Russian plane crash in Sinai: Mossad revenge against Putin?

Well, it didn't take a long time:

General Mohammed Ahmed Faris, Hero of the Soviet Union - bombed by Russian Air force?

Quite an entertaining news item, courtesy of (not very reliable) Chechen funded Kavkaz Center.

It is confirmed that general Mohammed Ahmed Faris is one of the commanders of the secular armed group, the Free Syrian Army, which is being bombed by Russian planes. General Mohammed Ahmed Faris is a Hero of the Soviet Union in addition to the Order of Lenin, medal "Gold Star" and "For achievements in space exploration".

He is also the only astronaut in Syria.

General Mohammed Ahmed Faris traveled to space in 1987 as a member of a Russian-Syrian crew: he spent several months at the Mir space station along with Soviet cosmonauts, afterward training the pilots of the Syrian Air Force.

The matter of the good general's defection to FSA is not a secret, it happened in 2012 if the linked sources are to be believed.

The fact that, while officially fighting Daesh, Russians indulge in the side business of bombing FSA, among other Assad foes, is not a secret as well.

So - why not? Pourquoi pas, as they don't say in Russian?

Zeus forbid...

Nope, ladies and gentlemen, you can't complain that your kids are stupid. Just check out what manner of verbal fireworks they are able to produce:

Ovid’s "Metamorphoses" is a fixture of Lit Hum, but like so many texts in the Western canon, it contains triggering and offensive material that marginalizes student identities in the classroom. These texts, wrought with histories and narratives of exclusion and oppression, can be difficult to read and discuss as a survivor, a person of color, or a student from a low-income background.

Speaking about fireworks - does anyone know when do they plan to start issuing hunting licenses for students?

Inhuman zionist Sisi Regime to flood border with Gaza Strip to destroy tunnels

Since the winter rains have already started here, with vengeance, I have started to look at the usual fodder: complaints from the anti-Israeli regulars about them Zionists flooding Gaza. You know, by opening these (non-existing) dams somewhere in the Israeli Far East to pour rainwater upon unsuspecting peaceful denizens of Gaza. To my surprise, I wasn't successful so far. Probably somebody in the Gazan branch of the Pallywood decided that this specific element of the victimization narrative will be kept on the back shelf.

However, my search was not totally fruitless, and I have found something interesting. Witness the headline of this post, copy/pasted from an article published on a site called "Islamic Invitation Turkey" (don't ask me about the meaning, please). The article tells that:

Egypt plans to deluge the area along the border with the Israeli-besieged Gaza Strip with water in an attempt to destroy the underground tunnels between the country and the Palestinian territory.

“The Egyptian army has begun to build huge pipelines along the border with the Gaza Strip,” a Palestinian security source said on Wednesday, the Turkish news agency, Anadolu, reported.

He explained that the Egyptian plan “aims to destroy underground tunnels by filling the area with water.”

Interesting, innit. Well, the language, especially that of the headline reflects on some unhappiness of the Turkish leadership with Egypt.

Oh well...

Jodi Rudoren and the balancing act of a fellow traveler

Frightening, isn't it? I mean the power of the truth manipulators in the media, who don't even have to make an effort to lie. Just conveniently forget to tell some of the truth.

Good job, CAMERA.

IDF - politically and socially incorrect toward the Palestinian stabbers

In their latest review of the wave of stabbings, Amnesia Amnesty International blames IDF in:

1. Failing to produce timely trigger warnings before using deadly force towards the stabbers.
2. Failing to create a safe zone for would be and already been stabbers.
3. Overreacting to the stabbing act itself, which act is clearly no more than a microaggression that should be treated by timely implementation of 1. and 2.

Dr. Pipper Bluto, Director of Political Correctness for Lesser Hebrides (Amnesty International), brought up his own example from that time in the Lesser Hebrides when, misunderstood by the natives, he was somewhat inconvenienced by several piercing instruments, as depicted in the photo:

However his good will and powers of persuasion eventually won the day and were awarded by undying popularity among and brotherly love from the aforementioned natives.

IDF response is still awaited, first informal reaction being somewhat incoherent. Probably because of being produced solely in Hebrew, which is a language not recognized by Amnesty International.

American dentists vs Nikita Sergeyevich Khrushchev

What the heck? - you have undoubtedly said.

OK, just read this. It is all good.

Wasn't it?

