ISIS Destroys Tombs Of Biblical Prophets Jonah, Daniel. Idiots. Through their misguided behavior, these zealots are making a far stronger case against Islam than the most ardent outsider possibly could. Is this what the world has to look forward to during the ascendancy of a new caliphate?
Bolivia Becomes a Flyover Country
“Bolivia declares Israel a ‘terrorist state’ ”
Via AP
The Times of Israel
July 31, 2014
I have a little list of places in the world to which I will not go. The primary basis of that list is the way Jews are treated in that country, or the way Israel is treated. The list includes places you would expect, like Iran, Pakistan, and Saudi Arabia, and a few that you might not, including Malaysia and Brunei.
It was bad enough when President Evo Morales cut off diplomatic relations with Israel in 2009. By branding Israel a “terrorist state,” Morales only succeeds in proving that he is more interested in aligning himself with a leftist cause than he is pursuing a realistic, fact-based foreign policy.
That is not the sort of government into whose hands I am prepared to pass responsibility for my safety as a Jew, and I will offer a special prayer for our brethren who are there now, or whose duties carry them there.
Saudi King: Hamas Actions “Shameful”
“Saudi King Publicly Blames Hamas for Gaza War“
Thomas Rose
Breitbart.com
August 2, 2014
For anyone still under the impression that the entire Muslim world is lined up behind Hamas because of the “justness” of its cause; or for anyone who believes that Israel is at fault in this fight, King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia would like to set the record straight.
In the harshest words ever used by a Saudi King to condemn any Palestinian “resistance” to what is routinely called “Zionist aggression,” King Abdullah’s statement said, “It is shameful and disgraceful that these terrorists are doing this in the name of religion, killing the people whose killing Allah has forbidden, and mutilating their bodies and feeling proud in publishing this.”
The king went on to say of Hamas’ war against Israel, “They have distorted the image of Islam with its purity and humanity and smeared it with all sorts of bad qualities by their actions, injustice and crimes.”
Keep in mind two important facts: first, if Saudi Arabia had a dog in this fight, it was Hamas, not Israel, for all kinds of historic, religious, political and economic reasons. And yet King Abdullah apparently felt honor-bound to denounce Hamas publicly and unequivocally.
Second, King Abdullah did this at considerable risk to his person and his kingdom. The Islamist sharks have been circling in Saudi Arabia for a very long time, and this will undoubtedly add recruits to the ranks of the King’s foes. Ultimately, it may become a factor in the Kingdom’s downfall and its replacement by a fundamental Islamist regime.
Yet in a moment of clarity, the keeper of Islam’s holiest places felt compelled to risk it all – he felt doing so was that important. He felt that drawing a line between the true spirit of Islam and the dirty war Hamas was fighting – using its own children ass human shields, and placing their petty Jihad above the welfare of their own people – was more important than his kingdom and his crown.
Let Hamas’ misguided supporters in the west consider that, and have a think on the meaning of “honor.”
Turkey Shows its True Colors
“With Israel, the world is blaming the victims”
Richard Cohen
The Washington Post
July 28, 2014
Richard Cohen calls out Recep Tayyip Erdogan as an anti-Semitism-addled hypocritical bigot. Read the article: it’s a good call.
When a head of state finds himself compelled to direct his nation’s anger at another nation or a race of people, it is either an abject admission of mental illness, a craven pandering to the lowest common denominator in his electoral base, or a prelude to war. I go with the second one.
Now would be a good time for our Jewish brethren in Turkey to consider alternative living arrangements. Erdogan has pandered to the anti-Semitic mob, who will now feel empowered to focus their anger and hatred on the nearest Jewish targets.
Turkey has proven itself more than ready to engage in genocide. Let’s take the hint and get our people out while there is still time.
“Scripture lays down the rule of ‘an eye for an eye’ (Exodus 21:24) and demands capital punishment for a range of offences; the Talmud refuses to countenance the literal interpretation of the phrase, and though retaining capital punishment in theory, limits its application to such an extent that it would be virtually impossible in practice (Bava Qama 83b).”
Norman Solomon
The Talmud: A Selection
Head of UNHRA attacks US for not providing Hamas with an Iron Dome
The naiveté of UN officials in this case would be laughable if it were did not border on incompetence. Any impartial student of the region could tell you that if the US were to give Hamas their own Iron Dome, the launchers would be placed in mosques, and Hamas would use the missiles to shoot down El Al Airliners, not defend their own people.
One has to wonder whether this credulity about the situation in Gaza is genuine, or whether there is an ulterior motive behind it. If the former, this individual is in no position to make broad statements about the region. If the latter, she should be sacked.
Anyone Boycotting Israel Needs to Prepare for a Major Life Change
So You Want to Boycott Israel? Here’s A List of Products and Services You Need to Start With…
Glenn Rhee
Prepper Chimp
July 22, 2014
The next time you talk to someone who suggests boycotting Israel, ask him or her what they think that would mean for them. Then email them a link to Glenn Rhee’s article, and let them know that they are in for significant alteration of their lifestyle.
There is some hyperbole here, but Rhee’s main point is valid: it would be brutally difficult to boycott any nation that is deeply integrated into the global economy, and boycotting Israel would be nearly as impractical as boycotting China, Germany, or the United States.
Rhee’s other point is axiomatic: Israel has made profound contributions to the world, contributions that too much of the planet finds it convenient to overlook.
France Owes Parisian Jews Justice
“Jewish Businesses In Paris Are Being Looted And Destroyed By Protesters Over Israel Gaza Offensive”
Sim Sim Wissgott
Agence France Presse
July 21, 21014
In light of the growing wave of European anti-Semitism, I saw this most recent outrage as being slightly reminiscent of Kristallnacht. As a friend pointed out, that was an overstatement: not only was the French government not involved, it actually arrested some of the Muslim miscreants.
But the matter is not yet closed. It will be important to monitor the degree to which the French government prosecutes those arrested for rampage. Paroles or light sentences – or even a failure to prosecute – would suggest that the Hôtel Matignon is more afraid of Muslim violence than the taint of injustice. THAT would reek of Hindenberg’s Weimar Republic, and would hint of much worse times to come.
“To be an iconoclast of idolized needs, to defy our own immoral interests, though they seem to be vital and have long been cherished, we must be able to say No to ourselves in the name of a higher Yes.”
Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel
Insecurity of Freedom
Hebrew Hutong 