+ Jews that were expelled.
* Support for Ehud Olmert's "Convergence" Plan, that will bring the rockets presently raining down in the north and south of Israel to Jerusalem and Tel Aviv.

Each of these policies, individually, is responsible for attacks against the Jewish State and People. Collectively, they are responsible for the murder of over 1,000 Jews and Israelis, with thousands more wounded and scarred for life, as well as for the precarious situation that the Jewish State presently finds itself in.

Until Aluf Benn, and his counterparts throughout the Israeli mainstream media are able to internalize the fact that their mistakes are, in fact, deadly, and take the necessary steps to correct their mistakes, their apologies will carry little weight with me.

JBlog Me




ISRAEL @ WAR: What's G-d got to do with it???

The Jewish State of Israel continues to defend itself (on 3 fronts) against enemies who seek nothing short of her destruction.

During this difficult period, questions are being asked with the aim of determining how the Jewish State came to find itself in this precarious situation; what steps could the Jewish State have taken that might have better prepared her to deal with this situation (or avoid it altogether); and what steps the Jewish State can be taking presently (and in the future) to ensure that the Jewish State never again finds herself in such a predicament.

(Un)Coincidentally enough, to find the answer to these questions, all one need do is take a look at this week's Torah portion (Parshat Matot - Mas'ei), where the Jewish People are preparing to cross the Jordan River and begin their conquest of the Land of Israel. At this moment, the G-d of Israel instructs the Jewish People as to what their policy should be towards the enemy nations that inhabit the Land of Israel, and what will befall the Jewish People (then and now), should they fail to heed the Word of G-d:

Hashem spoke to Moshe in the plains of Mo'av by the Jordan (river) at Yericho, saying - Speak to the Children of Israel and tell them, When you pass over the Jordan into the Land of Cana'an, then you shall drive out all the inhabitants of the land from before you and destroy all their idols, and destroy all their molten images and demolish all their high places. And you shall take possession of the land and dwell therein - for to you have I given the land to possess it...

But if you will not drive out the inhabitants of the land from before you, then shall those who you let remain of them be as pricks in your eyes and as thorns in your sides, and they shall torment you in the land in which you dwell. It shall happen that as I thought to do to them, so will I do to you. (Numbers 33: 50-53, 55-56)

These verses from the Torah - the Words of the Living G-d - speak for themselves, and they are, as is the case with the rest of the Torah, as relevant today as the day the Torah was first given at Mt. Sinai, over 3,000 years ago - when the Jewish People uttered the words "We will do, and we will listen".

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Wednesday, July 19, 2006

ISRAEL @ WAR: The Return of the Israeli Left

For nearly a week, the (Jewish) citizens of the Jewish State of Israel have stood united - united against the common enemy threatening on two fronts, whose ultimate goal is the destruction of the Jewish State.

For nearly a week, the handful of Israeli Jews who chose to voice their dissent towards Israel's military action in Lebanon and Gaza (including the 1st case of a soldier refusing orders - whom Ha'aretz refers to as a "conscientious objector") were branded as being members of the "radical left" by Israel's mainstream media (the term "radical" is used almost exclusively in reference to religious or nationalist Jews on the policial right).

Well, slowly but surely, the Israeli left is beginning to rear its head once again.

So much for national unity.

Here are a few of the choice examples.

1) Sneh calls for negotiated withdrawal

(Labor MK and Brig.-Gen. (res.) Ephraim) Sneh, who was part of the government that oversaw the Israeli withdrawal from Lebanon in 2000, said he had always opposed unilateral withdrawals. Now more than ever, he said, Israel had to understand that only negotiated territorial withdrawals could lead to secure borders.

Two points:

1st, I don't recall Sneh, who has "always been opposed to unilateral withdrawals", opposing the unilateral expulsion ("Disengagement") of 10,000+ Jews from their homes in Gaza and the northern Shomron.

