Interesting !
The Israeli driver pays 60% tax on the Gasoline he pumps into his car !... And the " Gringo " driver pays only 25% !
But, they do the same Mileage ! How come ?
Alex News
Apr 30, 2011
Interesting !
Interesting !
The Israeli driver pays 60% tax on the Gasoline he pumps into his car !... And the " Gringo " driver pays only 25% !
But, they do the same Mileage ! How come ?
Read my lips !
Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon says he hopes Palestinian factions' reconciliation will 'promote security, non-violence and peace' ( That's the place where the shit is ! )
This is not an agreement ! This is a HUDNA!
And it will cost thousands of Palestinian lives !
( Of their own making ! ) Read - http://goo.gl/8xe0M
Apr 29, 2011
Apr 28, 2011
Arafat is still alive !
Yasser Arafat, the late leader of the Palestinian Authority, PLO, and Fatah, said in a May 10, 1996 speech in Stockholm, Sweeden:"We plan to eliminate the State of Israel and establish a purely Palestinian state. We will make life unbearable for Jews by psychological warfare and population explosion... We Palestinians will take over everything, including all of Jerusalem."
The light at the end of the tunnel !
Dr. Mahmoud a - Zahar
Hamas makes clear:''We will not recognize Israel and conduct negotiations with''
By Nir Yahav, wrote on Arab affairs, Walla! News
Thursday, 28 April 2011, 8:22
Hamas leader in Gaza, Mahmoud a - Zahar, explains that although his organization signed the reconciliation agreement with Fatah, Hamas had no intention to change its attitude to Israel: "Interim Government will not take part in the political process"Hamas leader in Gaza, Dr. Mahmoud a - Zahar, stated that internal reconciliation agreement - Palestinian, initialed yesterday signed between Fatah and Hamas, "does not include negotiations between Israel and the Palestinians and does not require Hamas to recognize Israel. He said that transitional government could not take part in the political process with Israel. Also revealed a - Zahar that heads the Palestinian factions will participate in signing a formal reconciliation agreement in Cairo. In addition to independent personalities will participate in Palestinian members of parliament.In response to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, according to which the Palestinian Authority to choose if it wants peace with Hamas or with Israel, said this morning (Thursday) Nabil Abu Rodyina, a spokesman for Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas that Israel is not party to the agreement between Hamas and Fatah reconciliation and has nothing to do with him. "PLO as the only body representing the Palestinian people committed to the peace process and see the reconciliation agreement only strengthen this position. on Netanyahu to choose between settlements and a just and comprehensive peace with the Palestinian people united," he added. He said reconciliation agreement put an end to Israeli excuses that the split face - Palestinian prevents them fulfill commitments of the peace process.Palestinian Prime Minister Salam Fayyad, also welcomed the agreement and expressed the hope that it will help in restoring unity to the homeland and the establishment of a Palestinian state whose capital is Jerusalem.Sale of the PLO, Hanan Ashrawi, also attacked the Prime Minister Netanyahu said that "continuing to use well-known tactics to avoid commitments to peace. He saw always split face - Palestinian excuse for failure of the peace process. What he wants is to only deepen the rift and not vice versa.
Abu Mazen ! Make up you mind !
Published: April 28, 2011
Petty power struggles and shifting sands:
Hamas and Fatah reunite
Hamas and Fatah reunite
Author
Mat Hardy Lecturer in Middle East Studies at Deakin UniversityWill an agreement between Fatah and Hamas lead to peace with Israel? AAP
The idea of Hamas and Fatah burying the hatchet and uniting in their struggle for Palestinian self-determination will generate many reactions amongst their people, their neighbours and those concerned with the region.
There will be feelings of relief, feelings of concern, dreams of freedom and for many, a rather jaded scepticism. If there is one thing that everyone has learnt over more than a century of negotiation and deal-making over Palestine it’s that while agreements can be made, the devil is always in the detail.
And nowhere is that more frequently demonstrated than amongst the Palestinians themselves. The self-defeating bickering between the Judean People’s Front and the People’s Front of Judea so aptly portrayed in The Life of Brian still resonates over 30 years later.
At this stage announcements of the pact haven’t been very specific and it remains to be seen what exactly the respective factions will be signing up to when we get round to the photo opportunity of fountain pens, handshakes and smiles.
It will be fascinating to see just how they divvy-up the roles and titles within the planned interim government and define security responsibilities.
The cynics will naturally be waiting for the first stumbling block and whether it makes one side or the other pick up its ball and go home.
In the short term, the continued division along geographic lines is likely, with Hamas responsible for Gaza and Fatah remaining in the West Bank. If this is the case, it is hard to see what exactly will be different from the status quo, except of course for public pledges not to oppose each other.
Sadly inevitable though will be what the next cycle of violence (and there will be one) will mean to the agreement. The hotheads in Hamas and its splinters are unlikely to cease their back shed rocket programs. Even when Hamas is not the perpetrator, they still bear the liability for the acts of violence that originate on their turf. Will this burden now be willingly and collectively borne by the West Bank Palestinians?
The promise of elections to come is welcome and a necessary response to the intractability both sides have shown over the last four years in boycotting each others’ attempts to organise voting. The question remains though whether either Hamas or Fatah would relinquish a share of power if they were defeated at the ballot box.
For the Israelis it will be business as usual.
Understandably, they cannot do business with Hamas, which continues to be involved in a violent campaign against the Jewish state. Legitimisation of Hamas through their return to the fold just means that Israel will have further cause to stymie progress with the Palestinians under the mantra of not negotiating with terrorists.
Prime Minister Netanyahu has repeatedly made this plain. Whether the Palestinians are divided or united, Netanyahu’s shaky coalition has no political capital to gain in dealing with Hamas.
