Important Article!

Victor Davis Hanson has written the article, "And Then They Came After Us" as one of the most clear, thought-out summaries of the situation that I have seen to date. FYI -- he's not Jewish. In fact, he didn't meet his first Jew until he was 18 years old.

But back to his article...

First the terrorists of the Middle East went after the Israelis. From 1967 we witnessed 40 years of bombers, child murdering, airline hijacking, suicide murdering, and gratuitous shooting. We in the West usually cried crocodile tears, and then came up with all sorts of reasons to allow such Middle Eastern killers a pass.

He goes on to chronicle Yasser Arafat's duplicity, the pass he got from Europe, how the West Bank has nothing to do with anything, etc. He then went more in-depth with that way of thinking... he dissected the myth behind national aspirations being an excuse for homicide bombings.

When it was pointed out that Germans were not blowing up Poles to get back lost parts of East Prussia nor were Tibetans sending suicide bombers into Chinese cities to recover their country, such analogies were caricatured.

And we all know why. It doesn't fit into the narrative of the underdog that Europe, the far left, etc. like to believe and cling to for dear life. I'm especially fond of the next two paragraphs.

When the call for a “Right of Return” was making the rounds, few cared to listen that over a half-million forgotten Jews had been cleansed from Syria, Iraq, and Egypt, and lost billions in property.

When the U.N. and the EU talked about “refugee camps,” none asked why for a half-century the Arab world could not build decent housing for its victimized brethren, or why 1 million Arabs voted in Israel, but not one freely in any Arab country.

OK, so this info isn't that newsworthy to regular readers of the blogway. But it is powerful, listing fact after fact after fact like this for people who aren't exposed to this information -- or even resist it.

Next he tackles the security barrier.

The security fence became “The Wall,” and evoked slurs that it was analogous to barriers in Korea or Berlin that more often kept people in than out. Few wondered why Arabs who wished to destroy Israel would mind not being able to live or visit Israel.

Such a simple thought and yet -- it is rarely addressed. Why DO they want in so bad? There are several reasons. The most obvious would be to kill Israelis but for many Palestinians, their only hope of making a living (at the moment) is working in Israel. Not like the PA has lifted a finger to develop any real, honest jobs for its people.

VDH then goes on to discuss how the West fooled themselves into thinking this was just Israel's problem. Europe continued to favor the Palestinian thugs over the liberal democracy in Israel. The problems, such as they were, were simply Israel's doing and her fault. Money poured into the PA and its Arab neighbors yet none of it ever seemed to go towards making the lives of everyday Palestinians any better. And the terror continued.

Then the Islamists declared war on the United States. A quarter century of mass murdering of Americans followed in Lebanon, Saudi Arabia, East Africa, the first effort to topple the World Trade Center, and the attack on the USS Cole.

We gave billions to Jordan, the Palestinians, and the Egyptians. Afghanistan was saved from the Soviets through U.S. aid. Kuwait was restored after Saddam’s annexation, and the holocaust of Bosnians and Kosovars halted by the American Air Force. Americans welcomed thousands of Arabs to our shores and allowed hundreds of madrassas and mosques to preach zealotry, anti-Semitism, and jihad without much scrutiny.

What was the thanks we got? September 11.

Suddenly, the prior cheap shots at Israel under siege weren’t so cheap. It proved easy to castigate Israelis who went into Jenin, but not so when we needed to do the same in Fallujah.

He's got that right.

Apparently, the hatred of radical Islam was not just predicated on the “occupation” of the West Bank. Instead it involved the pretexts of Americans protecting Saudi Arabia from another Iraqi attack, the United Nations boycott of Iraq, the removal of the Taliban and Saddam, and always as well as the Crusades and the Reconquista.

But Europe was supposedly different. Unlike the United States, it was correct on the Middle East, and disarmed after the Cold War. Indeed, the European Union was pacifistic, socialist, and guilt-ridden about former colonialism.

July certainly proved that theory wrong.

Hundreds of thousands of Muslims were left alone in unassimilated European ghettoes and allowed to preach or promulgate any particular hatred of the day they wished. Conspire to kill a Salmon Rushdie, talk of liquidating the “apes and pigs,” distribute Mein Kampf and the Protocols, or plot in the cities of France and Germany to blow up the Pentagon and the World Trade Center — all that was about things “over there” and in a strange way was thought to ensure that Europe got a pass at home.

Payback came hard.

