Politics - Israeli Style Bring back Flatto Sharon

 

WITH ALL THE SCANDALS attached to Israeli politicians today I yearn for the days when an honest crook ran for, and won, a seat in the Knesset (Israeli parliament).

The last "honest" politician was Shmuel Flatto Sharon (sometimes Flatto-Sharon).

According to Wikipedia, the Polish-born, raised in France Flatto Sharon arrived in Israel in 1975, just ahead of the French authorities who wanted him for allegedly embezzling $60 million.

Despite almost a complete lack of Hebrew and no established party backing, his "Flatto Sharon" party won two seats in the 1977 Knesset.

Flatto Sharon never denied the was a crook or that the reason he ran for the Knesset seat was to avoid extradition to France.

His one term in the Knesset was his first and last.

Flatto Sharon later was convicted of buying votes to win election; he did community service for his crime.

ISRAEL HAS at last count at least 24 parties, although some are so small that their impact mostly is to draw off votes from one of the major parties, of which there are a baker's dozen, including the Arab (Muslim) parties. So much for apartheid and inequality.

The Wikipedia entry continues that Flatto-Sharon is now an established multi-millionaire and works as a radio talk-show host; his show, named Flatto Bli Heshbon (Flatto without accountability) is broadcast on numerous stations, including Radius 100, Lev HaMedina, Radio Haifa and Radio Darom FM.

Flatto Sharon is out of politics, but he is hardly out of sight - or sound.

He gave an interview to the Jerusalem Post in 2006 where he told the reporter " I want to arm every one of Israel's friends with the intellectual weapons for its defense."

The Post article continues:

It is perhaps no wonder, then, that his current radio show, "Platto bli heshbon" (roughly translated as "Flatto, no holds barred") is broadcast on several local stations, and has a wide following. This he attributes to his no-nonsense, "telling it like it is" confrontations with politicians - a format that recently got him into trouble of another sort: being taken off the air for two weeks for calling certain Arab MKs "traitors."

Flatto Sharon's take on the Israel bashing is similar to this scrivener's. According to him, I've had the idea for years. Now it seemed more urgent.

Communications is the one area in which Israel is a failure. In every other realm we excel. In fact, everything else we touch in this country turns to gold. There's no other country like it.

Let me give you a couple of examples.

A couple of months after the establishment of the state in 1948, there was a first official visit by the king and queen of Indonesia. A few hours before their plane arrived, suddenly it dawned on [the welcoming committee] that there were no flowers to give to the queen. A plane was immediately sent to Cyprus to get a bouquet for her. That's because there were no flowers in this country.

A mere 15 years later, Israel had become one of the largest exporters of flowers in the world.

Then there's the military. Not only is the IDF considered the best army in the world, but Israel used to have to rely on the United States for arms. Gradually, we began manufacturing our own arms; since then, we have become the third largest exporter of arms in the world.

The same goes for the diamond industry. I could go on endlessly with examples like this. Israel really is a magical country. In all of history, there never was a people who accomplished what we have achieved here.

So I ask you: A people who is capable of such wonders can't manage to convey a simple message? In that area, we're a bunch of idiots. Maybe it's not that we're a "bunch of idiots," but that there's no way to convey Israel's message to an anti-Semitic world? I don't believe that. In the first place, if you allow an initial lie to go unchallenged, it becomes perpetuated. It's like drugs that get into the bloodstream - it's hard to flush them out.

Maybe it's time for the honest crook to revive his one-person party and stand once again for a seat in the Knesset. He probably wouldn't have to buy votes this time, given the in-fighting in the "major" parties.

Drilling a hole in OUR boat Select your seat When buying ticket

 

A FEW HAREDI MEN on a Delta flight from JFK to TLV drilled another hole in our Jewish "boat" by their obstinacy.

And it all could have, should have, been avoided.

I've been flying in commercial aircraft for many years. I think my first flight was in a tail dragger in 1952 between MIA and IND.

(A "tail dragger" for the innocent youth, is an aircraft that had a wheel under the tail, rather than under the nose. The Delta DC-3, below, is a tail dragger.)

DC-3 in Delta livery

When I book a flight, if I want to sit next to a friend, my friend and I select adjacent seats. Before the airlines got so greedy, seat selection was included in the price of the ticket - as were meals and entertainment and accommodation of not one but TWO pieces of luggage AND carry-on. (Those were the days when seats were wider and legroom ample, the days of Lockheed Constellations. Great airplanes.)

This is not the first time the super-Os have high jacked a flight.

According to the Times of Israel under the headline Flight delayed as haredi men refuse to sit next to woman, Super Jews previously high jacked an El Al flight.

This time the disgraceful behavior caused a delay of only 30 minutes. The El Al flight - the Times did not provide origin and destination information - was held up for ELEVEN hours.

The Times article did not specify if the passengers were kept on the aircraft or if they were allowed to go back into the terminal.

Solve the problem - kick troublemakers off the plane

Passengers who are disruptive regularly are removed from flights, at least in the U.S. In some case, passengers who are not particularly disruptive are removed from flights (and later compensated by the airline for air crew stupidity).*

December 25, 2014: Man Kicked Off Flight After Going into Anti-Christmas Rage reports a man was taken off an American Airlines flight for belligerence. The same article reported that a man was removed from a Delta flight during an unscheduled stop.

Passengers on the Delta flight to Israel showed their displeasure with the Super Jews by refusing to accommodate their demand. Finally, according to the Times of Israel, an "American" - a non-Jew perhaps? - agreed to relocate and the flight departed.

FORTUNATELY most of the media coverage was by "Jewish" media and blogs.

Airlines are not obliged to provide preferential seating to passengers who did not make a seat selection when they booked the flight.

Most airlines will try to accommodate passenger requests for seating and special meals (on flights that still offer meals). In the latter case, when the airline is informed the passenger refused airline food, it should be a red flag that this passenger needs to be seated next to like-minded passengers. Computers easily can make the connection. (Many Super Jews don't accept the kashrut on airline food.)

The airlines, which now charge passengers for everything but the recirculated air they breath while they are trapped in the tube, are missing a revenue chance: sell "men only" and "women only" seat groups or even rows.

If Super Jews insist on segregated seating, let them pay for the privilege.

IN THE MEAN TIME, remove any Super Jew - or any one else for that matter - who is disruptive.

 

 *    Contrary to U.S. law, US Airways - not the nation's national carrier a la El Al and Israel or Korea Air and South Korea, but an American flagged carrier, twice in a period of three months in 2013, forced passengers with service dogs off flights. In the second case, passengers forced cancellation of the flight. In the first instance, a 100% disabled Vietnam vet was ejected.

Never too old to learn A little bit of water Keeps oil cups clean

 

WE HAVE several "candle or oil" hanukiyot (cHanukah menorahs).

For the last several years we have been using oil for one.

Each year I struggle to clean the plastic cups of the previous night's black smidges.

Since I fill the cups to the brim, the flame lasts not 30 minutes or an hour, but 3 hours or more.

To shorten the burn time, this year I added a little water before adding the oil and wicks.

Voila - actually מצאתי would be more appropriate - the wicks burned more than the minimum time (last night we had a two-hour burn) and there is no smudge on the cups!

Since oil (we use EVOO but any oil will do) and water don't mix, the oil floats on top of the water and the wick-in-a-cork-base floats on the oil.

When the oil is consumed without a water base, a last gasp of the wick creates a smudge on the cup.

BUT, if the oil is consumed and the wick floats on water, there is no "last gasp" to stay lit and there likewise is no smudge.

It's perfectly OK to limit the wicks' (candle or floating-on-oil) burn time providing the flame lasts at least 30 minutes (except on erev Shabat when it must last about 45 minutes - see your rabbinical authority for specifics).

I happen to take the mitzvah to enjoy the light seriously so a two-hour burn is fine with me; it beats any "Hanukah" candle except perhaps a "hurricane" candle. (Tea lights also can last beyond the required 30 or 45 minutes.)

Bottom line: After all these years of lighting hanukiyot I FINALLY "discovered" how to keep an oil cup clean.

By the way, if you decide to use oil, buy and fit the cups at the same time you buy the Hanukiyah. Hanukiyot made pimarily for wax generally have the holes (for the candles) too close together for oil cups.

Two-edged sword Germans rally Against Islamists, Are Jews to be next

 

The headline on the RT site reads Thousands in Dresden rally against Islamization, call for Western values.

