My Guilty Verdict of Identity Political Sins

 

I awakened this morning realizing the horrid truth that I am an affront to identity political fears. Of all my sins, probably my most egregious is that I am a male. Not just male but also heterosexual. Well, I may as well admit to my further crimes, I am white as well. At least I do not fit the final box on the White, Male, Heterosexual privilege chart, I am not a true WASP as I am not Protestant. But as it turns out, I may be in an even worse category; I am a Jew, and not just a Jew but a Zionist and conservative Jew. I may as well admit it as it has cost me dearly in the past making me a pariah in more than one Synagogue across the fruited plains and both coasts as well. But I am even worse than the run of the mill White, Male, Heterosexual, Conservative, Religious and pro-Israel individual, I am proud of my guilt because I know that there is no real guilt to be had. The only true sin I have committed is not having any difficulty owning up to my presumed guilt and will gladly profess my preferences before my accusers. Of course this simply infuriates them further as they only gain advantage when people like me act ashamed and defensive to their accusations. Me, I simply revel in them and laughingly watch as those who would greedily stand pointing out my guilt over my groveling and writhing body on my face and begging forgiveness as they haughtily instruct me that I must confess my sins. They cannot utilize someone who refuses to beg and instead stands proudly before them stating that sure I am exactly what you accuse me of being, so what! That is the wrong stance and they are used to people that apologize for their sins, not reveling in them and using the identities as a badge of honor that it should be and not a sash of shame. I will not eat humble pie nor will I claim to be sorry for my accomplishments as I earned each and every one and none were simply given to me because of my so-called privilege.

 

You see I refuse to play by the rulebook of Identity Politics. This book states that in order to win every argument one only need accuse the other side of committing some unforgivable sin. The person is white or male or heterosexual or conservative or belongs to any group which can be cast as a majority, well, except being male as men are actually a minority. Their rules are to hit any sensitive spot where they can accuse you of being one of the deadly privileged kinds of personhood and if no prime example exists, then they just throw accusations until they hit a nerve. The accusations start with the obvious but let us say their adversary is someone such as Star Parker who is an American syndicated columnist, Republican politician, conservative political activist, author and very attractive (see below). Her disqualifying identity is that she is famous and even more unapologetic than I. They would strike her for being a known conservative and a Republican and those would be the last words they manage before she would tear them apart piece by piece. That is a side effect of proud and informed conservatives; we usually are not at a loss for words. But even those of us who are capable of giving as good as we get, if not better, is that we are defenseless against the current dilemma, the massive attacks such as are showing at Republican politicians’ town hall meetings.

 

Star Parker

 

Protesters exploded in anger after a chaplain prayed in the name of Jesus at a town hall meeting in Louisiana hosted by U.S. Sen. Bill Cassidy. They did just as decent, or should we say indecent, a job heckling at a decorated Viet Nam veteran when he attempted to recite the Pledge of Allegiance. The hecklers shouted things such as, “Pray on your own time. This is our time,” and “Amen. Let’s get on with it,” while others insisted, “Separation of church and state” and so on and so forth. Chaplain Sprague told the media, “I’ve never been shouted down throughout a time of prayer like that,” adding “I’ve never been in a situation like that. It’s sad there wasn’t honor and respect for God.” Cassidy said in remarks reported by the Times-Picayune, “Wow, they booed the name of Jesus.” Some mentioned that they were suspicious as to the origin of these disrupters as they claimed people from their area would never have acted in such a manner. Our sense was it had been noted that there were numerous vehicles which arrived early with out of state license plates which we found to be suspicious explaining why the event had been hijacked with some of the locals betting that the disrupters were likely paid for their disruptive and disgusting performances. Their providers likely should be happy as it appears they got their money’s worth.

