Israelisms...The Blog

Routine

2008-05-11T02:16:00.000-07:00

The celebrations are over and we are now back to the routine. Qassams have been slamming into the Negev communities as Hamas returns to its routine of destruction. Mortars fired at Israel killed a civilian on a kibbutz. In addition we watch what is happening in Lebanon as Iran oops I meant Hezbollah flexes its muscle. Of course at the very sight of this Siniora began to shake and of course gave in to Hezbollah's demands. I think he was crying again too. Of course he added that they should keep the focus on the real enemy Israel. I feel sorry for the citizens of Lebanon who have such poor leadership. They are not our enemy. I just hope they like the rulers of Iran. I'm just saying...

Of course the routine continues in our own back yard. Will the other shoe finally drop on Olmert? Cabinet ministers have given him support. Mofaz thinks he is innocent until proven guilty. Great concept. Livni was the only minister who remained silent. Her mother taught her well. If you don't have anything nice to say...you know the rest.

The next decade for Israel should be an interesting one. My only prediction is that Israel will still be here and stronger than before.

Submitted by Carol

Don't Forget

2008-05-06T03:17:00.001-07:00

I will always remember Staff Sergeant Michael Levin and I have never met him. He was killed in a clash with Hezbollah during the Second Lebanon War. An American who immigrated to Israel in 2004. He as a member of an elite paratrooper unit.

My friend Natan's brother was called to active duty during the war and was fighting in Lebanon. We would exchange daily SMS. Just my way of checking that he was okay. Then one day I woke with a horrible feeling in the pit of my stomach. Something was wrong. I spent the day like that. And no answer to my SMS. Then later that day I heard the news.

Natan's brothers name in Hebrew is pronounced Micha-el. I always called him Michael, using the American pronunciation of his name. When I heard the news I understood that something terrible happened to Michael. Just not my Michael.

Tonight starts Memorial Day in Israel for Fallen Soldiers. They fought for all of us. Remember them. Make Israel a better country in their memory.

Irony

2008-04-28T11:09:00.000-07:00

Today Israel went after two terrorists in Gaza. They were hit from the air by the air force. They were killed. A family eating breakfast on their balcony near by was also killed. A mother and her children. But no they were not killed by the IDF. They were killed by the explosives that the terrorists had in their possession. Imagine that. Explosives being kept near civilians. Does Hamas take responsibility for putting its civilians in harms way or do they blame Islamic Jihad? Silly me. They are never responsible for anything.

Submitted by Carol

Not Now

2008-04-27T01:01:00.000-07:00

Maybe later. Syria and Israel are not at war so we do already have a kind of peace. Our border with Syria is quiet. Our border with Egypt is not so quiet and we have a signed piece of paper that says we have peace. But they allow arms smuggling to our enemy Hamas.

Eventually we will have to deal with Syria but I think we need to concentrate on only one thing right now. Figuring out how to deal with the Hamas/Fatah dynamic so we can reach an agreement which will end in two states for two people. As I view the dynamics of the region I see this as of major importance. Of course there is the obvious which is an end to the already too long conflict. The other reason is Iran. Iran is itching to get its claws into the area. It doesn't need a nuclear bomb. In fact the logistics of bombing Israel and not destroying Jerusalem and some of the neighboring Arab countries is pretty impossible. Even a dirty bomb poses most of the same problems. Now Syria and Iran have bonded. Syria arms Hezbollah with weapons from Iran. Syrias venture into nuclear something or other is in my opinion connected to Iran. While the IAEA was busy focussing on Iran, Syria was quietly building a secret reactor or nuclear bomb making plant with the help of the North Koreans. Smoke and mirrors. A good trick that luckily did not succeed. So back to the premise. How does Iran destroy Israel without directly bombing it?

Lets go with the land for peace formula. Israel gives back the Golan Heights. Syria puts a civilian population on the Golan Heights. Then Syria puts a resistance movement on the Golan Heights. Well I would call them terrorists but thats just me. Everyone has learned from the Hezbollah Second Lebanon War example. Its the homefront stupid. They hit us just like Hezbollah and just like Hamas and friends in Gaza. We are then forced to hit back at a population center. You can all say its an act of war if we are hit. I say yada yada yada. What Hezbollah did was an act of war and we are still at fault because of civilian deaths. What is happening in Gaza is our fault because there are civilian deaths. The formula has been perfected. We don't have an answer to it. Not yet anyway. You need finesse to answer this kind of crap and we have no leaders who know what finesse means.

So the argument that the height of the Golan Heights is not strategically important anymore due to advanced technology may or may not be true. It doesn't matter. Its not part of the equation. When we left Gaza the feeling was that the terrorists would do what they wanted. They were shooting at the settlers anyway. Except now they are closer to our population centers and things have gotten so much worse since we pulled out.

Once we have an agreement with the Palestinians we can deal with Syria. Until then they are a pawn of Iran who wants to destroy Israel and who wants control in Jerusalem. Its the whole Sunni/ Shiite thing. We need to take away the motivation to destroy our great country. Then we can deal with the Golan Heights which I think some parts of should stay permanently in our hands.

Submitted by Carol

Sharav

2008-04-24T03:53:00.000-07:00

Its just too freakin hot to write about anything!

Two Irritants and an Idiot

2008-04-13T08:48:00.000-07:00

Peace Now. Sounds like something one should strive for and something that most normal people would want. The group is celebrating 30 years of one sidedness that also wears blinders. Peace now was formed with one aim, to stop the occupation. I hate the term and no I do not live in la la land. It is the term adopted from the enemy which gives the impression that we went out to get us some more land when what we did was fight a defensive war and we ended up with extra land. The term occupation ignores the fact that we wanted to return the land and the only answer was NO from the Arabs. While I am at it let me just mention that although we wanted to negotiate its return it is as much Israel as Tel Aviv. So what irritates me? Certainly not vocabulary. What irritates me is their inability to advocate for peace on both sides. For them the end to the "occupation" will bring the coming of the messiah. Get out and peace will come. They ignore all Palestinian acts of violence against Israel. They ignore the fact that these terrorists see ALL of Israel as being occupied. They demand nothing from the Palestinians. They show no sympathy for the people of Sderot or victims of other terrorist attacks. Maybe if they had called themselves by another name and not pretended to be peace activists I would be less offended by them. You need only one side to make war but you need both sides for peace. Ironically I would like to see a Palestinian State in the West Bank and Gaza. But for this goal I will never give my support or stand with those from Peace Now.

The second irritant I discovered this morning as I read my paper. The Ultra Orthodox community has decided to boycott a certain supermarket chain because the owner also operates mini markets that are open on Shabbat. Hypocrites! They do not boycott other establishments whose owners own other businesses that are open on Shabbat. I agree with the author of the article who said that this particular tycoon wasn't donating money to Ultra Orthodox venues. Money trumps halacha any day.

And lastly the idiot. Mr Meshal the CEO of Hamas in Damascus. I almost never think of him as a fool. His daughter just got married and he told her to have many children with which to fuel the resistance. Looks like our old buddy realizes that what he is doing won't succeed and he will need future generations because we, Israel, will still be here! Actually I may not be giving him enough credit because he did get that part right!

Holy Cow!

2008-04-06T11:19:00.000-07:00

Hey I woke up this morning and my usual routine is ro read the paper and have some coffee. I hadn't taken a sip of coffee yet as I opened the newspaper. There was an article on the front page, right in the center actually, about Sderot. For a few seconds I thought I was looking at Haaretz. Then I realized it was the International Herald Tribune. I was stunned. Okay so maybe it was the lack of caffeine but still amazing.

Fitna

2008-03-31T02:24:00.001-07:00

I guess I need to add my 2 cents to the talk about this movie made by the Dutch member of parliament. For those that have not seen it the majority of the film consists of verses from the Qu'ran paired with speeches made by radical Islamic leaders. The verses are also paired with scenes from 9/11 and scenes from suicide bombings that took place in Israel. The later part f the film shows statistics pointing to the growth of Islam in Holland and in the world. This is paired with speeches by radical Islamic leaders where they talk about their quest for world dominance.

As a Jew I could not help but think how easily someone could take bits of text from the Torah to do something similar to the Jews. This guy crossed a dangerous line by using the religion to make a case against radical Islam. It will fuel those bigots who cannot or do not want to see the manipulation. He seems to have a great fear of Islam taking over the world. I believe that is his motivation for making the film.

I hate radical Islam and all its bigotry and hate that they promote. This film however is the wrong answer to the problem of radical Islam. Hopefully his 15 minutes of fame will end and not in violence by either side.

In Memorium

2008-03-05T02:17:00.000-08:00

Our English bulldog, Max, died today.

He was the best dog ever. Hell, Max was the best friend ever.

He was old. He was eleven and a half years old and evidently for a bulldog, that's pretty damn old. He hadn't been doing well lately and there was nothing anyone could do for him but make him comfortable. Max went to sleep last night and I found him in his usual comfortable position this morning, but he wasn't with us anymore.

From the day we adopted him, Max was a character. He was so small I carried him home on the inside of my jacket because it was raining outside. I don't know if you've ever seen an English bulldog puppy, but they're three-quarters head and one-quarter body.

Max had more personality than 80 percent of the humans I know. His heart was huge, and pure. He demanded that you love him, and could never conceive of the concept that someone, either human or animal, might be put off by him. Being a male, other male dogs may growl at him, and Max would stand there wagging his piglet shaped tail with the attitude of, "Don't be mad at me...LOVE ME!" Have you ever seen a bulldog smile? Well, I don't care what you say. Max could smile.

He was a nurse. He knew instinctively when one of us wasn't feeling well and he would lay down next to us our use his best known cure...smelling our eyes. In Max's world, that was healing.

He was a clown. There are too many stories of the funny things he did, sometimes seemingly on purpose, that had us in tears of laughter. Charlie Chaplin couldn't have mastered physical comedy the way Max was able to. Someday I'll tell you the story of the frisbee.

He snored. He snored like an eighty-year-old man from the day he was born. Samantha found it soporifically soothing. I couldn't sleep if he was even in the next room.

He was stubborn, he was belligerent, he was self-willed, and he made those all into attributes. Something no human could pull off.

He was love defined. Max made it possible for our dog Elvis to find his home here, and Max saved a cat's life who we call Smelly and is also part of our family. Elvis loved Max. Smelly loved Max. And Max's opinion? Of course!

He was a friend. I know he fought to stay with us, but as "bulldogish" as he always was, he knew when it was time to go.

The phrase, "all dogs go to heaven" comes to mind about now. I gotta tell you. I believe that. And I also must say that I know there's a special place for Max in that heaven, and he's saying, "What's to eat?!"

There's going to be a huge, Max-sized hole in my heart from now on, but I'd never trade this pain for not knowing him at all.

Max was a great person. You shoulda known him.

Max Warady
September 1, 1996 - March 5, 2008

Submitted by Charley

The War

2008-03-01T09:23:00.000-08:00

I had a wonderful Saturday with my family. As the day started to come to an end I turned on the TV and caught a special news bulletin. The rockets continue to hit Sderot and Ashkelon. We are fighting in Gaza trying to push the launchers back. Two soldiers are dead. The price of war. Make no mistake, this is war. I pray we kick ass and I worry because we have a prime minister leading us who is unfit for the job. As I watch the news I feel incredibly tired. I continue to watch the news like the people who stare at horrible train wrecks. I guess we just wait and watch and pray.

Spelled With a G?

2008-02-14T05:29:00.000-08:00

Imad Mugniyah no longer walks this earth. So already its a better place. For those unfamiliar with his name he is the terrorist extraordinare of Hezbollah. Nasrallah is really just a pretty face compared to this guy. Imad was the commander of Hezbollah's military wing. With roughly 1000 deaths directly connected to him you could say he had a flair for evil and thats why he rose to the top so quickly. He was only 45 when he got kicked out of this world.

A lot of speculation as to who was responsible. The first name on every terrorists lips was Israel. Maybe so. The other was the United States. That would be cool too. A little revenge for the murder of 230 Marines in Beirut that our buddy was responsible for. In my opinion its all good. Of course there will be a price. I would have a guess what it is but I don't want to give them any ideas. Anyway there has been tons of analysis on this issue. We may not know for sure who did it but we know who Hezbollah will make pay for it. Its only a question of how. So lets stay on our toes people.

For me there are two issues that intrigue me. They stuck a G in his last name. Its not pronounced so how the heck did it get there? Does the G give it the correct pronunciation which is mooniyah as opposed to mun which rhymes with sun. To further confuse things his first name pronounced Eemad is spelled with an I yet his name is not pronounced EYEmad. Although as I roll it around its not really Eemad. Its a shorter e sound. The complexities of transliteration are beyond me.

I leave you with this thought. If they could get to Mugniyah in Damascus they can get to pretty boy Nasrallah in Beirut. Sweet dreams Hassan.

Submitted by Carol

No Excuses

2008-02-05T08:25:00.000-08:00

I am starting to slide back to my slacker ways by not blogging and I will have none of it. There are enough slackers in this country. We had the Winograd report. I think the earthquake was a big fat zero on the Richter scale. Some army reservists and officers demonstrated. Joining them were the families who lost someone in the war. A couple thousand protesters at best. They should have had the demonstration at the water cooler at work. People congregate their all the time and this way they wouldn't have to be asked to make an effort. Of course we all know that everyone is ready to spout off while waiting to get a drink. They'll tell you what you want to know. Just don't ask them to make an effort.

Yesterday we had a dynamic duo from Hebron who wanted to do some shopping in Dimona. They probably got ticked off because there were no sales so they decided to blow people up. First one. Then when security and the ambulances came the other was supposed to but he was spotted and got shot in the head before he could push the button. Do you think the successful one is gloating because he has 72 virgins and his buddy doesn't. You'd think he'd at least share and give his friend one of them. One woman died and her husband is in critical condition. The UN apologizes and says that they are sorry but they cannot condemn these attacks because only one person died. When the Palestinians are able to kill more Israeli's so that the number is proportionate they will at the very least fret and wring their hands . So the qassams that only injured a woman today don't count in our favor at all. Do you see a pattern here as to the mood I'm in?

