There are many things in the world I thought would never occur. The Red Sox winning the World Series. Democratic governments in former Soviet states. A live action movie of the Transformers. And yet while these have all, indeed, recently taken place (or, in the Transformers case, soon to take place), nothing - nothing - could have prepared me for the shock of seeing what appeared in the news yesterday.
Ready? A host of Hollywood stars, including some names you'd never expect like Nicole Kidman, Michael Douglas, Don Johnson and Danny DeVito (plus some you would expect - Sly Stallone, Bruce Willis, Dennis Hopper), took out a full-page advertisement in the Los Angeles Times supporting democracy and strongly condemning the terror organizations Hamas and Hezbollah.
Wow. Just wow. I'm still astounded. Even Hollywood is finally starting to get it. There's still a long way to go, of course, but this is quite a refreshing blast of air. If such a bastion of far-leftism can recognize the dangers of Islamic terrorism, then America's future looks a lot sunnier.
Now Tinseltown just needs to convince its comrades in the media, academia, and (especially) the judiciary to do the same thing. If that occurs, perhaps we won't even have to refer to them as comrades anymore.
Friday, August 18, 2006
Thursday, August 17, 2006
Outrageous: The ACLU's Attack on Terror Prevention
Does leftist idiocy have no end? A mere week after surveillance and wiretapping greatly contributed to the thwarting of a major terrorist attack, a federal judge ruled against America's conducting such methods. The ACLU, which brought the suit, argued that wiretapping without a warrant violates the rights to free speech and privacy.
Well, guess what - that's exactly the point. Wiretapping certainly does violate privacy, and that's precisely what's needed against would-be terrorists. These aren't ordinary Americans; they are jihadists who wish to destroy this nation and replace it with a Taliban-style theocracy. Anyone holding these aims deserves to be expelled from the country, much less have their privacy respected. The ACLU's disgusting lawsuit does nothing but aid America's genocial enemies.
Don't get me wrong - government wiretapping powers must always be watched to ensure that bounds aren't overstepped; the warrantless taps should certainly be limited only to jihadist terrorists. But to eliminate it entirely is idiocy bordering on treason. The ACLU should be deeply ashamed of themselves, and the suit thrown out immediately. (The U.S. government has appealed it to a higher court, with the outcome to be determined.)
For anyone who opposes wiretapping, imagine the privacy constraints the government would impose if another massive terror attack (one which likely could be prevented by surveillance) occurs. Suddenly, wiretapping doesn't seem so bad after all.
Well, guess what - that's exactly the point. Wiretapping certainly does violate privacy, and that's precisely what's needed against would-be terrorists. These aren't ordinary Americans; they are jihadists who wish to destroy this nation and replace it with a Taliban-style theocracy. Anyone holding these aims deserves to be expelled from the country, much less have their privacy respected. The ACLU's disgusting lawsuit does nothing but aid America's genocial enemies.
Don't get me wrong - government wiretapping powers must always be watched to ensure that bounds aren't overstepped; the warrantless taps should certainly be limited only to jihadist terrorists. But to eliminate it entirely is idiocy bordering on treason. The ACLU should be deeply ashamed of themselves, and the suit thrown out immediately. (The U.S. government has appealed it to a higher court, with the outcome to be determined.)
For anyone who opposes wiretapping, imagine the privacy constraints the government would impose if another massive terror attack (one which likely could be prevented by surveillance) occurs. Suddenly, wiretapping doesn't seem so bad after all.
Wednesday, August 16, 2006
Rabbi Hecht on the Folly of Israel's Ceasefire
In recent weeks, this blog has focused very primarily on the Israel-Lebanon war. I certainly plan to continue such coverage, but with so many pertinent political, cultural, and economic events also occurring in the world, I do intend to accordingly re-expand this site's scope. Look for such content to appear in the upcoming days.
Meanwhile, though, guest contributor Rabbi Shea Hecht checks in with his thoughts about Israel's ceasefire:
Accepting Defeat Over Victory
by Rabbi Shea Hecht
I am pained by the recent events in the Middle East. Truly so. The Israelis were provoked to go to war against Hezbollah and did so with a purpose. Missiles were routinely fired on Israeli towns indiscriminately. Their land was invaded, their soldiers were kidnaped and they fought back to make a point that they are a country that cannot be invaded. They wanted to disable the terrorists from being able to carry out these provocations and send a clear message to the citizens of surrounding countries that they shouldn’t think they could attack Israel, kill and kidnap their soldiers and get away with it.
Yet, against all logic and to the dismay of a public that was staunchly behind its government and hoping that the Hezbollah would be wiped out, Israel accepted a cease-fire before all the stated goals of the war were met - especially the return of the soldiers. This is embarrassing and it hurts. If Israel could not disarm Hezbollah, I’m not sure anyone could or would hold it against them. The USA didn’t disarm the terrorists in Iraq in the years since they entered and they are working at it diligently. But to leave the protection of the Israeli public in the hands of a UN peacekeeping force without the return of their soldiers - that hurts.
