If you are interested in Jewish heritage in Central and Eastern Europe, you might like to visit Centropa, which is a new online archive of photos and oral histories.

I read about it in Haaretz's print edition, but I'm too tired to look for the Haaretz link right now, if there is one. G'night.
posted by Imshin 22:46

Who gassed Gaza?
Chemical weapons have been used before in the Middle East.

Guess who Saddam’s predecessors were. I’ll give you a hint. It was in Gaza. And it wasn’t Israel.

It was the British, against the Turks in 1917. It seems they didn't manage to do much harm with it, though.

posted by Imshin 21:33

The Culpepper Log managed to bait me with this story of how Arafat tried to assassinate Colin Powell this April. The source is Yossef Bodansky’s new book. I’m not sure how reliable he is as a source, but it requires a lot of gall for someone described here as “director of the Congressional Task Force on Terrorism and Unconventional Warfare” to publish such a claim in a book if it is a complete fabrication.

The story of the attempted assassination is interesting, although, if true, doomed to fail because the Shabak (Shin Bet) routinely “cleans” areas that such possible targets as Powell are going to pass through. I was witness to such a “cleaning” operation myself around the same period, which was a very tense one, if you remember, when I found myself at a location soon to be visited by Defense Minister Ben Eliezer.

posted by Imshin 10:11

The Palestinian Authority has the ability to fight Hamas when it kills one of their own. When asked to curb Hamas’ terrorist activity against Israel they claim they can’t because Israel has destroyed the infrastructure. It seems they can but won’t. Why is this being ignored by the world? (Rhetorical question).
posted by Imshin 08:46

Farid Lancheros left me a comment suggesting I linked to him, as a Palestinian blog. I visited his blog and I really enjoyed reading it. He seems to be a lovely person. His blog is a far cry from pro-Palestinian blogs I have visited in the past, most of which have managed to deeply offend me personally after about thirty seconds. Farid’s blog is nothing like that. It is a pleasant and gentle place to visit, very peaceful.

I understand that Farid suggested I link to him to show that Palestinians are not only the conflict, which is something I wrote yesterday. But the thing is, reading his blog, I initially thought he’d given the wrong URL. I could find nothing to suggest that a Palestinian wrote this, apart from the fact that he had attended an anti-war rally and made some pro-Palestinian comments. Delving further, while enjoying Farid’s description of his life as a New Yorker, I found that Farid is of mixed Palestinian and Colombian descent. I found his poignant and frank descriptions of his life as an openly gay man and a rehabilitated alcoholic moving. But Farid is first and foremost an American. This is quite evident from his writing. Describing his blog as a Palestinian blog is misleading. A few pro-Israeli bloggers are Israeli-born or have lived in Israel, some grew up in Israel, but they don’t describe their blogs as Israeli blogs.

I was elated with the Oslo Accords. I fantasized about Peres’ “New Middle East”. I could envision Israelis and Palestinians evolving together as a confederacy, two independent states working together to create an economic and cultural heaven. I read excitedly about development projects in the Palestinian Authority. I hoped I would soon be able to spend my holidays in the lovely new Palestinian hotels. I once went shopping in Kalkilya and was excited to see Palestinian policemen directing the traffic and Palestinian taxi drivers waiting for fares. It reminded me of the stories of the early days of the state of Israel when every little thing was a great achievement. I thought the Palestinians should surely succeed economically. The merchants were growing rich. Israelis queued for hours (literally), every Shabbat, to get to a West Bank town called Bidya, known mainly for its cheap furniture. Israelis flocked to the casino in Jericho. I know of the universities, the schools and the hospitals. I’ve seen the high-rise apartment buildings in Gaza (sadly only on TV) and the Gazan families sitting at cafes on the beach. I had been to Gaza City before Oslo, so I could appreciate the difference. I know that Palestinians are not just the conflict, Farid.

But why, oh, why are the Palestinians so wrapped up in their anger and vengefulness that they would rather side with the hate-filled fanatics and bring this whole delicate pack of cards down? As anyone who has ever been fortunate enough to be part of that rare institute, a happy marriage, even for a short while, knows, building a life together requires endless patience and compromise, giving each other time and space to grow, side by side. I accept that Israel also has a lot to learn in this respect. But the Palestinians seem set on murdering the spouse.

Farid, all this has very little to do with your life. You live somewhere else, in a peaceful place, where you are free to pursue your personal goals, and even your sexual preference. I very much doubt you will be coming to live in the Palestinian State when it is established (and may we all see it established in peace in our lifetime). Yours is not a Palestinian blog.

