Fighting the Zionist Dream, Why Olmert? He is Too "Tired."

The Jerusalem Post Annual Conference: Fighting the Zionist Dream, Why is Olmert a featured speaker? He is Too "Tired."

"We are tired of fighting, we are tired of being courageous, we are tired of winning, we are tired of defeating our enemies, we want that we will be able to live in an entirely different environment of relations with our enemies." -- Ehud Olmert to Israel Policy Forum in New York.

According to the "blurb" under Olmert's picture:

Special guest – former Prime Minister Ehud Olmert Ehud Olmert led Israel through two wars and attempted to make peace as Israel's prime minister from 2006 to 2009. Prior to that he had a 30-year political career in which he served as mayor of Jerusalem for a decade after serving in the Knesset on the Foreign Affairs and Defense, Finance, Education and Defense Budget committees. He has also served as minister-without-portfolio responsible for minority affairs and as minister of health.

The Jerusalem Post is ignoring not only Olmert's famous words, which are the antithesis of the theme of the conference, but the fact that he is being tried on corruption charges.

In a new twist to the Ehud Olmert corruption saga, the former prime minister and 12 others were indicted on Thursday on allegations of giving and receiving bribes in one of the largest corruption scandals in the state’s history.

I davka linked to an article in the Jerusalem Post, because this is no secret to the JPost.  Olmert's scandals have been public and publicized for years already.  Nothing of what I've written here is new. 

I do have a question I haven't seen asked:

How can the Israeli legal/justice system allow Olmert to leave the country while he's being tried and investigated?

History, Where Do The Nazis Fit In?

As King Solomon wrote in Kohelet, Ecclesiastes:

"Nothing is new."

The Jewish People must seriously pay attention to the facts.  Nothing we do will win the Arabs over.  Forget the "encouragement" and other dangerous gestures.  They want to destroy us and we must take proper steps.

Thanks to Pepy's Coffee Shop

Likud, No Matter Who's "Cooking" It's Awful

The Likud is like some old uncle whom you have to respect but not like.  We've been in Israel since 1970, predating the Likud. It was just Gahal then, the Herut-Liberal Block.  Somehow along the way we became paying members of the Likud and religiously vote in the internal elections, but as I've blogged on many occasions, I don't vote Likud.  I support neither Bibi, Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu, nor Moshe Feiglin.

I respect Netanyahu's knowledge and political skills, but I feel that they are both misused.  I disagree with his official platforms, since he "centers" it all, because he thinks that to be a national leader, he must compromise and grab the center.

My feelings about Feiglin are the opposite.  I agree with his policies and ideology when it comes to security, religion, Land of Israel etc, but I think he has gotten his politics all wrong.  He is not a competent politician; a politician knows how to win elections and get his people in with him.

During the recent Likud elections Moshe Feiglin's group put out this poster.

It claims that it's between "Feiglin and (Defense Minister Ehud) Barak."  The message is that if you don't vote for Feiglin, you'll get Barak.  Feiglin has been trying to get power in the Likud for a very long time already.  He has made no real progress at all.  Yes, I voted for him in the internal elections, but in the national Knesset Elections I won't vote Likud.  Actually I'd take a version of this poster and have it read:

NU-National Union (Eldad, Ben-Arie etc)
versus
Ehud Barak-Likud (Binyamin Netanyahu)

If you vote Likud, you'll get Leftist anti-settlement Ehud Barak.  The only way of keeping Barak out of power is to vote for a reliably Right pro-settlement party, and there's only one on the menu Ichud Le'umi NU.  Bibi has given Ehud Barak unprecedented powers.  And I'm not afraid of Likud's losing the election, because in the opposition they are always more Right and pro-Land of Israel.  It's only the Likud that has destroyed Jewish communities.  Think about it.

As A Jew... It's a "No Brainer;" Jewish Law Trumps Secular Philosophy

My main objection to rabbis such as Riskin, Lichtenstein, Boteach etc who are ritually Orthoddox but politically and philosophically Liberal (with a capital "L,") is that they have substituted a secular philosophy and value system for pure Judaism.  There's a very crucial, dangerous conflict in that.  Judaism, as many polled by Israel Democracy Institute’s Guttman Center for Surveys, along with the Avi Chai Foundation agree, includes a G-d given philosophy and value system which must be followed.

