Tuesday, June 30th, 2009 (Part II) - Canada Day Edition

1. Are You Kidding Me? - I know that lies, deceit, hypocrisy and the like are commonplace among the leadership of Hamas and the Palestinian Authority, and that I should never be surprised at what emanates from those sources. Still, this story that was monitored and reported by Palestinian Media Watch simply defies belief - "Peace partner" Fatah boasts of more terrorism than Hamas. Here is the accompanying video:

2. The U(seless) N(ations) Strikes Again - Since there is nothing, nothing, better for it to be doing, the Useless Nations has sprung into action with a New Fact-finding Mission about the Gaza incursion from 6 or so months ago.

3. Speaking of Gaza - The flamboyant, publicity seeking hound known as George Galloway who had so much to say about Gaza now has come out and has taken up the cause for Ahmadinejad. Why doesn't he just move to Iran, become Ahmadinejad's permanent synchophant, and simply get it over with?

And regarding Iran and Ahmadinejad.....here are three pieces from The Wall Street Journal - Obama's Obsolete Iran Policy, Solidarity With Iran, and Silence Has Consequences for Iran.

4. Victor Davis Hanson - Thuggery 101 - maybe the President should take some notes on this one.

5. The Dead Sea Scrolls - When I was in Israel in May, I was fortunate to be able to visit the Israel Museum and in particular, The Shrine of the Book (in the picture below that I am in, the Shrine of the Book is over my right shoulder and the Knesset is directly behind me). Since there will be an exhibit of the Dead Sea Scrolls at Toronto's Royal Ontario Museum, here is a primer - What you need to know about the Dead Sea Scrolls.

6. Happy Canada Day - with a special thanks and acknowledgment to the past and present members of the Canadian Armed Forces, to whom we all owe so much. The following sad image is from the Dieppe raid, August 19, 1942.

7. Last But Not Least - I am not nearly the baseball fan that I used to be - I guess there is too much attention on salary caps and drug scandals. However, I did come across this video that did a bit to remind me of why I used to love baseball so much - its dramatic moments are truly incredible.

Tuesday, June 30th, 2009

1. Say a prayer for my modem - My modem decided to meet its maker over the weekend, and I am awaiting a replacement from Bell Aliant. My ability to blog has therefore been impaired - see, didn't you know that something was missing from your life?

2. Iran - Here are a variety of stories on Iran. First, though Mir-Hossein Mousavi is the unofficial leader of the Iranian protests, this is a reminder that he is also known as the "Butcher of Beirut". Second, by now you have likely heard the strong threats issued by the Iranian leadership to protesters, but if not, here is a story from the Globe & Mail - Iranian cleric issues stern warning. Third, here are a couple of good comments from Commentary Magazine - A Rude Iranian Awakening and The Vain Search for Common Ground. Fourth, from CaglePost is Linda Chavez writing about Iran's True Revolutionaries. Fifth and finally (and to me, incredibly) and despite all that has gone on, there is apparently still a willingness to sit down and engage the Iranian regime - here are comments about that from the Miami Herald - Obama officials: talks with Iran still possible, Pajamas Media - Obama’s Engagement Policy with Iran Is Dead. What’s Next? and Der Spiegel - Carrot or Stick?: Election Violence Upsets Berlin's Stance on Iran.

3. The Settlements - This issue is very much still out there. David Hornik weighs in with No Meddling With Iran … But Oh, Those Settlements!, and Jennifer Rubin of Commentary Magazine contributes Never Mind? For a review of both sides of the coin on the settlement issue, here are Gershom Gorenberg in the LA Times as well as Howard Grief of Ariel Center for Policy Research (which I have linked to previously).

4. President Obama - one of the people who reads my blog called me to express their views about the President and his attitude toward Israel, and pointed me in particular to this article by Rabbi Dr. Morton Pomerantz, a Reform Rabbi, who is also a chaplain for the State of New York, a former Navy and Marine Corps officer and chaplain, and deputy national chaplain for the Jewish War Veterans of the United States. Do you agree?

5. Senator Robert Menendez (D-New Jersey) - if you ardently support Israel and hope that people in power "get it", you will find the following clip very much to your liking:

6. Stealing Home - One of the rarest and most exciting plays in baseball is a straight steal of home. On Sunday, this rare event happened twice (Gary Matthews, Jr. and Chris Getz). CNNSI.com has a very interesting article about the feat. And here is the video of the controversial Jackie Robinson steal of home in the 1955 World Series.

