by Zionista [➚] · Friday, December 16th, 2005
The Independent Online reports,
Article 301 [...] makes a criminal offence of denigrating national character.
Hey, is’nt it a refreshing change to be on the outside looking in on another peoples’ identity crisis for a change?
[Orhan] Pamuk, 53, has long been a thorn in Turkey’s side. His books, in more than 20 languages, paint an often unsettling picture of a Turkey split between Western and Oriental cultures, between conservative and modern, Islamic and secular ways of thinking. He has often spoken out against Turkey’s treatment of its minorities, accusing the government of encouraging “crazy” nationalism and violating human rights.
Full story
by Zionista [➚] · Thursday, December 8th, 2005
The Guardian reports,
Bashar Assad, the Syrian president, is being urged by Saudi Arabia, Egypt and Jordan to restart bilateral talks with Israel that collapsed in 2000. Discussions were under way in Mecca yesterday at a summit of the Islamic Conference Organisation, chaired by King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia and attended by most Arab heads of government.
Full story.
by Zionista [➚] · Monday, December 5th, 2005
Thanks to the tireless efforts of libertarians, art majors, paleoconservatives, and other True Patriots, we are all well aware of how Israel, neocons, Zionists, and other Jews plot to have the United States do their bidding in the world.
So, please pay no attention to what the Jewish Telegraphic Agency reported last week:
At a strategic-dialogue meeting this week among senior officials, Israel laid out for the United States three scenarios if Bashar Assad is toppled: chaos, an Islamist regime or another strongman from Assad’s minority Alawite sect. Israel fears all those options, saying Assad provides a measure of stability.
U.S. officials told their Israeli counterparts that toppling Assad could be “transformative†and dismissed concerns about an Islamist regime taking his place.
Remember. When faced with a choice between fact and legend, print the legend.
by Zionista [➚] · Tuesday, October 25th, 2005
Ha’aretz reports,
WASHINGTON – President George Bush announced Saturday his intention to nominate Paul J. McNulty, of Virginia, to be Deputy Attorney General at the Department of Justice.
McNulty is the Federal prosecutor in the cases of former defense analyst Larry Franklin, and the two former AIPAC lobbyists, Steven Rosen and Keith Weissman….
We all know how, to a certain extent, “neocon” means “Jewish” in the lexicon of American political discourse. Surely, some within proximity of the White House policymaking apparatus believed that the US invasion of Iraq would be as much in Israel’s interest as they believed it was in America’s. But even to the extent that the Israeli security establishment itself believed Saddam Hussein’s Iraq to be a WMD threat, it was hardly held to be a priority when compared to Syria and Iran.
And the more we learn of Patrick Fitzgerald’s investigation into the Swift Boating of Ambassador Joe Wilson and his wife, the better we understand how little the Bush-Cheney adminstration was sincere about the Iraqi threat as advertised in President Bush’s 2003 State of the Union speech. As Joshua Micah Marshall wonders,
Now, if McNulty had been cooperating with or become a participant or enabler of some sort of Fitzgerald’s investigation, he’s not the first person you’d figure President Bush would be appointing to the number two spot at DOJ — especially when you consider that Al Gonzales will almost certainly have to recuse himself from any consideration of the entire Plame case. If something is afoot between Fitzgerald and McNulty, what went into the appointment? Who came up with the idea?
I don’t know which of these scenarios is closest to the mark. And these are very strange times — most anything is possible. But there’s something here that doesn’t fit.
Strange times, indeed. At such times it may be wise to consider, as the White House recognizes the necessity to mend fences with its conservative base, and assuming the Bush administration has learned valuable lessons in triangulation, that Israel and its American Jewish supporters are ripe to take the fall for leading Americans into the Iraq debacle. And with the complicity of some American progressives to boot, as Professor Juan Cole sums up,
With both Iraq and Iran in flames, the Likud Party could do as it pleased in the Middle East without fear of reprisal. This means it could expel the Palestinians from the West Bank to Jordan, and perhaps just give Gaza back to Egypt to keep Cairo quiet. Annexing southern Lebanon up to the Litani River, the waters of which Israel has long coveted, could also be undertaken with no consequences, they probably think, once Hizbullah in Lebanon could no longer count on Iranian support. The closed character of the economies of Iraq and Iran, moreover, would end, allowing American, Italian and British companies to make a killing after the wars (so they thought).