 

 

This has been the recent explosion across the width and breadth of the United States at numerous conservative town hall meetings held by Republicans. These have been in concert with the events we spoke of in our article from yesterday titled, “The Left and Their Dream with the Shadow Government” where there have been concerted rioting taking place in major liberal cities and college campuses with many locations security personnel and police instructed to stand back and allow the “demonstrators” space to express themselves. In an event not too long ago where Milo Yiannopoulos was invited to give a performance or something at the University of California Berkley Campus where because he was perceived as a conservative speaker, he is more libertarian than conservative, there was a riot staged with the campus police instructed not to interfere resulting in over one-hundred-thousand-dollars damages to the campus before everything calmed. He was denied speaking so their actions were rewarded and this will serve Berkley, the birthplace back in the 1960’s of free speech, poorly and probably just serve to encourage a much larger disruption the next time anybody considered controversial is invited by anybody to appear.

 

All of these actions have been far from amusing and have served to reinforce that my making Aliyah was the correct action even though my doing so had nothing to do with American political scene, it was the result of a promise made to myself when I was quite young, nine to be exact. My wife probably would have preferred my informing her of this little item before we were married and the look on her face when I announced we were moving to Israel one evening in passing as if it was simply another casual remark. Her reaction was less than casual and in the end we made the trip and it has made us both quite happy to be here. She still holds dearly to her Americanism and the politics are a sort of interest though she does not dwell politics quite as I do. She spends more time socializing and having events with other ladies and groups, often dragging me along (well, not always dragging as I do enjoy many events and am going to pay for admitting this). Perhaps we can take less of a panicked look at events in the United States, at least far more relaxed than our friends still back there, especially those residing near and about the nation’s capital. That space allows for a more unattached review where things do not strike us as if it were right outside. For that we have our own set of political and other possibilities which take center stage over the events in America, as they should. Still, we at BTC still need to stay up to date on events back in the United States in order to write on them, so we still know and react to events, just do not need to worry if the demonstrations will be coming down our street or block our way to the store or wherever. As stated, for that we have our own difficulties from time to time.

 

Beyond the Cusp

 

Anti-Semitism’s Israeli Amplifier of Inaction and Timidity

 

The existence of anti-Semitism across Europe, Canada, the United States and the rest of the developed world, particularly on college campuses, is growing and will soon be beyond control and spread throughout society. The first waves will soon break out as today’s college students being steeped in anti-Israel, anti-Zionist and anti-Semitic programs and virtual pogroms graduate and bring their toxic views into the political world and then the workplace and society as a whole. These indoctrinations are presented as presumed pro-Palestinian protests such as Israel Apartheid Week, mock checkpoints, demonstrations blocking campus access portraying the Israeli security barrier as the modern version of the Berlin Wall or the Warsaw Ghetto Walls as well as faux eviction notices placed on Jewish and pro-Israel students’ dorm rooms claiming their rooms are to be demolished as protest of terror home demolitions and simple, straight out physical intimidation of Jewish and pro-Israel students. For further observations and documentations one can start with these two articles; Pay No Attention to the Man Behind the Curtain and Hotbeds of Anti-Semitism in British Academia or use the results from a simple search engine results for anti-Semitism on college campus we performed as a free service to make life easier.

 

This article is not out to bang the drum which already has been accomplished to the point that a complete percussion section has been added to the anti-Semitism orchestrated noises around the world just covering college campuses and in some cases it spreading to public high schools. This is following a normal progression for many politicized items as has been tracked with other subjects such as global climate change, equal opportunity, affirmative actions, LGBTQ rights and other highly charged political subjects from our modern societies. We will be taking a different tact driving to perceive what is probably the one major change which if taken would help rid the entire developed world from this pernicious evil. We will leave the proof to the links above and what will probably be more than sufficient numbers of articles which are sure to continue to surface. That could change and do so with a rapidity that would astonish the world and could be right around the corner if only some specific events and particular actions taken by some crucially critical people would materialize, but such things are unfortunately not looking ready to occur. So, let’s dive in and see what needs to be shaking.

