Imagine you are living in a house that has belonged to your family for several generations. You have raised your family there as you were raised by your parents. You have some issues with the neighbors, but for the most part they leave you alone. Next door to you is a house you own that you rent out.
One day, the people to whom you rent the house next door start saying the house is theirs. They stop paying rent, don't keep up the outside and destroy the inside. They then say that the house that has been in your family for generations is also their house and they want you out. You ignore them at first, after all their claim is patently ridiculous. But the claim isn't enough for them. Their dog starts pooping on your lawn and when you approach him he growls and bares his teeth. The neighbors start throwing rocks into the yard when you and your family are out back (particularly when your children are playing in the yard). You try to ignore it; then you ask them to stop. The other neighbors suddenly rise up and take the side of your tenants, telling you that you have no right to live on their block.
So you hire a lawyer and take them to court and the judge sides with them! The police start coming to your door, threatening you with eviction (from your family's long time home). What do you do? What would you do?
Israel has been subject to just this sort of badgering since its inception in 1948. In actuality, Jews living in Israel have been subject to this sort of harassment since long before 1948. There were pogroms in "Palestine" in the 1930s, long before Israeli statehood. The people that Israel permits to live in her land (unlike other nations in the region, they don't limit their populace to one religion or ethnic group) are trying to kill Israelis, Jew and Gentile (though mostly Jews).
And yet the world keeps blaming Israel. That Abbas won't return to the peace talks? That's Israel's fault. That Hamas is lobbing missiles at population centers? That's Israel's fault. That the "Palestinians" turned the gift (no concessions were required of the "Palestinian" leadership) of the beautiful Gush Katif into a rocket launching pad that is the current "Gaza Strip"? That's Israel's fault.
What is the terrible "thing" that Israel (and Jews in the past) has done that has caused so much hatred, so much vitriol? Surviving. Just by existing and surviving, just by trying to live in peace, just by trying to live as G-d wants us to (something that is so "horrid" that many Jews have rejected it and turned away from the ways of the Tora) we are causing all this hatred.
Until the world makes the "Palestinians" and the rest of the Islamist world accountable for their own lives, accountable for all their crimes against humanity, accountable for living in a free and democratic world, a constructive world, a peaceful and loving world, we in the free world will never have peace. Until we stand by Israel, stand with Israel, stand against hatred, murder and tyranny, we will continue to hear people blaming Israel, something that does nothing toward resolving the issue. If you truly want peace in the region and the world, stand with the tiny democratic nation of Israel, now and forever.
I have noticed over the past few years or so that, as parents spend more and more time in jobs and less and less time with their children, they often over compensate by giving their children everything they want. What this does is create children who, not only want everything, but ask for things they don't really want just to test their parents. The more they get, the more they want.
So many people are familiar with this scenario that they don't even question it anymore. Perhaps this is why people see nothing strange about expecting Israel to give more land away to the self-same people who they gave Gush Katif (aka Gaza) to and were "rewarded" with shells raining down daily on her citizens.
But I grew up in a more practical generation. I grew up in an age when Mothers never fell for the "but all my friends are 'doing it'" or "everyone will be there" or "if you don't buy me the newest and best video machine I'll hate you". Mothers knew that it didn't do their children any good to give them the impression that they would always get anything they said they wanted. Maybe that (and my knowledge of pre-WWII history) is why I see the immaturity of the constant entitlement expressed by the Muslim world (in particular right now the "Palestinian Authority" aka the terrorist organization in Sheep's clothing, Hamas). I can see how damaging their indolence can be to their own people and to the people of Israel, the US and the rest of the world. And, I am, quite honestly, totally amazed that there aren't more people in the world who don't see this. I am nonplussed by how many people there are out there who think Israel is the villain, Israel is the obstacle to peace. They seem to continue to believe this even after Israel has made all the overtures and concessions while the "Palestinians" have made none.
I feel the need to shake these people and ask them "why"? Why do so many not realize the danger? I can only assume their prejudices and hatreds have blinded them to their own best interest.
I do think it's wonderful that everyone is having a September 11th remembrance day. Yes, I really do. But the best way to remember 9-11 is to do what you can to prevent a recurrence. And that means (drum roll -- this will be really shocking to my regular readers) fighting terrorism. And this is something the elected "leader" of the center of it all, New York City, seems to have forgotten.
New York Mayor Bloomberg, that "bend over backwards" sycophant, who is of the school of thought that is giving the term "politically correct" it's negative connotation, thinks "remembering 9-11" (which, mind you, he undeservingly used to get into the mayor-ship, by riding on the coattails of the true NYC leader at the time, Rudy Giuliani) is inviting the next generation of terrorism teachers, Abdul-Rahman Muhammad, also known as the "Ground Zero Imam", to speak at his "affair". The "Ground Zero Mosque" (aka "The Cordoba Institute") is financed by the same sort of people who finance terrorism. Thank G-d more intelligent opinion prevailed and he was dis-invited (hey, he dissed us, only fair we should dis-invite him). But, while dis-inviting the person who doesn't belong there in the first place, the idiot Mayor dis-invited first responders (except those injured on 9-11) and religious leaders.
