Tuesday, June 2, 2009

1. I will assume for the moment that the reporting of this story is accurate. On that basis - look at the way that Mahmoud Abbas is speaking - he is convinced that "...US President Barack Obama is firmly committed to finally ejecting the Jews from Judea and Samaria." Since when was it the President's right to determine such policy in a foreign country? The continuous Jewish presence in Israel - not pre-1967 Israel, but Israel including Judea and Samaria goes back thousands of years. How long has the American presence been in Texas and California - and how did that presence come about? Look after your own issues first!

2. However - even more disturbing - if accurate - is this comment. "Following their meeting last Thursday, Obama said that he also told Abbas to make a bit more of an effort to halt what he described as isolated and sporadic anti-Jewish incitement in Palestinian schools, mosques and media."

Where is the leader of the free world getting his information? The atrocious incitement is far from "...isolated and sporadic..." Has he ever spoken with his own Secretary of State? I mean, after all, she did lend her name to this analysis of Palestinian schoolbooks, etc.



3. I know that this will come as a surprise - but anti-Semitism is alive and well. During the 2009 Salute to Israel parade held in NYC on May 31, there were protesters holding some despicable signs:



Sorry, in my books that is not free speech - that is unbridled hate. There simply cannot be any way to reach such people. But I am sure nothing will come of it, just as I am sure that if someone were to hold up a sign making similar comments about Islam or Muslims, there would be immediate action, claims of Islamaphobia, indignant howls of protest, outraged demands for apologies etc.

4. It tears my heart to see this story about the closure of therapy facilities in Sderot. While through divine intervention or simple luck, the physical casualties resulting from the rocket fire into Sderot has been relatively limited, I am well aware from 2 visits to that town that the psychological cost has been enormous.

If you have never been to Sderot, take the time to go there on your next trip to Israel. It is a beautiful town that has always been within the 1948 boundaries of Israel. Here is a picture of the town (with all the red roofs) as well as a picture taken from a hill on the edge of town that shows the extremely close proximity of Gaza (with the remarkably intact white apartment buildings).



5. Let's not forget Iran - here's a piece by Victor Davis Hanson that covers some old ground as well as a new possibility.

6. Prime Minister Netanyahu has apparently told President Obama that his recent demand re: settlements is unreasonable. Good on him! And, according to this report from Ha'aretz, the suggestion that the US would not support Israel at the UN is apparently unfounded.

7. To end this on a light note - there is nothing like a cartoon from The New Yorker - remember, dogs are very smart......

Saturday, May 30, 2009

After a break for Shavuot and Shabbat - I'm back.

1. Further to earlier postings, there is quickly mounting concern about President Obama's pursuit of peace in the Middle East. The President has called for a complete cessation of further construction in West Bank settlements. Even a number of Jewish Congressmen have joined in this refrain.

As you would imagine, PA President Abbas and the Arab League jumped on this position in an instant.

So what I am getting from this is that Israeli settlements are the obstacle to peace negotiations with the Palestinians. Presumably this cannot be an issue with Hamas in their terrorist fiefdom in Gaza, as Gaza is completely free of any Jews - in settlements or otherwise - except perhaps for Gilad Schalit.

Predictably and understandably, Prime Minister Netanyahu is dismayed. I think that a fair contrary position to take is to pose the following questions - Will the President tell the Palestinians to recognize Israel as a Jewish state, give up any hope of millions of Palestinians settling in Israel rather than the Palestinian state, and stop teaching their children that there is no Jewish claim to the city of Jerusalem and inciting against Jews? I rather doubt it.

I agree that making peace is a two-way street, but let's have some basic fairness and quid pro quo. The Palestinians should be required to make some serious and measurable steps of their own. This aggressive approach by the new Administration worries the living daylights of out of me - and these guys aren't even close to acquiring nuclear weapons.

More on this issue in later blog postings.

2. Which brings me to Iran. What will the President do there? Here's one perspective:



As usual, Victor Davis Hanson weighs in with a well-written position. In the meantime, Iran's crazy cousins in North Korea are acting up, and need to be sent to their room without their supper - and soon!

3. Then there are the pending elections in Lebanon, which has gone under almost everyone's radar screen. Make no mistake about what Hezbollah thinks about this electoral process.

4. This is the 20th anniversary of the Tiananmen Square protests - democracy is still a distant dream in China.

5. Two UN-related stories. First, the National Post comments on the double standard that is the UNHRC. Second, it is time for a new head of UNESCO - and apparently the leading candidate has recently expressed the sentiment that he would "burn Israeli books in Egyptian libraries." Sounds like the perfect choice!

