One Unsafe Concept and One Ineligible to Lead

 

We have two great threats from within which we have yet to discuss. These are on top of the elite group of ex-military and security leaders who are dead set on surrendering our natural and ancient homelands of Judea and Samaria without even getting a thank you from the Arabs simply in the hope that they will be viewed with great honor and be permitted to travel Europe safely. They are flawed in their proffered solution to a problem that needs not their faux-expertise and equally wrong that the Europeans will forgive their military service and now love them. To Europe they are still war criminals and they would still be tried should they disembark and walk on sacred European soil; may it give forth as they give unto Israel, bitter yields. But there are other dangers; so shall we end this tribute to last week’s disasters and move to this week’s and the other long standing.

 

The long standing is the easier and more simple but still a threat in the wings. It has long been understood by the majority of Israelis outside Tel Aviv that the Labor party, despite its allure, poses a threat Israel dare not take. The threat is their concept of what is an acceptable risk for peace. Their current leader and poseur of greatness of which we can only allow his image to exist in his mind as should he ever make good on his dreams we would all get to live his nightmare. We refer to Yitzhak “Bougie” Herzog, the current leader of the Labor Party who has shown his willingness to go to any extreme in the hope to realize his dream of being Prime Minister and making the peace that has eluded all before him. His real ambition is to live up to his pedigree with his family tree including almost innumerable greats including but not limited to President Chaim Herzog and Rabbi Yitzhak HaLevi Herzog, Israel’s first Chief Rabbi; Yaacov Herzog served in the Haganah and was a political adviser to David Ben-Gurion; and as an in-law, Abba Eban. Bougie is going to need more than his cute moniker to measure up to the towering greats who preceded him. The question as to what he might do if he should ever be Prime Minister has now been answered.

 

It had become public knowledge that before the past election that in anticipation of his being Prime Minister, Labor Party and ‘Zionist Union’ co-head, Yitzhak Herzog took it upon himself to negotiate, if that is the right word, a letter of intent, we might say surrender, with Mahmoud Abbas in which they presumably reached an accord on the principles for peace. In this agreement Israel was to surrender 96% of Judea and Samaria and surrender an area equal to the last 4% from within the Green Line, though which land was left undetermined, surrender half of Jerusalem yet somehow Israel would retain the Western Wall and plaza known as the Kotel while surrendering the Temple Mount as an international zone and remainder of the old city, while Jerusalem would remain under a single governance. How Jews were to make their way across Palestinian controlled lands to visit the Kotel was also not made evident, perhaps helicopter tours where they rappelled in or some such method, we do not know. Further there would be some undetermined number of ‘Arab refugees’ permitted to return into Israel to be reacquainted with their presumed lost family heritage and properties. This too was left in the air. The one thing probably not left in the air but simply refused was any recognition of Israel as the home of the Jewish People. That was still probably beyond what Mahmoud Abbas could grant even in this form of a make believe dream of Yitzhak’s grand dream. As we all can now rejoice, Yitzhak Herzog and the ‘Zionist Union’ did not get to form a ruling coalition and we were literally saved from these evil designs. The one other great saving grace Israel received from these revelations is we now know beyond any shadow of doubt that the Labor Party, its figment of imagination and misnomer of ‘Zionist Union’ (which is neither Zionist nor Union as Tzipi Livni’s party is now a party of one, or maybe two) can never be permitted to be even included in a unity coalition even if such would appear to be to the advantage of the state as their designs on fame and fortune would endanger the nations as even with the slightest sliver of power they would sell out Israel for the ability to claim there was now peace.

