A Peek into Others' mind » September 18, 2008

Feeds

18363 items (18363 unread) in 36 feeds

news_mainstream_english (3441 unread)

• ynet - Updates for RSS
• BBC News | Middle East | World Edition (1156 unread)
• NYT > Middle East (578 unread)
• JPost.com Front Page Top Stories (1299 unread)
• Alarabiya.net English | Middle East (248 unread)
• AL JAZEERA ENGLISH (MIDDLE EAST) (160 unread)

news_alternative_english (4400 unread)

• Memri Latest Blogs (801 unread)
• IMRA Middle East News Updates (486 unread)
• MemriTV Latest IWM Clips (141 unread)
• GlobalSecurity.org (2872 unread)
• Middle East Quarterly (73 unread)
• HonestReporting (27 unread)

news_alternative_hebrew (267 unread)

• DEBKAfile (267 unread)

blogs_israel_english (2061 unread)

• Israel Matzav (887 unread)
• The Muqata (218 unread)
• East Med Sea Peace (152 unread)
• A Peek into a Mind
• On the Face (10 unread)
• An Unsealed Room
• Aliyah! Step-by-Step: Making a Life in Israel (117 unread)
• Israellycool (571 unread)
• IRIS Blog (106 unread)

blogs_lebanon_english (236 unread)

• Body on the Line (236 unread)

blogs_palestin_english (160 unread)

• Sabbah's Blog (143 unread)
• peacepalestine
• PalCast (17 unread)

blogs_usa (2749 unread)

• Little Green Footballs (1403 unread)
• War and Piece (833 unread)
• Daniel Pipes Columns (18 unread)
• IMINT & Analysis (35 unread)
• LobeLog.com (56 unread)
• Counterterrorism Blog (404 unread)

blogs_others (3659 unread)

• Good Neighbours (12 unread)
• Syria Planet (2672 unread)
• Wake Up From Your Slumber - The Truth Will Set You Free (975 unread)

blogs_iran_english (1390 unread)

• Persian Journal (1390 unread)

(54 unread)

• September 19, 2008
• 7:21

  Chart of who "owns" the Federal Reserve

   » ‎ Wake Up From Your Slumber - The Truth Will Set You Free

  Chart 1

   

  Federal Reserve Directors: A Study of Corporate and Banking Influence

  Published 1976

  read more

• 6:13

  Israel’s Livni to Begin Coalition Talks

   » ‎ NYT > Middle East
  Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni said she would begin talks to form a new coalition government after winning election to replace Prime Minister Ehud Olmert.
  
  

• 5:38

  Gilad Atzmon - Messing with the Zohan

   » ‎ Wake Up From Your Slumber - The Truth Will Set You Free
  Gilad Atzmon - Messing with the Zohan

  read more

• 4:11

  Sarah Palin on H and C, Part 2

   » ‎ Little Green Footballs

  A thread to discuss part 2 of Sarah Palin’s interview with Fox News’ Sean Hannity...

  

  
• 4:06

  Interesting Messages from the Vatican

   » ‎ Little Green Footballs

  Interesting messages from the Vatican this week, dealing with the interface between science and religion: Evolution fine but no apology to Darwin.

  VATICAN CITY (Reuters) - The Vatican said on Tuesday the theory of evolution was compatible with the Bible but planned no posthumous apology to Charles Darwin for the cold reception it gave him 150 years ago. ...

  Archbishop Gianfranco Ravasi, the Vatican’s culture minister, was speaking at the announcement of a Rome conference of scientists, theologians and philosophers to be held next March marking the 150th anniversary of the publication of Darwin’s “The Origin of Species”. ...

  “Maybe we should abandon the idea of issuing apologies as if history was a court eternally in session,” he said, adding that Darwin’s theories were “never condemned by the Catholic Church nor was his book ever banned”.

  

  

• 3:57

  Abbas welcomes Livni's Kadima victory

   » ‎ JPost.com Front Page Top Stories
  Believes she'll be a partner for peace; PA officials had 'tremendous concern' over possible Mofaz win.

• 2:26

  Syria broadcasting terror attacks against US forces in Iraq

   » ‎ Israel Matzav
  And you thought the Syrians wanted to get off the US list of terror sponsoring states.... Al-Zawraa TV, an Iraqi channel that was banned from Arab satellites following US pressure on Arab governments, has now resurfaced in Syria under the name of Al-Rai TV. Al-Zawraa TV used to air footage of terror attacks against US forces in Iraq 24 hours a day. According to Arab media reports, Al-Rai TV,
• 2:11

  Israel ups the ante

   » ‎ Israel Matzav
  Here's a pretty neat video about Israeli military exercises that are largely training for treating battlefield casualties. Must watch - especially for medical professionals. Let's go to the videotape.

• 2:01

  Tenn. Democratic Representative's Son Focus of Palin Email Hacking

   » ‎ Little Green Footballs

  It’s not a good idea to break into a vice presidential candidate’s email account: State rep says son focus of Palin e-mail hacking rumors.

  NASHVILLE - State Rep. Mike Kernell said today that he was aware of Internet rumors about his son being the subject of speculation that he accessed the personal e-mail of vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin.

  Asked whether he or his son, a student at the University of Tennessee-Knoxville, had been contacted by authorities investigating the break-in of Palin’s account, he responded: “Me, no.”

  As far as his 20-year-old son, David, he said: “I can’t say. That doesn’t mean he has or hasn’t (been contacted by investigators).”

  Kernell, D-Memphis, cited the father-son relationship.