2nd, as for negotiated territorial withdrawals being the only option, that's exactly what the Oslo Peace Process was (a process that Sneh likely supported, as Oslo was the baby of his Labor party), and there too, we can plainly see how that has (not) worked out...

2) Perception and deception

The author of this article, Gershon Baskin, the Co-CEO of the Israel/Palestine Center for Research and Information, has the following to say:

I believe that, in the end, the only way to bring Shalit, Elad Regev and Ohad Goldwasser home alive to their families will be some kind of negotiations that will include the release of Palestinian and Lebanese prisoners...

The government has declared that there will be no negotiations with the terrorists. If this is the case, the government is going to have to explain to all the mothers and fathers who send their children to the front that if they are captured by the enemy they are as good as dead.

If I understand Mr. Baskin's point correctly, he is basically advocating that Israel capitulate to terrorist demands any time a soldier is kidnapped, a plane is hijacked, or when the Jewish State is threatened in some other way.

If I was a member of the government, I would explain to every soldier serving in the IDF; their parents; every citizen of the Jewish State - including Mr. Baskin - that the IDF does not and will not capitulate to the demands of our enemies. We will fight our enemies; fight them until they are no longer able to threaten the Jewish People and State; fight them with so much force and determination that our enemies will have absolutely no doubt that should they ever dare kidnap an IDF soldier, or threaten the Jewish State in any way, that they themselves, along with their loved ones are as good as dead - and this will be backed up with action, not empty words.

Perhaps I am mistaken, but I believe that most of those living in the Jewish State and fighting in the IDF would prefer my answer, to that of Mr. Baskin's, which calls for capitulating to the demands of our enemies and brings our destruction that much closer.

3) Start over - Ari Shavit - Ha'aretz

Israel is currently waging the most just war in its history. Not a war of occupation, but rather a war of defense. Not a settlements war, but rather a Green Line war. A war over the validity of an international border that was drawn, defined and recognized by the United Nations.

Forgive me for asking, but I wonder which of Israel's previous wars Mr. Shavit would consider to be unjust?

* Was Israel's War of Independence, fought in 1948 an unjust war - a war that stared as a result of 7 Arab countries rejecting the UN Partition Plan that called for the creation a Palestinian State, instead, choosing to try and wipe out the newly re-established Jewish State?

* Was Israel's Sinai Campaign in 1956 an unjust war - a war that sought to rectify that illegal nationalization of the Suez Canal by Egypt and the closure of the Straits of Tiran; two moves that had the power to cripple the then newly (re)established Jewish State's fledgling economy?

* Was the Six Day War or the Yom Kippur War unjust - two wars of self-defense, fought against enemies who sought to have the streets of Tel Aviv run red with Jewish blood?

* Perhaps Israel's war in Lebanon in 1982 (Operation Peace for the Galil) was the unjust war - a war in which the Jewish State sought to root out of southern Lebanon the PLO terrorists that were murdering innocent (Jewish) Israelis in the north of Israel?

If in the eyes of Shavit and Ha'aretz, the involvement of the Jewish State in the above wars was unjust, then not only is the current war equally unjust, but there is no justification (moral, legal, historical or otherwise) for the existence of the Jewish State in the first place...

Which might be the very point that Shavit and Ha'aretz were trying to get across?

JBlog Me




Monday, July 17, 2006

The Daily Grind - ISRAEL @ WAR EDITION - 21st of Tammuz / 17th of July

As everyone is well aware by now, Israel is at war - on two fronts. Jameel at The Muqata has been doing an excellent job of providing up-to-the-minute coverage, and David from Treppinwitz has a great list of ways we all can be helping out, regardless of where one happens to be, as does Elder of Zion.

That being said, there have been a number of exceptional articles of late that highlight important (and perhaps overlooked) issues that supporters of the Jewish People and State should be considering during these difficult days.

On to the articles.