To add fuel to that fire, the rest of the residents of the Middle East are overjoyed at Israel’s acceptance of the UN cease-fire, calling it an Israeli "surrender” which can further encourage the Arab states to attack Israel.
Iran's Foreign Ministry spokesman Hamida-Reza said, “After one month of war against Lebanon's resistance, Israelis are the absolute losers and Hezbollah is the absolute winner of the war. The occupiers of Jerusalem failed, despite their military, economic, intelligence and diplomatic backings.”
Hezbollah central council member, Ahmed Barakat, told Qatari newspaper, al-Watan, that Hezbollah’s attack was a success. None of Hezbollah’s leadership was injured in the scuffle and the group still possesses thousands of rockets and other weapons for use in the days following the UN cease-fire. He added that those weapons will allow Hezbollah to hit Israel from further away so Hezbollah will not have to be near Israel’s border.
Meanwhile, in Lebanon, Nasrallah seems quite happy, boasting that Hezbollah has earned a “strategic, historic victory ... We came out victorious in a war in which big Arab armies were defeated.” In what can’t be called a very big surprise, Nasrallah showed very little enthusiasm for disarming his group, declaring that to do so would be “immoral, incorrect and inappropriate. It is wrong timing on the psychological and moral level.”
Incredibly, Hezbollah’s Nassrallah feels so confident from this attack on Israel that he said he is now ready to take on the USA, too.
A few weeks ago, the talk was of what would happen if Hezbollah was crushed by Israel, its military capacity demolished and its supply lines destroyed. Some said that it would lead to a civil war in which rival militias tried to cut into Hezbollah turf and continue their fight. Today, the same people are talking about the problems posed for the other Arab nations because of Hezbollah's increased popularity. Other Arab states have their own armed Islamic groups and they are afraid of the problems that can come if the rebels in their own countries become emboldened by what is perceived as Hezbollah’s success.
Pictures of Hezbollah-leader Hassan Nasrallah “hang everywhere in Ramallah,” according to Al- Jazeera, “covering the walls and shop fronts and plastered across T-shirts and demonstration banners. Secularists, Christians and Muslims alike refer to the Hezbollah leader as Palestine's newest and truest hero.”
Before the war, or even in its early days, people paid Sheik Nasrallah scant attention. But after weeks of fighting, the leader has won over new supporters, far from his usual power base among Lebanon's poor and rural Shi'ite Muslims.
It’s frightening that Israel accepted a cease-fire before crushing Hezbollah; it’s sad that it was before their soldiers were freed. It’s common knowledge that this permanent cease fire will not hold up - in fact it has shown signs of crumbling before it was signed. It has just become another opportunity for the terrorists to declare victory. By accepting it, Israel has snatched defeat from the jaws of victory. Only crushing the terrorists would have been an acceptable end and if Israel couldn’t do that the least they could have done is negotiated the return of our soldiers - which is why they went to war in the first place. Honestly, what pains me most about the cease-fire that Israel accepted is this: I wonder if loss of the Israeli soldiers who gave up their lives so their brethren can be freed was worth it.
TheSolidSurfer.com responds: Rabbi, thank you for contributing this insightful piece. It's always a pleasure to feature your words of wisdom on this site. I am very pained as well by Israel's disastrous handling of this war. Thousands of soldiers risked their lives (and sadly, as you mentioned, dozens gave their lives entirely) to defend the Jewish people, and Olmert's government seemingly did everything possible to reduce their heroic efforts to naught. Allowing a ceasefire without completely defeating Hezbollah is the absolute wrong move; Israel cannot, under any circumstances, tolerate next door a terrorist group committed to its destruction, and I fully agree that Hezbollah plans to attack the Jewish state yet again.
I am optimistic, though, that Israel will turn the tide. Hezbollah may consider merely surviving to be a "victory", but in reality Israel damaged them quite greatly. This, I believe, will greatly benefit the IDF in the next round, as long as the government no longer restrains it. If Israel can achieve this objective, it should be in far better shape next time.
Thanks again for the essay, and look forward to posting more of your work in the future!
Meanwhile, though, guest contributor Rabbi Shea Hecht checks in with his thoughts about Israel's ceasefire:
Accepting Defeat Over Victory
by Rabbi Shea Hecht
I am pained by the recent events in the Middle East. Truly so. The Israelis were provoked to go to war against Hezbollah and did so with a purpose. Missiles were routinely fired on Israeli towns indiscriminately. Their land was invaded, their soldiers were kidnaped and they fought back to make a point that they are a country that cannot be invaded. They wanted to disable the terrorists from being able to carry out these provocations and send a clear message to the citizens of surrounding countries that they shouldn’t think they could attack Israel, kill and kidnap their soldiers and get away with it.