The article led off with the following two paragraphs:

Thousands took to the streets of Dresden, Germany, to protest the Islamization of their country. Their opponents also rallied at the same time warning about spreading xenophobic ideas in Europe.

At least 10,000 people joined the march of Patriotic Europeans against the Islamization of Europe, or PEGIDA, a German right-wing organization. The protesters say they want to preserve Germany’s Judeo-Christian Western culture, and curb the spread of Islamic State and Al-Qaeda activities in the EU.

Dresden is not the only city in Germany swept by similar protests. Anti-Islam rallies were held in Cologne, Hanover, Kassel, and Chemnitz.

My problem with the rally is that I fear the German's xenophobia will spread once again to anyone who is "different" from a "good" German, i.e., white and Christian.

I agree that the Islamists are taking over Europe and North America as well, but the Europeans generally know no restrictions on attacking anyone who is not a "pure" national: Islamists today, Jews tomorrow.

It's not just Germany. Hungary embraced the nazis; likewise Poland. Russia, at war with the nazis, didn't allow that to interfere with pogroms. During World War II, the United States, with its own severe case of xenophobia put its Japanese citizens into prison camps and refused entry to Jewish refugees. (Nazi prisoners in Stockton CA faired better than the Issei (immigrants) and Nisei (American-born) Japanese-Americans.)

For information about how America traded its Japanese citizens, go to Japanese American on Wikipedia.

While PEGIDA claims it distances itself from neo-Nazi groups in Germany. it "refuses to allow the spread of activities by groups such as the Islamic State and Al-Qaeda in Europe.

Already opposing PEGIDA, according to the RT article are members of Christian churches, the Islamic center, the Jewish community, the Foreign Residents' Association and students.

The nazis' targets were "Jews and Marxists" (a/k/a Communists). While the Jews, at least, were Germans of long standing, and many decorated for service during World War I, the nazis - like the U.S. government in its view of its Japanese citizens - considered the Jews as anything BUT German citizens. (The nazis also went after Roma (Gypsies), the old and infirm, the mentally weak, and sexual deviants.)

Now we see a movement against Islamists and while I generally support removal of people who would over-throw a more or less democratic government, PEGIDA's stance and the behavior of some of its followers is frightening.

There has to be a well-considered middle ground between the likes of PEGIDA and the liberals of the Christian churches, the Islamic center, the Jewish community, the Foreign Residents' Association and students.

As long as "good" Muslims remain silent when their fellow Muslims commit atrocities non-Muslims will view all Muslims as Islamic terrorists, and THAT is what gives organizations like PEGIDA its reason to exist - unfortunately, who can, who will, limit such groups to terrorists else it , too, becomes a terrorist organization.

Thin line, scary line.

Zichron Gavriel Israeli racism Or Smartphone At haredi school?

 

A headline in Thursday's (December 4, 2014) Israel HaYom email edition reads: Religious school shut for refusing to admit Sephardi students. (Click on the link to read it yourself.)

Why not admit the two brothers, one 5 and the other 6?

One reason suggested by Zichron Yaakov Regional Council Head Eli Abutbul

"It is obvious that they are trying to get them to leave," he said. "The haredi community is saying that it is because one of the parents uses a smart phone [forbidden in certain ultra-Orthodox circles], but that is just a terrible excuse."

Responding for the school, Attorney Ori Keidar, , said, "We have mixed (Ashkenazi and Sephardi] students, but these children do not come from a conservative haredi background."

That begs the question: Just what IS a "conservative haredi background."

According to the Israel HaYom article, Two students, brothers aged 5 and 6, were not accepted to study at the school, despite having been with the same group of students in kindergarten. Their parents went to the Education Ministry's appeals committee six months ago to complain that the refusal was based on their ethnic background.

The article continues:
The Education Ministry, which funds about 60 percent of the religious school's activities, ordered the school to accept the students, but when the two young boys arrived for their first day, they were met by the parents of the other children, who were protesting their acceptance to the Ashkenazi school.

Racism bottom line

Meanwhile, reports Israel HaYom, the conflict between the brothers' parents and the ultra-Orthodox community in the area has worsened. The boys' parents say that members of the community protest outside their home and have thrown stones causing property damage. They were even offered large sums of money to move to another city and to enroll their children in a school there.

This and similar acts by Ashkenazi haredim - and probably Sefardi haredim from Shas and similar "we're Jews and you're not" groups as well - blemishes Israel's pretty good efforts to integrate Jews from all countries and all traditions. It gives non-traditional groups, e.g., Conservative/UK Reform and Reform/UK Liberal, more reason to point the finger at traditional Jews, even the non-haredi Jews, and say "We're not like THEM."

Fortunately not all Jews are Litvaks and Syrians (outside of Israel) who live in closed societies.

The two boys would, in my opinion, be better off in a regular government school where they will get a complete education without sacrificing Jewish knowledge. (I briefly taught in an Israeli pubic school in Zefat; I lack the talent - and patience - to be a teacher.)

You cannot legislate kindness nor intelligence; that's proven everyday in the U.S., the U.S. Jewish community is a bad example of quiet racism, despite what the Torah demands of us.

As one parent told the Israel HaYom reporter, he is not concerned about the school's closure, which he thinks will not last. "Despite all the threats -- everything will go back to what it was."

That' sad.

Party, not people The elections are coming, The elections are coming

 

By the time this is uploaded a date may have been set for elections to Israel's Knesset, and with that, the prime minister.

If politicians hurry, the bill to ban anti-Israeli politicians such as Haneen Zoabi and Ahmad Tibi, both of the Balad party, will still be in consideration so these two will very likely be returned to a government that they would like to overthrow. Only in Israel.

Hurry or not, from a "modern" American's perspective, Israeli elections are a throw-back to the U.S.' Reconstruction period.

Then, and even into the 1940s in some U.S. states, it was possible to pull one lever or mark one box to vote a party's entire slate.

If the election's between a jackass and a Republican, vote for the jackass. (I'm sure the Republicans had similar words for Democrats.)

As far as I know, even in the so-called "deep south" (Mississippi, Alabama, and parts of several other states) the "vote a party slate" option is gone; history.

That doesn't mean some people don't vote a "straight" ticket - all candidates of one party, but I suspect that now most voters - certainly those who bother to study the candidates and issues - vote a split ticket, voting for whomever the voter feels aligns closest with his or her political leanings.

Only the president and vice-president are "bundled," and that makes sense. (That was not always the case.)

In Israel, voters vote by party, the old "one lever/one check box" ballot the U.S. discarded years ago.

IN THEORY the candidates at the top of the party list have the best chance of being seated in the Knesset. No party ever has taken it all.

IN TRUTH, the candidate at the top of the list the day before the elections, and a primary reason a voter selected a party, may be demoted from #1 to #60 by the time the ballots are counted. There is no guarantee than pre-election's #1 will be post-election's #1.

An American living overseas as a permanent resident or dual national can vote for U.S. president. The state and local elections are limited to those people living in those areas. The ex-pat voter is deprived of a senator and representative, but since the voter doesn't live in the community, they shouldn't need a senator or representative (although we all know that's not exactly true).

An Israeli living overseas can vote - as can all Israelis - for the party of his or her choice. Most Members of Knesset (MKs) live in/around Jerusalem or in/around Tel Aviv; the rare MK lives in the hinterlands (Bet Shean, Kiryat Shemona, etc.). Bottom line: Unless you live near the MK, getting the MK's attention may be, and often is, an exercise in futility.

But then voters in Israel don't vote for candidates, they vote for a party.

Because I am accustomed to the U.S.' "vote by candidate" I never felt comfortable voting for people about whom I knew nothing. I was personally acquainted David Levy, but I lacked acquaintenance or knowledge of other members who shared the Likud ticket with Levy.

As in the U.S., "Vitamin 'P', "protekzia," or "who you know" generally is the key to getting anything accomplished. Of course if the MK who could help you belongs to another party . . . Again, just as it is in the U.S.

TRUE STORY Some apolitical friends of mine live in Debbie Wasserman-Schultz' congressional district. She was then, as now, chair of the Democratic National Committee, a power position. My Jewish friends turned to her as their Representative - who happens to be Jewish - and were ignored. I suggested that they contact now former Representative Allen West, a Republican in a neighboring district. He responded and took care of their issue. Then he was gerrymandered* out of his seat.

I could vote in the upcoming Israeli elections but I won't. I don't know the candidates on each party ticket, not even the "Top 10" who - depending on party, might make it into the Knesset.

