June 21, 2007
Israel's Pride
Two important conflicts have played out in the Land of Israel this past week. But first, a word from Rabbi Abraham Isaac Kook:
Near the end of their journey in the desert, the Israelites arrived at Kadesh. But there was no water to drink, and the people complained bitterly. God commanded Moses to take his staff before the entire people and speak to the cliff-rock, to provide water for the nation. Moses took the staff and assembled the people. But he shouted,"Listen now, you rebels! Shall we produce water for you from this cliff?" [Num. 20:10]
Moses then struck the cliff twice with the staff, and a huge amount of water gushed out. ...
According to Rav Kook, all religious rage, all intolerance for moral failings, is rooted in this display of anger by Moses. Instead of words of reconciliation, he shouted, "Listen now, you rebels!" Instead of speaking to the heart, he hit the rock. While righteous indignation stems from sincere and pure intentions, the highest goals of holiness will only be achieved through calm spirits and mutual respect.
In our generation, the instruction of Torah and its details involves a pedantic form of debate. Father and son, teacher and student, struggle and battle over Torah study. In the end, their mutual love returns; but the residual feelings of enmity are never completely erased.
The restoration of the peaceful ways of Torah will come through the prophet Elijah, who "shall turn the heart of fathers to the children, and the heart of the children to their fathers." [Malachi 3:24]
Continue reading "Israel's Pride"
Asher Abrams | 06/21/07 at 06:33 PM | 3 Comments | 0 TrackBacks | Categories: Eretz Yisrael
June 09, 2007
Rachel Papo, Photographing the Distaff IDF
Photographer Rachel Papo's series "Serial No. 3817131" documents the life of women members of the Israel Defense Forces. Her statement on the work says,
Rather than portraying the soldier as heroic, confident, or proud, my images disclose a complexity of emotions. The soldier is often caught in a transient moment of self-reflection, uncertainty, a break from her daily reality, as if questioning her own identity and state of contradiction. She is a soldier in uniform but at the same time she is a teenage girl who is trying to negotiate between these two extreme dimensions. She is in an army base surrounded by hundreds like her, but underneath the uniform there is an individual that wishes to be noticed.
I liked her photography greatly. How could one not be impressed by Jewish women with guns?
Van | 06/09/07 at 11:05 PM | 2 Comments | 0 TrackBacks | Categories: Eretz Yisrael
May 14, 2007
Lufthansa's got my back
I'm sitting in the lounge at Ben Gurion Airport, waiting to check in at 3 AM for my 5 AM flight to the US. Which connects through Frankfort. So I really don't need this:
Continue reading "Lufthansa's got my back"
Judith | 05/14/07 at 04:30 PM | 7 Comments | 0 TrackBacks | Categories: Eretz Yisrael
May 13, 2007
Israeli graffiti
The remains of a mosque near the Syrian border in the upper Golan, I assume bombed by the Israelis in one of the border wars. (Thumbnail)
From the girl's bathroom in Mike's Place, the oceanside American bar in Tel Aviv which was subjected to a walking bomb in 2003:
Continue reading "Israeli graffiti"
Judith | 05/13/07 at 04:48 PM | 1 Comments | 0 TrackBacks | Categories: Eretz Yisrael
Hamsin
[ UPDATE: A commenter on Augean Stables linked to a site about a weird meteorilogical phenomenon in Queensland Australia.
UPDATE: Richard Fernandez recalls some sandstorm blogging from Iraq. ]
Richard Landes returns to his blog Augean Stables after a long trip, with stunning photos of a sandstorm advancing upon Israel from the Sinai.
I believe this is the hamsin which blew across Tel Aviv on Thursday evening. All day the sky had been low and the air heavy, like before a tornado. As I walked down the beach promenade that evening on my way to dinner with an Israeli blogger, the hamsin blew in, sandblasting my face, spattering me with rain, and breaking my umbrella. I was crunching on tiny grit for most of the meal.
The previous week when Mary Steve and I were in Ein Gedi, we saw a sand storm pour through a crevasse. As it was an overcast day, I added some saturation and contrast to these photos so you can see it more clearly. (They are thumbnails of larger photos.) These views are looking back toward the Dead Sea from about halfway up Nahal David. (For more context, see my post on hiking in Ein Gedi from Jan 1.)
Judith | 05/13/07 at 04:23 PM | 0 Comments | 0 TrackBacks | Categories: Eretz Yisrael
May 11, 2007
Teapacks at Eurovision
Remember Teapacks, the Israeli band whose entry to the Eurovision contest, "Push the Button," was deemed too edgy and political (but was entered anyway after an outcry from their fans)? We posted about the controversy and a bunch of their YouTube videos here and here, including "Push the Button."
