UN raising $613 million dollars for Gaza...

I just saw this headline from the Jerusalem Post:

UN trying to raise $613m. in Gaza aid.

It is a good thing that I am not the type for kooky spiritual analysis. If I was, I would say that this is a sign from God that this whole Gaza hassle is a result of our laxness as a nation in the keeping of the 613 commandments of the Torah.

But since I am not such a type, I will stick to my usual political stuff.

Israeli Chief Rabbinate cuts ties with Israeli government...

not.

But it would make about as much sense as what they actually did this week in cutting ties with the Vatican.  Here is why:

The Rabbinate cut ties with the Vatican in order to protest the reinstating of a Holocaust denier as bishop.  The bishop had previously been excommunicated along with several others for rebelling against the Roman Church.

Now don't get me wrong, I have no problem with the Rabbinate cutting ties with the Vatican.  I don't think there ever should have been any ties with a body that has tortured, expelled and in every way possible persecuted Jews at every chance it got throughout history.  It is very nice that they held Vatican II in the 60's and declared that they no longer believe that all Jews are doomed to Hell.  In my book, that is a tiny step in the right direction, but nowhere near sufficient.  (I would like to see something in the order of sever billion dollars payed annually to the State of Israel as reparations for all of the damage to body and property that the Church did to Jews over the millenia.  Then I would consider their apology to be perhaps sincere.)

What I don't understand one bit, is why this action triggered the Rabbinate to cut ties.  Mahmoud Abbas is after all an unapologetic Holocaust denier.  The government of Israel took him from being considered a terrorist, and now props him up over and over again as the 'peace partner'.  Our government gives guns to terrorist, and lets thousands of terrorist out of jail, just to prop up this Holocaust denier so that we can hand him our historic, Biblical homeland on a silver platter.  

If recognizing a Holocaust denier, is more of a reason to cut ties with an entity than thousands of years of persecution, then the Chief Rabbinate had better cut ties with the State of Israel ASAP.

For those of you who use your brain to think I would like to suggest a different approach.  How about we cut ties with the Vatican because they are a vile body that has brought only pain and suffering to our people.  Then we cut ties with H.D.  Abbas because he is a Holocaust denier and we should have nothing to discuss with him.  Then we get back to what we need to be doing as a people.  That is building our nation and making it strong on the land that God has given to us after 2,000 years that we didn't have any means to do so because of people like the Pope and H.D. Abbas.

Pope Ratzinger as a young man giving Nazi salute.

One of H.D. Abbas' poor, suffering subjects.

Arabs don't have many Nobel Prize winners. But they do have something to be proud of...

Moshe Feiglin - What now?

I have been following Moshe Feiglin for several years now.  The more I observe him, the more I come to believe that he and his way are the only viable political solution for Israel's future (of course I will take Moshiach over him any day).

I have posted a couple of times about the struggle for him to keep the #20 slot that he earned in the Likud primary.  I also correctly predicted (as did Feiglin himself) that the High court would not uphold the ruling of the lower court which restored his slot to him.

The question for us who support him is, "What now?"  I just read the latest political update over at his website.  After reading it, I am more convinced than ever before that his way is the correct one.  I encourage every citizen of Israel who cares about the issues that I speak about on this blog, to go out and register for Likud so that we can put Feiglin at the head of the party the next time around.

Now for something totally different... 

I don't know about you, but I always assumed that Moshe Feiglin was a short, mousy looking type of guy.  This was the one thing that worried me.  Short polititians historically don't do well. I was priviliged to meet Moshe a year ago and was suprised to see that he is about 6' 4" (that is a rough estimate.  I am about 5' 10' and he is a full head taller than me).  I tried to explain to him that he needs to make sure that in all of his PR material, he is show standing near average size people so that the public will see that he is actually a very tall person.  

It may seem trivial, but the fact is that most people make their political choices based on such trivial factors.  There is no reason for him not to capitalize on any margin it might add for him.

What is going on with Chabad?

I came across this video from a Chabad Chanukkah event in New Jersey.

As you can see, it is a Chanukkah party at Chuck E Cheese.  I am sure that the Rabbi made sure that separate Kosher food was provided. Nevertheless, I can't imagine that the Rebbe would have authorized such a thing while he was alive. Besides the fact that it is a non-kosher restaurant, there is a large rat lighting the Menorah. Did the Rabbi check if the person in the rat suit was Jewish before he made a brocha? 

The Rebbe once caused a big controversy when he announced that Jewish children should not play with toys of non kosher animals. He specifically singled out Micky Mouse and asked how a Jew could let their child play with a toy of a Sheretz.  