On what demented planet is that not making a mockery of the 9-11 experience? On what demented planet is that a normal reaction to criticism? On what demented planet do we coddle the representatives of the very people who destroyed this area in the first place 10 years ago while spurning those who have given others strength and life during those scary days? (If the "Mayor" needs to have a Muslim speak at this event, why not invite someone like Dr. M. Zuhdi Jasser? He represents freedom loving true American Muslims.) As bad as the "Mayor"'s support of the ground-zero mosque (aka the monument to the defeat of the Islamists' enemies -- that's us), this puts a poisonous cherry on top of his toxic sundae (or is it "Sunday"?).
Mayor Bloomberg, get a backbone! Stand up to the enemies of Jews, the enemies of women, the enemies of gays, the enemies of freedom of choice, the enemies of freedom of speech, the enemies of freedom of religion, the enemies of freedom. Have a true memorial to 9-11 on this 10th anniversary. And then remember, ever after, who caused your photo-op, who created the space that needed to be filled, who murdered those thousands (and tried on that day, and ever since, to murder more). And stand up to them and fight.
Retaliation; the word itself conjures up visions of posses hanging mostly innocent people from tree branches. It's a "gut" word, designed to make people think that the "retaliater" is a vigilante, lawless, fighting tit-for-tat.
So the news led with "Israel Retaliates" -- excuse me? Buried in the middle of this story is the fact that there was a terror attack near the Egyptian border during which "Palestinian" terrorists (not "militants") attacked civilians and killed 7 and wounded 25 with guns and bombs. Israel, for some ridiculous "public relations" reason, doesn't attack the strongholds of her enemies when they find out where the terrorists hide; they wait until after people are murdered.
These are not "retaliations" any more than the Nuhrenberg trials and executions were retaliation or the execution of mass murderers like Ted Bundy or Gary Gilmore were retaliation. This is a country's just right to protect itself and its citizens; its visitors, guests and foreign workers.
It was very clear from the tenor of the stories what the media thinks of Israel having the audacity to kill the terrorist leaders who are murdering their people. Just like the Jews have done for generations and centuries, we're just supposed to die.
It is very important, though, not only for Israel and her citizens, not only for all the people in Israel, not only for all the Jews in the world, but for all freedom loving people in the world, that Israel fight back, that Israel destroy the vipers' nests where the terrorists hide, that Israel take back Gush Katif, and that Israel do all these thing unapologetically. Israel shouldn't even attempt to make the world's Muslim apologists understand. The media has its own reasons for writing slanted articles (The Slander of Israel and its Trigger for Antisemitism at the bottom of this link's page tells it all quite well, in my humble opinion). Yes, it would be nice if we could get the people who are "on the fence" to understand why the survival of the free world hinges on the survival of Israel. But there are those who we will never convince. We just need to defend ourselves and fight G-d's fight. G-d will protect us if we meet him halfway and work to defend our people, our nation and our land. G-d gave us this land and only G-d can take it away. And that is why we need to continue to fight and pray for our land and to keep the whole world free.
I admit it -- I'm a Trekkie. I'm not really super into sci-fi in general, but I am a Trekkie. I sort of have this fantasy about what would happen if all those of us who support Israel could transport ourselves to another planet just long enough to allow the Radical Jihadists to do whatever they want.
We would need to transport with us supplies and equipment for the next few years (though I'm not even sure it would take that long, but just in case) and a good telescope/observatory because we would need to keep an eye on goings on on the planet earth.
So, one of the members of our group (possibly one of our intrepid reporters or bloggers) would keep an eye on things and report back to the group (our own little commune or kibbutz and we could all kibbitz (gossip) about it.
We'd be keeping an eye on things; the Islamists would now have no one to stand up to them; their route would be unfettered. They would come into Europe and Asia and Africa and even the Americas and introduce Sharia law. Women would regularly be killed because they do "dishonorable" things like speaking their minds or not wearing Burkhas. Very soon there would be fewer and fewer women to bear the next generation; there will begin to be a glut of men with no women to marry (and subjugate).
Add to this, since the Radical Jihadists really don't contribute anything positive to this world, there would be no technology, no agriculture, no industry, no art. The available food supply would soon run out.
We probably wouldn't even have to unpack our supplies before the Shi'ites would attack the Sunnis and the Sunnis would attack the Shi'ites. Like a very smart young Indian boy in a story I heard many times when I was a child, all we have to do is sit up in the tree until the Tigers turn to butter.
We could then come back to earth and build a more moral world, a world G-d would be proud of.
