Column: August 27

The Klezmer festival was in Tzfat last week bringing three nights of music and night life to this sleepy little mountain town. The streets were busy until the early hours of the morning. Booths were set up everywhere where drinks, food, clothes, jewelry and art were on sale. People came from all over the country. Security was tight with police stationed on the roads and stopping traffic and checking cars at least five miles before the entrance to town. The main street, Rechov Yerushalayim, was jammed from wall to wall for a good quarter mile and yet there was no real sense of danger.

That such a scene could take place might seem strange -- after all, we are in the midst of a war on terror. For me, I am generally little comforted by security measures taken -- although the limited access to mountainous Tzfat makes security easier and more reliable -- and heavily weigh my assessment of the situation based on the current ebb and flow of terrorist attacks. Being that it has been relatively quiet lately I felt pretty good about the situation. That coupled with the security considerations mentioned and the overall remoteness and quietness of Tzfat, made for what I felt was a relatively safe environment. All of these things and more were part of my thought process when contemplating participating in the music festival.

I am glad that I chose to attend. I saw Aaron Razel perform with Areyeh Zilber on the Thursday night and Adi Ran on Wednesday night. I also met friends of friends who were visiting from the US and got to play tour guide and see the city through their first impression eyes. I took them up to the citadel which overlooks the whole city and much of the Galilee and on our way down we were treated to a fireworks display that we were perfectly situated to watch. Tzfat will always be remembered by my new friends as a festive place with fireworks and beer and music and throngs of happy, peaceful, Jews -- a secure place steeped in history, torah, and kabballah. That is as it should be.

*

Elul is here and Rosh Hashanah is right around the corner. The air has already taken on an element of the Holidays. If you have experienced the mixed feeling of mercy and awe that permeates the air on Rosh Hashanah then you know what is in the air here already. This is truly amazing. On Long Island, growing up, I would sense the leaves beginning to change and the crispness in the air replacing the heavy heat and humidity -- and then, on Rosh Hashanah, something magical would happen and the world really felt new. It was awe mixed with mercy -- mercy mixed with awe -- and the leaves beginning to fall.

Here I can feel it already, the awe and the mercy, but physically the changes are different. The grapes are beginning to sweeten, the pomegranates are turning cherry red, the fallen figs are slowly and sweetly rotting and the olives are out and waiting patiently for the first rains to fatten them up. The Sepharidim are well into slichot and the shofar is heard every morning. It's a great relief from the intense days of Av with the fast of the 9th and sense of judgment and while the day of judgment approaches the sweetness of mercy is tangibly present.


*


I plan to write about the subject of the US troop withdrawals from Europe in the weeks to come as the withdrawals will in my estimation have a powerful effect on Israel. What follows is the beginning of my piecing it together.

In "Welcome Back, Europe" on NRO, Victor Davis Hanson recently wrote:

"So it is also with some trepidation that we are seeing the inevitable end of the old, and the beginning of a new, transatlantic world, as troops on the ground at last reflect the reality of the past 20 years. And as we begin to leave Europe, as NATO mutters and shuffles in its embarrassing dotage, as cracks in an authoritarian and unworkable EU begin to widen, ever so slowly we here in the United States shall start to witness all over Europe both a new sensibleness — and a new furor."

As Europe changes to adjust to the new reality, Israel will change too, especially Israel's Euro-oriented Left. A "new sensibleness" means an end to the harsh anti-Americanism that permeates so much of Europe and with it the dominance of anti-American France and Germany. Israel's Left will fade further into oblivion as the EU coat tails it clings to melt away -- and hopefully with it the European approach of appeasement to terror that is the hallmark of Old Europe and Israel's Left.

From NRO's "The Corner" -- WHERE WAS JK WHEN MLK DIED? [Barbara Comstock]

This was on Fox "Grapevine" tonight:
John Kerry speaking at a Martin Luther King day celebration in Virginia last year said, quote, "I remember well April 1968, I was serving in Vietnam. A place of violence. When the news reports brought home to me and my crew mates the violence back home and the tragic news that one of the bullets flying that terrible spring took the life of Dr. King." That date, of Dr. King's death, was April 4, 1968. According to kerry's website, it was not until November 17, 1968, that he reported for duty in Vietnam.

