A Peek into Others' mind » July 27, 2008

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July 28, 2008
7:15
NYT: McCain uses Int'l Republican Institute perch ...
» ‎ War and Piece

NYT: McCain uses Int'l Republican Institute perch to promote American corporate lobbyists. "...The parade of lobbyists and fund-raisers at the dinner is emblematic of Mr. McCains tenure at the institute, one of a pair of nonprofit groups taxpayer-financed and...

6:18
Hamas members held in West Bank
» ‎ AL JAZEERA ENGLISH (MIDDLE EAST)

Arrests in Jenin and Tulkarem after a security crackdown by Hamas-run forces in Gaza.

5:18
Saudi Arabia and Zionists, Brothers until victory or death
» ‎ Wake Up From Your Slumber - The Truth Will Set You Free

Book on workshops Daily: Saudi Arabia and the Zionist Brothers until victory or death

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3:48
Gallup Poll: Obama 9 Points Ahead
» ‎ Little Green Footballs

The latest Gallup poll shows a significant “bounce” for Barack Obama following his Pseudo-Presidential World Tour: Gallup Daily: Obama 49%, McCain 40%.

3:20
Saudi Arabia compared to israel
» ‎ Wake Up From Your Slumber - The Truth Will Set You Free

There is no greater contrast from the point of view of costs-benefit in comparing Saudi Arabia to
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3:05
Penn and Teller Take on Environmental Hysteria
» ‎ Little Green Footballs

Here’s another good episode of Penn and Teller’s Bullsh*t! (Something tells me this one won’t get the same kind of reaction as their debunking of creationism.)

[Video not shown]

2:38
"First Blood"
» ‎ Wake Up From Your Slumber - The Truth Will Set You Free

http://wwwwbipicomlink.blogspot.com/20

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1:31
Free, free at last?
» ‎ Wake Up From Your Slumber - The Truth Will Set You Free

Free, Free at last?

No. Palestinian state? No, not at all

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1:06
USAFCENT July 26 Airpower Summary
» ‎ GlobalSecurity.org

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1:06
Security Improvements in Iraq Northern Provinces
» ‎ GlobalSecurity.org

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1:06
NATO Counter-Attack Kills Dozens of Insurgents
» ‎ GlobalSecurity.org

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1:06
McCain, Obama Clash Over Iraq Troop Surge
» ‎ GlobalSecurity.org

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1:06
STRIKEFORNATO & Future Role in JTFEX
» ‎ GlobalSecurity.org

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1:06
Gunmen Kill 7 Iraqi Pilgrims Near Baghdad
» ‎ GlobalSecurity.org

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1:06
India Seeks Calm After Deadly Bombings in 2 Cities
» ‎ GlobalSecurity.org

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0:48
THE SAUDI DYNASTY: FROM WHERE IS IT? AND WHO IS THE REAL ANCESTOR OF THIS FAMILY?
» ‎ Wake Up From Your Slumber - The Truth Will Set You Free

THE SAUDI DYNASTY: FROM WHERE IS IT? AND WHO IS THE REAL ANCESTOR OF THIS FAMILY?

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0:44
Redlasso Halts Blogger Video Service
» ‎ Little Green Footballs

Another move to shut down services used by bloggers, as the mainstream media tries to hang on to control of their content in the digital age: Redlasso halts blogger service amid lawsuit.

NEW YORK (Reuters) - News video-sharing site Redlasso said on Friday it will suspend its video search and clipping service for bloggers as it defends against a copyright infringement lawsuit filed this week by NBC and Fox News Channel.

It will continue to run a business-targeted service that lets clients track and clip content for internal use and a service for radio stations that lets them upload their clips for online sharing.

“We are very disappointed in the actions of select networks,” said Redlasso Chief Executive Ken Hayward in a statement. “We believe we have always acted within the law and have been respectful of the networks’ rights.”

