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Tuesday, October 31, 2006

Homosexual Rape In Jerusalem

No thank you, we don't want it. The religious Jews don't want it, the secular Jews don't want it, the Moslems don't want it and the Christians don't want it. The mayor doesn't want neither does the city counsel. But they are forcing it upon us. The "gay pride parade" is scheduled to take place November 10th, and the holy city will once again suffer a gang rape by these unfortunate and pathetic creatures.

Now that I work in "gay friendly" Tel Aviv, I get to see what the homosexuals would like to do to Jerusalem:



This building is smack in the middle of Tel Aviv, near the Shalom Tower. The first floor features a bar called "Feel". You can see that the facade is made up of a huge picture of men in various stages of dress (or undress). On the second floor resides the "Aram Naharayim" synagogue. Opening a bar under a synagogue is a pretty sick thing to do. Opening a homosexual bar is an outrage.

Homosexuals, please don't force yourselves upon us. We are not willing to bend over.

Memorial Service For Rabbi Menachem Liebman zt"l





A year has gone by since Rav Liebman passed away. A memorial sevice will be held at the Merkaz HaRav Yeshiva on Wednesday at 8:15 PM. I hope to be there.

Here's an article (in Hebrew ) about Rabbi Liebman zt"l.

Sunday, October 29, 2006

Great Weather Today In Israel: Rain




We received a good dose of rain this morning, thank God. The rainy season has officially begun. Today is the 7th of Marcheshvan, the day when the Jews in the land of Israel start praying for rain (Ashkenazim - ותן טל ומטר, Sephardim - ברך עלינו). During the rainy season, good weather is rainy weather. I was at the sea of Galilee last week and it more than three meters under its optimal level. We really need rain. So get your umbrellas out, put away your sandals, and don't forget to pray.







(image from http://www.israelweather.co.il/week.asp)

Thursday, October 26, 2006

The Kangaroo Court Is Now In Session

Oy vey.

Did Rav Ovadia Really Say This?

IsraelNN.com:
Former Sephardic Chief Rabbi Ovadia Yosef is quoted in the weekly hareidi-Orthodox Mishpacha magazine expressing his opposition to a member of the hareidi community serving as president.

The statement in directed at the candidacy of Tel Aviv Chief Rabbi Yisrael Meir Lau, a popular presidential candidate.

Rabbi Yosef, the Shas Party spiritual leader, stated that the presidency is no place for a hareidi Jew, explaining that while “we try to influence the Jewish character of the state,” there is no place at the secular ceremonies and the like.

The statement will make it difficult for any of the hareidi parties to support Rabbi Lau’s bid, including UTJ and Shas.
I feel that something is missing here. Rabbi Ovadia Yosef himself, in his role as Chief Rabbi, also had to take part in "secular ceremonies and the like." I would like to know exactly what Rav Ovadia objects to. In the meantime I'm left with a question mark.

Update: The Sunken Synagogue also saw this one.

Tuesday, October 24, 2006

Kidnapped AP Photographer Granted Access to Witness Terror Preparations in Past

If you sleep with dogs you may wake up with fleas:
(IsraelNN.com) AP photographer Emilio Morenatti, who was reported kidnapped Tuesday in Gaza, was trusted by PA terrorists who in the past offered him an inside view of Al-Aksa Brigades terrorists preparing for attacks against Israeli civilians and IDF soldiers.

Morenatti photographed one Al-Aksa terrorist laying a bomb and another carrying an explosive belt to be used in a suicide bombing. He also seems to have accompanied terrorists on an attack.
Be sure to read the entire article, which links to blogs AbbaGav and LGF.

More On The Conjugal Visit

The controversy continues:
Dozens of reporters representing Israeli and international media outlets waited Tuesday morning for Larissa Trimbobler, who arrived for her first conjugal visit with her husband Yigal Amir, who murdered former Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin 11 years ago.

The Israel Prison Service provided the couple with a special room which will be at their disposal from 8:30 a.m. till the afternoon hours.

