More Dumb Israeli Overconfidence

Shades of post-1967 Israel, when the movers and shakers were so certain that our neighboring enemy Arabs had been beaten so badly, that they would never ever dare attack us again and therefore refused to read the writing on the wall, all the obvious signs that Egypt and Syria were about to attack, in late summer 1973.

Israeli defense official rules out war with Hamas
Amos Gilad, the director of the Political-Military Affairs Bureau at Israel's Defense Ministry, on Wednesday ruled out the possibility that Hamas would start another war with Israel in the foreseeable future. (Arutz 7)

That's how we were caught so deadly flat-footed on Yom Kippur 1973.

You'd think that people like Amos Gilad had learned this lesson. We've paid such a heavy price over the years. So many innocent Jews have been killed and murdered because our officials can't accept the fact that no matter what we do, the Arabs do not want to find a way to live in peace with us.

We must never think that they won't attack us, because that is a certain invitation to attack. It's important to be realistic and not optimistic!

Hillary Clinton Will Say Anything for A Vote!

I am not joining the bandwagon all excited about Hillary's latest pro-Israel line.

Clinton: 'Unfair' to put onus on Israel for peace talks failure
Democratic presidential frontrunner signals to Jewish voters she will be more openly supportive of Israel if elected.
Democratic presidential frontrunner Hillary Clinton told The Jewish Week* in an interview on Tuesday that “it is unfair to put the onus on Israel” for the lack of progress on the Middle East peace front.

*emphasis mine

She's an actress/politician who can say anything convincingly. We must judge her actions and her well documented past, not her speeches. Her pro-Israel line is as genuine as the lovely hair she now sports. If you haven't noticed she's wearing a wig now. Hillary's natural hair has always been much thinner and tended to get greasy and unmanageable. This new look is part of her reinvention, like becoming an instant New Yorker to be elected to the Senate. And there's also talk about some cosmetic surgery, which is also possible and probable considering how she now looks.

I know that American Jews like to vote Democrat  TRADITION!, because the Democrats were in power during World War Two, but I think that there's a serious distortion the their comprehension of the history of the time.

• The Democrat FDR's Government kept Jewish refugees out of the United States as strictly as they could.
• The Democrat FDR's Government did nothing to stop the murder of Jews in Europe during World War Two.
• The Democrat FDR's Government only joined the anti-Nazi war effort to save itself when they feared that if Great Britain was to be conquered the USA would be next especially as the Japanese were active on the Western/Pacific front.
• The Democrat FDR's Government did not even prepare the American soldiers on how to help the starving Jews who were discovered by surprised soldiers. Many Jews died after being overfed by the soldiers. 

And back to Hillary. 

• Remember that she was Barack Hussein Obama's Secretary of State during his first term and besides the illegal stuff that is being investigated, she made many bad policy decisions which endangered Americans. 
• Nothing in her policy was good for the State of Israel, and there's no doubt that things would be worse, or at least a continuation of the Obama regime, if she is elected President of the United
  
  States. 
• And of course there's the infamous Suha kiss, given after the "Palestinian first lady’s claim that Israel was using poison gas to pollute the West Bank’s water and land..."
• And I consider it totally sexist to vote for her "just because she's a woman." That's choice by sex which is not good for anyone. I can just imagine that in four, eight or twelve years we'll be hearing that it's time for a Black woman to be in the White House, and Michelle Obama will be bulldozed in just for that reason.

There is only one constant theme during Hillary Clinton's public life and that is raw ambition! And that is not the quality needed to be a good President for the United States of America. Excellent speechwriters to not make for an excellent or even decent presidency. 

Guest Post: JTA vs Judaism

(a guest post by Mr. Cohen)

The JTA (Jewish Telegraphic Agency) recently chose to give valuable free publicity to Frankel's, a new Jewish-owned delicatessen in New York City which is NOT KOSHER.

At the same time, JTA also published an opinion article by Seymour Rosenbloom, urging Conservative Rabbis to officiate at interfaith weddings.  Interfaith means Jews marrying non-Jews. The article portrayed the inexcusable abomination of interfaith weddings as if they were perfectly normal marriages.

