tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26609322802135269422024-03-13T03:35:02.281+01:00Yohanon's ramblingsSoapbox. Bully pulpit. Random comments about random things.Yohanon Glennhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01429242324621325358noreply@blogger.comBlogger936125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2660932280213526942.post-17369009448629951532021-11-02T08:23:00.000+01:002021-11-02T08:23:49.715+01:00Opuscula PLO consulates Should be in PLO cities, not J’lem<P>
</P><P><font size=+1 face=helvetica arial sans serif>JOE BIDEN’S PIPE DREAM of dividing Jerusalem by opening a consulate for the PLO
</P><P><I>✡ Violates a treaty between the U.S. and Israel
</P><P>✡> Fails to benefit “Palestinians” in the PLO/PFLP-controlled areas and Hamas’ Gaza
</P><P>✡ Promotes a two-state solution by fiat with Jerusalem as capital of both
</P><P>✡ Is the U.S. “progressives” way to control Biden’s on-going attacks on Donald Trump’s progress toward peace in the Middle East.</I></FONT>
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</P><P><font SIZE=+1 FACE BOOKMAN OLD STYLE SERIF><b>TREATY:</b> The US State Department has confirmed it cannot open a consulate for the Palestinians in Jerusalem without Israel’s authorization. <SUP>https://tinyurl.com/fkshkw</SUP>
</P><P><I>Sen. Bill Hagerty (R-Tennessee) this week proposed a bill to ensure that the only US diplfmatic entity in Jerusalem would be the U.S. Embassy. During a Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing on Wednesday, he asked Deputy Secretary of State for Management and Resources Brian McKeon about the matter.
</P><P>“President [Joe] Biden’s proposal to open a second US mission in Jerusalem would begin to reverse the recognition of Jerusalem, and it would divide Israel’s eternal and undivided capital city,” Hagerty said. “I just want to confirm something on the record. Is it your understanding that, under US and international law, the government of Israel would have to provide its affirmative consent before the United States could open or reopen the US consulate to the Palestinians in Jerusalem, or does the Biden administration believe it can move forward to establish a second US mission in the Israeli capital city of Jerusalem without the consent of the government of Israel?”</I>
</P><P><b>NO BENEFIT:</B> Currently Muslim residents of Israel (vs. Muslim <I><U>citizens</U></I> of Israel) have a Muslim department in the U.S. Embassy. Prior to the relocation of the Embassy to Jerusalem — locating it in a capital city as are all other U.S. Embassies — there was a U.S. consulate in Jerusalem frequented by Muslim residents of Israel.
</P><P>To open a U.S. consulate in Jerusalem fails to benefit the Muslims of the PLO/PFLP and Hamas-controlled areas. These people still need permission (from all entities) to enter Israel to do any business here, including visiting a U.S. consulate.
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</P><P>BETTER, if the progressives and Biden <I>really</I> want to support the Muslims in the PLO/PFLP and Hamas-controlled areas, <B>place consulates in Ramallah and Gaza City</B>.
</P><P>It might be that the U.S. State Department is concerned about the safety of its personnel — the memory of the “spontaneous attack”on Benghazi is not distant — it might consider putting a Hamas consulate on the Egyptian side of the border, a border often closed to Gaza residents. Would Egypt accommodate a U.S. consulate for Gazans? Has it been considered by Biden’s handlers?
</P><P><B>ONE CAPITAL FOR ONE COUNTRY</B> Jerusalem is Israel’s capital.
</P><P>Jerusalem is Israel’s <I>historic</I> capital, at least since the time of King David (c. 1035 - 970 BCE).
</P><P>Jerusalem has been under the thumb of numerous foreign aggressors, but <b>always</b> was Israel’s capital when Jews controlled the country.
</P><P>Jerusalem also is the focus for observant Jews who pray <i>toward</I> the city rather than, as Muslims do, turn their back on the city for prayer. (They face toward Saudi Arabia.)
</P><P>Jews have been the dominant ethic group in Jerusalem since David’s time (ibid.)
</P><P>Jordan illegally occupied Jerusalem (despite a UN resolution that it be a city open to all), and in the process destroyed many synagogues and holy sites. Allowing it to be divided again, with one part a “Palestinian” capital, would result in more destruction of Jewish sites.
</P><P>Finally <B>DESTROY TRUMP LEGACY</B>: The U.S. Congress passed Public Law 104–45—NOV. 8, 1995 <SUP>https://tinyurl.com/5a5dr2x7</sup> that authorized moving the embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem.
</P><P><I>Every six months for more than two decades, U.S. presidents have had to decide all over again whether to move the U.S. embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. Since the Clinton administration, they decided each time to keep the embassy where it is, seeking not to throw a wrench into delicate Middle East peace talks. On Tuesday, however, after signing a waiver putting off the move in June, President Donald Trump informed the Palestinian Authority’s President Mahmoud Abbas that he’s going to recognize the contested holy city as Israel’s capital and begin the process of moving the embassy there. </I><SUP>https://tinyurl.com/yr33wnwm</SUP>
</P><P>Despite U.S. presidential cowardice, the PLO/PFLP consistently refused to negotiate peace with Israel even when Israeli leftist politicians offered everything but the demise of Israel as a state. “Delicate peace talks” never were in jeopardy since there were, in fact, no serious effort on the part of the PLO/PFLP.
</P><P>The incumbent president, in an effort to reverse all of his predecessor’s acts, is promoting a plan to push peace father away.</FONT>
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</P><P><font SIZE=-1 FACE=Courier><a href="http://thelawdictionary.org/plagiarism/" title="PLAGIARISM">PLAGIARISM</a> is the act of appropriating the literary composition of another, or parts or passages of his writings, or the ideas or language of the same, and <u>passing them off as the product of one’s own mind</u>.
</P><P><a HREF=”https://www.nolo.com/legal-encyclopedia/privileges-defenses-defamation-cases.html”>Truth is an absolute defense to defamation.</A> Defamation is a false statement of fact. If the statement was accurate, then by definition it wasn’t defamatory.
</P><P>Web sites (URLs) beginning <u>https://tinyurl.com/</U> are generated by the free Tiny URL utility and reduce lengthy URLs to manageable size.
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</P><P><b><a href="mailto:yohanon.glenn@gmail.com?subject=PLO consulate">Comment on PLO connsulate</a></B></P></FONT>Yohanon Glennhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01429242324621325358noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2660932280213526942.post-88333810900279675072021-10-19T11:36:00.000+02:002021-10-19T11:36:59.157+02:00Looking at Yitzak Rabin 26 Years After <P>
</P><P><font size=+1 face=helvetica arial sans serif>Yesterday, 19 October 2021/12 Hesvon תשפ"ב marked the 26th anniversary of Yitzak Rabin’s assassination.
</P><P>As usual, Rabin’s family and followers praised the man’s achievements while carefully overlooking his disgraces.
</P><P>At least one family member, Rabin’s grandson, remembered to trash Benjamin Netanyahu who, the family apparently believes, incited Rabin’s murder.</FONT>
</P><P><B><H2><FONT FACE=ARIAL HELVETICA SIZE=+2>In the beginning</FONT></H2></B>
</P><P>Rabin was one of Ben Gurion’s favorites. This is supported by the fact that when Ben Gurion reneged on his agreement with Menahem Begin to share arms and ammunition Begin’s Irgun people brought to Israel on the ship <I>Altalena</I>. Ben Gurion sent Rabin and Hagana troops to seize the weapons for Ben Gurion’s Hagana, leaving Begin and his Irgun fighters defenseless.
</P><P>When the <I>Altalena</I> finally started to off-load people and materiel, Rabin ordered his troops to open fire on fellow Jews. Sixteen men were killed and scores of others wounded, initially with small arms fire which progressed to heavy machine gun and mortar fire. <SUP>https://tinyurl.com/us7ejs5y</SUP> Began ordered his people <B>not</B> to return fire, thus limiting the number of dead and injured.
</P><P>Begin ended the murders by surrendering the weapons to Rabin and Ben Gurion.
</P><P><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQjHEMIj0C4WfiI89xxYFXCMGlX03m8D8rLQoK9RCg1nk64W60XBzqeeUBS6tT5xjdAWBeh_v4UNk5XrmuNJ08UFWCe3AdCGPmnMrjOh5U9QxNXcjJ_xrrGz-8QINJpCD3stkeAPTtA6Sv/s945/Altalena+Burns.jpg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0; text-align: center; "><img alt="" border="0" width="400" data-original-height="609" data-original-width="945" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQjHEMIj0C4WfiI89xxYFXCMGlX03m8D8rLQoK9RCg1nk64W60XBzqeeUBS6tT5xjdAWBeh_v4UNk5XrmuNJ08UFWCe3AdCGPmnMrjOh5U9QxNXcjJ_xrrGz-8QINJpCD3stkeAPTtA6Sv/s400/Altalena+Burns.jpg"/></a></div>
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</P><P><B><H2><FONT FACE=ARIAL HELVETICA SIZE=+2>Oslo</FONT></H2></B>
</P><P>Although Benjamin Netanyahu criticized Rabin’s cave to Arafat at Oslo, he added that <I>Rabin was not a traitor. He was wrong, but he was not a traitor.”</I> <SUP>https://tinyurl.com/y38p4yuf</SUP>
</P><P>Netanyahu does admit that <I>I have heard this false claim that when extremists within the anti-Oslo camp did call him this, I stood to the side, I was silent, did not respond and even encouraged it,”</I>
</P><P>It is unclear if the “false claim” was that (a) Rabin was a traitor or (b) that he did nothing to suppress the traitor accusation.
</P><P>Yonatan Ben-Artzi, a Rabin grandson, attacks Netanyahu on this point at every opportunity.
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</P><P><B><H2><FONT FACE=ARIAL HELVETICA SIZE=+2>Foreign bank account</FONT></H2></B>
</P><P>Lea Rabin, wife of Israel's Prime Minister, was fined about $27,000 today (April 18, 1977) for her role in maintaining bank accounts in Washington in violation of Israeli currency regulations.
</P><P>Newspaper disclosures of the accounts, and the Rabins' subsequent statements about how much they contained, resulted in Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin's resignation as the candidate of the ruling Labor Party for a second term in office. Today Rabin told his Cabinet that beginning Friday, the day after Israel's independence day celebration, he would take a leave of absence for the remainder of his current term. <SUP>https://tinyurl.com/2pdfm2c2</SUP> At the time, Israelis were forbidden to have foreign bank accounts. The Rabin’s simply “forgot” about the account and failed to close it before returning to Israel.
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</P><P><B><H2><FONT FACE=ARIAL HELVETICA SIZE=+2>Precursor to Abraham Accords?</FONT></H2></B>
</P><P>Rabin's second term as Prime Minister was marked by two historic events - the Oslo Agreements with the Palestinians and the Treaty of Peace with Jordan . Working closely with Shimon Peres, the Foreign Minister and his longtime rival, he masterminded negotiations on the Declaration of Principles signed with the PLO at the White House in September 1993. This won Rabin, Peres and Arafat the 1994 Nobel Peace Prize and opened negotiations with the Palestinians on autonomy in Gaza and some areas of Judea and Samaria and on the establishment of a Palestinian Authority. Then, in October 1994, a Treaty of Peace was signed with the Kingdom of Jordan. This encouraged the development of ties with additional Arab countries in North Africa and the Persian Gulf. <SUP>https://tinyurl.com/yr5mumwu</SUP>
</P><P><I>How many Arab countries in North Africa and the Persian Gulf joined Jordan in a peace agreement — or even <b>recognition</b> of Israel? The answer is “zero to none.”</I>
</P><P><B><H2><FONT FACE=ARIAL HELVETICA SIZE=+2>Military genus?</FONT></H2></B>
</P><P>According to Uri Milstein, once considered a leading military historian in Israel, Rabin is a coward who abandoned his troops on the field of battle, was removed from operational missions in the War of Independence and suffered a breakdown during the Six-Day War. <SUP>https://tinyurl.com/v6fm5v4z</SUP>
</P><P>Labor Party leader Yitzhak Rabin has admitted he did suffer a brief “breakdown” on the eve of the Six-Day War in 1967.
</P><P>Rabin was Israel Defense Force chief of staff in May 1967, a time of tension in Israel. Egyptian President Gamel Abdel Nasser was said to be massing troops in Sinai and U.N. Secretary-General U Thant had ordered U.N. truce observer forces out of the Israeli-Egyptian border zone.
</P><P>Rabin told Hadashot that he was working under intense military and political pressures at the time. Responsibility for keeping the IDF instantly ready for battle rested entirely on his shoulders, he said.
</P><P>One night, his wife Leah insisted he must rest. She called an army medical officer who administered a sedative. Rabin said he slept for the next 24 hours to regain his strength.
</P><P>Rabin’s 24-hour breakdown was disclosed in 1974 by Gen. Ezer Weizman, who was deputy chief of staff in 1967. Weizman was trying at the time to convince Labor to choose Shimon Peres instead of Rabin as its leader. <SUP>https://tinyurl.com/e5vydsfe</SUP>
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</P><P><B><H2><FONT FACE=ARIAL HELVETICA SIZE=+2>Unprepared to lead</FONT></H2></B>
</P><P>As Rabin’s biographer asserted, the Intifada caught him by complete surprise. That is why the defense system arrived at that challenge with the IDF unorganized, unequipped and untrained for the type of war that occupying a hostile nation entailed. And since by that time Rabin had headed the system for more than three years; and since a defense minister’s task is first and foremost to set the defense establishment’s goals – that failure was wholly his.
</P><P>Rabin displayed in those days the same historic shortsightedness in another arena – South Africa.
</P><P>The issue was not Israel’s attitude toward the apartheid policy, which Rabin loathed. At stake were Israel’s arms exports to South Africa. Those who saw where history was heading, like then-Foreign Ministry director-general Yossi Beilin, demanded that Israel stop all arms sales to Pretoria. Rabin resisted that effort, assuming Israel could continue to have its cake and eat it, too.
</P><P>Just as he did not feel the tectonic movement that would soon shake Gaza and the West Bank, Rabin didn’t see, even in 1987, that the apartheid regime was ready to collapse. <SUP>https://tinyurl.com/5h6wzdvm<,/SUP>
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</P><P><B><H2><FONT FACE=ARIAL HELVETICA SIZE=+2>Whose side was he on?</FONT></H2></B>
</P><P>When terrorists murdered settlers, Rabin condemned “the extremists from both sides”; when thousands protested his policy, he said “I don’t care about them”; and when asked about Golan settlers’ opposition to a territorial deal with Syria, he said that as far as he was concerned “they can rotate like propellers.” <SUP>https://tinyurl.com/5h6wzdvm</SUP>
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</P><P><font SIZE=-1 FACE=Courier><a href="http://thelawdictionary.org/plagiarism/" title="PLAGIARISM">PLAGIARISM</a> is the act of appropriating the literary composition of another, or parts or passages of his writings, or the ideas or language of the same, and <u>passing them off as the product of one’s own mind</u>.
</P><P><a HREF=”https://www.nolo.com/legal-encyclopedia/privileges-defenses-defamation-cases.html”>Truth is an absolute defense to defamation.</A> Defamation is a false statement of fact. If the statement was accurate, then by definition it wasn’t defamatory.
</P><P>Web sites (URLs) beginning <u>https://tinyurl.com/</U> are generated by the free Tiny URL utility and reduce lengthy URLs to manageable size.
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</P><P><b><a href="mailto:yohanon.glenn@gmail.com?subject=Rabin">Comment on Rabin</a></B></P></FONT>Yohanon Glennhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01429242324621325358noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2660932280213526942.post-70847508898315636702021-10-12T11:11:00.000+02:002021-10-12T11:11:01.058+02:00Opuscula Perspective<P>
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</P><P>This is keyed in Yavne, Israel.
</P><P>Yavne is fairly close to an Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) air base.
</P><P>Consequently, the noise of IDF aircraft — and occasionally a single-engine civilian high wing — is common and, for this scrivener, of no concern.
</P><P>Besides, I grew up with aircraft noise of all types.</FONT>
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</P><P><font SIZE=+1 FACE BOOKMAN OLD STYLE SERIF>BUT, I WONDERED TO myself: “What must the noises I find familiar sound like to Israel’s enemies, particularly those stuck in Gaza.”
</P><P>Gaza’s despotic leadership — Hamas and Islamic Jihad, both Iranian proxies — stupidly make and break cease fire agreements with Israel, fire unguided missiles at Israeli civilian centers, knowing Israel will retaliate.
</P><P>Hamas and Islamic Jihad use the locals as propaganda tools, hiding war materiel under UN schools, mosques, and other public facilities.
</P><P>When Israel strikes back, some public facilities are targeted; rarely, civilians — that is, people who neither are aligned with Hamas or Islamic Jihad (IJ) — sometimes are injured or killed. All this makes for great anti-Israel pr in the world’s media. (Never mind that usually only one side of the story is promulgated.)
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</P><P><font size=+1 face=helvetica arial sans serif>Two points that need to be abundantly clear.
</p><p>1. Israeli civilians include not only Jews, but Muslims, Christians, Druze, and “others.” The missiles are indiscriminate.
</P><P>2. A number of Hamas/IJ missiles fall short of the Gaza-Israel border, killing Gaza citizens, children, young adults, seniors: again, indiscriminately.</font>
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</P><P><font SIZE=+1 FACE BOOKMAN OLD STYLE SERIF>Hamas/IJ sympathizers whine that
</P><P>a. Gaza lacks Israel’s Iron Dome missile <B>defense</B> system
</P><P>b. A “disproportionate” number of Gazans are injured or killed in Israel’s retaliatory strikes. Do they want Israel to kill its own citizens for “proportional” numbers?
</P><P>It is a waste of effort reminding these sympathizers that if Hamas/IJ ceased firing missiles at Israelis, Israel would not be retaliating.
</P><P>The leaders of Hamas and Islamic Jihad — a few ruling from distant countries — should be glad Israel has a relatively solid missile defense. If not for Iron Dome, it is possible Israeli casualties would be far higher, prompting a massive invasion of Gaza, with all the associated “collateral damage.”
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</P><P><B><H2><FONT FACE=ARIAL HELVETICA SIZE=+2>If there was peace</FONT></H2></B>
</P><P>Granted, peace with Gaza’s rulers is a pipe dream, but imagine if Hamas and Islamic Jihad <I>actually wanted to benefit the people</I> rather than kill or enslave Jews.
</P><P>Gaza <I>could</I> have
</P><P>* A deep water seaport
</P><P>* A restored airfield (https://tinyurl.com/2j4767c7)
</P><P>* Fresh water
</P><P>* Fuel for electricity generating plants
</P><P>* Increased exports to the region and the world
</P><P>* Relatively unrestricted travel to Israel (employment, medical care) and Egypt (access to Europe)
</P><P>However, peace won’t happen with Hamas/IJ in control of Gaza.
</P><P>Gazans who <I>want</I> peace and a better life need to cast off the despots, admittedly a difficult task and one requiring outside help. Unfortunately, that does <b>not</B> mean the <I>United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East</I> (a/k/a UNRWA). UNRWA would be out of business if Gazans made and sustained a peace agreement with Israel.
</P><P>The mindset “From the river (Jordan) to the Sea (Mediterranean)” espoused by Hamas and Islamic Jihad must be replaced by one of coexistence with Israel.
</P><P>Such coexistence has proven beneficial to Egypt and Jordan as well as Israel, and indications are that this also will be true for the nations of the Abraham Accord; nations brought together by former U.S. President Donald Trump.
</P><P>Could Gaza survive sans the PLO. Would an independent (from Iran and its proxies) survive as part of a “Palestinian” state or even as an independent entity?
</P><P>When Israel controlled Gaza — Anwar Sadat refused Menachem Begin’s plea to take back Gaza as part of the Egypt-Israel peace agreement — Gaza had a thriving export business.
</P><P>With a peace agreement with Israel, Gazans would have access to Israeli technology, technology freely shared with other Muslim (and non-Muslim) states.
</P><P>But peace will not, cannot, happen while Hamas/IJ are in control and in turn are under the control of Iran.
</P><P>But imagine.
</P><P>No more missiles flying in either direction.
</P><P>No more Israelis or Gazans injured or killed in conflict.
</P><P>An economy that supports a livable income.
</P><P>Fresh water and reliable electricity for the Strip.
</P><P>And that is just the beginning.
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</P><P>Meanwhile, the planes keep flying about my abode. I’m used to the noise.
</P><P>But I feel for the ordinary folks in Gaza.</FONT>
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</P><P><font SIZE=-1 FACE=Courier><a href="http://thelawdictionary.org/plagiarism/" title="PLAGIARISM">PLAGIARISM</a> is the act of appropriating the literary composition of another, or parts or passages of his writings, or the ideas or language of the same, and <u>passing them off as the product of one’s own mind</u>.
</P><P><a HREF=”https://www.nolo.com/legal-encyclopedia/privileges-defenses-defamation-cases.html”>Truth is an absolute defense to defamation.</A> Defamation is a false statement of fact. If the statement was accurate, then by definition it wasn’t defamatory.
</P><P>Web sites (URLs) beginning <u>https://tinyurl.com/</U> are generated by the free Tiny URL utility and reduce lengthy URLs to manageable size.
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</P><P><b><a href="mailto:bcplanner@gmail.com?subject=Perspective">Comment on Perspective</a></B></P></FONT>Yohanon Glennhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01429242324621325358noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2660932280213526942.post-73404918577441510822021-07-30T11:34:00.002+02:002021-08-26T10:24:54.403+02:00<a href="http://www.thefreedictionary.com/opuscula" TARGET="Dic"><H4><U><FONT FACE=BOOKMAN OLD STYLE SERIF>Opuscula</FONT></U></H4></A> <DIV ALIGN=CENTER><FONT FACE=HELVETICA ARIAL><H1><B>Why can’t Israelis <BR>Speak (and write) <BR>Proper Hebrew ?</B></H1></FONT></DIV>
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</P><P><font size=+1 face=helvetica arial sans serif>HEBREW IS NOT MY “first language.”
I struggle with it as I try to read a newspaper or magazine article, or decipher a sign over a business.
Never mind that except for prayer books, humashim, and a few other publications, the printed words lack vowel marks — ni’ku’dot.</FONT>
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</P><P><font SIZE=+1 FACE=BOOKMAN OLD STYLE SERIF>TODAY I ENCOUNTERED
</P><P><DIV ALIGN=CENTER><B><FONT FACE=ARIAL HELVETICA SIZE=+2>הפרויקטור</FONT></B></DIV>
</P><P>I was stymied ; stumped, flummoxed, without a clue.
</P><P><I>The word appeared on Page 9 of the <U>Israel HaYom</U> printed edition for July 29, 2001.</I>
</P><P>Again, no nikudot, but even if there WERE nikudot, I’m not sure I could have deciphered the word.
</P><P>“ה" was easy enough: “ה" in most cases equals “the.”
</P><P>טרנזיסטור and ספישל were two words I encountered in my first days in Israel.
</P><P>(My first Hebrew word, after גלידה — I knew THAT word before I got on the plane — was סבלנות, something I never acquired.)
</P><P>I saw the word “ספישל” above an ice cream (what else) shop in Tel Aviv — my first trip off the ulpan reservation.
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</P><P></P><P><font SIZE=+1 FACE=helvetica arial sans serif>Don’t panic. All the Hebrew-alphabet words are defined near the end of this blog. סבלנות.</FONT>
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</P><P>I stood and stared at the word for a good five minutes before someone took pity on me and told me what it was.
</P><P>Later, working for Tadiran Electronics in Holon (as a tech writer creating English-language documents) I was perusing a Hebrew technical document when I came to an impasse; the word: טרנזיסטור. After breaking my head trying to “sound out” the word, I finally gave up and asked an Israeli engineer.
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmKKpfhPuaY2Ask3PXcfsfOnREkSlHsotG_RAa5B02h633imVfEsvfdxTf6doj4LFhrtVf3uusR460tmY7HHEZiW_X6YZ14sKwOoNwF_HVuXSq9SevhS5vwlmveby24MG-uARNg3BtPNYT/s660/BEN+YEHUDA.png" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0; text-align: center; clear: right; float: right;"><img alt="" border="0" height="320" data-original-height="660" data-original-width="432" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmKKpfhPuaY2Ask3PXcfsfOnREkSlHsotG_RAa5B02h633imVfEsvfdxTf6doj4LFhrtVf3uusR460tmY7HHEZiW_X6YZ14sKwOoNwF_HVuXSq9SevhS5vwlmveby24MG-uARNg3BtPNYT/s320/BEN+YEHUDA.png"/></a></div></P><P>I’m no Eliezer Ben Yehuda (https://tinyurl.com/wkcwrvuv), but I’m pretty certain Ben Yehuda (right) could have come up with Hebrew words for הפרויקטור and טרנזיסטור . <I>There IS a perfectly good Hebrew word for מיוחד — ספישל</I></I>
</P><P>At least with טרנזיסטור, I had reason to believe the word was imported. Words transliterated to Hebrew having a “T” sound get a tet (ט) rather than a taf (ת).
</P><P>I have an old set of Megiddo English/Hebrew and Hebrew/English dictionaries I bought at the ABC Book Store in Tel Aviv c 1975. (The store is long gone; at least I failed to find it during a recent search.) I also bought <I>201 Hebrew Verbs, fully conjugated</I> — my latest copy is 501 verbs with examples (!) — so I would finally understand what the ulpan teacher was talking about when she repeatedly mentioned “שבע משפחות.”
</P><P>The internet is fine, providing it is available. While it is faster to find a word on line, it is not as satisfying as looking it up in a book — and often getting side tracked to other words of interest.
</P><P>I am a visual learner; I need to SEE a word. Spoken Hebrew, especially when spoken quickly or with a strong accent, gives me pause.
</P><P>With the written word, I usually am able to identify the shoresh (root) and the context also helps.
</P><P>I suppose I could, perhaps should, spend more time in front of the television; it might help me with spoken Hebrew.
</P><P>The problem with Israeli tv news — aside from the typical <I>slant</I> to the right or left, is that here the news is captioned. I don’t know of any way to turn off the captions. Sounds like a good idea, especially when the grandkids are being noisy, but I try to read the captions instead of listening to the speaker.
</P><P>Unfortunately, I cannot read the captions as fast as they change.
</P><P>Also, captions are nikud-free.
</P><P>There is one other problem for me and printed Hebrew: roshi tavot, a/k/a abbreviations.
</P><P>Hebrew is replete with abbreviations.
</P><P>Some are understandable in context; many are not.
</P><P>Worse, some have multiple functions.
</P><P>Then there are words so new they cannot be found on the internet.
