Beyond the Cusp

February 17, 2016

The Israeli Political Class is the Problem

 

There is a malaise in Israel. The pale it casts darkens all horizons. There are those who claim they are Zionists; And those who claim they are Nationalist; And there are those hiding behind a title of Zionism and Union with the world. Let’s face it, if you are truly a Zionist, truly a Nationalist then you would hold to the dream, the dream of the great Zionist Nationalists who went before. The ones whose names precede the State of Israel; the ones whose names echo in the minds of those who have the flame within; the giants whose tombs we approached with reverential honor and a small amount of trepidation because we know those graves will ask us what we have done. What can we tell these giants who handed us a State, a Jewish and Zionist State which spread from the Jordan River to the Mediterranean Sea. They understand the land lost in the great first war where we were unable to regain Gaza and all of Judea and Samaria and even a small part of Benyamin but worst of all we lost half of Yerushalayim including the entirety of the Old City, the Temple Mount, the Mount of Olives, Mount Moriah, as well as Kever Yoseph, Kever Rachael and the Cave of Machpelah. We lost Mount Gerizim and Mount Ebal which were the Mounts of blessings and curses respectively and the curses far outnumbered the blessings, a warning we should always heed. As it was written:

Devarim (Deuteronomy) 11:29:7
וְהָיָה, כִּי יְבִיאֲךָ יְהוָה אֱלֹהֶיךָ, אֶל-הָאָרֶץ, אֲשֶׁר-אַתָּה בָא-שָׁמָּה לְרִשְׁתָּהּ–וְנָתַתָּה אֶת-הַבְּרָכָה עַל-הַר גְּרִזִים, וְאֶת-הַקְּלָלָה עַל-הַר עֵיבָל.
And it shall come to pass, when the LORD thy God shall bring thee into the land whither thou goest to possess it, that thou shalt set the blessing upon mount Gerizim, and the curse upon mount Ebal.

Jericho, Bethlehem, Shechem (Nablus), Hevron, and all the lands, towns, cities which existed under Jordanian occupation from 1948-9 until liberated in June of 1967 in the Six Day War are returned to Eretz Yisroel and must be incorporated into the land in order that we may settle the lands of Eretz Yisroel. As the Jordanians had granted to those who desired citizenship, citizenship which it claimed to cancel after their losing the lands, proving these Arabs, who were no different than Jordanian Arabs, had no value to their brothers unless they were displacing, what even Jordanians would call, the accursed Jews, we can just feel the warmth. Those who were granted Jordanian citizenship should have immediately been given a simple choice; remain in Israel as alien Jordanian residents of Israel; request and work through an acclimation and absorption series of classes in Hebrew, Old Testament and Jewish traditions and practices; or take a generous offer for their lands and structures such as homes and businesses and cross the Allenby Bridge all the wealthier and then proceeded anywhere in the world but Israel. This would have settled the problems with the liberation of the remainders of Judea, Benyamin and Samaria and incorporated all of the lands within their natural borders of Israel. As far as the Waqf and the Temple Mount, they could have been granted jurisdiction over actual recognized Islamic structures while the different Christian sects would work out between themselves who was responsible and was the official caretaker of what parts of which Christian holy site, and the State of Israel would guard, clear, clean and allow universal prayer rights to all across the entirety of the Temple Mount not within a structure and thus under some governance.

 