I see this as syptomatic of a big problem in the world of Chabad outreach.  It used to be that Chabad was about Chassidut.  Chabad chassidim were expected to be scholors in both Gemara and Chabad Chassidut.  The Rebbe would require some Chassidim to sacrafice their spiritually comfortable life in one of the Chassidic centers to go on 'Shlichus' to save Jewish souls.  Every Chassid would have prefered to stay in Crown Heights, Jerusalem etc. but they realized that the Rebbe needed them for this mission, so they went.

Today shlichut has become a substitute for getting a job.  In the world of Chabad, people fight over who will get a better shlichut (in a place with better weather, or richer people etc.).  It has gotten so bad that the new slogan is, "Shlichus-the birthright of every Chossid".  

The fact is that the vast majority of Chabad Shlichim are still doing great work.  But every year that goes by, I see more and more of these Chuck E. Cheese types.  

Another important video

Please spread this video around. It tells the real story of what is going on.

Right on!

Worth watching!

h/t Shilow Musings

Update:
Right after posting this I realized that DovBear actually posted it earlier than Silow Musings. He also adds the following commentary:

In this clip, Greg Jarret demonstrates extreme bias and a complete lack of professionalism. I think he's mostly right on the facts, but that isn't the way a serious newsman wins arguments, or makes his network seem credible. Those looking for proof that Fox's news is unrealibly slanted now have their smoking gun. To claim that this shows Fox is the most pro-Israel news network, is to strip the word "news" of all meaning and to equate reporting with cheering. Now, let me be clear: I don't deny that Buttu is an apologist, nor do I claim she was telling the truth, but if Jarett wants to behave rudely and dismissively towards apologists liars he should become a blogger.

I can't believe that the usually smart (for a heretic) DovBear could so miss the point on this one.
Here is the real point. The woman being interviewed is lying through her teeth as part of a Palestinian propaganda operation. Most reporters just let people like her get away with it in the holy name of 'journalism'. Jarret realizes that the only way to be a true journalist in this case and report the facts is to expose the fact that she is a propagandist. A true journalist will not let a propagandist spew lies without exposing them.

What about Collateral Damage?

You might be surprised to find out that a fire-breathing, right wing, wacko extremist like myself is concerned with civilian deaths in Gaza. Well I am. Let me first reference two thoughtful post on this issue and then I will throw in my two cents.

DovBear: War (what is it good for?)(Absolutely nothing!)

The important quote here is:

Here's the thing: I agree that Israel should destroy the rockets, and the crews who launch them. I'm prepared to accept some collateral damage among ordinary Arabs in order to achieve this aim. I support the right of a sovereign nation to protect its citizens which is why I supported the war on Afghanistan, and also the war in Iraq before it became common knowledge that Bush had lied to the country about Iraq's capacity to harm us. My support for the war on Hamas only falters when I consider the likely results of Israel's action: More furious, impoverished Arabs; more anger; more intractibility; less international support; the increased liklihood that Hezbollah, Iran or Israel's own Arab citizens will throw in their lot with Hamas. If any of that happens, the war was a step backwards, not forward.

Mystical Paths: Gaza points-Gag me with a spoon.

His point is:

(AFP) At least 25% of Palestinians killed during Israel's massive offensive in the Gaza Strip have been civilians, the UN agency for Palestinian refugees said on Wednesday.

This is sad, but it means in "the most densely populated area in the world" where the bad guysplace their bases, ammunition, and firing positions inside civilian buildings (that's an international war crime by the way), the Israeli Air Force has successfully killed Hamas combantants75% right on target. That's got to be the most accurate bombing in world history! Seriously impressive.

Important housing hint for Gazans...when your neighbors are masked men loading missile launchers in their windows, it may be a good idea to move to a new apartment.

I have to say that they both make excellent points. (Although, every time I hear a Brooklyn Jew like DovBear say anything about Israel with such certainty, it makes me a bit sick in the stomach. )

As long as Israel continues to take half-measures, then no matter how accurate our bombing may be, we are acting immorally. We are acting immorally towards our boys and toward the Arab enemy.

The moral answer is to wage a moral war. A war who's goal is to SOLVE THE PROBLEM. That is to eject the Arab threat from our land altogether. Such a war will have a lot of casualties all at once and then will be finished. When all is said and done though, there will be less death an both sides. Also, and perhaps more importantly, we will not be in the position of being custodian to a people who want to destroy us. A position that is fraught with uncounted moral problems intrinsic to it.

We need transfer now!