  Note: there was really no “hacking” involved here. Just some good guesses combined with publicly available information, used to trick Yahoo’s password reset feature into assigning a new password to the account.

  

  

• 1:14

  JTA: Palin disinvited from Iran rally. Earlier, ...

   » ‎ War and Piece
  JTA: Palin disinvited from Iran rally. Earlier, Hillary Clinton had rescinded her acceptance to speak at the rally after she learned Palin had been invited....

• 0:11

  US Consul: “Ugly Rumors of US Bias Towards Israel”

   » ‎ Israellycool

  Ma’an has an interview with US Consul for Public and Media Affairs Micaela Bluhm.

  Fluent in Arabic, Bluhm consistently surprises Palestinians who speak to her in English.

  Bluhm concluded the interview by summarizing the US attitude on a number of issues.

  As the cultural representative to Palestine, Bluhm said she tries “each year, especially during Ramadan, to increase cultural activities and correct ugly rumors about the US bias toward Israel.”

  When questioned on upcoming American presidential elections, Bluhm said that whoever wins will not change America’s commitment to Palestine.

  “We are all still concerned, and whoever wins will be just as committed to creating a state called Palestine,” she said.

  She said that in the next three months America could still lead negotiators to a peace agreement.

  Despite numerous complaints about US policy toward Palestine, Bluhm said that America hopes to “encourage the Palestinian people.”

  Why would a US bias towards Israel - which is undeniable - be considered an “ugly rumor“? Why is a US official apologizing for US policy?

  She has said some eyebrow-raising statements before:

  In her speech, Schweitzer-Bluhm applauded the Palestinian journalists for their “dedication to service”, “commitment to getting at the truth” and “solidarity and bravery in the face of intimidation.”

  She particularly expressed her appreciation of the obstacles Palestinian media personnel must overcome to carry out their jobs, mentioning roadblocks, checkpoints, accusations of bias, threats, violence and gunfire. “Despite these obstacles, you do get the news out every day,” she congratulated.

  She applauded Palestinian journalists for challenging their own government, governments of neighbouring countries and the government of the United States. “Your inquiries and reports are a required part of a democratic Palestinian society,” she said. “You are providing your fellow citizens with the information, the tools, to make decisions and be active members of their society. I urge you to continue to question and investigate and report.”

  As I wrote then, for her to praise the Palestinian Arab media - which is responsible for consistent incitement against Israel, as well as out-and-out lies - is ridiculous. And it has only gotten worse since I wrote that posting, as Ma’an has turned from a somewhat reasonable media outlet into one that is too scared to say anything negative about Hamas.

  This US consul is sacrificing truth for appeasing her audience.

  ShareThis

• 0:06

  50 'Buzziest Blog Posts' - LGF is #3

   » ‎ Little Green Footballs

  I think it’s supposed to be an honor to be on this list of the 50 Buzziest Blog Posts of All Time, but Nerve.com’s description of the Rathergate affair amounts to a really dumb conspiracy theory.

  3. “Bush Guard Documents: Forged” 9/9/04

  Sure, this post helped give us four more years of George W. Bush, but can you blame the blogger? As he points out here, CBS fell for an obvious trap — an attempt by the right-wing to change the topic from Bush’s actual military service to a debate about the alleged lies of the “liberal media.” Dan Rather went down in flames for somebody else’s mistake, and Kerry, who could’ve challenged Bush far more forcefully to clear up the mess, went on to lose the election. Thanks, Little Green Footballs.

  An “attempt by the right wing to change the topic?” They’ve got to be joking. Every person involved was a fanatical leftist, from Mary Mapes all the way down to Bill Burkett. They tried to pull a tremendous scam on the voters with a last minute hit job based on fraudulent documents, and they got caught. Never attribute to convoluted conspiracies what can be easily explained by obsession and stupidity.

  But you’re very welcome, Nerve.com.

  

  

• September 18, 2008
• 23:35

  The Turnspeak Tool

   » ‎ Israellycool

  Turnspeak - the cynical inverting or distortion of facts which, for example, makes the victim appear as culprit.

  - Joan Peters, From Time Immemorial, p173

  Meet Vittorio Arrigoni, Free Gaza tool and turnspeak extraordinaire, who asks What is terrorism?

  What is terrorism?

  For a russian citizen
  terrorism is a kamikaze from Chechnya who blows himself up in a Moscow theatre.

  For a Grozny citizen
  terrorism is russian military which razed to the ground his town.

  For an American soldier based in Afghanistan
  terrorism is the mujaheddin exploding with a car-bomb in front of an american army base.

  For Afghan people living at the border with Pakistan
  terrorism are the NATO bombs coming form 10.000 metres distance on a marriage party and tear to shreds dozen of civilians.

  For a European tourist spending his holidays in Sharm El-Sheikhamerican army baseamerican army base
  terrorism is an act of violence and bombing against a holiday village.

  For an Egyptian living in a dusty village in the desert just few kilometres from that artificial paradise,
  terrorism is a government foddering his dictatorial power with thousands of euros coming from his tourist business while his sons are dying for starvation.

  As we can easily understand, it’s quite complicated finding  a clear and unequivocal definition about what is terrorism; being the question itself so controversial, the answer strictly depends from which side we are observing the bloodsheds and in which side we are counting victims among friends and relatives.

  Few days ago

  9/11 victims were sadly commemorated (is he suggesting that the fact they were commemorated was sad? - ed) remembering a day of mourning for whole humanity, not only for New York citizens or for Chileans looking back on thousands of people dead and disappeared after Pinochet golpe.

