Friday, June 19th, 2009 - pre-Shabbat

1. Iran: It is amazing how cartoonists can get to the heart of the matter.

However, for those who prefer the written word, here are a variety of timely articles - from The American Spectator, an open letter to Ayatollah Khamenei published in Der Spiegel, The New York TImes, another article from The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, the Jerusalem Post, Charles Krauthammer, and (strictly out of balance) Al-Jazeera English.

2. Anti-Semitism - Walter Reich in the Miami Herald on The Lessons of anti-Semitism, as well as The American Spectator on Reverend Wright's latest outburst that I posted recently.

3. Political Correctness Alert - Whatever else PETA might stand for that might have some merit, I think that this seriously detracts from their message - a fly - come on! I'm siding with the Obama-nator on this one.

4. JNF - The Jewish National Fund does vital work in Israel - since 1901, JNF has utilized its world-renowned expertise to plant more than 240 million trees in Israel, transforming 250,000 acres of arid land into sustainable forests. These trees have absorbed an estimated 110 million tons of carbon from the atmosphere. JNF also leads the world in water desalination and purification. Here is a great video about JNF's work:



5. Happy Father's Day - Sunday is Father's Day - here is a good comment about Father's Day 2009



as well as a funny commercial:



SHABBAT SHALOM

Thursday, June 18th, 2009

1. The St. Louis Commemoration - the St. Louis event held last night at The Maritime Museum of the Atlantic was a great success. It was co-sponsored by the Atlantic Jewish Council and The Maritime Museum of the Atlantic.

Here is an article from the Globe & Mail, as well as an interview from the national CBC show As It Happens - the interview is about 9 minutes or so into this segment. I had the pleasure of escorting Lisa Avedon around Halifax during her stay - a wonderful woman with a tremendous story and an even better outlook on life!

Here is Lisa with Museum Manager John Hennigar-Shuh.

I also took Lisa to Pier 21, Canada's Ellis Island, which is where the St. Louis would have docked had its passengers been allowed to enter Canada. Here is Lisa with Museum guide Marianne Ferguson (who herself came to Canada from Germany through Pier 21), asking Immigration Officer Rachel to be allowed to enter Canada. 70 years later - she was "granted admission" - the mock passport that Pier 21 gives visitors is stamped with a date of June 17, 2009 - 70 years to the day that Lisa and the rest of the passengers on the St. Louis disembarked in Antwerp. 255 of the ship's passengers were fated to die in Nazi concentration camps.



2. Iran - The situation in Iran continues to develop.One story that caught my eye was this one from The Globe & Mail, which talks about Obama's muted reaction. It caught my eye because many people would say that Mr. Obama has no problem putting both feet into the middle of the situation in Israel by demanding a cessation of settlements.

Speaking of Iran here are some good articles on the latest developments.

First, here is an interesting interview from FrontPage Magazine's Jamie Glazov with Iranian dissident Roozbeh Farahanipour. Second, a short comment from Victor Davis Hanson. Third, a first-hand account of the situation in Iran from Sabina Amidi. And lastly, a different take from Douglas Bloomfield.

3. Time for a New Ally? - with the apparent decline in US-Israel relations, might it be time for Israel to examine a closer relationship with Russia?

4. History of Israel - installment #2 from the Israel Ministry of Foreign Affairs website covering the Second Temple period.

5. Not everyone in Hollywood is cracked - Compliments of Seraphic Secret, here is a nice video about Leiv Schreiber and Naomi Watts:



6. Something Funny - it's wedding season, and Pachelbel's Canon in D will be heard throughout the world. Here's a guy who has a problem with that well-known piece:

Monday, June 15, 2009

1. The St. Louis - As noted previously, the Atlantic Jewish Council and The Maritime Museum of the Atlantic are hosting a commemorative event to mark the 70th anniversary of the voyage of the St. Louis. In Sunday's Nova Scotian supplement to the Chronicle-Herald, Richard Woodbury wrote a detailed article in advance of the event. Here is his excellent article.

2. Netanyahu's Speech, The Reaction - The Prime Minister's speech has been subjected to almost as much scrutiny as that of President Obama. Here is the full text of the speech, as well as a variety of analyses from a variety of viewpoints -
Jeff Barak, Herb Keinon, the AP, Fox News (covering the White House's response), Canada's National Post and Globe and Mail, Commentary Magazine, Ha'aretz newspaper in Israel, and the Muqata Blog. For the moment, all I can say is that given all of the interests from all of the various quarters that had to be allowed for, I am glad it was not me that had to write that speech.









3. More from Iran - Things have not yet settled down. One viewpoint from Der Spiegel , followed by another radically different viewpoint.