</P><P>חיתול vs. תיתול
</P><P>Is תיתול a word or slang that, akin to “פניסתי” will disappear in time. Even <I>The Academy of the Hebrew Language</I> (https://tinyurl.com/cpctc2b5) fails to list תיתול. </FONT>
</P><P>
</P><P></P><P>
</P><P></P><P>
</P><P></P><P><FONT FACE=HELVETICA ARIAL SIZE=+1><b>The words המילים</B>
</P><P>הפרויקטור = the project
</P><P><I>פרויקטור = מנהל מיזם — The Hebrew Language Academy </I>
</P><P>ספישל = special
</P><P>גלידה = ice cream
</P><P>סבלנות = patience
</P><P>טרנזיסטור = transistor
</P><P>שבע משפחות = seven families
</P><P>חיתול = diaper
</P><P>תיתול = disposable diaper
</P><P>פניסתי = finished</FONT>
</P><P>
</P><P>
</P><P>
</P><P>
</P><P><font SIZE=-1 FACE=Courier><a href="http://thelawdictionary.org/plagiarism/" title="PLAGIARISM">PLAGIARISM</a> is the act of appropriating the literary composition of another, or parts or passages of his writings, or the ideas or language of the same, and <u>passing them off as the product of one’s own mind</u>.
</P><P><a HREF=”https://www.nolo.com/legal-encyclopedia/privileges-defenses-defamation-cases.html”>Truth is an absolute defense to defamation.</A> Defamation is a false statement of fact. If the statement was accurate, then by definition it wasn’t defamatory.
</P><P>Web sites (URLs) beginning <u>https://tinyurl.com/</U> are generated by the free Tiny URL utility and reduce lengthy URLs to manageable size.
</P><P>
</P><P>
</P><P>
</P><P>
</P><P><b><a href="mailto:yohanon.glenn@gmail.com?subject=Hebrew">Comment on Hebrew</a></B></P></FONT>Yohanon Glennhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01429242324621325358noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2660932280213526942.post-66120585846598533992021-07-28T09:42:00.000+02:002021-07-28T09:42:29.817+02:00Opuscula Some things Never change :<P>
</P><P><font size=+1 face=helvetica arial sans serif>I WAS LOOKING AT SOME OLD (c. 2011) BLOG postings when I read <BR><I>I used to go to a synagogue that had a Sunday school. The school morning started at the same time the Sunday minyan gathered. </BR>
</P><P>I watched as parents, mothers and fathers, dumped their kids off for classes and then hurriedly left the parking lot/dump off point to accomplish Important Errands such as golf or tennis at the club.</I></FONT>
</P><P>
</P><P><font SIZE=+1 FACE BOOKMAN OLD STYLE SERIF>THE CHILDREN ARE LEARNING a lesson.
</P><P>Dump and run.
</P><P>They will most likely remember this lesson and apply it when, if, they have children of their own.
</P><P>I admit I did not submit my children to the Sunday School Torture.
</P><P>I <B>DID</B> take them with me when I went on Shabat and some other occasions.
</P><P>We walked the few blocks to the synagogue. During that time we explored the neighborhood and talked of many things, but usually not “Of shoes, and ships, and sealing-wax. Of cabbages, and kings. And why the sea is boiling hot. And whether pigs have wings.” (The Walrus and the Carpenter by Lewis Carroll [https://tinyurl.com/bv52sez5] )
</P><P>
</P><P><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzLfQExMCpIDJyN3n2E1AO0yR7ESzQ2Vmqlpx_212Ae_-1eN_Lz1Ckfi1ZOTUlO2_mYY9AcFx7PJGT94Blo1ByYtaFIWM3YgEuDzgfG0PTrP-V2m0iODklJTzyIZP5oMPry0NweE97fP5y/s795/Lewis+Carroll.jpg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0; text-align: center; "><img alt="" border="0" width="400" data-original-height="329" data-original-width="795" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzLfQExMCpIDJyN3n2E1AO0yR7ESzQ2Vmqlpx_212Ae_-1eN_Lz1Ckfi1ZOTUlO2_mYY9AcFx7PJGT94Blo1ByYtaFIWM3YgEuDzgfG0PTrP-V2m0iODklJTzyIZP5oMPry0NweE97fP5y/s400/Lewis+Carroll.jpg"/></a></div><DIV ALIGN=CENTER><FONT FACE=ARIAL HELVETICA SIZE=-1>V. Lindoe, Sunderland Museum & Winter Gardens (https://tinyurl.com/etnva2da)</FONT></DIV>
</P><P>
</P><P>I usually let the children quietly play outside of the sanctuary until time for the Shema, Amedah, and Torah portion (assuming the rabbi’s speech was brief and to the point). As they grew older, they stayed for more of the service.
</P><P>Sometimes, during school vacations, they joined me on weekdays.
</P><P>What my children learned they learned at their father’s side. My eldest spent a summer with his grandparents in Israel and also learned by watching Saba in synagogue.
</P><P>If a child is dumped at the Sunday school door and never experiences services with a parent — girls need synagogue time, too; this is not 1850 in the old country, where ever that was — the child never will feel comfortable in a synagogue.
</P><P>Now, my children are grown and I am trying to teach by example my grandchildren.
</P><P>It is a bit like learning math: you don’t start with calculus, you start by adding one plus one.
</P><P>First the alphabet, then words, then sentences.
</P><P>
</P><P>Too many adult Jews who decide to become observant try to take it all on at once.
</P><P>When they find that is exceedingly difficult, they give up; quit everything.
</P><P>Shabat IS tough, especially for smokers (I was one once) and those addicted to tv — particularly for young children whose parents use the tv as a babysitter. (Perhaps it is harder for the parents who now have to find ways to entertain the children. Maybe talk “Of shoes, and ships, and sealing-wax. Of cabbages, and kings. And why the sea is boiling hot. And whether pigs have wings.”)
</P><P>
</P><P><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijzIzMuur8b40GCWOTF1qkMdRQNy4MVEvHdxLb3zvoWzbdwHhsMcqO8xE0Yzb-QJMzvGlD4omLCHLYoual_OUmlhyU80oufKG1UtCOz8pmUFrfvSRW2TmMa1lVzWUnTL58TAAKPWjDSFKX/s580/Lewis+Carroll+2.jpg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0; text-align: center; "><img alt="" border="0" width="400" data-original-height="391" data-original-width="580" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijzIzMuur8b40GCWOTF1qkMdRQNy4MVEvHdxLb3zvoWzbdwHhsMcqO8xE0Yzb-QJMzvGlD4omLCHLYoual_OUmlhyU80oufKG1UtCOz8pmUFrfvSRW2TmMa1lVzWUnTL58TAAKPWjDSFKX/s400/Lewis+Carroll+2.jpg"/></a></div><DIV ALIGN=CENTER><FONT FACE=ARIAL HELVETICA SIZE=-1>The Walrus and the Carpenter, Unknown <BR>(http://classics-illustrated.com/alice/alice2.html)</FONT></DIV>
</P><P>
</P><P>Books always are good. Tailor to the person’s age and interest . When my grand-daughter was about 6, we would sit with a Collegiate dictionary where she would look at the illustrations. She’s older now, but sometimes still sits with her Saba and a dictionary — unlike Google, no electricity or Internet required. If the adult is up to it, talk about the parasha — again according to the level of the listener. Of course that may require some pre-Shabat research on the adult’s part. The internet has variations for all levels of observance, all branches of Judaism, and all ages (even geezers).
</P><P>
</P><P>Children learn by example.
</P><P>We all know that.
</P><P>Sometimes we forget.
</P><P>Bottom line: Dump and run probably is not the lesson we want our children to learn and emulate.</FONT>
</P><P></P><P>
</P><P>
</P><P>
</P><P>
</P><P><font SIZE=-1 FACE=Courier><a href="http://thelawdictionary.org/plagiarism/" title="PLAGIARISM">PLAGIARISM</a> is the act of appropriating the literary composition of another, or parts or passages of his writings, or the ideas or language of the same, and <u>passing them off as the product of one’s own mind</u>.
</P><P><a HREF=”https://www.nolo.com/legal-encyclopedia/privileges-defenses-defamation-cases.html”>Truth is an absolute defense to defamation.</A> Defamation is a false statement of fact. If the statement was accurate, then by definition it wasn’t defamatory.
</P><P>Web sites (URLs) beginning <u>https://tinyurl.com/</U> are generated by the free Tiny URL utility and reduce lengthy URLs to manageable size.
</P><P>
</P><P>
</P><P>
</P><P>
</P><P><b><a href="mailto:yohanon.glenn@gmail.com?subject=Don’t dump, don’t run">Comment on Don’t dump, don’t run</a></B></P></FONT>Yohanon Glennhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01429242324621325358noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2660932280213526942.post-43785697399590273912021-07-22T11:05:00.001+02:002021-07-25T17:50:56.852+02:00Opuscula Boycott B&J? Buy B&J? Nothing’s simple<P>
</P><P><font size=+1 face=helvetica arial sans serif>BOYCOTT BEN & JERRY’S.
</P><P>BUY BEN & JERRY’S
</P><P>For Israelis, it’s a quandary.
</P><P>
</P><P>Israelis react to Ben & Jerry boycott: https://tinyurl.com/as7uaet8</FONT>
</P><P>
</P><P><font SIZE=+1 FACE BOOKMAN OLD STYLE SERIF>THIS APPLIES <B>ONLY</B> TO ISRAEL.
</P><P>If the rest of the world wants to boycott Ben & Jerry’s ice cream, that is another matter.
</P><P>But here, in Israel, boycotting a product <I><B>made in Israel</B></I> could put Israelis out of jobs.
</P><P>I don’t care if the Israelis making the ice cream for the Israeli franchise owner are Jews, Muslims, “other,” religious or not; an Israeli is an Israeli, and an Israeli on the dole because he or she lost a job is a burden on an already burdened economy.
</P><P>The Israeli franchise factory employs 160 workers and buys from many dairy farms in the area. (https://tinyurl.com/34xcrpef)
</P><P>
</P><P><B><H2><FONT FACE=ARIAL HELVETICA SIZE=+2>Who is boycotting</FONT></H2></B>
</P><P>Is Ben & Jerry’s boycotting sales across the “Green Line?”
</P><P>The answer is YES.
</P><P>Not Nestle that sold B&J to Unilever.
</P><P>Not Unilever that currently owns B&J.
</P><P>The organization boycotting Israel’s B&J franchise is B&J’s <I>“social conscience”</I> board.
</P><P>Unilever “inherited” this when it acquired B&J from Nestle.
</P><P>According to an Israel HaYom article (https://tinyurl.com/34xcrpef), <I>Israeli Interior Minister Ayelet Shaked on Wednesday visited the Ben & Jerry’s factory in Israel in a show of support of its CEO, Avi Zinger, who is fighting the parent company’s recent decision to halt sales in Judea and Samaria.
</P><P>“It’s not the Israeli Ben & Jerry’s that needs to be boycotted,” she said. “On the contrary, we need to buy Ben & Jerry’s Israel.”
</P><P>“The CEO of Ben & Jerry’s Israel has been fighting tooth and nail for years against BDS organizations. He refuses to accept the terms of the [parent company] to boycott parts of Israel, and we will do what needs to be done to overturn their decision,” she said.</I>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzsmgPJSILHu_xC124lKSkZjsF1gEIHyPxH21QT_W7oyJIYYwE0ZaEzNBdKC8ipMfoRkszzcZXm7UzsA8rjw7ThyRQYn7kHVbo99djJUUwwEiuz5a-A-f2vR7FC68c2xy4CodHZxdg92zg/s275/B-N-J+ISRAEL.jpg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0; text-align: center; "><img alt="" border="0" width="400" data-original-height="183" data-original-width="275" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzsmgPJSILHu_xC124lKSkZjsF1gEIHyPxH21QT_W7oyJIYYwE0ZaEzNBdKC8ipMfoRkszzcZXm7UzsA8rjw7ThyRQYn7kHVbo99djJUUwwEiuz5a-A-f2vR7FC68c2xy4CodHZxdg92zg/s400/B-N-J+ISRAEL.jpg"/></a></div><DIV ALIGN=CENTER><FONT FACE=ARIAL HELVETICA SIZE=-1>Truck at Ben & Jerry's Israel franchise</FONT></DIV>
</P><P><b>ON THE OTHER HAND</B>
</P><P>Israel National News (https://tinyurl.com/683rvkn9) headlined: <I>Israeli minister throws her Ben & Jerry’s ice cream into the garbage</I>
</P><P><I>Economy Minister Orna Barbivai (Yesh Atid) on Monday responded to Ben & Jerry’s decision to boycott Israeli communities in Judea and Samaria, by throwing into the garbage the container of Ben & Jerry’s ice cream that she had in her freezer.
</P><P>"With all due respect, your ice creams will not guide us in the decision-making process in the country," Barbivai said in a video she posted, before throwing the ice cream into the garbage. </I>
</P><P>The article included a video (https://youtu.be/Q-jyuS0hE1k)
</P><P>
</P><P>Who is right? Who is being short-sighted?
</P><P>
</P><P><B><H2><FONT FACE=ARIAL HELVETICA SIZE=+2>Options to B&J</FONT></H2></B>
</P><P>If a person in Israel insists on boycotting B&J — that seems like the pot calling the kettle black: boycotting the boycotter — there are a number of ice cream options available in Israel. A partial list of ice cream producers <B>in Israel</B> includes, alphabetically,
</P><P>A.G. Gilro Ltd., Beit-Shemesh, 9905117 https://gilro.co.il/english/product
</P><P>American Quality Products Ltd.
</P><P>Felco Ltd. http://www.fld.co.il/en/home/a/new/
</P><P>GoldaGlida https://www.goldaglida.co.il
</P><P>Noga Ice Cream Ltd. Patnership Rehov Hamelacha 6 7152012 Lod
</P><P>Rio Ice Cream & Sweets Ltd. Netanya
</P><P>Strauss Israel - Strauss Group https://www.strauss-group.co
</P><P>In addition to the locally manufactured products, there also are a number of imported products available.
</P><P>Bottom line: Even if B&J’s <I>“social conscience”</I> board and eventually Unilever exit Israel, Israelis still will have enough ice cream choices to satisfy just about every sweet tooth.
</P><P>
</P><P><B><H2><FONT FACE=ARIAL HELVETICA SIZE=+2>If you must boycott</FONT></H2></B>
</P><P>B&J, controlled by its <I>“social conscience”</I> board, is owned by Unilever.
</P><P>If something must be boycotted, let it be all Unilever products made <I>outside of Israel.</I> Boycotting Israeli-made products is counter-productive.</FONT>
</P><P></P><P>
</P><P>
</P><P>
</P><P>
</P><P>
</P><P><font SIZE=-1 FACE=Courier><a href="http://thelawdictionary.org/plagiarism/" title="PLAGIARISM">PLAGIARISM</a> is the act of appropriating the literary composition of another, or parts or passages of his writings, or the ideas or language of the same, and <u>passing them off as the product of one’s own mind</u>.
</P><P><a HREF=”https://www.nolo.com/legal-encyclopedia/privileges-defenses-defamation-cases.html”>Truth is an absolute defense to defamation.</A> Defamation is a false statement of fact. If the statement was accurate, then by definition it wasn’t defamatory.
</P><P>Web sites (URLs) beginning <u>https://tinyurl.com/</U> are generated by the free Tiny URL utility and reduce lengthy URLs to manageable size.
</P><P>
</P><P>
</P><P>
</P><P>
</P><P><b><a href="mailto:yohanon.glenn@gmail.com?subject=B&J boycott">Comment on B&J boycott</a></B></P></FONT>Yohanon Glennhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01429242324621325358noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2660932280213526942.post-55417752314716742522021-07-16T10:22:00.006+02:002021-07-27T08:36:01.321+02:00Opuscula Polls reveal What pollsters Want revealed<P>
</P><P><font size=+1 face=helvetica arial sans serif>
</P><P>The boldface, over-sized headlines claim
</P><P><B><H2><FONT FACE=ARIAL HELVETICA SIZE=+2>25% of US Jews believe <br>Israel is an apartheid state</FONT></H2></B>
</P><P>The above headline is from World Israel News @ https://tinyurl.com/c7a2cp84, but it is replicated, in the same or similar words, on multiple web sites.</FONT>
</P><P>
</P><P><font SIZE=+1 FACE BOOKMAN OLD STYLE SERIF><b>HAS ANYONE <I>SEEN</I> THIS POLL?</B>
</P><P>Does anyone know
</P><P>✡ How the questions were phrased?
</P><P>✡ How were the questions asked?
</P><P>✡ Who asked the questions?
</P><P>✡ Where were the questions asked?
</P><P>✡ Were political affiliations questioned?
</P><P>✡ Were the respondents’ <I>religious</I> affiliations questioned?
</P><P>✡ Who were the pollsters and what were THEIR politics?
</P><P>✡ Have the respondents ever BEEN to Israel?
</P><P>
</P><P>Does your wife know you still are cheating on her?
</P><P>
</P><P><font size=+1 face=helvetica arial sans serif><B>Not alone</B> <I>Israel education needed, but can it be trusted?</I>
</P><P>Mitchell Bard, writing for Jewish News Service (JNS) on 22 JUL 21, agrees this polls should be taken lightly.
</P><P>"They only seem reasonable if the respondents were drawn from Jewish Voice for Peace, J Street and IfNotNow. Such suspicions are supported by the fact the pollster has worked for J Street, which has published similarly dubious poll results." (https://tinyurl.com/ck2jakwc)
</P><P>In an article headlined: <I>Analysis: Jews gaslighting Jews – poll on US Jews’ attitudes towards Israel</I> (https://tinyurl.com/4r4nrjhw), Dr. Alex Joffe, BESA Center (https://besacenter.org/) writes that <I>A recent poll purports to capture the attitudes of American Jews regarding Israel and politics, but a closer look shows it was presented with a clear narrative arc designed to manipulate the respondents.</I> The article cites specifics that actually answer some of the questions posed above.</FONT>
</P><P>
</P><P>This scrivener once was obliged to do “<I>Man in the Street</I>” interviews.
</P><P>I determined what to ask, and I determined who to ask. Finally, I was the person asking the question so I could, via voice inflection and facial expression, give the respondent a clue to the response I wanted.
</P><P>Naturally <I><B><U>I</U></B></I> never would try to influence a response. Naturally.
</P><P>
</P><P><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVoEoOnZ0ClX82rof_i6fEziSv_P_vGQev_bQ239jO4XnU2dHHPA3QKIn76SO4G9hNAVa9525EpzBzx1rc9QN9zqBFNI-cxe3SJpVKQK_dXCcPrg-dfBM-iDDXLrPG5yhhC6-3AwxOtnTT/s509/no+trust+polls.png" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0; text-align: center; "><img alt="" border="0" width="400" data-original-height="335" data-original-width="509" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVoEoOnZ0ClX82rof_i6fEziSv_P_vGQev_bQ239jO4XnU2dHHPA3QKIn76SO4G9hNAVa9525EpzBzx1rc9QN9zqBFNI-cxe3SJpVKQK_dXCcPrg-dfBM-iDDXLrPG5yhhC6-3AwxOtnTT/s400/no+trust+polls.png"/></a></div><DIV ALIGN=CENTER><FONT FACE=ARIAL HELVETICA SIZE=-1>Trust? (forexlive https://az705044.vo.msecnd.net)</FONT></DIV>
</P><P>
</P><P><B><H2><FONT FACE=ARIAL HELVETICA SIZE=+2>Call me skeptical</FONT></H2></B>
</P><P>Unless I know <B>ALL</B> the answers to the eight questions above, <B>AND</B> until I see/hear the questions, my faith in a questionnaire (poll) is limited, sometimes severely limited.
</P><P>I’ve “been there and done that.”
</P><P>When I first read the <I>25% of US Jews believe Israel is an apartheid state</I> I used a search engine — actually two: Google and Dogpile, the librarian’s choice — to try to find the complete questionnaire.
</P><P>I failed to find it.
</P><P>Indeed, I failed to find answers to ANY of the eight questions posed above.
</P><P>I recently came back to Israel from the U.S.
</P><P>In the U.S., where I lived the previous 42 years, I mostly resided in Florida and Virginia. (Before making aliyah in 1975, I lived and worked in more than 20 U.S. states.)
</P><P>While I <B>do</B> know some JINOs who would claim that Israel is an apartheid state. I also know that none — zero percent — had ANY first hand experience in Israel.
</P><P>The Jews I know mostly are at least “somewhat” observant and none — zero percent — agree with the poll.
</P><P>That is not to claim all consider Israel to be a modern Gan Eden; all are realists.
</P><P>
</P><P><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYw1Ewdxo0Y7TL-ezVzp-WZYZMi13nPF470t-3UyZNaRnoO2mv9ymrymdNYAjaCMDriYqwUC2FEvhw3CTtw9WSA1Nrg1c8nBp6Lngxuz0zVYON9SoRwQBy2xvUYtJ_NOberIQgKMf1qEDq/s1020/WRONG+AGAIN.jpg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0; text-align: center; "><img alt="" border="0" width="400" data-original-height="750" data-original-width="1020" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYw1Ewdxo0Y7TL-ezVzp-WZYZMi13nPF470t-3UyZNaRnoO2mv9ymrymdNYAjaCMDriYqwUC2FEvhw3CTtw9WSA1Nrg1c8nBp6Lngxuz0zVYON9SoRwQBy2xvUYtJ_NOberIQgKMf1qEDq/s400/WRONG+AGAIN.jpg"/></a></div><DIV ALIGN=CENTER><FONT FACE=ARIAL HELVETICA SIZE=-1>Greg Perry,, Winnipeg Free Press (https://tinyurl.com/f9xxs8fn)</FONT></DIV>
</P><P>
</P><P><B><H2><FONT FACE=ARIAL HELVETICA SIZE=+2>Stay home, stay ignorant</FONT></H2></B>
</P><P>I recall news stories about anti-Israel JINOs and friends who hung out at airports , particularly JFK in New York, to discourage Jewish youth from going on Birthright trips to Israel.
</P><P>Admittedly, the Birthright trips — my daughter went on one — are designed to <I>favorably</I> impress young people with an “Israel experience.”
</P><P>Despite that, Birthright cannot, and does not, hide Israel’s deficiencies.
</P><P>Apartheid, however, is <B>not</B> one of those deficiencies.
</P><P>Is there racism in Israel?
</P><P>Yes.
</P><P>Mostly Euro-Jews looking down on <I>everyone</I> different from them.
</P><P>(Who rejected the Ethiopian Jews? Euro-Jews. Who accepted Ethiopian Jews? Sefardim and Mizrachim. On the other hand, who wanted to send illegal immigrants from Sudan back to Sudan? The poor Sefardim and Mizrachim of south Tel Aviv, where the illegals encamped. Who rose to the Sundanese defense? The Euro-Jews who live far from crime-ridden south Tel Aviv.)
</P><P><I>Some of my best friends are observant Ashkenazim.</I>
</P><P>Admittedly, some predominately Muslim neighborhoods get less government services than nearby predominately Jewish neighborhoods, but that partially is do to politics — when a neighborhood gives most of its support to political parties that would destroy the state, it is, IMO, “reasonable” that the state would place a lower priority on those neighborhoods.
</P><P><I>Scratch my back; I’ll scratch yours. Fact of life.</I>
</P><P>At the same time, Muslims are integrating into all segments of Israeli society.
</P><P>“Muslims” is the operative word since Druze, who do not consider themselves Muslims, and other “non-Muslim” Arabs have been found in all segments of Israel society since the country’s founding.
</P><P>If anything, Birthright is a minor counter to the anti-Israel, anti-Semitism plaguing too many universities in the U.S. and, reportedly, elsewhere.
</P><P>
</P><P><B><H2><FONT FACE=ARIAL HELVETICA SIZE=+2>Before you believe</FONT></H2></B>
</P><P>Before believing ANY poll, consider the eight questions asked near the beginning of this rant.
</P><P>Unless you have all the answers, the poll results are almost useless to anyone <B>except</B> the person or organization sponsoring the poll and the people responsible for both the questions, how they are presented, and to whom they are presented.
</P><P>
</P><P><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsDqGjWSu2lU2j8MF3EWqhG7igQugeHEgZOh1VEvgSswHApG_sdxhDBDGFd6dEmEY_LNLZ005eKDx9ob9UElbTCZRKcgldNayzTNaKGutbsIcj4TAEkGhMq7XgXXLrtIV87jbsOvHZ7KUj/s617/EXPLETIVE+DELETED.jpg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0; text-align: center; "><img alt="" border="0" width="400" data-original-height="471" data-original-width="617" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsDqGjWSu2lU2j8MF3EWqhG7igQugeHEgZOh1VEvgSswHApG_sdxhDBDGFd6dEmEY_LNLZ005eKDx9ob9UElbTCZRKcgldNayzTNaKGutbsIcj4TAEkGhMq7XgXXLrtIV87jbsOvHZ7KUj/s400/EXPLETIVE+DELETED.jpg"/></a></div></div><DIV ALIGN=CENTER><FONT FACE=ARIAL HELVETICA SIZE=-1>Vine/CNN (https://tinyurl.com/ma4yn6ry)</FONT></DIV></FONT>
</P><P>
</P><P>
</P><P>
</P><P><font SIZE=-1 FACE=Courier><a href="http://thelawdictionary.org/plagiarism/" title="PLAGIARISM">PLAGIARISM</a> is the act of appropriating the literary composition of another, or parts or passages of his writings, or the ideas or language of the same, and <u>passing them off as the product of one’s own mind</u>.
</P><P><a HREF=”https://www.nolo.com/legal-encyclopedia/privileges-defenses-defamation-cases.html”>Truth is an absolute defense to defamation.</A> Defamation is a false statement of fact. If the statement was accurate, then by definition it wasn’t defamatory.
</P><P>Web sites (URLs) beginning <u>https://tinyurl.com/</U> are generated by the free Tiny URL utility and reduce lengthy URLs to manageable size.
</P><P>
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</P><P><b><a href="mailto:yohanon.glenn@gmail.com?subject=Polls">Comment on Polls</a></B></P></FONT>Yohanon Glennhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01429242324621325358noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2660932280213526942.post-3327840288442005622021-07-15T15:43:00.001+02:002021-07-15T16:05:04.483+02:00Opuscula Bibi whines: Bennett is soft On Iran & Biden<P>
</P><P><font size=+1 face=helvetica arial sans serif>Vindication.
</P><P>More proof.
</P><P>On 14 July this blog had an entry headed “Publication’s true colors finally exposed to readers” (https://tinyurl.com/639sbbam) in which it suggested former Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu is behaving as badly as Hillary Clinton or my grandchildren, perhaps worse.