1) Column One: Israel's premeditated market failure - Caroline Glick - Jerusalem Post

This article was written on May 31st, 2006 (Hat Tip: IMRA)

On Monday, Ha'aretz reported darkly, "Iran has transferred to Lebanon rockets that reach Beersheba..."The first time that a shipment of Iranian Zelzal rockets to Hizbullah was reported was in early 2003. Just as this week it took the media one day to forget about this Zelzal shipment, in 2003, the reports received almost no attention. At the time the Israeli media and the government were busy convincing the Israeli public to support the road map which was then being written by Yossi Beilin and Tony Blair...

But the Israel media - which was the engine behind the Barak government's decision to retreat from south Lebanon six years ago - have no interest in informing the public of the magnitude of its error...

If the media had any interest in serving their primary function of informing the Israeli public about its current situation, they could ask why Israel is sitting back and allowing Hizbullah to acquire the means to attack all of Israel's major cities. If we know that the missiles were delivered, why didn't we blow them up at the airport or in their silos?

Excellent question, to which, Labor MK, Matan Vilani provides the answer, found in the next article...

2) MK Matan Vilnai: Israel could not deal with rockets until hit by them - Aaron Lerner - IMRA

Labor MK Matan Vilnai explained in a live interview on Channel Two Television this afternoon that Israel knew about the dangers of the rockets held by Hezbollah for years but was unable to act against them until they were used against Israel.

The program anchor did not ask Vilnai if this means that Israel will only be able to act against Iran after a successful nuclear attack on the Jewish State.

3) We need a Nasrallah - Aluf Benn - Ha'aretz

(This article was written just a few days prior to Hebollah's attack on Israel's northern border).

It is enough to see what is happening in Lebanon. The moment Hezbollah took control over the south of the country and armed itself with thousands of Katyushas and other rockets, a stable balance of deterrence was created on both sides of the border. The withdrawal of the Israel Defense Forces from Lebanon in 2000 was made possible not only because of the daring of then prime minister Ehud Barak, but also thanks to Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah, who conducts a policy of "one law and one weapon" on the other side.

Nasrallah hates Israel and Zionism no less than do the Hamas leaders, Shalit's kidnappers and the Qassam squads. But as opposed to them - he has authority and responsibility, and therefore his behavior is rational and reasonably predictable. Under the present conditions, that's the best possible situation. Hezbollah is doing a better job of maintaining quiet in the Galilee than did the pro-Israeli South Lebanese Army.

Ha'aretz is "on the money" once again, just as they were when they supported the Oslo Accords, the "Disengagement", giving the "Palestinians" guns...

4) Israel - Out of Control? - Joseph Farah - World Net Daily

If you rely on the Washington Post, the New York Times and the Associated Press for your news, it would be easy to get the impression that Israel is out of control – wantonly killing Lebanese and Palestinian civilians and provoking a larger conflict in the Middle East...

Of course, if striking directly at the terrorists who launched hundreds of rockets at Israeli civilians in the previous three days and who struck inside Israel's border, kidnapping two soldiers, means assaulting Beirut, I guess that would be accurate...

How should a civilized nation respond to terrorist attacks within its borders? How did the U.S. respond after Sept. 11, 2001? Should civilized nations respond with force only equal to that which was used by its enemies? Or is it legitimate and proper for civilized countries to respond with overwhelming force – to discourage future attacks, wipe out those responsible and deter future attacks?

Well worth reading the entire article.

5) We deserve the Qassams and the Katyushas - Nadav Shragai - Ha'aretz

The hundreds of Qassams and Katyushas that have landed in the south and north are a natural response coming from those who, over the years, have grown used to believing that Israel regards the thousands of mortars and Qassams on the inhabitants of Gush Katif as nothing more than rain.

The kidnapping of the soldiers was practically obligatory from someone who understands that "deterrence," a much-favored term used by many Israelis, was a kind of self-delusion, largely virtual, and that Israeli prisoners, for those who swore they would "not get down on the knees," are worth a few hundred terrorists.