 

As in the words made famous over two centuries ago when Patrick Henry made his impassioned plea to the Virginia House of Burgess imploring them to join and sign the Declaration of Independence he entreated them, “Gentlemen may cry, Peace, Peace– but there is no peace.” The same now applies in Israel and we too need to make and apply as our answer our own Declaration of Independence. This declaration must include the liberation of our lands, all of our lands; especially the lands of Judea and Samaria from which the idolaters who worship death must be driven out as were the Canaanites who too worshiped death in their sacrifices to Ba’al. This is our sacred duty and we can do it now while things are not so desperate or we can make a situation which will demand of us to take the lands as rockets rain down upon Tel Aviv and the heartland of our Israel because we foolishly gave the Judean Hills overlooking the midsection of our nation allowing the enemy to press their boot upon our necks and attempt to choke the life out of our country. There is no manner of safeguard which can be applied which would save the thin neck that surrounds Tel Aviv once we allow the Arabs free will upon the highlands overlooking this densely populated area. There was a reason all our brothers and sisters who led us in our biblical fights for survival always dragged the battles into the hills of Judea and Samaria as we held those highlands and forcing them to attack from below gave us the advantage we needed. Our enemies relied on cavalry and chariots both of which lose their advantage when fighting uphill in rough terrain. Now we will give those same hills to an enemy making us the ones who now have the chariots known as tanks having to climb the hills from below allowing making them easy targets for anti-tank missiles. The very missiles which Iran will flood the Arab areas with as soon as the IDF leaves and they have their terror state. Iran will arm them with rockets, mortars with which to initiate the war at their time of choosing and also provide the anti-tank armaments and all the tools of war including mines to prevent easy approach and to set traps for men and machine alike. That is the reality if we ever give the Arabs their desired lands and we will pay the price for such foolishness. There is but one solution and the world may hate us for taking our land but at least our children will be safe and the world cannot hate us twice as much as hate is hate. They all know that all the land is our land legally which is why there has never been a case brought in the international courts. The only place where the land is not ours is in the court of foreign opinions and they do not reside here and will never face the barrage of rockets they salivate waiting to force us into the compromise which would seal our doom, but we can simply resume our proper rule over our lands and the Arabs residing there can either accept reality or leave, and if necessary, as they attack we can arrest them and declare them as foreign agents expelling them once and for all. Those who wish to remain peaceful can even be allowed citizenship after they prove their knowledge of our historical right to the lands and willingly sign a pledge of allegiance to the State of Israel and homeland of the Jewish People and should they ever break that pledge we can once again invite them to leave and never return. We will not need to force anybody from their homes, only those who are known aggressors who have already proven they refuse to recognize our legitimacy would be forced to leave. The rest would choose themselves and if they prefer being compensated for their lands and property, then so be it, it would be money well spent. Yes, we would pay them in dollars as the shekel is not worth much in Syria or the rest of the lands where they would be at home.

 

Our other threat which appears to be gaining some official recognition and even acceptance is the idea of a manmade port attached to Gaza by a causeway where ships can come and load and unload and the wares coming into Gaza be checked and cleared before being sent by truck into Gaza and where these same trucks can bring their exports for loading for transport to their destinations. How this is different other than location from the current system of using the port at Ashdod escapes our sense of reason (picture of port below). The crazed idea is to spend over a billion shekels, likely closer to five-billion shekels, to build an Island and port facilities some distance, presumably safe distance, out into the Mediterranean Sea from Gaza and connect it to Hamas held Gaza, the Hamas held part is very important, by a multi-lane two way causeway where trucks would transport goods both into and out of Gaza allowing for presumably easier, more efficient and more independent transference of goods in both directions. Since there would also presumably be an agreement that all incoming and outgoing cargo would still be checked and approved by Israeli security inspectors, it completely escapes us as to how this is any different than the current system where trucks take whatever cargo need go in either direction to Ashdod where the port there, a very capable and already functioning port, and inspections are carried out by Israeli security inspectors. But we do see one vital difference; so please follow with us below.

 

Port of Ashdod

 

This port island which would be built within Israeli territorial waters, meaning under three or at most generous five miles, would still be well within artillery range and even within guided rocket fired anti-tank missiles like the Kornet missile which was fired at a school bus from Gaza in Israel injuring the driver and murdering the lone young student still on the bus. The bus had just discharged the remaining students with the one exception remaining onboard so he could visit his grandmother further in Israel and was taking the bus there (picture of remains of the bus below). Expecting that the inspectors, in consideration of their safety, would be located on the manmade island where the trucks would be loaded and unloaded and this would be most convenient to do along the piers as the goods are unloaded and prepared for loading. There would be stationed IDF troops, probably a platoon or maybe two when suspicions were high, guarding the entry to the port island giving each truck a quick inspection before allowing it access to the port itself. Needless to point out that securing this new facility would in and of itself be an expensive endeavor as there would also likely be some naval support made readily available in case of an incident as any troops could be attacked by a joint operation of engagement by rocket fire from Gaza while a number of trucks crash any barricades and deploy terrorist troops in an attack to oust the Israeli inspectors and IDF troops taking over the facility with deadly results.