0:39
Russia aircraft carriers & Northern, Pacific Fleets
» ‎ GlobalSecurity.org

Russia will create 5-6 aircraft carrier groups in the Northern and Pacific Fleets, the Navy commander said on Sunday.

0:27
'Lebanon should consider itself lucky to be blessed with a neighbor like Israel'
» ‎ Israel Matzav

Astoundingly, this is what Kuwaiti columnist Fouad al-Hashem wrote in the Kuwaiti daily al-Watan. Fouad al-Hashem, a columnist for the Kuwaiti daily Al-Watan, wrote that Lebanon should consider itself lucky to be blessed with a neighbor such as Israel, rather than Iraq, for example. "Samir Kuntar lived in Israeli prisons for 29 years," al-Hashem wrote. "No one cut off his ears, tore out his

0:21
NYT Complaint: Where are the Graphic Photos of Dead GIs?
» ‎ IRIS Blog

Here's a typical line from a once-influential newspaper:

...after five years and more than 4,000 American combat deaths, searches and interviews turned up fewer than a half-dozen graphic photographs of dead American soldiers.

A very bad photo-to-kill ratio. How disappointing. Necrophiliacs of the world unite!

(By the way, before sending complaints about the prurient word choice, please note the the connotation intended by the above word is "pathological attraction to dead bodies; pathological fascination with death.")

Perhaps the bated breath for Republican stormy petrels could explain the 82% decline in New York Times profit? Even the AP has been forced to admit the reality that has been largely ignored in the mainstream media of late:

US now winning Iraq war that seemed lost

(Hat tip: Dan Friedman)

0:08
Brutally Honest:
» ‎ Syria Planet

Dears,
I have moved my blog to wordpress
http://herepiphany.wordpress.comhttp://brutalyhonest.blogspot.com/atom.xml?alt=rss

0:00
No deal on Jerusalem in 2008, Olmert says
» ‎ Alarabiya.net English | Middle East

Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert said on Monday that Israel and the Palestinians will not be able to agree this year on a peace deal that includes the crucial issue of Occupied Jerusalem. "I don't believe that we can reach an understanding that will include Jerusalem by the end of the
0:00
UAE minister fired for financial scandal
» ‎ Alarabiya.net English | Middle East

The UAE president Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan has fired the Minister of State who is at the center of an alleged fraud scandal. A Lebanese businesswoman filed a complaint against the minister, Dr. Khalifa al-Falasi, accusing him of breaching the trust of her family business when he
0:00
Israel to move part of WBank barrier: report
» ‎ Alarabiya.net English | Middle East

Israel plans to tear down a small portion of an internationally condemned barrier and move it closer to its border with the occupied West Bank, an Israeli newspaper reported on Monday. The Haaretz daily said a 2.4 km (1.5 mile) stretch of fencing would be moved in response to a petition filed
0:00
Asian workers strike for better pay in Kuwait
» ‎ Alarabiya.net English | Middle East

The Kuwaiti government reached an agreement with Asian workers on Monday to end a three-day strike over pay and conditions, state news agency KUNA said. Hundreds of mainly Bangladeshi workers had gone on strike in Kuwait, seeking better pay amid soaring prices and sparking calls by deputies to

July 27, 2008
23:52
Iran trying to get UN Security Council seat
» ‎ Israel Matzav

The Islamic Republic of Iran has asked the 114-member Non-Aligned Movement to support its bid for a non-permanent seat on the UN Security Council. The request was made by foreign minister Manouchehr Mottaki. Iran is seeking to replace Indonesia as the Asian representative for a two-year term beginning in 2009. Iran would join Libya on the Council. Libya has been serving since January 2008. While
23:22
Jaw-dropping statement of the day
» ‎ Israel Matzav

General Security Service chief Yuval Diskin gave his weekly report to the cabinet on Sunday on the amounts of weaponry that Hamas has 'smuggled' (imported would probably be a more accurate term) into the Gaza Strip since the 'truce' began last month. For those of you sitting there saying that part of the deal was that there would be no weapons brought in during the 'truce,' you should know better

