Is It Time for the Iranian Mullahs to Go?

 

President Trump has finished one job in the Middle East which has been on the “to-do list” for over twenty years. That, of course, was recognizing Jerusalem as the capital of Israel and setting in motion moving the United States embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. One can only hope and pray that he remains in office and on-top of this momentous project assuring that it is accomplished. Should President Trump not complete the embassy move within his remaining three years and not be reelected, then the next President could simply return to signing the six-month waiver provided in the 1995 Legislation calling for this relocation and place it back in limbo. That would be sad indeed. There was a threat which came from the various leaders of the Middle East about how this move would cause the entirety of the area to erupt into uncontrolled violence. Fortunately, the only real violence was contained to Gaza and selected locations for maximum effect in the Palestinian Authority areas. Sure there were demonstrations held for a day or two, three at the most around the Middle East, but these were obviously planned and though appearing violent and potentially destructive for the camera crews, they were likely more like the riot scene on a movie set with the action peaking when the cameras went on and some coaching and practice between shots for the noon and evening news shots in the capitals of the world. Watching these in person one would likely have seen them preparing for each live broadcast, “from the Middle East where rioting is ongoing,” But have we been shown the full extent of the demonstrations in the Middle East? The answer to that is a definitive no.

 

The media alluded to demonstrations in Iran after President Trump announced the embassy move and recognition of Jerusalem and a few had scenes of demonstrators protesting against Israel and the United States. In Iran this is a normal scene as this specific set of demonstrators are well trained and ordered in their mayhem and are employed ever Friday after prayers to whip up the crowd before the government official, occasionally the Supreme Leader himself, where, “Death to America,” “Death to Israel” and “Death to the Jews,” are chanted often rhythmically almost as if there were a conductor leading the chant. Even sports stadium chants which are often put to music are less synchronized. Such demonstrations from Iran are almost professionally conducted where a core leads a large gathering of extras in that evening’s routine. What is interesting is that there are protests still ongoing throughout much of Iran despite the camera crews ignoring them and the reporters seemingly having gone home. One has to wonder why these protests are not being covered. They have their own, “Death to (the person of their choice),” being chanted so we have to assume that these protests are not news worthy because they are not targeting the correct people to support the media happy story that Trump is a tyrant who won through Russian collusion and actually Hillary should be in the White House theme. That leaves one to wonder exactly are what the Iranians are protesting, why are they protesting, and what if anything should be done about these protests.

 

Below we have included an insider’s video placed on YouTube showing the demonstrations unedited and commentary free. For those desiring commentary beyond here, below the first video we include CNN coverage followed by Al-Jazeera English. After that we will give our hopes for Iran and the world, particularly the Middle East as Iran was placed into a beneficial position with numerous options other than placing everything into military conquest across the Middle East and could have assisted the people and made life more comfortable and, in too many cases, made basic survival and life easier for the working classes.

 

And

And

 

The Iranian people rose up against the government and the stolen election in 2009 in the Green Revolution, probably with hopes that United States President Obama, who had shown some interest in assisting Iran, would take their side allowing for a reformation of power structures and the people given their freedom and the nations permitted to engage in economic reform. When the Iranian Supreme Leader Grand Ayatollah Sayyid Ali Hosseini Khamenei and President Ahmadinejad and the others in power decided that the protests had to end, they called out their special forces known as the Basij. These Basij are a volunteer paramilitary force who operates under the command of the IRGC* and are often dressed as civilians without any identifiable uniforms. The Basij are an internal security, law enforcement and special religious or political force and morals policing which use shaming and often severe physical violence and torture as they are given great amounts of latitude with minimal oversight. This was greatly evident when they were turned loose on the 2009 Green Revolution protesters. President Obama took a strong stand on the Green Revolution, unfortunately backing the government crushing of the protests with heavy tactics resulting in the deaths of numerous protesters. The Basij came riding motorcycles initially using clubs and eventually using rifles. The visual which portrayed the violence with the most emotion grabbing heartbreak was the needless shooting death of Neda Agha-Soltan who became the image of that failed reaching of hope. We are approaching a point where we may suffer 2009 Green Revolution redux. That will be the point where the world will need to answer the same questions again, intervene and support the demonstrators or simply sit back and cry over the violence and deaths.