Putin’s Sochi Residence Targeted by Hijacked Russian Plane

DEBKAfile - Putin�s Sochi Residence Targeted by Hijacked Russian Plane

"Whereas an unknown number of al Qaeda sleeper cells are known to have penetrated the United States and Canada, Russia is hemmed in on all sides by major al Qaeda networks, the largest based in the breakaway province of Chechnya. It is supported by Chechen and Muslim followers who live in many parts of Russia, providing an army of spies and terror operatives already in place."

International Law Professor Talia Einhorn on Yesha, Mazuz and the Geneva Convention

"International Law Prof. Talia Einhorn said today that Attorney-General Mazuz's position stating that the Geneva Convention should apply to Judea and Samaria could have far-reaching ramifications. She said it could pave the way for the international community to negate Israel's claim to the Old City of Jerusalem and other Jerusalem neighborhoods such as Ramat Eshkol, Pisgat Ze'ev and Gilo."

Links

For some reason not all of my links are working. I will remove those links if the problem persists and post the URL's instead. The URL's will need to be copied and pasted into your address bar to access the site.

Still More Judicial Imperialism

Haaretz - Israel News

Justice Ministry and Attorney General Mazuz want Geneva Convention applied to Judea, Samaria, and Aza in another adaptation of an ICJ ruling. Left seeking to subvert Israeli democracy and sovereignty through High Court's adaptation and imposition of Hague rulings upon Israel. Momentum is gaining in this trend as Old Europe takes blow with US troop withdrawal. Eurotopia may be on the ropes but it has a friend and ally in Israel's Left.

More Judicial Imperialism in Israel

Haaretz - Israel News

The ICJ is the High Court's justification for usurping the Defense Ministry on security issues.

Israel's Left Clings to Fading Old Europe

Haaretz - Israel News - The limits of friendship

When will they wake up and smell the coffee? Eurotopia is fading away and will take post-Zionism with it. The troop withdrawals are here. At Haaretz they hope for a Kerry victory to save their anti-Zionist utopia.

US Troop Withdrawals From Europe Means Death of Post- Zionism

The US troop withdrawal from Europe will weaken the Israeli Left as France and Germany lose their position of dominance and the Atlanticist "New Europe" states gain leverage. There will be little upside or justification for Israel to hang on to France and Germany -- especially if they choose to oppose the US and dig their heels in. In that case, siding with France and Germany would mean being openly hostile to America -- a position unlikely to be taken by any but the most extreme leftists here. Of course, if Kerry were elected, he would bolster France and Germany -- although I doubt he would bring troops back -- but the whole situation would be foggy -- no troops and yet pro France - Germany. It would prolong F @ G dominance and keep the EU utopian dream alive, encourageing the post-Zionists.

If Bush wins and things go forward I would expect to see a post-post-Zionism. The left will shift away from Europe and Atlanicize - i.e. embrace America and American globalization -- just like New Europe. At that point, if America continues on the course of fighting terror rather than appeasing it then the left here will begin to fade away as they will have no coat tails to cling to. Peres will morph into a Atlanticist with all the rest following in order to get and hold power. That won't succeed because the Bushies are not naiive. It plays well for Netanyahu I believe. The Americans like him -- he speaks the language and knows the culture -- has been there alot and has connections and is known as a free trade capitalist and an anti terror expert.

Netanyahu has been a great dissapointment to the Israeli Right but with clear support from Bush and a strong anti - terror position, the past would likely be forgiven and he would be very hard to beat - perhaps for a very long time.

The Washington Post Begins to Distance Itself From Kerry and His Cambodian Concoctions

Kerry%27s Cambodia Whopper %28washingtonpost.com%29

This is a must read! The Post has to do this in spite of its support of Kerry! The lies are just too blatant! This may signal the beginning of the end for Kerry.

Long Time Democrat Ed Koch is Voting for Bush - Here is Why

I%27ve been branded a %27turncoat%27

"Why have I endorsed George W. Bush when I don't agree with him on a single domestic issue? Because I believe the issue of international terrorism trumps all other issues. I don't believe the Democratic Party has the stomach and commitment to deliver on this issue. I believe terrorism will be with us for many years to come. So long as Senators Ted Kennedy and Robert Byrd are considered major leaders of the Democratic Party, and so long as we have radical candidates like Howard Dean, whose radical-left supporters have been described by the press as "Deaniacs," the Democratic Party will be limited in its ability to serve the country well in times of crisis."