Absent the fact that the "Palestinians" (as a term referring to the people who are ethnically, religiously, culturally, linguistically identical to all the other Arab/Muslims living in the 22 or so countries, most of which dwarf Israel in size, surrounding Israel, who just so happen to be living in Israel) are a contrived people. Absent the fact that these same people have proven that they do not deserve a country of their own (since they took the land, Gaza, that was handed over to them on a silver platter, the land that its previous residents turned into a garden spot, and turned it into a launching pad for missiles aimed at population centers of Israel). Absent the fact that the people living in those areas under control of the "Palestinian Authority" live in fear, woman are murdered for the flimsiest reasons, gays are murdered just for being gay, Jews who accidentally find themselves there are brutally slaughtered. Absent that the people called "Palestinians" were only "created" and called "Palestinians" so that they could claim that Israel was their land not Israel's, that the coins and stamps and other artifacts from that area of the world that are labeled "Palestine" are proof that they belong there (not that these artifacts were created by the Jews who lived in the British run "Palestine" – what Israel was called before 1948 – pre-statehood).
Even if the "Palestinians" actually had a good claim to the area (which they clearly do not), Terrorism is unacceptable. Terrorism is the murder of innocent people so as to keep people living in fear so that they will be willing to give you anything to get you to stop. Terrorism shows a total lack of respect for life, a total lack of morality. Terrorism should be fought with every ounce of our strength, with our militia and our media outlets. We should never permit anyone to justify the murder of innocent people.
When Norway experienced two terrorist attacks in one day (the Islamists were so used to performing terrorist activities that one or two groups jumped up to take credit for it), instead of using it as a learning tool (as many in the United States did when we were attacked on 9/11 almost 10 years ago) to try to understand what Israel lives with on a day to day basis, they used it as yet another excuse to verbally attack Israel. The Norwegian ambassador to Israel said, basically, that Israel deserves to be attacked but Norway doesn't. (see this article by Alan Dershowitz)
By justifying terrorism (against anyone), Norway helps to create an environment where terrorism is seen as an acceptable way of dealing with people who don't agree with you. Let me explain – the Islamists don't use terrorism because they are truly being suppressed by Israel or the US, they are using terrorism because we steadfastly refuse to live as they do, we steadfastly refuse to suppress others, we steadfastly cling to our beliefs and our way of life and our multiculturalism.
By legitimizing terrorism and deligitimizing Israel, Norway is contributing to an environment where terrorism is acceptable, where terrorists are respected. Terrorists ought to be eliminated, not lionized or given a "pass" (as in "well, this terrorism is acceptable, only this terrorism is reprehensible").
Clearly, anti-Semites want everything to be Israel's fault and will continue to blame Israel even though this can hurt them!. These anti-Semites ignore the Islamists' terror against the Islamists' own people. These anti-Semites ignore the Islamists' terror against the anti-Semites' own fellow country-people. They ignore it at their own peril, and ours.
Israel's major mistake is not defending herself and her citizens and guests better. By giving in to the extortionists, the blackmailing terrorists, we only encourage more terrorism, more extortion, more blackmail. The Israeli electorate voted in Sharon because he promised to not give away Gush Katif (aka Gaza). He betrayed them. They voted in Bibi (Netanyahu) because he promised to not give away Judea and Samaria. It remains to be seen, right now, whether he will betray us and turn Israel into one big bull's-eye. It remains to be seen, right now, whether Bibi has the strength of character to stand up to the haters, the anti-Semites, the “freedom fighters” (that is, the people who fight against freedom) like his brother did. But, giving Hamas the gift of land isn't going to bring peace, and it isn't helping anyone except the despots who rule the region.
So that brings us back to Norway. They are so wrapped up in their hatred that they can't see the forest OR the trees. They don't understand (or don't want to understand) that, by blaming Israel that they are encouraging terrorism in the world. They are encouraging the political extortion that Hamas and Al Qaida and every other terrorist group is afflicting the world populous with. They are encouraging a world where terrorists are considered partners for peace and the nation that wants peace most in the world (Israel, for those of you who can't figure it out) is hounded as an "Apartheid State" and "Racist", where the true haters (like Ahmadinejad) are lionized and feted by the "peaceful" United Nations (aka "Nations United against Israel"). And they say Israel deserves the terrorism? Orwell's "1984" is alive and well and living in Norway. And we need to fight them. We need to fight the haters, we need to fight the propaganda. We need to re-educate people. And we need to do it now.
There may be people out there who secretly (or not too secretly) applaud this man’s actions, but that is not the norm. There are some who see his attack as fighting back (more in the line of self-defense) — I’m not one of them, BTW, but I certainly understand why someone wouldn’t want to be demonized (as I and my people and my land are). I can understand why someone might feel frustrated that (s)he can’t do anything to change people’s minds on this issue. But I’m a pacifist by nature (possibly reanalyzing by "nurture" or by concern for my and my family’s safety).