I think I'll be watching the results of Super Tuesday. I voted! At least for a bit there will be something interesting on TV. That is until the results get analyzed to death. Oh let me go take a happy pill.

Submitted by Carol

Is Hell Freezing Over?

2008-01-30T08:08:00.000-08:00

I don't know if its a coincidence but it is snowing in Jerusalem and Olmert just got handed the final Winograd report. Didn't he say he would stay in office till hell freezes over? I guess its just wishful thinking on my part. Anyway on the news they have spent the past hour talking about what they are going to talk about once they actually get a copy of the report. So I think I'll watch American Idol instead. I'd vote for Simon as prime minister if I could.

Submitted by Carol

Why Do I Bother

2008-01-26T06:56:00.000-08:00

I should really stop reading anything that has to do with the UN. The security council still can't hammer out a resolution concerning the events in Israel and Gaza which is not worth the paper its printed on in any case. The Arab league version only asked for the blockade of Gaza to be ended. Maybe if they say pretty please with a cherry on top. No mention of the constant rocket fire hitting Sderot, Ashkelon and the Negev. You would think fair is fair. The UN is all about making a secure world to live in. No country comes with any agenda do they? So now that a demand to stop the rocket fire has been added to the resolution Libya suddenly has to phone home for more instructions. The other 14 members of the security council have all signed on. Libya stands alone unwilling to sign on. No Arab country is going to sign something that says rockets fired at Israel is wrong. As far as they are concerned any violence toward Israel is justified. And they say the US is biased toward Israel. I need a 12 step program.

Submitted by Carol

The Lions Den

2008-01-20T10:01:00.000-08:00

I found something good in the newspaper. His name is Ron Prosor. He is the new Israeli ambassador to the UK. He recently spoke at the University of London's School of Oriental and African Studies. It was organized by the British Zionist Organization. Students arrived in kafiyyeh headresses and questions at the ready. So I loved that at the opening an announcement was made that the ambassador said that the tougher and harder hitting the questions the better.

They asked the usual questions. Questions accusing Israel of war crimes. Questions that put Menachem Begin and the Irgun on equal ground with Hamas. The article did not give his replies. A shame. But I guess he was able to answer because someone asked him if he actually believed what he was saying. That is a question that comes from frustration. I hope it was frustration because he was able to answer the questions without hesitation.

Most of those students see it in over simplified terms of David versus Goliath. They like to put it in terms they already know so they make the conflict fit the apartheid of South Africa. Its easier that way but it is way off the mark. Hopefully they will take with them one thing that Prosor said. He said "Israel is a democracy under attack that is dealing with difficulties that no other country is facing."

You have to love the guy who in the lions den did not back down as he also told his audience that Jerusalem shall remain the capital of Israel forever. I only can hope that more ambassadors will take his cue and fill the void by meeting with people who don't support Israel. As the article said, if we don't than our place will be filled by speakers against Israel.

Submitted by Carol

My Dark Side

2008-01-16T23:59:00.000-08:00

I just want to preface that what I am about to write is not my usual way of doing things. I am in real life hard pressed to harm any living thing.

I read that the gentleman from Hamas in charge of Gilad Shalit, the soldier that was kidnapped, has said that what is happening in Gaza now could cause them to make Gilad Shalit disappear forever ala Ron Arad. They would simply sever all ties. You see we are getting pounded by Qassams and we have hit back. We have also hit back for the death of an innocent volunteer on a kibbutz in the Negev. When I read the headline I wanted to reach into my computer screen and kill "the gentleman from Hamas" with my own two hands. Being an oncology nurse I felt that an overdose of several different chemotherapies would be appropriate.

I pray that Gilad's family will find peace and that his captors will know hell here on earth and in the world to come.

The Back of the Bus

2008-01-14T03:59:00.000-08:00

I was cheered up this morning as I read in Haaretz that the state is being taken to task in court over the mahedrin bus lines. Egged which runs these lines is a PUBLIC transportation provider. These bus lines are meant for Haredim who want separate seating for women and men. Of course the women have to sit in the back. These bus lines should be illegal. The state doesn't see a problem. They say the seating is strictly voluntary. Tell that to the three women that have been beaten and verbally abused for not sitting in the back of the bus. Kudos to Naomi Ragen, well known author and the IRAC ( Israel Religious Action Committee) for taking up the cause. Naomi Ragen was one of the women abused by the Haredi men. All of the women were religious. So its not a case of some upstart secular women out to cause trouble. Until women will be wearing burkas they won't be religious enough for these Haredi bullies.

While we're on the subject of women I had to chuckle about a small article in the paper. The American Jewish Congress wanted to place an ad in Ms magazine promoting Israeli women. Our Foreign minister Tzipi Livni, our Supreme Court President Dorit Benisch and Knesset speaker Dalia Itzik would have been in the ad with the caption that reads This is Israel. Ms refused saying it would create a firestorm. Do you remember when they used to have balls?

Israelisms...The Blog 2.0

2008-01-12T05:14:00.000-08:00

I haven't blogged in a few weeks and I started to feel guilty. With that I also started thinking about why I wasn't blogging. For me the podcast is my number one priority. It gives me joy. I love podcasting. I decided to start the blog with Charley because I felt I had more to say than what I could fit on the podcast. I still do. The reality is that writing a political piece is hard work. Life keeps getting in the way. I don't want to give up the blog but I can't expect people to keep coming here and finding nothing new. To remedy the situation I decided to change course. I'm going to write about how I feel. So I'll be writing about frustration and also pride and whatever else I feel. Living here is dynamic so it should be interesting. Some posts may be really short. When truly inspired I may write a political piece. Of course Charley will continue to write his analysis when he is able. Lets see where this takes me. I hope the ride will be worthy of your time.

Something to Remember

2007-12-19T08:37:00.000-08:00

I had high hopes for the Prime Minister of the PA. He seemed to get it. He seemed to understand that it was up to the Palestinians to make their own future. He was against violence and armed militias and terrorist groups running the lives of the Palestinian people. He wanted to build businesses and infrastructure. He changed things in Nablus for starters. Not an easy feat. He was doing what I had been talking about for years.

I could excuse a lot from a man who is trying to take his people in the right direction. We can disagree on borders and divisions. Today however he sounded like every other Palestinian leader in the short history of the people. He ignored the Palestinian terrorism, the leadership and the peoples support of it as well. He talked about the IDF and its strikes against Qassam launchers.

"On Tuesday evening, the PA leader condemned Israel's "crimes against our people in the Gaza Strip and Qabatiya in the West Bank," and called on the international community to intervene immediately "in order to stop Israel's aggression against the Palestinian people."This is from an article on Ynet.

Once again in true Palestinian fashion he forgets about the qassams. He forgets about the eighteen people killed in qassam attacks. He forgets about the lives of the people living in Sderot who live under a daily rain of rockets and mortars. His government wants Israel to tighten the noose around the neck of Hamas. Oh the irony. His government wants us to do the dirty work. So excuse me Mr Fayyad if I wonder about the crimes against my people. The crimes that the Palestinians and Arab world are responsible for. Do not be mistaken. This is not a case of what came first the chicken or the egg. The definitive answer is that Arab violence came first. Arab intolerance came first. Arab hatred came first. Palestinian terrorism came before any roadblock checkpoint or wall. Don't let them or the world forget that.

submitted by Carol

Facebook Fantasies

2007-12-17T01:14:00.000-08:00

Myself included, Facebook is not known for being the foundation of forward thinkers. There is a new post going around, at least among Jewish and Israel based Facebook "walls" that goes exactly like this:
------------------------------------------------------------
Bush Heading to Jerusalem

President Bush will be in Jerusalem on January 9th to push his
"Palestinian State in '08" proposal forward with East Jerusalem as the capital.
This is President's Bush first trip to Israel since becoming
president. His goal is to convince the Israeli public that a Palestine State
with East Jerusalem as its capital is in their best interest and he has
the support of the American people. 21,150 people have signed the urgent
petition to the president. Send this to everyone on your list and ask
everyone to do the same. We need 100,000 signatures so President Bush
knows that we will not support the U.S. dividing Jerusalem. He has
mobilized virtually the entire world behind this plan. If everyone will just
get four friends to sign this we will have the 100,000.
Vote your opinion now.

http://tool.donation-net.net/CTBF/AnnapolisVote.c

--------------------------------------------------------------------

Now, just like the next guy, I'd like a list of those 100,000 morons just so I can point and laugh. There's nothing that amuses me more than a moron. People that listen to Israelisms Podcast know this. And to have 100,000 of them? Wow...my sides hurt just thinking about it.

The amazing part of this nit-witted petition is that there is not also a petition to pour a few billion shekels into an urban renewal program in East Jerusalem, which is what it needs and which is what it would take. There is no petition to improve the school systems in East Jerusalem. There is no petition to insure that, since we insist on keeping ALL of East Jerusalem, every citizen has full rights as Israeli citizens there.

Be careful what you pray for, "Oh Ye Petition Signers"...you just might get it!

Submitted by Charley

Five Qassams, No injuries

2007-11-26T02:05:00.000-08:00

Every day I read about Qassam's and mortars falling in Sderot and some of the kibbutzim in the area. Sometimes it doesn't even make it to the main section but is rather a small blurb off to the side. Something that reads'5 qassams fell in Sderot,no injuries." Thats it. I believe it gets no mention in the international press at all. I'm not here to judge the international press or our own for that matter. I am making a statement about how we function as human beings. How really easy it is to glance at these news bites and move on with your day. No harm no foul.

Now lets think of your average family living in Sderot.,Mom, Dad and oh lets say 3 kids. The sun comes up on Sderot and like every morning the Mom is up first. As she has her coffee the car across the street backfires. Mom jumps and drops her cup. It shatters on the kitchen floor. The baby starts to cry. Dad comes in as she is cleaning up. "It was just a car sweetie" She smiles weakly. He goes and gets the baby. Her two older kids come down. A boy and a girl. The boy begs her to let him play soccer after school. She sees the soccer field in her mind. She sees 10 year old targets running around the field and so she tells him "We'll see." The kids have been fed and are about to head out the door when there is a loud unmistakable sound of a rocket landing. The kids look at her. She laughs and tells them they are fine. The stupid terrorists have bad aim. Dad drives them to school instead of letting them walk. Not that a car is protection against a rocket.

Alone in the house with the baby she checks on the internet. Nothing yet. Good sign. Bad news travels fast. Probably hit an empty field. After the usual morning chores its time to take the baby for his check up. With the baby in the stroller she heads out looking like any mother anywhere in the world outside on a beautiful day. Except she stays very close to the buildings. When she crosses the street she walks very fast. Mission accomplished. She is back home with the baby. She puts on some music and prepares some food. Her husband calls to check in. She tells him she might let their son play soccer today. Her husband agrees. Can't keep the kids inside forever. That and only one rocket landed all morning. Maybe today will be a quiet one.

Time for babies nap and Moms too. The kids will be home soon. As she drifts off to sleep there are two loud booms. Two more rockets have hit Sderot. They hit the soccer field this time. Luckily all the kids were in school. The soccer field is in ruins she reads on the internet. Well now she doesn't have to worry about him being out there. He can go play at his friends house.

The kids come bursting through the door. Her son is bursting with the news of the soccer field and the fact that he could have almost been there if she had said yes only later you know! Her daughter who is younger starts to cry. Mom thinks it is because of worry for her brother. She is upset because her friends dog was injured by the qassam this morning. He was out in the open field where it hit and got a piece of shrapnel in his shoulder. She is never going to get a dog. Something could happen to it and she couldn't stand it. Mom hugs her with a knowing smile on her face. The rest of the afternoon is uneventful. Snacks, homework and visiting friends. Life as it should be.

Dinner time approaches. The son is hungry."Can we eat yet?"' No your Dad's not home yet" the Mom replies. He should be home any minute. Then there is the familiar sound. Boom boom. Two Qassams hit Sderot. There is the distant sound of car alarms. The cars were probably shook by the explosions. She keeps the kids busy by having them clean up and set the table. She glances at her watch. The Dad is a half our late. She goes into her room and calls him on his cellphone. No answer. Yet she didn't hear any ambulances. She chews her lip and paces. Just then the dooir opens. Dad's home!

With all the kids tucked into bed he now tells his wife about his narrow miss with the qassams. He was about a block away. They make jokes. Dark humor seems to lift the tension a bit. Just before they go to bed Qassam number five hits. The little park down the street. Two trees catch fire. Luckily no one was in the park at this late hour. The fire department has it all quickly under control. They settle down to sleep. Another day is over. The family is safe. Tomorrow is not here yet where they will have to do it all over again. What changes are the numbers. Five, ten, or eight. In Sderot or outside of Sderot. Open field or parked cars. Some homes might be damaged. Our family here has a busted window taped shut and tiles missing from the roof.Only occasionally human life is taken. Eleven so far. Such a small number. Such a small number of families destroyed. A small number of kids without a parent.

And so it goes. A seemingly never ending story for the people of Sderot. A tiny news blurb whose only constant is that it repeats on a daily basis. Always a little varied. When and where is never known. This is the story of five quassams land in Sderot, no injuries.

Submitted by Carol

Israel's 'Where's Waldo'

2007-11-20T00:31:00.000-08:00

It's been a long time since I've thought about that old little game called "Where's Waldo". You know the one. Where you have to find the goofy-looking kid in the red and white striped sweater and stocking cap in the crowd of similar looking goofy-looking people.

Well, believe it or not, the upcoming (?) Annapolis non-event made me think of Where's Waldo. However, it's not Waldo I'm looking for. I've been looking through the papers; all the pictures; all the photo-ops; for a hint of what used to be known as the Labor Party. The Labor Party goes by many names these days. My favorite is "Kadima-Lite", however I think you'll find the most popular response to the question of, "Where is the Labor Party?" is a quizzical look reminiscent of a dog in front of an electric fan, followed by a mumbling of, "Labor Party? We still have a Labor Party?"

