RubinReports: Israel: A Country Where The Army Commander and An Arab (Terrorist Agent) Work Out at the Same Gym

Israel: A Country Where The Army Commander and An Arab (Terrorist Agent) Work Out at the Same Gym

By Barry Rubin

An ounce of reality is worth a ton of propaganda. Every day we are deluged with material about how horrible Israel is. For example, a petition to a Canadian film festival—signed by Alice Walker, Jane Fonda, and Danny Glover—oppose including films on Tel Aviv because Israel is allegedly an “apartheid” state.

The director of the festival rejected their demand but agreed that Tel Aviv was “contested ground.”

So now it is becoming acceptable in polite Western cultural circles not only to agree with the Palestinian demand for a West Bank-Gaza State with its capital in east Jerusalem but also to consider that maybe all of Israel should be wiped off the map.

I don’t know what films about Tel Aviv are being shown but I’ll bet one of them is a recent production about a homosexual love affair between a Palestinian and an Israel in which the Palestinians are portrayed quite sympathetically.

Now David Hornik points out this amazing detail. Recently, an Israeli Arab plotted as an agent of Hizballah to assassinate the Israeli military’s chief of staff, the highest-ranking officer.

But how did the would-be assassin stake out the general? Simple. They belong to the same health club where they both work out! Imagine any other country where the head of a military does his exercise at a public gym, much less one that isn't so elite that anyone can join . And so much for that "apartheid" nonsense.

Oh, and isn’t Hizballah that group which President Barack Obama’s terrorism advisor says isn’t a terrorist group, and the one the British government is starting to engage with as a normal political party?

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RubinReports: Israel: A Country Where The Army Commander and An Arab (Terrorist Agent) Work Out at the Same Gym

RubinReports: Iran Sanctions’ Summit Meeting Not Going Well, Will This Be Another Obama Administration Failure?

Iran Sanctions’ Summit Meeting Not Going Well, Will This Be Another Obama Administration Failure?

By Barry Rubin

The centerpiece of U.S. Middle East policy at this moment is to put higher sanctions on Iran which supposedly will make Tehran negotiate an end or slow down to its nuclear program. Even if sanctions are made much tougher, the policy won’t work. Right now, it is starting to appear—as predicted here—that the sanctions won’t even be made much tougher.

Six countries are meeting—China, France, Germany, Great Britain, Russia, and the United States—to raise sanctions. But at the last moment, the Iranian regime—which manipulates the West like a virtuoso plays a violin—made a last-minute offer of talks which has put the powers off their pace.

Immediately, Iran’s enablers—Russia and China—seized on this vague offer to say: Well, they want to talk so let’s postpone putting up sanctions.

By the way, tougher sanctions were supposed to be put in place around three years ago after a multi-year diplomatic effort by Britain, France and Germany failed to change Iran’s policy. It is possible that Iran will have nuclear weapons before tougher sanctions are put in place.

Yet even the main sanction being discussed is of questionable use. The two principal measures are to stop exports to Iran of refined petroleum products and to put stronger controls against banks, insurance companies, or other corporations loaning money to Iran, investing there, or insuring projects.

But guess what? President Barack Obama’s charm has not stopped China from a project that will double Iran’s ability to turn its own petroleum into gasoline, heating oil, and other products in the next three years.

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RubinReports: Iran Sanctions’ Summit Meeting Not Going Well, Will This Be Another Obama Administration Failure?

RubinReports: How to Tell Who’s Lying and Who’s Telling the Truth in the Middle East

How to Tell Who’s Lying and Who’s Telling the Truth in the Middle East

By Barry Rubin

A reader wrote me about one of the latest (and innumerable) sensationalist stories in the Middle East. Namely, in this case, that Hizballah has allegedly deployed chemical and biological weapons. This is absurd but it reminds us of the care that must be taken in analyzing developments in this region.

In this case, the source is a Kuwaiti newspaper. One must first ask: how does a Kuwaiti newspaper with no foreign bureaus and surely no inside sources in Hizballah (or Syria or Israeli intelligence) know this big secret? So the first question you must always ask is: Is it credible that the news outlet or other source knows what it/he/she claims to know?

The second question is the more specific identity of the source. There are sources that are literally always wrong (Debka, al-Quds al-Arabi, the Syrian state press, etc) and should be remembered as such. In this case, the newspaper is al-Siyassa, a courageous newspaper in its stance against Syria and radical Islamists and which is also pro-Saudi. Clearly, as in the past, al-Siyassa wants a sensationalist story and also to make the Syrians (and their client, Hizballah) look bad.

The third question is the rule of rationality: There have been no credible previous reports of Hizballah having these weapons. And if they did, Israeli sources would be talking about it a lot.

Consider another recent story, the claim that Israel hijacked a Russian ship carrying arms to Hamas. Russia is a very important country for Israel. Aside from trade and other issues, Israel doesn’t want Moscow to sell advanced anti-aircraft missiles to Iran, just in case Israel decides one day to bomb Iranian nuclear facilities. Would Israel take the risk of creating a virtual war scenario with the Russian government? Not credible.

In the past there were mythical lands, or at least lands about which myths could be told. People remember that Marco Polo described the court of the emperor of China but not that Polo also speaks of lands along the way where he insisted he saw men with two heads.

The Middle East has become the part of the world onto which fantasies are projected. But there’s a problem. Due to Political Correctness and other dubious blessings of contemporary life, one cannot even speak honestly about what goes on in Iran or Arabic-speaking lands. The old cliché that, “if you can’t say something nice, don’t say anything at all,” has seemingly been enshrined on the intellectual temples of our era.

Consequently, a growing proportion of the mythology settles on the place about which it is permissible to say anything: Israel.

For example, if I were to assert that the proportion of deliberate and credibly believed lying in public life, media, and universities in the Arabic-speaking world is far higher than in the West (not to deny that there is plenty of that in the West also, enhanced by some current trends), that would be considered shocking.

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RubinReports: How to Tell Who’s Lying and Who’s Telling the Truth in the Middle East

Report: Bibi Plans Judea Building, then Freeze - Politics & Government - Israel News - Israel National News

Report: Bibi Plans Judea Building, then Freeze - Politics & Government - Israel News - Israel National News

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Boteach to Gaddafi: 'Kiss Bold Part of New Jersey Anatomy' - Jewish World - Israel News - Israel National News

Boteach to Gaddafi: 'Kiss Bold Part of New Jersey Anatomy' - Jewish World - Israel News - Israel National News

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Firebombs Thrown at Home of Bedouin Sheikh Shalit Activist - Defense/Middle East - Israel News - Israel National News

Firebombs Thrown at Home of Bedouin Sheikh Shalit Activist - Defense/Middle East - Israel News - Israel National News

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Pollard's Attorney: Govt. is Hiding Dark Secrets - Jewish World - Israel News - Israel National News

Pollard's Attorney: Govt. is Hiding Dark Secrets - Jewish World - Israel News - Israel National News

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Norway Boycotts Israeli Security Firm Elbit - Politics & Government - Israel News - Israel National News

Norway Boycotts Israeli Security Firm Elbit - Politics & Government - Israel News - Israel National News

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Anti-Semitism Thrives on Dutch Social Media - Jewish World - Israel News - Israel National News

Anti-Semitism Thrives on Dutch Social Media - Jewish World - Israel News - Israel National News

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Israel Matzav: Music video: Time to say Good Shabbos

Israel Matzav: Music video: Time to say Good Shabbos

Israel Matzav: Good news: 'Palestinians' improving at forging Israeli identity cards

Good news: 'Palestinians' improving at forging Israeli identity cards

One of things that takes some getting used to when you move to Israel is that you are constantly being asked to show your teudat zehut (identification card). The card looks like this:

All Israelis are required to have the card on them at all time once they reach the age of 18; most of the kids get them at around age 16 because they need them to take matriculation exams.