After Holland, Madrid, and London, European operatives go to Israel not to harangue Jews about the West Bank, but to receive tips about preventing suicide bombings. And the cowboy Patriot Act to now-panicked European parliaments perhaps seems not so illiberal after all.

So it is was becoming clear that butchery by radical Muslims in Bali, Darfur, Iraq, the Philippines Thailand, Turkey, Tunisia, and Iraq was not so tied to particular and “understandable” Islamic grievances.

It'd be great if people could learn that there is no way to "understand" why terrorists terrorize... understanding won't make it stop. Their demands can't be met, unless you're willing to not breathe. I know I'm not willing to do that for them.

VDH goes on to ponder why China, with its ruthlessness against Muslims as well as India, also a nuclear power, have not been targets. On this, he and I disagree. His hypothesis is as follows.

...Islamicists are selective in their attacks and hatred. So far global jihad avoids two billion Indians and Chinese, despite the fact that their countries are far tougher on Muslims than is the United States or Europe. In other words, the Islamicists target those whom they think they can intimidate and blackmail.

Nah. I don't think so. The reason those two countries are off the hook with Islamicists is that they don't have troops in "Muslim lands" -- therefore thwarting their attempt to overthrow Muslim governments they don't approve of like Saudi Arabia, Egypt, etc. Other than that, I think he's right on target with his analysis of the situation, including his conclusion.

Unfettered immigration, billions in cash grants to Arab autocracies, alliances of convenience with dictatorships, triangulation with Middle Eastern patrons of terror, blaming the Jews — civilization has tried all that.

It is time to relearn the lessons from the Cold War, when we saw millions of noble Poles, Romanians, Hungarians, and Czechs as enslaved under autocracy and a hateful ideology, and in need of democracy before they could confront the Communist terror in their midst.

But until the Wall fell, we did not send billions in aid to their Eastern European dictatorships nor travel freely to Prague or Warsaw nor admit millions of Communist-ruled Bulgarians and Albanians onto our shores.

Amen to that. Here's to relearning lessons.

Needing Inspiration... Again

This was the view from my hotel on the island of Capri, off the Italian coast. Sigh.........

Tom Lantos RULES

The good congressman, the only Holocaust survivor in Congress may I add, sent out an email with the following subject header:

Dear Colleague; Foreign Policy; Civil rights; Raise Anti-Semitism Issues!

With the following request:

RAISE ANTI-SEMITISM ISSUES WHEN YOU TRAVEL DURING THE AUGUST BREAK

Why, you may ask? Let me explain... or rather, let him.

Dear Colleague:

As you undoubtedly know, the scourge of anti-Semitism is on the rise in many countries around the globe, including in the United States. The Congressional Task Force Against Anti-Semitism, which I co-chair with Representatives Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, John Lewis, Mark Kirk, and Henry Waxman, was formed to call attention to this dangerous trend and to find ways to stop it.

Last year we introduced the Global Anti-Semitism Awareness Act of 2004, which directed the State Department to respond to the recent surge in anti-Semitism worldwide through mandated annual reports and a new position at the department dedicated to this issue. I am pleased to report that working with our colleagues, Senator George Voinovich and Representative Chris Smith, we were successful in passing our bill in both the House and the Senate.

As Members of Congress, we have an obligation to speak out against all forms of discrimination, racism, or intolerance. In the coming recess, you may have the opportunity to meet with both domestic and foreign officials, which may provide an opportunity to raise the issue of anti-Semitism. These leaders set the tone for national and international discourse and have an essential role in shaping attitudes, so it is important to use these meetings to speak out forcefully against anti-Semitism where appropriate and warranted.

Please urge parliamentarians to take action and do as our Congress has done - to use their bully pulpit and find opportunities to speak out against anti-Semitism, hold hearings, and pass resolutions and develop national plans to combat it. Nations should promote the adoption of comprehensive hate crime data collection laws and provide training in how to identify, report, and respond to hate crimes for appropriate law enforcement officials. It is impossible to properly assess the scope and nature of the problem without data collection and public reporting on anti-Semitic incidents.

Attached is a sample of some of the reported anti-Semitic incidents that recently have occurred in various countries, as well as a summary of findings from a poll taken by the Anti-Defamation League (ADL). It will give you just a small idea of some of the horrendous acts of global anti-Semitism. [ed.'s note: I'm not including it -- ADL Survey in 12 European Countries Finds Anti-Semitic Attitudes Still Strongly Held -- but you can click on the link; also, I'm omitting a paragraph that gave contact numbers for more info in his office and the ADL.]

