Where Is Tovya!

Has he been kidnapped? Did he go to Yeshiva to immerse himself in learning? Did he get married? No online presense since February 2006! Where is he? This inquiring mind wants to know!

A Special Place In Hell

Check out this op-ed in Ha'aretz, and see what The Muquata posted about it.

Those that promote appeasement are the ones that deserve "A Special Place In Hell" for all the misery that they have caused.

Saving Olmert's Hide

Read how Ha'aretz columnist Yoel Marcus is trying to save Olmert's hide:

Yes, there were bungles that need to be investigated. If Olmert were the prime minister of England maybe he would save his skin by sacking Amir Peretz and Dan Halutz. Maybe he would be chucked out himself. But with so much anger over the mismanagement of the war, the dilapidated state of the bomb shelters and the way the home front was left to fend for itself, it was obvious that the clamor for a commission of inquiry would not be given up easily.

Olmert has chosen to appoint three investigation committees, one for each aspect of the war. He has said no to a state commission of inquiry. This time, he is right. A year-long probe, with lawyers, witnesses and a war of Gog and Magog raging at home while the Gaza and Palestinian front still looms before us, is a luxury we cannot afford.

It is important to investigate, to fix whatever needs to be fixed, and kick out those who have screwed up, but we don't need a state commission to do it. Anyone who wants a judge is free to petition the High Court. Israel is a democracy, and leaders can be brought down when the country goes to the polls or by a majority vote in the Knesset. In the end, the voter has the last word. There is no reason to drive the country insane with a state probe.

It is no secret here in Israel that the investigation committees that Olmert set up lack teeth, as pointed out by INN:

Olmert's committees would have no authority to subpoena witnesses or to have officials fired, whereas a state commission of inquiry would have these authorities.

What's worse is the idea of those being investigated appointing their own investigators:

Lawmakers have stated that despite the impressive lineup on the committees, the move by the prime minister wreaks of an attempted cover-up, insisting a self-appointed commission cannot legitimately investigate the actions of the very government that appointed and oversees it.

(I personally saw an article in HaYisraeli, showing how most if not all those appointed by Olmert to investigate the war have received favors from Olmert in the past or are in need of favors in the future. Too bad that I did not save the article, and too bad that HaYisraeli doesn't have on online edition!)

It is sad that a journalist like Yoel Marcus would choose to support such an obvious attempt at hiding the truth.

Don't Delete That Blog!

Mirty stopped blogging and deleted her blog. Someone else took her blogger user and sent us all to Detroit.

How long will it take for jrants to remove this blog from the index?

Whatever Happened To Tov'ya?

Where is Tov'ya? He used to have a blog Zion Report which seems to have disappeared. If anyone knows leave a comment or email me.

Thanks.

A Nice Film: Friday in Jerusalem

I received the following email:

My friend Gil Ronen made this film, and I'm helping him spread the link around. If you like it, I hope you'll consider posting a link to it on your blog or passing it on to your friends by email. Thanks!

http://films.izfone.com/

It's a nice film. Enjoy!

BTW, some interesting things about Mr. Ronen:

Gil Ronen, a former Correspondent in the Territories and Correspondent in the Knesset for IDF Radio, founded Or Adom, an activist group against police brutality, which led to the establishment of the Department for Investigation of Police Officers in Israel's Ministry of Justice. Ronen now runs Katzir.com, a studio specializing in Flash animations.

Read this as well.

Moshe Feiglin Does It Again

Another great article by Moshe Feiglin. I first saw it a few days ago in the HaYisraeli newspaper. I am glad that an English version is now available: The Commission of Inquiry's Conclusions:

The following are the conclusions of the Commission of Inquiry that will not be established. And if it is established, the parameters of inquiry will not be correctly defined. And if they are defined, it will not have the appropriate authority. And if it does, it will be afraid to speak the truth. And if it does speak the truth, Israel's media and justice system will be sure to delegitimize it.

Read the rest.

The Plague of Internet Pornography

by Tzvi Fishman
Aug 28, '06 / 4 Elul 5766

Little Joey may be sitting quietly in his room, glued to the computer, but do you know what he is watching? The statistics are frightening. They speak for themselves.

There are over 500 million pages of pornography on the Internet. Two out of five Internet users regular visit pornography sites. In a February poll of university students in America, 87% admitted having "virtual sex" with their computers. Over 63 million viewers enter adult websites per month, reaching 42.7 percent of the Internet audience. The Internet pornography industry generates $12 billion dollars in annual revenue - larger than the combined annual revenues of ABC, NBC and CBS.

These staggering statistics are only the beginning. It turns out that the largest group of viewers of Internet pornography is children between ages 12 and 17. 80% of these teenagers view pornography online while doing their homework. Surveys reveal that the number-one media concern for American parents has shifted from television to the Internet, with 85 percent of parents saying that the Internet posed a greater risk to their children than any other media.

Read the rest.

Do Murderers Sit Shiva?

This is a piece that I wrote last year but I did not post for technical reasons. As the injustice, criminality and foolishness of the "disengagement" become clear to more and more people, I feel that this piece is still timely:

Ari Shavit of Ha'aretz wrote an interesting article in the midst of the "disengagement" entitled "Israel Must Sit Shiva." The article describes at length how Gush Katif looked as it was being destroyed by the IDF and the Israeli police:

Gush Katif is dying. The settlements are breathing their last. Some are reconciled, others are resisting. Some are fighting back, others are falling apart. Some are grieving deeply, others have broken hearts. The settlers have been defeated. Their greenhouses are withering. Their synagogues are empty. Their rooms are wide open. Their villages are ghost towns.

From the description we might have thought that Shavit was equating Gush Katif to an old man who was on his death bed dying of natural causes. Perhaps he was likening them to a patient in the last stages of a terminal illness.

But the truth is that the greenhouses did not wither because the residents of the Gush were inexpert farmers. Nor were the synagogues empty for lack of people that wanted to worship. The villages did not become ghost towns because their inhabitants sought better fortune elsewhere.

Gush Katif was a block of settlements that was healthy socially and economically. Their contribution to Israel's economy is well known. Their participation in the combat units of the IDF was high. In spite of the difficult security situation, which was a direct product of the Oslo Agreements, the residents of Gush Katif showed great tenacity. Gush Katif was alive and vibrant.

But, as Shavit pointed out, Gush Katif was dying, and now it is already dead. However, Gush Katif did not die of natural causes. Gush Katif was murdered in cold blood. The Gush was a victim of a violent slaying, ordered by a prime minister who swindeled his constituants, carried out by his troops, and cheered on by Israel's mainstream media.

Shavit goes on to point out the lack of compassion showed by the Israeli secular intellectuals towards the suffering of the settlers:

The hard-heartedness of the intellectual and legal elites in the face of the catastrophe that befell the residents of Gush Katif will not be forgotten. It will seep into the groundwater of our shared lives and pollute it.

Yeah, right. Our shared lives are already polluted by the post-Zionism, anti-Zionism, anti-Judaism and corruption in the highest echelons of the Israeli government and media that made the destruction of Gush Katif possible.

Shavit continues with the following observation:

Gush Katif was a world of its own - a world of work and faith, of patriotic innocence and communal warmth; a world that touches the heart, that was established in the wrong place at the wrong time. Now, as this world is being buried in the sand, Israel must sit shiva for it.

In my view Ari Shavit's piece is full of errors that stem from his secular-leftist weltanschauung, and I have not come to elaborate on all of these mistakes. However, his reference to sitting shiva is bizarre, entirely out of place, especially coming from the pen of a secular-leftist. It is true that relatives of the departed sit shiva. However if the relative murdered the deceased, does the murderer sit shiva? I don't know, and its not the kind of question that I am going to ask my rabbi! In any case, even if the halacha requires the murderer to sit shiva, the spectacle would be quite repugnant. Such is the case of Gush Katif's destroyers sitting shiva for it.

The IDF's "Morals"

In the continuing struggle against the IDF's warped moral system that endagers soldiers in order not to harm the enemy's civilians, Rabbi Eliezer Melamed opens his column in Besheva with the following:

לפני הכל צריכים לעורר מחאה גדולה נגד המנהיגות המדינית והצבאית. ובמיוחד כנגד ה'מוסר' הקלוקל שהכשיל את המלחמה, לפיו נשלחים חיילינו להיהרג כדי שלא לפגוע ב'חפים מפשע'. 'מוסר' זה הוא היום כלי הנשק היעיל ביותר של כוחות הרשע.

Translation:

Before anything else we must raise a great protest against the political and military leadership. And especially against the defective “moral system” that caused the war to fail, according to which our soldiers are sent to be killed in order not to hurt “innocents”. This “moral system” is today the most effective weapon of the forces of evil.

I agree.

Some Good Stuff

An interesting analysis of the war:

Ehud Ya'ari's Opinion

Zman Biur does the boogie:

Time to Boogie?

Another scholarly post from Eliyahu:

Flaubert's Observations of Jerusalem and the Jews Living There [1850]

Update:

Some Positive Benefits of the War

Granting Forgiveness - Gush Katif

HH #84!