For the impoverished and embattled residents of Gaza the new agreement will hardly herald great changes. Most of them just want a job and the ability to travel to it without waiting for hours at roadblocks.
They want their kids to be able to go off to school in the morning and be fairly certain of getting home safely that afternoon. They want decent civil infrastructure that doesn’t get blasted to bits on a regular basis or never built in the first place because the money has been siphoned off by corrupt toadies of the ancien régime.
In short, whilst they might appreciate the distinctions between the Judean People’s Front and the People’s Front of Judea, their basic human needs outweigh the petty power struggles and the shifting sand of agreements and allegiances.
These merely serve to propagate the divisions and delay any rapprochement with the one party that can really make a difference to their lives: Israel.
Ask a Bedouin - What is a Palestinian?...
Attack on Egyptian pipeline leaves Israel and Jordan's energy supply at risk
on Wednesday, April 27, 2011
The recent spate of uprisings that swept throughout the Middle East and North Africa resulted in the overthrow of the Egyptian and Tunisian governments. As Egypt moves to shift its political model from autocratic rule to a democracy, it faces a myriad of challenges. On Wednesday, a bomb detonated on a natural gas pipeline, halting the supplies from reaching electric power plants in Israel and Jordan.
The Wall Street Journal reports the supply chain disruption is the second such event in the last three months in the North African country. The explosion occurred during the early morning hours on Wednesday when five masked gunmen attacked a measuring station located about one mile outside of the Sinai town of El Arish.
Though no one was injured during the attacks, the effects of the blast are far-reaching, according to analysts. While no group has claimed responsibility as of yet, suspicions are largely aimed at Bedouins, a sect that has been battling Egyptian security forces for several years in the region.
With the Egypitian government struggling to transition to a democratic model, the attack spurred concerns that the country's security forces might be ill-equipped to protect infrastructure - especially pipelines that are so critical to Israel and Jordan's power supply. The early February explosion of a pipeline resulted in supply interruptions to the country's border nations for 38 days. The pipe that was attacked on Wednesday supplies nearly 25 percent of Israel's electricity network.
Israel, which is known for its expansive security apparatus and military, has beefed up security on the border between the countries, and following the February attacks it allowed Egypt to deploy additional personnel to protect its interests in Sinai.
In Israel, the country's citizens are criticizing the supply agreement with Egypt that was struck in 2005 and annexed to the peace treaty between the countries that has endured for the past 32 years. According to critics, the supply chain leaves Israel vulnerable to similar attacks and could potentially affect its economic output if further cuts in electricity occur.
"The Egyptian administration has a clear interest in a clear policy in providing the gas. And only the Egyptian regime can resolve the matter," Israel's director of the defense ministry's political security staff, Amos Gilad, said in an interview with Israel Radio. "The sabotage is not directed against Israel, but has to do with problems relating to law enforcement in Sinai."
A cutoff like the one that happened on Wednesday forces Israel and Jordan to rely on alternative, more expensive energy sources, including coal and diesel fuel to fuel their power plants.
Nonetheless, the latest attack won't cut off Israel's electric supply, according to the country's national infrastructure minister, Uzi Landau.
See also :- http://alexander-munch.blogspot.com/2011/02/gas-jews-or-burn-them-whatever.html
Apr 27, 2011
Open Letter to Anderson Cooper of CNN
Open Letter to Anderson Cooper of CNN
THE MAINSTREAM MEDIA’S SHAMEFUL CHARADE
April 26, 2011
So, it was a fucking HUDNA ?
Tweet
Subject: Pew Poll of Egyptians:
54%:36% Annul treaty with Israel,
62% Strict Moslem law state,
75%:20% like Moslem Brotherhood
Q3a Please tell me if you have a very favorable, somewhat favorable,
somewhat unfavorable or very unfavorable opinion of:
t. The Muslim Brotherhood
37 Very favorable
38 Somewhat favorable
13 Somewhat unfavorable
07 Very unfavorable
05 DK/Refused
Q47x Which of the following three statements comes closer to your view?
62 Laws should strictly follow the teachings of the Quran
27 Laws should follow the values and principles of Islam but not strictly
follow the teachings of the Quran
05 Laws should not be influenced by the teachings of the Quran
05 DK/Refused
QEGY7 Do you think Egypt should maintain its peace treaty with Israel or do
you think Egypt should annul its peace treaty with Israel?
Maintain treaty 36Annul treaty 54
DK/Refused 10
Americans on Muslims
The Gallup World Religion Survey, just out, shows some disturbing attitudes towards Muslims amongst Americans.
- Americans express more prejudice toward Muslims than any other faith group. Almost a third say they harbor "some" or "a great deal" of prejudice against Muslims.
- Ironically, those who say they are prejudiced against Jews are the most likely to be prejudiced against Muslims.
- Only about a third of Americans claim to have at least "some" knowledge about Islam, but more than half (53%) say they are at least "somewhat" unfavorable to it.
- Fewer than half of Americans (47%) say they know even one Muslim, but it doesn't seem to make any difference on their attitudes toward "Muslims" in general.
The one thing that seems to affect people's attitudes toward Muslims the most is whether or not they themselves attend religious services frequently. Those who attend more than once a week are less likely to be prejudiced against Muslims.All of this matters to anyone who believes in the power of person-to-person diplomacy. Prejudice against Muslims risks alienating the five to eight million Muslims in the U.S. who are potential partners in the fight against Islamic extremists. It also feeds the victim narrative that extremists use so effectively against us.
February 15, 2011
Americans Split on Whether Egypt Will Spur Democracy
No consensus on whether events will help promote peace, aid U.S. anti-terror efforts
PRINCETON, NJ -- Americans are about evenly divided, 47% to 44%, in their views of whether the recent events in Egypt will result in democracy taking hold in other Middle Eastern countries.