Well, they didn't make it to the finals of the contest, and there was more controversy involving an audio glitch and artistic differences with the Helsinki stage production crew (about which more below), but they performed a rocking show.
Composer, lead singer and band leader Kobi Oz gives great interview - savvy, articulate, confrontative - check it out, below:
Continue reading "Teapacks at Eurovision"
Judith | 05/11/07 at 07:24 AM | 4 Comments | 0 TrackBacks | Categories: Eretz Yisrael
May 10, 2007
Golan Happy Land
I wanted to show Mary and Steve the ruggedly beautiful Upper Golan, but we dawdled for a while in the Gallilee and it was heading for evening as we wound our way parallel to the Syrian border. We ended up driving through several of the Druze villages up there.
BTW I know the main reason Israel shouldn't give back the Golan is that whoever commands the heights has a strategic advantage, but an equally compelling reason is how beautiful it is and the unlikeliness of Syria allowing Jews to visit. If you go to Israel rent a car and wander around there. Take a few days. Hike Gamla and explore Nimrod's Fortress.
This sign in Majdal Shams summed up our mood as we wound our way back down the mountains and headed to Jerusalem.
The building behind it looked like a community center, so we are assuming it's a day care facility or nursery school.
Judith | 05/10/07 at 10:08 AM | 7 Comments | 0 TrackBacks | Categories: Eretz Yisrael
April 30, 2007
On the seventh day . . .
We met a cousin of a friend in Tel Aviv, had a very nice "My dinner with Andre" experience in a pretentious restaurant with good food, and I might post some audio from it later.
Noam sent me links to some cute Israeli commercials - here's one:
Judith | 04/30/07 at 06:16 AM | 0 Comments | 0 TrackBacks | Categories: Eretz Yisrael
April 25, 2007
No Comment
Hi everybody, I am in Israel again for 3 weeks. My Israeli cell is 050-684-2343. If you are around, give me a ring.
If you tried to comment the last few days and it got caught in my junk folder, kiss that sucker goodbye, because I have 247 junk comments and I wasn't going to slog through all of them looking for real humans. Please try again.
Expect posts and podcasts.
Judith | 04/25/07 at 11:29 AM | 1 Comments | 0 TrackBacks | Categories: Eretz Yisrael
March 21, 2007
Jobnik!
Via On the Face, a comic chronicle of life in the lowest echelons of the IDF.
Raised in a religious home in Ohio, Miriam immigrated to Israel as a teenager and volunteered for service in the IDF. Classified by the army as excessively emotional and sexually ambivalent, and possessing poor Hebrew skills, she was not considered suitable for a job in Intelligence or as a medic, so instead she was sent to do clerical work at a base in the middle of nowhere. "The service was unbelievably boring, but I don't regret it, mostly because that experience was the inspiration for my comics. Army service exposed me to an aspect of Israeli society that I wouldn't have experienced otherwise."The comics series is called Jobnik!, which is Israeli slang for someone who did their mandatory army service in a low-prestige job - like clerk or a truck driver.
Go to Miriam's website to view the first 4-5 pages of each comic - I think you will want to buy them.
A long article in Zeek about the Jobnik! series, and Libicki's other comics, Ceasefire! about the recent Lebanon War, and Towards a Hot Jew: The Israeli Soldier as a Fetish Object:
Judith | 03/21/07 at 04:29 PM | 0 Comments | 0 TrackBacks | Categories: Eretz Yisrael
March 12, 2007
Israelis say "throw the bums out"
When I was in Israel for the conference, I asked a few people why Olmert's government was still in power, given how he and his cabinet botched the Lebanon War. I was told that Israel had just had elections, that people were tired of elections, that many in the government didn't want to lose their seats in a general house-cleaning. I was told it would be at least a year before anyone would be feeling like holding an election. Olmert was even inching back up in the polls.
However, a recent poll shows that Israelis are ready to throw the bums out:
Continue reading "Israelis say "throw the bums out""
Judith | 03/12/07 at 03:45 PM | 1 Comments | 0 TrackBacks | Categories: Eretz Yisrael
March 07, 2007
Lovely: German Bishops Compare West Bank to Warsaw Ghetto
Of all the people in the world who ought to be careful about making insensitive remarks comparing Jews to Nazis, you think high among them would be German Catholic religious leaders. Unfortunately that is not the case.