No areas of now fully liberated and free Israel other than specific holy sites would be held and governed by some foreign entity, especially a terrorist group which is exactly that the Palestinian Authority (PA) is, just prettied up by renaming the Palestinian Liberation Organization (PLO) to Fatah and then allow an election to place them in charge of something called the Palestinian Authority (PA) and claim they are now a partner for peace. It is all a scheming lie thought out by the powers other than Israel in the rest of the world such as the United Nations, European Union and its predecessor the European Common Market, the United Nations, Soviet Union, United States, Britain, France, Germany and some individual people with more money than brains all decided that they were slowly but inexorably going to destroy Israel replacing it with an Arab State, not the Arab State but an Arab state as it would be the twenty-third Arab State because twenty-two are not sufficient so the one and only Jewish State must be erased from the earth and replaced with the twenty-third, or if Hamas makes one and Fatah makes one they would be the twenty-third and twenty-fourth Arab States. But that would not be fair to Islamic Jihad so perhaps they could have a twenty-fifth Arab State. And the twenty or so self-important families who have gained sufficient power and finances to demand their own fiefdom? We cannot slight them after all they have done to enslave Palestinians. Truth be told, whatever Arab entities are formed would all be dysfunctional requiring a constant stream of money in order to claim functionality. Thus the world would be demanded to continue the investment of billions of Dollars and Euros every year with it soon to rise to trillions except for one small item; once these entities have taken Israel out, the world will lose all interest and these entities will be on their own which would soon result in five to ten surges of refugees leaving these dysfunctional states seeking the comfort of the European Union and member state’s safety net to care for them as they plot the overthrow of whatever friendly bureaucracy was feeding them. One need remember that the sole thing these Arabs have been trained to do is throw rocks and claim themselves victim to any and all conspiracies happen to be popular, the one percenters at the bottom using the government to allow them to change places with the top one percent. Even if such were possible and the European Union actually did such a useless venture, the new top one percent would be the bottom one percent within three years and the previous top one percent would rise from the ashes as unto the phoenix reborn from the flames and depths of poverty right back to near if not in the top one percent. But the world would be left wanting, forever the poorer, if they destroy Israel.

 

 

Arab World Showing Twenty-One of Twenty-Two States with Comoros off the Map South of the Arabian Peninsula and Depicted in Bright Blue the Sole Jewish State with its Original Borders of Jordan River to the Mediterranean Sea And That They Claim is the Excessive Demand of the Jews

Arab World Showing Twenty-One of Twenty-Two States
with Comoros off the Map South of the Arabian Peninsula
and Depicted in Bright Blue the Sole Jewish State with its
Original Borders of Jordan River to the Mediterranean Sea
And That They Claim is the Excessive Demand of the Jews

 

 

Why would we claim the world would be lost without Israel? Well, that is an easy one. Should Israel disappear, as the powers that be appear to desire, then soon the world would lose the remnants of the Jewish race as with nowhere to run and find other Jews ready to defend the family, they would simply perish as their connection to Judaism, true and Torah observant Judaism, is barely tenable as it is and would be cut forever without a place to call home. The rising anti-Semitism is claiming that its roots are in Israel and the brashness and irreconcilable rejection of making peace and allowing the formation of another Arab state taken out of its lands, its hide so to speak. The British Mandate lands were supposed to be the Jewish State but the British made as a justification for stealing over three-quarters of the land that the Jews would never number sufficient population to require as much land as was set aside, as if there would never in any future be the possibility of Jews in numbers to require more than the lands left for them which are attempting to again steal pieces. Jordan ended up with the lion’s share of the land but there is no manner of way the world would have Jordan absorb these people whom they once granted citizenship and then rescinded it when the land was returned to Israel. People need to understand that on the morning that Israel became a nation, her borders included all the lands west of the Jordan River, all of Gaza, all of Judea, all of Benyamin and all of Samaria. Jordan and Egypt were the true occupiers, the real colonialists taking lands from an indigenous people. But now there has been invented a new indigenous people who have their claimed roots in Judea and Samaria called Palestinians. They never resided in Syria, Jordan, Egypt or had ancestry from the Arabian Peninsula, they have lived in the “West Bank” practicing Islam for nine-thousand years according to a statement made and then retracted from the PLO Facebook page. Never mind that they were not present in the years before 1850 and almost none were reported residing here in Mark Twain’s account of his travels in the Holy Lands, neither Jew nor Arab as the entire population was as sparse as the vegetation, look it up.