These results are based on a USA Today/Gallup poll conducted Feb. 14, just days after Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak resigned in response to weeks of anti-government protests in that country. Egypt is now under temporary military rule while its constitution is being revised, with democratic elections expected later this year.
Protests have spread across other Middle Eastern and North African countries after the protests in Egypt and Tunisia that succeeded in toppling those countries' governments. Whether the protests in other countries will achieve results as dramatic or will ultimately lead to democracy in those nations -- including Egypt and Tunisia -- remains to be seen. But Americans are about as likely to say democracy will take in hold in some countries in the region as to say it will not.
Democrats (53%) are more likely than independents (46%) or Republicans (39%) to believe democracy will take root in other Middle Eastern countries after the events in Egypt.
The poll also finds Americans more likely to believe the changes in Egypt will increase (37%) rather than decrease (22%) the chances for enduring peace in the broader Middle East region. But 28% do not believe the events in Egypt will make a difference; the remaining 14% have no opinion. Democrats are also more optimistic in this regard than are independents or Republicans.
Although Mubarak's regime was autocratic, under his rule the country was an ally of the United States and generally cooperated with U.S. anti-terrorism efforts. Now, with the future governance of Egypt uncertain, it is unclear what impact the changes will have on the war on terror, particularly given fears that terrorist groups may try to seize on the instability in the country to expand their strength and influence.
Read the rest HERE
What Egyptian Women (and Men) Want
Richard Silverstein is a Photogapher!...
Richard Silverstein
This week, the Seattle FBI announced the arrest of Richard Silverstein, 59, for filming, "Young children at the beach that clearly focused on the children's genitals and pubic area as they were changing on the beach or in bathroom stalls. Most of the images portrayed children under 6 years of age."The Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force (ICAC), a group of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies working jointly to combat child exploitation, learned of Silverstein's videotaping of children when Broward Sheriff's Deputies noticed Silverstein videotaping children near the public bathing area at the beach last March.Even if it will turn out to be a hoax, I still love the story !
Richard Silverstein, a Seattle based Jew and self-described “Jewish progressive”, is a regular contributor to ‘Comment is Free’ and the Huffington Post and runs a blog entitled Tikkun Olam. Tikkun Olam means “repairing the world” and as observed by one of Silverstein’s critics “the motto of the site is “make the world a better place“, but unfortunately, his image of a “better place” is more in line with Norman Finkelstein’s vision rather than Anne Frank’s.”
Though Silverstein repeatedly claims to be a Zionist, his writings feature unrelenting attacks on the Jewish state with a wanton disregard for any facts that repudiate his so-called “progressive” views on the conflict. Silverstein openly supports the likes of Norman Finkelstein and Walt and Mearsheimer, minimalizes and, at some times, justifies violence perpetrated by Hamas, vilifies the Israeli right wing and IDF to the point of demonization and supports a version of the one-state solution including the renunciation of the right of return of diaspora Jewry.
Affectionately referred to as “Little Dickie” and “KapoDickie” by his detractors, Silverstein has been embroiled in ongoing spats with several bloggers and websites including The Shield of Achilles, Justin White, Kapodickie- an Adventure in Jewish self-hatred , Aussie Dave , CK , Masada2000 as well as the now defunct (and vulgar) Little Dickie’s Diaper Droppings. He also shoots himself in the foot with Daniel Pipes and is accused of making false allegations about Campus Watch and CAMERA.
Bringing Silverstein further in disrepute, he was recently found by the California Court of Appeals to have libeled Rachel Neuwirth for calling her a “Kahanist swine”.
Commenting upon the Mumbai terror attacks on ‘Comment is Free’, Silverstein outdid even himself by openly denying the antisemitic nature of the gruesome murder of Rabbi Holtzberg and his wife taking the claim of the single surviving terrorist at face value by making the following statement:
“Pakistani militants have been known to select prominent foreign targets within Pakistan, as the Mumbai terrorists did last week. But few, if any, Pakistani militants have been known until now specifically to target Israelis. I say, Israelis rather than Jews because the single surviving terrorist noted that they chose Chabad House to avenge the suffering of the Palestinians. Therefore, the attack was anti-Israeli, though not necessarily antisemitic.”
Rightly so, Silverstein was ridiculed here and here for such utter nonsense. And for further rebuking of more Silverstein nonsense click here.
Below is a selection of statements made by Richard Silverstein “in his own words”:
“I would urge you to e mail Attorney General Eric Holder and tell him you don’t find Tariq Ramadan a danger to this country and that you welcome hearing what he has to say here.” Federal Court Overturns Ruling Barring Ramadan from the U.S. Tikkun Olam blog July 17, 2009
“Blumenthal’s critics claim that he has an anti-Israel ulterior motive in featuring the lowest common denominator in Israeli society. They seem to believe that most Israelis are nice, white liberals like they are and wish the videographer would reflect back themselves in the mirror he holds up to Israeli society. The only problem is that those he interviews ARE entirely representative of the the Israeli Jewish “street.” Public opinion surveys validate these racist attitudes within Israeli society.” Feel the Hate in Tel Aviv: New Blumenthal Video Tikkun Olam blog July 13, 2009
“Now to return to one of the more problematic aspects of the issue of Israel as a Jewish state. If Israel is a Jewish state, then it is not a democratic state. It is an ethnocratic state. That is, a state with a hierarchy of rights with Jews at the top and Muslims at the bottom.
