Finally, Farewell to Tsipi Livni, Failed Politician

It's hard to know where to start when discussing Tsipi Livni, who formally announced her exit from active politics today.

I was lucky to catch the live broadcast and to hear and watch it. And to make it even better was the interview from a few months ago, which they showed right afterwards.

Simply put, it was a rather pathetic end to the career of a woman, who had worked her way up the political ladder and got within millimeters of the premiership of the State of Israel. Livni succeeded Ehud Olmert as head of the then ruling Kadima Party, which they had established after breaking away from the Likud. Both Livni and Olmert had come from Betar-Revisionist homes but moved Leftward politically. When Olmert was forced to resign due to corruption indictments, Livni took over the party.

Under Livni's leadership Kadima received more Knesset seats than Likud in the 2009 elections, but she failed in the task of forming a ruling coalition. Likud's Binyamin Bibi Netanyahu succeeded in forming a coalition and has been Prime Minister ever since. This bit of history is very important in understanding the Israeli political system. It's not enough to have good ideas and policies to be Prime Minister of the State of Israel. You must be an extraordinary politician and be able to negotiate and work with people. And this also explains why the polls keep talking about Left and Right blocs. No Israeli Political Party will get over 50% of the votes, over sixty 60 of the one hundred and twenty 120 Knesset seats. An Israeli Prime Minister must be skilled at juggling while walking a circus tightrope.

Tsipi Livni not only failed in her attempt to form a coalition, the breakup of her later political "marriage" to the Labor party showcased her lack of true political skills. Today Livni's claim that her policies are the right ones, but it's her lack of political power that is stopping her, just shows how little she understands. She has insufficient political power, because not enough people like her, and they don't agree with her policies. It certainly hasn't helped that she's with a different party each election.

It's rather ironic that the extreme Left Meretz party is the only one to have shown up to show support to Livni today. But the truth is that Tsipi Livni has burnt too many bridges in her political career to be missed by ordinary Israelis.

Tsipi Livni's still young. Will she join other failed politicians like Ehud Barak on the international lecture circuit? Will she write her memoirs? No doubt we'll be hearing from her. International Leftist "think tanks" love our rejected and failed "leaders." She won't starve; that's for sure.

The Lion's Roar, 3rd of Tzvi Fishman's Tevye Series

I finished reading The Lion's Roar by Tzvi Fishman, and now I have to wait almost a year to read the next installment, Anonymous Soldiers. #1 Tevye in The Promised Land was reviewed here, as was #2 Arise and Shine.

Before I go any further, I'll get straight to the point. Buy the series for yourself, friends and family. The books suit all ages, and if you're careful about what your kids read, no problems. There's nothing to censor.

Fishman's series is also a fantastic way to learn and teach Jewish and Israeli History. The Tevye series can also be used to teach Jewish History in Jewish Schools or English in Israeli ones.

The Tevye series should be turned into movies or television shows. The plots are actual history, though characters are a combination of real historical figures with fictional ones. And as I've said before, consider Tevye of the Forrest Gump genre. The big difference is that Tevye is highly intelligent and ideologically motivated, unlike the also fictional Gump, who finds himself in real historic events by chance.

The Lion's Roar gives us an excellent view of the controversy and then break in the Zionist Revisionist movement that Zeev Jabotinsky had established. In addition, we read of the tension, competition and inside story between all of the Zionist groups, from Left to Right.

For those who are familiar with the history of the time, when Jews in the Promised Land had to decide between supporting Britain against Germany or attacking British police, because they supported Arab rights over Jewish ones, Fishman's characters and plot are well-written. It's also an enjoyable challenge for us to pick out which of his fictional characters are based on real people.

I'm anxiously awaiting further installments about Tevye and his family in the Promised Land.

Product details

• Series: Tevye in the Promised Land Series
• Paperback: 526 pages
• Publisher: CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform (August 14, 2018)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1726116107
• ISBN-13: 978-1726116107
• Product Dimensions: 5.2 x 1.2 x 8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.5 pounds

"Arise and Shine," More Adventures with Tevye by Tzvi Fishman

I'm truly enjoying the adventurous Tevye in the Promised Land series by Tzvi Fishman. I've coined them the Forrest Gump genre of literature, a subgroup in historical novels. Now for the second in the series, which tells what happens to Tevye the Milkman and his growing family, once they're well settled in the Promised Land, Arise and Shine.