 

Neda Agha-Soltan Shot by Basij Militias in 2009 Green Revolution in Iran

 

The coming days and weeks may be the first true test of President Trump and his foreign policies. Thusfar President Trump has been a mixed bag on foreign policy sometimes appearing to simply repeat the last item any of his advisors had whispered in his ear. That leaves for a mixture of views so disjointed that finding a common strand becomes challenging. His most steady positions have been his support of Israel and meeting his promise to move the American Embassy to Jerusalem, demanding that the Europeans actually carry their weight and meet their obligations to NATO and other treaties, and that the United Nations actually commit to the functions it was intended to attend and perform functions beyond, or preferably instead, sanctioning Israel as if they were the world’s sole problem. President Trump has shown Tweet-support for the Iranian demonstrators. We have included his #IranProtests Tweet (see image below). Of course, pressing the little bird on your phone posting #IranProtests is great but is not actual foreign policy. Fortunately, the State Department has also come out in support of the Iranian protesters. That is also a huge turnaround from their 2009 position when they were in lockstep with President Obama and selling out the farm to please the Iranian Mullahs. The problem comes when we look at what the Iranian power structure will most likely do when they grow tired and have had enough of these demonstrations. Their track record makes guessing their next move unfortunately all too easy.

 

President Trump’s #IranProtests Tweets

 

If only the world were so easy that a simple tweet including any # with name of problem would solve things. The news panned President Trump’s #IranProtests tweet as minimal and next to useless, a long call different than they reacted over an earlier White House Tweet. Anyone remember the drooling over the sentiment and great power of a tweet back a few years. You remember the Tweet of the century, or so one would have thought. We will include a picture to help you below. That’s right, we are talking about the picture of Michelle Obama with the seriously forlorn look holding her #BringBackOurGirls little sign when Boko Haram kidnapped an entire school of young Nigerian girls. That tweet sign was supposed to force the return of the girls because how could the terrorists resist such pressure. We claimed that tweet was worthless and we feel that President Trump’s #IranProtests might be a nice soft way of stating where he stands, but Tweets are not solutions, not when Michelle Obama did one and not now with Trump doing one. Perhaps a short, prime time speech on the Iran protests and the United States support of people seeking freedom and a governance which addresses their needs first rather than waging wars across the Middle East from Syria to Yemen.

 

 

The Iranian regime will, at some point in the not too distant future, turn on the protesters with ever-increasing violence. When this begins, President Trump will need to take a stand and do so with something a whole lot of a bit stronger than another #IranProtests sent from the Presidential I-phone. That is when Donald Trump will need to call up that Presidential Donald he boasted we would see once he was in the White House. He has made some impressive and very poignant speeches when abroad but this time he is going to need to make one of those style speeches from the White House quite possibly with Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, Secretary of Defense James Norman Mattis (former four-star Marine General), Chairman of the Joints Chief of Staff Joseph Dunford (an active four-star Marine General) and the White House Chief of Staff John Francis Kelly (former four-star Marine General) with the retired Generals wearing their dress uniforms just for effect and to make the statement in a manner which the Mullahs, even Supreme Leader Grand Ayatollah Khamenei will understand. The Middle East is where the strong horse is respected and all others eat sand, some literally. Many Americans will protest making such a gaudy show of the President surrounded by so many men of military bearing, but sometimes one must speak in the language your target audience, in this case, the Iranian leadership all religious, political and military will fully understand. Targeting the speech and framing the message, as seriously as intended is what matters. Would it help the President if the media were to take him seriously and not instead find every nit-picky thing to berate and weaken the speech and its effect as they have done in the past would be working against the demonstrators and their hopes as well as the President. We would hope that the media would take the speech and its intent and enhance its seriousness and weight as backing for the Iranian people, but perhaps we hope for too much.