</P><P>Today, a headline in <I>World Israel News</I> (https://tinyurl.com/mdnr55ue) confirms, at least for this scrivener, yesterday’s effort.</P><P>
</P><P></P><P><font SIZE=+1 FACE BOOKMAN OLD STYLE SERIF>THE HEADLINE: </I>"Bennett twiddling his thumbs while Iran goes nuclear," charges Netanyahu</i> followed by a leed paragraph that reads <I>Bennett’s office fired back, accusing Netanyahu of failing to deal with the Iranian threat during his years in power.</I>
</P><P>Netanyahu missed his chance to act when Donald Trump was U.S. president.
</P><P>Not only was Trump a strong supporter of Israel, but Muslim countries in the region feared Iran more than they hated Israel, ergo the Abraham Accords.
</P><P>Now, Trump is gone — perhaps only temporarily — and the leftistS in the U.S. control the White House.
</P><P>Bennett finds not even luke warm support for an attack on Iran in Washington.
</P><P>The Abraham Accords, now defunded by the leftists, are tottering — it be a small miracle if they survive the current administration.
</P><P>
</P><P><B><H2><FONT FACE=ARIAL HELVETICA SIZE=+2>What would Bibi do about enemies?</FONT></H2></B>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkl2EU66itrSm-R7TBih90pnrg5phA3utNoKORMu2TnnVijwfvLVVqgjQ7ExY6Mf-O6aDihxQbl8kM_XzSbQgKrTkSV9tEEOjorFD_SMZapehCqnDGLgOtD7Gxs68mRZIM2I-aoCdHLkqw/s750/SOUR+GRAPE.png" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0; text-align: center; clear: right; float: right;"><img alt="" border="0" height="320" data-original-height="750" data-original-width="695" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkl2EU66itrSm-R7TBih90pnrg5phA3utNoKORMu2TnnVijwfvLVVqgjQ7ExY6Mf-O6aDihxQbl8kM_XzSbQgKrTkSV9tEEOjorFD_SMZapehCqnDGLgOtD7Gxs68mRZIM2I-aoCdHLkqw/s320/SOUR+GRAPE.png"/></a></div></P><P>Given he did relatively little during his more-than-a-decade as Israel’s prime minister, <B>even when he had strong support from Washington</B>, what would he do were he in Bennett’s position and had zero support from the White House and the sycophants surrounding the occupants of the nation’s capitol?
</P><P>Given his <I>lack</I> of action against Iran when he <B>had</B> political support from Washington, why is anyone listening to his sour grapes (right) now than Bennett is at the helm?
</P><P>Netanyahu has publicly stated his goal is to “bring down the government.”
</P><P>Like a petulant child, if Netanyahu can’t get his way, he will take his toy (the government) and go home.
</P><P>Netanyahu has once again driven people out of “his” party, Likud, and he refused a chance to bring in a right-wing, Likud-led coalition by simply stepping down as party head (and therefore prime minister) for a year.
</P><P>It’s documented.
</P><P>
</P><P><B><H2><FONT FACE=ARIAL HELVETICA SIZE=+2>What can Bennett do?</FONT></H2></B>
</P><P>The reality is that Bennett’s hands are tied.
</P><P>Washington has abandoned Israel to kowtow to Iran (lifting Trump’s effective sanctions) and restoring the funding to the “Palestinians” that Trump canceled that nearly forced Ramallah to the negotiating table.
</P><P>Israel <B>could</B> turn Iran into ashes.</P><P>Israel <B>could</B> seal the borders to PLO/PFLP areas and its border with Hamas in Gaza. (The Hamas Gaza/Egyptian border is open as long as Egypt is willing to allow traffic through it. Israel does not control Egypt’s actions.)
</P><P>While much of the Muslim world would privately applaud, it would publicly condemn Israel.
</P><P>Europe would shun Israel while some secretly would be delighted. Euro-liberals would take to the streets for a new Kristallnacht.
</P><P>The leftists in North America — lest we forget the Canadians — would gnash their teeth, wring their hands, and send BLMers to destroy anything and everything Jewish in their own countries.
</P><P>China would see such actions as another opportunity to extend its influence.
</P><P>Bottom line: Israel would win the battle but loose the hasbara (PR) war, a war it has continued to lose since 1949.
</P><P>Beyond that, there are some, perhaps many, in Iran that would prefer the ayatollahs to get out of government and return to their madrashas. While the mullahs probably would sacrifice the average Iranian (Persian) to stay in power, Israel — as proven multiple times in Gaza — is less inclined to murder innocents.
</P><P>
</P><P><font size=+1 face=helvetica arial sans serif><I>As an aside: Netanyahu was prime minister for a dozen years. Why didn’t he eliminate Hamas, et al, and put an end to the missile attacks on Israeli civilians? Gaza is a much smaller enemy than Iran and a much lesser threat than Iran. And then there is Hezbollah in Syria/Lebanon. Netanyahu failed to remove it and is rockets.</I></FONT>
</P><P>
</P><P><B><H2><FONT FACE=ARIAL HELVETICA SIZE=+2>Bennett’s problems</FONT></H2></B>
</P><P>In addition to Bennett’s problems with Washington and Netanyahu’s whining, he <B>also</B> must contend with a government that includes
</P><P>✡ Likud — Netanyahu’s sycophants and loyalists
</P><P>✡ Far left parties such as the almost defunct Labor party and Meretz
</P><P>✡ Anti-Israel parties such as Ra’am
</P><P>The “religious” parties refused to be part of a government that includes the anti-Israel Ra’am party.
</P><P>A number of members of the more centrist parties simply wanted to be rid of Netanyahu.
</P><P>The “Dump Netanyahu” movement
</P><P>✡ Caused some members to abandon Likud
</P><P>✡ Forced other right wing and centrist parties to look to other leadership
</P><P>In order to maintain a coalition of unlikely bedfellows, Bennett and his partner in the leadership, Yair Lapid ,have had to compromise their own political positions. That included accepting Ra’am into the government and naming PLO supporter Ibtisam Mara’ana from the Labor party to the Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee (https://tinyurl.com/47xbbahc).
</P><P>
</P><P><B><H2><FONT FACE=ARIAL HELVETICA SIZE=+2>For the good of the country</FONT></H2></B>
</P><P>If Netanyahu really cared about the county that allowed him to lead it for more than a decade, he would do what former national leaders have done: assume the role of “elder statesman,” write (or find a ghost writer) for a book about his real or imagined successes, retire to his home to raise flowers and grandchildren.
</P><P>Ben Gurion did it.
</P><P>Menachem Begin did it.
</P><P>Even Golda Meir did it.
</P><P>Quiet retirement not to Netanyahu's liking?
</P><P>He could do as Ehud Barak, Ehud Olmert, Moshe Sharett and find a profitable situation .
</P><P>He could even convince his buddies in the Knesset to name him president, as Shimon Peres did.
</P><P>
</P><P>Netanyahu would rather bring down a government before it gets a chance to accomplish anything — accomplishments would make Netanyahu’s years in office look bad — than to accept defeat and retire gracefully “Stage Right.”
</P><P>He put his ego above his party and he put his ego above a conservative coalition.
</P><P>He needs to put his ego on a shelf.
</P><P>Given time, Bennett and Lapid may well have Israelis wishing Netanyahu was at the helm, but for now, he is not, and his whining is unbecoming for a former prime minister.</FONT>
</P><P>
</P><P>
</P><P>
</P><P>
</P><P><font SIZE=-1 FACE=Courier><a href="http://thelawdictionary.org/plagiarism/" title="PLAGIARISM">PLAGIARISM</a> is the act of appropriating the literary composition of another, or parts or passages of his writings, or the ideas or language of the same, and <u>passing them off as the product of one’s own mind</u>.
</P><P><a HREF=”https://www.nolo.com/legal-encyclopedia/privileges-defenses-defamation-cases.html”>Truth is an absolute defense to defamation.</A> Defamation is a false statement of fact. If the statement was accurate, then by definition it wasn’t defamatory.
</P><P>Web sites (URLs) beginning <u>https://tinyurl.com/</U> are generated by the free Tiny URL utility and reduce lengthy URLs to manageable size.
</P><P>
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</P><P><b><a href="mailto:yohanon.glenn@gmail.com?subject=Netanyau whines">Comment on Netanyau whines</a></B></P></FONT>Yohanon Glennhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01429242324621325358noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2660932280213526942.post-42054869646516789902021-07-14T19:39:00.000+02:002021-07-14T19:39:03.267+02:00Opuscula Publication’s True colors finally Exposed to readers<P>
</P><P><font size=+1 face=helvetica arial sans serif>MOST OF ISRAEL’S NATIONAL MEDIA, tv, newspapers, and on-line publications, are politically left of center; some more than others. (Specifically,, limited circulation/limited interest media, such as that controlled by Orthodox rabbis, are excluded from the “most national media” category.)
</P><P>One publication stood out as a bastion of conservatism.
</P><P>Operative word: “Stood.”
</P><P>Past tense.</FONT>
</P><P>
</P><P><font SIZE=+1 FACE BOOKMAN OLD STYLE SERIF>I USED TO THINK <i>ISRAEL HAYOM</I> presented basically fair coverage, less influenced by the politicians than other publications.
</P><P>It was to the right-of-center, to be certain.
</P><P>However,
</P><P>
</P><P><B><H2><FONT FACE=ARIAL HELVETICA SIZE=+2>New name needed</FONT></H2></B>
</P><P>The newspaper is owned lock, stock, and ink barrel by “an unidentified relative” of the Adelson family.<sup>1</sup> On the death of Sheldon Adelson, his widow, Dr. Miriam Adelson, assumed the role of publisher.
</P><P>While Benjamin Netanyahu was prime minister, Israel HaYom stayed close to its general conservative roots.
</P><P>However, when Netanyahu was deposed — primarily by his own doing — the paper’s loyalty to the former prime minister took precedence over journalistic integrity.
</P><P>No matter what the leaders of the current coalition do (or don’t do) they are pilloried by Israel HaYom columnists and headline writers.
</P><P>Netanyahu could do no wrong (despite his record).
</P><P>Netanyahu’s foes can do no right — never mind that they have been in office less than 90 days.
</P><P>In this scrivener’s opinion, the publication should be renamed to
</P><P><b><DIV ALIGN=CENTER>Bibi’s Personal PR sheet</DIV></B>
</P><P>
</P><P>Caveat: I was not, I am not, a fan to Benjamin Netanyahu.
</P><P>
</P><P><B><H2><FONT FACE=ARIAL HELVETICA SIZE=+2>Just like Hillary</FONT></H2></B>
</P><P>Netanyahu and his followers learned from Hillary Clinton and her Democrat sycophants after she lost the 2016 election to President Donald Trump.
</P><P>Whine.
</P><P>Claim he could do better.
</P><P>Disrupt parliamentary discussions.
</P><P>Exit in a huff.
</P><P>Promise to “bring down the government” because the man who would be king was deposed.
</P><P>Childish.
</P><P>My grandchildren are no worse, and they are 10 and 6.
</P><P>Frankly, Netanyahu’s behavior, and that of his hangers on is embarrassing.
</P><P>Embarrassing to the country he <i>used</I> to lead.
</P><P>Embarrassing to the people who once gave his party their votes.
</P><P>(In Israel, Members of Knesset (MKs) are elected by party; the more votes (mandates) a party receives, the more members will make it into the Knesset. The Knesset has 120 seats.)
</P><P>
</P><P><B><H2><FONT FACE=ARIAL HELVETICA SIZE=+2>All about Bibi</FONT></H2></B>
</P><P><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFGBQUCufkHP0FMPjVtzJ9fvz3zXh-3AFs0yF9HHvzo1yd4saQ0RMP9iJ72FcyNJIh6vi8X5fS9YlnizqZ2f-F0cWNwDc9WmiQo1lLyO-9efaBZzMtC_obI_x01veH2GeMtxrzllg9rFak/s258/SHAMIR.jpg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0; text-align: center; clear: right; float: right;"><img alt="" border="0" height="320" data-original-height="258" data-original-width="196" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFGBQUCufkHP0FMPjVtzJ9fvz3zXh-3AFs0yF9HHvzo1yd4saQ0RMP9iJ72FcyNJIh6vi8X5fS9YlnizqZ2f-F0cWNwDc9WmiQo1lLyO-9efaBZzMtC_obI_x01veH2GeMtxrzllg9rFak/s320/SHAMIR.jpg"/></a></div>This is not the first time people have left the Likud party, the party Netanyahu leads.
</P><P>In a previous instance, several Likud members left the party because of Netanyahu’s flips and flops. The best known of the defectors was former Prime Minister Yitzhak Shamir (right).
</P><P>Shamir was a critic of his Likud successor, Benjamin Netanyahu, as being too indecisive in dealing with the Arabs. Shamir went so far as to resign from the Likud in 1998 and endorse Herut, a right-wing splinter movement led by Benny Begin, which later joined the National Union during the 1999 election. (https://tinyurl.com/snvutxm9)
</P><P>According to Jonathan S. Tobin, editor in chief of Jewish News Syndicate, “the creation of the so-called unity government was made possible by one man and one man only. And his name is Benjamin Netanyahu. Such a coalition was rendered possible by Netanyahu’s personal untrustworthiness.” (https://tinyurl.com/2awx3d38)
</P><P>Finance Minister Israel Katz told activists for the ruling Likud that in an attempt to prevent the party’s fall from power, he had suggested that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu step aside temporarily to enable the formation of a right-wing government. (https://tinyurl.com/yxzelhg6)
</P><P>Netanyahu refused, even though Katz (illegally ?) promised that Netanyahu could continue to reside in the PM’s residence while he “vacationed” for a year.
</P><P>
</P><P><B><H2><FONT FACE=ARIAL HELVETICA SIZE=+2>Bibi and D.C.</FONT></H2></B>
</P><P><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5ksue6o7tWdwLxHphi_z8e4XBxvwNXMOgT2nlEyCzEYGsRxuqJeUGTPUpOuZ1xyuVWnIsNYzRKI66Mz5mI4GPa-VfqBwt2oyfPyRasatlsNNpqhWGtZn72x3FNivKGBk-H3oMH0jz6XeJ/s225/JOE+BIDEN.jpg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0; text-align: center; clear: right; float: right;"><img alt="" border="0" width="320" data-original-height="225" data-original-width="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5ksue6o7tWdwLxHphi_z8e4XBxvwNXMOgT2nlEyCzEYGsRxuqJeUGTPUpOuZ1xyuVWnIsNYzRKI66Mz5mI4GPa-VfqBwt2oyfPyRasatlsNNpqhWGtZn72x3FNivKGBk-H3oMH0jz6XeJ/s320/JOE+BIDEN.jpg"/></a></div>Netanyahu had his problems with Washington while the Democrats were lodged in the White House.
</P><P>During the Trump administration, Bibi and Trump had a warm relationship that led to the Abraham Accords (for which Netanyahu falsely claims credit).
</P><P>Now that the Obama protege (right) is sitting in the Oval Office and surrounding himself with pro-Muslim/anti-Israel advisors, Netanyahu would hardly be welcome at the White House. (Would Biden snub a prime minister as the chutzpan Obama did?)
</P><P>The current coalition — it is not expected to last the full four-year term — is more pragmatic, less antagonistic to Washington than Netanyahu following Trump’s defeat.
</P><P>
</FONT>
</P><P>
</P><P><hr width="60%" SHADE=4 COLOR=red SIZE=6><!Not for Yohanon>
</P><P>
</P><P>
</P><P><hr width="60%" SHADE=4 COLOR=red SIZE=6><!Not for Yohanon>
</P><P>
</P><P><FONT FACE=HELVETICA ARIAL SIZE=+1><b>Sources</B>
</P><P>1. Wikipedia: https://tinyurl.com/2a9jneac Footnote 9)
</FONT>
</P><P>
</P><P>
</P><P>
</P><P><font SIZE=-1 FACE=Courier><a href="http://thelawdictionary.org/plagiarism/" title="PLAGIARISM">PLAGIARISM</a> is the act of appropriating the literary composition of another, or parts or passages of his writings, or the ideas or language of the same, and <u>passing them off as the product of one’s own mind</u>.
</P><P><a HREF=”https://www.nolo.com/legal-encyclopedia/privileges-defenses-defamation-cases.html”>Truth is an absolute defense to defamation.</A> Defamation is a false statement of fact. If the statement was accurate, then by definition it wasn’t defamatory.
</P><P>Web sites (URLs) beginning <u>https://tinyurl.com/</U> are generated by the free Tiny URL utility and reduce lengthy URLs to manageable size.
</P><P>
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</P><P><b><a href="mailto:yohanon.glenn@gmail.com?subject=True colors">Comment on True colors</a></B></P></FONT>Yohanon Glennhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01429242324621325358noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2660932280213526942.post-64770085776266370522021-07-13T17:15:00.001+02:002021-07-13T17:15:39.272+02:00Opuscula Ubiquitous Form 17 17 טופס<P></P>
<P><font size=+1 face=helvetica arial sans serif>THINGS ARE DIFFERENT IN ISRAEL, at least for an ex-pat American.</FONT>
</P><P><font SIZE=+1 FACE COURIER NEW>An aside: Because transliteration is never perfect, this scrivener prefers to write the English-language word in Latin letters followed by the Hebrew word in Hebrew letters: thus > ככה </FONT>
</P><P>
</P><P><font SIZE=+1 FACE BOOKMAN OLD STYLE SERIF>SINCE ARRIVING (THIS TIME) I have spent entirely too much time in a hospital or getting medical tests.
<UL>It turns out I have a small malignancy in my left ureter. Eventually it will be removed and, hopefully, that will be the end of my hospital stays and visits.</UL>
</P><P>Over the course of the processes, I have been seen by doctors who work for my insurance company (Macabbi – מכבי) and by doctors who are employed by a hospital.
</P><P><B><H2><FONT FACE=ARIAL HELVETICA SIZE=+2>USA way</FONT></H2></B> IN THE U.S. with a Medicare Part “C” all-inclusive or “advantage” plan, my primary care physician (PCP) would refer me to a specialist.
</P><P>If the insurance carrier got involved, that involvement was between the carrier and my PCP. </P><P>PCP to me: I’m referring you to a specialist.
</P><P>PCP to insurer: Insurance company, my patient needs a specialist; this one is on your providers’ list; send a referral to the patient.
</P><P>Sometimes, the insurance company sent the referral to the PCP and the PCP forwarded it to me.The PCP <I>usually</I> alerted the specialist to expect me to call for an appointment.
<UL>In one case I was delayed in making an appointment. The provider called me: When are you coming in?</UL>
</P><P><B><H2><FONT FACE=ARIAL HELVETICA SIZE=+2>The Israel way</FONT></H2></B>
</P><P>Here, the PCP determines there is a need for specialist intervention, same as in the States.
</P><P>The patient makes an appointment with the provider.
</P><P>If the provider is employed by the insurance carrier, the PCP makes a referral and the patient sees the specialist. It’s all in the family.
</P><P>BUT, if the specialist belongs to a state-funded hospital, the patient needs a referral AND a code on a Form 17 that basically states the insurance company (kupat holim – קופת חולים) will pay the bill.
</P><P>Two of the first things a new comer learns in Israel are:
<UL>1. Savlanute (patience – סבלנות)
</P><P>2. Form 17 (טופס 17)</UL>
</P><P>Before the specialist <I>outside of the kupat holim</I> can see the patient — more accurately, before the hospital can be paid for the specialist’s time — the patient must have a Form 17 code from the insurer.
</P><P>Lacking the Form 17, the patient might be billed for the hospital employee’s services
</P><P>Lacking a Form 17 will <B>not</B> preclude medical care, but it may cause the patient to pay a fee that will be reimbursed by the kupat holim.
</P><P>
</P><P><B>Just what is ‘FORM 17”</b >
</P><P>Form 17 is a <I>Financial Obligation Form</I>
</P><P>The best description I found of Form 17 and its use at on the <I>Anglo-List.com</I> (https://tinyurl.com/xxtjvz4m).
</P><P>It actually takes things step-by-step.
</P><P><I>The Shira Pransky Project</I> (https://tinyurl.com/3au6e4kx) offers <I>5 Things To Know About Your Kupat Cholim</I>. While it is not “Form 17 specific,” the information is well worth reading.
</P><P>Emergency care will not be denied for lack of a Form 17.
</P><P>Once admitted to the hospital, Form 17 goes away for all <B>intra</B>-hospital procedures; e.g., if the hospital doctor determines a CT scan is needed and the hospital has the facility, the patient is scanned with only the doctor’s order; no supplemental Form 17 needed <B>until the patient is discharged</B>.
</P><P>On the other hand, all “out patient” procedures require a separate Form 17 with the “code” from the kupat holim for each procedure or interview.
</P><P>Need an MRI? Get a Form 17.
</P><P>Need to meet with a radiologist? Form 17.
</P><P>Telephone interview with a cardiologist? Form 17.
</P><P>Meet with anesthesiologist? Form 17.
</P><P>
</P><P><B><H2><FONT FACE=ARIAL HELVETICA SIZE=+2>Bureaucracy vs. efficiency</FONT></H2></B>
</P><P>Bureaucracy wins.
</P><P>Perhaps because Israel is a nation of clerks — the government employs more people than other industries — bureaucracy is safe and always will prevail over efficiency.
</P><P>It would be, IMO, <B>more efficient</B> to have a family doctor refer to a service. The fact that the doctor, an employee of the kupat holim ordered the service <I>should</I> guarantee that the service will be paid by the kupah.
</P><P>The patient should <B>never</B> be bothered to run around to get a Form 17.
</P><P>Israel is an “SMS” nation, a country that expects everyone to have a mobile phone with Short Message Service (SMS or text messaging).
</P><P>SMS is the primary form of communication between the kupah and the subscriber (patient) and between the non-kupah vendor (hospital, diagnostic center) and the patient.
</P><P>Fortunately, if the patient’s Form 17 code failed to arrive before the patient arrives for the service, an SMS message with the code satisfies the vendor.
</P><P>It <B><I>sounds</I></B> efficient, but compared to the U.S. process that normally does not require patient input, it is sorely lacking.
</P><P>Admittedly, when I had a referral in the States, I printed out the insurance carrier’s authorization and carried it with me to my appointment; just as "CYA" since the vendor should have received the authorization from the insurer.
</P><P>There I had a printer. Here I have a SMS-capable mobile phone.
</P><P>SMS <I>is</I> efficient and as long as vendors accept SMS messages, a printer is not necessary.
</P><P>But having the patient chase after a code from the insurance carrier — when the physician has a contract with the insurer and usually someone who daily deals with the insurer to get insurer approval for a process, the patient should be free of this task.
</P><P>It’s an old truism: It’s not WHAT you know but WHO you know, and having an on-going relationship with an insurer and service provider expedites things and reduces errors.
<UL>If the patient has special requirements, e.g., a walker taller than the usual height, then the patient and the office person who deals with the insurer need to work together. </UL>
</P><P>
</P><P><B><H2><FONT FACE=ARIAL HELVETICA SIZE=+2>Paperless office?</FONT></H2></B>
</P><P>Not in my lifetime.
</P><P>SMS <I>does</I> eliminate some paperwork.
</P><P>But having just signed a dozen times during one pre-operation session at a government hospital, the future of a paperless office is still in the distant future. (Banks are a little better, but a real estate transaction in Israel can cause writer’s cramp. Five pages in the U.S. to sell a house vs. more than 20 pages in Israel to buy an apartment.)
</P><P>Granted, this scrivener is a curmudgeon and I prefer paper. It doesn’t (usually) get DELeted by accident as an SMS message or email might. It is (for me) easier to read.
</P><P>But why should a patient have to deal with a form that requires a code from the doctor’s office.
</P><P>Even if the form is sent to the patient as an email or SMS, <B>it should <FONT COLOR=RED>not</FONT> be the patient’s job or responsibility to chase down a code for a form used between the doctor’s employer (the kupah) and the service provider.
</P><P></B>Israel is a nation of clerks. Let the kupot (health insurers) add one more clerk to handle doctor-to-provider documentation and left the patient try to get well.<B>
</P><P>
</P><P><H2><FONT FACE=ARIAL HELVETICA SIZE=+2>Will it change?</FONT></H2></B>
</P><P>In a word: No.
</P><P>There is an organization that claims to help new comers navigate the system.
</P><P>When it was suggested that one thing the organization might consider as a project — especially since the organization’s founder is a former member of Knesset — the reply was “It’s always been that way.”
</P><P>Inertia.
</P><P>
</P><P><B>After thought</B> I know it will sound like “sour grapes,” but I had far less trips for tests when I had open abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) repair and even less for hernia surgery.
</P><P>To be fair, the hospital (Hollywood Memorial a/k/a Regional) had my medical records and the records followed me from doctor to doctor.
</P><P>My surgeons' referral persons handled everything with the insurer at the time. All I had to do was show up for the Grand Opening.
</P><P>
</P><P><font size=+2><B>THAT IS HOW IT IS SUPPOSED TO WORK.</B ></FONT>
</P><P>Will progress ever come to Israel?
</P><P>Will we ever have world peace?</FONT>
</P><P>
</P><P><hr width=”60%” SHADE=4 COLOR=red SIZE=6>
</P><P>
</P><P>
</P><P>
</P><P><font SIZE=-1 FACE=Courier><a href=”http://thelawdictionary.org/plagiarism/” title=”PLAGIARISM”>PLAGIARISM</a> is the act of appropriating the literary composition of another, or parts or passages of his writings, or the ideas or language of the same, and <u>passing them off as the product of one’s own mind</u>.
</P><P><a HREF=”https://www.nolo.com/legal-encyclopedia/privileges-defenses-defamation-cases.html”>Truth is an absolute defense to defamation.</A> Defamation is a false statement of fact. If the statement was accurate, then by definition it wasn’t defamatory.
</P><P>Web sites (URLs) beginning <u>https://tinyurl.com/</U> are generated by the free Tiny URL utility and reduce lengthy URLs to manageable size.
</P><P>
</P><P>
</P><P>
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</P><P><b><a href=”mailto:yohanon.glennr@gmail.com?subject=Form 17”>Comment on Form `17 – תופס 17</a></B></P></FONT>Yohanon Glennhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01429242324621325358noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2660932280213526942.post-67458592441708235652021-07-08T08:23:00.001+02:002021-07-08T12:40:39.852+02:00Opuscula Should IsraelGive citizenship Sans restrictions?<P>
</P><P><font size=+1 face=helvetica arial sans serif>THE BIG FLAP IN ISRAEL today is: “Should Israeli citizenship be automatic for non-Jewish spouses?”
With one exception, citizenship is automatic for Jews, regardless of level of observance or how the person became Jewish (mother, conversion).<SUP>1</SUP></FONT>
</P><P>
</P><P><font SIZE=+1 FACE BOOKMAN OLD STYLE SERIF>MY SPOUSE IS A NATURALIZED U.S. citizen.