Yet, against all logic and to the dismay of a public that was staunchly behind its government and hoping that the Hezbollah would be wiped out, Israel accepted a cease-fire before all the stated goals of the war were met - especially the return of the soldiers. This is embarrassing and it hurts. If Israel could not disarm Hezbollah, I’m not sure anyone could or would hold it against them. The USA didn’t disarm the terrorists in Iraq in the years since they entered and they are working at it diligently. But to leave the protection of the Israeli public in the hands of a UN peacekeeping force without the return of their soldiers - that hurts.
To add fuel to that fire, the rest of the residents of the Middle East are overjoyed at Israel’s acceptance of the UN cease-fire, calling it an Israeli "surrender” which can further encourage the Arab states to attack Israel.
Iran's Foreign Ministry spokesman Hamida-Reza said, “After one month of war against Lebanon's resistance, Israelis are the absolute losers and Hezbollah is the absolute winner of the war. The occupiers of Jerusalem failed, despite their military, economic, intelligence and diplomatic backings.”
Hezbollah central council member, Ahmed Barakat, told Qatari newspaper, al-Watan, that Hezbollah’s attack was a success. None of Hezbollah’s leadership was injured in the scuffle and the group still possesses thousands of rockets and other weapons for use in the days following the UN cease-fire. He added that those weapons will allow Hezbollah to hit Israel from further away so Hezbollah will not have to be near Israel’s border.
Meanwhile, in Lebanon, Nasrallah seems quite happy, boasting that Hezbollah has earned a “strategic, historic victory ... We came out victorious in a war in which big Arab armies were defeated.” In what can’t be called a very big surprise, Nasrallah showed very little enthusiasm for disarming his group, declaring that to do so would be “immoral, incorrect and inappropriate. It is wrong timing on the psychological and moral level.”
Incredibly, Hezbollah’s Nassrallah feels so confident from this attack on Israel that he said he is now ready to take on the USA, too.
A few weeks ago, the talk was of what would happen if Hezbollah was crushed by Israel, its military capacity demolished and its supply lines destroyed. Some said that it would lead to a civil war in which rival militias tried to cut into Hezbollah turf and continue their fight. Today, the same people are talking about the problems posed for the other Arab nations because of Hezbollah's increased popularity. Other Arab states have their own armed Islamic groups and they are afraid of the problems that can come if the rebels in their own countries become emboldened by what is perceived as Hezbollah’s success.
Pictures of Hezbollah-leader Hassan Nasrallah “hang everywhere in Ramallah,” according to Al- Jazeera, “covering the walls and shop fronts and plastered across T-shirts and demonstration banners. Secularists, Christians and Muslims alike refer to the Hezbollah leader as Palestine's newest and truest hero.”
Before the war, or even in its early days, people paid Sheik Nasrallah scant attention. But after weeks of fighting, the leader has won over new supporters, far from his usual power base among Lebanon's poor and rural Shi'ite Muslims.
It’s frightening that Israel accepted a cease-fire before crushing Hezbollah; it’s sad that it was before their soldiers were freed. It’s common knowledge that this permanent cease fire will not hold up - in fact it has shown signs of crumbling before it was signed. It has just become another opportunity for the terrorists to declare victory. By accepting it, Israel has snatched defeat from the jaws of victory. Only crushing the terrorists would have been an acceptable end and if Israel couldn’t do that the least they could have done is negotiated the return of our soldiers - which is why they went to war in the first place. Honestly, what pains me most about the cease-fire that Israel accepted is this: I wonder if loss of the Israeli soldiers who gave up their lives so their brethren can be freed was worth it.
TheSolidSurfer.com responds: Rabbi, thank you for contributing this insightful piece. It's always a pleasure to feature your words of wisdom on this site. I am very pained as well by Israel's disastrous handling of this war. Thousands of soldiers risked their lives (and sadly, as you mentioned, dozens gave their lives entirely) to defend the Jewish people, and Olmert's government seemingly did everything possible to reduce their heroic efforts to naught. Allowing a ceasefire without completely defeating Hezbollah is the absolute wrong move; Israel cannot, under any circumstances, tolerate next door a terrorist group committed to its destruction, and I fully agree that Hezbollah plans to attack the Jewish state yet again.
I am optimistic, though, that Israel will turn the tide. Hezbollah may consider merely surviving to be a "victory", but in reality Israel damaged them quite greatly. This, I believe, will greatly benefit the IDF in the next round, as long as the government no longer restrains it. If Israel can achieve this objective, it should be in far better shape next time.
Thanks again for the essay, and look forward to posting more of your work in the future!
