Israelis’
Patriotism Dims.
According to an annual patriotism poll Israeli Arab
respondents rated their Arab patriotism at 86 percent their Palestinian
patriotism at 61 percent, but some 45 percent of them said they would encourage
their children to remain in Israel. Israeli Arabs were less inclined to fight
for Israel, with only 26 percent saying they would do so, down from 42 percent
in 2006. (No surprises here.)
At the same
time, Israeli patriotism is just 38 percent. The patriotism of Jewish youth
also diminished, with 51 percent of respondents aged 18 to 29 voicing love for
their country, down from 60 percent last year, and 55 percent saying they would
be willing to fight for Israel, a drop of four percentage points. (The
Government’s inability to lead, its lack of vision, its corruption and
treacherous behavior are the reasons for public apathy and the demise of Jewish
idealism and patriotism!)
Food for Thought. by Steven Shamrak
The original Zionism means “Eretz-Israel
on both sides of the river Jordan”. Those ‘Zionists’ who think otherwise must
be called “Zionism betrayers”.
It would be more honest and appropriate.
Eyes Opened, but not Mind! Israeli Prime Minister Ehud
Olmert had cosmetic eyelid surgery
to improve his vision and image. (Pity that there is not brain surgery that could improve
and unclog his mind!)
Aiding the Enemy. 1. The Israel Defense Forces has raised objections to U.S. plans to
equip Mahmoud Abbas' forces with battle gear as part of an $86 million U.S.
program to strengthen the PA presidential guard. 2. Israel transferred $100
million (50 million pounds) in withheld PA tax revenue to President Mahmoud
Abbas.
Israel Most Corrupt Western Country. Israeli Finance Ministry
Accountant-General Yaron Zelekha noted last Monday that Israel is recognized by
international bodies to be the most corrupt country in the Western world.
Zelekha is under constant security protection since receiving threats by phone.
His efforts to root out corruption have brought him many enemies in the treasury.
(It is well
known secret! Jail Olmert for corruption and rotten system start to crumble.)
Just to Make Sure. PA Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh said again last week that the
Islamist militant group Hamas, like Fatah government before, would never
recognise Israel. "Hamas will never show flexibility over the issue of
recognizing the legitimacy of the occupation." (“The
Occupation” – The code name for all of the State of Israel – Destruction of the
Jewish State! But the US and Israel disregard this simple fact and are still
pushing for a summit
dedicated to exploring ideas for an eventual Palestinian state.)
DM – The Enemy Among Us. Refugees
from the destroyed Gush Katif town of Shirat HaYam received another slap in the
face late Thursday after Defense Minister Amir Peretz decided to nix plans for
their new home in Maskiot.
Synagogue
is Burned in Israel. For the second
time in three months, The Yad Yair synagogue was damaged, with many of the holy books and
accoutrements inside viciously burned and destroyed by
Arabs. Torah scrolls were also damaged in the attack. The community plans a “Zionist response.” The
synagogue stands as a memorial site for Yair Mendelson, who was murdered by
Arab terrorists during the Arab uprising of the late 1980s.
Quote of the Week:
Neglect
of Land of Israel Issue. Investigation of
what Members of Knesset have been doing in order to promote the settlement of
the Land of Israel revealed that “the level of activity from the Right was
especially low.” Each MK worked hundreds of hours during the time period under
review, and not even one-tenth of that time was devoted to the important
subject of strengthening the Jewish connection to the Land of Israel. (If not in the Knesset, where are they going to address
it?)
‘Friendly’
Support of ‘Peace Process’. The US wants to support Mr Abbas against Hamas, which it
labels a terrorist group and plans providing $86M to helping train and equip Mr
Abbas's presidential guard, Fatah terrorist group. Hamas receives aid from Iran
and other Islamist allies. (Both terror groups have used and will use, without any
doubt, newly acquired expertise and weapons to kill Jews. Thank you
Condoleezza, thank you USA!)
