Yom Kippur Videos

To help you get into the spirit of the looming fast day, here are some vids.

Shana Tova, Tzoom Kal

Mr Jewish

Islam Destroys 18 Churches. But say 'We're not Violent'

Lets sit back and take stock of this situation shall we. I read in the paper recently that if logic would prevail, then this whole Pope - Islam situation should be headlined:

Pope Calls Islam Violent, Muslims Go on Violent Rampage...

The irony in this whole situation is evidently so ludicrous as to have blind sided the average man on the street. Indeed its almost laughable.

Since the Pope made his remarks :

- Nearly 5,000 Christians were displaced in riots
- Six were injured on September 20th during this rampage.
- 18 churcheshave been torched and left in riuns
- 20 Christian homes burned to the ground
- 40 Christian shops in Dutse, the capital of Jigawa state in Northern Nigeria have been put out of busines.
- A nun has been brutally stabbed to death

There are worrying double standards today amongst Muslims, where they are proud to defame other religions, calling Jihad on infidels, to call Jews pigs and Christians crusaders.

They are proud to speak of war in the name of peace, but woe betide anyone should call Islam to task for its history, or its present day tactics. Western democractic free cultures cannot win, we do not speak the same language of life values, we do not share in hope for our children, we can only but try try again to talk talk talk, in the vein attempt to find some common ground. Common ground that is daily becoming softer and rockeir. We are being led into dark times and only an honest and wide eyed west can emerge victorious.

See some of my friends on NBC

I thought this was quite amuzing this morning on the Today show. A bunch of mates of mine from an unamed company (ok, its www.payperpost.com) stormed the show wearing t-shirts and banners.

Maybe not the best way to get publicity for a cause or a business, but for sure its the cheapest (they run a Guerilla Marketing business) Guerilla being the operative word I think. Anyhow it made me laugh and was a great start to the day!

You can see the whole thing if you click below. Stick it to the man !

Guerilla Marketing

Irish Try to Boycott Israel Again

In another shocking development in what is fast appearing as a global trend of anti-zionism, a number of Irish academics have agreed to boycott Israeli Universities and Academics. More than sixty Irish professors and lecturers have signed an open letter to the EU requesting that it cease financial support and all payments (incuding cooperation) with Israeli universities and academics.

First published in the popular Irish Times in September, the Irish are also pressing academics globally to unite against what they term "Israel's policy of violent repression against the Palestinians in the Occupied Territories, and its aggression against the people of Lebanon". Teaching staff representing every Irish University have lent their name to this ludicrously anti-zionist document.

In the letter, carefully drafted to avoid a sense of anti-semitism, the Irish are quoted as:

"We call for a moratorium on any further such support to Israeli academic institutions, at both national and European levels. We urge our fellow academics to support this moratorium by refraining, where possible, from further joint collaborations with Israeli academic institutions."

The letter ends with the ultimatum to Israel "Such a moratorium should continue until Israel abides by UN resolutions and ends the occupation of Palestinian territories."

This action is worrying and should be condemmed by all for the following reasons:

1. Israeli universities let alone its teaching staff cannot be held accountable to the policies of its government regardless of right or wrong.

2. Universities are not a global police force of democracy or human rights.

3. The Irish are not the enforcers of the UN for its often wildly unbalanced resolutions

4. The letter fails to mention any background to Israels actions, not does it make any effort to condemn terrorism in its ugly incarnation in the Palestinian culture.

This open letter is the 4th attempt by Irish academics to boycott Israeli universities. Last year members of the Association of University Teachers voted to cease all cooperation with Haifa and Bar Ilan universities, and in earlier this year, the NAT attempted to pass a similar resolution amongst its members.

It is surely time for the world to speak up against this academic racism. In America we are seeing similar oubursts by scholars and so called teachers. Are we paying tax to have our children indoctrinated by terrorist sympathisers / virilant anti-semites? This leftist policy of indoctrination must end, we must institute a fair and balanced curriculum of debate and discussion and avoid this wilful posture of antagonism.

Middle East War Games

Wouldnt it be nice if reality was an illusion (we've all seen the Matrix)

Check out this eBook "33 World of Warcraft Insider Secrets" & also see a completely Free World of Warcraft Newsletter which will inform you of new war gaming tips and tricks.

Unfortunately war is real and so is the reality of the global threats we in the civilized world face. Still some of the information on this site is a welcome relief and restbite to reality!

www.warcraftunderground.com

Israel Deploys Nuclear Weapons against Iran

By Dan Williams 

TEL AVIV (Reuters) - In October 1973, with its forces battling to repel invasions by Egypt and Syria, Israel did what had previously been unthinkable: It briefly wheeled its nuclear-capable Jericho-1 missiles out of their secret silos.

That, historians believe, was picked up by U.S. spy satellites and stirred up fears in Washington of a catastrophic flare-up between the Jewish state and the Soviet-backed Arabs. Message received, an urgent American shipment of conventional arms to Israel was quick to follow, and helped turn the war.

With Israel's current arch-foe Iran seen gaining the ability to produce nuclear weapons within a few years, and preventive military options limited, some experts now anticipate another "lifting of the veil" on the assumed Israeli atomic arsenal.

Were that to happen, experts say, the objective would be to establish a more open military deterrence vis-a-vis Iran and perhaps win Israel's nuclear option formal legitimacy abroad.

"No one should simply assume that Israel would stay where it is now with its ambiguous capability if Iran becomes a nuclear power," said Professor Gerald Steinberg, head of the Conflict Management Programme at Bar-Ilan University near Tel Aviv.

"Israeli policy is likely to change, in order to demonstrate that the country has continued strategic superiority," he said.

Israel neither confirms nor denies it has the Middle East's only nuclear weapons, under an "ambiguity" policy billed as warding off enemy states while avoiding a regional arms race.