The battle against anti-Semitism is one we must all wage. We look forward to having you join in this fight.

Most cordially,

TOM LANTOS
Co-Chair

I was encouraged by reading this. I thought you guys would want to see it too.

Missing Girl -- Please Help

Please take a second and go to Christmas Ghost's site and see if you've seen a missing girl from California. Hat tip to Always on Watch and Jay over at Stop the ACLU.

Get Renters Insurance

This was my apartment building seven and a half years ago, one of the most frightening nights of my life. But I was one of the lucky ones because I had renters insurance (thanks to Mom -- see, I acknowledge you once again for that) and was able to start over, even if I was under-insured. You have no idea how expensive it is to start from scratch (and I do mean from nothing). Renters insurance is cheap. Get lots of it. If you're really smart, take video inventory of all you own and keep it at a friend's house or in a safety deposit box. You'll be making your life so much easier.

Why Do People Believe Lies?

(Inspired by a comment in another post.) Can someone explain to me why people readily want to believe lies espoused by the Palestinians? No, don't believe what you hear from a democracy like Israel -- who has a free press. After all, Israel is bad. If that's the case, what word do you use for terror groups like Fatah, Hamas, Islamic Jihad and Hezbollah? Israel, in fighting a WAR like they are, occasionally has to deal with collateral damage (just as our folks do in Iraq). But they don't target innocents. Can the same be said of the terror groups I listed? Let me answer that for you -- No. Innocents are exactly who they ARE targeting. So when they have already proven themselves as despicable and on the side of death, why take their word on things? If you learn nothing else from my blog, learn that many Palestinians LIE LIKE THE REST OF US BREATHE. I'm sure my fellow bloggers can present case after case after case of their lies being found out. Please check these things out. Israel has a free press and many are on the left -- so they love to find out things Israel does wrong. If the IDF is covering something up, they'll sniff it out. On the other hand, there is no free press in the territories. Journalists are shot in the street if they say something against what the regime wants, at least they sure were under Arafat. If you read something in such anti-Israel rags/outlets like The Guardian, The BBC and Reuters, just to name a few, how about doing a search on what you find and see what the other side is? Don't take the word of just one news outlet. Most are biased. In order to be well informed, we must pursue the truth. Don't we owe our staunchest ally that much?

My Heart is Heavy

My friend's incredibly wonderful dog lost her battle today. She was the most amazing girl. She loved her sister, her cat sisters (one she is going to finally see again), her numerous (and I do mean numerous) friends -- but most of all, she loved her mommy. We will all miss her terribly but I must believe she is in a better place.

Stockwell Station Shooting Snaffu

London cops killed a terror suspect but now comes word the guy was innocent. It's tragic when things like this happen. Yet when this happens to Israel, it's an international incident -- with calls of severe condemnation showering down upon them like Operation Shock & Awe. Will the same happen to London?

Enough is Enough

Here is a picture I took of Trafalgar Square in happier times. May she experience those again soon.

Washington Post -- More Evidence

Hat tip to Honestreporting.com for this one -- in an alert about Palestinians being unreliable witnesses:

Media monitors EyeOnThePost [July 20 entry] caught a similar case this week, when the Washington Post reported that 'more than a dozen bystanders were killed [by IDF fire], according to [Palestinian] hospital officials'. That report was never substantiated, never repeated elsewhere ― and never corrected by the Post.

In Need of Inspiration

Hopefully this picture I took will do the trick.

Am I the Only One Bothered By This?

So I went to various online job sites today, like I always do, and found this one for a producer position at Washingtonpost.com. Don't get me started that an entry-level position should not be called a "producer" but whatever. It was the following job duty that... I found disturbing...

* Researching and producing a gallery of U.S. military fatalities in Iraq and Afghanistan

First, I can't believe they'd be so brazen about that. Gee, the Post doesn't want to have someone capable of finding good stories out of either place? Just fatalities? I go back to my title of this post.

Tempted Into Jihad -- An Insider's View

Daniel Pipes recently wrote about an article in the London's Mirror by a young British Muslim who jihadists tried to recruit. The teenager candidly reveals how they approached him at a time when he was vulnerable, his father had died recently and they said that he would bring shame to his family if he committed suicide -- but if he did it for Islam... Well then, he'd get to heaven, enjoy the riches of paradise and get his 70 virgins, of course. Despicable, yes. Surprise, no.

Jury Duty

Finally -- a job. For today at least. I'll be sure to report back in this post tonight any and all tales of interest from today -- at least those I'm allowed to tell.