23:07
Gunmen Kill 7 Iraqi Pilgrims Near Baghdad
» ‎ GlobalSecurity.org

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23:06
McCain, Obama Clash Over Iraq Troop Surge
» ‎ GlobalSecurity.org

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23:06
Turkey Strikes Kurdish Bases in N Iraq
» ‎ GlobalSecurity.org

The Turkish air force launched a series of air strikes against PKK bases in n Iraq
23:06
Israel Kills Top Hamas Militant
» ‎ GlobalSecurity.org

Israel has settled scores with a Palestinian on its most-wanted list during a raid in the W Bank
23:05
NATO Counter-Attack Kills Dozens of Insurgents
» ‎ GlobalSecurity.org

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23:05
India Seeks Calm After Deadly Bombings in 2 Cities
» ‎ GlobalSecurity.org

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22:52
Security Improvements in Iraq Northern Provinces
» ‎ GlobalSecurity.org

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22:51
Iraq Ops Update
» ‎ GlobalSecurity.org

Coalition and Iraqi forces continue to push terrorists and criminals in operations throughout Iraq.
22:47
STRIKEFORNATO & Future Role in JTFEX
» ‎ GlobalSecurity.org

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22:46
“So the Zionists Became Angry”
» ‎ Israellycool

And to paraphrase Bruce Banner before he turns into the Hulk, you won’t like us when we’re angry.

From the Hamas web site:

Heh.

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22:45
USAFCENT July 26 Airpower Summary
» ‎ GlobalSecurity.org

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21:13
Creationism on the Rise in Texas
» ‎ Little Green Footballs

The Texas State Board of Education has begun hearings on teaching the “weaknesses” of evolutionary science—which means, of course, teaching the “strengths” of the creationist flavor of the month, “intelligent design.”

And in a creepy real-life inversion of Ben Stein’s “Expelled,” the Texas Education Agency recently fired their Director of Science, Chris Comer, for forwarding an email announcing an anti-creationism seminar. Here’s a video presentation on the case:
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Andrea Grimes in the Austin Chronicle has a good piece on the rise of religious pseudoscience in Texas: Texas Fiction Science: The State Board of Education does its part to fantasize biology.

The first of several hearings on the science curricula updates occurred July 17 and 18, with this first meeting dedicated only to the delicate bureaucratic process of planning on how to plan those updates. According to SBOE chair and College Station dentist Dr. Don McLeroy, this year’s “battle is to bring in some of the weaknesses of evolution,” to ninth- and 10th-grade biology classrooms, retaining language requiring that teachers instruct students in the “strengths and weaknesses” of scientific theories. But according to the Texas Freedom Network, a statewide organization that works to mitigate the influence of fundamentalism on state policy, it’s really just one singular theory that gets the critical treatment.

“The only theory they attack is evolution,” said Dan Quinn, Texas Freedom Network’s communications director. Heliocentricity, gravitational theory, and atomic structure all get the SBOE thumbs-up. Indeed, despite clearly worded endorsements of evolution’s validity as scientific fact from the National Academy of Sciences, the American Association for the Advancement of Science, the Science Teachers Association of Texas, and countless other scientific groups, McLeroy and six other conservative members of the 15-member SBOE remain unconvinced.

“I don’t think the evidence supports [evolution],” said McLeroy, a self-described creationist who believes that because “science is always trying to find problems with stuff,” evolution should not be presented as absolute fact. In McLeroy’s opinion, there are three major weaknesses of evolutionary theory that schoolchildren should be made aware of. He arrived at these conclusions by “reading everything [he] could get [his] hands on” and listening to podcasts.

First weakness: the fossil record. “There are gaps,” said McLeroy, that do not include enough transitional forms of life to support evolution. Second, McLeroy says there has simply not been enough time on Earth for the minute changes required by evolution to have taken place. Thirdly, McLeroy says the incredible complexity of cells proves divine design. Information contained in the genetic code is just too mind-blowing to have come from anywhere but an intelligent creator. “Where did this information come from?” McLeroy mused. McLeroy would like to see these assertions and more taught in Texas biology classrooms.