Yad Vashem lambasted a group of visiting German Catholic bishops on Tuesday for comparing the situation in the Palestinian territories with the Holocaust, calling the contentious remarks "political exploitation and demagoguery" and a gross distortion of history.The sharp condemnation ... followed reports in the German press of comparisons made by senior German bishops between conditions in the Warsaw Ghetto during World War II and current conditions in Ramallah, resulting from Israeli military activities.
"The remarks illustrate a woeful ignorance of history and a distorted sense of perspective," Yad Vashem Chairman Avner Shalev wrote in a Tuesday letter to Cardinal Karl Lehmann, who led the Conference of German Catholic Bishops on a 10-day visit to Israel and the Palestinian territories.
Continue reading "Lovely: German Bishops Compare West Bank to Warsaw Ghetto"
Alcibiades | 03/07/07 at 02:03 AM | 5 Comments | 0 TrackBacks | Categories: Eretz Yisrael
February 27, 2007
Lawrence of Arabia Was a Zionist
Watching Peter O'Toole at the Academy Awards on Sunday night, one couldn't help but hearken back to that David Lean film classic, Lawrence of Arabia. O'Toole's T.E. Lawrence was the archetype British Arabist, but, according to historian Sir Martin Gilbert, Lawrence was in reality a staunch Zionist.
Continue reading "Lawrence of Arabia Was a Zionist"
Cinnamon | 02/27/07 at 01:14 PM | 0 Comments | 0 TrackBacks | Categories: Eretz Yisrael
February 23, 2007
Blind to Reality
You want to know why Israeli Defense Minister Amir Peretz is short sighted in his capabilities?
What, besides his complete lack of preparedness for the job of Defense Minister, might explain this?
Peretz joined the new army chief of staff, Lt. Gen. Gabi Ashkenazi, watching Wednesday's large-scale maneuvers. The pictures show the two side by side with military binoculars held up to their eyes — but Peretz's still have the lens caps in place. The photographer said Peretz raised the capped binoculars three times, nodding as Ashkenazi explained what he was "seeing."
Pathetic.
We've all done this kind of thing, but normally after realizing we are not getting any view, we figure out there is a problem. If he can't figure it out himself, was he too embarrassed to ask an aide why the binoculars weren't working for him? Or to tell someone he was given "a defective pair"?
Add whatever nuance you like to that final phrase.
UPDATE: Someone kindly added the video version to youtube.
Alcibiades | 02/23/07 at 01:06 PM | 2 Comments | 0 TrackBacks | Categories: Eretz Yisrael
February 22, 2007
Hummus
Apropos of this week's topics.... a comment found at Jewlicious:
Non-Zionists - enjoy hummus.Anti-Zionists - also enjoy hummus but can’t stop thinking - between bites - that the Zionists stole hummus from Arabs along with their land and other cultural artifacts.
Or is it the other way around?
Judith | 02/22/07 at 11:34 PM | 4 Comments | 0 TrackBacks | Categories: Eretz Yisrael
February 13, 2007
Where Are the Israelis?
Those of us who have written countless opeds and blog posts trying to push Israeli strength only to witness its continued weakness will find expression for their frustration in the words of Dr. Steve Carol: ...Where are the Israelis? Where . . . more »Cinnamon | 02/13/07 at 07:26 PM | 3 Comments | 0 TrackBacks | Categories: Eretz Yisrael
February 03, 2007
Iranian Nuclear Scientist Assassinated - Was Mossad Involved?