It helps that in the U.S. there are only two major parties and a handful of smaller parties and independents.

Even England, on which Israeli politics are loosely based, has two or three main parties; Members of Parliament (MPs) are expected to have some physical connection with the district they allegedly represent.

I'm a spoiled American who simply cannot accommodate Israeli politics. I tried. I failed.

 

* GERRYMANDER

The word gerrymander (originally written Gerry-mander) was used for the first time in the Boston Gazette on 26 March 1812. The word was created in reaction to a redrawing of Massachusetts Congressional election districts under the then-governor Elbridge Gerry (1744–1814). In 1812, Governor Gerry signed a bill that redistricted Massachusetts to benefit his Democratic-Republican Party. When mapped, one of the contorted districts in the Boston area was said to resemble the shape of a salamander.

Gerrymander is a portmanteau of the governor's last name and the word salamander. The redistricting was a notable success. In the 1812 election, both the Massachusetts House and governorship were won by Federalists by a comfortable margin (costing Gerry his seat), but the senate remained firmly in Democratic-Republican hands.

"Idiot's Guide" Jewish State law

 

The Times of Israel posted An idiot’s guide to the nation-state controversy that claims to be A bird’s-eye view of the facts, arguments and motivations behind the proposed legislation that is roiling Israeli politics.

The article by Haviv Rettig Gur, The Times of Israel's political correspondent, starts off:

So much has been written about the nation-state bills, and so much of it has been wrong on the basic facts, that a straightforward primer on the existing versions and a brief sketch of the arguments around them may provide readers with basic tools to grapple with the issue.

A government-sponsored bill is currently being written at the direction of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and under the supervision of Attorney General Yehudah Weinstein. Contrary to reports in both Israeli and foreign media, from a New York Times editorial to the world’s largest wire services, the cabinet did not pass a nation-state bill two weeks ago. Rather, it passed a 13-page decision that committed the government to supporting two right-wing versions of the nation-state bill in a preliminary vote in the Knesset, “but only,” the cabinet decision reads, “on condition that the proponents [of the two bills] agree that their bills will be attached [Israeli legislative terminology for ‘subsumed’] in a government-sponsored bill that will be proposed by the prime minister on the matter, which will be drafted on the basis of the principles contained in the appendix to this decision, and which will be adapted to it [the government bill].”

Gur's article goes on to offer a full translation of the most recent publicly available draft of the most current version of the bill followed by a comparison of key differences between the government bill, the superseded right-wing bills, and the Declaration of Independence, which a handful of left-wing MKs want passed as a Basic Law in its own right.

Gur's words are found at http://www.timesofisrael.com/the-idiots-guide-to-the-nation-state-controversy/?utm_source=The+Times+of+Israel+Daily+Edition&utm_campaign=b1c3103b9d-2014_12_02&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_adb46cec92-b1c3103b9d-54477781.

How accurate is the translation? How unbiased is Gur's reporting? Not having seen the bill in the original Hebrew, and not having a native Israeli's command of the language, I will not speculate.

Has anyone READ it? "Jewish State" Law

 

Headlines around the world are up in arms about the chutzpah of Israel planning a law declaring it to be a (the) Jewish State.

Right now I will admit I have not seen the law; not in Hebrew and not in translation.

Despite all the agony and gnashing of the teeth, I suspect most of the people commenting on the proposed law also have not read the law - in Hebrew or in translation.

But consider this: Israel was created as a "homeland for the Jewish people" and ratified as such by UN member states, even officially Christian ones. It was mostly Jews who died defending Israel.

The Arab people have - how many Muslim-controlled states? And these are most assuredly Muslim countries; if your not a Muslim you might not be allowed in (unless you are a soldier defending the Muslim country from other Muslim countries).

The Christian people have their countries. How many nations identify themselves as officially "Christian?" The United States is "Christian-dominated," but not a "Christian by law" country - for which I thank HaShem. Unlike some Muslim-controlled countries, non-Christians are allowed to have citizenship in (most) officially Christian countries; albeit some have limited rights.

Who would complain if the Vatican City declared itself officially a "Christian" country? It is, although there is (was) a Jewish quarter.

What about North Korea; it's atheist and you best not bring any religious material into that land. Saudi Arabia is Muslim; bring a Bible into Saudia and you will be punished - severely. Jordan is a Muslim country and you may not display any signs of Jewishness on pain of punishment.

So I ask: "What's the big deal about Israel being a Jewish state?"

Is the bill DENYING rights to any non-Jewish Israelis? Does the bill prohibit non-Jews from running for, and being elected to, public office? Does the bill preclude non-Jews from judgeships, even on the highest court? Will non-Jews under the bill be kept out of the military (a situation that often prevents upward mobility in post- service jobs)?

Will Egged, the bus company, allow only Jews to ride the buses? Will it have special sections for Jews and other sections for non-Jews?

Will highway signs suddenly stop showing Arabic and English and become, as they are in PA-land one-language only (Arabic, obviously)? I understand Arabic no longer is an "official" language; English never was an official Israeli language, nor is French, although it appears (appeared:) on Israeli passports.

As long as the PA-land issue was opened, will the law be like the PA laws that prohibit non-Arabs from living in the state? Jews are not allowed to live in PA-controlled areas, and Christians are finding life increasingly difficult in Muslim-dominated areas (e.g., Bethlehem) where they have long been a presence.

Will the law toe the Torah line? Given that many haredim are against it, I suspect it will not. (What do they care anyway; many of them would prefer to be back under Jordanian rule.)

As I wrote early on, I have not seen the law and I suspect that those railing against it also have not read the law. It's a political football that was introduced at an inopportune time. Israel has enough problems on its political plate without adding another.

It MAY be a good law - that is if anyone takes the time to read it. It may not be a good law. If it deprives any ISRAELI of rights he or she now enjoys, then it is a bad law. I am not concerned with non-Israelis who come into the country to work for a day or a year other than to assure they are treated fairly and with the respect they show Israelis.

I would NOT want schools in Arab communities to stop teaching Arabic; they should teach Arabic AND Hebrew, just as schools in Jewish communities should teach Hebrew AND Arabic - if we cannot communicate, how can we have peaceful coexistence? The current situation suggests that without communication, things will remain as they are: dangerous for all concerned.

Let me be 100 percent clear: When I wrote "Israeli," I mean all Israelis: Jews and non-Jews alike.

Maybe someone ought to take the time to read the law, preferably in Hebrew, but a translated version is "better than nothing."

Sefardi or Ashkenazi? Who calls Ashdod & Ashkelon home?

 

It would be interesting to see who lives in Ashdod and Ashkelon; who are in the majority.

I'd wager that the majority of the residents are from - or descended from Jews who once lived in - Moslem-dominated countries; e.g., North Africa, Syria, Iraq and Iran, Egypt.

Most of the people I know here in the States who claim Ashdod or Ashkelon as their home are Sefardi.

At the same time, most of the people who bewail the efforts of the mayors of these two Israeli towns to protect their citizens are Ashkenazi. Those criticizing the mayors include the Ashkenazi prime minister, the Ashkenazi mayor of Jerusalem - one must wonder about his position given the terrorists attacks in his city - the president, and others none of which are Sefardi.

Why is this?

Perhaps because the Sefardim understand the Moslems, and because they know the reality of Israel's "talk the talk but don't walk the walk" government that, if you would poll the pols, is mostly Ashkenazi.

I'm not going to suggest that all Ashkenazim are fools or appeasers; Begin was neither and he was Ashkenazi.

And I am not going to suggest that all Moslems - Israeli Moslems or otherwise - are planning terror attacks against Israeli Jews and non-Jews.

I AM suggesting that the Sefardim are better equipped to deal with Moslems.

My Father-in-Law (ע''ה) grew up in Morocco. He worked with Moroccan Moslems; he competed with Moroccan Moslems; he co-existed with Moroccan Moslems. He showed them respect and it was returned.

My Father-In-Law was a big man, physically. He would not be pushed around.

When the family made aliyah in the 1960s, he was settled in Bet Shean, a town in the Jordan Valley that was too hot for the Ashkenazim - besides, Bet Shean is on the Jordan border so if attacks came from that direction, the Sefardim could buffer the Ashkenazim farther from the border.

If you think that is a "sepur Savta," I suggest you look at all of the places the Ashkenazi governments settled immigrants from Moslem countries.