At the same time, JTA also published an article about two allegedly-Jewish women “marrying” each other. The article portrayed the inexcusable abomination of same-gender marriages as if they were perfectly normal marriages.

Since I believe in Torah, I will [bli neder] strive to stop visiting the JTA website, and instead visit web site of JNS, the Jewish News Service (www.jns.org).

I sincerely hope that JNS is better than JTA. Today's date is: 2016 April 11
___________________________________________________________
PLEASE help the battle against
internet anti-Semitism by
making a PayPal donation to:
FourCupsOfWine@gmail.com.
THANK YOU!!
____________________________________________________________ 
OTHER BLOG POSTS BY MR. COHEN:


Quick Bible Quotes from Joshua and Jeremiah:
http://shilohmusings.blogspot.com/2016/11/guest-post-joshua-chapter-23-verse-12.html
https://shilohmusings.blogspot.com/2016/12/guest-post-jeremiah-chapter-17.html

Ancient Roman historians connected Jews with the Land of Israel:
https://shilohmusings.blogspot.com/2017/02/guest-post-josephus-vs-muslim-liars.html
http://shilohmusings.blogspot.com/2016/05/guest-post-cornelius-tacticus.html

Rambam Rejected Childless Messiah:

http://shilohmusings.blogspot.com/2016/08/rambam-rejected-childless-messiah-by-mr.html

Why Muslims Hate Jews:

https://shilohmusings.blogspot.com/2016/12/guest-post-why-muslims-hate-jews.html
https://shilohmusings.blogspot.com/2017/01/guest-post-moynihan-1982.html

Forgotten Muslim Oppression against Jews:

https://shilohmusings.blogspot.com/2017/01/guest-post-forgotten-oppression.html

Seven Times Stronger

(a quick quote about American anti-Semitism during the Holocaust):
https://shilohmusings.blogspot.com/2017/01/guest-post-seven-times-stronger.html

How a Reform Rabbi Become Orthodox (true story):

http://shilohmusings.blogspot.com/2016/07/how-did-reform-rabbi-become-orthodox-jew.html

Sephardic Jews Reject Reform Judaism:
https://shilohmusings.blogspot.com/2017/07/sephardim-reject-reform.html
https://shilohmusings.blogspot.com/2017/08/guest-post-persian-rabbis-decree.html

Greek NYC Jews and Syrian NYC Jews:

http://shilohmusings.blogspot.com/2016/03/greek-jews-syrian-jews.html

How to Convict the New York Times:

https://shilohmusings.blogspot.com/2016/11/guest-post-how-to-convict-new-york-times.html
https://shilohmusings.blogspot.com/2016/11/guest-post-nyt-erases-israel-from-map.html
http://shilohmusings.blogspot.com/2016/03/guest-postnyt-vs-israel.html

Why Pray for Tzahal-IDF:
http://shilohmusings.blogspot.com/2016/04/guest-post-why-pray-for-idf.html

How to Pray for Tzahal-IDF:

http://shilohmusings.blogspot.com/2016/09/how-to-pray-for-tzahal-idf.html

Why Israel’s 1967 Borders are Undefendable:
https://shilohmusings.blogspot.com/2017/03/guest-post-why-1967-borders-are-suicide.html

חרות Cherut/Herut is Not Freedom!

We all know by now that the modern, popular accepted definition of  חרות Cherut/Herut is "freedom," but that is not what it means in Jewish theology.

For a Good Jewish Theological Discussion, You Need Hebrew!  

I've been driving people absolutely nuts about this for the past week and a half. Yes, I've been obsessed for sure.

"Freedom" is not intrinsically part of Judaism and Jewish Life. We see that in the criticism of the Biblical Time of Judges, in the text itself:

כה  בַּיָּמִים הָהֵם, אֵין מֶלֶךְ בְּיִשְׂרָאֵל:  אִישׁ הַיָּשָׁר בְּעֵינָיו, יַעֲשֶׂה.  {ש}

25 In those days there was no king in Israel; every man did that which was right in his own eyes. {P}

Judaism is about structure and absolute Law, Torah, Mitzvot. True freedom is more anarchy and not good.

the power or right to act, speak, or think as one wants without hindrance or restraint.
"we do have some freedom of choice"

Passover celebrates our commitment to Gd and Gd's Laws, not the freedom from it or any rules. Historically we were unshackled from the slavery to Pharaoh in Egypt to become slaves/worshipers/followers of Gd. We committed to Gd and His Rules/Mitzvot.