 

But that has changed, and boy has it changed. There are bustling cities with tall new buildings with their glass and steel gleaming from amongst a patina of the old which still remains and refuses to surrender its land but slowly the new replaces the old as if a correction bringing modernity to a land whose ancient roots run deep into the soil. There is a vibrancy and in the north between the rising metropolises there are farms and open grazing lands still used by shepherds and their flocks who follow ancient routes to their grazing areas doing so as they have for centuries thus knowing when to move saving the lands so it will refresh for the visit next year. The mixing of new and old is even evident in the farming as in some of the less arable lands the water is recycled constantly with nutrients carefully injected into full hillsides of hydroponics raising crops and produce year round. There are orchards of olive trees seemingly as old as the hills whose sides they cling to as if to claim their area and protect it from other plants soaking up sun and soil. There are even mixtures of peoples with some wearing the dress from centuries gone faded into the past in Europe and the rest of the Western World but preserved as so much is in this truly ancient land that is sprouting a new shape amongst the old. Israel reflects the culture in which start-up companies appear in numbers unmatched around the world and only exceeded by nations beyond comparison in size and populations. Yet there is a hesitancy amongst many who fear the world and what it might think or say. In a land where boldness exudes from every corner and people strike out to force their way into the world and high-tech is the buzzword as well as the byword for so many, but those are not the politicians. Even those who made their name in technology and innovation and have now turned to politics soon lose their formidable presence and soon become hesitant, troubled. They begin to doubt even themselves, or so it seems. The brash and strikingly bold politicians who rose and defended the land in deed and word and always with style that was proper but always gave a spark of hubris appear to have deserted Israel and been replaced with the crafty and calculating always guarding their against misstep and so carefully crafting their words that they too often nuance their meaning making it unintelligible. The glamour and wonder of your words lose effect if their meaning is not starkly defined and presented framed and complete. Israel has too little precious land and lives in the midst of a roiling cauldron with wars surrounding her and threats come even from within the Knesset itself where more than a handful of traitors do stir. They are the ones with the brash boldness from which too many wilt. When they scream and make a tempest, it is requisite upon every true Zionist to take the wind from their sails and use it to sound the ram’s horns and bring down their pedestals like we brought down the walls of Jericho.

 

Perhaps what we have are too many nationalists who can live with splitting off pieces of land arguing demographics to give this away today and Hashem knows what tomorrow. The Zionist knows the boundaries which were promised by Hashem and knows that the rest of the world is equally aware though they lie and steal ambuscading that which is known but all too seldom stood upon as the principle they are. We need more Zionists of the bravado and principle as those of ages past, those like Ze’ev Jabotinsky, Rabbi Meir Kahane or more recently Menachem Begin who was a fighter who also knew the value of an honest peace. None of these Zionists would have allowed the bringing into the lands the beating heart of terrorism and murderer of all Israel if given the slightest opportunity. There is no need for Israel to surrender even a single atom of our lands because the Europeans or the Americans say we must. We need only listen to what we know and from the words of Hashem revealed in Torah, everything else is noise and confusion. We have to deal in reality of our requirement which was spelled out for us three thousand years ago when we were instructed to go and settle the land. We were not told to go and parcel out the lands to those who would simply take what we gave them and use it to launch new wars and attacks on our people. We even tried that and Hashem has made clear what our mistakes have been, we surrendered lands which were not ours to gift as these lands belong to Hashem. They do not belong to the Ministers of the Knesset; they do not belong to the mediators such as John Kerry or previously Madeline Albright or Hillary Clinton or anybody walking the lands today, yesterday or tomorrow. Hashem made it very concise and clear, the land belongs to Hashem and we are to be the caretakers, which does not include giving it to those who will despoil the land and create abominations upon our specifically outlined duty to the land that Hashem portioned out for us to care over. Hashem did not say share the land, that was the group the “Guess Who.” We need to return to doing what is prescribed in Torah and in that pursuit we will be blessed and any deviation from that is an accursed act for which we will reap curses. Where have all the Zionists gone, certainly not into politics and we need such to sacrifice and walk into the dens of iniquity, the lions’ den and be assured that Hashem will walk with you.