Moslems have an Eastern mentality, akin to the Chinese and Japanese. Sefardim, having lived with Moslems for centuries, understand that mentality. Understanding it means being able to deal with it.

The Ashkenazi, with his European mentality cannot comprehend the Moslem mind and lacks the ability to deal with the Moslem mentality. The Ashkenazi simply wants to do what is "politically correct "and damn the consequences" - the murders on the streets and in the synagogues, the rockets raining down on civilians.

At one time several Moslems invaded Bet Shean and killed several residents.

The residents and the Army killed the terrorists. The residents, 90% of whom were from North Africa, doused the Moslems' bodies with gasoline and set them afire. Moslems believe they won't get their promised 70 virgins if the body is burned. It was decades before another Moslem tried to attack anyone in Bet Shean - and he was caught as he rode an Egged bus toward the town.

Burning bodies is not "politically correct" and I am certain the Ashkenazim in government "tisked-tisked" and rung their hands over what the cruel Sefardim did to those poor Moslem terrorists - but it sent a message that kept Bet Shean "terrorist free" for decades.

My personal, American, attitude is similar to my Father-In-Law's: if you push me, I'll push you back - harder. I won't start something, but I intend to finish it.

It's time the Ashkenazi leadership realized that its threats to act against terrorists and its promises to protect Israel's citizens are just words with no value; the Moslems know that between the Ashkenazis' desire for "political correctness" and Europe's (and, unfortunately North America's) bleeding hearts will protect them from justified retribution.

It's time the Ashkenazi leadership learned a lesson from the Sefardim and became more concerned with Israel's citizens and less concerned with "political correctness."

Synagogue decorum Only in America?

 

I know small children need to go to synagogue with dad (and mom, too, if she's willing) so they'll feel comfortable with the service.

Note I wrote "comfortable," not "at home."

I am a curmudgeon. I won't deny it.

I also raised three children in a synagogue environment. My three did not run around disturbing others, my wife and I saw to that. (I also let them leave the sanctuary for parts of the service - how long was dependent on their age at the time.) I am not bragging, just stating a fact.

I have been in Ashkenazi and Sefardi congregations in the U.S. and Israel. I have been in observant, Conservative, and - one Purim - Reform synagogues.

But only in Sefardi congregations in America are children allowed to run wild.

But then . . .

DECORUM

There are some things that you learn by being a regular or by having a parent teach you as a youngster.

For example, you do not walk immediately in front of a person praying the Shmonah Esray (18/Amedah).

The reason I gave my children is that the person could be bowing as the unlearned person crossed in front, making it appear that the person praying the prayer was, G-d forbid, bowing to the person.

It also is distracting even to a person with his (or her) nose buried in the sedur (as it should be; the prayer is not to be recited by rote; it must be read).

Today we had a young lad - maybe 6 or 7 years old - going in front of people trying to read the pray, insisting that those praying stop and shake his hand. He's a good boy, but his father needs to keep him close by his side.

Unfortunately there were several adults who also insisted on walking in front of people at prayer.

It's one thing to walk in front of a person on the way to the bathroom, but on the way back … wait until everyone has taken their three steps back.

This, unfortunately, is not limited to Sefardi congregations nor to observant congregations; I've seen it in Conservative congregations as well.

My tradition (Moroccan) holds that if you are standing when someone begins to recite a kadesh, you remain standing until the last "amen." Based on what I see where I regularly make minyan, this is not universal. (Many north African traditions seem not "universal." Pity.)

I don't know why people think that when the haftarah is being read it is time to get up, walk around, and chat with your neighbor. Didn't they get a chance to chat when the Torah was being carried from the ark to the amud?

Maybe someone should paraphrase the Fiddler song Tradition to Decorum and list how synagogue goers should behave.

It really is upsetting for a curmudgeon to have to suffer inappropriate behavior, but I don’t think it will get any better anytime soon.

 

TRIVIA What can you do with the U.S. and Canadian flags that you cannot do with the Israeli flag?

Fly them upside down as a sign of distress (typically on a floundering ship at sea).

Government is appalled Mayors said "racist" For protecting people

 

The mayors of the city of Ashdod and Ashkelon are making it tough - albeit not impossible - for Arabs from the Aza and PA-controlled areas in Yesha.

The mayor, Yehiel Lasri, along with the mayor of Ashkelon, Itamar Shimoni, have clamped down on non-Israeli Arab construction workers by having the gall to demand their Israeli-citizen employers carefully check their papers. (Try and get a job in the U.S. and, unless you are an "undocumented" [illegal] alien, it won't happen unless you have a passport two forms of pseudo-ID, "pseudo" since there is no way to prove a Social Security card belongs to the person presenting it.)

The mayors are holding up construction of some child-related projects in order to protect the children in the neighborhoods. (What do we do in the U.S. to protect our children from known predators? Do we let them work in/near schools?)

While not all Moslems in Israel, Aza, and Yesha are terrorists, there are enough that precautions are necessary. It is the primary responsibility of a government's CEO - be it a town or city government such as Ashkelon or Ashdod or the national government - that seems to have abrogated its responsibility - in Israel and, indeed, throughout the world.

Rhetorical question: Would Obama allow ISIS terrorists into the U.S. for any reason? To learn to fly jetliners? To learn to pilot huge ships carrying containers or oil? Remember, the question is just rhetorical.

The mayors are being attacked buy both the left and right, including Israel's prime minister and its president.

It seems the only people who favor the mayors' actions are the people in Ashdod and Ashkelon.

In Ashkelon, dozens of residents demonstrated in support of their mayor, bearing signs reading "guard the children," and "Bibi wake up - our children won't be abandoned."

According to an article in Arutz 7, Attorney General Yehuda Weinstein weighed in on the case Thursday, claiming the move was in violation of the equal employment law. Justice Minister Tzipi Livni said Thursday morning she had contacted Weistein demanding such action, and called the move illegal

For all that, the same article quotes Knesset Member Moshe Feiglin (Likud), who notes:

"There's so much hypocrisy in the media crackdown on the Ashkelon Mayor - Mr. Itamar Shimoni - and calls of 'racist' against him," Feiglin wrote on his Facebook page Thursday afternoon.

"After all, Arab workers don't enter IDF bases or sensitive facilities of the Defense Ministry," noted Feiglin. "So why is the security of kindergarten children in Ashkelon less sensitive? Why is the concern for security racism?"

In his remarks Feiglin echoed comments made by former MK Dr. Michael Ben-Ari, who noted earlier that from his experiences no Arab workers are employed for manual labor in the Knesset.

"Not a single Arab contractor or Arab laborer can work in the Knesset. It's a fact. I was there for four years, all of the contractors are Jews and there are no Arab laborers. Not in flooring, not in carpentry, not in cleaning," said Ben-Ari. "Let the hypocritical Bennett and (MK) Miri Regev first fight against the 'racism' in the Knesset!"

Attorney Uri Tzipori on the legal department of the Derech Chaim movement that pushes for Israel to unite behind the way of the Torah, there is nothing illegal about the move.

Tzipori argued that the equal employment law does not need to be applied in the current case, given that the layoffs are made in response to a serious security situation and a sense of immediate danger, and not out of a mere desire to fire Arab workers, in which case one would expect such steps to have been taken long ago.

IN THE BEGINNING most of the construction work in Israel was done by Jews for Jews. In fact, most of the work in Israel was performed for Jews by Jews. Slowly the Jews became "too good" to do the less than glamorous jobs and the Arabs filled the gap.

Today, more and more construction jobs are filled by Chinese. Almost all residential health care work is done by women from the Philippines. (Israel already is starting to pay the price for importing foreign workers.)

Palestine 1939 Tell me again, Whose "Palestine?"

The image above, less the call out, is from Larousse French dictionary of 1939. I believe credit for discovery of the "Palestinian" flag belongs to the Riposte Sefarade blog. The blog noted, in French,

Le petit jeu de la nuit par CGQDI (source)

Ceci est la page des drapeaux nationaux du Petit Dictionnaire Larousse édition 1939. Si vous ne le croyez pas, vous avez un élément incontournable avec la Croix Gammée comme drapeau allemand. Donc, même si vous ne nous croyez pas, vous admettrez que ce dico est au moins d’avant 1945.

Maintenant cherchez patiemment, il y a un drapeau appelé « Palestine ».

Allez, arrêtez de subir, cherchez bien! En 1939 ou avant guerre, quand on parlait d’un état de Palestine et de Palestiniens, voilà de quoi on parlait!