Nazism and Islamic Fascism -- Evil Brothers

Yes, there is a connection -- made obvious in Caroline Glick's new column, The Beginning of the Reckoning in the Jerusalem Post. Not only that, she makes a great point that while most are making analogies between the 7/7 bombings and the Nazi bombing war against Britain, with the connection being the infamous British "stiff upper lip" -- she sees a different one. The parallel she sees is the one between the nature of the vicious perpetrators.

On Tuesday The Wall Street Journal published an investigative report into the establishment and growth of the Islamic Center in Munich. As Stefan Meining, a German historian who studies the mosque, told the paper, "If you want to understand the structure of political Islam, you have to look at what happened in Munich."

According to the report, the Munich mosque was founded by Muslim Nazis who had settled in West Germany after the war. These men, who were among more than one million citizens of the Soviet republics who joined the Nazis while they were under German occupation, were transferred by their Nazi commander to the Western front in the closing stages of the war to protect them from the advancing Red Army.

Can't say I find this all that surprising. The article discusses the first leader of the mosque was Nurredin Nakibhidscha Namangani, a native of Uzbekistan.

Namangani served as an imam in the SS and participated in the liquidation of the Warsaw ghetto and the putting down of the Jewish uprising in 1943.

According to the article, the exiled head of the Egyptian Muslim Brotherhood, Said Ramadan, participated in a 1958 conference organized by Namangani and his fellow Muslim Nazis to raise money to build the mosque.

The Muslim Brotherhood took over the mosque in the 1960s, transformed by Saudi and Syrian funding into the headquarters for spreading Islamic-fascist ideology and their plan for world domination. Sounds pretty similar to where we're at today. Remember, the Muslim Brotherhood spawned the PLO's Fatah, Al Qaida, Hamas and Islamic Jihad -- and their roots can be found in Nazism.

In the 1930s, the mufti of Jerusalem, Amin el-Husseini, rigorously courted the Nazis. When, in 1936, he launched his terror war against the Jewish Yishuv in the British controlled Palestine Mandate, he repeatedly asked the Nazis for financial backing, which began arriving in 1937. From 1936-39 Husseini's terror army murdered 415 Jews. In later years, Husseini noted that were it not for Nazi money, his onslaught would have been defeated in 1937.

Glick goes on to document the membership growth, from 800 in 1936 to 200,000 in just three short years. One surprising thing is when the notion of jihad came into prominence.

As Kuentzel argues, the notion of a violent holy war or jihad against non-Muslims was not a part of any active Islamic doctrine until the 1930s and, as he notes, "its concurrence with the arrival of a newly virulent anti-Semitism is verified in no uncertain terms." Husseini's gangs in the Palestine Mandate were joyously praised by the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt, which held mass demonstrations with slogans like "Jews get out of Egypt and Palestine," and "Down with the Jews!"

For the Nazis, the Jews were seen as the principal force preventing them from achieving their goal of world domination. As Hitler put it, "You will see how little time we shall need in order to upset the ideas and the criteria for the whole world, simply and purely by attacking Judaism." In his view, once he destroyed the Jews, the rest of the world would lay before him for the taking. "The struggle for world domination will be fought entirely between Germans and Jews. All else is facade and illusion," he said.

Hitler's influence on the Arab continues to this day.

Hitler's obsession with the Jews as the source of all the evils in the world became so ingrained in both the Arab nationalist and Islamic psyche that it has become second nature.

And we see that today, especially in the terror groups' dealings with Israel. Their hatred for the Jews has never subsided.

In light of the wealth of historical documentation of the Nazi roots of Islamic fascism, it is absolutely apparent that the collaboration between Nazis and the Muslim Brotherhood in the building and developing of the Islamic Center in Munich was anything but coincidental or unique.

It is also hardly surprising that PA chieftain Mahmoud Abbas, whose predecessor, Yasser Arafat, was Husseini's follower, devoted his doctoral dissertation to a denial of the Holocaust and a justification of Nazism.

Aren't you glad we're counting on this guy to help make peace in the Middle East? I'm sure he'll do his best. But it isn't just Israel that needs to worry.

The thing of it is, just as with the Nazis, it is impossible to separate the Islamist ideological and military quest for world
domination from its genocidal anti-Semitism. As with the Nazis, they are two sides of the same coin. And, just as was the case from the Nazi ascent to power in 1933 through the end of World War II, the British and, to a lesser though increasing degree, the Americans refuse to acknowledge that the war against the Jews and Israel is the same as the war against them.