I will link to your blog, Farid, not as a Palestinian blog, but as an interesting blog I would like to visit again, written by an American Palestinian.

posted by Imshin 07:55

Five dead in Helsinki explosion. They’re not sure yet if it was a bomb or a gas leak.


Another suicide bombing prevented. This time in Tel Aviv.

posted by Imshin 21:47

Did Sharon visit Moscow disguised as
Abu Mazen????
Maariv reports that Palestinian Authority no. 2 Abu Mazen attacked Arafat with harsh words, using phrases usually used by US government heads and Prime Minister Sharon. The source – “a confidential report sent by top Russian government officials to their Washington colleagues following Abu Mazen’s visit to Moscow last week.

The report adds that Abu Mazen and other Palestinian top officials are very close in their views to the standpoint of the Israeli government and that there is a nearly complete correlation between the views presented by Prime Minister Ariel Sharon and the viewpoint presented by Abu-Mazen a few days later.

Following Abu Mazen’s visit to Moscow, which took place immediately following Sharon’s visit, the Russian Foreign Minister Igor Ivanov phoned his American counterpart Colin Powell and reported the developments, called by some diplomatic sources “dramatic”. A wider and more detailed written report was later transmitted from Moscow to Washington, and part of it reached the Prime Minister’s office in Jerusalem

The reports pointed out, among other things, that Abu Mazen convened the Arab ambassadors and conducted a discussion with them described as “sharp and genuine”. Abu Mazen said, among other things, that Arafat made a grave mistake when he didn’t prevent the outbreak of the Intifada and headed it. He said that he and other top Palestinian officials warned Arafat, time and time again, but he didn’t heed them. According to Abu Mazen, the Intifada has brought the Palestinians very harsh results, to a severe failure in all fields, to a loss of purpose and to a dead end.

Abu Mazen pointed out that he and other Palestinian leaders have come to the understanding that they must accept Israel’s demand: A complete cessation of the violence, of all kinds, as a first stage. Only after complete quiet returns can the political process be rehabilitated, he said.

According to the Russian report, the secret negotiations between PM Sharon and top Palestinian officials led to a complete acceptance of the layout offered by Sharon: First a cessation of violence, then a renewal of the political negotiation towards the establishment of a Palestinian state within temporary borders. Abu Mazen said that in the current situation it would be very difficult to calm the field and to impose its authority over the rejectionist organizations."

HALLELUYA!

Sorry there’s more, but I’ve got to go over and see my Mum, now.

(My translation, by the way).

Shabbat Shalom!


posted by Imshin 15:44

Not a Fish
is just me being me. Everyone who reads this and knows me personally can see that.
It has evolved quite a bit since I began in June. I go where my fancy takes me. I have something to say I say it. Stories I write about often have continuations but I’ve lost interest. I’ve said what I had to say. I am not a journalist.

Israel is much more than the conflict with the Palestinians, as Our Sis pointed out back when I was writing about that alone. (I wish I could say the same about the Palestinians, but that’s besides the point). Most Israelis take this country, and all the amazing accomplishments of the last hundred years, for granted. This war, threatening our very existence, has given us a rare opportunity to be aware and appreciate. With all its faults, this is a really amazing place to live.

posted by Imshin 06:52

For Dad.
A new addition to the "Yellow Belly Custard" collection. And another one.
posted by Imshin 21:29

Guess what Imshin is. I bet you didn’t know that. I didn’t either. Imshin J, however is a completely different. Not a Fish is smelly, but not in a fishy way. Yuck.

This is fun. Let’s try some more. They must of heard about Bish’s diet. (Oops! I promised myself I wouldn’t mention Bish’s diet).

This is interesting. And this. Freddie, this is for you.

Now you try it.

posted by Imshin 20:56

I’ve been waiting for the English translation of this – The monthly “Peace Index”.
Some highlights:

The findings of the Peace Index survey for this month point to a disparity between the poor condition of Israel's economy and the ongoing clash with the Palestinians, on the one hand, and the general sentiments of the Israeli-Jewish public, on the other hand. This is despite the fact that the issues are extensively, and for the most part pessimistically, covered in the media. Therefore, the overall mood, assessments of the economic and personal situation, and feelings of personal security are not as negative as might be expected. The majority of the public characterizes these issues at a medium level. In fact, despite the difficult economic and security situation and prospective future developments, an overwhelming majority is not realistically considering emigration.

[…] The general picture that emerges is that taking into account the difficult objective conditions, the "national morale" is by no means at a nadir. This is consistent with findings we have presented several times over the past two years - the public believes in Israeli society's resiliency even should the present situation continue for the foreseeable future.

posted by Imshin 20:38

With regard to infant mortality, it seems Israeli is one of the less unequal countries.
Amnon Rubinstein invites us to take a look at infant mortality rates between Jews and Arabs in Israel and compare them with those who call us racist.