Hezbollah and its Palestinian pupils internalized this and made note of it. After the wars against terror, like the one going on now, come the retreats, and then more wars, which lead to more retreats. Terror sows and then reaps. Fact: The blood of the dead and wounded had yet to dry and Prime Minister Ehud Olmert was already making clear that... he will undertake another unilateral move - The "convergence" (plan)...

The truth? We earned it honestly as a nation of gullible fools, who over and over followed the illusions of quiet, peace and demography sold buy its leaders. We deserve it.
However, the influence of the recent events has moved something, maybe temporarily, but something has moved. Suddenly, there's not enough room on board for all those who are disengagement opponents...

"We told you so" should be shouted out bitterly now, not to win medals but to prevent Olmert and his government from dragging us into another adventure with a foregone conclusion. The law of disengagement, as Uri Elitzur recently wrote, may say its goal is to lead to a better security reality, but reality is the devil's work; it behaves according to common sense and not the Knesset's decisions.

G-d, please save us from the madness and folly of our leaders - the Jewish People and State deserve better. Our eyes are turned to you.

JBlog Me




Thursday, July 06, 2006

Heaven on Earth

The view from my home, overlooking the hills of Jerusalem, as the setting sun brings another day in the Land of Israel to a close.

Going...


Going...


Priceless...


There's just no place like home - when your Home is in the Land of Israel.

JBlog Me




Wednesday, July 05, 2006

Matisyahu: The "King Without A Crown" finds his Home

Guess which internationally-acclaimed Jewish rapper is making Aliyah?

In case there happens to be more than one internationally-acclaimed Jewish rapper, I'll tell you the answer:

MATISYAHU!

Matisyahu: Next year in Jerusalem

When asked what’s the most surprising thing that people don’t know about him, Matisyahu answered that he enjoys hockey and even used to play. He insists that he will immigrate within a year or two, despite the fact that ice-hockey is almost non-existent in Israel.

"If you hear of a nice house in Jerusalem, let me know," he told the reporter. "My move to Israel depends on a few things: If I make enough money to buy a good place to live in, if my family can come and visit me often and if it will work out as far as my career is concerned.”

But alongside the pounding vocals - sometimes in Yiddish - and foot-stomping rhythms, he maintains a lifestyle devoutly at odds with those in the music business around him.

He refuses to play on the Jewish Sabbath, eat non-kosher food, or compromise his religious ideals by playing alongside female artists. He has already turned down the chance to tour with Shakira, declined to advertise Burger King and refused to appear on shock-jock Howard Stern's show.

And we can now add to that rather impressive list that he will soon be making Aliyah to Jerusalem.

Looks like Nefesh B'Nefesh has a new poster boy for American Aliyah, because if anyone can make Aliyah cool, it's definitley Matisyahu.

JBlog Me




The Daily Grind - 9th of Tammuz / 5 of July

Today's edition of The Daily grind highlights articles that will:

* Take us back in time 30 years to Entebbe
* Take us back in time 12 years, where a mother still grieves over the fate of his son who was kidnapped and murdered
* Show us who our "neighbors" truly are
* Inform us who is no longer welcome at the Western Wall
* and, of course, there's always the Qassams...

Without further ado...

1) ANALYSIS: Launching a rocket at Ashkelon is an invitation to war - Ze'ev Schiff - Ha'aretz

The firing of a rocket from the Gaza Strip to Ashkelon's center on Tuesday constitutes an unequivocal invitation by Hamas to war.

If that's the case, then what were the 1,200+ Qassam rockets that have been fired into Sderot over the last 4+ years? Chopped Liver? Is the blood of the residents of Ashkelon redder than the blood of those who live in Sderot?

2) Western Wall area cleared of beggars - Haim Levinson - Yediot Achronot

Owing to the steep rise in the number of visitors to the Wall over the past year, the presence of beggars at the site increased considerably. Some 300 beggars settled in the area and were hassling visiting tourists...

Western Wall Rabbi Shmuel Rabinovitch responded to the move: “For the Jewish people, prayer and tzedaka come together. However, the way in which the beggars conducted themselves at the Wall was a desecration.”