Police use the identification cards as a quick and easy way to verify that the person standing in front of them is an Israeli citizen (and not a 'Palestinian') and therefore there is a good chance that they are safe, and in most cases only a slight chance that they are planning to blow themselves up.

Unfortunately, the 'Palestinians' have apparently mastered the art of forging the identification cards.

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Israel Matzav: Good news: 'Palestinians' improving at forging Israeli identity cards

Israel Matzav: Haredim (ultra-Orthodox Jews) set up 'outpost'

Israel Matzav: Haredim (ultra-Orthodox Jews) set up 'outpost'

Israel Matzav: Netanyahu to approve 'hundreds' of units before freeze

Israel Matzav: Netanyahu to approve 'hundreds' of units before freeze

Israel Matzav: Encrypted video link installed between White House and PM's office

Israel Matzav: Encrypted video link installed between White House and PM's office

Israel Matzav: IAI to unveil JUMPER missile system

IAI to unveil JUMPER missile system

Israel Aerospace Industries is to unveil its new JUMPER System at the third Army and Defense Conference and Exhibition at Latrun. The new system features eight canistered missiles that are launched from a vertical launcher pack to precisely strike targets at ranges of up to 50 km (31 miles) (Hat Tip: Shy Guy).

Defence Professionals News explains:

The JUMPER system contains eight canistered missiles and one integrated command and control unit that are arranged in each JUMPER 3X3 hive. Overall dimensions are: 1.4X1.4X2m. The system requires no operating crew and no special launching platform. Pinpoint accuracy and short time of flight make the JUMPER a perfect solution for the autonomous fire support to the Ground Forces. The missile is 1800 mm long, has a diameter of 150 mm, and weighs 63 kg. The missile is equipped with a GPS/INS and 4 steering fins at its tail. In addition, the missile can home to a laser designation.

Thus, a significant effect is achieved against a variety of target types, especially in urban operations where collateral damage is a major concern. The missile is armed with several possible warheads for fire missions that require prompt and accurate response.

The JUMPER system provides the maneuvering force commander with autonomous, immediate, and precise fire – regardless of weather and visibility conditions.

Major General (Ret.) Eyal Ben-Reuven – Deputy, Northern Command, during the 2nd Lebanon War, said: "The JUMPER's unique mode of operation is very relevant to the asymmetric warfare characteristics of the complex battlefield under which the IDF (Israeli Defense Force) and other modern armies have to operate. The system, using the autonomous vertical launch hive, enables investment of 90% of the budget in the effect rather than in platforms and personnel."

Hmmm.

Israel Matzav: IAI to unveil JUMPER missile system

Israel Matzav: This is 'art'?

This is 'art'?

Believe it or not, there are Israelis who still don't get it. Unfortunately, many of them are members of our mainstream media.

An 'art exhibit' that featured female 'Palestinian' suicide bombers dressed as Medieval portraits of the Virgin Marry and holding Baby Jesus (see sample picture at top left) was quickly taken down on Thursday after relatives of terror victims arrived to protest. The exhibit was originally put up at Sokolov House in Tel Aviv, the headquarters of Israel's press association. Why it never occurred to the members of that 'august' body that someone might be offended by such an exhibit in Israel is simply beyond me. And the 'artists' who prepared this travesty and continued to defend it - two women named Galina Bleich and Lilia Check - are simply beneath contempt.

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Israel Matzav: This is 'art'?

Israel Matzav: Chabad Center's response on Sandra Bernhard

Israel Matzav: Chabad Center's response on Sandra Bernhard

Israel Matzav: Top US investigator: Gadhaffi personally approved Pan Am 103 attack

Top US investigator: Gadhaffi personally approved Pan Am 103 attack

There's a cemetery in Beit Shemesh, about 25 minutes out of Jerusalem, that's mostly been bought up by groups of American Jews who want to be buried in Israel (the Talmud extols the merits of those who are buried here, but it also says that it is even better to have lived here before one dies). Unfortunately, I have been to that cemetery many times over the years, usually for the burial services of American friends' parents. Near the front of the main part of the cemetery, there is a grave that is visible from the main road that belongs to "Joseph K. Miller." I doubt most of the people who go to the cemetery know who he was. But I recognized the name immediately the first time I saw it, and if you didn't know who he was, I am going to tell you.

Joseph K. Miller was an Orthodox Jew from Long Island was was a passenger on Pan Am flight 103. He was a man who was deeply involved in the Jewish community - at the time of his death he was the Treasurer of the Union of Orthodox Jewish Congregations. I lived in New Jersey in December 1988, and there was a boy in the yeshiva in the town in which I lived whose parents were friends of the Millers who told me the story. Mr. Miller had gone to London for a daytime meeting. He left on the overnight flight from New York the night before, arriving in London early that morning. Pan Am 103 was a 4:00 pm flight, one of the last flights from London to New York that day. Mr. Miller wanted to get home to his family rather than stay overnight in London. After his meeting, he ran to the airport to board Pan Am flight 103. He never made it home to Long Island, although he did make it home to Israel. Fortunately, his body was found intact (apparently unlike many others) and he was buried in that cemetery in Beit Shemesh, where his grave looks out over the main path for all to see.

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Israel Matzav: Top US investigator: Gadhaffi personally approved Pan Am 103 attack

Love of the Land: Column One: Time's up on Iran

Column One: Time's up on Iran

Caroline Glick
JPost
04 September 09

Over the past few weeks evidence has piled up that Iran is not years away from being capable of building nuclear bombs at will. It is months away. As the latest report by the International Atomic Energy Agency on Teheran's nuclear program makes clear, at its present rate of uranium enrichment, Iran will have sufficient quantities of enriched uranium to build two atomic bombs by February.

What is most notable about this IAEA finding is that it comes in a report that does everything possible to cover up Iran's progress and intentions.

Israel responded angrily to the report, alleging that the agency's outgoing director, Mohamed ElBaradei, suppressed information that confirms the military nature of Iran's program. In a statement released last Saturday, the Foreign Ministry alleged that the report "does not reflect the entirety of the information the IAEA holds on Iran's efforts to advance their military program, nor their continued efforts to conceal and deceive and their refusal to cooperate with the IAEA and the international community."