And until that realization is absorbed, we're going to be behind the 8-ball. But perhaps there's hope as countries begin to realize that they have their own homegrown terrorists in their midst.

One of the most difficult challenges for a democratic society is facing up to the presence of an enemy fifth column in its midst. Aside from this, the fact of the matter is that the global economy is fueled by oil, which is controlled by the same forces that stand at the foundations of the current war against the Jews and Western civilization.

Much easier than contending with these realities is to engage in the politics of denial. As the British and French blamed German anti-Semitism and warmongering in the 1930s on their impoverishment and humiliation by the Treaty of Versailles, so too, the British, like their European allies and large swathes of American society, today blame Arab and Islamic anti-Semitism and aspirations for global domination on poverty and perceived humiliation at the hands of Western imperialists and by the establishment and continued viability of the State of Israel.

Those of us along the Blogway know that is baloney, but that doesn't mean most people don't seem to believe it. We need to continue beating the drum. We need to make people understand that what they've been taught, what they hear in the press, isn't the truth. Glick says it perfectly.

... it is the duty and responsibility of all who treasure freedom and the right to live without fear to accept this reality in spite of its inconvenience. Refusing to do so is not simply a matter of cowardice. It is a recipe for suicide.

She's got that right.

Fate?

Life is not fair. Few of us need to be told or reminded of this. We live it. But none so much as Anat Rosenberg. She was born in Israel but had lived in London for the last 18 years. Her parents remained in Jerusalem, but she was too scared of the terrorism to go visit. The day of the attacks, her boyfriend suggested she take a bus, since the tube was being attacked. She was the one Israeli casualty in the 7/7 attacks. Life is not fair.

Why I've Been Neglectful...

These past couple of days I've been helping a friend of mine with her 12-year-old Doberman. This is the sweetest girl in the world. But she has a tumor on her big heart. It did something so that liquid build up in a sac, but in taking it out, they ripped the sac a bit (a good thing!) so hopefully it won't be able to fill up again for a while. At the same time this was discovered, she got pneumonia and had trouble breathing. It was scary going, with her living at the vet for the past week (we spent 5 hours with her there yesterday). The pneumonia has finally cleared up (::knock on wood::) so she went home today, much to the happy glee of her dobey sister. Further treatment will be decided but for now, it's so great to see her in her own home again.

Weak Brits, Tough French

That's the title of an article by Daniel Pipes that I found fascinating. He explains that in Iraq, the Brits have been resolute but not in the war on terror -- where, surprise... France surpasses them by far.

British-based terrorists have carried out operations in Pakistan, Afghanistan, Kenya, Tanzania, Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Israel, Morocco, Russia, Spain, and America. Many governments - Jordanian, Egyptian, Moroccan, Spanish, French, and American - have protested London's refusal to shut down its Islamist terrorist infrastructure or extradite wanted operatives. In frustration, Egypt's president Hosni Mubarak publicly denounced Britain for "protecting killers." One American security group has called for Britain to be listed as a terrorism-sponsoring state.

What the hell is the British government thinking? Oh right. That it will make them immune from terror attacks on their land. Sadly, they grossly miscalculated. It's confusing to me how they could be missing the mark so completely. And the consequences of it all breaks my heart for her people.

Counterterrorism specialists disdain the British. Roger Cressey calls London "easily the most important jihadist hub in Western Europe." Steven Simon dismisses the British capital as "the Star Wars bar scene" of Islamic radicals.

Well, that's a visual, isn't it? A scary one at that. But what exactly are the French doing?

While London hosts terrorists, Paris hosts a top-secret counterterrorism center, code-named Alliance Base, the existence of which was recently reported by the Washington Post.

Guess that secret's out. So who's a part of this Alliance Base?

At Alliance Base, six major Western governments have since 2002 shared intelligence and run counterterrorism operations - the latter makes the operation unique.

Wow! Impressive they could keep it secret for that long. So the French are doing some great things to fight Islamists -- that the British government seems to have been avoiding.

More broadly, President Chirac instructed French intelligence agencies just days after September 11, 2001, to share terrorism data with their American counterparts "as if they were your own service." The cooperation is working: A former acting CIA director, John E. McLaughlin, called the bilateral intelligence tie "one of the best in the world." The British may have a "special relationship" with Washington on Iraq, but the French have one with it in the war on terror.

It's a wonder this info didn't leak out earlier -- it might have gone a long way to improving Americans' feelings towards France. France has some of the toughest laws (or should I say lightest?) with regards to terror suspects.

