Apoplexito?

No, it is really Apocalypto. But hilarious nonetheless.




Via Engage.

***

When Al Jazeera meets B'Tselem

The folks in B'Tselem are very nice, I am sure. Their souls bleed for every person hurt in this world, only on one condition - that the person not be Jewish. You see, Jooz are out of scope of this nice Jewish organization. Of course, there are some other outfits that worry about Jooz, so B'Tselem naturally leaves this angle to them.

And now B'Tselem issued another yearly report about the misdeeds of their fellow (?) Jooz. I have chosen to use the rendition of their report by Al Jazeera - for a better lighting, if you catch my drift.

From January to December 2006, the Israeli military killed 655 Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza, according to the Israeli human rights group B'Tselem - a huge rise on last year.

The defining moment was the kidnapping of an Israeli soldier, Gilad Shalit, on June 26, after which the number of Palestinian civilians killed increased greatly.

Sarit Michaeli, communications director of B'Tselem, said: "Following the kidnapping of Corporal Shalit, Israel staged several operations inside Gaza where Israeli forces killed 405 Palestinians over six months."

There is that elusive something in the passage above that didn't ring any bells in the collective minds of Al Jazeera / B'Tselem scribes. Let's see another example:

One issue relating to the rise in the number of Palestinians killed has been the increased Israeli military activity against Qassam rockets fired from the Palestinian territories.

"Most Palestinians were killed during military operations, of which Israeli military fire, attempting to hit Qassam rocket launchers in the territories, ends up killing civilians," Michaeli said.

Still not a bell? even a tiny jingle? I am helpless then. And trying to preach something to Al Jazeera people who are blaming the Jooz for any shortcoming and any problem in the Arab world is difficult to useless. So let's leave it at the hint level.

There is one more thing worth a mention in that Al Jazeera piece:

No, it is not the picture above, it is the caption to the picture that stopped my breath:

Civilians often pay the price in so-called targeted killings of activists [EPA]

And why did it make me so excited? Simple: on May 1, 2006 I have offered the term "activist" as one of the operating nouns for the euphemistically bound mass media, for whom even the term "militant" seems too strong a replacement of the politically incorrect "terrorist". And here we can observe it already in use. Will wonders ever cease?

Cross-posted on Yourish.com

***

Welcome to the false killers

Rare sight in Eilat: Some unconventional guests arrived at the fish cages in the Gulf of Eilat Thursday. A pack of 14 false killer whales, which included females and calves, arrived on the Israeli shores from the Indian Ocean. It is unusual that they would arrive in the Gulf of Eilat.

The false killer whale is considered an endangered species. The last time this kind of whale was seen near Eilat was many years ago. Despite its threatening name, the false killer whale is not dangerous.

The picture in that article doesn't show the whale in its full beauty, here is a better picture of its business end:


False or not, I am not going to put my hand into this mouth.

But welcome anyhow, guys.

***

On Brits in Mecca

Young Muslims alienated at home find solace at Haj

The histrionics start with the headline, and there is no special need to continue reading this article by Arifa Akbar. Still, a few more sentences could not harm:

Yashir Nawab could hardly recognise himself. Gone were the east Londoner's spiky haircut, Gucci shoes and Armani clothes. Yesterday, as he wandered among the throng of pilgrims towards Mina, near the holy city of Mecca, his head was shaven, and he had grown a beard. His only clothing was a simple white robe, to signify all Muslims are equal in the face of God.

On the other hand, reading more is vomit-inducing, so you are warned, dear reader.

There is a point that deserves a special notice. At the end of the article some helpful soul placed a list of what seems to Independent to be "Incidents of Islamophobia". The list includes the following gems:

• Jack Straw, Leader of the Commons, angered many Muslims in October by stating that the veil is a "visible statement of separation and of difference" and said he asked women visiting his surgery to remove it.
• A Muslim classroom assistant suspended for wearing a veil in lessons was sacked in November. Aishah Azmi, 23, was asked to remove it after the school in Dewsbury, West Yorkshire, said pupils found it hard to understand her.
• Between September 2001 and the end of August 2006 the police arrested 1,082 people on suspicion of offences under Terrorism Act 2000. Of these 664 were released without charge. Some 175 were charged with terrorism-related offences; 174 faced non-terrorism related charges; and 69 on immigration offences.
• Cartoons depicting the Prophet Mohamed published in a Danish newspaper provoked worldwide protests. A demonstration in London in February sparked outrage when placards gave out messages some said amounted to incitement to murder. Mizanur Rahman, a website designer, was later convicted of stirring racial hatred for carrying placards calling for non-Muslims to be "annihilated" and "beheaded" as he addressed more than 300 protesters outside the Danish embassy in London.

The whole enchilada smells strongly of phobia. I am not sure, though, that it is Islamophobia...

Cross-posted on Yourish.com

***

Oh, Belgium...

MOTnews reported on a strange fixation of the Miss Brussels of 2006: she wants to wipe Israel of the map.

Last September Halima Chehaïma, the 18-year old daughter of a Moroccan father and a Flemish mother, was elected Miss Brussels. ... Halima Chehaïma was a controversial candidate. Last October she stood for the Marxist-Leninist Labour Party in the local elections in Molenbeek, the predominantly Muslim Brussels borough where she lives. The party is so marginal that she did not get elected, but her declaration that Israel must be wiped off the map raised the eyebrows of the organizers of the Miss Belgium pageant. What really seems to have ruined her chances, however, is her connection with Bilal Ould Haj, a Belgian criminal of Moroccan origin.

And more, which you can read in the original post. But the celestial justice (with a bit of a helping hand from the Elders) eventually won, and we have us another Miss Belgium 2006:

Anyhow, if you leave that dirty world of politics alone, it is not just that some celestial justice has had an upper hand in this case. Look at it like a true red-blooded... people. I mean, isn't it clear, without involving... oh well, enough is enough...

Her name is Annelien Coorevits, if you have to know, and that's all I am ready to say at this stage.

In related news from Belgium:

Smoking animals cause upset

A controversial TV spot informing people about a smoking ban in restaurants will not be shown anymore. The decision to withdraw the advert was made after various complaints had been launched. A Special Ethics Commission decided that the advert will not be shown anymore after receiving various complaints. Gypsies feel insulted as the song "les gitans" (the gypsies) is used as background music during the advert. The combination between the music and the "rather shocking images" would make people think that there is actually a link between the two. Another complaint was launched by a smoker, who finds it "insulting that smokers are being compared to animals."