Steinberg said this might be abandoned only as a last resort to persuade a nuclear-armed Iran that it stood to suffer far greater devastation in any full-blown future conflict.

"It's not desirable, but this is about survival," he said.

Iran, the world's fourth largest oil exporter, says its nuclear programme is for energy needs alone. But calls by its President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad for Israel to be "wiped off the map" have fuelled Western calls for the programme to be curbed.

MUTUALLY ASSURED DESTRUCTION?

Talk of a nuclear stand-off between Israel and Iran has sparked comparisons with the "mutually assured destruction" formula that reigned during the Cold War and, more recently, between India and Pakistan.

But those precedents assume a parity that may not exist with Israel and Iran. Militarily advanced Israel is geographically small and vulnerable. Iran's atomic ambitions are at fledgling stage but its large size could help it survive a major strike.

"The use of a nuclear bomb against Israel would completely destroy Israel, while (the same) against the Islamic world would only cause damage. Such a scenario is not inconceivable," former Iranian President Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani said in a 2001 speech.

There is also speculation that Ahmadinejad might welcome an apocalyptic confrontation, meaning the idea of a deterrent would not work. Yet he answers to Iranian clerics who work by committee and thus provide a rational set of safeguards.

Reuven Pedatzur, defence analyst for the respected Israeli daily Haaretz, proposed that the country, under U.S. guidance, go public with its nuclear capability in the hope of building back-channel ties with Iran and establishing mutual deterrence.

"Israel cannot continue to rely on it (ambiguity policy) if Iran has nuclear weapons. This is because ambiguity leaves too many grey areas. The enemy cannot know with certainty what the red lines are and when he is risking an Israeli nuclear response," he wrote.

"There must be a deterrent policy that will leave no room for misunderstandings," he added. "Thus, for example, we would make it clear that the identification of any missile launched from Iran in a westerly direction means, as far as we are concerned, the launch of an Iranian nuclear missile at us."

Declaring capabilities is one way for a nation to becomes an official nuclear power. The other is a controlled atomic blast.

"If the Israelis really have any doubt about the credibility of their deterrence, they could conduct a nuclear test, say, in the Negev desert," said Gary Samore, a former adviser on nuclear non-proliferation in the U.S. National Security Council under President Bill Clinton.

But he said the diplomatic fall-out of such a move would draw scrutiny away from Tehran and further alienate those Arab nations willing to endorse Western pressure on the Iranians.

"It would be a godsend for Iran," Samore said.

NPT IN QUESTION

Israel did not sign the 1970 nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty. It thus kept its main nuclear facility, outside the desert town of Dimona, exempt from inspection. It has received billions of dollars in aid from Washington, whose laws ban funding states with unregulated non-conventional arsenals.

A nuclear weapons test by Israel would effectively blow away that U.S. blind eye. Iran, in turn, could withdraw from the NPT and argue that it should not be subjected to sanctions. After that, other Middle East states would likely seek atomic arms.

Avner Cohen, author of the seminal study "Israel and the Bomb", has suggested that Israel seek to form a new nuclear pact along with India and Pakistan, which refuse to join the NPT.

"Such a protocol might permit them to retain their atomic programmes, but inhibit further development. It could also require cooperation with international nuclear export controls, prohibit explosive testing of nuclear devices, and call for the phased elimination of fissile material production," Cohen said.

Iran would not be able to join such a pact, he added, as it has violated the NPT by pursuing unauthorised nuclear projects.

Cohen poured cold water on the idea of Israel seeking mutual deterrence with a nuclear-armed Iran, noting that during the Cold War parity was achieved only after Washington and Moscow scraped through two crises -- over the 1948 Western airlift to Berlin and the 1962 deployment of Soviet missiles in Cuba.

"The sense of stability associated with mutually assured destruction grew out of a learning curve," he said. "Israel had its learning through crisis, especially the 1973 war. Do we have time for the Iranians to learn? Will they learn?"

Hezbollah Preparing for Fresh Attack

Hezbollah has been transporting rockets and heavy weaponry to Palestinian camps in south Lebanon just a few miles from the Israeli border, according to Lebanese officials.

The officials told WND the office of Lebanese Prime Minister Faud Sinora sent a letter last week to Abbas Zakir, the Palestinian Authority's most senior representative in Lebanon, outlining the alleged Hezbollah weapons transfers into Palestinian camps. The letter noted "unusual activity" in and near the Palestinian camps, including the coming and going of trucks suspected of carrying weapons.

Palestinian groups, including Fatah and the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine-General Command, maintain armed bases in Lebanon, mostly in the al-Naemeh province just south of Beirut and in the Bekaa Valley, near Lebanon's border with Syria and Israel. Fatah is the party of PA President Mahmoud Abbas.

According to Tzipi Livni all is Good.

Peace is possible then, according to Israeli Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni who said today that her meeting with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas during her trip to the US last week was proof of existing dialog between Israel and Abbas.

Livni said she also spent time appealing to UN Secretary General Kofi Annan to fulfill UN resolution 1701 including the return of the abducted IDF soldiers. Whether her appeals will do anything but fall on deaf ears as they usually do remains to be seen. 

Now as in the past, international leaders appease their governments and quieten their people by making overt condemnations and formal and firm requests.  Then to flip the coin and appease the Arab terrorists, the verbal cease and no action is taken.  Though perhaps this time it will be different!, perhaps this time Kofi Annan in his final few months in impetant power may actually try and leave a positive legacy behind him.

Livni added she had met with 30 representatives of Arab states including the more moderate ones who share Israel's concern over Iran's nuclear armament.

So according to Livni all is good on the islamist front, we'll get our soldiers back and the Iran will be quashed by its neighbours !!

UN Needs Self Empowerment

I think our friend UN Humanitarian Relief Coordinator Jan Egeland needs to take stock of himself and read a decent Self Empowerment Book Maybe then he'll see the sense he's not talking !