Life isn't simple and calm for Tevye and his clan. Like the fictional Forrest Gump, Tevye and his family not only participated in the most important and game-changing events in post World War One Mandate/Palestine, but they knew and interacted with all of the main historic figures. For me, personally, it's a sign of Fishman's writing skill that he created very realistic younger versions of some people I actually knew. The young and idealistic Moshe Segal in Fishman's books could very well be what our elderly neighbor in Jerusalem's Old City had been like a half a century before we knew him.

You can see in the cover of Arise and Shine, the fictional Tevye is flanked Zeev Jabotinsky, David Ben-Gurion, Yair Avraham Stern and Yosef Trumpeldor. That simple illustration summarizes this entire series by Tzvi Fishman. Tevye was much more than a simple milkman.

Even more than that, Fishman doesn't sweeten the story, making Tevye and his family immune from the violence and dangers of the time. In Volume #1 Tevye in the Promised Land, illness and Arab terrorists were the killers of Tevye's daughters and friends. But in Arise and Shine, Arab terror becomes the biggest danger. And to make matters worse, the British, who are supposed to be keeping the peace and facilitating the establishment of a Jewish State favor the Arabs and restrict Jews, even from self-defense.

Tevye and his family gave up on their rural, agricultural life and are living in Jerusalem, where Tevye the milkman has a milk route. Chief Rabbi Kook is the rabbi Tevye looks up to, as he has since his earliest days in the Promised Land. In the struggle for a Jewish State, most of Tevye's family find themselves firmly in the Revisionist camp. David Raziel, Uri Tzvi Greenberg, Moshe Segal and Avraham Stern are among those who visit Tevye's home.

The mix of true history and fiction Tvi Fishman cooked up in this series is a perfect blend. For those readers who aren't familiar with the history and historic characters, I highly recommend reading the books slowly and supplementing with a bit of quick research if necessary.

Again, I must say that the book could be made into a riveting television series. It's also a great book to read to children, instead of letting them watch the "screen." The book is a lot "cleaner" than what you'll find on television or in the movies.

I highly recommend Tzvi Fishman's Arise and Shine as a book for all ages. I'm now almost half way through the third volume, and I understand that there's a fourth in production, which Gd willing will be published in under a year.

Series: Tevye in the Promised Land Paperback: 458 pages Publisher: CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform; 1 edition (October 15, 2018) Language: English ISBN-10: 1724652672 ISBN-13: 978-1724652676

Jabotinsky in The 21st Century

Ze'ev Jabotinsky the founder of Betar and Revisionist Zionism was a great writer and speaker and multi-linguist. If he was alive today, he's probably adore the possibilities of the internet and social media. No doubt he'd blog in a multitude of languages. Jabo would also have a busy youtube account.

Jabotinsky would have been right next to Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu in Paris urging all the Jews there to make aliyah. And Livni-Herzog and the other Leftist Israelis would be telling everyone not to listen to him, just like David Ben-Gurion said way back when...

Someone I know came back from Paris recently, horrified that the rabbis were telling their congregants "not to make aliyah to Israel, since the Jewish education in France is better." And I guess the cemeteries are prettier, too....

I guess it's time for Jabotinsky's Betar to come back to life, 21st Century style. And that is davka the plan:

