Hugo Chavez, the Venezuelan thug-in-chief, has been nothing but bad for the small Jewish community in Venezuela. This article recounts a first-hand account of the current situation.
As a sidebar, Chavez has announced that he has no intention of restoring diplomatic ties with Israel.
For a variety of reasons, the best thing that could happen is for the price of oil to plummet, thus eroding the treasury and power of this despotic thug and his cronies in Iran.
No petrodollars - very hard to fund terrorism - natives get restless as standard of living falls - in my humble opinion.
Daily Shocker
The Arab League, meeting in Doha, Qatar (home of al-Jazeera) expressed its support for the President of Sudan and rejected the ICC warrant for his arrest on account of alleged war crimes in Darfur. Details here and here.
It is amazing to me that the UN Secretary-General would even go to the summit knowing that the Sudanese President was going to be there.
By the way - Egypt did not attend this year's annual summit, and Qadafi stormed out after criticizing Saudi Arabia for its ties to the West.
It is amazing to me that the UN Secretary-General would even go to the summit knowing that the Sudanese President was going to be there.
By the way - Egypt did not attend this year's annual summit, and Qadafi stormed out after criticizing Saudi Arabia for its ties to the West.
The Good, the Bad & the Ugly
Here is the detail about Victor Davis Hanson. He publishes a number of very interesting articles, admittedly from a right-wing perspective.
Here are two of the more recent articles on the theme of good, bad & ugly - bad and ugly are here and here respectively - good (hopefully) is to follow.
Given a situation I recently experienced at a university in Eastern Canada - the segment in the "ugly article" about universities rang especially true.
Here are two of the more recent articles on the theme of good, bad & ugly - bad and ugly are here and here respectively - good (hopefully) is to follow.
Given a situation I recently experienced at a university in Eastern Canada - the segment in the "ugly article" about universities rang especially true.
Kol Yisrael Arevim Zeh Bazeh
All Israel is responsible for one another. - A nice story from the obscene Madoff fraud
Oopsie!
The New York Times, publishers of the disgraceful cartoon last week, have finally published an article that, while not perfect, corrects and clarifies some aspects of the Gaza atrocities story.
But now the cat's out of the bag, and the clarifying article was published on page 4 on the lower part of the page. Hey -New York Times - it's OK - the damage has been done and another blood libel given life.
But now the cat's out of the bag, and the clarifying article was published on page 4 on the lower part of the page. Hey -New York Times - it's OK - the damage has been done and another blood libel given life.
The United Nations Human Rights Council
The United Nations Human Rights Council was created by the United Nations General Assembly on March 15, 2006 with the main purpose of addressing situations of human rights violations and making recommendations on them. The UNHRC replaced the United Nations Commission on Human Rights, which had been repeatedly criticized for its membership and the selective use of its power.
The membership of the UNHRC is not much better than that of the UNCHR - a quick check of the membership roll discloses that the UNHRC includes such member nations as Saudi Arabia, China, Pakistan, the Russian Federation, and Cuba - hardly bastions of human rights. The new body has focussed almost obsessively on Israel - when the former UN Secretary General Kofi Annan objected, then it had to be bad.
Five more anti-Israel Resolutions that were passed on March 26th, 2009 - Canada was the only nation to vote against all of them. Since the UNRC was created, it has passed 32 country-specific resolutions, and 26 of those have been directed against Israel. Can anyone honestly think that the "work" of the UNHRC is not already so deeply biased and flawed that it too now urgently needs to be replaced? And can there be any doubt that this shocking repetitive display of anti-Israel animus is anything but anti-Semitism?
The membership of the UNHRC is not much better than that of the UNCHR - a quick check of the membership roll discloses that the UNHRC includes such member nations as Saudi Arabia, China, Pakistan, the Russian Federation, and Cuba - hardly bastions of human rights. The new body has focussed almost obsessively on Israel - when the former UN Secretary General Kofi Annan objected, then it had to be bad.
Five more anti-Israel Resolutions that were passed on March 26th, 2009 - Canada was the only nation to vote against all of them. Since the UNRC was created, it has passed 32 country-specific resolutions, and 26 of those have been directed against Israel. Can anyone honestly think that the "work" of the UNHRC is not already so deeply biased and flawed that it too now urgently needs to be replaced? And can there be any doubt that this shocking repetitive display of anti-Israel animus is anything but anti-Semitism?