UN Calls for Peace in Mid East.

Good old UN, intent on being respected, intent on not being seen as impetant have called on all sides to be calm, peaceful and play nicely !!

Today, The United Nations issued appeals to coincide with the Jewish New Year and Ramadan, the month-long Muslim season of fasting, seeking humanitarian relief in the Palestinian territories and a sign of the fate of two Israeli soldiers captured by Hezbollah.

UN Humanitarian Relief Coordinator Jan Egeland appealed to Jews and Muslims to use the religious holidays to show goodwill to each other and "break through humanitarian crises that are long overdue to be resolved."

"If we don't make progress now in these holiest weeks both for Muslims and for Jews, we will not make much progress later," Egeland told the Associated Press on Monday.

Why does it have to be a religious holiday that makes people ponder their actions? Why can`t people keep these religious credos closer to heart throughout the whole year?

We Found New Office Space In Austin, TX

Those of you who've visited our Hasbarah offices in downtown Austin will testify to the cramped conditions and generally poor atmosphere our team has been working under for the last 2 years... WELL NOW ITS TO CHANGE.

Thanks to a generous donor, and in large part to 'Don Cox Company' our Austin based real estate consultant we will be moving into plush new premises next month. Those in the know will receive a seperate email with our new address.

Our activities can now grow further and wider with our new office... we're looking forward to continuing lobbying for peace and security the world over in our new surroundings.

If anyone in Austin is looking for Austin Office Space, I would recommend our friend Don, a good start is to visit the Tips page onhis website for insider advice.

Austin Office Space

Hezbullah has 20,000 rockets aimed at Israel

If we are to beleive the rantings of a madman, then the original 14,000 rockets originally claimed are in the possession of Nassrallah is wrong.  By those calculations, they would have less than a couple of thousand left after the war.  They fired 4000 and Israel destroyed thousands more.

But now our terrorist neighbour in the north claims he lied originally (or is lying now), that in fact he still has 20,000 aimed at Israeli citizens.  Oh and by the way, he also claimed no army in the world would force him to disarm, not Israel, not Lebanon and certainly not the infidel UN.

L'Shana Tova Mr Nassallah

Arabs fire rockets at Israel

So it continues into the new Jewish year, rockets fired out of Gaza with one sole intention.  To kill Jews.

So called 'Palestinian Militants' (lets call them terrorists, or state sponsored terrorists to be more specific) fired at least two rockets from the Gaza Strip into southern Israel early Tuesday morning, just hours after the Fast of Gedalia ended, at least one person was injured and scores more treated for shock.

Is there anyone left in Sderot not injured or being treated for shock ?

And again the world sits by and fails to condemn this barbaric act to try and kill as many Jews as possible. Lets not kid ourselves, if the terrorists in Gaza had access to better guided weaponry they would use it.  Do we have time to wait for Iran to supply them ?

Let the world heed warnings and begin to support the widescale military operation to cleanse the area of war mongering fundamentalists.

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Fast of Gedalia

Today, the day after Rosh Hashana marks the Fast of Gedalia, one of the "minor fast days" in the Jewish calendar year. The fast begins in the early morning at dawn, and ends in the evening at dusk.

There is much the Jews and other cultures can learn from this story:

<from www.aish.com>

THE STORY OF GEDALIA

After the destruction of the First Temple 2,500 years ago, the majority of the Jewish people were exiled to Babylon. The conqueror, Nebuchadnezzar, eventually eased some of his harsh restrictions and allowed some Jews to remain in the Land of Israel. He even appointed a righteous Jew named Gedalia to administrate the territory. Gradually, more Jews who'd escaped from the horrors of the war into neighboring countries began to return to their homes in Israel.

Gedalia was realistic about the limitations of Jewish sovereignty. He understood that for their own self-preservation, the Jews in Israel needed to fully cooperate with the nation who had conquered their land.

But this political subservience was intolerable to some Jews. A man named Yishmael ben Netaniah, spurred on by jealousy and foreign influence, arose and ignored the King of Babylon. On the third of Tishrei, Yishmael treacherously killed Gedalia as well as many other Jews and Babylonians.

ANSWER ON YOM KIPPUR

In the aftermath of Gedalia's murder, the Jews feared reprisal from the King of Babylon. They thought to flee to Egypt to save themselves. But since Egypt was a morally corrupt society, the Jews were in a quandary -- weighing the physical threat against the spiritual danger. So they turned to the prophet Jeremiah, who was secluded in mourning, to ask for advice.

For an entire week, Jeremiah pleaded with God for an answer. Finally, on Yom Kippur, he was answered. Jeremiah called the Jews and told them to stay in Israel and everything would be alright. God was planning to make the Babylonians act mercifully toward the Jews, and before long, all the exiled Jews would be permitted to return to their own soil. But, Jeremiah told them, if the Jews decided to go to Egypt, the sword from which they were running would kill them there.

Unfortunately, the prophet's words did not penetrate, and the people refused to believe. All the Jews remaining in Israel packed their bags and went down to Egypt. They even kidnapped Jeremiah and took him with them! Now the destruction was complete; the Land of Israel was completely barren.

You can guess what happened next. A few years later, Babylon conquered Egypt and tens of thousands of Jewish exiles were completely wiped out. The lone survivor of this massacre was Jeremiah. His prophecy had become painfully true.

The initial event -- the murder of Gedalia -- has been likened to the destruction of the Holy Temple, because it cost Jewish lives and brought the end of Jewish settlement in Israel for many years. The prophets therefore declared that the anniversary of this tragedy should be a day of fasting. This day is the third of Tishrei, the day immediately after Rosh Hashana.