In Hebrew every word has multiple meanings on all different letters, and the fact that the food we must eat to celebrate Passover is מצה plural מצות is spelled just like the plural of מצוה  מצות Gd's commandments to us.

That's how deeply we must internalize Gd's commandments. They must become part of us. They are our food for survival.

חרת is the root of חרות and means to engrave, to dig deeply into a stone or wood.

From this, we see that the Passover Holiday is about accepting and internalizing Judaism, Gd's Laws. That is true  חרות Cherut/Herut.

How Many Arabs would Allow Jews to Live in Their Buildings?

Now the news has been full of the results of a poll:

Poll: Half of Israeli Jews would not live in apartment building with Arabs49 percent of Israeli Jews said that they would not live in the same building as Arab families, compared to 42 percent who said they would be willing.

There's something very faulty with this entire news item. Actually more than one thing.

• It does not make it clear that the question only involves having arabs live in Jewish neighborhoods, cities and communities.
• It does not ask the reverse question: "How Many Arabs would Allow Jews to Live in Their Buildings?"

This news item it skewered to make Jewish Israelis look bad by either not asking that crucial question to show that Arabs do not want Jews in their neighborhood or hiding the results from the readers.

It's certainly no secret that it's considered dangerous and potentially deadly for Jews to go in Arab neighborhoods (even for shopping) which answers clearly what Arabs think of Jews moving into their building and being neighbors. There are many Arabs who for various reasons want to get out of their neighborhoods and see many advantages for living with Jews. 

Shame on the Jerusalem Post and all the other media that chickened out of asking for the missing poll statistics!!

Ya'alon Demoralizing the IDF

As Minister of Defense, Moshe Bogie Ya'alon should be perceived as supporting Israel's IDF soldiers in a most difficult situation/war against our enemies, including the terrorists. Instead he has seriously and consistently veered Left in a very complicated war of words, ideas, bullets, knives etc.

Maybe he once was very much on the political Right and strong on defense etc. But since taking office as Minister of Defense, he has veered so far Left he makes Prime Minister Binyamin Bibi Netanyahu look good.

In the War of Arab Terror Against Jews, we are all on the frontline. At least those of us who aren't guarded 24/7 and aren't driven in protected cars, like Bogie. We know that terror is a "political mugging," like the Biblical Amalek who preyed on the weak, and not some random acts of ordinary criminals who may be susceptible to de/reprograming and rehabilitation.

I am very disappointed in the reaction of Justice Minister Ayelet Shaked and her defense of Bogie. He has been interfering in the case against the soldier who shot the terrorist. His Left-sounding knee-jerk condemnation of the soldier is dangerously anti-Justice and anti-democratic.

Their bandwagon reactions are dangerous for Israelis all over, because they sympathise with the terrorists, rather than the Jewish victims and the IDF soldiers who are doing their best to protect us.

Tel Shiloh on Shabbat Rosh Chodesh Nissan

Today, until nighttime, was Rosh Chodesh Nissan and Shabbat. All the years I've been going to Shiloh Hakeduma, Tel Shiloh on Rosh Chodesh, we never did it on Shabbat. That is until today. One of the more dedicated members of our group, Miryam Blum of Eli, had been dreaming of spending a Shabbat Rosh Chodesh in Shiloh for many years, and this time she did it.

Instead of our usual morning Rosh Chodesh prayers and Hallel at the site of the Biblical Tabernacle at Shiloh Hakeduma, Tel Shiloh, we went down in the afternoon for the Mincha Prayer. I advertised that we'd be going, and that Miryam would guide the group and give a Dvar Torah to the participants. 

We walked down and found a group of women, some were guests just visiting for Shabbat, waiting for us. And the guests had never been there before, so they really appreciated the tour.