3) PA seems poised to use kids as human shields - IMRA - Palestinian Media Watch

4) Muhammad Deif presents: Hamas' military academy - Roee Nahmias - Yediot Achronot

Muhammad Deif, head of Hamas' military wing and the senior Palestinian terror suspect wanted by Israel, said Sunday night that "all the land conquered in 1948 is Palestine's land. Every Muslim in the world has the right and duty to fight in order to liberate this land because it is Muslim land."

In case you missed it, he said that Israel (no matter how small) has no right to exist anywhere in the Middle East. He also happens to be affiliated with Hamas, which was elected to represent the "Palestinian" cause.

Lovely.

5) A government's flawed morality - Isi Lieber - Jerusalem Post

The extent to which the IDF has been conditioned to operate under terms of engagement that dramatically inhibit its ability to strike back at terrorists was exemplified by OC Air Force Maj.-Gen. Eliezer Shkedy, who told the Jerusalem Post: “If we know that a terrorist who is in the midst of firing a Kassam aimed to kill, is holding his son's hand, we will not fire."

If that is the approach of the IDF, we have truly lost the plot. To hold back from eliminating a terrorist directly engaged in a potentially lethal act of terror directed against civilians is not a manifestation of morality or humanity. It reflects utter confusion and the application of false values which violate the primary obligation of a government to defend the lives of its citizens.

Right on the money.

6) Our World: From Yoni to Gilad - Caroline Glick - Jerusalem Post

The legacy of Entebbe for the world couldn't be clearer. The message of the raid is that nations must never give in to the demands of terrorists. Through their war crime of taking over the Air France jet, the terrorists declared war not only on Israel but on all who abide by the norms of human decency and value freedom. If Israel is brought to its knees 30 years later, it will send the message throughout the world that the barbarians are the victors after all.

While the Entebbe raid is vested with deep significance for the entire world, its significance in shaping Israel's national psyche has been deeper still. This was apparent on Sunday evening on Mt. Herzl. As speakers stood at the foot of his (Yoni Netanyahu's) grave and one by one discussed the significance of Yoni's life and his death for Israelis today and for generations of Israelis to come, it was clear that Yoni - now immortal - is an embodiment of Israeli exceptionalism, Israeli morality, Israeli Judaism, the Israeli warrior ethos and the inherent justice of Zionism.

7) No strength for silence - Esther Wachsman - Ha'aretz

I don't know if we're living in George Orwell's "1984" - where good was bad, bad was good, peace was war and war was peace - in Chelm, the city fabled for its stupidity, or in evil Sodom. In any event, this is not the country I moved to 36 years ago out of Zionist enthusiasm, as the daughter of Holocaust survivors...

And then, in October 1994, our Nachshon was kidnapped by Hamas...

It's very difficult for me to understand the mentality of our leaders, on both the right and the left. It's difficult for me to understand the response given by then vice premier Shimon Peres - who announced that he had won the Nobel Peace Prize, along with Rabin and Arafat, on the same Friday on which the ultimatum was issued on my son's life. Peres was asked his opinion on the "peace" that he had achieved in Oslo in light of my son's abduction, and he responded that peace processes involve "calculated risks." When Peres came to comfort us after the funeral, I told him I felt he had come to comfort a family on the death of a son with no name - that he was simply a "calculated risk" in his dream of a new Middle East.

Until now, I have not spoken to the media... I am speaking up and writing to you now solely due to the inspiration of Rabbi Avraham Yitzhak Hacohen Kook, the first chief rabbi of Israel, who said: "I am not speaking because I have the strength to speak; I am speaking because I do not have the strength to be silent."

The 4th of July vs. Yom Ha'Atzma'ut

Yesterday, the United States of America celebrated her 230th Independence Day, generally referred to as The 4th of July. To mark the occasion, Joseph Farah, Editor of World Net Daily, wrote a column about what American Independence Day is really all about - I'll give you a hint, it's more than fireworks, BBQ's, baseball and beaches.