Bringing Redemption To The World

We have learned:

Anyone who says a statement in the name of the one who said it brings redemption to the world, as the verse says 'And Esther said to the King in the name of Mordechai' (Avot 6:6, Esther 2:22)."

So, in order to bring redemption to the world I'm revealing where I heard the joke that I posted in the previous post.

KIMIZION is a web site that you can read/hear Torah classes in a variety of languages: German, Hebrew, Spanish, French and English. The English section, which is relatively new, contains classes that were given by Rabbi David Samson 20 years ago in Machon Meir. For me this is a real "blast from the past."

I already feel that we are a little bit closer to redemption.

A Post For Rosh Chodesh Elul

Elul is a time for seriousness. Here in Israel things have been very serious lately. Those that sat in bomb shelters and those that fought the enemy have had a lot of time to think. Even those that were not personally affected by the war have no doubt done some serious thinking and soul searching lately.

I thought that I would start the month with a joke I just heard. A young student arrived at one of the “mussar” yeshivot (Rabbinic Academies) in Europe during the month of Elul. These Yeshivot put a great emphasis on eliminating bad character traits, such as hautiness. He entered the Beit Midrash (Study Hall). He saw a student learning one of the books of ethics and quietly repeating to himself, “Ich bin a gournisht, Ich bin a gournisht!” (I am a nothing). He sees another student sitting with his head in his hands saying, “I am a worm and not a man.” Yet another student is standing by the window saying, “I am dust and ashes.”

The next day the new yeshiva student sat down in the Beit Midrash and started saying to himself, “I am a nothing, I am a nothing!” One of the older students heard him and rebuked him, “You are a Ba’al Ga’avah (a haughty person)! You’ve only been here for a day, and you already think that you are a nothing?

Ha’aretz – Israel’s Newspaper Of Broken Record

There are some who have the audacity to declare that Ha’aretz is Israel’s “newspaper of record.” As one who has lived in Israel for over twenty years, I don’t think that “paper of record” describes Israel’s lunatic leftist rag. It could be better described as Israel’s “newspaper of broken record", perpetually returning to the previous groove and sounding the same chorus over and over again. That’s what they sound like lately as they repeat in two different articles the same mantra: The IDF failed in the recent Lebanon war because it was busy with “occupation” instead of training for war. I don’t know which article came first. Here’s a bit from Ze’ev Schiff, “Policing in Gaza has blunted IDF fighting abilities”:

One of the main conclusions of the war against Hezbollah will be the fact that the fighting abilities of the ground forces deployed by the Israel Defense Forces in Lebanon have been blunted by years of police action in the territories.

Most units, in their training and operations, followed fighting doctrines of police forces and not of standing armies. Hezbollah trains, fights and is equipped as an army, utilizing some of the most advanced anti-tank missiles and other weapons.

Yeah, right. Hezbollah fights as an army, but Schiff “forgot” to mention that they use human shields! The rest of Schiff’s article can be similarly fisked.

The next one is an anonymous editorial entitled, ”Save the IDF”. Here’s a whiff:

There are all kinds of ways to investigate the Lebanon war and learn its lessons, but it seems the main lesson will not be learned in the foreseeable future. The army is not to blame for the fact that it has been dealing with ongoing security in the occupied territories for almost 40 years now - or, more precisely, since 1987, when the Palestinians began a violent revolt against the occupation. The "Israel Policing Forces" are engaged mainly in defending Israel against terror perpetrated by an occupied population. They have neither the resources nor the time to prepare for a real war.

Apparently this is how Israel’s paper of broken record will continue to put a spin on what happened in Lebanon. They certainly won’t let the facts confuse them.

Cosmic X in the News

This is cool! Internet producer Mark Mietkiewicz mentioned my blog in the St. Louis Jewish Light Online:

"A country should not risk the lives of its own soldiers in order to protect the enemy's civilians. Unfortunately, Israel has often endangered its own soldiers in war for the fear that using superior firepower may cause civilian deaths among those who indiscriminately kill our civilians without batting an eyelid." (http://cosmicx.blogspot.com)

Thanks Mark!

By the way, the false moral system currently in use by the IDF that I mentioned in the post that Mietkiewicz quoted was also mentioned by Safed Chief Rabbi Rabbi Shmuel Eliyahu in Besheva:

מפקדי צה"ל הבכירים חייבים להסביר היום לאמהות החיילים שהתגייסו בכל לבם מדוע נשלחו ילדיהן לקרב לפני שמטוסים הפציצו כל בית במרחב. הם חייבים להסביר לתושבי הצפון מדוע היה נכון להשאיר בית שלם במרון א-ראס כשכל לילה נורו משם טילים על צפת וכל הצפון. היום ברור שרוב החקלאים בכפרים הללו היו עובדים ביום בשדותיהם ובלילה אצל נסראללה. האם היה מותר לסכן את חיי תושבי הצפון בגלל המוסר העקום שמגן על חיי הרוצחים הללו

Translation:

The IDF's senior commanders must explain today to the mothers of the soldiers that enlisted with all of their heart why their children were sent to battle before airplanes bombed every house in the area. They must explain to the inhabitants of the North (of Israel) why it was correct to leave a house intact in Marun A-Ras when every night missiles were fired from there on Safed and all of the North. Today it is clear that most of the farmers in these villages were working by day in their fields and at night by Nasrallah. Was it permissable to endager the lives of the inhabitants of the North because of the twisted morals that shields the lives of these murderers?

We must continue to to work to change the twisted morality code where the IDF needlessly endagers our soldiers.

By the way, this week's issue of Besheva had some good items. Hebrew readers should check out this article about Haifa rabbi She'ar Yashuv Cohen.

Truth Springs Forth From The Land

The "dire straits" war, while not achieving its objectives, has caused certain matters to be clarified.

One of these matters is the deceitful reporting of the MSM. The "Fauxtography" that came out of Lebanon is not something that will quickly be forgotten. All of the wire services involved in this have some serious soul searching to do, if such corrupt people still have souls. For those of you who missed the "fauxtography" or don't know what it is, I am publishing the following links from the LGF Blog:

Green Helmet Admits Staging Photos

Still More Photo Staging Identified

Lebanese Autos Miraculously Survive Airstrikes

Photographer Alleges Unearthing of Bodies

LA Times: Take a Closer Look

CAIR's Fauxtography Scandal

AP Stands Behind Green Helmet Guy

LGF Exclusive: How Much Does It Cost to Buy Global TV News?

Multi-Use Buildings

Reuters Doctoring Photos from Beirut?

Another matter that has been clarified is the real need to "take care" of the rogue states Syria and Iran as Michael Freund writes:

Indeed, by transferring advanced rockets and weaponry to Hizbullah, Teheran and Damascus have just unwittingly proven one of the Bush Administration's central contentions regarding the need for preemptive action against rogue states in the global war on terror.

The two countries have demonstrated that they are ready and willing to share missile systems with a terrorist organization, thus strengthening the case that they must be prevented from obtaining weapons of mass destruction at all costs.

Finally, the concept of unilateral withdrawals as a way of improving security has been dealt a death blow. Oslo proved that negotiating with terrorists does not bring peace, and the unilateral withdrawals from Lebanon and later on from the Gaza Strip (which also included ethnically cleansing it of its Jewish population) have also proven to be a disaster. Interestingly enough, a committee appointed by Foreign Minister Tzippy Livny, a card carrying member of Olmert's Convergence Cult Kadima, has found that a unilateral Disengagement from most of Judea and Samaria would be dangerous and of little or no value:

Livny, during her tenure as Justice Minister several months ago, appointed the committee to look into various aspects of a unilateral withdrawal from most of Judea and Samaria, as planned by Prime Minister Ehud Olmert.

The committee found a series of problems with the plan, as reported today by Aluf Benn in Haaretz. Among them are legal, security, financial and diplomatic issues, which render the plan essentially non-executable.

So if every cloud has a silver lining, the emergence of these truths is pure gold.

Israel Searches For New Leadership

The plunge in popularity for Olmert and the Kadima Party are truly indicative of what I have been hearing from my real life colleagues. At the time that I write these lines Israelis are searching for new leadership.

The first in line of course is Bibi Netanyahu. He has experience, and he foresaw the danger that Hizbollah posed while other politicians tended to stick their heads in the sand. To Bibi's credit, his tenure as Prime Minister was marked by a dramatic reduction of terrorism. But those who love the land of Israel must remember that Bibi agreed to territorial concessions at Wye, and that he could have prevented the disengagement by leaving Sharon's government earlier but he did not do so in order to push through his economic reforms.

Mordechai Gilat in this ynetnews article seems to be propping up Tzippi Livni as the next Prime Minister. Mr. Gilat, give us a break! She is part of the current leadership that has to go, the sooner the better.

I saw an article on NRG claiming that there are those in the Labor Party that are asking Ehud Barak to return to politics. Okay, you can stop laughing now.

Personally, I would like to see Effie Eitam as the next Prime Minister of Israel. His love and faithfulness to the land of Israel and the people of Israel are based on Torah, and he won't sell them out for his own personal or political comfort. His military experience is also an asset in these troubled times. I know, this is wishful thinking!

