A Twenty-six Years Ago Article

This was published in Sh'ma, 11/225, January 8, 1982, edited by Eugene B. Borowitz:-



How nothing has changed.

Sabbah Botches It

It seems that news agencies are reporting that Jerusalem's Latin Patriarch rejects Israel's Jewish identity and according to Reuters:

Jerusalem's Latin Patriarch criticised Israel on Wednesday for insisting Palestinians recognise it as a Jewish state and said God made the Holy Land for Muslims and Christians too. Michel Sabbah, the Holy Land's Roman Catholic leader, said in his annual Christmas message that the Israeli-Palestinian conflict had unleashed "forces of evil" across the Middle East and it was up to Israel to make a relaunched peace process work.

...Sabbah said he was concerned about Israeli demands, rebuffed by the Palestinians, that Israel be recognised as a Jewish state because that would discriminate against Muslims and Christians. "God made this land for all three of us, so a suitable state is one who can adapt itself to the vocation of this land," said Sabbah, who was born in Nazareth, a town where Christians believe Jesus was raised and which is now part of Israel. If it's Jewish, it's not Muslim or Christian...If there's a state of one religion, other religions are naturally discriminated against," Latin Patriarch Michel Sabbah told reporters at the annual press conference he holds in Jerusalem before the Christian holiday...Sabbah said Israel should abandon its Jewish character in favor of a political, normal state for Christians, Muslims and Jews. "This land cannot be exclusive for anyone," he said. [And see this news report, as well]

Well, this is a bit of a problem. Instead of lashing out at the persons or the culture or the political framework which is killing Christians, raping their women, torching their churches and causing them to exit their homes - the Palestine Authority, if my intention was not clear (see here and here and better, here) - Sabbah not only ignores the harsh reality he is seen to be covering up but also illustrates a quite vicious theological interpretation which I am the many non-Jewish readers of this blog do not share.

First of all, as any theologian knows, there is a difference between the "Land" as intrinsically being geographically sacred, whether to Judaism, Christianity or Islam, and as to what degree, and the "State" which is but a political framework. Whereas Christianity may separate the two (""Render unto Cesar the things that are Caesar; and to God, the things that are God’s" - Mark 12:17), we Jews do not. But that intrinsic character does not mean absolute exclusion.

Christians and Muslims have not be ghettoized in Israel as Jews were in Europe and the Arab Middle East. Pogroms and Farhud were the lot of the Jews but not of Arabs here. [further reading]

But secondly, the Bible assure mankind that there will be an era of redemption. Here's Isaiah, Chapter 2:

2 It shall happen in the latter days, that the mountain of the Lord's house shall be established on the top of the mountains, And shall be raised above the hills; And all nations shall flow to it. 3 Many peoples shall go and say, "Come, let's go up to the mountain of the Lord, To the house of the God of Jacob; And he will teach us of his ways, And we will walk in his paths. For out of Zion the law shall go forth, And the word of the Lord from Jerusalem. 4 He will judge between the nations, And will decide concerning many peoples; And they shall beat their swords into plowshares, And their spears into pruning-hooks. Nation shall not lift up sword against nation, Neither shall they learn war any more.

Can Sabbah presume to stand in the way of Biblical prophecy? Is he negating the scriptual word? There will be nations and peoples and no one is forced to become Jewish. But the ultimate message there is that G-d, as the Divine presence and motivating force, will be recognized by all. And that is why the Jews need to be sovereign in the Land of Israel. Not to exclude but to permit all the nations and beliefs to benefit from the spiritual, moral and cultural advantages that the Jews have highlighted throughout their history.

Of course, if the land is Jewish it is not Christian or Muslim. Jesus knew that when he came, as a worshipper, to the Temple. The Islamic Haddith sought to identify Muhammed with Jerusalem although the Quran and the historical record attest otherwise. But I don't seek to extend Jewishness to Mecca where no non-Muslim can be in nor to Rome from where Sabbah's authority stems.

Isaiah speaks not of war but of peace. Would that other religious leaders learn that simple message that we Jews know.

A Nice Demographic Solution

More than a quarter of Palestinians seek immigration, poll finds

Ramallah (DPA) -- More than a quarter of West Bank and Gaza Palestinians or some 27 per cent say they cannot take current conditions any more and seek immigration, a public opinion poll published Monday has found.

The poll, conducted by the Ramallah-based Palestinian Centre for Policy and Survey Research, found that only 5 per cent of respondents gave a positive evaluation of economic conditions in the Gaza Strip and 8 per cent described conditions as good or very good.