This is not to say that Israel, in an ideal articulation, could not be a state in which its Jewish citizens see it as a Jewish homeland while its Arab or Muslim citizens see it as their respective ethnic homeland as well. To concede this is not to concede that Jews will lose recognition of any of their Jewishness within this reframed state. Instead, what will happen is the re-envisioned state will expand its conception to embrace all its citizens and their respective religions and ethnicities.” Abbas demands Israel recognize Palestine as a Muslim state Tikkun Olam blog June 16, 2009
“I hope that Ethan Bronner reads this column before he next writes the word ‘Hamas’ in one of his reports, which he inevitably follows with the qualifier, “which advocates the destruction of Israel.” This is a simplistic and dismissive assessment which isn’t worthy of the pages of a serious newspaper.” Khaled Meshal: Hamas Accepts ‘Palestinian State Based on 1967 Borders’ Tikkun Olam blog April 13, 2009
“To call Hamas “Nazi-like” is truly worthy of Morris or other rightist ideologues like Daniel Pipes or Bibi Netanyahu. Yet she trumpets her “leftist” credentials as if this excuses her Islamophobia.
Further, Hamas is a “death-loving fanatic” while Lieberman is–what? A minor irritation and annoyance? This is beyond pathetic.” Noa Does a ‘Benny Morris’, Calls Hamas ‘Nazi-Like’ Tikkun Olam blog, March 7, 2009
“I call Seven Children a meditation because to call it a play is misleading. It’s not a linear narrative with defined characters. It’s a series of thoughts, slogans and ideas thrown up against each other. There is dissonance, there is anger, there is heedlessness, there is hatred, there is love. And contrary to Goldberg’s head-exploding claim that this is a blood libel, nothing could be farther from the truth.” Jeffrey Goldberg’s Head Explodes…Again, Over Caryl Churchill’s Gaza Play Tikun Olam blog, February 19, 2009
“It is ACCURATE to say that Hamas is not corrupt and Fatah is. Do please provide a single ounce of evidence that Hamas is corrupt. Then we’ll know the truth. If you can provide no evidence then it is you who have the problem. And if you use the term “gullible fool” here again in any context in which it might be construed as referring to me you will lose yr privileges to comment here.” From comment posted by Richard Silverstein on “US Democracy Double Standard: We Embrace Lieberman, Reject Hamas”, Tikkun Olam blog, February 12, 2009 at 6.40pm
“But this war is different. Till now, I have never heard explicit charges of war crimes so often and regarding so many separate Israeli actions. I am not saying anything will be different this time than in the past when the accusations never went very far. But I think this war could be the tipping point. I think the international community is beginning to realize that giving Israel carte blanche to kill and maim its “enemies” not only makes Israel look like a monstrous nation, but it also shreds international law and the laws of war. Just as in Bosnia and Kosovo, there comes a time when a nation that has gone mad must be reined in lest it subvert the fabric of international comity. I’m hoping this is that time.” Gaza White Phosphorus Victim: Peres and Livni Should ‘Burn Like My Children Burned’ Tikkun Olam blog, January 21, 2009
“I was just listening to this radio story (audio download) about child murder in Gaza and for the first time in my life I felt like killing the Israeli soldier responsible. I realized that in all the years that I’ve chronicled the misdeeds of the IDF over the years here in this blog, I’d never felt that emotion. It was a frightening and unwelcome one. I’m constantly disgusted by what I learn of the IDF’s capacity for brutality. But I’ve never felt such rage at such heinous, subhuman behavior.” IDF in Gaza: Murder in Cold Blood Tikkun Olam blog, January 21, 2009
“Speaking as someone who truly does want to find something that would allow me to see humanity and decency among Israelis, I am forced to concede that I am always disappointed. Even soldiers fighting a battle must make provision for evacuating civilian wounded. The fact that the IDF has refused is beyond bestial. I sputter with rage and indignation as I write this.
…
I propose that we from now on refer to Ehud Barak as Barak the Butcher. Let this stain whatever legacy he hopes to have for himself. Keep in mind this is a man who donned a woman’s dress in order to assassinate his first terrorist in Lebanon. Mazel tov Ehud, you no longer wear a dress when you kill. Now it’s a business suit. But it’s still the same grisly murder. Barak to the Hague.” Gaza: Praise the Dead, Curse Their Killers Tikkun Olam blog, January 7, 2009
“But just keep this ratio in mind: 100 to 1. One hundred Gazans for every Israeli killed. That one Israeli means everything. Those 100 Gazans mean nothing. That is the moral calculus of this nightmarish war. Phil Weiss reports a commentary written by one of his readers Jules Rabin in which the latter quotes the eulogy for Jewish serial murderer, Baruch Goldstein: “A million Arabs are not worth a Jewish fingernail.” Is that what we have come to as Jews? To, in effect, accept the racist, genocidal words of a crazy settler rabbi?” Gaza: Suffer the Children Tikkun Olam blog, January 6, 2009
“Israel declared war on Hamas, buddy. Hamas fired rockets at Israel that hardly injured anyone in the past few months & certainly never killed anyone. That’s what you call war?” From comment posted by Richard Silverstein on “Gaza the Horror”, Tikkun Olam blog, December 28, 2008 at 10.29pm
“I have no idea what you’re talking about regarding Hamas rockets & the siege. The siege began just after Hamas won the PA election. That’s quite a while ago. I haven’t kept track of whether Hamas was firing rockets before then or not.” From comment posted by Richard Silverstein on “Meretz and the Bankruptcy of Israeli Politics”, Tikkun Olam, December 26, 2008 at 12.55am