 

School Bus which was struck by a Russian made Kornet
anti-tank missile murdering one teen remaining
in the bus to reach his grandmother visit

 

After such an attack is the probability that it would be timed in order to unload contraband known to be on a ship the Iranians sent under a false flag. The unloading and making way back into Gaza with any such shipment of contraband would be completed before Israeli forces could retake the port, another expensive in cost and lost soldiers and inspectors lives as Hamas would not be taking too many prisoners of the IDF troops, just the inspectors would serve their purposes. The entire idea of such a port is a nightmare for security services and design. The port for security would need a cement wall between it and Gaza in order to prevent direct fire from striking the port facilities, personnel or ships docking there. Troops would need to be stationed in blockhouses to keep them safe from snipers and allow them to watch the coast of Gaza for any threats and have sufficient firepower to neutralize any threat. The system used on the land side of Gaza with cameras and remote fired weaponry, often fifty-cal. machine guns, have proven effective and safer for personnel but also an added expense. These blockhouses would also prove to be prime targets for Hamas and Islamic Jihad or others and repair and replacement would also prove prohibitively expensive. The possibility that tanks and heavy artillery or other heavy weapons and larger rocket motors or guidance systems could be smuggled in either well hidden within cargo or through raids, such as described above, provides another threat which would need be considered and weighed when considering such folly. No matter how one describes this venture and despite any designs or other precautions, the truth is this port would end up in the hands of Hamas and there is no humanly way of securing this facility from eventual, and likely fairly quickly, falling into Hamas’s hands and remaining under their control as it simply was realized that it was too risky and otherwise adverse to continue to retake and defend the indefensible.

 

The expense to build the facility, providing it did not get constantly attacked and workers killed by snipers making even building it next to impossible; after erecting it and attempting to defend it, we would eventually face an even more expensive reality, destroying it and re-sinking the island. The destruction would generate great amounts of additional ire and the European Union and who knows who else would call for turning the port over to Hamas as having Israeli control of the new Gaza port facility would be an aberration unacceptable to Israel’s uncountable enemies. The United Nations General Assembly would from day one be hearing announcements from Mahmoud Abbas, Turkey, Iran, Europeans and who knows how many others calling for the port to be released to Hamas and then the sea embargo would be resumed and denounced anew with greater fervor. Israel would be placed in a lose-lose situation after great expense which even if there were international backers who promised to assist in the cost, no funds would ever see their way into Israeli hands; so we would pay for the entire fiasco.

 

The end result would be Hamas having a well built and very modern and functioning port facility at which Iranian cargo ships could freely unload one after another filled in their bellies with rockets, missiles, potentially aircraft and who knows what else. We could expect Iranian warships to be docked there and patrolling what would now be Gazan and Hamas international waterways. Once Gaza has the port, there would be no way of preventing Iran from assisting in rebuilding the international airport which could be opened for air resupply from Iran and who knows where else. There would soon be squadrons of fighter jets and trained Hamas and Islamic Jihad pilots to fly them and Gaza would be sitting at the United Nations recognized now as its own nation and there would be nothing Israel could do to prevent these scenarios from playing out within a year or two of having built and provided Hamas, Islamic Jihad and the rest a port which would very likely provide an entry point to the Islamic State to enter and prepare attacks upon Israel. What would enter Gaza from the sea and soon thereafter from the air would facilitate their claim to be a nation and the Europeans would apologize after they supported such with their votes in the United Nations and their eagerness to allow Gaza to open embassies in their capitals so they could be amongst the first to recognize this glorious terror state. Europe has seldom if ever missed an opportunity to place Israel at further risk if they thought it would divert a single terrorist from attacking them. For the Europeans they see Israel as their shield meant solely to absorb the punishment of any Islamic anger just to keep them believing they are safer. Their folly knows no bounds and this port would only serve as yet another idea which can only end poorly. How about we skip this one, OK?