I don't remember being there on Shabbat for a long time if ever. We saw one of the neighbors who had walked down with his dog. And we also saw some unfamiliar visitors. Some other neighbors were there with a group they were hosting. I really enjoyed going down there and walking and praying, without encountering all the tourists, Shiloh Hakeduma staff and archeological crew who are there during the week. On Shabbat Tel Shiloh returns to us locals. It is again our park and synagogue, just like it used to be. 

Quite a few times, I found myself wishing I could photograph the group and all we saw, but it's forbidden on Shabbat. 

Here's the information about next Rosh Chodesh:

Women's Prayers at Shiloh Hakeduma

Tel Shiloh Rosh Chodesh Iyyar

Sunday May 8, 2016

30th of Nissan, 5776, 8:30am

Hallel and Musaf for Rosh Chodesh

Tour of Tel Shiloh

Dvar Torah, Short Torah Lesson

Please come and invite family, friends and neighbors

תפילת נשים ראש חודש אייר

בשילה הקדומה, תל שילה

יום א' 8-5 ל' ניסן, תשע"ו 8:30

הלל ומוסף לראש חודש

יהיה דבר תורה קצר וסיור בתל

כדאי לבוא ולהזמין חברות, משפחה ושכנות

Please save the date and let others know. Join our facebook group for more updates. And remember that there are many other things to do at Shiloh Hakeduma, Tel Shiloh. It's open to visitors six days a week. For more information call 02-994-4019. 


Shavua Tov and Chodesh Tov to all!!

PS If you'd like to organize transportation, then contact Ben Levine of Awesome Tours. He has a supersized van, a bus that has room for fifteen 15 passengers comfortably. He'll help you arrange a truly inspiring Rosh Chodesh (or any day) in Shiloh.

Guest Post by Atara Snowbell on חרות Herut

Atara Snowbell, Matan

Earlier in the week I posted  Shiloh Musings: For a Good Jewish Theological Discussion, You Need Hebrew!, which I sent to my Tanach/Bible teacher Atara Snowbell. Although she hasn't taught me for a couple of years already, I still consider her as one of my teachers, and I wanted her to read that article. I feel that it relates to some of what we learned together in ספר במדבר Sefer Bamidbar, The Book of Numbers. I received her permission to post her reply on this blog:

Completely makes sense, as in אין לך בן חורין אלא מי שעוסק בתורה clearly is not an indication of freedom in the modern sense, but rather freedom to tie oneself into an obligatory system of one's choice.

Being an עובד ה' is true freedom, as it obligates you to the truest and most noble values.

--Of course, as an aside, I don't believe "free to do what I want" is truly freedom either, because it enslaves me to my own human desires and whims, one of the worst types of enslavement.--

The best "proof" for your post is that the Torah uses the same term to describe the enslavement to Pharaoh and to God - עבד

ויקרא פרק כה 

(נה) כִּי לִי בְנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל עֲבָדִים עֲבָדַי הֵם אֲשֶׁר הוֹצֵאתִי אוֹתָם מֵאֶרֶץ מִצְרָיִם אֲנִי יְקֹוָק אֱלֹהֵיכֶם:

Chazal picked up on this when they compared Purim to Pessach - they ask whether one should say Hallel on Pessach and conclude that we don't, because whereas on Pessach we were Pharaoh's slaves and became God's slaves, on Purim we were Ahashverosh's slaves and remained his slaves:

תלמוד בבלי מסכת מגילה דף יד עמוד א 

רבא אמר: בשלמא התם +תהלים קי"ג+ הללו עבדי ה' - ולא עבדי פרעה, אלא הכא - הללו עבדי ה' ולא עבדי אחשורוש? אכתי עבדי אחשורוש אנן. 

So we are redeemed from slavery but become free, only to become slaves to God. But that type of slavery is true freedom, as it is enslavement to divine values. There is not such thing as a gap, at all times we are enslaved to something: time work family our own human needs and desires. Freedom is the ability to choose to be enslaved to a set of values and morals that is right; True freedom is being enslaved to God, by choice.