Shas and its marionette du jour, Eli Yishai (where does he hide all those strings?) is up front and vocal (when Eli Yishai speaks, as good as Ovadia Yosef is - I can still sometimes see ol' Ovadia's mouth move) that he is soundly against any peace that doesn't bring more money to their yeshivas to keep their constituency in the dark.

And Avigdor "Don't Call Me Yvette" Lieberman can be heard screaming from the rooftops against anything that might be slightly construed as democracy or equality.

Even Bibi can be seen patiently waiting, audibly chuckling in the corner. With a guy like Bibi, patience can be heard.

Barak and the Labor Party? I'm beginning to think Barak's brain was actually housed in that mole he had removed. Barak has changed colors so often he's got chameleons scratching their heads wondering what the hell he's doing. He out Zeligs Woody Allen's Zelig.

There was a time we knew what the Labor Party was all about. I was never a big follower of Labor, but I liked to know they were there. They could be termed a peace party. They were moderate to left. Not as far left as Meretz, but left enough to let you know what they stood for. The Labor of our memory would have dropped out of this government long ago. The Labor of our memory would never have stood by while the ruling party plays them like a cheap perfume (yes...I just LOVE mixed metaphors). The Labor of our memory would know who the hell their leader is!

River City is in trouble, my friends (that's a "Music Man" reference for those of you who are Broadway Musical challenged). And there's nothing any one can do about it except sit around, wait, and sometimes write about it.

I miss the Labor Party. I wonder what they would have done if they were still around.

Submitted by Charley

A Country of Jews or a Jewish State

2007-11-18T01:15:00.000-08:00

The latest arguments around the water cooler have to do with the Palestinians and their inability to recognize Israel as a Jewish state. The question being argued is whether they even have to. A columnist for Haaretz, Yoel Marcus contends that the answer is no. He makes some good points in his argument. The first point is that we don't need anyone to tell us who we are. Often I agree with that point of view. He rightfully states that they ultimately see us as a Jewish state. It is the reason they have been trying to destroy us for the last 60 years. Also true. Yoel Marcus sees this request of ours as unnecessary. Many view it as a stumbling block put there on purpose by the likes of Avigdor Leiberman. That may be the case but it doesn't change anything. We still need to ask the question. Why does a people who want to make peace with us have so much trouble excepting us for who we are?

My first reaction was a gut reaction. I was tired of their continuing saga where they portray us as having no history and no legitimate claim to the land. How am I supposed to make peace with this kind of people. Its just more Oslo and more Arafat. In Hebrew there is an expression"I've already been to this movie." I've not only been to this movie but it is a horrible movie that always ends the same.

When my temper died down a bit I realized that it is their strategy not to recognize Israel as a Jewish state. If we are a Jewish state then we have a right to Jerusalem and the old city. Our holiest site rests there. If we are a Jewish state then it effects the right of return for refugees. At least in their eyes. In my eyes we cannot let refugees who have not lived here in 40 years come back no matter how they view us. If we are not a Jewish state then it would be unconscionable not to let the refugees back. They know that the refugees would flood this country and it would no longer be ours. If we are not a Jewish state than they can view this as Palestine with a different name.

In a heated argument on our last podcast Charley played devils advocate. He said that they could say they were worried about the Arabs living in Israel. That might be a reason to not recognize Israel as a Jewish state. That is pure hogwash. We have almost 60 years of doing well for our Arab citizens that are actually part of the people who are at war with us. So if we suddenly were at peace with them their lot would worsen? There is no logic to that argument. The next point of his as the devil was that Jordan and Egypt don't necessarily recognize us as a Jewish state and yet we have peace treaties with them. These countries and others have indeed fueled the conflict. They still do. Look at how Egypt relates to Hamas. But in the end the peace we have to make is with the Palestinian Arabs. It is with them that we have to divide the land. It is their strategy to deny us any room to negotiate. So it makes a difference.

Charley is of the opinion that we should not care about their reasons. We should basically ignore their strategy. Their strategy has served them well in the court of public opinion. But lets ignore that. Why do we need strategy anyway. Here is where Leiberman and I differ. I would not have used this card yet. Leiberman may indeed want to stop the negotiations. I would have kept my cards closer to my vest. I would have pulled out that card when it came to negotiating over the old city. I would have said we are the Jewish state and this is our holiest site. Then they would have been forced into a corner. They would have had to then be the ones to trip over the stumbling block and decide whether to forge on or stop. That's where I differ with Leiberman. He is like a bull in a china shop and I am more like a stealth bomber on the way to bombing a Syrian nuclear war plant!

In truth I don't think peace is on the horizon. Not until the terrorists have had a chance to crash and burn. A peace only based on borders is not the answer. It has to be based on mutual recognition. The leadership simply fails to understand this simple idea.

Submitted by Carol

Israel's Choice

2007-11-12T02:28:00.000-08:00

I don't think I'm sufficiently grumpy today. I'm actually grappling with something that came out of the mouth of Eli Yishai the puppet leader of Shas a sephardic ultra orthodox party in Israel. He thinks we should release Jews from prison serving time for murdering Arabs for nationalist reasons. These pardons should coincide with the 60th anniversary celebration of the State of Israel.

What was he thinking? He thinks that if we release Palestinian prisoners then why not Israeli prisoners? Up to this point we aren't releasing anyone with "blood on their hands." What I am curious about is who are the Palestinian prisoners with clean hands. If you shoot at Israelis your hands are bloody. If you build the bomb you have blood on your hands. The one giving the order has red hands too. Is the transporter clean? How about the human resource guy who recruits the bombers? Are they bloodless? We seem to have an awful lot of disposable unbloodied guys that we can toss back to Abbas whenever someone feels the need. I for one want to know what constitutes clean hands. I think the public should know who is in jail and why. Maybe then we could feel better about tossing them back to Abbas and it might save some money. Housing criminals is not cheap.

Now that I have gone way off into left field lets bring this puppy back front and center. If we reach a point that we release prisoners with blood on their hands should we in turn do the same for our guys? Its not a notion my gut is fond of. How can we release a murderer who might be seen as a hero among some segments of society? How do we accept people who took the law into their own hands? I don't want to live in that kind of society. What these people did was the very thing we are fighting against. Thankfully the number is small. It gives me hope that we will not become like them, the Palestinians. The Palestinian murderers will be heroes. The only way they will not be heroes is if the PA jails people for acts of terrorism. In the mean time Palestinians support terrorism. So is it fair to let their murderers go and not ours? Does letting their murderers go signal that they were legitimate?

I think the best answer is a simple one. People convicted of murder should have to serve their complete sentences. If not then we become morally bankrupt and we in turn bankrupt the Palestinians by letting them continue in a society that has no consequences for horrible acts. Everyone must pay the price equally.

Submitted by Carol

Banging Heads

2007-11-10T03:23:00.000-08:00

It's frustrating to write a blog, as many of you know. Okay...as some of you know. It's not the creative process, or the sitting down and writing part, or even spelling and formatting. It's the part where you're at right now. The "how many people are reading this" part.

I know, I know. That's not why I should be doing this. I should be doing this because creating a blog gives me the opportunity to express myself and to get what I have in the inside, to the outside. Well, if I only wanted to do that, I'd buy a diary and write in that.

I write a blog because I want everyone to read it. And when I say everyone, I mean I want to out-Drudge Drudge. That ain't happening.

I don't blame you. You're reading this. Okay, I blame you a little. After all, how many of your friends have you insisted read this blog? And how many of their friends...and their friends...and their friends? (Just saying that makes my hair feel cleaner)

To think that if tens of thousands of people would read this blog, the world would be a better place and peace in the Middle East would be closer to a reality is a bit frustrating. Particularly knowing that no one in the Israeli government is reading this. I don't think they read the editorials in the newspapers here, so I'm doubting this is a destination for them, either.

Of course, I don't know if I'd read me if I were in the Israeli government. I mean, I don't know how willing I'd be to give up my Volvo, office, and the only steady job I've ever had just to do the right thing for an entire population. It's easy for me to judge. I'm driving a ten year old, beat up, Renault Megane. It's easy for me to do what's right for an entire population. But even that said entire population isn't reading me...so what's the point?! I may as well join the government, get rid of the Renault, and get driven around in a Volvo!

So if, sometime soon, you see me on TV standing next to Prime Minister Olmert, nodding my head like a bobble-head doll, while he talks about brainless haphazard plans to do nothing except stay in office; you'll know it's your fault for not getting enough people to read this blog.

I won't be able to see you, however. I'm planning on getting one of those Volvos with tinted windows.

Submitted by Charley

Consumer Report

2007-11-06T08:10:00.000-08:00

Its always about the politics. The Palestinians or are own government is usually doing something that spurs me to write. This week I am throwing caution to the wind. This weeks blog entry is for the consumer. Specifically the female consumer or a guy who wants to buy his special gal something nice. This is for the tourists out there who want to spend some of their hard earned dollars while soaking up our culture.

Let me direct your attention to product number one. You can find it at a chain of stores called The Body Shop. No not that Body Shop. Not the world famous one that originated in London. I'm talking about the Israeli one. The owners of the Israeli one had the chutzpah to refuse to change their name so THE Body Shop never opened its stores in Israel. But lets get back on track. Our Body Shop has a fragrance called White Musk that is out of this world. They sell it oil based and alcohol based. I prefer the oil based. It lasts longer. It lasts a really long time. I get compliments on the smell all the time. It really is worth trying. The oil based one is 100 shekels which is loosely translated into real money about 20 bucks.

In door number two we have another favorite item of mine. I actually hate to be without it. This from a chain of stores called Laline. Laline is a beautiful store that sells soaps and all kinds of other girlie stuff. They have a Body Peeling or a Body Scrub that I swear by. The granules are coarse and you can feel them. Not just for decoration as in many body scrubs. The granules are in this rich and thick scented oil. There are many different scents. My favorite is Vanilla Patchouli. The patchouli makes the vanilla smell delicious but not like a bakery. My skin is baby soft after I have used it. I kid you not. They also have great hand made soaps in different scents.

Everyone who comes here buys stuff from Ahava and the dead sea. Its good stuff but we really have other things worth trying. We are more than a country of mud! Writing this is actually fun. Not a rant in sight. I feel relaxed. I think I'll go eat some Bamba! The quintessential Israeli snack. Its a peanut butter flavored puffed snack. No added sugar. It is my favorite original Israeli snack. I don't have it often. Just looking at a bag makes me gain weight but those who have tried it know what I mean. Its really yummy comfort food. We need comfort food. Just listening to the news makes me want to grab some Bamba. Maybe I should stop listening to the news! I think I could lose weight that way!

Who You Are

2007-10-31T05:49:00.000-07:00

As a citizen of Israel for the past eleven years I have days where I wonder exactly where I fit in Israeli society. I'm not religious but I'm not secular. I'm defined as secular but I don't belong to the left. I don't always feel at home among the religious right either. So I've pretty much staked out my own identity under the umbrella of Israeli society. So I can understand that Arabs who live in Israel have problems when it comes to identity. After the war in 1948 to destroy Israel ended they found themselves on the Israeli side of the green line, through no fault of their own. Israel was still standing and the other guys were in the West Bank and Gaza. What to do?

Living in close proximity to Jews the Arabs quickly learned guilt. They had accepted citizenship in Israel along with all the rights that come with it. Financially they were better off than their West Bank counterparts. No refugee camps. They were not used as political pawns. While they enjoyed all this they knew their brothers were on the other side watching. How do you straddle that fence? The Israeli Arabs are living in a country who is having a major conflict with its people.

I can certainly tell you how not to handle it.Don't follow Arab Member of Knesset Zahalka. Okay lets start at the beginning. National service is an alternative to service to the military. Religious girls often choose it over serving in the army. Last year the number of Arabs volunteering to do national service doubled. Zahalka is upset and is threatening those who want to serve. He said they would be like lepers in the community. He accuses Israel of wanting to Israelify the Arab youth who volunteer. Imagine that? We are at fault for NOT shunning them. We are at fault for trying to let them be part of society.

People who volunteer for national service work in hospitals and schools for example. Its a year long program. Some opt to stay in it longer. It is a way to give back to society for those who do not serve in the armed forces. As citizens of a country you are granted rights and freedoms. Citizens of Israel receive health care, child allowances and national insurance. So if you are going to make use of these things then giving something back would seem to be a positive thing. Yet Zahalka said "It's our right as a national minority to safeguard our identity. Actually, we see volunteering for service as an attempt to Israelify our youths, and we have a major issue with that."

Somehow Zahalka and his supporters have twisted things to make national service part of the armed forces. It is not. It is an alternative to the army. He would make anyone who did national service a leper in Israeli Arab society. Thankfully the Arab kids doing national service don't give credence to his speech's. They are too busy living their lives in Israeli society. If they were in Italy would it not be okay to join in Italian society? As a Jew living in the States was I not a part of society yet with my Jewish identity very much intact? Yes I know Italy and the US are not in a conflict with the Palestinians.

Hopefully the day will come when Israeli Arabs can choose to live in Palestine and fulfill that part of their identity if they feel so inclined. I can understand that need. Its why as a Jew I moved to Israel. Those who choose to stay are welcome as well. What we cannot do and should not do is make our country not Israel. Its just like asking the Italians to be something else. Its not fair. Think of the gelato.

Submitted by Carol

Our Kids Don't Count

2007-10-28T00:50:00.000-07:00

The teachers' strike is now entering its third week. Again. Every year there's a strike. And every year, give or take an issue, it's about the same thing. It's disgusting. We're not talking about the salaries of teachers here. We're talking about the future of our country. The average person in Israel understands this, but like always, the average person in Israel is ignored.

Don't get me wrong. That problem is not "Israel specific". We all know that the average person in all countries is ignored. But, I live in Israel so I can only tell you what goes on here.

We need to give our teachers more money. We need to give our teachers enough money so the profession of teaching is not considered charitable or philanthropic work. We need to increase the hours in the school day. We need to do that now. Because of Israel's low salaries and high living expenses, our country is already experiencing a brain-drain of good people going elsewhere to make a living. That "Zionist thing" still works for me and keeps me here (along with Carol and my kids), but I guess that isn't true with everyone. So, if we've got a brain-drain, and we're not educating our kids...we're screwed.