 

Beyond the Cusp

 

Snapshot of Leftist Europe and Israel

 

The British Labour Party has been experiencing a rare and revealing problem, some of their members have broken the golden rule and have been speaking honestly expressing thoughts which most prefer not be made public. In an effort to subjugate their remaining members who might be tempted to join the chorus singing the songs revealing their honest beliefs and allowing their beliefs normally kept tight to the chest and under wraps displayed out on their public clothesline for all to bear witness. The leader of the unbelievable revolt and leader in making this spectacle has been the duo of former London mayor and Labour activist Ken Livingstone and Labour MP Naz Shah who were suspended for anti-Semitic comments. Their crime was honesty as they were simply stating what so many leftists the worldwide believe when it comes to the Jewish People, Israeli Jews and Jews in general. One of their tropes calls for all Israeli Jews be forced to relocate into the United States and leave the entirety of the Middle East including the Israelite homeland for the Arab Palestinian Muslim invaders who poured out of the Arabian Peninsula dislocating, destroying or slaughtering every Jewish community they met forcing the remaining Jews from their ancestral home, the lands the Europeans wish to reward the conquerors with and punish the indigenous peoples who are returning to their homeland making it productive for the first time in centuries.

 

One easily identifies their racism which runs ramped in their desires as they are not demanding the Jews be permitted to return to their former homelands as that would include numerous Arab nations who had forced their Jewish citizens to flee often with merely one suitcase and the clothes on their backs. Often the suitcases were inspected and any items of worth, anything from treasure to even slightly valuable, such as but not limited to Torah Scrolls, Tefillin, jewelry, artworks, heirlooms, objects of silver, anything with gold, platinum items as well as coins or other monies were removed and stolen by the inspectors. They also are apparently refusing to permit the Jews from Europe to return to their homes from which they were driven or from returning to their former homes or anywhere else in Europe. Their demand is for all Jews to be relocated into the United States starting with the Israeli Jews. Does any of this sound familiar? Europeans demanding that the Jews be relocated away from their homes starting with those from the Middle East, especially from Jerusalem and the remainder of the Jewish State. At least they are not starting with the Jews residing in Europe, though we would bet they would be next shipped off to the United States. After the World War II experience with the S.S. St. Louis, what makes them believe the United States would accept the world’s Jews saving them from a fate of suffering and death? We would bet there are sufficient in the United States who would be extremely averse to such a plan and would do whatever it takes to resist such from occurring likely allying with the State Department working to drown such an idea from fruition through endless paperwork.

 

What is truly frightening is that the idea, the concept, the plotting, the whatever you desire to call it, the shipping Israeli Jews wholesale off to the United States to be settled where and under what conditions with what future intents is actually one of the least prejudicially insulting thoughts emerging from Britain and around the entirety of the European Union (EU) and fellow governments. Salim Mulla, who currently serves as a Labour councilor for the city of Blackburn, made a number of anti-Israel, anti-Zionist and anti-Semitic comments in the summer of 2015 including amongst them, “Zionist Jews are a disgrace to humanity.” What is an even more frightening reality is that there are a number of predominantly leftist Jews in Europe, the United States and around the world even to include Israel who would agree with that statement. But hating Jews whether Zionist or new wave progressives who could not tell you what the inside of a Synagogue looks like not having seen one since they were thirteen, are not anything new in the world and definitely not new to Europe. What is truly frightening is the depth and expanse of such hatred within the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) where anti-Semitic beliefs run rampant and are off-scale compared to the rest of the planet. For an in-depth global study’s result, one can peruse the conclusions of the ADL Global 100, An Index of Anti-Semitism. The results in the different categories and especially regarding the Shoah, the Holocaust, are absolutely frightening and prove that its remembrance will have fallen through the cracks and exited our common memories within another two or at most three generations. If one does not remember or know from whence they came, they cannot have any idea where they are heading as they have no reference points or knowledge to compare now with then.