Stratfor had a report a few days back that I saw mentioned, which is now getting more traction, that the Mossad may have assassinated one of Iran's top nuclear scientists - showing that it is serious about preventing Iran from . . . more »Alcibiades | 02/03/07 at 10:47 PM | 0 Comments | 0 TrackBacks | Categories: Eretz Yisrael
January 28, 2007
New year at En Gedi
I am still playing around with video distribution services. This is via blip.tv. You can set it up so it automatically posts to your blog. (I found out about blip from these guys who make funky friendly tutorials on vblogging.) . . . more »Judith | 01/28/07 at 06:30 PM | 0 Comments | 0 TrackBacks | Categories: Eretz Yisrael
January 25, 2007
Israel: A Stiff Necked Country
Israel: A Stiff Necked Country That's not my opinion, by the way; rather, its my translation of Jimmy's belief that Israel was "intransigent." I guess he believed he had the God's eye view, that he shared God's perspective and God's . . . more »Alcibiades | 01/25/07 at 06:42 PM | 1 Comments | 0 TrackBacks | Categories: Eretz Yisrael
Gas station camels
While in Israel, Mary had an encounter with a camel at a gas station. I wonder if it was the same camel at the same gas station where I gassed up and bought some felafel and fruit and chocolate on . . . more »Judith | 01/25/07 at 03:27 PM | 4 Comments | 0 TrackBacks | Categories: Eretz Yisrael
January 24, 2007
More home movies from Israel
Looks like we all got burnt out on blogging at the same time...... Well, here's another home movie from Israel, of a courtyard in the Old City. (Previous video clips from my trip: Mitzpe Ramon and Akko Harbor.) var api . . . more »Judith | 01/24/07 at 11:40 PM | 1 Comments | 0 TrackBacks | Categories: Eretz Yisrael
January 17, 2007
More home movies from Israel
The other thing I like about Video Egg is that the video goes live as soon as you post the code, no waitng for it to "process" and get approved. The upload process itself takes a few minutes, but still . . . more »Judith | 01/17/07 at 03:25 PM | 2 Comments | 0 TrackBacks | Categories: Eretz Yisrael
Evening at the Akko Harbor
I'm going to put up the conference videos with Video Egg. In YouTube there is no way to make a video just available to whoever reads your blog. Either it's out there for anyone to access at YouTube, or you . . . more »Judith | 01/17/07 at 08:13 AM | 6 Comments | 0 TrackBacks | Categories: Eretz Yisrael
January 11, 2007
14 Members of the Carter Center Resign
From the letter sent by 14 members of the Carter Center announcing their resignation, now published in the WSJ: The facts in dealing with the conflict are these: There are two national narratives contesting one piece of land. The Israelis, . . . more »Alcibiades | 01/11/07 at 11:35 AM | 3 Comments | 1 TrackBacks | Categories: Eretz Yisrael
January 08, 2007
Portrait of the blogger as a jaded grad student
A nicotine-deprived Benjamin Kerstein (infrequent Kesher Talk co-blogger) in the Aroma in Beersheva, catering to my allergy to cigarette smoke. We had one of those college dorm-type bull sessions, mostly about different flavors of Zionism (Ben's specialty). I wish I . . . more »Judith | 01/08/07 at 02:18 PM | 2 Comments | 0 TrackBacks | Categories: Eretz Yisrael
January 07, 2007
Teddy Kolleck and James Jesus Angleton
Two fascinating stories about the relationship between Teddy Kolleck, former mayor of Jerusalem, who recently passed away aged 95 and James Jesus Angleton. Teddy Kolleck was apparently instrumental in establishing close ties between Israel and the US, and one way . . . more »Alcibiades | 01/07/07 at 01:31 AM | 1 Comments | 0 TrackBacks | Categories: Eretz Yisrael
January 04, 2007
The Guest Thing That Wouldn't Leave
So ..... I'm still in Israel. In our last exciting episode I was hanging at the airport waiting for our plane to be fixed. (In the previous episodes I was barnstorming all over the country fitting in my roadtripping before . . . more »Judith | 01/04/07 at 05:27 PM | 10 Comments | 0 TrackBacks | Categories: Eretz Yisrael
January 03, 2007
Blogging in Ben Gurion Airport at 5 AM
Yes, this is my valiant 5-yr-old Powerbook, which made a comeback after the conference was over. Okay, time to check in . . . . . . . more »Judith | 01/03/07 at 09:54 PM | 1 Comments | 0 TrackBacks | Categories: Eretz Yisrael
Twilight in Akko
This afternoon I drove up to Akko. Since the sun sets so early, by 4 PM twilight was already spreading, and the minaret neons came on. . . . . . . more »Judith | 01/03/07 at 08:03 PM | 1 Comments | 0 TrackBacks | Categories: Eretz Yisrael
January 02, 2007
Signs of life outside of internet
[ UPDATE: A few visuals added. ] Apologies if you posted a comment and it didn't get published for 24 hours. I was away from an internet connection for over a day and was not able to release a few . . . more »Judith | 01/02/07 at 04:40 PM | 3 Comments | 0 TrackBacks | Categories: Eretz Yisrael