Vous avez trouvé? Vous n’en revenez pas? Surprise, non? Ca, c’est ce qu’on appelle la PMG (Pédagogie de ma Main dans ta Gueule) posté par sil

(I am not conversant with French; were it not for my Moroccan-born, French-speaking Spouse I would still be trying to find my way out of Charles de Gaulle Airport.)

The United with Israel folks picked up the flag and, under a heading The Jewish Flag of Palestine – 1939! explains in English that

A picture of the flag of Palestine reported to be found in the appendix of a Larousse French dictionary in 1939 is circulating. The flag, as pointed out by the factualisrael.com site , contains the Star of David, a universally recognized Jewish symbol that is also engraved in the State of Israel’s blue-and-white flag.

This is certain to surprise many. The biased media would have one believe that the Jewish people “occupied” the land, brutally expelling and murdering the “Palestinians” who were there.

This flag – besides archaeological evidence – is another clear indication that the Land of Israel belongs to the Jewish people, and this fact was widely known for centuries. In fact, in 1917, in the famous Balfour Declaration, British Foreign Secretary Lord Balfour declared his government’s support for the establishment of a national home for the Jewish people in what was then called Palestine.

(Known as Judea since biblical times, the land was renamed Palestina by Roman King Hadrian 2,000 years ago in order to erase any Jewish historical claim. There was never a Palestinian state.)

The United with Israel entry continues with a brief history of the Jewish presence in the land now again called Israel.

For a little more about "flags with a Mogan David" visit
http://www.factualisrael.com/moroccan-flag-nazis-rewrote-history/.

Immature system Israel HaYom debate Illustrates the problem

 

There is a debate in the Knesset - Israel's parliament - about allowing a free-distribution newspaper to continue as a free distribution newspaper.

Israel HaYom's email/web edition for Sunday, November 16, 2014, included a head that read: Israel Hayom, tomorrow and forever!. One paragraph in the article caught my attention:

We regret the behavior of the MKs who supported this bill in its preliminary reading. The bill represents a serious blow to democracy, and the Israeli Knesset became the only parliament in the democratic world to have backed, even in just a preliminary reading, a bill that, if enacted, would interfere with the free market, reach into the public's pockets and impose a single ideological line on society. MKs who support this bill have turned their backs on their constituents.

The editorial writer blames the bill on a competitor paid-circulation newspaper; the truth of that accusation is subject to debate.

There are a number of problems with the Israeli form of government, at least from the perspective of a U.S. voter.

If a Republican and a jackass run for office, vote for the jackass

FIRST, in Israel voters vote for a party list, not individuals.

The party places its chosen few on a list, with the most marketable candidates at the top of the list.

For a brief period Israel tried electing the prime minister separately from the rest of the Knesset, but while popular with the people it was quickly discontinued by the professional politicians.

The higher on the list, the greater chance the candidate has of gaining a seat in the Knesset - IF the party doesn't rearrange the list after the votes are countered.

In the not-so-long-ago in many U.S. states, voters could vote by ticket; pull one lever and the vote was cast for all candidates of the particular party. Back in the day, the U.S. really had only two parties represented on the ballot by their cartoon identities. The statement above, "If a Republican runs against a jackass…" was often heard in rural (and sometimes not so rural) America. Unfortunately, some people still vote a "straight" ticket, never mind the quality of the candidates.

Bottom line: The Israeli voter is voting an ideology. While Israel has no lack of political parties, it's possible a voter cares about more than a single issue and there are candidates that would better represent the voter in specific issues.

Knesset members live where?

Voters in the Several States elect two senators from every state, and a number of representatives based on the state's population. The senators may live any place in the state they represent. The representatives must live within the district from which they were elected.

Because they are relatively local to the voter base, the representatives, more than the senators, are supposed to be responsive to all voters' appeals. (That isn't always the case; in my district the representative ignores appeals from Israeli-Americans while rubber stamping everything her boss puts forth.)

Usually the "representative in the neighborhood" works out well for all - both the politician (who gets re-elected) and to the voter who has a voice.

In Israel, most - not all, but most - Knesset members live in or near Jerusalem or Tel Aviv. There was a deputy prime minister - David Levy - who lived in Bet Shean, and there was another Knesset member who lived in the northern city of Kiryat Shmona, but they were the exceptions to the rule.

Transparency in blogging

For many years I worked in U.S. newspapers; first as a printer, then as a reporter, and finally as an editor. Israel HaYom, despite being free, is a newspaper - as versus a "shopper" that is more than 70% advertising. (By the way, ALL commercial media is supported by advertising, not the number of issues sold or listeners listening/ viewers viewing.)

I also lived and worked in Israel, both in the hinterlands (Zefat) and in the Tel Aviv metro area (Ramat Aviv, Holon). I have relatives in Yavne, Haifa, and Bet Shean so I have first hand experience with Israeli politics.

Two of the hardest things for a person who grew up in the U.S. to accommodate are the Israeli political system - based on, but hardly identical to, England's system - and the number and frequency of strikes.

Israel may not have more strikes than in the U.S., but most U.S. strikes are localized and there are many alternative products from competitors. The U.S. government, when it has strong leadership, also is more likely to take action in a strike that has a nationwide impact (e.g., most recently the air traffic controller's strike).

I won't suggest the U.S. political system is perfect, but for this scrivener, it certainly is superior to England's and Israel's.

Kosher vs. Kosher Irish whiskey "By the barrel"

 

Compared to scotch drinkers, Irish whiskey drinkers have little choice. Jews who are makpeed and insist on foregoing any whiskey aged (matured) in casks that once contained wine have slightly less selection.

While there used to be a number of firms making Irish whiskeys, today there are basically three organizations:

Beam Suntory from the US, owns Cooley

Pernod Ricard from France, owns Irish Distillers

Pernod Ricard acquired fewer brands, but it did buy what is said to be the Number One name in Irish whiskey, Jameson.

The nice thing about Beam nee' Cooley is that all Cooley whiskeys are aged in former American Bourbon barrels. (A win-win for Beam.)

Bushmills is small compared to Beam and Pernod. Bushmills distills only the Bushmills label.

The following table lists the more common Irish whiskeys; there may be more on the shelves in your neighborhood and, depending on place of residence, mail order may be an option.

The table below shows if the product is a blend, single malt, or single pot, and it also identifies the type cask in which the whiskey is aged - Bourbon, oak, Wine, or Mixed (Bourbon or oak and wine). As with all things, the list's contents are "subject to change."

If your favorite Irish whiskey is not listed but another from the same distillery is listed, assume the missing whiskey is matured in a wine cask until you check with the distiller.

Irish Whiskeys	Comments
Bushmills Single Malt 10 y/o	Single malt, Bourbon
Clontarf 1014	Bourbon
Clontarf Single Malt	Bourbon
Connemara Single malt 8 y/o (Cooley)	Single malt, Bourbon
Connemara Single malt 12 y/o (Cooley)	Single malt, Bourbon
Feckin (Cooley)	Blend, Bourbon
Finnegan 4 yr (Cooley)	Blend, Bourbon
Finnegan 8 yr Single malt (Cooley)	Single malt, Bourbon
Greenore (Cooley) 15 y/o corn	Bourbon
Greenore (Cooley) 18 y/o corn	Bourbon
Greenore (Cooley) 6 y/o corn	Bourbon
Greenore (Cooley) 8 y/o corn	Bourbon
Jameson Black Barrel 12 y/o	Blend; Bourbon
Jameson 18 y/o Limited Reserve	Blend, Bourbon & oak
John L. Sullivan (Cooley)	Blend, Bourbon
Kellan	Blend, Bourbon
Kilbeggan	Blend, Bourbon
Kilbeggan 18 y/o	Blend, Bourbon
Kilbeggan Distillery Reserve	Blend, Bourbon
Knappogue Castle 12 y/o	Single malt, oak casks
Lockes (Cooley)	Single malt, Bourbon
Michael Collins (all) blend	Blend, Bourbon
Michael Collins 10 y/o Single malt	Single malt, Bourbon
Middleton Barry Crockett	Pot still, Bourbon
Middleton Very Rare	Blend, WINE
Middleton Single Cask series	Single malt, Bournon
Paddy (Irish Distilleries)	Blend, Oak casks
Powers John's Lane Release	Single pot, Bourbon & Spanish oak
Irishman Single malt	Single malt, Mixed
Irishman 12 y/o Single malt	Single malt, Bourbon
Irishman Cask Strength	Single malt, Bourbon
Irishman Founders' Reserve	Blend, Bourbon
Tyrconnell Single Malt (Cooley)	Single malt , Bourbon

Knesset's heavy handedness Democracies don't Shutter newspapers

 

The Israeli government is moving to shut down the county's major advertising-supported newspaper, Israel HaYom (Israel Today).