 

That aside, the rapid rise of anti-Semitism and particularly anti-Israelism and anti-Zionism in Europe and lagging but rising in the United States and the remainder of the Anglosphere is purely frightening. It is these statistics and general mistrust by those in positions of power, especially those in appointed positions such as ministers and others in the EU, that reveals the extent of the problem. Though absolutely appalling after the atrocities committed in the names of the European people during World War II, the return and rampant rise of anti-Semitism is simply beyond reason. That the Foreign Minister of Sweden not only made directly false anti-Semitic tropes assigning their worst attributes to the Prime Minister of Israel, his Cabinet, the Ministers of the Knesset, “Settlers” and Israelis generally; then along came the former mayor of Malmo, Sweden with comments when in power advising the Jews of Malmo, and community with tens of centuries of history in the town, that there was nothing which could be done to protect the Jews and if they felt unsafe they should move to somewhere far less threatening in their opinions and then dismissed the issue. Then there are the near riots and even riots by the new immigrants against allowing the Jews any representation in government, positions of power or respect, teaching, professorship in the universities and other positions much as the Nazis denied such to Jews. It is also how the Arab governments limit the Arab Palestinians under their stewardship in the numerous refugee camps where Arabs have languished for decades not permitted to hold jobs much more respectful than street sweeper and who are forbidden a normal education, instead having their children taught anti-Semitic hatreds and poisoning their minds leading to the terrorism coming from these camps. These camps even exist in Nablus, Gaza City and other areas under Arab Palestinian rule where their own rulers treat them as lepers who must only be released to infect Israeli society and are separate from the Arab Palestinian society surrounding their camps. Europe blames Israel for the sad treatment of these Arab refugees who are far beyond Israeli influence.

 

European politicians largely believe that Israel is an easy target on which to pin all of societal ills. Still, looking through the opinions of Jews and particularly Israelis, one finds the nations who are most favorable are those which have had an unforeseen or other horrific natural or manmade disaster and found the Israelis not only the first there with the most and a system in place where it is as if they are trained for just the events they address from typhoons, earthquakes, tornados, flooding, disease or any other natural or manmade disaster. In Haiti, Israel had the first functioning and fully operating hospital with X-Ray, MRI and every modern diagnostic department including neonatal long before any other such as the United States was a close second almost matching Israel’s hospital but over a week later. Israel also had dogs, robots and every conceivable search and rescue assistance on the ground within thirty-six hours. In the Philippines after their worst and most horrific storm in history, Israel was amongst the first on the scene; it was difficult beating the United States as they have bases already there. Nepal, Japan, Philippines and the other nations where Israel has come to aide, even setting up Israeli clinics in villages so remote they had previously never been visited by outside assistance even from their own government, have lower statistic of anti-Semitism then even the developed nations. Often in these instances one Israeli remains behind for a year training the people of the village and surrounding area first aid, use of diagnostic equipment, upkeep and calibration, and other areas of medicine leaving the clinic and equipment behind and restocking these clinics until the government of that nation can take over the operations. Israel had the most broad search and rescue teams as well as field hospital in Nepal, something nations with ten times as many of their citizens lost in the earthquake did not do. Israel remained ten days longer than scheduled as they refused to depart without finding their last citizen. These nations have the least anti-Semitism of the world as they have seen the truth that is Israel. Israel is one of the few nations to offer the United States their assistance after Katrina and Sandy and other natural disasters. Often Israeli assistance is refused as in Sandy and Katrina as well as 9/11, but Israeli expertise assisted after the Boston Marathon bombing. Israel has been accused by some of never stepping up and assisting the United States after a disaster and labeled as ingrates for such lack of actions. The truth is Israeli assistance after every disaster in the United States has not only been refused but banned from assisting even through Jewish agencies.

 

Still, Europe rates less anti-Semitic than anywhere outside of the United States and Israel. The most negative feelings towards Israel and Jews come from the Arab Palestinian areas where they are fed a continuous sixty hour a day stream of anti-Semitic lies and misrepresentations even including misrepresenting actual news stories, using proven libels such as the Protocols of the Elders of Zion, and religious instruction which demands their hatred of Israel and the Jews. The area with the highest anti-Semitism, anti-Zionism and anti-Israelism was MENA followed by Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa with North America and the United States and Canada along with Czech Republic having the lowest such numbers. MENA led the world with number of people never having met a Jew in their lifetime, but that did not prevent their hatred for them. Next in the never having met a Jew was Sub-Saharan Africa and Asia. Europe rates very high on having met a Jew yet still held many negative feelings and beliefs about Jews. The study linked above is an eye-opening read and is in largely graph or simple percentages making comparisons and such very easy and the coverage is truly universal and extensive.