Our Education Minister and our Finance Minister claim we don't have the funds. Well, yes we do. If we take away the money we're doling out to the ultra-orthodox yeshivas, we'd have the money. I'm talking about the huge amount of yeshivas that refuse to abide by the requirement of having a core curriculum. I'm talking about the huge amount of huge yeshivas that don't teach practical skills, and give sanctuary to draft dodgers. If we took away all that money and gave it to our secular school systems, including our universities, there would be no reason for a strike and the best and brightest minds in the world would be nurtured right here in Israel.

But that won't happen. And it won't happen for a very practical reason. You see, the teachers and the school system can only strike. They only have the power of depriving our children of their necessary education. The kids won't be ready for their matriculation exams, but so what? Very soon there will be a back to work order from the courts and that will be that. Until the next strike, and the children will suffer even more. But that's all they've got. A strike. Big deal. Olmert hasn't given this situation even a fleeting thought. He doesn't care. He doesn't need to care.

The ultra-orthodox situation is another story. We wouldn't dare touch their money for their school system. As a matter of fact, they'll get more if they ask for it even during the secular school strike! Because if they don't get their money...they'll bring down the government. That, my friends, is what counts.

Our kids don't have representatives in the government. Our kids don't have their own political party to protect them. All they have are a bunch of spineless, self-serving bureaucrats whose only ambition is to protect their own government position. Can you imagine if the Labor party stood up and said, "Hey! Take the money from the ultra-orthodox school systems that won't abide by the laws, and give it to the secular schools! Or we'll bring down this government!"

I smiled to myself as I just wrote that, because when I envision Labor party members in this government, the image of a cowering wimp always comes to mind. He (or she) is shivering in the corner mumbling, "Just don't take away my Volvo".

Don't believe a word of what the treasury or the education ministry says. The money is there. They just won't take it.

Submitted by Charley

And Then What

2007-10-16T01:02:00.000-07:00

Abbas makes it more and more clear what he plans to bring to the proverbial table at the end of November. None of it surprises me because I've never given him much credit anyway. I could probably stop this little blog right here and many, if not most, of you would agree with me and we could go on our merry way.

But for the sake of clarification, I'll go into a little more specifics. What the heck. I'm not doing anything right now anyway.

Yesterday he told Condi (as in Rice) that he demanded all settlements to be removed. Oh, and the checkpoints be moved back to the 2000 border before the most recent Intifada (my count has it as Intifada LXXXVIII....there have been more Intifadas than Super Bowls, and I think there's something wrong with that). He also wants all prisoners released, control of the Old City, and assorted other goodies that we've all heard before.

This is all good. And in the essence of diplomacy, who could blame him. However, nobody is letting the man finish his sentence. At least, I hope he hasn't finished his sentence. You see, what's missing from the above list is the necessary adjunctive words, "...and in return we will..." Because that, my friends, is what we call "negotiation". As we all know from when we were trading baseball cards, that if I want Stan Musial, Mickey Mantle, and Roger Maris; I'm going to have to offer you Ernie Banks, Glenn Beckert, and Roy Campanella. I can't very well demand Musial, Mantle, and Maris and offer nothing substantive in return. Sure, I suppose I could use the Palestinian tactic of "give me Musial, Mantle, and Maris and I won't kick your ass". But I would hardly call that negotiations, would you?

If I were a smart Olmert (yes, that does seem to be an oxymoron for a complete moron), and Abbas approached me with these statements, I would just stand there quietly, patiently, and with a smile on my face. When asked what I was waiting for, I'd simply reply, "I'm waiting for you to finish your sentence."

Submitted by Charley

Before November

2007-10-13T06:46:00.000-07:00

November is approaching and people here on both sides of "The fence" are nervously wondering what will happen. Or for that matter there are those who aren't even curious because they believe nothing will happen. Who the hell knows. On the chance that something might happen I want to give my two cents.

As part of this joint declaration of fill in the blank the PA wants Israel to recognize the suffering it caused the Palestinian refugees and it wants compensation for said refugees. I would change the wording of this recognition to reflect the fact that there are refugees due to a war we did not want. I think the statement should also reflect that the continued state of war on the Arabs part intensified or lengthened the suffering of the refugees. The fact that the Palestinians were not encouraged to set up their own state on part of the land affected the refugees as well. Lastly the fact that the refugees living in other Arab countries are kept in camps and some have no civil rights should be acknowledged. Then I can recognize that the war for our independence created a refugee problem and because we did what you do in a war there are refugees from villages that no longer exist. The monetary compensation could come from Arab countries in payment to the 700,000- 900,000 Jews that had to flee Arab countries due to persecution. Lets get it all out there.

While we are at it we should have the PA clarify some things. Or is the phrase declare? Lets start with them acknowledging that we have a history that ties us to this land just as they have a history here. In addition our temple stood on the Temple Mount and therefore we should be able to share the area. The same should go for the cave of the patriarchs. Why should we not have any control over it? Yosef's tomb in Nablus could be administered by a Jewish religious trust just like the waqf.

All I'm saying is it cuts both ways. We do not constantly need to give and not get in return. My fear is that Olmert once again is stumbling around, happy that he still has a job. God knows what he will get us into. Hamas however could squash it all if it unleashes the longer range rockets that Egypt let them smuggle into Gaza. Hopefully that scenario will not happen and we are able to take some baby steps forward. I only hope someone on the negotiating team reads this blog so that both sides get to move forward.

Professional Jealousy

2007-10-06T01:05:00.000-07:00

Do you think evil gets jealous? Ahmadinejad has been stealing the spotlight lately. His latest headline grabber was to say that the zionists should be sent to Europe, Canada or Alaska. Why no place warm? What did we ever do to him? In any case the other evil doers are getting jealous. What if he gets his own show? So Nasrallah who is no shrinking violet has stepped up to the plate. The leader of Hezbollah shall not be out down.

He spoke at celebrations for Jerusalem Day in Lebanon. He wished that the Arab armies would invade Israel. Basically do what they failed to do in 1967 which was to destroy Israel. Nasrallah is a guy who refuses to give up the spotlight. The sole purpose of his group was to get Israel out of Lebanon. When the Israeli government decided to leave Lebanon and did so he should have been out of a job. But he stayed. In the same speech Nasrallah blamed Israel for the killings of anti Syrian members of parliament in Lebanon. The lack of logic does not escape me. Why would we want to help Syria get a hold in Lebanon? Yet I guess he can do it by once again painting Israeli's as hungry to kill Arabs. People brought up on hatred of Israel will believe him.

Its easy to dismiss all of these truly evil people as crazy. That they are. Ahmadinejad takes the cake followed closely by Chavez of Venezuela. However we should not dismiss them because it is the crazy people who act. Hitler should never have been ignored. The slaughter in Darfur is not committed by sane people but rather the crazies. The camps in North Korea which imprison their own people were built by a crazy man. Add to the mix a few countries like China and Russia that are willing to let the insane thrive because it suits them. Possibly they see a little of themselves in the crazy evil ones. We cannot afford to close our eyes and turn away from the evil. We need our eyes wide open and we need to be prepared for the gathering storm.

Submitted by Carol

The Great Columbia Give Away

2007-09-26T06:18:00.000-07:00

You can get free speech at Columbia University. They spent the week advertising this leading up to President Ahmadinejads visit. I'm just curious. The people who got to sit in the auditorium didn't have to pay for their seats? I'm guessing tuition alone is not exactly free. I think it was false advertising. I got it for free from Fox News but really I had to pay my cable company so...So I think we can pretty much say this had nothing to do with FREE speech!

I will give the university points for making me feel smart. The President of the university was pumped because this would expose the students to Ahmadinejad. They would hear his ideas and dialogue would ensue. They would learn from it. I learnt everything I need to know about the man in kindergarten. I did not need to hear him live to grasp what he is selling. Open up a newspaper for Gods sake. Go on the web. He doesn't hide who he is.

President Bolinger thought he was like Braveheart. He was going to put the President of Iran in his place. He was tough. Called him out almost to his face. My God he was so enamored of his bravery he couldn't see the train coming down the tracks. He let Ahmadinejad have the last word. He got scolded by Ahmadinejad for being rude. After all he was invited to speak.

The speech went according to script. There were some parts in the beginning that made me feel dizzy. I thought someone had slipped me a date rape drug. But then he got to the part about Israel and the holocaust. The man was focused! He left nothing out. No stone unturned. No lies left untold. No accusations that were true. This is the pathological liar and sociopath I had come to know.

Now on to the Q&A section of the broadcast. We were going to hammer him with our stealth like questions. Well not we but the uber smart students of Columbia University. He could have answered those questions in his sleep. He didn't hesitate or need a moment to form his answers. The questions were so general and vague I think his kids could have managed. The questions were asked by the Dean of International something or other. He could have asked follow up questions. No homosexuals in Iran you say then what about the case of MrX who was stoned to death. Women are on a pedestal you say. Then what did Miss Y do that she is no longer alive because she was executed by your government. The big shots of Columbia didn't do their homework. Just for fun I would have told him that Israel just changed its name from Israel to The Zionist Entity. Then what would he call us?!

What Columbia did was an exercise in futility. They had their 15 minutes of fame and I got to be entertained for a bit. I also got to feel as if maybe I am smart. Anyone who needed that to learn who Ahmadinejad really is should be smacked upside the head. Anyone who felt he had some credibility should just be shot. Anyone who thinks that inviting sociopathic leaders to speak has anything to do with free speech should be sent to live in Iran.

Submitted by Carol

Yom Kippur

2007-09-19T23:52:00.000-07:00

Most years I dread Yom Kippur. I hate to fast. The hardest part is the lack of caffeine. I can feel the withdrawal headache as we speak. This year I honestly don't feel that dread. I'm kind of at peace with the whole thing. I look forward to the day. For me it will be a day of looking inward. A bit of moral inventory taking. Probably should have done that sooner since Yom Kippur is when God seals the deal. At some point I usually have a little talk with God. Okay so I talk and I hope he listens! Its a ritual I have on Yom Kippur. The books are closed so Gods got some free time.

My favorite part of Yom Kippur is the silence. No cars. No honking. No people running errands. No TV's blaring. I like to walk around on the eve of Yom Kippur and take in the silence. It is like the world has ended. Knowing that's not the case makes it less spooky! I don't think there is another part of the world where this happens.

To the readers of our blog who are Jewish I would like to wish an easy fast and Gmar Chatima Tova which roughly translates means a wish that you finish with a good signature. That you get signed into the book of life.

Submitted by Carol

Headline News

2007-09-19T08:54:00.000-07:00

People never cease to amaze me. Our government leaders being at the forefront of this group. I could laugh but then I realize they are getting paid and a salary much higher than mine. This makes them considerably less amusing in my eyes.

I went to see what was going on in the news. Imagine my shock to see the headline "Gaza a Hostile Entity"Shock and awe. The cabinet voted for this proclamation. No one voted against it. What an accomplishment. The kicker is that they did this so they could enforce sanctions on Gaza adding that they would use none that would harm the Palestinian civilians. I can't wait to hear how that will work. What kind of sanctions could those be? Will they not allow the Gazans to watch crappy Israeli TV? Lucky Gazans. Don't get me wrong. I am all for tightening the noose around Hamas' neck. I just don't think we had to go this route to do it. We state the obvious so we can do what? Make more silly statements. And okay I do like the extra hot channel on TV.

We however are not alone in this. The next headline was "Hamas is a hostile group" That came from our BFF Condeleeza Rice. You go girl. Say it sista. Hamas a terrorist organization who wants to destroy Israel is hostile. Maybe they just need a little anger management.

No worries. The leaders of Hamas get there moment too. We are fair. So Hamas has decided that "Cabinet decision a declaration of war." Yeah yeah yeah. Heard it all before. Yawn. Their loosing their creativity as they twist reality. They keep making the same stale statements. Now Iran is still a bit entertaining. At least until they try to nuke us. But in the mean time they have said "We can bomb back" This in reference to their claim that we might try to bomb them because of their nuclear capability. Well so what. We'll just bomb you right back. Hah! Man am I good when it comes to a smack down with Iran.

Do not fear for Israel. Yes our leader is a moron. Yes we are surrounded by enemies. But the Israeli army is on the job. The latest headline about the army and its plans to rehabilitate itself proves we need not fear because "IDF Forms Dance Troupe to Fight Draft Dodging" Oh hell, I'm going to the bomb shelter now!

Submitted by Carol

PRESSURE!

2007-09-10T02:31:00.000-07:00

The eternal question. Why should this year be different than any other year. The holidays are upon us. No where to run. So today I braved the mobs of Israelis buying food for their holiday celebrations. As all good Jews know you can never have too much food. Add that to the fact that stores will be closed for three days. Holy crap! We could starve. What if they never open again?! We must buy more food! So I am pushing my cart which is groaning under the weight from all the food and I make it to the check out counter. I look at the persons cart in front of me. Oh my God! They have more food then I do. Doubt quickly sets in. I obviously did not buy enough. Never mind that they are feeding a family of twenty and I am not. I just know we are going to be hungry.

Now I am back home. The deed is done. Could I please relax now. Hell no! The gefilte fish is not made yet. No fish from a jar for this family. Everything else on the table is mere window dressing for the gefilte fish. The making of the fish starts tomorrow. Until then I worry. Will it be a good batch this year.

Every year it is the same story. Worry and stress and cleaning and cooking and a touch more stress. But as every year once the food is on the table its such a great feeling to have my family around. Things are once again right with the world. Syria wants to run to the UN security council for yet another resolution. Iran wants a seat on the security council. I yes. Things are as they always seem to be.

In case I don't have time before I make the fish I'd like to wish all of you a shana tova.