In rich and developed France, the infant mortality rates among Arabs (most of whom speak the language of the country, and some of whom are already second, third and fourth generation natives of France) are not only much higher than in Israel - the gap between the minority and the majority there is considerably larger than in "racist Israel."

More info on the subject.

posted by Imshin 19:45

So it's looking like it's a sociopath, not an "ordinary terrorist"?
I am sorry Americans are being terrorized like this. I hope whoever is doing this is caught soon.
posted by Imshin 18:37

Oh, thank you, Diane for this fun. Bish explained to our youngest that this is why he is so unhappy :-)
posted by Imshin 18:33

Tenderness
I am driving along in my car. The car in front of me stops in the middle of the road. I can’t see why he has stopped and I lift my hand to give the horn a little toot. Then I notice a lizard crossing the road, between the tyres of the car in front of me. It’s too late to stop my hand. It’s already pressing the horn. I toot and feel bad.

The social worker comes to visit the bedridden cancer patient at home. She asks the patient to tell her who all the people in the photos are.

I’m late returning library books again. I ask the nice librarian what the fine is, hoping she will let me pay this time. No fine. ‘You can ring and extend, you know.’ She explains patiently, for the umpteenth time.

A street cat sniffs at the plastic cheese containers someone has left out with cat food inside. Another cat has been there before him.

posted by Imshin 18:03

I don't think I'll be buying those sandals, after all. I'm sorry for the salespeople and the shop owners with their empty shops. I just don't have the heart for shopping, cheap or not.
posted by Imshin 17:59

Letter from Gotham: If I were a British Jew, I would emigrate. Not sure where I would emigrate to, though....

Is there any question? I don’t think the answer to that has been so apparent since the nineteen forties.

posted by Imshin 17:43

Yes, Meryl, morons.
All that brain power, Zero common sense.

See also OCCAM'S TOOTHBRUSH and The Harvard Crimson Online.
posted by Imshin 17:38

A bus stop under the pedestrian bridge leading to Bar Ilan University, near Bnei Brak. A busy road.
A man tried to enter the back door of a crowded bus this morning just as the driver was closing it. The man fell and started bleeding. The bus driver stopped the bus and went to tend to the wounded man along with another. Someone said a woman gave the man mouth-to-mouth resuscitation. When they opened his shirt they saw wires and a device. They realized he was a terrorist. They got hold of his hands and pinned him down to prevent his detonating the device. At the same time they yelled at everyone to run away. Then they noticed he was starting to move his legs, and were afraid he would blow himself up on them. They made sure all the people that had crowded round were well away and then they made a dash for it. The terrorist got up and started running towards the people. Then he blew up. 71 year-old Saada Aharon was killed. Thirty others were wounded.

Attorney Shamai Leibowitz lives very near to where this happened. Is this terrorist also Moses?

posted by Imshin 17:32

In reaction to a comment by Alis, I have added an update to my somewhat loose rambling about welfare (it's right at the end of the post). I seem to be in one of my more fuzzy brain days.
posted by Imshin 00:01

This is brave, but is it wise?
…classroom time devoted to the events of October 2000 will soon be incorporated in secondary school curricula for students in Arab language schools in Haifa and northern regions.

[…] Tirosh asked teachers and principals to encourage students to "express their anger, pain, frustration, disappointment and anxiety about the situation." The new initiative would provide room for "an array descriptions of reality provided by teachers, pupils and parents, all based on different standpoints."

Although this intiative could easily serve as a boomerang, having the opposite result of that hoped for, the Ministry of Education is going ahead with it. I think this says something about the fairness and openness with which the Ministry regards the Arab students.

posted by Imshin 23:26

Left and right in Israel
I liked the comment on Southpark Republicans that Nancy B. King posted.

Israelis tend to confuse the right-left economy continuum, with the hawk-dove continuum. Israel is unique in such abnormalities as the Israeli financial elite being identified with the left, even as they advocate free economics. This is because they made their money under the wings of the socialist founding fathers and maybe also because they were drawn to Shimon Peres’ tempting vision of the “New Middle East” and its economic possibilities. Haaretz newspaper is a good example of a radically dovish publication that caters to the Israeli heads of finance and industry.

Another uniquely Israeli paradoxical phenomenon is “Shas”, an ultra-orthodox political party that aligns itself with the political right, while representing a way of life that is ideologically non-productive and is financed by handouts.