Despite its name, it has no connection to Gannett's Today newspapers in the U.S.

All newspapers are, of course, paid for by advertising. Israel HaYom is distributed free, gratis, six days-a-week. There are other free-circulation papers in Israel, but only Israel HaYom is published 6 days a week, and the law being pushed in the Knesset - Israel's parliament - is aimed at only the newspaper with BOTH (a) free distribution and (b) published 6 days-a-week.

I don't know if another paper is behind the push to put Israel HaYom out of business - that's one of the stories I read in the email media. It really doesn't matter.

It is sufficient that Israel's politicians are even considering the proposal that causes me to question "democracy" in Israel.

This is not the first time the Israeli government has shut down free expression.

Although I am a solid Beginite, Menachem Begin while Prime Minister, did one unpardonable act: he forced Nekui Rosh (Brain Wash) off the television. He was too thin skinned to accept the caustic humor Nekui Rosh applied to all politicians. America's Laugh-in and later Saturday Night Live were/are akin to Nekui Rosh.

Anwar Sadat and Menachem Begin
Warriors turned peacemakers

But he never shut down a tv station or a newspaper, despite the fact that at the time, almost all Hebrew
language newspapers were party tools.

Israel HaYom is a right-of-center publication. It's online edition at /www.israelhayom.com/ provides a sampling of its political position.

Israel HaYom, unlike most free distribution papers in the U.S. is a true newspaper. Free papers in the U.S. generally are "shoppers" containing more than 70% advertising; most "news" is nothing more than puff pieces for the advertisers. (My qualifications of writing this opinion: I was a newspaper printer, reporter, and editor for many years. I see Israel HaYom's printed edition when I visit kin in Israel.)

If shutting down Israel HaYom is Israeli democracy in action, "democracy" - such as it is in Israel - is about to disappear.

News from Israel Balanced reporting? Even handed editing?

 

Headlines:

Israeli man escapes lynch as tensions flare in Arab sector followed by
Netanya man manages to flee masked assailants who beat him and set fire to his car in Tayibe.

Jewish Driver 'Lucky to be Alive' After Attempted Arab Lynch followed by
Serious incident caps day of violence by Arab citizens of Israel, supposedly sparked by shooting of a crazed knife wielder.

Israeli Almost Lynched by Arabs, Saved by an Arab followed by
An Israeli man was nearly lynched Sunday night by a violent Arab mob. The potential victim was saved – by an Arab.

Which headlines and initial paragraphs are sane and which are fear mongering and inciting to violence?

Only the last one, the one from United with Israel.

The first headline is from Israel haYom; the second headline is from Arutz 7 - Israel National News.

And now, as Paul Harvey once intoned, the rest of the story.

Israel haYom ( Israeli man escapes lynch as tensions flare in Arab sector) gets around to telling some of the story
After escaping his attackers, two locals helped German and called an ambulance. A large police force was dispatched to the scene to search for the perpetrators, though as of Monday morning no arrests had been made.
before moving on to recap the day's riots and mayhem.

Arutz 7/Israel National News (Jewish Driver 'Lucky to be Alive' After Attempted Arab Lynch) reports in its second paragraph that
Rioters near the Taibeh bridge forced a car, in which a resident of Netanya was driving, to stop, and proceeded to set it on fire. The driver received treatment in an ambulance and filed a police complaint.

The United with Israel (Israeli Almost Lynched by Arabs, Saved by an Arab) report was the only one with any depth.

First its rewrite person reviewed multiple sources, including IDF Radio and Ynet. According to the United with Israel article,
“I came back from work in Netanya. When I came to the stoplight, they stopped me and started talking to me but I didn’t understand a word because I don’t speak Arabic. So they started throwing stones at my car and then set it on fire. A few Arabs helped me to get out of the car from the passenger side,” the potential victim told Israel’s IDF Radio on Monday.

“I was afraid I was going to die and the car was about to go up in flames any second. Suddenly, someone pulled me out of the car and put me into his car that had his children in it. He saved my life. What happened to me was really on the level of a miracle. I got out with just a few scratches. I didn’t even have to go to the hospital. An ambulance came, but I only had to wash my face. I just wanted to give many thanks to the people who helped me.”

An eyewitness to the attack told Israel’s Ynet about the extreme violence he saw: “More than 20 people, a few of them masked, stopped the car and began to throw stones and launch firecrackers. They took the driver out of the car and began to beat him all over his body while shouting Allah Akbar.”

An Arab who was driving by, identified only as Makdy, saw the developing lynch and went to save the Israeli. He told IDF Radio that “during the first moments I did not think twice. Someone threw rocks but I stopped him. I took him [the Israeli] into my car and drove away quickly, and then dropped him off at a police checkpoint.”

IT SEEMS TO ME that the headline should have read Arab saves Jewish driver from Arab mob showing all readers that not all Arabs or Muslims behave like animals.

This is not the first time Jews have been saved from Arab mobs by Arabs. I personally know of one instance. I also know that it was an Arab who stopped to offer assistance to a sister-in-law who fell on a Haifa sidewalk . . . good Jews ignored her compound fracture.

There is enough tension in Israel without editors and writers adding to the problems.

We need more media akin to United with Israel - media that tells "the rest of the story."

Kosher vs. Kosher Scotch for A makpeed

 

According to the Chicago Rabbinical Council (cRc) Liquor List, The cRc policy is that Scotch is permitted unless the label states that its aged in a wine cask, has special finish, or an extra maturation.

Star-K's liquor list states that all scotch is Acceptable WITHOUT CERTIFICATION EXCLUDING when labeled aged in Sherry or wine casks OR Highland Mist House of Stuart and Inver House. (Emphasis Star-K's.)

While that's "good enough" for most observant Jews, there are a few who believe that deliberately putting a potable into a cask formerly used to hold wine to deliberately add color and tastes from the wine residue renders the liquor non-kosher - unless, of course the cask held a kosher wine. To them, the 1/60th rule does not apply.

Finding out which single malt scotches are kosher, or at least not matured in former wine barrels, was a time consuming exercise with the results "subject to change." In most cases, I culled the casking information from the distiller's Web site; a few times the information came as a result of an email exchange. Most distillers seem pleased to tell us which of their products are aged in former Bourbon barrels or virgin oak barrels or were aged partially or entirely in former wine casks. I only encountered one that was reluctant to share the information.
CAVEAT: I looked only at distillers. Bottlers can buy from multiple distillers, so the following list is far from "all inclusive." All the whiskys below are, to the best of my knowledge, single malt; the list therefore does not include many popular blended brands (e.g., Chivas).

Note: I am NOT a rabbi nor do I play one on tv. The "OK by me" comment means that the product meets my kashrut standards, nothing more.

In the following table, "OK by me" means the whisky is aged solely in former Bourbon barrels or virgin oak casks.
"Mixed" means the whisky is matured in both Bourbon or virgin oak barrels AND former wine casks.
"Rum" means the whisky is aged in a cask that formerly contained rum of undisclosed type (may not be kosher).
"Wine" means the whisky is aged solely in casks that formerly held wine.
"Unknown" means I was unable to determine the type cask used for aging/maturing the whisky.
"KLBD"="London Beth Din Kashrut Division