  I think you see where this is heading..

  But I’m wondering how many 9/11’s are taking place every day around the world and every day here in Gaza where 1,5 millions of innocent people are dying slowly, cut off into the bigger open prison ever built in the world.

  In the video, which I’m kindly asking you to spread as I did with the former one, we can see a tangible example of terrorism showing every day off the Gazan coasts.

  A clear and definitive terrorism which doesn’t admit objections or uncertainties about its definition, a ‘made in Israel’ terrorism.

  Fishermen that we are often taking offshore, where the sea is more generous for fishing, few days ago paid a high price.

  On Monday 10th of September, at about 5 pm, at a distance of  6 miles from the gazan coasts, in palestinian waters, an Israeli military gunboat deliberately rushed at high speed against one of our fishing boats, that day without internationals on board.

  The impact was devastating for the fragile palestinian fishing boat (as it’s shown in the video), the israeli military gun boat ran into one side of the fishing boat, literally passing over it and then going on over and sailing on the opposite side.

  On the prow marks left on the wood from the Israeli engine turbines are perfectly visible.

  Luckily the boat was fishing at that time and it was, therefore, steady and well-judged in water, otherwise it would have tipped over with all the crew which would have certainly died.

  Even more luckily all members of the crew were astern cooking the meal that would have interrupted the Ramandan fast, at about 6 pm.

  Unluckily damages for the owner of the boat amount to 50.000 dollars, maybe more.

  Fixing them in short time will be impossible since in Gaza under siege is not possible to find all necessary materials.

  And just in case you are asking yourself “How can this guy compare this to, say, a suicide bombing?”, Arrigoni turns the turnspeak up a notch.

  The only wounded person for this crazy terrorist attack, according to some military sources in Tel Aviv, is an Israeli soldier, since that suicide action seriously compromised also the Israeli crew life.

  Arrigoni ends his diatribe with a plea:

  I invite all European and American citizens to come here and actively participate to the defense of human rights, joining all of us ISM activists, against every crime and Israeli terrorism, to be human.

  Stay human.

  Vik from Gaza

  Vittorio Arrigoni

  contact: guerrillaingaza@gmail.com

  While “Vik” from Gaza preaches humanity, he is clearly unconcerned by palestinian terrorism, which he does not bother to mention.

  Funny thing, that.

  Update: The video to which Arrigoni refers is here. Note how it merely shows a damaged boat, and not how it was damaged. Also bear in mind that the ISM encourage their members to lie.

  ShareThis

• 23:23

  Will the Jews vote for McCain-Palin?

   » ‎ Israel Matzav
  The first night I walked into the dining room at Dad's assisted living facility, someone asked me whom American Jews in Israel were supporting for the US Presidency. I told them that polls taken in Israel show that McCain has the lead among American expatriates in Israel (the world's largest American expatriate community). Last night, there was a support group meeting for family members, and at

• 23:08

  WP: "Putnam Investments has closed a $12.3 ...

   » ‎ War and Piece
  WP: "Putnam Investments has closed a $12.3 billion money-market fund to limit losses to its investors, the large mutual fund company said today. The highly unusual announcement is the latest sign that tremendous financial pressures are now threatening even some...

• 21:55

  Germany lists Holocaust victims

   » ‎ BBC News | Middle East | World Edition
  Berlin's federal archive for the first time compiles a list of some 600,000 Jews who lived in Germany up to 1945 and were persecuted by the Nazis.

• 21:53

  Less taxes and more war… yeah!

   » ‎ Sabbah's Blog

  Check out this laugh…

  Sadly, this is not a joke, but real.
  

  The guy went to the Republican convention in St. Paul, as a delegate from Colorado! He is a 29-year-old attorney. He was real proud of himself, talking to the AP and giving this repulsive little interview to LinkTV. Ha ha ha ha ha, what happened to him is fantastic…

  Via: wonkette, Hat tip: Robin

  

• 21:42

  Vatican Evolution Congress Excludes Creationism, Intelligent Design

   » ‎ Little Green Footballs

  The Vatican is sponsoring an international conference on the evolution debate, and “intelligent design” creationists like the Discovery Institute are not invited.

  VATICAN CITY (CNS) — Speakers invited to attend a Vatican-sponsored congress on the evolution debate will not include proponents of creationism and intelligent design, organizers said.

  The Pontifical Council for Culture, Rome’s Pontifical Gregorian University and the University of Notre Dame in Indiana are organizing an international conference in Rome March 3-7 as one of a series of events marking the 150th anniversary of the publication of Charles Darwin’s “The Origin of Species.”

  Jesuit Father Marc Leclerc, a philosophy professor at the Gregorian, told Catholic News Service Sept. 16 that organizers “wanted to create a conference that was strictly scientific” and that discussed rational philosophy and theology along with the latest scientific discoveries.

  He said arguments “that cannot be critically defined as being science, or philosophy or theology did not seem feasible to include in a dialogue at this level and, therefore, for this reason we did not think to invite” supporters of creationism and intelligent design.

  I’m glad to see that the Catholic Church has taken a stand against promoting creationism as science. For more details: The Panda’s Thumb.

  

  

• 21:29

  my iftar for 2008/declaration of the livni..

   » ‎ East Med Sea Peace
  so yesterday while kadima was figuring our how livni was going to lead the party forward (excuse the pun kadima means forward im so funny - darn).. i went to a iftar at the local community centre for arabs and jews.. was mad.. as in good..
  
  people blended beautifully and the fact that hundreds of jaffans came to share this experience was very heart warming.. it was huge.. and not just for the food.. you could see the friendships.. loved it.. one of my friends told me that some of yaffo's poorest and most hard-done-by families were especially invited for the meal..
  
  a rabbi a priest and an imam (this is not the beginning of a joke) all gave very touching speeches..
  
  the recordings suck but see what you can make out.. even if you cant understand every word.. listen to the tone and the phrasing.. listen to the sentiment.. its awesome..
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  i liked it when the priest said that the world should look to yaffo for co-existence.. i agree..
  
  and like out of nowhere i suddenly saw the livni.. no not the person.. but the "livni".. the hairdo.. its official.. i hope it doesnt catch on.. because the bearer got me confused for at least a minute.. multiplicity - bigtime.. watch out.. you've been warned.. word is the livni is on the loose in hairdressers all over..
  
  
  exhibit A

• 21:05

  How much will it cost?

   » ‎ Israel Matzav
  You all knew it was just a question of price, didn't you? After promising for months that his Shas party would not join a coalition led by 'Tzipora' Livni, that it would not remain in a coalition that would negotiate over the division of Jerusalem and that it would not join any coalition that did not agree to restore National Insurance Institute child allowances to their levels before Binyamin

• 21:01

  Interesting Nate Silver analysis of trends in ...

   » ‎ War and Piece
  Interesting Nate Silver analysis of trends in the presidential race, as the dust settles, including this: "McCain's other problem is that Sarah Palin may no longer be an asset to the ticket; in fact, she may be a liability. Averaging...

• 21:00

  תת אדמירל אנדריי בראנוב Rear Adm. Andrei Baranov : כבר היום עוגנות בנמל טרטוס בסוריה, 10 אוניות מלחמה רוסיות.

   » ‎ DEBKAfile

  המקורות הצבאיים ובמוסקבה של תיקדבקה מדווחים כי המידע הזה הפתיע את צה''ל ואת חיל הים, העוקבים מקרוב אחר תנועות הצי הרוסי בסוריה, מאז שמפקד חיל הים הרוסי האדמירל ולדמיר ויסוצקי Vladimir Vysotsky, ומפקד הצי הסורי גנרל טאלב אל-בארי General Taleb al-Barri, נפגשו ב-12 לספטמבר במוסקבה וסיכמו כיצד הצי הרוסי יגביר את נוכחותו, ואת שימושו בנמל טרטוס שבסוריה. בישראל לא היו מודעים לכך כי מספר אוניות המלחמה הרוסיות בטרטוס הוא גבוה כל כך. בישראל גם מודאגים מכך, כי האדמירל ולדמיר ויסוצקי הכריז באחרונה, כי הצי הרוסי בים השחור, והצי הרוסי בים התיכון, יפעלו מעתה תחת מפקדה אחת. הפירוש של איחוד המפקדות של 2 כוחות הצי, הוא כי כוחות הצי הרוסיים במזרח התיכון יהיו חלק מהפעילות הצבאית הרוסית נגד ציי ארה''ב ונאט''ו בקווקז ובחלקים אחרים של הים התיכון המרוחקים מישראל.

• 21:00

  הניצחון הדחוק של ציפי ליבני. ספק אם תוכל לייצב את הקואליציה או להרכיב ממשלה.

   » ‎ DEBKAfile

  תיקדבקה: ציפי ליבני: ניצחתי בבחירות. שאול מופז: אין ניצחון בבחירות. אבל התקשר הבוקר (יום ה' 18.9), לליבני לברך אותה על ניצחונה. בגלל התוצאה הצמודה, ספק באם ליבני תצליח לייצב את הקואליציה, או להקים ממשלה חדשה.

• 20:58

  מופז פותח את הדלת להתפרקות/פילוג 'קדימה'.

   » ‎ DEBKAfile

  תיקדבקה: הצורה בה ציפי ליבני נצחה את הבחירות למנהיגות 'קדימה', הדרך בו התקשרות שתמכה ללא סיגים ובושה בליבני, (כמובן מתוך 'אובייקטיביות ויושרה מקצועית'.) רמסה את האיש שהיה רמטכ''ל ושר ביטחון, הפכה אותו למוקצה תחת התואר 'מר ליכוד 2', וניסתה להדביק לו פרשיות שחיתות, הביאו ביום ה' 18.9, 12 שעות לאחר פרסום התוצאות הסופיות של הבחירות, את שאול מופז, להודיע כי הוא לוקח פסק זמן מהפוליטיקה, כדי לבחון את דרכו.

  בפוליטיקה הישראלית קיים כלל ברזל: אף פעם אל תתפטר. התפטרת. גמרת. אין לך יותר לאן לחזור. אתה/את מחוקים. מופז מכיר ויודע את הכלל הזה ולכן הוא נקט במונח 'פסק זמן'.

  מופז גם ידע , כי בהשתמשו בנימוק האישי, הוא שם לפני ציפי ליבני מוקש פוליטי רב עוצמה. יציאתו את הממשלה ואת הכנסת, החלה את התהליך של התפרקות ו/או הפילוג 'בקדימה'.

• 20:25

  Human Rights, Palestinian Style

   » ‎ Israellycool

  I guess it all depends on how you define “human rights.”

  Al-Dameer Association for Human Rights called on Hamas government to interrogate using excessive force in applying security in Gaza strip which lately led to killing 12 people.

  —-

  The Association called the Hamas Interior Ministry to monitor the behavior of its members and take human rights in consideration. Also it called them to raid forcibly the neighborhoods of high population.

  I guess this somehow makes sense coming from people who think terrorism is a noble thing.

  ShareThis

• 20:21

  Concentration Camp with Snickers Bars

   » ‎ Little Green Footballs

  One of the useful idiots in that “Free Gaza” group is Lauren Booth, sister-in-law of Tony Blair, and now she’s stuck there. And ranting about Nazi concentration camps to Israeli media.

  The British left-wing activist arrived in the Hamas-controlled coastal enclave as part of the dozens of ‘Free Gaza’ activists who set out on two boats from Cyprus last month with the intent of “breaking” the Israeli naval blockade imposed on the Strip. Booth is one of the 10 activists who chose to remain in Gaza while her companions set sail back to Cyprus. Since then she has been stuck in Gaza, unable to exit through Israel or Egypt. ...

  She spoke of the situation in Gaza and said, “Yesterday, I visited mothers of children under the age of five. Nutrition here has deteriorated threefold over the last two years because it is impossible to bring food through the crossings. Unemployment has risen, so people can’t even afford to buy what food there is left.“
  
  When asked about Israel’s right to respond to incessant attacks emanating from Gaza, Booth evoked Holocaust-related rhetoric. ”There is no right to punish people this way. There is no justification for this kind of collective punishment. You were in the concentration camps, and I can’t believe that you are allowing the creation of such a camp yourselves.”
  
  “The Palestinians’ suffering is physical, mental and emotional,“ she went on, ”there is not a family here in which someone is not in desperate need of work, shelter or food. This is a humanitarian crisis on the scale of Darfur.“

  To show how abysmal the conditions are, here’s a photo of Booth taken in Gaza shortly before the interview above, buying candy bars and soft drinks at a fully stocked supermarket.

  

  (Hat tip: Lisa Goldman, via PJ Media.)

  

  
• 19:40

  Script Kiddies in Trouble

   » ‎ Little Green Footballs

  At Michelle Malkin’s site: The story behind the Palin e-mail hacking.

  I read though the emails… ALL OF THEM… before I posted, and what I concluded was anticlimactic, there was nothing there, nothing incriminating, nothing that would derail her campaign as I had hoped, all I saw was personal stuff, some clerical stuff from when she was governor…. And pictures of her family

  Where’s the Obama campaign on this? They’re supposed to be the “internet savvy” ones, aren’t they? Why hasn’t Obama denounced this illegal, unethical behavior?

  

  

• 19:18

  U.S. Steps Up Its Criminal Prosecution of Illegal Technology Exports to Iran

   » ‎ NYT > Middle East
  Iran has proven an aggressive suitor for American military goods to replace the aging fleet of jets and weapons supplied by the United States before the fall of the shah in 1979.
  
  

• 19:00

  Unknown virtues

   » ‎ JPost.com Front Page Top Stories
  This biography of Yitzhak Shamir is fairly balanced, despite being mostly written by his supporters.

• 18:47

  Boston Globe Op-Ed: 'I Don't Support the Troops'

   » ‎ Little Green Footballs

  Every once in a while a “progressive” gets tired of maintaining a false front, and comes right out and says what they really feel about the military and about America. Today’s self-unmasking is by Steve Almond, for the Boston Globe: Supporting our troops.

  PERHAPS the most insidious byproduct of the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, has been a reflexive sanctification of the military. To put this in bumper stickerese: Support the Troops.

  Well, I have an ugly confession to make: I don’t support the troops - at least not unconditionally. When somebody tells me they serve in the military, my first impulse isn’t to say, “Thank you for your service!” like those insufferable chickenhawks on talk radio.

  My first impulse is to say, “I’m sorry to hear that.” Because I am. I’m sorry to know that the person I’m talking to might someday be maimed or killed on the job, or might someday kill someone else. Or refuel a plane that drops bombs on buildings.

  I can’t see how anyone who calls himself or herself Christian - or human, for that matter - wouldn’t be sorry.

  The fact that we have an army, that we need an army, is inherently tragic. It’s an admission that our species is still ruled by fear and aggression.

  (Hat tip: Michael Graham.)

  

  
• 18:36

  Olbermann: The Worst Person on Television

   » ‎ Little Green Footballs

  Have you watched Keith Olbermann’s show for MSNBC lately? Last night I checked it out for the first time in a long time, and was actually amazed at how nasty it has become. (I thought Olbermann had reached the nadir of nastiness long ago, but I was wrong.) What kind of person enjoys this sort of ugly ranting and dishonest distortion?

  Noel Sheppard points out that the ugliness is coming straight from ... where else? Olbermann Uses False Information From Daily Kos To Smear Palin.

  

  

• 18:30

  Suspects held over Yemen blasts

   » ‎ BBC News | Middle East | World Edition
  At least 25 suspected militants are arrested in Yemen following an attack on the US embassy that killed 16 people.
• 18:02

  Jail for Danish 'terror T-shirts'

   » ‎ BBC News | Middle East | World Edition
  Six people are convicted in Denmark of raising funds for extremist groups by selling T-shirts with their logos on.
• 17:56

  Damning UN report on Gaza strike

   » ‎ BBC News | Middle East | World Edition
  Archbishop Desmond Tutu delivers a scathing report to the UN on an Israeli shelling in Gaza in 2006.
• 17:44

  US soldier jailed over Iraq death

   » ‎ BBC News | Middle East | World Edition
  An US military court finds a soldier guilty of conspiracy to murder over the 2007 killing of four bound and blindfolded Iraqis.

• 17:40

  Ha'aretz take on Tzipi Livni Kadima primary ...

   » ‎ War and Piece
  Ha'aretz take on Tzipi Livni Kadima primary victory. And polls didn't predict how close it would be....

• 17:38

  Peace Now and Settlers: Two Peas in a Pod

   » ‎ Aliyah! Step-by-Step: Making a Life in Israel

  This is going to be the first of what I hope to be several posts addressing how and why two movements on opposite sides of the divide, Peace Now and the Settler Movement, have gone from positions (at varying times) of having majority support from the Israeli populace to becoming marginalized and derided movements in the eyes of their previous supporters. This first post will focus on the current, common, mistakes these two movements are making today, given that they have become “minority” movements –that is, having the support of only a small portion of the population. It will also show why the settlers come out somewhat ahead (though that is not saying much).

  For a minority group or movement to play a truly influential role and to gain (or in this case, regain) majority support, years of research on movements have shown that there are two fundamental and crucial things that the movement must do in order to succeed. The movement and its members must present a unified front and the movement must demonstrate flexibility. While presenting a united front is crucial, demonstrating inflexibility and dogmatically adhering to a hardline approach is the most damaging to a minority movement.

  For any movement, being able to both present a united front while at the same time demonstrating flexibility is a tall order. A very tall order. It is why so few minority groups make the big time. And, while it is quite difficult (especially so when it comes to Israelis!) to get all of the members of a movement to toe a particular line (united front) without any significant individual deviation from the “party line,” it is doubly difficult to get all those members to continue to toe the party line when flexibility must be demonstrated. In other words, when there must be some slight alteration to the originally stated party line, some compromise somewhere.

  Consider, for instance a situation where in the Settler Movement all of those supporting the movement solidly agree and take a united stand that there will be absolutely no pullout from Judea and Sumaria (the West Bank). Nice, they’ve got a united front and all is good on that score. Ah but then here is this illegal outpost in the West Bank and the majority of Israelis are saying no, no, no you must get out of that outpost (not out of Judea and Sumaria but out of that particular patch of land). Continuing to say “get stuff because hell no we won’t go, not one inch will we move from any spot we’ve decided to put ourselves, legally or not, in all of Judea and Sumaria” is not demonstrating flexibility. Indeed, it is demonstrating a hardline adherence thereby causing the majority to become even more firmly against the Settler movement. This is where we usually can conclude that that’s all she wrote because this is where things typically end up.

  But let’s suppose that this is not the case. Instead, to remedy things the leaders of the Settler Movement decide it is best to show some flexibility in order to gain the support and approval of the majority (and thereby have a chance of achieving the Movement’s greater aims beyond this one little outpost) and say something like, “we’d be willing to pull out of place X if the people living there can take up residence and have some new homes built for them in legal settlement Y” (or any other kind of “compromise” they might come up with –still staying in the West Bank, indeed “growing” in the West Bank just on a different patch of land in the West Bank and “legally” if the government approves it) –and then they follow through with this. Now this would be greeted by the majority as “wow, they are being reasonable” and the movement’s standing would be raised –e.g. there would be more support for the movement and less animosity toward them. Unless, and here’s where the real spanner tends to jam things up, members of the Settler Movement rebel and decide to deviate from this (new) united front position and scream and yell, claim they won’t go, have to be dragged away and so forth. Then, the majority does not view the movement as flexible, it does not view it as reliable, and they continue to have a negative view of the movement. Indeed that negative view is likely to deepen as a result of the action of these rebel members. Keeping these rebels in line is a daunting task and, in most movements, is not achieved.

  The example I’ve given above is actually what has happened with the Migron outpost and the situation is currently unfolding…we’ll see where things end up when push comes to pullout. The settler movement got a good “boost” in approval from many “oy the damn settlers” average Israelis when news came out that the leaders had agreed to dismantle Migron in return for the creation of an entirely new, but this time legal, settlement in the West Bank. Yo, your average Israeli did not jump up and down and scream “NO NO look they are building a whole new settlement, how terrible!” Instead, that part got a big shrug –nu, well it is legal and at least they are being flexible and not so dogmatic. Mostly you heard people saying things like, “can you imagine, they are actually being reasonable, they are doing the right thing.” I know a number of people who have in recent years become pretty staunchly anti-settler who expressed increased respect for the movement following this announcement and started saying things like, “well they have some really good points” and even, “I’m no longer so sure that we should even be considering dividing Jerusalem.”

  But the deal is, with every “rebel action,” with every rabidly dogmatic proclamation of “not one inch” with every bit of bad behaviour on the part of individuals within the wider movement, the less support the movement finds in “middle Israel.”

  I’m going to continue this and discuss Peace Now in another post because my battery is on “dying” and I forgot half of my cable at home so I can’t plug it in. So the continuation coming soon (tonight or tomorrow)

• 16:58

  Srugim Lurkers

   » ‎ The Muqata
  ** Episode 13 spoiler alert **
  Despite the bans, despite the prohibition of owning a TV in the first place, all sorts of people are watching the Srugim TV show.
  
  One of those lurkers is Dan Illouz from the "Tzipiyah" blog. He admits he's a closet Srugim fan:
  

  I’m coming out of hiding and admitting that I have been watching the show “Srugim”. While I’m not necessarily comfortable with everything shown on that show, I do believe it brings up a number of powerful serious issues in the religious community in Israel.

  Not surprisingly, his posting about the previous Srugim episode is very similar to what I had planned on writing, including creating the short video segment, as well as using the exact same video clip of the jam-packed shul in Neve Dekalim, hours before the Disengagement eviction.
  