4. In Memoriam - Stephen Tyrone Jones, may you rest in peace and may your family know no more sorrow.

5. History Lesson, Part 1 - an important context for all of the news about Israel, the peace process and, in particular, the so-called "two-state solution" is the actual and factual history. Here is Part 1 of a review, compliments of the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs, dealing with the biblical history of Israel.

6. Laugh of the Day - well, I thought it was funny:

Sunday, June 14, 2009

1. Iran Election Aftermath - The biggest story I see after the weekend is the violence and unrest in the aftermath of the election in Iran. Here is some "raw footage" from the BBC that was available on YouTube.














Two comments on this are important to consider. First, from Robert Spencer of JihadWatch - "The ongoing lack of American support for the forces opposing the mullahcracy in Iran is unconscionable. Instead of making nice with the regime, the President should be reaching out to these people. Instead of defending the right of Muslim women to wear the hijab in the United States, which no one is disputing, he should be defending the right of Muslim women not to wear the hijab in Iran."

Second, from Norman Podhoretz of Commentary Magazine - "For more than a decade, we’ve been hearing about the real Iran—the one whose youth is Westernized, desirous of connection with the United States, and tired of living in a theocracy. It’s too soon to know whether the protests today in Iran represent the fruition of the ideas about popular sentiment and the possibility of an uprising. But it is clear that this is a time of testing for the idea that the mullahcracy can be shaken to its foundations by an aggrieved populace. If it can’t, then the regime will prove itself stronger than some of its most heated critics say it is, and the world will have to adjust accordingly. If this is Tienanmen II, and the regime crushes it, there will be no easy approach to regime change. And there will be no pretending any longer that Iran’s regime isn’t a unified, hardline, irridentist, and enormously dangerous one."

2. Netanyahu's Speech - Prime Minister Netanyahu will make a highly anticipated policy speech on Sunday that is expected to serve as a response to recent policy statements from Washington. The Prime Minister is under a lot of pressure from all sorts of groups to address their issues their way - including the PA, which says that it expects Israel to honor all commitments under all Israel-PA agreements (which, to use the old expression, seems like "the pot calling the kettle black"). I imagine the Prime Minister's speech will be subject to intense scrutiny - stay tuned! UPDATE - here is the initial review from the Jerusalem Post.

3, Speaking of policy statements from Washington, what are the President's plans for Jerusalem? - David Frum publishes an analysis of some comments from the "Cairo Speech" - I do not know if he's correct, but his analysis bears careful consideration.

4. I mis-spoke! - The good Reverend Wright is caught out again - the same preacher that never said anything in over 20 years that President Obama found objectionable - he didn't blame the Jews - he meant Zionists!! Yeah - right......

5. USHMM Shooting update - the "suspect" in this terrible shooting is expected to live and will face charges for murdering Museum security guard Stephen Tyrone Johns last week. I am not sure that this is good news, as quite frankly, I am concerned that a trial will turn into a pedestal for spewing his noxious and obscene views.

6. Everyone loves The Beatles - check out this video from the recording of "Get Back" - Billy Preston is just tooooo coooool for words- notice some of The Rolling Stones behind the glass watching the session.

Motzei Shabbat, June 13, 2009

And the hits just keep on coming.....

1. Iranian Election - here is an interesting nugget from the lead up to the Iranian election. During a press briefing prior to Friday's Iranian election, State Department spokesman was asked if the US had any preferences as to who might emerge victorious. Check out this response - are you kidding me?

On the subject of elections in the Middle East (and regardless of outcome in Iran) Elliott Abrams, the deputy national security adviser in the George W. Bush administration, published an opinion piece in The New York Times that compares the election in Iran to that in Lebanon.

2. The Forgotten Exodus - On Thursday evening, I blogged about one of the concerns I had with President Obama's Cairo address. Here is another - his historical review of the MIddle East forgot to mention the 800,000 or so Jews who were expelled or forced to flee from various Arab countries in the Middle East where they had lived for centuries. André Aciman, a professor of comparative literature at the City University of New York Graduate Center, wrote a poignant piece for The New York Times - in which he concluded:

"It is strange that our president, a man so versed in history and so committed to the truth, should have omitted mentioning the Jews of Egypt. He either forgot, or just didn’t know, or just thought it wasn’t expedient or appropriate for this venue. But for him to speak in Cairo of a shared effort “to find common ground ... and to respect the dignity of all human beings” without mentioning people in my position would be like his speaking to the residents of Berlin about the future of Germany and forgetting to mention a small detail called World War II."

Here is the entire piece - well worth the read.