LESSONS FOR THE FAST OF GEDALIA

Lesson #1 -- The Jewish people had sunk to one of their lowest levels in history. The Temple was destroyed, the majority of Jews were exiled, and things looked hopeless. But God changed their desperate situation and had the righteous Gedalia appointed. Yet Gedalia was murdered by a Jew and all hope was wiped out.

It was at this point that Jeremiah prayed to God for some insight and assurance. This was during the 10 days between Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur. This story is memorialized to teach us an important message for these days: No matter how far away you are, you can return and God will forgive you.

Lesson #2 -- The Jews who went to ask Jeremiah for advice were subconsciously sure that God would give the answer they wanted to hear. So when God answered differently, they rebelled.

Yet these were not evil people. What happened?

Though these Jews were in one sense dependent on the will of the Babylonians, they were unwilling to be dependent on the will of God. The lesson is that attaching oneself to God means following Him at all times, not just when it happens to coincide with what you want.

A good rule in life, when faced with a tricky moral dilemma, is to ask yourself: "What would God say? What does He want me to do?"

Lesson #3 -- When one Jew murders another, it is a deep, terrible tragedy, which can have enormous historical repercussions. There is no excuse for such violence. Do we have philosophical and political differences? We must work them out with calm and tolerance. It is the only acceptable way

Hamas Will NEVER Recognize Israel

In a disturbing but brutally honest development, Hamas will claimed as long as there are Jews living there, it will always wage war with the Jewish State.

Meanwhile Chairman Mahmoud Abbas is expected to arrive in Gaza on Monday or Tuesday to resume talks towards forming a coalition government with Prime Minister Ismail Haniyah of the Hamas Party. Both parties are exchanging the blame for the failure in talks and the collapse of the much hyped coallition Govt.

Haniyah last week reiterated his position, that a Hamas-led government would never recognize Israel. This despite statements to the contrary released by Abu Mazen in NYC.

PA chief negotiator Dr. Saeb Erekat, who is aligned with Abu Mazen, stated that Haniyah violated an agreement with Fatah and began retracting his position only after Abu Mazen flew to New York City to attend the UN General Assembly, where he worked to enlist support of the world community to lift the economic boycott on the PA.

Digital Life : Consumer Technology Show

Advanced Notice : I will not be posting during the second week of October as I'll be in New York at the DigitalLife show(www.digitallife.com)

This is the largest consumer technology, gaming, and entertainment event of the year.

I'm heading there to see some of the world's top technology and gaming brands such as: eBay, ESPN, Game Stop, Intel, Logitech, Microsoft, NVIDIA.

If your in the area I advise you go.. its fantastic.. and I can get you FREE tickets

The Regular price is $15, however we have a if you enter the FREE ticket code "INSIDER" on the ticketing page then you get in free.

The Silent Exodus - Jews from Arab Lands

The exodus of a million Jews expelled from Arab countries after 1948. Who knows about them? Why didn't they ever receive the status of refugees that they deserved?

In 1948 nearly one million Jews lived in Arab lands. But In barely twenty years, they have become forgotten fugitives, expelled from their native lands, forgotten by history and where the victims themselves have hidden their fate under a cloak of silence.

A people whom legend have always associated with "wandering" many of these Jews from Arab lands had lived there for thousands of years and accepted their fate, through good times and bad times.

But 1948, the beginning of their exodus, also saw the birth of the State of Israel.
And, while the Arab armies were preparing to invade the young refugee-country, the survivors of the Shoah were piling up in rickety boats. Meanwhile a few hundred thousand Arabs from Palestine were getting ready to flee their homes, convinced that they would return as winners and conquerors.

Soon - by a terrible twist of fate they, as well, began to fill up refugee camps and passed on their refugee status to new generations.

The Jews, however, did not receive refugee status.

They had just rediscovered the land of their birthright.

And if they came from Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Libya, Egypt, Syria, Iraq or from Yemen, if they had lost everything, even their relatives and their cemeteries, they were ready to rebuild their lives in the West and for many - in Israel - and try to forget their past.

Without ever asking for compensation or the right of return, or even wishing that their story be told.

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Is USA Supporting Hamas ?

The International Quartet - the United Nations, the United States, the European Union and Russia - declared its support on Wednesday night for Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas's efforts to form a unity government with Hamas.

It was the first time the US had supported the idea of a Palestinian government that included the Hamas movement.

In its decision, the Quartet said it hoped the new PA unity government would recognize Israel, renounce terrorism and accept previously signed agreements, however, the Quarter did not set the three principles as a condition for its acceptance of the new proposed government.

With Rockets coming outof Gaza and Hezbullah rearming in Lebanon, what is happening in the world ?  why is appeasement rearing its head again !!

Hamas Prepares for War

Hamas chief in Syria Khaled Mashaal has said that the new Palestinian unity government formed between Fatah and Hamas would be established based on Palestinian national interests,

Khaled said it "will not capitulate to the dictates of the United States and Israel"

Palestinian interests in the eyes of Hamas means the total 'liberation' of all of Israel.... can we take this as preparation of war ?

President Bush makes sense !

Bush, in an address to world leaders at the U.N. General Assembly, tried to advance his campaign for democracy in the Middle East against a backdrop of turmoil in Iraq, Afghanistan and other nations that have embraced the very changes he seeks for the region.

Bush said, "My country desires peace. Extremists in your midst spread propaganda claiming that the West is engaged in a war against Islam. This propaganda is false and its purpose is to confuse you and justify acts of terror. We respect Islam."

Islam says: Happy New Year

Of all the New Year e-Cards flying around the Internet, this one is by far the best..

www.jerusalemonline.com/newyear.asp

Shana Tova to all peace loving humans.