 

Despite many attributes one might think their civility would prevent Europeans from being heavily anti-Semitic, anti-Zionist or anti-Israeli. They managed to reach high levels in many areas which should be cause for concern and even panic and reassessment of their societal outlooks. One of the more amusing sets of numbers was the percentages which believed that the Jewish Population of the planet was above 2%, above 5%, 10% and even 20%. The truth is the Jews number below 0.2% of the world’s population. Europe still had a higher rate of hatreds and belief in stereotypes and blood libels even compared to areas of the world with almost no Jewish population. The frightening numbers in Europe and beyond were the percentages of those who had never met a Jew to having highly anti-Semitic, anti-Zionist and anti-Israeli rating as well as believing some of the most horrific and terrible blood libels about Jews such as the Holocaust was made up by the Jews as well as believing that the Jews controlled media, retail, politics, the United States, and other businesses which even the most casual observer could see was false. Despite the seeming propensity of Europeans, and an even higher percentage of European politicians, dislike to hatred for the Jewish People and everything that is seen as Jewish such as Israel, Zionism, and presumably the Governments, Israeli leaders still seek European approval. If Jews were even marginally as influential and controlled so many nations, political parties and think tanks and other political entities; we would not be so despised. We really would rule the world and control everybody’s life from birth to death just as far too many Europeans believe.

 

With such spewing of hatred and poison from the European halls of power and hierarchy against Israel, Zionism and Jews in general, one would think that the Israeli government would be done with Europe and anywhere else that holds such negative tropes as truisms. Instead the Israeli leadership spends far too much energy and effort attempting to favor friendship with these European leaders who would just as soon demolish Israel and eradicate what they see as a scourge on the planet which is the Jews. The manner in which Prime Minister Netanyahu and Defense Minister Ya’alon have acted echoing almost word for word the New York Times (American newspaper that thinks it is European), the French, British and other parliaments, far too many Foreign Ministers and virtually every other anti-Semite sitting in a position of power in Europe; one would think they are running for election in Europe. They feign glory to the point that it becomes an obsession serving the European Parliaments and their respective ministers. Though some Israeli politicians have seen fit to denounce Salim Mulla, Jeremy Corbyn, Ken Livingstone, conspiracy theorist Michael Harris, Ilyas Aziz and a few others, the majority appear to believe that if the Europeans or Americans disapprove of an action that Israel should be forbidden doing such. Had such an attitude existed in 1947-8, there would likely be no Israel as either Israel would have declared itself a state or forever remained in limbo as the Europeans and United States State Department believe now as they did then. This seeming insistence that every move taken by the government of Israel must first have the approval of the United States and Europe and that if too many amongst these anti-Israel haters disapprove then obviously Israel should reassess their standards and the manner in which things are observed bringing them in-line with the Europeans and Americans. That is no way to effectively run a country, especially one as alienated as Israel.

 