I doubt Mr. Breivik sees the world as I do. I worry that he has given jihad condoning Westerners more fodder; I worry that by his acts he will cause the evil ones to redouble their efforts. But I also understand the desperation people can feel looking at what appears to be an untenable situation. I in no way support the murder of misguided youth (one never knows if they would repent their evil leanings) nor the planting of a bomb that could kill and maim innocents. On the other hand, I understand a militia’s duty to protect its populous (as Israel does) or people fighting attackers who attack them (or their loved ones) directly. I can’t understand why people find it so easy to blame "Islamophobia" (which, from my POV, doesn’t really exist — it’s not a phobia, it’s a true fear, one that stems from real danger, not an irrational fear). (By the way, there are FAR more anti-Jewish incidents in the US -- let's not even talk about other places -- than there are against Muslims.) It’s so easy to blame Israel and it’s "suppressive" policies (which are what exactly?????). Few people try to find the true cause, the true evil among us, the true suppressors of freedom.
If they did, perhaps the fear of being forced into burkas and Sharia would feel a bit more real.
I don't know how many people actually read these, particularly people who are in the anti-Israel (as in "I'm not an anti-Semite, I just hate Israel" -- I discuss this previously in Is Islamophobia equal to anti-Semitism) crowd or the "moral equivalency" crowd or even the "undecided" crowd. But it's nice to see more of this. It's nice to see more and more people coming down strongly on the side of Israel, despite people like Anna O'leary, George Soros (Tzorus -- Yiddish for "trouble" -- is right!) and large numbers of celebrities (who are woefully under informed about the Middle East but still consider themselves "experts").
If you find yourself in a seemingly losing battle with one of these apologists for evil, you now have a place to get more material.
But from my perspective, I think asking the "big" questions might at least make them think:
1) Do you support women's rights?
2) Do you support gay rights?
3) Do you support freedom of religion?
4) Do you support reproductive rights?
5) Do you support animal rights?
Chances are, if the person you're talking to is a supposed liberal, that person will answer "yes" to at least most of these. So then you ask, "So why are you against Israel, which supports all of the above, and pro-Hamas, which suppresses all of the above?" "Free Middle East" has many articles and videos that show just how much these rights are suppressed by Hamas or Fatah or Iran or Syria or... [insert your "favorite" Islamist state here]. I even designed a t-shirt that says, "A liberal supports..." and I list a bunch of rights and then I end with "and supports countries that support those rights, Like Israel"
I'm a big fan of Phyllis Chesler. I first heard of her when my mother did a report in one of her classes (my Mom went back to finish college when I was in my teens). I knew her then as a feminist, but I'm not sure if I knew she was Jewish.
My next encounter with her was on a list about Women's Tefilla (Prayer) groups. The list is basically a Jewish feminist list and I read most of her posts with interest. In one post, she talked about her experiences in feminist (general feminist, not specifically Jewish feminist) circles, how she was applauded when she spoke about women's issues, but when she was asked how she felt about Israel, the only country in the Middle East that respects women (she supports Israel), she was booed off the stage.
I just read a wonderful article she wrote called Equating Anti-Semitism with 'Islamophobia' where she explains, quite deftly, how Anti-Semitism and 'Islamophobia' are two totally different phenomena.
Anti-Semitism is a long entrenched hatred based on nothing. Jews don't get up at conferences, on videos, in articles or in our places of worship and preach hatred and murder. We don't strap bombs to our bodies and blow ourselves up to kill people. We don't attempt to convert "non-believers" by guile or physical threats (in actuality, we only want converts who truly want to be Jewish and belief is not even the essence of Judaism; Deeds are. Non-Jews are just as capable of being righteous as Jews).
Adherents of Islam, however, DO attempt to convert "non-believers" by guile and physical threats. They demonize "non-believers", particularly Jews (who were targeted for conversion by Muhammed, who was so incensed when we wouldn't convert to his new religion en masse that he proceeded to murder Jews and demonize us and our existence), they target our children, our mothers and fathers, grandmothers and grandfathers, our youth and our aged and all those in between. When demonizing Jews isn't enough, they demonize our only land, our religious, cultural, ethnic home. They rewrite our history, as has Abbas (see Sarah Honig's blog), our supposed "partner in peace".
Abbas has totally rewritten history. I was reading some of the excerpts and I felt as though I were a prisoner in George Orwell's book "1984" (If you haven't read "1984" I think you should. It's amazing how prophetic Orwell was). To start with, he has Abel killing Cain. Huh???? He claims "War began when Joseph the Dreamer emerged from his Egyptian pit leading the Hebrew slave-masters [how he could be a slave-master in a pit is beyond me, but I digress] with whom he stormed the tower that his uncle Esau the Pacifist [Esau was a pacifist? I must have missed that among all the hatred and war he was spreading] built in Babel [the last I checked, Esau's grandfather Abraham wasn't even born when the tower went up] so that he, Joseph the warmonger [it's amazing how he can take someone who saved a society by stockpiling food a "warmonger"], could enjoy that turret's shield and shade in the arms of Potiphar's wife [whose advances he spurned]." He also claims World War II began when Finland (of all countries) attacked Russia (another huge Huh????) and Liechtenstein invaded Germany (yes, "poor defenseless Nazi Germany" was attacked by that "big bully" Liechtenstein). He also says WWII ended with the "Elders of Zion" emerging from Europe's rubble (obviously, this holocaust denier wouldn't say the rubble of the concentration camps) and successfully planting their flag atop the Kremlin, the White House, the Chrysler Building and the moon (REALLY???? There are just no words to describe this nonsense), from there (the moon??) they descended on Mecca, Medina, Gaza and Al-Kuds (their name for Yerushalayim, since the world is theirs, they have to prove we have no connection to our own land, tiny as it is they don't even want us to have it). Really? If we did that, how come I didn't get my "cut"?