Democracy, for example, is not a Jewish value.  We are warned not to follow the majority, because it is frequently wrong.  We're supposed to follow the one giving us G-d's instructions and not the majority.  One of my favorite Torah examples is when G-d told Moses to send representatives to scout the Land after fleeing Egypt and Pharaoh's cruel regime with the help of G-d and His Miracles.  Moses assembled a delegation of tribal representatives, twelve in all, one from each tribe.  Instead of just reporting the beauties, riches and wonders they saw, they, ten out of twelve--the majority analyzed the situation and reported that there was no way that the Jewish People, tired* former slaves, could possibly conquer the inhabitants of the Land.

The Jewish People exist and survive due to a totally different system.  G-d runs that system, and we can't figure it out.  It trumps nature for sure.  That's the story behind Israel's victory in the 1967 Six Days War.  All of the experts had predicted Israel's defeat.  Without any allies at all, Israel took on the Arab armies on all fronts and rolled them back.  With G-d's help, Syria gave us the Golan, Egypt gave us the Sinai and Jordan gave us all of the Land west of the Jordan River which includes Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria and the Jordan Valley.

Democracy and western values have given us nothing, nothing at all.  The "civilized, cultured" western, Christian world stood by as the Nazis slaughtered the Jews of Europe.  The war against the Nazis wasn't to rescue Jews it was to stop the invasion of Europe and Britain.

G-d's Law, Jewish Law is the only one I care about.

*tired-Just like Ehud Olmert

Spotlight on Gush Katif Education Week

Spotlight on Gush Katif Education Week by Sara L. Shomron

There are many who remain unaware of the controversial forced removal, dispossession and destruction of the Gush Katif bloc of Jewish communities, August, 2005. Those Jewish youth, in Israel and abroad, too young at the time to know of it can now connect to the Zionist imperative and legacy.

This week, February 12-17, 2012, in conjunction with the Knesset’s “Gush Katif and Northern Shomron Memorial Law,” passed in 2008, and with the approval of the Ministry of Education. hundreds of schools across Israel will voluntarily designate a special Gush Katif Day or week by learning about the history and relevance of Gush Katif to the country’s development. The dynamic and engaging programs will include speakers from former Gush Katif communities, relevant videos, and a Gush Katif (Hebrew) educational kit. These kits, produced by the Gush Katif Committee, provide student-friendly, grade appropriate legacy materials.




1) Youtube videos abound in English and Hebrew,and can be pre-screened.


2) Materials available in English include but are not limited to:
Gush Katif: A Celebration of the Settlers
video narrated with a message of hope by teenage Neve Dekalim resident and author, Shifra Shomron



Guide to Gush Katif: A Celebration to the Settlers video
the testimonial and authentic account of Shifra Shomron,
Grains Of Sand The Fall of Neve Dekalim a novel written in third person historical fiction format;
Literature Study Guide for Grains Of Sand The Fall Of Neve Dekalim power point slide–show presentation;
"Grains Of Sand" Post-reading activities and project ideas


3) Suggested Gush Katif books in English can be found here


4) Facebook pages offering a more personal look and awareness of former Gush Katif residents including issues still being grappled.


5) The Jewish Press newspaper is running an exclusive feature on Gush Katif families and their current situation:
THE KALEF FAMILY FORMERLY OF NEVE DEKALIM; NOW OF NITZAN