December 28, 2006
Hizbullah paying Gazans for Kassam Attacks on Israel
Saddam's successor as an enabler of terror in Gaza has arrived - and its Hizbullah: Hizbullah is paying Palestinian splinter groups "thousands of dollars" for each Kassam rocket fired at the western Negev, The Jerusalem Post has learned. According to . . . more »Alcibiades | 12/28/06 at 01:54 AM | 0 Comments | 0 TrackBacks | Categories: Eretz Yisrael
December 27, 2006
Sheleg
It's snowing in Jerusalem right now. Huge wet flakes. I am sitting in Cuppa Joe, my wifi spot of choice, uploading stuff from the conference which will be online soon. But I had to stop to take pictures of the . . . more »Judith | 12/27/06 at 09:29 AM | 1 Comments | 0 TrackBacks | Categories: Eretz Yisrael
December 25, 2006
Fantastic Discussion in the Comments
Following from the recent conference in Israel on Israel and media, there is a fantastic conversation going on in the comments on a post by Liza, particularly between Richard Landes and Don Radlauer on the problem of Israel and Israel's . . . more »Alcibiades | 12/25/06 at 09:12 PM | 1 Comments | 0 TrackBacks | Categories: Eretz Yisrael
December 24, 2006
Land of the Fresh-Squeezed Juice
Latest in the Laptop Saga: I wanted to upload some stuff I had backed up on a CD and brought with me. Richard's spare laptop doesn't swallow CDs for some reason. So I thought maybe I could fire up my . . . more »Judith | 12/24/06 at 01:56 PM | 3 Comments | 0 TrackBacks | Categories: Eretz Yisrael
December 23, 2006
Shabbat music Saturday: Shabbat menucha
Laura Wetzler sings about the day of rest. An old Sephardic melody - you can hear the flamenco influence. I didn't go to the kotel for Shabbat after all. It was raining. I hate rain anyway and standing outside for . . . more »Judith | 12/23/06 at 11:44 PM | 4 Comments | 0 TrackBacks | Categories: Eretz Yisrael
December 22, 2006
Carter Criticism Roundup
Sneaking in a last post just before Shabbat begins - and wah! the computer just ate is - now I'm really crunching it to reproduce the links: For those of you from a more liberal political persuasion, Professor Mel Konner's . . . more »Alcibiades | 12/22/06 at 04:11 PM | 9 Comments | 0 TrackBacks | Categories: Eretz Yisrael
December 16, 2006
The UN General Assembly to the Rescue
Just so that you know, no problem is too small for the UN when it is about Israel, from the Jerusalem Post we learn that the UN is planning to open an office to register Palestinian claims for damage stemming . . . more »Alcibiades | 12/16/06 at 10:15 PM | 3 Comments | 0 TrackBacks | Categories: Eretz Yisrael
November 30, 2006
Carter on the Jews
In an intriguing article on Jimmy Carter, we learn some more details about Carter's early political history with Jewish Democrats during his Presidential run and his Presidency, including this gem. In Dangerous Liaison: The Inside Story of the U.S.-Israeli Covert . . . more »Alcibiades | 11/30/06 at 10:27 PM | 10 Comments | 0 TrackBacks | Categories: Eretz Yisrael
November 29, 2006
The Bathsheba Deadline: Fiction Straight Out of the Headlines
Political junkies looking for fiction straight out of the headlines should definitely consider gravitating towards Jack Engelhard's serial novel "The Bathsheba Deadline." It's an "Amazon Shorts" novel, which means it's published in installments and touches on real life events as . . . more »Cinnamon | 11/29/06 at 12:01 AM | 0 Comments | 0 TrackBacks | Categories: Eretz Yisrael
November 28, 2006
Mideast "Peace Process" Makes for Surreal Headlines
In the surreal world of Mideast "peace processes," in which the media plays along with the charade that there are actually two sides involved, surreal headlines tend to come with the territory. Here's a recent few that come to mind: . . . more »Cinnamon | 11/28/06 at 03:02 PM | 0 Comments | 0 TrackBacks | Categories: Eretz Yisrael
November 09, 2006
Jerusalem Gay Parade Now a Closeted Event
Due to the threat of terrorism in Israel, as fallout from the unfortunate death from shelling of 19 civilians in Beit Hanoun in Gaza, the Jerusalem parade will now take place as a closeted event at the stadium at the . . .
more »Alcibiades | 11/09/06 at 10:20 AM | 4 Comments | 0 TrackBacks | Categories: Eretz Yisrael
November 04, 2006
Vanity Fair's Sickening Puff Piece on Haniyeh
In recent years, I've read more romanticized profiles of terrorist leaders in the mainstream media than I'd care to admit. But Vanity Fair's sickening puff piece on Palestinian prime minister and Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh takes the cake. Authored by . . . more »Cinnamon | 11/04/06 at 02:32 PM | 4 Comments | 2 TrackBacks | Categories: Eretz Yisrael
October 27, 2006
Israel's Big Brother?
