tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-72441107882691824592024-02-21T03:40:49.822-05:00ARTICLES YOU'LL NEVER SEE IN THE PRESSYitzhak Heimowitzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17184139532506045796noreply@blogger.comBlogger40125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7244110788269182459.post-23184472643606052152012-06-17T00:00:00.000-04:002012-06-17T05:14:11.195-04:00Who is a "Fascist"?<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="direction: ltr; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify; unicode-bidi: embed;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-bidi;"> I recently heard that someone, who
should have known better, referred to the settlers in Judea and Samaria as
"Fascists". This statement hit me like a ton of bricks. The most
restrained comment I can make is that name calling is a poor substitute for thinking.
I hope that person will deny saying it or say he was misunderstood, because if
he really thinks that whoever believes Jews should live in Eretz Israel is
a fascist then we are in big trouble.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="direction: ltr; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify; unicode-bidi: embed;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-bidi;"> In the 1930's, the Jewish leftists
called Jabotinsky a fascist. In fact, they went further and called him
"Vladimir Hitler".<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="direction: ltr; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify; unicode-bidi: embed;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-bidi;"> His first sin was that he tried to organize
Jewish military forces to protect the
Jews in Palestine from Arab pogroms. For that, The British sentenced him to 15
years in Acre Prison. All the Jewish parties put him first on their lists in
the elections for the Vaad Leumi (pre-state parliament) and the worldwide
outcry forced the British to release him.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="direction: ltr; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify; unicode-bidi: embed;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-bidi;"> His second sin was to advocate aliya
of the masses of European Jews, not just members of Zionist socialist youth
movements. The "fine" people said he wanted to fill up Palestine with
the riff raff of Europe.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="direction: ltr; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify; unicode-bidi: embed;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-bidi;"> His third sin was to recognize the
looming annihilation of European Jewry "too early" in the 1930's. He
rushed from city to town, country to country calling on the Jews to flee. He
established his "Evacuation Program" and cooperated with the Polish
Government, which also wanted the Jews out because of their anti-Semitism. The
"fine" people saw this as another proof that he was a fascist.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="direction: ltr; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify; unicode-bidi: embed;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-bidi;"> His fourth sin was to encourage
illegal immigration to Palestine before and during WWII. (The Hagana only began
after the war.) "Fine" Jews like Rabbi Stephen Wise said he wanted to
bring the prostitutes and petty thieves of Vienna to poison the Zionist
experiment.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="direction: ltr; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify; unicode-bidi: embed;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-bidi;"> His fifth sin was to establish
Betar, which, in those days, wore brown shirts, as contrasted with the
socialist youth movement's blue shirts, absolute proof that he and they were
fascists.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="direction: ltr; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify; unicode-bidi: embed;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-bidi;"> His sixth sin was to try to
establish a Jewish army of Stateless and Palestinian Jews to fight on the side
of the allies against the Nazis in WWII. Why this was opposed by the
"fine" Jews, other than that he espoused it, I do not know. Only
toward the end of the war was the Jewish Brigade established and fought in
Europe as part of the British army.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="direction: ltr; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify; unicode-bidi: embed;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-bidi;"> His seventh sin was to realize that
we could never "buy" the Arabs with infirmaries, schools, jobs and universities
to forego their opposition to the Zionist enterprise and the Jewish State.
Since they would never agree, we had to build an "iron wall" to
protect ourselves against their depredations, and go ahead despite their
opposition.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="direction: ltr; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify; unicode-bidi: embed;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-bidi;"> Well, was Jabotinsky a fascist? If
so, I am a fascist, because the word has no real meaning. It is just a
"cussword" that certain people throw at others as a substitute for
thinking.<o:p></o:p></span></div>Yitzhak Heimowitzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17184139532506045796noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7244110788269182459.post-71130796079893708342012-03-10T16:12:00.002-05:002012-03-10T16:12:50.334-05:00UNEASY LIES THE HEAD…<div align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.918); color: #222222; font-family: inherit; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="line-height: 24px;">We shouldn’t be surprised if Bibi Netanyahu doesn’t sleep well these nights. He bears the responsibility to guard the people of Israel against the danger of an Iranian atomic bomb. There are others who share the responsibility with him, but he is the Prime Minister and “the buck stops with him” to paraphrase Pres. Harry Truman’s famous phrase.</span></span></div><div align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.918); color: #222222; font-family: inherit; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="line-height: 24px;">We know how other Prime Ministers acted previously. Menachem Begin gave the order to bomb the Osirak Reactor in Baghdad before it “went hot”, to universal international condemnation. Only 10 and more years later did many leaders and countries thank him.</span></span></div><div align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.918); color: #222222; font-family: inherit; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="line-height: 24px;">More recently, Ehud Olmert assumedly gave the order to bomb the Syrian Atomic reactor, which was being built from North Korean plans. Imagine an Atom bomb in Bashar Assad’s hands.</span></span></div><div align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.918); color: #222222; font-family: inherit; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="line-height: 24px;">The prospect of an Atomic bomb in the hands of the Iranian leaders, who regard Israel as a cancer which must be eliminated and all its Jewish citizens murdered, is even more dangerous than the prior examples. Bibi will not allow it on his watch any more than his predecessors did.</span></span></div><div align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.918); color: #222222; font-family: inherit; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="line-height: 24px;">However, he must consider that if Israel attacks Iran’s atomic targets, tens of thousands of missiles and rockets will be fired at Israel’s civilian population, from Dan to Beersheba.</span></span></div><div align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.918); color: #222222; font-family: inherit; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="line-height: 24px;">Furthermore, Pres. Obama wants Israel to wait to give sanctions and negotiations a further chance. The “64,000 Question” is “How long is it safe to wait before it will be too late?”</span></span></div><div align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.918); color: #222222; font-family: inherit; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="line-height: 24px;">So we can’t blame Bibi for not sleeping well. But in the spirit of Purim, we can paraphrase what Mordechai told Queen Esther, “Who knows if it was not for just such a time that you came to office?” (Esther 4:14)</span></span></div>Yitzhak Heimowitzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17184139532506045796noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7244110788269182459.post-86320261010919080512012-02-02T00:00:00.011-05:002012-02-04T16:02:46.625-05:00THE BEST OF FRIENDS<span style="font-size: large;">The United States of America is Israel’s best friend in the world. I don’t think anyone can doubt that, certainly not I, who lived the first 34 years of my life in the U.S. and the rest in Israel.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">As always, the U.S. is urging Israel to take security risks in order to keep the peace process going. They do not pretend that these are not very serious risks. Instead they say that if Israel is attacked, the U.S. will come to its aid. “Trust us,” They seem to say, “after all, we are your best friends in the world.”</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">This is not the first time both best friends have faced such situations, and it is important to examine history to see what happened then.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">I. In 1957 Pres. Eisenhower and Sect. of State Dulles urged Israel to withdraw from Sinai. They gave Israel a guaranty that Egypt would not again block the Straits of Tiran and prevent shipping from reaching Eilat. If they did so, the U.S. would make sure that Israel shipping would get through.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">In 1967 Nasser threw the U.N. out of Sinai, reoccupied it and blockaded Eilat by closing the Straits. This was the “casus belli” which led to the Six Day War. Abba Eban, Israel’s Foreign Minister, hastened to Washington and asked Israel’s best friend to keep its word. A curious thing happened. The Americans searched high and low in the files of the State Department and the White House, but couldn’t find a copy of the guaranty anywhere.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Meanwhile days went by and they began to negotiate with other maritime nations to put together a convoy to run the blockade. But no country was very enthusiastic. Finally Israel went out alone and won its magnificent victory, incidentally getting its best friend off the hook. Everyone was so happy and relieved that no one thought very much about the missing guaranty.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">II. In 1969-70 a war of attrition raged between Israel and Egypt across the Suez Canal. Israel had complete air superiority. The U.S. tried to broker a cease fire. One of the main stumbling blocks was that Egypt had received SAM 3 missiles, which were emplaced around Cairo. The Israel Air Force constantly prevented the Egyptians from advancing the missiles to the canal, which would endanger all Israeli aircraft flying over Sinai and not only those overflying Egypt.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">To make the deal the U.S. promised Israel that the Egyptians would not move the SAM’s forward to the canal after the cease fire. They pointed out that the U.S. had spy satellites and high altitude aircraft which could spot their every movement, so if the Egyptians tried, Israel could react in real time. Israel ceased fire. Egypt immediately began to advance the SAM’s and the U.S. spy satellites went blind.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Israel protested more and more urgently to the U.S., but the Americans could see no movement. Once the Egyptian missiles were all emplaced at the canal, the American equipment regained its sight and confirmed they were there. The Americans then asked Israel reasonably if it really wanted to resume the war over this incident, especially considering the very high casualty cost due to the missiles. That cost was paid in 1973 in the Yom Kippur War.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">III. An American President once assured Golda Meir, that if Israel took risks for peace, and was then attacked, America would hasten to its aid. Golda replied, “Mr. President, by the time you get there, we may not be there.”</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">As we said, the U.S. and Israel are best friends. This imposes special responsibilities on both. Pres. Obama and his administration must seriously consider whether they will in fact be able to carry out any promises they make to share the risks they want Israel to undertake, in real time and on the ground. Israel must seriously consider whether it can bear the risks alone, if the U.S. will not bear its share in time.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Even the best of friends should remember Golda Meir’s answer to the President of the United States.</span>Yitzhak Heimowitzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17184139532506045796noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7244110788269182459.post-83485882109118027622012-01-05T00:00:00.002-05:002012-02-04T16:05:08.185-05:00RECENT KNESSET ACTIVISM: LEGITIMATE OR “FASCIST”?<span style="font-size: large;">There are certainly issues in which I am willing to concede that others have greater expertise than I. But regarding the political philosophies of Ze’ev Jabotinsky and Menachem Begin, in a word, of Betar, I am not ready to bow to the expertise of anyone, certainly not left wing journalists and politicians. I think I have the same Betar DNA as Jabotinsky, Begin and Yitzhak Shamir.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Recently, representatives of left-wing groups, which condemned Jabotinsky and Begin as fascists during their lifetimes (they even went as far as “Vladimir Hitler”), are yearning for them as two liberal democrats. This turn-about happened for a reason. It is all about trying to enlist their reputations in the “no-holds barred” battle against legislation introduced in the Knesset by Likud MK’s and others. This legislation is intended to redress the balance, after the pendulum was pushed so far to the left that a corrective reaction was inevitable. It is now being labeled as "Fascist" by the left wingers, who say that Begin and Jabotinsky would never have permitted it.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Many of the left wingers are aghast that the Knesset, Israel's legislature, should presume to legislate at all, especially when the left is in the minority. They remind me of the lawyer in court who called out, "I object!" When asked for his reason, he replied "Because it is harmful to my case." But, let's move beyond this to examine the issues.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">I. The Israel Supreme Court</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Brilliant people with the best intentions can produce horrible results. Just look at Aharon Barak, the retired president of the Israel Supreme Court. When he attained that office he decided to overturn two legal principles which had always protected the courts of democratic nations. He decided that everything (!) is justiciable and everyone has standing to bring a suit about anything. By virtue of his brilliance he was able to carry along the majority of the Supreme Court justices, and thus destroyed (yes destroyed) the Israel Supreme Court. They now spend most of their time meddling in matters they should never touch: telling the government how to govern and the army how to conduct war. Thus they don’t have time to do their real work, civil and criminal appeals and equitable relief as a High Court of Justice. I have been saying this for many years, but now more and more people are realizing it.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Since they have their own political agenda, which is far left of left, they have lost the confidence of the majority of the Israel public, who once trusted the courts more than any other branch of government. This is what a brilliant man with the best of intentions accomplished.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">II. The President of the Supreme Court</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">The Chief Justice of the Israel Supreme Court is called the President of the court. Succession to the presidency is by length of time as a justice. When the President retires mandatorily at age 70, the longest serving Justice inherits his or her job and serves until he or she reaches 70. There is one exception:</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">To avoid very short terms in office, there has for many years, been a provision that the new President must be able to serve at least two years before mandatory retirement. When Daniel Friedman was Minister of Justice he supported an amendment to increase the two years to three years. At that time no one claimed the amendment was an illegitimate exercise of the Knesset’s legislative power or “Fascist”.