3. The Jewish State -

A. B. Yehoshua is a provocative and somewhat controversial Israeli author. With all the discussions about a two-state solution and the nature of Israel, this article presents an interesting point of view.

Another interesting article by Yehoshua is this one from Azure Magazine in which he tries to identify the root cause of anti-Semitism.

If you are interested in reading some of his novels, here is a link that gives you some details about his writings.

4. President Carter - is at it again. Meeting the spiritual leader of Hezbollah, and on his way to meet Hamas leader Mashal. Too bad Arafat has left this earth - he could have made it a trifecta!

5. Anti-Semitism - a sobering column from Michael Gerson in Friday's Washington Post.

6. Something Upbeat - Everyone loved The Sound of Music - here is a cool video from the Central Train Station in Antwerp that should help take your mind off all the difficult material above.

pre-Shabbat, Friday, June 12, 2009

Some quick hitters before Shabbat arrives in Halifax.

1. Iranian elections - it could make history, as is argued here, but this position seems more realistic to me.

2. The "Oh just turn out the lights in the UK already" department, latest installment - come on!

3. Maybe this will help - the good people of Sderot can use some assistance - imagine being under fire as they have been for years on end.

4. We need truths, not myths - here is a list of the top ten myths about the conflict in the Middle East.

5. Campus - the battle continues.

6. The St. Louis - Next week, the Atlantic Jewish Council and the Maritime Museum of the Atlantic are hosting a commemorative event to mark the 70th anniversary of the voyage of the St. Louis. Here is a link to recount that sad story. The event will include remarks by Lisa Avedon, who as a four year old girl, was on that ship with her parents. A larger exhibit on the St. Louis will open in the fall at the Maritime Museum.

7. Shabbat - what better way to prepare for Shabbat than this video by Cantor Ari Isenberg of Shaar Shalom Synagogue in Halifax (and the JTS Rabbinic Program in NYC), admirably accompanied by Jason Brown - published author of "Our Days are Numbered".

Shabbat Shalom!

Thursday, June 11, 2009

1. The more I think about it, the more I am concerned about the liberties that President Obama took in stating the context of the Arab/Israeli conflict. I will address one concern in my posting today.

The President said: "America's strong bonds with Israel are well known. This bond is unbreakable. It is based upon cultural and historical ties, and the recognition that the aspiration for a Jewish homeland is rooted in a tragic history that cannot be denied. Around the world, the Jewish people were persecuted for centuries, and anti-Semitism in Europe culminated in an unprecedented Holocaust." (my emphasis)

Many commentators have interpreted this passage as meaning that Israel came into being as a result of the Holocaust. I am not entirely sure that that is what the passage means, but I do agree that it is a possible interpretation. And that ambiguity concerns me, as those who believe in that interpretation (i.e. - the vast majority of Palestinians and the Arab world) will use that passage as justifying their position that they should not pay the price for European guilt over the Holocaust.

Which brings me to a theory about the creation of the State of Israel that goes like this (which I read in "Those Who Forget the Past", edited by Ron Rosenbaum (pages 172-174) and which I hope I recount correctly).

All of the European countries realized how deeply complicit they were in the events of the Holocaust. So after the Second World War, to assuage their guilt, they supported the creation of the State of Israel, creating a destination for the pitiful remnants of the Jews of Europe. The by-product of this was that by and large, the Europeans would be rid of their Jews (with a further bonus of allowing them to steal or confiscate whatever Jewish property remained that the Nazis had not already stolen). Unspoken of course, was that no one expected the nascent State of Israel to survive the attacks that were sure to come from the Arab neighbors of the new State. The whole thing would finally solve the "Jewish Problem" in Europe as a supplement to the already rather thorough work done by the Nazi regime, but no one could blame the Europeans because after all - they had simply given the Jews what they wanted - a homeland in Palestine - so what if some Arabs were inconvenienced for a while and the new Jewish state was wiped out?

This underpinning of this theory, which I think has a lot of merit, also serves to undermine the legitimacy of Israel's existence. Further it is easily expanded into explaining why Europeans take so easily to categorizing Israel and especially the IDF as "Nazis" regarding their treatment of the Palestinians - this allows apologists to " ...sanitize Germany's immense crimes and those of other European countries by accusing Israel of acting similarly."

For what is no doubt a much better overview, here is an excellent overview of the theory of Holocaust inversion penned by Dr. Manfred Gerstenfeld of the Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs.























2. Here's a sick one from the supposed partners for peace - women trained to be martyrs. Are they running out of children? Perhaps they are - here's a companion sick story from today's Jerusalem Post.

3. And now, on a lighter note - those of you with dogs will especially understand this - from The New Yorker: