Israel Attacked by Hamas 2023/5784, War Musings #13 We're All Hostages of Hamas, Dangerous Faux Morality & Pressures

 

Some of you may not like this, but as I read the newspapers over Shabbat and thought about all the ridiculous things I keep hearing on the news and various talk shows, it all became clear. 

The Israeli Government, which is probably to be called the Third Bibi Netanyahu Coalition, isn't conducting itself as a strong, proud independent government. Actually, it never truly has. I'll never forget hearing him at the International Bloggers' Conference in 2008 saying that when he'll return to the position as Prime Minister, he'll do it as a centrist. I've written and spoken about it many times. That honest statement of his has made all of his failed policies clear to me, and I can't understand why other people don't get it. 

A Centrist isn't a leader, and we can't afford more mistakes.

But back to the theme of this War Musing...

The Israeli Government and public are being bombarded with orders, warnings, slogans that "our priority must be returning the hostages." I certainly have nothing against any of the hostages, nor their families, Right, Left and Center, but the entire State of Israel is in danger. This isn't just another hijacked airplane story. 

Honestly what's the point of destroying the momentum of our soldiers, yet again, needed to totally defeat Hamas, or endanger our soldiers in rescue attempts when it could, Gd forbid, cause us to lose the war. So then the few survivors (we're not even sure how many of the remaining hostages are even alive) end up being killed here in Israel as the country is Gd forbid invaded by more Hamas terrorists and their supporters?

There's an even bigger problem, which has nothing to do with the hostages that Hamas has taken to Gaza. It's the fact that Netanyahu's government and the Leftist War Cabinet are forcing our soldiers to endanger themselves to protect the so-called "innocent Gazan civilians." Please read War Musings #7 *Volunteers Needed to Sort Innocents from Terrorists.

All the warnings and inspections before we bomb a building turn our soldiers into hostages of the "loony left" who are ruling the State of Israel. This policy is unprecedented and perverse. Israel has been guilty of it for decades. We endanger our soldiers, our children, grandchildren, family, neighbors to protect those who are terrorists or protect terrorists. Our soldiers protect us, and we must protect them! 

The people funding the Return the hostages NOW at all cost are the same antigovernmental anti-Likud, anti-Judicial Reform international Leftists who've been working with Ehud Barak and other Israelis for years to endanger the State of Israel. 

We must totally defeat and destroy the enemy. No mercy. It's that simple, a strange adjective for a dangerous and difficult war. We must change leadership to those who understand this.

Gd willing בע"ה

The Street vs Democracy-- FOLLOW THE MONEY

 

screenshot from Channel 14 News
Last night's antigovernment demonstration

It seems like the whole world has heard that the legally, democratically elected Israeli Government has passed a very necessary law to reform the judiciary, which has set itself up as the alternative government vetoing laws. The judiciary is very political. One law for the Left and another for the Right.

To be perfectly honest and accurate the demonstrations predate the present government's bill for judicial reform. 

For those trying to understand the basic issue here in Israel. Very simple. Judges have put themselves above the parliament and rule according to their opinions and ideologies, rather than laws. They have declared themselves above the law with rights to veto according to their personal feelings aka reasonableness. They can perpetuate their politics by choosing their successors. Basically this has disenfranchised the voters and made a farce out of elections. Yes, the judges and their supporters are the antidemocracy group.

Israel is a parliamentary democracy. We vote for political parties. After most elections, the leader of the party that has received the most votes manages to negotiate a coalition with other parties which has more than half of the 120 Members of Knesset. The Likud has gotten the most votes/seats in most recent elections including the November, 2022 elections, in which he and a few other political parties campaigned as a block promising to form a stable coalition. That's what happened, so therefore according to Israeli law and democracy Binyamin Bibi Netanyahu is the legal Prime Minister of the State of Israel. 

For the past few years, definitely predating those recent elections, there has been a well-funded movement to push Bibi out of his number one position in Likud and out the office of Prime Minister. It's called "ANYONE BUT BIBI." For years when he had previously been PM, including the COVID lockdown, there had been weekly demonstrations near the official prime minister's residence calling for Bibi's ouster. This was hell for the neighbors, since the courts/judges insisted that in their superior wisdom, the demonstrators' rights trumped theirs. And when during the COVID lockdown schools, synagogues and many places of work had been forced to be closed, the judges decided that demonstrations must continue...

There was quiet during the year that Naftali Bennett's government stood, which continued when it fell and Yair Lapid was interim Prime Minister. Since Netanyahu returned to office not only have the demonstrations returned bigger and better equipped than before, but their spokespeople/leaders have become louder and more outrageous. Led by two former disgraced Prime Ministers, Ehud Olmert* and Ehud Barak** we now hear unabashed calls for rebellion and refusal to serve in the IDF. This is treason, no less. They are basically calling on the Israeli public to destroy the country. But the courts are in their favor and find nothing wrong.

These antigovernment demonstrations are very expensive to run. Who's funding them? It's no secret that money is coming from abroad, and some of that money has been traced to the American Government. Administrations led by Democrat Party Presidents do not like working with Netanyahu. Obama couldn't find his famous smile when posing with Bibi.

It's clear that there's something very dirty going on. These demonstrations, riots etc. have nothing to do with wanting democracy for the State of Israel. The leaders are bamboozling their followers with slogans. The street isn't democracy. Let's find out who's really behind this.

FOLLOW THE MONEY

*Olmert had spent time in jail convicted on corruption charges. 

**Barak is known to have been a good friend of disgraced Jeffrey Epstein, besides other problematic relationships

Knesset Elections 2019 Redo, Left Split by Ehud Barak

I guess I shouldn't be surprised. Ehud Barak is throwing his hat into the ring yet again. It's a generation since he had served the country, horrendously poorly, and many Israelis don't remember. Of course I remember. As you know, I haven't supported the Likud since before it, led by then Prime Minister Menachem Begin, gave the Sinai to Egypt and had Jewish communities destroyed and uprooted Israeli citizens.

I'm glad that the television newswriters/casters kept identifying Ehud Barak as seventy-eight 78, even though he has quite a few months until his February birthday. That makes Bibi Netanyahu look young. He'll only be turning 70 in October. Bibi's younger than US President Trump and the two Democratic frontrunners, Biden and Sanders.

In terms of basic policy, "anyone but Bibi," there isn't much difference between Barak's nameless party and the Gantz-Lapid-Bogi etc ad nauseum Blue & White. The biggest difference is that with the exception of  Lapid, none of the Blue & White leaders have much political experience, while Barak had been Prime Minister, though a failed one, from 1999 to 2001.

Are you among those who can't remember Barak's very short term as Prime Minister of the State of Israel?

To be as concise as possible... Barak's funders, yes, he had backers (and no doubt has some rich ones now, too,) paid for an American "campaign expert." This expert insisted that he needed a catchy, attractive slogan. Their polling info was that many Israelis didn't like the fact that the IDF had been fighting in Lebanon, because soldiers had been killed, etc. So Barak promised that if he was elected Prime Minister, Israel would leave Lebanon.

When the Americans left, OK pulled out of Vietnam, there was dangerous bedlam. But remember that Vietnam is thousands and thousands of miles away from the United States, so there was no direct danger to the United States of America. Israel and Lebanon share a border, and it isn't the Pacific Ocean. After Barak was elected Prime Minister, Israel had to flee Lebanon and ended up leaving valuable security information and equipment. His opponents called him "Barach," which sounds similar to Barak, but it means "fled." Israel's security plummeted, but that wasn't Barak's only problem. His coalition was shaky, because he had to include the Shas Party, which is Chareidi-Sephardi.  They were at loggerheads with Barak's Leftist followers. The Israeli political system requires a working coalition of a minimum of sixty-one 61 Knesset Members. A Prime Minister must be able to control his MKs. Barak couldn't.



Since Barak, Blue & White and Israel's Labor Party are after the same voters, you can guess. I'm curious about what's next....

Why Should Kerry have Expected Bibi to Kowtow to Him?

Honestly, John Kerry should just get over it. His Democratic Party lost the 2016 Presidential Elections, and the winner, Donald Trump has a very different outlook and policy vis a vis Israel. Add to that the very simple fact that the Israeli public has voted Likud into office for most of the past forty years and totally reject American State Department policies.

JOHN KERRY VENTS FRUSTRATION OVER WORKING WITH NETANYAHU IN NEW BOOK

Another thing re: John Kerry is that he's not even popular in the United States. What recent elections has he won? Obama chose him as Secretary of State when Hillary Clinton decided to devote her energies into her failed presidential campaign. Kerry's a nobody, Hillary's a loser and Obama is history.

If you check recent Israeli polls you'll see that the Right-Religious bloc consistently beat out the Secular Left, and number two to Binyamin Netanyahu as prefered Prime Minister is "Don't Know" or "none of the above."

None of the Israeli political parties or Leftist politicians supported by Kerry and his backers have the true potential to garner the necessary trust to put together a successful ruling coalition. The Americans have interfered in Israeli politics/elections in the past and most probably the present, too, all unsuccessfully, except for the notoriously very short-lived Ehud Barak government.

Don't forget the outrageous and unprecedented campaign lame-duck Obama and Kerry waged in the United Nations against Israel. Why should any Israeli or diaspora Jew trust the policies and opinions of John Kerry?

If Bogie's the Alternative, I'll Stick With Bibi

Simply put, I see Bogie Ya'alon as the Right's Ehud Barak.

If you've been wondering why I haven't written about attending any of the "anti-corruption" rallies, it's because I don't see them as sincere, or as it's said in Hebrew, לשם שמיים, lisheim shamayim, for the sake of Heaven. They are clearly political tricks/cons to get Prime Minister Binyamin "Bibi" Netanyahu out of office. I agree that he's far from perfect, but I don't see anyone who can replace him, certainly not former Defense Minister Moshe “Bogie” Ya’alon.

It's pretty obvious, that this "movement" is backed by people with a not so hidden agenda, and their agenda is to get Netanyahu out of office. If anyone has the means and connections, then please FOLLOW THE MONEY. I wouldn't be surprised if it ends up coming form international Leftists, like Soros and those who financed the "anyone but Bibi" and V15 during the last Israeli elections.

The Obama administration is using taxpayer dollars to fund a radical anti-Israel group that aims to drive Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu from office in March parliamentary elections.
And the U.S.-based group receiving the U.S. government money, OneVoice International, in turn is working with V15, an "independent grassroots movement" in Israel, according to Ha'aretz. V15's unofficial motto is said to be "anyone but Bibi," a reference that includes the prime minister's nickname.  complete article click

The International Left has plenty of money, but it didn't help them in the USA 2016 Elections. Trump won.

I don't trust Bogie any more than I'd trust Ehud Barak or Barack Hussein Obama and his backers. Years ago, I'd heard Bogie touted as the "great Right hope," and I never saw him prove it when in office. That's why I spent yesterday evening at a football game, American tackle football. I saw more honesty on the field, than I would have heard from the speakers at the demonstration.

Who is Funding Loser Leftist Ehud Barak?

I'm just identifying Ehud Barak as "Loser Leftist," because he hasn't shown an real party loyalty.

EHUD BARAK: I’M MOST FIT TO LEAD

Some people may remember that he served a disastrous term as Prime Minister, early on in the "reign" of Binyamin Bibi Netanyahu. Following is wikipedia's listing of Israeli Prime Ministers:

9Benjamin Netanyahu
בִּנְיָמִין נְתַנְיָהוּ‎
(1949–)Likud18 June 1966 July 1999199614th27thLikud-Gesher-Tzomet• Shas• NRP• BaAliyah• UTJ•Third Way   10Ehud Barak
אֵהוּד בָּרָק‎
(1942–)One Israel
Labor6 July 19997 March 2001199915th28thOne Israel• Shas• Meretz• BaAliyah• Centre• NRP•UTJ^[9]

11Ariel Sharon
אֲרִיאֵל שָׁרוֹן‎
(1928–2014)Likud7 March 200128 February 2003200129thLikud• Labor-Meimad^[9]• Shas^[9]• Centre• NRP•UTJ• BaAliyah• NU-Beiteinu• New Way• Gesher28 February 200321 November 20052003 (16th)30thLikud• Shinui^[9]• NU^[9]• NRP^[9]• Labor-Meimad•Aguda^[9]Kadima21 November 2005(4 Jan. 2006)^[7]
14 April 2006Kadima• Likud^[9]• Agudat     12Ehud Olmert
אֵהוּד אוֹלְמֶרט‎
(1945–)Kadima(acting, 4 Jan. 2006)^[7]
14 April 20064 May 20064 May 200631 March 2009^[8]2006 (17th)31stKadima• Labor• Shas• Gil• Beiteinu^[9](9)     
 Benjamin Netanyahu
בִּנְיָמִין נְתַנְיָהוּ‎
(1949–)Likud31 March 200918 March 20132009 (18th)32ndLikud• Beiteinu• Shas• Labor/Indep.^[9]• Jewish Home• UTJ^[9]18 March 20136 May 20152013 (19th)33rdLikud• Yesh Atid• The Jewish Home• Yisrael Beiteinu• Hatnuah6 May 2015Incumbent2015 (20th)34thLikud• Kulanu• The Jewish Home• Shas• UTJ•Yisrael Beiteinu

Over the years that Barak has been out of office, his biggest public Israeli following seems to come from headline writers.

I know that this chart didn't come out all that well, but you can see that Netanyahu obviously learned a lot of the art of politics during his time in the opposition, after being deposed by Barak. For a clearer visual image, go to wikipedia.

You may not remember, but Barak was elected with the help of American advisors who suggested that he promise to withdraw from Southern Lebanon, which he did in such a hurry that valuable security information and equipment was left for the enemy. After that it all went downhill for him. And to make his reputation as a loyal competent Israeli even worse,  he then worked for an American  companies. Periodically these "comeback" headlines reappear. I don't trust him at all. Something stinks.

US - Israel Relations in The Eyes of an Israeli

Israeli and Jerusalem Flags flying outside the Old City Walls

Even though I'm second generation born in the USA, I look at everything happening in America as an Israeli. I voted with my feet when I boarded that boat, the Annamarie, Greek Lines, August, 1970. My chief priority is the security and viability of the State of Israel. Also, as a strictly Torah Observant Jew, aka Orthodox Jew, I see the survival and thriving of the State of Israel as beneficial to the stability and peace of the entire world.

I've spent almost a half a century and the vast majority of my life here in Israel. My husband and I made aliyah, moved to Israel just two months after our wedding. We never actually lived as "adults" in the United States. So please take that as your filter, to understand where I'm coming from, when reading this.

Yesterday evening, when when my husband and I were both home from work watching the Israeli news on television, we were lucky to catch the clip of the warm greetings between  the two first couples, the Trumps and the Netanyahus.

Melania Trump debuts as White House hostess alongside the Netanyahus, YahooNews

This was such a welcome change after the eight frigid and hostile years of Barack Hussein Obama and the eight previous cold, petulant and contentious  Bush years. I know that many American Jews were hoping that Hillary Clinton would win the elections and that there'd be a Democratic majority in both houses, but here in Israel things always look different.

Most Israelis who follow the news will never forget the outrageous and immoral interference in Israeli Elections by the American Government, led by Democrats most notably Obama and the Clintons. They funded the V15 aka "anybody but Bibi" to try to assist the Israeli Left to block Netanyahu's Likud from being able to form a government coalition during the 2015 Knesset Elections.

The Obama administration is using taxpayer dollars to fund a radical anti-Israel group that aims to drive Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu from office in March parliamentary elections.
And the U.S.-based group receiving the U.S. government money, OneVoice International, in turn is working with V15, an "independent grassroots movement" in Israel, according to Ha'aretz. V15's unofficial motto is said to be "anyone but Bibi," a reference that includes the prime minister's nickname.
OneVoice has reportedly hired Obama campaign aides such as Jeremy Bird of political consulting powerhouse 270 Strategies to take on Netanyahu's Likud Party. (FrontPage.com)

Their well-funded attempt wasn't successful, because Israeli citizens didn't fall for their lies and propaganda. And many blamed a similar interference when American Democrats, aka the Clintons, helped support Labor's Ehud Barak to unseat Netanyahu in 1999. This is one of the major reasons Israelis and quite a few American Jews did not want to see Hillary Clinton in the White House. The Clintons are better actors than the Obamas and never have had any real problems mugging  and hugging to fake their "love" for Israel and the Netanyahus. But behind the scenes that power couple has tried every trick in the book to undermine and defeat Bibi (the Likud) and promote their pro-Arab, pro-Palestine agenda.

So, I'd appreciate a little understanding and historic perspective from friends and relatives who are horrendously upset that Trump is the new POTUS. I agree that he's not ideal, but compared to Hillary -look at her deeds and agenda not her chromosomes, please- he's a gazillion times better for Israel.

May Gd Help Us All

Looks Like Ehud Barak is Campaigning Again

When Ehud Barak had his chance as Prime Minister of Israel the country suffered, and he was quickly booted out by the Likud and Binyamin Netanyahu who has been in office ever since. Gd willing he won't get another chance at the helm.

Ehud Barak's Iran bombshell could shake up Israeli politics

Of course to be Prime Minister he'd have to be chosen to head a political party, and I don't know if Herzog would hand Labor over to him without a good fight. Certainly Kahalon and Lapid wouldn't.

What do you think?

Israel's Partisan Media

There's nothing objective about the Israeli media. They are firmly in the Left of the political spectrum and at this point will promote anything that will be bad for Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu's Likud.  It's most obvious on the Hebrew television channels, but the Jerusalem Post isn't immune either.

Yesterday, you could see Channel One's hyper-happy unscheduled newscast just drooling over the chance that Yisrael Beitenu's Avigdor Lieberman, the very popular Foreign Minister, who says what many people think may be forced to resign. 

FM to consult lawyers on possible resignation

By BEN HARTMAN, YONAH JEREMY BOB

12/13/2012 20:24

After A-G says he will indict Liberman for fraud, breach of trust, FM says he sees no reason to resign despite calls for him to do so.

Photo: Flash 90

Foreign Minister Avigdor Liberman responded defiantly on Thursday to Attorney-General Yehuda Weinstein’s decision to charge him with fraud and breach of the public trust, while clearing him on more serious allegations including money-laundering and bribery.

Considering that the Israeli legal department has been trying to find something to charge him with for over a decade, the timing of this announcement is very suspicious. 

He said he wanted to “set the record straight” and described himself as the victim of one long investigation that never let up for a single day since he became director of then-prime minister Netanyahu’s office in July 1996.
“Since July 1996, I’ve been under one long investigation, since then, not a single day has passed that I was not an investigative target...all part of one long investigation, with the name changing from time to time,” he said.

The Israeli media has also been backing Tsipi Livni and trying to help and promote her return to the Israeli political scene.  American politicians in the Democrat Party, like U.S. President Barack Hussein Obama also support Livni.  She's much easier to control than Bibi for sure.  Obama can't control Bibi.  The Clinton's sent their experts to help Ehud Barak defeat Netanyahu-Likud a few elections ago. 

Carville is best known for his successful leadership of former President Bill Clinton’s first campaign in 1992. Prior to that he led several prominent U.S. Senate and gubernatorial campaigns in Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Georgia. He has also been a lead consultant on international elections, including the successful campaign of former Prime Minister Ehud Barak in Israel in 1999.

But since then Barak has lost all standing with the Israeli public.

In the meantime, the Israeli media is doing everything in its power to change the Israeli mindset.  All polls show Prime Minister Binyamin (Bibi) Netanyahu's Likud in the lead and Netanyahu as the only one that the Israeli public can envision as Prime Minister. 

Monday, December 10, 2012

Dialogue poll: 81% think Netanyahu will form the next government

Dialogue poll: 81% think Netanyahu will form the next government Dr. Aaron Lerner - IMRA 10 December 2012

Thank G-d, Israeli voting is more supervised and harder to cheat than many other countries including the United States.  We use our official ID's with pictures to gain entry to vote.

And just to remind you, I'm supporting MKs Dr. Arye Eldad and Dr. Michael Ben-Ari's Otzma l'Yisrael, Power to Israel party.

Taking Bets-- Will There or Won't There Be Winter Elections in Israel?

The Israeli media is back at it, trying to double-guess the wily Bibi Netanyahu.  Our Prime Minister, Binyamin Netanyahu out-tricked the media a few short months ago when he quickly eloped with Kadima's Shaul Mofaz which "cancelled" the expected/presumed early September elections.  Mofaz had his agenda and expected to snake up in the Netanyahu kitchen cabinet, but he failed and bailed out hoping to annul the marriage.

This is rather difficult for Americans to get used to, but Israeli Election dates are more "suggestions" than anything you can set your clock to.  Or think of it as "use by" dates on various food products.  You don't have to keep the cottage cheese until the "use by" date.  You may finish it earlier.  Israeli Governments are like that.  Especially in recent decades, they rarely, if ever, last the full term.  There's an inherent instability in the Israeli coalition system. 

Or think of Israeli governments as yeast dough.  If they last too long, they overflow and spoil.  Yes, again, like the yeast dough, timing isn't set in advance, there are other factors like the heat and the sugar and salt all combining with the yeast and flour.

Bibi tricked everyone just a few short months ago.  Looking back, I'm not surprised.  He's very sharp and I couldn't understand how he could agree to early September elections when the media had riled up the public against him with the faux social justice campaign going so strongly.  That's when he secretly courted Mofaz, eloped and pulled him into the government, effectively neutralizing the opposition.

Now the talk is of February elections, when everyone is busy at work and studies.  It's a much better time for the Likud than summer.  The media is now trying to figure out who is the intended victim of Ehud Barak.  He's obviously been conning someone.  I've never trusted him.  I think that he's really in cahoots with American Democrats, and I don't like nor feel comfortable with the fact that Netanyahu has given him so much power.  The Clinton-Barak relationship is too close to be kosher.

For the third consecutive election, U.S. officials are trying to help the Labor Party's candidate win the Israeli election because of their dissatisfaction with the policies of the incumbent. Taking a page out of George Bush's playbook, the Clinton Administration has once again done just about everything but announce that Bill hates Bibi. Anonymous officials tell reporters how bad their relationship is while the State Department makes pronouncements about Netanyahu violating promises he made to the President

.
During the 1999 elections, James Carville, Clinton's media/election advisor worked for Ehud Barak. Barak's Labor Party won, but it was bad news, a reign of terror, Arab terror attacks in Israel.  The Barak government didn't last long.  The truth is that it was easier for Carville to market Barak than it was for Barak to govern. Since then, Ehud Barak as become more a postscript to Israeli political history.  If Bibi hadn't brought him in, his career would be over.

The Ehud Olmert factor is just a media game.  Olmert and Arye Deri make great headlines, but I can't see them as returning to serious political power, except maybe behind the scenes.

Technically, February 2013 elections would be early, but in real terms, the Netanyahu Government will have lasted longer than recent ones.  My guess is that the next Israeli Elections will be some time before Passover.

Who's taking bets?

Ehud Barak's Altalena

Before I get into this post, I wish to take the opportunity to remind any surviving Altalena attackers and supporters of that attack that they ought to do a serious חשבון נפש "cheshbon nefesh," accounting of the soul, their deeds.  There is nothing worse than acts of Jews against Jews, and no fancy liberal-sounding terminology can excuse it.  The Leftists love throwing that burden on us proud patriotic Right wing Israelis and Jews, but history and current events show that they are the guilty ones, not us.

Menachem Begin and Irgun and Revisionist followers raised money and bought weapons to use to free the Old City of Jerusalem from Arab rule during Israel's War of Independence.  The armaments and volunteers traveled/were shipped to Israel on the Altalena.  Begin's representatives negotiated with David Ben-Gurion as to how to divide the weapons between the various Jewish fighting units and where to land the ship.

Totally unknown by Begin, Ben-Gurion had other plans.  Ben-Gurion believed that once the public knew that it was due to Begin's contribution that Jerusalem, including the Kotel, western wall, would be guaranteed Jewish, they would support Begin over Ben-Gurion.  To prevent loss of power, Ben-Gurion decided to trick Begin and attack him and the Altalena.

Menachem Begin survived the attack, and the Old Walled City of Jerusalem was captured by the Arabs.  Only during the Six Days War, nineteen years later, was it liberated and returned to Jewish rule.

David Ben-Gurion preferred political power over Jewish rule of our HolyLand, including our historical and religious capital, Jerusalem.

Ehud Barak is following in Ben-Gurion's footsteps by attacking the hesder yeshivot like the one in Har Bracha.  It is a well-known fact that in today's IDF Israel Defense Forces, the most motivated soldiers are the national religious, like those who participate via the hesder framework.  Barak's policies will only weaken the Israeli army.  Apparently, he, too, like Ben-Gurion, prefers personal power over Israeli victory.  He wants soldiers who obey his orders, not intelligent thinking Jews.

Many of the military mistakes which caused the death of our soldiers during the "second Lebanese War" were due to the changes Barak, himself as Ramat Kal COS, had made in the army.  Barak initiated the dependence on technology rather than human reconnaissance.  Unfortunately things look different on a screen than in real life.  My son's unit was saved, because his officer refused the instructions from "higher up" and didn't stay where they had been ordered.  A different unit followed orders and many were killed and injured, because the place wasn't safe.

Ehud Barak's attempts to fill the army with technology-dependent yes-men is bad for Israel's security and survival.

Like Opening Your Umbrella After You're Soaked

Nu, so now the Israeli Government is looking into the ramifications of the YESHA building freeze?  Souldn't they have checked it all out before announcing it?

Israel has been plagued by quick-mouthed decisions, by hyper-impulsive politicians with more authority than common sense.  Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu, like the first Likud PM Menachem Begin, has given too much authority to his Leftist partners.  Extreme Leftist, Labor's Ehud Barak is essentially running the country and over-riding the Likud platform and ideology. 

Here and there we hear some peeps from the Likud, but on the whole, the cabinet ministers and MK's care more for their government positions than they do for the future of the state.  They're not going to rock the boat.

We all warned about Disengagement, and nobody listened.  Now they try to get votes by feigning sympathy for those whose homes, livelihoods etc were stolen from them by Sharon, Olmert, Hanegbi, etc.  Remember that those politicians fled Likud and started Kadima, but it was the Likud that gave them the forum and power.

The government didn't listen to the warnings that southern Israel would be attacked by terrorists from Gush Katif after Disengagment.  We live under threat of attack all the time, from both north and south.  It was Ehud Barak who left southern Lebanon to the Hizbullah, exposing Israel's north.

With Barak in the drivers seat, I don't feel safe.

I Wouldn't Buy A Used Car From That Man

A few decades ago, the saying in America was that nobody would buy a used car from Richard Nixon. But I think that he was lots more reliable and loyal to his country than Israel's Defense Minister Ehud Barak. (Think of him as Ehud, like Olmert and Barak like Obama.)

Ehud Barak has been telling the Israeli public that they should buy the latest United States "Peace" Plan sight unseen.

"In the coming weeks, their plan will be formulated and presented to the parties," Barak said, according to a spokesman for Israel's parliament who briefed reporters on the defense chief's remarks to the Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee.

"I believe that Israel must take the lead in accepting the plan," Barak was quoted as saying.

From experience, they could be pushing an Edsel at us. Their track record in the peace department is frighteningly poor. Let them do their experiments on their own population.

Why should, why is Ehud Barak so enamored, so insistent that Israel obey America's dictates?

"...just a "step" away..." Ehud Olmert

It had seemed, ten or more years ago, that Ehud Olmert was "just a "step" away" from greatness.

What a waste of potential.
What a waste of intelligence.
What a waste of human resources, human lives during Olmert's reign as Prime Minister.

I remember telling a visitor from abroad when Olmert was still Mayor of Jerusalem:

"Olmert will be Prime Minister. He's the best administrator in Israeli politics."

I was right about both things. The only two things I didn't know were:

1. Ehud Olmert was/is corrupt.
2. Ehud Olmert would transform himself into Left wing Peace Now fan.

I'll never forget, about ten months after Olmert became Prime Minister, someone said to me:

"There should be elections soon. Olmert has been in office so long. Isn't it time?"

"It would be nice if there were elections, but actually, he has been Prime Minister for less than a year."

"Couldn't be. It feels much longer than that."

Consider that we have had our two least successful wars during Olmert's reign, and the coverage of his corruption charges make the Israeli media "read" like a a cheap sensationalist tabloid.

Caroline Glick considers Olmert "the worst prime minister Israel has experienced to date." I disagree. The other Ehud, Ehud Barak was even worse, and unfortunately, Barak is back. It took the Israeli public less time to get rid of Barak and his reign of terror. Arab terrorists were attacking civilians all over the country. But Caroline is right in that Israelis have a rediculously, dangerously short memory.

Because of Olmert's Revisionist Betar background, the Israeli establishment never warmed to him, no matter how anti-settlement and pro-"peace at any price" he became. For that reason, he may find the gate blocked if he tries to return.

Contrary to Olmert's statements, he wasn't "...just a "step" away..." from peace, but if he had remained true to his original pro-Land of Israel for the People of Israel, Betar ideology, and if he hadn't been corrupt, he would have had a chance to be our greatest leader.

Bibi And Barak or "If You Thought Likud Was Right Wing, You Goofed"

When I heard Bibi Netanyahu last summer at the International Jewish Blogger Convention, it just reconfirmed what I had thought all along. Bibi sees himself as Centrist, not Right and will do anything to build a Center, even Center-Left coalition.

Bibi wants Barak. He doesn't want Avigdor Lieberman as his second in command. Bibi isn't interested in having the National Union in his government, either, though he'll try to make a deal with the NRP. And the NRP, (call it Jewish Home if you want, but it's still the NRP,) shorn of its principled idealists who went to the NU, will happily find an excuse to be part of the Bibi coalition.

Dignified, But Disappointed, Noam Shalit

Gilad Shalit's father spoke to the media today. He said that they'd be going home. He spoke sadly, as one would expect, since they have no idea if their son will ever return home.

The TV "journalists" on Israel's Chanel 1 were nasty as they interrogated government officials, especially Geula Evan. They were like nasty TV cops after a serial child-molester.

Noam Shalit sounded exhausted. Just across from the Shalit tent was the tent of the parents of terror victims. Arab terrorists who had murdered their children were on the lists of terrorists to be freed.

If Israel would only execute terrorists who murder, then it would be easier. There would never be the nightmarish threat hanging over us that those blood-thirsty terrorists could be freed to murder again. There is no way of rehabilitating terrorists. Why should we be feeding them, giving them places to live and medical care?

During the negotiations for Gilad Shalit's release, Israel started off agreeing to a small amount of terrorists and then gave in and approved more. And then each time names were agreed to, the Arabs demanded more and more, until finally, even Olmert stopped the deal.

I feel sorry for the Shalit family and friends. The media created a circus around them, hyping the chance of freeing Gilad to the point where everyone was certain that he'd be freed.

Of course, we don't know what Bibi Netanyahu will do. It looks like he has succeeded in buying Ehud Barak. The question is how many of Barak's Labor Party will join, too. And then there's more of a chance that some of Kadima will break off to be part of the coalition or even join the Likud. And as I predicted, Bibi's government will be far from Right. It will be Center-Left, not much different from Olmert's was or what Tsippi would have had if she could have.

I hope that Bibi will make a deal for Gilad Shalit which doesn't endanger innocent Israelis and doesn't reward terrorists. I certainly pray that Gilad Shalit won't join the long-term MIA's like Ron Arad and the IDF soldiers captured in Sultan Yakub.