"President George W. Bush has amazed me. Bush 41, the father, was not particularly good on this issue. I do not believe that he is anti-Semitic, but his Secretary of State, James Baker, perhaps summed up the attitude prevailing in that administration when he said, "F--- the Jews. They don't vote for us anyway." Bush 43, the son, has fallen far from that tree. I believe most Jewish leaders will concede that of all U.S. presidents, Bush 43 has been the most supportive and protective of the security of the State of Israel."

Column: Israeli Cowboys

In a recent poll (August 6), conducted by Teleseker/Maariv, adult Israelis (including Israeli Arabs) were asked: "If you could vote in the American presidential elections, who would you vote for?" The total result was Bush 48% / Kerry 29%. Among Likud voters, the result was Bush 69% / Kerry 18%; Labor voters preferred Kerry with 44% to 36% for Bush, and Shinui voters chose Bush 40% over Kerry 37%.

The poll clearly shows the "Israeli Street" -- which knows all too well the reality of terrorism and how to fight it -- resoundingly supports Bush. The poll’s findings are also in line with a recent article that appeared on World Net Daily.com.

The following quotes are from that article by Aaron Klein titled "Sharon has bad attitude toward Kerry? Israel worried about Democrat's cooperation with U.N., EU."

"Deputy Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, whose statements are considered closely aligned with Sharon's policy, even recently told a meeting of prominent American Jews that he prefers Bush over Kerry... A growing number of Israeli politicians are privately expressing concern over Kerry's statements of coordinating American foreign policy with the Europeans, and of his appointing several former Clinton Mideast policy directors as advisers... "We cannot afford another Clinton era in the Mideast, not at this dangerous time," said an Israeli Likud member."

"We hear speaker after speaker at the Democratic convention talk about joint efforts with the EU and the U.N. Is Kerry going to advocate for releasing Arafat from isolation, like France wants? Will Kerry take a soft approach to Iran, like some in Europe want? Clinton was soft on North Korea and now they have the nuke.What about the security fence? Is Kerry going to tow the U.N. line that we don't have the right to protect ourselves from suicide bombers?" he said.

Kerry’s multilateralism is simply bad for the war on terror. It is not only a threat to Israel but to America and the world. Europe, post modernists, deconstructionists and multilateralists might be reassured of the moral relativism of Kerry’s nuanced nature by his waffling and flip flopping but the ugly reality is that so are bin Laden, Sadr and Arafat. Arafat has recently said that he anxiously awaits a Kerry administration. He has become emboldened and is once again taking credit for terrorist acts and asserting his control over Gaza. It’s been a long time since he visited Washington and I suppose he expects he may soon get an invitation.

Arafat is right to long for Kerry whose multilateralism mixed with a good dose of local post-Zionism -- Israel’s political postmodernism -- could put him right back on top. That post-Zionism has utterly failed in its approach of appeasing and negotiating with terrorists is his bread and butter. While post-Zionism gives clear proof that the application of postmodernism to the political arena -- and specifically into the conflict with Islamofascism -- is a recipe for defeat, this reality has somehow eluded Kerry and Arafat has taken notice.

In an article titled "The Zionist Imperative: The Collapse of Zionism" that can be found on the web site of the WZO, I found the following which shows the cultural roots of what became the leading political ideology of Israel’s left and the hope of the Islamo-fascists. What started out in universities, museums, theaters and on screen morphed into the post-Zionist political ideology that the left leveraged to swallow Israeli nationalism and present a soft target for the terrorists. America should take note.

"In their anti-nationalism, anti-patriotism, cosmopolitanism, and distrust of power, Israeli intellectuals are no different from their counterparts in America, Britain, France, and the rest of the West. Indeed, Israelis are just catching up with deconstructionism and multiculturalism, with Lacan and Foucault. Modern Israeli art and dance and theater offer almost comical attempts to imitate the nihilism of the Western avant-garde. Post-Zionism is really just Western counterculturalism applied to the Jewish Question."

If Israel has only recently caught up to the zeitgeist of postmodernism in the arts, it has arguably surpassed all competitors in the political arena. The High Court of Israel has firmly and anti-democratically -- as the recent poll would suggest -- implanted post-Zionism into the legal/political realm and its decisions and orders touch directly on security matters and the approach to the war against the "Palestinians." While such accomplishments may draw accolades from the utopians in Europe it has cost Israel dearly. It’s simply no way to fight a war -- just ask any Israeli "cowboy."