Monday, August 14, 2006
Israel's Path To Victory Still Exists
What is Israel's government possibly thinking? The ceasefire with Lebanon and Hezbollah is just not going to work. Sure, there might be a few weeks of peace and quiet, but terrorists commited to Israel's destruction don't just roll over and decide to go home. Heck, they've already started firing again at IDF troops.
No, Hezbollah will quite predictably exploit the quiet and re-arm with the help of Iran and Syria. Then, when the UN "peacemaking" force arrives, they'll attack Israel again while the UN troops glance the other way.
Of course the ceasefire would be wonderful if it actually worked. But the history, actions, and openly declared objectives of Iran, Hezbollah, and the UN virtually guarantee that the war will continue. These entities all wish to destroy Israel, and Prime Minister Olmert and his government are playing right into their hands. Barring any shocking developments, Hezbollah will almost certainly mount another offensive, and this time the newly emboldened Iranian and Syrian armies may also enter the mix. If Israel continues its hands-off military strategy, it could be in serious trouble.
So how can the Jewish state extract itself from this mess? First, there is some good news. While Western analysts consider Israel to have lost the battle by not defeating Hezbollah entirely, Iran apparently believes the IDF won by destroying the terrorists' weapons capabilities. It took Iran six long years to arm Hezbollah, and now the terror group's function as a deterrent to Israel (and/or the U.S.) attacking Iran's nuclear plants has been seriously degraded. Hezbollah won't return to its former strength anytime soon.
But that said, it still plans to re-attack Israel as soon as possible. And to properly defend itself, Israel needs new leadership immediately. Olmert has proved himself unwilling to change, and a stronger PM must take over. (At the very least, someone who will allow the IDF to operate unencumbered.) Israel also must capitalize on Iran's difficulties and quickly destroy its nuclear facilities. This is an absolute must - Iran will likely attack Israel conventionally as a result, but its troops are no match for a non-restrained IDF, and Israel cannot allow the alternative, a nuclear Iran, to occur.
Furthermore, Israel must remember that it draws great strength from its Jewish nationhood and identity. Appeasing the "world community" is unnecessary and often dangerous. Rather, the Jewish state should look to its own political and spiritual leaders, such as Natan Sharansky and Rabbi Lazer Brody (whose website is a TheSolidSurfer.com blogroll link), for far better guidance.
This war is very winnable. Israel only needs to be up for the task.
No, Hezbollah will quite predictably exploit the quiet and re-arm with the help of Iran and Syria. Then, when the UN "peacemaking" force arrives, they'll attack Israel again while the UN troops glance the other way.
Of course the ceasefire would be wonderful if it actually worked. But the history, actions, and openly declared objectives of Iran, Hezbollah, and the UN virtually guarantee that the war will continue. These entities all wish to destroy Israel, and Prime Minister Olmert and his government are playing right into their hands. Barring any shocking developments, Hezbollah will almost certainly mount another offensive, and this time the newly emboldened Iranian and Syrian armies may also enter the mix. If Israel continues its hands-off military strategy, it could be in serious trouble.
So how can the Jewish state extract itself from this mess? First, there is some good news. While Western analysts consider Israel to have lost the battle by not defeating Hezbollah entirely, Iran apparently believes the IDF won by destroying the terrorists' weapons capabilities. It took Iran six long years to arm Hezbollah, and now the terror group's function as a deterrent to Israel (and/or the U.S.) attacking Iran's nuclear plants has been seriously degraded. Hezbollah won't return to its former strength anytime soon.
But that said, it still plans to re-attack Israel as soon as possible. And to properly defend itself, Israel needs new leadership immediately. Olmert has proved himself unwilling to change, and a stronger PM must take over. (At the very least, someone who will allow the IDF to operate unencumbered.) Israel also must capitalize on Iran's difficulties and quickly destroy its nuclear facilities. This is an absolute must - Iran will likely attack Israel conventionally as a result, but its troops are no match for a non-restrained IDF, and Israel cannot allow the alternative, a nuclear Iran, to occur.
Furthermore, Israel must remember that it draws great strength from its Jewish nationhood and identity. Appeasing the "world community" is unnecessary and often dangerous. Rather, the Jewish state should look to its own political and spiritual leaders, such as Natan Sharansky and Rabbi Lazer Brody (whose website is a TheSolidSurfer.com blogroll link), for far better guidance.
This war is very winnable. Israel only needs to be up for the task.
Thursday, August 10, 2006
Terrorist Plot Thwarted; Improving Airline Security
Thanks to excellent counterterrorism and surveillance, America and Britain narrowly avoided what looked to be a horrendous terrorist attack. Details are still surfacing, but signs point to Al Qaeda as the likely plotters.
We should all applaud the efforts of the CIA, British intelligence, and other parties who played a role in exposing the would-be jihadists. Thousands of lives likely were saved due to their collective action. At the same time, this should greatly quiet the leftist voices clamoring against counterterrorist measures such as the Patriot Act. Of course individual rights must be protected, but not to a complete libertarian extent that thwarts all efforts at preventing mass murder. Wiretapping and intelligence gathering clearly works, and the Western world has become resultingly safer.