Two weeks before the IAEA released its report, the US State Department published its assessment that Iran won't have the wherewithal to develop a bomb until 2013. According The Washington Post, this conclusion is based on the State Department's analysis of Iran's "technical capability."

For all its failures, the latest IAEA report puts the lie to this State Department assessment.

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Love of the Land: Column One: Time's up on Iran

Love of the Land: The Ghost of Quisling Returns to Haunt Norway as Israel Boycott Movement Gets Major New Boost in Europe

The Ghost of Quisling Returns to Haunt Norway as Israel Boycott Movement Gets Major New Boost in Europe

Robin Shepherd
Think Tank Blog
04 September 09

Given that Norway’s most notable contribution to 20th century history was to give the world a new word for cowardice and treachery, reports that the country’s massive $400 billion sovereign wealth fund — the second largest such fund in the world — has been banned by the Norwegian government from owing shares in an Israeli arms company would not usually raise eyebrows.

But at a time of increasing hysteria against the Jewish state the move from the country that gave us “Quisling cowardice” — after wartime collaborationist leader Vidkun Quisling — may set an important precedent for the wider boycott movement across Europe. According to the international wire services, the fund was instructed to divest from Israel’s Elbit Systems because it provides surveillance equipment for the security barrier which has prevented countless suicide bombings emanating from the West Bank.

“We do not wish to fund companies that so directly contribute to violations of international humanitarian law,” Finance Minister Kristin Halvorsen was quoted by Reuters as saying.


Decisions of this kind are apparently made by Norway’s “Council on Ethics”. I’m glad that Norway feels it is in a position to make ethical judgements about companies that participate in attempts to stop fanatics from slaughtering innocent Jews. The country certainly has plenty of experience to draw upon.

According to the Wikipedia entry on the subject, Quisling “is a term used to describe traitors and collaborators. It was most commonly used for fascist political parties and military and paramilitary forces in occupied Allied countries which collaborated with Axis occupiers in World War II, as well as for their members and other collaborators.

“The term was coined by the British newspaper The Times on 15 April, 1940, entitled “Quislings everywhere.” The editorial asserted: “To writers, the word Quisling is a gift from the gods. If they had been ordered to invent a new word for traitor… they could hardly have hit upon a more brilliant combination of letters. Actually it contrives to suggest something at once slippery and tortuous.”‘

Enough said, I think.

Love of the Land: The Ghost of Quisling Returns to Haunt Norway as Israel Boycott Movement Gets Major New Boost in Europe

Love of the Land: The Zionism of Orde Wingate: A Complex Origin

The Zionism of Orde Wingate: A Complex Origin

by Aaron Eitan Meyer
Covenant
August 2009

Abstract: Orde Charles Wingate was a passionate Christian Zionist, whose innovative military genius would find root in Israeli military doctrine--an effect that lasts to this day. However, the origins of his Zionism are often simplified, or overlooked entirely. This article will seek to examine the complex factors that led this man, whose personal history should have inclined him to be pro-Arab, to become one of modern Judaism’s greatest friends.

Introduction

While it may seem strange to suppose that the year 1936 was in any way beneficial to the Jewish people, considering the state of affairs in Nazi Germany, and the dawning of the Arab Revolt in the British Mandate of Palestine, that year did also bring with it the beginning of a relationship that continues to benefit the Jewish people to this day. It was the year when Orde Charles Wingate—Scottish eccentric, military genius, visionary and one of the most passionate Zionists of his day—was assigned to a British Army Intelligence post in the British Mandate of Palestine, a move that would eventually make Wingate a hero of the Yishuv. And yet, while his assistance to the Zionist cause is well-known and appreciated in Israel, the origins of his commitment to the Jewish State are by no means clear, even to his biographers. Critics are apt to dismiss his Zionism with off-handed references to his Old Testament-heavy Christian upbringing or his affinity for the underdog as ‘the’ reason, but his real motivations are far more complicated. This essay sketches out the complexities that brought about Wingate’s Zionism, while attempting to refrain from the amateur psychoanalysis that plagues too many biographies of the man.

Before delving into the psyche of the man, it is worth mentioning the effect he continues to have in Israel. Traveling through Komemiyut in Jerusalem, at the intersection of Jabotinsky and David Marcus, one will see Kikar Orde (known also as Kikar Wingate). There are Wingate Streets in Be’er Sheva, Tel Aviv and Herzliya as well. In the Carmel Mountains, just south of Haifa, there is the Yemin Orde Wingate Youth Village, which serves hundreds of disadvantaged, at-risk and immigrant children from around the world. Israel’s national sports and health education institute in Netanya is fittingly named Machon Wingate, the Wingate Institute.

One might be wondering why so much was named after this man. In his book on the history of the Israeli army, Ze’ev Schiff called Wingate “the single most important influence on the military thinking of the Haganah.”[1] While a complete analysis of that influence would constitute an article of its own, Samuel M. Katz put it succinctly. “Wingate had a profound impact on the molding of Israeli military doctrine. Defense, when fighting a numerically superior enemy, meant offense, and offense meant fighting deep inside enemy territory where the opposition was most vulnerable.”[2] To this day, that concept remains the core of Israeli military strategy. And with that admittedly abbreviated digest, the focus may turn to the man himself.

Wingate’s Background Prior to 1936

Beginning with Christopher Sykes’ authorized biography of Wingate,[3] entire chapters have been devoted to Wingate’s life prior to his years in the Mandate and later distinguished service in restoring Haile Selassie to the throne of Ethiopia and Chindit operations in Burma. While that degree of detail is not possible here, a brief sketch is essential to framing the question of his eventual adherence to Zionism.

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Love of the Land: The Zionism of Orde Wingate: A Complex Origin

Sefer Chabibi Deepest Torah: KI TAVO: On Being an Am Segula

KI TAVO: On Being an Am Segula

by Rabbi Baruch Binyamin Hakohen Melman

What does it mean to be called the Chosen Nation? Actually, the term used in Ki Tavo is
Am Segula, often translated as "treasured nation." But whether understood as chosen or as treasured, it seems to be frequently misunderstood.

It does not imply supremacy or arrogance. Rather, it embraces the idea of service. As Israel is a mamlechet kohanim, a nation of priests, Israel is a kohein, or holy servant, to the other nations on Earth.Why is the Dead Sea dead? Because it only receives. It never gives out life sustaining waters. Thus the salts accumulate to toxic levels. Sea salt gives life, but only in very small quantities.

The Golan, by contrast, is bursting with life and vibrancy year round. Its fresh, living waters sustain and replenish Yam Kineret, the Sea of Galilee, whose waters sustain all Israel. And the Torah emanating from Yerushalayim and Tzfat, and indeed from all the heights of Torah, water and give spiritual nourishment to all Israel and to the world at large.