She got a “green card” in 1979 because she was my wife. Citizenship was <B>NOT</B> automatic.
</P><P>My Spouse had to study U.S. history, learn a little about the U.S. Constitution and its amendmentes, know the names of certain incumbent politicians, and she had to be functionally literate in English.
</P><P>Moreover, she had to swear that she will uphold the laws of the U.S. and its subordinate levels of government.
</P><P>She did all that was required and was granted U.S. citizenship.
</P><P>Should her citizenship have been automatic?
</P><P>Absolutely NOT.
</P><P>It was not automatic for the war brides. (My Spouse was not a war bride.)
</P><P>It was not automatic for refugees who came to America in the early 1900s.
</P><P>
</P><P><B><H2><FONT FACE=ARIAL HELVETICA SIZE=+2>So what is the big deal in Israel?</FONT></H2></B>
</P><P>There are those, primarily on the left, who are proposing that any “Palestinian” who marries an Israeli citizen automatically gets citizenship.
</P><P>Not “permanent residency,” citizenship.
</P><P>Unlike the Jew who gets automatic citizenship because he or she is persecuted, whose health and life are threatened as they are even today, the “Palestinian” is not a refugee. He has a government, albeit despotic, and a multitude of options to relocate out of PLO/PFLP and Hamas-controlled areas.
</P><P>Israel was created as a haven for Jews following the holocaust and the threats from Muslim neighbors in Arab countries.
</P><P>It is a “Jewish” state, even if many Israeli Jews are more Jewish in name than practice.
</P><P>Giving automatic citizenship to anyone married to an Israeli citizen is not only “out of synch” with much of the world’s nations, it also could tip the demographics of the small country. (See <I> Citizenship by marriage</I>, below, for countries that <I>expedite</I> spousal citizenship.)
</P><P>Jewish-Muslim marriages are unusual and not sanctioned by either religion. Civil marriage is possible within Israel or in a neighboring country (e.g., Cypress).
</P><P>
</P><P><B><H2><FONT FACE=ARIAL HELVETICA SIZE=+2>If not by war . . . </FONT></H2></B>
</P><P>Those promoting the instant-citizenship-for-spouses law ignore the natural course of events.
</P><P>For two weeks observant Jews have been reading, or at least hearing, the story of Pinchas, Zimri, and Cazbi. Cazbi was the daughter of a Midianite big shot who, with her friends, enticed Zimri and his followers to abandon HaShem and follow their god, Peyor.
</P><P>
</P><P><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheF-AwkX4sq-OBTutt3buPaNO-YFxWVyNqsIxCm3SL5tT84CwqSNog6OJ-QRgZWKphSJ-coNf_jH1B7u3ZM9KJL_ceKlhyphenhyphenqtigayPpd3jbBrMbi_YYMT4hhtdi6UefHSOIpxH4mvS5G8qO/s228/pinchas-impales-zimri-cozbi-by-j-c-weigel.jpg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0; text-align: center; "><img alt="" border="0" height="400" data-original-height="228" data-original-width="171" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheF-AwkX4sq-OBTutt3buPaNO-YFxWVyNqsIxCm3SL5tT84CwqSNog6OJ-QRgZWKphSJ-coNf_jH1B7u3ZM9KJL_ceKlhyphenhyphenqtigayPpd3jbBrMbi_YYMT4hhtdi6UefHSOIpxH4mvS5G8qO/s400/pinchas-impales-zimri-cozbi-by-j-c-weigel.jpg"/></a></div><DIV ALIGN=CENTER><FONT FACE=ARIAL HELVETICA SIZE=-1>
</P><P>Pinchas impales Zimri and Cozbi by J.C. Weigel <br>(https://tinyurl.com/dxs34hbw)</FONT></DIV>
</P><P>
</P><P>Solomon was no better. His harem of non-Jewish ladies turned his head so much that idol worship was rampant in Jerusalem, right under Solomon’s nose.
</P><P><I>It seems the fault lies with the women, but were it not for the willing males <B>. . .</B></I>
</P><P><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbpYrUxCDW9ZtxedPZUiL5hszlDRcb_ja72_YArre49JnGZwHFir8Z7epSTl8Arm0PY5cOuln8XhBfMLhTdLRvDMcArSJ-WNE9oPuLDx5ofjnmvsdb8ON4uhIXlLLpQoOLBFSufdnzwyoR/s320/Pogo.jpg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0; text-align: center; clear: right; float: right;"><img alt="" border="0" height="320" data-original-height="320" data-original-width="210" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbpYrUxCDW9ZtxedPZUiL5hszlDRcb_ja72_YArre49JnGZwHFir8Z7epSTl8Arm0PY5cOuln8XhBfMLhTdLRvDMcArSJ-WNE9oPuLDx5ofjnmvsdb8ON4uhIXlLLpQoOLBFSufdnzwyoR/s320/Pogo.jpg"/></a></div>Since the Muslims of the PLO/PFLP and Hamas officially are committed to driving Israel to the sea and making “Palestine” Jewish free, granting “Palestinians” instant citizenship based on marriage to an Israeli citizen seems not just foolish, but stupid. Only a self-hating Jew would promote such a law.
</P><P><DIV ALIGN=RIGHT><FONT FACE=ARIAL HELVETICA SIZE=-1>Walk Kelly’s Pogo, right</FONT></DIV>
</P><P>If the Israeli citizen is in love with a “Palestinian,” let the Israeli move to an area controlled by the PLO/PFLP or Hamas. With that move, the person’s Israeli citizenship is revoked; canceled and never renewable.
</P><P><I>It would be interesting to know how a Jewish spouse married to a “Palestinian” in either the PLO/PFLP or Hamas-controlled areas would survive.</I>
</P><P>Naturalized citizens of the U.S. can lose their U.S. citizenship by committing certain crimes; deportation is a relatively common practice, but perhaps one not invoked often enough. (https://tinyurl.com/6psnyhw5)
</P><P>
</P><P>
</P><P>
</P><P><B><H2><FONT FACE=ARIAL HELVETICA SIZE=+2>Citizenship by marriage</FONT></H2></B>
</P><P>The following is excerpted from the <I>Nomad Capitalist</I> (https://tinyurl.com/57apw7f2)
</P><P><B>Belize</B> If you married to a Belize citizen, however, you can apply for naturalization after just one year of legal residence in Belize.
</P><P><B>Brasil</B> As a permanent resident of Brazil, you can apply for naturalization after four years of “uninterrupted residence” and strong ties to Brazil. However, those who have a Brazilian spouse qualify to apply for a second citizenship after just one year of uninterrupted residence in the country.
</P><P><B>Cape Verde</B> Anyone who marries a Cape Verde citizen is entitled to apply for “citizenship by option” immediately after marriage. If you can manage to find a Cape Verde citizen somewhere – perhaps in Portugal – you can get married and then immediately skip the five-year naturalization path and obtain your citizenship almost immediately.
</P><P><B>Columbia</B> You can speed up the 5-10 year-long process by marrying a Colombian citizen. By marriage, the timeline is shortened to only two years to obtain Colombian citizenship. The only faster way to get your hands on a Colombian passport is if you’re from another Latin country, in which case the timeline is one year.
</P><P><B>Ireland</B> Those married to, or in a registered civil relationship with, an Irish citizen can apply for an Irish passport after one year of “reckonable residence” in the European country, provided they have been married or in a civil union with their partner for three years. The residency requirement prior to naturalization means you’ll be on the hook for the country’s high income taxes for at least one year, and you’ll need to spend a good amount of time in Ireland for at least two years to qualify.
</P><P><B>Mexico</B> You can shave three years off the normal naturalization process and obtain a Mexican passport through marriage. As the spouse of a Mexican, you are entitled to apply for naturalization after just two years of living with that spouse in Mexico.
</P><P><B>Poland</B> Poland allows those with a Polish spouse to become a naturalized citizen after three years of marriage and two years of uninterrupted residence in the country. In addition to being married for three years, you must actually spend the majority of two years in Poland.
</P><P><B>Portugal</B> Portugal requires those who obtain Portuguese residency to live in the country for at least six years before applying for a passport. However, those married to a Portuguese citizen can apply for naturalization more quickly. The process doesn’t even require you to actually spend time on Portuguese soil, meaning you could live overseas with a Portuguese spouse and still qualify. However, while the process is often easier on foreigner spouses, naturalization does require you to learn some of the Portuguese language and have ties to the country.
</P><P><B>Serbia</B> You must have been married to a Serbian for three years, maintain permanent residence, and sign paperwork claiming that Serbia is “your country”.
</P><P><B>Spain</B> Naturalization in Spain is a highly bureaucratic process and usually requires ten years of solid residence in the country. The tax burden for those ten years could be quite high. However, those married to a Spanish citizen are able to apply for Spanish citizenship after just one year of tax residence in the country.
</P><P><B>Switzerland</B> Switzerland offers those married to Swiss nationals a “simplified naturalization” process. You may remember that Tina Turner recently relinquished her US citizenship to become Swiss after fulfilling a rather long twelve year residency requirement. Getting a Swiss passport through permanent residence alone is a slow process. However, the simplified naturalization process allows for spouses of Swiss nationals to apply for citizenship after five years of marriage, so long as they live in the confederation.
</P><P><B>Ukraine</B> Ukraine has a fast track naturalization process for foreigners married to Ukrainian citizens, reducing the timeline to citizenship from five years to only two. However, Ukraine technically does not allow dual citizenship, meaning you are likely to be asked to renounce your current citizenship before claiming a Ukrainian passport.
</P><P>
</P><P></FONT>
</P><P>
</P><P><hr width="60%" SHADE=4 COLOR=red SIZE=6><!Not for Yohanon>
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</P><P>
</P><P><hr width="60%" SHADE=4 COLOR=red SIZE=6><!Not for Yohanon>
</P><P>
</P><P><FONT FACE=HELVETICA ARIAL SIZE=+1><b>Sources</B>
</P><P>1. The one notable exception is Meyer Lansky.
TEL AVIV, Sept. 11—Israel's highest court ruled today that Meyer Lansky, an alleged ‘American underworld figure, was not entitled to Israeli citizenship even though he is a Jew. (https://tinyurl.com/3fskax99) Lansky never was found guilty of anything more serious than illegal gambling. </FONT>
</P><P>
</P><P>
</P><P>
</P><P><font SIZE=-1 FACE=Courier><a href="http://thelawdictionary.org/plagiarism/" title="PLAGIARISM">PLAGIARISM</a> is the act of appropriating the literary composition of another, or parts or passages of his writings, or the ideas or language of the same, and <u>passing them off as the product of one’s own mind</u>.
</P><P><a HREF=”https://www.nolo.com/legal-encyclopedia/privileges-defenses-defamation-cases.html”>Truth is an absolute defense to defamation.</A> Defamation is a false statement of fact. If the statement was accurate, then by definition it wasn’t defamatory.
</P><P>Web sites (URLs) beginning <u>https://tinyurl.com/</U> are generated by the free Tiny URL utility and reduce lengthy URLs to manageable size.
</P><P>
</P><P>
</P><P>
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</P><P><b><a href="mailto:yohanon.glenn@gmail.com?subject= Instant citizenship?">Comment on Instant citizenship?</a></B></P></FONT>Yohanon Glennhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01429242324621325358noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2660932280213526942.post-44667019584647042822021-07-07T12:11:00.000+02:002021-07-07T12:11:50.268+02:00Opuscula For Linda Sarsour Ignorance is bliss, History is ignored<P>
</P><P><font size=+1 face=helvetica arial sans serif><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVIsf05HV0NLjmLbOy8zrMpeCXXUa1SeLy6MaQj4Im6JeHlkfsXhsAcByaJvL_AsWvlvHCasLmCD-XbpshEFHChyphenhyphentOBSAXEHbRQc6Wt7ok-sxcMRJEkBLzUIUQoDaP9Up4P9-BNjAWcPE-/s527/BIGOT.jpg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0; text-align: center; clear: right; float: right;"><img alt="" border="0" height="320" data-original-height="527" data-original-width="441" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVIsf05HV0NLjmLbOy8zrMpeCXXUa1SeLy6MaQj4Im6JeHlkfsXhsAcByaJvL_AsWvlvHCasLmCD-XbpshEFHChyphenhyphentOBSAXEHbRQc6Wt7ok-sxcMRJEkBLzUIUQoDaP9Up4P9-BNjAWcPE-/s320/BIGOT.jpg"/></a></div>Linda Sarsour (right) obviously doesn’t know the history of her claimed religion.
</P><P>Sarsour rose to prominence as one of the organizers of the first Women’s March on Washington in 2017. She appeared in a video (https://tinyurl.com/y35nuv3x) claiming that:
</P><P><UL>✡ Jewish King David was a Muslim,
</P><P>✡ Characterized Jesus (a Jew) as a Palestinian,
</P><P>✡ Accused Israel of ethnic cleansing,
</P><P>✡ Lauded the anti-Semitic leader of the Nation of Islam Louis Farrakhan,
</P><P>✡ Insisted that Israel “is built on the idea that Jews are supreme to everyone else.”</UL>
</P><P>While her comments about ethnic cleansing, Farrakhan, and Jewish supremacy are just her opinions, she is laughably wrong about David, Jesus, and Israel’s alleged “ethic cleansing.”
</P><P></FONT>
</P><P></P><P>
</P><P>
</P><P><<B><H2><FONT FACE=ARIAL HELVETICA SIZE=+2>History: Who needs it?</FONT></H2></B>
</P><P>
</P><P><FONT FACE=ARIAL HELVETICA SIZE=-1><UL><b>BCE vs. BC; CE vs. AD</B>
</P><P><B>BCE</B> means Before the Current (or Common) Era; it equates to “BC” or predates Jesus’ supposed birth year.
</P><P><B>CE</B> means Current (or Common) Era; it equates to the Latin “AD”</UL></FONT>
</P><P>
</P><P><font SIZE=+1 FACE BOOKMAN OLD STYLE SERIF>According to most authorities <SUP>1, 2, 3, 4</SUP>, Islam got its start in the seventh century <I>of the current era</I> (a/k/a “AD”).
</P><P>Although its roots go back further, scholars typically date the creation of Islam to the 7th century, making it the youngest of the major world religions.<SUP>1</SUP>
</P><P>The rise of Islam is intrinsically linked with the Prophet Muhammad, believed by Muslims to be the last in a long line of prophets that includes Moses and Jesus.<SUP>2</SUP>
</P><P>The start of Islam is marked in the year 610, following the first revelation to the prophet Muhammad at the age of 40.<SUP>3</SUP>
</P><P>Islam is an Abrahamic-monotheistic religion based upon the teachings of Prophet Muhammad ibn Abdullah (570-632 CE)<sup>4</SUP>
</P><P>David, Israel’s second king (following Saul), is said to have <I>reigned</I> from 1010–970 BCE.<Sup>5</SUP>
</P><P>Even Christians acknowledge that David lived between 1040-970 before Jesus is said to have been born.<SUP>6</SUP>
</P><P>Given the evidence, it is <I>impossible</I> for David to have been a Muslim. David lived <I>centuries</I> before Mohammad was born.
</P><P>When did Jesus live?
</P><P>Most scholars assume a date of birth between 6 and 4 BCE, and that Jesus' preaching began around CE 27–29 and lasted one to three years. They calculate the death of Jesus as having taken place between CE 30 and 36.<SUP>7, 8</SUP>
</P><P>Again, Mohammad was reportedly said to have been born in the year 570 CE, <I>at least</I> 560 years <I>after</I> Jesus is said to have been born.
</P><P>Her claim that Jesus was born in “Palestine” is specious.
</P><P>According to Wikipedia, the term "Palestine" first appeared in the 5th century BCE when the ancient Greek historian Herodotus wrote of a "district of Syria, called Palaistinê" between Phoenicia and Egypt in The Histories.<SUP>9</SUP>
</P><P>Note Herodotus wrote <B>a "district of Syria”</B>, making it clear to most people who can read that “Palestine” as an independent entity did <b>NOT</B> exist.
</P><P>The modern idea of “Palestine” can be laid at England’s political feet. England and France acquired much of the Middle East when they took the land from the Ottoman (Turkish) empire as a war prize.<SUP>10</SUP>
</P><P>England’s “Palestine” was partitioned by the UN into Jordan (the lion’s share) and a sliver of land to be called Israel. The name “Palestine” was effectively retired.
</P><P>Egyptian Yasser Arafat’s Palestine Liberation Organization was founded by a meeting of 422 “Palestinian” national figures in Jerusalem in May 1964.<SUP>11</SUP>
</P><P>History obviously is <b>not</b> Sarsour’s strong suit; anti-Semitism equally obviously <B>is</B> her forte.
</P><P>Given that all the foregoing is easily accessible via the WWW, the suggestion must be that <B>NOTHING</B> originated from the ignorant bigot’s pen or mouth is credible.
</P><P>A quick comment about her canard that Israel practices “ethnic cleansing.”
</P><P>In two words: <I>bovine excrement.</I>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpl1_qzivF2lNJ2clM93axDluiadE4fc1RZZzCmn0w7HOD255m_e2aRbdo_1tnbTvh8faKYOMkds3QVdmtH_sA_8bUPFIeQujyhHn8kh5KQYdCYsNXj7T9S4hREf3Jff3KO5KRfry3MrqI/s190/BS+METER.jpg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0; text-align: center; "><img alt="" border="0" width="600" data-original-height="100" data-original-width="190" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpl1_qzivF2lNJ2clM93axDluiadE4fc1RZZzCmn0w7HOD255m_e2aRbdo_1tnbTvh8faKYOMkds3QVdmtH_sA_8bUPFIeQujyhHn8kh5KQYdCYsNXj7T9S4hREf3Jff3KO5KRfry3MrqI/s600/BS+METER.jpg"/></a></div>
</P><P>If Israel practices “ethnic cleansing,” why are there Muslims and other Arabs in almost every aspect of Israeli life: academics, courts, government, including the Knesset, police, even military?
</P><P>If Israel practices “ethnic cleansing,” why are there Muslims trying to come live in Israel?
</P><P>If Israel practices “ethnic cleansing,” why are Muslims NOT leaving the country in droves?
</P><P><B>On the contrary</B> “Palestine” and Gaza <B>DO</B> have “ethnic cleansing.”
</P><P>A Jew is prohibited by Islamic law from buying land in “Palestine.”
</P><P>A Jew cannot travel into “Palestine” or Gaza without fearing for his or her life.</FONT>
</P><P></P><P>
</P><P></P><P>
</P><P></P><P><FONT FACE=HELVETICA ARIAL SIZE=+1><b>Sources</B>
</P><P>1. https://tinyurl.com/43xtf7nh
</P><P>2. https://tinyurl.com/m2c7xcuf
</P><P>3. https://tinyurl.com/t7f4mkwm
</P><P>4. https://tinyurl.com/hv8rbv5n
</P><P>5. https://tinyurl.com/4ej3nk56
</P><P>6. https://tinyurl.com/34vxafxr
</P><P>7. https://tinyurl.com/4v5kpuje
</P><P>8. https://tinyurl.com/btvjbywd
</P><P>9. https://tinyurl.com/6uudvd2b
</P><P>10. https://tinyurl.com/h9bw5ku2
</P><P>11. https://tinyurl.com/uswpz6sf</FONT>
</P><P>
</P><P>
</P><P>
</P><P>
</P><P><font SIZE=-1 FACE=Courier><a href="http://thelawdictionary.org/plagiarism/" title="PLAGIARISM">PLAGIARISM</a> is the act of appropriating the literary composition of another, or parts or passages of his writings, or the ideas or language of the same, and <u>passing them off as the product of one’s own mind</u>.
</P><P><a HREF=”https://www.nolo.com/legal-encyclopedia/privileges-defenses-defamation-cases.html”>Truth is an absolute defense to defamation.</A> Defamation is a false statement of fact. If the statement was accurate, then by definition it wasn’t defamatory.
</P><P>Web sites (URLs) beginning <u>https://tinyurl.com/</U> are generated by the free Tiny URL utility and reduce lengthy URLs to manageable size.
</P><P>
</P><P>
</P><P>
</P><P>
</P><P><b><a href="mailto:yohanon.glenn@gmail.com?subject=Ignorance is bliss">Comment on Ignorance is bliss</a></B></P></FONT>Yohanon Glennhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01429242324621325358noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2660932280213526942.post-91623788590700417342021-07-05T13:40:00.003+02:002021-07-05T20:47:22.817+02:00Opuscula Kid at heart: Trains & cranes Still fascinate me<P>
</P><P><font size=+1 face=helvetica arial sans serif>I AM AN EARLY RISER. A “morning person.” Almost always have been.
</P><P>I take my coffee and tea cookies to the balcony to “<I>slap leather</I>” and greet the day.
It’s pretty quiet at 5:30 a.m . in Yavne.</FONT>
</P><P>
</P><P><font SIZE=+1 FACE BOOKMAN OLD STYLE SERIF>FOR MOST OF MY LIFE I lived near an airport. By near I mean within 15 minutes by car (FLL) or bicycle (MIA). I once lived in the final approach to MIA.
</P><P>I am accustomed to airport noises.
</P><P>Here, the commercial airport is more than 15 minutes away and Yavne is not in take-off or landing paths; no passenger planes in sight.
</P><P>We <I>do</I> hear planes — fighters, an occasional helicopter, a single-engine high wing, and what sounded like (I didn’t see it) a C-130.
</P><P><B>What I DO hear</B> are trains.
</P><P>Yavne has two — 2 ! — train depots (“stations” to some).
</P><P>One, Yavne East is within scooter distance from the balcony. (The scooter has a roughly 12-mile range; the depot is within round-trip range.)
</P><P>From the balcony I can hear the 6:24 arriving from Ashdod heading north to Tel Aviv.
</P><P>At 7 a.m. I hear the first southbound train arriving from Tel Aviv.
</P><P>I don’t hear other trains after 7 a.m.; I‘m “unstrapping” and ready for the rest of my day.
</P><P>Northbound and southbound trains come through Yavne-East every 60 minutes. Heading north, be at the depot at *:15 to catch the *:24 toward Tel Aviv. Coming from the north, the train arrives on the hour.
</P><P>Fridays and Sundays the trains are packed; truly Standing Room Only (SRO) as solders (with their packs and weapons) head home (Friday) or back to base (Sunday). Buses likewise are SRO.
</P><P>At other times, however, the trains offer reliable, comfortable transportation, complete with Wi-Fi and AC outlets (for ubiquitous mobile phones).
</P><P>It is possible to go to most major cities (and some not-so-major cities) by train. (See route map at the end of this entry.)
</P><P>Rather than drive, we ride the train to visit kin in a Haifa suburb or in Bet Shean. The depots also are bus stops, so there is no need to depend either on a ride from a relative or shank’s mare.<SUP>1</SUP>
</P><P>Trains are relatively inexpensive, <I>especially</I> when compared to the price of gasoline.
</P><P><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcJlVtxyoJP751fgeko6AxgWe5VFPszhQUhGXNWsLqpKlPY98WgYraaVriPWnobaK02yKAnzdSBZ_MRUcLiPqw-XBd6L8jLlFCMkeCPCuo0r3xFBQPR8lzYUmEgIdR4R9CmuJPhNfjBCeb/s929/PRICES+AND+VOLUME.jpg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0; text-align: center; "><img alt="" border="0" width="400" data-original-height="135" data-original-width="929" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcJlVtxyoJP751fgeko6AxgWe5VFPszhQUhGXNWsLqpKlPY98WgYraaVriPWnobaK02yKAnzdSBZ_MRUcLiPqw-XBd6L8jLlFCMkeCPCuo0r3xFBQPR8lzYUmEgIdR4R9CmuJPhNfjBCeb/s400/PRICES+AND+VOLUME.jpg"/></a></div><DIV ALIGN=CENTER><FONT FACE=ARIAL HELVETICA SIZE=-1>Cost of driving in Israel<SUP>2, 3</SUP></FONT></DIV>
</P><P>
</P><P><B><H2><FONT FACE=ARIAL HELVETICA SIZE=+2>Other options</FONT></H2></B>
</P><P>There are other travel options beside the train.
</P><P>Egged, the national bus company, goes almost everywhere in Israel. Egged has competition, but it remains the “800 pound gorilla” for inter-city bus travel.
</P><P>As with the train, a change of vehicles <I>may</I> be necessary depending on time of day and destination.
</P><P>Buses are air conditioned and fairly comfortable, second only to the train.
</P><P>Egged’s web site (https://tinyurl.com/yzc4ofro) provides all the information, albeit not as cleanly as Israel Railways.
</P><P>Inter-city taxis also are available.
</P><P>The benefit of a taxi is that it is faster than train or bus and it is point-to-point.
</P><P>There are taxis and taxis. Shereuts are multi-passenger vehicles that squeeze in as many passengers as possible and there are taxis that carry just the passenger(s) who hire it.
</P><P>When speed is of the essence, a taxi is the preferred method.
</P><P>There also is a rental car option.
</P><P>
</P><P><B><H2><FONT FACE=ARIAL HELVETICA SIZE=+2>Library at the Station </FONT></H2></B>
</P><P>It may not be unique, but it IS unusual.
</P><P>Israel Railways offers, at selected depots, free lending libraries.
</P><P>Borrow a book, read it on the train (or at the destination), and return the book on the return trip . . . or return it to another station.
</P><P>The process is clearly presented on the Israel Railways site at https://tinyurl.com/yf4wrp8d .
</P><P>The <I>Library at the Station</I> also accepts used books at some depots.
</P><P>
</P><P><B><H2><FONT FACE=ARIAL HELVETICA SIZE=+2>A word about cranes</FONT></H2></B>
</P><P>The hed<SUP>cq</SUP> for this entry mentions both trains and cranes.
</P><P>While there have been a lot of words about trains, herewith a few words about cranes.
</P><P>No matter where you go in Israel — and no matter how you get there — you are bound to see construction cranes. They are almost as ubiquitous as cell phones.
</P><P>I often wondered how they were put up and taken down.
</P><P>The other day, I discovered how: with a portable crane with a l-o-n-g reach.
</P><P>I watched as some very brave people disconnected crane parts so the parts could be lowered to a waiting truck.
</P><P>Being a tad acrophobic, there is no way I would volunteer for a job connecting or disconnecting a crane's parts, especially when the activity is more than 100 feet above the ground. (I wonder what these guys think about the Mohawks who work big city high rises.)