On a related note, though, I strongly disagree with the new safety measures just implemented by the major airlines. Not that the new measures (no carry-on luggage whatsoever allowed in Britain, and no carry-on liquids allowed in America) won't work. But they turn flying into an extreme hassle, whereas a much easier and far more effective terrorist-prevention method indeed exists: profiling passengers for jihadist tendencies.
Let's face it - for non-jihadist travelers, very few security measures are actually needed. There could be no security checkpoints, no identification needed to fly, planes with fully open cockpit doors, and plenty of plastic knives in cabin service, and yet non-Islamofascists would still present almost no terrorist risk whatsoever. Why? Because jihadist beliefs are essentially the sole catalyst.
So instead of wasting time screening the carry-on luggage of people with virtually zero chance of committing attacks, the airlines could prevent terrorism simply by identifying jihadists via targeted pre-boarding questions. Of course, no system is perfect, and hence additional safety measures are needed. But there are plenty such procedures that add significant security without ridiculously inconveniencing passengers: X-ray baggage screening, locked cockpit doors, shoe inspections, passenger bag matching, and the like.
But to create major traveler difficulties by banning carry-ons, all while avoiding the much better tactic of profiling jihadists due to PC concerns, is a very poor way to respond. America needs to follow the lead of Israel's national airline, El Al, which has profiled potential terrorists for years with outstanding success. For truly safer skies, airlines must ignore political correctness and simply choose a strategy that works.
We should all applaud the efforts of the CIA, British intelligence, and other parties who played a role in exposing the would-be jihadists. Thousands of lives likely were saved due to their collective action. At the same time, this should greatly quiet the leftist voices clamoring against counterterrorist measures such as the Patriot Act. Of course individual rights must be protected, but not to a complete libertarian extent that thwarts all efforts at preventing mass murder. Wiretapping and intelligence gathering clearly works, and the Western world has become resultingly safer.
On a related note, though, I strongly disagree with the new safety measures just implemented by the major airlines. Not that the new measures (no carry-on luggage whatsoever allowed in Britain, and no carry-on liquids allowed in America) won't work. But they turn flying into an extreme hassle, whereas a much easier and far more effective terrorist-prevention method indeed exists: profiling passengers for jihadist tendencies.
Let's face it - for non-jihadist travelers, very few security measures are actually needed. There could be no security checkpoints, no identification needed to fly, planes with fully open cockpit doors, and plenty of plastic knives in cabin service, and yet non-Islamofascists would still present almost no terrorist risk whatsoever. Why? Because jihadist beliefs are essentially the sole catalyst.
So instead of wasting time screening the carry-on luggage of people with virtually zero chance of committing attacks, the airlines could prevent terrorism simply by identifying jihadists via targeted pre-boarding questions. Of course, no system is perfect, and hence additional safety measures are needed. But there are plenty such procedures that add significant security without ridiculously inconveniencing passengers: X-ray baggage screening, locked cockpit doors, shoe inspections, passenger bag matching, and the like.
But to create major traveler difficulties by banning carry-ons, all while avoiding the much better tactic of profiling jihadists due to PC concerns, is a very poor way to respond. America needs to follow the lead of Israel's national airline, El Al, which has profiled potential terrorists for years with outstanding success. For truly safer skies, airlines must ignore political correctness and simply choose a strategy that works.
Monday, August 7, 2006
Reuters Photos, Blogs, and Israel's Media Strategy
Well, what do you know? Reuters News Service has admitted that it published at least two doctored photographs of the Israel-Hezbollah war. Both images were altered by the photographer, Lebanese cameraman Adnan Hajj, to portray Israeli attacks on Beirut as far more destructive than in reality. After public outcry, Reuters fired Hajj and withdrew his entire photographic output from its articles.
Retraction notwithstanding, mainstream media reporting on Israel is in a truly sorry state. Any discerning editor could have noticed Hajj's cheap Photoshop effects, and yet Reuters newsrooms remained fully silent and likely complicit. Of course this hardly feels as a surprise, given the media's general anti-Israel bent. But I didn't think Reuters would sink quite this low.
And yet indeed they have, which has prompted a few thoughts that I'll outline here:
First, the scary one. If Reuters doctors photographs, what's the chances it also doctors text? I'd place good odds on 100%. The news service has proven to be untrustworthy, and if its images lie, the content of its Israel articles must be suspect as well. Reuters pieces are frequently flagged by HonestReporting.com for anti-Israel bias, and it's often a very short path from unjust slant to outright fakery. The collective damage from such unbalanced reporting is incalculable.