Judith has asked me to comment on the phenomeon of Israel Academia Monitor, a website which seeks to collate and expose various anti-, post-, etc-Zionist statements of various Israeli academics. As a student at an Israeli university this is an . . . more »Benjamin | 10/27/06 at 07:50 AM | 1 Comments | 0 TrackBacks | Categories: Eretz Yisrael
October 26, 2006
Those Industrious Palestinians At It Again
Amongst those seduced by the Palestinian "cause," there is much lamenting over the perceived absence of statehood. But what's lost admidst all the handwringing is that a de facto Palestinian state already exists. And as predicted by many an observer, . . . more »Cinnamon | 10/26/06 at 01:25 AM | 13 Comments | 1 TrackBacks | Categories: Eretz Yisrael
October 23, 2006
New issue of Azure
Azure - the always-interesting Israei policy journal - has a new issue out much of which you can read for free online. Some highlights: A book review by Kesher Talk's own occasional contributor Benjamin Kerstein. (More here.) Uriyah Shavit claims . . . more »Judith | 10/23/06 at 09:35 AM | 1 Comments | 0 TrackBacks | Categories: Eretz Yisrael
October 19, 2006
Fauxtography Rules!
[With UPDATES at the bottom] Apparently it does in France where news suppression and journalism as propaganda has just won a victory. In appalling news from unfree France, on the first of the Al Dura trials currently ongoing in France, . . . more »Alcibiades | 10/19/06 at 11:50 AM | 6 Comments | 1 TrackBacks | Categories: Eretz Yisrael
October 17, 2006
More Objective Reporting From Reuters
On Tuesday, a Reuters cameraman, working in the West Bank, was remanded into custody by the Judea-area military court. What were the charges, you ask? Nothing special. Just the usual kind of objective methodology we've now grown accustomed to seeing . . . more »Alcibiades | 10/17/06 at 03:57 PM | 2 Comments | 1 TrackBacks | Categories: Eretz Yisrael
October 16, 2006
BBC - The News Suppression Corporation
Not only is the BBC biased against Israel, which one can observe simply by watching it. But now it turns out, the BBC is going to court, using public funds supplied to them by the execrable license act (of which . . . more »Alcibiades | 10/16/06 at 11:14 AM | 5 Comments | 2 TrackBacks | Categories: Eretz Yisrael
Happy September 11th
I was googling for images of Jerusalem in the rain for the Geshem post, and chanced upon a Flickr set from a trip to Israel last year. The tourist came upon this in the door of a shop in Jerusalem: . . . more »Judith | 10/16/06 at 01:00 AM | 0 Comments | 0 TrackBacks | Categories: Eretz Yisrael
October 10, 2006
Where is the Second Temple Treasure Hidden?
In Rome or in the West Bank? Or is it already destroyed? For centuries, Jews have believed that the ancient treasure of the Second Temple, taken to Rome in the first century CE, stayed in Rome, and that some of . . . more »Alcibiades | 10/10/06 at 12:28 AM | 7 Comments | 0 TrackBacks | Categories: Eretz Yisrael
September 22, 2006
Where Exactly is the Line, Lisa?
We were remiss yesterday not to cover news of Columbia's invitation to Ahmadinejad to speak at the University at its World Leaders Forum. Eliana Johnon at the NYSun - still my favorite paper, even though for the last 3 weeks . . . more »Alcibiades | 09/22/06 at 10:49 AM | 0 Comments | 1 TrackBacks | Categories: Eretz Yisrael
September 10, 2006
Minhag Anglia
Melanie Phillips, in one of her bravura pieces, calls British Jewry to task for failing to make a peep while Israel was culmniated left, right and center, during the recent War in Lebanon. Nary a peep from the Jews, which . . . more »Alcibiades | 09/10/06 at 03:23 PM | 1 Comments | 0 TrackBacks | Categories: Eretz Yisrael
August 28, 2006
Rule of the Mediocre?