France accords terrorist suspects fewer rights than any other Western state, permitting interrogation without a lawyer, lengthy pre-trial incarcerations, and evidence acquired under dubious circumstances. Were he a terrorism suspect, the author of Al-Qaida's Jihad in Europe, Evan Kohlmann, says he "would least like to be held under" the French system.

Excellent. I like the sound of that. I know the civil liberties police are probably ready to whack me for saying that, but at least they'd be alive to do it.

Pipes goes on to illustrate a major difference in how the Brits and French handle the problem of radical Islam. Tony Blair's own wife defended a young Muslim school girl in her victorious suit to win the right to wear her jilbab (covers the entire body except face and hands) while the French government outlawed the hijab, the Muslim headscarf, incurring the wrath of Islamists worldwide.

In Tehran, protesters shouted "Death to France!" and "Death to Chirac the Zionist!" The Palestinian Authority mufti, Ikrima Sa'id Sabri, declared, "French laws banning the hijab constitute a war against Islam as a religion." The Saudi grand mufti, Abdul Aziz al-Sheikh, called them a human rights infringement. When the "Islamic Army in Iraq" kidnapped two French journalists, it threatened their execution unless the hijab ban was revoked. Paris stood firm.

What lies behind these contrary responses? The British have seemingly lost interest in their heritage while the French hold on to theirs: As the British ban fox hunting, the French ban hijabs. The former embrace multiculturalism, the latter retain a pride in their historic culture. This contrast in matters of identity makes Britain the Western country most vulnerable to the ravages of radical Islam whereas France, for all its political failings, has held onto a sense of self that may yet see it through.

I do have one issue with Pipes' hypothesis. If the French are trying so hard to hold onto their heritage, why are they embracing the idea of the EU? And of course there's still those issues of Chirac being contrary to every position we take in some lame attempt to get out of our shadow. I can't say that I'm completely warmed up to Chirac, but perhaps the ice cube I've had is starting to melt... a tiny bit.

Thank You, Jennifer Griffin

Earlier today I was watching FoxNews, listening incredulously to that annoying David Asman as he reported that the homicide bombing in Netanya today seemed to indicate that the lull in fighting, the relative peace of the last few months, might be deteriorating. Thankfully, Jennifer Griffin, their Israel correspondent, corrected him.

But I ask... how could the media buy into the "lull" -- what peace could they think existed?! Anyone who actually pays attention to such things knows that this is a fantasy on the part of the media -- that the "truce" or "ceasefire" between Israel and the various murder organizations operating out of the territories never existed. Meryl over at The Jewish View has listed recent "ceasefire" breaches and "truce" attacks, thus shining a bright spotlight on the illusion -- something the MSM doesn't seem capable of doing.

We Are Destroying Ourselves

Remember the uproar after Tony Blair implied, in that AP story, that the Israeli/Palestinian conflict was one of the three conditions responsible for the terror attacks in London? Well, it wasn't true. He apparently said something about "issues in the Middle East" and then a couple of reporters took it upon themselves to infer this, causing a firestorm. These reporters must be against Israel, right? Not necessarily. Hat tip to Naomi Ragen -- one such reporter was Jewish -- Danielle Haas, who used to work for the London Jewish Chronicle and Jerusalem Report. Camera and Honest Reporting also addressed this.

Then there's The Jewish Journal, my local paper. They recently ran a story about Rachel Corrie's parents going on tour. To be fair, what the parents (in theory) are trying to do, "to promote peace and raise awareness about the plight of Palestinians," isn't as odious a game plan as what their daughter did with her idiotic attempt to undermine the authority of the Israeli government. The thing that is surprising about the article is that I'm not sure when The Jewish Journal became puff-piece publicists for Israel haters. I say puff piece because, like any press release, they didn't challenge anything about what Corrie had done (she placed herself in the path of a bulldozer slated to demolish a Palestinian home that was covering a smuggling tunnel). It didn't shed light on the horrible organization, ISM (International Solidarity Movement), that she was there on behalf of. It presented this almost romantic vision of the plight of the Palestinians -- not something one expects in a Jewish paper. I understand wanting to show "even-handedness" but this was ridiculous. If they truly wonder why they're derided and called The anti-Jewish Journal, they need look no further than articles like this one.

And of course I've already voiced my opinions on Steven Spielberg.

Who needs enemies when we Jews do such a good job of destroying ourselves?