 

Beyond the Cusp

 

* IRGC = Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps

 

Islamic Intents: Israel, India, Nigeria, Europe, United States and Beyond

 

Islam is directed by the Medina Quran according to all the scholars mainly because that is what is taught in Cairo in the Al-Azhar University, and what is taught there will be taught throughout Islam. Here are a few select verses from the Quran as written by Muhammad well after his disgrace of being chased from Mecca where his preaching led to his banishment. In Medina, Muhammad started anew as he became a warlord and fashioned the new writings of the Quran to make all that his new life would demand, would be also in the name of Allah and further himself as the ruler and leader of the Muslims. They would soon follow these teachings and break out of the Arabic Peninsula and following his words of conquest. spreading across the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) and on into Europe in Spain, into France where in the battle of Tours his forces were finally defeated and to the gates of Vienna twice only to be spurned and sent back to Istanbul (formerly Constantinople). So, now for the verses which drive Islam today, not the peaceful ones which they spout to gullible Westerners who gobble whatever they are told up unverified and do no investigation themselves or they know the Quran and care little for what their Islam is the religion of peace and quotes of excepts of the Mecca Quran, the abrogated verses used only as Taqiyya.

Quranic verse 8:39
وَقَاتِلُوهُمْ حَتَّىٰ لَا تَكُونَ فِتْنَةٌ وَيَكُونَ الدِّينُ كُلُّهُ لِلَّهِ فَإِنِ انتَهَوْا فَإِنَّ اللَّهَ بِمَا يَعْمَلُونَ بَصِ
The Clear Quran, Dr. Mustafa Khattab: Fight against them until there is no more persecution—and devotion will be entirely to Allah. But if they desist, then surely Allah is All-Seeing of what they do.

Quranic verse 9:5
فَإِذَا انسَلَخَ الْأَشْهُرُ الْحُرُمُ فَاقْتُلُوا الْمُشْرِكِينَ حَيْثُ وَجَدتُّمُوهُمْ وَخُذُوهُمْ وَاحْصُرُوهُمْ وَاقْعُدُوا لَهُمْ كُلَّ مَرْصَدٍ فَإِن تَابُوا وَأَقَامُوا الصَّلَاةَ وَآتَوُا الزَّكَاةَ فَخَلُّوا سَبِيلَهُمْ إِنَّ اللَّهَ غَفُورٌ رَّحِي
The Clear Quran, Dr. Mustafa Khattab: But once the Sacred Months have passed, kill the polytheists ˹who violated their treaties˺ wherever you find them, capture them, besiege them, and lie in wait for them on every way. But if they repent, perform prayers, and pay alms-tax, then set them free. Indeed, Allah is All-Forgiving, Most Merciful.

Quranic verse 9:14
قَاتِلُوهُمْ يُعَذِّبْهُمُ اللَّهُ بِأَيْدِيكُمْ وَيُخْزِهِمْ وَيَنصُرْكُمْ عَلَيْهِمْ وَيَشْفِ صُدُورَ قَوْمٍ مُّؤْمِنِينَ
The Clear Quran, Dr. Mustafa Khattab: ˹So˺ fight them and Allah will punish them at your hands, put them to shame, help you overcome them, and soothe the hearts of the believers.

Quranic verse 47:4
فَإِذَا لَقِيتُمُ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا فَضَرْبَ الرِّقَابِ حَتَّىٰ إِذَا أَثْخَنتُمُوهُمْ فَشُدُّوا الْوَثَاقَ فَإِمَّا مَنًّا بَعْدُ وَإِمَّا فِدَاءً حَتَّىٰ تَضَعَ الْحَرْبُ أَوْزَارَهَا ذَٰلِكَ وَلَوْ يَشَاءُ اللَّهُ لَانتَصَرَ مِنْهُمْ وَلَٰكِن لِّيَبْلُوَ بَعْضَكُم بِبَعْضٍ وَالَّذِينَ قُتِلُوا فِي سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ فَلَن يُضِلَّ أَعْمَالَهُ
The Clear Quran, Dr. Mustafa Khattab: So when you meet the disbelievers ˹in battle˺, strike ˹their˺ necks until you have thoroughly subdued them, then bind them firmly. Later ˹free them either as˺ an act of grace or by ransom until the war comes to an end. So will it be. Had Allah willed, He ˹Himself˺ could have inflicted punishment on them. But He does ˹this only to˺ test some of you by means of others. And those who are martyred in the cause of Allah, He will never render their deeds void.