On the other hand, 47 per cent gave a positive evaluation for economic conditions in the West Bank and only 31 per cent described conditions as good or very good.

The poll interviewed 1,270 Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza Strip between December 11 and 16 and had a margin of error of plus or minus 3 per cent.

Poof! Just Like That

IDF missile strike against terrorists.

Here, scroll down to the video.

The Bloggers of "Palestine"

If you want to know what the Pals. are writing about in their blogging efforts, go here

Almost 300:

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Who Would Have Thought?

Hava Nagila, a British pop hit:



(Kippah tip: Jewess)

P.S. Hava Nagila translates as "Let's Celebrate", not Let's Dance.

Barak Was Boinged Tonight

This was the scene of the Hall at the Hebrew University this evening as the debate between Richard Posner and Aaron Barak finished.



Richard A. Posner, Judge of the United States Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals and Senior Lecturer at the University of Chicago Law School, engaged in a debate of sorts with recently retired President of Israel's Supreme Court, Justice Aaron Barak.

I don't think that many people at the crowded hall were aware of this book review Posner published, entitled Enlightened Despot and which contains this opinion of Barak:-

only in Israel (as far as I know) do judges confer the power of abstract review on themselves, without benefit of a constitutional or legislative provision. One is reminded of Napoleon's taking the crown out of the pope's hands and putting it on his own head.

and this here:-

In 2006, he [Barak] published "The Judge in a Democracy", an examination of his judicial philosophy, in which he describes the role of a judge, beyond dispute resolution, is to connect law with society and to protect the constitution and democracy. He also espouses the role of purposive interpretation to reading constitutional texts. The book was savagely reviewed by conservative legal scholars who felt that Barak is advocating Judicial supremacy. Richard Posner's review, who characterized Barak as a "judicial buccaneer",

Robert H. Bork, law professor, published an article in Azure here wherein he wrote, inter alia:-

it would appear that Barak is unconcerned that the rule of law -- which he praises as part of “substantive democracy” -- is in fact being replaced by the rule of judges, a trend to which he himself is the major contributor. Perhaps he believes that judges are simply intellectually and morally superior to other actors in the nation’s politics, and thus judicial authoritarianism is necessary.

Anyway, after interruptions by fanatic anti-Israel pro-Palestinian activists poorly dealt with by the security detail, the fireworks started. I don't think Barak was truly aware of what Posner, in a low-keyed address, was going to do to him. He notched Barak down. Posner bluntly said judges have no expertise outside the law so where does Barak come off lecturing about human rights. He insisted by implication that judges like Barak mystify their calling and use rhetoric.

Barak kept on quoting himself and his decisions and using the word "constitution" when Israel has no constitution. He sounded pitiful. He even said that Posner was in a sense justifying Nazi Germany because they also ruled themselves by law.

I saw Caroline Glick there and I hope she really tears into Barak, too.

We're One Happy Family or What?

in ABRAHAM'S CHILDREN bestselling author Jon Entine vividly brings to life the profound human implications of the Age of Genetics while illuminating one of today's most controversial topics: the connection between genetics and who we are, and specifically the question "Who is a Jew?"

Entine weaves a fascinating narrative, using breakthroughs in genetic genealogy to reconstruct the Jewish biblical tradition of the chosen people and the hereditary Israelite priestly caste of Cohanim. Synagogues in the mountains of India and China and Catholic churches with a Jewish identity in New Mexico and Colorado provide different patterns of connection within the tangled history of the Jewish diaspora. Legendary accounts of the Hebrew lineage of Ethiopian tribesmen, the building of Africa's Great Zimbabwe fortress, and even the so-called Lost Tribes are reexamined in light of advanced DNA technology. Entine also reveals the shared ancestry of Israelites and Christians.

As people from across the world discover their Israelite roots, their riveting stories unveil exciting new approaches to defining one's identity. Not least, Entine addresses possible connections between DNA and Jewish intelligence and the controversial notion that Jews are a "race apart." ABRAHAM'S CHILDREN is a compelling reinterpretation of biblical history and a challenging and exciting illustration of the promise and power of genetic research.

Source.

And the book's site here.

Matisyahu #2

Bob Marley still casts a spell, topping Billboard’s year-end ranking of top reggae albums...his sons, Stephen and Damian Marley, have captured the No. 2 and No. 3 positions on the chart...The brothers also took third and fourth place on Billboard’s year-end list of top reggae artists, headed for the second consecutive year by Matisyahu, a New Yorker who attracts fans with his mix of hip-hop and reggae and lyrics about his Hasidic Jewish background.