  Dan discusses the issue that "no is also an answer" -- when discussing the theological issue of why G-d didn't answer the prayers, that Israel does not evict and destroy the communities of Gush Katif and the Shomron. I thought the issue was well done, and found the acting of Hodaya's teenage cousin,"Shvut" to be a realistic and accurate portrayal of teenage angst, irresponsibility, rebellion and searching.
  While Shvut rails against G-d for abandoning the "good people" and for ignoring their prayer, Hodaya chastises her, "there are worse things than the Disengagement"..."No is also an answer [from G-d]".
  
  Shvut runs off that night, and Hodaya worries incessantly about her. When Shvut returns and Hodaya screams at her for going off to party, and Shvut locks herself in the bathroom, Shvut quiety reveals that she was at the Kotel...praying.
  What Dan does not touch upon is that while Hodaya may have scolded Shvut, Shvut is still passionately enraged at G-d -- she still believes.
  
  
  
  Hodaya's "no is also an answer" lecture comes from cynicism as she no longer cares enough -- or believes enough -- to be angry at G-d.
  
  The show concludes with Ms. Hodaya...watching TV on Friday night...
  But I'm not done.
  
  More and more Israeli Chareidim are watching the show. Despite all the criticism of the show, including this rather scathing review in Maariv, Chareidim are watching the show (not on TV, G-d forbid, but by downloading the episodes from the web)
  
  Popular sites are chock full of discussions about the show, despite it being the about "srugim". (Note: Srugim is definitely IMHO, referring to the crocheted kippot of the national religious crowd, not being interwoven into society or anything to do with bars on Jerusalem windows).
  
  While we continue to discuss srugim, be aware that many eyes are lurking as well...
  
  Lastly, I absolutely despise the Nitzan character. Here she is, playing the scared female to enable Nati to show his masculine bravado and kill a roach (jook). Personally, I would have stomped on it...even barefoot.
  
  
  
  
  Wherever I am, my blog turns towards Eretz Yisrael טובה הארץ מאד מאד

• 16:41

  a day (or so) in the life of nablus

   » ‎ Body on the Line
  Settlers from Yitzhar and Itamar settlements, built on southern Nablus lands, have routinely attacked the southern villages but increased the burnings of fields and beatings of residents since the beginning of September. The assaults are sometimes aided by Israeli soldiers in the area who either watch on or participate. Both settlers and soldiers attacked Asira and [...]

• 16:16

  Smeller Protesters of the Day

   » ‎ Israellycool

  ..are not - believe it or not - these guys (although I am sure there are some hygiene issues there)

  

  It’s these guys:

  

  It’s bad enough that they’re standing in the sun in their suits. But wearing a keffiyeh on top?

  I’m sure even the Skunk won’t work on them.

  ShareThis

• 16:10

  foggy nablus

   » ‎ Body on the Line
  views from my apartment/neighborhood on a normal day… and views from my apartment/neighborhood yesterday morning (the bottom two photographs)…

• 14:55

  Tough road ahead

   » ‎ BBC News | Middle East | World Edition
  Major challenges face Israel's would-be prime minister

• 14:27

  Day of Judgement for Israel's Pollsters

   » ‎ The Muqata
  
  At 10 PM last night, you could hear the glee in their voices on TV and Radio:
  
  The exit polls predict that Tzippi Livni is the new leader of Kadima!
  
  Channel 10's Poll - 49%
  Channel 1's Poll - 47%
  Channel 2's Poll - 48%
  
  It's becoming almost routine for Israel's pollsters and media pundits to get it wrong time after time. True, Tzippy Livni did win, but by 341 votes. The margin of error for a win by 341 votes makes it statistically impossible to have accurately predicted that Livni would win -- based on scientific statistical models.
  
  One should tip their hat to the "Yisrael Hayom" (Israel Today) newspaper whose headline this morning read: "Ma'avak Tzamud" (or "neck and neck") and refused to print outright that Livni won. At one point last night during the count, Mofaz was even leading Livni by 40 votes.
  
  So what happened? How does it happen that time after time, Israel's pollsters and media get it wrong? How did every single polling company predict that Livni would win by a double digit landslide, yet in reality she won by 1 percent?
  
  The red-faced pollsters (and Israel's media pundits, like IDF radio host Razi Barkai) placed the blame this morning not upon themselves, but due to "the lying, conneiving Israeli."
  
  Instead of looking at the pollsters for answers, one should be turning to sociologists and societal psychologists...or ask the pollsters why they skew results?
  
  Everyone laughed at Shaul Mofaz when he made his "bombastic" announcement a few days ago, that he would win the primaries with a result of 43.7% of the vote -- after all, Haaretz 's poll predicted a landslide victory for Livni.
  
  Of everyone who made predictions, Shaul Mofaz was the closest to reality! While he did lose -- Livni received 43% and himself 42%, he was closer than any other polster or pundit. Mofaz knew his people were showing up to vote, which is why he was so certain of his win. What is he secret -- perhaps he really should be the leader of Kadima?
  
  Why would an Israeli "lie" to a pollster?
  
  Perhaps because people enjoy getting egg on the face of the arrogant media outlets that try to run our lives on a daily basis.
  
  
  Wherever I am, my blog turns towards Eretz Yisrael טובה הארץ מאד מאד
• 14:26

  JPost acknowledges, defends censorship

   » ‎ The Muqata
  Guest post by Lurker:
  
  

  To David Horovitz [Jerusalem Post editor-in-chief]:
  
  I am disappointed that you have chosen not to respond to my query below, regarding the Jerusalem Post's censorship of Edwin Bennatan's blog article.
  