Wrong school evacuated in bomb scare

Last Wednesday, some three thousand students and staff from the Catholic Polytechnic in Mechelen (Antwerp province) were evacuated from the school, after the emergency services had received a call claiming that there was a bomb inside the school.

Airline to modify logo

Brussels Airlines is to modify its logo before the company becomes operational in March of next year. The airline, which is being formed by the merger of Virgin Express and SN Brussels Airlines, is to add an extra ball to its thirteen-ball B-shaped logo, amid concerns that thirteen is an unlucky number.

But really, that new Miss Belgium is something else, so...

***

When Germans pull out

The war waged by French president Jacques Chirac against “Anglo-Saxon” cultural imperialism suffered a blow today when the Germans announced they were pulling out of a rival European search engine to Google.

Earlier this year Mr Chirac announced a series of ambitious technological projects designed to challenge the global dominance of the US. They included Quaero, a Franco-German search engine whose name is Latin for “I search”, but which was swiftly dubbed “Ask Chirac”.

One may ask why was it so important to Uncle Jacques to have an European answer to Google, instead of joining forces and do something together? A partial answer is here:

Germany’s decision to snub Quaero is embarrassing for Mr Chirac, who has been keen to secure his legacy and do something for French pride. Quaero had been a pet project of Mr Chirac’s for some time. In a speech a year ago at the Elysée Palace, he spoke of the need to "take up the global challenge posed by Yahoo! and Google".

But expressed even better here:

Mike Lynch, chief executive of Autonomy, a Cambridge-based search software firm, wrote to the Financial Times calling the plan "a blatant case of misguided and unnecessary nationalism" and warned that by the time Quaero was developed the market would have moved on.

Amazing, really, that depth of stupidity one could get into when led by petty patriotism.

Time to schlep out the confusion sign.

***

Jacko is going to get the Jooz

CNN reports that Michael Jackson is not just a pretty face: he means business.

Michael Jackson is suing his former accountants, claiming they withdrew $2.5 million a year from his bank accounts but did not properly pay his bills. The lawsuit by Jackson and MJJ Productions Inc. was filed Thursday in Los Angeles Superior Court against Bernstein, Fox, Whitman, Goldman & Sloan, alleging negligence and breach of fiduciary duty.

If you remember, Jacko ranted about the Jewish leeches that rob him blind, now he is out to get them. I would like to clarify a few questions regarding the whole Jacko business.

1. Does he intend to sure only the Bernstein/Goldman fraction of the Bernstein, Fox, Whitman, Goldman & Sloan?
2. Are the lawyers (or some of them) he uses for this litigation (or some of it) Jewish?
3. Are the plastic surgeons (or some of them) that carved him up during all these years Jewish?
4. The lawyers that will undoubtedly sue these plastic surgeons - same question as above?

As a generic advice, Jacko - check it all carefully. You don't want the Elders to get you.

Not that they haven't got you already.

***

80th Anniversary of Anti-Japanese Women's Association Marked

It was not immediately clear whether this Association is against all Japanese or only against the Japanese womenfolk, so I just had to read the whole article. Of course, there is no male chauvinism in the DPRK, I should have known it without doubting it even for a second. Shame on me.

But anyhow, I have only gained from reading the whole peace. Take a deep breath and read aloud together with me the following:

All the women should learn from and follow the noble example shown by Kim Jong Suk in devotedly defending the leader and become steadfast women revolutionaries and true revolutionary comrades of Songun who follow Kim Jong Il in idea and faith and devotedly defend him in whatever storms and thereby consolidate as firm as a rock the single-minded unity of the revolutionary ranks around the headquarters of the revolution.

Now close your eyes and answer:

1. Who should consolidate, according to the above?
2. What is it that should be consolidated, according to the above?
3. What should become firm as a rock, according to the above?

People who send in three correct answers and provide an e-mail will receive a free gift. The free gift in this case will be a picture (in jpeg format) of the Leader of the People, The Rising Sun of the World Communism, The... aw, what the heck, the Greatest Kim Dong Ill himself.

Hurry up!

Another slip of a double tongue

This BBC article's headline may not keep for long, so I have decided to make a snapshot for posterity.

"Israel to resume militant strikes". How do you like them chickens? "Militant strikes". I wonder whether we are witnessing here the birth of a new term for any future IDF action. After all, it may be a new attempt to level the playing field according to BBC (secret) standards.

If the next IDF strike in Gaza succeeds in bagging a few rocket scientists, we'll see the familiar "IDF killed x Palestinian civilians", no doubt about it.

The international community has urged Mr Olmert to keep the ceasefire alive, but he has come under growing domestic pressure to respond to the rocket attacks, which have been increasing.

The international community does not give a flying fig about the 60+ Qassams launched during the month of the so called "cease-fire", so I don't think we should give anything different for the unbearable urges of "international community".

Cross-posted on Yourish.com

Does crime pay?

French police have arrested a bank robber who spent 20 years on the run after taking part in one of the country's biggest hold-ups. Miloud Hai, 48, was one of a group of about a dozen armed men who robbed a branch of the Bank of France in the western town of Saint Nazaire in July 1986, escaping with some 88 million francs (13.3 million euros, $17.57 million).

Assuming the split was even, the guy got 1.1 million Euro, more or less. 20 years on the run and about the same time he is looking forward to in the nick make his yearly income about 27,500 Euro. And I am not mentioning the headache of exchanging the French francs he got into Euro.

No, with the cost of living in France this is not a very attractive proposition.

As a side note: the French police has some very revengeful people in its ranks. FFS - It's twenty years! Come on, people, chill out! After all, look at this:

Police said he had spent years moving house frequently and leaving home in the early morning to evade possible raids.

After all, for the purpose of punishment, he already got more than he deserved. Just read again and think about it:

...moving house frequently...

...leaving home in the early morning...

There must be some limits to cruelty, really...

The cease-fire sham continues

After the two boys in Sderot were wounded by the Qassam yesterday, IDF gets the green light "to resume pinpoint operations targeting Qassam rocket launching cells". The condition attached to this mandate is "to uphold the cease-fire in general". Gives the green light a rather yellowish tint, I must say.

Peretz and senior IDF officials had called on Olmert to suspend the policy of restraint and let the army fire at Qassam rocket-launcher cells that can be identified during or shortly after operation.