Oh, those crafty Zionist neocons…
by Zionista [➚] · Friday, October 14th, 2005
The Greatest Generation…
Theodore Roosevelt Heller, 88, loving father of Charles (Joann) Heller; dear brother of the late Sonya (the late Jack) Steinberg. Ted was discharged from the U.S. Army during WWII due to service related injuries, and then forced his way back into the Illinois National Guard insisting no one tells him when to serve his country. Graveside services Tuesday 11 a.m. at Waldheim Jewish Cemetery (Ziditshover section), 1700 S. Harlem Ave., Chicago. In lieu of flowers, please send acerbic letters to Republicans.
Read on…
by Zionista [➚] · Friday, October 14th, 2005
Bill Berkowitz reports,
In a move geared toward solving northern Israel’s unemployment crisis, increasing tourism to the country, and solidifying relations with U.S. evangelical Christians, the Israeli government has offered 35 acres of land on the shore of the Kinneret (Sea of Galilee) for development by Christian evangelicals.
[...]
In May, Prime Minister Ariel Sharon and former Prime Minister and Finance Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who resigned his post due to opposition over what he called the unilateral withdrawal from the Gaza settlements, made the offer at a meeting with a host of evangelical leaders.
But it’s all good. TV Rabbi Shmuly Boteach has faith in the integrity of Christian Evangelicals, like Ted Haggard of the New Life Church in Colorado Springs.
Rabbi Boteach, a nationally syndicated radio talk show host, syndicated columnist and the author of 15 books, believes that while Israel should always maintain “a sizable Jewish majority,” evangelical Christian immigrants should be welcome in Israel as long as they “respect the integrity of the Jewish faith by foreswearing the proselytisation of the Jewish population.”
After all, the Christian Evangelists of Colorado Springs have a pretty solid record of respecting the beliefs of non-Christians, right?
Tom Minnery of Focus on the Family, which is located near the Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, has some advice for Weinstein. He tells the Post that even though the Academy graduate may not like it, “it is the job of an evangelical Christian chaplain to evangelize. It’s protected by the First Amendment’s guarantee of free exercise of religion.”
As they can find a way to rationalize their proselytizing in the Air Force Academy, Israelis are supposed to trust them not to proselytize from the banks of Lake Kinneret. Does anybody still truly believe there is anything Jewish, at all, about the “Judeo-Christian” values of the religious right?
by Zionista [➚] · Friday, October 7th, 2005
Haaretz reports,
Kuwait’s official Al-Seyassah newspaper called two weeks ago to lift the economic ban from Israel, following the withdrawal from the Gaza Strip. Yousef Nasser Suweidan wrote in the paper, “The Israeli withdrawal and a positive Arab response at the present time could bring about a political process with momentum that might lead to an historic reconciliation in the Middle East.” He advocated normalization of relations with Israel.
But while Shaaban Abdel Rahim loves Amr Moussa, Amr Moussa needs hatred like most of us need air to breathe:
Arab League Secretary General Amr Moussa spoke harshly last week about countries who are pursuing contacts with Israel. “Israel’s policies are not worthy of an Arab gesture,” he told the London based pan-Arab Asharq Al Awsat newspaper, “I don’t encourage these contacts, don’t accept and don’t understand them.”
Maybe a little support from an enlightened western intelligentsia — oh, I don’t know, maybe group or two that has the word “peace” in it — could actually be of some help.
by Zionista [➚] · Friday, September 30th, 2005
The Forward reports,
According to Argentine Jewish leaders and media reports, the United States sided with Iran last week in a secret vote to downgrade international police alerts calling for the arrest of Iranian officials wanted by Argentina for their alleged role in the 1994 bombing, which killed 85 and wounded more than 300. The vote, taken by the General Assembly of Interpol, the 182-country international police agency, canceled the top-level alert for arrest warrants issued by
Argentina against 12 Iranians in 2003.