Quranic verse 61:4
إِنَّ اللَّهَ يُحِبُّ الَّذِينَ يُقَاتِلُونَ فِي سَبِيلِهِ صَفًّا كَأَنَّهُم بُنْيَانٌ مَّرْصُوصٌ
The Clear Quran, Dr. Mustafa Khattab: Surely Allah loves those who fight in His cause in ˹solid˺ ranks as if they were one concrete structure.

Quranic verse 61:9
هُوَ الَّذِي أَرْسَلَ رَسُولَهُ بِالْهُدَىٰ وَدِينِ الْحَقِّ لِيُظْهِرَهُ عَلَى الدِّينِ كُلِّهِ وَلَوْ كَرِهَ الْمُشْرِكُو
The Clear Quran, Dr. Mustafa Khattab: He is the One Who has sent His Messenger with ˹true˺ guidance and the religion of truth, making it prevail over all others, even to the dismay of the polytheists.

Quranic verse 66:9
يَا أَيُّهَا النَّبِيُّ جَاهِدِ الْكُفَّارَ وَالْمُنَافِقِينَ وَاغْلُظْ عَلَيْهِمْ وَمَأْوَاهُمْ جَهَنَّمُ وَبِئْسَ الْمَصِي
The Clear Quran, Dr. Mustafa Khattab: O Prophet! Struggle against the disbelievers and the hypocrites, and be firm with them. Hell will be their home. What an evil destination!

 

The Quran contains at least one-hundred-nine verses that call Muslims to war with nonbelievers for the sake of Islamic rule. We will not suffer to list all of them and hope our brief sampling will suffice. If you wish them all, then our advice is to read the entire Quran and Hadiths for yourself and remember that there were the Mecca verses of coexistence and peace, which were followed and abrogated by those written in Medina. We can offer a short article we wrote describing this titled “<href=http://wp.me/pIou8-3B target=blank>Which Quran, Mecca or Medina?” but also advise this page as in the comments there are numerous links to actual Quranic texts with some in chronological order and others divided by subject matter or which city, Mecca or Medina, in which they were written.

 

This is the face of Islam that many people all over the globe face daily as the majority of wars are fought all along the borders of Islam, everywhere the Muslims reside. These wars are being conducted from Mindanao in the Philippines, where the Maute group also known as the Islamic State of Lanao, through the most obvious, which is Israel where Hezballah, Hamas, Islamic Jihad and the Palestinian Liberation Organization which calls itself the Palestinian Authority to Palestine depending on with whom they are dealing, and continuing on onto the Horn of Africa and to Nigeria where Boko Haram is attempting to destroy the Christian and Animists and take over the government and then they will move to the neighboring states where they already are disrupting the societies of Mali, Cameroon, Burkina and the other nations in the region.

 

Map of Nigeria with Africa

 

Nigeria has been one of the regions that have not received the media it unfortunately should, considering the level of the violence committed by the terror group Boko Haram. We all remember possibly Chibok schoolgirls kidnapping. On the night of April 14–15, 2014, Boko Haram invaded the Government Secondary School in the town of Chibok in the Borno State, Nigeria and kidnapped two-hundred-seventy-six young women. They raided the school dressed and pretending to be guards taking the young women away in trucks, possibly into the Konduga area of the Sambisa Forest where Boko Haram were known to have fortified camps. Some of the young women, more like teenaged girls, managed to escape over time and some were released. It was reported by one of the young women who escaped that six of the kidnapped students had died. A large number were forced into marriages after forcibly being converted to Islam, almost all of the girls were Christians, with a number suspected of being moved to neighboring countries, largely Cameroon and Chad where Boko Haram has secure camps. A video was released on May 5, 2014, in which Boko Haram leader Abubakar Shekau took responsibility for the girls’ kidnapping and further stated, “Allah instructed me to sell them…I will carry out his instructions.” As well as additionally stating, “Slavery is allowed in my religion, and I shall capture people and make them slaves.” The Royal Air Force special operations division offered to launch an attempted rescue but the Nigerian government refused permission. First Lady Michelle Obama holds a sign with the #BringBackOurGirls hash tag, posted to her official Twitter account, helping to spread the awareness of the kidnapping. Some wonder if perhaps the United States might have offered a modicum more assistance considering their intelligence capabilities, satellite world coverage and the finest military on the planet, but we all do what we are willing to do and get as involved as we believe required.