A note about the Israel Referendum: It is a pro-Israel initiative undertaken jointly by Americans for a Safe Israel (AFSI) and Global Israel Alliance (GIA)which is working to collect 1,000,000 signatures against a PLO state and to submit the signatures to President Bush and the Congress in the first week of October.

The referendum online ballots are at globalisraelalliance.com.

Iranian Talk Of an Attack On America

Iranian Talk Of an Attack On America

"History teaches that war begins when governments believe the price of aggression is cheap."
Ronald Reagan

It appears that Iran needs a lesson in the price of aggression.

Walter Weber on John Kerry's Supreme Court

Walter Weber on John Kerry %26 Supreme Court on National Review Online

This looks familiar! Beware America! Judicial Imperialism is a real and present danger! Read my July 30 column "Bork Bashes Barak" on how Israeli democracy has been compromised by the judicial activism of Aaron Barak and the Israeli High Court. Robert H. Bork took a close look and what he found should serve as a warning.

We Need a MUCH, MUCH Higher Fence!!

Two Qassam missiles under construction found in West Bank Tuesday during IDF search for bomb factories in Nablus Casbah. Explosive head not yet attached. Qassam missiles hitherto in massive use against Israeli locations by Gaza Strip Palestinian terrorists - not so far on West Bank opposite central Israeli cities. (DEBKA)

"Pushy" neocons — not Shimon Peres groupies — advise him on Israel

Victor Davis Hanson on Bush Hatred on National Review Online:

Whenever I read VDH I get a good feeling cause I know that Dick Cheney is reading him and loving it. Just the fact that he calls Israel's leftists "Shimon Peres groupies" gives me a warm feeling all over -- shades of what Sharansky must have felt when Reagan called Moscow "The Evil Empire" -- makes you feel that someone sees and is on your side. Doesn't mean I like the disengagement plan or understand the double - standardness in it. No, but Kerry? Kerry already sent his brother to meet with Peres.

Column: Long Island Meets Tzfat

A couple of weeks ago I was happy to hear from my neighbor and friend, Genine Bar-El (Ginny Lederberger), that her friend and the publisher and editor of this paper, Jodi Bodner - DuBow, was on her way here to Tzfat. Genine invited me to a celebration at her home where Jodi would be in attendance. The celebration was the bar-mitvah of Jacob Rosenfeld, the son of Meir and Debbie. Debbie and Jodi and Genine are old friends.

When I arrived, the group of about 50 friends and family -- most of them having made the trip from New York -- were taking a late afternoon walk around Tzfat's old city and artist quarter. Rony Bar-El, Genine's husband and a chef and caterer by profession, was catering the party and was there to greet me. Rony suggested that I grab a drink and head up to the terrace on the roof. I was quick to oblige and watched the sun set over Meron.

When the group arrived the music began to play and pretty soon everybody was on the terrace. Jodi and I began to talk and then she started introducing me around and then everyone realized that they knew me from my column in the paper. Some said that they had recognized me from my picture but couldn't figure out from where until the introduction. I soon felt that I was surrounded by old friends.

The group had been in Nachal Devorah in the Golan Heights that day -- following the bar mitzvah which was held in the beit-haknesset of Joseph Caro in the old city here. I was told about the water falls there and the great time had by everyone. Everyone was praising Tzfat, its holiness and beauty and peacefulness. I was happy and impressed to hear about everyone's love for Israel. All were interested and involved and some visited very frequently. Many had family living or children studying here.

We went downstairs and sat down to a great meal in the Bar-El's garden. As the conversation at the table warmed up, Phil Rosen and I realized that we knew each other from years back in Lawrence where we had met at Beth Shalom. I hadn't seen him for years and while I knew he was on the board of this paper I was surprised to find him sitting right there. We had a long and interesting conversation about the political scene here and in America.

Soon, Jacob gave a great dvar-torah and Meir and Debbie spoke proudly of their son. Debbie spoke gratefully of their friends and family who had made the long trip to share in their simcha. Genine told the group the story of her meeting Rony in India and how they came to settle in Tzfat, raise a family, and open their catering and bed and breakfast business.