So, while anti-Semitism (that is, anti-Jewish sentiment, nowadays often masquerading as anti-Israel sentiment -- masked so well that often Jews themselves fall prey to it) is a pernicious, visceral hatred of a people who only want to live in peace, a people whose only desire (as a people) is to bring goodness and morality to the world, "Islamophobia" is a real fear, a fear of a people who (as a people) want to spread their hatred and draconian laws (known as Sharia) to the entire world, a people who learn from birth that "others" are evil, that women are second-class (and are beholding to their fathers or husbands or they bring disgrace upon their families), that it is ok to lie for their version of G-d. They threaten and kill those who oppose them, those who even say they are evil. They threaten and kill those who even criticize them. And people don't understand why we are afraid of them? Strangely enough, most people do not want to be murdered, tortured, imprisoned, forced to live as virtual slaves (as women do in these societies). And, with education that mirrors Abbas's version of history, the downtrodden of their own people are afraid of "others" too, and work hard to please their despotic leaders (who they think are protecting them from these "evil others").
Unfortunately, well-meaning, caring people can often get sucked into the void because they don't know (or don't want to know) where the true evil that is oppressing these people (and our world) is coming from. It is easier for them to believe the lie of "Zionist Occupation", the lie that puts the blame on the victim, couching the true villains (Islamist leadership) in an angelic aura and demonizing the "other".
I do see some promising signs. I see more Muslims, more non-Jews, and more people in general, coming out and casting the blame where it belongs. But the voices are few and they usually get drowned out by the "respected" anti-Israel voices of academe (like Columbia University and other Ivy League "brother" universities) and the media (like the New York Times). I pray G-d will help us all find a solution, a solution that helps good people stand up (and defeat) the evil. We won't win this war of propaganda by ignoring the enemy. Only shining a bare bulb on the lies and a limelight on the truth can we ever hope to vanquish our oppressors.
My best friend, Michelle Nevada told me about some students who attend traditionally black universities. They got fed up with people calling Israel an "Apartheid" State because this cheapens the word Apartheid, cheapens the experience the South African Blacks went through under the cruel minority White regimes of the late 20th Century (over 40 years).
Apartheid, by the way, isn't the only word that is being cheapened these days. Every anti-Israel bigot is saying that Israel is committing "Genocide" against the "Palestinian" people (by the way, from the early 20th century, possibly even earlier, until 1948, when Israeli statehood was declared by the United Nations, the "Palestinian" people were Jews living in "Palestine"). I submit to you readers that if Israel is trying to commit "Genocide" , which Webster's on line defines as, "the deliberate and systematic destruction of a racial, political, or cultural group" Israel's been doing a really bad job of it (I saw this way of putting this as a comment on line to someone saying that "far too many Palestinians have been killed" though true numbers were missing -- I submit to you that the reason these figures are hard to come by but the number of people killed on the Israeli side are relatively easy to locate is that anti-Israel anti-Semites want to obfuscate the true numbers because the true numbers don't mesh with their bigoted tirades). The "Palestinian" population has grown over the years we've supposedly been "committing Genocide" possibly by as much as tenfold, but even by conservative estimates, at least 4-5 fold) whereas the Jewish population plummeted (by about 1/3) during the holocaust. And, I might add, Israel's supposedly been committing this horrible anti-Palestinian Genocide for 60 years, whereas the Nazis managed to decimate the Jewish population of Europe in 7 or so years. Do they really think that a country as technologically advanced as Israel wouldn't be able to accomplish what the Nazis did if they wanted to? (I might add, if we were trying to commit Genocide against the "Palestinian" people, why would we heal them in our hospitals, using precious time and supplies that could serve our own people. I also might add that countries like Haiti (post earthquake), Chile (miners incident) and Japan (post earthquake, tidal wave, nuclear meltdown, etc.) have all lauded Israel and how quickly Israel sent out humanitarian aid -- I don't recall any of them telling of aid from Egypt, Syria, oil-filthy-rich Saudi Arabia, Iran, Iraq, etc.
I remember, in the days of the 6 day war and the Yom Kippur war all the political cartoons comparing Israel to David and the Arab countries to Goliath and how Israel winning those wars was comparable to David slaying Goliath. I think today's cartoon should be a huge David (representing the "underdog" 22 Arab/Muslim nations in the Middle East) and a tiny Goliath (representing the "evil" tiny little, struggling to survive against her enemies, nation of Israel). The way we're fighting these days, worrying too much about "political correctness" and public opinion (both home and abroad) and a sanitized militaristic proto-Arafat-in-a-suit and not enough about the survival of Israelis in general and Jews worldwide, "David" might defeat us.