Israel now has the opportunity, our parsha is telling us, of being a catalyst for blessing for all the nations of the world. Indeed, this is a fulfillment of the Abrahamic blessing that "all the nations will be blessed through you." Israel, in a sense, now becomes the yeast for the whole world. As yeast is the catalyst in baking, so too is Israel that transforming agent of change which has the awesome capability of uplifting all of humanity. Just as yeast is among the least of the ingredients, so too is Israel the least populous of the nations. Just as yeast is less than tasty when eaten as a meal in itself, so too does Israel shine less when consumed solely in a self-absorbed disinterest with the fate of humanity.

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Sefer Chabibi Deepest Torah: KI TAVO: On Being an Am Segula

Gerry Rafferty Baker Street

Tzipiyah.com - Inspiring Jewish Pride - Parshat Ki Tavo

Parshat Ki Tavo

Written by: Nathan Light

The parshah this week starts off with the “first fruit” offering; basically, the first batch of ripened fruits to grow in one’s property were obligated to be brought to Jerusalem, to the Temple. At that site, the one offering the fruit would conduct a ritual that included a declaration of gratitude to Hashem (God). After reciting the declaration, the fruit would then be presented as a gift to the Kohen (Jewish priest) working in the Temple.

Throughout the many expressions recited in the declaration, one line seems to shine out after close examination. After praising God for removing us from the bondage of Egypt, the verse states:

“ ‘He brought us to this place, and He gave us this Land, a Land flowing with milk and honey’ ” [Deuteronomy: 26: 9]

“This place” refers to the Temple, and “this Land” refers to the land of Israel of course. The only problem is that they’re written in reverse order! Chronologically, we entered the land of Israel first and only then did we build the Temple! Furthermore, it would not be possible to build the Temple without entering the land first! What’s going on?

A very simplistic answer would be that indeed the Temple was built first; in a way. Before entering the land, while we were traversing the desert, we built the Tabernacle, which was sort of a transportable Temple. All the divine service that was needed to be done was carried out through the Tabernacle. So you can say that the Temple was built first, in its temporary state, and only then did we get to Israel. But there lies a slight problem with this simple answer. The verse we are focusing on is part of the declaration for the “first fruits” offering in particular, and this special offering only took effect once we entered Israel! We weren’t able to bring the first fruits to the Tabernacle! So perhaps there is a deeper answer to our question.

The idea is quite simple. The verse was not focusing on the order of chronology, rather it is meant to be understood as an order of ideology. Meaning, the Temple and what it symbolizes comes before our actual entrance into the land. The Temple, which is the locus of divine worship, represents the nation’s religious service. Without religious service, without the goal of developing a strong relationship with God, what point could the land of Israel serve? A cozy place to live? It is not the location of Israel that is the be-all end-all, but the function. So, although the Temple was actually built years after we stepped foot into Israel, the Jewish nation knew that it was the ultimate priority.

It is no coincidence that this verse, which expresses this ideal, is found within the special commandment of the “first fruits”. The act of giving up one’s first fruits to the Temple symbolized that one is meant to dedicate everything he has for the service of God. Through hard work and toil we work the land, and we hopefully receive fruits in return. But before we can enjoy them we are commanded to give the first batch towards a holier purpose. That is exactly the idea we have developed; it is this holier purpose that our nation had in mind from the start, before entering the land of Israel. And it is this holier purpose that we are meant to be cognizant of throughout every day of our lives.

There is no question, Israel is the most spiritual and uplifting piece of land on this earth. But not because of it’s beaches and nice scenery. We have to understand that the land of Israel was given to us for a greater intention. If we allow ourselves to lose sight of that goal, then we’ll miss the point entirely. May we truly develop the greater understanding of what Israel really means to us, and may we fulfill the saying B’Shana Haba B’Yerushaliym (Next year in Jerusalem)!

Good Shabbos,

NZL

Originally posted by Tzipiyah.com - Inspiring Jewish Pride - Parshat Ki Tavo

Israel Matzav: Human Rights Watch gets tough on the Saudis

Israel Matzav: Human Rights Watch gets tough on the Saudis

Israel Matzav: What if the Israeli Supreme Court ordered illegal 'Palestinian' buildings demolished?

What if the Israeli Supreme Court ordered illegal 'Palestinian' buildings demolished?

It's been less than two weeks since the Israeli Supreme Court got its first non-Leftist judges in years. And now the court may be called upon to decide that the State of Israel cannot discriminate between Jews and 'Palestinians.' But not in the way you might be thinking: The Court has asked the State of Israel to explain why it demolishes illegal Jewish buildings but not illegal 'Palestinian' buildings.

The High Court asked state prosecutors why the state discriminates between illegal Jewish and Palestinian building in the West Bank, citing the lack of enforcement of demolition warrants against illegally-built Palestinian buildings in the area.

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Israel Matzav: What if the Israeli Supreme Court ordered illegal 'Palestinian' buildings demolished?

Israel Matzav: UNICEF routing donations through Bank Melli

Israel Matzav: UNICEF routing donations through Bank Melli

Israel Matzav: Good news: 'Palestinian Authority' to investigate IDF 'organ harvesting'

Good news: 'Palestinian Authority' to investigate IDF 'organ harvesting'

You just had to know that this was going to be one of the results of the Aftonbladet blood libel that claimed that IDF soldiers had 'harvested organs' and sold them for cash abroad: The 'Palestinian Authority' is going to 'investigate' the allegations. And of course, as usual, they're going to be spending your money to do it.

PA Prime Minister Salaam Fayad has instructed three of his ministers to probe all the facts surrounding the alleged organ theft, said Hassan Abu Libdeh, Secretary-General of the Palestinian government in the West Bank.

He named the three men as Foreign Minister Riad Malki, Interior Minister Said Abu Ali and Health Minister Fathi Abu Mughli.

"All options are open and our position will be sharp if it's proven that Israeli occupation has been stealing the organs of Palestinian martyrs," Abu Libdeh said. "In the wake of the results reached by this commission, the Palestinian Authority will determine its stance before moving in the international and legal arenas."

Abu Libdeh accused Israel of committing "grave human rights violations" but did not elaborate.

As the Nazi propagandist Joseph Goebbels said,

“If you tell a lie big enough and keep repeating it, people will eventually come to believe it. The lie can be maintained only for such time as the State can shield the people from the political, economic and/or military consequences of the lie. It thus becomes vitally important for the State to use all of its powers to repress dissent, for the truth is the mortal enemy of the lie, and thus by extension, the truth is the greatest enemy of the State.”

The government of Sweden is doing quite well to shield Aftonbladet from the consequences of their big lie. On the other hand, the 'Palestinians' have found an even better shield for their lies than the state: The 'international community.'

What could go wrong?