[...]
“We are just appalled by Interpol’s decision,” said Jorge Kirszenbaum, the head of DAIA, the central Jewish umbrella organization in Argentina. “We are particularly hurt that some countries who claim to be at the forefront of the fight against terrorism took that position.”
Full story.
by Zionista [➚] · Friday, September 23rd, 2005
Everywhere conservative privatization-guru Grover Norquist goes, his violent anti-Zionist friends like Abdurahman Alamoudi seem to follow. Right up to the White House. And whose White House, we may ask? No “liberal commie Democratic” one, that’s for sure.
The Washington Post reports,
David H. Safavian, the Bush administration official arrested Monday, initially failed to disclose lobbying work he had done for several controversial foreign clients when he went before a Senate panel last year to be confirmed as chief of the White House’s federal procurement office.
[...]
The record of Safavian’s confirmation shows extensive questioning by the committee staff about his alleged lobbying for local Muslim leader Abdurahman Alamoudi, who in October 2000 made widely publicized comments supporting Hezbollah and the Islamic Resistance Movement, or Hamas, at a rally in Lafayette Park.
Lobby disclosure forms originally filed by Safavian’s firm, Janus-Merritt Strategies, show that it represented Alamoudi, a prominent Muslim activist, until 2001. Alamoudi has since been convicted and imprisoned for accepting money from the Libyan government as part of an alleged plot to assassinate the crown prince of Saudi Arabia.
Janus-Merritt Strategies changed its lobby disclosure forms in 2001 to indicate that its client was not Alamoudi but Jamal Barzinji. In March 2002, Barzinji was named in a search warrant affidavit filed by a Customs Service official as “the officer or director” of a group of entities in Northern Virginia “controlled by individuals who have shown support for terrorists or terrorist fronts.” No charges have been filed against Barzinji, and he has denied any wrongdoing.
Hey, it’s no Chinese Buddhist scandal. But you work with what you got….
by Zionista [➚] · Wednesday, September 14th, 2005
Estimated American Jewish electoral turnout for Bush-Cheney’s reelection adds up to about 25%. Can Republicans ever convince a majority of American Jews that conservative policies are good for the Jews, let alone good for anyone else?
Jerusalem Post columnist Caroline Glick opines on “America’s Dark Side”:
First, why would the US ask for Israel to lower the level of a humanitarian aid delegation sent to assist US citizens in need? Second, why would the Bush administration hold up the arrival of assistance from a close ally whose government’s offer of assistance had been announced a week before? And thirdly, given the IDF Medical Corps’ enormous, hard-earned experience in contending with major disasters – man-made and natural – why would the Bush administration nix the participation of IDF doctors in the humanitarian assistance effort?
Read on…
by Zionista [➚] · Wednesday, September 7th, 2005
The Independent reports,
Prince Alwaleed [bin Talal (R-Saud)] reiterated his support for [publishing magnate Rupert] Murdoch yesterday as his Kingdom investment company converted a 3 per cent stake he held in non-voting News Corp stock to 5.46 per cent of the voting shares.
Full story.
by Zionista [➚] · Friday, August 26th, 2005
On Thursday, Aug. 25, Rainbow Coalition/Operation PUSH leader Jesse Jackson had a conversation with Israel’s Ambassador in Washington, Daniel Ayalon, lending his oratory to introduce a genuine peace and human rights movement to the political arena.
Ha’aretz reports,
…following the implementation of the withdrawal from the entire Gaza Strip and four West Bank settlements, “the moral burden now substantially shifts to the Palestinians.”
“Sharon made a bold and painful step toward a long-term solution. He deserves a partnership that is just as bold and committed,” said Jackson.
The reverend told Ayalon that he would try to use his influence in the Arab world to push for the Palestinian Authority to fully carry out the required reforms.