Friday, June 26th, 2009 - pre Shabbat

1. Iran Remains Front and Centre - There is no getting away from this issue, which is much, much more involved than a simple rigged election. Victor Davis Hanson weighs in with Thoughts on America and Iran. Daniel Pipes calls for American boldness in Iran. There is an excellent column from the National Post - Where is Obama's 'Evil Empire' speech? And Seraphic Secret, one of my "go-to sites", has a provocative post called If At First You Don't Succeed Grovel, Grovel Again. Here is a different column from The Globe & Mail - Giving voice to the voiceless, in Iran and the Arab world. And finally, presented not for balance and certainly not because I agree with its content, but rather to be aware of what some other people (i.e. - a certain Arab-Canadian who, it is claimed in a comment below the column, has never met an Islamist he didn't like) think, here is a piece from Haroon Siddiqui of the Toronto Sun who claims that there is - "No option but to engage the Iranian regime".

I think that this video and the following cartoons answer Mr. Siddiqui quite eloquently.

2. Mrs. Clinton and the Settlements - From Commentary Magazine, here are some further thoughts about this very troubling issue - Unenforceable Agreements. Foreign Minister Lieberman is quoted on this and other issues in The Other Straight Talking Lieberman.

3. BDS - No, it's not a new drug, type of cell phone, television channel or car model. It is the shameful Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement I have mentioned as recently as yesterday. Here is a website in response - http://www.divestthis.com/.

4. Conservative Judaism - From Shmuel Rosner's blog at the Jerusalem Post website - Rabbi Joanna Samuels on the stagnation of the Jewish Conservative movement

5. Al Qaeda - I guess putting these guys on the serious defensive had some benefits after all - Al Qaeda claims it's been too busy to attack U.S. at home.

6. More Holocaust Horror - more and more details emerge about the depths of the horrors of the Holocaust - here is the latest - Concentration Camp Bordellos: 'The Main Thing Was to Survive at All'

7. First they complained about Tom Cruise in Valkyrie - Now this - Casting Catastrophe: German Jews Horrified by Britney Spears Holocaust Role.

8. Good News Item - There is an old joke that the true definition of a Bar Mitzvah is that it is the date that a Jewish boy realizes that he has a greater chance of owning an NBA team than playing for one - Omri Casspi of Maccabi Tel Aviv has either never heard the joke or was determined to prove it wrong - he was drafted 23rd overall in Thursday's NBA draft by the Sacramento Melechim, I mean, Kings.....

Thursday, June 25, 2009

1. Gilad Shalit - Today is three years since Gilad Shalit was captured by Hamas. As noted in this article, "[t]he Hamas terrorists who have been holding him hostage have allowed no one to see or contact him, including representatives of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC). It is impossible to know whether Shalit is even alive, although Israeli officials have stressed they believe he still is."

It is unbelievable that the wonderful humanitarians in Hamas have been permitted to deny Shalit even the most basic rights of a prisoner of war. And in my opinion, if they do not treat Shalit as a POW, it is because that they know themselves what all their apologists seem unable to fathom - that they are terrorists, plain and simple, and that he is a kidnap victim, not a POW. And the world has said nothing. We must all remember Gilad and push for his freedom - I think that in some small way, and at least until he is freed, every Jewish person has a part of Gilad in them.

2. Speaking of the World's Hypocrisy - Here is a very apt editorial from Israel's Maariv newspaper on the silence of the Western leftists over Iran - “Where is Everyone?”.

I know from first-hand observation that during the recent Gaza incursion, there were numerous noisy anti-Israel rallies in Halifax, as well as outraged letters to the editor and the like. These events were well attended by leftists who supported Hamas - think about the contradiction of that for a second, but not too long because you will hurt your head - and who were vehemently anti-Israel.

So during the events in Iran, where are they? The only protest I have seen here is a small gathering of Iranian émigrés in front of the Public Gardens. I do not believe that I have even seen one earnest, anguished letter to the editor.

And in case you are thinking that things are getting better in Iran - think again. And again:

Oh - it's that double standard thing again.

3. By The Way, Here's What the Leftists are Doing - They are continuing to push to boycott Israel, for sanctions and divestment. Like Scottish Trade Unions have nothing better to do....

4. Hilary Was Wrong! - It turns out that the Secretary of State was wrong in her assertion that no understandings had been reached between the US and Israel on settlements. Elliott Abrams, who handled Middle Eastern Affairs for the National Security Council from 2001-2009, has written a strong op-ed piece in today's Wall Street Journal that completely contradicts Mrs. Clinton's statements Of note in particular was this concluding comment:

"Regardless of what Mrs. Clinton has said, there was a bargained-for exchange. Mr. Sharon was determined to break the deadlock, withdraw from Gaza, remove settlements -- and confront his former allies on Israel's right by abandoning the "Greater Israel" position to endorse Palestinian statehood and limits on settlement growth. He asked for our support and got it, including the agreement that we would not demand a total settlement freeze.