The recession and the media
In view of the deepening recession, the press is discussing hunger incessantly. Statistics show that unemployment and poverty are highest in Arab towns and villages (That’s a “laugh” isn’t it? The Palestinians rejoice in Israel’s economic hardship and it is their brothers who are hardest hit). But times are tough in Jewish areas, as well, especially in the already impoverished “development” towns in the South. There have been reports of government ministers lavishly spending taxpayers’ money (mainly Shas ministers – this is ironic because Shas represents the poorest of the poor), while some schoolchildren go hungry.

Welfare
Someone I know voluntarily activates a food project in her town. She feeds those who would be hungry without her help, according to a list she receives from the municipal welfare department. She says the list has been getting longer lately.

On the other hand, I have quite a few friends and acquaintances that live in blue-collar neighborhoods. They tell me that many of the so-called welfare cases drive flashy cars and wear an offensive amount of gold and diamonds. My fiends complain that these people get all the subsidies and refuse to pay any dues at the school or kindergarten, but don’t even bother to look for work. They say that the real poor are sometimes too embarrassed to ask for help and are busy scraping by and keeping up appearances.

I have no doubt that my friend, with the food project, feeds people who really need this help. She and her helpers bring the food parcels they prepare right into the people’s homes, and she therefore knows how they live. But I ask myself how many undeserving frauds are being subsidized by our welfare system, along with the deserving.

A social worker I know says that government cut backs are making things very difficult. Children who have been taken out of abusive homes and put into care are being sent back home. Many more are not being dealt with at all.

But it seems people are still turning down work in agriculture and construction, maybe because the employers prefer to import cheap labor and pay them starvation wages.

But
The municipality has been changing the asphalt in our road for three nights now. The noise is horrendous, but I’m happy. What can I say? I’m an infrastructure freak. If the municipality can still afford to fix the roads and sidewalks, and pay nighttime fees, we haven’t hit rock bottom yet.

Social and economic inequality is not necessarily caused by a conspiracy of the affluent
A friend recently took on a new employee with a rather questionable past. The new employee was extremely grateful for being given such a wonderful opportunity and worked hard and long for a few weeks.

Then this person began to disappear for days on end, leaving work unfinished, and was soon given the boot. The process of sacking the employee was very unpleasant. The employee apparently yelled accusations at my friend, blaming him for the employee’s own shortcomings, threatening to sue, and so on.

My friend, who initially had been happy to give this person a chance, was frustrated at his inability to help this person, who, it seems, just couldn’t deal with the requirements of a holding a steady job.

Life is more complex than black and white/left and right
Igor B., whose regular feedback I enjoy and appreciate, sees me as a leftie. Does he mean leftie on the economy continuum, the hawk-dove continuum, or both?

These days, I fail to identify myself as left or right. Both sides seem to put such a lot of values into one basket. If one’s a leftie then one is in favor of 1,2, 3 and 4 and is opposed to 5, 6, 7 and 8. If one’s a right-winger he’s in favor of 5, 6, 7 and 8 and is opposed to 1, 2, 3 and 4. Since when were things so simple and clear cut?

I feel compassion for those who haven’t been as lucky as I have been and I donate as generously as I can afford to charity, but I refuse to feel guilty or to be trodden on by those who have less than me, materially.

I believe the state should supply all its citizens with the best education and health care possible and that children, old people, the handicapped (physically and mentally) and those who really cannot work should be looked after. But I also believe that those who harm others should receive much longer prison sentences, with rehabilitation programs only for the few convicts who can really benefit from them.

I believe we should take more care of the environment, but not at the expense of human lives.

I fail to see anything wrong with Macdonald’s, Coca Cola and other multi-nationals. It is my responsibility, as a parent, to make sure my children get a balanced diet and I see no harm in these companies offering their wares, as long as they don’t force me to consume them. Living as I do, in a little country, far from the affluent centers of “modern civilization”, I am grateful for the considerable material (and even spiritual) improvement in my life that Globalization has brought about. Moreover, I fail to see how it is possible to globally solve global problems without Globalization.

I am a vegetarian. I haven’t knowingly eaten an animal for six years. I believe that killing animals for food is wrong, when there is an abundance of available food and it is relatively easy to reach a balanced diet without eating animals. But I am strongly opposed to forcing such views on others, including my own children.

I think abortion is murder, but I am pro-choice.

I feel that for there to be a future for Israel, we must be strong and win this war at all costs, but I have compassion for the suffering of the Palestinians who hate me, and believe that the army should do the utmost to avoid unnecessary civilian deaths.