The Case Against Yisrael Valis Falls Apart

I wanted to blog about this after reading this in Be'Sheva, but Cross Currents beat me to it. Be sure to read this post on Cross Currents that presents the family's side of the story.

When this story was first reported I couldn't help but smell a rat. The media "aleyhom" and demonization were all too familiar me as I had seen these methods used against the settlers and the ultra-Orthodox many times. Read what the press wrote at the time. Also worth noting are these posts at Failed Messiah, Dov Bear, and Jewlicious. Oh, there is also a Wikipedia entry.

May the Valis family be comforted for the loss of their infant child and the trouncing of their good name.

Expelled from Gush Katif, then killed in Lebanon

The title of the jpost article was Evacuated from Gush Katif, then killed in Lebanon, but I feel that the word expelled is much more appropriate than evacuated as the article itself clearly shows:

Seeing his family forced to leave Netzarim in the Gaza Strip last summer did not stop St.-Sgt. Amasa Meshulami, 20, from demonstrating unswerving loyalty in Israel's war against Hizbullah. On Saturday afternoon, Meshulami and the rest of his tank crew were killed by an anti-tank missile in Randuria, south Lebanon.

A personal note: I knew Amasa's grandfather Shlomo Kraus z"l who passed away last year. May the family be comforted with the rest of the mourners of Zion and Jerusalem.

Related links:

סמל ראשון עמשא (עמי) משולמי

הצילום האחרון של שי, עידו ועמשא

The pathetic leadership of Israel

Check out this post from The Jewish Worker. An excerpt:

The war has been completely mismanaged. At every stage, the government has approved the minimum, this has led to unnecessary casualties and lousy results. There has been a role reversal here. The army is supposed to protect the civilians. In this war, the civilians are protecting the army. The political leadership has so far refused to send in enough troops to at least minimize the number of rockets fired because they are worried about troop casualties. What this means is that over 1 million residents in the North are exposed to 150 rockets daily putting their lives and property in danger.

It is 30 days since the fighting started, 150 rockets a day have been falling all this time and only now is the government debating whether to mount a full scale invasion. What has the government been doing for the past 30 days?

Controversy At Funeral Of Fallen Soldier

Shoshi Greenfeld, the sister of Yehuda Greenfeld who one of the 12 reservists killed by a katushya rocket near Kfar Giladi, stirred up a controversy at her brother's funeral yesterday.

She requested that IDF Chief Rabbi Yisrael Weiss leave the funeral, citing his invovlement in the destruction of Gush Katif. In her eulogy of her brother she urged soldiers not to take part in the current war since Olmert sees it as a means of furthering his "convergence" policy.

Arutz Sheva has a video of the eulogy. Here are some excerpts:

“Yehuda'leh, my dear, loving, innocent brother, with your large azure eyes, your sweet disposition and your delicate soul. I will yet tell the story of your life, of your beauty. But at this time, I am choosing to tell the story of your death.

“In our final telephone conversation I said to you: 'Don't go to be cannon fodder. Olmert said that the operation is a preparation for his ‘Realignment’ Plan [to destroy most of the Jewish towns in Judea and Samaria unilaterally, as was done in Gush Katif and the Northern Shomron one year ago -ed.]. Come home. You have a historic opportunity to refuse, so that the pogrom of Gush Katif will not return upon your own home in Michmas [the Binyamin-region community where Yehuda lived -ed.].

"Come home!' I said to you, 'so that the retreats from Lebanon and from Gush Katif that brought us all this death, will end. So that the pogromchiks in the black uniforms that reminded our grandmother of Auschwitz - those who banished us from Gush Katif and cracked our skulls in Amona - won't arrive at your sweet home in Michmas as well, after the fighting ends with some sham cease-fire, and throw you and your family out of your home, and the remains of your garden be transformed into a training ground for murderers – leading to more murder and more killing.'

My opinion on the subject is similar to that of the Council of Yesha Rabbis:

The Council of Yesha Rabbis announced its objection to the treatment of former IDF Chief Rabbi Yisrael Weiss at the funeral of Yehuda Greenfeld Monday, during which the bereaved sister demanded Weiss leave the funeral due to his overseeing the Disengagement.

The council said that although Weiss ignored the call of the “Gadol HaDor Rabbi Avraham Shapira, “it is still forbidden to publicly humiliate him, as was done yesterday, despite the expulsion from Gush Katif.”

The statement said that although the family could not be held responsible for its actions in a time of great pain, the event constituted “a denigration of the honor of a Torah scholar, the IDF chief rabbi, who was the IDF's emissary at the funeral of the holy martyr yesterday.”

Plocker Fell Off His Rocker

In my life I've read some pretty lousy opinion pieces. Sometimes these op-eds include misinformation, sometimes ignorance, sometimes faulty logic. Sever Plocker over at ynet has managed to include all of these elements in his latest article, End of unilateral withdrawals? The title of the article was actually encouraging, and I thought that I may have found another sign of increasing sobriety among one of Israel's leftist journalists. After starting to read, I realized that I had been mistaken:

Just a few months ago, Israel appeared as though it had successfully completed two unilateral withdrawals: from the security zone in Lebanon and from the Gaza Strip.

Indeed! I am sure that the residents of the Western Negev were just thrilled with the results of the Gaza withdrawal. After all, most Israelis get to see fireworks only once a year, on Independence Day. The Gazans supplied the people of Sderot with "fireworks" almost daily. Sever then qualifies his statement:

Although the calm on the borders between Gaza and Lebanon was not complete, occasionally violated by the firing of rockets and mortar shells, the feeling among the public was that Israel had found the magical formula for a settlement with its neighbors, namely unilateral withdrawal from all territories occupied after the Six Day War. To withdraw, to build a fence and a wall – and to hope that nothing terrible would happen.

I wonder who "the public" is in Plocker's eys? I and almost all of my friends never believed in such foolishness. Further on Sever writes an obvious truth that I agree with:

In Middle East reality, however, the unilateral withdrawal was interpreted as folding up, as fleeing as succumbing to terror. The Israeli move was perceived worldwide as a weakness, the inability of Israelis to endure a prolonged war of terror.

It is just too bad that Mr. Plocker did not write this last year. The truth is, he enthusiastically supported Sharon's "disengagement" from the Gaza Strip. Here is what he wrote in February 2005:

The Israeli government, therefore, took a precedent-setting decision and cannot turn back from it. The decision marks Israel's satisfaction with a Jewish, democratic state whose borders are congruent, more or less, with the map of Israel prior to the Six-Day War, with agreed upon corrections.

Any other interpretation of the disengagement plan's approval marks a twisting of the truth, perpetrated by politicians who need to face, in public, the change in doctrines, views, and beliefs they held in the past.

The Greater Israel dream has dissipated and is no longer on the agenda, at least in this generation.

Israel under the leadership of Ariel Sharon is pulling out of Gaza and evacuating all its communities from there as a first step – and not a last step – ahead of a return to its proper borders.

So much for the pundit Plocker circa 2005. I return to Plocker circa 2006, where he writes a real whopper:

It may perhaps sound strange to Israeli ears, but when the Arabs sign agreements, they usually abide by them. Even the Hizbullah and Hamas made an effort to abide by the agreements made with them.

Ribono Shel Olam! Is there anyone who knows anything about the Israeli-Arab conflict that can read those lines and keep a straight face? The Arab violations of the Oslo Agreement are recent history! Plocker then suggests that we return to the old formula of "land for peace":

Agreements the dovish camp describes as "Land for Peace," and as Benjamin Nethanyahu put it during his term in office as prime minister, "if they give – they'll get; if they don't give – they won't get."

This suggestion has already been tried, and it has failed. The only true path to peace is to fulfill the Torah commandment of conquering and inheritting the land, without apologies and excuses.

Olmert: Lebanon outcome to create momentum for convergence plan

This has to be one of the stupidest things ever said by an Israeli Prime Minister. I recommend for Hebrew readers to check out the Hebrew article at ynet's Hebrew site. Up until now there are more than 1300(!) talkbacks, most of them from angry Israelis very critical of Olmert.

For The 9th Of Av

Here is a well known story worth repeating:

During Napoleon's campaign against Russia, as he passed through a small Jewish shtetl, he expressed a desire to see the inside of a synagogue. By chance it was the fast of the Ninth of Av, and the Jews were sitting in darkness on the floor weeping as they prayed. When it was explained to Napoleon that the reason for the weeping was for the destruction of the Temple, he asked, "When did this happen?"
"Two thousand years ago," he was told.
Upon hearing this, the Emperor declared, "A people who knows how to remember its land for two thousand years, will certainly find the way to return." (Folk story told by the Jews of Russia; Dov Noi, Golah veEretz Yisrael)

And I add: A people who knows how to remember its Holy Temple for two thousand years, will certainly find the way to rebuild it.

Islam Against The World

Conventional "wisdom" among the state of Israel's socialist founders and their students is that if you throw enough money and land to the Arabs everything will be just fine and dandy. This idea has been proven wrong by history, especially the history of the past 15 years, where territorial concessions and massive aid have only fanned the fires of Arab violence.