I Need Chocolate

2007-09-09T01:16:00.000-07:00

Its not enough we have this conflict going on here. We seem to need more problems. Do I have to get aggravated every time I read the paper? I need some chocolate to make me feel better. I don't know if it was a slow news day but the front page of Haaretz talked about Neo Nazi Skinheads. In Israel! They have some how slithered into this country. They are Russians. Let them not be confused with 99% of the Russians who immigrated to Israel and are good citizens. These are the guys the Russians don't even want.

They seem to be concentrated in the Petach Tikva area. They harass the Orthodox Jews of the area. They use violence. Ever met a skinhead who did not use violence? They desecrate anything Jewish. Synagogues and graveyards. A fun outing for them is to go to Tel Aviv and attack foreign workers. A gang of eight were arrested last month. Being the good little Nazi's they are things were well documented on their computers.

First thing that needs to be done is to make these groups illegal. Don't look so shocked. I've come to discover that the empty headed members of Knesset have been working on a bill for two years outlawing Nazi symbols. These skinheads need to stand trial and receive the maximum sentence each time. Then the parents need to be dragged in. You don't have an underage kid who is a neo nazi and then get to take no responsibility for it. I'm not suggesting jail time but lets everyone see who you are. The last step is to return the trash to where it came from. One conviction you get jail time. Second time around you are outta here. I think that's quite generous of me.

Anyone is allowed to hate. They are allowed to say repugnant things in their homes. They can talk trash to each other on the street. Once someone is verbally or physically attacked the line is crossed. Free speech ends and a crime has occurred. One of my wishes for the New Year is that we see justice prevail against these skinheads. Justice of biblical proportions.

Submitted by Carol

Page 9 Below the Fold

2007-09-05T08:43:00.000-07:00

Sometimes its the little stuff that gets my attention. Okay maybe most of the time. In any case a docudrama is being filmed in Israel. It is the story of the Altalena. The Altalena was a munitions ship brought to Israel by the Irgun which was led by Menachem Begin. The Irgun was a pre state underground militia. The Altalena was bringing in arms to help support Israel in its war of independence. Had the arms gotten through there would have been a different picture today.

The Altalena was late. Instead of arriving in May it arrived in mid June. There was a truce in the fighting at this time. Begin at first tried to send the ship back. It was already on its way to Israel. The provisional government headed by Ben Gurion knew about the Altalena. This government decided to bring the ship in during the truce period.The ship was supposed to anchor off of Tel Aviv.The Ministry of Security had them change the landing site to the area of Kfar Olga or Kfar Vitkin near Netanya. This was supposed to be done to avoid the UNO observers. Nothing seemed amiss. The important thing was the unloading of arms. One fifth of those arms were to go to Jerusalem. Jerusalem was not high on the priority list of Ben Gurion. This was a cause for joy. Then further discussions ensued about whom the arms would go to. The Irgun was being integrated into the IDF. Shouldn't these men have arms? No agreement was reached on the distribution of arms. Suddenly the government washed their hands of it. They would not help with the unloading of arms."We shall not help." That is what the government said. They at no time said do not unload the arms.

The short version of the story is that the ship was surrounded on the beach by government troops who fired on the ship. They shelled the ship and continued to do so. The white flag of surrender was ignored. The ship was destroyed. Good men were killed. All for what? Ben Gurion's plan to get rid of a serious political rival. False rumors were spread that the arms were to be used for a revolt against the government. After what was done the members of the Irgun would have had good reason to revolt. Jews had shot and killed other Jews. The irony resonates all these years later in the tragic death of Rabin. We were shocked as a nation that a Jew would have killed Rabin. Jew against Jew. The irony is that Rabin was on that beach with the forces who attacked the Altalena. Begin did not stage a revolt. No civil war. Begin had his priorities in order. First and foremost the Jewish state. We have not seen a leader of his caliber in a long time. I hope the movie does the story justice.

Submitted by Carol

Promises and Realities

2007-08-29T01:22:00.000-07:00

After my morning coffee I began my usual routine of perusing the internet. I came across an article on Ynet where Fayyad, the PA prime minister, states that Israel has not kept its promises in regards to a few of the issues discussed by Abbas and Olmert in their presummit meetings. His statement was made to the Arab press who has been very occupied with the meetings between Abbas and Olmert. I think Fayyad is the best leader to come along for the Palestinians in a long time. I did not as I read the article automatically dismiss what he had to say.

His first point had to do with checkpoints. We need to give Palestinians the ability to move around as they wish and we need to keep our citizens safe from terrorist attacks which originate in the West Bank. Two months ago Olmert gave the task to Barak. In this mornings Haaretz I find that Barak has not been a slacker. He has been working on plans to replace permanent checkpoints with mobile ones. This would give the Palestinians freedom of movement and would let us focus on security issues. If we know an attack may be coming from area x we can spot check that area. In the mean time areas y and z are open. The reason for the delay in implementation is a training issue. Troops need to be trained in this new method. This overall seems better than removing a few check points here and there. In addition the army is focusing on removing some of the unmanned checkpoints. These are used to channel traffic making it easier to spot the light blue Peugeot with the terrorist inside. If there is only one way in and out of Qualqilya for instance then life is easier for the men in charge of our security. I know that the Palestinians are tired of waiting. I think a few more months is a reasonable time table to implement these plans. As Barak said he favors improving the Palestinians lives but his overriding commitment is to Israel's security.

Next on the list was raids and assassinations. I am for an amnesty deal between Israel and Fatah. They will put their weapons down and stop committing terrorist attacks. We in turn will not hunt them down. They will become members of a government security force. This is a large responsibility on the shoulders of the PA. If their security force attacks Israel all bets are off. As far as other terrorist groups are concerned we have the right to go after murderers of innocent civilians. When he mentions Gaza it is a bit disingenuous since we are doing the dirty work for the PA. They want Hamas gone. We can't give them that but we can weaken them so that the PA will be able to regain control of Gaza. Fayyad didn't want fuel from the EU to reach Gaza. He is willing to let his people suffer a bit so he can remove Hamas.

His last issue was settlements. Illegal ones should all be removed. It will be easier now than in any final agreement stage. Legal settlement should remain intact until a final deal where we can see what land swaps will be implemented and we can see what we are able to save. Settlement however has never been the equivalent of terrorism. It is a stumbling block but not the root of the problem.

In closing I would like to forgo the typical conclusions and summary of my statements. Instead I would like to offer my thanks to the PA security officers who saved the life of an Israeli soldier in Jenin. Shukran.

Submitted by Carol

Face to Face

2007-08-27T02:00:00.000-07:00

I joined facebook. I am a facebook addict. Maybe I'll try a twelve step program if it ever gets too bad. Then I could go to rehab and get a nice little vacation.I love facebook because I see there are thousands of young Jews who support Israel. I love to read their intelligent points of view. I ignore the ones who resort to cursing to get their point across if they even have one. They are not my problem. I leave that to their parents. In the same breath I also hate facebook. It puts me face to face with people who hate Israel.

The people who use facebook as a platform to spread hate of Israel come in a few different packages. The first group are actual Palestinians or Arabs. It is crystal clear that their agenda is a smear campaign. They post on sites dedicated to Israel. They make large statements against Israel. When their point is refuted they ignore it and continue with something else. They blur the facts. A prime example is someone who writes that Israel is apartheid because they do not allow Palestinians to become citizens. Forget that Palestinians don't want to be citizens of Israel. Forget that they are under PA rule. Forget that they want their own state. There is no dialogue. They are not there for dialogue. They are there to spread propaganda. The ones who want dialogue are few and far between.

Group two are the high school antisemites. Their posts are vicious and based on 1% fact. They have no knowledge of the middle east and the conflict. It is a way to attack Jews. I ignore them. Sometimes that gets them angry and they try and taunt me. I keep ignoring them. They are not the people I want to reach. They are the ones who need a good smack. They will spend their lives hating one group or another.

The last of these groups are the intellectuals. College kids. Their tone is rarely shrill but occasionally sarcastic. They speak with authority. They have sources. This group is easy to spot. Israel is a terrorist state. Hamas is technically not a terrorist group. They speak of a Palestinian State that Israel destroyed. They ignore the fact that there was no Palestinian state in the territories from 1948 - 1967. They are the members of the far left who simply frame the picture wrong and are not capable of adjusting the frame.

I do battle with these people. It is not a war that can be won. I simply refuse to let false accusations stand without being challenged. If my opponent resorts to calling us Nazis or anything of that nature I stop. If they post outrageous lies I stop. Then its game over. Most people can see through that crap. I know I have won a battle when they don't respond to my point but change the subject. The mental sparring is a great learning experience. It helps me sharpen my weapon. And now to battle I go.

Submitted by Carol

The Wrong Fix

2007-08-21T06:18:00.000-07:00

There are 750,000 Israelis who have left Israel to seek fame and fortune elsewhere. To mark the 60th anniversary of the State of Israel the Absorption Ministry headed by Jacob Edery has decided to lure them back. They have put together a neat little package costing 100 million shekels. I want Israelis to come back home but their approach boggles the mind.

Somebody did a survey. In today's day and age people at the top are so distanced from the regular guys that they need surveys to find out what everyone else knows. Of course you have to ask the right question. When asked the number one reason for delaying their return home the answer was health insurance. They don't want to pay 8,730 shekels and they don't want to wait six months for the health insurance to kick in. My first response was "huh?" What idiot ran this survey. Then I looked at the question. The question should have asked what the number one reason for not returning to Israel is. What they asked was if you are returning what is causing the delay. If my question had been asked it would not have health insurance as the number one answer. The answer would have been cash, moolah,the big bucks.

I'm not thrilled by Israeli's who leave to make money. I understand the need for money. Just ask my bank! Yet some inner part of my being dislikes the idea of chasing after money. I think that is what most are doing. I'm glad the pioneers of this country never felt that way and they had it much harder. Okay so times were different. I can almost hear the Israeli's living abroad saying "So what's so wrong about wanting a nice life?" Nu, okay, maybe.

My objection to this new fix is that it fixes the wrong problem. Should we not be fixing things so Israeli's don't leave in the first place? If you fix that then the Israeli's living abroad will come back too. Its a simple plan really. Get a team together of regular people. No government workers with inflated salaries allowed. First figure out what size the average Israeli family is. Then figure how much mortgage or rent costs for a middle class type apartment. Add to that the cost of food, electricity, gas and water. Don't forget phone bills. Then add the cost of clothing, school supplies and other basic needs kids might have. Don't forget taxes! To this number add savings. People should be able to save money so they can buy a house or car,even go on vacation. When you arrive at a number that is what the average Israeli should earn. The government should adjust salaries accordingly. People need to be able to live without the fear of overdraft and bankruptcy hanging over them constantly.

As it stands today the average Israeli salary does not cover these costs. There is a 95% tax on new cars! Arnona which is like a local tax is close to one month's salary! I won't even mention the price of an apartment or how large of a down payment you need. This is what drives Israelis away. The government should work on making life here better. Then the extra million left laying around that they would have used for luring people back could be used for something important like sending me on vacation to a villa in Tuscany!

Submitted by Carol

Laughter With My Coffee

2007-08-12T00:08:00.000-07:00

I'm not working today so I was able to really enjoy my morning coffee along with reading the newspaper. Rarely does news from around here make me laugh. Looks like today is gonna be a great day.

The first news item was about Arafat, the late Chairman of the Palestinian Authority and founder of the PLO. Dr al Kurdi was interviewed on Al Jazeera. He was Arafat's personal physician. The interview was cut short as soon as the doctor mentioned that Arafat had contracted HIV! Amman a Jordanian news site quotes the doctor as saying that the virus had been injected into Arafat's bloodstream close to his death. The real cause of death was poisoning according to the good doctor. He knows this even though when Arafat's condition worsened he was not called in. Suha would not let him see Arafat in the Paris hospital where he was being treated. Aids is not funny. Not even when Arafat has it. The funny is in the ridiculous cover up. If I were Suha I would stop blaming Ariel Sharon for poisoning him and go get myself tested!

The big laugh for me came with this headline in HaAretz-"Israeli Website causes New York City to Up Counterterrorism Precautions. Is this for real or is Jack Bauer a FICTIONAL character running CTU in New York City these days! Deputy Police Commissioner Browne said the measures taken were strictly precautionary.Homeland Security and the FBI said there were no credible threats. The mayor of NY Michael Bloomberg said the police measures were nothing out of the ordinary. Never the less the police deployed extra radiological sensors on street, water and air patrols. They stopped vehicles at checkpoints in lower Manhattan and around the city. Their source you might ask? DEBKAfile! For those not in the know DEBKAfile is a right wing Israeli news and opinion site. They talked about the possibility of a dirty bomb carried by trucks against America's biggest city and financial nerve center. I do not mean to disparage the people who work at DEBKAfile. But come on folks. Does anyone really think they are so well connected that they can get the scoop from Al Qaeda or any other terrorist group? If that's the case then governments should start listening to our podcast Israelisms for advice on Middle East policy. Okay well I really do believe they need my advice! Now any site has the right to say they think there is a possibility that something or other will happen because of whatever they may have found while surfing the web. It may even happen that their scenario actually happens. Yet anyone who believes its because they are getting inside info is not living in reality. My advice to New York is simple. Treat every day like there will be an attack. In the mean time I had a good laugh. I raise my cup to DEBKAfile and to the Deputy Police Commissioner. I think I can hear the terrorists laughing as well.

Submitted by Carol

Dodger Stadium

2007-08-05T08:01:00.000-07:00

Draft dodging has become one of this great country's ills. Ehud Barak our Minister of Defense knows it and talked about it in a speech this past week. Good for him. He caused people to start talking. All the newspapers and many of the internet sites addressed the issue. We discussed it on our podcast.

A large part of the discussions dealt with the fact that Barak did not mention the ultra orthodox in his speech. They make up the largest percent of draft dodgers. The ultra orthodox phenomena is one that will have to be dealt with and should be dealt with as soon as possible. For that we need leadership who has courage. Maybe we need to send our leaders to Oz to find their courage like the cowardly lion did. Many accused Barak of leaving them out on purpose. Maybe he thinks its okay. Maybe he was trying to garner votes for his run at the current Prime Minister. I think he left them out because he was talking about the contributing members of society of which they as a whole are not a part. While what the ultra orthodox do with regards to the draft is a source of frustration for me I, like Barak want to look at my part of society and fix the wrong.