They currently cater in their home and outside as well -- all over Israel -- to groups of 15 or more. At home they currently host synagogue groups, schools, family simchas - bar mitzvahs and even weddings. They have a teudat kashrut from the Rabbanut of Tzfat. At this time they have one Bed and Breakfast - a luxury suite that can accommodate a family of 5-6 which is listed in Mapa's "200 Best B&Bs in Israel." The Bed and Breakfast is now being expanded into a "Kabbalistic Inn" and will hopefully be open in the Summer of 2005. It will feature 5 luxury suites and a restaurant which will be open daily. Visit their web site here ww.bar-el.com and see what it's all about.

Also, you might want to check out my new blog, or web log. It is like my own web site, except it is free and I don't have control over the advertisements. It is called "galileeblog" and if you search for it on Google it comes right up or you can look for it here: http://galileeblog.blogspot.com/ . I post my articles there (new and old) and other writings and comments -- with links to interesting stuff. Visitors can comment by joining "blogger" -- you may have to create your own blog but you don't have to use it. So, send your comments -- I look forward to hearing from you. Afterwards, please look for my response to your comments. See you there and maybe even here -- in Tzfat.

MK Eldad to Sharon: Stop Discriminating Against Jews

Arutz Sheva - Israel National News:

"In reaction to the two apparently contradictory decisions, MK Eldad said, "Sharon long ago forgot what ideology sent him to the Knesset. By degrees, he is also beginning to forget what nation sent him to the Knesset - at the time he is planning the uprooting of 8,000 Jews from their homes and the destruction of 21 Jewish communities, he sanctions a gross violation of the law by Arabs who established unauthorized outposts in the Negev."

We Need a Higher Fence!

My Way - News

"TEHRAN (Reuters) - Iran's defense ministry said on Wednesday it had carried out a field test of the latest version of its Shahab-3 medium-range ballistic missile which defense experts say can reach Israel or U.S. bases in the Gulf."

A quote from Ronald Reagan:

"History teaches that war begins when governments believe the price of aggression is cheap."

Unfortunately, Israel has made it very cheap -- in fact it has rewarded terrorism. Now, the stakes have been raised. What will Israel do?

Madonna to Open Kabbalistic School in NY

If you thought that things couldn't get stranger...

Entertainment News - Madonna turns schoolmarm

Republican Jewish Coalition

I just joined. Check it out.

Republican Jewish Coalition

Jewish Students Taunted at Aushwitz

New York Post Online Edition: news

Bush Crushes Kerry in Israeli Poll

News Room

Look Who Loves Aharon Barak

B'nai B'rith Magazine: A Mensch on the Bench

Dershowitz, Harvard and B'nai Brith adore Barak. I guess they have less regard for democracy than one would have thought. Read my column "Bork Bashes Barak" in the July archives on the right for a look at a scathing attack on Barak by Robert H. Bork.

Al-Jazeerah Sounds Just Like Michael Moore

Americans Must Stand Tall To Bring Back Their Democracy!! By Deepak Sarkar

Perhaps that is why Israel was barely mentioned at the DNC.

Regarding the Sensitivity of Kerry's Multilateralist Heart

Jonah Goldberg on the Kerry Doctrine on National Review Online:

Here is a quote from Jonah Goldberg's piece:

"The New Republic's Peter Beinart recently wrote, 'Intellectually, Kerry knows he must show he'd go after the terrorists with a vengeance. But that's not where his heart lies. The topic that arouses his greatest passion � the one that has guided his entire career � is improving America's relations with the world.' In his 1997 book, Kerry called for the creation of an 'entirely new, multilateral code of behavior.' In 1993, during the confirmation hearings for Warren Christopher, Kerry called for 'an all-out effort to strengthen international institutions.' Two years later, Kerry broke with many Senate Democrats and voted against lifting the Bosnian arms embargo, mostly because he wanted Europeans to like us. The Washington Post reported that when Bill Clinton called America the 'indispensable nation' in his second inaugural address, Kerry lamented Clinton's 'arrogant, obnoxious tone.'"

CAN ISRAEL COUNT ON KERRY?

[Michael Graham]for NRO at "The Corner"

In yesterday's Washington Times, Suzanne Fields notes:
During the primaries, in a speech to the Arab-American Institute, [Kerry] denounced the fence Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon was building on the West Bank. "We don't need another barrier to peace, " he said. Eight months later, with the Democratic nomination safely tucked away, he sang a different tune: "The security fence is a legitimate act of self-defense erected in response to the wave of terror attacks against Israeli citizens."