Trimbobler arrived dressed in black with a light blue hat and a scarf, and was carrying a plastic bag. She was smiling, but refused to talk to the reporters waiting for her and answer their question.
Nehemia Shtrasler couldn't help but write some nonsense about the affair. I don't have time to fisk everything that that he wrote, but the following paragraph is totally inane:
And the murderer did not just murder Rabin. He severely harmed democracy, altered the significance of the voter's declaration, and stilled a historical process. It is fair to assume that if Rabin were alive, the Oslo process would have continued, the agreement with the Palestinians would have taken shape, Hamas would not be governing the territories, and our political and social circumstances would be immeasurably better.
The truth is that the Oslo process was long dead when Rabin was murdered. Busses were blowing up all over the country and Rabin trailed Netanyahu in the polls by about 20%. Indeed, the rally that Rabin was murdered in its aftermath was a desparate attempt to increase support for policies that were already failing. But the Israeli left has never let the facts confuse them.

Jblogosphere reacts to Lieberman joining the coalition

Tel Chai Nation: Avigdor Lieberman sells out

Am Echad: Heil Lieberman!

Shiloh Musings: Avigdor Lieberman reminds me of Clinton

Cosmic X: * yawn *

Sunday, October 22, 2006

Conjugal Visits For Yigal Amir

As the anniversary of Yitzchak Rabin's murder approaches, I expected the usual media preoccupation with Yigal Amir, but this is really funny:
Yigal Amir’ request for a conjugal visit from his wife Larissa Trimbobler has been authorized, and the two will be able to meet as early as next week.

The Israel Prisons Authority said Friday that the Shin Bet recently lifted the security restrictions imposed on former Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin’s killer, citing that he no longer poses a public threat and will therefore be allowed to meet with his wife for fertility reasons.

The permit granted by the Shin Bet for the conjugal visit is due to expire in six month’s time, but the Prisons Authority said Amir and Trimbobler may meet in the coming week.

The Prisons Authority said a surveillance camera follows Amir’s every move 24 hours a day, but it has not yet been decided whether he will be watched during the conjugal visit.
Wow, will this be broadcast with commentary by Moshe Negbi? Perhaps Amir should sell media rights to the highest bidder.

If this weren't bad enough we have the reaction of "Defense Minister" Peretz:
Minister of Defense Amir Peretz expressed his dissatisfaction with Shin Bet’s decision to permit Amir a conjugal visit.

“It is unbelievable that restrictions have been eased for the murderer of Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin,” he said.
The guy is so preoccupied with Israel's security! MK Eitan is much more logical:
However, Knesset Member Michael Eitan (Likud) said, “I find it hard to believe that Israel’s security will be jeopardized if the murderer Yigal Amir is allowed a conjugal visit from his wife.

“If Amir is forbidden from meeting his wife (for fertility reasons), it should be done according to a court ruling and not in accordance with the incomprehensible considerations of the Shin Bet head,” he said.
Of course, such a major event could not be ignored by "Peace Now":
(IsraelNN.com) Peace Now Secretary-General Yariv Oppenheimer is calling on Public Security Minister Avi Dichter to invalidate an Israel Prison Authority decision to permit Yigal Amir a conjugal visit with his wife, Dr. Larissa Trimbobler.

Oppenheimer challenges the legitimacy of Amir’s marriage to Trimbobler, adding he also tried have his sperm smuggled out of prison on one occasion. As such, due to his unacceptable behavior, the conjugal visit should not be permitted, Oppenheimer maintains.

Amir is serving a life sentence after being convicted of the assassination of Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin.
Yariv Oppenheimer, get a life!

Update: Another "reason" to stop Amir from having children:
(IsraelNN.com) MK (Retiree Party) Moshe Sharoni stated Yigal Amir, the convicted assassin of Prime Minister Yitzchak Rabin, cannot be permitted to bring children into the world.

Sharoni stated any children born to Amir “will be miserable and bear the sign of Caine on their foreheads their entire life.”
Aren't you touched by this guy's concern for Amir's future offspring?

Thursday, October 19, 2006

On The Way To The Lake Of Galilee...

1) I saw that they named the Jordan Valley Highway after Rechavam Ze'evi. Cool.

2) While driving through the Jordan Valley,on the Western side of the Jordan River, I received the following SMS:
Welcome to jordan (sic) and thank you for using UMNIAH GSM network. We wish you a pleasant stay in Jordan. For customer care inquiries please dial 1333.
Not cool.

The Israeli Judicial System May Stink...

but I'm glad that I don't live in France.