Muslim Reaction to the Pope's speech

• In Britain, while leading a rally outside Westminster Cathedral, Anjem Choudary of Al-Ghurabaa called for the pope "to be subject to capital punishment."
• In Iraq, the Mujahideen's Army threatened to "smash the crosses in the house of the dog from Rome" and other groups made blood-curdling threats.
• In Kuwait, an important website called for violent retribution against Catholics.
• In Somalia, the religious leader Abubukar Hassan Malin urged Muslims to "hunt down" the pope and kill him "on the spot."
• In India, a leading imam, Syed Ahmed Bukhari, called on Muslims to "respond in a manner which forces the pope to apologise."
• A top Al-Qaeda figure announced that "the infidelity and tyranny of the pope will only be stopped by a major attack."

Egypt puts forward Arab Vision

Arab Vision

<from BBC>

President Hosni Mubarak's son has said Egypt must offer a new political vision for the Middle East - one not imposed from outside, but based on Arab values.

Gamal Mubarak, a senior figure in the governing National Democratic Party, urged the rejection of "foreign ambitions" trying to shape the region.

The remarks were seen as a reference to efforts by Egypt's US ally to introduce Western-style democracy in the region.

Travel to the Middle East

If your planning a trip to the Middle East then your probably aware of two problems (Olmert and Abbas think they have problems!).  The first problem is the difficulty in booking such places as Aman, Beirut and Cairo without flying the expensive national airlines (where are the low cost carriers when you need them.

The second problem is the cost ! High street travel agents charge too much and airline websites just seem to want to charge more. What you want is a discount, and ease of planning, and booking flights and hotel from one website. Check out deals from leading e-Travel Agent and grab Expedia coupons

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Isreal Withdraws Troops

True to their word, and in full acceptance of the UN Resolution 1701 Israel has announced troops will have left Lebanon by this weekend.

The withdrawal would end a more than two-month troop presence in Lebanon and complete the transfer of security responsibilities along the border to the Lebanese army and a beefed-up U.N. peacekeeping force.

Under the U.N.-brokered cease-fire, a 15,000-strong U.N. force is to deploy in the south to maintain the cessation of hostilities and assist the Lebanese army in re-establishing control over Hezbollah's southern stronghold.

About 5,000 international troops already have been deployed in south Lebanon, along with 9,000 Lebanese troops.

We now wait and see if the Lebanese fuflill their part of the deal and disarm Hezbullah

Al-Qaeda threatens the Pope

Churches have been burned, protests are rife but Pope Benedict has never been more popular with the West.  Whether his comments (and his appointment given his history of feelings towards Islam) will serve to benefit the world will only be known in years to come. 

Many have questioned the feelings of the average man on the street towards the war on terror, few people have had to experience the tradgedy of terror attacks on thier own back yard. So perhaps a figure such as the Pontiff is the ideal man to bring the reality of the current global climate to the masses.

Yesterday however, Al-Qaeda in Iraq warned Pope Benedict XVI that its war against Christianity and the West will go on until Islam takes over the world, and Iran's supreme leader called for more protests over the pontiff's remarks on Islam.

Time will tell, but for sure the time is coming for a full confrontation with the extreme elements of Islam.

George Bush Sings - Sunday Bloody Sunday

This is very amuzing if not clever...

Politicians Get Bladder Infections !

So its true, they are humans just like the rest of us. They get coughs, cold and even bladder infections. The difference between them and us is but one thing.... they get damned good advice.

I read today of a certain Middle East Dictator, I wont mention his name for fear of being threatened with a wiping of the map !, but suffice to say he seems to be suffering from uncontrollable stress leves leading him to experience the pain and trauma of a bladder infection.

He sent his advisors accross the globe to find a cure (the west are good for something sometimes!) and they came back with 100% Natural D-Mannose which is a which is a glyconutrient sourced from Mother Nature.

I know we all sympathise with this little man of persian descent, but lets be honest, i'm sure a little stinging and burning was nothing to serious, i'm sure he looked back on the episode and laughed to himself. D-Mannose came to his rescue, it was tollerant, it didnt discriminate, it just wanted to wash away those devilish bacteria.

Any normal Ahmed Sanjani would normally need a doctor to prescribe an antibiotics course and you'd feel bad for days (google "antibiotics side effects" for inspiration). With Natural D-Mannose our famed leader simply flushed his nasty e.coli out the next time he went to the loo, it's was as fast as that!

D-Mannose - If its good enough for him, its good enough for us :-)

This story is not necessarily true, it is also not meant to offend.

Israel Launched Lebanon War Inquiry

The Israeli governement has approved plans for an inquiry into the recent conflict with Lebanese guerrillas Hezbollah.

This is what a transparent democracy is all about. Whilst I'm sure there will a fair share of cover-up and blame deflection this is a true sign of a modern civilization. I'm now awaiting to hear if Lebanon announce their own internal inquiry into the actions of Hezbullah, let alone the governments own complicity into the crisis.

Meanwhile the Israeli soldiers remain in captivity with very little word on their condition or chances of release.  Kofi Annan has been and gone, his spin apparantly doing nothing but appeasing the Arab world and quietening the western public.

If we're ever going to have peace with our neighbours they need to start acting now !

One sided action whether it be diplomatic or military is getting us nowhere, we need partners for peace and concessions by Arab governements....

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Pope Upsets Islam

This morning I'm not sure whether to laugh or cry.  We are coming through another weekend where the world has upset Islam for no reason and failed to apologise.  In return the non-muslim community of Planet Earth is being recompensed with threats of Jihad, burned churches and cries of foul play.

So the whats the fuss ?

The Pope last week quoted a 14th century conversation where a question was put to a Muslim cleric that Mohammed had only brought evil and destruction to the world through his teachings.

It took a few days to filter through, but now the children of Mohamed are wreaking destruction to the world.  Is this a sad irony ?

Correct me if i'm wrong (please do correct me).. but it appears to me that its okay for the world of Islam to insult Christians, Jews and all other infidels, to threaten them with Jihad and throw spurn at the western way of life, but if we dare counter this 'discussion' we face suicide bombers, protests and burnt places of worship ?