For reasons that remain unclear, the Obama administration has decided to abandon the understandings about settlements reached by the previous administration with the Israeli government. We may be abandoning the deal now, but we cannot rewrite history and make believe it did not exist."

Oh, and by the way - US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton fell and broke her right arm yesterday. The same day she was telling Israel, yet again, how they will accept nothing less than a complete cessation of construction in the settlements. - If I forget thee O Jerusalem, let my right hand wither... אם אשכחך ירושלים תשכח ימיני. And also, this story should not come as a surprise.

5. Here's a Shocker! - The New York Times reports that Documents Back Saudi Link to Extremists. This gets today's coveted "Captain Renault Award":

6. Today's Smile - one of my favorite commercials of all time:

Wednesday, June 24, 2009

1. Ideology First! - Women's Rights Activists put Israel-bashing before their cause. One must be ideologically pure after all.

2. Paranoia Second - Christopher Hitchens says that Iranian leaders will always believe Anglo-Saxons are plotting against them. Don't confuse me with reality - my mind is made up!

3. And, Speaking of Paranoia, or Some Other Type of Disorder - This would be funny, except that it isn't - when there is no balance in pubic discourse, you get the paranoia of the Iranian leaders, or stories like this:

Which can then easily lead to the next story. It is a very slippery slope.

4. It Couldn't Happen Here - Sometimes people in Canada get complacent about their own security. They bristle at the notion that there could be terror cells in Canada, and get absolutely apoplectic at any suggestion that terrorists use Canada as an entry point for access to the US. Well, given that according to this article, the Toronto 18 attack was intended to mimic 9/11, maybe they should wake up and smell the double-double (a reference to Tim Horton's coffee, for those uninitiated in the finer aspects of Canada's culture).

5. Tony Judt - Here's another Jewish intellectual who doesn't like Israel. Here is his extremely crtitical op-ed from Monday's New York Times, and as response from Jonathan Tobin of Commentary Magazine - Memo to the Times: The Whole Country is Illegal to Tony.

6. This Just In - in case you were wondering, according to the US, the settlement freeze includes east Jerusalem. As is often the case, Dry Bones says (draws?) it best:

7. Which brings me to.. - as the Dry Bones comic above directly asserts, there's nothing like Double Standards when it comes to the Middle East. And remember, double standards is one of Natan Sharansky's 3D Tests of anti-Semitism.

8. There are Jews Everywhere - When I participated on the 2005 March of the Living, and coming from the small Jewish community that is Halifax, Nova Scotia, it overwhelmed me to observe that there were delegations of Jews from all over the world. Here is further evidence of that fact - maybe it is obvious to others, but who expects that there are Jews in Peru? Check out - Adopting Forebears’ Faith and Leaving Peru for Israel.

9. Here's a First - John Bercow, the son of a Jewish taxi driver, becomes the 1st Jewish speaker of UK House of Commons. Kol Hakavod!

10. Last But Not Least - and now, for something completely different......I love this card trick:

Monday, June 22, 2009

1. Irony in Iran - Here's irony for you. Joshua Mitnick of the Christian Science Monitor suggests that many Israeli government/defense types would actually prefer for Ahmadinejad to have been elected as he will be much easier to isolate internationally. Mousavi will not rein in Iran's nuclear ambitions, but will be looked upon internationally as a sympathetic figure. David Hazony of Commentary Magazine disagrees. Caroline Glick also weighs in with an opinion that Israel has a rare win-win opportunity.

2. So What is Going on in Iran? - former CIA operative Reuel Marc Gerecht advances one theory. Michael Rubin of Middle East Quarterly advances another. Zvi Bar'el of Haaretz offers a third, and here is a fourth from Richard Fernandez.

Michael Rubin's suggested link between the Chinese and the Iranians is quite worrisome - the real crackdown may not come until later, when no one is around. When people complain about the negative effects of globalization, this is not what they mean - but they should. I shudder to think of the brutality that will likely be entailed.

3. Israel Issues - Sooner rather than later, the focus of the world will shift back to Israel - the "Two-State Solution", the settlements, and so on.