On the flipside, however, the episode has clearly demonstrated the power of blogs and alternative media. The doctored photos were exposed not internally, but by well-known blog (and TheSolidSurfer.com Blogroll link) Little Green Footballs. And not only did the quackery go public, the public forced Reuters to take action. Just a decade ago, this likely never would have been possible. The blogosphere's ascent has mirrored the mainstream media's decline.
Finally, the incident has only confirmed how I believe Israel should conduct its media strategy. Tell the truth and only the truth. Don't sink to the enemy's desperate level. As long as Israel properly spreads the message, the truth will speak for itself. This should be an effective component of the Jewish state's plan for victory.
Retraction notwithstanding, mainstream media reporting on Israel is in a truly sorry state. Any discerning editor could have noticed Hajj's cheap Photoshop effects, and yet Reuters newsrooms remained fully silent and likely complicit. Of course this hardly feels as a surprise, given the media's general anti-Israel bent. But I didn't think Reuters would sink quite this low.
And yet indeed they have, which has prompted a few thoughts that I'll outline here:
First, the scary one. If Reuters doctors photographs, what's the chances it also doctors text? I'd place good odds on 100%. The news service has proven to be untrustworthy, and if its images lie, the content of its Israel articles must be suspect as well. Reuters pieces are frequently flagged by HonestReporting.com for anti-Israel bias, and it's often a very short path from unjust slant to outright fakery. The collective damage from such unbalanced reporting is incalculable.
On the flipside, however, the episode has clearly demonstrated the power of blogs and alternative media. The doctored photos were exposed not internally, but by well-known blog (and TheSolidSurfer.com Blogroll link) Little Green Footballs. And not only did the quackery go public, the public forced Reuters to take action. Just a decade ago, this likely never would have been possible. The blogosphere's ascent has mirrored the mainstream media's decline.
Finally, the incident has only confirmed how I believe Israel should conduct its media strategy. Tell the truth and only the truth. Don't sink to the enemy's desperate level. As long as Israel properly spreads the message, the truth will speak for itself. This should be an effective component of the Jewish state's plan for victory.
Sunday, August 6, 2006
Israel Prime Minister Speech - Must Read!
I'd like to reproduce below an excellent speech that, according to Internet rumor, Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert delivered on July 31. Unfortunately the hearsay was unfounded, as further investigation has yielded that the talk was actually written by an Israeli named Ben Caspit, who proposed what he would say in the Prime Minister's place.
But it's an excellent speech, and in my opinion, would have been Olmert's best had he delivered it. (Heck, he should hire Caspit as an official advisor - this guy seems much more confident and realistic than the PM himself.)
We Will Not Capitulate
by Ben Caspit
July 31, 2006
Ladies and gentlemen, leaders of the world. I, the Prime Minister of Israel, am speaking to you from Jerusalem in the face of the terrible pictures from Kfar Kana. Any human heart, wherever it is, must sicken and recoil at the sight of such pictures. There are no words of comfort that can mitigate the enormity of this tragedy. Still, I am looking you straight in the eye and telling you that the State of Israel will continue its military campaign in Lebanon.
The Israel Defense Forces will continue to attack targets from which missiles and Katyusha rockets are fired at hospitals, old age homes and kindergartens in Israel. I have instructed the security forces and the IDF to continue to hunt for the Katyusha stockpiles and launch sites from which these savages are bombarding the State of Israel.
We will not hesitate, we will not apologize and we will not back off. If they continue to launch missiles into Israel from Kfar Kana, we will continue to bomb Kfar Kana. Today, tomorrow and the day after tomorrow. Here, there and everywhere. The children ofKfar Kana could now be sleeping peacefully in their homes, unmolested, had the agents of the devil not taken over their land and turned the lives of our children into hell. Ladies and gentlemen, it's time you understood: the Jewish state will no longer be trampled upon. We will no longer allow anyone to exploit population centers in order to bomb our citizens. No one will be able to hide anymore behind women and children in order to kill our women and children. This anarchy is over. You can condemn us, you can boycott us, you can stop visiting us and, if necessary, we will stop visiting you.
Today I am serving as the voice of six million bombarded Israeli citizens who serve as the voice of six million murdered Jews who were melted down to dust and ashes by savages in Europe. In both cases, those responsible for these evil acts were, and are, barbarians devoid of all humanity, who set themselves one simple goal: to wipe the Jewish race off the face of the earth, as Adolph Hitler said, or to wipe the State of Israel off the map, as Mahmoud Ahmedinjad proclaims.
And you - just as you did not take those words seriously then, you are ignoring them again now. And that, ladies and gentlemen, leaders of the world, will not happen again. Never again will we wait for bombs that never came to hit the gas chambers. Never again will we wait for salvation that never arrives. Now we have our own air force. The Jewish people are now capable of standing up to those who seek their destruction - those people will no longer be able to hide behind women and children. They will no longer be able to evade their responsibility. Every place from which a Katyusha is fired into the State of Israel will be a legitimate target for us to attack. This must be stated clearly and publicly, once and for all. You are welcome to judge us, to ostracize us, to boycott us and to vilify us. But to kill us? Absolutely not.