Wednesday, October 18, 2006

אמא לא הכירה, את יונתן שפירא

If the radio plays that song one more time I will smash it! :)

5th Anniversary Of Ze'evi's Murder Coming Up

From INN:
Respected Cabinet Minister and IDF General Rehavam Ze'evi was murdered five years ago in a Jerusalem hotel by three Palestinian terrorists - and the public is invited to take part in the memorial.

Ze'evi was shot to death close to 7 AM as he was going to his room to tape an interview with Arutz-7 on the morning of the 30th day of Tishrei, 5762. The date falls out this year on Oct. 22, this coming Sunday.
I once had the priviledge of meeting Rehavam Ze'evi. We were both at a protest in front of the Orient House in Jerusalem. If my memory does not fail me, the reason for the protest was the fact that then Prime Minister Shimon Peres would not let soldiers that were posted near the Orient House fly the Israeli Flag (He did not want to hurt Arab feelings). So MK Ze'evi and other outraged Israelis came to do what Israel's Prime Minister forbade: to wave the Israeli flag in the heart of Jerusalem.

After the protest we talked. MK Ze'evi, who had reached the rank of General in the IDF, remarked that Shimon Peres never served in the army. I asked him if he was sure, since I thought that I had once seen a picture of Peres, dressed in an army uniform, chatting with David Ben Gurion. Ze'evi replied that the picture must have been taken on Purim (a day when many Jews wear costumes).

Tuesday, October 17, 2006

Don't Rush Electoral Reform

Finally some public debate on the issue. I have to say that I agree with most of what is written here, particularly the following:
Some of what most ails our system, incidentally, stems not from its technical framework but from the content we, the voters, pour into it - following fads, being swayed by polls and paying too little attention to issues. (Jpost could add to the list, "and buying every spin of the Israeli MSM .) Avoiding the difficult and unpleasant, while seeking magic solutions to deep-seated existential problems, will inevitably lead to bad government.
How do you spell "Kadima"?

More On Last Night's Wedding

It used to be that religious weddings in Israel were more or less the same. The ceremony had several steps, and as a guest at the wedding one more or less knew what was going to happen.

Nowadays every wedding is different, special production. Sure there is a bedecken, blessings under the chuppah, and a meal. But everything before, in between and after is specially crafted according to the bride, groom and their families. For instance, last nights wedding included a lady with a guitar singing before the bedecken, a film about the groom during the meal, and other unique features.

It was nice, but I am a fan of the old, simple style. The simplicity and faithfulness to tradition binds the ceremony to the rest of the nation, whereas all of these special features put the emphasis on the individual. I can't help but feel that there is also a matter of "keeping up with the Jones (or Cohens)" here. That is how it seems to me.

Gush Katif Expellees Fighting In The Gaza Strip

Last night I was at a wedding and I met a relative who was expelled from Gush Katif. He is fortunate in that unlike most of the victims of the expulsion, he is employed. As I inquired about different members of his family he mentioned that his oldest son is in the army, and had been involved in recent fighting inside the Gaza Strip.

And they called the expulsion plan "disengagement".

While Olmert sends the sons of the expellees to fight in Gaza and Lebanon, what are his children doing? The answer please:
The Olmerts' daughter Danna is a university lecturer of literature and a self-professed lesbian who lives openly with her partner in Tel Aviv. She is a member of Machsom Watch, a group of Israeli women who monitor checkpoints for human rights abuses and often confront Israeli soldiers on behalf of Palestinians. Her older sister, Michal, holds a master's degree in psychology and runs creative thinking workshops. Married, she lives in Tel Aviv and is known to share her siblings' leftist political leanings, but is not as outspoken.

The Olmerts' son Shaul completed his military service, signed a petition of Yesh G'vul, a group of Israeli Defense Force soldiers who refuse to serve in the occupied territories, and now lives in New York.

Their younger son, Ariel, dodged military service altogether and is studying French literature at the Sorbonne in Paris. Both sons have retained their Israeli citizenship and are eligible to vote.
Should I laugh or cry?