6. So, in closing, time for a "pick me up". To answer the next deep philosophical question...



...check out this and this.

Thursday, May 28, 2009

Boy, you just cannot take a day off (or three or four) when you post to a pro-Israel Blog!

Anyway - as always, it has been a crazy week.

1. What color is the sky in Damascus? What's in the air? President Assad has come to the determination that Israel is the biggest obstacle to peace in the Middle East. It couldn't be a country that has overtly promised to wipe Israel from the map, that is in a headlong rush to develop nuclear weapons and sponsors the terrorist groups Hamas and Hizbullah. It couldn't be Syria itself, which is very cozy with Iran and those same terrorist groups. Couldn't be Saudia Arabia, which all its religious intolerance towards non-Muslims. Could be any of a number of other countries that cannot even recognize Israel's existence - no it must be Israel.

2. Speaking of clear, balanced, and objective positions - Amnesty International has determined that Israel was solely to blame for the demise of the cease-fire that lead to the Gaza War at the start of the year. In other news, a new report will be coming out in which Israel will be held responsible for, among other things - the death of dinosaurs, the destruction of Atlantis, the destruction of the Aztec & Mayan civilizations, swine flu, bird flu, measles, mumps, the common cold, the plight of the Tamils in Sri Lanka, and the decline of the Eastern Canadian fish stocks. As far as I am concerned, at least when when it comes to Israel, Amnesty International is the NGO equivalent of the UN - which we all know is very balanced and objective regarding Israel. And speaking of my favorite international organization - the UN - here's an excellent opinion piece by Robert Fulford.

3. So back to ugly reality. Here are 2 stories about that foiled bomb plot in NYC - turns out (a) it was a set-up and (b) Islam is not to blame.

4. And as for stuff going on in NYC - including a bombing outside a Starbuck's in Manhattan - here is a good piece by Phyllis Chesler.

5. As President Obama's diplomatic efforts intensify, it is always good to return to the history that lead to the current state of affairs so that one can better understand matters. Here is a video from the Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs that discusses what the oft-cited UN Resolution 242 really says.

6. Many of my friends ask me about Israel's weak performance when it comes to public relations - my perception from my recent advocacy work - especially my recent trip to Israel - is that Israel is slowly but surely understanding the need to better explain its position to the "court of public opinion". To that end, here is a good article from the Jerusalem Post.

7. Chag Sameach to all my Jewish readers - Shavuout starts this evening.

8. And to end things on a good & positive note - I am very glad to report that one of life's deepest mysteries has been solved, courtesy of this The New Yorker cartoon.



Next, I am trying to find out whether if a man is alone in the woods and says something - anything - is he wrong?

Thursday, May 21, 2009

Here the latest from me:

1. Well, it seems that at least someone in a position of power gets the whole Iran thing - Admiral Mike Mullen, the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, told the US Senate Foreign Relations Committee, "I'm one who believes that Iran getting a nuclear weapon is calamitous for the region and for the world."

2. A widely-covered, deeply disturbing story from New York - 4 people were arrested Thursday in connection with a plot to set off explosives near a synagogue and Jewish community center in New York, as well as to launch missiles at US military aircraft.

At a news conference outside the Riverdale Jewish Center in the Bronx, Police Commissioner Raymond Kelly quoted one of the men as saying, “If Jews were killed in this attack ... that would be all right. "They stated that they wanted to commit jihad,” Kelly said. “They were disturbed about what happened in Afghanistan and Pakistan, that Muslims were being killed.”

While I unequivocally condemn the intent to attack US military aircraft, at least I can see some sort of nexus. However, apart from being the world's number one "no reason or logic required scapegoat", can someone please tell me what the Jews have to do with events in Afghanistan and Pakistan? Sounds like these guys weren't the sharpest knives in the drawer.Whatever confusion may have lurked in the minds of the "alleged" perpetrators, it is clear that they were motivated to hate and kill Jews

Here is other coverage - from Jihad Watch - article 1 and article 2.

3. While in Israel recently, I had the good fortune to meet Aryeh Green of MediaCentral over a delicious meal at Zelda Restaurant.

MediaCentral (a project of HonestReporting) provides support services for journalists based in or visiting Israel and the region. Its mandate is more fully described here. It represents a new and fresh approach to dealing with journalists who have the difficult job of trying to cover one of the most complex regions of the world.

Aryeh is a personable, intelligent and balanced individual. His CV (found on the “About Us” page linked above) reveals his impressive credentials, and includes a link to his blog. While Aryeh is also rather modest and might not say this about himself, I think it fair to say that he is an accomplished oenophile.

