Active vs. Passive Voice

Judean Voice observes: "When reading the newspaper, take a second to notice how the death of Israelis is always described in the passive and the death of Arabs, in the active. That is, a Jewish youngster shot dead by Arabs while sitting at home is: Israeli youth killed as Palestinians infiltrate settlement, but an Arab youth killed while threatening Jewish lives is "Israeli soldiers shoot dead Palestinian boy"."

NO "CLEAR EVIDENCE"?!?

State Department tells Congress there was `no clear evidence' Arafat directed terror attacks. All this means is that the perenially anti-Israel State Department (see "The Secret War Against the Jews," among MANY others) has something horrible up its sleeve.

Netanya Market: (1 killed, 48 injured) Update: 3 killed, 50 injured

This Ha'aretz article reports how Arafat is not attacking Israeli civlilians....As we've noted here, just look at any of the pseudo-military patches of any of Arafat's groups - his own, Tanzim. El-Aksa Martyrs Brigade, Hamas, PFLP, et nauseating al - and you'll see a map of the area whose residents are considered fair game by him and his ghouls. It is all of Israel.

News from the Jericho Prison

Did you know that the American and British guards of the prison of the six vicious terrorists are not allowed weapons? The farcical nature of this arrangement is being played out, as described in this DEBKAfile report.<

Happy Shavuot!

Some great Shavuot stuff.

Huh?

ABCNEWS.com : Arafat Admits 'Mistakes,' Vows Reform says the headline. The subhead: "Yasser Arafat, who is under growing pressure at home and abroad to carry out reforms, made a vague promise to make some changes in his government. " Perhaps I am semantically challenged, but how does ABC reconcile those two? Oh, wait, I forgot - they don't have to.

It IS happening here!

How long before it reaches your neighborhood? Anti-Semitic Pogrom at San Francisco State

Why Arafat got Arafatter

Friends,

Here is a wonderful article by my friend Sam Orbaum, humour columnist at the Jerusalem Post. I'd like to point out that the list of food items and the amounts he quotes that were sent to the beseiged Chairman are not a joke. We all read about it in Israeli papers. Start your day with a smile.

Naomi Ragen



Why Arafat Got Arafatter
By Sam Orbaum
May. 14, 2002
Jerusalem Post

The only ones starving in the Ramallah siege were Arafat's guests. Well, the Jenin Holocaust is over, praise be Allah. We'll never know how many innocent millions were killed (some more than once), but the scope of the tragedy can be measured by the staggering number of cancelled subscriptions toTerrorist Weekly.

While the genocide of innocent terrorists was going on (according to Palestinian sources, the Israelis used atom bombs on Jenin. No, really!), almost forgotten was the heroic Ramallah Ghetto Uprising.

Yasser Arafat (the Gaza Gaon) and his luminary disciples, armed only with one short stick (honest!), staved off the Nazis' relentless onslaught for weeks, emerging miraculously unscathed, though unshaven. And fatter.

No one noticed this, except for Yasser's faithful wife Suha. From her tony digs in Paris, the Palestinian First Lady was watching on TV all the horrific tragedies befalling her beloved people at poolside (no, no - Suha was poolside; her beloved people were botzdeep), when suddenly she noticed a scruffy, big-lipped, fat little fellow on the TV screen.

"Hey, that's my scruffy, big-lipped, fat little husband!" she exclaimed to her attendants. She was very proud.

But if he was beseiged under the direst conditions for weeks and weeks, heroically withstanding an entire army almost singlehandedly, how did Arafat get Arafatter? According to heroic Palestinian sources, they survived on nothing but their own heroism.

"We swallowed our pride," Arafatter explained.

According to The Jerusalem Post, they survived on Osem, Telma and Tnuva. Look, you can believe what you want, but this was actually in the newspaper, so it must be true: during the 25-day period of the siege in Ramallah, the IDF allowed entry of 70 food items. The list, provided by the IDF and published in the Post, included: 13,200 pitot, 420 cans of humous, 423 cans of tuna, 100 kg. of potatoes and rice, soup mix, spices, cheeses, 720 bottles of Coca-Cola, one box of cornflakes, 30 cans of coffee, 155 boxes of tea, 360 kg of sugar, 100 heads of lettuce, 65 kg. of lemons, 24 watermelons, 40 kg. of grapes, and 60 kg. of assorted fruits. (Think of the poor delivery guy at the makolet.)

International human rights organizations will say sure, all that food, but nothing to eat it with (a form of psychological torture the Israelis learned from the Nazis). However, the list includes 3,000 spoons, not to mention 270 packages of toilet paper ("sure, one-ply, another form of psychological torture"), and 120 cartons of cigarettes ("another form of Israeli genocide"), all of which comprise standard starvation rations in concentration camps such as this.

That explains how Arafat got Arafatter.