 

 

A joint U.S.-Israel project, which modified the Beechcraft C-12 Huron aircraft for electronic warfare and reconnaissance, was being used and “may prove decisive in finding the girls,” according to one source. The other important take away from this one horrific incident is that it took this level of terror from Boko Haram for Nigeria to even break the level for international news coverage. This has not been the sole time that women and young girls have been kidnapped by Boko Haram and is far from the only attack. According to the The Christian Post quoting a report from the youth wing of the Christian Association of Nigeria, “At least 900 Christian churches have been destroyed at the hands of Boko Haram in northern Nigeria, as part of the Islamic radical group’s campaign to drive out all Christians from the north.” Their attacks have included raiding Christian churches during services and barring the exits then setting the building on fire shooting anyone attempting to escape in any manner. Some of the worst of such attacks have taken place on Christmas Eve and Easter Sunday. Boko Haram has also raided villages shooting as many people as possible and leveling as much destruction as possible in a lightning attack where shooting and firebombings are the norm. Their entire methodology is to spread fear and terror hoping to force the Christians, according to the experts, from the northern areas of Nigeria such as Borno, Yobe, Bquchi, Yobe, Jigawa, Gombe, Kano, Katsina and others in that region. We unfortunately cannot agree with the experts as their desire in Nigeria is little different than it has been in Israel; the Palestinian Areas where close to ninety-percent of Christians that have been driven out of Bethlehem, Gaza and the rest of the areas under their control, in Lebanon where over half the Christian population has fled the country, and the remainder of the MENA nations.

 

What is being permitted in Nigeria and across the MENA area as well as in the South Sudan, the Balkans, the areas of Kenya and Ethiopia closest to the Horn of Africa and closest to Somalia and Eretria, with the Coptic Christians in Egypt who are also being targeted by Libyan terrorist gangs now, which Egypt, to the credit of President Sisi, has struck at for their attacks, and soon to come to many localities throughout Europe. We believe that we can promise that once these type of events happen in European capitals with the regularity that they have to our friends in Nigeria, then those attacks will make the news. Unfortunately, attacks in northern Africa, which includes Nigeria, and Israel are not considered newsworthy. Why that is we will leave up to our readers to figure out, we’re too busy here complaining often about Israel being ignored and have also not been as up on things in Africa as perhaps we should. May we take this opportunity to our readership in the MENA area and have them perhaps use our mail-to (in the right column) feature and send us news and links from time to time and we will try our best to incorporate some as we are able. Thank you ahead of time.

 

Beyond the Cusp

 

President Rivlin, the Post Zionist

 