I asked University of Texas integrative biology professor David Hillis, a member of the National Academy of Sciences, about McLeroy’s list of “weaknesses.” In an e-mail exchange, Hillis said McLeroy was simply denying facts. “There is indeed a vast record of transitional fossils,” wrote Hillis, saying McLeroy’s fossil record claims are “completely at odds with the experts in the entire field of paleontology.”

As for McLeroy’s second assertion regarding length of time required for evolution to have taken place, Hillis wrote that the position “demonstrates an extraordinary ignorance of biology,” since rates of evolution observed in laboratory tests have been “more than sufficient” to prove natural rates of genetic change that coincide with the fossil record.

Finally, McLeroy’s cell-complexity argument does not even belong in a scientific discussion, wrote Hillis: “The argument that ‘It is too complicated, so God must have done it’ is not a scientific argument.”

And yet it appears that, all evidence to the contrary, evolution may still soon be taught in Texas as a weak theory. Since the SBOE has a near majority of anti-evolution members, the small problem of evolution actually being demonstrable scientific knowledge is only a political challenge to those who want schoolchildren taught otherwise.

Read the whole thing...

Also see:
More Stealth Creationism in Texas

20:15
Iran carries out mass execution
» ‎ AL JAZEERA ENGLISH (MIDDLE EAST)

Hangings in Tehran take total number put to death this year to more than 150 people.

20:06
Yaman Salahi's Amateur Ramblings: “Fallujah is closer to Washington than New Orleans”
» ‎ Syria Planet

You might expect that to be a critique of the Bush administration–but when Samir al-Taqi said it, he was being anything but critical. That is actually the way he explained the stark reality that is shaping the way he and other intellectuals are approaching Syrian foreign policy. If it were a critique of the Bush administration, [...]

20:02
IDF gets a big one
» ‎ Israel Matzav

A man who is being called the 'mastermind' of February's suicide bombing in Dimona was liquidated on Sunday morning by IDF troops in Hebron. The man's house was surrounded by troops and he was ordered out. But instead of coming out, he started shooting. Curiously, although Fatah's al-Aqsa Martyrs' Brigades originally claimed responsibility for the attack, and the 'Palestinian Authority's official

19:41
Razaneyyat: عتيقة
» ‎ Syria Planet

درس من عتيقة: عتيقة هي سلحفاتي الصغيرة التي تبلغ من العمر قرابة شهرين, اليوم صباحاً وبينما كنت أجلس في شرفتي أدرس, كنت أشاهد كيف كانت تلتهم طعامها. كانت تلتهم ورقة الخسّ كاملة, دون نقصان. عتيقة لم تترك العرق الأبيض الذي يصعب على فمها الرقيق قطعه, عتيقة رضت بما أُعطيَ لها, لم تترك واراءها طعام [...]
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19:13
Dispatches from ... the pReSeNt: Daily Dubai Concerns!
» ‎ Syria Planet

Living in Dubai, which is officially by recent statistics one of the most expensive cities in the world, is truly a unique experience. And unique in both senses of the word, good and bad, positive and negative. This city has been developing in a rocket speed, but seemingly this rapid development is a double-edged sword. Every single day, hundreds of Indian and South Asian construction workers are

19:08
US Lawyer Urges Iran to Sue US Over Nukes
» ‎ Little Green Footballs

Loony academic leftist Francis Boyle (last seen at LGF trying to impeach President Bush) has offered to represent the mullahs of Iran if they sue the US in the International Court of Justice.

TEHRAN, July 22 (UPI) — A University of Illinois law professor says he has offered to represent Iran if it decides to sue the United States over threatened nuclear program sanctions.

Iran’s Press TV reported Tuesday that Francis Boyle, an international law expert, is urging Iranian leaders to sue Israel and the United States through the International Court of Justice in The Hague over their ultimatum that Iran freeze its nuclear enrichment program in a matter of weeks or face further sanctions.