When I was in Israel two weeks ago, Israelis on the Right AND Left bemoaned Kerry's support in the American Jewish community. When I asked why they thought so many Jewish Americans refused to support "Israel's Best Friend" GWB, the most common answer was that many Jewish Americans are too liberal even to support Israel and its right to exist.

The problem isn't either Zionism or anti-semitism. As usual, it's liberalism.

Column: Post-Zionism and Multilateralism

When I was a young boy I received a very special ring. It was a reward for participating in certain extracurricular activities in Hebrew school. It represented for me all the pride I felt in being Jewish. It was silver and had a blue stone overlaid with a silver Star of David. I felt that with this ring I was now connected with something ancient and yet very much alive in the young State of Israel -- Jewish strength, pride, mutual defense, brotherhood, and faith.

Mostly, as I grew older, I had only a marginal interest in what was happening in Israel with the exception of the wars and to a lesser extent Sadat’s visit to Yerushalayim and the withdrawal from the Sinai. However, later, my interest began to slowly grow and with the war in Lebanon I began to see a shift in the way the media in America was treating Israel that disturbed me. I felt the criticisms were biased unfairly against Israel which had been forced into yet another defensive war.

When I came to Israel I knew very little about Israeli society, politics, history, and religion. I had assumed like many that if everyone wasn’t religious they were at least respectful if not traditional. I knew about the kibbutzim and had a vague sense of socialist ideology but didn’t understand that there could be people in Israel who felt more allegiance to that utopian ideal than to the Jewish faith, much less that they could be openly antagonistic. The fact that this ideology was not limited to the kibbutzim but firmly embedded in the ruling elite was even more of an eye opener.

I had always imagined Ben Gurion as a kind grandfather in the mold of my own -- a man of faith -- a yid. That image was intentionally nurtured amongst American Jews who might take issue with the real Ben Gurion -- the one who openly sought and promised to bring about the demise of religion in Israel in the pursuit of his socialist ideals.

By the time I arrived Ben Gurion was long gone and with the collapse of the Soviet Union not far off, the end of socialist ideology in Israel was on the horizon. It was the Soviet Union that represented the power and hope of the realization of the utopian dream and with its fall the writing was on the wall. One might think that with this fall there would be little appetite for new utopian ideologies. One might think that those who had aligned against the faithful might feel a bit of remorse and humility. That unfortunately did not happen.

Socialist ideology has morphed into post-Zionism and is now firmly entrenched in the same ruling leftist elite of the past and particularly in the all-powerful Supreme Court. I mentioned post-Zionism in my last article about the Supreme Court but did not explain it at all sufficiently.

The following is from an article explaining post-Zionism by the World Zionist Organization:

"The central contention of post-Zionism is that the idea of a Jewish state with its unique calendar, flag, anthems, rhythms, ethos, and history is atavistic, a throwback to the romantic nationalism of the nineteenth century that begat, among other things, fascism and Nazism. In the modern world of the Internet, the global economy, European integration, and growing transnational interdependence, this ethnic particularism is hopelessly retrograde. The advanced peoples of the West are surrendering sovereignty. Israel should, too."

The "advanced peoples of the West" is a reference to the nations of the EU who have given much of their sovereign power over to an unelected bureaucracy. That bureaucracy now has the say in economic and foreign policy matters. An International Court looks to gain power and jurisdiction.

One of the identified reasons for the growing anti-Americanism in Europe is that America stubbornly remains sovereign in all matters. Multilateralists look to bridge gaps with the EU and conservatives warn of any loss of sovereignty or dilution of democracy.

I bring the issue of multilateralism in America up for the purpose of perspective. Imagine a radical American multilateralism that sought to have America swallowed up in full within an EU styled utopia. What would you call that ideology?

Seeing things from here I would call it "post-Americanism."

New York Daily News - Home - Zev Chafets: Why Bush is going to win

New York Daily News - Home - Zev Chafets: Why Bush is going to win

"Right now the polls look even. But that's an optical illusion. The President has a Republican convention coming up and the power of incumbency to shape events between now and November. In other words, he's way ahead.