Israeli President Reuven Rivlin has had a very interesting and denigrating visit in the United States which began with a meeting with United States President Barack Obama as we covered in our article Once Again the Discussion is How to Satiate Mahmoud Abbas where the two Presidents discussed their mutual concern of the consequences should Mahmoud Abbas and the governing Palestinian Authority (PA) fail due to one of any number of reasons, many of which were caused by Abbas and his supporting band of kleptocrats. The President of the United States was sounding out on his guest what very well will soon be an enacted plan which will more likely blame Israel generally and Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu for not salvaging any remnant of hope for continuing the ill-fated peace process. The aim and results of the secretive meeting between the Presidents, one, the Israeli, in a nonpolitical role and the other, the American, all too political very likely misled and made indications which though meaningless and no promise of Israeli intents or actions will still be utilized to attempt to bulldoze concessions from the Israeli government in order to reconstitute the PA and restore faith and trust in the idea that Mahmoud Abbas, Saab Erekat and the rest of the officers in the PA are agents seeking peace. This has been the misconception which had been the basis of the United States policies and decisions as well as the underpinning of the European Union and its individual governments such that their condemnation of Israel can be made with righteous indignation only exceeded by their hypocrisy and that by their resurgent anti-Semitism whose historic malfeasance is epic and writ throughout European history. We cannot say for certain that President Reuven Rivlin promised that the Israelis were willing to give away the store in order to have peace and were willing to accept almost any demand in order to satisfy Abbas and make a final peace. The problem there is for Abbas to accept a peace it would require the end of Israel as we know it. The question is whether President Rivlin knows such or is he the new Simon Peres, his predecessor as President and possibly the most damaging person to ever hold the office.

 

But Israeli President Reuven Rivlin’s fateful week was far from over and would hit two distinct peaks, or should we say sink to two troughs, one at the White House Hanukkah Party and the other at a very unusually decorated Haaretz Party with some questionable guests and main speaker in New York. First the White House Hanukkah Party where at least President Rivlin was not the main problem, his not making some protest, a mild and polite rebuke would have sufficed, but to pretend nothing untoward had occurred was a bit disappointing. Of what should President Rivlin made a critical comment? The Rabbi must have been carefully vetted by the White House to find the least Jewish most ardent leftist which called herself a Rabbi. What she was was a walking, talking advertisement for why Reform and Reconstructionist Rabbis and their congregations may not actually be all that Jewish and a reason for orthodoxy. The hand-picked Rabbi’s name was Susan Talve and I plan to take great care to keep the title of Rabbi separated from her name out of respect for the title of Rabbi. Susan Talve touched every liberal cause, or should we say extreme leftist as we feel that even some of the most liberal American Jews would have still felt uncomfortable with Susan Talve and even more so were she named their congregation’s Rabbi and they heard her presentation at the White House. With her opportunity to light the Hanukkah candles one would have expected at least one comment about Israel, the Maccabees, the little vial of oil burning for eight days or something related to Hanukkah, Israel or Judaism, which she did not unless leftist Democrat talking points is now considered Judaism which would be a sad commentary on American Jewish community, but we refuse to believe that the entirety of Judaism in the United States are this lost from their roots.

 

So, what was it that Susan Talve, the White House selected Rabbi, said which was offensive? Well, it is a multiple choice test as she made a number of questionable statements with some sufficient on their own for rebuke and the others simply further supportive evidence. For a soft preparatory introduction we will tell that she wanted her fellow Jews or Americans, she did not specify, to “clean up the fires of toxic nuclear waste.” We never realized that nuclear waste, even toxic nuclear waste, actually qualified as something on fire or even that such gave off flames of any kind by the regular definition of flames or any kind of fire, and I was a trained crash and rescue air field military firefighter; so I know a little about what constitutes a fire. Then there was another of the milder comments when Susan Talve pleaded for getting the “guns off our streets.” As the old Ronco ads said, but wait, there’s more. She has been described as screeching though I prefer to be kinder and refer to it as a high pitched emphasized with ample volume firmly warbling, “I stand here with my fierce family of clergy and Black Lives Matter activists who took to the streets of Ferguson.” Well now, guess we are starting to go off the rails finally. While rambling on about anything but the reasons and events celebrated in Hanukkah where one of the Priestly class was forced to make an apparent choice between making a sacrifice to a Syrian-Greek idol or be murdered along with the entire town he served decided to refuse the two choices and take matters into his own hands. Grabbing the Syrian-Greek unit commander’s sword the lead priest and head of the Maccabee family, Mattathias the Hasmonean, first killed the individual who stepped forward offering to make the sacrifice for Mattathias and then killed the Temple Priest who accompanied the Syrian-Greeks as they were an anathema to the Jewish religion and with the assistance of his family, Judas Maccabee and his four brothers, Eleazar, Simon, John, and Jonathan; Mattathias started the revolution with the words as he prepared to head into the Judean hills from where they fought a guerilla war eventually causing the Syrian-Greeks to depart with the words, “Those who are with Hashem come with me.”