Let The Games Begin

Ynetnews.com reports that the Maccabiah Games: the 'Jewish Olympics' have begun.

The Maccabiah is the largest Jewish athletics gathering in the world. It was initiated by Yosef Yekutieli, a Jewish athlete and winner of the 1979 Israel Prize. The Maccabi World Union is in charge of its organization. The event houses several historical, medical and journalistic conventions, as well as children's drawing competitions, in addition to the sports competitions.

Learn more about it here. Find out about one of the first winners so far, an Arab Israeli girl, here.

Defending Israel

Ever hear a charge made against Israel that you know in your gut is wrong but you didn't have the facts handy? It is very important for you to have the tools, the knowledge, to debunk the bad information that is floating out there. To that end, there is a very useful Web site called Myths & Facts Online, a guide to the Arab-Israeli Conflict. Brilliant. May I suggest you familiarize yourself with it. Knowledge is empowering.

New Digital Camera!

It's the Pentax *ist DS digital camera. I decided on this one over Nikon and Canon because I have a bag full of Pentax lenses (from my youthful hobby) that can be used with their digital camera. If I had gotten either of the other two, I would have been stuck with just the lens that comes with it -- for quite a long time. Of course, to take this rose picture, I used the basic lens but that won't always be the case.

Great News!

A baby giant panda has been born to the two pandas, Mei Xiang and Tian Tian, on loan to the National Zoo in Washington, D.C. While this might not mean much to any of you reading this, as someone who grew up inside the beltway, "panda watch" was the community obsession. We love our pandas! We mourn when they roll over and accidently kill their young. So say a prayer that this little one (picture is not the actual cub, btw, nor did I take this picture) manages to make it at least to toddler-hood.

Needing A Release

I don't know about you all, but I sure could use a lift. This doesn't completely do it, but it's a start.

Jewish Words:

1. JEWBILATION n.

Pride in finding out that one's favorite celebrity is Jewish.

2. TORAHFIED n.
Inability to remember one's lines when called to read from the Torah at one's Bar or Bat Mitzvah.

3. SANTA-SHMANTA n.
The explanation Jewish children get for why they celebrate Hanukkah while the rest of the neighbors celebrate Christmas.

4. MATZILATION v.
Smashing a piece of matzo to bits while trying to butter it.

5. BUBBEGUM n.
Candy one's mother gives to her grandchildren that she never gave to her own children.

6. CHUTZPAPA n.
A father who wakes his wife at 4:00 a.m. so she can change the baby's diaper.

7. DÉJÀ NU n.
Having the feeling you've seen the same exasperated look on your mother's face, but not knowing exactly when.

8. DISORIYENTA n.
When Aunt Sadie gets lost in a department store and strikes up a conversation with everyone she passes.

9. GOYFER n.
A Gentile messenger.

10. HEBORT vb.
To forget all the Hebrew one ever learned immediately after one's Bar or Bat Mitzvah.

11. JEWDO n.
A traditional form of self-defense based on talking one's way out of a tight spot.

12. MAMATZAH BALLS n.
Matzo balls that are as good as your mother used to make.

13. MEINSTEIN - slang.
"My son, the genius!"

14. MISHPOCHADOTS n.
The assorted lipstick and make-up stains found on one's face and collar after kissing all one's aunts and cousins at a reception.

15. RE-SHTETLEMENT n.
Moving from Brooklyn to Miami and finding all your old neighbors live in the same condo building as you.

16. ROSH HASHANA-NA-NA n.
A rock 'n roll band from Jewish Brooklyn.

17. YIDENTIFY v.
To be able to determine Jewish origins of celebrities, even though their names might be St. John, Curtis, Davis or Taylor.

18. MINYASTICS n.
Going to incredible lengths and troubles to find a tenth person to complete a minyan.

19. FEELAWFUL n.
Indigestion from eating Israeli street food, especially fellafel.

20. DIS-KVELLIFIED vb.
To drop out of law school, med. school or business school as seen through the eyes of parents, grandparents and Uncle Sid. In extreme cases, simply choosing to major in art history when Irv's son David is majoring in biology is sufficient grounds for diskvellification.

21. IMPASTA n.
A Jew who starts eating leavened foods before the end of Passover.

22. KINDERS SHLEP v.
To transport other kids besides yours in your car.

23. SCHMUCKLUCK n.
Finding out one's wife became pregnant after one had a vasectomy.

24. SHOFARSOGUT n.
The relief you feel when, after many attempts, the shofar is finally blown at the end of Yom Kippur.

25. TRAYFFIC ACCIDENT n.
An appetizer one finds out has pork.

London: A Day of Tragedy

We along the Blogway send our condolences to our brothers and sisters in London, yet another front line in this World War against the Islamists, the terrorists/murderers.