During or shortly after will hardly help the victims of the Qassams that are already in the air. How about adding "before" to that time scale?

But of course, Bibi, happy camper at any time he is not holding the helm, has a solution to any problem:

"[The government] must stop [arms] smuggling, by taking control of key areas," he said. When asked if this includes the Philadelphi Route, Netanyahu responded "definitely," although he said the military presence there would not necessarily be permanent.

Not necessarily permanent... Where did I hear that last time? Sounds very familiar.

Netanyahu also called on the government to work to bring about the fall of the Hamas-led Palestinian Authority government, and "halt all negotiations and all gestures, until a complete end to the terrorism."

Can we have also an end to sloganeering with this enchilada?

Cross-posted on Yourish.com

Be careful what you wish for...

Mahmoud the Mad is boldly venturing into the realm of theology now:

In a greeting to the world's Christians for the coming new year, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said he expects both Jesus and the Shiite messianic figure, Imam Mahdi, to return and "wipe away oppression."

Ahmadinejad then made a connection between Jesus and the Imam Mahdi, believed by Shiites to have disappeared as a child in A.D. 941. When the Mahdi returns, they contend, he will reign on earth for seven years before bringing about a final judgment and the end of the world.

"All I want to say is that the age of hardship, threat and spite will come to an end someday and, God willing, Jesus would return to the world along with the emergence of the descendant of the Islam's holy prophet, Imam Mahdi, and wipe away every tinge of oppression, pain and agony from the face of the world," Ahmadinejad said.

And how, knowing that the ways of the deity are mysterious, could MM be sure that the above mentioned cleansing procedure will not start with his, quite unattractive, persona?

One could never be too careful, Mahmoud...

spring is afoot
hidden Imam is cleaning
all kinds of garbage
celestial brush reigns
time to go packing, Mahmoud...

Cross-posted on Yourish.com

Cute and questionable

The photograph below comes from Reuters' Pictures of the year (2006, I assume).

A mouse rides on the back of a frog in floodwaters in the northern Indian city Lucknow June 30, 2006.

Cute? Definitely.
Good shot? Not bad at all, although composition is so-so - the backside of the frog is cut off for some reason, but it is a winner in any case.

But the source sucks. Now I shall never get rid of gnawing suspicion: what if it is a Photoshop con job?

A word to the wise: go to National Geographic with good stuff.

Allende vs. Pinochet - between a rock and a hard place

Sometimes history, as if trying to confuse us more than we are naturally confused, shoves at us cases where the main heroes opposing each other could not be defined in simple terms of black and white. Such is the case of Chilean Marxist president Allende and his de-facto killer Augusto Pinochet.

I have stumbled on two articles on the blog Chicago Boyz: one trying to defend Pinochet and another with critical analysis of the times and deeds of Allende.

The first one is a sloppy and lazy attempt to find an excuse for Pinochet on the basis that the people he killed and tortured were of the more visible category, "those perceived to belong to a protected class". Not to keep you in suspense, this strange term means "extreme-leftist leadership". In short, aside of being right on one account - that Pinochet for some reason is being presented as a worse killer then, for instance, Argentinian military junta or Fidel Castro (both are responsible for more politically motivated murders, that's true) - the article is a pile of crap. "Pinochet did kill and torture but not to such a degree as to earn a special place in history." Indeed. Feh.

Now the second article. Allende was a figure no less controversial. In his zeal to bring enforced and speedy reformation of Chile, he ignored the law of the land, the constitution, the Supreme Court. He and his party succeeded in derailing the economy, putting the working class into a situation much worse than it was before.

All this could be excused - after all, no one promised that the road to a new social structure will be straight and easy. But there come other sins that could be hardly excused. The man, according to many sources, was inspired not only by Marx, but by other, much less benign examples - like that of Fidel and his Soviet sponsors. This is what Wiki has to say:

Regular Soviet contact with Allende after his election was maintained not by the Soviet Ambassador but by his KGB case officer, Svyatoslav Kuznetsov, who was instructed by the centre to “exert a favourable influence on Chilean government policy”.

And worse:

Allende's own refusal to obey and/or enforce more than 7,000 Chilean Supreme Court and other legislative rulings (as detailed in the Resolution of August 22, 1973) was a sign of dictatorial style in defiance of Chile's democratic government institutions. Torture was used so extensively by the Servico de Investigaciones during the Allende government that in November 1970 the weekly newspaper La Portada in Santiago published an ironic article proposing that torture ought to be more systematic, with a priest present for the final stages.

The situation in Chile was extremely complex, as you will see from the above linked article by Vladimir Dorta. Of course, there was an ongoing anti-Allende plot by US, and of course the bourgeoisie, the land owners and the monopolies did not look kindly at the wide-spread nationalization of land and factories. But, as the article shows, all these forces were not enough to depose Allende.

In March 1972, thirteen large wooden crates that came from Cuba contained more than a ton of armaments for the Popular Unity (that were stored even in Allende’s own presidential residence), and the arm searches enforced by the military in 1973 revealed stockpiling of arms by both the government and the opposition. This was one of the main factors in the military decision to organize a coup later in the year.

This was stupid of Allende who up till this fateful act succeeded in keeping the army neutral. Of course, this story also repeats the bloody pattern of Fidel's "export of revolution" that caused many a bloodbath in many corners of the world.

So: a search for a clear cut black and white in this story will be in vain. At least where the white is concerned. Is there a lesson somewhere in the story or is there a lesson?

I have decided to refrain from using strong language for this post. Instead, I am going to invite a blogger or two to add their own opinions, which be posted here.

OK, first response is already here (in blue):

Andrew Ian Dodge:

My big problem with the way the intelligensia view latin american politics is they seem to have a soft spot for whatever thug comes from the left but if they come from the right they are vilified.

All I care about when there are discussion about the Chile in that time is that its an accurate description of both regimes. IE they are both as bad as each other.

A good example of the similar behaviour is over Nicaragua. Lefties seem to forget that the Sandinistas were far worse in their behaviour than Somoza. For example their persecution of the English speaking blacks in Nicaragua on the North coast was of the Saddam variety (baring gassing). The bad-mouthing of the Contras that still happens beggars belief. There were Soviet & Cuban advisors...a friend of the family was moved out of his house to make way for Cuban advisors.

Of course it does not help that Isabella Allende has been deified by that bloody musical by Andrew Lloyd Webber.