 

Beyond the Cusp

 

January 2, 2016

Our Trip to Yerushalayim

We took a bus full of English speaking and some Spanish speaking Olim (new immigrants) for a day trip to Yerushalayim, to Jerusalem. I did my best not to blurt out anything too controversial as had I, the wrong ears would have heard me and it would not have served any purpose beyond pushing people past their comfort zones. The first pictures are from our visit to the Supreme Court where it was stressed that anyone from anywhere could bring any case against the Israeli government, could be heard and that was the supposed court of last resort. The question I would have liked to have asked but restrained myself was where does one turn when their problem has to do with the Supreme Court?

Obligatory View of Western Jerusalem from Supreme Court Main Gallery Windows
Obligatory View of Western Jerusalem from
Supreme Court Main Gallery Windows

Supreme Court Case Files One Section Amongst Many
Supreme Court Case Files
One Section Amongst Many

Supreme Court Law Books
Supreme Court Law Books

Supreme Court Three Judge Trial Room
Supreme Court Three Judge Trial Room

Model of Supreme Court Building with Reflective Glare
Model of Supreme Court Building with Reflective Glare

These next set of pictures were taken on Ammunition Hill.

Obligatory Picture Featuring Moshe Dayan
Obligatory Picture Featuring Moshe Dayan

Checkpoint for Entering West Jerusalem from Jordanian Held East Jerusalem
Checkpoint for Entering West Jerusalem
from Jordanian Held East Jerusalem

IDF Rabbi with Celebratory Cigar and Torah Scroll Entering Old City
IDF Rabbi with Celebratory Cigar
and Torah Scroll Entering Old City

Weapons and Munitions Display plus Friend
Weapons and Munitions Display plus Friend

Sculpture Dedicated to Soldiers Depicting Fallen Soldier
Sculpture Dedicated to Soldiers
Depicting Fallen Soldier

Overlay of the Battlefield Highlighting Ammunition Hill
Overlay of the Battlefield
Highlighting Ammunition Hill

These last set of pictures were taken at the Hertzl Museum
and gravesite including the part of the entire trip
I had hoped to visit and give due honors, the grave of Ze’ev Jabotinsky.

Artwork at Entrance of Hertzl Museum
Artwork at Entrance of Hertzl Museum

Hertzl Gravesite
Hertzl Gravesite

Kever (Grave) Ze’ev Jabotinsky
Kever (Grave) Ze’ev Jabotinsky

Hertzl’s Actual Study Reconstructed with Original Furniture, Books et. al.
Hertzl’s Actual Study Reconstructed
with Original Furniture, Books et. al.

We wish to explain our delay in posting and missing one more day than we had hoped. We blame age and the mileage accumulated. People will often claim that their physical limitations have to do with the mileage but having experienced the limiting factors both to bring to the table, we advise you take stock of those making the claim and with few true, blue exceptions they are all usually older than you, unless it is two compatriots joking around, and then they are both older than the observers, but it is not just the age or the mileage but some horrific and devilish combination of the two. Please accept these old crooked bones’ apology.

Beyond the Cusp

 

August 28, 2015

The Path We Must Take

 

With the Boycott, Divestment and Sanction (BDS) protesters coming against Israel through attacking Jews of all stripes, but most especially those Jews that harbor even the slightest flame for Eretz Yisroel. The latest target was the Reggae sensation Matisyahu who early in his career was Chabad Hassidic and solemnly observant and very pro-Israel. That was where Matisyahu was considered to have been evil and detestable because anything or anyone who supports Israel must be torn down by the haters, the anti-Semites, the anti-Israel, the anti-Zionists; all these haters must be answered through what Israel is all about, love and the survival of the Jewish promise given by Hashem for us to live and tend His lands. When these haters are brought into the light and their pure venomous bile boils and withers drying before the light of truth as most hatreds do when made so public.