In short, if you throw stones, expect some to come back. 

Mark Twain noticed the Propesy too !

Mark Twain wrote of his visit to the Land of Israel in 1867:

"A desolate land whose soil, though rich, produces only thorn bush and thistle - a silent mourning expanse. There exists a state of neglect that even the imagination is incapable of granting it the possibility of beauty of life and productivity. We arrived in peace to Mount Tabor; we did not see a soul during the entire journey. Everywhere we went there was no tree or shrub. Even the olive tree and sabra, those faithful friends of barren lands, were almost completely missing from the land. The Land of Israel dwells in sackcloth and ashes not milk and honey..." (The Innocents Abroad, 1867)

Following Strange Gods

"God said to Moses: When you die, this nation will follow strange gods of the land. They will abandon Me and violate the covenant we have made. I will then be angry with them, and hide My face from them - and they will be consumed by the enemy.

"Beset by evils and troubles (as a result of their deeds), they will say: 'It is because God is no longer with me that these evils things have found me.' And I will hide My face from them for all the evil that they have done.

"And now, write down this song (referring to the poem of Ha'azinu, also hinting to the Mitzvah of writing a Torah scroll), and teach it to the people. This song will be a witness. When I bring them into the land that I promised to their ancestors, flowing with milk and honey, they will eat and be satisfied and live in luxury. They will then turn to other gods and anger Me and break My covenant. When they are beset by evils and troubles, this poem will testify because it will never be forgotten by your descendents." (Deut. 31:16-21)

Prophesy of Prophesies

"You will return to God and listen to Him with all your heart and soul. And God will return your exiles and gather you from all the nations He has scattered you. Even if you will be scattered to the ends of the heavens. God will take you from there and bring you to the land that your ancestors inherited, and you shall inherit it."

(Deut. 30:1-5 paraphrased)

Amnesty International Condems Hezbollah

Wonders will never cease...

Irene Khan, Secretary-General of Amnesty International "The scale of Hezbollah's attacks on Israeli cities, towns and villages, the indiscriminate nature of the weapons used, and statements from the leadership confirming their intent to target civilians, make it all too clear that Hezbollah violated the laws of war."

What worries me the most is the concept of 'The Laws of War' if war was meant to have laws and played fairly then firstly there wouldnt be any, since the first moral law would be 'dont go to war' and secondly that one can apply the Laws of War to lunatic islamic fundamentalism that preaches only hatred and destruction.

Still it makes a change for Amnesty to not condemn Israel outright.

Syria Playing Dangerous Games

All of a sudden the Syrians are our best friends.  After thwarting a terrorist attack onthe US Embassy in Damascus they have shown their willingness to support the War on Terror, to protect western assets and generally act like a responsible nation.

Really ?

The US Ambassador to Syria was recalled a long time ago along with all American nationals.  The Embassy has been staffed by locals to open mail and answer the phone.  All that was at risk was a building.


What do Syria want ?

We know they want normalized relations with the west, which means lifting of sanctions and some 'respect'.  What better way than to thwart a terror attack.  Would they go as far as to stage this attack only to prevent it and thereby force some form gratidute from the government and sympathy from the people of America?

Conspiracy theory perhaps, but plausible nonetheless...

Lets Define 'Occupation'

It seems to be a favourite word in all corners of the Middle East.  The 'Israeli Occupation' or 'Resisting Occupation' though rarely do we  hear what this means. 

Finally Hizbullah admitted 'Occupation' means the Shabaa Farms (offcially disputed area of Syria not Lebanon)

The Palestinians consistenly use this term 'Occupation' which is convenient when the world understands the expression 'Occupied Territories'  (gaza & west bank).  However look at the flags and emblems of all Palestinian / Hamas organisations and you soon learn that Occupation implies every square inch of Israel.

Lets finally sit down and understand what occupation the Arabs feel they need resist.  Lets finally understand where the end game lies, then perhaps we can begin real negotiations for a final solution.

Jewish Islamic Chatroom

Its coming soon, after checking out the latest online chatroom I am in the process of setting up the admin pages of what will be the most daring Jewish / Islamic Debating Chat Room.

This chatroom has some pretty cool features like searching other members with similar interests and creating relevant groups such as the one I will launch from my blog.

It will take a few days for me to fully evaluate all the features and configure it the best way to check back here soon for an update. Inthe meantime if anyone already uses this chatroom at Pictari.com let me know what you think of it.

Honest Arab Reporting?

Interesting article from Kuwait Times

This article was forwaded to me and makes for a better read than the BBC or British Guardian Newspaper !

Condemn Attacks from Gaza

Where is the international condemnation of attacks from the Palestinian controlled Gaza ?

Today, Palestinian gunmen fired a Qassam rocket at Israel from the northern Gaza Strip. Military sources estimated that the rocket landed in an open area near the Erez crossing. There were no reports of injuries or damage

Is it because no Israelis died ?

How does the UN and EU judge acts of war ?

How SHOULD the UN and EU judge an act of war ?

Should it be by the number of dead or the intent ? As I would understand it, Israel will always be the aggressor because the IDF are better trained and better armed, meaning a single action with intent is going to cause fatalities, whilst the Palestinians with stone throwing abilities are usually going to miss their target.

So should Israel be condemned for successfully killing known terrorists, when the Palestinians are never condemned for attempting to kill as many women and children as they can?

Where is the balance?

Cheap Books on Israel

Continuing one of my themes of letting people know how best to educate themselves about current affairs, politics and Middle East specifically, this resource is a great place to get hold of brand new cheap books.

Its a great place to search for book topics and reviews (you will even find some of my reviews there!)

The site features all major bookstores like Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Half.com, eCampus, etc. They also offer daily book related news, research into online book buying, an extensive book title search. There are other book sites online, but this one is my personal preferred source of CheapBooks.com .