We feel your anguish. We share your anger. We stand with you.

My First Movie

OK, I finally figured out what was wrong. A big thank you to Felis for his wonderful help and encouragement.

This is my first attempt at making a little movie, so don't have high expectations. It's weird for me to see it so small. It does lose something in the compression, but the pictures were all shot by me during my 2003 trip. If you live in Israel and spot yourself or your kid, I apologize for not getting anyone's (including the song) clearance permission. This is my attempt to lure people to visit Israel.

Supporting Israel

Last summer, I volunteered a couple of days (because I was too old to qualify to be a participant) to help out a wonderful program that was started by some in the Hollywood community who actually wanted to do good by Israel. It is called Jewish Impact Films. They had 20-30 young aspiring filmmakers being tutored by industry folks on how to make 30-60-second films that are pro-Israel. They inspired me to try this myself, hence why I recently bought my MAC laptop.

While many of them went out to shoot their own material, one guy made a very moving film with just materials he had in his computer and could access on the net. His dedication and his final product moved me a great deal. It is called MLK. I hope you will check out this one as well as the others. This was a grassroots effort done by people who realize Israel could use some help in getting the word out there about how great she is.

Tomorrow I will debut my first attempt -- the emphasis on first, so be kind. Keep in mind, the kids at Jewish Impact Films are far more advanced and talented than myself. Is that enough disclaimers? Nah, they'll be more tomorrow.

Get This Book

Hat tip to Naomi Ragen. Buy the newly published book, Israel in The World: Changing Lives Through Innovation, written by Helen Davis and Douglas Davis. Rupert Murdoch wrote the foreword.

Learn about the country's many achievements and breakthoughs, and how it's poised to remain on the industrial cutting edge in the foreseeable future. The countless accomplishments outlined here would be dazzling, even if they hadn't emerged from a nation that didn't even exist 60 years ago.

Show it around. Spread the word.

Let the Troops Know YOU Care

Hat tip to Seawitch. Click here to email the troops. DO IT NOW, PLEASE. Thanks.

Happy Birthday, USA!

And she's looking pretty darn good for her age.

Check out these great patriotic blog posts -- it's a wonderful way to celebrate our nation's big day: Always On Watch, The Beak Speaks . Sarge over at Democratic Blunderground, the Birdblog posts the Declaration of Independence, a moving picture from Clarity and Resolve, Gindy and fireworks, MaxedOutMama, Regular Ron, Social Sense, Thoughts by Seawitch, Tran Sient's Watch Recalls 9/11 and our Aussie pal, Rachel at Legless in Perpetuum, wishes us well too. Anyone that I missed, please add yours in my comments and my apologies for missing you.

Happy Birthday, USA -- long may you wave.

Hollywood Hypocrites

Hollywood isn't happy unless it has a cause. A favorite over the years has been human rights. Remember the song, "Ain't Gonna Play Sun City" to bring attention to Apartheid in South Africa? I wonder if that would have happened if South Africa had been looking to get into the movie business.

Well, guess who is?! Looks like the big Hollywood Studios are falling all over themselves in a race to set up shop in....

China! Can you believe it? Because we know how great China treats its people and what a swell government they have! Studios are planning to invest $150 million over the next few years. Who are the "they" I'm speaking of? Sony's Columbia Tristar Pictures unit, Time Warner's Warner Brothers, Merchant Ivory Productions... hell even Harvey Weinstein is planning on producing films in China. But they're not the only ones -- looks like America's sweetheart, Walt Disney Pictures, is planning on shooting a live-action martial-arts remake of Snow White over there.

Am I the only one who thinks something's wrong with this picture?

Pissed Cat Part II

OK, here is my angry calico from last Halloween. She is quite the handful but the one picture on the left actually makes her look almost sweet. The other is more of a full picture, to give you an idea. Both are screen captures, taken in my very dark room, so that's why the quality stinks. But you get the idea.

The Day I Pissed Off My Cat

It was Halloween. And I had the horrible idea that my cat should dress up in a devil's costume. Well, this one got the cape -- on another day I can't get motivated I'll show you the other one wearing the horns. This one was so humiliated by the experience, we swore never to do it again. But at least we have this picture! (FYI Gindy: This one is another screen capture from footage I shot with my video camera.)