</P><P>
</P><P><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyRB2H4Dh0-IMOhIrOY0BqVFn5rivhjla-PDkykt2rTS4pasb0MfA82BZUu2Z1ZhJCBIfYSGwQhaV8ixke_llBg5NAQ07YgbpM5M-jvwYYPrBnQ8MVHURahvfupwvcOnzztj_poSJp0cwN/s1280/crane+by+david+rosen.jpg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0; text-align: center; "><img alt="" border="0" width="600" data-original-height="853" data-original-width="1280" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyRB2H4Dh0-IMOhIrOY0BqVFn5rivhjla-PDkykt2rTS4pasb0MfA82BZUu2Z1ZhJCBIfYSGwQhaV8ixke_llBg5NAQ07YgbpM5M-jvwYYPrBnQ8MVHURahvfupwvcOnzztj_poSJp0cwN/s600/crane+by+david+rosen.jpg"/></a></div><DIV ALIGN=CENTER><FONT FACE=ARIAL HELVETICA SIZE=-1>Crane by David Rosen (https://tinyurl.com/yf8st48w)</FONT></DIV></FONT>
</P><P>
</P><P><FONT FACE=HELVETICA ARIAL SIZE=+1><b>Sources</B>
</P><P>1. Shank’s mare: https://tinyurl.com/ygu3rnoy</P><P>
</P><P>2. Volume: https://tinyurl.com/yekftcmc
</P><P>3. Currency: https://tinyurl.com/yfx8744m</FONT>
</P><P><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEho6fsiYQ3SMByCE7K15HdApJoNvw2d4BG7Ef3ySrudaRzdjhyphenhyphenKSrAjA01usFoVUvkQa0K4isxrrEgF3263S5Fi29x7RQCAcGnsctForAVQWh-pQovwxiV7g5f1xUjTAKKkLaGHKxjrDgH8/s2048/Trains.jpg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0; text-align: center; "><img alt="" border="0" height="600" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1192" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEho6fsiYQ3SMByCE7K15HdApJoNvw2d4BG7Ef3ySrudaRzdjhyphenhyphenKSrAjA01usFoVUvkQa0K4isxrrEgF3263S5Fi29x7RQCAcGnsctForAVQWh-pQovwxiV7g5f1xUjTAKKkLaGHKxjrDgH8/s600/Trains.jpg"/></a></div><DIV ALIGN=CENTER><FONT FACE=ARIAL HELVETICA SIZE=-1>Israel Railways route map (https://tinyurl.com/yhx7ysta)</FONT></DIV>
</P><P>
</P><P>
</P><P>
</P><P><font SIZE=-1 FACE=Courier><a href="http://thelawdictionary.org/plagiarism/" title="PLAGIARISM">PLAGIARISM</a> is the act of appropriating the literary composition of another, or parts or passages of his writings, or the ideas or language of the same, and <u>passing them off as the product of one’s own mind</u>.
</P><P><a HREF=”https://www.nolo.com/legal-encyclopedia/privileges-defenses-defamation-cases.html”>Truth is an absolute defense to defamation.</A> Defamation is a false statement of fact. If the statement was accurate, then by definition it wasn’t defamatory.
</P><P>Web sites (URLs) beginning <u>https://tinyurl.com/</U> are generated by the free Tiny URL utility and reduce lengthy URLs to manageable size.
</P><P>
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</P><P><b><a href="mailto:yohanon.glenn@gmail.com?subject=Trains and cranes">Comment on Trains and cranes</a></B></P></FONT>Yohanon Glennhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01429242324621325358noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2660932280213526942.post-42255984206207289802021-06-29T08:51:00.005+02:002021-06-29T11:50:36.338+02:00Opuscula Where would Priests, levi'im live During duty tours?<P>
</P><P><font size=+1 face=helvetica arial sans serif>MY SON-IN-LAW IS A LEVY, I have a Brother-In-Law (once removed<SUP>1</SUP>) who is a cohan.
</P><P>(Unlike some places, these two really ARE what their names indicate.)
</P><P>This morning my Son-In-Law, as he usually does, came out on the balcony where I “slap leather”<SUP>2</SUP> to smoke his first <I>roll-your-own</I> of the day.
</P><P>I was at the Psalm of the Day where I read
<DIV ALIGN=CENTER><FONT FACE=ARIAL HELVETICA SIZE=+2>השיר שהיו הלוים אומרים על הדוכן<BR> ביום שלישי בשבת</FONT></DIV>
when it occurred to me “Where would all the coheanim and levi’im of today stay?”</FONT>
</P><P>
</P><P><font SIZE=+1 FACE BOOKMAN OLD STYLE SERIF>HAVING DONE MY TIME with the U.S. Air Force (back when the Wright Bros. were making bicycles), I had this vision of military housing.
</P><P>For the levi’im, probably an open barracks, a la’ basic training. That put about 60 guys in one two-story building.
</P><P>
</P><P><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgci7LarII7F2-ElnyKYHTUbzf_4eifyIHHlK73TRkyeQzU9ll7IVlGp47LSSTHwSV7yCY6gGQrELd5hQkdWXlTnURDqmWDhyF3CCgxTUx81J-cKPESBh2jPW0a38AFNERBdV-PmtBrEC_7/s259/BARRAKS.jpg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0; text-align: center; "><img alt="" border="0" width="600" data-original-height="194" data-original-width="259" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgci7LarII7F2-ElnyKYHTUbzf_4eifyIHHlK73TRkyeQzU9ll7IVlGp47LSSTHwSV7yCY6gGQrELd5hQkdWXlTnURDqmWDhyF3CCgxTUx81J-cKPESBh2jPW0a38AFNERBdV-PmtBrEC_7/s600/BARRAKS.jpg"/></a></div><DIV ALIGN=CENTER><FONT FACE=ARIAL HELVETICA SIZE=-1>U.S. Army barracks (https://tinyurl.com/jry8fm4a)</FONT></DIV>
</P><P>Today, of course, the barracks would have central heat (the Temple is in Jerusalem, after all<SUP>3</SUP>) and air conditioning.
</P><P>
</P><P><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhM89LrxS3aW94JFE0sfYPEqhjEC-RY8DnOQoHDnXjfEfUSN1OWjp7WJVYWoeen42HFRW55dw8jQitxr7yXCo7zR-vGuGycSJlhU5c-QBgwi93tkfTLZbFPMHZV3Lfg21bsgCOaVop_loKf/s545/j-lem+temps.jpg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0; text-align: center; "><img alt="" border="0" width="600" data-original-height="124" data-original-width="545" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhM89LrxS3aW94JFE0sfYPEqhjEC-RY8DnOQoHDnXjfEfUSN1OWjp7WJVYWoeen42HFRW55dw8jQitxr7yXCo7zR-vGuGycSJlhU5c-QBgwi93tkfTLZbFPMHZV3Lfg21bsgCOaVop_loKf/s600/j-lem+temps.jpg"/></a></div><DIV ALIGN=CENTER><FONT FACE=ARIAL HELVETICA SIZE=-1>
</P><P>Chart from Holiday-Weather.com (https://tinyurl.com/7j3fv9t6)</FONT></DIV>
</P><P>Perhaps senior levi’im would have, as I did as “permanent party” at Orlando AFB, two-man rooms with a bathroom shared by the entire barracks of about 26 airmen.
</P><P>Cohanim, like line officers, would have slightly better quarters, equivalent to Bachelor Officers’ Quarters (BOQs); two-man rooms with a shared bathroom between two rooms.
</P><P>Senior cohanim, like staff officers, might have a small apartment, complete with kitchen. After all, who wants to eat with “lesser” beings?
</P><P>The COHAN GADOL of course would have appropriate quarters. That means a single-family residence suitable for Israel’s prime minister; plush, grandiose, gold-plated fixtures.
</P><P>The mess (dining) halls for the “junior” levi’im and cohanim could be open areas, with suitable separation between the classes. Grab a tray and advance down the serving line a’ la cafeteria style.
</P><P>
</P><P><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsdiAgiwLQk0ehNEOLai2gfnn0McOL0_Yj-2NZqdnpHMwhm_2wrrE-N0ZDXhMwpoaEB7VGIE8ogwY6iXZ3L6AK-Rx8jx4Zl6Nj7iJVfpSYruMAVEAazLjUkGLhbxuVYtTG7-jcZqrQsjd6/s600/MESS+HALL.jpg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0; text-align: center; "><img alt="" border="0" width="600" data-original-height="381" data-original-width="600" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsdiAgiwLQk0ehNEOLai2gfnn0McOL0_Yj-2NZqdnpHMwhm_2wrrE-N0ZDXhMwpoaEB7VGIE8ogwY6iXZ3L6AK-Rx8jx4Zl6Nj7iJVfpSYruMAVEAazLjUkGLhbxuVYtTG7-jcZqrQsjd6/s600/MESS+HALL.jpg"/></a></div><DIV ALIGN=CENTER><FONT FACE=ARIAL HELVETICA SIZE=-1>Air Force mess (dining) hall serving line (https://tinyurl.com/2y894fmj)</FONT></DIV>
</P><P>The “senor” levi’im would have their own dining area; likewise ”senior” cohanim.
</P><P>Levi’im would have meals brought to their table (by Israel'im?); levi’im would serve the cohanim.
</P><P>The COHAN GADOL of course will dine in suitable surroundings with a select company. The levi’im will act as waiters.
</P><P>(Who does the cooking and the dishes? Israel’im, of course. We also get the cleaning tasks: clearing tables, mopping floors, washing out trash cans. Been there, done that.)
</P><P>It was interesting to think of my Son-In-Law doing a tour of duty in Jerusalem. Akin to the Israeli army, levi’im and cohanim serve until they are 50 years old (then, rather than retire to a condo on the beach, they hang around as mentors).
</P><P>It’s not as bad as it appears.
</P><P>Similar to most 24-hour operations, the Temple “crews” work by shifts.
</P><P>And, similar to the military, levi’im and Israel’im on KP (kitchen duty) rotate that duty with other jobs — as I did in basic and advanced training.</FONT>
</P><P></P><P>
</P><P>
</P><P><FONT FACE=HELVETICA ARIAL SIZE=+1><b>Notes</B>
</P><P>1. Shlomo actually is my wife’s sister’s husband, ergo “once removed.”
</P><P>2. I am “trapped” in the apartment, being unable to open the building’s heavy door from either a halikon (walker) or kalnoette (mobility scooter).
</P><P>3. Typical Jerusalem temperature range: 8<SUP>o</SUP>C (46<SUP>o</SUP>F) in January to 23<SUP>o</SUP>C (73<SUP>o</SUP>F) in July
</P><P>
</FONT>
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</P><P>
</P><P>
</P><P><font SIZE=-1 FACE=Courier><a href="http://thelawdictionary.org/plagiarism/" title="PLAGIARISM">PLAGIARISM</a> is the act of appropriating the literary composition of another, or parts or passages of his writings, or the ideas or language of the same, and <u>passing them off as the product of one’s own mind</u>.
</P><P><a HREF=”https://www.nolo.com/legal-encyclopedia/privileges-defenses-defamation-cases.html”>Truth is an absolute defense to defamation.</A> Defamation is a false statement of fact. If the statement was accurate, then by definition it wasn’t defamatory.
</P><P>Web sites (URLs) beginning <u>https://tinyurl.com/</U> are generated by the free Tiny URL utility and reduce lengthy URLs to manageable size.
</P><P>
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</P><P><b><a href="mailto:bcplanner@gmail.com?subject=Accommodations">Comment on Accommodations</B></P></FONT>Yohanon Glennhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01429242324621325358noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2660932280213526942.post-74442490855183903742021-06-27T14:47:00.000+02:002021-06-27T14:47:57.352+02:00Opuscula Then and Then<P>
</P><P><font size=+1 face=helvetica arial sans serif>WHEN WE LAST LEFT Parashat Balak, Pinchas was creating shiskabob with an Israelite and a Midianite.
</P><P>Pinchas was upset because the two were “intimate” in “front of Moses and all of the congregation.” They may have had a room, but they — or at least the Israelite — chose to couple in the opening of a tent.
</P><P>(Tomorrow we will learn in the first aliyah that the Israelite was Zemri ben Salu and the woman was Cozbi bat Zur, daughter of a Midianites big shot. Numbers Chap 25, V 14, 15) </FONT>
</P><P><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_ToFbbid4Viufr9KVWcC5rSgqnjV1BiXjBrZM4GD8pl9-Dfw-VwkGC9V9qMWu-PK1FmiAN-wt82bD6n4LVQHgRkuFeaqWbKmvdqtPZHgVgRZDPLSXhw_14A-n2JpODI7xGztZ1jtrdG7m/s557/SHISHKABOB-2.jpg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0; text-align: center; "><img alt="" border="0" width="400" data-original-height="524" data-original-width="557" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_ToFbbid4Viufr9KVWcC5rSgqnjV1BiXjBrZM4GD8pl9-Dfw-VwkGC9V9qMWu-PK1FmiAN-wt82bD6n4LVQHgRkuFeaqWbKmvdqtPZHgVgRZDPLSXhw_14A-n2JpODI7xGztZ1jtrdG7m/s400/SHISHKABOB-2.jpg"/></a></div><DIV ALIGN=CENTER><FONT FACE= BOOKMAN OLD STYLE SERIF SIZE=-1>Pinchas spearing Zemri and Cozbi; artist unknown. (https://tinyurl.com/37zw28xj) </FONT></DIV>
</P><P>
</P><P><DIV ALIGN=CENTER><FONT FACE=ARIAL HELVETICA SIZE=+1>All translations are from the Soncino Classics program.</FONT></DIV>
</P><P>
</P><P><font SIZE=+1 FACE BOOKMAN OLD STYLE SERIF>SEVERAL THOUGHTS come to mind.
</P><P>We know, because the Torah tells us, (Numbers Chap. 25) that HaShem was pleased with Pinchas’ spear work.
</P><P>If, as the Torah tells us, Jews are to have nothing to do with Moabites for all time, how come King David is descended from Ruth, a Moabite?
</P><P><I>Simple. The rabbis declared that while normative Hebrew includes females and males in the same category (e.g., Moabites includes ALL people of Moab), this fails to apply when it comes to Moabite women.</I>
</P><P>That does not compute.
</P><P>Cozbi was very much a Moabite woman and apparently was only one of several (many?) who enticed the Israelite males to worship their god, Ba’al Peyor. (Where were the Israelite women with their wiles? Perhaps foreign fruit always has looked sweeter than the local variety.)
</P><P>OK.
</P><P>First question. Israel already had a court system of sorts. Who gave Pinchas authority to administer capital punishment sans a hearing? Was Pinchas guilty of murder? Justifiable homicide?
</P><P><I>The answer may be found in Numbers Chap. 25, V. 5 where HaShem tells Moses: “Slay you every one his men who were attached to Baal-Peor.”</I>
</P><P>The Torah tells us that HaShem apparently thought Pinchas’ action was justified: “Behold, I give to him my covenant of peace (Numbers, Chap. 26, V. 12)
</P><P>
</P><P><B><H2><FONT FACE=ARIAL HELVETICA SIZE=+2>And then</FONT></H2></B>
</P><P>And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, Harass the Midianites, and strike them (Numbers, Chap. 25, V. 16, 17).
</P><P>In the next verses we have a post-plague census.
</P><P><B>UNLIKE JACOB</b>, Moses did not pack up and run.
</P><P>Jacob (Genesis 34, Chap. 34, V. 30, 21) after Simon and Levi avenged their sister, Dina, for Shechem’s rape told the brothers: You have brought trouble on me to make me odious among the inhabitants of the land, among the Canaanites and the Perizzites; and I being few in number, they shall gather together against me, and slay me; and I shall be destroyed, I and my house. And they (Simon and Levy) said, Should he deal with our sister as with a harlot?
</P><P>HaShem tells Jacob to “get up and go to Beth-El, and live there; and make there an altar to God, who appeared to you when you fled from the face of Esau your brother.” (Genesis 35 V. 1). Jacob did a lot of "fleeing."
</P><P>While not <I>specifically</I> stated, coming as it does immediately after the brother’s revenge, it <I>suggests</I> that Jacob packed up and ran, despite leaving Shalem, a city of Shechem, sans the ability to make war.
</P><P>Granted we were fewer in number then than when Moses was told to “Harass the Midianites, and strike them.”
</P><P>Some rabbis suggest that Shechem actually wanted to marry Dina or that Dina went out looking for “trouble.” The Torah does state: “And Dinah the daughter of Leah, whom she bore to Jacob, went out to see the daughters of the land.” (Genesis 34, V. 1) Why a princess (Jacob’s daughter) would go sans retinue is open to speculation.
</P><P>
</P><P><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLavHPQbeNSPiKFyRkrD6qnRjC0_1jrVzpIkqy1vjZ0WFtp0khw8dZcWKWu49jZJ7iBhONR3lxGYr4yysSNZUvVZKCVsWxp_PN_gbBRKrW3CXTNMSk7_jO9WFc13M-P5_S8nD3v9LnB10f/s1000/Rape-of-Dinah_edited-1.jpg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0; text-align: center; "><img alt="" border="0" width="600" data-original-height="581" data-original-width="1000" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLavHPQbeNSPiKFyRkrD6qnRjC0_1jrVzpIkqy1vjZ0WFtp0khw8dZcWKWu49jZJ7iBhONR3lxGYr4yysSNZUvVZKCVsWxp_PN_gbBRKrW3CXTNMSk7_jO9WFc13M-P5_S8nD3v9LnB10f/s600/Rape-of-Dinah_edited-1.jpg"/></a></div><DIV ALIGN=CENTER><FONT FACE=ARIAL HELVETICA SIZE=-1>
</P><P>The abduction of Dinah by James Tissot (https://www.jamestissot.org/)</FONT></DIV>
</P><P>
</P><P><B><H2><FONT FACE=ARIAL HELVETICA SIZE=+2>Different views</FONT></H2></B>
</P><P>Some rabbis question Pinchas’ actions. Was it <I>really</I> praiseworthy?
</P><P>What was Pinchas’ authority to skewer Zimri and Cozbi? Numbers Chap. 25, V. 5, although addressed to Moses, seems to provide justification for Pinchas’ action. Zemri, laying<SUP>cq</SUP> with Cozbi, suggests that he was following her ba’al of Peyor.
</P><P>
</P><P>As far as Moabites go, the rabbis quickly changed Hebrew grammar to welcome Ruth.
</P><P>Today King David’s antecedent would <b>not</B> be accepted by most “Orthodox” rabbis and certainly not by the rabbinical establishment in Israel. Saying “Your people will be my people,” doesn’t cut it.
</P><P>A potential convert today faces a lengthy process, including lessons that go well beyond what Rambam claims is necessary.<SUP>1</SUP> Hillel’s famous conversion of a Roman<sup>2</sup> — do <B>not</B> do unto others what is hateful to you … — most assuredly would be rejected, and Hillel was head of the Sanhedrin!
</P><P><I>(Why did Hillel present the negative, “Do NOT do…”? Because it is easier NOT to do something than to do something; Hillel understood human nature then and now.)</I>
</P><P>Some others <I>might</I> suggest that the rabbis are making a business of conversions; this scrivener, of course, would <I>never</I> suggest anything of the kind.
</P><P>
</P><P>
</P><P>
</P><P>
</P><P>
</P><P>
</P><P></FONT>
</P><P>
</P><P><hr width="60%" SHADE=4 COLOR=red SIZE=6><!Not for Yohanon>
</P><P>
</P><P><FONT FACE=HELVETICA ARIAL SIZE=+1><b>Sources</B>
</P><P>1. the Shulchan Arukh (YD 268:2) rules that someone who wants to convert to Judaism can be taught some of the basic mitzvot. The language there is borrowed directly from the Rambam in his Mishneh Torah (Isurei Biah 14). It seems from the language of the Rambam that the convert should not be taught in great detail, but should be generally informed about the laws: <i>And they inform him of some of the lenient commandments, and some of the stringent commandments. And they do not dwell at length on this.</I> (https://tinyurl.com/twnfcktt)
</P><P>2. One famous account in the Talmud (Shabbat 31a) tells about a gentile who wanted to convert to Judaism. This individual stated that he would accept Judaism only if a rabbi would teach him the entire Torah while he, the prospective convert, stood on one foot. The man went to Hillel. who told him : "What is hateful to you, do not do to your neighbor. That is the whole Torah; the rest is the explanation of this—go and study it!" (https://tinyurl.com/f3nrmje9)</FONT>
</P><P>
</P><P>
</P><P><font SIZE=-1 FACE=Courier><a href="http://thelawdictionary.org/plagiarism/" title="PLAGIARISM">PLAGIARISM</a> is the act of appropriating the literary composition of another, or parts or passages of his writings, or the ideas or language of the same, and <u>passing them off as the product of one’s own mind</u>.
</P><P><a HREF=”https://www.nolo.com/legal-encyclopedia/privileges-defenses-defamation-cases.html”>Truth is an absolute defense to defamation.</A> Defamation is a false statement of fact. If the statement was accurate, then by definition it wasn’t defamatory.
</P><P>
</P><P>Web sites (URLs) beginning <u>https://tinyurl.com/</U> are generated by the free Tiny URL utility and reduce lengthy URLs to manageable size.
</P><P>
</P><P>
</P><P>
</P><P><b><a href="mailto:yohanon.glenn@gmail.com?subject=Then">Comment on Then</a></B></P></FONT>
Yohanon Glennhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01429242324621325358noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2660932280213526942.post-67159890290151776742021-06-18T11:02:00.001+02:002021-06-18T14:47:08.039+02:00Opuscula Build third Temple? Not in my lifetime<P>
</P><P><font size=+1 face=helvetica arial sans serif>I MAY BE A LOUSY JEW, but I really don’t want a Third Temple.</FONT>
</P><P>
</P><P><font SIZE=+1 FACE BOOKMAN OLD STYLE SERIF>I HAVE SEVERAL REASONS why I don’t want to see the Temple rebuilt.
</P><P>This has nothing to do with politics or squatters on the Temple mount.
</P><P>
</P><P><B><H2><FONT FACE=ARIAL HELVETICA SIZE=+2>Sacrifices</FONT></H2></B>
</P><P>Let’s be honest.
</P><P>The first and second iterations of the Temple were abattoirs.
</P><P>About the only living thing sacrificed today are chickens and roosters (kaparot), and even that has, for most but the haredim, been replaced by donations of money in the value of the fowl (or more if the person has the financial capability and desire).
</P><P>Animal sacrifice still is practiced around the world, but with the exception of Yom Kippor fowl, not by Jews.
</P><P><I>The landmark decision by the Supreme Court of the United States in the case of the Church of Lukumi Babalu Aye v. City of Hialeah (FL) in 1993 upheld the right of Santería adherents to practice ritual animal sacrifice in the United States of America. Likewise in Texas in 2009, legal and religious issues that related to animal sacrifice, animal rights and freedom of religion were taken to the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in the case of Jose Merced, President Templo Yoruba Omo Orisha Texas, Inc., v. City of Euless. The court ruling that the Merced case of the freedom of exercise of religion was meritorious and prevailing and that Merced was entitled under the Texas Religious Freedom and Restoration Act (TRFRA) to an injunction preventing the city of Euless, Texas from enforcing its ordinances that burdened his religious practices relating to the use of animals.</I> (https://tinyurl.com/yb97yd3t)
</P><P>
</P><P><B>No Temple, no sacrifice</B>
</P><P>The Temple in Jerusalem was <I>supposed to be</I> the <b>only</B> place for sacrifices. In truth, sacrifices were offered in other places.
</P><P>In Deuteronomy 12,13-14 , we only were permitted to offer sacrifices in the place that God has chosen for that purpose. (https://tinyurl.com/yebjtney)
</P><P><I>The Jewish Temple at Elephantine (destroyed in the 4th century BCE), and the Temple at Leontopolis was the only Jewish sanctuary outside of Jerusalem where sacrifices were offered. Aside from a somewhat uncertain allusion of the Hellenist Artapanus, only Josephus gives information about this temple.</I> (https://tinyurl.com/yvw2a4a9)
</P><P>In my Moroccan sidur's morning service, after reminding HaShem that although we were ordered to bring sacrifices, sans the Temple, Cohanim, Levi'im, or even Israels to perform the rites, we are told that (לכן יהי רצון מלפניך) if it is Your will, accept the words of our mouths in lieu of the sacrifices. <I>The Hebrew is better.</I> (סידר אבותינו ע"מ 119)
</P><P>
</P><P><B><H2><FONT FACE=ARIAL HELVETICA SIZE=+2>Why sacrifices, anyway?</FONT></H2></B>
</P><P>I find I am in agreement with Moses Ben Maimon.
</P><P><I>In his <B>Guide for the Perplexed</B> (3:30, 3:32), Maimonides explains that the Torah’s main objective is to eradicate the viewpoint of paganism.
</P><P>Thus, to truly understand the Torah’s original intent, one must be familiar with the philosophies and practices of ancient idolaters (in Maimonidean terms, this refers to practitioners of non-monotheistic religions).
</P><P>Taking this idea a step further, Maimonides seemingly assumes that <B>ritual sacrifices are a sub-optimal form of worship,</B> leading him to make the bold statement that the Torah instituted its system of ritual sacrifices to facilitate the rejection of idolatrous practices.
</P><P>He explains that human nature is that whatever people have accustomed themselves to doing becomes so ingrained in their nature that it cannot be easily uprooted. Man cannot successfully transition from one extreme to the other without some time to acclimate. Thus, God did not simply command the Jews to reject idolatry by completely forbidding its classical practices — animal sacrifices, prostration, and burning incense — because these practices were so much a part of human culture at the time that the Jews would not been able to give them up. </I> (https://tinyurl.com/ytcs3au7)
</P><P>Rambam elsewhere writes about teaching children.
</P><P>Maimonides (1135-1204), advises motivating a child by promising, "read, and I will give you a nut or a fig."
</P><P>The point this scrivener took away was that parents and teachers should consider the mental age of the students. Very young children may be rewarded with a small gift. As the child gets older he reward changes.
</P><P>This scrivener sees Judaism as a young child when we left Egypt, as a teenager in Israel (ergo the two Temples destroyed due to our misbehavior — read on), and today as adults, although admittedly even as adults some of us sometimes act stupidly.
</P><P>In other words, as children, we were so influenced by our environment that we knew no other way.
</P><P>We whined in the wilderness every time something didn’t go our way. No meat, no water, Egyptians at our back. Also no confidence in HaShem.
</P><P>Later, having survived the destruction of not one but BOTH Temples in Jerusalem, we were akin to young adults. We didn’t need to offer sacrifices and the rabbis told us that HaShem wanted other things from us, e.g., prayer, respect for others.
</P><P>
</P><P><B><H2><FONT FACE=ARIAL HELVETICA SIZE=+2>Do we NEED sacrifices?</FONT></H2></B>
</P><P>We, Jews, have survived thousands of years sans sacrificial animals.