 

Anti-Israel Protests

 

One of the first items which everybody a week ago thought was fair accompli and about to happen as soon as all the arrangements were done and ground was broken was the repeated statement once more by a candidate for President of the United States that the American Embassy in Israel would be moved from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. Candidate Donald Trump promised, and we quote, “We will move the American Embassy to the eternal capital of the Jewish people, Jerusalem,” speaking to the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) in March. Further he stated this important add-on stating, “The Palestinians must come to the table knowing that the bond between the United States and Israel is absolutely, totally unbreakable.” Well, here we are in week one and already the moving of the American Embassy to Jerusalem has gone from we will to a process where ramifications and complications must be weighed and a cost/benefit analysis performed and all the other irrelevant items being spit out all in an effort to say we are going to do the same old same old. We have already heard of Jordan, the Palestinian Authority and other Arab allies having warned the White House of severe repercussions should it proceed with the move. The threats included a threatened review of bilateral relations with both the US and Israel plus warnings of an upsurge in violence should the embassy be relocated. Please do not tell us that the Trump campaign were not aware of these ramifications when they followed the well-worn path of lying to AIPAC knowing full well that they would turn everything over to the State department and Pentagon and either or both would come back with a report warning against such rash actions as they would inflame the world and the ramifications far outweighed any benefit if there could even be an argument that there exists a benefit. Further, they would question the expense and warn that such simply was politically risky should any of the threats of violence be traced to having moved the Embassy, which the State department would warn they would most likely find as the cause of any terrorism targeting American facilities overseas.

 

So, Trump is not going to be as pro-Israel as advertised, and why should he? Expecting President Trump to be more pro-Israel than Israel is ridiculous, as it should be. We learned this centuries ago and it was most succinctly stated by Rabbi Hillel who wisely asked, “If I am not for myself, then who will be for me? And if I am only for myself, then what am I? And if not now, when?” When, as we mentioned yesterday, the Israeli Security Cabinet voted unanimously to delay discussion on any law annexing Maaleh Adumim, can we expect for President Trump to stick his neck out and move the American Embassy to Israel to Jerusalem when the Israelis main decision makers unanimously refused to even consider annexing just a suburb of East Jerusalem? Of course that would be ridiculous. For proof just read Hillel above and it plainly states that step one will always be us being for what we hold dear before we can expect others to act similarly in our interests. Perhaps it would be a good idea to inundate the members of the Knesset’s e-mails with copies of Hillel’s quote followed by a simply Yiddish question, “Nu?” implying to ask what have you done recently which changes anything. Israel acting weak and timid reflects on everything worldwide simply because Israel is the exemplary representation of Jewish pride and strength and of late Israel has shown neither for quite some time.

 

When Israel acts decisively and boldly projects strength and confidence taking whatever steps necessary to protect their people and the future of the Jewish State, it becomes reflected in the actions by Jews in the world and affects the way Jews are treated. When Israel demands respect as she did during the first half of her brief history, the world respected the Jews and allowed for Jews to be proud and live holding their heads high. As Israel has mired herself and given concession after concession with nothing to show for any of it as the land for peace more represented land for terrorism and Israel appeared weak and Jews started to wear long faces and are soon, if not already, hang their heads and shuffle along giving once again the image of the Jew ready to be kicked and ill-regarded. The ghetto Jews, as it had been called throughout much of modern history, was again the view. The Jews were those people who are to be blamed for all the ills in the world, all the wars, all the hatreds, all the destitution, all of any and every evil imaginable and the Jew could be kicked and spat upon and they would shuffle off accepting any scorn. This persona has become accepted on all too many college and university campuses in the developed world. As Israel is demeaned and seen as threatened and not really taking actions to protect themselves, this places the Jews across the world in jeopardy of attack and other forms of anti-Semitism. These acts have already made numerous cities across Europe actually dangerous to Jews to even so threatening that, as in Malmo, most of the Jews are packing up and departing. The numbers of Jews making Aliyah from France this past year was the highest since the end of World War II and many times the average for any year in the past half century. Further, the Arab world is using their oil wealth to finance those NGOs who coordinate numerous campus groups in anti-Israel and anti-Zionist programs with very obvious and well-coordinated demonstrations and events demeaning Israel and Zionism and by an extension anti-Semitism as many times these actions also lead to direct targeting of the Jews on the campus sometimes placing their lives and health in danger.