Kerry is a weak campaigner. Barring some kind of national disaster, his best shot is the debates. Democratic true believers think he'll kill Bush, one on one. That's what they thought about Al Gore, too."

BOOK CLAIMS KERRY WAR 'FABRICATIONS'

DRUDGE REPORT 2004�

Rush Is Right: Bush Connects the Dots, But Still Can't Win with Liberals

Rush Limbaugh - listen to him here ...
Rush Is Right: Bush Connects the Dots, But Still Can't Win with Liberals:

The Price of OPEC: Column from May 28, 2004

With OPEC’s rejection of Saudi Arabia’s May 22 bid to raise oil output, I recall a very relevant article that appeared the previous day on National Review Online. Written by Lt. Gen. Thomas G. McInerney, retired assistant vice chief of staff of the Air Force, and Maj. Gen. Paul E. Vallely, retired US Army deputy commanding general, Pacific, it is titled: "Completing the Big Picture -Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, and the Holy Land." It excerpted from their book "Endgame: The Blueprint for Victory in the War on Terror."

The following is a quote from the article:

"If the House of Saud does not follow an American diplomatic lead to reform along the lines we've sketched, it could easily fall to an Islamist revolution. So the United States must dust off the contingency plans to meet that threat, which would mean invading Saudi Arabia, seizing its oil fields, production facilities, and tanker terminals, securing and isolating them from the Islamists — and defeating them with the assistance of the more Western-oriented princes, who need to be identified now, who can lead a counterrevolutionary opposition. Other Gulf States, like Qatar and Kuwait, would certainly come to our aid."

Defining the threat of an Al Qaeda takeover of Saudi Arabia and its oil fields the authors explain: "Al-Qaeda has many fighters and supporters within Saudi Arabia. As one analyst told us, only about 25 percent of the Saudi population wholeheartedly supports the royal family. Ironically, the inflexible Wahhabis Islam preached by Saudi-funded clerics in mosques, taught in Saudi-funded schools, and put into action by Saudi-supported Islamist groups around the world is what inspires the anti-monarchist forces. The chickens have come home to roost for the House of Saud. It now is fighting the very terrorism that it helped create."

Warning that ignoring the threat in Saudi Arabia would mean that Saudi Arabia could go the way of Iran the authors continued: "That might seem poetic justice to some, but the United States has an interest in Saudi reform rather than revolution. In the late 1970s, the United States stood by while the Shah of Iran fell and an Islamic republic took his place. That foreign policy mistake gave rise to the mullahs and eventually the Web of Terror that constitutes the greatest post-Communist threat to the Western world. The United States, therefore, cannot make the same mistake in Saudi Arabia that it did in Iran. We cannot let anti-American mullahs replace another monarchy in the Persian Gulf region."

The authors apparently know of what they write. The following appeared on "tehrantimes.com" on May 23:

"Due to their vast reserves of oil, Islamic countries have the political and economic power to vanquish the USA and its supporters. Islamic nations should, with the help of God and unity, rise and seize the reins of power in Islamic countries in order to gain control of their own material resources and wealth and inflict a crushing blow on the oppressors."

Harpers.org recently posted an article titled "Seizing Arab Oil" which is on point. It was originally published in Harper's Magazine in March 1975. It was written by "Miles Ignotus" (Latin for unknown soldier). Some have speculated that Henry Kissinger was the actual author. "Seizing Arab Oil" addresses the threat that OPEC posed to the world economy following the 1973 oil embargo. The article is an in depth study of OPEC’s power and it’s threat and the available alternatives in handling the issue. The author systematically rejects all approaches other than military as being futile (it’s a worthwhile read) and goes on to describe in considerable detail an operation to invade Saudi Arabia and take control of its oil fields. Israel’s role in the invasion is laid out in fair detail and includes the use of its airfields by the United States and tandem flying by the Israeli Air Force during the attack as an outer guard for the United States Air Force.

With all that is happening now it is easy to forget recent terror attacks on Saudi Arabia and thus ignore the possible effects these attacks are having on Saudi and OPEC behavior. In the fall of 2003, terrorists struck in Riyadh, attacking a compound in which foreign workers were killed and wounded. More disturbingly, the attackers wore Saudi Arabian police uniforms and drove Saudi Arabian police cars. Then, more recently, on May 12, 2003, al-Qaeda struck in Riyadh, killing twelve people in suicide car bomb attacks. If indeed the chickens have come home to roost then the stakes -- like the price of oil -- have never been higher in this region.