</P><P>Is there any reason to bring back sacrifices (assuming a third Temple rises on the mount).
</P><P>Who could offer the sacrifices, anyway. Are there any cohanim that qualify? (True, there supposedly is a DNA test to identify who is a cohan, but there are other qualifications.)
</P><P>Who would be the <B>Cohan Gadol</B>, the person in charge? Back in the day, we were one people. Today, we still are one people, but divided by minhagim (Ashkinazi — and WHICH Ashknazi?), Sefardi (same question: WHICH Sefardi?); how “orthodox,” what sex?
</P><P>Even “back in the day,” there were legitimate cohanim and usurpers.
</P><P>Never mind Jordan’s Waqf and its control of Judaism’s holiest site. Bringing down the mosque that sits on the mount would start a war, a war Israel would lose in the media. (Never mind history; people don’t care about anything more than hour old.)
</P><P>We have prayer.
</P><P>Actually, we have a variety of prayers, all of which are, according to some rabbis, in lieu of sacrifices. (Does HaShem CARE who utters the prayer or what language the prayer is offered? This scrivener is not qualified to speculate.)
</P><P>
</P><P><B>Not in my lifetime</B>
</P><P>I know there are those who honestly want to build a third Temple. Some already are creating furniture and vessels for use in a third Temple.
</P><P>Not to be too facetious, but will a third Temple be environmentally sound? Solar powered air conditioning? Times HAVE changed since Solomon had the first Temple constructed.
</P><P>If we complained about lack of meat as we wandered about in the wilderness, imagine how Jews will complain if the Temple lacks air conditioning and heating.
</P><P>Will the government allow currency exchange near the Temple. The Christians made a big deal out of money changers in the Temple <I>court</I>, obviously not realizing, <b>or caring why</B> the money changers were there.
</P><P><I>For anyone who wants to know, people came from all over the known world to offer sacrifices — non-Jews, too. It was impossible to bring an animal over a long distance, so the person coming to the Temple brought cash to buy a local animal. The money changers were providing a service, converting foreign currency into locally accepted currency. Today, that is a bank’s profit center. Would the banks fight over a concession at a third Temple? Interesting to speculate.)</I>
</P><P>I don’t want to see all the ramifications that a third Temple would bring down on us.
</P><P>
</P><P><B><H2><FONT FACE=ARIAL HELVETICA SIZE=+2>Lessons ignored</FONT></H2></B>
</P><P>We still have not learned lessons from former Temples.
</P><P><I>Why was the first Temple destroyed?
</P><P>Because of three things that prevailed there: idolatry, sexual immorality, and murder.
</P><P>Why was the second Temple destroyed?
</P><P>Because hatred without cause prevailed.
</P><P>That teaches that groundless hatred is considered as serious as the three sins of idolatry, sexual immorality, and murder together.</I> (https://tinyurl.com/2kdd2dsn)
</P><P>I fear that a third Temple would put us back in the same condition that existed in the time of the second Temple.</FONT>
</P><P>
</P><P>
</P><P>
</P><P>
</P><P><font SIZE=-1 FACE=Courier><a href="http://thelawdictionary.org/plagiarism/" title="PLAGIARISM">PLAGIARISM</a> is the act of appropriating the literary composition of another, or parts or passages of his writings, or the ideas or language of the same, and <u>passing them off as the product of one’s own mind</u>.
</P><P><a HREF=”https://www.nolo.com/legal-encyclopedia/privileges-defenses-defamation-cases.html”>Truth is an absolute defense to defamation.</A> Defamation is a false statement of fact. If the statement was accurate, then by definition it wasn’t defamatory.
</P><P>
</P><P>Web sites (URLs) beginning <u>https://tinyurl.com/</U> are generated by the free Tiny URL utility and reduce lengthy URLs to manageable size.
</P><P>
</P><P>
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</P><P><b><a href="mailto:yohanon.glenn@gmail.com?subject=Third Temple">Comment on Third Temple</a></B></P></FONT>Yohanon Glennhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01429242324621325358noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2660932280213526942.post-66674378150108810532021-06-16T10:32:00.000+02:002021-06-16T10:32:12.207+02:00Opuscula Vanity put aside Could have Avoided election<P>
</P><P><font size=+1 face=helvetica arial sans serif>Like or hate Israel’s new government, blame it on one person’s vanity.
</P><P></FONT>
</P><P>
</P><P><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8q79jKotO4oSFn5Pp-mLr40bgaxHVUnVzrz_o5R_yt7fAxr2l3oywgr45OE_JTASjj4JeKl3AQ4l9buVI3hDET5_qdjARJTXNlbC71hdh2ZhG5n_E6xYJR1R57gfIAUKQJMGIilA1RIz0/s95/crown.jpg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0; text-align: center; clear: right; float: right;"><img alt="" border="0" height="200" data-original-height="95" data-original-width="90" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8q79jKotO4oSFn5Pp-mLr40bgaxHVUnVzrz_o5R_yt7fAxr2l3oywgr45OE_JTASjj4JeKl3AQ4l9buVI3hDET5_qdjARJTXNlbC71hdh2ZhG5n_E6xYJR1R57gfIAUKQJMGIilA1RIz0/s200/crown.jpg"/></a></div> <font SIZE=+1 FACE BOOKMAN OLD STYLE SERIF>Had former prime minister (PM) Benjamin Netanyahu given up the PM post and retired to the life of an elder statesman, the right wing parties would have joined Likud — Netanyahu’s party — to form a viable coalition. Some leaders of these parties might even have returned to the Likud fold.
</P><P>But Netanyahu apparently wanted to be <I>King Bibi</I> and rule for life.
</P><P>
</P><P><B><H2><FONT FACE=ARIAL HELVETICA SIZE=+2>Leaders make friends, enemies</FONT></H2></B>
</P><P>Netanyahu had been PM for more than a dozen years.
</P><P>Over that time, all leaders form friendships of convenience and at the same time find the number of foes increasing.
</P><P>In Netanyahu’s case, the foes outnumbered the friends. Many, former members of the Likud, left the party to form new parties. The new parties had similar political philosophies, <I>but</I> they were “Netanyahu free.”
</P><P><I>This is not a new phenomenon. Netanyahu drove former PM Yitzhak Shamir from the Likud. Shamir then formed a new party. (See Yitzhak Shamir mini-biography, below)</I>
</P><P>Finance Minister Israel Katz told activists for the ruling Likud that in an attempt to prevent the party’s fall from power, he had suggested that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu step aside temporarily to enable the formation of a right-wing government. (https://tinyurl.com/yxzelhg6)
</P><P>Netanyahu refused, even though Katz (illegally ?) promised that Netanyahu could continue to reside in the PM’s residence while he “vacationed” for a year.
</P><P>
</P><P><B><H2><FONT FACE=ARIAL HELVETICA SIZE=+2>Unlikely bedfellows</FONT></H2></B>
</P><P>Because Netanyahu refused to accept the reality that, after three elections he still was unable to form a stable right-wing government, other politicians, notably Yamina's Naftali Bennett (right-wing) and Yesh Atid's Yair Lapid (centrist) cobbled together a coalition of parties whose main goal was Netanyahu’s removal as PM.
</P><P>Politically, the coalition members run the gamut from far left to moderate right. The haredi parties representing Shas (headed by a convicted criminal) and United Torah refused to participate in a national unity government that included the Muslim’s Ra’am party and leftist parties they consider anti-haredi.
</P><P><B>Meanwhile,</B> Netanyahu and his minions are behaving like the sore losers they are, like spoiled toddlers who failed to get what they want the instant they want it.
</P><P>Netanyahu repeatedly promises — or threatens, depending on the point of view — to being down the current government, and his sycophants either try to shout down the new PM (Bennett) and his coalition members or, like petulant children, walk out of the Knesset. Either way, they cannot do the business of the state, the job their parties — not the individuals — were elected to perform.
</P><P>
</P><P><B><H2><FONT FACE=ARIAL HELVETICA SIZE=+2>A better man</FONT></H2></B>
</P><P>Netanyahu had an admirable record, some of which he actually deserved. (He claimed he created the Abraham Accords, for example. The accords that attempt to “normalize” relations between Israel and Muslim countries were conceived and implemented by U.S. President Donald Trump using U.S. assets as a carrot to encourage Muslims to recognize Israel as a country with a right to exist.)
</P><P>Unfortunately, his forced exit from power and his behavior will be remembered long after anything positive he may have honestly accomplished.
</P><P>Had Netanyahu done what previous “retired” PMs had done, his positive reputation would remain intact.
</P><P>Many of Netanyahu’s predecessors as PM knew when to step aside. The following are excerpts from Wikipedia biographies.
</P><P><B>David Ben-Gurion</B> retired from politics in 1970 and spent his last years living in a modest home on the kibbutz, working on an 11-volume history of Israel's early years. In 1971, he visited Israeli positions along the Suez Canal during the War of Attrition. (https://tinyurl.com/gtkoro9)
</P><P><B>Moshe Sharett</B> during his retirement he became chairman of Am Oved publishing house, Chairman of Beit Berl College, and Chairman of the World Zionist Organization and the Jewish Agency. (https://tinyurl.com/yfpx8l4j)
</P><P><B>Levi Eshkol</B> and <B>Yigal Allon</B> died
</P><P><B>Golda Meir</B> resigned on April 11, 1974. She believed that was the "will of the people" and that she had served enough time as premier. She believed the government needed to form a coalition. She said, "Five years are sufficient ... It is beyond my strength to continue carrying this burden.” (https://tinyurl.com/nlmgqsp)
</P><P><B>Yitzhak Rabin</b> was assassinated by Yigal Amir, a right-wing extremist who opposed the signing of the Oslo Accords. (https://tinyurl.com/mrwvu7d)
</P><P><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuH_yoCipe3a5WKH6znnJmG7mF2Lm49ZHMg64FkJ1jhS2834CvJOQNjPJm4xAi1dEJBmu7BoXediAsk74r3PfbTWPKnT1trss39qvAZ_lV91-RevTgM_SQIkHO_lXfZTruy8AFPlOLdEKY/s128/begin.jpg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0; text-align: center; clear: right; float: right;"><img alt="" border="0" height="200" data-original-height="128" data-original-width="96" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuH_yoCipe3a5WKH6znnJmG7mF2Lm49ZHMg64FkJ1jhS2834CvJOQNjPJm4xAi1dEJBmu7BoXediAsk74r3PfbTWPKnT1trss39qvAZ_lV91-RevTgM_SQIkHO_lXfZTruy8AFPlOLdEKY/s200/begin.jpg"/></a></div>
<B>Menachem Begin</B> (right) retired to an apartment overlooking the Jerusalem Forest and spent the rest of his life in seclusion. He would rarely leave his apartment, and then usually to visit his wife's grave-site to say the traditional Kaddish prayer for the departed. His seclusion was watched over by his children and his lifetime personal secretary Yechiel Kadishai, who monitored all official requests for meetings. Begin would meet almost no one other than close friends or family. (https://tinyurl.com/kb86yg2)
</P><P><B>Yitzhak Shamir</B> was defeated by Yitzhak Rabin in the 1992 election. He stepped down from the Likud leadership in March 1993, but remained a member of the Knesset until the 1996 election. For some time, <I>Shamir was a critic of his Likud successor, Benjamin Netanyahu, as being too indecisive in dealing with the Arabs. Shamir went so far as to resign from the Likud in 1998 and endorse Herut, a right-wing splinter movement led by Benny Begin, which later joined the National Union during the 1999 election.</I> After Netanyahu was defeated, Shamir returned to the Likud fold and supported Ariel Sharon in the 2001 election. Subsequently, in his late eighties, Shamir ceased making public comments. Shamir's health declined, with the progression of his Alzheimer's disease, and he was moved to a nursing home. The government turned down a request by the family to finance his stay at the facility. (https://tinyurl.com/cxaooso)
</P><P><B>Shimon Peres</B> was elected President of the State of Israel by the Knesset. 58 of 120 members of the Knesset voted for him in the first round (whereas 38 voted for Reuven Rivlin, and 21 for Colette Avital). His opponents then backed Peres in the second round and 86 members of the Knesset voted in his favor, while 23 objected. He resigned from his role as a Member of the Knesset the same day, having been a member since November 1959 (except for a three-month period in early 2006), the longest serving in Israeli political history. Peres was sworn in as president on 15 July 2007. (https://tinyurl.com/znmgjer)
</P><P><B>Ehud Barak</B> After serving as PM he was sentenced to serve a prison term over convictions for accepting bribes and for obstruction of justice during his terms as mayor of Jerusalem and as trade minister. In an interview with HaAretz Barak said he currently earns more than a $1 million a year, and that from 2001 to 2007, he also earned more than a $1 million every year, from giving lectures and from consulting for hedge funds. Barak also said he made millions of dollars more from his investments in Israeli real estate properties.
</P><P>In the interview, Barak was asked whether he is a lobbyist who earns a living from "opening doors". Barak confirmed that he has been received by these heads of state but denied earning money from opening doors for international business deals for Israeli and foreign corporations, and said he does not see any ethical or moral problems in his business activities. He further said there is no logic to demand of him, after "the natural process in democracy has ended" to not utilize the tools he accumulated in his career to secure his financial future. When asked if his financial worth is $10–15 million, Barak said "I'm not far from there." (https://tinyurl.com/c82j4oy)
</P><P><B>Ariel Sharon</b> was hospitalized on 18 December 2005, after suffering a minor ischemic stroke. During his hospital stay, doctors discovered a heart defect requiring surgery and ordered bed rest pending a cardiac catheterization scheduled for 5 January 2006. Instead, Sharon immediately returned to work and suffered a hemorrhagic stroke on 4 January, the day before surgery. After spending eight years in a coma, Sharon died at 14:00 local time (12:00 UTC) on 11 January 2014. (https://tinyurl.com/yf3dwomv)
</P><P><B>Ehud Olmert</B> in 2009, he spoke at various colleges throughout the United States to mixed receptions. In October 2009, he visited Magnolia, Arkansas, and spoke about Israeli farming, technology and Israel's view on Iran. The speech was given at Southern Arkansas University, where he also invited the rural university to form a partnership with Israel's Hebrew University of Jerusalem. (https://tinyurl.com/yhtwwv69)
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</P><P><B><H2><FONT FACE=ARIAL HELVETICA SIZE=+2>Term limits</FONT></H2></B>
</P><P>A Hebrew video clip from nearly two decades ago of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu calling for term limits spread like wildfire on Wednesday, reminding the public of the earlier views of the fourth-term leader.
</P><P>“I have an answer for you that is inscribed in stone,” Netanyahu told tv’s Dan Shilon in 1977. “When I was one of initiators and backers of the Direct Election Law, I asked to add a clause that a prime minister cannot serve more than two terms.”
</P><P>The Direct Election Law, which allowed the public to choose a prime minister on a separate ballot from their Knesset vote, was repealed in 2001. Netanyahu explained his support for term limits for a prime minister. (https://tinyurl.com/yh8hx52b)
</P><P>Once crowned PM, the proposal to limit a PM’s term of office quickly “disappeared” from Netanyahu’s vocabulary.
</P><P><I>According to a New York Times article (https://tinyurl.com/ygwvb8fb), the first two prime ministers elected directly, Benjamin Netanyahu in 1996 and Ehud Barak in 1999, both resigned early, after losing support among the many parties that found their influence had increased in Parliament.
</P><P>Today's vote came just hours before Prime Minister Ariel Sharon's new government was sworn into office this evening, and was supported by the Likud and Labor parties -- the right and left mainstays of his new unity coalition.</I></FONT>
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</P><P><font SIZE=-1 FACE=Courier><a href="http://thelawdictionary.org/plagiarism/" title="PLAGIARISM">PLAGIARISM</a> is the act of appropriating the literary composition of another, or parts or passages of his writings, or the ideas or language of the same, and <u>passing them off as the product of one’s own mind</u>.
</P><P><a HREF=”https://www.nolo.com/legal-encyclopedia/privileges-defenses-defamation-cases.html”>Truth is an absolute defense to defamation.</A> Defamation is a false statement of fact. If the statement was accurate, then by definition it wasn’t defamatory.
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</P><P>Web sites (URLs) beginning <u>https://tinyurl.com/</U> are generated by the free Tiny URL utility and reduce lengthy URLs to manageable size.
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</P><P><b><a href="mailto:yohanon.glenn@gmail.com?subject=Vanity">Comment on Vanity</a></B></P></FONT>Yohanon Glennhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01429242324621325358noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2660932280213526942.post-71296611412897944282021-06-15T17:03:00.001+02:002021-06-15T17:58:44.992+02:00Flag march in Jerusalem One coin, Two sides>
</P><P><font size=+1 face=helvetica arial sans serif>THERE IS ABOUT to be a “flag march” in Jerusalem, Israel’s capital.
</P><P>Part of the march is to pass through a pro-”Palestine” neighborhood.
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</P><P><font SIZE=+1 FACE BOOKMAN OLD STYLE SERIF>TWO THOUGHTS:
</P><P>1. Is it <B>really</B> necessary to march through neighborhoods populated by people who really don’t like Israel. (Israel “inherited” them following Jordan’s last [of several] failed attack on Israel.)
</P><P>2. If the residents of these neighborhoods hate Israel so much and since they claim to be “Palestinians,” let them relocate to areas controlled by the PLO/PFLP or Hamas . . . or to ANY country; Israel has no barriers to their emigrating from a country they hate.
</P><P>Surely Israel could arrange some compensation for any Muslims who want to emigrate. That’s more than the Islamic states did for the Jews who forcefully or otherwise had to flee Muslim controlled countries, countries where generations had lived more of less peacefully for centuries.
</P><P><I>That’s also more than the U.S. governments did for the native Americans whose land they stole and then force-marched them to a promised land that they were later prevented from accessing.</I>
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</P><P><B><H2><FONT FACE=ARIAL HELVETICA SIZE=+2>Go where Jews cannot</FONT></H2></B>
</P><P>While a Muslim can legally live anywhere in Israel, a Jew — and possibly a non-Muslim of any religion — can not legally live in areas controlled by the PLO/PFLP or Hamas; a Muslim who sells land to a non-Muslim can be executed for the sale; the non-Muslim is taking life in his own hands <I>just by entering</I> the area.
</P><P>The anti-Israel Muslims living in Jerusalem have been there for several generations. They are usurpers given Jewish homes by Jordan. (Was this not illegal under international law? Rhetorical question.)
</P><P>According to Wikipedia (https://tinyurl.com/5cs592t8), “<I>All Jewish inhabitants from the parts of city ruled by Jordan, including residents of Old City Jewish Quarter were expelled. </I>” Muslims then moved into homes formerly occupied by Jews.
</P><P><B>As an aside</B> After Jordan’s last aborted attempt to conquer Israel, an agreement supposedly was made with the families of the building’s Jewish owners that allowed the Muslim “squatters” to remain as renters. Rent rarely or never was paid, and the descendants of the Jewish owners took the squatters to court. The court ruled in favor of the Jewish owners and ordered eviction of the squatters. That angered the squatters and their “Palestinian” supporters who promptly rioted.
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</P><P><B><H2><FONT FACE=ARIAL HELVETICA SIZE=+2>What would you do?</FONT></H2></B>
</P><P>If a person in your country on a visa or as a permanent resident — the Muslim Israel-haters in Jerusalem are permanent residents, <B>not</B> citizens — works to overthrow your country, who cares not a fig for your democracy all the while enjoying its benefits, <B>what would you want your country to do</B>
</P><P>Simple question .
</P><P>If you love your country, you might suggest “<B>Expel them</B>”
</P><P>If you happen to be a socialist in the mold of Franklin Delano Roosevelt, you might <B>put them into prison camps</B> as he did with Japanese-Americans (they looked different) and a few Germans and Italians who were too blatantly pro axis.
</P><P>What does Israel do?
</P><P>Essentially nothing.
</P><P><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYXw8cSb7tu_20Ps8BM0fNRIjBQpIcFmbP29Vyem5LewJ-udEdIzUdBKXE1U3WMsUiSnEr_x1_IANNUof355JVDnOPPlsJ0mpxUgRuTmyskrOn9WdR5H1MQaLAfSSv1BzrZu4qia-O1FxZ/s293/Jos+McCarthy.jpg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0; text-align: center; clear: right; float: right;"><img alt="" border="0" height="320" data-original-height="293" data-original-width="220" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYXw8cSb7tu_20Ps8BM0fNRIjBQpIcFmbP29Vyem5LewJ-udEdIzUdBKXE1U3WMsUiSnEr_x1_IANNUof355JVDnOPPlsJ0mpxUgRuTmyskrOn9WdR5H1MQaLAfSSv1BzrZu4qia-O1FxZ/s320/Jos+McCarthy.jpg"/></a></div>Israel even has declared Israel haters in its parliament (Knesset)! If you are old enough, try to imagine Joe McCarty’s reaction to Communists in congress. (https://tinyurl.com/2v2eesyn)
</P><P><I>It would be amusing to hear the late senator’s thoughts on the libertines currently sitting in the U.S. congress. Old Joe (right) might have a field day with the “progressives” led by self-admitted Socialist Sen. Bernie Sanders. A list of members of the Congressional Progressive Caucus (CPC) is available at https://tinyurl.com/2fj7p8c8 if anyone is interested. This scrivener suspects even the late Sen. Hubert H. Humphrey would be embarrassed by the CPC’s antics.</I>
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</P><P><B><H2><FONT FACE=ARIAL HELVETICA SIZE=+2>Palestine as a state</FONT></H2></B>
</P><P>In 1948: The Jordanians conquer the West Bank and make it part of Jordan, granting all the Arabs Jordanian citizenship. They do not establish a Palestinian state.
</P><P>The Egyptians conquer the Gaza Strip but also fail to establish a Palestinian state (https://tinyurl.com/5yptk62b)
</P><P>Before the Six Day War in 1967, when Jordan controlled the West Bank and Egypt ruled in Gaza, there was never any suggestion on the part of the "Palestinians" that they wanted independence in their ancestral homeland. The reason was that the "Palestinian" nation hadn't been invented yet. (https://tinyurl.com/2r45jzvd)
</P><P>The founder of the Israeli Arab Balad Party, Mr. Azmi Bishara noted that there is no Palestinian nation. (https://tinyurl.com/cndxxx5u)
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</P><P><B><H2><FONT FACE=ARIAL HELVETICA SIZE=+2>They just won't leave</FONT></H2></B>
</P><P>It is unfortunate that the U.S. leftists that promised to leave the Several States if Donald Trump won in 2016 reniged on their promise.
</P><P>As the "Palestinian" squatters in Jerusalem, if you don't like the country that provides you with a wealth of benefits, LEAVE.
</P><P> "Palestiian" squatters can relocate to PLO/PFLP or Hamas areas; people cross the borders on a daily basis.
</P><P>I'm reasonably certain Israel would give these permanent residents — not citizens — travel documents to exit Israel. What countries will let them in?
</P><P>Jordan and Lebanon have too many "Palestinians" trying to bring down the governments.
</P><P>According to Wikipedia, on several occasions "Palestinians" admitted "Palestine" never was a country and in deeds, they felt they were part of "southern Syria."
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</P><P><font SIZE=-1 FACE=Courier><a href="http://thelawdictionary.org/plagiarism/" title="PLAGIARISM">PLAGIARISM</a> is the act of appropriating the literary composition of another, or parts or passages of his writings, or the ideas or language of the same, and <u>passing them off as the product of one’s own mind</u>.
</P><P><a HREF=”https://www.nolo.com/legal-encyclopedia/privileges-defenses-defamation-cases.html”>Truth is an absolute defense to defamation.</A> Defamation is a false statement of fact. If the statement was accurate, then by definition it wasn’t defamatory.
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</P><P>Web sites (URLs) beginning <u>https://tinyurl.com/</U> are generated by the free Tiny URL utility and reduce lengthy URLs to manageable size.
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</P><P><b><a href="mailto:yohanon.glenn@gmail.com?subject=One coin, two sides">Comment on One coin, two sides</a></B></P></FONT>Yohanon Glennhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01429242324621325358noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2660932280213526942.post-42706716078940948932021-06-08T10:47:00.002+02:002021-06-08T10:56:29.930+02:00Opuscula Self-defense: If not for myself, Who will be?<P>
</P><P><font size=+1 face=helvetica arial sans serif>KAMAU BOBB, GOOGLE'S FORMER GLOBAL LEAD FOR DIVERSITY STRATEGY AND RESEARCH wrote in a now-deleted 2007 blog post that if he were Jewish, he “would be concerned about my insatiable appetite for war and <b>killing in defense of myself,</b>” and referred to Jews’ “increasing insensitivity to the suffering (of) others.” (https://tinyurl.com/vfs3cs )
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</P><P><font SIZE=+1 FACE BOOKMAN OLD STYLE SERIF>FORTUNATELY Google removed Bobb from his diversity position after complaints started to embarrass the company.
</P><P>I will <I>assume</I> — always a foolish thing to do — that Bobb originated on the Indian sub-continent.
</P><P>His “killing in defense of myself” smacks of Gandhi.
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</P><P><B><H2><FONT FACE=ARIAL HELVETICA SIZE=+2>Gandhi and the nazis</FONT></H2></B>
</P><P>Gandhi said: <I>“Hitler killed five million [sic] Jews. It is the greatest crime of our time. But the Jews should have offered themselves to the butcher’s knife. They should have thrown themselves into the sea from cliffs.....It would have aroused the world and the people of Germany.... As it is they succumbed anyway in their millions.”</I> Mahatma Gandhi, June 1946, in an interview with his biographer Louis Fischer. (https://tinyurl.com/3zuw69da)
</P><P><font size=+1 face=helvetica arial sans serif>Unfortunately, Gandhi was wrong; the world was not “aroused” as the nazis slaughtered Jews, Roma, Communists, mentally and physically disabled and anyone else the nazis determined less than human.</FONT>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhm7IEXxPfTaF6dzDDZ9hAOK4He15fN5ZcESAEmCUzJUxkbIunvgd4IiNTZ2YTUdu-BA6hriPbU4zyyzAkf0kVxeF_u9DYuGbA9FnhcSCD_YduRJc1W5ZwtE87q_61TNQUbf6xyuZJaFsi-/s1000/Gandhi-Hitler.jpg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0; text-align: center; "><img alt="" border="0" width="400" data-original-height="742" data-original-width="1000" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhm7IEXxPfTaF6dzDDZ9hAOK4He15fN5ZcESAEmCUzJUxkbIunvgd4IiNTZ2YTUdu-BA6hriPbU4zyyzAkf0kVxeF_u9DYuGbA9FnhcSCD_YduRJc1W5ZwtE87q_61TNQUbf6xyuZJaFsi-/s400/Gandhi-Hitler.jpg"/></a></div><DIV ALIGN=CENTER><FONT FACE=ARIAL HELVETICA SIZE=-1>Gandhi and Hitler (https://tinyurl.com/vx6sy6ps)</FONT></DIV>
</P><P>Gandhi also is quoted writing to the English during the war: <I>“This manslaughter must be stopped. You are losing; if you persist, it will only result in greater bloodshed. Hitler is not a bad man.” </I> (https://tinyurl.com/4pr9uvaf)
</P><P><font size=+1 face=helvetica arial sans serif>Gandhi was wrong — again. Hitler most assuredly <I>was</I> a “bad man.”</FONT>
</P><P>Did anyone ever prevail by <B>NOT</B> defending himself against murderers?