If I am a leftie because I see those who would rather see me dead as human beings, so be it.

Update: Alis wrote something that is worth posting here and not leaving on the comments:

"A social worker I know says that government cut backs are making things very difficult. Children who have been taken out of abusive homes and put into care are being sent back home. Many more are not being dealt with at all."

"If the municipality can still afford to fix the roads and sidewalks, and pay nighttime fees, we haven’t hit rock bottom yet."

Does this really have a greater priority than protecting children from domestic abuse? IMO, not being able to afford the latter IS hitting rock bottom.

I quite agree. This was rather thoughtless of me. I would like to point out that not all kids are being sent home to abusive homes. There is a shelter for kids near us, and as far as I know it hasn't emptied. I happen to know one of the kids, and he's still there. Moreover, there is a shelter for teenage girls near my work place that has recently been renovated with great love and care and this last week has been reopened and reoccupied.

posted by Imshin 18:53

A class celebrity – at last!
I have just noticed that a classmate of mine is reporting for a major Israeli newspaper. I haven’t heard his name for 19 years. I actually think of this guy every time I see Egyptian president Mubarak. I used to think they looked similar, except my classmate has enormous blue eyes. There’s an idea for a children’s party game, educational, too – blow up a photo of Mubarak and get the kids to stick on different features: big blue eyes; a moustache, long blond hair… Do you think it will cause a diplomatic incident? I wonder if my old classmate has aged as well as Mubarak has. Do you think Mubarak dyes his hair?
posted by Imshin 16:43

Ah, the joys of being 37 and gainfully employed
On the way to work I pass a shoe shop with lovely shoes on display, but a bit expensive for me. I’ve had my eye on, more or less, all the sandals they’ve had in the window this summer. Today I noticed that the prices have come down a lot, now it’s the end of the season, and they’re much cheaper. Time to go shopping!

Now if I was still in my early twenties, I would…
a) worry that if I bought them now, they would be terribly out of fashion by next summer.
b) not be able to afford them even at the cheaper prices.

posted by Imshin 16:34

Reshet Bet in English
You can now read some of the Israeli radio station Reshet Bet updates in English.

posted by Imshin 20:37

But let’s renew talks, by all means.
Evelyn Gordon also discusses why the Palestinians think their war against Israel is a great success in today’s Jerusalem Post.

But it is time for Israel and the world to face up to what the Palestinians are really saying: that for an overwhelming majority of them, the "achievements" of undermining Israel's economy, security and international support are worth the steep personal and national price they have paid.

And as long as this is so, the idea that a Palestinian state would end the conflict is a pipe dream -- because the Palestinian goal is not a thriving Palestine alongside a thriving Israel, but a dying Israel, even at the price of a dying Palestine alongside it.

Update: Gil has posted a letter by one Palestinian who sees things differently. The heartbroken father of a suicide bomber bitterly challenges the religious leaders who sent his eldest son to die killing.

posted by Imshin 20:09

More on St. Francis of Assisi.
Alifa Saadya, from the Vidal Sassoon International Center for the Study of Antisemitism, Hebrew University of Jerusalem, was kind enough to update us:

Apparently the Prayer of St. Francis is probably not actually by
him, so some Catholic sources say that it's "in the spirit of St.
Francis." I once read a book about the role of the clergy in the
town of Assisi, and what is really remarkable is that many of the
townspeople also took part in rescue activities. One printer and his
son made some of the best false passports and documents that you can
now see at Yad Vashem. Students in Assisi went to the post office
(which also provided telephone service) and looked up names from the
directories of cities that were at that time occupied by the Allies
in order to use them on the false documents (names from those places
would have been harder for an official to check in the chaos of
war). For some reason, that little detail about finding names in the
directory has always stayed with me. Sometimes the most unobtrusive,
simple things can be lifesaving.

St. Francis did write other hymns and prayers, but today, most
scholars think the popular Prayer was actually written by someone
else.
posted by Imshin 19:35

Are we to expect a full scale Gaza invasion in the event of a large scale terrorist attack?
Haaretz thinks so: “Israel has told the U.S. that an IDF invasion of Gaza "is a matter of statistics and time," because as terror attacks mount in the Strip - mostly against settlements - "Israel will be forced to act."”