I once gave a shiur that related to Eved Ivri - the Hebrew slave and the Torah's attitude toward slavery, based on this very idea. The Torah's approach is based on this very idea - no man should be enslaved to another, since they should be free to worship God alone. But that's for another discussion...

Nothing More Long-Lasting than "Temporary" or a "Narrow Coalition"

Oct. 20, 2012 - Source: Lior Mizrahi/Getty Images Europe

All this talk that has been in the news all over the world, including of late Yahoo!News, about the fragility of Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu's latest coalition. It hangs on the thread of just one seat/MK, which is as narrow as a coalition can be, 61 vs 59.

Most political pundits have been predicting its immediate demise/collapse from day one.

This reminds me of my most long-lasting job. Yes, of course it was offered as a "temporary job." We had been here in Shiloh barely a year. Soon after we arrived I tried to get the person in charge of afternoon children's activities to allow me to teach Creative Dance, which I had been teaching in Jerusalem for two years before our move. Yes, I was one of the very first to offer such classes in Jerusalem in the late 1970's. The year before we moved to Shiloh I had also taught a women's exercise class, aerobics before such "exercise to music" was branded/marketed as such.  The coordinator rejected my offer, because she wanted ballet and ballet only. My specialty was Modern Dance, which I had studied for many years in New York. My Creative Dance lessons combined that with Israeli Folk Dance, Improvisation basic fitness etc. But Ballet was never on my menu/curriculum. Finally in 1982, just before the school year began, I was asked to be the Physical Education aka Gym Teacher for the girls in our school. The supervisor from the Ministry of Education had complained that although it was a required subject, our students weren't learning it. Someone on the school committee remembered that I had wanted to teach dance, so that seemed close enough to PE. I was told it would be "temporary" until a "real teacher" showed up in the area. I taught gym for thirteen 13 years. I never certified, since there wasn't a program for it offered to me. And I ended up leaving the position for reasons not quite related to my qualifications, but that's another story... 

With that bit of personal history under my belt, I agree with those who say that the latest Bibi coalition is full of politicians who are enjoying their power and don't want to give it up/share it with a larger number of MKs.

So far, the coalition is holding. Time will tell. What do you think?

Guest Post: Rabbi Zevulun Leiberman

Rabbi Zevulun Leiberman ZTL
a guest post by Mr. Cohen

===============
INTRODUCTION:
===============

This message is about a short-but-memorable conversation
I had with Rabbi Zevulun Leiberman (of blessed memory)
in year 2004 CE.  I believe that it is my duty to publicize
this little story, so it should not be forgotten.

Rabbi Zevulun Leiberman, despite his Ashkenazi name,
served as the spiritual leader of one of the largest
Syrian synagogues in New York City for several decades,
starting in year 1958 CE. 

He was also personally involved in attempting to repair
almost every troubled marriage in NYC’s Syrian-Jewish
community for several decades [so I was told]. 

He also taught at Yeshivah University.

Finally, he also served as an Av Beth Din
[leader of the Rabbinical Court] for that
community for several decades, even though
other Rabbis in that community had the same title.

===============

MY SHORT STORY:
===============

One fine day in year 2004 CE, I saw
Rabbi Zevulun Leiberman and I asked
him where he was coming from. 
He explained to me that he had just spent
most of that day attending an agunah conference.

I asked him: Does your community really have an agunah problem?

He answered me: YES.

I asked him: How many agunot are there in the Syrian community of NYC?

He answered me: ONE.

Somehow the subject of wife-beating arose in our conversation.
Rabbi Zevulun Leiberman told me confidently that since
he started serving NYC’s Syrian-Jewish community
in year 1958 CE, there had been exactly ONE case
of wife-beating, and that was in year 1959 CE. 

In other words, there was exactly ONE case of wife-beating in 46 years, and this statistic came from a Rabbi who was personally involved in attempting to repair almost every troubled marriage in NYC’s Syrian-Jewish community [of 85,000 people, at that time] for several decades.

===============

LEARN THIS:
===============

His answers made a great impression on my mind, so great that I still remember that conversation 12 years later.  He was an extremely busy man; there were many legitimate ways he could have chosen to spend his time. 

