An Apology

In my previous post I upbraided the Vatican and its newspaper for besmirching Israel. It turns out that CWNews mistranslated the portion on which I relied.

In fact, the original news story took to task the government of Sri Lanka for refusing Israeli aid, and not Israel for failing to give it.

So, that which I asked of the Vatican, I must now render to it. Mea Culpa. My sincere apologies. It is a lesson well learned; in the future I will try to rely on the original.

Norwegian UN Chutzpah

Jan Egeland says the wealthy nations are not giving enough. "They are stingy" says he.

Well, in the case of France, he is quite correct. Perhaps even in the case of Germany as well. But certainly not in the case of the United States. Nor indeed Canada, or Australia. Not even in the case of tiny Israel.

So we must look to the source whence these words come. Egeland is employed by the UN, that great humanitarian organization that brought us Rwanda, Kosovo, Darfur, and many stops in between. The man is an ass representing a stable full of asses.

And while on the subject of asses, the Vatican Newspaper was moved to find fault with the Israelis for not sending aid to Sri Lanka. Again, we must look to the source, because the entire article was bereft of truth. The Israelis offered an emergency response team of 150 persons, which Sri Lanka promptly refused. Nonetheless Israel shipped them 80 tons of food, water, medicine and clothing, with more on the way.

As to the response team. Thailand indicated they would welcome them, and that is where it is now. I await the Vatican's correction and/or apology. I will peruse the Italian press diligently, but probably in vain.

As I am writing this I see where a private welfare organization in Canada has already raised triple the entire French pledge, and we are only in the first day of collection.

But wait. How foolish of me not to understand. The UN clearly wishes to have vast amounts of money channeled through them so that we can have the south-east Asia version of "food for oil". I guess we can call it "suffering for food": the Asians suffer and the UN bureaucracy has lots of food for their personal banquet tables.

Does anyone know the Norwegian word for chutzpah?

A Day Of Fasting

Today is a fast day commemorating the tenth day of the Hebrew month of Tevet. That was the day, in the year 425 BCE, on which the armies of Nebuchadnezzar besieged Jerusalem. Some two and one half years later, on the ninth day of the Hebrew month of Tammuz, the walls were breached, Jerusalem fell, as did the Kingdom of the Jews. The following month, on the ninth day of the Hebrew month of Av, the Holy Temple, built by King Solomon, was destroyed. The Jews were exiled, where they remained for the next seventy years.

And so this day, which this year happens to coincide with the 22nd day of December, marks, for observant Jews, a time of sadness, fasting, introspection and repentance. We Jews have been commemorating this day for over 2400 years.

But this is not intended as an article on religion, nor on rabbinics. My point is simply this: A thousand years before Muhammad, the First Temple of the Jews was destroyed. From that day forward we have pined for Jerusalem and our Holy Temple.

In the year 70 CE, the Romans destroyed the Second Temple. They then marched to the battle cry, HEP! HEP! Hierusalem est perdita - Jerusalem is destroyed. For almost 2000 years the Jews were exiled once again. However a core remained throughout the entire land of Israel. Statehood was denied us, but since the promise to Abraham, the land is us, and we are the land.

Well, by the grace of G-d, a state is no longer denied to us. Indeed, the Jews have returned to that holiest of cities, to Jerusalem. And there we shall remain. Forever.

Thanks, But No Thanks

The December 3, 2004, editorial in the Boston Globe suggests that James Baker or, failing that, Dennis Ross mediate between Israel and the Palestinians.

I take it that is the same James Baker who had such laudatory things to say about Jews in general and about Israelis in particular, during his years as Secretary of State, and afterwards. He may be a great arm-twister, but certainly not a mediator. All the more so when his even-handedness is greatly in question. Besides, what success did he ever achieve in the Middle East? The answer is nil.

Then we have Dennis Ross, he of the recent book extolling his virtues as Special Envoy. An ex post facto apologia remains just that. And no amount of verbiage detracts from his abject failure at achieving anything concrete.

But the most ridiculous cut of all is to say that President Bush may not be suited to mediate and that is why we need one or other of Baker and Ross. It seems to me the President has a good understanding of the present situation. He knows that truth is not a widely recognized concept among the Palestinians seeking power. And as his recent speech in Ottawa pointed out, pressuring the Israelis for further concessions will achieve nothing. It has been tried and failed. Indeed it seems to me the President realizes that personal intervention is not what is needed. What is needed is a change in attitude, outlook and approach by the Palestinians. A true democracy with a good dose of rectitude would go a long way in solving the problems of the Palestinians. Then other things would follow.

We must not lose sight of with whom we are dealing. Abu Mazen (Abbas), realizing how fragile life is, returns to Ramallah after the attempt on his life and vows to follow in the footsteps of Arafat. I know he denied there was an attempt on his life, but even my youngest grandchild saw through that one. And everyone knows what following in the footsteps of Arafat means.

Marwan Barghouti sits in an Israeli jail. He gives a solemn undertaking to not run in the elections, and vows support for the Fatah candidate, Abu Mazen. Then, several days later he files papers to contest the election. Is that the fellow whose word Israel is expected to take?

And while I am thinking of it: If all the Palestinians ever wanted was Judea and Samaria (the West Bank) with East Jerusalem, and Gaza, why did they not take it in the 19 years that it was held by the Jordanians and Egypt? The answer is simple. They want it all. They want, as Achmed Shukairy used to say, the Jews gone or in the sea.

So, thanks, but no thanks. You can keep Baker and Ross. On this one I prefer the boss's approach.