Name	Remarks
Aberlour (all)	Wine
anCnoc 16	OK by Me
anCnoc 18	OK by Me
anCnoc 35	OK by Me
anCnoc Peter Arkle Casks	OK by me
Ardbeg 10 yr old	OK by Me
Ardmore	Unknown
Arran (all)	Mixed
Auchentoshan American Oak	OK by Me
Balveni -Caribean Cask 14 Year	Rum casks
Balvenie 21yr Port Wood	Wine
Balvenie Single Barrel 12	OK by Me
Benromach Organic	OK by Me
Benromach Peat Smoke	OK by Me
Bowmore Legend (Bourbon)	OK by Me
Bowmore Small Batch	OK by Me
Bruichladdich	Mixed
Bunnahabhain Distillery (all)	Mixed
Caol Ila	Wine
Cardhu QUERIED 29 OCT	Unknown
Clynelish	Unknown
Cragganmore	Unknown
Cu Bocan`	Mixed
Dalwhinnie 15 year old (per email)	OK by Me
Deabston Spanish Oak	OK by Me
Deanston 12 yr old	OK by Me
Deanston Toasted Oak (Scotland only)	OK by Me
Deanston Virgin Oak	OK by Me
Dorus Mor	Wine
Dramguish -Any age	Unknown
Glen Garioch Vintage 1995	Unknown
Glen Garioch Vintage 1997	OK by Me
Glen Garioch Virgin Oak	OK by Me
Glen Grant 10 y/o	OK by Me
Glen Grant 16 y/o	OK by Me
Glen Grant Major's Reserve	OK by Me
Glen Moray	OK by Me
Glencadam	Unknown
Glenfiddich	Unknown
Glenlivet - Nadura 16 y/o	OK by Me
Glenlivet 12 y/o	OK by me
Glenlivet 15 y/o	OK by Me
Glenlivet 18 y/o	OK by Me
Glenmorangie 10 y/o (a/k/a Original)	OK by Me
Glenmorangie -Astar OU*	OK by Me
Glenmorangie -Ealnta	OK by Me
Glenrothes -Alba Resrve KLBD*	OK by Me
Hamashkeh	OK by Me
Highland Park	KLBD
Isle of Jura	Unknown
Lagavulin	Unknown
Laphroaig Cairdeas Port Wood	Wine
Laphroaig QA cask	OK by Me
McCleand's -Lowland	Unknown
McCleand's -Speyside	KLBD
McClellands	KLBD
Midleton -Bary Crocket Legacy	Unknown
Monkey Shoulder	OK by Me
Oban	Unknown
Old Ballantruan	OK by Me
Old Pulteny -12 Year	OK by Me
Prince Lordon	Unknown
Scapa	OK by me
Speyburn Bradan Orach	OK by Me
Tomatin 12 year old	Wine
Tomatin 14 year old	Wine
Tomatin 18 year old	Mixed
Tomatin -Legacy	OK by Me
Tomintoul -10 Year OU*	OK by Me
Tomintoul -14 Year OU*	Unknown
Tomintoul -16 Year OU*	OK by Me
Tomintoul -21 Year OU*	OK by Me
Tomintoul -33 Year OU*	OK by Me
Tomintoul -Peaty Tang OU*	Unknown
Tomintoul -Vintage 1976	OK by Me
Tormore	Mixed

A NOTE ON IRISH WHISKEYS

The cRc policy is that Irish Whisky is permitted unless the label states that it is aged in a wine cask, has special finish, or an extra maturation. The cRc lists several Irish whiskeys that, although not stated on the label, are aged in former wine casks. For a list of Irish whiskeys that are aged only in either former Bourbon barrels or in virgin oak casks, see Ahh, Ireland A little about Uisce Beatha

Star-K lists the most often found Irish whiskeys as "Not Acceptable."

Opuscula Vehicles now Arabs' "Weapons of choice"?

 

Recently Muslim terrorists in Israel seem to have traded bombs for vehicles.

A SAMPLING:

Reports began to trickle in Wednesday evening of a Palestinian terror attack against Israeli soldiers in which a car ran into a group of IDF troops, injuring three, less than 12 hours after a similar incident in Jerusalem that saw a Palestinian man drive into a throng of people at a bus stop, killing an Israeli Druze soldier and injuring more than a dozen others.

5 November 2014: Israeli police say one dead and 13 hurt as car rams crowd in East Jerusalem

5 November 2014: Second vehicle attacks Israeli soldiers

22 October 2014: Three-month-old baby dies in 'terror' attack on Israeli tram station

9 September 2013: Wrong Turn: Arab Car Thieves Ram through Ben-Gurion Airport Security

In many cases the attacks are "kamikaze" attacks - the terrorist driver dies at the scene, but only after murdering or injuring many.

Stealing a car or truck is less expensive, and much safer than making and delivering a bomb.

A Muslim behind the wheel of a car in Israel is commonplace, so the driver does not arouse suspicion as would a bomb-laden terrorist wearing a winter coat in the summer.

The attack may not be as dramatic as a bomb explosion, and it may not cause as many deaths or injuries, but it IS effective, especially when the victim is a three-month-old infant.

A link to a youtube video in a Times of Israel article, Video warns ‘Zionists’ more car attacks are coming, confirms the preceding that "Vehicles now Arabs' 'Weapons of choice'"

Wait for it How loudly will Liberals scream? SodaStream move from "West Bank" Will leave Palestinians without a job

 

Be careful for what you wish.

The BDS*ers wanted SodaStream to be blackballed for having an operation in Occupied Israel, a/k/a the west bank of the Jordan River.

Never mind that SodaStream employed both Israeli Jews and PA Muslims in equal numbers; no matter that SodaStream offered equal pay for equal work.

The BDSers wanted to punish SodaStream for daring to have an operation in Occupied Israel.

So now SodaStream is pulling out and moving to the south.

The BDSers won, but did their clients, the Muslims of the PA who soon will be unemployed?

According to an article in the Times of Israel, Ramah Kudaimi, membership and outreach coordinator for the US Campaign to End the Israeli Occupation, which represents 400 organizations said today’s news is just the latest sign that these global BDS campaigns are having an impact on changing the behavior of companies that profit from Israeli occupation and apartheid.

Apartheid? Working together for equal pay is apartheid? I think Mr. Kudaimi need to revisit a dictionary. **

The article continues: But Kudaimi’s group, as well as the Palestinian Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions National Committee, say they will continue to boycott SodaStream because they claim its new factory abets dispossession of Bedouin land in Israel, even though the factory will be in an existing industrial park.

Instead of PA employees, SodaStream will have to hire Bedu for diversity, assuming they want to work in a factory rather than remain on the land.

Israel is at once trying to increase the Jewish population in the south and to wean the Bedu from their nomadic lifestyle. Like the Roma of Europe, this may be easier said than done, and in the end, if they Bedu don't violate Israeli law, they probably will be able to keep their old ways.

One thing is clear: no matter is Israel were to withdraw completely from its land - as it did in Gaza - the liberal, anti-Israel voices would not be stilled. It's not where Jews live, its THAT Jews live - period.

The leadership of the PA - with or without Hamas - make it abundantly clear with their frequent calls to wipe Israel off the map and all the Jews with it.

And Israel's supposed to make peace with these people? Only in Obama's dreams.

 

* BDS = Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions

** Apartheid, according to Merriam-Webster online is defined as:
racial segregation; segregation or separation
SodaStream does NOT qualify as an apartheid organization.

Ahh, diplomacy Name calling

 

Did one of the sycophants of the current incompetent at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue actually call Israel's prime minister chicken manure (in a slightly less genteel word)?

Or, as a few have suggested, is the remark a figment of an anti-Israel Jew's imagination?

Having worked in a "lul," a chicken house for both chicks and layers, trust me, I know the foul smell of fowl feces.

The only manure smell worse than chicken poop is that of green feces from a new born. I have three children - now adults - and a grand-daughter so I am acquainted with that smell, too.

My personal opinion of Israel's prime minister is only slightly higher than my opinion of the U.S. president, which is to say on a scale of 1 to 10, both are in negative numbers. It's not a matter of party; I appreciated Harry S Truman and LBJ and, when I lived in Holon, I was 100% behind Begin. All three were, in my opinion, honest men who were true to their beliefs and worked for the betterment of their nations (although with LBJ, sometimes it was hard to determine).

Israel's PM reminds me of a wind sock at an airport; it moves whichever way the wind blows. The PM, of course, uses pollsters to determine which way the political winds are blowing: build on Jewish land today; tear down the homes built yesterday on Jewish land. (I have to wonder; does the PM have a financial interest in construction and demolition companies?)

As for as Washington goes, the U.S. has a president who has managed to hide his history from the people. No birth certificate. No college transcripts. We know he has no military service, not even pseudo-military in the National Guard a la Bush 2.

Compare that with Israel's PM. We know what he is - a Jew, perhaps not as observant as some would like, perhaps more observant than others prefer. According to a bio at http://www.biography.com/people/benjamin-netanyahu-9421908#early-years, Benjamin Netanyahu was born on October 21, 1949, in Tel Aviv, Israel and grew up in Jerusalem. He spent most of his teen years living in the Philadelphia area, where his father, noted Jewish historian Benzion Netanyahu, worked as a professor. In 1967, he returned to Israel to serve in the Israeli Defense Forces' elite unit, "Sayeret Matkal," and took part in a number of military operations, including the dramatic 1972 rescue of a hijacked Sebana passenger jet.