If Iran decides to sue, he told the broadcaster, he would represent the country.

“My proposal was that Iran should sue these states immediately, convene an emergency hearing by the World Court, and ask the court to indicate provisional measures of protection on behalf of Iran against the United States, Israel and the EU-3 — basically a temporary restraining order,” Boyle said.

Boyle is a hardcore pacifist who likes to hang around with murderers and dictators; he’s a former legal representative for the PLO, and is good friends with Muammar Gaddafi. And unsurprisingly, he’s also known for comparing Israel to Nazi Germany.

18:45
Carnival of the Insanities
» ‎ Israel Matzav

The weekly Carnival of the Insanities is up and running today and you can find all of this week's zaniest stories by pointing your browser at the one and only Dr. Pat (who is in only very briefly today, but leaves her message on line for us) right over here.

18:02
Religion of Peace Kills 46 in India
» ‎ Little Green Footballs

At least 46 people have been murdered in India, and a group of non-Buddhists has claimed responsibility: India on alert after two days of bombings kill 46.

NEW DELHI, India (Reuters) - India’s major cities were put on high alert on Sunday, with fears of more attacks after at least 40 people were killed in two days of bombings that hit a communally-sensitive western city and a southern IT hub

At least 16 small bombs exploded in the Indian city of Ahmedabad on Saturday, killing at least 39 people and wounding 110, a day after another set of blasts in Bangalore killed a woman.

A little known group called the “Indian Mujahideen” claimed responsibility for the Ahmedabad attack on Saturday. The same group said it carried out bombs attacks that killed 63 people in the western city of Jaipur in May.

17:55
What Took Them So Long?
» ‎ Israellycool

In the wake of Friday night’s Gaza beach blast that killed 5 Hamasholes and a 4-year-old girl, Fatah has responded to Hamas’ accusations it was behind the attack by doing what any self-respecting palestinian terrorist organization would do.

Blame the Joooos!

Fatah parliamentarian Asharaf Juma on Saturday held Israel responsible for Gaza Beach explosion which resulted in the death of six Palestinians.

“I strongly condemn the blast, this is a crime against the Palestinian people, and I call for a national committee to investigate the incide,nt” Juma said in an exclusive interview with RNA.

He called for an immediate meeting between Fatah and Hamas lawmakers to discuss the chaos that erupted after the blast and to work on solving crisis between the two parties.

Of course, Fatah is having about as much trouble sticking to one story as Yasser Arafat had trouble staying away from little boys.

A Fatah-affiliated group called Al-Awdah claimed responsibility for Saturday’s explosion, but Fatah officials in Ramallah strongly denied responsibility and said the killings were part of a “settling of scores” among Hamas militiamen.

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17:28
Ramon: E. J'lem Arab areas should not be part of Israel
» ‎ JPost.com Front Page Top Stories

At cabinet meeting, Mofaz says J'lem becoming terror hotbed; Diskin: Decide on home demolitions; PM praises Hebron op, has dig at Barak.
17:08
Right of Reply: Seal the evil
» ‎ JPost.com Front Page Top Stories

By failing to act forcefully against terrorists the government abandons law-abiding Jerusalem Arabs.

17:08
Worth reading this Jerusalem Post interview with ...
» ‎ War and Piece

Worth reading this Jerusalem Post interview with Obama:Two months ago in the Oval Office, President George W. Bush, coming to the end of a two-term presidency and presumably as expert on Israeli-Palestinian policy as he is ever going to be,...

17:04
Channel 1: Olmert weighs quitting after primary
» ‎ JPost.com Front Page Top Stories

According to reports, PM would resign if winner can form new gov't; Mofaz pulls closer to Livni in polls.
17:03
Gaza-belt communities to hold rocket attack drill
» ‎ JPost.com Front Page Top Stories

Vilna'i: Quiet [from Gaza] has not made us calm; exercise to simulate mass rocket, mortar attacks.
16:59
'Probe paper for printing Obama note'
» ‎ JPost.com Front Page Top Stories

Attorney petitions Mazuz to order a criminal investigation against Ma'ariv, urges boycott of paper.