“Hamas has just as much credibility in my book as the Israeli government. That is to say, that neither rate very highly. But I am certain that if Israel lifted the siege there would be no rockets. And I judge this based on the fact that when Hamas has been motivated to do so, it has rigorously & mostly successfully enforced previous ceasefires. On the other hand, Israel has felt free to violate ceasefires whenever it is in its interest, just as it has felt free to refuse to implement provisions of previous ceasefires (like keeping the crossings open).” From comment posted by Richard Silverstein on “Meretz and the Bankruptcy of Israeli Politics”, Tikkun Olam blog, December 27, 2008 at 1.23am
“Well I’ve read every comment you’ve written here & I say you are. And most reasonable readers here would agree. I’m not going to spend a lot of time going back over yr past comments to pt. out the bile you’ve written about Palestinians (besides I think I already did that once before when we had a similar interaction). If you can’t find anything positive you’ve ever written about Palestinians I’m going to interpret that as confirmation that you are hostile to them & their interests.” From comment posted by Richard Silverstein on “Indian Muslims Condemn Terror; After Hebron Settler Pogrom, Jewish Silence”, Tikkun Olam blog, December 17, 2008 at 3.03pm
“My Jewish jihadi friends NEED to see the Mumbai attack as based in anti-Semitism because they either wish to, or are prepared to concede a religious holy war between Islam and Judaism in which we will all fight to the death leaving a world in which none of us shall remain standing.” Mumbai and Jewish Jihadis Tikkun Olam blog, December 5, 2008
“@A.N.: Isn’t it typical for the pro-Israel right to compare Hamas to Nazis. So predictable. Can you prove that Hamas is launching rockets into Israel? No, of course you can’t because they’re not.” From comment posted by Richard Silverstein on “Mort Klein and the No-State Solution” Tikkun Olam blog, October 24, 2008 at 5.09pm
“It is yet another presumptuous statement to claim Finkelstein “has no more national spotlight” since his books are as relevant and as quoted as ever. He continues to be an important part of the Jewish discourse on all the subjects about which he’s written including the Holocaust and Israel.” Finkelstein to Invoke Law of Return if Israel Refuses Entry Tikkun Olam blog July 11, 2008
“Divestment is not meant to prevent Israel from protecting itself. It is not meant to attack the IDF. Rather, it is meant to tell American companies and Israel that its settlement policies and policies of subjugating the Palestinians are not acceptable to the citizens of Seattle.
That is why I support the concept of divestment and this initiative.” Seattle I-97 Divestment Campaign Against Israeli Occupation Tikkun Olam blog, June 10, 2008
“If I may again be a bit self-serving, I think it’s telling that the media outlet which has shown itself most receptive to my writing is not Jewish: the Guardian’s ‘Comment is Free’. Haaretz has published a single piece as has the Forward. This despite numerous and repeated attempts to get my perspective heard.” Sociologist, ‘Elitist’ Jewish Leadership Alienates Young Jews Tikkun Olam blog, May 16, 2008
“I don’t know that Faurisson has written a Holocaust denying book and I don’t know that Chomsky has endorsed it. Frankly, it’s not a subject that interests me very much. But the fact that you claim it doesn’t make it so.” From comment posted by Richard Silverstein on “Israel Rejects Hamas Ceasefire Proposal”, Tikkun Olam blog, May 4, 2008 at 3.21pm
“Oh Lord how I hate people who insist on refighting wars & battles of 50 years ago. I was alive in 1967. Were you? Egypt didn’t provoke the war. Israel actually initiated the war through a pre-emptive air attack. Whatever actions Egypt took before the war were more than matched by Israeli actions.” From comment posted by Richard Silverstein on “Israel Rejects Hamas Ceasefire Proposal, Tikkun Olam” Tikkun Olam blog, April 28, 2008 at 9.35pm
“Some may argue that these extremists are a small minority within Israeli society; that they do not command the respect of the majority. To this, I would respond that the extreme views of this minority are echoed in many of the attitudes held by mainstream Israelis. If you look at any number of opinion surveys you’ll find that many Israelis hold starkly racist views of not just Palestinians, but their fellow Arab citizens. While it is possible that such views are held out of ignorance rather than out of malice, the truth is that Israeli Jews know next to nothing about their Arab fellow citizens. And in such a vacuum, the hateful views of a determined minority can take root and flourish.” In Blood, Fire and Hatred Shall Judea Rise Tikkun Olam blog, April 5, 2008
“Since the Lebanon war, and especially Azmi Bishara’s voluntary expulsion (yes, I mean those contradictory terms to go together) from Israel I’ve been rethinking my own Zionism. No, I haven’t stopped being one. But I’ve expanded my vision of what I think Israel should become to fully realize the vision inscribed in its Declaration of Independence.
…
My own feelings certainly stem from this. But I’ve also been thinking a great deal about the role of Israeli Arabs in the nation’s society. They are, to my mind, the canaries in the coal mine. If they are choking on the dust of discrimination, neglect, oppression and poverty–then Israeli democracy remains unrealized. There must be a way for two peoples to inhabit a single state and live equally and harmoniously together. That is my vision. And yes, it’s still a Zionist vision because Israel would remain a Jewish homeland. But it would also be a homeland for its Arab citizens.