Words are very important; they sway public opinion Israel is definitely losing the war of "public opinion". We need to stand up to the word-perverts. We need to reestablish the proper meaning of words, to make sure the world understands that the "Palestinian Authority" practices a prejudice and hatred far closer to both Apartheid and Genocide than does the multi-ethnic, multi-racial, multi-cultural, multi-religious Israel.
(Thank you to my Facebook friend Valerie for starting me on this by linking to Anna O'Leary and her "Israel is committing Genocide" tirade on Facebook)
So Osama is dead. And, while I rarely am glad that someone is dead, in this case I am. Osama would have continued to spend his life killing people, whether actively or by encouraging and helping others kill. With his death, we have taken a step toward showing the terrorist world that we can and will defend ourselves. I find this gratifying and encouraging. It is important for us to continue fighting these terrorists; we must continue to whittle away at Al Qaida and other terrorist organizations.
What I don't really understand through all this is the people who think that by killing Bin Laden we are throwing fuel on the fire, that we are angering the terrorists into killing more people. Really? Do they really think that the terrorists aren't killing everyone they can? Do they really think that all the people in the world don't walk around with a target on their backs simply because they choose to live their lives in a free and open society. These people want to kill us all. They will kill as many people as they can with our without Bin Laden. The only way to get them to stop is to fight back. The only way we have a chance of continuing our way of life is to remove the impediment. If that means killing terrorist and their leaders, then that's what we need to do. And we can't back off from our fight because if we do, freedom of choice in any shape manner or form will disappear from this country and our world. This is what the Islamists want. This is their goal. They are not builders, the are destroyers. And, unless we attack, unless we take on our enemies, unless we defend our citizens and friends and guests those destroyers will destroy us and our lifestyle.
Always remember, though, that the only thing that we can do that will make them kill more people is to allow it to happen. The only way we can change what they do is to actively prevent them from reaching their targets. We need to remain vigilant and we need to clearly show the terrorists and the Islamists that we won't allow them to take away the freedom our founding fathers and mothers fought hard for. We need to be worthy of that heritage and fight tyranny in any form. And that includes fighting terrorism.
I just read a very good article, well written with points backed up by actual cases. Islam Needs to Prove It's a Religion of Peace. I have been saying for years that I can't understand why people are not only ignoring the peril but actively encouraging the evil-doers to continue while discouraging (and, often actively suppressing) the truth and the brave people who come forward.
I do have one comment about the article, though. The article states, "... How come human rights groups in the West seem to be the only ones protesting against the crimes of radical Muslims?" -- my objection to this statement is that I haven't really seen ANY human rights organization criticizing Muslim extremists (though they are overly "generous" with their criticism of Israel). They seem to ignore extreme human rights violations within the Muslim world while putting the US and Israel under a microscope, searching for things to criticize.
I feel better, though, whenever I see other people (whether they are/were Muslims or grew up in countries where they were persecuted for not being Muslim) bravely standing up to the apologists and the Islamists. Is it Racist to Criticize Islam? is a list of people who either are or were Muslim or were persecuted by Islamists in some form who are coming out against Islamist terror and suppression. I salute all these freedom fighters. I stand with them in their quest for liberty and openness, tolerance and productively, building homes and building bridges.
We need to be vigilant. We need to stand up to the evil. We need to stand up for our freedom. We need to stand up for our lives. We need to stand up for our very existence.
I just read a very interesting article, Red Cross: No humanitarian crisis in Gaza , which pointed out that even Hamas admits that no one is starving in Gaza. So the thing that is very clear from this is that the only reason people are focusing in on Gaza is that they WANT to believe that Israel is evil and that Israel is causing all sorts of horrors to the people of the world.
The other side of the coin is this: even if you feel the overwhelming need to hate Israel and blame Jews for all the evil in the world, by focusing in on the lie of an economically depressed and persecuted Gazan population you are doing a disservice not only to yourself (by giving aid and comfort to your own enemy, even if only in a verbal way) but you are doing a major disservice to the people of the world who are truly economically depressed and truly persecuted (oftentimes by the self-same enemy that vexes us all but deflects the blame onto Israel). By putting Israel under the microscope, we are ignoring the entire worldwide "laboratory".
I heard from a friend that a gentleman from the Sudan stood up to the United Nations and chastised them for constantly condemning Israel while ignoring the atrocities that the people of the Darfur endure on a regular basis. This is exactly the sort of thing that happens when the world focuses in on a people who think the world revolves around them, that they have a sense of entitlement as a people.
For all of you out there who think that you are being altruistic by supporting the poor downtrodden Palestinians living in squalor in Gaza and the West Bank check out this video about the crisis.
Would that, with my little blog, I could get people to realize the damage they are doing to themselves, the truly needy of the world and freedom loving people everywhere. That bastion of moderation in the Middle East, the country that just got their "despotic" leader to step down, recently arrested and jailed this brave young blogger.
How can we continue to support these people to the detriment of the world? Why can't people see the truth? Is it as simple as anti-Jewish sentiment blinding them to the dangers? Or is it something else?