THE CHEMLA FAMILY FORMERLY OF NEVE DEKALIM; NOW OF NITZAN

THE SHAUL FAMILY - FORMERLY OF MOSHAV GAN OR; NOW NITZAN CARAVILLA SITE


YOSSI AND SARA LAYAH SHOMRON: FORMERLY OF NEVE DEKALIM, NOW NITZAN

THE LILINTAL FAMILY - FORMERLY OF NEVE DEKALIM; NOW NITZAN

THE HADAD FAMILY - THEN NETZER HAZANI; NOW NITZAN


THE SHATZ FAMILY - THEN ELEY SINAI; NOW KIBBUTZ KARMYIA

THE YEFETS - THEN NETZER HAZANI, GUSH KATIF; NOW EIN TZURIM

THE YA'AKOVS - FORMERLY OF GAN OR; NOW IN NITZAN


THE TUCKERS - NETZER HAZANI, GUSH KATIF NOW OF EIN TZURIM

THE ELAZRIS - FORMERLY OF MOSHAV BEDOLAH, GUSH KATIF; NOW NITZAN

5) Veterans: Home, finally AVIN GANGTE representing the Bnai Menashe Community

6) The Gush Katif Museum

7) The Gush Katif Committee updates on the plight of the former Gush Katif residents here

The above select links and a host of others can all help keep the Gush Katif memory and legacy. Gush Katif has an important place in the Zionist enterprise and there are many lessons to learn - and not repeat. Consider the impact by this New Jersey youth's project - read about it here. After all, the forced removal of Jewish citizens and destruction of the Gush Katif communities affected us all regardless of religious and/or political affiliation – and remains relevant to this day.

Some Things Just aren't Funny

I've written comedy, and no doubt I'll write more.  It's amazing what you can turn into a joke.  Just recently I was sent the Dave Barry piece about colonoscopies.  For those who are told by their doctors that their "clean" it is funny, but for quite a few who discovered there was cancer deep in their bowels, I doubt if they consider it a joking matter.  Maybe some do.  A friend who suffered a double mastectomy and I were able to laugh and make up jokes about it and reconstructive surgery, but not everybody has her talent for creating a "bright side."

There are topics not even I could laugh about, such as Hitler, Nazis and a world sans Israel.

Ruthie Blum wrote an excellent article in Hayom about why Nazis aren't a joking matter.  For all of you who have missed her excellent work ever since she left the Jerusalem Post, you'll be able to read her op-eds in Hayom a couple of times a week.

...This is why there is little to no chance that I will run to see what promises to be the next low-budget cult movie to captivate audiences around the world, "Iron Sky." That it is a box-office favorite at the politically left-leaning Berlinale International Film Festival this week in Germany only adds to my aversion. ...This one is about an imaginary Nazi plot to take over the Earth – not from Germany, mind you, where it historically originated, but from a military base on the dark side of the moon. Indeed, this year’s choice pick for the Berlinale’s top prize is a Finnish science-fiction black comedy (though, judging from the trailer, it looks like a god-awful tragedy) in which human beings have to – gasp! – defeat Nazis or be killed by them. ...The idea behind it is that a bunch of Nazis who escaped death or capture at the end of World War II fled to the Antarctic to work on a clandestine space program. In 1945, they ostensibly launched spaceships to the Schwarze Sonne (the "black sun"), a military base they established on the dark side of the moon. The purpose of this base was to develop an armada with which to retake the world – a mission they had been prevented from accomplishing the first time around … you know, thanks to the actual Allied forces. Now, in the year 2018, the descendants of the original Nazis are going to finish the job that their ancestors started and achieve global – or in this case intergalactic – domination...

The screenwriters got one thing right.    The Nazi aim was to take over the world.  Their attempts to annihilate the Jewish People, even Jews who weren't Jews--using their own definition of "who is a Jew," including anyone with a Jewish grandparent are very similar to what is happening today. 

Hat tip IMRA

Hamas "will never recognise Israel," Gaza Prime Minister Ismail Haniya said Saturday in a speech in Iran that is likely to complicate Palestinian efforts to form a unity government in the teeth of opposition from the Jewish state. "They want us to recognise the Israeli occupation and cease resistance but, as the representative of the Palestinan people and in the name of all the world's freedom seekers, I am announcing from Azadi Square in Tehran that we will never recognise Israel," Haniya said. "The resistance will continue until all Palestinian land, including Al-Quds (Jerusalem), has been liberated and all the refugees have returned," he said. Haniya's reiteration of Hamas's long-held stance was made on the occasion of Iran's commemoration of its 1979 Islamic revolution. The Gaza leader spoke to an estimated crowd of 30,000 from a stage alongside Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. "The Iranian people are a partner in this victory," Haniya said. "God willing, we will met you along with other Palestinians in a free Palestine, in its capital Al-Quds," he said. (complete aretivle)

We must take everything they say very seriously, very literally.  No joke

It's Latma Time! The Right News

Thank Caroline Glick for Latma!  The UN issues a scary warning to Syria and more Right news.