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Now the Knesset has voted by 57-37 to restore the traditional 2 year period. This would enable Justice Gronis, who is the longest serving Justice, but who has just under 3 years left until 70, to become President of the Supreme Court. Certain left wingers don’t like this and have led the media in claiming that this housekeeping provision is illegitimate and part of the Knesset effort to dominate the court. Give me a break!</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">III. Appointing New Justices</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">All Israeli judges, including Supreme Court Justices, are chosen by an Appointment Committee of nine members. Three of the nine are Supreme Court Justices, including the President of the Court; Two are Ministers in the Government including the Minister of Justice; Two are Members of Knesset, traditionally one from the coalition and one from the opposition; and two are elected by the Bar Association, also traditionally one from the coalition and one from the opposition.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Recently there were elections in the Bar Association and a new President from the opposition was elected. The National Council, still dominated by the party which lost the Bar elections, rushed to elect two left wingers, before it could be replaced, instead of the usual one from each stream.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">The Knesset is now in the process of voiding that election and having a new one to restore the choice of one from each stream. The left wing minority is calling this every name in the book; “Fascist” is one of the lesser accusations. One left wing MK said, “The majority is pissing on the Knesset from the diving board.”</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Most of the media have become hysterical about these issues and without explaining any of the details to their audience, are badmouthing the Knesset for legislating by majority vote against the will of the left-wing minority.</span>Yitzhak Heimowitzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17184139532506045796noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7244110788269182459.post-12035875687046797972011-12-13T00:00:00.002-05:002012-02-04T16:06:26.987-05:00BEGIN: RETROSPECT – IS THE CUP HALF FULL OR HALF EMPTY?<span style="font-size: large;">I never thought that in my lifetime I would disagree with anything that Martin Sherman wrote. But, I guess there is a first time for everything.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">If I understood the point of his excellent article in the December 9, 2011 Jerusalem Post (p. 23) it is that Begin was wrong to sign the peace treaty with Egypt in 1979, and withdraw from all of Sinai, because look at the situation today!</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">According to him Begin should have foreseen this possibility and not withdrawn from all of Sinai, which means, to be fair, not have peace with Egypt. He sees the cup as empty or half empty. I want to give some reasons why it can also be seen as half full.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">1. The agreement survived the assassination of Sadat, which was not a given.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">2. Egypt sat quietly by when Israel launched "Operation Peace for Galilee" otherwise known as the First Lebanese War, advanced all the way to Beirut and drove Arafat off to Tunis.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">3. Egypt also sat by when Israel destroyed the Osirak nuclear reactor in Baghdad, Iraq.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">4. The peace agreement broke up the Egyptian alliance with Syria, which has never been resumed.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">5. Israel remains to this day in military control of Judea and Samaria (the "West Bank"). No one enters or leaves it without inspection by and consent of Israel's authorities.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">6. When the Egyptian mob threatened to lynch the security guards in the Israeli Embassy in Cairo, they were rescued by an elite Egyptian military unit in an action coordinated with the US and Israeli governments, and returned safely to Israel.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">These are all elements of the "half full" cup which must be considered together with the "half empty" elements, which Sherman cites so correctly.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">On the other hand he is absolutely on target when he writes that we must not repeat the withdrawals on the Syrian front and in Judea and Samaria. In those areas geography leaves not the slightest margin for error.</span>Yitzhak Heimowitzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17184139532506045796noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7244110788269182459.post-59891494911641314022011-11-20T04:02:00.001-05:002012-02-04T16:07:00.859-05:00WHAT IS THE MAIN PURPOSE OF THE IDF?<div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.918); color: #222222; direction: ltr; font-family: arial,sans-serif; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px 0px 0.0001pt; orphans: 2; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; line-height: 24px;"> Is the main purpose of the IDF to defend Israel against its enemies or to force ultra-orthodox soldiers to listen to women soldiers sing and jail them if they refuse?</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.918); color: #222222; direction: ltr; font-family: arial,sans-serif; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px 0px 0.0001pt; orphans: 2; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.918); color: #222222; direction: ltr; font-family: arial,sans-serif; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px 0px 0.0001pt; orphans: 2; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; line-height: 24px;">It sounds like a no-brainer, but unfortunately for some people, like a group of left-wing former IDF generals, it's not. They just wrote a public letter to the Head of the IDF General Staff, Benny Gantz, demanding he force these combat unit soldiers to listen to the singing or jail them.</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; line-height: 24px;">These are the same people who complain that the ultra-orthodox are draft-dodgers, but in fact prefer them not to join the IDF, so they can continue complaining.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.918); color: #222222; direction: ltr; font-family: arial,sans-serif; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px 0px 0.0001pt; orphans: 2; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.918); color: #222222; direction: ltr; font-family: arial,sans-serif; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px 0px 0.0001pt; orphans: 2; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; line-height: 24px;">What they don't want to recognize is that in recent years more and more "dati" (orthodox) and "hareidi" (ultra-orthodox) soldiers are serving in essential IDF units. These are mainly combat units like Nahal Hareidi, infantry, armored corps, etc., but also top-secret electronic and cyber war units, for which apparently Talmud study is a comparative advantage.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.918); color: #222222; direction: ltr; font-family: arial,sans-serif; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px 0px 0.0001pt; orphans: 2; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.918); color: #222222; direction: ltr; font-family: arial,sans-serif; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px 0px 0.0001pt; orphans: 2; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; line-height: 24px;">The left wing former generals are concerned that the soldiers and junior and middle rank officers of the combat units are more and more wearers of kippot. At the same time the phenomenon of draft-dodging among left wing secular youth is increasing to worrying proportions.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.918); color: #222222; direction: ltr; font-family: arial,sans-serif; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px 0px 0.0001pt; orphans: 2; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.918); color: #222222; direction: ltr; font-family: arial,sans-serif; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px 0px 0.0001pt; orphans: 2; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; line-height: 24px;">Even religious girls are choosing full IDF service over non-military National Service (Sherut Leumi) in ever increasing numbers, while draft-dodging among secular girls is on the upswing. It is no longer a handicap for show business celebrities not to have served in the IDF.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.918); color: #222222; direction: ltr; font-family: arial,sans-serif; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px 0px 0.0001pt; orphans: 2; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.918); color: #222222; direction: ltr; font-family: arial,sans-serif; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px 0px 0.0001pt; orphans: 2; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; line-height: 24px;">Most religious soldiers have no problem listening to female singers. In fact they like it. For the small number who feel unable to do so for halachic reasons, excusing them from the fun is a small price to pay for making the IDF more representative of all population groups in Israel.</span></span></div>Yitzhak Heimowitzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17184139532506045796noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7244110788269182459.post-57956625816657394072011-10-31T08:55:00.000-04:002011-10-31T08:55:46.270-04:00THE AMERICANIZATION OF THE IDF GENERAL STAFF<div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: black; direction: ltr; font-family: arial,sans-serif; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; orphans: 2; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 24px;">Over the years American Generals and Admirals, certainly those on the joint chiefs of staff, were less ready to go to battle or war than their civilian superiors. They saw all the drawbacks, inadequacy of forces, unacceptable casualty expectations, difficult logistics, disbelief that their civilian superiors would permit them to do everything necessary for victory. This is not only a recent phenomenon.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: black; direction: ltr; font-family: arial,sans-serif; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; orphans: 2; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: black; direction: ltr; font-family: arial,sans-serif; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; orphans: 2; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 24px;">During the American Civil War (1861-5) Pres. Lincoln suffered from the disinclination of his northern generals to attack rather than stay in their defensive positions. Once he wrote to one of his commanding generals, “If you will not be needing the army over the weekend, I should like to borrow it.”</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: black; direction: ltr; font-family: arial,sans-serif; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; orphans: 2; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: black; direction: ltr; font-family: arial,sans-serif; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; orphans: 2; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 24px;">When he finally found in Ulysses S. Grant, a general who was prepared to attack, others complained that Grant was a drunkard. Lincoln responded, “Tell me what he drinks so I can send cases of it to my other generals.”</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: black; direction: ltr; font-family: arial,sans-serif; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; orphans: 2; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: black; direction: ltr; font-family: arial,sans-serif; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; orphans: 2; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 24px;">For many years, Israeli generals were considered the opposite, more ready to go into battle than their civilian governments. When Prime Minister Levi Eshkol hesitated on the eve of the Six Day War, Ezer Weizman tore off his epaulets and threw them on the floor in disgust.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: black; direction: ltr; font-family: arial,sans-serif; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; orphans: 2; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: black; direction: ltr; font-family: arial,sans-serif; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; orphans: 2; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 24px;">In 1976 the IDF conceived and carried out the daring Entebbe raid, rescuing over a hundred Israeli and Jewish hostages of an Air France flight kidnapped by bloodthirsty terrorists who threatened to kill them one by one. They didn’t tell Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin that the mission was impossible and he had no choice but to negotiate with the terrorists. They gave him a plan and carried it out brilliantly.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: black; direction: ltr; font-family: arial,sans-serif; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; orphans: 2; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: black; direction: ltr; font-family: arial,sans-serif; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; orphans: 2; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 24px;">In 1981 when Saddam Hussein’s Osirak nuclear reactor threatened Israel with atomic destruction, the IDF did not tell Prime Minister Menachem Begin that it was impossible to overfly so many Arab countries to reach the target at the extreme limit of the air force’s capability. They made a plan and carried it out.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: black; direction: ltr; font-family: arial,sans-serif; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; orphans: 2; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: black; direction: ltr; font-family: arial,sans-serif; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; orphans: 2; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 24px;">But in recent years something has changed. In the Second Lebanon War the senior officers commanded from behind their plasma screens instead at the fore with the famous rallying cry, “Follow me!” Second rate officers turned excellent soldiers into second rate troops with second rate results.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: black; direction: ltr; font-family: arial,sans-serif; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; orphans: 2; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: black; direction: ltr; font-family: arial,sans-serif; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; orphans: 2; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 24px;">Military doctrines which failed for the Americans in various parts of the world were adopted by the IDF and failed here too. Zero casualties became the main aim of military actions, which immediately put victory out of grasp.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: black; direction: ltr; font-family: arial,sans-serif; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; orphans: 2; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: black; direction: ltr; font-family: arial,sans-serif; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; orphans: 2; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 24px;">Thus for over five years the IDF did not give successive Israeli governments a military option to free Gilad Schalit. Either they were “eyeless in Gaza” or they were afraid of casualties in an action, or both.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: black; direction: ltr; font-family: arial,sans-serif; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; orphans: 2; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: black; direction: ltr; font-family: arial,sans-serif; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; orphans: 2; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 24px;">Paradoxically, during this time the U.S. armed forces carried out an “Israeli style” raid in Pakistan to eliminate Osama bin Laden.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: black; direction: ltr; font-family: arial,sans-serif; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; orphans: 2; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: black; direction: ltr; font-family: arial,sans-serif; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; orphans: 2; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 24px;">Junior and middle range Israeli officers, many of them wearers of knitted kipot, are as good or better than ever, but the IDF General Staff needs to reverse its “Americanization.”</span></span></div>Yitzhak Heimowitzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17184139532506045796noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7244110788269182459.post-6288841945058483272011-10-16T11:43:00.000-04:002011-10-16T11:43:31.137-04:00The Gilad Schalit deal<span style="font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: 2; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><div style="background-color: transparent;"><div dir="ltr" id="internal-source-marker_0.2050497301388532" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"></span>The Gilad Schalit deal has generated tremendous quantities of heat in the Israeli media and public. I want to try to generate some light. First, while Israel freed terrorists at a ratio of over 1,000 to one, the Hamas did not get everything they wanted, not even everything they insisted on for most of the five years. Thus the final result was not 100% Hamas: 0 Israel, but 100% minus something – Hamas, and O plus something for Israel.</span></div><div dir="ltr" id="internal-source-marker_0.2050497301388532" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div dir="ltr" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"></span>The crunch came when Hamas realized that they could not rely on the Gilad Schalit lobby to force the government to give them everyone and everything on their wish list, no matter how many former heads of the Shabak, Mosad and IDF pressed for that. At that point Hamas began to compromise on some terrorist names and destinations.</span></div><div dir="ltr" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br />