Four months ago I was elected by hundreds of thousands of citizens to the office of Prime Minister of the government of Israel, on the basis of my plan for unilaterally withdrawing from 90 percent of the areas of Judea and Samaria, the birth place and cradle of the Jewish people; to end most of the occupation and to enable the Palestinian people to turn over a new leaf and to calm things down until conditions are ripe for attaining a permanent settlement between us. The Prime Minister who preceded me, Ariel Sharon, made a full withdrawal from the Gaza Strip back to the international border, and gave the Palestinians there a chance to build a new reality for themselves. The Prime Minister who preceded him, Ehud Barak, ended the lengthy Israeli presence in Lebanon and pulled the IDF back to the international border, leaving the land of the cedars to flourish, develop and establish its democracy and its economy.
What did the State of Israel get in exchange for all of this? Did we win even one minute of quiet? Was our hand, outstretched in peace, met with a handshake of encouragement? Ehud Barak's peace initiative at Camp David let loose on us a wave of suicide bombers who smashed and blew to pieces over 1,000 citizens, men, women and children. I don't remember you being so enraged then. Maybe that happened because we did not allow TV close-ups of the dismembered body parts of the Israeli youngsters at the Dolphinarium? Or of the shattered lives of the people butchered while celebrating the Passover seder at the Park Hotel in Netanya? What can you do - that's the way we are. We don't wave body parts at the camera. We grieve quietly.We do not dance on the roofs at the sight of the bodies of our enemy's children - we express genuine sorrow and regret. That is the monstrous behavior of our enemies. Now they have risen up against us. Tomorrow they will rise up against you. You are already familiar with the murderous taste of this terror. And you will taste more.
And Ariel Sharon's withdrawal from Gaza. What did it get us? A barrage of Kassem missiles fired at peaceful settlements and the kidnapping of soldiers. Then too, I don't recall you reacting with such alarm. And for six years, the withdrawal from Lebanon has drawn the vituperation and crimes of a dangerous, extremist Iranian agent, who took over an entire country in the name of religious fanaticism and is trying to take Israel hostage on his way to Jerusalem - and from there to Paris and London.
An enormous terrorist infrastructure has been established by Iran on our border, threatening our citizens, growing stronger before our very eyes, awaiting the moment when the land of the Ayatollahs becomes a nuclear power in order to bring us to our knees. And make no mistake - we won't go down alone. You, the leaders of the free and enlightened world, will go down along with us.
So today, here and now, I am putting an end to this parade of hypocrisy. I don't recall such a wave of reaction in the face of the 100 citizens killed every single day in Iraq. Sunnis kill Shiites who kill Sunnis, and all of them kill Americans - and the world remains silent. And I am hard pressed to recall a similar reaction when the Russians destroyed entire villages and burned down large cities in order to repress the revolt in Chechnya. And when NATO bombed Kosovo for almost three months and crushed the civilian population - then you also kept silent. What is it about us, the Jews, the minority, the persecuted, that arouses this cosmic sense of justice in you? What do we have that all the others don't?
In a loud clear voice, looking you straight in the eye, I stand before you openly and I will not apologize. I will not capitulate. I will not whine. This is a battle for our freedom. For our humanity. For the right to lead normal lives within our recognized, legitimate borders. It is also your battle. I pray and I believe that now you will understand that. Because if you don't, you may regret it later, when it's too late.
But it's an excellent speech, and in my opinion, would have been Olmert's best had he delivered it. (Heck, he should hire Caspit as an official advisor - this guy seems much more confident and realistic than the PM himself.)
We Will Not Capitulate
by Ben Caspit
July 31, 2006
Ladies and gentlemen, leaders of the world. I, the Prime Minister of Israel, am speaking to you from Jerusalem in the face of the terrible pictures from Kfar Kana. Any human heart, wherever it is, must sicken and recoil at the sight of such pictures. There are no words of comfort that can mitigate the enormity of this tragedy. Still, I am looking you straight in the eye and telling you that the State of Israel will continue its military campaign in Lebanon.
The Israel Defense Forces will continue to attack targets from which missiles and Katyusha rockets are fired at hospitals, old age homes and kindergartens in Israel. I have instructed the security forces and the IDF to continue to hunt for the Katyusha stockpiles and launch sites from which these savages are bombarding the State of Israel.
