Routine

The celebrations are over and we are now back to the routine. Qassams have been slamming into the Negev communities as Hamas returns to its routine of destruction. Mortars fired at Israel killed a civilian on a kibbutz. In addition we watch what is happening in Lebanon as Iran oops I meant Hezbollah flexes its muscle. Of course at the very sight of this Siniora began to shake and of course gave in to Hezbollah's demands. I think he was crying again too. Of course he added that they should keep the focus on the real enemy Israel. I feel sorry for the citizens of Lebanon who have such poor leadership. They are not our enemy. I just hope they like the rulers of Iran. I'm just saying...

Of course the routine continues in our own back yard. Will the other shoe finally drop on Olmert? Cabinet ministers have given him support. Mofaz thinks he is innocent until proven guilty. Great concept. Livni was the only minister who remained silent. Her mother taught her well. If you don't have anything nice to say...you know the rest.

The next decade for Israel should be an interesting one. My only prediction is that Israel will still be here and stronger than before.

Submitted by Carol

Don't Forget

I will always remember Staff Sergeant Michael Levin and I have never met him. He was killed in a clash with Hezbollah during the Second Lebanon War. An American who immigrated to Israel in 2004. He as a member of an elite paratrooper unit. 

My friend Natan's brother was called to active duty during the war and was fighting in Lebanon. We would exchange daily SMS. Just my way of checking that he was okay. Then one day I woke with a horrible feeling in the pit of my stomach. Something was wrong. I spent the day like that. And no answer to my SMS. Then later that day I heard the news.

Natan's brothers name in Hebrew is pronounced Micha-el. I always called him Michael, using the American pronunciation of his name. When I heard the news I understood that something terrible happened to Michael. Just not my Michael. 

Tonight starts Memorial Day in Israel for Fallen Soldiers. They fought for all of us. Remember them. Make Israel a better country in their memory.

Irony

Today Israel went after two terrorists in Gaza. They were hit from the air by the air force. They were killed. A family eating breakfast on their balcony near by was also killed. A mother and her children. But no they were not killed by the IDF. They were killed by the explosives that the terrorists had in their possession. Imagine that. Explosives being kept near civilians. Does Hamas take responsibility for putting its civilians in harms way or do they blame Islamic Jihad? Silly me. They are never responsible for anything.

Submitted by Carol

Not Now

Maybe later. Syria and Israel are not at war so we do already have a kind of peace. Our border with Syria is quiet. Our border with Egypt is not so quiet and we have a signed piece of paper that says we have peace. But they allow arms smuggling to our enemy Hamas. 

Eventually we will have to deal with Syria but I think we need to concentrate on only one thing right now. Figuring out how to deal with the Hamas/Fatah dynamic so we can reach an agreement which will end in two states for two people. As I view the dynamics of the region I see this as of major importance. Of course there is the obvious which is an end to the already too long conflict. The other reason is Iran. Iran is itching to get its claws into the area. It doesn't need a nuclear bomb. In fact the logistics of bombing Israel and not destroying Jerusalem and some of the neighboring Arab countries is pretty impossible. Even a dirty bomb poses most of the same problems. Now Syria and Iran have bonded. Syria arms Hezbollah with weapons from Iran. Syrias venture into nuclear something or other is in my opinion connected to Iran. While the IAEA was busy focussing on Iran, Syria was quietly building a secret reactor or nuclear bomb making plant with the help of the North Koreans. Smoke and mirrors. A good trick that luckily did not succeed. So back to the premise. How does Iran destroy Israel without directly bombing it? 