16:53
Stop worrying about Obama
» ‎ The Muqata

Guest post by Lurker:

My good friend JoeSettler has taken Democratic US Presidential candidate Barack Obama to task for his blatantly one-sided positions on the Arab-Israeli conflict. And he is quite correct in pointing out that Obama is "bad for the Jews". There's no question about it, and I certainly don't plan on voting for him. So I'm not here to defend Obama. But I do want to dispel the naïve notion that he's any different from the alternative.

Too much attention has been focused of late on Obama's expected policies toward Israel, without giving commensurate attention to the expected policies of his Republican opponent, John McCain -- or the current policies of George W. Bush. To many people are laboring under the entirely mistaken impression that the Republicans are looking out for Israel's interests, and will continue to do so in a McCain Administration; whereas an Obama Administration, by contrast, would be an unmitigated disaster for Israel. As JoeSettler put it, "God forbid this man becomes President".

With all due respect, this is overly melodramatic and quite misleading. It implies that Obama is substantively different from McCain or Bush regarding Israel -- and that's just plain wrong.

Is Obama "bad for the Jews"? Yes. Does he plan to pressure Israel into dismantling settlements and returning to the '67 borders? Yes. Does he promote the creation of a new terror state in Yesha? Yes.

But all of these things are equally true of the Bush Administration! For all the nonsensical rhetoric coming from some GOP Jews about Bush being good for Israel, this is complete and utter nonsense, borne of hopeless cognitive dissonance. Have we forgotten Annapolis? Bush and Condi have been castigating Israel even for daring to build inside of Jerusalem -- something no previous administration has ever done. There is no substantive difference between Bush's existing mideast policy, and the policy that Obama is talking about. The only reason people pretend that any difference exists is election politics, coupled with partisan political blindness. See Caroline Glick's excellent column on this point, appropriately titled "The Obama-Bush presidency".

And for those who are unfamiliar with John McCain's positions on the mideast: His policies would be exactly the same as well. Anyone who thinks otherwise has either not been paying attention to the statements McCain has made over the past few years, or has simply chosen to pretend that McCain didn't make them. Note also that McCain has named the infamous James "F**k the Jews" Baker as his top candidate to spearhead his mideast policy. Does anyone really imagine that this could be good for Israel?!

More importantly, people need to understand this: US pressure on Israel is very highly overrated. No Israeli government ever made a territorial concession because they were "forced to" by the United States. And in the past generation, this has become even more true: The Oslo Accords were the brainchild of Shimon Peres and Yossi Beilin. When they were holding (illegal) negotiotions with the PLO in Norway for 11 months, the Clinton Administration didn't even know about it: In the summer of 1993, Oslo I was sprung on Clinton and Albright as a done deal. Likewise, when Sharon hatched his unilateral "Disengagement" Plan in 2004, the Bush Administration was actually opposed to it. Only after Sharon dispatched his personal advisor, Dov Weisglas, to Washington over a dozen times, did Bush, Powell, and Condi finally come to accept it -- and even then, they steadfastly refused Sharon's requests to subsidize the Disengagement in any way.

Has there been US pressure? Yes, in some cases. Carter pressured Begin at Camp David, and Begin gave in (partially). Clinton pressured Bibi at Wye, and Bibi capitulated. But understanding this psychological pressure as though it were a gun held to the PM's head is foolish and wrong. A strong-willed, principled leader can stand up to such pressure. And our biggest problem has nothing to do with outside pressure anyway: Most of our leaders are already frothing at the mouth to give Yesha away, of their own free will! So who cares whether the US President is also in favor or not?

The responsibility for protecting Israel's interests lies with Israel, and nobody else. That's a basic truth that Israelis -- of all political stripes -- need to internalize.