Syria
is Reading for War. The latest
acquisition: the sophisticated Russian S-300PMU2 FAVORIT air defense system,
which is capable of downing Israel planes in Israeli air space and aircraft
taking off from US Mediterranean carriers. Two new mechanized divisions are
under construction raising the total to 12. Five will face Israel on the Golan,
joined by new elite units trained for cross-border incursions.
Faking Peace Process. Ambassador to
the United Nations, John Bolton believes that Condoleezza Rice, the US
secretary of state, is wasting her time trying (pretending) to restart the
Middle East peace process. The Arab-Israeli conflict was “not a priority”, he
added. “I don’t see linkage to Iraq, and Hamas and Fatah are in a state of
civil war.”
Hamas
Training for War. Khaled Mashaal, the
Damascus-based head of the Hamas political bureau, says his organization is
constantly seeking new ways to obtain weapons to fight Israel. Another senior
Hamas official said thousands of armed Hamas members have been secretly
training over the past few months around Ramallah, Nablus and Hebron. (They are deadly
serious! The only way to stop it is to remove the cancerous population from
Jewish land.)
Jewish
Contribution to Humanity.
Israel is considered the fourth
leader in the world in bio-technology. Israel is the world's number
two leader in stem
cell research, and four of the best articles on the subject were
written in Israel.
US support for
Palestinian State. Last week, U.S. Secretary
of State Condoleezza Rice met with PA President Mahmoud Abbas and said
“"The establishment of a Palestinian state should be pursued on its own
merits…” (What about the
pursuit of the establishment of an existing Jewish state, Eretz-Israel? Should
it be sacrificed “…because of Iran, not because of Iraq…” and pacification of
Islamic terrorism?)
Displaced Shame. Ehud Olmert expressed shock at a video that shows a Jewish
woman in the West Bank repeatedly yelling at an Arab woman. "I saw the tape and I was ashamed... such arrogance
and brutality cannot be tolerated," Olmert said. "A
situation in which a young Jewish woman uses such language toward a Palestinian
is quite simply shameful.” (He ashamed of the words of anger. but not
ashamed of his own conduct and he is quite tolerant to daily deadly assaults by
Kassam rockets on Jewish women and children – What an idiot!)
Olmert’s Popularity Low. According to a last week survey, 77 percent of Israelis are
unhappy with the prime minister’s performance. Of the remaining respondents, 22
percent said Olmert’s performance was good, while only 1 percent called it
“very good.” (He should not have been elected in the first place. Jewish
people need true leadership and we need it now!)
Scandal After Scandal. Olmert's Chief
of Staff Shula Zaken is being questioned by Israel 's tax
authority as the prime suspect in corruption allegations. She and others are
suspected of giving tax breaks to leading businessman and arranging
appointments with government officials in exchange for monetary payments. Since
Olmert has taken up his post in the prime minister's office, the number of
transgressions has increased markedly during 2006.
Eroded Israeli Deterrence. The Institute for National
Security Studies: "The war in Lebanon underscored the problematic and
fluctuating nature of Israel's strategic environment, damaged Israel's
deterrent image, and exposed weaknesses in the Israel Defense Forces and the
decision-making process in Israel." (The
weak leadership and lack of direction give encouragement to Arabs who have been
repeatedly waging opportunistic wars against Israel again.)
Prosecution
of Olmert is Overdue.
Israeli
authorities must open official criminal investigations against Prim Minister
Olmert. He is accused of:
·
Bribery as Finance
Minister, helping friends during the sale of Bank Leumi’s major shares in 2005.
(Last
week, state Attorney Eran Shendar ordered police to open an investigation into
the Israeli prime minister’s involvement.)
·
Making illegal political
appointments to the Israel Small Business Authority as Minister of Industry,
Commerce and Labor in 2005.
·
Purchasing, as Mayor of
Jerusalem, an expensive Jerusalem home at a reduced price of $320,000 in
exchange for helping to influence the city to speed up a contractor’s building
rights.
When even one of
the investigations becomes official it may force Olmert to temporarily step
down. Which is not a bad idea.