One book that it will be my pleasure not to read

This time it is just a bit more than a random quote from a nonsensical blurb. It is about a book of a relatively well know Assajew, who has already passed the red line between a well-meaning fellow traveler and an antisemitic kapo. I am talking about one Antony Loewenstein, whose latest opus is Disaster Capitalism: Making a Killing Out of Catastrophe.

Here is (part of) what the book's blurb has to say:

Best-selling journalist Antony Loewenstein trav­els across Afghanistan, Pakistan, Haiti, Papua New Guinea, the United States, Britain, Greece, and Australia to witness the reality of disaster capitalism. He discovers how companies such as G4S, Serco, and Halliburton cash in on or­ganized misery in a hidden world of privatized detention centers, militarized private security, aid profiteering, and destructive mining. Disaster has become big business. Talking to immigrants stuck in limbo in Britain or visiting immigration centers in America, Loewenstein maps the secret networks formed to help cor­porations bleed what profits they can from economic crisis.

Interesting, innit?

But this post is not exactly about the book itself, rather about a totally hilarious list of raving hosannas sung by... but why should I spoil your pleasure? Here they come:

“Chilling study, based on careful and courageous reporting, and illuminated with perceptive analysis, helps us understand all too well the saying that man is a wolf to man.” – Noam Chomsky

“A journey into a world of mutated economics and corrupt politics that we ignore at our peril.” – John Pilger

“The forces of disaster capitalism are increasingly on the defensive, but their attacks on the global commons have expanded in the years since I wrote The Shock Doctrine. I am very grateful that Antony Loewenstein has brought his meticulous reporting to this subject, and the result is a keenly observed and timely investigation into rampant resource plunder, privatized detention centers, and an array of other forms of corporate rapacity on four continents. This book will serve as a potent weapon for shock resistors around the world.” – Naomi Klein, author of This Changes Everything and The Shock Doctrine

“A devastating, incisive follow-up to Naomi Klein’s The Shock Doctrine.” – Jeremy Scahill

Methinks that Baron Munchausen would have been happy to have the same list of references to a book of his stories...

Anyway, as a reference about Mr Loewenstein - a piece by Richard Millet, where he produces a (revolting) audio recording showing what kind of creep is Loewenstein. And here it comes in text form:

I asked it of Antony Loewenstein tonight at SOAS. Loewenstein ("As an atheist non-practising Jew") has co-edited a book advocating "One State".
Of course the 'One State' antisemites can never answer my question. Loewenstein at first tried to turn the tables on me by asking me a question. But I pressed him. Was it one million? Two million?
"Six million" came back the answer with a smirk. How utterly despicable - and from a man who then said - without a hint of irony - "I have spent my life fighting antisemitism"! (He also said that Iran is no threat to Israel!).

Yep.

Now, now folks, don't be too happy, says He (or She)...

This short illustrated story comes courtesy of Tarek Fatah.

Some Pakistanis expressed their happiness re floods in Israel (click on the image to embiggen):

But then came the morrow.

Of course, I am a) an atheist and b) not happy about other people's troubles.

One does wonder, though, from time to time...

Israeli medics risk all to render aid to casualties of Syria's civil war

Not a daily occurrence, even for FOX. A worthy read.

So what does Guardian think about it? We want St. Seumas back!

The article Arab Israeli uses paraglider to 'join rebel fighters in Syria' leaves a strange aftertaste. Aside of its lede that doesn't have a lot to do with the event itself, rather with its consequences, it is a dry retelling of the story, without anything especially negative about the Zionist Entity. Oh, here is that lede:

Binyamin Netanyahu vows to revoke 23-year-old’s citizenship after Israeli military believes he crossed border at Golan Heights to link up with rebel group.

This is not what I normally expect from the Guardian's World > Middle East > Israel section. When one goes to an article there, one knows that the Entity will be drawn and quartered immediately, starting with the headline.

But not this time. Strange. Actually, it was strange for a moment, then I recalled that St. Seumas got a new job, leaving the Israel-bashing team of the Guardian in somewhat of a disarray. Temporary, I am sure.

P.S. Oh, and the article itself is from AFP, it appears. Curiousier and curiosier.

As for the event itself: methinks a sale of paragliders is strongly indicated. Everyone who wants to join Daesh should be accomodated - Russian air force is desperate for new targets, I hear.

So there.

When Harry met Ali

Told by Akaky Akakievich, the best out there in the Mercan wilderness.

P.S. With apologies to Akaky Akakievich, I couldn't help thinking about John Kerry some of the time while reading this superb essay. I know he didn't mean it to happen to me.

Or did he?

Nah...

Bibi - crazy like a fox?