</P><P>
</P><P><b><font face=Comic Sans MS size=+1>"If I am not for myself, who will be for me? And being only for myself, what am 'I'? And if not now, when?<SUP>1</SUP></FONT></B>
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</P><P><B><H2><FONT FACE=ARIAL HELVETICA SIZE=+2>Had we not defended ourselves</FONT></H2></B>
</P><P>Had Jews not defended themselves in our homeland,
</P><P>✡. We would not HAVE a homeland
</P><P>✡ We would not NEED a homeland since we would be dead at the hands of our “neighbors.”
</P><P><b>A little history</B>
</P><P>1920: Jerusalem and Passover Six Jews were killed and some 200 injured in Jerusalem
</P><P>1924: Jerusalem 133 Jews and 116 Arabs lay dead
</P><P>1929: Hebron Death toll was 133 Jews, including eight Americans, and 110 Arabs
</P><P>1936: April, an Arab attack on a Jewish bus led to a series of incidents that escalated into a major Palestinian rebellion.
</P><P>1936-39: A total of 415 Jewish deaths were recorded during the Arab Revolt period.
</P><P>1948: 78 Jews, including 23 women, were killed by gunfire or were burnt when their vehicles were set on fire. A convoy consisting of two ambulances, three buses of medical staff, three logistical trucks and two Haganah armored cars headed up the narrow road to Hadassah Hospital with medical and military supplies with assurances from the occupying English that all was well. It was not.
</P><P>1948: Independence war; Israel attacked by five Muslim armies (Lebanon, Syria, Iraq, and Egypt. Saudi Arabia) and eventually by English-led Jordan.
</P><P>1956 Sinai Campaign: Operation Kadesh
</P><P>1967 Six-Day War
</P><P>1968-70 War of Attrition
</P><P>1973 Yom Kippur War
</P><P>1982 Lebanon War: Operation Peace for Galilee
</P><P>1991 Gulf War
</P><P>2006 Second Lebanon War.
</P><P>Source: (1920-1948) https://tinyurl.com/txxwj3f7 and (1956-2006) https://tinyurl.com/nvxn94c7
</P><P>The frequent attacks from Lebanon/Syria (Hezbollah) and Gaza (Hamas, Islamic Jihad) are a continuing problem.
</P><P>
</P><P><B><H2><FONT FACE=ARIAL HELVETICA SIZE=+2>Defending against leftists</FONT></H2></B>
</P><P>While Israel manages to fend off <I>physical</I> attacks, it fails to prevent or even mitigate attacks by leftist media and politicians eager to have a soapbox on which to rail against Israel and, increasingly, Jews in general.
</P><P>According to many in politics and the media, Israel “<I>disproportionally</I>” defends itself. Why “<I>disproportionally</I>?”
</P><P>1: Body count. Israel protects its citizens — ALL of its citizens: Jew, Muslim, other — with safe rooms, warning sirens, and anti-missile defenses to shoot down incoming mortars and drones.
</P><P>2: Targeting. Israel precisely targets military assets. When it targets multi-use (military/civilian) assets such as a Hamas HQ/media center, it repeatedly warns the occupants to evacuate; that the site about to be eliminated. Missiles from Gaza and Lebanon/Syria so far have mostly been unguided mortars generally aimed at Israeli <B>civilian</B> areas. <I>This is classified as a “war crime,” but this crime rarely is noted by the media.</I>
</P><P><b><font face=Comic Sans MS size=+1>It is sadly interesting to note that many of the civilian casualties in Gaza during the Spring 2021 campaign were caused by Hamas/Islamic Jihad missiles than blew up or landed in Gaza.</FONT></B>
</P><P>Israel’s major failure is in the field of “hasbara” — public relations.
</P><P>It never seems able to get its side of the story published n the “major media,” the name newspapers and tv networks.
</P><P>As an example: the so-called International Criminal Court (ICC) is charged with investigating and, where warranted, tries individuals charged with the gravest crimes of concern to the international community: genocide, war crimes, crimes against humanity and the crime of aggression. (https://www.icc-cpi.int/about).
</P><P>The ICC intends to investigate Israel for war crimes, but it ignores actual war crimes committed by Israel’s enemies. (The ICC also threatens to investigate and try the United States for crimes presumably committed under the previous administration.) The ICC is encouraged in its witch hunt of Israel by several terrorist organizations, including the PFLP and Hamas.
</P><P>As far as investigating “crimes against humanity,” the ICC chooses to ignore actual offenders.
</P><P>Of the 197 countries of the world, there are 20, including three territories, considered to be the most societally repressive. Burma, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Libya, North Korea and Sudan are at the top of the global list for countries that are among the worst abusers of human rights. To be deemed an abuser of human rights, civil liberties and political rights are the violations assessed, and these particular countries mentioned above have concurrently been on such lists in the previous years. (https://tinyurl.com/27kv6k4e)
</P><P>Human rights groups believe China, although not mentioned above, has detained more than a million Muslim Uighurs over the past few years in what the state defines as "re-education camps".
</P><P>There is evidence of Uighurs being used as forced labour and of women being forcibly sterilised. (https://tinyurl.com/yuucd3s7)
</P><P>Despite the above, the ICC only has time to investigate claims leveled by the very people who attack Israel both physically and politically.
</P><P>The (dis)United Nations has a “Special Committee to Investigate Israeli Practices.” (https://tinyurl.com/25wv3393) The committee only recognizes complaints, real or imagined, by Israel's enemies.
</P><P>As an example, “After recent annual consultations with Member States, the United Nations Special Committee to Investigate Israeli Practices* today expressed deep concern over reports that Israel, while donating surplus COVID-19 vaccines overseas, has failed to fulfill its international legal responsibility and obligation to ensure the vaccination of the Palestinian population in the occupied Palestinian territory. The number of vaccines received so far by the Palestinian people represents only a ‘drop in the sea’, in addressing the overall vaccination needs and containing the COVID-19 pandemic.
</P><P> Against this background, the Special Committee calls on Israel, as an occupying power, to urgently comply with its international legal obligations, to ensure that Palestinians and Syrians under occupation have access to available vaccines, in accordance with the Fourth Geneva Convention.”
</P><P>What the “Special Committee” fails to acknowledge is
</P><P>a. The PLO’s executive <I>refused</I> vaccines from Israel.
</P><P>b. According to many international law experts, the Oslo Accords specifically place healthcare for Palestinians squarely on the PLO.
</P><P>c. Israel vaccinated many Palestinians who came into Israel to work (obviously for “selfish reasons” to reduce the spread of the Chinese virus in Israel).
</P><P>d. Israel allowed Qatar — an enemy state — to land multiple aircraft at Israel’s main international airport with aid for the PLO — <B>aid the PLO rejected because the planes landed at Lod</B>. (Palestine lacks an airport capable of accommodating large commercial aircraft.)
</P><P><I>About the only thing the United Nations is united about is castigating Israel at every opportunity and facts be damned.</I>
</P><P><B>QUESTION: How much of the above was reported by the media or acknowledged by politicians?</B> </FONT>
</P><P>
</P><P><font size=+1 face=helvetica arial sans serif>To return to Hillel’s question: If I am not for myself, <BR>Who will be for me?</FONT>
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</P><P><FONT FACE=HELVETICA ARIAL SIZE=+1><b>Sources</B>
</P><P>1. Hillel HaBavli: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hillel_the_Elder </FONT>
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</P><P><font SIZE=-1 FACE=Courier><a href="http://thelawdictionary.org/plagiarism/" title="PLAGIARISM">PLAGIARISM</a> is the act of appropriating the literary composition of another, or parts or passages of his writings, or the ideas or language of the same, and <u>passing them off as the product of one’s own mind</u>.
</P><P><a HREF=”https://www.nolo.com/legal-encyclopedia/privileges-defenses-defamation-cases.html”>Truth is an absolute defense to defamation.</A> Defamation is a false statement of fact. If the statement was accurate, then by definition it wasn’t defamatory.
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</P><P>Web sites (URLs) beginning <u>https://tinyurl.com/</U> are generated by the free Tiny URL utility and reduce lengthy URLs to manageable size.
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</P><P><b><a href="mailto:yohanon.glenn@gmail.com?subject=If I am not for myself">Comment on If I am not for myself</a></B></P></FONT>Yohanon Glennhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01429242324621325358noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2660932280213526942.post-89367698137868759232021-06-06T12:06:00.000+02:002021-06-06T12:06:01.981+02:00Opuscula One man’s ego Opened government To Leftists, haters</P><P><font size=+1 face=helvetica arial sans serif>THE EGO OF ONE MAN, Benjamin Netanyahu, may put leftists and haters of Israel into the government.
</P><P>Not since Israel’s first prime minister has any politician had such a grand vision of himself.<SUP>1</SUP>
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</P><P><font SIZE=+1 FACE BOOKMAN OLD STYLE SERIF>Netanyahu’s party, Likud, has been in power since Menachem Begin wrested control from Ben Gurion’s Labor party in 1977.
</P><P>The Likud of 2021 is not Begin‘s Likud of 1977.
</P><P>In a critique of Netanyahu’s tenure, Jonathan S. Tobin, editor in chief of Jewish News Syndicate, defines some of the reasons the prime minister’s right-wing supporters abandoned him. (https://tinyurl.com/449rfrwb)
</P><P>According to Tobin, <I>rather than raging at Bennett and his Yamina colleague, Ayelet Shaked, they should be blaming the object of their veneration for this. The creation of the so-called unity government was made possible by one man and one man only. And his name is Benjamin Netanyahu.
</P><P> such a coalition was rendered possible by Netanyahu’s personal untrustworthiness.
</P><P>It is possible to argue that Netanyahu’s skills as a leader outweigh the shortcomings in his character. But his problems go deeper than the fact that most of the Israeli media and the intellectual, legal and bureaucratic establishments are biased against him. The flimsy corruption charges that he is seeking to refute in court can be seen as a product of that bias.</I>
</P><P>To be fair to Netanyahu, similar to the media in the United States, Israeli national circulation media <I>generally</I> are at least left leaning if not solidly leftist and are aligned with leftist political parties. Only one national circulation media, <I>Israel HaYom</I>, is conservative.
</P><P>Tobin noted that Netanyahu <I>spent the last decade driving most of his possible successors out of the Likud. He also has convinced just about everyone who did a coalition deal with him that they had been swindled. Blue and White Party leader Benny Gantz, who signed a power-sharing agreement last year that Netanyahu reneged on as everyone had predicted, is just one example. As such, Netanyahu’s credibility is shot. </I>
</P><P>
</P><P><B><H2><FONT FACE=ARIAL HELVETICA SIZE=+2>Unity government for change?</FONT></H2></B>
</P><P>The hoodge-podge of competing political philosophies — far left to far right — all have one thing in common, a “Never-Netanyahu” commitment.
</P><P>According to a <I>Washington Post</I> article (https://tinyurl.com/fse3e7hb), <I>Divisions between a dovish left and a hawkish right have long defined Israel’s highly fragmented party system. Yet during the past couple of years, Israeli politics has increasingly become not only a competition between left and right — but also between the pro-Netanyahu and Never-Netanyahu blocs. One side sees Netanyahu as the protector of Israel, while the other considers him an immediate threat to Israeli democracy. Netanyahu’s indictment on bribery and fraud charges and his combative stance toward the Israeli legal system have only further polarized how Israelis feel about their prime minister.</I>
</P><P>The <I>New York Times</I> (https://tinyurl.com/yehm4ve9) blames Netanyahu for <I>the Israeli-Palestinian peace process collapse, and tensions between Jews and Arabs inside Israel peaked in May when unrest swept across mixed Jewish-Arab cities during the latest Gaza war. </I>
</P><P>At the same time, the publication credits Netanyahu claiming he <I>nevertheless defied expectations and convention by negotiating diplomatic agreements with four Arab countries, subverting assumptions that Israel could make peace with Middle Eastern states only once a final deal with the Palestinians had been made.</I>
</P><P>Most people, especially Americans, would credit former President Donald Trump with forging the “normalization” (not “peace”) agreements between Israel and several Muslim-dominated nations. The NYT chose not to credit Trump for anything.
</P><P>
</P><P><B><H2><FONT FACE=ARIAL HELVETICA SIZE=+2>Not first “unity” government</FONT></H2></B>
</P><P>If the Lapid-formed unity government ever takes office, it will <B>not</B> be Israel’s first attempt at an almost-all-party government.
</P><P>It also will not be the first time the prime minister post will be held on a rotation basis.
</P><P>Israel has had, according to the <I>Washington Post</I> (https://tinyurl.com/55vwy5nt) several “national unity” governments, including:
</P><P><B>1967-1969</B>
</P><P>On the day before the outbreak of the June 1967 war, prime minister Levi Eshkol -- under mounting public pressure to do so -- brought opposition parties Herut (the predecessor of the present Likud Party), Gahal, and Rafi into the ruling coalition, the first time any of these parties had been included in a government. This national unity government, the first of its kind in Israel's history, was formed even though Eshkol's ruling coalition had included 75 seats out of the 120 in Knesset (well above the necessary threshold). In the 111-member national unity government, the former opposition parties were given just one seat in the cabinet -- the Ministry of Defense, awarded to Moshe Dayan.
</P><P><B>1969-1970</B>
</P><P>Following Eshkol's death in February 1969, Golda Meir was tapped to succeed him as head of the Labor Party and to lead Israel's fourteenth government. Wary of upcoming elections, coalition members Alignment (Labor), Gahal, Herut, National Religious Party (NRP), Independent Liberals, and Rafi together with the minority lists decided to honor the existing coalition agreement and maintain the embrace of national unity. This time, however, former opposition parties Gahal, Herut, and Rafi were given ministerial posts and portfolios as fully integrated members until Israel went to the polls in October 1969. Following the elections, a new national unity government was formed with essentially the same composition.
</P><P><B>1984-1988</B>
</P><P>The July 1984 national elections -- reflecting the fissures in Israeli society that followed the Lebanon war -- were ideologically indecisive: Alignment (Labor) won 44 seats while Likud took 41. Unable to assemble a coalition larger than 54 seats each, the Knesset's two largest parties reached an unprecedented agreement whereby Labor Party leader Shimon Peres and Likud Party leader Yitzhak Shamir would divide the administration and switch portfolios, each serving out two years as prime minister and foreign minister respectively (under this arrangement, Peres served initially as prime minister and Shamir as foreign minister).
</P><P><B>1988-1990</B>
</P><P>he November 1988 elections resulted once again in a political deadlock. Labor won 39 seats -- down 5 from the previous seventh Knesset and down 24 from the sixth Knesset -- but the 40-seat-strong Likud held just one fewer seat than in the previous Knesset. Labor and Likud blocs both made abortive attempts to construct coalitions with the religious parties (Shas, NRP, Degel Hatorah, and Tehiya) who collectively held 18 seats, almost enough to give either bloc the required majority. In the end, Labor and Likud instead chose to adopt another power-sharing arrangement, but unlike the 1984 elections, the poll results enabled Shamir to become prime minister with Peres as foreign minister.
</P><P>In May 1989, the Shamir government presented plans to proceed with negotiations concerning Palestinian autonomy, and the fabric of the coalition began to unravel. Labor Party leader Peres -- upset that Shamir would not comply with U.S. secretary of state James Baker's more ambitious peace initiative -- toppled the government with the support of religious parties disgruntled by domestic and finance issues.
</P><P>Only one “unity government” lasted more than two years.
</P><P>
</P><P><B><H2><FONT FACE=ARIAL HELVETICA SIZE=+2>Ego brought down Netanyahu</FONT></H2></B>
</P><P>Unless Netanyahu can scuttle the new government before it is accepted — and by all accounts he is making every effort to prevent a new government from forming — he and his ego will be history, at least for the moment.
</P><P>Finance Minister Israel Katz proposed to Netanyahu that he hold fresh primaries for the party leadership, with the winner replacing the incumbent as prime minister for a single year — after which Netanyahu would presumably return. (https://tinyurl.com/kjnkt6z4)
</P><P>According to Katz, Netanyahu would have been allowed to remain in the PM’s residence while waiting to be reinstalled as PM.
</P><P>
</P><P><B><H2><FONT FACE=ARIAL HELVETICA SIZE=+2>Lingering question</FONT></H2></B>
</P><P>Before first assuming the prime ministership, Netanyahu proposed term limits for the position.
</P><P>As soon as he assumed the position, the proposal “disappeared.”
</P><P>Talk of the Knesset instituting term limits for the position has resumed.
</P><P>Will it happen if Netanyahu succeeds in overcoming the “unity” government of Lapid and Bennett?
</P><P>Will it happen of the unity government prevails?
</P><P>Is the issue a “smoke screen” for something entirely different?
</P><P>Politics in Israel.</FONT>
</P><P> </P><P> </P><P>
</P><P>
</P><P><FONT FACE=HELVETICA ARIAL SIZE=+1><b>Sources</B>
</P><P>1. Ben Gurion had the chutzpah to order his flunky, Yitzhak Rabin, to open fire on <B>JEWS</B> bringing weapons and personnel for Israel’s defense on the ship <I>Altalena</I> (https://tinyurl.com/vuruujk3).</FONT>
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</P><P><font SIZE=-1 FACE=Courier><a href="http://thelawdictionary.org/plagiarism/" title="PLAGIARISM">PLAGIARISM</a> is the act of appropriating the literary composition of another, or parts or passages of his writings, or the ideas or language of the same, and <u>passing them off as the product of one’s own mind</u>.
</P><P><a HREF=”https://www.nolo.com/legal-encyclopedia/privileges-defenses-defamation-cases.html”>Truth is an absolute defense to defamation.</A> Defamation is a false statement of fact. If the statement was accurate, then by definition it wasn’t defamatory.
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</P><P>Web sites (URLs) beginning <u>https://tinyurl.com/</U> are generated by the free Tiny URL utility and reduce lengthy URLs to manageable size.
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</P><P><b><a href="mailto:yohanon.glenn@gmail.com?subject=Ego">Comment on Ego</a></B></P></FONT>Yohanon Glennhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01429242324621325358noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2660932280213526942.post-58694290312844714772021-06-02T18:59:00.000+02:002021-06-02T18:59:36.880+02:00Opuscula King Bibi Deposed By own arrogance<P>
</P><P><font size=+1 face=helvetica arial sans serif>
</P><P>BENJAMIN NETANYAHU, <I>FORMER</I> ISRAELI PRIME MINISTER, caused his party (Likud) to lose control of the government.
</P><P>Offered a chance to “fool the people” by surrendering the party leadership for a year — after which he would be reinstated and return to power — he refused.
</P><P>In the end, it cost him his crown.</FONT>
</P><P>
<TABLE WIDTH=100% BORDER=6 PADDING=6 px><TR><TD></P><P><font size=+1 face=Courier>Jonathan S. Tobin editor in chief of JNS—Jewish News Syndicate wrote what this scrivener considers a well-thought out review of Netanyahu and what led to his downfall. See https://tinyurl.com/449rfrwb </FONT></TD></TR></TABLE>
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</P><P><font SIZE=+1 FACE BOOKMAN OLD STYLE SERIF>ACCORDING TO ISRAEL’S CHANNEL 12 tv station, <I>Finance Minister Israel Katz recently suggested to Prime Minister Netanyahu that the Likud Central Committee hold a vote for the ruling party’s chairman and that whoever wins will serve as premier for a year instead of Netanyahu to allow for the formation of a right-wing government.
</P><P>Katz also reportedly told Netanyahu that he and his family can continue living in the Prime Minister’s Residence in Jerusalem during that year. </I>(https://tinyurl.com/nm6yvrn5)
</P><P>Netanyahu rejected the idea.
</P><P>The “Katz plan” would have allowed Netanyahu’s political foes on the right to accept a Likud-led coalition to form a government excluding left-leaning, leftists, and Israel-hating (e.g., Ra’am) parties from control of the Knesset.
</P><P>Israel’s Labor Party, according to HaAretz editorial writers (https://tinyurl.com/x4jdsm8k), once was Israel’s largest party and ruled 1948 until Menachem Begin's Likud first came to power in 1977. The newspaper describes Labor as the party that<I>"supports the policy of social pluralism and equality, and since the 1990's, a free market “with a soul' economic policy." In the political arena, despite most of its leaders having a military background, Labor has traditionally led a pragmatic, more compromising approach to solving Israel's geo-political issues with neighboring Arab countries and the Palestinians."</I>
</P><P>Interestingly, until Begin and Likud came to power, there were zero peace agreements with neighboring states; so much for <I> solving Israel's geo-political issues with neighboring Arab countries and the Palestinians."</I>
</P><P>
</P><P><B><H2><FONT FACE=ARIAL HELVETICA SIZE=+2>Katz and Sa’ar</FONT></H2></B>
</P><P>HaAretz (https://tinyurl.com/8eyx9c) writes that <I>Transportation Minister Katz is currently the only truly senior Likud minister besides the prime minister. With all the top cabinet jobs doled out to coalition partners, Katz has been forced to make do with the same position for eight years. As a sop to his seniority, Netanyahu added to his portfolio in 2015 membership in the security cabinet and also made him intelligence affairs minister. </I>
</P><P>It should be noted that the once independent HaAretz (c 1975) now is solidly in the leftist camp, and its opinions should be viewed accordingly. <I>All</I> Israeli national circulation newspapers have a political bias.
</P><P>The HaAretz piece continues.
</P><P>Gideon Sa’ar, 50, the suave Tel Aviv lawyer who moonlights as a DJ, is married to Channel 1’s senior anchor Geula Even and has recently ended his time-out from frontline politics.
</P><P>Sa’ar’s advantage over Katz is his younger and more sophisticated image. Katz, however, has a crucial edge – he’s currently a Knesset member.
</P><P>Like Katz, Sa’ar is, o was, a Likudnik.
</P><P>
</P><P><B><H2><FONT FACE=ARIAL HELVETICA SIZE=+2>Alone on the throne</FONT></H2></B>
</P><P>One reason Netanyahu has opposition from his own party is his apparent fear of being replaced.
</P><P>Interestingly, at one point Netanyahu proposed term limits for prime minister; and then he was given the plumb and the idea of term limits quickly went away.
</P><P>HaAretz again: <I>In the quarter century since taking over Likud, Netanyahu has dominated the movement, transforming it from a grassroots ideological outfit into his personal platform. This was true even of the six years between 1999 and 2005 when Ariel Sharon nominally led the party, with Netanyahu in the wings waiting to return. Bibi has never nurtured any deputies, and he has quickly cut any potential successors down to size. </I>
</P><P>The Times of Israel (https://tinyurl.com/45ekn8wf) opines that <I>Netanyahu’s bloc, comprising Likud and the two ultra-Orthodox parties, meanwhile, would win just 44. Even with Yamina, such a coalition would still fall seven seats short of a majority. Leaders of other Zionist parties have not expressed a willingness to sit in a Netanyahu-led coalition.</I>
</P><P>Too many politicians have too many real or perceived grievances against Netanyahu and are unwilling to support any government in which he is prime minister <I>even if it means a collation with leftists and other Israel haters (e.g., Ra’am).</I>
</P><P>
</P><P><font size=+1 face=helvetica arial sans serif>One point must be made perfectly clear: not all Muslims align with Ra’am, not all Muslims are anti-Israel or pro-PLO/Hamas. There are Muslims in the major political parties where they serve their constituents admirably. </FONT>
</P><P>
</P><P><font SIZE=+1 FACE BOOKMAN OLD STYLE SERIF>Few of the recent articles on Netanyahu focus on either his legal woes or his wife’s infamous behavior.
</P><P>For most who want Netanyahu gone, it simply is time for a change.
</P><P>He was offered an chance to “hide” for a year (ibid.) — and even keep many of the PM’s perks — a move that would prove to thinking Israelis that no politician can be trusted.</FONT>
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</P><P><font SIZE=-1 FACE=Courier><a href="http://thelawdictionary.org/plagiarism/" title="PLAGIARISM">PLAGIARISM</a> is the act of appropriating the literary composition of another, or parts or passages of his writings, or the ideas or language of the same, and <u>passing them off as the product of one’s own mind</u>.
</P><P><a HREF=”https://www.nolo.com/legal-encyclopedia/privileges-defenses-defamation-cases.html”>Truth is an absolute defense to defamation.</A> Defamation is a false statement of fact. If the statement was accurate, then by definition it wasn’t defamatory.
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</P><P>Web sites (URLs) beginning <u>https://tinyurl.com/</U> are generated by the free Tiny URL utility and reduce lengthy URLs to manageable size.
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</P><P><b><a href="mailto:yohanon.glenn@gmail.com?subject=King deposed">Comment on King deposed</a></B></P></FONT>Yohanon Glennhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01429242324621325358noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2660932280213526942.post-3091749009346471472021-05-27T16:32:00.000+02:002021-05-27T16:32:33.404+02:00Opuscula Israel never had, And still lacks Decent “Hasbara” <P>
</P><P><font size=+1 face=helvetica arial sans serif>HASABRA, ACCORDING TO at least one site means “Public diplomacy in Israel, also known as Hasbara (Hebrew: הַסְבָּרָה), refers to public-relations efforts to disseminate positive information abroad about the State of Israel and its actions. (https://tinyurl.com/3n6b58px)
</P><P>Israel has lots of people working in <I>public relations</I>, in Hebrew, יַחֲסֵי צִבּוּר, but it never promoted national hasbara.</FONT>
</P><P>
</P><P><font SIZE=+1 FACE BOOKMAN OLD STYLE SERIF>HASBARA’s root (soresh) is HESBARE; (הסבר) it means to explain, to expound, to educate.
</P><P>To ask someone to explain something, you tell them להסבר — to explain.
</P><P>Since even before Israel’s creation as a modern state, Jews have been trying — and failing — to explain Israel to the world in a language the world can understand.
</P><P>HonestReporting CEO Daniel Pomerant (https://youtu.be/sO7_SC-T438) does about the best job of explaining hasbara I have seen or read. (The 3:27 minute video is in Hebrew with English sub-titles; it behooves everyone who either is pro Israel or at least open minded to watch it. Leftists need not apply.)