Israel Matzav: Good news: 'Palestinian Authority' to investigate IDF 'organ harvesting'

Israel Matzav: Fat dictator visits tall dictator, attacks Israel

Fat dictator visits tall dictator, attacks Israel

Venezuelan dictator Hugo Chavez was in Damascus on Thursday visiting Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad. Unsurprisingly, the occasion was used to attack Israel.

Chavez comments came during a news conference with his Syrian counterpart Bashar Assad after a one-hour meeting at the hilltop presidential palace.

"Israel has become a country that annihilates people and is hostile to peace," he said, according to the Arabic translation of his remarks to reporters.

In comments carried by Venezuelan state television, he also accused Israel of being part of imperialist efforts to divide the Middle East.

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Israel Matzav: Fat dictator visits tall dictator, attacks Israel

Israel Matzav: Israel's Channel 2: Deal on 'settlement freeze'

Israel Matzav: Israel's Channel 2: Deal on 'settlement freeze'

Israel Matzav: Surprise: Russia and China resisting Iran sanctions

Surprise: Russia and China resisting Iran sanctions

It should come as no surprise to any of you that one of the results of Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's sudden agreement to 'negotiate' is that Russia and China are seizing on the 'negotiations' as an excuse to resist harsher sanctions against Iran.

The meeting of the five United Nations permanent Security Council members and Germany was complicated by a last-minute offer of talks from Saeed Jalili, the top nuclear negotiator in Iran.

Because no details of the offer were available, the delegates assumed that Mr Jalili planned to use his proposal to slow the progress of moves to impose sanctions. Russia and China used the prospect of a peace offering from Tehran, however vague, as an argument against punitive measures.

One of the diplomats said: “The point is to duck, dive, tease and confuse until they are more or less resistant to the kind of sanctions that we have been considering.”

Meanwhile, the French and the Germans - fearful that if they don't act Israel will - have suddenly gotten much tougher on Iran.

France and Germany called this week for harder-edged sanctions. Their concern is that if the West is not seen to be pushing Iran harder, Israel may consider a military strike. Critics of President Obama, such as John Bolton, the former US envoy to the United Nations, argue that sanctions are doomed to fail even if they could be linked directly to stopping Iranian nuclear plans.

“Adopting tougher economic sanctions is simply another detour away from hard decisions on whether to accept a nuclear Iran or support using force to prevent it,” he wrote in The Wall Street Journal this week.

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Israel Matzav: Surprise: Russia and China resisting Iran sanctions

Israel Matzav: Russian ship hijacked by... Russia?

Russian ship hijacked by... Russia?

The story of the Russian ship Arctic Sea just keeps getting weirder. The ship, which disappeared in July while allegedly carrying timber from Finland to Algeria, but which was more likely carrying missiles for Iran, has been variously reported to have been hijacked by pirates, by Israel, and now by Russia itself.

Admiral Tarmo Kouts, the European Union's rapporteur on piracy, told Time Magazine he believed the Arctic Sea was intercepted by Israel as it carried a secret cargo of S-300 anti-aircraft missiles and X-500 anti-ship missiles to the Middle East.

A Ynet investigation based on a number of Russian, European, and Middle Eastern sources has concluded that the admiral's thesis is not plausible for a number of reasons.

...

The Kremlin has so far kept silent on the matter, after having arrested the alleged hijackers on August 18 and charging them with kidnapping and piracy. It has made no comment on reports speculating Israel was behind the deed, and Jerusalem has followed suit.

...

Then, two days after the Arctic Sea sailed from a Finnish port where it apparently picked up timber in order to cover up the missiles, a motorboat carrying eight people drew up to the ship and asked to board due to having been lost at sea.

The eight then identified themselves as Swedish police and arrested the crew under gunpoint. The Russian sailors serving on the Arctic Sea said the officers spoke Russian between themselves.

Twelve hours later the ship's crew reported the incident to the Swedish authorities and said the hijackers had impersonated Swedish police. The crew said the hijackers had left the ship but in actuality they remained, holding the crew hostage.

On April 28 [Should be July. CiJ] the British coast guard contacted the ship, and its captain reported everything was fine. The vessel was allowed to continue sailing towards Algeria and shortly afterwards all contact with it was lost.

According to Russian sources the "hijackers", who in actuality were Russian intelligence officers, remained on the ship and reported to their superiors that they had found the missiles on board. On August 12 Russia announced it had sent naval officers to rescue the vessel and its crew.

The sources say the period of time between the hijacking and the Russian rescue mission was due to the Kremlin's desire to capture the ship away from the eyes of the media, in order to avoid an embarrassing incident that may have harmed its relations with Iran and Algeria.

But Russia also desired to avoid an incident with Israel and the US, the sources say. Four years ago the country signed a deal with the two allied nations promising to refrain from transferring "destabilizing" arms to Syria or Tehran. The S-300 missiles were specifically included in the accord.

On August 18 Russian commando forces overtook the ship and arrested the hijackers. Pictures released to the press show Russian soldiers forcing the eight men harshly onto land. The cargo was taken to an undisclosed location in Russia by eight large cargo planes immediately after the incident was made public.

If these missiles were headed for Iran, it sounds like the Russians are at least trying to make it look like they weren't supposed to be headed there. Did someone steal the missiles on the Iranians' behalf? Hmmm.

Israel Matzav: Russian ship hijacked by... Russia?

Israel Matzav: Sheikh for Shalit's home firebombed

Israel Matzav: Sheikh for Shalit's home firebombed

Israel Matzav: Report: Hezbullah hiding chemical weapons for use against Israel

Report: Hezbullah hiding chemical weapons for use against Israel

It's just been one joyful report after another today.

A Kuwaiti newspaper is reporting that Hezbullah is hiding chemical weapons for use against Israel. The newspaper, al-Siyasi, ties its claims to an explosion that took place at a warehouse in southern Lebanon six weeks ago. It was first reported that eight Hezbullah terrorists were killed in the explosion; al-Siyasi reports that an additional three terrorists were killed inside the warehouse. The report is based upon European sources.

Al-Siyasi previously reported that Hizbullah has been smuggling chemical weapons into southern Lebanon, along with thousands of gas masks. The weapons and equipment reportedly were provided from Iran and smuggled via Syria.

The chemical weapons include mustard and nerve gas that were produced in North Korea and are destined for Katyusha rockets aimed at Israel. President Shimon Peres recently stated that Hizbullah has rearmed to the point where it has 80,000 missiles, nearly three times the number in its stockpile before the Second Lebanon War three years ago. Lebanon has dismissed his estimate as exaggerated.

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Israel Matzav: Report: Hezbullah hiding chemical weapons for use against Israel

Israel Matzav: What to do about Neve Gordon

Israel Matzav: What to do about Neve Gordon

Israel Matzav: Confirmed: Russia to supply MiG-31 fighters to Syria

Confirmed: Russia to supply MiG-31 fighters to Syria

This is bad news. In a deal that could alter the balance of power in our region, the Russian newspaper Kommersant is confirming that Russia has agreed to supply MiG-31 fighter jets to Syria. The Russians had previously denied there was an agreement. The jets have not yet been delivered, although MiG-29 jets are being delivered.