We will not hesitate, we will not apologize and we will not back off. If they continue to launch missiles into Israel from Kfar Kana, we will continue to bomb Kfar Kana. Today, tomorrow and the day after tomorrow. Here, there and everywhere. The children ofKfar Kana could now be sleeping peacefully in their homes, unmolested, had the agents of the devil not taken over their land and turned the lives of our children into hell. Ladies and gentlemen, it's time you understood: the Jewish state will no longer be trampled upon. We will no longer allow anyone to exploit population centers in order to bomb our citizens. No one will be able to hide anymore behind women and children in order to kill our women and children. This anarchy is over. You can condemn us, you can boycott us, you can stop visiting us and, if necessary, we will stop visiting you.
Today I am serving as the voice of six million bombarded Israeli citizens who serve as the voice of six million murdered Jews who were melted down to dust and ashes by savages in Europe. In both cases, those responsible for these evil acts were, and are, barbarians devoid of all humanity, who set themselves one simple goal: to wipe the Jewish race off the face of the earth, as Adolph Hitler said, or to wipe the State of Israel off the map, as Mahmoud Ahmedinjad proclaims.
And you - just as you did not take those words seriously then, you are ignoring them again now. And that, ladies and gentlemen, leaders of the world, will not happen again. Never again will we wait for bombs that never came to hit the gas chambers. Never again will we wait for salvation that never arrives. Now we have our own air force. The Jewish people are now capable of standing up to those who seek their destruction - those people will no longer be able to hide behind women and children. They will no longer be able to evade their responsibility. Every place from which a Katyusha is fired into the State of Israel will be a legitimate target for us to attack. This must be stated clearly and publicly, once and for all. You are welcome to judge us, to ostracize us, to boycott us and to vilify us. But to kill us? Absolutely not.
Four months ago I was elected by hundreds of thousands of citizens to the office of Prime Minister of the government of Israel, on the basis of my plan for unilaterally withdrawing from 90 percent of the areas of Judea and Samaria, the birth place and cradle of the Jewish people; to end most of the occupation and to enable the Palestinian people to turn over a new leaf and to calm things down until conditions are ripe for attaining a permanent settlement between us. The Prime Minister who preceded me, Ariel Sharon, made a full withdrawal from the Gaza Strip back to the international border, and gave the Palestinians there a chance to build a new reality for themselves. The Prime Minister who preceded him, Ehud Barak, ended the lengthy Israeli presence in Lebanon and pulled the IDF back to the international border, leaving the land of the cedars to flourish, develop and establish its democracy and its economy.
What did the State of Israel get in exchange for all of this? Did we win even one minute of quiet? Was our hand, outstretched in peace, met with a handshake of encouragement? Ehud Barak's peace initiative at Camp David let loose on us a wave of suicide bombers who smashed and blew to pieces over 1,000 citizens, men, women and children. I don't remember you being so enraged then. Maybe that happened because we did not allow TV close-ups of the dismembered body parts of the Israeli youngsters at the Dolphinarium? Or of the shattered lives of the people butchered while celebrating the Passover seder at the Park Hotel in Netanya? What can you do - that's the way we are. We don't wave body parts at the camera. We grieve quietly.We do not dance on the roofs at the sight of the bodies of our enemy's children - we express genuine sorrow and regret. That is the monstrous behavior of our enemies. Now they have risen up against us. Tomorrow they will rise up against you. You are already familiar with the murderous taste of this terror. And you will taste more.
And Ariel Sharon's withdrawal from Gaza. What did it get us? A barrage of Kassem missiles fired at peaceful settlements and the kidnapping of soldiers. Then too, I don't recall you reacting with such alarm. And for six years, the withdrawal from Lebanon has drawn the vituperation and crimes of a dangerous, extremist Iranian agent, who took over an entire country in the name of religious fanaticism and is trying to take Israel hostage on his way to Jerusalem - and from there to Paris and London.
An enormous terrorist infrastructure has been established by Iran on our border, threatening our citizens, growing stronger before our very eyes, awaiting the moment when the land of the Ayatollahs becomes a nuclear power in order to bring us to our knees. And make no mistake - we won't go down alone. You, the leaders of the free and enlightened world, will go down along with us.
So today, here and now, I am putting an end to this parade of hypocrisy. I don't recall such a wave of reaction in the face of the 100 citizens killed every single day in Iraq. Sunnis kill Shiites who kill Sunnis, and all of them kill Americans - and the world remains silent. And I am hard pressed to recall a similar reaction when the Russians destroyed entire villages and burned down large cities in order to repress the revolt in Chechnya. And when NATO bombed Kosovo for almost three months and crushed the civilian population - then you also kept silent. What is it about us, the Jews, the minority, the persecuted, that arouses this cosmic sense of justice in you? What do we have that all the others don't?
In a loud clear voice, looking you straight in the eye, I stand before you openly and I will not apologize. I will not capitulate. I will not whine. This is a battle for our freedom. For our humanity. For the right to lead normal lives within our recognized, legitimate borders. It is also your battle. I pray and I believe that now you will understand that. Because if you don't, you may regret it later, when it's too late.
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