I’m not talking about a bi-national state in the sense there would be two separate nations within Israel. Rather, it would consist of two ethnic groups cohabiting within one state. Each group would have political, cultural and religious rights guaranteed by a constitution. No group, even if it were the minority, would ever have to feel disenfranchised or worse. Yes, there would be political jockeying and one group or another would at times feel put upon. But with a set of ironclad constitutional guarantees, no group should ever feel the need to mount the barricades.” We Need a New Zionism Tikkun Olam blog, February 8, 2008
“Without creating a second nation within Israel, Arabs must somehow feel that their narrative, religion, rights, language and cultural expression are equal to those of Jews. Part of this should also entail that both sides renounce a full Right of Return for Diaspora Jews and Arab refugees. These two principles which undergird both Jewish and Palestinian nationalisms should be renegotiated so that they are no longer absolute concepts but rather ones that are tempered by reality. This new reality would be based on a compromise in which Israel embraces equally its Jewish and Arab citizens while telling them that there are limits to their national expressions.” Rabbi Donniel Hartman: Israel Must Not Ask Arabs to Accept Jewish State Tikkun Olam blog, December 13, 2007
“Don’t do it, Mr. President. You published an honest book about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. If these people have a problem with the book it’s their own problem and they’ll just have to deal with it. They don’t hold a monopoly on truth regarding these issues. Why should you apologize? Because you criticized Israel? Because you called the Occupation equivalent to apartheid? It’s something you hear in the Israeli media regularly. Why is it treif in U.S. political discourse? Or American Jewish discourse?”Jimmy Carter: Don’t Apologize Tikkun Olam blog, November 1, 2007
“Joshua: Look even George Bush gets things right once in a while. So whatever you think about Robert Fisk, you may not dismiss it merely because of the source. Besides, Fisk has editors who edit his material & confirm its accuracy. And in addition, his story was not generated by him. It is based on legitimate scientific research & confirmed by an independent scientific source. If you get hung up on who wrote the story intstead of the actual substance of it you do an injustice to the truth.” [emphasis added] From comment posted by Richard Silverstein on “Israel Reported to Have Used Uranium Bomb in Lebanon” Tikkun Olam blog, October 31, 2006 at 12.59pm
“Links to sources like Debka, LGF, CAMERA, MEMRI, Middle East Forum, Palestine Media Watch, Campus Watch, Stoptheism, Cactus48, or other propaganda sites will be removed. This blog does not promote right-wing or extremist anti-Zionist sites.” From the Tikkun Olam blog comment rules
“Forget about Israel being a “light unto the nations” as the seminal early Zionist thinker Ahad HaAm used to say. Think more like Nazi Germany and the Spanish Civil War. Besides an ideological affinity between Franco’s fascists and Hitler, the Fuhrer found that conflict a perfect testing ground for Germany’s new weapons technology. During the Civil War, the Luftwaffe first previewed the new technique of aerial bombardment to devastating effect in places like Guernica. Hitler and Goering got to test all of their new playtoys like the Messerschmitts, Junkers, and anti-tank cannons.
It seems that Israel has been using Gazans in precisely the same way since its invasion following the kidnapping of Gilad Shalit. The weapon it has tested, known by the acronym DIME (Dense Inert Metal Explosive), works to horrifying effect:” Israel Tests New Highly Lethal, Cancer-Causing Tungsten Weapon in Bomb in Gaza Tikkun Olam blog, October 10, 2006
“I concede that Hamas has been a mortal enemy of Israel and peace. I don’t expect that this victory will turn it overnight into a paragon of democratic and peace-loving values. But I choose to see the possibility that Hamas’ leaders will understand that whether they wish it or not, their movement has changed overnight. No longer are they the outsiders free to engage in ideological sloganeering and extremist violence. Now they govern. The rules are different. The behavior required is different. To the extent that Hamas adapts to the new environment they will succeed and embrace politics over the gun. To the extent that Hamas tries to have it both ways, it will fail. Ray appears certain of which way Hamas will go. I’m not yet so sure. I want to give Hamas the benefit of the doubt for a few weeks or even months. I would hold off on any judgment till Hamas gave me reason to question its commitment to new approaches to resolve the conflict.” [emphasis added] Ray Hanania, Thumbs Down on Hamas Tikkun Olam blog, January 28, 2006
“Oh, I don’t think anyone whether Zionist, anti-Zionist or whatever can demonize Ariel Sharon enough. He’s one bad hombre–something on a par with Augusto Pinochet IMO.” From comment posted by Richard Silverstein on “What’s the Difference Between Yitzchak Shamir (Israeli Terrorist and Prime Minister) and Marwan Barghouti” Tikkun Olam blog, January 24, 2005 at 3.27pm
Set forth below is a selection of statements made by Richard Silverstein in ‘Comment is Free’ “in his own words”
“But thank God, there will be no more winking or nodding. The Obama administration means business. In a battle between an 18-foot boa constrictor and its prey, there can be little doubt who will eventually win. Not that I mean to carry this analogy to its logical conclusion. The US isn’t going to swallow and digest Israel. Rather it is going to squeeze the life out of the notion that settlements are a viable proposition for Israel. If Israelis won’t kill this notion off themselves, then Obama is going to lend a hand and drive the stake through the monster’s heart.” Putting the squeeze on Israel’s settlements May 29, 2009
“Within the US Israel exploits a willing circle of Likudist advocacy groups and thinktanks – such as the Washington Institute for Near East Peace, the Israel Project, the Jewish Institute for National Security Affairs as well as Aipac itself – that are closely scripted and co-ordinate their political message with Israeli diplomats. While some of these groups deny such a close affiliation, there is proof of scripting and amplification of the Israeli government’s agenda. And of course there may be cases in which the organisations know the needs of their patron so well that they need no prompting.” Aipac’s hidden pursuaders May 15, 2009
“The Israeli and world press documented IDF atrocities including the indiscriminate use of white phosphorus in densely populated urban areas, the assault on United Nations humanitarian facilities, the shelling of civilian homes, and the shooting in cold blood of unarmed civilians.
Israeli human rights groups have called for war crimes investigations of IDF actions. In the last few weeks, on-the-ground reports supported by eyewitness testimony have become available. They paint an even more damning picture.” American Jewish groups must speak up over Gaza April 20, 2009
“This of course has raised the hackles of the pro-Israel lobby. Jonathan Tobin, writing in Commentary, called Freeman a “truly vile creature”. The rest of the lobby went into overdrive attempting to find anything in Freeman’s past with which to impeach him. The best they could dredge up was an allegedly anti-Israel Arab studies textbook that the Middle East Policy Council (which the former diplomat chaired) distributed to US public schools. It stated that Jerusalem’s Old City was largely populated by Arabs and that the influence of the American Zionist lobby on Harry Truman’s recognition of Israel was a subject “worth studying”.” The new face of US-Israel policy March 2, 2009
“They conveniently label Palestinian militants as radical Islamists or jihadis, when Palestinians themselves largely do not recognise or accept the terms. While it is true that Gaza is ruled by Hamas, which is a movement with a religious identity, most Hamas leaders eschew the language of religious jihad to portray their struggle.” Exploiting Mumbai’s tragedy December 4, 2008
“”Wiping Israel off the face of the map”? Triple check.