Youth Orchestra Dismantled
This is extremely disappointing story. The Palestinian Authority has dismantled a youth orchestra that played a concert for some Holocaust survivors in Israel.
One of the most startling comments in the article is the assertion that the children in the orchestra has been exploited "for political purposes." Did I read that correctly? Have these same people watched their own television broadcasts, read the textbooks in their schools, and so on?
In any event - it is sad indeed when something as simple as a concert can lead to this kind of a result.
Recommended Books
Richard J. Evans is a tremendous scholar - he also served as an expert witness for Deborah Lipstadt when she was sued for libel by infamous Holocaust denier David Irving. Among his publications are the first two volumes of a three-volume series about Nazi Germany - The Coming of the Third Reich and The Third Reich in Power. The third volume - The Third Reich at War has yet to be published, but if it is anything like the first two volumes, it will be required reading as well. The recounting in The Third Reich in Power of the horrors of Kristallnacht is simply chilling.
This gives me no pleasure
I get absolutely no joy from linking to this story - but I think that it is essential to see because it clearly illustrates the depths of the hatred that has to be contended with.
Just think - a very young girl has already had such terribly negative teachings about Jews and Christians drilled into her head.
And I have to wonder what all the apologists for this kind of behavior (Muslim or otherwise) have to say about it.
Just think - a very young girl has already had such terribly negative teachings about Jews and Christians drilled into her head.
And I have to wonder what all the apologists for this kind of behavior (Muslim or otherwise) have to say about it.
Teaching Hatred
Another example of a radical Muslim cleric teaching hate - noteworthy not for its message (though it always is "interesting" to see what new depths of hatred these radical clerics can sink to), but because it was broadcast on al-Jazeera (Arab), which obviously did not object to spreading this irrational hatred (nor has it apparently ever objected - these stories and the supporting video clips are distressingly easy to find on the Net - especially on a site like YouTube).
I'm sorry - I find it hard to believe that this type of stuff does not in some way find its way over to al-Jazeera (English). And I simply cannot imagine Israeli TV ever permitting this type of material to be broadcast, nor would I ever advocate it.
So it seems that the result is that a young child's mind, (and no doubt many, many others), has been poisoned - making even the concept of talking peace with Israel ever more distant.
George Galloway Banned from Canada
In all the furor surrounding the banning of George Galloway from speaking in Canada, an important fact has been overlooked - Galloway led the charge on a similar ban against French far-right politician Jean-Marie Le Pen. Spare me the righteousness and the piety, George!
United Nations Human Rights Commission
The UNHRC has passed a measure calling for the passage of laws to protect religion from criticism. Interesting to note that India abstained on the basis that the only religion specifically named in the measure was Islam.
So will there be a hue and outcry against these type of exhibitions of religious intolerance - Al-Rahma TV (Egypt) January 17, 2009 or Al-Rahma TV (Egypt) January 9, 2009 - I'm not holding my breath.
Recommended Book
Hitler's Beneficiaries by Gotz Aly is a detailed account of the economic aspects of the Nazi war against Europe - not just against Jews, but also against all countries allied with or occupied by the Nazis. The following quote resonates very deeply:
"The Holocaust will never be properly understood until it is seen as the most single-mindedly pursued campaign of murderous larceny in modern history."
The Iron Dome
Hopefully this will be rather more effective than the vaunted Patriot system from the first Gulf War, but this may herald an important achievement - though no doubt it will be referred to as an "Apartheid Dome"
An Evil Convergence
This link from Commentary Magazine is short and to the point and illustrates the evil convergence of anti-Israelism and anti-Semitism.
Are you kidding me?
So - Operation Cast Lead ended how long ago - a couple of months? And now, for some reason New York Times cartoonist Pat Oliphant creates and publishes this VILE "cartoon".
Don't get me wrong - the "cartoon" would have been just as extraordinarily offensive at the height of Cast Lead, but the delay suggests that something deeper is afoot.
I am sure that when confronted, he will claim artistic license, freedom of expression and freedom of the press. However, the "cartoon" is yet another blood libel against Jews and Israel.
But will Jews react in the manner that followed the Danish cartoon controversy? I doubt it. But the New York Times and Pat Oliphant should rightfully expect severe criticism and censure for this despicable piece of "work".
Reality in the Middle East
I must admit that I get rather tired reading the non-stop accusations made about Israel. The latest is an accusation about the conduct of IDF soldiers in Gaza during Operation Cast Lead. The following editorial from the National Post - seems to put things into perspective rather well.
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