 

As noted in the articles linked above, there are campuses in Britain where Jews do not even apply as the atmosphere is that toxic. This is a direct result of Israeli passive resistance to terrorism and apparent trepidation to acting boldly to suppress those acting against her. This has to end but for that to come to pass Israel will need to elect a far more active and bold leadership. This can be done but first an election is necessary and the Israeli Zionists and related activists will need find and promote someone to lead one of the existing parties and then support that party with sufficient votes that they either are the party making the coalition or be the main partner in a coalition with sufficient influence to force definitive action. The United States election set in place an opportunity of a lifetime. The election of Donald Trump as President and the fact that for the first time in memory the House of Representatives, the Senate, the White House and soon even the United States Supreme Court will be Republican or conservative making support for Israel, especially as a fair percentage of Democrats in Congress also support Israel, a given, freeing Israel to act without any ramifications from Washington. This is a situation which has not been seen since the founding of the modern state of Israel and may never return again should it disappear in the next election, a certain possibility as the opponents to President Trump will throw everything they have to at least take back the House of Representatives if not also the Senate. There are no guarantees in American politics but the stars and planets have aligned along with the Congress and White House to favor a bold and take-action Israel, now all that is necessary is leadership willing to take action which will define the state of Israel and the state of Israeli politics for the foreseeable future.

 

The unfortunate unanimous vote by the Prime Minister’s Security Cabinet to delay considerations on annexing Maaleh Adumim must be laid in the lap of Prime Minister Netanyahu as well as any leaders of the presumed Zionist and Religious Zionist parties who are represented in the Security Cabinet such as Naftali Bennet. There can be no excuse other than fear of retributions from European nations who are acting with ill will already towards Israel and also allowing similar disregards for their Jewish citizens throughout their college and university communities and even in many cities and towns. The BDS movement is making strides thanks to the recent United Nations Security Council (UNSC) Resolution 2334 which was facilitated by President Obama who had been rumored was personally involved along with his Secretary of State John Kerry as a means of tying incoming President Trump’s hands in dealing with Israel and in the Middle East. The best way to counter the disastrous implications of that UNSC Resolution is strong and defined actions performed as an in your face Israeli response. The UNSC will not be following up and passing any similar or other damaging resolution against Israel as President Trump will reinstate the American veto of such damaging resolution in the UNSC. The message must be delivered to the Knesset that the irons are hot and it is time to put the hammer to anvil and beat out a favorable fait accompli. The time to annex not only Maaleh Adumim, but Bet El, Ariel, Betar Illit, Modi’in Illit, Har Gilo, Gush Etzion at the least and all of Judea and Samaria returning the PLO, Fatah, and all other terrorist affiliated persons to Tunis or wherever in Europe they would be welcome and give the Arab Palestinians their first hopes for a bright and unencumbered future free of the kleptocracy which has stolen all hope from them for the past near quarter of a century. Will the world, particularly Europe, explode in indignation? Probably, but ride out their initial explosion and with time they will tire of complaining and when things here in Israel settle and the Arabs are slowly but surely incorporated into Israeli society and their lives improve immeasurably, there will be less and less reason to protest eventually leaving no reasons to protest. The future with a secure Israel, and this should be the sole consideration of the Knesset, is with Israel with all the lands promised us between the Jordan River to the Mediterranean Sea and not sharing it with any terrorist nest guaranteed to feed the world’s need to hate Israel, and by equal measure hate Jews. Israel could do more to guarantee her future and destroy anti-Semitism by simply annexing all of Judea and Samaria, removing those who would continue being a menace and reward those Arabs who desire living in peace with equality and security for all. By acting to assure Israel’s future and boldly protecting Israel, Israel would herself be combatting anti-Semitism in the world with better efficiency than any other actions could dream of accomplishing. The first question is can Netanyahu act or is he so damaged by the strains of leadership that he is no longer capable of acting definitively and securing the Israeli future? The last question is are the Zionist Israelis organized enough to start and continue programs and demonstrations demanding that the Knesset and the Prime Minister with his Security Cabinet act definitively with a minimum of delay as time is precious, and if we might repeat Rabbi Hillel, “If I am not for myself, then who will be for me? And if I am only for myself, then what am I? And if not now, when?”