Full story.
by Zionista [➚] · Thursday, August 18th, 2005
In evacuating settlements in parts of the West Bank and all of Gaza, Israel is taking brave and bold steps both in the interests of its own good and for peace and dignity in the native region of the Jewish and Arab peoples. But right now, only three Arab League member nations recognize Israel’s national legitimacy (perhaps only two, depending how the military coup in Mauritania is going), despite equal status as UN General Assembly member nations.
This is exactly the time for the Arab establishment to abide by the UN Charter, acknowledge Jewish national rights and recognize the state of Israel. Arab states can begin by implementing the Arab League peace initiative submitted by Saudi Arabia and adopted by the 2002 Beirut Arab League Summit. Israel has taken initial but definite steps toward peace with the Arab nations. Arab nations can and should begin initial but definite steps toward peace with the Jewish people. They can begin simply by opening diplomatic and commercial relationships with Israel, exchanging ambassadors and facilitating trade.
Despite the close relationship between the United States — paricularly the Bush administration — and Saudi Arabia, there is little evidence of US diplomatic persuasion for Arab League leaders to begin implementation of the Saudi peace iniative. This leaves it up to a genuine peace and human rights movement to do the right thing that the White House and other Western democracies are otherwise incapable of doing. The Arab establishment is a closed and despotic leadership, but they live in the same world we do and they have embassies and consulates that we can appeal to with firm but respectful demands to recognize Jewish national rights and to open diplomatic and trade relations with Israel.
Let the peace movement henceforth and forever forward be joined with the recognition movement.
by Zionista [➚] · Tuesday, August 9th, 2005
Jerry Falwell: “Everyone now knows that the stage is set for the church of Jesus Christ to turn this nation back to the faith of our fathers and the Judeo-Christian ethic.”
by Zionista [➚] · Thursday, August 4th, 2005
Back in May of last year, Ahmed Chalabi was charged with passing classified information to Iran. To make a long story short, the charges have been dropped, the judge who signed the search warrant for the raid of his house by Iraqi security forces and US troops has been fired, Chalabi was elected one of three deputy prime ministers in the new Iraqi government, and he was warmly greeted at the US Embassy’s Fourth of July celebration in Baghdad last month.
Today, two former AIPAC execs are about to be prosecuted for passing classified information to Israel.
by Zionista [➚] · Wednesday, August 3rd, 2005
The “day after” Gaza disengagement compels us to consider some resolutions. First, we Jews, Israelis and Zionists need to start hanging around with a better crowd, and avoid the pseudo-intellectual clique that thrives on fear. If we are all looking over our shoulders, afraid of scientific inquiry, social ingenuity and economic fairness, the better off the fear-mongering crowd will be.
The politicization of religious observance, the popular notion that the political spectrum from left to right corresponds respectively from sacred to profane, reinforces the urgent importance for a distinction between religion and state. For Jews the urgency is increased because of the national identity Jews share with our singular religious path.
The modern struggle for the national rights of the Jewish people has succeeded so far in establishing a viable western-style state — a flag, official language, genuine electorate, independent judiciary, borders and the ability to defend them, etc. None of which will matter of course if Jews compromise on the components of Jewish identity, including the religion of Judaism.
On the other hand, the commulative and dynamic Jewish national identity is greater than the sum of its parts, including the religion of Judaism. And there are lessons to learn from the current tension in American politics between the faith-based and reality-based factions of the electorate. And while Labor has its help from James Carville and Likud has its help from Arthur Finkelstein, we do ourselves no good living for the sake of others’ agendas. As the right characterizes itself as the sacred opposition to the liberal “profane,” policies advance contrary to empirical reality for the sake of short term gains for narrow private interests.
In as much as the problem of modernity is measured by its approach to “the Jewish question,” and to the extent that Zionism has arguably recovered much of haskala’s failed promise, Zionism’s ultimate success must be measured by the extent to which the Jewish people are reintegrated into the family of nations in general, and in the middle east region in particular. And to sustain a policy of fear and paralysis is to betray the achievement of Zionism to this point. Despite the fear-mongering of the G. Gordon Liddies and Pat Robertsons, the diplomatic foundation for regional cooperation is there to build on.
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