Lets go with the land for peace formula. Israel gives back the Golan Heights. Syria puts a civilian population on the Golan Heights. Then Syria puts a resistance movement on the Golan Heights. Well I would call them terrorists but thats just me. Everyone has learned from the Hezbollah Second Lebanon War example. Its the homefront stupid. They hit us just like Hezbollah and just like Hamas and friends in Gaza. We are then forced to hit back at a population center. You can all say its an act of war if we are hit. I say yada yada yada. What Hezbollah did was an act of war and we are still at fault because of civilian deaths. What is happening in Gaza is our fault because there are civilian deaths. The formula has been perfected. We don't have an answer to it. Not yet anyway. You need finesse to answer this kind of crap and we have no leaders who know what finesse means. 

So the argument that the height of the Golan Heights is not strategically important anymore due to advanced technology may or may not be true. It doesn't matter. Its not part of the equation. When we left Gaza the feeling was that the terrorists would do what they wanted. They were shooting at the settlers anyway. Except now they are closer to our population centers and things have gotten so much worse since we pulled out.

Once we have an agreement with the Palestinians we can deal with Syria. Until then they are a pawn of Iran who wants to destroy Israel and who wants control in Jerusalem. Its the whole Sunni/ Shiite thing. We need to take away the motivation to destroy our great country. Then we can deal with the Golan Heights which I think some parts of should stay permanently in our hands. 

Submitted by Carol 

Sharav

Its just too freakin hot to write about anything!

Two Irritants and an Idiot

Peace Now. Sounds like something one should strive for and something that most normal people would want. The group is celebrating 30 years of one sidedness that also wears blinders. Peace now was formed with one aim, to stop the occupation. I hate the term and no I do not live in la la land. It is the term adopted from the enemy which gives the impression that we went out to get us some more land when what we did was fight a defensive war and we ended up with extra land. The term occupation ignores the fact that we wanted to return the land and the only answer was NO from the Arabs. While I am at it let me just mention that although we wanted to negotiate its return it is as much Israel as Tel Aviv. So what irritates me? Certainly not vocabulary. What irritates me is their inability to advocate for peace on both sides. For them the end to the "occupation" will bring the coming of the messiah. Get out and peace will come. They ignore all Palestinian acts of violence against Israel. They ignore the fact that these terrorists see ALL of Israel as being occupied. They demand nothing from the Palestinians. They show no sympathy for the people of Sderot or victims of other terrorist attacks. Maybe if they had called themselves by another name and not pretended to be peace activists I would be less offended by them. You need only one side to make war but you need both sides for peace. Ironically I would like to see a Palestinian State in the West Bank and Gaza. But for this goal I will never give my support or stand with those from Peace Now.

The second irritant I discovered this morning as I read my paper. The Ultra Orthodox community has decided to boycott a certain supermarket chain because the owner also operates mini markets that are open on Shabbat. Hypocrites! They do not boycott other establishments whose owners own other businesses that are open on Shabbat. I agree with the author of the article who said that this particular tycoon wasn't donating money to Ultra Orthodox venues. Money trumps halacha any day.

And lastly the idiot. Mr Meshal the CEO of Hamas in Damascus. I almost never think of him as a fool. His daughter just got married and he told her to have many children with which to fuel the resistance. Looks like our old buddy realizes that what he is doing won't succeed and he will need future generations because we, Israel, will still be here! Actually I may not be giving him enough credit because he did get that part right! 

Holy Cow!

Hey I woke up this morning and my usual routine is ro read the paper and have some coffee. I hadn't taken a sip of coffee yet as I opened the newspaper. There was an article on the front page, right in the center actually, about Sderot. For a few seconds I thought I was looking at Haaretz. Then I realized it was the International Herald Tribune. I was stunned. Okay so maybe it was the lack of caffeine but still amazing.

Fitna

I guess I need to add my 2 cents to the talk about this movie made by the Dutch member of parliament. For those that have not seen it the majority of the film consists of verses from the Qu'ran paired with speeches made by radical Islamic leaders. The verses are also paired with scenes from 9/11 and scenes from suicide bombings that took place in Israel. The later part f the film shows statistics pointing to the growth of Islam in Holland and in the world. This is paired with speeches by radical Islamic leaders where they talk about their quest for world dominance.