Yet he chose to spend many hours attending an agunah conference, even though nobody paid him to attend, and even though his community of 85,000 Jews [at that time] had only ONE agunah!

Rabbi Zevulun Leiberman understood even ONE agunah is one-too-many! And he did not merely understand that as a theory; he LIVED that understanding with his actions.

===============

MY STORY 2:
===============

In the 1990s I had a short-but-memorable conversation with a Jew who was born in Syria and moved to New York City in 1959. 

He insisted with great emphasis that when he left Syria in year 1959 CE, 99% of Jews in Syria observed Shabbat; and there was NOT EVEN ONE Jew in all of Syria who was a public-Shabbat-desecrator [Mechalel Shabbat Bepharhesia]. 

Maybe this happened because the Syrian Jews never accepted Reform or Conservative. 

There was never a Reform or Conservative Syrian synagogue; only Orthodox.

____________________________________________________

“One [New York] Times opinion editor, Matt Seaton,
even admitted last year [2014 CE] that the newspaper
has a policy of veering away from criticism of Palestinians.”

SOURCE: Final sentence of article titled:
“New York Times Editor: Coverage of Israel
Most Criticized Aspect of Opinion Pages”
by Shiryn Ghermezian, 2015 October 14,
found in: The Algemeiner.

www.algemeiner.com/2015/10/14/new-york-times-editor-coverage-of-israel-most-criticized-aspect-of-opinion-pages/
____________________________________________________
PAT CONDELL SAID:

“Like all things Islamic, the Palestinians long-been
have been officially above criticism in the West…”

SOURCE:
Useful idiots for Palestine by Pat Condell,
2011 November 4 (available for free on YouTube)

MICROBIOGRAPHY:

Pat Condell is an atheist, who was born in Ireland around 1950 CE, and raised in England as a Roman Catholic, and educated in Church of England schools.
____________________________________________________
Please help Shurat HaDin SUE the terrorists in court:

www.IsraelLawCenter.org    

Shurat HaDin won $9.4 million in appeal against Iran for terror victims:

http://israellawcenter.org/pr/terror-victims-win-court-victory-over-iran/

Shurat HaDin successfully froze over $600 million in terrorist assets:

http://5tjt.com/bankrupting-terrorism/

Shurat HaDin’s victory for Israel on FaceBook:

www.algemeiner.com/2016/01/08/facebook-finally-caves-on-anti-israel-hate-pages/
www.causematch.com/projects/shurat-hadin-givingtuesday/

Shurat HaDin Wins Major Victory in Lawsuit Against Iran

www.algemeiner.com/2018/02/11/terror-victims-win-major-victory-in-lawsuit-against-iran/

PS: Please check out these pro-Israel web sites:

www.camera.org * www.HonestReporting.com * www.memri.org *
www.ActForAmerica.org * www.aish.com * www.IsraelLawCenter.org   
____________________________________________________________
PLEASE help the battle against
internet anti-Semitism by making
a PayPal donation to:
FourCupsOfWine@gmail.com.

THANK YOU!!
____________________________________________________________
OTHER BLOG POSTS BY MR. COHEN:

Quick Bible Quotes from Joshua and Jeremiah:
http://shilohmusings.blogspot.com/2016/11/guest-post-joshua-chapter-23-verse-12.html
https://shilohmusings.blogspot.com/2016/12/guest-post-jeremiah-chapter-17.html

Ancient Roman historians connected Jews with the Land of Israel and Jerusalem:
https://shilohmusings.blogspot.com/2017/02/guest-post-josephus-vs-muslim-liars.html
http://shilohmusings.blogspot.com/2016/05/guest-post-cornelius-tacticus.html

Rambam Rejected Childless Messiah:

http://shilohmusings.blogspot.com/2016/08/rambam-rejected-childless-messiah-by-mr.html

Why Muslims Hate Jews:

https://shilohmusings.blogspot.com/2016/12/guest-post-why-muslims-hate-jews.html
https://shilohmusings.blogspot.com/2017/01/guest-post-moynihan-1982.html