“Problem is, Ahmadinejad didn’t talk about exterminating Israel in New York or anywhere else. Does the Iranian president hate Israel? No doubt. Is the feeling mutual among Israeli leaders? You bet. In an astonishing interview published Monday, Ehud Olmert, the former Israeli prime minister, had this to say about Israel’s failed policy toward that country: “Part of our megalomania and our loss of proportions is the things that are said here about Iran.”” McCain’s play for pro-Israel voters September 30, 2008
Apr 26, 2011
I don't know why but, I like this guy !
I don't know why but, I like this guy !On April 20, Facebook held an online town hall meeting for President Barack Obama, personally hosted by billionaire Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg. It was filled with magically shifting budget numbers and time frames, packaged in endless talking-point speeches that left the Facebook crowd silent (or asleep) in a way that home videos of dancing housecats can never do.
Zuckerberg kicked off the affair by saying he can’t wait to pay more in taxes, something he mysteriously fails to do voluntarily (Psst, Zuckerberg, here’s how you can make a donation to the United States Government). From there, attendees got to watch a President who gives nasty partisan campaign speeches instead of budget proposals call Rep. Paul Ryan’s budget “radical, but not particularly courageous.” Epic fantasies of a slowly “recovering” economy were spun, causing many to forget all that unpleasant, unexpected news that keeps skittering across their newspapers. Billions in new spending were proposed with every passing moment.
The President graciously acknowledged that America is “still the most dynamic and entrepreneurial culture in the world, but I can’t do it all myself. People need to be engaged.” It was incredibly humble of Mr. Obama to concede that he can’t personally run the most dynamic culture in the world without a bit of help from his eager children in the American electorate.
Why shouldn’t Republican candidates be allowed to have this kind of fun with the Facebook crowd? After all, Facebook is the largest media company in the world, with half a billion members. Plenty of them are conservatives and Tea Party members.— Jason Mattera
Apr 25, 2011
Apr 24, 2011
Apr 23, 2011
Apr 22, 2011
Religous Politics & Political Religion
Religious Politics & Political ReligionBurial in Israel
Background
Burial in Israel is a service granted by the state to the different religious sects in Israel. This issue is controversial when the deceased in not identified as having a religion or the deceased's religion is in question; this issue is complicated by the fact that there is only one location for a public alternative burial ceremony. While the service for burial in a public cemetery is provided by the state and is funded by the National Insurance Institute and the local authorities, private services for alternative burial options can be expensive.Jewish burial in Israelburial for Jews is placed into the hands of the Orthodox Chevrot Kadisha, or burial societies which are affiliated with the local authorities and the local religious councils. These organizations are responsible for the management of cemeteries, and they decide the character of the burial ceremonies carried out and declare different restrictions and prohibitions, such as prohibiting the engraving of a deceased's name in a foreign language, or the use of a non-Hebrew date on the gravestone, or even preventing women from giving eulogies. Additionally, they collect enormous fees for reserving a specific burial plot next to one's deceased spouse. If the deceased is not considered Jewish by Halacha, despite identifying as a Jew or having made Aliyah as a Jew, the Chevra Kadisha will not perform the burial or permit the deceased to be buried in a Jewish cemetery.Alternative burial CeremoniesIn recent years, the demand for alternative burial ceremonies has grown. In 1986, the Menucha Nechona, or "Rest in Peace," burial society was founded in Jerusalem. The stated purpose of Menucha Nechona is to provide a Jewish burial ceremony that is either in the spirit of liberal Judaism, or secular. Throughout the years, other similar organizations have been founded in Israel, and today these organizations are under the same umbrella organization.Since the authorities have refused to cooperate with these organizations and allocate land for the purpose of burials, in 1988 Menucha Nechona petitioned the High Court of Justice to obligate local authorities to recognize it and its fellow organizations as burial societies, and to grant them land for this purpose. In 1992, the Supreme Court ruled that the Minister of Religious Affairs must give this organization a license to operate as an organization for burial affairs and that the Israel Land Administration must allocate land for this purpose "within a reasonable period of time."Only in 1996, after a second petition to the High Court of Justice, was land allocated for alternative cemeteries. At the same time asthis struggle was taking place, the Knesset passed the Alternative burial Law, which guarantees the establishment of alternative cemeteries throughout Israel. However, to date there is only one public civil cemetery in Israel, on the outskirts of Beer Sheva, where the burial is paid for by national health insurance. This single cemetery does not have the capacity to accommodate the need for civil burials in Israel. There is also the option for a secular burial on Kibbutzim and Moshavim, but burial plots in these cemeteries are expensive.Current Status and Next StepsIRAC played an instrumental role in preventing religious coercion with regard to burial in Israel. In 1999, IRAC won an appeal in the Israeli Supreme Court against the Religious burial Society of Rishon LeZion, which refused to allow the engraving of Gregorian dates on headstones. The Supreme Court ruled that the Religious burial Society of Rishon LeZion could not oppose the engraving of Gregorian dates on headstones in the Jewish cemetery, and was ordered to pay the petitioner the unusually large sum of 50,000 shekels. Rabbi Uri Regev, at the time IRAC's Executive Director, welcomed the decision, saying it added another brick in the construction of a more properly run society, one that is more liberated and free of religious coercion.More recently, IRAC hashelped toensure that burial societies are free of corruption. For example, IRAC initiated proceedings in a case regarding the inappropriate diversion of funds to the Tel Aviv burial Society, which is allegedly using the funds to support yeshiva students instead of using them for the allocated purpose of supporting burials and providing food for the needy. IRAC is also involved in two cases against the Kiryat Motzkin burial Society regarding price gouging for burial plots.