Eitan Haber, a former confidant and advisor of Yitzhak Rabin, has written a scathing article at YNet excoriating Israel's leadership for its wartime failures and blasting Israeli society in general. Some of the article is clearly partisan nonsense, but Haber . . . more »Benjamin | 08/28/06 at 05:08 AM | 2 Comments | 0 TrackBacks | Categories: Eretz Yisrael
August 25, 2006
Deconstructing Peace Now
The excellent writer and blogger Michael Totten, whom I consider a personal friend, is currently writing from Tel Aviv. His latest post narrates his meeting with two Peace Now activists from Kibbutz Shomrat. What they have to say is, to . . . more »Benjamin | 08/25/06 at 06:43 AM | 4 Comments | 0 TrackBacks | Categories: Eretz Yisrael
August 17, 2006
The State of the Israeli State
So Syria is planning to start its own Hizbullah now: On the heels of what it views as a Hizbullah victory against the Jewish state, Syria is forming its own Hizbullah-like guerilla organization to fight Israel in hopes of "liberating" . . . more »Alcibiades | 08/17/06 at 11:33 AM | 8 Comments | 1 TrackBacks | Categories: Eretz Yisrael
August 11, 2006
Olmert: Fortune's Fool and His Own
[Judith: How many green lights is this now? ] Ari Shavit on Olmert: Ehud Olmert may decide to accept the French proposal for a cease-fire and unconditional surrender to Hezbollah. That is his privilege. Olmert is a prime minister whom . . . more »Alcibiades | 08/11/06 at 10:46 AM | 24 Comments | 0 TrackBacks | Categories: Eretz Yisrael
July 19, 2006
Richard Cohen fisking now has links
[ UPDATE: Tony Judt says Israel "needs to grow up." (I guess this is another way of saying "hunker down.") The comments are better than you would expect. ] If you haven't checked back at my fisking of Richard Cohen's . . . more »Judith | 07/19/06 at 12:12 AM | 3 Comments | 1 TrackBacks | Categories: Eretz Yisrael
June 28, 2006
Flyover Country
Israel Air Force performed a flyover above Assad's palace in Syria while Assad was at the site. The planes swooped low over the summer residence of Assad, on Syria's Mediteranean coast. Khaled Meshaal, the head of Hamas, lives in . . . more »Alcibiades | 06/28/06 at 04:35 PM | 0 Comments | 1 TrackBacks | Categories: Eretz Yisrael
June 27, 2006
The Israel Air Force has just blown up two bridges in Gaza
[ Vital Perspective and Carl in Jerusalem are live-blogging. ] Carl:For those who have not been through this before, the surest sign that Israel is winning in Gaza will be if the UN Security Council convenes to try to stop . . . more »Alcibiades | 06/27/06 at 07:04 PM | 0 Comments | 3 TrackBacks | Categories: Eretz Yisrael
June 26, 2006
Israel and blogs
Have blogs influenced your opinions on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict? Aussie Dave wants to know. He has a poll you can take, and also leave your comments. I wouldn't say my positions on this issue have changed, but I constantly get . . . more »Judith | 06/26/06 at 12:09 AM | 2 Comments | 0 TrackBacks | Categories: Eretz Yisrael
June 24, 2006
Follow the Leader
The Episcopalian Church follows the Presbyterians on renouncing anti-Israel rhetoric. The US Episcopal Church has taken a significant pro-Israel turn at its triennial General Convention, joining the Presbyterians in abandoning pro-Palestinian rhetoric and adopting a resolution repudiating anti-Jewish interpretations of . . . more »Alcibiades | 06/24/06 at 10:24 PM | 0 Comments | 0 TrackBacks | Categories: Eretz Yisrael
May 17, 2006
Connection to Israel Suddenly Undesirable?
Josh Gerstein, a star story breaker at the New York Sun, is reporting this morning that there appears to be a pattern involving revoking the security clearances of people who need Defense Department security clearances and have a strong connection . . . more »Alcibiades | 05/17/06 at 08:24 AM | 0 Comments | 0 TrackBacks | Categories: Eretz Yisrael
May 12, 2006
A nation among nations
Bookworm says: I'd always assumed that the Balfour Declaration, the UN recognition of Israel in 1948, and Israel's multiple military victories against the Arab nations were the sole basis (and a pretty damn strong basis, too), for her right to . . . more »Judith | 05/12/06 at 12:09 PM | 1 Comments | 0 TrackBacks | Categories: Eretz Yisrael
May 10, 2006
Sign the Petition to Help Eradicate Human Trafficking in Israel
Here's the text of the petition to create legislation to end human trafficking in Israel. Please take the time to read and sign it. Human trafficking is a stain on Israel's reputation and a threat to its security and moral . . . more »Alcibiades | 05/10/06 at 11:53 AM | 4 Comments | 0 TrackBacks | Categories: Eretz Yisrael
May 08, 2006
Le Plus Ca Change...
Le Plus C'est La Meme Chose Britain opens up its National wartime archives to disclose historical proof of the presence of Nazi S.S. agents in Mandatory Palestine, working closely with Palestinian leaders. Historical documents in Britain’s National Archives in London . . . more »Alcibiades | 05/08/06 at 06:04 PM | 0 Comments | 0 TrackBacks | Categories: Eretz Yisrael
May 07, 2006
Hamas Plotting to Kill Abbas?