On the first issue, here is a blunt column from Herb Denenberg of The Bulletin - "Why A Two-State Israel Palestinian Solution Is Insane". There are numerous opinions about this issue - here are two, from well-known philanthropist Edgar Bronfman, professor and author Alex Grobman. In addition, here is a site I have never linked to before - Debatepedia - with its analysis.

On the settlements, it is important to understand that the vast majority of the so-called "settlements" are suburbs of Jerusalem - Maale Adumim, Givat Zeev, Efrat and Beitar and their related communities. I say so-called "settlements" because to me at least, the way that word is used in the media conjures up an image of people living in tents or other such temporary accommodations - speaking solely about Efrat (below right), which I have visited many times, I can assure you that the community is every bit as nice and permanent as anything you would ever hope to live in in North America. I have also been in Maale Adumim (below left), and was struck by its beauty.

In any event, even Jimmy Carter, my least favorite ex-President (living or dead), has said that he does not envision Israel pulling out of the Gush Etzion settlements near Jerusalem. That said, in light of President Obama's statement that there were no "understandings" between Israel and the US on various issues, who knows what Carter means? (who ever knows what Carter really means? - but I digress).

Here a few detailed pieces from Howard Grief that give an excellent background to the settlements issue - "Legal Rights and Title of Sovereignty of the Jewish People to The Land of Israel and Palestine Under International Law", "Is Israel Occupying the West Bank?", and "The Origin of the Occupation Myth"

And on another major issue - illegal construction in East Jerusalem, which is used to criticize Israel for ethnic cleansing, apartheid and the like, here is some critical background information - from IsraelNationalNews and from the Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs.

4. Operation Barbarossa - on June 22, 1941, Nazi Germany attacked the Soviet Union. The result was a brutal was between two totalitarian regimes with opposite ideologies. The war on the Eastern Front lasted almost 4 years - it is estimated that on the Soviet side alone, over 26.5 million people (soldiers and civilians) were killed.

From a Jewish perspective, the tragedy of the war was that it gave the Nazis physical control of the eastern part of Poland not taken over by the Nazis in 1939, as well as huge swaths of the western Soviet Union - in other words physical control over millions of Jews - many of whom were murdered by the actions of the Einsatzgruppen or through the more industrial method of the death camps.

5. Golf - The US Open is over. Neither Tiger nor Phil won, and the weather was atrocious. Some people say that golf is not exciting. Personally, I don't agree - it's just exciting in a different way. But if you'd like to liven it up, try this:

Sunday, June 21, 2009 - Happy Father's Day

1. Obama and Iran - In this article from The Christian Science Monitor, President Obama is quoted as saying that he does not want to turn this current crisis into a dispute between the US and Iran. I don't think that he is being asked to do that. I think that what many people are saying is - you are the leader of the "Free World", and as such should do all in your power to promote democracy, especially in the face of the vile threats issued by Ayatollah Khamenei against his own people.

So, in the Wall Street Journal, Peggy Noonan writes a column entitled "Whose Side Are we On? You Have To Ask?" The British newspaper The Telegraph opines that Obama must use soft power forcefully on Iran. And in US News & World Report, there is criticism that the President has not re-thought his strategy of dealing with Iran in light of these current developments. As this last article concludes rather clearly:

President Obama should state his full support for the protesters on the street and denounce the regime's tactics while also stating that he will not engage with a regime that has blood on its hands. The Obama Administration, having wasted its first six months in office, doesn't deserve another six to coddle Tehran while the regime trounces dissent and progresses down the path to a nuclear weapon. Leaders who kill their own people should be condemned, not "engaged," and should certainly not be allowed to develop nuclear weapons.

Of course, there are dissenting views. Donna Brazile, a political commentator on CNN, ABC and NPR; contributing columnist to Roll Call, the newspaper of Capitol Hill; and former campaign manager for Al Gore, states that the US is right not to meddle in Iran. Senator John Kerry published an opinion piece in The New York Times that reads nicely and makes some interesting points, but in my opinion is ultimately just another form of appeasement. Now we are even afraid to use words to try to give support to those seeking freedom.

To me, the bottom line is that too often the West has talked the talk but not walked the walk - Czechoslovakia, Poland, Hungary, and so on - with disastrous consequences for those abandoned, but also serious consequences for the West. I am not saying to invade Iran over this - I am just saying that we should show a greatly increased level of interest and support for people who are daring to defy a murderous regime. In my humble opinion, of course.

2. Basij Militia - one of the instruments of government terror in Iran is the Basij Militia. Here is an article from The New Yorker about that group.