</span></div><div dir="ltr" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"></span>Thus it is not true to say this is the same deal which could have been had five years ago. There was some movement, very little, but important nevertheless.<br />
</span></div><div dir="ltr" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"></span>I find it hard to believe that in over five years the IDF and Shabak could not find any chance to rescue Schalit by a military operation. I think it is more likely they determined that he would probably be killed in such an operation as would an unacceptable number of the rescuers, and therefore decided not to attempt it.</span></div><div dir="ltr" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div dir="ltr" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"></span>However, all of this is crying over spilt milk. It is more useful to look ahead and consider how Israel should react when the next person is kidnapped and held incommunicado by Hamas, which demands thousands of imprisoned terrorists for his/her release.</span></div><div dir="ltr" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div dir="ltr" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"></span>In such event Israel should refuse to enter into any negotiations or even to acknowledge officially that anyone has been kidnapped until the Red cross visits him and makes a report on his condition. We learned from Regev and Goldwasser that the terrorists concealed their deaths for years and returned coffins instead of live soldiers.</span></div><div dir="ltr" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div dir="ltr" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"></span>On the other hand if Hamas publishes a list of terrorists whose release they demand, all those on the list should immediately be denied all privileges usually granted to terrorists in Israeli prisons.</span></div><div dir="ltr" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div dir="ltr" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></div><div dir="ltr" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></div><div dir="ltr" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"></span>Furthermore Bin Laden treatment should be meted out to one Hamas leader a week, the higher the better, until the person being held is released.</span></div><div dir="ltr" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div dir="ltr" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></div><div dir="ltr" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></div><div dir="ltr" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"></span>An Israeli media feeding frenzy should be avoided by use of Court Orders banning publication of details. These have proved very effective, more so than military censorship. They cannot prevent publication abroad, but nothing is perfect.<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span></span></div><div dir="ltr" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div dir="ltr" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Several years ago a commission was established, chaired by Meir Shamgar, Retired President of the Israel Supreme Court (and a veteran of the Irgun, who was exiled to Africa by the British mandatory authorities), to devise a plan for Israel in the event of a kidnapping </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">after</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> Gilad Schalit. The commission prepared such a plan, which, considering the quality of its chairman, is probably a good one, but has not been published for obvious reasons.</span></div><div dir="ltr" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div dir="ltr" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></div><div dir="ltr" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"></span>Therefore, I feel free to chime in with my modest proposals.</span></div></div></span></span>Yitzhak Heimowitzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17184139532506045796noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7244110788269182459.post-14839085351958566162011-10-14T04:31:00.000-04:002011-10-14T05:47:40.598-04:00Israeli Democracy<div style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: separate; color: black; font-size: large; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: 2; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: left;">This is an article I originally wrote in 2007. Nothing changes.</span></span></div><div style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: separate; color: black; font-size: large; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: 2; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"></span></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: large; line-height: 24px;">Israel is a peculiar kind of democracy. In practice, ultimate power does not rest with the Knesset, the Cabinet or even the Prime Minister. It is held by a small group of highly paid appointed officials in the Treasury. Every time there is a strike in Israel you will note that the relevant Minister is powerless to negotiate a settlement. Instead, the appointed Treasury official has total discretion.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: large; line-height: 24px;"> Years ago, the Cabinet decided to fortify Sderot against the Kassam rockets fired from Gaza, but almost nothing has been done because the Treasury officials have not allocated the necessary money. Similarly, the Israel anti-missile defense program is years behind, because the Treasury officials have not allocated the funds, as though nothing was learned from the Second Lebanon War. Another example is the “Chok Hahesderim” (The Arrangements Law) which is submitted to the Knesset together with the government budget.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: large; line-height: 24px;"> In the Arrangements Law, the officials can and do nullify legislation and change government and Knesset decisions as they see fit. There are laws which were adopted by the Knesset years ago but their implementation date is postponed time and again by the Arrangements Law.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: large; line-height: 24px;"> The appointed Treasury officials are a tough bunch who are not known for making any concessions. I think we should send them to negotiate with the Arabs while having other government officials negotiate with the Israelis strikers.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: large; line-height: 24px;"> Meanwhile the length of public sector strikes can be reduced remarkably by lowering the salary of the Treasury officials who are negotiating, to the average monthly salaries of the strikers (e.g., NIS 5,000 for teachers, NIS 4,000 for social workers) for the duration of the strike.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: separate; color: black; font-size: large; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: 2; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; text-align: left;"></span></span></div></div><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: large;"></span>Yitzhak Heimowitzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17184139532506045796noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7244110788269182459.post-73688791819119746572011-09-26T13:27:00.000-04:002011-09-26T13:27:02.684-04:00OBAMA’S UN SPEECH - IT’S NOT ONLY THE ELECTION<div style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: 2; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0px;">Pres. Obama’s speech to the UN General Assembly can be understood on several levels.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0px;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0px;">First:</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0px;">It was an excellent speech. All Obama’s speeches deserve A plus for form, but this one also deserves A plus for content, both for what it included and for what it left out. There was nary a word about 1967 borders or settlements or other divisive issues.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0px;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0px;">Second:</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0px;">It was a tribute to the quietly strong stance of P.M. Netanyahu since the previous speech at the State Department, the confrontation in the Oval Office, and the triumph before both houses of Congress.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0px;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0px;">An experienced negotiator presses the side he thinks is more likely to give in. If that side retreats, he presses them even more. For many months Obama thought Israel was the side on which to exert pressure. Bibi proved him wrong. That is another way to regard the UN speech.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0px;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0px;">Third:</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0px;">Obama wants to be reelected to a second terms as president. His “tough love” stance toward Israel along with the failure of the American economy to recover despite Obama’s initiatives, have put that ambition in danger. This speech is part of a rescue operation. No one should think it will go on forever.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0px;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0px;">Fourth:</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0px;">In his first two years Obama tried to appease the Moslem world and the UN. It hasn’t worked and now he is shifting gears.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0px;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0px;">Fifth:</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0px;">The US provides more of the funding for the UN than any other country. If the majority of UN members think it is their job to “stick it” to the US, Obama wants to remind them of “purse principles”.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0px;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0px;">Two groups were very unhappy with Obama’s speech, the Palestinian Arabs and the Israeli Leftists. Both feel betrayed. The difference is that the Israeli leftists are not burning American flags, while the Palestinian Arabs are.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0px;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0px;">The Friday UN speeches of Abu Mazen and Bibi were reminiscent of the definition of a dialogue: First you must define monologue, which is one man talking to himself. A dialogue is two people talking to themselves.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0px;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0px;">Each man spoke to his own audience; Bibi in English to the Israeli public and the world, Abu Mazen in Arabic to the Arabs and the pro-Arabs in the General Assembly.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0px;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0px;">Abu Mazen made it clear his goal is an Arab Palestinian State without making peace with Israel—no recognition, no demilitarization, continued demand for “return” of all Palestinian Refugees; the whole tamale. This played very well with the Palestinian Arabs and the General Assembly.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0px;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0px;">The best thing Abu Mazen could do for himself now is resign immediately as “the Father of his country” and leave others to pick up the pieces. His place in the Palestinian history books would be secure and in any event his term actually ended two years ago. But, don’t hold your breath.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0px;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0px;">Bibi spoke to a very different audience, the Israeli consensus. He repeated again and again that he was ready to negotiate immediately without preconditions. But even though he was physically standing before the General Assembly, there was no chance he could convince the great majority of them, whose minds were made up in advance.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0px;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0px;">There is no chance the Palestinian Arabs will come back to negotiate one on one, unless Israel surrenders to their demands in advance, and that will not happen. When they rejected the offers of Barak in 2000 and Olmert in 2008 they showed that they will never agree to anything any Israeli government can offer. They will continue to try to internationalize the conflict and so the stalemate will continue.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0px;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0px;">Due to Pres. Obama, Israel came out not badly from this week at the UN, but the conflict will go on.</div></span></span></div>Yitzhak Heimowitzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17184139532506045796noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7244110788269182459.post-90750984257334331312011-09-11T15:56:00.000-04:002011-09-11T15:56:37.719-04:00IT’S NOT ONLY ABOUT OUR HONOR<div style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: 2; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0px;"><span class="Apple-converted-space"></span>Our sages, of blessed memory of the Mishna and Talmud (חז"ל<span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span>) were very wise people. We would do well to learn from their wisdom. They taught: A king cannot excuse insults to his honor. This is in contrast to an ordinary person, who can do so [<span dir="RTL"></span><span dir="RTL"></span>[מלך המוחל על כבודו אין כבודו מחול.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0px;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0px;">In the Middle East honor is very important. The king, who represents the entire nation, cannot forgive insults to his honor, which is the national honor. If he does this, he is regarded by<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><u>all</u><span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>our neighbors as weak, and invites further insults and injury. Perhaps he will be regarded differently in Washington or London or Paris, but they are not our neighbors in the Middle East.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0px;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0px;">Turkish Premier Erdogan began to “stick it” to Israel as early as 2009. On Jan. 29, 2009 at the World Economic Conference in Davos he publicly insulted our president before the eyes of the entire world. And not any president, Shimon Peres, the prophet of the “new Middle East”! Erdogan rose and deliberately and demonstratively walked out while Peres was speaking, in front of all the world media. He knew exactly what he was doing and achieved the effect he wanted.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0px;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0px;"> What was Israel’s response? We figuratively wiped off the spittle from our faces and said, “It must be raining.” At that moment Erdogan saw Israel as weak and he has never stopped attacking us and insulting us ever since. The Mavi Marmara incident is instructive. Turkey was well aware of the plans and preparations of the IHH terrorists and encouraged them to try to break the blockade by force. It could have been a turning point, but after our soldiers heroically defended themselves from the terrorists who tried to kill them and killed those terrorists first, Israel slipped back into the routine of excusing and justifying ourselves and our actions.