As a Jew I could not help but think how easily someone could take bits of text from the Torah to do something similar to the Jews. This guy crossed a dangerous line by using the religion to make a case against radical Islam. It will fuel those bigots who cannot or do not want to see the manipulation.  He seems to have a great fear of Islam taking over the world. I believe that is his motivation for making the film.

I hate radical Islam and all its bigotry and hate that they promote. This film however is the wrong answer to the problem of radical Islam. Hopefully his 15 minutes of fame will end and not in violence by either side. 

In Memorium

Our English bulldog, Max, died today.

He was the best dog ever. Hell, Max was the best friend ever.

He was old. He was eleven and a half years old and evidently for a bulldog, that's pretty damn old. He hadn't been doing well lately and there was nothing anyone could do for him but make him comfortable. Max went to sleep last night and I found him in his usual comfortable position this morning, but he wasn't with us anymore.

From the day we adopted him, Max was a character. He was so small I carried him home on the inside of my jacket because it was raining outside. I don't know if you've ever seen an English bulldog puppy, but they're three-quarters head and one-quarter body.

Max had more personality than 80 percent of the humans I know. His heart was huge, and pure. He demanded that you love him, and could never conceive of the concept that someone, either human or animal, might be put off by him. Being a male, other male dogs may growl at him, and Max would stand there wagging his piglet shaped tail with the attitude of, "Don't be mad at me...LOVE ME!" Have you ever seen a bulldog smile? Well, I don't care what you say. Max could smile.

He was a nurse. He knew instinctively when one of us wasn't feeling well and he would lay down next to us our use his best known cure...smelling our eyes. In Max's world, that was healing.

He was a clown. There are too many stories of the funny things he did, sometimes seemingly on purpose, that had us in tears of laughter. Charlie Chaplin couldn't have mastered physical comedy the way Max was able to. Someday I'll tell you the story of the frisbee.

He snored. He snored like an eighty-year-old man from the day he was born. Samantha found it soporifically soothing. I couldn't sleep if he was even in the next room.

He was stubborn, he was belligerent, he was self-willed, and he made those all into attributes. Something no human could pull off.

He was love defined. Max made it possible for our dog Elvis to find his home here, and Max saved a cat's life who we call Smelly and is also part of our family. Elvis loved Max. Smelly loved Max. And Max's opinion? Of course!

He was a friend. I know he fought to stay with us, but as "bulldogish" as he always was, he knew when it was time to go.

The phrase, "all dogs go to heaven" comes to mind about now. I gotta tell you. I believe that. And I also must say that I know there's a special place for Max in that heaven, and he's saying, "What's to eat?!"

There's going to be a huge, Max-sized hole in my heart from now on, but I'd never trade this pain for not knowing him at all.

Max was a great person. You shoulda known him.

Max Warady
September 1, 1996 - March 5, 2008



Submitted by Charley

The War

I had a wonderful Saturday with my family. As the day started to come to an end I turned on the TV and caught a special news bulletin. The rockets continue to hit Sderot and Ashkelon. We are fighting in Gaza trying to push the launchers back. Two soldiers are dead. The price of war. Make no mistake, this is war. I pray we kick ass and I worry because we have a prime minister leading us who is unfit for the job. As I watch the news I feel incredibly tired. I continue to watch the news like the people who stare at horrible train wrecks. I guess we just wait and watch and pray.

Spelled With a G?

Imad Mugniyah no longer walks this earth. So already its a better place. For those unfamiliar with his name he is the terrorist extraordinare of Hezbollah. Nasrallah is really just a pretty face compared to this guy. Imad was the commander of Hezbollah's military wing. With roughly 1000 deaths directly connected to him you could say he had a flair for evil and thats why he rose to the top so quickly. He was only 45 when he got kicked out of this world.

