Stuck in a Time Capsule

Today's Washington Times has a piece on Israel, entitled Palestinians name terms for recognition. The terms are to give Palestinians refugees full rights and a state in lands including, but not limited to, the West Bank, Gaza and East Jerusalem. After Israel will accede to their demands they will "consider talks with Israel." My question is what has been going on there for the past 13 years? In 1993 Israel and the PLO signed a peace accord, in which the Palestinians recognized Israel's right to exist, and promised to end terror. In return, Israel agreed to give the Palestinians some land. Israel kept their part of the deal the Palestinians haven't kept theirs. The biggest proof is that today we are back to where we started with a few "minor" differences.

Those minor differences are the fact that they still have the land Israel gave them. Perhaps they should return all the land Israel gave them since they are forcing us back to a time where Israel made painful concessions are received nothing but a piece of paper. Just as British Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain reached an agreement with Nazi Germany on paper. That "piece of paper," was supposed to "guarantee peace in our time." History has shown us how foolish his appeasement was. The same holds true of the Oslo peace accords.

People try to say that this is a new government and therefore they are going back to where we were 13 years ago. That doesn't make any sense at all. Imagine the outcry there would have been if in 2000, right after becoming president, George Bush would have overturned Roe v. Wade on the basis that this is a new government. Yet for some reason nobody has a problem when the Palestinians do that. The Palestinians, as a whole, agreed to recognize Israel - unless the entire peace accord was a sham (which it was). In which case, why should the Israelis now want to go through the same process with a government that is worse than the one the Palestinians had before? Will Hamas keep their word when the PLO hasn't? Of course not! They are trying to steal as much land as they can. They know they stand no chance against Israel if they were to try and take the land by force, so they're trying to trick Israel. And the worst part is that the Israeli government is falling for it.

Cartoon Fury

The violence over the Mohammad cartoons is already old news. Muslims all over have been rioting over the publication of cartoons of their prophet Mohammad. Perhaps the cartoons were in bad taste by portraying Islam as a religion that preaches violence. After all, Islam is a religion of peace. Or is it?

There are "extremists" who kill innocent people in the name of Islam, in the name of Allah and Mohammad. If Islam is a religion of peace then these radicals are distorting the religion and the impression the world gets of the religion. Yet, I can't recall demonstrations where Muslims are rioting that the killings be stopped. If that is the case, then these Muslims who are now demonstrating and rioting must approve of the actions of "a few extremists." Which leads me to think that perhaps those cartoons are pretty accurate.

Kinda gets you thinking.

Amona Pogrom

Here is a clip of Amona. Watch it and tell me if this doesn't look like a pogrom to you.

What Happened to Massada?

Massada is a mountain fortress in Israel most famous for the valiant struggle the Jews put up against the Romans. Although they knew that the Romans would eventually overcome them, they nevertheless fought like lions to protect their land so that it remains in Jewish hands. All the defenders of Massada died there; they committed suicide as the Romans were breaking through their last defenses. For them captivity wasn't even an option, they fought till they could fight no more.

The lesson of Massada, although I only mentioned it very briefly here, is very important in Judaism. It is a lesson that former Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu tried explaining to former US President Bill Clinton when they visited Massada together during the festival of Chanukah. It is a lesson all soldiers in the IDF learn, as well. At the end of their training they climb to the top of Massada via the snake path. Once there they pledge that Massada will never fall again! (Shniya Metzada lo tipol!) Have they forgotten the lesson and their pledge so soon?

Yesterday I watched in horror at the expulsion and demolition of Amona. The Israeli soldiers and police acted brutally and ruthlessly as they viciously beat and attacked protestors, some of whom are still in critical condition today. Where does a Jew get the hatred within him to beat other Jews who are unarmed and aren't doing anything wrong, other than demonstrating in a "democratic" country? Instead of fighting terrorists, they are fighting Jews. On one of the walls in Amona someone wrote, "Who needs Hamas? We have Olmert!"

These innocent Jews did the same thing their ancestors did in defending Jerusalem, Massada and all the other cities in Israel from the Romans and other invaders. Had Olmert and his henchmen been around those days, no doubt they would have collaborated with the Romans and would have helped their enemies conquer all the cities of Israel. Is this what we fought for in 1948? Was there ever a war in history that the Jews fought for the cause that the Israeli government now stands for? The videos that I saw were so horrific, they could have been from sixty years ago, when Nazis beat Jews with their clubs and chased them out of their homes forcing them to live behind walls. Unfortunately, I can't show you the videos that I saw, but if you search for them online I'm sure you'll be able to find them. However, here is a small clip of what happened there. If this is not atrocity, what is?

Email me if you want the link to download this video.