***

Ah, my dinner jacket again

It is not easy to be a president of a fairly big country and simultaneously serve as a butt for all the jokers in the world. See this:



Now read the first letters in each line and then read this.

Truly the man pissed off Santa Claus in a big way...

MadHaiku blog

bloggers and dead
say only good about
or you are in deep shit

That was my poor attempt at the extremely challenging Japanese form of poetry called haiku. I know I am light years away from being any good at it and anyway, knowing my place in the world, I prefer tanka - it gives you a better swing before your knuckle sandwich connects.

But here is this guy calls his place MadHaiku, and I highly recommend him. His place, that is.
First of all, he seems to be a programmer or an ex-programmer: the capital H in the site moniker is a dead giveaway. Then, he knows his stuff. Then - he is humble:

haiku for dummies (not you per se)

haiku is easy
one word after another
no rhyming needed!

We already have a disagreement on the issue of Jack Daniels, but this gap could be bridged.

try to say something
while counting fucking syllables
but his haiku good
so why dontcha read his blog?
what the heck, blogroll him now...

Rats? So what?

There is a frightful uproar in the press because some lady uses to compare Jews with rats.


I don't know, people. Really, what's the big deal? I say, let's leave her alone.

(Oh, by the way, them rats are in the picture below).

Want some joy?

It was a poor attempt at a bad pun. Anyhow, Joy Wolfe describes here some interesting goings-on in Manchester, UK, and I must confess that schadenfreude, being a long and imported word, is not totally alien to me.

If anyone had told me it would take the actions of a Natorei Karta self-proclaimed rabbi to get the ultra-Orthodox anti-Israel community and the Zionists to stand side by side at a demonstration I would have probably laughed in their face. But that is exactly what has been happening in a formerly quiet street in Manchester in the past week.

Ahron Cohen was previously familiar as he stood alongside Palestine Solidarity demonstrators around the world to show his hatred of the State of Israel.

While those of us who support Israel have not liked the message his personage sent out to the wider world, we have not questioned his right to freedom of speech and action, and the fact that tiny Natorei Karta and the much larger Satmar, among other sects, deny the right of Israel to exist is well known.

However once Ahron Cohen decided to attend the Holocaust denial conference in Teheran and was pictured shaking hands with Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, the man who has publicly declared he wants to see the elimination of the Jewish state, that was one step too far.

The Manchester community from the haredi to the secular has made it very clear this man is a disgrace, and brings disrepute to us all.

Yep. Too far for Satmar boys is too far indeed. But the fun is only starting:

Throwing thousands of eggs at the house, letting down car tires, and scrawling an obscenity on his car are not things many of us approve of or wish to see, and there has been a concerted effort, now the point of what we feel about this obnoxious man has been very clearly made, to limit the demonstrations and to control the more unacceptable manifestations of people's feelings.

Aw, heck, why begrudge people some innocent fun, when there is such a rare occasion for Satmar folks to do something together with the rest of the Jooz? I think this rare expression of unity should be counted as a credit, albeit a small one, to the "rabbi" Cohen. But wait, there is still better stuff to come.

There has been call for excommunication; his fees to the burial society have been returned to make it clear there will be no future resting place for him among Manchester Jews. Holocaust survivors have expressed their horror and pain. Shops are refusing to serve him and all the synagogue's and shtiebels where he used to worship have closed their doors to him.

Methinks that if there is an urgent need for a burial of the said rabbi, the Elders could come up with a suitable location. No worries, rabbi, just get to it. And if the rabbi cannot get kosher sustenance from the Jewish shops, it is only in line with the burial issue. Unless he wishes to switch to pork and other treif, then we could be of assistance too (Elders use to keep a tentacle in every pie, you know).

Ach, it was one good and deeply satisfying dose of schadenfreude... But there is one point we, the Elders, would like to clarify (for Ms Wolfe as well) in this passage:

One important thing is not to mix the issue of Ahron Cohen's basic right not to recognize Israel with his totally misguided view that he can express that view by standing alongside Holocaust deniers and giving them succor.

This statement was a bit OTT (over the top for computer illiterate) in its Political Correctness, Ms Wolfe. I am not at all sure that denying the "basic right" not to recognize Israel to Hamas, we should not deny same to Ahron Cohen. And to Satmar and other similar groups. Granted, from where I stand, "rabbi" Cohen looks like a revolting sleaze, but the creeps from Satmar, while a bit less sleazy, are revolting enough as well. And they deserve this "basic right" you mention no more than any other Israel-haters in the world.

Cross-posted on Yourish.com

Too good to miss

Cowboy

An old cowboy sat down at the Starbucks and ordered a cup of coffee. As he sat sipping his coffee, a young woman sat down next to him. She turned to the cowboy and asked, "Are you a real cowboy?" He replied, "Well, I've spent my whole life breaking colts, working cows, going to rodeos, fixing fences, pulling calves, bailing hay, doctoring calves, cleaning my barn, fixing flats, working on tractors, and feeding my dogs, so I guess I am a cowboy."

She said, "I'm a lesbian. I spend my whole day thinking about women. As soon as I get up in the morning, I think about women. When I shower, I think about women. When I watch TV, I think about women. I even think about women when I eat. It seems that everything makes me think of women." The two sat sipping in silence.

A little while later, a man sat down on the other side of the old cowboy and asked, "Are you a real cowboy?"

He replied, "I always thought I was, but I just found out that I'm a lesbian"

From BillyBud, the American Dinosaur

I want some of it too!

It's holiday time, and people are naturally in a mood that makes pink-tinted glasses unnecessary. Still, this editorial is outstanding even for a double dose of pink glasses.

A new peace effort in Middle East has started with a secret meeting between Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and Palestinian National Authority President Mahmoud Abbas

(And that was just for a headline!) This "secret" meeting was talked about for a few days, and even stray cats on my street were aware of it, I am sure. But this is just for starters.

It was an interesting start that will achieve something unbelievable. The seeds of peace and Middle East peace and prosperity started in a quiet secret meeting between the Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and Palestinian National Authority President Mahmoud Abbas as they met at Olmert's residence in Jerusalem on Dec. 23.

There were no press reporters, no joint statement, no formal signatures or accords. But it was a real break through that will change the world forever. The two leaders agreed to disagree and move forward with a new peace agenda supported by the West.