Source.

A Consulate Opinion

A century ago, former US Consul to historical Palestine (1893-1898), Edwin Sherman Wallace ("Jerusalem the Holy. A Brief History of Ancient Jerusalem; With an Account of the Modern City and Its Conditions Political, Religious, and Social", Fleming H. Revel Co., New York, 1898, p. 344) and republished in 1977 by Arno Press



provided an insight regarding Palestinian Muslims, published more than a decade prior to the Balfour Declaration:-

Their religion [Islam] is intolerant. It has little sympathy for the adherents of other faiths. It once advocated an extermination of the infidels. Perhaps it would continue in that advocacy did its leaders dare.

And he also wrote:

"My own belief is that the time is not far distant when Palestine will be in the hands of a people who will restore it to its former condition of productiveness. The Land is waiting, the people are ready to come, and will come as soon as protection of life and property is assured . . . . This must be accepted or the numerous prophecies that asserted so positively must be thrown out as worthless . . . . (Yet) the present movements among Jews in many parts of the world indicate their belief in the prophetic assertions. Their eyes are turning toward the Land that once was theirs and their hearts are longing for the day when they as a people can dwell securely in it."

Israel is being Condhimmed

Picked up the idea for a new verb (here):

v. Condhimmi

to be pressured into accepting humiliating conditions in the field of national security; to be diplomatically bamboozled; to be beaten down.

Origin: Condoleeza Rice, aka Condi, U.S. Secretary of State, has manipulated Israel's government, headed by Ehud Olmert, into a dangerous political situation vis-a-vis the Palestine Authority, even using Jim Crow imagery and misrepresenting American Negro experience as if applicable in the case of the Arab attempt to eradicate Israel. Israel's Jews are being threatened by a renewed dhimmi (tolerated minority) status in their own country.

Condi + Dhimmi = condhimmi

Usage: "Olmert has been condhimmed again. He's removing security barriers and supplying arnms to the PA even though terror continues unabated".

For the 10th of Tevet

The broadcast of the first Jewish religious service held on German soil by the conquering and liberating American troops at Aachen.

Here.

(Kippah tip: IB)

And, as a counter, read this:-

...Hamas is planning to exclusively broadcast the Ein ul-Adhaa morning prayers and following sermons from the Mount's Al Aqsa Mosque, which Muslims say is their third holiest site.

The services are slated to be aired on Al Aqsa radio, Hamas' official radio network. ..All broadcasts from the Mount must be approved by the Waqf, which guard the Muslim entrances to the Temple Mount along with the Israeli police. Broadcasts in theory must also be approved by the Israeli police...Asked if the police approved the Hamas broadcast, Jerusalem Police Spokesman Shmulik Ben Ruby told WND, "As far as I know, the Israeli police is not engaged with this issue."

...Hamas would not say how they planned to coordinate the broadcast from the Temple Mount. But Wednesday's scheduled broadcast would not be the first by a terror group... in September that the Islamic Jihad terror organization exclusively broadcast daily Ramadan prayers from the Mount on their official station, the Al Quds Network. The radio network regularly features Iranian and anti-Semitic propaganda and death threats against Jews.

According to Palestinian security sources speaking to WND, Islamic Jihad's Al-Quds radio used technicians from the Voice of Palestine, the official radio network of the Palestinian Authority, to facilitate the Temple Mount broadcasts, even though the program is not aired on PA radio. The Voice of Palestine has a permit to broadcast from the Mount.

The Palestinian sources said the Waqf as well as the PA was "well aware" Islamic Jihad was broadcasting from the Mount.

Reporters-Without-Borders Respond

Here's the letter I received regarding the arrest of Omar al-Ghoul:-

Hi,

From the information I have received, the arrest of Mr Omar al-Ghoul was related to his participation in the government of Salam Fayyad. I have asked our correspondent in Gaza to check this matter and we will condemn the arrest if indeed it is linked to journalism.