There have been a lot of mortar attacks and Kassam rocket attacks, lately, not just on settlements and military outposts in the Gaza strip, but against towns and villages inside the "Green Line" (pre-1967 Israel) as well – Sderot, for instance. A factory was destroyed there, recently, by a mortar attack. Luckily no one was hurt.

posted by Imshin 06:21

Jenin
Tal G. summarizes an Israeli TV documentary about the Jenin battle, from the point of view of Israeli soldiers.

posted by Imshin 05:44

A chip on this Jew’s shoulder
Last Friday morning, my youngest daughter attended a school ceremony at one of the local synagogues with the rest of her classmates. The synagogue’s Rabbi presented her and her friends with her second grade version of the Book of Genesis, covered nicely with blue velvet with gold lettering (supplied by the parents, of course!). This ceremony marks the beginning of Bible study. It is a symbolic ceremony and has no religious significance. The Rabbi, who just happens to be an influential national figure, spoke at length about the “People of the Book”. I doubt if the seven year olds understood much of it. The parents seemed to be too busy excitedly taking photos to notice or care.

One of the young recipients of the book was a non-Jewish classmate of my daughter, who, I think, is from a country in East Asia (I’m not sure which one - my daughter can’t remember; I’m too shy to ask his mother and don’t like to gossip by asking other mothers or the teacher). He looked very cute with a big white kippa clipped on his head, along with the other boys.

I commented to Bish that I would have refrained from sending my daughter to a similar ceremony in a church, had we been living abroad. Bish replied that this is mainly a social event for the (largely secular) children. He added that the child’s parents obviously don’t feel as threatened by Jewish symbols, as we feel by Christian ones.

Some years ago, an Israeli balladeer with a wonderful voice, called Ahinoam Nini (her name is a bit difficult for Western ears so in the West she goes by the name of Noa), sang “Ava Maria” to the Pope and an audience of a hundred thousand Catholic worshippers, in the Vatican. My first impression was WOW. But then I began to feel uncomfortable. Something I heard her say on the radio, recently, has led me to understand that her rendition of “Ava Maria” has, by now, become her trademark.

I really love Ahinoam Nini’s work. Many years ago, I lost an unborn child. Around the same time Ahinoam Nini released her version of the beautiful Hebrew poem, “Uri”, by poetess Rachel, about the son she never had. I still cry when I hear her sing this song. (The real name of the poem is “Barren Woman”, by the way. I couldn’t find an English translation).

But the “Ava Maria” thing offends me. I’ve looked up the words. They are very beautiful. I am sure they have given great comfort to countless Christians the world around for centuries, in times of pain and suffering. But for a Jew and an Israeli to sing a prayer to the mother of God (which to a believing Jew is the worst kind of sacrilege) in the Vatican, displays a lack of understanding for the terrible suffering endured by millions of Jews at the hands of Christians, in Europe, for centuries, in the name of Mary and Jesus.

I am not saying not to forgive. I think we already have done. I am not saying things have not greatly changed in this respect. They have, even given reports of a recent awakening of some anti-Semitic sentiment in Europe and elsewhere. I am not saying we should not strive to live in peace with the descendants of our historical tormentors. Of course we should. There is no question of that. But I am saying that it would do to be more sensitive. There are other beautiful songs she could have sung that are not prayers to the Virgin Mary, mother of Jesus.

It seems she wasn’t very sensitive when she performed for the Pope at a later date, either. This time she apparently embarrassed everyone by wearing provocatively revealing clothes. The Pope reportedly averted his eyes. A beautiful voice does not automatically guarantee its owner the gift of tact, it seems.

The reason I have brought all this up is a beautiful prayer that Jen posted a few days ago. I have read and reread it many times. I find it very moving. But I have been dithering about posting it. This is because it is attributed to a Catholic saint. And not just any Catholic saint. I am understandably rather ignorant of the legacy of Saint Francis of Assisi, besides his liking animals and helping the poor.

Isn’t it strange that I should have no such qualms about the teachings of the Buddha? Maybe not. Buddhism, in its purer form, has nothing to do with the worship of a deity. It is quite possible for a religious Jew to practice Buddhism. I know a number of people who do this. Furthermore, Buddhists have never persecuted Jews or tried to convert them forcibly, to my knowledge.

Back to St. Francis: Searching the net, I discovered that the clergy of Assisi saved many Jews during the Holocaust.

Please allow me to share this beautiful prayer with you. It has wisdom far beyond the beliefs of this religion or that:


Lord, make me an instrument of your peace.
Where there is hatred, let me sow love;
where there is injury, pardon;
where there is doubt, faith;
where there is despair, hope;
where there is darkness, light;
and where there is sadness, joy.