The Israeli politicians apparently get into a society where emulating the Europeans and certain Americans (you know, the politically correct Americans and not those Tea Party, Sarah Palin supporting, Rush Limbaugh, Ted Cruz supporting, Michael Savage listening, Glen Beck following Neanderthal throw-back, retro-genetic, devolved morons) becomes required. Things in Israel must be conditioned and approved to be socially acceptable at the finest of European art houses and cafés no matter the effect or results and destructions such policies might have on Israeli society and the survival of the Jewish People. This dependence on European and leftist approval had become most evident in the treatment of the soldier Elor Azariya in the shooting death of a Palestinian terrorist who had just been neutralized from attempting to stab IDF soldiers at a checkpoint but had yet to be inspected for explosives or even other weapons. The soldier stated he believed that the terrorist was reaching for a detonator, a story upheld by virtually all others including MDA medics who were at the scene and some unable to even approach the terrorist as he was not completely rendered safe and explosives free among other security checks. The soldiers who had not done so were busy tending an injured soldier with multiple stabbing wounds. There had been a second terrorist who had received fatal wounds when soldier fired in self-defense. Before even the initial statements were gathered from those at the scene, the Prime Minister and Defense Minister were already declaring the soldier to be a horrible monster expressing rumors of things he might have said in the barracks where fish stories abound, just not about fishing. They and other Knesset Ministers along with the leftist media had tried and convicted the soldier before nightfall and were all but calling for his head on a pike outside the Damascus Gate of the Temple Mount. Their knee jerk reaction spouting exactly what would be the European reaction the next day was pathetic and showed a cowardice for backing a protector of the people, an IDF soldier. Is it any wonder why the Religious Zionists in the society feel they have no trusted friends except for a small core of fellow travelers amongst those in the halls of power. This is even more true when one considers the robes of justice would be too leftist even in some European nations and would be considered a travesty in many states of the United States. The fear to be nationalistic amongst Israeli elite is a disease which needs curing if Israel is to survive. The good news is that the majority and growing numbers of the people support the soldier and are realizing that Judaism and Zionism are the two anchors necessary if Israel is to survive. Now Israelis need to face the most impossible challenge they may ever face as a nation, finding those who believe as they believe and placing them in ever larger numbers into the Knesset and into taking position within the various government agencies, especially law enforcement and national security. The most difficult will be weeding out those holding high positions in the IDF and other enforcement agencies, most especially those dedicated to security and intelligence, as well as making greater inroads into the media and entertainment. We realize the last areas are not normally areas of expertise or even interest for those more dedicated to building the nation, its economy and religious institutions and following Torah; but if the foundations of culture are not swayed over to Torah and the land, then all else will be a struggle and forever an uphill battle. We cannot be like Sisyphus and push the bolder to the top of the hill every day only to have it roll back to the valley below every night. We must not even be like the great King Leonidas who led his three-hundred Spartans and five thousand supporting Greek soldiers who held the pass at Thermopylae for three days before falling to the Persian masses of troops.

 

This is a battle that the religious Zionists must win decisively and permanently which means that like we learn Torah and attempt to live Torah, we must also live for Israel and make her survival on all the land Hashem promised starting with the area between the river and the sea which we must make all under Israeli rule and yet continue the democratic governance. Perhaps the time is coming where a Constitution is crafted and a new bicameral parliament or legislature established while using such to preserve the Jewishness of the nation of Israel. We need to marry all the various tribal-like customs and blur the differentiations between Eastern European and Western European as well as MENA communities and the other various tribes we are discovering as they are beginning to make the trip home, the Ingathering. Making the rabbinate to have but a single Chief Rabbi would be a step in the right direction and our children have already taken giant stride towards unifying the differing factions through intermarriage, a beautiful and fitting step in the right direction. Finally, Israeli governance must be first, foremost and almost exclusively about Israel and the rest of the world be permitted their screaming as long as we acknowledge their defamations and are able to repeat them and still refuse to establish policies based on the demands placed upon Israel by a hostile outside world. We have Torah and need little else. Torah allows our choosing our governance as long as that governance serves the people and does nothing to lessen the influence and applications of Torah to our daily lives. The time is now to claim all of Judea and Samaria and begin to allow its peoples to become Israeli citizens or emigrate with our assistance if we feel such is required. We must take control of their education system and teach their students that which is necessary to live and be productive in a modern society. We need to bring services and establish economic inclusion as well as political, cultural and societal inclusion. By inclusion we will not mean Jewish but Israeli. Those who are Israeli must include having a respect for the Jewishness of the state of Israel. If any choose to violently refuse and combat against this Jewishness, they must be forced from amongst us. This includes those who instigate, plan bombings or disruptions, actively attempt to subjugate parts of the nation or any other treasonous acts. This is no different than any other nation which is a free democratic nation. Then our nations can become one and the world will recognize our singular right as the Jewish State. Servitude is no path to equality, respectful nationalism and the exercise of the right to make one’s own way as a nation that is the path to equality. What is beautiful about this path is that each nation can walk with pride in their differences while respecting others that right and then weaving the fabric which includes all the nations of the world. None can be a part of this fabric of nations if they bare swords against their neighbors as swords will tend to cut and then shred the fabric and thus undo all efforts of mutual beneficial actions. Those baring swords need be exorcised from the community of nations and disregarded in all acts between nations until they prove they prefer inclusion to supremacy. Israel needs to show a stronger self-confidence and belief in our rightness of actions and place out before us our beloved Torah in all actions and all that it includes, as it is a rarity amongst such laws as it allows for others to live as they choose providing they allow the Jews the same.