Will patriotic American Muslims stand up? David Frum and Daniel Pipes

David Frum's Diary on National Review Online

See yesterday's related post: "Teresa Heinz and CAIR [Weblog] - Daniel Pipes"


AUG. 4, 2004: ALAMOUDI'S PLEA by David Frum

"See, if you haven’t yet, Daniel Pipes’ extremely interesting article about Abdurahman Alamoudi’s guilty plea on terrorism charges.

Alamoudi, founder of the American Muslim Council, was for a time a considerable Washington power broker: a donor to presidential campaigns, a man received at the White House. He has now confessed to illegally taking money from Libya to organize an assassination attempt on Saudi Crown Prince Abdullah.

Pipes’ conclusion:

“Alamoudi is hardly the only high-profile, seemingly non-violent leader of an Islamist organization to associate with terrorists. At the Council on American-Islamic Relations, five staffers and board members have been accused or convicted of terrorism-related charges and the same has happened with leaders of the Islamic Center of Greater Cleveland, Holy Land Foundation, Benevolence International Foundation, and the National Coalition to Protect Political Freedom"

Michelle Malkin: Five reasons to fear the Democratic party

Michelle Malkin: Five reasons to fear the Democratic party

Here is a quote from the article. This is the Malkin's 5th reason. She is absolutely correct: "dialing 911 is not the solution to stopping another 9/11"


"First Responder Fetishists. In her convention remarks on Monday night, New York Sen. Hillary Clinton said the first homeland security priority in response to the 9/11 report was the "need to fully equip and train . . . our first responders in the event of a terrorist attack." Eager to suck up to men and women in uniform, John Kerry has proposed adding 100,000 first responders to the ranks of firefighters and emergency medical personnel nationwide. As I have said before, there is no question that our brave firefighters, cops and emergency personnel need increased training and support -- but dialing 911 is not the solution to stopping another 9/11."

Byron York on John Kerry on Terrorism on National Review Online

Byron York on John Kerry on Terrorism on National Review Online

Sad but true.

I don't think York exaggerates here. Kerry could really twist it all around and shout this stuff.

Teresa Heinz and CAIR [Weblog] - Daniel Pipes

Teresa Heinz and CAIR [Weblog] - Daniel Pipes

Teresa Heinz CAIRee -- Will her hubby tell Israel to "shove it?"
I'd rather not find out.

Barakian Judgement in Big Apple

New York Daily News - City News - Cops rip judge: 'It's giving an open door to terrorists'

This judge will clearly be staying clear of the area. Echoes of Barak here.

Kerry Ignores Israel at Convention

New York Post Online Edition: seven

Alexis deTocqueville, Democracy in America: On Judicial Power

Tocqueville: Book I Chapter VI

"The first characteristic of judicial power in all nations is the duty of arbitration. But rights must be contested in order to warrant the interference of a tribunal; and an action must be brought before the decision of a judge can be had. As long, therefore, as a law is uncontested, the judicial authority is not called upon to discuss it, and it may exist without being perceived. When a judge in a given case attacks a law relating to that case, he extends the circle of his customary duties, without, however, stepping beyond it, since he is in some measure obliged to decide upon the law in order to decide the case. But if he pronounces upon a law without proceeding from a case, he clearly steps beyond his sphere and invades that of the legislative authority."

That is a perfect definition of Barak's "judicial imperialism" -- "clearly steps beyond his sphere and invades that of the legislative authority." Read about his latest ultimatum to the Knesset here...

http://www.haaretzdaily.com/hasen/spages/451393.html


Who was the plaintiff? none

Who was the defendant? none

What was the matter at issue? none

What right does Barak have to get involved? none

Victor Davis Hanson on World War II and the War on Terror on National Review Online

Victor Davis Hanson on World War II and the War on Terror on National Review Online

Here's a quote from VDH's latest.

"Meanwhile, the U.N. scolds Israel about its fence to keep out suicide murderers to the applause of the European and Arab worlds. Yet both sit mostly powerless while Arabs in turn systematically mass murder black Africans in the Sudan. Can we at least drop the falsity: In the new global CNN media circus, an Arab must kill 1,000 innocents deliberately to warrant the condemnation that the world allots to a Jew who kills one Arab inadvertently."