This week Latma's Tribal Update presents UN Representative Johann Phlegmat discussing UN plans to end Assad's killing spree in Syria. The Israel media blow a gasket on the Likud primaries and Amnon Abramovich expands his reach to the fashion industry.

Yes, The State of Israel Needs Help From G-d and Us

I'm one of those who considers the Prayer for the Welfare of the State of Israel a very important and well-written prayer.  Rafi of Life in Israel just posted one of the more popular renditions.



This version is arranged and conducted by Dr. Mordechai Sobel who does fantastic work. We've enjoyed two Shabbatot in Tel Aviv with him. Each time I found myself standing for hours, the entire morning prayer, peeking mesmerized from the Women's Gallery.

I'm no expert concerning the various versions of words; the basic idea is the same in all.

This traditional version of the Prayer for the State of Israel was published by the Chief Rabbinate of Israel in 1948.

Our Father who is in heaven, Protector and Redeemer of Israel, bless the State of Israel, the dawn of our deliverance. Shield it beneath the wings of Your love; spread over it Your canopy of peace; send Your light and Your truth to its leaders, officers, and counselors, and direct them with Your good counsel. Strengthen the defenders of our Holy Land; grant them, our God, salvation and crown them with victory. Establish peace in the land, and everlasting joy for its inhabitants. Remember our brethren, the whole house of Israel, in all the lands of their dispersion. Speedily bring them to Zion, Your city, to Jerusalem Your dwelling-place, as it is written in the Torah of Your servant Moses: “Even if you are dispersed in the uttermost parts of the world, from there the Lord your God will gather and fetch you. The Lord your God will bring you into the land which your ancestors possessed, and you shall possess it; and God will make you more prosperous and more numerous than your ancestors.” Unite our hearts to love and revere Your name, and to observe all the precepts of Your Torah. Speedily send us Your righteous Messiah of the House of David, to redeem those waiting for Your salvation. Shine forth in Your glorious majesty over all the inhabitants of Your world. Let everything that breathes proclaim: “The Lord God of Israel is King; His majesty rules over all.” Amen. Selah.

This alternative version is adapted from the Kol Haneshama siddur, 1994.

Please God, bless the State of Israel. Protect it in the abundance of your love. Spread over it the shelter of your peace. Send forth your light and truth to those who lead and judge it, and to those who hold elective office. Establish in them, through your presence, wise counsel, that they might walk in the way of justice, freedom and integrity. Strengthen the hands of those who guard our holy land. Let them inherit salvation and life. And give peace to the land, and perpetual joy to all its inhabitants. Appoint for a blessing all our kindred of the house of Israel in all the lands of their dispersion. Plant in their hearts a love to Zion. And for all our people everywhere, may God be with them, and may they have the opportunity to go up to the land. Cause your spirit’s influence to emanate upon the dwellers of our holy land. Remove from their midst hatred and enmity, jealousy and wickedness. Plant in their hearts love and kinship, peace and friendship. And soon fulfill the vision of your profit, “Nation shall not lift up sword against nation. Let them learn no longer the ways of war.” And let us say, Amen.

Here's another youtube of it.

"You Give Me Hope," The Arab Said. Should I Be Glad or Scared?

As you must know by now, I work with Arabs, a lot, more than I had ever imagined.  My selling job has put me in contact with Arabs all the time.  They love to shop in the Rami Levi, Yafiz stores.  Our branch, in Sha'ar Binyamin, isn't restricted to Arabs with "papers."  Most (or all) of the other branches are in areas in which only Arabs with entrance permits can go in.

So we get Arab tourists from countries that aren't allowed in Israel and Arabs from the PA.  Even some of the workers can't go to other branches to work.

Never in a million years did I ever expect to find myself in this "oasis" of Jewish-Arab what's the right word...  It's  a pragmatic "tolerance" of sorts.