Read this article by Prof. Oz Almog, "Islam Against The World". It is good to see that people in Academia are finally starting to understand the enemy, even if they still have a long way to go.

War, Unity, and Criticism

War is a time for unity. On the other hand, the leaders whose policy of appeasement and withdrawals brought about this war are planning to continue their folly. Are we allowed to criticize them? Rabbi Eliezer Melamed deals with this question. The following is my translation of part of Rabbi Melamed’s article in last week’s issue of BeSheva:

During these days, when we are all concerned about and praying for the well being of our brothers, the civilians and the soldiers, we are obligated to mention that there are those who are to blame for this terrible situation, in which a small organization of terrorists kidnap soldiers, shoot thousands of rockets at population centers, silence the entire North of the country and plant death-traps for our soldiers. Those guilty are the diplomats that preferred to mortgage our future for the sake of the present, and the army officers that remained silent and did not warn. Those that were cruel to the inhabitants of Gush Katif and Northern Samaria acted in a feeble manner against cruel enemies, and we all see the results. It is impossible not to think that there would have been less military malfunctions, if for the past two years the army brass invested most of its energy in preparations for war against our enemies, and not in the expulsion and destruction of Gush Katif and the outposts.

Now our precious soldiers have to repair, at the price of their lives, what others perverted. It is incumbent for us to speak about this now, for if we do not speak, the lesson will not be learned. The same people who brought about this terrible situation will celebrate like heroes, and in addition afterwards they will desire to uproot more settlements, in order to additionally endanger the residents of the Tel Aviv metropolitan area and the lowlands.

To our great dismay, the representatives of the nationalist opposition, instead of criticizing and sounding the alarm, are abundantly praising the Prime Minister's and Defense Minister's so called leadership. We are still far from the end of the battle. We need to honor the soldiers, for not because of the faith that they have in the politicians or in the army brass they are fighting valiantly, rather in spite of the leader's failure's they are willing to fight for Israel. If the leadership will learn the proper lessons, if those to blame will admit their guilt, and they will start a real process of policy repair, then it will be possible to praise them. Before this - it is forbidden. Praises are liable to strengthen them in their foolishness and the price we will all pay.

The Lives Of Our Soldiers Are More Important Than The Enemy's Civilians

That's something that is pretty simple and obvious to most. A country should not risk the lives of its own soldiers in order to protect the enemy's civilians. Unfortunately, Israel has often endagered its own soldiers in war for the fear that using superior firepower may cause civilian deaths among those who indiscriminately kill our civilians without batting an eyelid. Bloggers Chardal, Joe Settler and My Right Word have complained about this bizarre IDF practice. That's not surprising in that as religious Jews they are repelled by such a policy that is not only against Judaism but also against common sense.

The good news is that this feeling is apparently making its way into other circles as well. Here's something from Rafi Ginat Yedioth Ahronoth's editor in chief:

When fighting against a terror organization that along with its patrons declares again and again that its goal is to destroy us, is it illogical or illegitimate that we make some moral compromises? Should we not consciously decide to lower our moral standards in order to strike an enemy that has the moral capacity of horse thieves and drug dealers?

I have no problem considering myself less moral if it will save the life of one Golani soldier. For him I am ready to wash the Hizbullah terrorists with fire. I am ready to do the same to their helpers, their collaborators, the ones who turn a blind eye, and all those in contact with Hizbullah. May their innocents die instead of ours.

Following the Bint Jbeil disaster we cannot allow ourselves the moral luxury of chirurgical military operations that end in Rambam hospital chirurgic department. We are in the middle of a war, and this war must be won while crushing Hizbullah and all that it represents. We need to strike hard - and we should be allowed to feel good about it.

Although Ginat is still confused about what is moral and what is not, as least he understands that he must be "less moral" in the present situation.

I have no pleasure when truly innocent enemy civilians are killed, but we are in a war and war is not a picnic. I can only repeat what Ginat stated so eloquently: "May their innocents die instead of ours."

Days of Destruction

As rockets fall in the north and in the south, causing death and destruction, the anniversary of the destruction of the Jewish communities in the Gaza Strip and Northern Samaria approaches. Given the security situation, it is not suprising that this anniversary is going almost unnoticed, even though it can be argued that this foolish act of the previous government is one of the main causes for the current flareup.

This week's issue of Besheva has some good articles concerning the expulsion and its aftermath. Warning: It's in Hebrew!

Definitely Worth Reading

My Friend Is Gone Forever

The Fallen are My Neighbors

AFP's fractured history lesson

Why did the soldiers have to die?

UN: Prediction Coming True?

ISRAEL @ WAR: Appeasement Inc.

Let the IDF Win

The Morality Card

A TRUE CONFESSION FROM HAIFA, and the WORDS OF A TORAH-SAGE

Beware the "Tel-Aviv Rose"

Olmert's Shamefull Performance

Why the UN Post was Bombed

A Keen Observation

I must admit that I am not exactly a Shmuley Boteach fan. It's not that I have anything against him, it's just a matter of style. That being said, let's give credit to the man where it is due. He wrote a great article in jpost today, with a keen observaton:

To make this point emphatically clear, let us reiterate that if there is one lesson that has been learned in five decades of Israeli concessions, it is that there is absolutely nothing that Israel can do to bring peace. Zero. Efes. Gornisht. Israel faces an implacable enemy that seeks not coexistence, but Israel's destruction. And through every Israeli concession, its hostility increases rather than declines.

Which leads to the following, self-evident conclusion. The only thing for Israel to do vis-a-vis‚ the Arabs, aside from militarily defending itself, is nothing.

Israel must hunker down and stall. It's the Arabs that have to change, not Israel. They have to democratize, fight their terrorists, curb state-sponsored anti-Semitism and cease teaching their children implacable hatred of the Jews.

That is the only thing that will bring peace.

Ehud Olmert, are you listening?

This is Really Good

I just came across a great article on the Arutz 7 web site, "Without a Doctorate in Expertise" by Shalom Pollack. He expresses exactly what I have been feeling for the past 20 or so years:

These are very hectic and thought-provoking days. In times like these, the media is full of experts. It seems their numbers grow from crisis to crisis. Well, I am not an official expert, but then again, my gut feeling was not wrong about what was right for the country and where events would lead; so, I feel I have as much right as any of the many authorities telling us yet again why we are in a mess and how things will turn out.

I am not a prophet, and not even an expert, but I am an avid observer and I do posses a normal memory. I remember the joy and how Prime Minister Ehud Barak beamed with self-satisfaction at the great coup he pulled off six years ago. Imagine the sweet sense of victory as the Israeli army fled Lebanon in the middle of the night, leaving mounds of equipment and personal effects behind for the enemy to plunder. Now, that certainly sent the Lebanese, and all our neighbors, a strong message, didn't it? Our south Lebanese allies were left in the dust. Yet, we were assured that if Hizbullah dared to cross that border, or shoot just one bullet, then we would respond with all our might. And all the experts assured us that this was cause for celebration.

Read the rest. It really is good.

Israel Bombs Lebanese Banks Holding Hizbullah Money

The war against terrorism is also a war against their financial infrastructure. NBC News did some great investigative journalism exposing how Arab banks fund terrorism. Ynetnews reports:

NBC television reported Tuesday that the IDF has bombed Lebanese banks holding Hizbullah money, this in the framework of Israel’s attempt to destroy the terror group’s financial infrastructure.

According to the report, in the past few days Israel has intentionally targeted financial institutions in Beirut and other cities throughout Lebanon, among them Tyre, Sidon and Nabatiyeh.

Israeli intelligence sources told NBC that at least 12 financial institutions that supported Hizbullah were attacked, adding that the organization, which secretly managed its funds, is now short on cash due to the bombings.

Some of the banks that held Hizbullah accounts were completely destroyed, while others were purposely damaged but not completely demolished.

NBC said that in one incident the Israeli Air Force bombed the home of a bank manager as a warning to other Lebanese bankers not to deal with Hizbullah.

Counter-Terror Bureau Director Dani Balilti told NBC that the message to all banks in Lebanon was that aid to Hizbullah is aid to a terror organization.

He said Israel knew they needed money and were desperate for cash, but that they didn't have it.

The Israeli Air Force targeted, among others, eight offices named Bet El Mal used by Hizbullah to store the organization's money. Two other banks in Lebanon were hit – Al Baraka and Fransa Bank, used by Hizbullah to transfer money around the world.

Now here is the best part of the article where NBC catches the Arabs lying red-handed:

The NBC network turned to the Baraka bank, which confirmed that one of its branches had been bombed, and that nearby bank branches were also bombed.

It was also reported Israel warned a third bank, the Middle East and Africa Bank (MEAB), that it too was in the crosshairs.

All banks denied any ties to Hizbullah. The director-general of the Fransa-Bank said that his bank had no ties to Hizbullah or any other political party.

The manager of the MEAB said that someone had tried to open a suspicious account at the bank, but that it refused to accept the money and fired a worker who was involved in the attempted deposit.