 

 

Five beautiful, glorious and holy Torah Scrolls which carry near infinite wisdom and are the foundation of all Judaism and their culture and the Jewish civilization is built around the Torah and the teaching of Torah

 

These rights are self-evident and must apply equally to all nations, end of story (and article).

 

Beyond the Cusp

 

The Ninth of Av is our Tribute and Remembrance of the Temples and their Destructions

 

Please forgive me if I get preachy or seem overly sentimental but that is what even the name Jerusalem means to me. Additionally to the destruction of both Temples, the First Temple by the Babylonians and the Second Temple by the vindictive Romans who did all in their power to render unto the Jews the same dispersions that ended Carthage, and the sin of the spies and all the other calamities tied to the Ninth of Av (Tisha b’Av), I add my sister’s passing exactly a week after the ninth. This year the Ninth of Av is observed has been pushed one day to the Tenth as such sorrows must not be expressed on the Sabbath conditions permitting. The Ninth of Av has become the collection date where some liberties are suspected such that every ill and evil edict or calamity of every sort is claimed to have some reference to the Ninth of Av. Some of the horrors which fell on this fateful day include the expulsions from England on July 18, 1290 CE, expelled from France on July 22, 1306 CE, and from Spain the edict of expulsion was signed on March 31, 1492 CE, and the Jews were given exactly four months to put their affairs in order and leave the country which fell on July 31, 1492 CE, all the Ninth of Av. Then there was the sin of the Golden Calf, August 15, 1096 the start of the Crusades and the killings Jews often suffered succumbing to the blades of the Crusader knights who had not previously killed in order to desensitize them to killing such that they would not hesitate in battle and thus be killed before they served the charge of the Church. Start of World War I was August 1–2, 1914; SS commander Heinrich Himmler formally received approval from the Nazi Party for “The Final Solution” on August 2, 1941; on July 23, 1942 (Av 9, AM 5702), began the mass deportation of Jews from the Warsaw Ghetto to Treblinka, all dates coincide with the Ninth of Av. Modern events which land close to the Ninth of Av were AMIA bombing of the Jewish community center in Buenos Aires, killing 85 and injuring 300 on July 18, 1994 and Israel’s unilateral disengagement plan under Prime Minister Ariel Sharon, also known as the “Disengagement plan”, “Gaza expulsion plan”, or Hitnatkut, August 15, 2005 both fell on Tenth of Av. Needless to add that numerous other calamities were rumored or simply had memories re-date events to bring them into line with the Ninth of Av but even without fudging dates there are probably numerous other events throughout Jewish history where lesser horrors fell on the Ninth of Av and as such individual services of these groups would include their individual commiserations.

 

The observance of the Ninth of Av itself is a fast day spent in remembrance of historic calamities, some self-imposed but most disasters thrust upon the Jewish people, some times to all or the majority of all Jews and other times to large enough communities that we all remember and mourn and others only affecting a smaller community which we all remember but the singular community bears a special lament. Any way your congregation or community grieves over the mutual and individual historic injustices, expulsions, transgression and pogroms we must also hold that hope that for all our families will soon spend the next Ninth of Av together living in our own ancient lands rebuilding the Temple for the final time and soon return to lives as Torah spells out and this time can we please remain true remembering every Ninth of Av what has stormed our people when we strayed and were dispersed as punishment for our transgressions. May your fast lay easy upon you.

 

Temple Institute concept for what building the Third Temple in modern day Jerusalem would appear like from a distance with modern buildings of Jerusalem in the background. May their vision and this concept figure become fact and fulfill our desires for unity and a single Temple and House for Hashem in our midst. May this dream be fulfilled before the next Ninth of Av so our lament will be lessened.

 

Beyond the Cusp