Tuesday, August 11, 2009 - Back to "Normal"

1. The Operation in Gaza - Israel has released a detailed document regarding the factual and legal aspects of Operation Cast Lead. It is a lengthy document, which I have not yet read, though I certainly intend to do so. Here is an overview from Ha'aretz, as well as an interesting brief note from The Jerusalem Post on a related manner - not sure where else this would happen in the Middle East.

2. World Expo 2010 - While in Canada we are preparing for the 2010 Winter Olympics in Whistler, British Columbia (about 6,250 kilometers from Halifax), Israel is getting ready for World Expo 2010 in Shanghai, China. Here is a video that shows the preparations for the Israeli Pavilion.

3. "Inglorious Basterds" - (the spelling "error" is consistent with the actual title) This Quentin Tarantino movie is scheduled for release (in Halifax, anyway) on August 21st. Tarantino is Hollywood’s Jewish Avenger. I liked the following quote from this article:

“Holocaust movies always have Jews as victims,” he said, plainly exasperated by Hollywood’s lack of imagination. “We’ve seen that story before. I want to see something different. Let’s see Germans that are scared of Jews. Let’s not have everything build up to a big misery, let’s actually take the fun of action-movie cinema and apply it to this situation.”

4. Campus Alert - The summer is almost over, and college life will start again in earnest in September. With that will bring the renewal of tensions, to a greater or lesser degree, with respect to Jewish students on campus and Israel - I witnessed this first-hand at St. Thomas University in Fredericton, NB - so this is an important read - The Campus War Against Israel and the Jews.

5. Another Good Idea Gone Wrong - the other day I posted a story about how the noble intentions of the creators of the various human rights commissions have gone wildly astray - and this story - Celebrating Hate in the Name of Multiculturalism - talks about the same thing.

6. Musings from the former US Ambassador to Syria and to Israel - Edward P. Djerejian: The United States Must Engage With Syria to Achieve Mideast Peace.

7. And from the former US Ambassador to the UN - John Bolton: Mary Robinson’s Medal. Remember the movie "There's Something About Mary"? - here's another take.

8. A Difference in Values - I am a proud alumnus of Camp Kadimah, located in beautiful Lunenburg County, NS. Two of my children also attend Kadimah. But neither them nor I ever learned anything like this - Gaza Regime Prepares Children For Death.

9. The President and Jewish Democrats - Where Obama Breaks With Jewish Democrats.

10. The President and the Senate - 71 Senators press the President to lean on the Arab States - what do they know that the President does not?

11. She Knows What She Is Talking About - Targeting the Israeli ambassador in Cairo.

12. This Does Not Surprise Me - Khamenei Wants Mousavi Arrested and Broken - which brings me to this - Faster, Please! » The Death of the Islamic Republic.

13. New Advocacy Resource - The Adelson Institute for Strategic Studies of the Shalem Centre, Jerusalem.

"The Adelson Institute for Strategic Studies at the Shalem Center in Jerusalem is an academic and research institute founded by its chairman, Natan Sharansky, in 2007. The Adelson Institute for Strategic Studies develops, articulates and builds support for the strategic principles needed to address the challenges currently facing Israel and the West. Israel, as the only democracy in this region surrounded by totalitarian governments, is on the cutting edge of the challenges and dangers confronting Western civilization everywhere.

As part of this overall effort, the Adelson Institute for Strategic Studies seeks to explore how the advancement of freedom, democracy, and human rights can be marshaled as an effective measure to secure and strengthen international stability and security. The Adelson Institute for Strategic Studies also seeks to examine international law in light of the new forms of asymmetric warfare and terror; the establishment of credible deterrence against guerilla and terror organizations and the states that sponsor them; the appropriate response to weapons of mass destruction; and the strengthening of Israel's relations with its strategic allies.

14. Israel, India and the United States - "Apprehensive Allies" from BESA Center for Strategic Studies.

15. Jimmah - President Carter is back at it.

16. IDF Spotters in Gaza - very interesting video.

17. A "New Jew" Goes To Auschwitz - This is a very interesting piece about the author's first trip to Birkenau. Having been to Auschwitz (and other camps in Poland) in 2005, I agree with his conclusion - these places are so terrifying precisely because they are so real.

18. A Trip Down Baseball's Memory Lane - what do you remember about the way baseball used to be?