Despite the denials however, it turns out that the Lebanese bank was after all tied to terror.

Last week Hizbullah's television station al-Manar held a fund raising campaign, and in advertisements a MEAB account was given.

An Arabic-speaking producer of NBC called the bank in Beirut and asked to transfer a donation to Hizbullah. He was told he could transfer the money via any American bank branch, but that it was best he not say the money was destined for Hizbullah.

The MEAB held ties with American bank Wachovia. Following questions by NBC, the American bank immediately notified its cutting of all connections with the Arab bank.

NBC called the number displayed on the al-Manar advertisement. This time they were transferred to another bank, the Lebanese-French bank.

This bank has two connections with large banks in New York: Citibank and the Bank of New York. Representatives of the banks said they are blocking the transfer of all money meant for Hizbullah.

These guys at NBC deserve an award!

Ephraim Sneh Tries To Shirk Responsibility

The war goes on, the death toll rises, and the results of Israel's fleeing withdrawal from Lebanon become more and more apparent.

This morning an op-ed from MK Ephraim Sneh caught my eye, in particular the following:

"And on a personal note: In 2000 I warned against a unilateral withdrawal from Lebanon, because of the vacuum that would be created by an IDF pullout. I said that Hizbullah would take over the area in all its force, and would deploy opposite our settlements in the north."

Who exactly did he warn, his wife? I don't remember Ephraim Sneh coming out against the withdrawal from Lebanon. Not only that, it turns out that Sneh was the Deputy Minister of Defense in May 2000, the time of the pullout! That is to say that Mr. Sneh has (deputy) ministerial responsibility for the withdrawal and its results.

Perhaps Sneh warned against the pullout in closed meetings with Ehud Barak and other members of that government. Even so, if he really felt that the unilateral withdrawal was a mistake, he should have said so publicly, nay he should have resigned from his position as Deputy Minister of Defense!

I mentioned to a friend the other day that in Hebrew there is no word for "accountability." A quick look at the members of Israel's present government and members of Knesset shows that not only do we lack a word to express the concept, but that the concept does not exist in practice. Sneh continues in his article:

"This is exactly what happened. Now, the IDF is correcting the mistake. I warned that the message we would be sending to the Arab world would be that it is more worthwhile to draw Israeli blood than to negotiate with us. This also came to pass."

"Four months after the pullout from Lebanon the second intifada broke out. We lost more than 1,000. I hope we have learned the bitter lesson."

We can only hope that Ephraim Sneh has learned his lesson, and that he will not continue to support unilateral withdrawals, even if it means losing his seat in the Knesset.

Abomination Pride Parade In Jerusalem Cancelled!

Hat tip: Rabbi Yaakov Menkin.

Thank God!

I think that Rabbi Amnon Yitzchak's "Modesty March" at the Teddy Stadium will take place as planned, however.

Nasrallah: Arab Children Murdered By Hizbullah Are Shahids

Arutz 7 reports:

Hizbullah chief Hassan Nasrallah has issued an apology to the Nazareth Arab family whose two children, Rabiya and Mahmou Talouzi, were killed by a Katyusha missile.

"I ask this family for forgiveness, he told Al-Jazeera. "I know apologies are insufficient and I take full responsibility. It was not intentional and the dead in Nazareth are considered martyrs like those in Lebanon, Palestine and the resistance."

If Nasrallah accepts full responsibility does that mean that he will turn himself in to the police in order to stand trial for murder?

Meanwhile another Muslim cleric proves that he is totally divorced from reality:

Sheik Abu El-Walid Ghazalain stood amid dozens of mourners Thursday and held up photographs of the two Arab-Israeli brothers, ages 3 and 7, who were killed by a Hezbollah rocket while playing soccer.

"Israel has killed these two," the white-bearded sheik said as he stood next to the boys' shell-shocked father. "Not Hezbollah."

The article also contains the following:

The dead boys' aunt, Wafiqa, who has three sons who were nearly killed by the rocket, said Hezbollah "did not mean to hit us."

"I would sacrifice my life for (Hezbollah leader) Hassan Nasrallah. I hope victory will come to the Arab nations," she said.

Do I smell a fifth column here? Don't say that you weren't warned.

Aluf Benn Still Doesn't Get It

Aluf Benn published what may be one of the most embarrasing opinion articles ever. Just a few days before Hezbollah's attack on our soldiers and subsequent kidnapping, Benn published an article titled "We need a Nasrallah". The article is still available on the Haaretz web site, or alternatively on the IMRA web site. Among other things Benn wrote the following:

It is enough to see what is happening in Lebanon. The moment Hezbollah took control over the south of the country and armed itself with thousands of Katyushas and other rockets, a stable balance of deterrence was created on both sides of the border. The withdrawal of the Israel Defense Forces from Lebanon in 2000 was made possible not only because of the daring of then prime minister Ehud Barak, but also thanks to Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah, who conducts a policy of "one law and one weapon" on the other side.

Nasrallah hates Israel and Zionism no less than do the Hamas leaders, Shalit's kidnappers and the Qassam squads. But as opposed to them - he has authority and responsibility, and therefore his behavior is rational and reasonably predictable. Under the present conditions, that's the best possible situation. Hezbollah is doing a better job of maintaining quiet in the Galilee than did the pro-Israeli South Lebanese Army.

In today's Ha'aretz an obviously blushing Benn wrote an article entitled "How I erred". There he tries to explain how he goofed:

Two weeks ago, I wrote here that Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah hates Israel but behaves responsibly, and that since he took control of south Lebanon, a stable balance of deterrence has been created on both sides of the border. "His behavior is rational and reasonably predictable. Under the present conditions, that's the best there is. Hezbollah is preserving quiet in the Galilee better than did the pro-Israeli South Lebanese Army," I wrote. But Nasrallah hastened to prove that his behavior is not predictable, when he gave instructions to attack an Israel Defense Forces patrol near Moshav Zarit and kill and kidnap its soldiers.

The mistake in my assessment stemmed, as always, from the idee fixe that what was is what will be. I believed that if Israel and Hezbollah had learned to live according to the "rules of the game" that had developed along their common border, they would be interested in maintaining the balance of power rather than violating it. The IDF, the intelligence services and the government, who have at at their disposal much better sources of information than mine, thought the same. Fact: They lowered the alert level in the north a few days before the attack in Zarit; that means that they expected quiet. But although I was in good company, the responsibility for the mistake is entirely mine.

I beg to disagree with Mr. Benn. His mistake is not "from the idee fixe that what was is what will be" but rather from his misunderstanding of Islam, which in turn caused him to misunderstand our enemy. It is this misunderstanding that causes him to call Barak's foolish withdrawal from Lebanon "daring". The withdrawal from Lebanon was a dishonorable act that gave a backwind to the global jihad. The withdrawal from Lebanon was a stab in the back to our allies there, who will probably never forgive us or want to be our allies again. In spite of this mistake, Aluf Benn is an interesting commentator, even if I often disagree with him, and am apparently on the opposite side of Israel's political map. Better luck next time, Aluf.

Nasrallah's Rogues Murder Muslim Children in Nazareth

Hezbollah, Lebanon's "Enemies of God" political party and terrorist organization, had a real fashla yesterday. The katusha rockets that they fired into Israel in order to murder the Jewish infidels killed two Muslim children:

Two brothers, aged nine and three, were killed Wednesday in the northern city of Nazareth as Katyusha rockets fell in the downtown and suburban areas of the city.

The deaths mark the first time since the recent violence has begun that that the victims have been Israeli Arabs. It was the third Israeli-Arab population center to be hit by Katyusha rockets during this conflict, though, after Madjal-Krum and Tubas Zangarit.

Nazareth residents reported hearing blasts at around 5:30 p.m. on Wednesday evening as two rockets fell, one immediately after the other. The brothers, Muhammad and Rabiya Taluzi, were playing in the Bilaal neighborhood - located in the middle of a narrow steep road, with three-story buildings on either side - when a Katyusha fell, exploding next to them. They were killed immediately.

Eyewitnesses descried horrific scenes saying it was impossible to identify the bodies of the two children. Holes caused by metal pellets packed into the Katyusha dotted the wall of the adjacent buildings and the rocket left a crater in the road.

Ynetnews brings the words of Matans Taluzi, the brother of the murdered children:

“They were walking faster than me, running down the street. Suddenly I heard a blast and that’s it, they were dead. And then I was hurt a bit too and they took me to the hospital,” Matans told Ynet. Matans tried to hold back his tears. “My little brothers are shahids. That means they’re little kids who haven’t seen anything yet, so their place is in heaven,” he said.

It seems to me that Matans has a novel interpretation of the word "Shahid", which seems to be different than the way the term is described in Wikipedia.

Shahids or not, these children are dead, murdered by the hands of their co-religionists.

Update: Perhaps these comments from Nazareth residents explain why Matan Taluzi called his brothers shahids:

Some friend and relatives gathering to mourn the Taluzi boys said that even though the brothers were killed by a Hezbollah rocket, they should be added to the list of Lebanese casualties.