  Today, I found a new notice* posted on this same blog, which surprisingly acknowledged that "the Jerusalem Post found nothing improper in Mr. Bennatan's article itself". In spite of this, the notice says, the article "was removed from this site last week in resolution of a legal dispute concerning 'talkback' comments posted in response to his article".
  
  If there were indeed defamatory or libelous talkback comments, then I can certainly understand why the Post would remove them. I can even understand why the Post might pay Mr. Freedman damages for libel. But what legitimate explanation can there possibly be for removing the article itself, which, according to Post's own statement, contained "nothing improper"?
  
  It is painfully clear what happened here: Mr. Freedman obviously threatened legal action, and blackmailed the Post. Removal of the offending talkbacks along with an apology was not enough for him, and neither was an offer of a cash payment. No, Freedman wanted more, didn't he? He wanted the Post to censor an article that contained embarrassing criticism of his political opinions. And the Post cravenly complied.
  
  The Post's capitulation to extortion raises serious questions about your paper's commitment to fundamental journalistic ethics: If a little-known two-bit extremist blogger is somehow capable of forcing the Post to completely censor an opinion piece that politely criticizes his opinions, then who is to say that powerful political figures cannot – and do not – force the Post to do the same thing, or worse? What reason is there to assume that the Post is not refraining from publication of criticism, or embarrassing information, regarding individuals far more important and powerful than Seth Freedman – people who might blackmail the Post into hiding things they don’t want the public to see, just as Freedman has?
  
  If you have a legitimate explanation for your paper’s behavior in this matter, I’d certainly be interesting in hearing it.
  
  In a related matter, I ask you once again: To which "charity", exactly, has the Jerusalem Post contributed money at Mr. Freedman's behest?
  

  Want to let the Post know what you think, too? Send an e-mail to David Horovitz and/or their blog administrator.

  UPDATE: This morning, the notice was at the top of this page. But apparently, the Post had second thoughts, and removed the notice a few hours later. However, they seem to have forgotten to remove it from this other page containing the same blog article. I changed the link above to use the page that still contains the notice. And I've saved a copy, of course, in case the Post removes the notice from the second page as well.

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

• 13:36

  Professor Paul Sheldon Foote of California State University, Fullerton: Israeli Minister Rafi Eitan Traveled in the US, Meeting with Drug Dealers, Possibly Planning 9/11-Type Attack

   » ‎ MemriTV Latest IWM Clips
  Press TV (Iran) - Duration: 00:01:06 - September 11, 2008
• 13:30

  Hassan Rahimpour Azghadi of the Iranian Supreme Council for Cultural Revolution: The Values of America are Sex, Violence, and Melancholy

   » ‎ MemriTV Latest IWM Clips
  Jaam-E-Jam3 (Iran) - Duration: 00:02:31 - August 18, 2008
• 13:20

  Iranian TV Report on the Heavy Metal Scene in Tehran

   » ‎ MemriTV Latest IWM Clips
  Channel 3 (Iran) - Duration: 00:10:39 - August 26, 2008

• 12:59

  Iraqis in Egypt

   » ‎ BBC News | Middle East | World Edition
  Life among Cairo's newest refugee population

• 10:44

  3 G.I.’s Charged in 4 Iraqi Deaths

   » ‎ NYT > Middle East
  Three American soldiers were charged with murder in the deaths of four Iraqis who were shot in the head and dumped in a Baghdad canal last year.
  
  
• 10:42

  Conflicting Reports on Death Toll in Bombings in Baghdad

   » ‎ NYT > Middle East
  The bombings occurred in a busy section of Baghdad filled with currency exchange shops and medical clinics. A U.S. military spokesman blamed the attack on Al Qaeda in Mesopotamia.
  
  
• 10:21

  Poll Finds Rising Antipathy Toward Jews and Muslims in Europe

   » ‎ NYT > Middle East
  The poll did not explore why attitudes had changed, but other data indicate that negative attitudes toward Israel could be driving anti-Semitic feelings.
  
  

• 10:08

  The Jerusalem Post’s Latest Plagiarism

   » ‎ Israellycool

  Over a week ago, Israellycool contributor Elder of Ziyon posted about Free Gaza terror enabler Lauren Booth on his own blog, after her idiotic and offensive comments about Gaza being “the largest concentration camp in the world.” As part of his post, he included photos of palestinians feasting at the annual Iftar breakfast, demonstrating the extent of Booth’s dishonesty. It was not surprising that Elder found these photos because he is the only blogger I know of who goes to Arabic sites and uses his Zionist Auto-Translation Tool of Death.^TM

  Yesterday, the Jerusalem Post ran an article about Booth’s comments. Besides the fact that it was “old news” - we had been discussing this issue a week earlier - the Post included one of the photo’s on Elder’s blog. Curiously, the Post did not include an attribution to the source of the photo, instead displaying the sloppiness we have come to expect from them (Photo: Courtesy??) More to the point, the Post did not attribute any of this to Elder’s blog, even though I believe it is almost certain they lifted this story from it.

  Why am I so sure of it?

  1. The Jerusalem Post are not in the habit of visiting the Arab sites like Elder does. If so, how would they have found the Iftar feast photo?

  2. The Jerusalem Post have a habit of not attributing scoops to blogs. I should know.

  If anyone from the Post is reading this (and I know some of you do read Israellycool), please feel free to prove me wrong. I will freely admit to it if I have made a mistake. But if I am correct, how about giving the proper attribution and developing some journalistic ethics?

  ShareThis

• 9:41