 

Beyond the Cusp 

 

The Criminalization of the Jewish State

 

Thank you President Obama, Secretary of State Kerry, United States Ambassador to the United Nations Power as well as members of the United Nations Security Council, China, France, Russia, United Kingdom, United States, Angola, Egypt, Japan, Malaysia, New Zealand, Senegal, Spain, Ukraine, Uruguay and Venezuela for your thoughtful nonbinding UNSC Res. 2334 and especially your special efforts expressing in uncertain references that the world was now free to economically and politically attack Israel with the world’s blessings. Thank you the many areas in the world, especially in Europe as depicted more politely than we would be able by Giulio Meotti in his editorial in Arutz Sheva titled Welcome to Europe’s “Israel Free” Cities and it listing a sampling of these open-minded, progressive, free-thinking and anxious cities vying to be amongst the first to boycott all things Israel. We find ourselves fortunate that you are not sending representatives to Israel to paint “Jude” on the storefronts of Israeli retail outlets and manufacturers to further enlighten the world that they should be shunned and boycotted. We would like to say that we were surprised, shocked even, but we knew you were just waiting for President Obama to make hating and boycotting Israel popular and made “kosher” as well, if such a reference does not upset you as being too Jewish. It is our best of hopes that every Israeli and many Jews decide that visiting your hospitable climes or Jews simply find residing in your loving, warm and caring cities an affront and move somewhere they will be accepted and loved. We have plenty of room here in Israel and will hopefully soon have a whole lot more.

 

The good news is many European Jews are finding the spiteful atmosphere just a tad too hateful and have moved up their decision for making Aliyah and returned to their true home, Israel. Perhaps these cities, towns, municipalities and even entire swaths of the countryside, as in Spain, deciding that a boycott of Israel is in their best interests will place the hint to the Jews residing within areas where the Jewish State is considered something to be spited and blacklisted might not be the most advantageous or even the place where their future may not prove healthy and get the itch which will be given to many by Hashem in the near future and come home before their friendly neighbors decide that a Jew is too Israeli for them. The world is slowly deciding for the Jews that they need to return home to Israel where they will find a happiness unlike any they have ever experienced. All of a sudden being a Jew becomes something easy and so comfortable as you are no longer the other, the outsider, the Jew which will be tolerated as long as it does not act too Jewish. The world may not want things made in Israel, but they actually depend daily on things Israeli and they will not give up those items which make their lives not only easier and richer but in some cases make their lives possible. Their cell phones depend on Israel. If they have stents in the heart they likely were made by Israel. Their instant messenger coding was initially written in Israel. Many agricultural technologies such as drip irrigation which saves water while increasing crop health was invented in Israel. But in order to assist these haters across the world who decide that all things Israel and those things tainted by Israel must be boycotted, allow us to help with this list of ten products you will need to avoid or simply remember all the items from Made in Israel for a more complete list. The thing you won’t need to give up is Stock 84 brandy as it is so good we do not export this gem so you will need to actually visit Israel to enjoy this delicious cordial.

 

Sometimes one need make fun of what is happening, even make jokes about it as the reality is so disgusting and unacceptable that being completely honest and serious all the time becomes tedious and disgust builds. There is little difference between the Nazis painting “Jude” on shop windows and then one fateful night the anti is raised and windows are smashed and stores ransacked with their inventory either stolen or destroyed and even entire blocks in Jewish neighborhoods are set to the torch and blaze throughout the night. From there we know what came next. Defenseless Jews whose weapons had been confiscated using the lists of gun ownership from the Weimar Republic who required gun licensing which they promised would never be used for confiscation. Well, that went completely wrong as the Nazis broke that promise taking the guns from German citizens to keep order and remove any possibility of public threat to their complete domination of the society. This left the Jews, the Roma, and others who the Nazis labeled as undesirables or submerses completely defenseless allowing for the rounding up, mass transfer of entire communities and entire populations leading eventually to the extermination camps. That is where this path leads whether anybody has the nerve to admit this is where the world is heading. There is a difference this time; the Jews you are targeting cannot be disarmed as long as they have Israel. Wait, that makes things all the clearer, doesn’t it.