There was a time when draft dodgers were so looked down on. They were ashamed. Today we have reached a point where people don't hide it and they are not ashamed. Aviv Geffen might be the poster boy for draft dodgers. He dodged the draft and has been successful as a rock star here. I use the term rock star in its loosest sense! Michael Lewis is living large as the resident hunk on a soap opera. He did not serve. Some of the contestants on our version of American Idol have not served. On a more personal level two of my daughters one time friends did not serve. I say lets put the spot light on them. Let them not hide. Let them know their shame. More importantly let them grovel at the feet of those who serve and protect them. Finally let them look into the eyes of the mothers who lost their children in the war and let them explain why they were not there.

Some of my favorite dodgers are those who claim they did not enlist because of the occupation. They view the army as the occupying force. They should look a little deeper. What does the army do in the territories? Hunt for terrorists? Protect us from terrorists? When did that become a bad thing? To them I say widen your view. It is not inconceivable we could be attacked by another country. Was last summer too long ago? Would you not want to protect your citizens? But you can't because you didn't enlist. Someone else has to do your job. Shame on you. If you want to change government policy then vote against it or enter politics yourself. I don't know what the numbers for the flip side are. Those who don't want to serve because of the disengagement. You too harm this country whose land is so precious to you. I think your pride is more important to you. Disengagement from the country lets you nurse your pain without interruption. Let the good men and women of the IDF protect you. They are the ones that care about all of the people of Israel. They care about the people they disagree with enough to put their lives on the line for them. Every one of those soldiers has a different political opinion. They serve the country that grants them this right with pride.

I can only hope that the draft dodgers are starting to squirm. Maybe they will turn away in shame as they pass a soldier on the street. My daughter has a friend who won't go out with a guy who was not in a combat unit. My daughter dropped her friends that weaseled out of the draft. I will support legislature that gives more benefits to soldiers that have served and takes away benefits from those who do not serve. Most importantly, don't let these losers win. Support the IDF and turn your back to those that dodge the draft.

Submitted by Carol

He Who Knows No Shame

2007-07-31T11:01:00.000-07:00

Ehud Olmert. It is almost hard for me to speak his name. He has announced that "we are correcting a 60 year old injustice that has never to date been solved. Holocaust survivors living in Israel are entitled to lives of dignity...." Apparently a holocaust survivors dignity is only worth 83 shekels a month. This is according to an article published in Haaretz today. I'll let the facts and figures speak for themselves.

One hundred and twenty thousand holocaust survivors live in Israel today. According to the article the survivors must be at least seventy years old to be eligible for the stipend. The program is not scheduled to start till next year. In 2008 120 million will be allocated, in 2009 240 million will be allocated and 300 million in 2011. So if they live till 2011 they will get 260 shekels worth of dignity. According to the announcement the decision was based on a recommendation of a committee within the Ministry of Welfare. According to Haaretz the committee recommended giving the survivors a little over a thousand shekels a month. Herzog, the minister of welfare denied that it would be 83 shekels a month. He claimed it would be a reasonable sum. How much? "A very suitable package." Take that to the bank and try to buy some dignity with it.There is also talk about hundreds of millions of shekels from non government sources. The sources are mostly nameless although Herzog the Welfare Minister listed some of these sources as "the Jewish People and Germany"

Olmert is only the head of this shameful and callous group. Its members who also think dignity costs 83 shekels a month include the Finance Minister Bar On, Justice Minister Friedman, Pensioners Minister Rafi Eitan, Health Minister Yakov Ben Yizri and the afore mentioned Welfare Minister Herzog. All of them present at this announcement and all feeling as though they have done a good deed for the less fortunate.

Ten percent of survivors die every year. As one of them put it "the government is choosing a biological solution. " The government needs to do the dignified thing. They should not spread it out over the years but take the lump sum of 720 million shekel and divide it among the survivors in a lump sum giving them the dignity to do with the money what they see fit. As for the man with no shame...vote him out. Elections will come sooner or later. Let him disgrace us no more. Vote Olmert out of office.

Submitted by Carol

New Horizons on the Horizon

2007-07-29T22:47:00.000-07:00

While I am searching in Israel for new leadership I look with envy at the PA. Their new prime minister was born from the ashes of Fatah and Hamas. You might say that's a bit dramatic but I think its true. Now I can only hope that the people let him lead.

Fayyad first came to my attention after a simple statement he made. He said he would work on building the PA's economy and infrastructure regardless of what is happening as far as negotiations with Israel. Halleluyah brother! Something I have been saying for a long time. Do I dare think he listens to our podcast? Finally someone who is ready to govern. Much of the reason Hamas rose to power is because in the PA no one was willing to govern. They filled a void and helped Palestinians with their schooling and health care for example. Lets face it,people want a better life. In that quest you don't always look further down the road. A hamas led Palestinian society would have meant the death of Palestinian society. Hamas wants a strict Islamic state. No more inventors because you wouldn't be studying science. No more poetry and literature unless it is sanctioned by the party. Need I go on?

This week I read that Fayyad did not put armed resistance to Israel in his platform. No more groups and splinter groups doing what they want which is to kill innocent Israeli's. It will no longer be sanctioned by the PA government. The PA will be the ones standing up for the Palestinians in a face off with Israel. What an idea! Of course this ironically struck terror in the hearts of the terrorists groups. So many terrorists might be out of work. The PRC already has threatened that they will kill Fayyad and his cronies. They claim that no one has the right to stop the Palestinians armed resistance of Israel. Not ever. Under no circumstances. If he can scare the terrorists then he is on the right track. Of course they have dragged out their tiresome refrain that if you don't back them then you are a collaborator with Israel. Unfortunately I can't help but think of Anwar Sadat. A true man of peace killed by terrorists because of it. Will history repeat itself?

I don't expect Fayyad to suddenly see the light and realize that what we want is the right thing for the PA to do. I know that he wants a return to the 67 borders. That's not happening so welcome to the negotiation table Prime Minister Fayyad. The difference for me is that he is someone we can bargain with because he seems to have his peoples best interest in mind. I look foward to the challenge.

Submitted by Carol

To Naqba or Not to Naqba

2007-07-22T09:48:00.001-07:00

On May 15th Palestinians celebrate a day called the Naqba. It is no coincidence that it is the day after our Independence Day. Naqba means disaster. Palestinians mark this day as the day their people suffered a catastrophe. No they are not talking about a disaster brought upon themselves. We are the catastrophe. If not for our existence...you know the rest. Yuli Tamir the Minister of Education has just okayed a textbook for the Arab school system in Israel that talks about the Naqba.

The name of the textbook is Living Together in Israel. This book is of all things a geography book!What surprised me most was that it was a third grade textbook. Maybe its been a long time since I was in third grade but I just can't see this being the topic for any valid discussion. In fairness to the book it does mention that the Arabs refused the UN partition plan which would have divided the land between the Arabs and Jews. It does say that Israel accepted the plan. However since it is a third grade book it talks in broad strokes which can lead to easy misinterpretation. The book states that after the Arab leadership opposed the UN Partition plan "then war began." It goes on to talk about how some Arabs became refugees.

Lets leave the age appropriateness aside. That's not the real issue. The real issue is our acceptance of this idea of a catastrophe brought on the Palestinians by our existence. I don't buy it and in fact I hate this day because it seeks to delegitimize us. We are a catastrophe. We are a disaster. I think the Arabs with their intolerance and hatred caused this "catastrophe" we find ourselves in. We should have a day that talks about how destructive they have been. War was their choice and in fact their only choice.

I don't have a problem with any Israeli textbook that talks about Arab villages lost in the war. Name them all. I don't have a problem with knowing this and neither should Israeli students. But likewise we need to talk about the Jewish places that were destroyed. What is the history of Hebron and its importance to the Jews. What catastrophe happened there in 1929. Jews were nassacred by Arabs and the British removed us from Hebron to "protect" us. Now the likelihood of Hebron returning to be part of Israel is slim at best. Lets talk about Silwan in East Jerusalem and the Jewish village underneath it. Lets talk about the Temple Mount and the Arabs denial that it is the Temple Mount. Lets not teach any student, Arab or Jew only the part of history that best suits them. Let us however not teach about a day that is a lie.

Submitted by Carol

Eli Yeshai and the Hours of Work and Rest Law

2007-07-18T02:23:00.000-07:00

Not a bad title for a book. Very reminiscent of the Harry Potter series. He could play a super muggle because he definitely has no magic in him. First lets set the scene. Our main character is Eli Yishai from Shas the Sephardic ultra orthodox party. He is the Minister of Industry Trade and Labor. There is an irony there but I don't want to go there now. In the scene he is confronted by the fact that the last Harry Potter book is scheduled for release on Shabbat. At 0201 Saturday morning to be exact. That's Israel time. The books are being globally released all at the same time.Two of the major bookstore chains in Israel will be offering the book. What will our guy do?

According to HaAretz the bookstore Steimatzky is planning a launch for the book this Friday night at the TelAviv port. The rival chain Tsomet Sfarim will be having an event at its Ga'ash branch. Eli Yishai has threatened to fine them under the hours of work and rest law because they are employing people on Shabbat. I could have predicted this scenario once I heard that the book would be coming out on Shabbat. Before I give the final word I want to reveal another character in this saga. Member of Knesset Ravitz of United Torah Judaism the Ashkenazi Ultra Orthodox party. According to Ynet news he has said "Aside from the book and its poor content..." Did he read the book? Lets see, a book that gets kids reading and one that adults love as much as the kids must be a piece of crap. He went on to say that it " serves as education for teenagers in Israel." Well first of all anytime my kids can learn about good versus evil I'm for it. I think however he was talking about Israeli teenagers who are not ultra orthodox. So it was really a dig at our kids. To that all I can say is that they get their bagrut(matriculation exams) and graduate high school, they do army service and then they go to university and they get jobs.They become productive members of society. Do you get my drift MK Ravitz?

Here is my bottom line. Israel is the Jewish State. It is the state for all Jews. It is not the Ultra Orthodox Jewish state or the Reform/Progressive Jewish State for that matter. Steimatzky is having an event in Tel Aviv. It is not opening all its branches. Tzomet Sfarim is having its event at Ga'ash which has stores open on Shabbat all the time. Neither are in places that might disturb the Shabbat for someone who is observant. Eli Yishai and company are simply wrong on this one.

submitted by Carol

More Coffee Please

2007-07-15T01:34:00.000-07:00

I have had my morning coffee but yet I am still having trouble wrapping my brain around the morning headlines. On Ynet the headline reads Fatah Gunmen Disarm. In our desire to find ways to make Abbas strong like bull something interesting is happening. The first gesture was that we would release 250 Palestinian prisoners most of whom belong to Fatah. These guys are all almost at the end of their sentences. While I'm not against their release I have to laugh at some of the pundits who think this will strengthen Abbas. They think the Palestinians will be awed by Abbas's power to get what he wants from Israel. They basically think the Palestinians are stupid. Step two however is something else.

Israel is offering amnesty to 178 members of Fatah's terrorist wing including Zubeidi. So far 150 men have signed the agreement in which they relinquish ties to the terror group and hand in their weapons. These are the terms according to an article in HaAretz-

The agreement with the Al-Aqsa fugitives includes four stages:

1. They will promise to refrain from terrorism and cut their links with the group.

2. They will spend a week in holding areas of the PA, where they will not be allowed to use cellular telephones or contact members of the group.

3. They will restrict their movements, for a three-month period, to the area where they reside.

4. After three months, they will be allowed to move freely in the West Bank.

These men will likely join the PA security forces. If it works there will be a win win situation. We get a PA government without a terrorist wing. We are now able to concentrate our efforts on Hamas and friends which are holed up in Gaza. This is also a win for Abbas. We can do his dirty work. Abbas can lead a strong government with a prime minister (Fayyad) who is on the right track. He wants to build the Palestinian economy and infrastructure regardless of what happens with negotiations with Israel. Something I have been talking about for a long time. The Palestinians need to take care of themselves. If Fayyad continues to lead in this way they have a ray of hope for a better life.

I think I need another cup of coffee. I must be in an alternate universe where something might go right in the middle east.

Submitted by Carol

The Knesset

2007-07-08T05:37:00.000-07:00

In fulfilling my duties as tour guide for visiting family we went to the Knesset. It was fun to sit in the plenary hall where the speech making, the heckling and in the end the voting takes place. The Knesset was not in session so the room was quiet. Hard to imagine. Whenever talk of our parliamentary system comes up I am not sure if I should be cursing the British or our leaders who thought it best to follow in their footsteps. I dream of a day when we can have a representative government so that politicians who so love their seats might actually do something to earn them. I believe the Messiah will arrive before that happens.

The tour of the Knesset is short and most of it devoted to the artwork. I'm not a big fan of Chagall so most of the tour guides explanations were like so much background noise as my mind began to wander. Then we came to a wonderful exhibit, our declaration of independence. On May 14, 1948 the eve of the end of the British Mandate over Palestine, we declared our independence. We did so knowing that seven countries had their guns pointed at us and were getting ready for the kill. This is somehow forgotten in the Arab narrative. They wanted our death and complete destruction. I believe they are fond of the term ethnic cleansing. It fits here perfectly.

Our declaration of independence could be divided into three topics. The first talks about our rights to establish a state on this land. Next it talks about what kind of a state it will be. We will be a Jewish state open to Jewish immigration, an in gathering of exiles. It will be a democracy for all its inhabitants. Not the picture painted by the Palestinian propaganda machine. We offered equal rights to all who live here and those that do live here enjoy these rights. Lastly we extend our hands in peace to our neighbors. This fell on deaf ears. I wonder how different it could have been had hatred not blocked the ability of the Arab world to hear us.