Ironically, much of what Farah wrote can be said about Independence Day - Yom HaAtzma’ut, here, in the State of Israel, as well.

Therefore, as Editor of Israel Perspectives, I am going to use a bit of journalistic license, and slightly adapt Farah's article to reflect the Independence Day reality, here, in Israel.

(Original text will appear in "blockquote" and italics).

The meaning of independence

independence: freedom from control or influence of another or others

Today is July 4, 2006.

It has been 230 years since the drafting and signing of the Declaration of Independence by America's founders...

independence: freedom from control or influence of another or others

Today is July 5, 2006 (9th of Tammuz, 5766).

It has been 58 years (and a few months) since the drafting and signing of the Declaration of Independence by Israel's founders.

It's not just the day we shoot off Chinese-made fireworks. It's not just the day we barbecue burgers. It's not just the day we go to the beach. It's Independence Day – so named because on or about this date in 1776, a group of courageous men risked their lives, their fortunes and their sacred honor for a dream of freedom and sweet autonomy from an imperial power.

It's not just the day we shoot off Chinese-made fireworks. It's not just the day we barbecue burgers. It's not just the day we go to the beach. It's Yom HaAtzma’ut – so named because on May 14th, 1948 / 5th of Iyar, 5708, a group of courageous men risked their lives and their sacred honor for a 2,000 year old dream - that of the Jewish People returning (as sovereign) to their ancient and eternal Homeland, the Land of Israel, to (re)establish a Jewish State.

By the way, it wasn't just the birth date of American freedom. It was the birth date of freedom around the world. That's why the French called George Washington not just the founding father of the American Revolution, but "the father of freedom." He was truly the inspiration for freedom fighters everywhere.

By the way, it wasn't just the birth date of the (re)establishment of the Jewish State of Israel. It was the modern day birth date of the visions of the Prophets and words of the Bible coming to life. The ingathering of the Exiles from the four corners of the earth; military victories of the many in the hands of the few, the strong in the hands of the weak; the return of the Jewish people to their Homeland where they were able to make the desert bloom; the fulfillment of 2,000 years worth of prayers by the Jewish People, who never stopped yearning to return Home.

Unfortunately, too few Americans today put much value in independence. Most no longer celebrate, cherish or appreciate independence. Independence is not considered an ideal.

Unfortunately, too few Israelis (Jews) today put much value in Israel existing as a Jewish State. Most no longer celebrate, cherish or appreciate what it means to live in a Jewish State. To some, the State of Israel is merely a place of refuge, while for others, it is meant to exist as a state like all others. Living in a Jewish State is not considered an ideal. In its place now stand the values of "peace" and normalization, in the name of which everything (Jewish) must be sacrificed.

It's no accident. Our political and cultural elite don't want to see a nation full of independent-minded, self-governing citizens who will hold their leaders accountable to their will and the laws of the land. They would prefer sheep.

It's no accident. Our political and cultural elites don't want to see a nation full of independent-minded, self-governing Jews who will hold their leaders accountable not only to their will and the laws of the land, but also to Jewish Heritage and the traditions and teachings of our fathers, and who want to live their lives as jews and not Israelis. They would prefer sheep; sheep who will sit passively, while, in the name of the "rule of law" the army of the Jewish People and State will expel Jews from their homes in the Land of Israel and hand them over to those who seek their very destruction, and who will replace Jewish heritage and identity with that of Israeliness.

That's why you will hear so many of them preach about the value of living in an "interdependent" world. Have you heard that? " Interdependence" – this is considered a good thing. Keep in mind every time you hear that word "interdependence" glorified and revered that interdependence is simply a synonym for "dependence."

It has nothing to do with "independence" – that thing for which our founders risked their lives, their fortunes and their sacred honor.