If you find anything relevant to my blog and would like to recommend it to me and my readers, please email me or leave a comment. Happy searching and happy learning !

Tony Blair Arrives in Middle East

Amidst turmoil and tribulation on his own domestic front and the announcement of his iminent departure as British PM, Tony Blair has come to Israel to attempt to forge a legacy of peace.... I only hope he doesnt get desperate and force a situation as we had in Bill Clintons final months where desperation led to frustration and an opportunity again for western democracy to appear weak.

Olmert announced on yesterday after meeting with Blair that he himself would meet with Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas.  "I assured Prime Minister Blair that I am ready to work closely with the Chairman of the Palestinian Authority Abbas to implement the road map," This the very road map that all sides (except the weak EU) admit is dead.

Olmert also called again for the dismantling of Palestinian terrorist organizations as the initial step of the implementation of the road map peace plan, and emphasized that the Lebanese government needs to be in full control of the country. Blair attached great importance to the full implementation of United Nations Resolution 1701, which led to the cease-fire after 34-day-conflict between Israel and the Lebanon's Hezbollah group.

Today Blair will hold meet with Abbas in the West Bank... lets see what happens here !

Blair no Friend to Palestine

Does Tony Blair have friends anywhere?

His own party dont want him, his electorate seem sick of him, Israel and USA think he's too much of a terrorist appeaser and the terrorists think he loves Israel. Where does that leave him while on a diplomatic mission to the Middle East?

Hundreds of Palestinians including politicians and intellectuals on Thursday called on British Prime Minister Tony Blair not to visit Palestinian areas, accusing him of excessive support for Israel.

Blair will meet Palestinian officials in Ramallah on Sunday during a visit to the region, an aide to Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas said. Blair is expected to also hold talks in Israel and Lebanon, though there has been no confirmation from his office.

"He is coming here in order to wash his hands, that are dripping with Lebanese blood, with Palestinian water," the group of Palestinians wrote in an ad placed in the al-Ayyam newspaper.

A word about a sponsor

I just wanted to drop a quick note to my quasi-blog-sponsor payperpost.com a pretty neat company that allow bloggers to earn a few dollars to help ofset the time spent blogging. We dont all have high paying jobs or much free time, so this service is a fantastic idea that helps publishers and advertisers meet in the middle.

make money blogging



While I'm at it... if you like Digg, then read the original article here

http://digg.com/tech_news/PayPerPost_The_Consumer_Generated_Advertising_Revolution_Has_Begun

So Mr Olmert, What Now?

Can you survive your current turmoil ?  Can you weather the storms a-brewing like many Prime Ministers have before you, or will you capitulate like many more have also done?

I think you know what you need to do, its quite obvious to most, its to stand firm and speak pure and honest truth.  You know what you need to say, for you are Jewish and Israel is your home.  All us Jews and all us Israelies know what needs to be said, but we all wait in quiet frustration while leader after leader promises and then fails to deliver.

Mr Olmert, your political future hangs in an Arab balance, one weighted against you.  Mr Olmert if you want to regain the trust of your people and garner the unity we all crave then speak up.

Tell the world how it will be, forget our fears of being made outcasts by the world, for outcasts we already are.  I emplore you to tell the world that this land is Jewish, and always will be.  Tell the world we fear no-one, least of all pitched battles. 

Its time the world understood why we lay claim to this tiny piece of real estate, time to explain to them in clear terms.  They need not agree, they probably wont, but they need to understand the way things will now be.  We trust ourselves to find peace and quiet and rely on ourselves for our security.

Are you brave enough Mr Olmert?

Do you have a choice Mr Olmert?

Search Engine with a Riddle !>!!?!

I'm always on the lookout for new resources for researching my blog entries and to accurately respond to comments and emails I receive. Last night whilst researching some resarch tools I came accross a fun search engine that challenges you while you search. Its called Trumalia and has over 2000 challenging questions on topics such as art identification and the history of science.

Once I signed up as a member I could enter the the forum to chat to fellow searchers on everything from current affairs to the actual Trumalia enigmas onthe site.

I consider myslef quite intelligent but some of the guys in the forum are pretty smart, where I struggled to find answers to some of the Riddles, they seemed to have no problems.

The site uses the Gigablast search engine as its base, and they've added these intetesting unique features of their own.

A Letter to Mr Olmert

I appreciate and respect that at the moment your time is both precious and occupied with matters of our State and of our Security, though I hope you will have a moment to read and digest what I have to say.  As an Oleh Haddash I arrived in Israel with my wife just over a year ago with the dream of a better life than England could offer me now and a safer life than it could offer my Jewish children in the future.

It has been an interesting year, and much has changed in this tiny country though to my amazement despite the shrinking of our lands, rains of rockets and wars waged against us, it seems the resolve and strength of my new country folk have remained as strong as ever.  We are truly an amazing people, despite 2000 years of geographical and spiritual seperation we are able to unite under the blue & white flag and hold fast to our individual understanding of what it means to be Jewish and to live in this corner of the Middle East.

Like many Israelies, last year I supported in practice but was emotionally hurt as we disengaged from Gaza.  Unfortunately for our nation hopes of peace always seem destined to follow painful events, and watching our settlers being forced from their dreams for the hope of a brighter future for us all was a confusing event.  Whilst disengagement was supported under the explanation of your predecessor we all knew (and probably Arik also knew) that the outcome would be exactly as it is.  We rewarded terror at the hope of being able to tell the world 'told you so' so we could garner some international sympathy and again attempt to claim our rights to live here in security and safety.  It was not to be.

Just as Mr Barak's decision to withdraw from Lebanon to the complete satisfaction in the hope we may earn some international respect and ensure a secure border in the North. Again its was not to be.