Kommersant cited the head of Russia's state-run United Aircraft Corporation, Alexei Fyodorov, as saying a 2007 contract to sell MiG-31E [pictured. CiJ] interceptor fighters to Syria has not entered into force.

The paper said Russian arms sales officials have denied such a contract exists.

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Israel Matzav: Confirmed: Russia to supply MiG-31 fighters to Syria

Israel Matzav: US foils plot to export fighter jet parts to Iran

US foils plot to export fighter jet parts to Iran

The United States has foiled a plot to export F-5 fighter jet engines and parts to Iran to help the Iranians upgrade their depleted air force. Two arms dealers who live in France are behind the plot. One of them, a Belgian national (pictured below), was arrested on Friday in New York. The other, an Iranian national is still at large.

An examination of the past activities of the Belgian national, Jacques Monsieur, shows that he has extensive connections to Iran, and even attempted to obtain uranium for the Islamic Republic in September 1999. While the current charges only relate to jet engine parts, it would not be at all surprising if Monsieur's activities include much more.

Monsieur also has connections to Israel's Mossad, and was one of the arms dealers involved in the Iran-Contra scandal of the 1980's.

The indictment alleges that in February 2009, Monsieur contacted an undercover agent seeking engines for the F-5 (EIF) fighter jet or the C-130 military transport aircraft for export to Iran. Thereafter, Monsieur began regular e-mail contact with the undercover agent regarding requested F-5 engines and parts.

These engines, known as J85-21 models, are replacement engines for the F-5 fighter jet that was sold to Iran by the U.S. before the 1979 Iranian revolution. It is prohibited to export the engines and parts without a license from the U.S. State Department. Additionally, these items may not be exported to Iran without a license from the U.S. Treasury Department due to the U.S. trade embargo on Iran.

The charges stated that in March 2009, Monsieur met with an undercover agent in Paris, where Monsieur again requested engines and parts for the F-5 fighter jet. In May 2009, an undercover agent met with Monsieur in London, where Monsieur introduced Dara Fotouhi as a business partner, and again discussed the illegal export of F-5 fighter jet engines from the U.S. to Iran. During this negotiation, the defendants allegedly asked the undercover agent if he could obtain or use U.S. shipping or export authorization documents that falsely indicated that the end user of the items would be located in Colombia.

In June 2009, Monsieur sent an e-mail to the undercover agent and provided a purchase order for F-5 fighter jet parts from a front company for an organization known as Trast Aero Space, located in Kyrgyzstan. The order requested that the parts be located by the undercover agent and illegally shipped to Iran via Saudi Arabia.

The following month, Monsieur allegedly contacted the undercover agent indicating that about $110,000 had been wired from Dubai to a U.S. bank account as payment for the parts. He also ensured that he would deposit a $300,000 down payment for two F-5 fighter jet engines. In August 2009, Monsieur requested information from the undercover agent about his contact in Colombia for forwarding the aircraft parts from Colombia to Saudi Arabia.

Arms to Iran being shipped via Saudi Arabia? Why would anyone be surprised by that?

Monsieur (pictured) is apparently a well-known arms dealer, who has also tried to buy uranium for the Iranians in the past. (This article is from 2002):

Over a three-month period in 1997, Lissouba's government ordered more than $60 million in arms. A dozen shipments brought helicopters, rockets, missiles and bombs from a handful of countries to Congo-Brazzaville. Executives of the French state-owned company, Elf Aquitaine – which pumped oil from the country and was a longtime player in its various changes in government, often befriending both sides – had arranged a loan backed by the country's future petroleum production to pay for the armaments. Yet Lissouba was forced to flee before the payments could be made, leaving the middleman who had arranged the shipments owed millions of dollars.

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Israel Matzav: US foils plot to export fighter jet parts to Iran

Israel Matzav: Spanish newspaper calls David Irving 'expert' on WWII

Spanish newspaper calls David Irving 'expert' on WWII

The Spanish newspaper El Mundo is including convicted Holocaust denier David Irving (pictured) among its 'experts' in a series of interviews marking the 70th anniversary of World War II's outbreak. The interview is scheduled to appear in Saturday's editions of the paper, one day after an interview with Yad Vashem director Avner Shalev.

El Mundo is the second largest daily newspaper in Spain, with a print circulation of more than 330,000.

In a letter responding to the expected appearance of the interview with David Irving, Israel's ambassador to Spain, Raphael Schutz, correctly described the cultural problem with our post-modern society. The letter appeared in El Mundo on Wednesday.

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Israel Matzav: Spanish newspaper calls David Irving 'expert' on WWII

The war against "progressives" and "liberals" & Sharia Law

The war against "progressives" and "liberals" & Sharia Law

Obstacles in Liberating Islam

September 3, 2009 6:30 AMby Wafa Sultan

As an Arab woman who suffered for three decades living under Islamic Sharia, it is clear to me that Islam’s political ideology and Sharia must be fought relentlessly by Western civilization to prevent its application in a free society.

However, I have found myself fighting on two fronts. The first front is against Islamists, a daunting fight indeed. But the other front is one shaped by too many uninformed individuals who like to view themselves as open minded “progressives”. They seem to somehow claim superiority on compassion, on peace, on open-mindedness and on appreciation of other cultures. Regarding themselves as tolerant, free thinking individuals, they avoid questioning Muslims’ harmful intentions. They restrict themselves to self-criticism, and make politically-correct excuses for Islamism. Regrettably, they show their indisputable acceptance of ‘others’ at the expense of the public’s responsibility to learn the truth about Islam’s detrimental tenets.

It is crucial for these so called “progressives” to realize that Islam is indeed based on an anti-liberal system. They need to awaken to the inhumane policies and practices of Islamists around the world. They need to realize that Islamism oppose the liberal values they cherish. And equally important, they must not take for granted the respect for human rights and dignity that we experience in America, and in the West, today.

For me, confronting those who adhere to multicultural relativism is a most painful battle. Their standpoint makes the efforts of Muslim reformers more challenging. When Westerners make politically-correct excuses for Islamism, it actually suppresses and weakens my voice and that of others who are in this fight.

Simply put, too many individuals, and institutions stand in the way of overcoming Islamic political ideology. With their appeasing approach they obstruct the pressing effort to modernize Islam.

When I first immigrated to the US, I learned to my dismay that Islam has been labeled by many as “a religion of peace.” But for me, as a Syrian who grew up in Islamic country, a set of beliefs that insists that women are wicked is an evil set of belief. A pious ideology - - that obliges non Muslims to live as subjects under it as unequal - - is an immoral pious ideology.

Regrettably, we frequently experience politically correct harsh responses to criticism of Islam by those who admonish liberated Muslims or Arabs. They often use clichés such as, “There are violent stories in all religions texts,” or “How can we bulk all Muslims into one group?” Or, “Among Christians and Jews there are also zealots who have done horrible things to others.” All of these excuses are made without considering critical Islamic doctrines which play detrimental role in Islam’s march towards Western decline.