I HAVE only one question: I One box of cornflakes?! This single item, more than anything else, provides clues of what life was like in the beseiged headquarters, and raises a lot of troubling suspicions.

I've been wondering about this night and day. Why cornflakes? Which cornflakes? What size box - family size, economy size, jumbo size, headquarters size? And above all, why only one? I mean, 13,200 pitot! 423 cans of (presumably dolphin-safe) tuna! 720 bottles of Coke! 65 kilos of lemons! And yet 1 box of cereal.

This is more tonnage than they brought over on the Karine A! These guys ate pretty well, more than entire Palestinian towns, yet human rights organizations claimed the captives were not supplied with food for 11 days. The Post story reported that "when Arafat met with European ambassadors, a complaint was relayed that foreign guests had not been given any food except for eggs."

No smoked salmon. No caviar. No hors d'oeuvres.

The European diplomats diplomatically blamed Israel. OK, that's fair. But the Palestinians had all that humous and didn't serve it to visitors? Maybe there were no waiters in the compound, I don't know. In any case, I don't think we should be blamed for that.

And making Europeans eat eggs without a fork, well! Were Muslim captives forced to ingest Zionist-produced cornflakes, which is against their religious beliefs? If so, that is a war crime.

The UN is asking questions. If it was Telma cornflakes, jumbo size, purchased at the Zilzol super in Beit Shemesh, it so happens they were on sale, two for the price of one, which means whoever bought it gave one box to the Palestinians and smuggled one box to his wife, which is also a war crime.

But the terrorists' shopping list clearly stated "one box." Even if only one person eats the stuff, he'd need more than one box for all those weeks in captivity, right? Maybe one of the terrorists decided to make a cheese cake, and needed just a small amount of cornflakes for the crunchy base. But that's impossible: intelligence sources note that Arafat's headquarters did not have a mixing bowl.

It is a known fact that Arafat eats a bowl of Ugi every morning (crumbs have been detected in his stubble), so why one box of cornflakes and not six or seven boxes of Ugi?

Aha!, say the human rights people, all of whom know the Geneva Convention by heart.

Prime Minister Sharon, who is believed to personally dislike Arafat, wanted to send in Rice Krispies, remembering that Arafat once admitted in an interview that the cereal's noise, detonated by milk, irritates him. But Foreign Minister Peres (why does everyone think he's the Palestinian foreign minister?) pointed out that given the situation - with so many fingers on so many triggers - the snap, crackle and pop could start a war.

And go explain that to the UN.

Could be one of the terrorists had a riboflavin deficiency, and without a cornflake a day he would die.

It's a little farfetched to suggest that the Palestinians needed the cornflakes as a key component in making weapons (well, it is a "vital source of iron"), but this is the Middle East, so it's quite possible. (This is serious here, so I'm not going to make a silly pun about "Killogg's," but feel free to do so yourself.) Many people like to read a cereal box while eating breakfast. Well, Palestinian terrorists are people too! This is one of the more rational theories, and it would explain why one box was enough. I'm not making fun of the Palestinians, and certainly not of Arafat, who after all, did marry Suha. Look, I would do the same if I were surrounded by the Palestinian army for more than a month: I would also draw up a shopping list, though I'd ask for Special K (and if someone else was paying for it, I'd ask for more than one box). Less tuna, please, but a few hundred steaks instead, and toothpicks. (The Palestinians did ask for toothpicks, but the Israelis refused, afraid they'd use them to burrow a tunnel to safety in Europe.)

Anyway, the siege is over, and the terrorists are now free and safe and hungry again, which is why they've hurried over to Arafat's headquarters in Gaza. They heard the IDF is going in, and the local makolet has been alerted.

Your House is not Our House, Amos - but Ours is Yours!

Avi Pekar of Yerucham responds to Amos Oz. Important reminder: Check out the pseudo-military patches of all Arafat's murder brigades: They all have a complete map of Israel. In other words, for them, every Israeli is a "settler." And remember, Arafat said his terrorists don't attack civilians - only soldiers and settlers. Hmmm...so even if the residents of Yehuda and Shomron were to move to the Negev, or to Tel Aviv, Arafat considers them fair game.

So what was your suggestion again, Amos?

Phony Funeral Footage

Israel Defense Forces site shows film frames and explains one of several ways the Arabs tried to make the number of Jenin casualties appear greater than it was.

"Purity of Arms"
An oddly stirring locution, explained in this Ha'aretz piece by Nadav Shragai. When I was in Tzahal (64-67) and had the concept explained to me, it was so self-evident that I was bemused. "How could it be otherwise?" I thought.

Sadly, I have since learned how.

Another point - a minor quibble with the use of "terror": Shragai says, "During all the years that passed between these two events, the Palestinians have clung to terrorism as a strategic option. Almost always, their targets were civilians." Let's recall the definition of terror. It is an act with five parties: Someone who wants to achieve a political end; the terrorists, whom they employ; the victims of terror, who MUST be innocent bystanders - the more pathetic, the better; the terrorized public; and the political leaders who are meant to be influenced by those terrorized to achieve the end of the first party.