Regards,


Hajar Smouni
North Africa & Middle-East Desk Reporters Without Borders
47 rue Vivienne F - 75002 Paris
Tel : + 33 1 44 83 84 78
Fax : +33 1 45 23 11 51
E-mail : middle-east@rsf.org
http://www.rsf.org

S.N.A.F.U. at State

From Condi's remarks:

QUESTION:...Immediately after Annapolis, we introduced our -- Ambassador Khalilzad introduced at the UN the draft of a resolution or some ideas toward a resolution that would embody some of the Annapolis ideas. And then, by his account and press reports, that was withdrawn because the Israelis were not happy with that course. And that was played in the Arab world, on Al Jazeera, in the newspapers, as evidence that it was the Israelis who called the shots, not the Americans. It was a big story for them. And I'd like you to just to address it. What happened? Why did it go that way?

SECRETARY RICE: Well, after Annapolis, at the UN there was a desire to do something to welcome Annapolis and there were several options. One was a simple press statement. Another was a presidential statement. Another was a resolution of some kind. And discussions were going on as to what of those -- which of those would be most useful and what it might say. And Zal wanted to get a sense of what anything, any of those, would say and he went in to session with the Council.

It was very clear that there needed to be some more work done -- and by the way, not just with the Israelis but with the Palestinians as well -- about not what would be said -- I don't think anybody was concerned about what would be said -- but about the wisdom of a resolution at that moment.

And so when it went back to capitals, there was just a few that the resolution was not going to be helpful or welcome. You know, frankly, I wish that perhaps the capitals had spoken a little bit more clearly through their representatives. But they didn't, and no one was concerned that there was any walking back from what would have been the text of either a resolution or a presidential statement, but at that point it seemed that frankly the simplest and quickest thing to do was to simply have the Indonesian presidency state what had been stated, rather than continuing to work on something which frankly was not considered to have much force. So that's the story.

Gaydamak - On the (Electoral) Move

Arkady Gaydamak is running a neat poster campaign on buses and billboards in Jerusalem.

This one highlights his "saving" of the downtown Bikkur Cholim Hospital that he seems to have purchased:-



The slogan reads: Jerusalem, You Deserve More. The renewed Bikkur Cholim. Facing the Future.

-----

The above advertisement concerns an 85-year old letter of recommendation to the Knesset Yisrael Yeshivah written by the Chofetz Chaim, R' Meir Kagan, requesting that a student, one Chaim Gaydamak, be accepted to the Yeshiva, now known as the Hebron Yeshiva.

These should well endear him to a major voting bloc in Jerusalem for the mayoralty elections soon. The Hareidi Bloc.

How Fast Will They Steal/Embezzle It?

The European Union will pledge $650 million in aid to the Palestinians for 2008, EU External Relations Commissioner Benita Ferrero-Waldner said Monday.

She spoke to The Associated Press ahead of Monday's conference of donor countries where the Palestinians hope to collect aid pledges of $5.6 billion over three years.

Source

I Couldn't Restrain Myself

I read this NYTimes' report:-

A rocket fired at Israel on Sunday afternoon by Palestinian militants from Gaza landed near a house in Kibbutz Zikim, lightly wounding an Israeli toddler inside, an army spokesman said.

and sent the following letter to the paper:-

Your correspondent's report that a Qassam rocket struck a kibbutz ("Palestinian Rocket Injures Child in Israeli Kibbutz", Dec. 17) contains a semantic error.

As the Hamas leadership would claim, the kibbutz is actually another Israeli "settlement" as they make no distinction between pre-1967 and post-1967 Zionist activities to redeem the Land of Israel. Indeed, Hamas makes no distinction as regards pre-1947 land reclamation efforts as well. This semantic ideology bars any peace agreement between Israel and Hamas and most of the rest of the Arabs who consider themselves "Palestinian".

A Week Late - But Enjoy

Media Ethics

These principles are okay by me:-

We seek truth, and report with fairness and integrity.

Independence and integrity are the foundations of our service, which we maintain through these principles:

TRUTH
Journalism is the rigorous pursuit of truth. Its practice requires fairness, accuracy, and balance. We strive to be comprehensive. We seek diverse points of view and voices to tell the stories of our communities.

FAIRNESS
Fairness is at the core of all good journalism. We gather and report the news in context, with clarity and compassion. We treat our sources and the public with decency and respect. Our reporting is thorough, timely and avoids speculation.

INTEGRITY
The public's faith in our service rests on our integrity as journalists. Editorial independence is required to ensure the integrity of our work. We identify the differences between reporting and opinion. We guard against conflicts of interest — real and perceived — that could compromise the credibility and independence of our reporting. We are accountable when conflicts occur. We disclose any unavoidable conflicts of interest.

HH #145 is Up

Here

Kick that ball, David!