Israel will support financial and economic reconstruction of Palestine. Palestine will slow convert into a super prosperous nation living in peace with its neighbor Israel. The seeds of hatred and hate politics will end.

I happen to know that many of Israeli youngsters, especially after the arduous and lengthy military service, tend to spend a few months in India. This time includes a stint of what is euphemistically called in Hebrew "head cleaning" in Goa, where tinkering with some locally grown substances is, apparently, prescribed.

It looks like the author of the above quoted article, Mr (or Ms) Balaji Reddy, spent some quality time there recently. On the other hand, he (or she) may know something hidden from us, mere mortals...

In any case... but see the title of this post...

Hashemi Rafsanjani - a moderate murderer

If you look at the results of the local council and the 86-member Assembly of Experts
elections in Iran, as they are reported by AP, it may seem as a political equivalent of an earthquake.

President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad suffered an embarrassing blow in local council races, according to partial election results Monday, in voting viewed as a sign of public discontent with his hard-line stance.

The balloting represented a partial comeback for opponents of Ahmadinejad, whose Islamic government's policies have fueled fights with the West and brought Iran closer to U.N. sanctions.

Former President Hashemi Rafsanjani, a relative moderate, polled the most votes of any Tehran candidate to win re-election to a key assembly post.

The biggest victory was for "moderate conservatives," supporters of Iran's cleric-led power structure who are angry at Ahmadinejad, saying he has needlessly provoked the West with harsh rhetoric and has failed to fix the country's faltering economy.

You can see two interesting terms used above: "relative moderate" and "moderate conservative". So fine is the vision of AP that it is ready to present this whimper as the Big Bang that will signify a watershed event in the history of Iran.

The people who expect a speedy onset of democracy in Iran could stop holding their collective breath. The democracy is not coming, nowhere soon at least. The "embarrassing blow" to Mahmoud the Mad is not much stronger than a mosquito bite. And that even without taking into account the fact that Mahmoud himself is a mere puppet in the hands of the Ayatollahs. Anyone with a bit of curiosity could take a look at the Iranian government structure in Wiki. Truly wondrous architecture and one that will keep the stranglehold of the mullahs on Iran forever, unless destroyed by force:

Click on the diagram to enlarge

Without going into an in-depth analysis, it should be clear that the president, his cabinet and the Majlis (Parliament) are only a bunch of figureheads, playing at democracy under the ever watchful eye of the clique of mullahs and Ayatollahs, themselves under the ever watchful eye of the Supreme Leader.

The other much touted result of the elections is the win of the "relative moderate" former president Hashemi Rafsanjani in the so called Assemly of Experts. Let alone the fact that "current elections law requires Assembly of Experts candidates to be religious mujtahids, which greatly narrows the potential field." This could hardly bother AP and its rivals who look for the earthquake. But who exactly is our big winner? Take a close look at this "relative moderate" and make your own conclusions:

Ayatollah Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani, Hashemi Bahramani born on August 25, 1934, is an influential Iranian politician, and is currently serving as the Chairman of the Expediency Discernment Council of Iran.

If you wonder what the heck this Expediency Discernment Council could be, here is its definition:

The Expediency Discernment Council of the System, is an unelected establishment in the Constitution of Islamic Republic of Iran created in 1988. Its purpose is to resolve differences or conflicts between the Majlis and the Council of Guardians, and also to serve as a consultative council to the Supreme Leader.

As of 1998, the council is headed by Ali Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani. All of the 34 members of this council are directly assigned by the Supreme Leader.

Any questions? So you can see it clearly now, I hope, that our "relative moderate" hero is just one of the old boys and who takes care of his prosperity and his career. And that the whole farce of the elections is just a distraction. It is still worth to take a look at that Wiki entry on our hero:

In 1997, a German court convicted two men of murder in the 1992 assassination of Sadiq Sarafkindi, an Iranian-Kurdish leader, as well as three of his associates, and convicted two others of being accessories to the crimes. Presiding Judge Frithjof Kubsch said the men had no personal motive but were following orders. Without naming names, Kubsch said the gangland-style murders had been ordered by Iran's Committee for Special Operations, to which Iran's President and spiritual leader belonged. Prosecutors had contended that Iran's powerful spiritual leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, and Iranian President Hashemi Rafsanjani had personally ordered the killings.

On 25 October 2006, a team of Argentine prosecutors formally charged Iran and Shi'a militia Hezbollah with the 1994 AMIA Bombing in Buenos Aires, accusing the Iranian authorities of directing Hezbollah to carry out that attack and calling for the arrest of Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani and seven others. This incident has put Ahmadinejad's government in the awkward position of defending Rafsanjani, whom they oppose for corruption and being pro-Western. Therefore, this event was seen as a positive development for Rafsanjani during his successful campaign for election as a member of the Assembly of Experts in December 2006.

So you can see now the ugly mug of the "relative moderate" in all its beauty. A wanted moderate, sorry - it should be murderer.


And instead of calling for his extradition to stand trial in Germany and /or Argentine, some Guardian hacks already call for a dialog with the murderers. Sorry, with the "moderates" of one the most oppressive and reactionary regimes in existence.

A travesty, one might say. No, it is worse.

Cross-posted on Yourish.com

Zucker's take on Iraq Study Group

Enjoy:



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Doubly linked

I hope this will be a first of the kind. For this one is worth reading twice, at least.

Hear, hear!

An urgent message to all Elders

Date: just before Christmas, 2006
Sender: Signals department, Elders HQ
Recorded by: Eva X
Encryption level: open text + unencrypted image.

hi malka how are you you sweet thing you now record every word please urgent put it in capitals URGENT TO ALL MEMBERS OF ELDERS ORGANIZATION ENOUGH CAPitals you dolt we have been rumbled the game is up now receive a picture no don't write this down just receive...

ok have you got it sugar now continue we have been rumbled the game is up burn the paperwork and them damn computers sell all and scram use reptilians to dig in in desolated areas for a few years prepare food clothing and arms accordingly in case of capture do not resist say you are a book publisher agent keep low profile till further notice communications via )(&&*$$ channel now sweetie when can i see you i am getting crazy from impatience no really we should get together this evening or i don't know my you know what is on fire shit i told you to stop recording didn't i so...

[end of message]

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Ah, my dinner jacket and Chanukah

Aside of another highly unusuall spelling of Chanuka, I am totally with this groovy Chanuka clip. As, and I know this for sure, you will be in a few seconds. Enjoy.