That's why you will hear so many of them preach about the value of "peace". Have you heard that? Making peace with those who seek to destroy you? Providing our enemies with weapons and then retreating in the face of terror, this is considered a good thing - anything, so long as the nations of the world will accept us.

It ("peace") has nothing to do with a "Jewish State" - that thing for which our founders risked their lives - namely, to (re)establish a Jewish State in the Land of Israel, a place where the Jewish People could live as proud Jews, with honor and dignity, in a society that would exemplify all that the Jewish People had to offer the world.

The sad truth is the American dream of independence has been betrayed... In fact, take a look at the dictionary definition of "colony" and see if it doesn't apply to us today.

colony: 1) a group of people who settle in a distant land but remain under the political jurisdiction of their native land 2) a territory distant from the state having jurisdiction or control over it

Aren't Americans, in a sense, all colonists of the great imperial throne in the District of Columbia? We all pay tribute to this faraway empire. We are, in reality, little more than serfs doing the bidding of those in the federal corridors of power in Washington. We're taxed without real representation...

The sad truth is the Jewish dream of independence has been betrayed. In fact, take a look at the dictionary definition of "colony" and see if it doesn't apply to us today.

colony: 1) a group of people who settle in a distant land but remain under the political jurisdiction of their native land 2) a territory distant from the state having jurisdiction or control over it

Aren't Israelis (Jews), in a sense, all colonists of the great imperial throne in the District of Columbia, or of the United Nations and the European Union, as each of those powers (and many others) play a central role in determining the foreign and domestic policy of the Jewish State of Israel? It is they who determine where it is that a Jew may or may not live, where it is that a Jew may or may not build; and it is they who determine if, when and how the Jewish State of Israel may deal with it's enemies.

We are, in reality, little more than serfs doing the bidding of those in the federal corridors of power in Washington.

To make matters worse, within the State of Israel, there is taxation without representation, as those living in the Jewish State are taxed at a level known in few other countries, and in return they are given political leaders who do not know the meaning of the word accountability.

What do you think?...

Is American sovereignty and independence still worth a fight?

What are you willing to risk? What are you willing to sacrifice today in the name of freedom and independence?

What do you think?

Is a Jewish State in the Land of Israel still worth a fight?

Do you still dream of the Jewish State of Israel being a place where one can live proudly and securely as a Jew; a country that cherishes and embraces her Heritage and the teachings of her fathers instead of running from them; a country that is led by those who believe in the Divine, as well as historic right of the Jewish People to a Jewish State in the Land of Israel - a right that supercedes any other claims; a country that takes whatever steps needed to ensure that the Jewish People need not live in fear of her enemies. A country that would strive to fulfill the visions of the Prophets - that of creating an ideal Jewish society that serves as a Light unto the Nations.

What are you willing to risk? What are you willing to sacrifice today so that Israel will exist as a truly Jewish State?

Is a Jewish State still something worth fighting for? Worth dying for? Worth living for?

JBlog Me




Tuesday, July 04, 2006

A Creative Solution to Qassam Rocket Attacks

It seems as if the government of the Jewish State has finally come up with the answer as to what to do about the daily barrage of Qassam rockets that are fired into the Jewish State. (As of Monday, 1,203 Qassam rockets had been fired into Sderot).

What's the magic solution?

The solution to the Qassam rocket problem is the same one that the government of Israel has come up with for nearly all its security related problems, namely, to build a wall, with which to hide behind, all the while failing to actually eliminate the source of the threat.

Rocket-proof wall a success

Security forces successfully tested a special wall designed to protect buildings from Qassam rockets on Thursday... A military source explained that the wall can be place at the front of the building and will repel a strike by a Qassam rocket...

Defense Minister Amir Peretz, who has dealing with the issue of protecting education institutions in Sderot, ordered the program to go ahead, and wants the city's schools to be fortified by the start of the next school year.

However, there are two problems with the above solution:

1) As mentioned above, this wall will not end the daily Qassam rocket attacks against the Jewish State, it will only help to protect schools from such attacks.