There are a number of actresses, mostly very amateur in my family, and I guess that when I'm working, I go into an acting mode.  Salespeople and teachers are on stage, no less than TV, Broadway and movie stars.  So, you can say that I'm in the family profession.

Using that analogy, once I'm on-stage I really don't pay much attention to people's dress and nationality or identity.  I just enjoy selling the clothes we have. Yes, I really do.  It's fun and much easier than controlling a class.  It's almost as easy as tutoring, teaching one-on-one.  Selling in the store is more like tutoring, because I work with one customer at a time.

The other night, there was this Arab guy on the outside of the store, where we have a lot of sales items.  I went over to check out what was happening.  I was fully in my role and enjoying myself; my smile was sincere and natural. From what I began to understand, the guy was there with a number of wives.  He'd check out prices of various items and send each wife to buy them with cash from his very full wallet.  He told me that he found my smile encouraging.

"You give me hope."

I didn't ask him what he meant by it.  It actually made me a bit nervous.  I don't treat the Arabs well for political reasons.  As all readers here may know, I'm not a Leftist, nor a Liberal with a capital "L." 

I'm pragmatic, not a racist.  On the stage of the store, I have no prejudice if that makes any sense.  Each person who enters is a human being and potential customer.  I don't care about their politics when I'm showing them items they can buy.  And I don't let my politics get in the way of my job.  Actually, that's not quite it.  In a sense my ideology makes my job more fun.  I love the idea that Arabs are shopping in Yafiz and Rami Levi and putting money into the Israeli economy.

But I would never ask an Arab like the guy I helped the other night what he meant by his statement.  I don't want to know and I don't want him to know what I believe either.

Maybe I'm Just Stupid, But I Con't See The Good of This General Strike

Israel is suffering a general strike.  The Histadrut,Israel's humongous and powerful labor union dictators, along with the shades of Korach faux "social justice" cult are supporting a "general strike" here in Israel.

Israel's social protest leaders join the general strike at Ben Gurion International AirportMoti Milrod

On Wednesday morning, the Histadrut declared a general strike, causing delays at Ben Gurion airport and affecting banks, hospitals, government offices, trains, the stock exchange and more. The strike at Ben Gurion airport ended at noon. However, customs officials are expected to continue work disruptions, which may cause long lines for passengers in the afternoon hours. (complete article)

I'm a bit lost here.  What was the reason, the real reason, to inconvenience people totally unconnected to the strikers' demands.  What demands?  Those of us who are getting the very low salaries, minimum wage, don't strike, can't afford to strike.  Obviously those in the faux social justice clique have the money to take the time to demonstrate.  They should have been embarrassed to be waving pro-strike signs at the airport where people have been so inconvenienced. 

These strikes are bad for the economy. Tourist don't repeat visits to places in which their planes have been held up and flights cancelled because of strikes.

I must admit, that I didn't notice any signs of strikes when in Jerusalem today, but then I didn't go to a hospital, government office or any of the other places affected by the strike.  The closest the strike hit me was when a neighbor stopped to give me a ride home from the bus this afternoon.  I asked him way he was home in the middle of the day:

"I'm striking."

Settling on "Second Best," A Visit to The Kotel

Contrary to the popular myth, the כותל Kotel, Western Wall is not "the holiest spot in the world for the Jewish People."  The wall is just an outer wall to the Herodian expansion of the Temple Mount, הר הבית Har HaBayit. Unfortunately, since a section of the actual site is very holy and we are required purify ourselves before visiting, the rabbis have taken the easy, lazy and dangerous decision of banning Jews from entering all of the Temple Mount.  I crossed out the word "the" because recently many rabbis encourage visits after the necessary purification.

Banning all visits by Jews to Har HaBayit is like saying that we must all be vegetarians, because we can't be trusted to properly slaughter, clean and cook the permitted animals and birds before eating. Think about it!

I don't see how deserting our holiest site and giving it to our sworn enemies is  what G-d wants us to do.  It's a Chillul Hashem, not a Kiddush HaShem.  By abandoning the Temple Mount, we're making the Moshiach feel very unwelcome.

It's like making the King go through the service entrance.