Caroline Glick in a fairly fresh interpretation of the latest Bibi's plunge into history.

By exaggerating Husseini's importance in the Holocaust, Netanyahu gave the media a means of attacking him. But by doing so, he forced the Times to report on the Palestinians' founding father's role in destroying European Jewry and his desire to carry out the Final Solution in the Middle East. They would have ignored the issue if Netanyahu had not exaggerated his actual role.

Due to his "gaffe," every Western media outlet reported on Husseini's actions. Some even mentioned that in his PhD dissertation, current Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas said the Holocaust was both a myth and a joint Zionist-Nazi project. For most Westerners, this is the first they've heard of the fact that the Palestinian's George Washington was a Nazi war criminal.

So - not a nonsensical outburst of tired overburdened politician, rather a well prepared subterfuge with far-reaching educational goals.

Does it work for you? Meh...

Yair Lapid on Hard Talk

Stephen Sackur - condescending and repeating the usual BBC formulas like a robot.
Yair Lapid - not bad, not bad at all.
Worth watching.

Debra Ann Davis Stanley, RIP - 55 years young

It is always a painful task to talk about somebody's death. It is much more painful when somebody you know and like so much is taken away long before her time, as it happened to Debra, wife of my friend Dick Stanley aka Texas Scribbler and mother of Jack, apple of her eye.

Well, Debra, I don't have the right words to say, no one has. Rest in peace.

Dick, our thoughts are with you.

More about Debra from her colleagues.

UN Watch - 1, Chris Gunness - 0. Again.

The illustrious UNRWA spokesman Chris Gunness, best known for his crying bout of 2014, will not, probably, make a repeat performance in this case. Not in public, at least.

The whole business started with UN Watch uncovering and publishing the sad fact of UNRWA (a very special outfit, created to care about a single and singular case of refugees, but it is another story) employees developing a brisk side business. The business of incitement to murder - specifically to the murder of Jews.

The publication of these news found, as expected, a cold shoulder in the UN. However, the publicity has made its work, and, in a quiet and half-hearted way UN confessed to the misdeeds of its loyal servants:

Every allegation brought to our attention has either been or is being assessed, and where there are prima facie facts to support the allegation, in accordance with due process. Some allegations have been found to be authentic, others not.

Already, working closely with Facebook’s legal team, UNRWA has brought about the removal of more than 90 imposter or unauthorized Facebook pages. In some cases, it has determined the alleged ‘UNRWA staff’ are not in fact UNRWA employees or are no longer UNRWA employees. However, and very regrettably, in a number of cases so far, the Agency has found staff Facebook postings to be in violation of its social media rules. These postings have been removed and the staff have been subject to both remedial and disciplinary action, including suspension and loss of pay. The remaining allegations are under assessment.

Quite.

The above confession, however, was preceded by a barrage of indignant denial and what Hillel Neuer, executive director of UN Watch, aptly called "McCarthyite tirade against what he called UN Watch's 'baseless allegations about antisemitism'" from our hero, Chris G. Here is a starting tweet:

The rest of the tweets could be seen here, probably there are more...

Nor crying yet, Mr Gunness?

Bibi and the Mufti of Jerusalem: is our fearless leader cracking under pressure?

The fact is, Bibi's memories of historical events are sometime covered by the haze of emotion. It is not a new phenomenon:

Example 3. Pre-natal memories

In an interview to Yediot Acharonot told Bibi about his childhood memories of British soldiers in the streets of Jerusalem.

Fact: Bibi was born after the expiration of British mandate.

This time, it seems, the pressure of the current events lead Bibi even further into the la la land of nonsensical memories. The first glimpse came from Alternet:

And this attack and other attacks on the Jewish community in 1920, 1921, 1929, were instigated by a call of the Mufti of Jerusalem Haj Amin al-Husseini, who was later sought for war crimes in the Nuremberg trials because he had a central role in fomenting the final solution. He flew to Berlin. Hitler didn’t want to exterminate the Jews at the time, he wanted to expel the Jews. And Haj Amin al-Husseini went to Hitler and said, "If you expel them, they'll all come here." "So what should I do with them?" he asked. He said, "Burn them."

Of course, Alternet is just... well, the Alternet, and could hardly be trusted as a source. However, the quote appears in many other sources, such as this and this. And, eventually, as a transcript on the PM's own site. If you don't believe your eyes, you can watch and listen to it too:



What next, Bibi?

P.S. I wonder whether Bibis' BS was a knee-jerk response to the Palestinian BS?