That said, it's worth noting that historically, when an ally of the US stakes out certain red lines in their foreign policy, and holds firm to them steadfastly, then the US tends to respect that position. A good example of this is Turkey, which has consistently opposed the creation of a Kurdish state, even outside of its own borders. It is widely expected that an independent Kurdistan would be a loyal US ally, and therefore a valuable asset in the mideast. In spite of this, the Bush Administration passed up the opportunity to allow the formation of such a state in the aftermath of the Iraq invasion, in deference to the demands of the Turks. If Israel had the fortitude and self-respect to stand firm on its own red lines the way Turkey does, instead of capitulating under pressure (or even without pressure), she would likely find the US far more inclined to respect those lines -- regardless of who is in the White House.

Let's stop worrying so much about Obama, and focus instead on cleaning up our own house.

Wherever I am, my blog turns towards Eretz Yisrael טובה הארץ מאד מאד

16:52
Man involved in Dimona bombing killed
» ‎ JPost.com Front Page Top Stories

IDF, Border Police surround Hebron house; building bulldozed after Hamas terrorist refuses to surrender.

16:51
Ahmadinejad: Iran not to bow to big powers
» ‎ Persian Journal

Ahmadinejad: Iran not to bow to big powers
16:51
Mullahs plan another mass execution in Iran
» ‎ Persian Journal

Mullahs plan another mass execution in Iran
16:51
'Iran reaches 6,000 centrifuges'
» ‎ Persian Journal

'Iran reaches 6,000 centrifuges'
16:51
How Obama Could Tame Iran
» ‎ Persian Journal

How Obama Could Tame Iran
16:51
Sunni terrorist group says they killed two Iranian hostages: An Arab TV
» ‎ Persian Journal

Sunni terrorist group says they killed two Iranian hostages: An Arab TV
16:51
Obama factor and Iran
» ‎ Persian Journal

Obama factor and Iran
16:51
Iran to highlight nomad art and culture
» ‎ Persian Journal

Iran to highlight nomad art and culture
16:51
Russia: Iran to remain SCO observer
» ‎ Persian Journal

Russia: Iran to remain SCO observer
16:51
Iran-Khodro Khorassan plant on stream
» ‎ Persian Journal

Iran-Khodro Khorassan plant on stream
16:51
Norway invites Iran women soccer team
» ‎ Persian Journal

Norway invites Iran women soccer team
16:51
Iran rower advances to world final
» ‎ Persian Journal

Iran rower advances to world final
16:51
FOREVER PERSIAN GULF (IN PERSIAN: KHLEEJ-E PAYVASTEH FARS)
» ‎ Persian Journal

FOREVER PERSIAN GULF (IN PERSIAN: KHLEEJ-E PAYVASTEH FARS)

16:50
'Egypt to relaunch Palestinian dialogue'
» ‎ JPost.com Front Page Top Stories

Abbas tells Mubarak no preconditions for Hamas reconciliation talks, 2 leaders also discuss Schalit.
16:47
1 dead in Hamas, Army of Islam clashes
» ‎ JPost.com Front Page Top Stories

Hamas cracks down on Fatah after Gaza bombings; Fatah responds with 35 arrests in West Bank.

16:27
but they "created" maths..
» ‎ East Med Sea Peace

the arabs of the world love to remind the rest of us that they "created maths" while europeans were still in caves ;) .. like the engineers of the pharoahs are some psychological consolation to the masses living in poverty today..

however - at the same time - if you read opinions today from the arab u'll hear many bewhine the current state of decline.. noting of course that there are various islands of phenominal wealth that stand in extreme contrast to the rest.. eg UAE

a turkish show that has swept the hearts of the muslim world now stands to (perhaps) assist arabs to buck the ongoing trend of reactionary thought and restore modernity.. ok so maybe im going a bit far.. but thats the impression you get when you read about how both the westbank and gaza have resert their clocks so that the palestinian day revolves around the viewing time of this show..

dubbed unislamic the dedicated viewers get a change to observe a secular and current muslim lifestyle that apparently the arab street is fast emulating through fashion statements and baby naming fads.. look at the guy and girl stars in the clip.. pretty stunning looking people!! note also how so many of the scenes may be considered racey for the arab world.. or maybe ground breaking..

all this notwithstanding the news of violent cross factional clashes in gaza (and lebanon for that matter) that are killing scores of individuals..

btw - we are approaching a very interesting tv time in the arab world - ie that of ramadan - when we typically find that very influential tv shows are produced..