That's why terror is ALWAYS against civilians.

The Silence of "Christians"
The Israel Insider did not put those quotes on "Christians" in their title of their article of that name; I added them. The Catholic church does not seem to bear any relationship to the Christians who steadfastly support Israel, such as those of the International Christian Embassy and other Protestant groups. israelinsider: The silence of Christians

Buy Shavuot Bouquets for Terror Victims and Soldiers
Read about this special campaign here, on IMRA. Then go here to buy a bouquet and send it.

The Mockery Continues
Is there no limit to this farce? Arafat is entirely consistent - but what is our excuse? We see him, we hear him, and we act as if he is saying what we want him to say. Did you hear that in Bethlehem he said, "I am here as a Moslem, and as a Christian"? And as a mocking, treacherous, murderous liar and leech.

Me, too!
Israel Insider publisher Reuven Koret says it beautifully: "I am a Zionist." Thanks, Reuven.

Glimmers of Truth about the Church Siege
From Naomi Ragen: "Remember CNN's Walter and Rosemary who were so worried about those 13 "young men" hiding out in the Church of the Nativity who were exiled by Israel? Whose hearts bled because the "suspected militants" to quote Rosemary, for whom even the word "militants" was too much, looked hungry and hadn't had a bath? Read all about these poor "young men", who Rosemary was so worried about, and over whom the CNN camerman cried openly, according to Walter...."

Arafat's Pet Murderers Used Christian School
I'm sure you saw this on CNN or ABC - NOT!

Makes the point about Time, below
When the News in Pictures Was News

Not all Norwegians approve of Terje Rod-Larsen
IMRA - Sunday, May 12, 2002 Protest letter from Nowegian Israelis to Larsen

Dennis Prager Asked Israelis...
During his recent visit to Israel, noted speaker, writer, teacher Prager interviewed Israelis, asking them:

1. Why do you think that, with the exception of the United States, Israel is alone in the world?
2. Do you walk around afraid?
3. What is your primary feeling with regard to Arabs?

Here is what they answered.

IDF Apologizes to Palestinian Family
We make mistakes in the horrible confusion of war. We take responsibility for them. We profoundly regret them.

Shmuel-Dani z"l
I wish you could read Hebrew. The letters "z"l" are a transliteration of an abbreviation - "zikhrono levrakha" - meaning, "may his memory be a blessing." At this site (in Hebrew), there is a picture of Shmuel Dani, a 27-year-old who was killed in the war against terror. If you read through the site, from his wife Einav's eulogy, to the words and poems of nieces, nephews, relatives, friends, and strangers, you will find words of encouragement, of love, of sympathy, of strength. Of hope.

You won't find a single word of hatred, or of a desire for revenge.

This is who we are, World. These are the Jews. This is Israel.

The Lie Lives - Vote "no"!
TIME.com: Inside the Battle of Jenin is about as even-handed as Captain Hook. The text is not too terrible - but in conjunction with the photo essay, the net effect is to show the "poor Palestinian" victims. No picture of Israelis accompanies the text. And as far as I know--though I generally avoid Time--they've not shown the inhumanity of the Arabs toward Israelis or toward themselves, this way. There is a poll on the page, and ostensibly 4 million people have taken it, of whom - as of today - two-thirds believe that Israel committed human rights violations in Jenin.

For what it's worth, go there and vote "no."

The U.N.'s Israel Obsession
David Tell in "The Weekly Standard": "Maybe the U.N. picks on Israel simply because it can. Or maybe, just maybe, there is a darker impulse at play." Ya think?

A Nation Like Ours: Why Americans stand with Israel
David Gelernter is both smart and wise. I know him from the world of virtual reality, whose depths he plumbed as nobody else had in his book, Mirror Worlds. His father, Herbert, taught a seminar at Stony Brook (SUNY) in 1972 that was my introduction to artificial intelligence (much needed today, since the real stuff is in such short supply).

But the full power and flowering of David's writing only came after he was almost killed by the Unibomber. He recorded in Reader's Digest, beautifully, the coming together of his awareness of his duties as a family man, a Jew, and a citizen. This Weekly Standard piece reflects his lucid thinking and his love for all people.

Bravo, John Derbyshire!
By golly, that emporer is naked! This is the very first non-projective view of the "Palestinians" I have seen.

What you support, bright-eyed girl in the kafeeyah

From: Naomi Ragen

Sometimes I watch them, those bright eyed Western college girls marching in pro-Palestinian demonstrations, the kafeeyah wrapped scarf-like around their necks. And I think: Do you know what you are supporting with your passion? Do you understand when you wave the PLO flag that you are becoming one with them, these Islamofascists who mistreat their women, deny them rights, and send them off to blow themselves and others up? I'd like this letter to reach that girl in the kafeeyah. Perhaps it might change her mind, if she has one and is using it.