Two years ago Rabbi Stephen Julius Stein published an article in the Los Angeles Times criticizing me in an unjust manner. Recently Rabbi’s Stein article came back to life when an Arab man who happens to follow my writings translated the Rabbi’s article into Arabic and published it in an Arabic website under the title “A Jewish Rabbi scandalizes Wafa Sultan”.

Among other claims, Mr. Stein mentioned that he could not imagine a “Jewish woman standing among a group of Muslims and criticizing Judaism the same way Wafa Sultan criticizes Islam”.

Is Mr. Stein lacking basic knowledge about Islam and demonstrating duplicity in regard to his own Jewish religion?

Here are few hypothetic scenarios:

If a group of fanatic Jews beheaded an innocent Muslim, justifying their gruesome act as permissible according to Jewish texts, is there any doubt that countless of Jewish women would publicly criticize the tenets of Judaism that permit these outrageous creeds?

Had Jewish women been relegated to the status of animals as a result of their religious teachings, would one doubt Rabbi Stein’s obvious support for Jewish women rebelling against their own traditions?

Recently, a well known Egyptian female lawyer called on national Arabic TV, to incite young Palestinian men to harass and rape Israeli women as part of their war against Israel (you can view her clip on MEMRI.org).

Had an Israeli lawyer declared publicly on a National Israeli TV the same type of incitement against Arabs, would Rabbi Stein object to Jewish women’s unequivocal rejection of this hateful provocation?

Also, I am quite amazed at Rabbi Stein’s ignorance of the intrinsic nature of Islamic anti-Semitism. One would assume that his obligation as a teacher and a leader of his Jewish community is to educate and protect his people. Unfortunately, his criticism only weakens Jews, and further strengthens Muslim anti-Semitism. (Please read Dr. Andrew Bostom new book; “The Legacy of Islamic Antisemitism.”)

One Islamic concept in particular is called in Arabic “Al Taqyya.” It allows and encourages Muslims to lie and deceive others in order to reach their ultimate objective which is submitting the world to Islam under Sharia Law. To be sure, Islamists who follow the political ideology of subverting non Muslims under Islam do use the concept of Al Taqyyaa.

Hence, a destructive relationship is created: on one hand, Islamists lie to the gullible non - Muslims and on the other hand, many non Muslims, in particular proponents of interfaith dialogue accept their lies and avoid asking harsh and necessary questions to expose their dangerous intentions. In that context, the Muslims’ Al Taqyyaa and the West’s naiveté and ignorance about the true intentions of Islamists are both harmful models of engagement.

Further, they both violate our right to know the truth, regardless of how evil or unintentional each side’s objective is. Thus, Al Taqyyaa and political correctness are recipes for irreversible damage to the values of freedom and liberty, which are the foundation of our US constitution and other Western liberal democracies.

Rabbi Stein is one in a group of countless others who practice political correctness to avoid hurting those he claimed to be “his Muslim friends,” as he mentions in his article.
People who avoid facing the gloomy facts regarding Islam, have no moral authority to admonish liberated Arabs like me. Those who cannot confront Islamic doctrine boldly and will not allow themselves to question openly dreadful components of Islam are on the wrong side of this conflict.

I have often been asked to soften and compromise my message. I refuse to do so. I believe the way to solve this Islamic predicament is to highlight and confront it in a most truthful and subsequently painful manner. As we all would agree, at times, an acute disease must be treated aggressively rather than with a benign medicine like Aspirin.

Lastly, I will carry on my mission because I love Muslims. I dream of a future when all Muslims, especially from the Middle East, who yearn for better life outside their suppressive environment, can savor the taste of the freedom we all experience here in the US. This is not just Dr. King’s dream; this is a dream that should be granted to all humanity - including those in the Muslim world.

Dr. Wafa Sultan is a Syrian-born certified psychiatrist, human rights activist,& author of the forthcoming book “A God That Hates.”

taken from B'NAI ELIM (Sons of the Mighty)

Love of the Land: What's Israel Got to Do with It?

What's Israel Got to Do with It?

Clifford May
Scripps Howard News Service
September 3, 2009

Bill Gates famously called George Gilder "very stimulating even when I disagree with him, and most of the time I agree with him." The issues on which Gilder has staked out stimulating positions over more than 30 years as a writer and public intellectual are wide-ranging. They include the causes of poverty and the creators of wealth; the consequences of modern feminism; and the possibilities opened by the high-tech revolution. His arguments are often surprising, always provocative, and generally controversial.

His latest book is titled The Israel Test. Much of what he says is dramatically different from what just about anyone else is saying. In particular: "Either the world, principally the United States, supports Israel, or Israel, one way or another, will be destroyed. There are no other realistic choices. And if Israel is destroyed, capitalist Europe will likely die as well, and America, as the epitome of productive and creative capitalism spurred by Jews, will be in jeopardy."

At this juncture, it is probably not just useful but necessary to note that George Gilder is not Jewish. In other words, the case he makes for Israel has no basis in religious or ethnic affiliation. At the same time, not being tethered to Israel or to Jews allows him to be blunt in a way few of Israel's Jewish defenders dare.

For example, he says that people "who obsessively denounce Jews have a name; they are Nazis." He does not hesitate to apply the term to Arab and Iranian leaders who exhibit such behavior. He contends, as well, that the "most dangerous form of Holocaust denial is not rejection of the voluminous evidence of long-ago Nazi crimes but incredulity toward the voluminous evidence of the new Holocaust being planned by Israel's current enemies. Two Iranian presidents have resolved to acquire nuclear weapons for the specific purpose of 'wiping Israel off the map.'"

What can be done to prevent a second Holocaust and to beat back the jihadis at America's gates? Gilder believes, first, we need to recognize the nature and gravity of the threat; second, we need more resolve; and third, we need more technology of the sort America and Israel have been most adept at producing.

It will require comprehensive missile defense and other high-tech means to prevent our sworn enemies from "infiltrating nuclear weapons into American cities, exploding them offshore near American ports, or detonating bombs above America's critical electronic infrastructure" — destroying that infrastructure with an EMP (electromagnetic-pulse) attack, an offensive capability that Iran, for one, is known to be developing.

"No nation in history has succeeded in preserving its integrity and sovereignty without meeting the challenge of ever-advancing armaments," Gilder points out. "But many American intellectuals still imagine that the United States is different, that it is possible or desirable for us to negotiate an 'end to the arms race.' Our enemies will always want to end the arms race because they know only free nations can win it. . . . An end to the arms race would deprive the capitalist countries of their greatest asset in combating barbarism."

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Love of the Land: What's Israel Got to Do with It?