3. Palestinian Authority - the international donor group known as the Ad-Hoc Liaison Committee has as its mission bringing together key donors of aid and relief with the Israeli government and the Palestinian Authority to address the current state of affairs between the two countries. The AHLC also keeps track on how donor countries interact with the Palestinian authorities and how the support they provide is handled. The Chair of the AHLC is the Foreign Minister of Norway, and in this article he states that peace requires a strong Palestinian Authority.

In this article, however, he shows his bias by stating that Israel has to show good faith and live up to the terms of the Road Map, whereas all he seems to require of the Palestinians is that they should get along internally. The Palestinians have obligations under the Road Map as well - so make them live up to them as well.

4. History of Israel, Installment #3 - Foreign Domination

5. Making Plane Rides Fun - Here is a funny video about a flight attendant from Southwest Airlines - air travel can be so stressful these days, anything can serve to lighten the mood.

Saturday, June 20 - Motzei Shabbat

1. Letter to the Editor - On June 10th, I linked to a column by Paul Schneidereit of the Halifax Chronicle-Herald about Arab-Israeli journalist Khaled Abu Toameh. I had the pleasure of meeting Khaled on my trip to Israel in April/May. Here is Paul's original column.

On June 17th, the Herald published three letters critical of Paul's column - they are here, about halfway down the page. I will put this diplomatically, but my experience is that the letter writers frequently write to the Herald and are generally quite critical of anything Paul writes about Israel, and for that matter, Israel itself. I wrote in reply to the Herald, and today my letter was published (about halfway down the page).

2. Iran - this cauldron continues to boil.

In his Friday "sermon", Ayatollah Khamenei managed to, among other things, explicitly threaten violence against the protesters and blame the United States, Great Britain, and, of course, Zionists. His remarks have caused widespread condemnation, including even Amnesty International, which has found someone other than Israel to criticize, saying:

Amnesty said that instead of warning security forces, including the volunteer Basij militia, to act with restraint and in accordance with the law, Khamenei threatened the Iranian people by saying that if they continued to take to the streets, the consequences would lie with them.

"For a Head of State to put the onus of security on peaceful demonstrators and not on the security forces is a gross dereliction of duty and a license for abuse..."

Here are a number of other good source readings - from Joshua Muravchik of Commentary Magazine, David Frum of the National Post (who is the originator of the "Axis of Evil" phrase), Fareed Zakaria of CNN, Iranian expert Afshin Molavi in Der Spiegel and the always excellent Victor Davis Hanson.

3. Israel - even though events in Iran are dominating the news, Israel is never far from the front page, and we can expect it to be back there again soon. The Arabs are harshly critical of PM Netanyahu and FM Lieberman. Here is a view from Robert Fulford of the National Post about Avigdor Lieberman and his plan for peace.

4. Jewish Influence - Every day, I am more and more amazed at the influence we Jews seem to have - just the other day the (in)famous Jeremiah Wright of President Obama fame/infamy blamed the Jews for restricting his access to President Obama (he quickly tried to correct his remarks to blame only Zionists). Now the German priest who is spearheading the move to beatify Pope Pius XII, claims that pressure from jewish groups is behind the delay in that process. The Vatican has condemned the allegation.

Pope Pius XII was the Pope during the Holocaust. In that regard, he is a controversial figure. Some say that he did not do enough to help the Jews of Europe and was more concerned with protecting the Catholic Church. Others claim that he did all that he could to save Jews. Here is an interesting link on the subject from the Jewish Virtual Library, with links at the bottom of the article just above the bibliography page to defences of the Pope.

I have read "Hitler's Pope" by John Cornwell, but not "The Myth of Hitler's Pope" by Rabbi David Dalin. Cornwell's book was very critical of Pius XII, though he has now backed off his criticism in large part. In a 2004 interview in The Economist, Cornwell said:

"...While I believe with many commentators that the pope might have done more to help the plight of the Jews, I now feel, 10 years after the publication of my book, that his scope for action was severely limited and I am prepared to state this... Nevertheless, due to his ineffectual and diplomatic language in respect of the Nazis and the Jews, I still believe that it was incumbent on him to explain his failure to speak out after the war. This he never did."

5. The Canadian Human Rights Commission - the most recent spat between Ezra Levant and the CHRC about an appearance on the CTV show "Power Play" did not seem to generate much traction (here is Levant's side of the story). Here is a National Post editorial critical of the CHRC on another side of the issue.

6. Torii Hunter - a good friend of mine who shall remain nameless is a huge fan of the Minnesota Twins baseball team. I found this Twins promotional video from a couple of years ago featuring Hunter, (now playing with the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim). I think that the look on the young child's face at the end of the spot is priceless.