Naomi Ragen

Why does NPR hate Israel?
A few years ago, my wife noticed that whenever I'd listen to public radio in the car, I'd come into the house sneering and negative. I realized that it was true, and performed a self-NPR-ectomy. Been a lot happier since!

But I'm not the only one to notice how anti-Israel this network is. Read this article: CAMERA Calls on NPR to Fire Foreign Editor Loren Jenkins

I Love Naomi Ragen!
I love how she expresses so well just what I am thinking about Israel and the current situation.Here are some recent wonderful email messages she sent out. Each is worth reading.

An Incredible Slide Show: The Solution to the Problem
Click here and watch. (To get the full effect, click "slide show" on the lower right of the window when it comes up. "Escape" stops the slide show.)

Politics: A Special Type of Insanity
Barry Rubin writes sense in the Jerusalem Post. I wish someone would answer his questions; I certainly can't.

Hope He Can Survive
From The CJN: Sheikh Abdul Hadi Palazzi said in an interview with The CJN that the Qu'uran recognizes the Land of Israel as the heritage of the Jews and that the modern State of Israel is the fulfillment of the prophecy that, before the Last Judgment, the Jewish people will return to dwell there.

Those who rise up against Israel in the name of Islam are committing "fitnah," meaning apostasy and sedition, Palazzi said, and those who encourage the ignorant to do so are "terrorist criminals."
He is a harsh critic of Palestinian suicide bombers and what he sees as the sacrifice of children in the current intifadah. No "paradise" awaits those who die this way, Palazzi said. "Islam forbids suicide for any reason."

He accuses "pseudo-Islamic" organizations, like Hamas, of cruelly exploiting the impoverished in refugee camps. "Unfortunately, it is true that their only opportunity for a better future lies in sacrificing their children as suicide bombers, for which they will be paid by these organizations."

Jerusalem 1967
The day we took Jerusalem stands out in my life as an epochal moment. I wasn't there; I was in the north, not far from my kibbutz (at the time), Rosh HaNikra. We got the news that the Kotel - the "Wailing Wall" - was in our hands. And all of us religion-rejecting Zionist youngters were stunned. We knew that Something Very Important had happened.

In the days that followed, I learned that several of my friends had been killed in the battles. Numbness lasted for weeks; eventually, it gave way to grief, and to healing. In the years since, my sense of the greatness of the event has only increased. "Our feet shall stand within your gates, Yerushalayim, which is built as a city that is joined together," it says in Psalms 122:3 (my own translation). When had this city ever been split before? Could the Psalmist be referring to that day in 1967?

Yes.

Jerusalem Day
Tal G. in Jerusalem reports:

It's Yom Yerushalayim, which is the anniversary of the reunification of Jerusalem in 1967. Last night traffic was rerouted thru downtown, which was quite aesthetically lit with white lights above all the streets (a nice touch that I don't remember from previous years). There was also a parade and a concert that I could hear from my apartment.


Obviously, the conquest of the eastern parts of Jerusalem coincides with the beginning of the "occupation" ... so here's a few things worth knowing: In 1948 the Israelis were largely victorious against the combined Arab forces; but 2 regions that fell were the eastern parts of Jerusalem(including the Western Wall, the Jewish quarter of the walled city, the Hebrew University campus) and the Gush Ezyon region, which were essentially annexed by Jordan. The Jewish communities of those regions were forced to flee, but were resettled rather than forced to languish in refugee camps.


The 1949 ceasefire lines were just that - ceasefire lines. They never constituted an internationally recognized border. The period of 1948-1967 was (I think) probably the first time since antiquity that the walled city of Jerusalem was fully off-limits to Jewish presence and worship. Most Israelis feel little connection to the Arab neighborhoods of Eastern Jerusalem: Abu Dis, Wadi Joz etc. but I think I can say that the walled city, and the ancient city of David are central to our collective memory.

How Far We've Slipped!
Steven Plaut nails it. Read this and - well, if you don't weep, find out what's wrong with you.

Gee, guys, make up your minds!
The Palestinian Authority condemns the Rishon pool-hall bombing, with Arafat saying, "...religiously, it is forbidden for any Muslim to kill any civilian." Then Rajoub says it's all Israel's fault anyway, and what do they expect?

Arafat Back to Work
AP: At least 16 dead in Rishon LeZion pool hall suicide bombing.

Who Said This?
"Terrorism is against our religion and culture and we have been the victims of it for the past four decades..." Click here to learn the macabre and funny truth. (Update: The original link was to a May 6 Newsweek story, which quoted this piece...and mysteriously disappeared a few days later!)

The Key to Understanding the Arabs (sez Joel)
Call it, "the Moslem hypothesis." Let's try to understand the Arabs' behavior, which seems utterly illogical and self-destructive, on the basis of the Koran.