Love of the Land: How to Tell Who’s Lying and Who’s Telling the Truth in the Middle East

How to Tell Who’s Lying and Who’s Telling the Truth in the Middle East

Barry Rubin

The Rubin Report

03 September 09

A reader wrote me about one of the latest (and innumerable) sensationalist stories in the Middle East. Namely, in this case, that Hizballah has allegedly deployed chemical and biological weapons. This is absurd but it reminds us of the care that must be taken in analyzing developments in this region.

In this case, the source is a Kuwaiti newspaper. One must first ask: how does a Kuwaiti newspaper with no foreign bureaus and surely no inside sources in Hizballah (or Syria or Israeli intelligence) know this big secret? So the first question you must always ask is: Is it credible that the news outlet or other source knows what it/he/she claims to know?

The second question is the more specific identity of the source. There are sources that are literally always wrong (Debka, al-Quds al-Arabi, the Syrian state press, etc) and should be remembered as such. In this case, the newspaper is al-Siyassa, a courageous newspaper in its stance against Syria and radical Islamists and which is also pro-Saudi. Clearly, as in the past, al-Siyassa wants a sensationalist story and also to make the Syrians (and their client, Hizballah) look bad.

The third question is the rule of rationality: There have been no credible previous reports of Hizballah having these weapons. And if they did, Israeli sources would be talking about it a lot.

Consider another recent story, the claim that Israel hijacked a Russian ship carrying arms to Hamas. Russia is a very important country for Israel. Aside from trade and other issues, Israel doesn’t want Moscow to sell advanced anti-aircraft missiles to Iran, just in case Israel decides one day to bomb Iranian nuclear facilities. Would Israel take the risk of creating a virtual war scenario with the Russian government? Not credible.

In the past there were mythical lands, or at least lands about which myths could be told. People remember that Marco Polo described the court of the emperor of China but not that Polo also speaks of lands along the way where he insisted he saw men with two heads.

The Middle East has become the part of the world onto which fantasies are projected. But there’s a problem. Due to Political Correctness and other dubious blessings of contemporary life, one cannot even speak honestly about what goes on in Iran or Arabic-speaking lands. The old cliché that, “if you can’t say something nice, don’t say anything at all,” has seemingly been enshrined on the intellectual temples of our era.

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Love of the Land: How to Tell Who’s Lying and Who’s Telling the Truth in the Middle East

Originally posted by Barry Rubin (http://rubinreports.blogspot.com)

Love of the Land: Top Spanish newspaper to run “expert” interview with Holocaust denier David Irving in WWII anniversary week

Top Spanish newspaper to run “expert” interview with Holocaust denier David Irving in WWII anniversary week

Robin Shepherd
Think Tank Blog
03 September 09

David Irving, Europe’s most prominent Holocaust denier, is fond of arguing that time is on his side. “All that interests me now,” he said on his website in August, “is the question, whose books will scholars be using in a hundred years’ time — mine, or those of the conformist historians like Sir Ian Kershaw and Sir Martin Gilbert?”

But why wait a hundred years? On Saturday this week, the Spanish newspaper El Mundo is set to run an interview with Irving as part of a series of stories with “experts” for the 70th anniversray of the start of World War II. Irving, always keen to portray himself as a kind of hunted hero, gleefully reports on the controversy that the article has aroused in Israel with a headline in his online newsletter saying: “Israel’s Ambassador to Spain pleads wth Madrid’s leading daily newspaper El Mundo not to publish their major interview with British Historian David Irving.” (My italics)

It is only a matter of weeks since Sweden’s top selling newspaper Aftonbladet published a two-page spread of its own alleging that American Jews and Israeli soldiers were involved in a conspiracy to harvest the bodily organs of Palestinian children and sell them on the international black market. Is there something in the air?

I have said before that, for those who follow such matters, there is always a danger of getting too close to one’s subject. But it certainly seems that the boundaries of acceptable discourse about Israel and the Jews in Europe have widened considerably in recent months. Apartheid analogies now look routine. The attempt to compare Israel with Nazi Germany is heading in the same direction.

Events in Sweden and Spain may indicate that conspiracy theories, blood libels and Holocaust denial are on the verge of a resurgence of their own. It is too early to tell. But the general drift is surely cause for concern.

According to the Jerusalem Post, El Mundo plans to run the interview with Irving the day after an interview with Avner Shalev, the chairman of Yad Vashem. The timeline will not be coincidental. It is a standard technique in journalism to run opposing viewpoints on consecutive days in order to provide a rounded picture to readers. So, for readers of El Mundo, Friday’s edition will assert that the Holocaust did happen. Saturday’s will assert that it did not. Who knows, perhaps the truth lies somewhere in the middle?

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Love of the Land: Top Spanish newspaper to run “expert” interview with Holocaust denier David Irving in WWII anniversary week

Love of the Land: Lawyer Lambasts Pollard Report

Lawyer Lambasts Pollard Report

JPost Staff
03 September 09

Jonathan Pollard's lawyer, attorney Nitzana Darshan-Leitner, strongly criticized Thursday's report by State Comptroller Micha Lindenstrauss on the case of the convicted spy. According to Darshan-Leitner, "The report is an additional cover-up of the failures of successive Israeli governments on the issue of Pollard's release."

"No government at any time has made any effort to release Pollard, throughout all the years of opportunity that he has been in prison - 24 years," said Pollard's attorney.

Darshan-Leitner asserted that the government has abandoned Pollard.

"Pollard, an Israeli agent, tried to use all legal means at his disposal with the US authorities, including numerous requests for a retrial, and he has no choice but to depend on the [Israeli] government to release him," said Darshan-Leitner.

"However," added Pollard's attorney, "the Israeli government still pretends that all of Pollard's activities took place in an operational framework that was directed by [former senior Mossad official and Pollard's handler] Rafi Eitan under special authority, and not by the upper echelons of the state, and leaves him to deal alone with the results of this failure."

The attorney demanded that Lindenstrauss's entire report be released to the public."The fact that the overwhelming majority of the report is otherwise confidential, means that it contains dark secrets surrounding the Pollard affair that the government does not want the public to know," she claimed.

"The Israeli public must demand that the report be released in its entirety, including its classified parts, in order that the public can decide if there was indeed an effort on the part of the Israeli government to release Pollard, or if all of the successive administrations have relegated Pollard to the dustbin."

The new report said the Pollard issue was not neglected by consecutive Israeli governments, but suggested the convicted spy had likely been denied due legal process during his trial in the United States. The report refutes complaints by Pollard's family and friends, who have accused the government of not doing enough to secure his release.

While most of the report issued by Lindenstrauss remains classified, an abstract of the report was released for publication on Thursday afternoon.

Pollard was convicted in a US court of spying for Israel and has been in jail since November 1985. An American citizen, Pollard received Israeli citizenship in 1995. From May 1998 he was acknowledged as an agent working for Israel.

During his work on the matter, Lindenstrauss met with Pollard's attorneys and with former ministers, prime ministers and other government officials who worked to try and secure his release. He also met with Pollard's father, Prof. Morris Pollard.

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Love of the Land: Lawyer Lambasts Pollard Report