Forgotten Muslim Oppression against Jews:

https://shilohmusings.blogspot.com/2017/01/guest-post-forgotten-oppression.html

American anti-Semitism:

https://shilohmusings.blogspot.com/2017/01/guest-post-seven-times-stronger.html
https://shilohmusings.blogspot.com/2017/01/guest-post-jewish-nyc-mayor.html
__________________________

How a Reform Rabbi Became Orthodox (true story):

http://shilohmusings.blogspot.com/2016/07/how-did-reform-rabbi-become-orthodox-jew.html

Reform Judaism vs. Real Judaism:
http://shilohmusings.blogspot.com/2016/05/guest-post-real-judaism.html

Sephardic Jews Reject Reform Judaism:
https://shilohmusings.blogspot.com/2017/07/sephardim-reject-reform.html
https://shilohmusings.blogspot.com/2017/08/guest-post-persian-rabbis-decree.html
__________________________

How to Convict the New York Times:

https://shilohmusings.blogspot.com/2016/11/guest-post-how-to-convict-new-york-times.html
https://shilohmusings.blogspot.com/2016/11/guest-post-nyt-erases-israel-from-map.html
http://shilohmusings.blogspot.com/2016/03/guest-postnyt-vs-israel.html

Why Pray for Tzahal-IDF:
http://shilohmusings.blogspot.com/2016/04/guest-post-why-pray-for-idf.html

How to Pray for Tzahal-IDF:

http://shilohmusings.blogspot.com/2016/09/how-to-pray-for-tzahal-idf.html

How intermarriage harms Jewish sovereignty over the Land of Israel:
http://shilohmusings.blogspot.com/2016/11/guest-post-joshua-chapter-23-verse-12.html

How Shabbat-desecration harms Jewish sovereignty over Jerusalem:

https://shilohmusings.blogspot.com/2016/12/guest-post-jeremiah-chapter-17.html

Why Israel’s 1967 Borders are Undefendable:
https://shilohmusings.blogspot.com/2017/03/guest-post-why-1967-borders-are-suicide.html

Negative Voting: They are All Crooks, Liars or Both! Part 1

I've reached a rather jaded stage in my following of politics, an occupation or hobby I've had for over half a century. There isn't a political party I support either here in Israel or in my native United States of America. If you read my political articles here (this blog,) you know that I don't vote in American Elections, although I'm not shy about blogging/writing my opinions. And I've reached the conclusion that if I was to vote in the 2016 Presidential Elections, I'd cast a "negative vote." That means that I'd vote for anybody but a Democrat. I'd vote Republican, not because I think a specific candidate is so great, but because as weak or rotten as the Republicans may be, the Democrats are a gazillion times worse.

credit

Photo illustration by Slate. Photos by REUTERS/Brian Snyder and iStock.

The two only Democratic frontrunners promote foreign policy, not only in terms of US-Israel Relations, but in general which I consider as bad for the world. Not only wouldn't either be any better than the present POTUS himself, but don't forget that Hillary was Obama's first Secretary of State and is responsible for some of his bad moves, when he was still on a learning curve. And Bernie has been on the extreme Left of the American political spectrum since POTUS was in diapers.

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And although I've written some blog posts which could be perceived as pro-Trump, I really don't think he'd be all that different from Cruz would be if elected. My feeling is that in order to win, the Republican machine must rally around someone with a good chance, because otherwise the Democrats will just use the anti-Trump or whomever statements in their campaign later on. It will just backfire. A lot of time and money were invested in Bush III and some other losers who hadn't a chance in hell to win. The "machine" should have just done their campaigning as a national anti-Democrat campaign and let the wannabes fight it out without interference.

Many of my friends are hoping for a Cruz nomination. He has been making inroads in the primaries, and it would be easier for the Republicans to market him.

You may have noticed that I haven't mentioned much about ideology and platforms. It's more image and marketing and branding that really counts in politics and elections. So few politicians who make it to office end of keeping their promises. In Israel they claim that "it looks different from here." And I think a lot can also be blamed or credited to the "Yes, Minister" syndrome which humorously portrayed how little power the office holder/minister has versus his bureaucratic/permanent/civil service staff.

When I, bli neder (no vow,) write a Part 2, I'll tell you about the much more complicated Israeli political system.