2) In light of above, this wall will do nothing to protect anyone who happens to not be inside a school during a Qassam rocket attack, leaving the majority of the population defenseless.

"Not every place can be protected with a concrete wall, but things can be done to minimize harm to civilians should a Qassam fall. We will continue to work in this direction and search for effective solutions," the source added.

It seems as if the government of Israel might be open to creative solutions as to how to best protect her citizens from Qassam rocket attacks (short of actually dealing with the problem itself, of course), and as such, I have decided to throw my hat into the ring and offer a solution of my own.

Since the government of the State of Israel is obsessed with building walls that they believe will provide security, I suggest that this "rocket-proof" wall be built right along the border of Gaza - straight up. This "rocket-proof" wall should be built high enough to ensure that no Qassam rocket will be able to fall within the borders of the Jewish State - hundreds of feet high, if need be.

Of course, this is not the ideal solution, which would be the elimination of those shooting the rockets, along with the infrastructure that provided them with the ability to do so, but short of that, I think that this solution has some potential.




Monday, July 03, 2006

What the Lovers of the Land of Israel can learn from the International Gay Pride Parade

This summer, the International Gay Pride Parade is scheduled to take place in Jerusalem. This Gay-fest was originally scheduled to take place last summer, but was delayed until this summer, as the "Disengagement" (expulsion) from Gush Katif and the northern Shomron was taking place at that time.

However, it seems that the International Gay Pride Parade, and all of the festivities that go along with it, may not happen this summer after all, and everyone who opposed Ariel Sharon's "Disnegagement" plan and who are now opposed to Ehud Olmert's "Convergence" plan should be paying close attention.

Police weigh banning J'lem gay parade

Jerusalem police are expected to decide this week whether to allow a controversial international gay pride parade to take place in the city this summer amidst growing international opposition to the event by an unusual coalition of religious Christians, Jews, and Muslims around the world.

The super-sensitive police decision, which will be taken by Internal Security Minister Avi Dichter in consultation with Jerusalem police chief Ilan Franco, comes after months of simmering tension over the planned August event, with concerns growing of a violent showdown between extremist opponents of the parade and its participants if it goes ahead as scheduled.

Why is the likelihood of this Gay-fest ever getting off the ground shrouded in doubt?

Simply because, the police recognize that there is such overwhelming opposition to this parade, regardless of what the Jerusalem Municipality or Supreme Court have to say about it. The police recognize that this parade has the potential to cause civil unrest, and frankly, they don't want any part of it.

After reading the above article, the failure of the struggle against Ariel Sharon's expulsion plan becomes even more apparent.

Simply put, had those who opposed the expulsion plan been successful in creating the impression that, should the expulsion plan go forward, the entire country would erupt, the plan would not have been carried out - regardless of how badly Ariel Sharon or Aharon Barak (Chief Justice of the Supreme Court) wanted it to happen.

Can one truly believe that a Gay-fest in the heart of Jerusalem is significantly worse than the destruction of over a dozen Jewish communities in the Land of Israel, handing those communities over to those who actively seek our very destruction, along with the expulsion of 10,000+ Jews from their homes, turning them into refugees within their very own Homeland?!?

Contrary to the response of those opposed to the International Gay Pride Parade, when it came to the expulsion of 10,000 Jews from their homes and the destruction of Jewish communities in the Land of Israel, many of the leaders of the "opposition" went out of their way to ensure that no such public fury would erupt, and this message was received loud and clear by the government, police and army.

Calls for soldiers to refuse orders were rejected out of hand, a coordinated campaign of non-violent civil disobedience was casually dismissed; all the while the leaders of the "opposition" to the expulsion plan stressed time and again the supreme importance of maintaining national unity, above all else.

Is it any wonder that the struggle against Sharon's expulsion plan failed so miserably?

The secret to success in future struggles over the Land of Israel is playing itself out before our very eyes.

Hopefully, the Lovers of the Land of Israel are paying attention.




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