"The Israeli government is to blame for the incident," said a Nazareth resident near the house of mourning. "The Israeli aggression must stop."

What Are They Thinking in Tel Aviv?

Arutz 7 has an interesting photo essay on what the man-on-the-street in Tel Aviv thinks about the missile threat and whether their politics have shifted as a result. Check it out. Tel Avivians are very different from Jerusalemites. It's truly amazing how many people still support additional withdrawals, in spite of everything that has happened. But then again, the Torah says that we are a stiff-necked people.

A Phone Conversation Cut Short

Yesterday I called a relative of mine that lives in a kibbutz near Haifa. I asked her how everything was going. I mentioned that it is usually the Jerusalemites who are most threatened by the Arab terrorists, but today we are relatively safe and now the Haifa area is being bombarded. My relative, who is a holocaust survivor, told me that wherever terror hits, whether it is in the South or in the North, we all feel it. After we talked a little about family matters she told that a siren just went off. We ended the conversation so that she could take shelter.

The Party Of God Or The Enemies Of God?

Is Hizballah the party of God, as the Arabic meaning of its name suggests, or are they the enemies of God? The answer can be found in this week's Torah portion with Rashi's commentary:

(Numbers Chapter 31) 1 And the LORD spoke unto Moses, saying: 2 'Avenge the children of Israel of the Midianites; afterward shalt thou be gathered unto thy people.' 3 And Moses spoke unto the people, saying: 'Arm ye men from among you for the war, that they may go against Midian, to execute the LORD'S vengeance on Midian.

Rashi explains why Moshe said "the LORD's vengeance," rather than "Israel's vengeance":

For, when anyone stands against Israel, it is as if he stands against the Holy One, Blessed is He.

Maybe they should change the name of their organizaton.

The Lebanese Blogosphere Is Full Of Islamofascists

My stats told me that I'm getting a lot of hits from The Truth Laid Bear's "Crisis in the Middle East: Local Bloggers Report" page. There he provides links to posts from Israeli, Lebanese and "Palestinian" bloggers. Thanks Mr. Bear for all of the hits.

I checked out some Lebanese blogs and I was disappointed. Ya Islamofascists, why did you attack Israel? Did you have fun shouting "Udrub, udrub" and "Atbah Al Yahud"? Did you pass around candy in order to teach your children to be Islamofascists as well? Then they cry to the UN when we dare to fight back. A pathetic bunch indeed. Treppenwitz has their number.

An even more pathetic bunch are some of the Israelis that comment on such blogs, seeking a "dialogue". These guys don't know the difference between taqiyya and teqilla. They are ecstatic when the holy Arab agrees to answer them, even if the answer is the cliche, "I don't hate Jews, I hate Zionists." Bwa ha ha!

Yes Orna, You Are To Blame

Orna Shimoni of the "Four Mothers" movement objects to those who blame the "Four Mothers" for the Al-Aksa Intifada and the present situation. You can read her article in Hebrew here, and be sure to see the talkbacks of outraged Israelis. You can read her article in English here.

The "Four Mothers" movement, which enjoyed the help of the Israeli MSM, undoubtedly helped to create the present situation. They pressured the Israeli government to withdraw from Lebanon, thus enabling the Hizbullah to move their rocket launchers and army right up to the border. One just has to take a look at their web site, to see the role that the Four Mothers played in sowing weakness in the hearts of the soldiers and the public with regards to the war against the Hizballah, Hamas, and Fatah terrorists. And here are a few quotes from Orna herself:

Mothers! We ourselves shall replace our sons and become the hostages of the Syrians and the Government of Israel in the outposts of Lebanon!

Mothers! There is no time left. Tomorrow another one will die(emphasis is mine - CX). I call out to the mothers whose sons have been called up during the latest tri-annual round of service in the Lebanon: support this message and join the action. We would like to take the place of our sons in the Lebanese outposts.

Our sons, who are defending only themselves (i.e., according to Orna, the security zone did not protect Northern Israel. - CX), are struck down in the trenches and in the strongpoints, just waiting for an agreement. We are no worse than they in defending ourselves in a trench or in an outpost, and much better than they as hostages of the Syrians and the Government of Israel, until they reach an agreement.

People like Orna Shimoni, apparently do not understand that we are dealing with an implacable enemy, an enemy that receives only encouragement from our restraint. Israel has become a country where Jewish communities are uprooted because they "hard to defend", where the civilians serve as cannon fodder to protect the soldiers, thanks to people like Orna Shimoni and her friends in the Israeli MSM.

The withdrawal from Lebanon is an everlasting stain on the state of Israel, in that it was a display of weakness in the face of our enemies, and and act of treachery in the face of our allies. Does anyone remember the South Lebanese Army that we betrayed so shamefully? Yes Orna, you are to blame, but you are not alone.

Update: Read this article by Moshe Arens, They Fell Asleep at the Wheel.

News Flash: Nasrallah Wants Gay Pride March To Be Moved From Jerusalem To Beirut

(YallahOnline.com) Somewhere in Beirut - Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah proposed that the International Gay Pride Parade be moved from Jerusalem to Beirut. "I want to show the world that we Muslims are peace-loving and tolerant", said the Moslem cleric. Nasrallah added,"I'm sure the Israeli High Court will order the Israeli Air Force to stop bombing us. Freedom of expression is a very important value for them."

War Update

The war continues. Rockets fall in the North and in the South. Refugees flee Northern Israel, and some of them take refuge in The Muqata. The IDF strikes in Lebanon. The IDF continues to bomb empty buildings in Gaza.

Update: One soldier was killed and six others injured in an overnight bombing attack on IDF forces operating in Shechem.

Another update for those of us with a short memory: Historical Survey of Israeli Leaders: Will Rockets Fall?

Update: Terrorist Attack Foiled in Jerusalem:

A terror attack was foiled in Jerusalem at the last minute Monday morning after a would-be suicide bomber was discovered near the Old City.

Police stopped a suspicious-looking young Palestinian Authority Arab in IDF Square (Kikar Tzhal) who was carrying a large bag containing a bomb.

Update: We told you so by Shlomo Engel. An excerpt:

We told you that peace treaties are made with friends and war is made with enemies, but you stubbornly insisted that peace is made with enemies and war is made on settlers.

We told you that the Arab problem has nothing to do with a Palestinian state (or lack thereof), but rather with the existence of Israel. But you continued to heap scorn and to blame our troubles on the occupation.

You turned Yitzhak Shamir's famous saying, "The Arabs are the same Arabs, the sea is the same sea" into a shameful slogan, because you wanted to believe the Arabs wanted compromise and a normal life. Therefore, you argued, we must give them more and more and more – without receiving anything in return, of course.

And now for a song:

Ya Nasrallah, Ya Kalb,
Stinky little punk,
Yo mama must have been a skunk,
I'd like to write a song for you but nothing rhymes with Nasrallah.

Ya Nasrallah, Na'al Abuk,
Rotten fish in the Suk,
You really make me puke,
I'd like to write a song for you but nothing rhymes with Nasrallah.

Update: New stanza inspired by Yitz:

Ya Nasrallah, Ya Nasrallah,
A dirty terrorist hated by Allah,
Soon to be six feet under inshallah,
With the rest of the scum of Hizballah.

Is Lebanon Being Held Hostage By Hezbollah?

Some Lebanese definitely oppose Hezbollah. However, Hezbollah is an official political party in Lebanon, and they hold twenty-three seats in 128-member Lebanese Parliament. What's more, Hezbollah has two ministers in the government, and a third is endorsed by the group.

The Lebanese government cannot hide behind the Hezbollah and claim that they are not responsible for Hezbollah's actions since Hezbollah is part of the government!

Peace Now - Pay Later

The title to this piece is an old joke about the "Peace Now" movement. How unfortunate is it that the time of payment has come. We are now paying a dear price for the illusions that were behind the Oslo agreements in the early 1990s and Israel's withdrawal from Lebanon in the year 2000. How ironic it is that many of the politicians that were responsible for these two (literally) fatal mistakes are serving in the present government and Knesset: Shimon Peres, Chaim Ramon, and Amir Peretz, just to name a few. The lack of accountability here is amazing!

The time has come to pay the bills.

Pray For The Welfare Of Our Soldiers

He who blessed our fathers Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, may He bless the soldiers of Israel who stand guard on our country and the cities of our God. From Lebanon until the deserts of Egypt, from the Mediterranean Sea until the Plains of Jordan - on dry land, in the air and sea. May God afflict the enemies that rise against them before them. The Holy One, Blessed is He, should protect and save our soldiers from any misfortune or calamity, and from any sickenss or disease. May he send blessing and success in all their handiwork, destroy their enemies below them, and crown them with the crown of redemption and the crown of victory. And the verse "For God walks among you, to wage war for you with your enemies, to save you" should be fulfilled, and let us say, Amen.

Israeli Civil Rights Activist Placed In Administrative Detention

Arutz 7:

Staunch supporter of the Jewish presence in Judea and Samaria Baruch Marzel today calling the attention of his political opposites to the ramifications of the arrest of Honenu organization head Ariel Gruner.