Yad VeShem

2007-07-01T09:26:00.000-07:00

People who live here usually go to Yad VeShem when people come to visit. You take them to do all the touristy stuff in Jerusalem. The old city, the Kotel, Machane Yehuda and the holocaust museum Yad VeShem. The holocaust is part of who we are and it colors the way we look at the world. We know that while Jewish souls were burning in Europe the seeds of yearning for our homeland were starting to blossom here. We also know that we cannot depend on the world to come to our rescue. I don't think the world as it were singles out the Jews. They don't care about genocide in Africa, or work/death camps in North Korea. After all, are we our brothers keeper?

When I go to Yad VeShem as I did this past week I am always reminded of an old woman I met who had 30 grandchildren! She likes to point to them with pride and say "that's revenge!" My children and I are the revenge for my grandparents. Revenge can leave you feeling empty. This is the best kind of revenge because it is full of life.

Walking through the museum I found myself drawn to the section dedicated to the resistance fighters. Those that survived gave their testimony. I stood in rapt attention as a woman told about the final meeting before the Warsaw Ghetto uprising. Should they flee to the forest and fight with the resistance or should they stay and kill as many Nazi's as possible. Did I have that kind of courage in me? If I do it is buried deep inside of me.

At one of the stations there was a recording from Eichmann's trial. Someone was reading a letter from the Jewish resistance to the people of the Warsaw Ghetto. The letter tells the people what is really happening to the Jews that are being transported. He said not to believe the lies of the people who want to kill you. Do not believe their lies he pleads. What you must do is defend, defend, defend. Do not be afraid to defend yourself. As I heard these words I was no longer thinking of the Jews in the ghetto but of here and now. I thought of Hamas and Islamic Jihad and of a world that is not so crazy about us defending ourselves. His words may have not been meant for me but I will remember them as if he was speaking to the people of Israel in 2007.

Submitted by Carol

Marking The Day

2007-06-25T08:44:00.000-07:00

I had several titles for this post. Happy anniversary seemed too insensitive. Then there was something I was working on that had to do with them stealing the show. It could have been called the long hot summer as well. All of it boils down to this, it has been a year since Hamas kidnapped Gilad Shalit and as a present we got a tape of his voice. A sign of life. Maybe. No way of knowing when it was recorded. Oh lets get real. It wasn't really a gift to us. It was a little something Hamas did just for itself. A little victory present. Lets celebrate our victory by showing how heartless we really are.Then lets put on some ski masks and go look for Fatah remnants to shoot. A good time was had by all.

Some wise men are saying that this is a sign from Hamas that they are ready to deal. They feel like they are in the drivers seat. King of the world when in reality they are the dark lords of a hell hole they created in Gaza. So what do we do? I don't think we could rescue him even if we could pinpoint his location. No commando unit is getting near him without someone seeing something and blowing the whistle. If by some strange alignment of the stars they were able to get to where he was he would be dead as soon as our guys made their move. Picture the BBC reporter with an explosives belt strapped to him. You don't even have to use your imagination for that one. We have a picture to prove it. So unless we have a drug that could sedate all of Gaza while we look for him it isn't an option. In my opinion the only prisoners we should release are from Fatah. I don't suddenly think Fatah are the good guys. I think Hamas is the door that Al Qaeda will step through. So we release only Fatah men and only to Abbas. If your from Hamas you can continue to enjoy your stay . Then we find a way to tighten the noose. Just a little.

Today was Olmert's big day. Hanging with da boys in Sharm. Olmert wouldn't let go of Abbas as the cameras snapped their picture. He really tried to flash his pearly whites for the short time he was in the lime light.Hamas stole that thunder with the release of the tape. Never you mind. Just work on squeezing Hamas out. I in turn will pray for Gilad, his family and friends. I pray that they stay strong and I pray for a miracle.

On our northern border there was a seemingly unconnected incident. An explosion in Lebanon not far from our border that targeted UNIFIL. As Hamas fades into Al Qaeda so goes Hezbollah. We should probably be good neighbors and bring them a little welcome to the neighborhood gift. Lets say in the form of a chocolate cake although they are probably hoping for the kind of cake where an Israeli soldier pops out! We have a long hot summer ahead of us as we try to understand and unravel the tangle of events and I will be praying for wisdom.

Submitted by Carol

How Do You Solve a Problem Like Abbas

2007-06-22T08:05:00.000-07:00

If only life were like a musical. In The Sound of Music the problem of Maria is solved by letting her out of the convent to explore the world. She finds love and happiness. I'm not even sure if Abbas is married. So setting him up is out of the question. And can he sing?

Abbas the man is in some ways Arafat in a suit. He is a terrorist. His big claim to fame is his master minding the Maalot massacre of schoolchildren in the early seventies. He talks peace but continues to let Fatah have a terrorist wing known as the Al Aqsa Martyrs Brigade. When necessary he condemns terrorism with his famous line,drum roll please, "It does not further the Palestinian cause." So like Arafat yet without the unconditional love of his people. Now he has his back to the wall. He has shown a bit of backbone. He called Hamas by their name, terrorists. He is refusing to meet with them and has kicked them out of the government. The only question is how long can he hold out ?

We didn't cause the events in Gaza. We are not responsible for their outcome. If I had a choice I would not deal with Hamas or Fatah. In this insane world I have to make a choice. So I pick Fatah. So we give them money. It belongs to them since it is from taxes collected on their behalf. If the money is used for the people I will be happy . If factories or other job opportunities are created with the money then I will feel a lot better than I do right now. There is so much money floating around the PA now or maybe not floating but rather nesting in the pockets of the corrupt and the pockets of Hamas who is arming itself at the speed of light.

What else do we do? Arm Fatah? No. The last thing the Palestinians need is more arms. The arms given to Fatah are now in the hands of Hamas in Gaza. In the case of a round two happening in the West Bank I think it would be better if the West Bank became a protectorate of Jordan so that their army could deal with Hamas. This comes from an idea floating around that Gaza become a protectorate of Egypt and the West Bank join Jordan. They would have autonomy without being absolutely on their own.It might work as a temporary solution.

The next big ticket item is prisoners. Do we release them to give Abbas a boost? Who here thinks the Palestinians can't see through this? They will know it was because he was weak and had nothing to do with his strength or charisma. Still it is worth looking at. Unfortunately the government is not letting me look at the list. There are all different levels of prisoners. Some are young kids who haven't murdered. Could we give them a second chance? There has to be some people on the list we can dump or in more politically correct terminology we can release them. Only the list keepers can do this properly. Prisoners responsible for murder do not make the cut.

I really believe we must think outside the box. Start with Jenin. Make it a real city with proper housing and roads and all the infrastructure. Get rid of the refugee camp it is now. The Palestinians don't want to be refugees and if Jenin is Palestinian then stop this insanity of keeping them in a camp on their own land. Do it by force if necessary. Make Abbas do it. Give them something they can be proud of.

While I wish life was more like a musical I think maneuvering through this mess is like going through the matrix. Its confusing because so much is not what it seems. Olmert is our leader for now as opposed to Neo in the movie version. I'd rather have Neo! I know that Neo is really Keanu Reeves yet I stick by my choice. Olmert may miss an opportunity and do nothing. He wants to stay prime minister so he doesn't want to make a mistake. As if he will be in this job come election time. He may also go to the other extreme and give away the farm in a last ditch effort to save himself. All we can do is wait and see. Whatever movie genre this is, in the end it will have many sequels.

Submitted by Carol

Joined At The Hip

2007-06-19T06:51:00.000-07:00

There’s turmoil in the Palestinian territories. Okay, so that’s an understatement. The world is screaming for everyone to support Fatah so they can fight Hamas.

But Fatah isn’t so great. They’re corrupt and weak. They show no desire to make any progress, and while Abbas screams that he wants peace with Israel, he isn’t willing to give an inch towards that goal. For him, it’s all or nothing and if it doesn’t happen, he can blame the other side.

Although he gives the illusion of being a moderate, he’s basically whatever it is that will keep him in office. He gives chameleons a bad name. And things aren’t going to change any time soon, especially with the situation in Gaza as it is. He won't do anything to dismantle Hamas or anything else that gets in the way of peace because he is easily bullied.

If there was a ray of hope; if there was someone waiting in the wings to offer a better solution, the political system quashes any bright spot of an alternative. There isn’t any room for newcomers in Fatah, and new and inventive ideas are not welcome there. It’s not about the people - it’s about staying in power.

Everyone knows Abbas is pretty useless. He’s not going to get anything done. But at this point, there isn’t any choice. The Palestinians don’t have a Barak Obama who can come out of nowhere and offer some sort of fresh idea. If there is some kind of Palestinian equivalent, he is, as we speak, being silenced by the political machine he is forced to be a part of. None of these old guys are going to give up their cushy situation for the sake of peace. After all, there are some things more important.

So, we’re stuck. And the only people that aren’t affected are the ones already in power. And we go on with Olmert because we’re not given a choice. And we go on with the scandals of the Israeli government and the non-dismantled settlements because that’s the way they like it.

Wait a minute…did I say Olmert and the Israeli government?! I meant Abbas and the Palestinian government!

I mean…wait…hang on…now I’m confused. I must be looking at some kind of weird mirror or something. Really. I meant the Palestinians.

I think.

I’m going to lie down. I’m getting a little dizzy.

Submitted by Charley

The Hardest Word

2007-06-17T09:48:00.000-07:00

I'm walking in Jerusalem with journalist/comedian Ray Hanania and our talk turns to ending the conflict. The walls of the old city are a fitting backdrop for our discussion. In the course of our conversation our talk turned to the issue of the Palestinian refugees. He asked me if I, as the representative of Israel could apologize to the refugees. Ray understands that there can be no right of return. Ray also understands that people have their pride and pride can become this big brick wall. Recognition of someone elses pain can turn a wall into lets say a fence maybe. Sorry, I couldn't resist! But seriously, could I apologize?

I am a person with a big heart. So I naturally said to Ray, yeah sure. I am sorry that they are refugees and am really sympathetic to those who have been living in refugee camps for sixty years. No, I didn't keep them in camps. That's an apology they need to hear from their Arab brethren. My apology doesn't give rise to the assumption that I did something wrong in returning to my homeland. Some things just are. A hard concept in a world where people are constantly looking for answers.

Then I got home and thought about this some more. I realized we too are owed an apology. First we are owed an apology for the hatred and violence that was the Arab's first response going back in history much further than 1948. Years of war aimed at the destruction of an entire people. Terrorism is but the latest tool in the plan to wipe us out. So I'm starting to see that the apology thing might not be the way to go.

I believe the answer is not in the negativity of an apology. Its in the affirmation of each other that must be the basis for any peace treaty. We must recognize them as a people who live in this land and call it home. They must recognize that this is our homeland. We are a long way off from realizing these simple goals. Sir Isaac Newton predicted the world would end in 2060 according to some recently released papers of his. At this rate we may not make it.

Submitted by Carol

Trix Are For Kids

2007-06-12T06:18:00.000-07:00

Anyone from the good old USA knows the commercial for Trix, the kids cereal. The one with the cute cartoon rabbit who tries desperately to get his hands on a bowl of Trix cereal. Each and every time he gets it snatched away from him at the last second. The tag line being "Crazy rabbit, Trix are for kids!" Maybe we could learn something from it.

This morning in HaAretz I read the headline "PM sends new message to Assad." It went on to talk about "interesting nuances" that the message contained. This according to an unnamed source albeit a senior political one . The message was sent through the Greek Foreign Minister who was in Israel yesterday and would be travelling to Damascus. Be still my little bunny rabbit heart. Hope springs eternal only to be dashed in the second paragraph of said article. The Greek Foreign Ministry Spokesman said he was surprised at the news. After all they are not mediators or envoys in this little part of the world. And so it goes.

For weeks we have been receiving news about Syria. One day they want to talk. The next day they don't and are arming themselves. Then there is news of Olmert sending Assad messages which are later denied. Then the Syrians have a military exercise near the Golan. After which there is news about our plans in case of attack. Just when you think the summers blockbuster war with Syria is coming soon there is news to the contrary. My head is spinning.

I'm one of the little guys. No political connections. No advisors on Syrian affairs and I know no one that has studied Assad and can talk about what he is likely to do. Truth be told I have no idea what to make of this mess. I can't fathom what Assad is up to these days. Does he want peace? Maybe. Is Olmert really willing to talk with Assad or is it all in the name of his political survival? A resounding "I don't know."

Here is what I do know. If it doesn't look like peace or sound like peace its not peace. Peace looks like Anwar Sadat and it sounds like Anwar Sadat speaking in the Knesset. It also looks and sounds like Menachem Begin his partner in peace. It doesn't resemble Arafat and his peace of the brave. That resembles something else entirely! It resembles King Hussein of Jordan and his peace with Israel. It doesn't resemble anything that Assad has to offer. You can't talk peace and arm terrorists. You can't talk peace and threaten Israel with the tactics of Hezbollah.

Instead of all this empty meaningless talk lets try something else. How about a joint agricultural project with Syria? But hey we have no peace treaty you say. I say so what! We aren't at war. No one is currently fighting. Its a win win. You just have to think outside of the cereal box

All this talk is making me hungry but I will not grab for that bowl of Trix. They won't let me have it. I don't want to be like the Trix rabbit. Having no peace treaty is better than having delusions that if we just did what they want we will have peace. It is better than a peace treaty in which we have to accept terrorism or one that sets us up for a fatal attack. What we need is patience. On the mean time I'll have a bowl of Lucky Charms. It couldn't hurt and they are "magically delicious!"

Submitted by Carol

The Tour Continues

2007-06-10T02:46:00.000-07:00

So many shows...so little time.

The Israeli-Palestinian Comedy Tour did a show in Toronto at Roy Thomson Hall on May 29th. The response was wonderful. We had around 1200 people there and had a great time. It was our first appearance in North America, and we hope it will be the start of more to come. We did the usual TV appearance, and radio, and answered the usual questions. So, for the record, it's not about peace in the Middle East. It's about me being the center of attention. And really...isn't that what we all want...for me?

Now we're back in Israel for our second Israel tour. Ray and Aaron are here and the four of us have hit the road. Actually, we hit the road with a resounding thud.