4. Here's an interesting article from Der Spiegel about the widespread nature of the Shoah. I do not read the article as trying to evade or shift German guilt, but rather pointing out that the Shoah simply could not have happened to the extent it did without the complicity of many other countries.

It is also important to understand that the atrocious crimes committed against the victims of the Shoah or the broader victims of Nazi Germany's racial policy were not just committed by the fanatics in the SS - there was widespread and voluntary participation by all of the German Armed Forces - especially the Wehrmact. This point is made very well in many recent works, such as "The Myth of the Eastern Front" or "The Third Reich at War".

5. Interesting opinion about the phraseology used so freely in the discussion of issues in the Middle East. I think that the title gives some indication of the author's feelings on the subject.

6. I have never understood the broken link between the political left and their seemingly unqualified love affair with radical Islam. I have ordered Jamie Glazov's book "United in Hate" and eagerly anticipate reading it for enlightenment. In the meantime, I see this article which simply serves to continue to confuse me.

7. OK - so how to end all of this on a positive note? I can see that this is going to be an ongoing challenge. One thing that always impresses me about Israel is its ability to be a major world player in so many fields - despite its tiny size, its small population, and the necessary focus on security and defense. So here's a plug for the many good reasons to invest in Israel - simply amazing!

Wednesday, May 20th, 2009

Here are today's postings:

1. The article by Leon Hadar that I noted yesterday caught the attention of Shmuel Rosner, who then interiewed Mr. Hadar. Here is that interview.

2. Victor Davis Hanson is interviewed by Jamie Glazov of FrontPage Magazine about President Obama's performance to date. This phrase in particular - "...multicultural trendiness is now a cynical cover for moral laxity and 'can't we all get along?' appeasement..." caught my eye - I think that it summarizes quite succinctly a lot of what is wrong with today's world.

By the way, Jamie Glazov, the editor of FrontPage Magazine, has Halifax connections - I believe that his late father Yuri Glazov taught at Dalhousie University in Halifax.

3. In yesterday's posting, I linked to a column by Mordechai Kedar, and that drew very favourable comments from 2 people. If you'd like to see Dr. Kedar in action, check out this May 2008 interview from al-Jazeera. Wow!

4. During the recent Cast Lead operation in Gaza, the Israel Defence Forces was accused (per usual) of terrible war crimes, disproportionate use of force, etc. To refute these groundless accusations, here is Alan Dershowitz, the famous Harvard Law Professor and ardent advocate for Israel, speaking on the Doha Debates from Georgetown University.

5. Don't worry (or should I say - WORRY!) - Iran is still in the news - here is a self-explanatory story from the Associated Press - can someone - ANYONE - who thinks that Iran is only seeking nuclear power for peaceful purposes explain why it is testing (and loudly hailing for all to hear) a missile that has a range of 1,200 miles? Someone? ANYONE?

6. At least some people in Washington have their eyes open - 250 Congressmen have sent a strong message to President Obama - here's some unequivocal language - "We must also continue to insist on the absolute Palestinian commitment to ending terrorist violence and to building the institutions necessary for a viable Palestinian state living side-by-side, in peace with the Jewish state of Israel."

7. Here is the transcript of the remarks by President Obama and Prime Minister Netanyahu following their meeting in Washington. Everyone is saying the "right" things, but talk is cheap - especially in the Middle East. I would love to have the transcript of the private meeting between these two leaders.

8. When Jews read the Torah, the reading for each "aliyah" must start and end on a positive note. Since we live in such a stressful world, I will try to emulate that practice to a degree by at least trying to end each day's blog entry with something lighter or less serious. Therefore, and to that end - here's a link to an episode of Jay Leno's "Headlines" segment.

That's all for today!!

Tuesday, May 19th, 2009

1. During my recent trip to Israel, the two topics that were far and away the most discussed were Iran and Obama. Prime Minister Netanyahu's visit to Washington has focused much more international attention on those topics, as many people believe that the relations between Washington and Jerusalem will ultimately be defined by how the Iranian issue is handled.
Here are some varying views on the Iranian question.

On one side of the coin, there are the comments of Lawrence Korb that I noted yesterday, as well as this view from Leon Hadar published in Foreign Affairs. I disagree with his position, and if anything, think that he has reversed the process. Sanctions and diplomacy show no signs of working. In my opinion, the best way to make the Iranian proxies less of a threat is to deal a strong blow to their sponsor.