I wish I knew what it was and I wish I knew how to get the world to see the truth.
For some bizarre reason I have yet to figure out, Facebook is refusing to take down the page called "The Third Intifada" despite it's clear violation of Facebook's own policies against hate speech and threats. And, for an even more bizarre reason, certain hateful people seem to be under the impression that we have no right to complain about this. We have no right to complain that Facebook is violating its own rulebook by allowing (nay, encouraging) them to stay. We have no right to complain that there is a site up on Facebook advocating our murder, slaughter, genocide.
Some day, all the phony liberals should take one of those hate-filled diatribes and substitute any other ethnic, religious or uniquely distinct group for "Jews" or "Israel" or "Israelis" or the ubiquitous "Settlers" (as though the people living in Judea and Samaria, over the "green line" are somehow less than human because of where they choose to live in their own land) and tell me if you think that any respectable newspaper would print it -- particularly those bastions of "Truth, Justice and the Saudi Arabian way", the New York Times.
In any case, when my friend "Michelle Nevada" put up a blog entry about the whole Facebook being the home of the Third Intifada, she got tons of hate comments. I felt the need to add a comment:
ב"ה
It's amazing how full of hate people can be -- so full of hate, they don't even see that they are criticizing (understatement) the people who are good to them and supporting (read: lionizing) the people who will kill them.
I really wish all the haters of the world would boycott Facebook (and anything else that we Jews and the people of Israel have introduced/brought to the world). But they never will because they can lie to too many people, use their anti-Jewish gut to turn them into murderers.
Why don't all you Israel-bashing, Murder loving, "Liberals" (not true liberals, my word has been co-opted by haters) just admit it -- what you really want is for all Jews to disappear from the earth. The problem (for you, anyway) is that G-d, the owner, ruler, creator of the world will never allow that to happen. Read your history, uneducated ones. Hitler wasn't the first who tried. Every generation sees a new "Haman" -- someone (or some many) dedicated to killing us. Thank G-d we have G-d on our side.
I also think it's funny (that's ironic, not ha-ha) that the enemies of Israel feel the need to accuse Israel (falsely, I might add) of all the crimes that Israel's enemies actually do TO Israel. Israeli Babies are murdered (in their beds, in their strollers, in their cars), bombs are dropped, and all this to a country that treats the Palestinian sick and injured, gives Palestinians jobs they can't get in their own "territories", gives Palestinians money and food (since they grow precious little of it on their own).
BTW, if you are pro-women's rights and pro-gay rights, you're demonizing the only Middle East country that also supports those issues and lionizing the people who murder and torture women and gays (to mention a few groups).
Put that in your pipe and smoke it (as they used to say on "Laugh-In").
My friend "Michelle Nevada" told me a number of years ago that she knew someone who gotten a kit and converted his car to run on natural gas instead of petroleum based gasoline. His gas company installed a spigot on the side of his house and he used that to fill his car up with gas. The natural gas was not only cheaper than gasoline, it didn't need to be procured from politically corrupt and volatile governments. As Michelle said, the US is the Saudi Arabia of natural gas. In addition, Israel recently discovered natural gas.
Israel found this large quantity of natural gas near Haifa. I though about this for some time. For the US and Israel, both of whom rely heavily on foreign oil from volatile, largely anti-Israel and anti-US governments, natural gas seems to be the wave of the future.
It has seemed to me for many years that part of the "imbalance of power" that exists in the world today has to do with the economics of petroleum. Petroleum, however, besides being under the control, for the most part, of the aforementioned unstable regimes, and being highly toxic in its production (evidence the BP spill of recent memory) and use, should not be pursued by the US and Israel. I've always thought it would behoove Israel, with her concentration of great scientific brains, should expend some effort in developing a sustainably produced, non-toxic substitute for gasoline (a substitute that could immediately replace gasoline as a power source for automobiles.
However, given the above information, I think that, instead of working hard at developing electric cars, we should be working on developing cars that run off natural gas.
I would like to get people on board with this idea -- let me know what you think.
One of my favorite movies growing up was "Cat Ballou" with Jane Fonda. I never thought about Jane Fonda's politics; I was very young and I loved the movie. And I still love the movie. I just recently watched it on video. And I enjoyed it as much this time as I had the dozens of previous times (probably none since the 1980s or so until this recent viewing).
I have discovered in my life that oftentimes when I reread something, or see a movie or TV show again, or re-experience something I've already experienced in the past, I discover something new. This was true during this viewing of "Cat Ballou".
For those of you who have never had the pleasure of seeing "Cat Ballou" (which Lee Marvin won an Oscar for), "Cat Ballou" takes place in the late 19th Century, when the trains are beginning to get popular. Catherine Ballou has just graduated college and is coming back home to her father. Frank Ballou owns a spread that the railroad is trying to buy. Since he won't sell, he's being harassed and, finally, shortly after Catherine comes home and hires three incompetents to protect him, he's murdered. The rest of the movie shows Cat Ballou, queen of her newly formed bandit gang, trying to find a way to avenge her father's death, and accidentally killing the head of the railroad. She is captured and sentenced to death.