Baruch, don't hold your breath waiting!

That's The Way The Kadima Crumbles

We may be witnessing the beginning of the end of the Kadima Party. The party, which was never more than a collection of opportunists, held together by their common desire for power, is starting to show signs of deterioration as Kadima member Sheetrit opposes Olmert's unilateral withdrawal plan:

Housing and Construction Minister Meir Sheetrit (Kadima) came out publicly on Monday to oppose Prime Minister and party Chairman Ehud Olmert’s unilateral withdrawal plan.

Sheetrit said, “The current chances of implementing the realignment plan are very slim; there are many reservations, including my own. I do not believe in another unilateral disengagement.”

Meanwhile, Justice Minister Ramon still hasn't woken up from his intellectual coma:

According to Ramon, “The realignment and the disengagement were borne out of the understanding that Israel has no partner on the other side. The events of the past few days just prove this. Since Israel can’t be held hostage by Hamas and Qassam rockets, it must act according to its interests.”

Who and where is the doctor that will cure this man?

Ehud Olmert's Latest Book

As a Dog That Returneth to His Vomit...

...so is a fool that repeateth his folly (Proverbs 26:11).

Does Olmert also know how to say woof?

Yitzchak Rabin: There Will Be No Katyushas from Gaza

Arutz 7 has made available a recording of the late Prime Minister Yitzchak Rabin ridiculing (in Hebrew) those who warned that rockets would be fired from Gaza. A blast from the past (no pun intended):

"The scare-stories of the Likud are well-known," Rabin said in 1995 in the above recording. "Why, they also promised us Katyushas from Gaza. It's already a year that the Gaza Strip is mostly under the control of the Palestinian Authority - and there wasn't a Katyusha and there won't be any..."

We are now paying the price of the Israeli Left's stupidity and hubris.

British Crimes in the Holy Land Remembered

British war hero Roy Farran, the apparent murderer of 16 year old Alexander Rubovitch, has finally kicked the bucket.

For more information, see the following:

Eretz Yisrael Forever

Arutz 7

My Right Word

Photo Feature: Parting with a Son - The Asheris Mourn Eliyahu

Here's another article worth reading. I met Yitro Asheri about twenty years ago in Machon Meir. Yitro, my heart goes out to you and your family.

For Some The Disengagement From Reality Continues

This article deserves some serious fisking.

Now The Truth Can Be Told

Be sure to read this one from Ynetnews: Yaalon: Sharon planned pullout out of personal distress. Bogie just says what many of us here in Israel have said all along. Among his gems:

"There is no doubt that the disengagement failed. This failure emanates from the fact that the disengagement was essentially based on a doomed idea. It was not the result of thorough strategic analysis but the result of a political distress of his who was prime minister then, Ariel Sharon."

And this:

"The process created an illusionary hope that was not planned strategically and practically. The disengagement was mainly a media spin. Those who initiated it and lead it lacked the strategic, security, political and historical background. They were image counselor. They were spin doctors. These people put Israel in a virtual spin that is disconnected from reality using a media spin campaign which is imploding before our eyes."

Again, be sure to read the whole thing.

Disengagement Repentance

I think that recent current events have proved beyond a shadow of a doubt that the ethnic cleansing of Jews from the Gaza Strip and the withdrawl of the Israeli Army from that part of the land of Israel was a terrible mistake.

How is it that Seargent Cosmic X knew that the "disengagement" was certain to fail, and big name Israeli politicians and army officers did not? Cosmic X immediately recognized the plan for what it was, a modern version of the "sin of the spies". The spies, for all kinds of reasons, did not want to fulfill the Divine commandment of conquering and settling the land. They caused our nation much suffering, as is well known. The rejection of the land of Israel is a sure recipe for disaster.

I am taking this opportunity to emplore all those that supported the expulsion, took part in it, or sat on the sidelines quietly to consider doing teshuvah, that is to say , repent.


It is well known that there are four steps in repenting:

1) Ceasing to do the particular sin
2) Confession (to God)
3) Regret
4) Accepting upon oneself not to do that particular sin again.

The power of teshuvah is great (see Rambam Laws of Repentance 7:6). Don't miss it.

Will The Homosexuals Defile Jerusalem?

Tensions are rising in the holy city. Yesterday the Knesset held a meeting about the planned international homosexual parade scheduled for next month in Jerusalem. A survey was presented which in my humble opinion accurately reflects the attitude of the public:

MK Yitzchak Levy (National Union/NRP) presented a survey showing that a large majority of the public - including a full 63% of the secular public - is against holding the gay pride parade in Jerusalem.

Among the public defining itself as traditional, the number was 81%, and among the religious, 99-100%.

"Don't force yourselves upon a city that clearly doesn't want you," Levy said.

I can only second MK Levy's request. Former Sephardic Chief Rabbi Ovadia Yosef has come out strongly against the parade, and so has Rabbi Yosef Sholom Elyashiv.

I do not know if homosexuality is a physical malady, a mental disease, or a genetic defect. Whatever it is it is certainly nothing to be proud of.

Ignorant Musician Visiting Israel Alert

This guy has obviously been on the "dark side of the moon" for too long.

Some Links In Honor Of Jerusalem Day

Sara Yoheved Rigler has a nice article on the Aish HaTorah web site, My Home, My History, My Heart.

Arutz Sheva has a statistical analysis of Jerusalem's population, One Out of Ten Israelis Calls Jerusalem Home.

Haaretz, Israel's premier publication of leftist intellectual atrophy, couldn't pass up the opportunity to celebrate Jerusalem Day with a little bit of rot from Uzi Benziman, Ticking time bomb in Jewish Quarter.

Thank God For The State Of Israel!

Thank God for the state of Israel! With all of its shortcomings and problems, thank God for the state of Israel!

Many people tend to be ingrates, to concentrate on the negative, to be like flies that always land on the open wound and ignore the healthy flesh. Not I. Thank God for the state of Israel!

In our internet age, people are often superficial and ignorant, aware only of what was written in the last pop-up window. So let's remember what it was like to be a Jew about 70 years ago in Germany. Let's remember the world's reaction to the plight of the Jews.

We really do have so much to be thankful for, if you really think about it.

Thank God for the state of Israel!

A Happy And Kosher Passover To All

I'm coming out of hibernation once again to wish you all a happy and kosher Passover. Let's hope that Jonathan Pollard will also be able to spend this Passover as a free man.

Cosmic X Endorses...

My impression is that the public is not excited about the upcoming elections, and that is an understatement. The reason why, in my humble opinion, is that the public has lost faith in the political system. Israeli politics has become corrupt, and the public wants nothing to do with politics or politicians.

The corruption in Israeli politics is not only on the level of the personal mideeds of the politicians, i.e. the use of public money to provide friends and cronies with a livelihood, although this certainly exists. Israeli political corruption runs much deeper. It is the ability of politicians to promise one thing to the public, get elected on the basis of these promises, and then proceed to ignore their constituents and execute an entirely different policy. Sharon's "disengagement" policy, the uprooting of thriving Jewish settlements in return for nothing, in opposition of what he promised to the voters, was a glaring example of Israel's political corruption.

Israel's three major newspapers, Ma'ariv, Yediot Acharonot, and Ha'aretz, as well as Israel's television stations 1 and 2, are full fledged partners in Israel's political corruption. The job of the media is to be the "watchdog of democracy". Israel's MSM failed in their job, and instead of calling Sharon to order, they rooted him on in his effort to make the Gaza Strip judenrein. One of Israel's leading journalists was quoted as saying, "We must guard Sharon like an Etrog." Woe to us that these are our MSM journalists!

When we look back on the past year many other Israeli institutions get low marks as well, for example the police, and the army. Both of them stumbled and fell, and their uniforms are still soiled. Who knows how long it will take for these institutions to rehabilitate themselves? As for Israel's judicial system, it is rotten to the core. It is similar to impure earthenware vessels which can only be purified by breaking them.

My son Moshe X is now 18 years old and will be voting for the first time. He told me that he will be voting for the Ichud-Leumi/Mafdal. I asked him if he will hold his nose when he puts the slip in the envelope. He said that he will hold his nose and close his eyes, but that is what the hour requires. I agree with him.

So on Tuesday I encourage all lovers of Torah and the land of Israel to go out and vote for either Shas, Agudah, or the the Ichud-Leumi/Mafdal. I will be voting for the latter, since Rav Avraham Shapira the Rosh Yeshiva of Merkaz HaRav supports them. Whoever you vote for, don't forget to hold your nose!

And When I Awoke, I Was Alone

Purim is a very busy day.
The first item of the day was making sure that everyone, especially my wife, would hear the reading of the Book of Esther.

Shacharit started at 7:30 AM. Although I tried making sure that everyone got there on time, I was the only one that did. My kids came strolling in at around 8:00 AM. Moshe X had been at a Purim party until 2:00 AM the previous night, and he was obviously suffering from its after-effects. The main thing was that they all, except for my wife, arrived in time to hear the reading of the Megillah.

One of the signs of getting old is that you would prefer that people would not "stamp out" Haman's name during the reading of the Megillah. I'm old. I would prefer to hear the Megillah without those interruptions. Dream on!