 

These beasts of revulsion hold only one peoples, one nation a singular spite and wish to tear down what has been built in Israel and that Jewish entity must be prevented at all costs even to the point of savagery from building that last thing, the great Temple in Yerushalayim on the spacious Temple Mount. They will claim that the Jews desire tearing down the Temples, Shrines, Mosques, Churches and every other structure existing on that holy ground. They spread this lie knowing full well that there is every bit sufficient space to place the Holy Temple on the Temple Mount and there exists not any movement that desires to tear down those other buildings placed on the Temple Mount because the Jews and Christians hold it to be a sacred site. The erasure of the relics from the two previous Temples is a form of destructive spite which goes beyond simple anti-Semitism. This abrasive injurious vindictiveness enters a people who wish to erase all that is Judaism and refuse the Jews and mainly the Jews such ill will as to desire the eradication of their history and their place on this Earth.

 

They assault verbally the young Jews on college campuses who are not Israeli and in all too many cases have no clue that Israel is important and should occupy a special place in their hearts and which would also serve to steady them against the haters. Their abusing these youth placing them under withering assaults is the trait of those who have been overcome by a wickedness Jews have suffered for three thousand years. We have our times where we have fled before such attacks on our being, Never Again!

 

Temple Mount with extension to make sufficient room for the Thirs Temple to hace its own plaza as displayed at far end of plaza

 

They assail our diplomats and leadership calling for their arrest if they should ever show their face outside of Israel. They show that Israel truly is the Jew’s last place of resort and that it is also a Jewish fortress and stronghold from which we exclaim, Never Again!

 

They demand we give away the lands we paid for with the blood of our brothers and hold it with the same. Each Jew who dies protecting their land is a greater loss than one can imagine. We view every life as if it was a multitude, a nation unto itself and to those who hold this murderous hate we exclaim, Never Again!

 

They choose Israel and the Jew for scorn ignoring the calamities surrounding their storm. Their thunder and striking hold hate for only one and they yell and scream that this is not our lands. They demand we depart and go they know not where. They claim we should wander and forever be scorned by all other men and to this our answer is, Never Again!

 

We are to be thrown from our tiny strip of land which barely is large enough for one nation but they demand we make four. One for the Arabs, one for the Bedouins, one for the Druze and one for humanity and none for the Jews who must always be on the run with no lands for their own forever forlorn and our answer remains, Never Again!

 

They hound us by day; they scorn us at night. They dream of our fate and scream out their hates. We build despite their demands that we not. We celebrate the lands and celebrate Hashem thanking Him for our lot and again we exclaim, Never Again!

 

There may be no rhyme nor rhythm, as poetry it’s not. Just flowing thoughts I wanted to jot. The message is clear and it just wants what was promised. The river to the sea is not just their Arab chant because it is our land like it or not. Our land and here we will stay, we will build, like it or not. To you BDS’ers we scream, Never Again!

 

You see we’ve been running from one place to another for near two millennia and tired we’re not. We draw our strength from this land, our lot. We were tired and unable to fight when not in our land the weaker we got. But we came and we found our place our Israel. We built from nothing but rocks, desert and swamp. Many said we would fail and vacate this land and to them did we state, Never Again!

 

To conclude we must state that Yerushalayim is ours to own and to share. We are not here to destroy or damage or what. We came and we built and we drained out the swamps and cleared the rock. We prayed at the Wall as we wept at the sights. It was the city of hope and love her we do. You see Yerushalayim is the jewel that shines on her hills of stone and valleys of vines. Despite the claims that to us it doesn’t belong as after too long have we been bereft at the loss of our home and knew we returned to stay and tell those who push us out, Never Again!

 

Israel we tend and as each in foreign lands where against us will they turn. Before you act in haste lest you decide to rid your Jews and then decide to kill, to Israel we scream bring them home to us so that loved they can be. The day will come when thrice each year we will gather in the city most perfect with beauty old and new. There we will gather and Your Temple will gleam. Together at last with every vestige in place as Yerushalayim shines best when her people rejoice and celebrate the One, the true King of the lands that for Hashem do we tend as he then provides the bounty that no other nation could draw. From these lands we get both milk and honey. Home at last as a people again but still there will be those who demand that we leave, One final time as a whole we will exclaim with jubilation and might we will scream at that night and fill it with light as for Israel we fight, for Yerushalayim we make plain, Never Again!

 

Beyond the Cusp

 

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