BETAR

Betar is the world-wide Zionist youth movement that refuses to be silent, and as our founder Ze'ev Jabotinsky wrote: "Silence is despicable." Now, almost 100 years after its creation in 1923, Betar USA is taking our tradition of standing up and speaking out to a whole new level. Introducing Betar News!     Our students are putting together informational videos plus a weekly newscast by students and for students, but for adults as well. We will not just present news, but also promote Israel tourism and fight the Israel boycotters by promoting great Israeli products and technology you can use.     Thanks to one of our supports, Betar can borrow 80% of the equipment needed, including the professional camera, professional lights, a professional video editing computer and more. We do, however, need a few things to produce a quality newscast. While we are borrowing more than $20,000 in equipment, we need $3,856 of our own equipment to properly launch, and we will implement the improvements as money is donated. Right now we are using a drop-cloth as a backdrop, so our first need is a workable backdrop and stand. We also need, in order, good light stands so we don't trip and fall over flimsy lightweight stands with hot bulbs (a safety issue); a pair of matching wireless microphones so two people can be on the set at the same time; a microphone we can use overhead to ensure sound quality; microphone storage cases to protect the investment when not in use, two lighting wall mounts and two small lights to fill in shadows.     By our calculations, we need $3,856 to reach our goal getting us properly started, and that includes all shipping charges. If we are blessed by exceeding that goal, we will buy a desk for our news anchors to sit behind, build a better set than our starter hanging banner as a backdrop, buy our own camera and cables, plus a few other items so we can stand on our own. Right now though, we need your help to make the basic newscasts a reality. This new project is not yet tax deductible because we don't even have the money for the IRS paperwork, but we need to start somewhere. Please help restart Betar (www.Betar.org) USA. Please support our campaign here: http://www.gofundme.com/Betar

A Mockery of Justice, Releasing Arab Terrorist Murderers and Those Who Attempted Murder

I'm a firm believer in capital punishment, the death penalty.  Unfortunately Israel has only practiced it once when it executed Eichmann.  According to Israeli law, the death penalty is only to be used against Nazis, and the law has never been amended to include Arab terrorists who are even more dangerous.

The media, both international and Israeli, keep referring to the convicted Arab terrorists being released to encourage sic the terrorist representatives to talk to us as just innocuous, benign-sounding "prisoners."  They could be white-collar clerks caught pilfering staples or shoplifters who took too much bubblegum for all the media tells us.

I'm not in favor of comparing this illogical, dangerous act, the release of terrorist murderers with Jonathan Pollard or Jews jailed in Israel.  That's why I haven't joined any of the campaigns to free Pollard from American jail or Jewish Israelis jailed for various security breaches.  None of them are terrorists so they shouldn't be considered in parallel/similar status.

The State of Israel is making a terribly dangerous mistake in releasing the convicted Arab terrorists.  That's what they are "convicted Arab terrorists."  Keep repeating that over and over.  There's a big difference between a "prisoner" and a "convicted Arab terrorist."  One is a "prisoner" before being tried and convicted.  Quite often people are imprisoned by mistake.  These terrorists were captured, tried and convicted.  Most if not all should have had been immediately executed after conviction.

Releasing convicted Arab terrorists, no matter what Israel would get "in return" is dangerous and demonstrates that the State of Israel does not value its citizens, security, justice or sovereignty.

Photo Credit: Flash90

Two convoys left the Ayalon prison on Tuesday night at around 9 pm, carry 26 terrorists who were released as the first part of an Israeli gesture to the Palestinian Authority.
One convoy, carrying 15 terrorists traveled to the Erez junction, near Gaza, where those terrorists were released. The second convoy, carrying 11 terrorists, went to Ofer prison, and then on to the Beitunia checkpoint. The conveys reached their destinations after midnight.
Palestinian Authority Arabs have gathered to greet the terrorists upon their arrival. Over 1000 Arabs have gathered at the Muqata in Ramallah to greet the freed terrorists, and Palestinian Authority leader Mahmoud Abbas will be leading a welcoming ceremony.

The implied and easy to predict dangers make me wonder about the patriotism and morals of all of the politicians and government officials involved.  They are the same people who try to marginalize what they refer to as "the settlers," aka people like myself.  In the years leading up to the Nazi invasion of Europe and the Holocaust, people like Ze'ev Jabotinsky repeatedly warned European Jewry to leave and move to Israel.  Not only was he ignored and mocked in Europe, but the dominant Labor Zionists did their best to attack and marginalize him and his Revisionist followers.  In the end it was Jabotinsky whose analyses of the situation that was correct.

We're still fighting the same war, just a different battle.  G-d willing we will soon be victorious.