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0px;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0px;">Every time Erdogan insulted us again, we responded weakly. So the insults and injuries increased, until now they reach a new climax every day. Some Israelis and “friends” tell us, “Why don’t you apologize already and stop all these attacks on you.” Apologize for what, to whom and what good will it do?</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0px;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0px;">Erdogan demands not only an apology for Israel’s killing the terrorists on the Mavi Marmara, but also payment of compensation<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><u>and</u><span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>cancellation of the blockade on Gaza. Without the latter, the first two won’t help. And who will be crazy enough to cancel the blockade at Erdogan’s behest after the U.N. Palmer Commission declared it legal?</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0px;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0px;">Next, apologize to whom? The man who sent the IHH terrorists on their mission? And why, because we foiled them?</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0px;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0px;">Rather, we should look truth in the eye. For almost three years, Erdogan has been engaged in a campaign in which Israel is only a part. His first purpose, in which he has succeeded, was to become the dictator of the Muslim Republic of Turkey. To the surprise of many, he defeated the army generals who were his major obstacle and jailed many of them where they await trial for treason.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0px;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0px;">His second purpose is to become the leader of the Muslim world. He is well on his way to achieve this, especially after Mubarak fell and Egypt is in shambles, Iran is shunned, and Syria is engaged in bloody civil war. He is about to make a triumphal tour of Egypt, Tunisia and Libya, and is considering a stop in Gaza (which he may postpone at present.) To realize this ambition, he insults, denigrates and attacks Israel, its leaders, people, army and industry and will continue to do so. In Tsarist Russia the anti-semites had a motto, “Beat the Jews and save Russia.” Erdogan has modified this to, “Beat the Jews and conquer the Muslim world.”</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0px;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0px;">So far he is succeeding and that is why, no matter what we do, he will not stop his anti Israel escalation. Israelis are not the only ones who do not understand this. The Obama administration is also clueless, which is why all they do is to keep repeating that Turkey and Israel should “make up”.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0px;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0px;">For quite a while Israel has been a favorite Turkish supplier of sophisticated military equipment. No matter what he says publicly, Erdogan wants this to continue. Note his complaint that Israel has not returned to Turkey unmanned aircraft which were sent back here for servicing. Also note the Turks are coming to the annual Israel Defense and Security Expo in October. No boycott there.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0px;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0px;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0px;">However, we must realize that any weapons system we supply to Turkey will end up in the hands of Hamas and Hezbullah, sooner rather than later. If we are not willing to supply anything directly to Hamas, we had better rethink the wisdom of supplying it to Turkey.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0px;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0px;">Israel’s response to Erdogan’s Turkey should be taken from Teddy Roosevelt’s famous advice, “Speak softly and carry a big stick.” There is nothing we need to say to drive Erdogan up a wall. He will do that all by himself. On the other hand there is really nothing we can say or do to conciliate him. He wants to beat us on the head as his stepping stone to Islamic hegemony and as long as that works (as it is working) he won’t stop.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0px;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0px;">Israel’s actions should be guided by the principle expressed by the Romans as, “If you want peace prepare for war.”</div></span></span></div>Yitzhak Heimowitzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17184139532506045796noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7244110788269182459.post-37380943922445635002011-08-31T05:58:00.000-04:002011-08-31T05:58:17.205-04:00SAVE US FROM “REFORMA”<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: arial,sans-serif; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: 2; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; text-align: center;"><u><span style="line-height: 24px;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"></span></span></u></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="line-height: 24px;">At the outset, I admit I am not objective. I believe that anything in Israel called a “Reforma” (reform) makes things worse than they were before. If anyone disagrees with me, I am willing to debate the issue whether orally or in writing.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="line-height: 24px;">The latest disaster called a reforma is the major reconfiguration of bus lines in the Gush Dan area. In theory this was supposed to make public transport faster, more convenient, and more efficient. Unfortunately, as is usual, in this case the theory has no resemblance to the reality.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="line-height: 24px;">Every day new horror stories arise regarding the unfortunate results of this transportation reform. The Minister, despite his protestations to the contrary, is not doing anything visible to ameliorate the situation. If they simply reversed the entire process and went back to the way it was before, the public would benefit greatly.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="line-height: 24px;">Another example of the reforma is the swindle removing water distribution from the local authorities to the new water companies. This enables the government to charge the consumer two to three times more for the same water while piling taxes on top of taxes, including VAT which was never previously charged on water.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="line-height: 24px;">What happens when a consumer complains to the Water Company about his outrageously inflated water bill? He gets a call from a nice young clerk, reading from a script prepared by the Water Company, who tells him that he must have a leak and he should hire an installator (plumber) at his expense to check it out. This fiendishly clever response must have been prepared by a top advertising or PR mind. In one moment it achieves multiple purposes.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px 0px 0px 14.2pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="line-height: 24px;"><span>1.<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"> <span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></span></span></span><span dir="LTR"></span><span style="line-height: 24px;">It puts the blame on the consumer for the inflated bill.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px 0px 0px 14.2pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="line-height: 24px;"><span>2.<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"> <span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></span></span></span><span dir="LTR"></span><span style="line-height: 24px;">It tells him he has to pay money out of his pocket to check the accusation of the Company, made automatically without any knowledge of the real facts.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px 0px 0px 14.2pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="line-height: 24px;"><span>3.<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"> <span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></span></span></span><span dir="LTR"></span><span style="line-height: 24px;">They also tell him that if he is late in paying the bill they will charge him interest.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; text-align: justify; text-indent: 36pt;"><span style="line-height: 24px;">The intended effect on most consumers is that they figure it will cost less to pay the bill than to hire an installator and they give up. Score three points for the Water Company and its genius PR advisor.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="line-height: 24px;">The proper consumer response should be, “I have nothing personally against you young lady, but your company charges me exorbitant fees, and claims in expensive advertising handouts to give me service. So let<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><u>them</u><span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>hire an installator to check whether there is really a leak.” Also demand a written answer.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="line-height: 24px;">When I said this, the clerk asked me plaintively, “What do you want me to write?” I told her to pass my complaint to her superior or her legal department and let them decide what to write.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="line-height: 24px;">In a recent story which was reported on the radio, the Bat Yam Water Company sent a bill for NIS 30,000 (yes, thirty thousand new shekels) to a senior couple living on Bituah Leumi old age pension. Even with the intervention of the radio program they decided they could only reduce it to NIS 12,000 and all the wise men of Chelm could not find a legal way to solve the problem. They offered the old couple the chance to pay it out over time, but then (of course) they would have to pay interest!</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="line-height: 24px;">The Water Companies Law grants companies a license to steal. They claim correctly that their fees for water are set by the government and they cannot change them. I think if the issue ever reaches the High Court of Justice (Bagatz) they will decide it is "ultra vires" (beyond the competence) of the Knesset to give any private company a license to steal, and the law is unconstitutional.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="line-height: 24px;">In too many cases enacting a law means that the Treasury text automatically becomes the Knesset text, without passing through the minds of the MK’s. Charles Dickens wrote in “Oliver Twist”, “The law is an ass.”</span></div></span></span>Yitzhak Heimowitzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17184139532506045796noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7244110788269182459.post-30019810043470615742011-08-29T09:40:00.000-04:002011-08-29T09:40:40.285-04:00A TERRIBLE MISTAKE<div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: 2; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="line-height: 24px;"><span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>Allowing the Egyptians to bring additional troops into Sinai despite the terms of the peace treaty would be a terrible mistake. Their soldiers will not come to fight Arabs on behalf of Jews, but to fight Jews on behalf of Arabs.</span></div></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: 2; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="line-height: 24px;">Even under the best of circumstances the efficiency of Egyptian troops in defeating terrorists and Bedouin marauders does not come close to the efficiency of the IDF. These are not the best of circumstances.</span></div></span></span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: 2; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="line-height: 24px;">There is a growing mob psychology in Egypt calling for cancellation of the peace treaty, removal of the Israeli Embassy and Ambassador from Cairo and yearning, if truth be told, for another war with Israel.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="line-height: 24px;">I am not only referring to the Moslem Brotherhood. The supposed democratic fruits of the “Arab Spring” are just as anti-Israel and anti-Semitic as the Islamists. The belief that they would be more disposed to live in peace with Israel is a tragic mistake for which much blood will yet be spilled.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="line-height: 24px;">The Egyptians are now claiming that their honor was impugned by the killing of several Egyptians soldiers in the fire fight between Israel forces and the terrorists. Foolish Israelis are rushing to appease them, which only leads to their making ever more outrageous demands.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="line-height: 24px;">In the Middle East “honor” is a very important subject. Since we live in this neighborhood, the correct response called for by the Israeli government is to inform the Egyptians and the Americans that our national honor has been insulted by the attacks on the Israeli Embassy in Cairo and the burning of the Israeli flag, which the numerous Egyptian military units present did next to nothing to prevent. Since our honor has been insulted the Egyptians must make immediate amends.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="line-height: 24px;">In the Bible the prophets frequently referred to Egypt as a broken reed, when the Kings of Israel or Judea wanted to rely on it for military support. Those words have never been more true than they are today.</span></div></span></span></div>Yitzhak Heimowitzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17184139532506045796noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7244110788269182459.post-21893352783483362022011-08-18T00:00:00.001-04:002011-08-28T11:50:34.427-04:00Laugh So You Don’t Cry<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt 18pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><u>A HUMOROUS VIEW OF THIS SUMMER’S PROTESTS</u></span></div><span style="font-size: large;"><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">The Rothschild Blvd. protesters did not “discover the wheel”, but their cry touched a raw nerve with many Israelis regarding a problem which has lasted for many decades.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">The story is told that in the 1950’s, Ben Gurion visited Pres. Harry Truman in the White House. Ben Gurion was curious about how much the average American worker earned and Truman told him, “$100 per week.” Ben Gurion said, “We figure by the month, so let’s say $400 per month; and how much does it cost him to live?” Truman answered , “$300 per month.” Ben Gurion asked, “What does he do with the extra $100?” Truman said, “It’s a free country, we don’t ask.”</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Then Truman asked Ben Gurion, “How much does the average Israeli worker earn?” Ben Gurion answered, “IL 400 per month.” Truman asked, “And how much does it cost him to live?” Ben Gurion said “IL 500 per month.” “Where does he get the other IL 100?” Ben Gurion, “It’s a free country, we don’t ask!”</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">So we see that the discrepancy between the earnings of Israeli workers and their cost of living has been around since the early days of the State. It did not disappear over time, as shown by the Hebrew skit of the “Gashash” troupe:</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">“Will anyone who can finish the month on his salary, please stand up.” (Not even one person in the audience rises.) </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">“Not a one stands up,</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">“Not even one stands up,</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">“And nonetheless from here and there, from hand to mouth, from mouth to mouth;</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">“And from under the table, the People of Israel lives,</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">“Lives and exists.”</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Thus the Rothschild Blvd. protestors are not complaining about anything new. Many, many Israeli workers with full time jobs have take home pay of NIS 5,000, NIS 4,000 or even less per month, while the cost of living is higher than many European countries and even the U.S.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Since the time of my aliya in 1968, I have been wondering how the veteran Israelis manage, and I haven’t figured it out yet.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">But let’s be serious. Most Israeli workers are underpaid and have been since Israel’s socialist period. There is no point in waxing nostalgic for a return to those socialist years, as some of the protest leaders, with more heart than brains, yearn to do. Only because Israel has such a strong economy now, and is not a Socialist basket case like Greece or Portugal, is there a chance for their protest to achieve something.