Our first show was in Tel Aviv last Thursday. It was a private show for Seeds Of Peace. Now don't get me wrong. Seeds Of Peace is a wonderful organization. They do outstanding work and their staff are some of the nicest people in the world. They're dedicated to their cause and they believe in what we're doing, as well. But the show sucked! First of all, the venue was not right for us. Secondly, it was a reunion! So the people, all younger people - I might add, were there to see their friends. Not to see us. Being a comedian, I kind of like to have people pay attention to me when I'm stage talking at them. Oh well.

Last night, however, was something special. Probably more special than our North American premier, and more special than doing a show for Seeds Of Peace. Last night we did a show at the Ambassador Hotel in East Jerusalem. The significance of it was the location and the audience. Being in East Jerusalem, the neighborhood is all Palestinian. You can argue with me back and forth about whether or not they are Palestinian and what they consider themselves. I don't care. The point being, in January we did a show at the American Colony Hotel, also in East Jerusalem. The two hotels are fairly close together, but they couldn't be further apart.

The audience reflected this difference. I have to admit, I was a little worried about this show. I had no idea how many people would actually show up, so I was expecting maybe a dozen people. What made it worse, was NBC News was sending a film crew. They were going to witness this debacle.

It didn't turn out that way. The place was packed. I estimate around 130 people, but I'm bad at that stuff. There may have been more. There was a large Palestinian/Arab contingent, along with many Europeans (diplomats and regular people), and Israelis/Jews.

And they loved us. We all had great sets. I had a great time. Two minutes into my set I received my first roar of laughter and applause, and I thought to myself, This is going to be fun. It was.

A Palestinian came up to me after the show and said, "I gotta tell you. My father is Muslim and my mother is Christian, so I could relate to everything you were talking about. I'm so glad you guys are doing this." A European diplomat said to me, "To see Arabs and Jews in the same room laughing with each other was unbelievable."

So, I'll tell you what we did. For approximately 110 minutes, the four of us put the Israeli-Palestinian conflict on hold. We didn't solve anything. We didn't make anything better. We didn't contribute to the "Grand Scheme Of Things".

We're comedians, for chrissakes. We get people to laugh. And we get paid to do it. After all, I'm only a philanthropist up to a point. But I will tell you something. Last night at the Ambassador Hotel in East Jerusalem we proved that it can be done, and we were the first to do it. It's not a bad feeling, and I know Ray and Aaron and Yisrael know what I'm talking about. Then again, so do all the people that were there.

Approximately 110 minutes is not a bad start.

Submitted by Charley

Pride and Prejudice

2007-06-06T02:11:00.000-07:00

Free speech, its the reason I can write this blog and voice my opinions on our podcast. Its a wonderful thing. On most days I take it for granted. I spew my opinions without giving it a second thought. Not today. In a neighboring town free speech may be in jeopardy and if it happens there it will eventually happen all over this tiny little country of mine.

The opponents of free speech are trying to block it in our nations capitol, Jerusalem. They are going to do it in the knesset by amending a Basic Law with regards to Jerusalem. The reason for incringing on our rights is a parade that happens once a year, the Gay Pride Parade. Before I go any further lets get some things straight and no I'm not talking about gay people! Jerusalem is the nations capitol and therefore is the place to demonstrate and have parades and gatherings. More important in my opinion is the great respect and restraint the homosexual community has shown. During the disengagement they cancelled the event because they did not want to celebrate when others were suffering. Needless to say the people evacuated would not treat the gay community with the same understanding. Last year because of the Haredi firestorm and the security situation they agreed to have an event at a stadium I believe in Hebrew University. Never has the parade route gone through an ultra orthodox neighborhood. Never by a religious or holy site. Contrary to what the Haredi/religious public would have you believe it does not have the mardi gras atmosphere and dress that a parade of its kind does in lets say San Francisco.

Now lets look at the opponents. Someone in this camp stabbed a man walking in the parade a few years ago. Luckily the man survived. Last year the Haredi hooligans had violent demonstrations and caused huge amounts of damage in shekels that of course the Haredi community doesn't have to pay . The men don't work and they don't pay taxes. I and others like me had to foot the bill for their sinning in Gods name. What angered me more was that soldiers were kidnapped and we were at war and THIS is what gets them out on the streets. I guess its because the soldiers risking their lives are not their sons since a very few serve in the army, my hats off to those that do. They seem to forget that it is because of our soldiers that they have the luxury of studying Torah.

I have no desire to change someones personal view on homosexuality. I do not intend to make anyone accept it or embrace it. Interpret the lines in the Torah as you wish or as you were taught. That is fine too. Just let them march. If you feel the need to publicly disagree then do it peacefully. It should be your right.

Two members of Knesset have proposed a bill enabling the Jerusalem municipality to stop the Gay Pride Parade on the grounds that it disturbs the sensibilities of the residents, security issues or if it offends the religious public! This law covers anything that they can fit into these categories not just Gay Pride. The members of Knesset who proposed the bill are from the National Religious Party and Shas. No shock there. Olmert however told the members of the coalition to vote their conscious. Now that part of their anatomy is in the part they sit on because the maintaining of their knesset seats for their big "consciouses" is top priority. What they actually believe in is not of any consequence. Keeping the coalition alive is the key. None of them will get my vote . Some say this was done to placate Shas. Kadima wants to get Shimon Peres elected president and they need Shas to do it. An eighty four year old who can't win an election on his own is more important than freedom of speech.

If we are a democracy we must watch over our right to freedom of speech as carefully as we watch over the Torah. Then we can be a light unto other nations and then maybe Gods divine presence will once again choose to reside here.

Submitted by Carol

Six Days of Seperation

2007-05-30T23:05:00.000-07:00

I'm tired of the occupation.It is upsetting the British academics union, the journalists union and even the architects are upset. Lets not forget what it has done for others with a dubious past. The Germans can point and say "See, look at what they are doing." Don't forget South Africa who now claims they had a kinder and gentler apartheid. The UN Human Rights Commision is so involved in the conflict they have no time to deal with the slaughter in the Congo and Darfur. Those people have to wait. The occupation must be dealt with.

I am also confused. The Palestinians talk about the occupation all the time. What I can't figure out is when did the occupation start. When was there ever a sovereign Palestinian government in any part of this land. I know about the Ottoman and British empires that ruled here. I know when the State of Israel was founded. Way back in the day there was a plan to partition Israel. Divide it between Arabs and Jews. A good idea that was rejected by the Arabs. It appears they have no tolerance of others. They would rather have destroyed the Jews and their state then agree to a compromise. Unfortunately for them we survived. So now things get murky. The West Bank which we lost during the war became part of Jordan. They governed it. Gaza in turn became part of Egypt and was governed by them. The Palestinians became refugees in their own land. They were kept in camps. However the occupation they speak of did not start yet. Go figure.

According to the twisted Palestinian narrative that has become part of popular culture the occupation occurred in June 1967. That's when Egypt wanted another go at Israel. This time they would destroy Israel. Israel knew what was coming and asked Jordan to stay out of it. Ever hungry for the destruction of the Jews and their state they said no. Just like they said no to partition. It was all or nothing. Six days later they got nothing.

The Palestinians would have you believe that all was good until 1967. They would have you believe it was the land hungry, uncompromising aggressive Israeli's who caused the situation. People are buying into the myth. My favorites are the British academics who by virtue of being academics should know history. When it comes to antisemitism why should a little history get in the way. The idea of a strong Jew defending himself in his own land is appalling enough for them. God forbid the Jews should be right. Of course the other part of the occupation myth is that they only want to go back to the pre 1967 borders. They want to live side by side with Israel in peace. Well maybe not Hamas, Islamic Jihad, the PRC, the PFLP and the Al Aqsa Martyrs brigade to name a few. But all the others are okay with it.

This coming week I will be celebrating our victory forty years ago. The occupation myth was meant to turn our victory into a loss. They would like to forget that we won and they would like the world to forget why there was a war in the first place. I have not forgotten. I will honor the men and women who fought and won.

When the celebrating is done we will be here waiting for a Palestinian leadership who is ready to forgo terrorism in all its forms and who is willing to recognize our place here so that we truly can find a way to live side by side. But make no mistake, we will be here.

Submitted by Carol

Bottom of the Ninth

2007-05-19T22:20:00.000-07:00

Gaza is sinking under the weight of the failed policies of Fatah and Hamas. Fatah, the moderate terrorists, were a corrupt leadership that stole from the people . Hamas gained power. Hamas, the extreme terrorists , turned Gaza into a military zone from which to strike Israel. Hamas brought millions into Gaza through Egypt. None of the money however has been seen since. Power, a more important commodity than the people, can be an elusive thing. Hamas not wanting to loose it to Fatah decided to declare war on Fatah before the scales tipped in favor of Fatah. The Saudi's brokered the Mecca deal which was built on air. This deal was supposed to stop the fighting between Hamas and Fatah. It gave the Palestinians an illusion of a unity government. Hamas never intended to work hand in hand with Fatah. What they needed was time. Time to regroup and get stronger. The Mecca deal was a godsend. The Saudis seem to have no desire to take control. Maybe their fear of Iran has passed for the moment. I would prefer to sit on the sidelines and watch. However Hamas who is looking for cover for their murderous deeds wants to use Israel. Over a hundred Quassam rockets have landed in Israel. It's no longer a spectator sport for us.

It's time for Egypt to step up to the plate. Egypt needs to take it's security force and go into Gaza. They need to stop the violence by patrolling the streets. They need to put an end to the anarchy for as long as it takes. They need to arrest anyone that picks up a gun to kill a rival. The people of Gaza need to feel safe on their own streets and so do we. Egyptian forces could put an end to rocket launches. This force would have to remain until such time when someone is willing and able to govern and create a positive society not based on terrorism. This is a price that Egypt should be willing to pay.

Gaza has a porous border with Egypt. The terrorists slip through to Egypt and become just one more headache they can ill afford. Egypt is currently struggling with the Islamic Brotherhood who would love to turn Egypt into an extremist Islamic state. Having Hamas gain total control over Gaza does not bode well for Egypt. In addition to Hamas' fight with Israel they also want to create an extremist Islamic state. Having their neighbor Gaza turn into an island of extremism is bad for Egypt, It could easily spill over to Egypt. Like it or not Egypt has to take steps. All the moderate Arab countries supported terrorism when it was against Israel. Now it has come around to bite them. The terrorists want complete control of the region. Israel is but the cherry on the top. Sadly I cannot add to the reasons Egypt should do this the most important reason of all. The fact that the Palestinians need their help. They are suffering at the hands of their failed leadership. A leadership that chose to build a terrorist entity instead of reaping the fruits of the disengagement.

I hope Egypt realizes that the days of appeasement are over if they want to survive. I can only hope that the Palestinian people realize they have been lied to and used by the terrorists. The Palestinians must take reponsibility for their future. No other Arab state cares enough to do it for them. In the meantime it's the bottom of the ninth and the Egyptians are up to bat.

Submitted by Carol

Olmert Comes Clean

2007-05-18T07:24:00.000-07:00

If Ehud Olmert, the prime minister of Israel, were smart (which, according to the latest polls, 97% of we Israelis know he’s not), he would deliver the speech that follows. Yes, this will be public domain and if Olmert does, in fact, want to use it, he’s welcome to it. I can only promise increased popularity from its use (which is a pretty easy bet at this point). It goes something like this:

My fellow Israelis. Through the use of exhaustive studies, polls, and interviews, I, Ehud Olmert, have come to the conclusion that you are not as stupid as I had hoped. I really thought this whole thing about my ineptitude would blow over in a couple weeks and I could resume benefiting from all the perks and pomp that goes with this office I accidentally fell into. (Stage instruction: smile a little bit right here) I know it certainly has helped fend off all the criminal investigations that keep plaguing me, I gotta tell you.

I know you know we didn’t need Winograd to tell us how badly I screwed up. And I also know we certainly don’t have to wait for the final report in the summer to confirm my inadequacies. Oh…and that whole thing about me being the one to fix things because I’m the one that messed them up? I was really counting on you falling for that one, but again, I underestimated Israeli intelligence. And I’m not talking about the Shin Bet kind, either. (Stage instruction: chuckle a little bit here) I mean, can you imagine a boss not firing an employee for screwing up because only that employee can fix it? (Stage instruction: scratch head in apparent confusion) What was I thinking when I came up with that one?!

So, here’s the thing. I need to keep being prime minister, and I hope you’ll keep me as prime minister. I need to keep being prime minister because it’s the only thing I got. I’ve never had a real job and I’m not as good as Bibi at public speaking. At this point I couldn’t get hired to do Bar Mitzvahs. Let’s face it. That’s the only reason this government isn’t collapsing as I speak. None of us want to get jobs in the public sector! I don’t know if you know this, but there are people out there that work forty hour weeks! I don’t think I could do that. I know most of the people on Labor’s list don’t want to do that, and certainly not the rest of Kadima.

Those of you that know me from being mayor of Jerusalem, know I like to travel a lot. I could never do that if I had to use my own money. Hell, I couldn’t even buy an apartment if I had to use my own money! Is that what you really want? And what about those criminal investigations? You know, if normal people did what I did they’d be in jail right now. Well, I can’t have that.

Therefore, I believe you should all know that I’m going to hang on. I know you don’t like me, you don’t trust me, you have no confidence in my ability, and you know I’m going to continue to make things worse. But I don’t care. Because this isn’t about you. This is about me and my comfort. And as your prime minister, I sometimes have to make some very tough decisions.

So, I pick me.

Thank you.

Submitted by Charley

Welcome

2007-05-18T02:19:00.000-07:00

So here we are, two podcasters with too much to say! We can't fit it all in our weekly podcast so we decided to invade the blogosphere. Charley and I ( I being me, otherwise known as Carol) have been podcasting from Israel for two years. Our podcast, Israelisms is about our lives, the crazy things that happen here and of course politics. Charley and I don't always agree so there is that to look foward to! Grab some coffee, get comfy and enjoy the ride...I meant read!