 

The epitome of the offensive and anti-Rabbi whose name must not touch the title she claimed and the White House chosen Rabbi when lighting the Hanukkah Candles, Susan Talve made her dedication, probably instead of the actual blessings, “I stand here to light these lights to say no the darkness of Islamophobia and Homophobia and Transphobia.” And in her continued running at the mouth before she mercifully was seated included here represented in bits and pieces she called for, “Justice for Palestinians” and closed with the coup de gras, “InshAllah, InshAllah.”

 

 

Israeli President Reuven Rivlin Lighting Hanukkah Candles
at President and Michelle Obama National Hanukkah Party

 

 

Then there was the Haaretz Party in New York, New York. As with any party this had its share of luminaries. What it did not have are supporters of Israel. This was a very exclusive event with Roger Waters of Pink Floyd and BDS (Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions) supporter who has actively advised other performers against playing or performing in Israel. This is forgivable. Coming to an event where Avner Gevaryahu, representing Breaking the Silence was the featured speaker is highly questionable as long as your time at the microphone defends the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) and makes known your discomfort with the invitation of such a hater of the IDF might be in order. Remaining at an event being given by what we are to assume is an Israeli news source which has removed and refused to display the Israeli flag is an insult to every caring and patriotic Israeli. One does not need be a Zionist to expect Haaretz to display the flag of Israel, particularly when inviting the President of Israel to attend and making the comfort of the Israeli President and the Israeli People he represents over an anti-Israeli representing a group which is reprehensibly defaming the IDF, is unacceptable. No foreign nation would invite the President of Israel, or any other nations’ President, and not fly the Israeli flag in honor of his presence. To not permit the flag of Israel is firstly an offense committed by Haaretz as one of Israel’s presumably premiere news sources even worse than having Avner Gevaryahu, representing Breaking the Silence, as your featured speaker and placing his speaking as featured over President Rivlin are first and foremost an insult by Haaretz against the Israeli people, the Israeli Defense Forces, and the nation of Israel.

 

It is solely because this event was an anathema to any respectable and patriotic Israeli and triple that to any Zionist Israeli and should have been sufficient warnings that this was not a venue suitable for the President of Israel who is presumably the representative of all Israelis and by attending and apparently having no difficulty with the insult to the nation of Israel and her people by refusing to fly our flag is where President Rivlin showed poor judgement and to put the bow on top, he gave a warm and welcoming speech expressing his pleasure and privilege for attending an event that so insulted the nation and its peoples. President Rivlin, it is your poor judgement in representing most Israelis we know, potentially every Israeli we know, that have us questioning your sensitivity to our expectations and something we would sincerely request you either become more sensitive to our feelings and sensitivities or hire a person who could assist you in sensing when Israelis like those we represent and other friends of Israel we represent from our readership that we show our concerns and hope your staff will find somebody from amongst them or from outside to alert you to such potential signs which might arouse our concerns in the future. Until such wisdom and discernment is shown by preferably yourself, or at least one in your staff, we will remain fearful that we once again have a President from whom we can again expect insult after insult to our feelings and once more we are left unrepresented in the office which is presumably tasked with representing Israel spiritually and emotionally and to show respect for our nation and its valued trappings such as the flag and the IDF. We hope that is not too much to ask of our President but thus far we are unsure such a level of dignity will be forthcoming. We have a friend who expressed suspicions that the Presidential Office or potentially the Residence itself has a particularly virulent virus which will infect every Israeli President going forward called Peresitis. We hope that you can be cured of Peresitis and have the entire trappings of the Presidency cleansed of this virulent endemic of Peresitis as soon as an antidote or other method of destroying this pathogen can be found. Until then we can only hope your case of Peresitis passes soon from your system and your developed immunity can also cure the rest of the trappings of your office from Peresitis.

 

Beyond the Cusp