On versatility of the niqab

That funny picture of women saying things like "The veil is women liberation" acquires a completely new meaning when reading this article in Times.

The circumstances surrounding the murder of PC Sharon Beshenivsky would be disturbing at the best of times. She was shot by a gang whose members (foreign nationals) had extensive criminal records; they were considered for deportation but were allowed to stay in Britain because their homeland - Somalia - was determined to be too dangerous a place to which to send them back.
...
One of those who was wanted for this murder - Mustaf Jama - is believed to have fled Britain in the days after the shooting, disguising himself as a veiled woman.
...
Jama was able to sneak on to an international flight at Heathrow dressed in a niqab despite extensive publicity about this murder. His photograph had been circulated to every police force, port and airport in the country. Had he been asked to reveal his face he would have been detected in a moment. He is instead now believed to be at liberty in a region of Somalia where his family wields much influence — the very same Somalia that had been too dangerous for these criminals.

Of course, the article in Times has a strong anti-immigration context, but that's not the point.

And of course, the Guardians of Political Correctness will start squealing about racism and anti-Islamic bigotry, but again - this is not the point of this post, nor is the relaxed security in Heathrow regarding the passengers who leave Britain.

It's all about fashion an its surprising and (for some) completely unexpected uses.

And a quaint detail: for the criminal mentioned above, niqab has little of religious value: he is a heavy drinker as well as a killer:

A gang of robbers partied on champagne and vodka before carrying out a botched raid in which a woman police officer was murdered, a court was told yesterday.

So let's not try any religious angles here, OK?

(Although, deity knows, a person who mixes champagne and vodka, should go straight to hell.)



to Cyrus.

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Happy birthday, Blackbird!

Today, December 22, is the 42nd birthday of the Blackbird:


Blackbird, or SR-71 according to its military designation, is definitely one of the highest peaks of human inventiveness and engineering genius that will be hard to beat even in the future.

Blackbird is a plane that was created about ten or fifteen years before its time and remained the world's fastest and highest-flying operational manned aircraft throughout its long and proud career.

Blackbird is a plane that never shot at anyone in anger and never dropped a bomb. Its purpose was to bring home vital intelligence during some of the worst periods of the Cold War, and Blackbird with its pilots performed like a dream. On the other hand it was shot at frequently, but have never been hit - so high and so fast it was that it was able to outrun any missile launched at it.

While the Lockheed's Skunk Works team has performed fantastically, the final touch in the creation of the best reconnaissance plane ever was added by this superb act of irony:

The airframe was made of titanium obtained from the USSR during the height of the Cold War. Lockheed used all possible guises to prevent the Soviet government from knowing what the titanium was to be used for.

Unbelievable and beautiful chutzpa!

Happy birthday, Blackbird, and may your heirs be worthy of your proud legacy!

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Never say "never" meme

A few months ago I have promised myself I'll never take part in that meme craze. Got tagged a few times and refused, but now Bob from Brockley (as nice a person as they come) tagged me with an interesting case of a meme that is of a totally negative nature. Suits me.

So - 10 things I would never do:

1. Say "never"
2. Drink Budweiser (no, I mean that Norte Americano liquid)
3. Read biographies of rich and /or famous
4. Consume a raw egg
5. Open books titled "How to...", esp. with a word "people" in between
6. Watch an Indian drama or a Hallmark movie with "based on a real story" in subtitles
7. Drink mixed stuff from a glass with an umbrella stuck in the middle
8. Eat shepherd's pie in Ireland. Or haggis in Scotland. Or... enough
   
9. Believe a politician
10. Tag an innocent blogger for a meme

And yes - I promised Bob an act of revenge. It will come, in the best tradition of the Elders, when he least expects it. The dish best eaten cold and all that... He he he...

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Weekly Lec*

Truth will always be naked, even when turned out in the latest fashion.

(*)See here what it is all about.

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Merry Christmas!

To all our Christian readers - cat lovers or not. And happy and peaceful New Year!


(Posted today to insure that our readers, who browse from their various workplaces, see it before their vacation).

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Irving: impeccably converted and pining for a kiss

The discredited British historian and Holocaust denier David Irving was expected to fly back to Britain today after Austria's supreme court unexpectedly agreed to release him from prison early. The court in Vienna ruled that Irving, who has spent more than 13 months in jail, could serve the rest of his three-year sentence on probation. The ruling did not quash his conviction for Holocaust denial but means he is free to leave Austria.
...

After yesterday's verdict, Irving thanked the judge in German, addressing him as "your honour". He then turned to a female supporter in the public gallery, telling her in English: "Now I want a kiss."

Amazing: first Austrians jail this creep for something he believes in and preaches incessantly. Then they suddenly have a change of mind and release him, when his beliefs have not changed a single bit. A questionable move followed by an even more questionable move. I wonder - could it be that the reason for his speedy release hides somewhere in this:

Soon after Irving's arrest, Austria's prison authorities faced acute embarrassment when it emerged he had discovered two of his own books, Hitler's War and Battle in the Arctic Sea, in the library of the prison where he was being held.

I also wonder about this judge:

Explaining his decision, Judge Ernest Maurer said Irving's crimes had happened "an extremely long time back". He also said the British author had undergone an "impeccable conversion"- recent statements say he now accepts the Holocaust. There was no danger that Irving would re-offend, the judge added.

Something is definitely lost in translation here. That conversion: is it some new secret religion they practice in Austria nowadays? Because otherwise it is difficult to understand what kind of a conversion it was. It will suffice to check the following that raises a few questions about the "conversion" that sorry piece of shit has undergone:

Speaking briefly afterwards, Irving, who has used his months in jail to write his memoirs, described himself as "fit and well". He said he would be calling for an academic boycott of German and Austrian historians until their governments stopped putting historians in prison.

And, by the way: that boycott call - does it ring any bells?

Cross-posted on Yourish.com

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Walking the Appalachian Trail for Israel

Two obviously nice folks, Shlomo and Chava from Plano Texas, decided to walk the Appalachian Trail for charity purposes. The gist of their purpose is:

Walking for Israel was created by Shlomo and Chava in support of the vision of Meir Panim. We believe that Tzedakah can create a bridge of tolerance and understanding; generating a spirit of community among all types of Jews and non-Jews as "we are all created in the image of HaShem (G-d)."