A lot of speculation as to who was responsible. The first name on every terrorists lips was Israel. Maybe so. The other was the United States. That would be cool too. A little revenge for the murder of 230 Marines in Beirut that our buddy was responsible for. In my opinion its all good. Of course there will be a price. I would have a guess what it is but I don't want to give them any ideas. Anyway there has been tons of analysis on this issue. We may not know for sure who did it but we know who Hezbollah will make pay for it. Its only a question of how. So lets stay on our toes people.

For me there are two issues that intrigue me. They stuck a G in his last name. Its not pronounced so how the heck did it get there? Does the G give it the correct pronunciation which is mooniyah as opposed to mun which rhymes with sun. To further confuse things his first name pronounced Eemad is spelled with an I yet his name is not pronounced EYEmad. Although as I roll it around its not really Eemad. Its a shorter e sound. The complexities of transliteration are beyond me.

I leave you with this thought. If they could get to Mugniyah in Damascus they can get to pretty boy Nasrallah in Beirut. Sweet dreams Hassan.

Submitted by Carol

No Excuses

I am starting to slide back to my slacker ways by not blogging and I will have none of it. There are enough slackers in this country. We had the Winograd report. I think the earthquake was a big fat zero on the Richter scale. Some army reservists and officers demonstrated. Joining them were the families who lost someone in the war. A couple thousand protesters at best. They should have had the demonstration at the water cooler at work. People congregate their all the time and this way they wouldn't have to be asked to make an effort. Of course we all know that everyone is ready to spout off while waiting to get a drink. They'll tell you what you want to know. Just don't ask them to make an effort.

Yesterday we had a dynamic duo from Hebron who wanted to do some shopping in Dimona. They probably got ticked off because there were no sales so they decided to blow people up. First one. Then when security and the ambulances came the other was supposed to but he was spotted and got shot in the head before he could push the button. Do you think the successful one is gloating because he has 72 virgins and his buddy doesn't. You'd think he'd at least share and give his friend one of them. One woman died and her husband is in critical condition. The UN apologizes and says that they are sorry but they cannot condemn these attacks because only one person died. When the Palestinians are able to kill more Israeli's so that the number is proportionate they will at the very least fret and wring their hands . So the qassams that only injured a woman today don't count in our favor at all. Do you see a pattern here as to the mood I'm in?

I think I'll be watching the results of Super Tuesday. I voted! At least for a bit there will be something interesting on TV. That is until the results get analyzed to death. Oh let me go take a happy pill.

Submitted by Carol

Is Hell Freezing Over?

I don't know if its a coincidence but it is snowing in Jerusalem and Olmert just got handed the final Winograd report. Didn't he say he would stay in office till hell freezes over? I guess its just wishful thinking on my part. Anyway on the news they have spent the past hour talking about what they are going to talk about once they actually get a copy of the report. So I think I'll watch American Idol instead. I'd vote for Simon as prime minister if I could.

Submitted by Carol

Why Do I Bother

I should really stop reading anything that has to do with the UN. The security council still can't hammer out a resolution concerning the events in Israel and Gaza which is not worth the paper its printed on in any case. The Arab league version only asked for the blockade of Gaza to be ended. Maybe if they say pretty please with a cherry on top. No mention of the constant rocket fire hitting Sderot, Ashkelon and the Negev. You would think fair is fair. The UN is all about making a secure world to live in. No country comes with any agenda do they? So now that a demand to stop the rocket fire has been added to the resolution Libya suddenly has to phone home for more instructions. The other 14 members of the security council have all signed on. Libya stands alone unwilling to sign on. No Arab country is going to sign something that says rockets fired at Israel is wrong. As far as they are concerned any violence toward Israel is justified. And they say the US is biased toward Israel. I need a 12 step program.