Granted, most nominal Moslems, like most nominal Jews and Christians, don't necessarily know their own religion's teachings very well. However, if we postulate that all Arab behavior should be looked at first in the context of "What would Mohammed do?" - we find a remarkably consistent picture.

And it's simple: The Koran says that the earth belongs to Allah (not to be confused with the God of the Jews and Christians), but not everyone knows it. The part that knows it is called, "Dar al Islam" - the house of Islam. The other part is called, "Dar al harb" - the house of war or destruction.

It is the duty of every Moslem to conquer, violently, Dar al harb and turn it into Dar al Islam. This duty can only be suspended for the purpose of regrouping to gather strength, and even then never for more than ten years.

While it is fruitful to explore the cultural issues--eg, Arabs are much less reluctant to lie than Westerners, for any reason--the Big Reason that NO mediator or peace proposal can bring peace about is simple: The Arabs do not want it.

We Jews and Israelis--and our Christian friends--have a hard time believing that. Many of us know Arabs who want peace.

Perhaps they just don't want it enough.

The Newspaper of (broken) Record
The Idler has a very plain and thorough examination of the NY Times' anti-Israel bias.

Jerusalem Day Simulcast
OneJerusalem.org: has the details for this event, to be held 5/9, 12:30 - 2 pm EDT.

Hey, Amnesty! Red Cross! Why don't you check THIS out?
This is how Arabs are treated by their own people.

Nightline Horror
Ted Koppel, shame on you! HonestReporting report.

Send a Pizza to Israeli Soldiers!
This is real, not virtual: Invest $17 - or more - in our nation, in a simple and practical way. (Thanks, LGF, for the pointer.)

George Will: The Truth about Anti-Semitism
The most successful ideology of the 20th century? Unfortunately, there is a solid case for the assertion.

This is Who We Are!
Read what happens when an Israeli army unit occupies an Arab home. (You won't find this on CNN, NPR, or other Jew-hating media.) But why do we do such a poor job of letting the world know?

You Can Help!
This site shows specific ways in which you can help.

Is Israel Overreacting?
The latest FLAME ad does a great job of expressing calmly and reasonably the stuff that I tend to start hyperventilating and sputtering about.

CAMERA Study Shows NYT Bias
Is this just the leftist Jewish contingent, or another influence?

Theater of the Absurd
First, everyone acts as if Arafat's kangaroo court is a valid legal proceeding. Next, Zeevi's assassins to be imprisoned in Jericho. Oh, and who will watch them? Representatives of the descendants of Bevan's government. Could such a thing happen to any other country in the world?

Deep in the Heart of ...?israelinsider: politics: After deluge of reactions, Texas firm regrets boycott letter

You Don't Have to be Religious...
...to feel grateful to God in such circumstances, and to want to express it in some way.

Tom DeLay Stands for Israel
Women in Green circulate this USA Today report of DeLay's address to AIPAC. Good stuff.

Naomi Ragen: Passover
Remember the Passover Massacre? Yes, it's almost ancient history; why, it must be--let's see, at least 30 days since it happened....

I hope you sense, as I do, how bizarre the emotional state into which we've been driven is. Let us pray to retain our humanity in the face of a surfeit of inhumanity.

And this from Naomi: "A while back I told you I'd written an article about being at the Park Hotel during the Passover Massacre, and that the New York Times turned down the piece because they were using one written by Andrew Sullivan, who wasn't there. Many of you asked me to send out the piece, which was just published in the weekend magazine of the Jerusalem Post. I'm sending it on to all of you who are interested.....

"Just as an aside: Many groups are coming to express their solidarity with Israel in the wake of that terrible event. They are coming to the Park Hotel--site of the massacre--and eating lunch there. I would like to ask them, as one of the victims, not to patronize the Park Hotel, which I hold fully responsible for the tragedy which almost took my family from me, as you will read.

"In addition, the owners of the Park Hotel are refusing to return the deposit money of the guests (the very least they can do) unless guests sign away all legal rights to hold the hotel responsible.

"If you want to show solidarity with the victims of the Passover Massacre, stand in front of the Park Hotel with signs and Israeli flags, signs which say: J"ustice for the Victims of the Passover Massacre."

"Then go around the corner and eat lunch at the Seasons Hotel which had the decency to hire adequate security on Seder night, allowing their guests to finish the Seder in peace. Also, the food is much better."

Amnesty International's Jew-hating
IsraelInsider carries Jon Podhoretz's excellent article.

Krauthammer: Please Excuse the Jews for Living
Read this. Then start packing, dear friends.

How many accounts of the Europe of the thirties have I read, how many movies have I seen, where I cried, "Why didn't they leave? Why couldn't they see what was happening?"

And in recent years, I've learned horrifyingly more of the guilty truth of America's turning Jews away, before, during, and after the War. (Does anyone remember the St. Louis? Google it, as the name of a ship, if you are curious.)