So like many Israelies who supported disengagement I'm afraid I cannot support convergenge, reallignment or disengagement-2.  Unfortunately our experiences of the last month have not just shown us the consequence of withdrawal, but more worryingly we now see the limitations of the 12 foot security fence we thought would keep us safe from the hatemongeres in the West Bank.  The fear of terrorists in Qalkilya, Jenin, Tulkarm and the like being supplied with 15,000 katushas is a thought not bearing consideration.

I like many Israelis and Jews around the world spend much of my time obsessing with International opinion of our little lost nation, with ever worsening world opinion of our apparant moral deviances and subsequently the truth, the truth that is never mentioned and always covered with condemnation of our actions and disgust at our attempts to keep our children safe.  The truth that in the eyes of the world Israel has no legitimate right to exist.  For this is the only thing that makes sense when assessing the complete lack of logic at which we are condemmed, condemmed, condemmed.  Its the only thing that makes sense when the world threatented by an emerging era of an angry Islam fails to see the appetiser to the main event. When the world refuses to see they are not hated because they support israel, but they are hated because israel is a mirror and a taste of the freedoms the west cherishes.

Iranian Universities receive clampdown

In a speech given yesterday to Iranian students, Iran's President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad called for a purge of "liberal and secular" academics from Iranian universities.

Ahmadinejad derided secular lecturers as "a fifth column of western colonialism," which he said was seeking to expand into Iran.  Ahmadinejad is now seen to be reviving campaigns of the 1980s, when hundreds of liberal university teachers and students were expelled from universities.

In recent months, several student activists have been imprisoned and dozens of liberal lecturers forced to retire before the statutory age. Last year, Ahmadinejad appointed a radical cleric as chancellor of Tehran University, the country's most prestigious institution. The government has also buried "martyrs" from the 1988 Iran-Iraq war in some universities in what activists see as an excuse to allow security forces on to campuses to keep watch on the student body.

Golda Meir

30 Years ago, but never has her statement been more true a basis for understanding where we find ourselves in the world.  The difference, only that the statement now reaches beyond Israel to the entire free and tolerant world.

===
We can forgive the arabs for killing our children, we cannot forgive them for forcing us to kill t
heir children.

We will only have peace with the arabs when they love their children more than they hate us.
===

Blog Hosting Migration

To all my avid (and sometimes angry) readers. Very soon I will be migrating this (and other blogs) to a clustered hosting provider.

Why you may ask, especially when blogger is free domain and free hosting... well the answers are simple. I now run a handful of blogs and am looking for more control over traffic limits, what I host and how people can interact. There are times when I want toa add some media for readers to download and often I think about adding features like a forum and blogs from my blog.. all these things I can do at my new provider , Relio.com. Uptime should be better since with clustered hosting the site is spread over 7 servers so downtime should be mimimised.

Also and very important, I'd like a more memorable domain, which at the moment are on offer for only $1 So check back soon, coz i'll keep you updated, in the next month or so I expect to have a dedicated server running my blogs and also opportunities for you to get your own free blog on my server.

Kofi Annan the Mediator

In an attempt to avoid going out like his predecessor, Kofi Annafn is preparing to act as a mediator for the release of kidnapped Israeli soldiers.

"The only thing that I insisted on is that if I'm going to use my good offices, then my mediator should be the only mediator," he said. "There must be one mediator and effective channel of communication." Annan said he would not announce the mediator's name to allow him to work quietly.

Kofi Annan has done little to help bring peace to the world since the out break of the War on Terror almost 5 years ago to the day.  He now has 3 months and counting to make an impact.  One might say meeting terrorist leaders Ahmadinejad and Assad this week is counter productive.  One might say he's staking his reputation on not being made to look a fool.

I'm reminded by the infamous handshake between Tony Blair and Yasser Arafat shortly before the world came to realise his open terrorist preferences.

Kofi... stop appeasing and start hard talking... and when the hard talk finishes, lets see some action.  We dont have the luxury of time when it comes to rogue regimes building up arsenals of weapons.

Rise in UK Anti-Sematism

Another touch of 21st Century irony here.  A website today ran a story on the rise of anti-sematism in the UK apparantly disalusioned British Muslims using anti-Israel slur as an excuse for anti-sematism (whether these are the same is another issue) Here is the short story in full:

Where is the irony?... check out the website and read the comments left by readers !


A group of prominent MPs, alarmed at the rise of anti-semitism in Britain, will accuse some left-wing activists and Muslim extremists this week of using criticism of Israel as 'a pretext' for spreading hatred against British Jews.

The charge is made in a hard-hitting report - by MPs from all three major political parties - which will be unveiled at a Downing Street meeting with Tony Blair on Thursday.

The report is published in the wake of an alarming increase in verbal harassment, abusive emails and letters, and even violent assaults on British Jews.

Get Discounts on Middle East Conflict Books

People have asked me (friends and family) where I do my research and get some of my opinions and thoughts on the Middle East. Perhaps the initial and worrying response is they are all mine and opinions form from seeing the world through untainted eyes.

But I also read a lot, I always try and get through at least 2 books a week, which I pick up either at local book fairs (cheap) or at charity shops (cheaper) or if I want to treat myself to something new and hot off the press then I buy online. But always (if I can find one) with some kind of coupon or discount code.

Recently I've been using amazon coupons codes Which give pretty good discounts. Last week I bought a bunch of books that cost $150 and I got a 10% discount... which amounted to 2 free books !

Prisoner Swap - Again

Looks like our Arab neighbours will get their reward again for kidnapping Israeli soldiers. A Prisoner Swap deal is in the making.

What I'd like to see is a formal agreement by all sides recognising each others right to exist. This being the fundamental issue on all sides of the borders. If Israel would recognise Palestinian rights of self determination and the Palestinians would recognise the Israeli right to exist then final peace settlement talks could begin.

Until these recgonitions are in place I see no future for peace.

What do you think ?