The London Times is reporting that Israel foiled a Hamas plot to kill Abbas and Mohammed Dahlan in Gaza, by tipping him off ahead of time. A HAMAS plot to assassinate Mahmoud Abbas, the Palestinian president, has been thwarted after . . . more »Alcibiades | 05/07/06 at 12:37 AM | 2 Comments | 1 TrackBacks | Categories: Eretz Yisrael
April 27, 2006
Europe Now in Striking Distance of Iran
Will Europe keeping yawning about the Iranian threat now that they are in striking distance of the mad mullahs? Iran procures missiles capable of hitting Europe Iran has purchased ground-to-ground missiles from North Korea with a range of 2,500 kilometers, . . . more »Alcibiades | 04/27/06 at 09:49 AM | 0 Comments | 0 TrackBacks | Categories: Eretz Yisrael
April 24, 2006
In Some Systems...
"Beam Us Up" is a synonym for Aliyah. One of the things missed by not spending Passover in Israel was a huge fantasy fest - sponsored by The Israeli Society for Science Fiction and Fantasy, Starbase 972, The Israeli Tolkien . . . more »Alcibiades | 04/24/06 at 12:21 PM | 0 Comments | 1 TrackBacks | Categories: Eretz Yisrael
April 16, 2006
Go Lord Carey, Go!
There is a move by other Anglican bishops to quell former Archbishop of Canterbury Lord Carey's "disloyalty" to Rowan Williams, the current Archbishop. Among other things, Lord Carey announced to the world he was ashamed to be an Anglican after . . . more »Alcibiades | 04/16/06 at 12:05 PM | 0 Comments | 0 TrackBacks | Categories: Eretz Yisrael
April 15, 2006
Pollard for Barghouti?
[ UPDATE: Or perhaps not. The US is now denying the report of the Pollard-Barghouti prison release deal. Most likely a proactive leak, to put out feelers. In any case, "US embassy spokesman Stewart Tuttle called the report "ridiculous speculation." . . . more »Alcibiades | 04/15/06 at 10:53 PM | 1 Comments | 0 TrackBacks | Categories: Eretz Yisrael
April 09, 2006
The Next Generation of Weapons
Check out this new, ultra modernistic, RPG repeller from Israel, named Trophy. To be tested by American troops in Iraq. . . . more »Alcibiades | 04/09/06 at 10:10 AM | 0 Comments | 0 TrackBacks | Categories: Eretz Yisrael
April 05, 2006
Iran's Borderline Provocations
Michael Ledeen points out that British newspapers are now publishing the news that Iran has set up terror camps to target the troops in Iraq. A NETWORK of terror camps has been set up in Iran to train insurgents to . . . more »Alcibiades | 04/05/06 at 11:03 AM | 1 Comments | 0 TrackBacks | Categories: Eretz Yisrael
Does catastrophe in the making sum it up?
"We are a little surprised by the possibility Peretz will become the next defense minister," said one defense official. "The Defense Ministry is a complex establishment and it requires someone who understands the way things work. Appointing Peretz would mean . . . more »Alcibiades | 04/05/06 at 09:02 AM | 0 Comments | 0 TrackBacks | Categories: Eretz Yisrael
April 01, 2006
Double Strikeout
Unfortunately, the relative weakness of Kadima in the current election showing has forced the following situation. Which is worse? For the Israeli Finance or the Defense Portfolio to fall into the hands of Labor? I think its equal opportunity horribility. . . . more »Alcibiades | 04/01/06 at 08:37 AM | 1 Comments | 0 TrackBacks | Categories: Eretz Yisrael
March 29, 2006
Bush: No US Aid for Hamas led PA
"I weep for the Palestinians' suffering," Bush said in a speech. "They've been ruled for years by a disappointing government, but we can't fund a nation that seeks to destroy its neighbor." Bush apparently isn't the only one. Earlier Wednesday, . . . more »Alcibiades | 03/29/06 at 07:53 PM | 0 Comments | 0 TrackBacks | Categories: Eretz Yisrael
Whither Israel: Back Into the Red?
The big question arising from the results of the Israeli election is why the Israeli electorate "punished" Bibi Netanyahu by only giving Likud 11 seats. The most compelling answer is that Bibi was the person most identifiable as being to . . . more »Alcibiades | 03/29/06 at 11:47 AM | 1 Comments | 0 TrackBacks | Categories: Eretz Yisrael