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">However, there is a real problem, and leaving it in the hands of a small coterie of highly paid officials in the Treasury, will not solve it in the future, as it hasn’t solved it in the past. They think that saying “NO!” to all strikers is the only worthy policy and continue to say, “NO” until they move on to even higher paying jobs in banking, insurance or business in the private sector.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Maybe now there’s a small chance something will change.</span>Yitzhak Heimowitzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17184139532506045796noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7244110788269182459.post-3820742243850289592011-08-16T00:00:00.007-04:002011-08-28T11:51:13.706-04:00The Failures (& Successes) Of The American Jewish Establishment, Past And Present<div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><u>THE FAILURES (& SUCCESSES) OF THE AMERICAN JEWISH ESTABLISHMENT, PAST AND PRESENT</u></span></div><span style="font-size: large;"><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">CHAPTER I THE ABANDONMENT OF EUROPEAN JEWRY IN WWII</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">No one seriously doubts anymore that European Jewry was abandoned by the U.S. and England during World War II. The British national unity government under Churchill did not want the problems with the Arabs which would be caused by permitting Jewish immigration to Palestine. The American government under Roosevelt was not willing to have European Jewish refugees come to the U.S. Even the visa quotas permitted by the draconian Immigration Laws were never filled during the war. U.S. Consuls were instructed to place every obstacle before would be immigrants, even those whose parents, brothers or sisters were U.S. citizens. Consuls who nevertheless issued visas did so at the risk of their careers.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">The Nazi death camps were not bombed by the U.S. or Britain, even though targets a few miles away were repeatedly bombed. Churchill said that when he met with Dr. Weizmann, the Zionist leader, he couldn’t sleep at night. He solved the problem by not meeting Dr. Weizmann again. The countries of the world were divided into two groups, those (the Nazis and their allies) who were killing the Jews, and those (the U.S., England and their allies) who didn’t want to take in any Jews to their own countries or places under their control. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">The official U.S. and British policy was that only the defeat of the Nazis and the end of the war could save Jewish lives. Any rescue attempts before then would impede the war effort. The official Jewish and Zionist leadership cooperated with this policy. The Zionist leaders in Palestine led by Ben Gurion and Moshe Shertok (later Sharett) and the Jewish leadership in the U.S. led by Rabbi Stephen S. Wise, hushed up the news of the holocaust, cooperated fully with the U.S. and Britain, and attacked any Jews who tried to do otherwise, such as the Irgun and Stern group in Palestine and the groups led by Peter Bergson (Hillel Kook) in the U.S., for example, “The Committee to Save the Jewish People of Europe”.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">The Jewish establishment, worshipped Franklin Delano Roosevelt (FDR) first for bringing American out of the great depression and then as the great war leader. His picture graced the walls of many Jewish homes. The leaders were unwilling to think or hear anything bad about him. The foremost leader of American Jewry, (reform) Rabbi Stephen S. Wise, was a close friend and ardent supporter of FDR. He denied all news of extermination of Jews and constantly attacked the Bergson Group for revealing it.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">When 400 (mainly Orthodox) Rabbis marched on Washington to seek FDR’s help to save Jews, Wise advised Roosevelt not to meet with them and FDR slipped out of a side door of the White House, so as not to be at home when they came.</span><br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtWlyAc1bTfAf8YMwGLo31r7EK40Itvux-9Nym3nbtXLh3DA2rVTWZyK-Dfw5EsX4TnSUhS06EPwLK5g4N-Wb5dmNJtqAa4q7XJH8W65asEsMHV1OgYC6-deldALHg_E7Szi_mOyNBDoci/s1600/rabbi_02.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="252px" naa="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtWlyAc1bTfAf8YMwGLo31r7EK40Itvux-9Nym3nbtXLh3DA2rVTWZyK-Dfw5EsX4TnSUhS06EPwLK5g4N-Wb5dmNJtqAa4q7XJH8W65asEsMHV1OgYC6-deldALHg_E7Szi_mOyNBDoci/s320/rabbi_02.jpg" width="320px" /></a></span></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">400 mostly Orthodox rabbis march to the White House on October 6, 1943. Roosevelt avoided meeting with them.</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Nor surprisingly the Bergson group found its main political supporters among non-Jews; the most prominent among them was Sen. Guy M. Gillette. Only in 1944 did Henry Morgenthau, Jr., Roosevelt’s Secretary of the Treasury prevail on FDR to set up the War Refugee Board, which succeeded very late in the war to rescue some Jews. How many more could have been saved if it had been done earlier?</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">CHAPTER II “LET MY PEOPLE GO”</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">The response of the American Jewish community and Israel to the plight of Soviet Jewry was very different, much more proactive and eventually successful in rescuing the Russian Jews. It was far from the dismal record in WWII.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">A number of factors contributed to this difference. Books can, have and will be written about this, but I will briefly list several of these factors.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">1. The American Jewish Community was larger, stronger and less fearful of anti-Semitism than in WWII.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">2. Experience in public protest had been gained from the Black voting rights movement and the anti-Vietnam War movement.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">3. Israel’s lightning victory in the Six Day War in June 1967 had empowered Jewish activists in the U.S., the USSR, England and other countries.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">4. There was a guilt feeling about the failure of rescue in WWII and anger at the establishment of that period.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">5. The Israel government encouraged activism up to a point. Many activists were willing to go beyond that point.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">The movement to free Soviet Jewry began in the 1960’s among sporadic groups such as SSSJ (Student Struggle for Soviet Jewry) on campuses, led by Jacob Birnbaum and Glen Richter, and the Councils which sprang up all over the U.S. and joined together in the Union of Councils for Soviet Jewry.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Betarim and Revisionists, being activists took readily to this effort and the American League for Russian Jews, Inc. headed by Morris Brafman, a Revisionist leader, was established. Rabbi Meir Kahane and his Jewish Defense League (JDL) joined the effort years later, but their dramatic protests succeeded in Rabbi Kahane’s expressed goal of bringing the issue from page 23 to page 1 of the New York Times.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">The mainstream organizations were still cautious, lest the Soviets take revenge on the Jews there. This was a hard argument to answer until eventually the Jews in Russia themselves said that activism and publicity were their only protection against the regime.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">A group of former Betarim and other activist lawyers including Moshe Brodetzky, Morty Dolinsky, Yitzhak Heimowitz, Mel Stein and Judah Harris joined forces with SSSJ to set up the “Center for Russian Jewry” chaired by the movie mogul Spiros Skouras with a suite of offices in the Empire State Building. At its dedication the keynote speaker was Congressman (later President) Gerald Ford.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">In June 1967 when Premier Kosigin came to the U.S. to try to gain for the Arabs what they lost in the war, American Jews protested non-stop at the Soviet Mission to the U.S. I broadcast an editorial reply on WCBS-TV explaining why.</span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="border: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkF7f7faUc9v9Bg_6qmLwZUIhT1DtIYa1QTj42ZerIxttsryyMzD6pDM9i2Jk9ac_xlujWW9y8pA0UhE9faEy8kFVpWxTquW-BEv3GFPrATqYespba246gUQ9QrPgN1sQxBwM-DtLpPQRK/s1600/wcbs+editorial+19670001.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320px" naa="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkF7f7faUc9v9Bg_6qmLwZUIhT1DtIYa1QTj42ZerIxttsryyMzD6pDM9i2Jk9ac_xlujWW9y8pA0UhE9faEy8kFVpWxTquW-BEv3GFPrATqYespba246gUQ9QrPgN1sQxBwM-DtLpPQRK/s320/wcbs+editorial+19670001.png" width="224px" /></a></span></div><div style="border: medium none;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQYzHb8Wg91VMncKqQ6UhGA7Ga3fA9qzlWRml1h4vbr9bHWjD6wAD2D05B3D5L_RvwiCFqo5U45QSA3dy8pDengf-3p89-BfkyVhjCumRvSGpyXFguIhPCkIxPxnNddLOwKWxSxeTpipMP/s1600/wcbs+editorial+19670002.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="196px" naa="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQYzHb8Wg91VMncKqQ6UhGA7Ga3fA9qzlWRml1h4vbr9bHWjD6wAD2D05B3D5L_RvwiCFqo5U45QSA3dy8pDengf-3p89-BfkyVhjCumRvSGpyXFguIhPCkIxPxnNddLOwKWxSxeTpipMP/s200/wcbs+editorial+19670002.png" width="200px" /></a></span></div><span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span></div><div style="border: medium none;"><span style="font-size: large;">The Israel government representatives who dealt with Russian Jewry matters in the U.S. were Nehemia Levanon in Washington and Meir Rosenne in New York. They were listed as Consuls, but were connected with the Prime Minister’s office. They used the Center as a lever to push the mainstream Jewish organizations into greater activity. These organizations established the National Conference on Soviet Jewry as part of the National Community Relations Advisory Council (NCRAC). Once this happened, support for the Center was reduced or terminated. </span></div><div style="border: medium none;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span></div><div style="border: medium none;"><span style="font-size: large;">By 1973, when I was sent from Israel to the U.S. on a mission to deliver a Petition of 17,000 Russian Jewish Olim in Israel to Sen. Jackson and Rep. Vanick, </span></div><span style="font-size: large;"><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">the National Conference was a strong presence. I remember participating in their rally of 10,000 people on the steps of the Capitol, at which Yehezkel Pularevitch, Chairman of the Organization of Former Prisoners of Zion in the USSR, presented the petition to Sen. Jackson.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">On a prior mission to the U.S. in June 1970 I had quoted the language of the leaders whom Moses sent from the desert to spy out the Land of Canaan, “We looked like grasshoppers to ourselves, and so we must have looked to them.” (Numbers 13:33) I applied this to our struggle. If we thought we were powerless, we could never overcome the mighty USSR, but if we believed in our ability, no matter how far-fetched, we could eventually rescue Russian Jewry. The Yiddish proverb says, “If G-d wishes it, a broom can shoot.” and Russian Jewry was rescued. (NUMBERS 13:33)</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">CHAPTER III ISRAEL, OBAMA AND AHMADINAJAD</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Fast forward to today. Which way will the American Jewish establishment go this time?</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Our sages said that since the Temple was destroyed, the power of prophecy was limited to women, children and fools. I don’t see myself as fitting into any of these categories, but nevertheless I will try to point out a few salient factors which may give some indication of trends.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">1. Will the American Jewish establishment follow Obama blindly as the establishment followed FDR during WW II? J Street certainly will, since they are marching in the same direction toward “peace now”! AIPAC, the President’s Conference and other organizations will probably not follow him as the mesmerized crowd followed the Pied Piper of Hamlin.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">2. Will they believe Ahmadinijad’s threats to wipe Israel off the map while killing all the Jews, unlike the 1930’s leaders who disbelieved Hitler’s blueprint in “Mein Kampf”? Most likely most of them will believe him, athough there will still be some “useful idiots” who will not.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">3. Will they be active, as in the “Let my People Go” struggle or passive like the World War II leaders? Most likely many will be active, having learned the lesson. A minority will probably refuse to recognize the facts because their minds are made up in advance.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">I fear Obama will never do enough to prevent a nuclear missile armed Iran, so if that is to be accomplished he will have to be a one term president.</span>Yitzhak Heimowitzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17184139532506045796noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7244110788269182459.post-6778175303414202302011-08-16T00:00:00.006-04:002011-08-28T11:50:50.177-04:00Gerry Kandel: Victory of the Spirit<div style="border: medium none;"><span style="font-size: large;">The 20th of Av (Aug. 20, 2011) is the 5th Yahrzeit of Gerry Kandel, an extraordinary person. Below is the Eulogy I wrote for him in 2006.</span></div><div style="border: medium none;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">GERRY KANDEL: VICTORY OF THE SPIRIT</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Gerry Kandel, z"l, (Yosef Aaron ben Leibel v’Rachel) faced up heroically to terrible adversity for most of his life. Gerry’s mother died shortly before his Bar Mitzva leaving him and his younger brother David with only their father. Their aunt Betty, who lived very close by, stepped in to care for them along with her own two children, Stuart and Linda, but not long after she also died.</span><br />
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<div style="border: medium none;"><span style="font-size: large;">Gerry became active in Betar and Camp Betar. From what I understand he was an excellent Madrich, Head Counselor of Camp Betar, and eventually Netziv. He was one of the 19 Betarim who took over the Syrian Mission to the UN on October 14, 1966. Thus, he was one of the clients I had to get released on bail and eventually, got suspended sentences. When our son Dani was born on May 14, 1968, Gerry sent him an honorary Teudat Betar.</span></div><div style="border: medium none;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKySDSuUSaQsbC5MfYrc5TW7REMPPrke_xyI3A4nei0LnDGqEZm0lf55X2tgiDYrHijWSRMK_9jwiCvREI2cOnt6REv1PBi4L6Ga4g0NV7ikTVO73MI2pFChNhVqipTXydkNiP4JPKCTqU/s1600/Gerry+Kandel.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200px" qaa="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKySDSuUSaQsbC5MfYrc5TW7REMPPrke_xyI3A4nei0LnDGqEZm0lf55X2tgiDYrHijWSRMK_9jwiCvREI2cOnt6REv1PBi4L6Ga4g0NV7ikTVO73MI2pFChNhVqipTXydkNiP4JPKCTqU/s200/Gerry+Kandel.jpeg" width="145px" /></a></span></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">Gerry Kandel z"l</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table><div style="border: medium none;"><span style="font-size: large;">Gerry married the love of his life, Evelyne, and they had two children, Elan and Mia. Evelyne died when Mia was almost 4 and Elan was 8. Gerry raised the children on his own, repeating the tragedy of the prior generation.</span></div><span style="font-size: large;"><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Gerry became the Assistant to the President of City University and when I used to visit New York for business or Shlichut, we would generally have lunch in the top floor dining room of the university building on 42nd Street. Gerry suffered from multiple sclerosis and by then his physical condition had deteriorated significantly. He told me that he insisted on coming to work by subway as long as he was able, rather than getting a special vehicle permit to which he was entitled. Eventually he could no longer climb the subway steps and was forced to accept the permit and park on 43rd Street just opposite the rear entrance of the University, but he continued to work as long as he was able.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Even close to the end of his life, Gerry taught a weekly university class; his helper wheeled him into the room on his wheelchair. Disability could limit his physical performance, but nothing could quench his spirit.