One of the things I always liked about the movie was interludes narrated and punctuated the action with Nat King Cole (right before his death from lung cancer at 45 -- the movie was released after his death) and Stubby Kaye playing banjos and singing "The Ballad of Cat Ballou". In this ballad, the balladeers sing a song about Cat, but, though she was a young woman looking to protect her father and then avenge his death, the ballad portrays her as "evil through and through..."
This jumped out at me in a way it never did when I saw this movie in my tweens and teens. This, to me, represented Israel.
For those of us with consciences, we can't harm anyone without it bothering us. But one thing that makes harming anyone easier is demonizing them. The people of "Wolf City, Wyoming", where "Cat Ballou" takes place, needed to see her as a demon in order to be able to celebrate and revel in the "hanging of Cat Ballou..."
So, too, it is with Israel. In order for the world to condemn Israel's every move, every terrorist killed to protect someone, every Jewish "settler" murdered with knives, bombs and missiles, every home built for a family dispossessed by Arik Sharon's army from their homes in the freely destroyed and repopulated Gush Katif (known to the world as "Gaza"), every helping hand extended by Israel to places like Haiti, Chile and other countries needing medical or technological assistance people need to demonize Israel and "settlers". "Settlers", by the way, are just people, families, mothers, fathers, sisters, brothers, grandparents and grandchildren, who just want to live their lives in peace, just want to send their children to school, raise them to be good people.
It's easy to demonize Israel, people have been demonizing Jews for millennia. This is nothing new. It makes things nice and neat -- all it takes, people think, is for Israel to move out of Judea and Samaria (known throughout the world as the "West Bank") and suddenly, the world will be at peace.
Unfortunately, it's not that simple. What it takes for peace in the Middle East is for the hundreds of millions of Arab-Muslims to realize that their enemy isn't Israel, that demonizing and hating Jews isn't going to solve their life problems. Their problems are caused by leaders who want them to focus their negative energy on Israel and not on them, not on their lack of leadership ability, not on their corruption, not on their stealing from their own people. It will take a leader in Israel who is willing to fight, willing to protect Israel's people and guests from harm, willing to risk censure from our enemy nations, the nations who are also, by the way, the enemies of freedom worldwide, the enemies of women, of gays, of non-Muslims, of children.
Please, G-d, send us such a leader. Or give Bibi the strength to be that leader.
In the episode called, "For the World is Hollow and I Have Touched the Sky", the priestess Natira comes to her "Oracle" (the computer that runs the asteroid/spaceship she lives on) with the story that the Enterprise crew members have told her (that her "planet" is not a planet but a star ship) and the "Oracle" tells her this is "...their truth" to which she answers, "Is Truth not Truth for All?"
Natira's "Oracle" was trying to keep her from finding out the truth because reality goes against the "Oracle"'s programming and against its reality.
People who have the truth on their sides have nothing to fear from the truth -- they have no need to threaten people into believing their reality. People who have an agenda that requires them to lie don't want people to know the truth and that's why they have to threaten people into believing their "truth". This is true in politics; this is true in religion.
College campuses these days are hotbeds for anti-Semitism masquerading as anti-Israel righteous indignation. Our local university had a "candle light vigil" tonight, at a time that was difficult for Orthodox Jews to attend (it being less than an hour after Shabbat -- the Sabbath) for all the "victims" of Israeli "massacres". They even went so far as to call Israeli defense of her citizens and visitors and guests "ethnic cleansing" -- (I'm amazed that a group of people that is trying to destroy the Jewish state and the Jewish people, a group of people who belong to a group that makes up 1/6 of the world's population is accusing a another group of people who are part of a group that make up .2% (that's 1/500) of the world's population of "ethnic cleansing" -- just think of how this could logistically be accomplished -- have the Hutzpa (nerve, gall) to accuse Israel of "ethnic cleansing"!)
Despite this tactic of holding this "event" so close to the end of Shabbat, the event drew hundreds of counter protesters who, despite this event being held by an on-campus group that gets campus funding which ought to have made this event open to the public based on University rules, and despite their clear peacefulness, were denied entrance.
As I said, those with the truth on their side have nothing to fear from opposition (assuming peacefulness of the opposition) while those who are spreading lies (like fictional Israeli massacres) and ignoring all other horror on this planet perpetrated by their supposed victims (like homicide bombers who murder innocent babies, children, mothers, fathers, grandmothers, grandfathers, aunts, uncles, friends, etc. or missile launchers working their "craft" by lobbing bombs at population centers in S'derot) have much to fear from the truth. This is why peaceful counter protesters were denied admission.
So where does this leave us? For one thing, it's gratifying to know that the counter protesters outnumbered the original group. For another thing, we need to see if the University's administration will deal with this situation in an appropriate fashion (like removing this hate group's charter, for example). We will wait and see if we will continue to be proud of our University's response to these sorts of incidents or if their next request for funds will end up in our shredder.