O Divine Master, grant that I may not so much seek to be consoled as to console;
to be understood as to understand;
to be loved as to love.
For it is in giving that we receive;
it is in pardoning that we are pardoned;
and it is in dying that we are born to eternal life. Amen



posted by Imshin 23:30

More:
Eric Hoffer on weakness:
Rudeness is the weak man's imitation of strength.
_________________________

It has often been said that power corrupts. But it is perhaps equally important to realize that weakness, too, corrupts. Power corrupts the few, while weakness corrupts the many. Hatred, malice, rudeness, intolerance, and suspicion are the faults of weakness. The resentment of the weak does not spring from any injustice done to them but from their sense of inadequacy and impotence. We cannot win the weak by sharing our wealth with them. They feel our generosity as oppression.
_________________________

The weak are not a noble breed. Their sublime deeds of faith, daring, and self-sacrifice usually spring from questionable motives. The weak hate not wickedness but weakness; and one instance of their hatred of weakness is hatred of self. All the passionate pursuits of the weak are in some degree a striving to escape, blur, or disguise an unwanted self. It is a striving shot through with malice, envy, self-deception, and a host of petty impulses; yet it often culminates in superb achievements.
_________________________

Thus we find that people who fail in everyday affairs show a tendency to reach out for the impossible. They become responsive to grandiose schemes, and will display unequaled steadfastness, formidable energies and a special fitness in the performance of tasks which would stump superior people. It seems paradoxical that defeat in dealing with the possible should embolden people to attempt the impossible, but a familiarity with the mentality of the weak reveals that what seems a path of daring is actually an easy way out: It is to escape the responsibility for failure that the weak so eagerly throw themselves into grandiose undertakings. For when we fail in attaining the impossible we are justified in attributing it to the magnitude of the task.
_________________________

When people revolt in a totalitarian society, they rise not against the wickedness of the regime but its weakness.
_________________________

Unlike the pattern which seems to prevail in the rest of life, in the human species the weak not only survive but often triumph over the strong. The self-hatred inherent in the weak unlocks energies far more formidable then those mobilized by an ordinary struggle for existence.
_________________________

When the weak want to give an impression of strength they hint menacingly at their capacity for evil. It is by its promise of a sense of power that evil often attracts the weak.

A wise man.

posted by Imshin 23:25

This was on Middle East Realities:
ISRAEL'S PECULIAR POSITION
By Eric Hoffer, Los Angeles Times
May 26, 1968

The Jews are a peculiar people: things permitted to other nations are forbidden to the Jews.

Other nations drive out thousands, even millions of people and there is no refugee problem. Russia did it, Poland and Czechoslovakia did it, Turkey threw out a million Greeks, and Algeria a million Frenchman. Indonesia threw out heaven knows how many Chinese -- and no one says a word about refugees.

But in the case of Israel the displaced Arabs have become eternal refugees. Everyone insists that Israel must take back every single Arab. Arnold Toynbee calls the displacement of the Arabs an atrocity greater than any committed by the Nazis.

Other nations when victorious on the battlefield dictate peace terms. But when Israel is victorious it must sue for peace. Everyone expects the Jews to be the only real Christians in this world. Other nations when they are defeated survive and recover but should Israel be defeated it would be destroyed. Had Nasser triumphed last June he would have wiped Israel off the map, and no one would have lifted a finger to save the Jews. No commitment to the Jews by any government, including our own, is worth the paper it is written on. There is a cry of outrage all over the world when people die in Vietnam or when two Negroes are executed in Rhodesia. But when Hitler slaughtered Jews no one remonstrated with him. The Swedes, who are ready to break of diplomatic relations with America because of what we do in Vietnam, did not let out a peep when Hitler was slaughtering Jews. They sent Hitler choice iron ore and ball bearings, and serviced his troop trains to Norway. The Jews are alone in the world. If Israel survives, it will be solely because of Jewish efforts. And Jewish resources. Yet at this moment Israel is our only reliable and unconditional ally. We can rely more on Israel than Israel can rely on us. And one has only to imagine what would have happened last summer had the Arabs and their Russian backers won the war to realize how vital the survival of Israel is to America and the West in general.

I have a premonition that will not leave me; as it goes with Israel so will it go with all of us. Should Israel perish, the next Holocaust will be upon us.

Eric Hoffer 1968

[Eric Hoffer, 1902-1983, was an American (non-Jewish) philosopher, this article was published in the LA Times.]

This was published on my third birthday. Thirty four years later nothing has changed.

posted by Imshin 22:05

No longer welcome in synagogues
Yesha News gleefully reported, last night, that Attorney Shamai Leibowitz, advocate for Marwan Barghouti, was thrown out of two synagogues during Shabbat. Besides being Marwan Barghouti’s advocate he is also known to be one of the more vocal refuseniks (he’s currently number 50 on the list). You can read his beliefs here. But the worshippers didn’t refuse to pray with him because he is defending Marwan Barghouti nor for his refusing to defend his country in a time of war. What really offended them was his reported comparison, in court, of Marwan Barghouti with the biblical Moses.