When my Uncle Bobby was denied entrance to Columbia University in 1949, an embarrassed registrar pleaded with my grandfather: "Does his name have to be Blumenfeld?" Well, yes, it did. That's why Bobby joined his Habonim garin, and went off to Israel - and never regretted it.

"It can't happen here." Right.

"It's dangerous in Israel!" It is. And in New York, Chicago, Paris, Brussels, Buenos Aires, Singapore, Sydney, Delhi, Capetown, London, you think you're safe?

If you don't believe in God, I don't know how you make head or tails of this mess. And what hope do you have? If your IQ exceeds room temperature (Fahrenheit), you can't have failed to notice that some people hate you just for being a Jew. You cannot appease them. You cannot buy their love or their friendship. You have only three choices: let them kill you, flee, or fight.

But you cannot fight alone, in a Jew-hating country, any more than our Polish and German relatives could, sixty years ago. That's why they tried, at any price, to get to that little sliver of land nestled between Lebanon and Egypt. When it was more dangerous than it is today. When we were renting from an evil British landlord.

Today we own.

If you don't believe in God, come to Israel, and in the community of bickering Jews, you will immediately begin to experience the sense of homecoming.

If you do believe in God, it's time to stop ignoring that quiet "something is telling me..." in your heart, and head home. Fearmongers and terrorists to the contrary, it's still the safest place on earth for a Jew. There have STILL been more deaths in Israel from car accidents than from terror this year!

Time to go home! Start now, and avoid the rush...

What Is an Outrage?
The abandonment of absolutes leads to a surreal reality. The Jerusalem Post addresses the insane issues calmly.

You want atrocities?
Spinwar shows us pictures, with this comment: "The international media, subject to threats by the Palestinians, is shying away from publishing any material that may be damaging to the Palestinian image. This past Tuesday, three Palestinian prisoners, arrested on collaboration charges, were yanked from jail by Palestinians, shot over two-hundred times, dragged through the streets of Hebron, hung on a utility pole at the main square and left for viewing for over four hours. Palestinian crowds cheer, swear and spit on their corpses."

Hello, humanitarians? I'd like to report a violation...no, it was't ANY dirty Jew, it was Arabs... Hello? Hello?

Re-elect E. Nough
Kudos to Charles Johnson of LGF for modeling to US legislators what they ought to say and do. (No, it isn't real; and more's the pity.)

Some Unbecoming Sarcasm
IMRA - Sunday, April 28, 2002 U.S. CONSIDERS NEW SANCTIONS ON SYRIA

Wow! "Considers"? Are you sure you want to make that strong a commitment? After all, isn't it more fun playing Charlie Brown to Syria's Lucy, trusting them to hold the football steady on the 4,987th try? Watch out, Assad! Tremble! The US is CONSIDERING sanctions.

I wonder where the marksman who killed five-year-old Danella Shefi yesterday was trained.

The US can put a stop to this, by acting on the truth. Have we no shame, that we do not do it?

"...annihilate them soon" says imam of holy mosque of Medina
Apparently neglecting to coordinate his remarks with those that his leader was sharing with President Bush in Texas, Shaykh Salah Bin-Muhammad al-Budayr reiterates what Arafat has been saying for years: Jews are monkeys and pigs, that must be destroyed.

What kind of agreement would you make with such people?

Aerial Photos Show Affected Part of Jenin
Israel Defense Forces spokesperson site shows that the total area was only about 100 meters square.

Non-Arab Terrorists in Adora?
DEBKAfile raises some serious questions.

Also, Israel has apparently handed Washington evidence of a plot--found in Jenin--of a suicide terror campaign intended for US cities. And pictures of a torture room, used by Arafat's people to "persuage" families who refused to turn over their children for suicide bombings.

(Note: The reliability of DebkaFile has been questioned by two friends. I hold this source "on probation," having no hard evidence of their missing the mark.)

Why Israel Agreed, then Changed its Mind
Ha'aretz - a left-wing paper, at best - uses a misleading headline to obscure the real information in this piece: That Sharon missed seeing a memo from a legal expert explaining that the so-called "investigators" are actually looking into allegations of war crimes!

Why are we always on the defensive? Why does nobody care about the human rights abuses of the Arabs? Why does nobody consider the track record of Israel and the Jews, in human rights and honesty and integrity, and view that in justaposition with that of the Arabs?

Sometimes I get the feeling we are playing against a dealer with a stacked deck.

(I'm just glad my Father owns the casino.)

Preaching to the Converted?
A major challenge to those who are trying to get the truth out is to keep talking and telling, even when it seems as if we are repeating both ourselves and what is being said by others in our "circles of agreement." I think we haven't learned--or maybe it's just me, and I need to encourage myself on this point--the basic point of the "big lie" strategy attributed to Goebbels: Repetition works. We have to "keep on keepin' on."