Submitted by Carol

The Lions Den

I found something good in the newspaper. His name is Ron Prosor. He is the new Israeli ambassador to the UK. He recently spoke at the University of London's School of Oriental and African Studies. It was organized by the British Zionist Organization. Students arrived in kafiyyeh headresses and questions at the ready. So I loved that at the opening an announcement was made that the ambassador said that the tougher and harder hitting the questions the better.

They asked the usual questions. Questions accusing Israel of war crimes. Questions that put Menachem Begin and the Irgun on equal ground with Hamas. The article did not give his replies. A shame. But I guess he was able to answer because someone asked him if he actually believed what he was saying. That is a question that comes from frustration. I hope it was frustration because he was able to answer the questions without hesitation.

Most of those students see it in over simplified terms of David versus Goliath. They like to put it in terms they already know so they make the conflict fit the apartheid of South Africa. Its easier that way but it is way off the mark. Hopefully they will take with them one thing that Prosor said. He said "Israel is a democracy under attack that is dealing with difficulties that no other country is facing."

You have to love the guy who in the lions den did not back down as he also told his audience that Jerusalem shall remain the capital of Israel forever. I only can hope that more ambassadors will take his cue and fill the void by meeting with people who don't support Israel. As the article said, if we don't than our place will be filled by speakers against Israel.

Submitted by Carol

My Dark Side

I just want to preface that what I am about to write is not my usual way of doing things. I am in real life hard pressed to harm any living thing.

I read that the gentleman from Hamas in charge of Gilad Shalit, the soldier that was kidnapped, has said that what is happening in Gaza now could cause them to make Gilad Shalit disappear forever ala Ron Arad. They would simply sever all ties. You see we are getting pounded by Qassams and we have hit back. We have also hit back for the death of an innocent volunteer on a kibbutz in the Negev. When I read the headline I wanted to reach into my computer screen and kill "the gentleman from Hamas" with my own two hands. Being an oncology nurse I felt that an overdose of several different chemotherapies would be appropriate.

I pray that Gilad's family will find peace and that his captors will know hell here on earth and in the world to come.

The Back of the Bus

I was cheered up this morning as I read in Haaretz that the state is being taken to task in court over the mahedrin bus lines. Egged which runs these lines is a PUBLIC transportation provider. These bus lines are meant for Haredim who want separate seating for women and men. Of course the women have to sit in the back. These bus lines should be illegal. The state doesn't see a problem. They say the seating is strictly voluntary. Tell that to the three women that have been beaten and verbally abused for not sitting in the back of the bus. Kudos to Naomi Ragen, well known author and the IRAC ( Israel Religious Action Committee) for taking up the cause. Naomi Ragen was one of the women abused by the Haredi men. All of the women were religious. So its not a case of some upstart secular women out to cause trouble. Until women will be wearing burkas they won't be religious enough for these Haredi bullies.

While we're on the subject of women I had to chuckle about a small article in the paper. The American Jewish Congress wanted to place an ad in Ms magazine promoting Israeli women. Our Foreign minister Tzipi Livni, our Supreme Court President Dorit Benisch and Knesset speaker Dalia Itzik would have been in the ad with the caption that reads This is Israel. Ms refused saying it would create a firestorm. Do you remember when they used to have balls?

Israelisms...The Blog 2.0

I haven't blogged in a few weeks and I started to feel guilty. With that I also started thinking about why I wasn't blogging. For me the podcast is my number one priority. It gives me joy. I love podcasting. I decided to start the blog with Charley because I felt I had more to say than what I could fit on the podcast. I still do. The reality is that writing a political piece is hard work. Life keeps getting in the way. I don't want to give up the blog but I can't expect people to keep coming here and finding nothing new. To remedy the situation I decided to change course. I'm going to write about how I feel. So I'll be writing about frustration and also pride and whatever else I feel. Living here is dynamic so it should be interesting. Some posts may be really short. When truly inspired I may write a political piece. Of course Charley will continue to write his analysis when he is able. Lets see where this takes me. I hope the ride will be worthy of your time.