Apr 20, 2011
Funeral service - 21.4.2011 13:00
Klementina's funeral at Kibbutz Kfar Masarik Cemetery ( 21 April 2011)
מילות פרידה מאמא
עטי מלא מילים וקל הוא כנוצה,
לחרוז לך חרוזים ככל שהיית רוצה.
אך ליבי כבד עלי, וכבד הוא כעופרת,
לאומר לך זאת, בצורה שונה – אחרת.
ללא חיבוק, ליטוף או נשיקה,
בלי מגע או מבט לתוך עינייך,
להרוות את צימאוני בשקיקה,
ולכבות את כאבי בדמעותיך.
צניעותך וחוכמתך הרבה, לכל היא ידועה,
אהבתך ומסירותך לאין קץ, הפכו לשם דבר,
בנית בית לתפארת בארץ זרה ולא זרועה,
והלכת אחרי אהובך בנאמנות – אל המדבר.
תודה לך אמא על כל מה שהענקת לנו,
תודה לך על דאגתך לאהובך, לבנייך ולנכדייך,
תודה לך על האור שהאיר את חיינו ועל הטוב שיש בנו,
תודה לך אמא ! לאן נפנה כעת – בלעדייך ?
נוחי על משכבך בשלום אמא, הסירי דאגה מלבך !
בנייך ונכדייך חזקים הם – כמוך! לא ניכנע ! זהו המוטו !
כי הדם הזורם בעורקינו – דם אחד הוא ! דמך !
ובפני אלא – גם המוות משפיל את מבטו !!!בתוך ליבינו אותך נצרנו,
ממנו אין איש יוצא,
המפתח מזמן אבד לנו,
אותו אין איש מוצא=== “ U srcu sam te Zaključala,
Ne Možeš izači,
Ključ sam izgubila,
Ne mogu ga nači . „ ===
Apr 19, 2011
Klementina Münch ( Orešković ) R.I.P
Veoma tuzni posle vesti o smrti drage nam tete Tine, saucestvujemo i u vasem bolu za dragom suprugom , mamom i bakom.Vasi Zeljko, Ceca, Marjan, Dragana, Marija I Marjan i unuci
DEAR ALEX AND DANNY,
MY HEART IS WITH YOU AT THIS MOMENT. I AM SO HAPPY TO HAVE MET TINA AND TO HAVE SPENT SOME TIME WITH HER. PAUL TELLS ME YOU DANNY, HAD JUST HAD TWO WEEKS TOGETHER. WHAT A LOVELY FAREWELL. PLEASE HUG EACH OTHER FOR ME AND GIVE THE THREE BOYS A
SPECIAL KISS. I WILL LIGHT A CANDLE FOR TINA AND THINK OF ALL OF YOU. MAY YOUR DAY BE BLESSED.
MY LOVE,
VIDA
----- Original Message -----
From: Tamar Munch
To: Alexander Munch
Sent: Tuesday, April 19, 2011 11:23 PM
Subject:
I'm so very sorry to hear that Safta has passed away. Please pass my thoughts on to Saba, Dani, Amnon and Jonathan also.
I wish you all long life.
X
TamarFrom: Vesna Nikolic [mailto:vesnaza@neobee.net]
Sent: Tuesday, April 19, 2011 11:32 PM
To: Paul Munch
Subject:Dragi moji Pavle i Aleks,Tek sada sam videla pismo i jako me je rastu�ilo. Primite moje iskreno sau�e��e i znajte da me je vest o Tininom odlasku jako dirnula. Volela bih da sam pored vas, da zajedno ispratimo dragu Tinu. Ne znam kakavi su obi�aji kod Vas, ali Vas molim, da upalite jednu sve�u u moje ime i da ostvite jedan cvet na njen odor. Dok ovo pi�em, pla�em naglas.Tina �e mi zauvek ostati u lepom se�anju i kad god budem u prilici, upali�u sve�u za nju. Oboje ste me prihvatili kao �lana porodice i ja ovaj gubitak do�ivljavam vrlo li�no. �elim da znate da mi svi vi mnogo zna�ite i da �e za sve vas uvek biti mesta u mom srcu. Molim Vas, javljate mi se kad god budete u prilici, makar sa par re�i, samo da znam kako ste.Sa velikom tugom i iskrenim saose�anjem,Va�a VesnaAlex, please accept my sincere condolences.
WarrenMy mother asked that this poem be read at her funeral and kept in our hearts. Perhaps it will bring you some comfort; it did so for me.Oh, Alex! I'm so sorry. Having lost my own mother years ago, I know the heaviness of heart you're feeling right now -- and also the comfort in knowing that she had laid down her burden and is at rest. I lost my own mother in 1987. I still think of her every day, but I don't cry any longer. Instead, I remember all those happy times we had.
Thank you AOW
DRAGI NASI
NAJISKRENIJU SUCUT, BOL I TUGU DJELIMO SA VAMA
SONJA SA OBITELJI
Dear Alex,
I know you have received my email message. I am very sorry Tina has left us. I am sure it will be hard for you and specially for Paul.
I would like to ask you for a big favor, since I have contacted florists and they can not seem to be able to send anything by tomorrow noon. Please, if you can buy a few roses for your mother from me. I would be very grateful to you.
Again a warm hug and may your day tomorrow be peaceful.
With love,
VidaDONE !
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