</span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="border: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"></div>Yitzhak Heimowitzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17184139532506045796noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7244110788269182459.post-76884530480212660772011-08-02T13:16:00.000-04:002011-08-02T13:16:45.608-04:00The rabbinical courts brought it on themselves<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">A committee appointed by Justice Minister Yaakov Neeman (himself a religious Jew and excellent lawyer) and chaired by Rabbi Dichovsky, formerly one of the most highly regarded judges (Dayanim) on the Rabbinical Supreme Court (Bet Hadin Hagadol) and presently Director of the Rabbinical Courts, is expected to submit a most surprising report.</span><span style="font-size: large;"><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Indeed, Rabbi Dichovsky has resigned as Chairman of the Committee and may even resign as Director of the Rabbinical Court System.</span><span style="font-size: large;"><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">The surprising report will recommend that all aspects of divorce, except for the Get ceremony itself, be relegated to the exclusive jurisdiction of the Family Courts (part of the civil court system), instead of concurrent jurisdiction as exists today.</span><span style="font-size: large;"><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">This means that only the Family Court will make the binding decisions regarding custody, child support, alimony and property distribution, even if the litigants would prefer the Rabbinical Courts to do so.</span><span style="font-size: large;"><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">I can only say the Rabbinical Courts brought this on themselves. </span><span style="font-size: large;"><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">When I settled in Israel in 1968, was admitted to the bar, and began to practice matrimonial law here, I defended the Rabbinical Courts against all detractors. As time went on I began to see that many of the criticisms were justified. The judges (dayanim) with few exceptions were very reluctant to order a husband to grant a Get or a wife to accept it no matter how convincing the justification.</span><span style="font-size: large;"><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">They preferred to conduct a “war of attrition” against the couple. They would hold a hearing for 15-30 minutes and then adjourn the case for three months. After that they would hold another short hearing and adjourn for another three months. If either side did not show up on the next date, that was reason for another three month adjournment. Frequently the three judge bench was short one or even two dayanim although they only had binding power when all three were sitting. </span><span style="font-size: large;"><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">They wanted the spouses to come to a “divorce agreement” settling all the issues between them. Then the court would give it the force of a judgment and arrange the formal Get ceremony.</span><span style="font-size: large;"><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">There were those who said this system gave an unfair advantage to the husband, since it forced the wife to “buy” the Get by giving him part of the property to which she was entitled. My own experience was that it gave the advantage to whichever spouse was the worse “bastard”, which could also sometimes be the wife.</span><span style="font-size: large;"><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">There were a few exceptions, Rabbis whose great knowledge of Torah enabled them to be daring in their decisions, like Rabbi Yitzhak Yedidia Frankel, Chief Rabbi of Tel Aviv, or Rabbi Shear Yashuv Cohen, Chief Rabbi of Haifa or Rabbi Shlomo Goren, first the chief Rabbi of the IDF and later Chief Rabbi of Israel. But these were the exceptions. Most of the Religious Judges continued to decide not to decide.</span><span style="font-size: large;"><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">As a result of the failure of the Rabbinical Court system to serve the public as it needed, public pressure led to the establishment of the Family Courts, which replaced the District courts regarding all aspects of matrimonial law except for the Get ceremony itself. From their outset the Family Courts had concurrent jurisdiction with the Rabbinical Courts, and there was often a race to the courthouse door to determine which would get the case. Now the recommendation is to give the Family Court exclusive jurisdiction over all aspects of divorce except the ceremonial aspects of the Get.</span><span style="font-size: large;"><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">In my experience most of the Family Court judges are not such a great bargain either, but public disillusionment with the Rabbinical Court is so pervasive that it looks like they will win.</span>Yitzhak Heimowitzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17184139532506045796noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7244110788269182459.post-26608449568827667802011-08-01T05:05:00.001-04:002011-08-01T05:06:16.585-04:00A good word for Obama<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Believe it or not, I have a good word to say about Pres. Barak Hussein Obama. He is not the only U.S. President to believe erroneously that the way to make peace between Israel and the Arabs is to force Israel to become smaller and weaker and to make the Arabs stronger. All American presidents since Eisenhower have held that erroneous belief.</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Furthermore, no American president has ever understood that the Arab concept of peace is “without Israel, not with Israel”, or the Arab concept of negotiations, “to cut Israel down step by step like a salami, until they are able to destroy us militarily,” which they have never yet been able to do.</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Every American president has compared the size, population and oil of the Arabs to the size and population of Israel and neither they, nor their military advisers have ever understood why Israel won each of the wars the Arabs started.</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">No American president has understood that Islam is not a religion like other religions in America, but an ideology that calls for world conquest.</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">True, Obama does go further than all or most prior presidents. Apparently he really believes the nonsense he spouts about Islam being a religion of peace and its honored place in American history (!) His mind is made up and you’ll never confuse him with facts.</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">The Israeli population density is the greatest in the world, on the order of Singapore, Hong Kong, South Korea and Taiwan. It is thus a very tempting target for nuclear armed missile attacks. What is the Obama solution? Make Israel smaller and its population density greater.</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">The Palestinian Arabs have never honored any agreement they signed (not even with each other). What is the Obama solution? Get them to sign another agreement.</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">So maybe my “good word” isn’t so good after all.</span>Yitzhak Heimowitzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17184139532506045796noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7244110788269182459.post-62061969010286687612011-07-26T09:05:00.000-04:002011-07-26T09:05:01.340-04:00The four fateful words<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 0px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; border-collapse: separate; color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: 2; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-family: arial, sans-serif;"> <div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="line-height: 24px;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> What are the four words that brought a million Russian Jews to Israel?<u></u><u></u></span></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="line-height: 24px;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> Any veteran of the struggle to free Soviet Jewry will probably think of the four words: “Let My People Go”, but the four words I have in mind are: “Most Favored Nation Treatment”, the words of the Jackson-Vanik Amendment submitted by Sen. Henry ‘Scoop’ Jackson and Rep. Charles Vanik to the U.S. Congress.<u></u><u></u></span></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="line-height: 24px;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> The Amendment provided that in order for the Soviets to get most favored nation treatment in trade with the U.S. they must let the Jews go. This connection was anathema to the Soviets, but very effective, as history shows.<u></u><u></u></span></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="line-height: 24px;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> Every one of the activists inside and outside the USSR played a role in the exodus of Russian Jewry, but I think the Jackson Amendment was the most effective lever. I am convinced that Sen. Henry ‘Scoop’ Jackson and Congressman Charles Vanik should be recognized as “righteous gentiles”.<u></u><u></u></span></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="line-height: 24px;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> I had a small part in the saga of the Jackson Amendment as described below.<u></u><u></u></span></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="line-height: 24px;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> By 1973, tens of thousands of Jews had come to Israel from the Soviet Union. The Jackson-Vanik Amendment was before Congress. It linked “most favored nation” treatment which the USSR needed economically with progress on “let my people go.”<u></u><u></u></span></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="line-height: 24px;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> Seventeen thousand Russian immigrants to Israel signed a Petition to Congress to adopt the Jackson-Vanik Amendment. The Petition ran to many volumes. Yechezkel Pulerevitch, a wonderful person, was the Chairman of the Organization of former Prisoners of Zion in the USSR which sponsored the Petition. He was a Betari who had been imprisoned for many years in a Siberian forced labor camp. He described his experiences in his book, “Short Stories of the Long Death”.<u></u><u></u></span></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="line-height: 24px;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> Even after he was released, he was a victim of the Soviet policy not to allow former prisoners to leave the country, in order to prevent them from revealing their experiences. Menachem Begin got the Prime Minister of Norway to intervene so that Pulerevitch, his wife and their only son could come to Israel. His troubles did not end there. His son, who was named Shabi for Shlomo Ben Yosef, was a physician, and he was the doctor on the Israel submarine “Dakar”, which was lost with its entire crew. Despite these blows, he remained a kind, optimistic person.<u></u><u></u></span></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="line-height: 24px;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> Menachem Begin called me. He wanted to send Yechezkel to Washington to deliver the Petition to Senator Jackson and he wanted me to accompany him, to make all the arrangements. In addition to delivering the Petition on the steps of the Capitol, he wanted me to arrange for a full page ad in the New York Times publicizing the Petition.<u></u><u></u></span></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="line-height: 24px;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> On the night before the flight, Mr. Begin invited me to his home for final instructions. Also present were Yitzhak Shamir (who later followed Mr. Begin as Prime Minister) and Dov Shilansky (later to become the Speaker of the Knesset), who were then in charge of the immigrant division of the Likud.<u></u><u></u></span></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="line-height: 24px;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> Once we were in the U.S., Mr. Begin gave me a third assignment to translate into English the Stenogram of the Knesset Session in which almost all the speakers expressed overwhelming support for the Amendment. Then I was to present and explain it personally to Senator Jackson. I fulfilled his instructions. I remember how I walked alongside the Senator through the long corridors of the Senate explaining it to him and then giving him the original extract from the Knesset Record Mr. Begin had sent me.<u></u><u></u></span></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="line-height: 24px;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> Even before that, I arranged for us to meet Senator Jackson and Congressman Vanik on a morning in the middle of the week on the Capitol steps to present the Petition. The National Conference on Soviet Jewry, with which I cooperated, wanted to take over this event but I refused, and we agreed only that they would send the Russian Jewish emissary who was assigned to them to be present as well.<u></u><u></u></span></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="line-height: 24px;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> I tried to arrange all the details, but I forgot to check one thing. Yechezkel stayed overnight with us in Scotch Plains, NJ, near Newark Airport. I knew that there was a shuttle from LaGuardia Airport to Washington every hour and assumed that there was a similar shuttle from Newark. This was a mistake. There were only about two flights from Newark to Washington and the result was that we came late. We managed to partly rescue the situation. Senator Jackson received the Petition and he and Yechezkel both spoke, but the media results were not successful.<u></u><u></u></span></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="line-height: 24px;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> The National Conference was planning a mass rally at the Capitol for the following Sunday. On my preliminary visit to Washington, Moshe Brodetzky had informed me of a meeting of the local chapter of the Conference to plan the demonstration. We both attended and I was astonished to hear that there was no plan to invite Senator Jackson, but only some Congressmen who had a minor role in the campaign for Russian Jews. I addressed the meeting and told them that Jackson was the one who symbolized the struggle in the public mind and that no one would understand why he was not there. I suggested they get on the phone to New York and present this view strongly to the National leaders. They did this and Senator Jackson was invited to play a central role.<u></u><u></u></span></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="line-height: 24px;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> When we did not receive enough publicity for our presentation, Jerry Goodman, Executive Director of the Conference, suggested that we re-present the “final signatures” to Senator Jackson as the central activity of the National Conference demonstration. This was good for all concerned since they did not have an attractive focus for the rally. On that Sunday, Yechezkel and I again went to Washington where he again presented the final signatures to Senator Jackson. This time there was lots of publicity.<u></u><u></u></span></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="line-height: 24px;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> We were in Washington a third time to attend a reception in Congress for supporters of the Jackson-Vanik Amendment. This time Senator Jackson and Yechezkel embraced as old friends.<u></u><u></u></span></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="line-height: 24px;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> I asked the National Conference to pay for an ad in the New York Times. They said that their graphic artist could prepare the ad, but that they did not have money to pay for it. I visited my client, Aaron Ziegelman, a wealthy real estate man, and told him what it was about. Without extra words he called his secretary to bring his checkbook and signed a check for $3,000. After that, the Conference found someone to make up the balance of $1,000 and we published the ad. The headline was “Last Week 17,000 Russian Jews Wrote a Letter to Your Congressman.”<u></u><u></u></span></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="line-height: 24px;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> When we returned to Israel we learned that there had been a strike of radio and TV while we were in America. Everyone I met said, “We didn’t hear anything about your mission. Why were you late to Jackson?” I replied, “If you know we were late to Jackson, you must have heard something!”