For example, it's much too easy for me to dismiss ABC, BBC,and their fellow feces-mongers on the issue of "atrocities," having thoroughly convinced myself of the truth, and noting that most of the sources that I respect feel the same.

Fellow supporters of Zionism and Israel - be strong and of good courage! While many of your "hits" are from people who already agree, they need your support and encouragement. And some people to whom your information is new are reading it, and are being positively affected by it.

Joel

Please Write to this Company and Tell Them What You Think
israelinsider: politics: Texas firm launches boycott of Israeli customers

The Stench of Shimon Peres's Morals"
IMRA - Friday, April 26, 2002 Column One - The Peres Center scandal. It is important to note that the "Center" and the man, Shimon Peres, operate in close coordination...

Direct Report from Jenin
IMRA - Friday, April 26, 2002 Moshe Chertoff : Message From An Israeli On The Front Lines.

At Last! Proper Etiquette for Dealing with Jew-Haters!
Dear Miss Mannerstein,

I just met CNN's Andrea Koppel at a financial conference in Tel Aviv. When I inquired of her background in international affairs, she replied that not only had she read five books on the subject, but that she subscribes to, and promotes the opinion that Israel deserves destruction. What should I do?

- Angry American

Read Miss Mannerstein's reply in her debut column, by clicking here. Thanks to Yehuda Ben-David for pointing out this important resource.

Never Prouder to be an Israeli and a Jew
And any Israeli or Jew who reads this will agree--and rejoice that Naomi is one, too!

CNN Strikes Again
CNN.com - Mike Hanna: Palestinian justice in Ramallah - April 25, 2002

A jaw-dropping exhibition of naivete or stupidity...read what Mike Hanna says in this ostensible piece of reporting:

CNN: So this was sort of like an olive branch held out by Yasser Arafat to the Israelis?

HANNA: Well, very much so, on one level. There have been demands, and from the U.S. as well, a very strong demand last week from President Bush, that these men be brought to justice. The whole question of whether justice has been served in this case, well, that is open to debate. [!!! -Joel] It was not a court. It was an extraordinary military tribunal, as it is called, a makeshift military tribunal.

But certainly, Yasser Arafat apparently [was] wanting to make clear that he is intent on bringing justice in this particular case, that he is taking action against those who assassinated that Israeli tourism minister. (Emphasis added.)

"May we be worthy of the sacrifice..."
Today We Buried Gedalya - When the media is telling you about the bloodthirsty Jews and the poor Arabs, read this.

A Reasonable Observation
If the NY Times or CNN had reported on the exodus from Egypt, this is what it would have looked like.

From Naomi Ragen: An Update
Naomi Ragen just learned there was a SECOND suicide bomber that was supped to come to the Park Hotel in Netanya, where she was at a seder that hadn't been bombed. Also, she shares the text of John McCain's talk to the AIPAC Policy Conference.

Make Up Your Mind
IMRA - Thursday, April 25, 2002 WAFA exposes its own propaganda, first presents death of 3 kids as Israeli "aggression", then condemns sending them on

Self-proclaimed Defenders of "Human Rights" Don't Give a Hoot
Women in Green point out that the flagrantly unjust slaughter of ACCUSED collaborators makes no impact on the UN, Amnesty International, the Red Cross, or even the US. (Not to mention the Israeli Left.)

Why Did Bush Demand this Promise?
Sharon says he hasn't sent troops in to take Arafat because he promised the White House not to harm the terrorist. Can you picture the crown prince of Saudi Arabia extracting a promise from Bush not to harm Bin Ladin? What kind of insanity is this?

There's no new lesson here, just the same old one: Negotiate with terrorists, and you prove to them that their tactics work.

Suicide Bombers, New and Old
Ha'aretz tells of "Martyrs on this Side of Paradise"

Tit for Tat? They wouldn't really do that, would they?
israelinsider: politics: Storm over Peres Center's $100,000 prize to Terje Roed-Larsen

Another great lgf link: grade: F to Mid-East coverage

WorldNetDaily: Arab accounts back Israeli version of Jenin.

Why Don't They Give Them a State?
Speaking with Women in Green's Ruth Matar on Arutz 7, WND's Joseph Farah just asked an interesting question: If there was a "Palestinian people" before 1967, why didn't their Arab brethren give them an "independent state"? And why does nobody report on the settlements that the Arabs have built in Judea and Samaria?

Comic Relief
Whosoever Blesses Them: Larry Miller in the Daily Standard on "The intifada and its defenders." Thanks, LGF, for pointing this out..

BCM has some excellent quotes, thoughts, and blogs today. Go and read.

Arabs Plunder Church of the Nativity
We have yet to hear all that the Arabs did to the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem. This is just an initial report.