</P><P>Pomerant makes the point that Israeli “hasbara” fails to talk to the world in terms the world can understand, assuming the world is <I>willing</I> to understand.
</P><P>People, primarily “The Media,” report rumors and fairy tales.
</P><P>They write from far away.
</P><P>Come to Israel and see the “apartheid” lie.
</P><P>Come to Israel and see how the government abuses Muslims — by putting them in positions of authority <I>over Jews ! </I> in the police, in government, in the justice system, in education at all levels, and based on recent stays in Israeli hospitals, in all areas of medicine: doctors, nurses, aides.
</P><P>Note there is a distinction between Israeli <I>Arabs</I> and Muslims, Israeli or not. Not every Arab is a Muslim and not every Muslim is an Arab; just ask an Indonesian if he (or she) is an Arab.
</P><P>Where else but Israel would the government countenance people in people promoting the <B>over-throw</B> of the government <B>IN THE GOVERNMENT</B>? Israel not only has Members of Knesset who promote the state's demise: “from the river (Jordan) to the sea (Mediterranean) Palestine will be free,” they have the democracy not available to them in a Jewish-free “Palestine” or Gaza.
</P><P><I>Perhaps the media mavens forgot that Jews cannot live or work in “Palestine” or Gaza. These places are, as the nazis hoped to make the world, “Juden frei” — free of Jews.</I>
</P><P>On the other hand, as long as they are allowed by their PLO/PFLP and Hamas masters, many if these people come to work in Israel on a daily basis.
</P><P>(There were more, but the BDSers forced some employers (e.g., SodaStream) away and the “Palestinians” lost their jobs and income.)
</P><P>They also come to Israel for medical attention where, again based on personal experience, they are treated as well as a Jewish Israeli.
</P><P>While on the subject of “poor Muslims,” the media should take a drive between Hadera and Afula.
</P><P>Look to the right as you travel west toward Afula and admire the single-family (vs. condo) homes. These homes are owned by Israeli Muslims. An Israeli Jew would be hard-pressed to buy anything similar anyplace in Israel.
</P><P>
</P><P><b>Before modern Israel</B> Samuel Langhorne Clemens visited “Palestine” in 1867.
</P><P>He apparently was not impressed with either the Muslim or Jewish inhabitants, but his writings make it clear that “Palestine” was hardly an advanced country, flowing with milk and honey, with every Muslim sitting under his fig or olive tree. According to Clemens, the land was barren and the Muslims wanderers (Bedo?). He fails to cite any Muslim cities. (So much for the PLO/PFLP claims.) That is not to deny that there were no Muslims in what became Israel.
</P><P>In 1929, having coexisted for decades, the Muslims of Hebron (where the patriarchs and most of the matriarchs are entombed in land purchased by Abraham to bury his wife, Sara) went on a rampage that left 67 Jews dead – their homes and synagogues destroyed – and the few hundred survivors were relocated to Jerusalem. The aftermath left Hebron barren of Jews for the first time in hundreds of years. (https://tinyurl.com/bjj6y7wt) Muslims attacking Jews is nothing new in Israel, yet the media typically ignores it until the police and army step in, then the reports are all about the Jews suppressing the poor Muslims — and no context.
</P><P>
</P><P>For more than a decade I worked for newspapers, big and small, daily and weekly. I covered all “beats” and did my best to be like Jack Webb’s <I>Sgt. Joe Friday</I> and report “just the facts.” (Truth be told, Webb allegedly never said that [https://tinyurl.com/wzaaezxw].)
</P><P>I‘m glad I no longer am associated with the media. I never was good at making excuses for others. Worse, there is no excuse for today’s too-lazy-to-check “journalists.”
</P><P>Even worse are bloggers who claim this or that and fail to provide citations. Where did they get the information? Was it written on a bathroom wall? How distant was the unidentified source of the information from the actual event? Via the “great circle” route, the distance between New York City and Tel Aviv is 5,664.21 miles or 9,115.67 km (https://www.distance.to/Tel-Aviv/New-York). Why go all the way to Israel when a person who never has been outside the U.S. knows it all? Facts are irrelevant. </FONT>
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</P><P><font SIZE=-1 FACE=Courier><a href="http://thelawdictionary.org/plagiarism/" title="PLAGIARISM">PLAGIARISM</a> is the act of appropriating the literary composition of another, or parts or passages of his writings, or the ideas or language of the same, and <u>passing them off as the product of one’s own mind</u>.
</P><P><a HREF=”https://www.nolo.com/legal-encyclopedia/privileges-defenses-defamation-cases.html”>Truth is an absolute defense to defamation.</A> Defamation is a false statement of fact. If the statement was accurate, then by definition it wasn’t defamatory.
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</P><P>Web sites (URLs) beginning <u>https://tinyurl.com/</U> are generated by the free Tiny URL utility and reduce lengthy URLs to manageable size.
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</P><P><b><a href="mailto:yohanon.glenn@gmail.com?subject=Embarrassed">Comment on Embarrassed</a></B></P></FONT>Yohanon Glennhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01429242324621325358noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2660932280213526942.post-35398072002796408732021-04-29T12:21:00.000+02:002021-04-29T12:21:42.069+02:00Opuscula Did US continence Reds in congress During “Cold War”?<P>
</P><P><font size=+1 face=helvetica arial sans serif>
</P><P>WHEN THE US AND FORMER USSR were threatening each other — this dates back to the 1920s — no Communists were to be found in the U.S. congress.
</P><P>Indeed, Sen. Joe McCarthy (R – Wisconsin) is known for his infamous witch hunt of Communists, particularly those in Hollywood.
</P><P><font SIZE=+1 FACE BOOKMAN OLD STYLE SERIF>Today, these people known as “progressives” and Socialists are entrenched in congress (viz: Bernie Sanders, Rashida Tlaib, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Cori Bush, Jamaal Bowman) along with far left lawmakers. </FONT>
</P><P><font SIZE=+1 FACE BOOKMAN OLD STYLE SERIF><B>HOWEVER, ISRAEL</B> is expected to allow sworn enemies of the country to sit it its Knesset (congress/parliament).</FONT>
</P><P><font size=+1 face=helvetica arial sans serif>This means members of the Muslim (Arab) political parties, specifically Ra’am, <B>not</B> Muslim and Druze members of the pro-Israel parties.</FONT>
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</P><P><font SIZE=+1 FACE BOOKMAN OLD STYLE SERIF>According to an opinion piece by Dan Schueftan heded: <I>Arabs are not the problem, radicalism is</I> (https://tinyurl.com/wwje4emc),
</P><P>“In the past, these leaders voted against the 1979 Egypt-Israel peace treaty and the Abraham Accords.” On both national and municipal levels, they present Israel as an illegitimate colonial project whose very existence is a sin. The "heroes" they look up to are PLO Chairman Yasser Arafat, Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, and the Hamas terrorist organization.
</P><P>“Time has shown that integrating Arab parties into the government did not mitigate their hate. When Former Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin was supported by the Arab parties, Arab MK Ahmad Tibi openly pleaded Arafat's case even after it became known that he perpetrated several terrorist attacks against Israelis.
</P><P><B>Arab MK Hashem Mahameed</B> who served on Rabin’s Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee, “called Arabs that support Israelis "traitors" and vowed that they would be eliminated. For him, Hezbollah was a ‘national liberation movement,’ and its terrorists ‘freedom fighters.’ He said that in all the years of Israel's existence, there was not a single military operation, not even Operation Entebbe, that was legitimate self-defense.”
</P><P>Schueftan’s “bottom line” is that “integrating these parties into the government will only bring about more provocations, creating more obstacles for Arab Israelis to integrate into Israeli society.”
</P><P><B>Ayman Odeh,</B> head of Israel’s Arab-majority Joint List</B> political body, has called for a Palestinian uprising and praised Arab youth for their active role in recent clashes with Israeli forces and Jewish residents in Jerusalem. (https://tinyurl.com/3twkyfta)
</P><P>“This wonderful and honorable victory belongs to the youth of Jerusalem. These clashes are sometimes calm and sometimes erupt, and it will be so until the intifada comes and brings an end to the occupation and hoists the Palestinian flag over the Al-Aqsa Mosque, over the churches, and over the liberated gates of Jerusalem. We extend our greetings to the free people of Jerusalem.”
</P><P>
</P><P><B><H2><FONT FACE=ARIAL HELVETICA SIZE=+2>Losing support?</FONT></H2></B>
<P><font SIZE=+1 FACE BOOKMAN OLD STYLE SERIF>WHILE THE <I>POLITICIANS</I> are calling for provocations against Israel, the <I>PEOPLE</I> seemingly are more and more disenchanted with the rhetoric.
</P><P>If Israel would provide better services to Muslim communities — specifically improved infrastructure and better police presence, items the Israeli Muslims are rightly demanding — the nation might put an end to much of the internal strife.
</P><P>Muslims, like Jews, Druze, and others have all the rights and privileges, albeit the Muslims have fewer <I>obligations.</I> (They are not obliged to serve in the Israeli military or even do national service in their own communities.)
</P><P>The Muslims of Jerusalem complain that their neighborhood’s infrastructure and services are not on a par with other neighborhoods. Blame can be laid, at least in part, on Muslim Members of Knesset (MKs) who would rather berate the state than work to improve fellow Muslims’ conditions.
</P><P>There is a higher murder rate in the Muslim neighborhoods than in Israel in general.
</P><P>Unfortunately, the neighborhoods’ residents must share some of the blame with the understaffed Israeli police. As in the U.S., it is considered traitorous to help the police catch one of your own. Until that changes, no one should expect positive change.
</P><P>Some Muslim MKs forget they were elected to improve the situation of all Muslims in Israel.
</P><P>Some openly support the PLO/PFLP, Hamas, and other Iran-supported anti-Israel movements and call for the destruction of the country. Were it not for the freedoms and financial success they enjoy in a state they hate, they could (should) move to PLO/PFLP or Hamas areas.
</P><P>(Notice that they do <B>not</B> — like Hollywood progressives — rush to leave the country they hate.)
</P><P>The Muslim voter migration away from the anti-Israel parties — that in reality do <b>not</b> work for the people — is hardly a “ground swell,” but by many accounts is growing.
</P><P><I>Unfortunately, Israeli MKs (so far) are not required to live with their constituents, although there is a (weak) movement to change that. Change comes slowly to long-embedded habits.</I></FONT>
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</P><P><font SIZE=-1 FACE=Courier><a href="http://thelawdictionary.org/plagiarism/" title="PLAGIARISM">PLAGIARISM</a> is the act of appropriating the literary composition of another, or parts or passages of his writings, or the ideas or language of the same, and <u>passing them off as the product of one’s own mind</u>.
</P><P><a HREF=”https://www.nolo.com/legal-encyclopedia/privileges-defenses-defamation-cases.html”>Truth is an absolute defense to defamation.</A> Defamation is a false statement of fact. If the statement was accurate, then by definition it wasn’t defamatory.
</P><P>Web sites (URLs) beginning <u>https://tinyurl.com/</U> are generated by the free Tiny URL utility and reduce lengthy URLs to manageable size.
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</P><P><b><a href="mailto:yohanon.glenn@gmail.com?subject=Commies in Congress">Comment on Commies in Congress</a></B></P></FONT>Yohanon Glennhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01429242324621325358noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2660932280213526942.post-52679605793340921182021-04-25T14:02:00.001+02:002021-04-26T07:16:47.985+02:00Opuscula Gaza puts Israel Between a rock And a hard spot<P>
<font size=+1 face=helvetica arial sans serif>WITH BIDEN, HARRIS-EMHOFF , and other “progressives” in control of the U.S., Hamas and its Iranian-backed crazies are again lobbing missiles at Israeli civilians.
</P><P>Fortunately, Israel’s “Iron Dome” anti-missile defense prevents most of the “gifts from Gaza” from doing any <I>physical</I> damage to Israel. <I>There <B>IS</B> psychological damage, especially to young children that the best defenses cannot prevent.</I></FONT></P><P>
</P><P><font SIZE=+1 FACE BOOKMAN OLD STYLE SERIF>THERE IS NO QUESTION that Israel could reduce Gaza to ashes. The Israel Defense Force (IDF) has the capability, with enough resources left over to eliminate Hezbollah in Lebanon and Syria, or, for that matter, to send Iran back to the dark ages.
</P><P>So why does it tolerate the renewed attacks from Gaza?
</P><P>Several reasons. <BR>1. Because, despite what anti-Semites claim, Israel makes every effort <B>NOT</B> to injure or kill civilians <BR>2. Because if it DID eliminate Gaza’s tyrants, who would, could, step in to fill the vacuum?
</P><P>During WW 2, with the nazis in charge of much of Europe, many occupied countries had “governments in exile.”
</P><P>When the allies — primarily the U.S. and the (then) USSR — defeated the nazis and their collaborators, the “governments in exile” filled the vacuum left by the departing nazis and their sycophants.
</P><P>Gaza lacks such a “government in exile.
</P><P>When Japan surrendered, the U.S. military became the defacto government, but the <I>mentalities</I> of the Japanese and the Arabs of Gaza are vastly different.
</P><P>The Gazans have been indoctrinated for generations to hate Israelis — Israeli Arabs, Israeli Jews, and Israeli Druze. While there are some Gazans who may feel otherwise, there probably are too few to influence the population to accept Israeli rule, even if only on a temporary basis.
</P><P>The terrorist PLO/PFLP is not acceptable to either Israel or Gaza; Hamas pushed out the PLO/PFLP from Gaza apparently with little, if any objection by the residents.
</P><P>
<B><H2><FONT FACE=ARIAL HELVETICA SIZE=+2>Sponsor</FONT></H2></B>
</P><P>Governments in exile need a sponsor, a nation that will <BR>(a) Recognize their authority <BR>(b) Provide sanctuary for the exiles <BR>(c) Provide financial support <BR>(d) Provide leadership and mentoring
</P><P>Israel <I>could</I> provide all of the above, <B>BUT</B> it likely would be resented.
</P><P>Iran supports Hamas (and Hezbollah), so it is not a contender.
</P><P>The U.S. is not trusted anymore by anyone in the Middle East.
</P><P>European powers? No better than the U.S.
</P><P>Aside from China — already buying control of the world — only the Muslim states in the region are candidates to host a Gazan government in exile.
</P><P>Egypt and Jordan <I>might</I> be good options. Most Gazans have an “Egyptian connection.”
</P><P>Jordan is, at best, “shaky.” It has its own “Palestinian” problems and fears for its monarchy.
</P><P>Egypt has a fairly strong military.
</P><P>Egypt also has an official peace agreement with Israel (as does Jordan).
</P><P>Egypt borders Gaza; at one point, Gaza was an Egyptian territory. (https://tinyurl.com/ej28hpcc)
</P><P>Other Muslim countries in the region might be considered by the Gazans, but there are issues with the other countries’ governments and the distance from Gaza.
</P><P>Morocco, for example, has a fairly stable government, but it is somewhat removed from Gaza. Likewise Bahrain and then UAE. They might be less initially acceptable to Gazans since they have “normalization” agreements with Israel. Lebanon and Syria are not good candidates due to their own internal conflicts. Qatar is in bed with Iran.
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</P><P><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkS0tUXnz6zU8RJcBr7l7prv8nq7jwv5cx_pmhQEb1KWPMtRUd2G8Zi9aPdaFly6jeR7OyKNOUGDDwe_EyYdOUSK6fHDpc1r20fau2FMdC40dJJkZIdqlEgN4DWrjtpbMVilX7seP_H1pK/s1200/GAZ+AND+SURROUNDING.png" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0; text-align: center; "><img alt="" border="0" width="400" data-original-height="627" data-original-width="1200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkS0tUXnz6zU8RJcBr7l7prv8nq7jwv5cx_pmhQEb1KWPMtRUd2G8Zi9aPdaFly6jeR7OyKNOUGDDwe_EyYdOUSK6fHDpc1r20fau2FMdC40dJJkZIdqlEgN4DWrjtpbMVilX7seP_H1pK/s400/GAZ+AND+SURROUNDING.png"/></a></div><DIV ALIGN=CENTER><FONT FACE=ARIAL HELVETICA SIZE=-1>Gaza and surrounding states (Gaza too small to be seen).</FONT></DIV>
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</P><P>Israel had experience with Gaza.
</P><P>At one time, Israel controlled Gaza and Israelis developed a substantial hot house export business.
</P><P>When Ariel Sharon expelled Israelis from Gaza, the locals quickly destroyed the hot houses and infrastructure, and with it a potential national income.
</P><P>(Blogger’s opinion: Sharon made two major mistakes: invading Lebanon and expelling Israelis from Gaza.)
</P><P>Gaza could be close to self-sufficient — it has access to the sea, it has an airport for Boeing 737-type aircraft — but its government’s belligerent behavior toward its neighbors — Egypt and Israel — prevent full commercial development.
</P><P>It has the potential; all it needs is a good government. </FONT>
</P><P></P><P>
<font SIZE=-1 FACE=Courier><a href="http://thelawdictionary.org/plagiarism/" title="PLAGIARISM">PLAGIARISM</a> is the act of appropriating the literary composition of another, or parts or passages of his writings, or the ideas or language of the same, and <u>passing them off as the product of one’s own mind</u>.
<a HREF=”https://www.nolo.com/legal-encyclopedia/privileges-defenses-defamation-cases.html”>Truth is an absolute defense to defamation.</A> Defamation is a false statement of fact. If the statement was accurate, then by definition it wasn’t defamatory.
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Web sites (URLs) beginning <u>https://tinyurl.com/</U> are generated by the free Tiny URL utility and reduce lengthy URLs to manageable size.
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<b><a href="mailto:yohanon.glenn@gmail.com?subject=Gaza: Rock & hard spot">Comment on Gaza: Rock & hard spot</a></B></P></FONT>Yohanon Glennhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01429242324621325358noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2660932280213526942.post-22983084362127953892021-04-23T12:18:00.000+02:002021-04-23T12:18:10.065+02:00Opuscula National bird: For Israel, Seldge of cranes<P>
</P><P><font size=+1 face=helvetica arial sans serif>ALMOST ANYPLACE YOU TRAVEL IN ISRAEL you will see a multitude of cranes.
</P><P>Not the feathered variety — although they also inhabit the country — but construction cranes (מנופים) that remind geezers of Alfred Carlton (A.C.) Gilbert Erector sets.
</P><P>About the only thing more commonly seen in Israel are cell phones.
</P><P>Land lines? Many Israelis have no concept of a phone with a cord.</FONT>
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</P><P><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbPQkuqN9zQmyDMbiOzeJuoopYBhiBQwlSq3CaAkSb86-dimEYEUDsE8I7xoXWyBj-6dpjPk5sD281pSH1uVoBPO2DwCuJKDrEZc4sgnXLqNKbOIa7Qw9FrejPBI-PQnfWsbevGqkMnOO3/s2048/CRANES+PIX.jpg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0; text-align: center; "><img alt="" border="0" width="400" data-original-height="1296" data-original-width="2048" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbPQkuqN9zQmyDMbiOzeJuoopYBhiBQwlSq3CaAkSb86-dimEYEUDsE8I7xoXWyBj-6dpjPk5sD281pSH1uVoBPO2DwCuJKDrEZc4sgnXLqNKbOIa7Qw9FrejPBI-PQnfWsbevGqkMnOO3/s400/CRANES+PIX.jpg"/></a></div><DIV ALIGN=CENTER><FONT FACE=ARIAL HELVETICA SIZE=-1>Three construction cranes at work in small area of Yavne Israel. (Photo by author)
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</P><P></FONT></DIV><font SIZE=+1 FACE BOOKMAN OLD STYLE SERIF>A LOT LIKE THE U.S., Israel has an open door for immigrants from all corners of the globe.
</P><P>Unlike the U.S., Israel has absorption programs designed to help newcomers acquire basic Hebrew language skills, to absorb Israeli culture, and generally become established. There are schools in the U.S. to teach English as a Second Language, some free, but not on Israel’s scale. (To be fair the Israeli “ulpan” is an American idea perfected in Israel.)
</P><P>As was the U.S. in the “old days,” before American’s allowed the government to do everything for them, immigrant groups help newcomers adjust.
</P><P>For North American ex-pats, and just visitors, too, there is <I>Americans And Canadians In Israel</I>, a/k/a AACI.
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</P><P><B><H2><FONT FACE=ARIAL HELVETICA SIZE=+2>Bureaucracy amok on a field of paper</FONT></H2></B>
</P><P>Bureaucracy runs amok in Israel, BUT it was and has been my personal experience (in 1975 and again in 2021) that the people dealing with newcomers usually are helpful. That will surprise some who come to Israel from “big cities” were rudeness is the coin of the realm.
</P><P>Since our arrival at Lod, Israel’s main international airport*, everyone, without exception, has been polite if not kind.
</P><P><I>*Now renamed by political fiat to honor of the man who ordered Jews to kill other Jews bringing people and weapons to pre-statehood Israel.</I><SUP>1</SUP>
</P><P>On the other hand, new (or returning) immigrants/citizens are obliged to visit numerous government offices to accomplish basic tasks. Since exiting our 14 day isolation — despite being twice “Pfizerized” in the U.S. and having taken a pre-flight PCR test — we have been to three different government offices and still have more to do.
</P><P>Even the bankers are helpful, although the banks still charge customers to use the customers’ money, something that disappeared in the U.S. decades past.
</P><P>While it is not up-to-date, the following image from https://tinyurl.com/2wnf3mk7 gives an idea of the number of clerks in Israel.
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</P><P><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgceMzLsRzLe_y7Yam1AaPtsIPRuXWeO080Np4PnFESI4_JA8CLsHdbeONcUb5cMQK7jakmznCpqaxjDXF9Ola4WkbTPaYW9USrK1z80oJtKEZ3S1uO3TqTxjpZOLTXMNle-_j4CKSloqYl/s343/CLERKS.jpg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0; text-align: center; "><img alt="" border="0" width="400" data-original-height="313" data-original-width="343" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgceMzLsRzLe_y7Yam1AaPtsIPRuXWeO080Np4PnFESI4_JA8CLsHdbeONcUb5cMQK7jakmznCpqaxjDXF9Ola4WkbTPaYW9USrK1z80oJtKEZ3S1uO3TqTxjpZOLTXMNle-_j4CKSloqYl/s400/CLERKS.jpg"/></a></div><DIV ALIGN=CENTER><FONT FACE=ARIAL HELVETICA SIZE=-1>Nation of clerks ( https://tinyurl.com/2wnf3mk7)</FONT></DIV>
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</P><P>What is seen less and less these days are “du-day shemish” (דודי שמש — solar water heater tanks) dotting the roofs. Solar PANELS exist, often out of sight from street level, but the tanks are relocated to individual units.
</P><P>This is especially true in a community called “Green Yavne” (יבני ירוקה). Other new communities are similar. Electric is underground; green space has a priority. A good compromise since most Israelis live in condos.
</P><P>The balcony (מִרפֶּסֶת) of the apartment mortgaged to my Son-In-Law and family (my daughter, three pre-teens, and an American Stafforshire Terrier, a 75-pound lap dog) looks out onto condo buildings of 5 to 18 stories in all directions. The Spouse intends to buy close by.
</P><P>The image above was taken from said balcony.
</P><P>Solar heaters usually are backed up by electricity. Free solar vs. expensive electricity? No contest
</P><P>
</P><P><B><H2><FONT FACE=ARIAL HELVETICA SIZE=+2>Not TA or J’lem: Drivers are courteous</FONT></H2></B>
</P><P>“Green Yavne” may have two or three traffic lights in the entire area. Most intersections are handled by circles, a/k/a round-abouts. (https://youtu.be/Z9fWJQJ6nX8)
</P><P>I “scooter” around the neighborhood with my mobility scooter (קלנועית). I am amazed that drivers <BR>✡ stop as soon as a pedestrian <I>prepares</I> to set foot (or in my case, wheel) in a crosswalk <BR>✡ calmly wait to enter the round-about; no horns blowing (and no cops to enforce a quit zone)
</P><P>I have seen nothing similar since I left Indianapolis a “few” years ago.
</P><P>My travels have been limited, but they have taken me to Ashdod and to Rehovot, nearby cities hosting government offices.
</P><P>The round-about culture prevails in those communities as well.
</P><P>I am told I need (yet another) certificate (אשור) to get handicap benefits, including getting my scooter on public transportation. (One of the two local train depots is well within my scooter’s 8 mile/13 km range {https://tinyurl.com/47rjpj5z} so getting <I>to</I> the train is no problem.)
</P><P>That means a doctor’s authorization and THAT means I either wait six (6) months from the date I got off the plane at Lod to see a doctor <I>or</I> I spend several thousand <U>dollars</U> — not shekels — to buy medical coverage for 6 months, after which I will join a health organization (קופת חולים).
</P><P><I>The <B>reason</B> for the delay is that too many citizen non-residents have come home to Israel to receive medical treatment and then, when healthy, once again abandoned the country — leaving their medical bills to be paid by the Israeli taxpayer. At least that is what I have been told.</I>
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</P><P><b>AN ASIDE:</b> There is an Ashkenazi rabbi whom I consider a friend. The rabbi writes in English but insists on transliterating words from Ashkenazi Hebrew or Yiddish. (The only Yiddish I know is Hebrew.) Often I cannot decipher his transliterated word; my limited Hebrew is “Israeli” Hebrew. Rather than try to transliterate, I present the English words in Latin letters followed by the Hebrew words in Hebrew characters.</FONT>
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</P><P><FONT FACE=HELVETICA ARIAL SIZE=+1><b>Sources</B>
</P><P>1. http://www.etzel.org.il/english/ac20.htm: <BR>Also see: <BR>https://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/the-altalena-affair and <BR>https://tinyurl.com/36vb3d6m</FONT>
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</P><P><font SIZE=-1 FACE=Courier><a href="http://thelawdictionary.org/plagiarism/" title="PLAGIARISM">PLAGIARISM</a> is the act of appropriating the literary composition of another, or parts or passages of his writings, or the ideas or language of the same, and <u>passing them off as the product of one’s own mind</u>.
</P><P><a HREF=”https://www.nolo.com/legal-encyclopedia/privileges-defenses-defamation-cases.html”>Truth is an absolute defense to defamation.</A>
</P><P>Defamation is a false statement of fact. If the statement was accurate, then by definition it wasn’t defamatory. Web sites (URLs) beginning <u>https://tinyurl.com/</U> are generated by the free Tiny URL utility and reduce lengthy URLs to manageable size.
</P><P>
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</P><P><b><a href="mailto:yohanon.glenn@gmail.com?subject=National bird">Comment on National bird</a></B></P></FONT>Yohanon Glennhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01429242324621325358noreply@blogger.com