The entry at http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/biography/netanyahu.html states: Following his discharge (from the IDF), Netanyahu studied at MIT in Boston and received a B.S. in architecture and an M.S. in Management Studies. He also studied political science at MIT and Harvard University. In 1976, he was employed by the Boston Consulting Group, an international business consulting firm, where he befriended future American Presidential hopeful Mitt Romney.

While the PM's bio may be as fabricated as the U.S. president's, no one so far has proved it less than honest; I would trust members of Israel's left-wing and Moslem parties to uncover any falsehoods and broadcast them to the world.

We know the incompetent in D.C. is influenced by America-hating preachers and by Muslims and their money; we know that even his Jewish lackeys such as Democratic National Chair, US. Rep. Debbie Wasserman-Schultz, put the president above her constituents. (Those Jews in her district who wanted anything accomplished on their behalf knew to turn to the congressman in the next district over, retired Army Col. Allen West . West was gerrymandered out of his seat.

I won't call the occupier of the White House "chicken manure" as his people refer to Israel's PM, but I will suggest that since he's been in office, Washington has generated an unprecedented about of bovine excrement regarding both domestic and foreign policy; actually the lack thereof. The only contemporary man who gives the current resident of 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue competition for "America's Worst President" is Jimmy Carter.

The reason I have hope for the future is that I know "this, too, shall change." The change will HAVE to be for the better.

Opuscula If you don't know What you are sayingSIT DOWN

 

I'm told to "forget it, it's America."

"It" is Jews who stand up as representatives of the congregation and read - quite well - the Hebrew prayers yet DON'T COMPREHEND WHAT THEY ARE READING..

To this scrivener, it is bad enough that they don't know basic Hebrew, but to lead the services sans any understanding of the prayers is chutzpah.

It's not a matter of failing to comprehend a word here or there; these folks can't put together a simple Hebrew phrase. Tell them

תבדק אם יש מישהו בדרך

and you get a blank stare. Check (תבדק) if there is (יש אם) someone (מישהו) on the way (בדרך) (to complete the minyan)?

All the words above are found in the sedur with the possible exception of the future tense תבדק.

Many young Jews today go to "Hebrew" school but apparently there is (too) little emphasis on everyday Hebrew.

The kids study humash; in yeshiva the emphasis is on the talmuds and the language is largely Aramaic.

Nothing wrong with studying Biblical Hebrew or Aramaic, but most students of those languages can only read them; they cannot SPEAK them or UNDERSTAND them.

In my not-at-all-humble opinion, "Hebrew" school is a misnomer.

I DO know some American young people who do speak/comprehend Hebrew, but they are in the minority. I'm not sure from whom they learned Hebrew, but for some, Hebrew is their first language.

My spouse is a Jewish educator in all respects of the title. She tells me Biblical Hebrew is NOT the same as "modern" Hebrew.

No argument from me when it comes to tenses - past and future are reversed between the two Hebrews.

But the WORDS; the Torah's words are for the most part alive and well in modern Hebrew.

Consider the opening verses of Lech Lakah:

(Image from Machon-Memre, http://www.mechon-mamre.org/p/pt/pt0112.htm)

For the most part, anyone who learned basic Hebrew, including future tense, and who can identify a word's root (shoresh) ought to be able to at least "get the gist" of the words.

Some words are "hidden" by their prefixes and suffixes, but with a little effort the reader can uncover the shoresh. For example, anyone who regularly prays the New Moon service can extract מולד with its partially hidden three-letter shoresh, ילד from ממולדתך (from the land of your birth).

Likewise אעשך -"I will do for you."

There will be words that the typical ulpanist or eighth grade Hebrew language student will ponder and head to a dictionary, but I contend that MOST of Biblical Hebrew, if Lech Lakah's opening verses are any example - and I think they are - should be understandable. (I am not a "typical" ulpanist* - I was in the "slow learner" class; nothing to brag about, but something to give hope to others.)

I don't expect anyone - certainly those who, like this scrivener, have Hebrew as a second or third language - to read and comprehend at the speed of the Torah reader; that's why we have a week to take our time with the portion. An aliyah each day, with one day doubled up.

Reading the aliyot will improve your Hebrew reading skills AND your understanding of what the Torah is telling us. A win-win situation.

Now, I'm going off to practice what I preach.>

 

* Kibbutz Netzer Serini, Be'er Yakov, Spring 1975/P>

Opuscula Israel rearming Hamas in Gaza

 

According to Arutz Sheva (Channel 7), Israel Ships Over 600 Tons of Construction Materials to Gaza. Never mind the incorrect use of "over" rather than "more than."

The text notes that

Israel began transporting construction materials into Gaza on Tuesday, in a "humanitarian gesture" to the Hamas-controlled territory which may be already rebuilding terror tunnels into the Jewish state.

The "aid" includes 600 tons of cement, 50 truckloads of aggregate and 10 truckloads of steel.

The office of the Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories (COGAT) stated that the transfer is being conducted under the supervision of the UN and PA, as agreed with COGAT, General Yoav Mordechai.

"This method [of transfer] is designed to ensure that the construction materials will be used to renovate homes and public buildings for the benefit of the people of Gaza, while maintaining Israel's security," the IDF stated, noting it would "carried out under UN supervision."

In another story from the same source on the same day, Arutz 7 reports, in a story headlined ADL Decries UN Chief's 'Stunning' Bias in which UN chief Ban Ki-moon blames Hamas' attacks on Israel for Israel's "occupation" of Gaza. Israel's Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu fired back at Ban Monday by noting that the entire concept of an "occupation" in Gaza has been made moot after the 2005 Disengagement.

"The root cause of the violence that burst from Gaza is not Israel’s occupation in Gaza, for a simple reason: Israel doesn’t occupy Gaza," Netanyahu explained. "Israel left Gaza to the very last centimeter, to the very last inch. We uprooted all the settlements and vacated all the settlers. So there is no Israeli occupation of Gaza."

Netanyahu then pointed out that Ban justified Hamas's rocket barrage despite the fact that it used the UN's own facilities to break international law.

IN A RELATED ARTICLE heded UNRWA Asks for Record $1.6 Billion to 'Rebuild Gaza', Arutz reminds that

Three United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) schools were found during the course of Operation Protective Edge to have stored rocket caches for Hamas and Islamic Jihad. After the first find, UNRWA workers called Hamas to come remove them to use in their terror war on Israeli civilians, instead of destroying the weaponry.

In another incident, three IDF soldiers were killed and seven others wounded in a booby-trapped UN clinic that was situated on top of terror tunnel entrances, showing the complicity of the UN in Gaza-based terror against Israel,

And then editorializes, correctly in this scrivener's opinion, that

Ample evidence has proven that Hamas uses UN and other aid money, as well as materials, to build terror tunnels into Israeli territory with the aim of attacking Israeli citizens - instead of providing buildings to its own citizens.

To illustrate this, the IDF revealed during the course of Operation Protective Edge that 4,680 trucks carrying 181 thousand tons of gravel, iron, cement, wood and other supplies have passed through the Kerem Shalom crossing into Gaza since January 2014 - much of it directly from Israel to fund civilian projects.

Instead, however, a network of over 30 tunnels was found during the ground offensive, with each tunnel costing roughly $3 million to build. For every Hamas terror tunnel, the IDF stated, there was enough building materials to build 86 homes; seven mosques; six schools; or nineteen medical clinics.

Meanwhile, Hamas has begun to rebuild terror tunnels on foreign aid money - but despite this, the UN already joined the PA in making a call for $550 million to rebuild Gaza.

Meanwhile, Arutz 7 continues,

The UN Palestinian aid agency which made headlines for harboring Hamas's rockets is to make its largest ever financial plea to donors, it said on Thursday, asking for $1.6 billion to "rehabilitate Gaza" after Hamas's most recent terror war.

The Palestinian Authority (PA) unity government has already asked for more than $4 billion to rebuild the coastal territory, which is home to some 1.7 million people.

And while an international conference in March saw $200 million donated to the terror-run territory - and donations from the US and France reached a combined $61.8 million - the money is apparently still not enough for Hamas, nor for UNRWA, leaving many asking why.