You can read about the incident here: “The relative tranquility inside the courtroom was at one point punctuated by loud guffaws from the audience when Leibowitz compared Barghouti, accused of orchestrating attacks in which 26 Israelis were killed, to the biblical Moses. "Moses, too, did not recognize the Egyptians' jurisdiction to try him and fled the country," said Leibowitz, a grandson of the late biblical scholar Yeshayahu Leibowitz.

Quoting Exodus, he continued: "Moses saw cruel occupation and he killed the Egyptian and left him in the sand." A patient (Judge) Gurfinkel carefully retorted "but Moses killed an Egyptian taskmaster who was beating an Israelite, not just any innocent Egyptian."”.

Jews know Moses as Moshe Rabenu, Moses our teacher. I think you could say that if Abraham, Isaac and Jacob are regarded as the biological forefathers of the Jews, Moshe is our spiritual father, God’s vessel for teaching the Jewish people what was required of them. For a religious Jew (and Shamai Leibowitz is a religious Jew) such a comparison of Moshe Rabenu with the guy that Bish always used to call “whatsisname, the little one with the moustache”, a little schneck of a terrorist turned politician turned terrorist, is going way over the line.

Now, Jews aren’t into idolizing spiritual teachers. This is widely regarded as sacrilege. Although Moshe freed the Israelites from Egyptian bondage, led them out of Egypt, and to the Promised Land, supplying them with a whole new set of beliefs and laws on the way there, he is not mentioned even once in the Passover Haggada. This is the book the Jews (even the secular ones) read together every Passover, which tells the story of the Israelites’ exodus out of Egypt. The reason for this is to emphasize that it was God who freed the Israelites and Moshe was only His helper.

So it looks like the worshippers difficulty with Leibowitz’s comparison is essentially the same as Judge Gurfinkel’s. Moshe’s killing of an Egyptian taskmaster, who was beating an Israelite slave, cannot be compared to Barghouti’s sending suicidal mass murderers to indiscriminately slaughter innocents, many of them children.

In his much quoted explanation of why Israeli Jews should refuse to serve in the territories, he maintains that what we are doing there is collective punishment of innocents. He brings a few examples from the Bible to prove that Jewish sources view collective punishment as wrong. Among other things, he quotes Deuteronomy: “The fathers shall not be put to death for the children, neither shall the children be put to death for the fathers; every man shall be put to death for his own sin.” (Deuteronomy 24:16); and the prophet Ezekial who said: “The soul that sins, it shall die. The son shall not hear the iniquity of the father, neither shall the father bear the iniquity of the son: the righteousness of the righteous shall be upon himself, and the wickedness of the wicked shall be upon himself alone.” (Ezekial 18:20)

In this case, the bringing to trial of Marwan Barghouti is what Leibowitz himself has been demanding: Punishment of those responsible.

I believe that every person has the right of a decent defense, when put on trial (not a right automatically granted to Palestinian defendants in Palestinian courts, by the way). But by offering himself as Barghouti’s defense lawyer, and by claiming that the Israeli court has no jurisdiction to try Barghouti for the mass murder of innocents in Israel, Attorney Leibowitz contradicts his own explanation for his refusal to serve his country. I’m not saying that Barghouti’s defense lawyer should not use this line of defense. I’m not a lawyer and I don’t know. I’m saying that Attorney Shamai Leibowitz, personally, has no moral right to use this claim.

Moral right? What am I talking about? The man’s a lawyer!

By the way, with regard to Shamai Leibowitz’s grandfather, Yeshayahu Leibowitz, I highly recommend reading anything written by him, you can get your hands on. I know he is known to have said some things that annoyed a few people (well a lot of people), but everything I’ve read of his has been exciting, inspirational and thought provoking.

Bish rephrased the Talmud and commented on Shamai Leibowitz: “The vinegar is the grandson of the wine”. (The original is “vinegar son of wine” in the Gemara, Bava Metziya, 83b, meaning something on the lines of: a ne'er do well son of a righteous father).

If you understand Hebrew, you can listen to Moshe Gantz, from a non-profit organization dedicated to promoting and furthering Yeshayahu Leibowitz’s philosophies, explaining why Shamai Leibowitz does not represent his grandfather’s way of thinking.

Update: Yisrael Neeman from Mideast: On Target discusses Shamai Leibowitz here. He is less fond of Grandpa Leibowitz than I am.

posted by Imshin 20:01

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