This notion that Israel is allowing the criminals to choose deportation instead of being tried is not mercy; it is unjust insanity. It unjust to the victims of these monsters, with whom few seem concerned. And the fact that the murderers reject even that is an indication of the contempt in which they hold Israel. They believe they can get any outcome they want. And sadly, they have not yet been proven wrong.

Berlin Police Warn Jews Not To Look Too Jewish

YNET REPORTS THAT Berlin police warned the Jewish community to hide their head-coverings, Jewish stars, and other symbols and outward signs that can reveal that they are Jewish publicly for fear of anti-semitic attacks.

A ghastly echo. Where is this going?

Here is something you can do to take a stand for Israel. I just got this from a friend in Israel:

Estee Lauder Corporation (which is also is the parent company of Prescriptives, Mac, Bobbie Brown, La Mer, Jo Malone, Origins, Aramis, Aveda and Bumble and Bumble) is being boycotted by a loud and ambitious campaign of the world's Arab and Muslim community due to Ron Lauder's (Estee Lauder's President) support for Israel. Mr. Lauder has been extremely courageous and public in his support for the Jewish State and has taken real personal and financial risks to inform the world of the war that the Palestinian Authority has declared on Israel and Jews worldwide.

To combat this boycott I suggest that we all go out and buy as much Estee Lauder and Clinique products as possible. Make the Estee Lauder and Clinique counters your gift of choice. Switch brands at least for a while.

It is said that beauty has many discomforts. So does supporting those who speak for us. PLEASE FORWARD THIS TO EVERYONE YOU KNOW! LET'S SHOW THE ARABS THAT PEOPLE ALL OVER THE WORLD WILL STAND TOGETHER.

(Ronnie Lauder is married to Jo Carol Knopf Lauder born and raised in Wilmington, Delaware. Her parents were humble Holocaust survivors. He also works unstingingly for the re-establishment of the Hungarian Jewish community. A good man!)

Hooray! Israel has decided not to bend over for the UN! (Pardon the gross metaphor, but it is apt.)

Dark and powerful poem for the Saudis, the British and the French

Not everything coming out of London is insanely antisemitic.... There is one point in this article with which I take serious issue: I don't believe Sharon "...pushed through an expansion of Israeli settlements." Phrasing it that way makes it seem that it was some whim of Sharon's. Settling in Gaza and Judea and Samaria was and is an expression of the will of a very large fraction of the Israeli people. It was not some wild hare chased by an ambitious politician.

The Arabs of the region have ALWAYS benefited from Jews civilizing the region, and have ALWAYS resented it. I think the active emotions are not too different from the French resentment of America, without whose help they might still be under German domination. My wife has termed it, "the politics of envy."

Women in Green republished this wonderful piece by Eric Hoffer, the longshoreman philosopher, that appeared in the LA Times 5/26/68. I'd call it "prescient," but it is really an observation of the essential dynamics of the situation, that are not affected by time.

The PLO is back, says Ehud Ya'ari. (That's funny, I couldn't tell it was ever gone...)

A godly response to terror - Canadian Jews come to Israel to help. This is sacrificial giving of time and expenses, and willingness to be exposed to danger for love of Israel. Let's have some more!

The Falafel Curtain: William Safire has a gem of a column today - Democrats vs. Israel - which includes: "In refusing to take a stand, Gore avoided the ridicule of liberal pundits. From Mary McGrory in The Washington Post to Mark Shields on CNN, a falafel curtain has descended across our continent, transmogrifying the Arab aggressor into the victim. ABC-Disney leads that parade, as the BBC vies with Al Jazeera to inflame the European street. Pro-Palestinian journalists gain cover from Israel's dovish Haaretz, but such dissent is a democracy's strength; if a Ramallah paper criticized Arafat, the editor's body would be dragged through the streets as a "collaborator." " (You have to register to read the whole thing, but it's free.)

DEBKAfile reports that King Abdullah of Jordan has moved his family from Amman to Aqaba, on the Red Sea, and that a variety of Jordanian institutions have been placed on a war emergency footing. Are they expecting Iraq? Arafat's forces? Both?

Transcript of Brit Hume interviewing former Middle East envoy (under Clinton) Dennis Ross, on FOXNews.com Gives the lie to all Arab statements about what happened then and since.

"Peres: Larsen is a friend of Israel" - doubtful, but possible. However, Peres is NOT!

JURIST - D'Amato: The Legal Boundaries of Israel in International Law. This piece and the comments on it will help anyone who is interested in the legal issues realize why the matter is complex. I don't endorse any of the positions here, but they begin to address the matter in a reasoned fashion.

Privateer said last Thursday: "To be a liberal, you have to believe allowing American citizens to carry concealed weapons will turn then into crazed gunmen, but 30,000 AK-47s in the hands of Yasser Arafat would turn him into a "partner for peace." " (Thanks for pointer, Joe Katzman, Winds of Change!)

May God bless and protect Aaron Singer, and may his example inspire many.