<u></u><u></u></span></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="line-height: 24px;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> I was requested to report to the World Council of Herut-Revisionists on our mission. I started off, “The late President of the United States, John Fitzgerald Kennedy, said when he returned from a visit to France, ‘I am the man who accompanied Jackie Kennedy to Paris.’” There was complete silence in the packed hall at this unusual opening. I went on, “In the same way I say, I am the man who accompanied Yechezkel Pulerevitch to Washington.” At this point Menachem Begin called out, “But she is prettier.” I continued, “We met Senator Jackson three times. The first time we both shook hands with him. By the second and third times he shook hands with me, but embraced Yechezkel warmly.<u></u><u></u></span></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="line-height: 24px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"> I cannot end without saying again that Henry ‘Scoop’ Jackson was a righteous Gentile. His four fateful words, “Most favored nation treatment” eventually brought a million Russian immigrants to Israel.</span></span></div></span></span>Yitzhak Heimowitzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17184139532506045796noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7244110788269182459.post-55694085554249139092011-07-26T09:02:00.002-04:002011-08-28T11:51:55.152-04:00An apology by any other name<span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: separate; color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: large; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: 2; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-family: arial,sans-serif;"></span></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large; line-height: 24px;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">These days government ministers, journalists and assorted self-appointed experts, who should know better but don’t, are debating how we can apologize to Turkey without really apologizing. And for what? So that Mr. Erdogan can spit in our faces yet again?</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large; line-height: 24px;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> Turkey demands not only that we apologize for killing the IHH terrorists who tried to murder our soldiers on the Mavi Marmora, but that we pay them damages and cancel the naval blockade of Gaza. For all this they say they will consider returning their ambassador to Israel.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large; line-height: 24px;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> In response, some of our “brilliant” leaders like Ehud Barak, say we must apologize and pay damages because we need Turkey more than they need us. We need them to refrain from filing vexatious lawsuits all over the world against our Ministers, generals, officers and soldiers. All this is a pipe dream. Why?</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px 0px 0px 24pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 24px;">1.<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"> <span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></span></span><span style="line-height: 24px;">The Turkish government has no control over who files these lawsuits, even if they wanted to, which they don’t. Anti-Israel individuals and NGO’s will continue to file them no matter what the Turks say or do and Tzippi Livni will still not be able to visit England without being arrested.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px 0px 0px 24pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 24px;">2.<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"> <span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></span></span><span style="line-height: 24px;">Even worse, an apology will be taken as evidence that these lawsuits are legitimate. If Israel is not wrong, why did we apologize?</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px 0px 0px 24pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 24px;">3.<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"> <span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></span></span><span style="line-height: 24px;">Anyone not convinced of Israel’s guilt by our apology will be convinced by the damages. If we were not at fault, why would we pay the families of the dead terrorists?</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; text-align: justify; text-indent: 27pt;"><span style="font-size: large; line-height: 24px;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> Thus, rather than make Israel’s situation better, an apology and payment of damages will make it much worse. But, say the “brilliant” leaders, we won’t really apologize we’ll just say we’re sorry. Unfortunately, an apology by any other name smells and acts the same; as the following true story will show.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; text-align: justify; text-indent: 27pt;"><span style="font-size: large; line-height: 24px;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> In the spring of 1956, when I was earmarked to become head of the Betar Zionist Youth movement in North America, I was sent to the World Zionist Congress and World Conventions of the Herut-Revisionists and Betar in Israel, so that I could meet the movement leaders and they could become acquainted with me. At the time, I was 21 and a first year law student at Columbia Law School. In order to attend the Congress, I had to take three weeks off from school just before the final examinations. I went to consult the Assistant Dean who asked me where I thought I would learn more law during those three weeks. I happily answered, “In Israel”.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px 0px 0px 4.5pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: 22.5pt;"><span style="font-size: large; line-height: 24px;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> The year 1956 was a period of great tension with constant Arab terrorist raids going on. At that time the terrorists were called “fedayoun.” The dean said to me, “Don’t get shot,” and I left for Israel.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; text-align: justify; text-indent: 27pt;"><span style="font-size: large; line-height: 24px;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> When Menachem Begin spoke to the Congress plenary session, he told the delegates that upon their return to their countries they should explain that when Israel would be forced to cross the borders to stop the fedayoun attacks, it would not be aggression, but an exercise of the natural right of self-defense.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large; line-height: 24px;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> The next speaker was Ya’acov Hazan of Mapam, the extreme left wing Zionist party. He said about Begin, “He who calls for war commits a crime against the Jewish people.” Immediately there was pandemonium. If the Chariman of that session had been experienced, he would have demanded that Hazan retract the statement (as was frequently done in the Knesset), and everything would have continued normally. However, he was not experienced and things got out of hand. The Herut delegates kept shouting down Hazan and would not let him continue his speech without an apology. He refused to apologize. The business of the Congress was brought to a stand-still for that entire day and night. Hazan would not yield the floor, but whenever he tried to speak, he was shouted down.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large; line-height: 24px;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> The session was eventually closed at 2:00 A.M. and an announcement was made that the Herut-Revisionist faction would meet immediately. We all trooped upstairs to the faction room. Joseph Klarman, who was our representative to the Presidium of the Congress, reported that a compromise had been suggested that Hazan would finish his speech, and at the end he would say that he did not mean to insult any delegate of the Congress.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; text-align: justify; text-indent: 27pt;"><span style="font-size: large; line-height: 24px;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> The hotheads in the room argued against this compromise because of the<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><u>timing</u><span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>and the<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><u>wording</u>. They wanted Hazan to<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><u>open</u><span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>his continued speech with a much more convincing apology.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px 0px 0px 4.5pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: 22.5pt;"><span style="font-size: large; line-height: 24px;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> At this time I asked to speak. The Chairman, the late Dr. Bukshpan, tried to ignore me, figuring he had enough hotheads and didn’t need a young Betari to further inflame the atmosphere. Eventually he had no choice but to give me the floor. I rose and said, “What are we debating here?” Some of the members did not understand that this was a rhetorical question and tried to explain it to me. I continued, “We are debating the value of the honor of a member of the Herut-Revisionist delegation to the Congress. We have shown the world what value we place on his honor. For an entire day and night we have prevented the Congress from conducting any business because the honor of one of our delegates was insulted.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large; line-height: 24px;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> “Now we must decide. The world of Israel and the Jewish people is burning. Do we want the responsibility at this point for the cancellation of the Zionist Congress?</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px 0px 0px 4.5pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large; line-height: 24px;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> “No one will pay attention to the exact wording of Hazan’s apology. If we accept it everyone will say, ‘You see, they forced him to apologize.’ If we do not accept it they will say, ‘Despite everything they did, they couldn’t make Hazan apologize’.” At this point I sat down. Joseph Klarman said, “Our young friend Heimowitz has spoken the thoughts that many of us had but did not express. Now let us vote.”</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large; line-height: 24px;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> Menachem begin said, “It is not necessary to vote”, and my position was accepted.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px 0px 0px 27pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large; line-height: 24px;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> On May 31, 1989 Mr. Begin wrote me from his retirement (translation from the Hebrew):</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px 0px 0px 27pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large; line-height: 24px;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> “Dear Mr. Heimowitz,</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px 0px 0px 27pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large; line-height: 24px;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> Thank you for your letter of May 26, 1989. I also remember that incident at the Zionist Congress and I don’t think we were wrong in our reaction to the terrible words of insult which emerged from Mr. Hazan’s mouth.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px 0px 0px 35.45pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: 35.45pt;"><span style="font-size: large; line-height: 24px;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> However, on another occasion Mr. Hazan said that the only thing which unites us is love of Israel. Let us leave it to him to decide where to put the emphasis, on what separates us—or on love of Israel.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px 0px 0px 27pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large; line-height: 24px;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> <wbr></wbr> Yours, M. Begin”</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large; line-height: 24px;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> So let no one tell us that saying Israel is sorry is not an apology. The entire world will say we apologized and therefore we must have done something wrong, and we should pay for it.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large; line-height: 24px;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> Ehud Barak can tell himself otherwise, but he will be the only one listening.</span></span></div>Yitzhak Heimowitzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17184139532506045796noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7244110788269182459.post-61531423819506379702011-07-17T00:00:00.002-04:002011-07-17T07:22:21.622-04:00Save Us From Brilliant People<div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; line-height: 150%; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify; unicode-bidi: embed;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">Brilliant people with the best intentions can produce horrible results. Just look at Aharon Barak, the retired president of the Israel Supreme Court. When he attained that office he decided to overturn two legal principles which had always protected the courts of democratic nations. He decided that everything (!) is justiciable and everyone has standing to bring a suit about anything. By virtue of his brilliance he was able to carry along the majority of the Supreme Court justices, and thus destroyed (yes destroyed) the Israel Supreme Court. They now spend most of their time meddling in matters they should never touch: telling the government how to govern and the army how to conduct war. Thus they don’t have time to do their real work, civil and criminal appeals and equitable relief as a High Court of Justice. I have been saying this for many years, but now more and more people are realizing it.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; line-height: 150%; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify; unicode-bidi: embed;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Since they have their own political agenda, which is far left of left, they have lost the confidence of the majority of the Israel public, who once trusted the courts more than any other arm of government. This is what a brilliant man with the best of intentions accomplished.</span></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; line-height: 150%; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: center; unicode-bidi: embed;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">***</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; line-height: 150%; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify; unicode-bidi: embed;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Recently a spate of retired generals and former heads of the security establishment have been taking to the podium and the media to tell us what is impossible to do.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; line-height: 150%; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify; unicode-bidi: embed;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>One example: It is impossible for Israel to attack the nuclear sites in Iran. But apparently they; think it is possible to live with a nuclear Iran. Even if they are right in theory, is this the message we should be giving Iran?</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; line-height: 150%; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify; unicode-bidi: embed;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Another example: It is impossible to rescue Gilad Schalit in a military operation. As soon as they say this, the Hamas price goes up.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; line-height: 150%; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify; unicode-bidi: embed;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Oh for the Israel of yesteryear, when it was not impossible to rescue the hostages in Entebbe, and it was not impossible to destroy the nuclear reactor in Bagdad; when leaders had guts and soldiers had skills and daring.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; line-height: 150%; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify; unicode-bidi: embed;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>It is vital to realize that the current political wanabees are not great leaders just because in the past they were successful generals. Arik Sharon saved Israel in the Yom Kippur War, but that did not give him a license to destroy it as Prime Minister. Efraim Sneh spent most of his life in the IDF, but that doesn’t make him a genius regarding the political future.</span></div><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: David; mso-bidi-language: HE; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>In fact, by definition, all generals are expert in past wars. None of them is an expert in a future war, neither how to prevent it nor how to fight it.