16:21
Anger at Egyptian ferry verdict
» ‎ BBC News | Middle East | World Edition

There are angry scenes in Egypt after a ferry-owner is cleared of all charges over a sinking in which more than 1,000 people died.

16:17
Court acquits Egyptian ferry owner
» ‎ AL JAZEERA ENGLISH (MIDDLE EAST)

Anger greets not guilty verdict in 2006 ferry sinking that left 1,034 people dead.
16:09
Film director Youssef Chahine dies
» ‎ AL JAZEERA ENGLISH (MIDDLE EAST)

Pioneer in Egyptian's film industry had been in a coma for the several weeks.

16:05
'We don't wait for the future'
» ‎ JPost.com Front Page Top Stories

Delegates at the 94th Hadassah national convention in LA were given a preview of tomorrow's medicine.

15:51
Separated at Birth: Old Bag Edition
» ‎ Israellycool

Palestinian “Mother of Martyrs” Miriam Farhat (Umm Nidal) and Mrs Cohen from Life of Brian.

Thanks to Jim from Iowa for the suggestion.

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15:35
Aleksandar Hemon on Karadzic, aspiring Serbian epic ...
» ‎ War and Piece

Aleksandar Hemon on Karadzic, aspiring Serbian epic poet....

15:04
Reading Obama's Personal Mail to G-d
» ‎ The Muqata

In a new low for Israel's newspapers, Maariv published the note that Sen. Obama placed into the Western Wall, the "Kotel" -- a private message between himself and G-d.

On the bright side, the Yediot Achronot newspaper didn't print the note because they valued Obama's privacy...yet Maariv had to "run with scoop" against all etiquette, norms of privacy, and basic decency.

The note has since been picked up everywhere and published in the NY Post as well, so there's no real issue in it not appearing here on the blog.

"Lord - Protect my family and me," reads the note published in the Maariv daily. "Forgive me my sins, and help me guard against pride and despair. Give me the wisdom to do what is right and just. And make me an instrument of your will."
The paper's decision to make the note public drew fire. The rabbi in charge of the Western Wall, Shmuel Rabinovitz, said publishing the note intruded in Obama's relationship with God.

"The notes placed between the stones of the Western Wall are between a person and his maker. It is forbidden to read them or make any use of them," he told Army Radio. The publication "damages the Western Wall and damages the personal, deep part of every one of us that we keep to ourselves," he said. (NY Post)

However, the following scenario ran around my head this morning.

What if...

...the note said the following:
Bless and protect the State of Israel and its inhabitants, spread the wings of peace and security throughout the land so that all may live in harmony with one another. May the words of Your prophet come true, "They will beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks. Nation will not take up sword against nation, nor will they train for war anymore."
Or, if you're a not an Obama supporter...
Bless and protect the Palestinian people from Israeli aggression. Grant them sovereignty over Jerusalem and their land so that this oppressed nation can thrive among their brothers in the Middle East...
What if? Let's say that this was the message that appeared in the note that was offered to Maariv. (Or maybe, Yated Neeman or HaModia or Mishpacha).

Do you think that seeing such a message (either of the above) would be important enough, or urgent enough, to bypass Obama's privacy and should be printed and publicized?

Wherever I am, my blog turns towards Eretz Yisrael טובה הארץ מאד מאד
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Wherever I am, my blog turns towards Eretz Yisrael טובה הארץ מאד מאד

A Peek into Others' mind » July 27, 2008

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