 

Eretz Yisroel the Israel Solution to Problems is One State Solution with Citizenship for Anybody Who Desires Living in Peace with Equal Rights Responsibilities and Worshiping as One Pleases

 

First weaken Israel with a subversive group claiming lands which the world through the League of Nations and so many treaties and even the promise of the United Nations within Article 80 of the Charter guaranteed all the British Mandate lands west of the Jordan River. The world is attempting to force Israel to give away these promised lands because unless Israel agrees to part with the lands, then they belong to Israel, period, and the world knows this. They refuse to say what they know is the truth because once again they believe they can force the Jews to be disarmed, this time through the destruction of Israel under the barrage of rockets from an Arab terror state carved from Judea and Samaria taking the high ground overlooking all of Israel. That was what UNSC Res 2334 and the follow-on Paris conference were presumed to allow, nay, force. President Obama could singlehandedly push through the UNSC Res 2334 which defined all the lands beyond the Green Line as reserved for that Arab State which now Israel is presumed to be bound to granting. There is one problem, that resolution is no more than a UNGA Resolution like so many that have passed there or the condemnations from the menagerie of Human Rights groups and the presumptuous gifting of the Temple Mount to Islam denying the Jewish and Christian historic and previous claims and ties by UNESCO. The United Nations can pass whatever they decide they think will disposes Israel of her claims and lands but none will stand before any honest court of law, including the International Criminal Court. We have discussed this quite a bit lately and shown even an Egyptian judge sitting on the court stated as an addendum to a decision which the UNGA had requested as stated towards the end of this article. The land belongs to Israel as long as Israel demands so and that is where this must remain.

 

The latest events have had a striking effect which was the opposite of their intention. Right now it matters little what Prime Minister Netanyahu may think or what the government currently sitting in the Knesset might claim, the Israeli people will have the final say and that will be exclaimed with pride that Judea and Samaria along with East Jerusalem are the Jewish ancestral heartland and we will never surrender that land. Any government attempting to give away these lands will crumble and fail with new elections being demanded by the Israeli Zionist majority. The best that the Arabs can hope to gain is the right to behave as semiautonomous governance where they care for their people and rule their cities but under Israeli oversight and protection without anything beyond a police security force, not an actual military. They will never steal the ancient heart of Israel and never ever again tear out eternal capital city of Jerusalem in half and steal the Temple Mount or Old City from Israeli rule. Our annexation of Jerusalem is as final as is our annexation of the Golan Heights. There actually need not be any formal annexation of Judea and Samaria as they are already Israeli and will remain Israeli. There will be no debate and the world can yell, stamp their feet, shake their fists, boycott our goods and in the end they will willingly accept the miracles we discover and the advances in computers, telecommunications, agriculture, medicine, drugs, treatments and other advances across all fields because they will want these items and their people will want these items. Just as the boycotters are not surrendering their cell phones, having their stents replaced, avoiding instant messaging, endoscopy in a capsule, clean geothermal power already built in more than twenty countries, the solar window providing power generation and transparency, cherry tomatoes, BabySense’s device which monitors a baby’s breathing and movements through the mattress during sleep, EpiLady which made the first electric hair remover, Rav Bariach introduced steel security door or any of these other forty-five items. The Israeli people are starting to reach the end of their patience and will soon be demanding action that the government will need heed or else a new government will soon be elected which will listen as the Zionists in Israel and will make their voices heard and their presence felt. Their patience has about run out on the empty promises and knows that the time has come as of a few hours from this posting and probably by the time you are reading this. The time has come and the world can react and do whatever they think is required. We have seen how attempting to work with the world gets us; hate, boycotts and threats from every corner. We have reached the point where we are willing to state, “What is the world going to do, hate us? Been there and received that and really do not care as the world will get over it, or not.”

 

Beyond the Cusp