Myself being of less pedestrian and more horizontal persuasion, I have nevertheless frequently dreamed of walking the trail. Now I (and you too, lazy buns) can do it by proxy.

So let's all follow Shlomo and Chava. And give them a link, you hear?

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I Sing the Body Electric

Do you want to drive a non-polluting car? One that is quiet as a mouse and able to reach 60 mph in 4 seconds flat?

BBC reports in a video clip:

The British car company Lotus has teamed up with a Californian design company to create an electric sports car. The car's designers claim that the Tesla can outperform its gas-guzzling counterparts.

Of course, being a Lotus and all that, this one comes with a price tag of BP 50,000. But hopefully in the near future we'll be able to buy a humble family sedan for a reasonable price. That does not necessarily include the ability to reach 60 mph in 4 seconds.

For some reason out of my control that news reminded me the infamous story of Stanley Meyer - the "inventor" of the water fuel cell that produces bountiful energy, consuming almost nothing. Breaking on the way the first law of thermodynamics and providing the potential investors a one in the lifetime opportunity to get something for nothing. The noise of his Water Powered Dune Buggy is still reverberating in some feverish brains:

He was a shame to hear that he was poisoned (March 98') and longer with us.

He was a shame indeed. Nevertheless, it was not a nice gesture on the side of the "Oil Corp.s and US DOE" to poison poor Stan. Still, I have to correct Bucko Banzai (the owner of the site linked above): it is not the culprits he mentions that poisoned Stan. It was a super-secret cabal of university professors who couldn't stand a wiseass able to break a fundamental physical law that feeds generations of lecturers. And to top it all - in a Water Powered Dune Buggy!

Anyway, back to that electric Lotus. It seems to work, even a journalist is able to drive it and the mortality rate among the Lotus people and the Californian design company is normal so far. So Bucko must not lose hope. After all, there are some other conspiracies he can still nurture, according to his own words:

Common Sense is NOT for humans, only good for OUTLAWS & so called terrorists.? Huh? We live in a time when good is spoken of as evil and evil spoken up as good. Why do I say that because it is true. We were told Our twin towers was taken down by airplanes, when the truth is, it was taken down by C4 explosives. It was a shabby job and they spilled the evidence as loose change.

Yes, Bucko is surely one of a kind. Almost. As he says:

It was all too fishy from me [sic!], and continues to stink like a dead rat.

Absolutely, Bucko me friend...

Remark: of course, the title is stolen from Ray Bradbury. Who filched it from Walt Whitman (I confess to my ignorance of this fact, but thanks to JudeoPundit it is corrected now)


to EuroYank: get better soon.



Dedicated to Jack who is speed-sensitive.

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Women's lib revisited

Muslim women protesting in Britain for veil rights Photo: AFP

Missed this one somehow. Thanks to kalimera.

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The stuff of your nightmares

Click to enlarge

Filched from here.

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Oy vey - that hurts!

There is nothing better than starting your day with a refreshing witticism from DPRK news site KCNA. Today, for instance, I had the following with my coffee:

Japanese Reactionaries' Subservience to U.S. Ridiculed

Japs' call for sanctions against the DPRK is nothing but a disgusting behavior of base political charlatans keen to improve their image and meet their interests by pleasing their American master.

"Japs"... mmm... Not bad at all. But what really cracked me up was the following:

If it continues imprudently behaving as now, it will not escape international isolation.

The image of NK diligently isolating Japan will follow me for a long time now...

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When your friends are asking questions

Al Bawaba, a Jordan - based publication with an English language outlet (London) is quite an anti-Israeli outfit. Even this Arabic media source feels a certain unease about the Hamas - Iran alliance. Take its article Hamas-Iran alliance—a blessing for the Palestinian people? as an example.

One of the starting sentences:

For the interest of Iran, the country's leaders have sought to exploit Hamas' isolation in order to become the number one factor influencing on Hamas' policy making apparatus.

The article then goes into analysis of the financial, the military and the religious aspects of this cooperation.

On the financial front, Tehran is looking to fill the vacuum created in the wake of shrinking financial support from both Arab states and the West.

...

In such a situation, Iran has tried to portrait itself as a main financier of the Palestinians, enabling it to flex its muscles in terms of its involvement in regional affairs. Additionally, the move represents an assertion of Iran's continued commitment to the "resistance," as well as ideological solidarity with the Palestinians.

The next remark is highly significant:

Rather than ending up in the hands of Palestinians, donations from Iran have reportedly been transferred to those close to Hamas and to strengthen the da'wa mechanism of the Islamic Resistance Movement.

To remind you, the above does not come from Jerusalem Post or even New York Times... Now to the military part of the alliance:

In addition to financial support by Iran for Hamas, military cooperation was also discussed during Siyam's visit to Tehran. The minister had pointed out that he requested the help of Iran in training the Palestinian police force - in essence, fortification of the new Hamas security force, currently numbering some 5,600 in the Gaza Strip. Siyam had reportedly requested that hundreds of the new Hamas unit be trained by Iranian experts, possibly in Tehran or Damascus. In addition, they would receive, as happened with Lebanon's Hizbullah, a host of advanced weapons, including anti-tank missiles, communications equipment and night-vision systems. It was also reported that Iran is liable to send officers of its Revolutionary Guard to Gaza to train the Hamas fighters and create a new generation of developers of locally produced advanced armaments. With such advanced gear and training, Hamas' military wing could likely overpower Fatah before long and develop into powerful "Hamas Army".

Do the strategists of Hamas expect that Israel, not to mention other neighbours who are not necessarily in love with Iran and its Syria - Hezbollah - Hams axis, will keep quiet? Already Egypt offers arms to Hamas' rival Fatah and, according to the rumors, some have been already provided by Israel.

On the religious aspect of the alliance, Al Bawaba also has a few things to say:

Iran was among the first countries to hail Hamas, following the latter's victory in the elections. The close relations were exemplified following a subsequent visit in March by Hamas leaders to Iran, and the establishment of a Shiite organization in the Palestinian areas under the banner "The Supreme Islamic Shiite Council in Palestine." The move raised concerns within the Palestinian public that the strengthening of ties between Hamas and Iran would also result in the ascension of Shiism in Palestine.

...

Many observers believe Hamas' alliance with Iran will cost it the support of its Sunni hinterland, mainly Saudi Arabia and the other oil-rich states. As former Palestinian Foreign Minister Nabil Shaath said it will be a mistake for Hamas to cement ties with Iran as Hamas' only "gain" from its alliance with Tehran will be more isolation in the Arab and the international arena.