My view of the matter aligns much more closely with that expressed by Mordechai Kedar on Ynetnews.com. As well, if you had been as fortunate as I to have heard retired IDF Brigadier-General Yossi Kupperwasser speak at the BESA conference I attended at Bar-Ilan University, you would likely agree with a very strong stance toward Iran.



(Brig.-Gen. (res.) Yossi Kuperwasser, former Head of Research and Assessment, IDF Military Intelligence - also of the Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs)



(outside the JCPA in Jerusalem)

2. Iran continues to talk its threatening talk - apart from the usual threats from Ahmadinejad, there is this new outrageous comment from the leader of the Iranian military. Haven't heard if there are any comments from the Obama Administration, the UN or the EU criticizing such a blatant threat against a sovereign nation, but I am not holding my breath.

3. Still on the subject of Iran, there is this piece from the Wall Street Journal about the recent efforts of the Israeli intelligence community - though as noted, it won't be enough on its own to make a difference.

4. On the subject of the US-Israel dynamic, this column from the Financial Times is an interesting piece, as is this column from the Jerusalem Post.

5. Speaking of Iran and its proxies, I'm wondering if the guys behind this attack are in the Hamas doghouse. Like the title of the article says, this wins today's bad timing award - as has often been said of the Palestinian leadership, "...they never miss an opportunity to miss an opportunity."

6. And on the lighter side - things are well in "Bayit David" this evening for my son as Detroit won Game 2 of the Western Conference Finals by beating Chicago 3-2 in overtime. Please do not ask me about my Montreal Canadiens.

That's all for today!

Monday, May 18th, 2009 Part II

Back to Blogging - channelling my inner Joel Plaskett and his new CD "Three" - here we go:

1. The Pope, the Pope, the Pope - here is a good retrospective of his Middle East visit from Der Spiegel

2. Iran, Iran, Iran - when leaving Israel I had the good fortune to attend an open seminar at the Begin-Sadat Center for Strategic Studies at Bar-Ilan University near Tel Aviv - I actually witnessed the session referred to by Shmuel Rosner in this post from his blog.



(Shmuel Rosner)



(me)



(Campus of Bar-Ilan University - I suppose I could put up with the scenery)

3. Obama, Obama, Obama - where is the relationship between the US and Israel headed under the new administration of President Obama? Much more will likely be known after Prime Minister Netanyahu's visit to Washington that starts today. At the same BESA conference, I heard Mr. Rosner speak about relations between Israel and the Democratic Majority in Washington.

4, Hamas, Hamas, Hamas - no recognition of Israel - confirmed again! I had the privilege of meeting Mr. Toameh, the Israeli-Arab author of this article, while on my trip to Israel. One should also read the great piece by Charles Krauhammer on the "Hamas Peace Plan"

5. Hezbollah, Hezbollah, Hezbollah - can't forget these guys - how did this report end up on a UN web site - did someone forget their monthly payment?

6. UNHRC, UNHRC, UNHRC - exposed for what it really is - a friend to jihadists everywhere - human rights have nothing to do with the UNHRC. Note that since the article was published, the US has been elected to this "august" body.

7. The Arts, the Arts, the Arts - contrast these two views of the "playlet" Seven Jewish Children - Rick Salutin's take, (who despite having written a book on the Montreal Canadiens, I cannot abide as he is always complaining about everything and usually laying blame at the feet of business, the political right, and Israel), and Rex Murphy's comment.

Monday, May 18th, 2009 Part I

Sorry for my lack of blogging recently - I was away on a fantastic trip to Israel - my fifth trip (fourth in last five years).

I was all over the place seeing fantastic things and meeting interesting people. In my opinion, one cannot fully understand Israel until one goes there and sees it in person - to see the wide diversity of people, religions & geography - and perhaps most importantly, to see how close everything is to everything else - something that I think can be quite foreign to North Americans in particular.

Here are a just a few of the pictures I took during my recent visit.



This is the Separation Fence near Gilo (part of Jerusalem) - part of the only 5% of the Fence that is actually a wall.



Looking from Jerusalem to the east - you can see with the naked eye across the Dead Sea into the Kingdom of Jordan.



Near Kibbutz Misgav Am in the Northern Galilee, this is the Israel-Lebanon border - the far side of the road is Lebanon.



The "Horns of Hittim" - west of the Kinneret (the Sea of Galilee) - where Saladin defeated the Crusaders in 1187.



Overlooking the so-called "Valley of Tears" - the site of a major tank battle between the IDF and the Syrians in the 1973 Yom Kippur War - from Har Bental in the Golan.