Monday, October 16, 2006

Lieberman Pushes Presidential System in Israel

Is the Israeli political system getting ready for an overhaul? Here are the details of legislation that is being proposed by Avigdor Lieberman's Yisrael Beiteinu party:
The legislation was proposed by Lieberman and several of his party colleagues. Its purpose, as explained in the bill itself, is "to enact a presidential system with total separation of powers between the executive and legislative branches... The ministers will not be Knesset Members, and the Knesset will thus be able to dedicate its work to legislation and parliamentary review over the government... The Knesset will be able to fire the Prime Minister by a 2/3 Knesset majority (80 MKs), but will not be able to dissolve a sitting government - thus guaranteeing governmental stability for four years."

The proposed legislation also states, however, that the Prime Minister will be able to call new Knesset elections if he sees that he does not enjoy the support of a Knesset majority.

In addition, the legislation would raise the minimum vote threshold for parties to enter the Knesset. Only parties that receive at least 10% of the popular vote will be able to be represented in the Knesset, in order to prevent the current situation in which "small parties have power above and beyond their electoral representation." In the current Knesset, only Kadima, Labor, the Likud, Shas and Yisrael Beiteinu surpassed this minimum or came close. The three Arab parties - even taken together as one bloc - as well as the Pensioners, Meretz, National Union-National Religious Party, and United Torah Judaism (Agudat Yisrael-Degel HaTorah) did not receive this minimum.

Some MKs of Yisrael Beiteinu have already indicated that 10% might be a bit high, and that they would be willing to agree to a lower minimum rate.
Unfortunately, I have not heard or seen any real discussion of the issue, i.e. the pros and cons of the Lieberman proposal. On my way to work this morning I saw billboards from the "Israeli Democracy Institute" that were against the proposal. I thought perhaps I might find an expalnation of why they are against it on their web site. So far I haven't found anything.

The present government is lousy, but I am not so sure that changing the system will make things any better. For it is not only the government that is corrupt...and anyone who has been reading this blog for the last year and a half knows what I mean!

Sunday, October 15, 2006

Tovya Is Alive And Well And Living In...

Actually I don't know where he lives, but he is alive and well! Not too long ago I wondered what happened to him, and I finally received an answer:
Cosmic,

I am alive (I think ;-) and sorry for not getting the emails, I haven't checked the old email in so long...

I actually got married, I am expecting a baby boy in February '07, and started a waste management corporation (that is actually doing quite well, hence the reason for the lack of blogging time these days).

I will try to stop by the blogs as often as possible, but I have been so darn busy. Thank you for noticing I was gone though, I am quite happy to know that you cared that I was gone.

Be well my friend, and I will comment as often as possible.
Yes, real life does take precedence over blogging. I can only wish Tovya and his wife all the best.

Havel Havelim! The Succot Edition!

Succot may be over but be sure to check out Havel Havelim! The Succot Edition! at Shiloh Musings. Way to go, Batya!

Thursday, October 05, 2006

Last Post Before Sukkot?

I hope to be offline for the entire holiday, spending my time in the Sukkah with my family, and perhaps doing a little bit of travelling around the country. For all of you who celebrate the holiday, may it be happy and meaningful. Chag Sameach!

More On Kapparot

Last week I fisked an inaccurate, agenda-driven article on ynetnews about the custom of kapparot. Today I saw an excellent article on the subject, presenting the pros and cons in a responsible and accurate fashion, on the Arutz 7 web site. Cosmic X readers: take a look at both articles and you will see why Arutz 7 is the best source of Israeli news. If anyone from ynetnews is reading this post, please take note!

Wednesday, October 04, 2006

What Is A Secular Jew?

Just saw this at The Israeli Tikkun Blog ( by way of Haveil Havalim #88):
Here in Israel that is not true – here, if you are Jewish you are orthodox or at least traditional, which means accepting the orthodox way, while not fully practicing it, or else you are secular which means that you an orthodox Jew playing hooky- for the past century or so.
I like that. Now it's time to grow up and stop playing hookey.

The Preparations For "Disengagement" Hurt IDF Preparations For War

No, I'm not the one who said that. IDF General Yiftach Ron-Tal claimed this in an interview with the K'far Chad magazine, as reported on the NRG web site. Read the article (in Hebrew) here. He also said a few other important things that will hopefully be translated into English. Arutz 7, where are you?

Update: Here are some links in English:

Officer's criticism of army stirs row


Ron-Tal calls on Halutz to resign

IDF general urges army chief to quit his post over 'failure' of war

Retiring IDF Officer Calls On Halutz To Quit
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