</span>Yitzhak Heimowitzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17184139532506045796noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7244110788269182459.post-56904223910521230782011-07-17T00:00:00.001-04:002011-07-17T07:21:03.104-04:00Who’s Hysterical!<div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; line-height: 150%; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify; unicode-bidi: embed;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">Israel’s professional left wingers, politicians and “talking heads” have gone into paroxysms of hysteria over the anti-boycott law passed by the Knesset last week by a vote of 47-38. They are insisting that the law and its supporters are hysterical, anti-democratic and McCarthyite, and more and more they don’t forget, “Fascist”.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; line-height: 150%; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify; unicode-bidi: embed;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>The latter is a curse word, much beloved by leftists to denigrate their opponents without having the faintest idea what fascism means. All that can be said in their defense is that it is a tradition of the left wing of the Zionist movement dating back to the 1930’s, Then they not only called the Revisionists fascists, but called Jabotinsky, Vladimir Hitler.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; line-height: 150%; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify; unicode-bidi: embed;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Their present argument, in a word, is that everything is permitted to leftists in the name of free speech. This includes professors calling on the international academic community to boycott the universities from which they draw their salaries, as racist, apartheid institutions. They have no conscience pangs about continuing to draw their salaries from these tainted institutions, as long as they can spread their anti-Zionist, even anti-Semitic poison in their lectures, exclude and insult students in IDF reserve uniforms and other such “good deeds”.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; line-height: 150%; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify; unicode-bidi: embed;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>It also includes forcing Israeli contractors who are building Arab cities in the Palestine Authority, to boycott Israeli suppliers which are located in those areas and which employ many Palestinian Arabs. As always, it is important to “stick it” to the Jews, even at the expense of many Arabs losing their well-paying jobs with these Israeli companies. It is called “cutting off your nose to spite your face” or by left wingers “free speech”.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; line-height: 150%; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify; unicode-bidi: embed;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>On the other hand, any effort by Israel to protect itself, its companies, universities and citizens from the intentional damage of these boycotts is an “infringement on free speech.” They are allowed and encouraged to attack us. We are forbidden to defend ourselves. It would be laughable if it were not so sad.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; line-height: 150%; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify; unicode-bidi: embed;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>In Friday’s Jerusalem Post the Propaganda Minister of the PA government repeatedly attacked this “racist” law. Consider the hypocrisy of this statement when P.A. Chairman Abu Mazen repeatedly insists that not even one Israeli Jew will be allowed to remain in the Palestinian State which will be “judenrein”. In other words 600,000 to 700,000 Jews will be expelled from their homes, but in the eyes of the leftists, we are the racists.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; line-height: 150%; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify; unicode-bidi: embed;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>It is instructive to compare the Israeli anti-boycott law with the vastly more draconian American law, which has been on the books, and enforced, for many years. The U.S. law provides for jail sentences and substantial fines to deter would-be boycotters. The new Israeli law has no criminal penalties whatsoever. It creates a civil tort so that the victim of a boycott can sue the boycotter for damages caused him. It also permits Israeli entities to ban boycotters from participating as bidders in tenders for government contracts. That is a draconian law? The essence of racism, McCarthyism and Fascism? The death knell for free speech? </span></div><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: David; mso-bidi-language: HE; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“Give me a break” as the Americans say.</span>Yitzhak Heimowitzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17184139532506045796noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7244110788269182459.post-19310238617669779282011-07-03T00:00:00.002-04:002011-07-03T06:45:22.413-04:00Hijacking Gilad Schalit<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: center; unicode-bidi: embed;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">I have only sympathy for Gilad Schalit's parents, Noam and Aviva, who are fighting to save their son.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; line-height: 150%; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify; unicode-bidi: embed;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;"> I have nothing but disdain for the way in which the Gilad Schalit Campaign Organization has been hijacked through P.R. gimmicks to serve left wing causes.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; line-height: 150%; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify; unicode-bidi: embed;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;"> Five politicians, who were once high in the security establishment, have been mobilized on billboards all over Israel to demand "Gilad Now!" just as they want "peace now". According to them only the Israeli government is guilty of not freeing him today.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; line-height: 150%; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify; unicode-bidi: embed;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;"> When the Prime Minister revealed that Israel (after much agonizing) had agreed to the terms proposed by the German mediator one year ago (!) while Hamas had never responded to them, Haaretz declared in a banner headline that Bibi is a liar. When the German government confirmed that what Bibi had said was true, the silence on the left was so great you could hear a pin drop. Haaretz published a tiny clarification and the five musketeers continued to insist from every billboard that Gilad could be brought home today.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; line-height: 150%; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify; unicode-bidi: embed;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;"> What they want is for Israel to sign a blank check and let Hamas fill in the number and identity of the terrorists to be freed and their destinations. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; line-height: 150%; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: 36pt; unicode-bidi: embed;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">This is the same kind of blank check they want Israel to give the Palestinian Arabs to coax them to come back to negotiations.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; line-height: 150%; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify; unicode-bidi: embed;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;"> In both cases their thinking extends only to the immediate moment of signing. What will happen when Hamas kidnaps another soldier and demands the release of twice as many terrorists, because they see that it works, is none of their concern. Let the government and the IDF worry about it.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; line-height: 150%; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify; unicode-bidi: embed;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;"> On the other hand I find it hard to believe that the vaunted Israeli intelligence establishment does not know, after five years, where in Gaza Gilad Schalit is being held captive. Is Israel, which carried out the Entebbe rescue on July 4, 1976 and the elimination of quite a few top men of Hizbulleh, up to the mysterious problems troubling the Gaza Fraud Flotilla in Greece today, "eyeless in Gaza?"</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; line-height: 150%; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify; unicode-bidi: embed;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;"> Even in the unlikely event that this is so, Israeli intelligence certainly knows where the prime minister and other ministers of the Hamas government in Gaza are and it should not be an insurmountable problem to capture them. At least once before Israel captured senior Syrian generals in order to convince the Syrian government to exchange them for Israeli prisoners whom previously they refused to release.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; line-height: 150%; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify; unicode-bidi: embed;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;"> Before considering all those things, how do we even know that Gilad is alive? This is not farfetched. Hizbulleh kept up the fraud that Regev and Goldwasser were alive for years, and when they eventually returned only coffins, it became clear that they had been killed on the very first day. There has been no sign of life from Gilad for two years and Hamas refuses to let the Red Cross see him.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; line-height: 150%; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify; unicode-bidi: embed;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;"> Perhaps the five musketeers should ponder this question rather than encourage the Israeli public to send SMS's that they are in favor of Gilad's release. Which Israeli is not in favor of Gilad's release? But the P.R. experts of the campaign work overtime on new gimmicks instead of facing the real problem squarely.</span></div>Yitzhak Heimowitzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17184139532506045796noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7244110788269182459.post-90834078328380489302011-05-23T00:00:00.000-04:002011-05-31T04:43:42.664-04:00Selective Vision is Selective Blindness<div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; line-height: 115%; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"> I heard and watched every word of Pres. Obama’s speech at the State Dept. Then I thought about what he said and how he said it. There is no doubt he is a gifted speaker. He deserved A plus in oratory, but F in content.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; line-height: 115%; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; line-height: 115%; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"> His vision and hearing are totally selective. He hears only what he wants to hear and sees only what he wants to see. He doesn’t let truth get in the way of a good story. He gloried in the quote of an anonymous demonstrator in Cairo, “We are all together, Moslems and Christians.” But he said not a word about the dozens of Coptic Christians who have been massacred since then by Moslems in at least two attacks on their churches, nor the thousands of Christians on a sit down strike before the Interior Ministry in Cairo demanding police protection. Apparently these inconvenient facts did not register on his radar screen.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; line-height: 115%; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; line-height: 115%; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"> He also praised the “democratic” government of Iraq to the skies, but said not a word about the hundreds of innocent people who were murdered by terrorists in Iraq in recent weeks and months.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; line-height: 115%; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; line-height: 115%; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"> He is entranced by the democratic outburst in Cairo, but won’t admit that Egypt now faces a choice between a continuation of the military dictatorship or an extremist government of the Moslem Brotherhood. He ignores the polls which show that more than 50% of the Egyptian public wants to abrogate the peace treaty with Israel. It is this Egypt to which he promises billions of dollars in new grants and loans, loan guarantees and forgiveness of a billion dollars of old debt, all supposedly to encourage the democratic revolution he insists on seeing.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; line-height: 115%; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; line-height: 115%; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"> By the way, is Saudi Arabia in the Middle East? Not once was it mentioned by him in a 45 minute speech, calling for equality of women and freedom of religion. He does not permit the inconvenient fact that these don’t exist in Saudi Arabia to interfere with his oratory. His mind is made up; don’t confuse him with facts.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; line-height: 115%; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; line-height: 115%; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"> The same selective vision and selective blindness are evident in his proposal to base the borders between Israel and a Palestinian Arab State on the 1949-1967 armistice lines, as though the Arab wars of aggression of 1967 and 1973 and the terrorism ever since, never happened.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; line-height: 115%; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; line-height: 115%; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"> He ignores the lessons of history and insists it will be different this time. Why? Because he says so. He may have good intentions, but Israel cannot commit national suicide, no matter how good the intentions of those who advise, “take risks for peace”.</span></span></div>Yitzhak Heimowitzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17184139532506045796noreply@blogger.com80tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7244110788269182459.post-83631208255136948032011-05-18T00:00:00.000-04:002011-05-31T04:24:25.939-04:00The Big Lie<div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; line-height: 150%; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"> Hitler’s Propaganda Minister, Goebbels wrote, “The bigger the lie, the more people will believe it.” Chairman Abbas, popularly known as Abu Mazen, obviously agrees.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; line-height: 150%; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; line-height: 150%; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"> Abu Mazen specializes in turning facts on their heads. He wrote his doctoral dissertation in the USSR about the Shoah. He said A) It never happened. B) If it happened, it was vastly exaggerated by the Jews. C) The Zionists persuaded the Nazis to do it, so they could force more Jews to go to Palestine, to steal it from the Arabs.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; line-height: 150%; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; line-height: 150%; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"> After that are you surprised by what he writes about 1947? He says: A) The U.N. General Assembly voted for a Jewish State and an Arab State. (Not a word that the Arabs rejected it and immediately began a war against the Jews.) B) The Jews began to drive the Arabs out of Palestine, so the Arab countries had to send their armies to prevent that. (The cart is firmly before the horse.) C) The Arab State was never established. (Not a word that the Jordan Arab Legion conquered the West Bank [Judea and Samaria] and annexed it to Jordan, while Egypt conquered Gaza, so because of the Arab actions there was no way to establish a Palestinian state and no intention to do so.)</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; line-height: 150%; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; line-height: 150%; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"> The New York Times publishes these lies unquestioningly as the Arab truth. While it can be understood that most people today don’t know what happened 64 years ago, that cannot excuse the Times, which has the files that reveal all the evidence. It is intentionally complicit in spreading the big lie.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; line-height: 150%; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; line-height: 150%; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"> If you don’t like this, maybe you should switch from the Times to the Wall Street Journal.</span></span></div>Yitzhak Heimowitzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17184139532506045796noreply@blogger.com0