When I came home that morning my main job was to make sure that my wife heard the special reading for women at 9:30 AM. Mrs. X needed a little bit of encouragement to finish her shower and dress quickly. In the end, she arrived on time. Mission accomplished.

The next task was Mishloach Manot. This was easy as they had all been prepared the previous day. The children were happy to deliver them, especially to a particular family that had a custom of giving five shekels "dmei Purim" to children that brought them Mishloach Manot.

Daf Yomi never rests and today the lesson would be at 11:00 AM, before the participants would be unable to comprehend a page of Talmud due to the high levels of alcohol in their blood. The lesson ended at 12:00 noon. Layehudim Hayeta Ora(the Jews had light), where Ora(light) is Torah according to our sages as it says "A mitzvah is a candle and the Torah is light."

One of my daughters wanted to visit her grandmother who lives in a different neighborhood. That's what fathers and automobiles are for. I let her know that I will not be able to drive her back home, for the time for sobriety is running out.

12:30 PM was the time for the Minchah prayer immediately followed by "Yeshivat Mordechai HaTzaddik", the Purim version of Avot U'vanim.

2:30 PM was the time to fulfil "ad delo yada", which means drinking enough wine so that you do not know the difference between "Cursed is Haman" and "Blessed is Mordechai". I chose a liter bottle of Grenache Rose from the Hebron Winery to do the trick. Perhaps the merit of the Patriarchs and Matriarchs buried in Hebron would save me from a hangover.

We had a very nice family over for the Purim meal. After the meal and about 3/4 of the above mentioned wine was in my stomach, I crashed out on my bed. I woke up a couple of hours later. It was dark out. The house was empty. All of the Purim fanfare was over. What a hangover! That's the last time I drink so much wine...until next Purim.

Purim Sameach!

Purim Sameach!



Along with the other mitzvot of Purim, I plan to fulfil the Mitzvah of "ad delo yada" tomorrow. I hope that the hangover won't be too bad.

Machon Meir - An Awesome Place

When I came to Israel over twenty years ago, I arrived at Machon Meir with a suitcase in one hand and a guitar in the other. I had been a Ba'al Teshuvah for about a year and a half, long enough to know that I really needed to learn in Yeshivah. Little did I know that I would not only learn Torah at Machon Meir, but that I would acquire the spiritual tools to deal with the afflictions that are a part and parcel of living in the land of Israel.

I visited Machon Meir recently, and the place has changed dramatically. In my day the Beit Midrash was in an old building that was cold in the winter and hot in the summmer. I remember seeing students dovvening Shacharit wearing "dubonim", winter coats. Today they have a beautiful new Beit Midrash, which is heated well in the winter and air-conditioned in the summer. Way back when, it was very difficult to stay in touch with the family abroad. Letters sent from Israel to the United States would take two weeks to arrive. If someone was flying to the States, we used to give him our letters so that he would send them in the U.S. as local mail. Today, the Machon has an "email room" where students can send email or communicate with their family abroad using one of the "messaging" programs. Making a phone call in my time was no simple matter. You had to buy "asimonim" (tokens) to use the one pay phone that was in the Yeshivah. (You would not get a dial tone until one of the "asimonim" dropped down into the telephone. This is the source of the saying "nafal lo ha'asimon" as and allegory for understanding a certain matter.) There was usually a line to use the phone. Making a long distance call was tremendously difficult because the "asimonim" would fall faster than you could put them into the phone. Today of course everyone has a cellphone. What a life the Yeshiva students have today!

I also noted that many of the faculty members that taught in my time are still teaching there. I imagine that is because that teaching in a Ba'al Teshuvah Yeshiva must be a pleasure. All of the students are there by their own free will and they want to learn. This must be a true paradise for rabbis and teachers.

The point of this post is that Machon Meir was an awesome twenty-some years ago and it still is today. For those interested in learning in Israel it is a place that certainly deserves checking out.

Weird Yankel

When Yankel came into the Beit Midrash you couldn't help but notice him. Don't get me wrong: He was not an imposing figure. He was actually kind of short. He wasn't a great Torah scholar so nobody would rise in his honor when entered the Beit Midrash. Yankel was different. He would dress weird. He would talk weird. He would come up to you and ask you weird questions. Yankel was weird.

Yankel never married. That is probably because he was weird. What kind of girl would want to marry a weird guy? But then again, there are a lot of weird guys that get married. He just had to find a girl that likes weird guys. Perhaps Yankel was asexual. It seems to me that getting married wasn't one of his objectives. Did I say that Yankel was weird?

The love of the people of Israel and the land of Israel burned in Yankel's heart. He liked to read a lot. He was very interested in the political situation in Israel. Yankel wanted to hasten the redemption of the Jewish people. He would publish his thoughts on this matter and distribute them in the synagogues and Batei Midrash in Jerusalem. He would talk about his ideas with you whether you were interested or not. For some he was a pest. You could make him very happy by reading the sheets he distributed or by discussing his ideas with him. Yankel should have been a blogger. He was weird.

Yankel passed away last week. Nobody published mourning notices as is customary in the Holy City. Blaring megaphones mounted on the roofs of by taxi cabs did not spread the news of his demise in the ultra-Orthodox neighborhoods of Jerusalem. A huge crowd did not take part in his funeral procession. I found out about his untimely death through a handwritten note that was tacked up on a synagogue bulletin board.

Yankel's family mourns. For them he was not weird; he was a brother and a son. Those who looked past his weirdness and valued his great love of the land of Israel and the people of Israel will miss him. Weird Yankel is no longer with us. May his soul be bound in the bundle of life.

Why Isn't Cosmic X Posting More Often?

Some of you are probably wondering what happened to me. I used to post quite often and now I'm lucky if I post once a week.

The answer is that changes in my life have severly limited the time that I can devote to blogging. I'm spending more time doing other things. I miss blogging, and I miss reading other blogs even more. Such is life.

Everything about Matisyahu

Here it is: A blog devoted entirely to Matisyahu. Enjoy.

Amona, Ehud Olmert, And Pharaoh

I imagine that Acting Prime Minister Ehud Olmert has a headache. True, it was the heads of the settlers and their supporters that were violently bashed by police batons yesterday in Amona. Their heads and broken bones are surely aching, in addition tho their hearts. However, this is Olmert's second blow to the head since taking the reins from the ailing Ariel Sharon. He probably needs an aspirin, or even a dose of valium.

The first blow was the Hamas victory in the PA elections. I personally took absolutely no interest in those elections. I fail to see the difference between the Hamas and the Fatah. They are both terrorist organizations, murderers outside of realm of civilization. However, the starry-eyed among our nation, those that daydream while they are awake, had a real stake in these elections. For them it was important for the beardless murderers to be victorious over the bearded ones. Their first false messiah of peace, Yasser Arafat, is currently burning in hell together with his Nobel Peace Prize. Now, their second false messiah of peace, which they called in classic Orwellian "disengagement", has been proven to be a farce. We have left the Gaza Strip, but the Gaza Strip is chasing after us, reminding us every so often that rewarding terror breeds more terror. The "disengagement" was the greatest crime against the Jewish people in this century, and one of the greatest crimes that Jews have ever committed against fellow Jews. The rotten fruits of this crime, in which Olmert played a key role, are creating a stench that even the starry-eyed are having a hard time ignoring.

The second blow to Olmert's head was yesterday's events in Amona. Olmert, his henchmen, and his publicity agents disguised as journalists in the Israeli MSM, all claim that the deployment of thousands of policemen, the cracking of skulls, the breaking of bones, were all necessary in order to promote "the rule of the law." Those few houses in Amona were the symbol of evil, something that must be obliterated at any cost. Yet there are thousands, if not tens of thousands of illegally built structures constructed by Arabs in the Galilee, in the Negev, as well as Judea and Samaria. The government does almost nothing against illegal building by Arabs. The brutality demonstrated by the government has nothing to do with the rule of the law; it has everything to do with politics. Olmert thought that playing the tough guy will help his party garner more seats in the next elections. I have a feeling that the pictures of demonstrators with their faces covered with blood as the result of yesterday's government sponsored police brutality will not sit well with the Israeli electorate. I have a feeling that Ehud Olmert understands that his intransigence with regards to a compromise with the settlers of Amona was a mistake. The settlers were willing to dismantle the structures. Olmert said "No." Olmert wanted to look like a gun-toting sheriff walking into a lawless town. Yesterday he ended up looking more like the late Syrian tyrant Hafez Assad or Saddam Hussein.

It is reasonable to surmise that Olmert is now running to his political and media advisors. The words "damage control" and "creative slogans" are probably being ping-ponged back and forth between Ehud and his advisors. I have another word they might consider talking about: teshuvah. The Rambam (Laws of Teshuvah 6:3) says that G-d took away from Pharaoh the ability to do teshuvah because of Pharaoh's wickedness. I sincerely hope that Mr. Olmert will attend services this Shabbat and hear this weeks Torah portion, "Bo". I hope that he takes to heart what Pharaoh did and what happened to him in the end.