Amen.

Cross-posted on Yourish.com

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Optimists and other animals

You Are 76% Evil

You are very evil. And you're too evil to care. Those who love you probably also fear you. A lot.

How Evil Are You?

One thing is obvious: these Blogthings people know only about my good side...

You Are 50% Left Brained, 50% Right Brained

The left side of your brain controls verbal ability, attention to detail, and reasoning. Left brained people are good at communication and persuading others. If you're left brained, you are likely good at math and logic. Your left brain prefers dogs, reading, and quiet. The right side of your brain is all about creativity and flexibility. Daring and intuitive, right brained people see the world in their unique way. If you're right brained, you likely have a talent for creative writing and art. Your right brain prefers day dreaming, philosophy, and sports.

Are You Right or Left Brained?

That was child's play, really. Sports my foot...

Via Cup of Love.

***

Joseph Barbera, RIP

He lived a long and creative life and will be remembered by the grateful children and adults for years to come. RIP.

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Bad Arolsen archives talk

Sitting on 16 miles of shelving, they number 50 million pages covering 17.5 million victims, not only Jews but also millions of slave laborers, political prisoners, homosexuals and Roma.

I am not at all sure I need (or want) more proof. Some perfectionist historians, putting final touches on their manuscripts, will be happy to put their hands on this meticulous recording of the Nazi machinery in action. But most of the people do not require more proof.

As for Mahmoud the Mad and his clique of "scientists": they are impervious to proof, because their activities are in a completely different plane. As one of the commenters to the linked article mentioned:

Facts will not change the minds of hard-core deniers like David Duke, David Irving and Ernst Zundel. No matter what facts are unearthed, what documents are released, what excavations reveal, they will never admit to the slightest adjustment in their views. One must never forget that the former head of the "National Socialist White Peoples' Party," Harold Covington, said it quite plainly: "The real reason for Holocaust revisionism is to make National Socialism an accepted political alternative again." It's disgusting, but true.

And this is the way it goes...

Cross-posted on Yourish.com

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How do you answer this one?

From the myriads of search strings that the Internet waves leave on our shores, this one immediately drew my attention:

Click to enlarge

Due to consensus reached by the members of the team here to avoid the use of the F-word (that's "fuck" and all its derivatives) if humanly possible, I cannot repeat the whole question, so here it is in a censored version:

"f...ing jews control everything?"

I mean, what? If you, people, do not easily detect here a cry of a lonely soul exhausted by the yoke of the Zionist world domination, you are a heartless SOB or even worse: yourself a member of the said group.

We here, Zionism notwithstanding, feel touched by this outpouring of grief and desperation from a lonely denizen of a Floridian swamp. So, upon some internal consultation, we have decided to find something on the planet we do not dominate yet.

Projected response time - 3 days. Watch these pages!

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A slight difference of opinions with Santa Claus

Here. No, it is not exactly new, but succinct and passionate.

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More guilt? Pile it on!

With all the readiness of the Elders to accept the guilt for everything that goes wrong in the world, sometimes even our most battle-worn guilt-takers are made speechless by the brand new guilt items our Arab cousins are schlepping in to add to the accumulated mountain.

I wanted to mention and to link to that exceptional article by Ratna Pelle, but upon the second thought, decided to post here an extensive quote: after all, who knows, there may be people who actually read long posts... It starts with the quote from an interesting interview: Pierre Heumann of the Swiss weekly Die Weltwoche spoke with Al-Jazeera Editor-in-Chief Ahmed Sheikh in Doha. Yes, the one of the "don't bomb us" fame.

(Ahmed Sheikh:) In many Arab states, the middle class is disappearing. The rich get richer and the poor get still poorer. Look at the schools in Jordan, Egypt or Morocco: You have up to 70 youngsters crammed together in a single classroom. How can teachers do their jobs in such circumstances? The public hospitals are also in a hopeless condition. These are just examples. They show how hopeless the situation is for us in the Middle East.

(Pierre Heumann:) Who is responsible for the situation?

The Israeli-Palestinian conflict is one of the most important reasons why these crises and problems continue to simmer. The day when Israel was founded created the basis for our problems. The West should finally come to understand this. Everything would be much calmer if the Palestinians were given their rights.

Do you mean to say that if Israel did not exist, there would suddenly be democracy in Egypt, that the schools in Morocco would be better, that the public clinics in Jordan would function better?

I think so.

Can you please explain to me what the Israeli-Palestinian conflict has to do with these problems?

The Palestinian cause is central for Arab thinking.

In the end, is it a matter of feelings of self-esteem?

Exactly. It's because we always lose to Israel. It gnaws at the people in the Middle East that such a small country as Israel, with only about 7 million inhabitants, can defeat the Arab nation with its 350 million. That hurts our collective ego. The Palestinian problem is in the genes of every Arab. The West's problem is that it does not understand this.

That is it. It is the red-toothed Zionists that are guilty in the fact that in Egypt, Jordan and Morocco 70 pupils are stuffed in one room and the public hospitals are hopeless. And the link from the Zionists to the pitiful condition of the schools and the hospitals is easily explained: the collective ego of the 350 million Arabs, hurt and humiliated by the mere existence of the relatively prosperous Israel, does not let the owners of the ego to dedicate some time to the mundane problems of day-to-day existence - like education of their children and the improvement of their hospitals.

Ratna analyses the interview in details in her article, it is a worthy read in its entirety. Just a quote from Ratna:

The question of Palestine is not 'central to Arab thinking' because the Palestinians are more oppressed than Arabs elsewhere in the Middle East, or in Chechnya or in Iran, but because the humiliation is felt as so much worse. 'Such a small country can defeat the Arab nation. That hurts our collective ego'.

The rest is, excuse me, nonsense.

There is one other worthy quote from Mr Sheikh in the original interview that, it seems to me, Ratna may have missed:

When I'm in the newsroom, I forget my personal background. I set aside my political convictions. The news story is sacred for me. One cannot change it. One has to broadcast the story, as it is. Unchanged.

Yeah. If the interview extensively quoted above was supposed to show a shining example of the professional Arab journalist (and some present Al Jazeera as a flagship of the modern journalism in the Arab world), imagine what the others are like...

Cross-posted on Yourish.com

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