Update: Well, this didn't take much time:

Professor Dan Michman, a world-renowned expert who is the head of the Institute of Holocaust Research at Bar-Ilan University and Head of the International Institute for Holocaust Research at Yad Vashem said Hitler did indeed meet the mufti – but this only occurred after the Final Solution began.

Etc.

Update 2: A transcript of Mufti discussion with Hitler.

Kremlin's view of international commerce: via the gun sight

Russian economy is suffering the effect of Western sanctions, imposed after annexation of Crimea from Ukraine and warmongering in the eastern Ukraine. This is not news. The Russian press coined a term "импортозамещение", which is, rather in German style, a combo of two words: "import" and "replacement" - meaning the activities, supposedly blessed by the government, having the aim of producing own products to enable Russia to do without Western technology, foodstuffs and other imports.

A brainstorming congress, described in this article, produced speeches by some leading Russian scientists, complaining about the lack of funding, the overly dominant role played by the military in defining the development of new technologies, the insufficient support of export etc.

All this, however, paled in comparison with the speech by one Dmitry Marinichev, the Internet tzar in the Putin's court. This speech is what I shall try to translate (partly), after giving you the above background.

"This forum brought together the most intelligent people, but you're a little mistaken," - appealed to the scientists Dmitry Marinichev, the Internet Ombudsman under President (appointed in 2014 and responsible for the communications and the internet commerce, reporting to the President). "Today United States hold a monopoly on technology throughout the market, - was the explanation of the political situation by the ombudsman. - US offer different technologies to countries like children's erector sets. And all the other countries are beginning to compete - who better to construct a car and who is better with an aircraft. The basic, key elements in each Chinese product are controlled by the US."

"It is impossible to do anything for import replacement within our country, - continued the president's ombudsman.- We have a very small market, a sandpit, an aquarium, compared to the world's oceans." According to him, Russia will be able to begin mass production of microprocessors and related technology, in principle, but only if these products will be bought by the whole world. "But we can sell our technology to other countries only when we have a military presence (there). When the other countries will not have an alternative to purchasing from us," - frankly admitted Marinichev. According to him, Russia is facing "serious enough" choice: "Either we are in the catalysis(*) of our military relations with the United States and tell them that we are a new source of power. But we must understand that it means passive(**) or active military actions in the sphere of (US) influence."

The second option, said Dmitry Marinichev, is to follow most of the countries previously called "world scientific centers." "They just decided on their participation in the international division of labor - ombudsman derisively commented on the successes of other countries. - Someone began making machines, someone - milk, someone - transistors. But they are resigned to a vassal state in the global market of labor, information and technology. We can not accept this because of our historical ambitions, our knowledge and our capabilities(***)."

(Emphasis mine).

Yep. Quite open in his (or his master's) brand of realpolitik/realkommerse, isn't he? Even knowing the thuggish ways of the Russian leaders, this is a shocking declaration. And if the Western leaders(****) disregard this trend, be it on their heads.

(*) The use of that word is somewhat of a mystery. Most probably, being in a company of distinguished scientists, the Ombudsman wanted to sound scientifically, thus the result. What he meant in reality (catharsis, catastrophe, catacomb?) will remain unknown.

(**) What is a passive military action? Dunno.

(***) These mysterious capabilities, mentioned in a meeting dedicated to the lack thereof are kinda... er... mysterious.

(****) I know, I know. Not much of a leadership at the moment. But this is what we have, unfortunately.

Roger Cohen on Obama: are we entering the age of miracles?

Jolly Roger of NYT used to appear on this pages frequently, and not in a very positive light, to use an understatement. His ability to miss the point on many a subject proved to be amazing, especially in regards of Middle East upheavals, Iran, US policy regarding these developments, etc.

The article Obama’s Doctrine of Restraint is endangering the well established picture of a chronic bumbler. From the start:

One way to define Barack Obama’s foreign policy is as a Doctrine of Restraint. It is clear, not least to the Kremlin, that this president is skeptical of the efficacy of military force, wary of foreign interventions that may become long-term commitments, convinced the era of American-imposed solutions is over, and inclined to see the United States as less an indispensable power than an indispensable partner. He has, in effect, been talking down American power.

President Vladimir Putin has seized on this profound foreign policy shift in the White House. He has probed where he could, most conspicuously in Ukraine, and now in Syria. Obama may call this a form of Russian weakness. He may mock Putin’s forays as distractions from a plummeting Russian economy. But the fact remains that Putin has reasserted Russian power in the vacuum created by American retrenchment and appears determined to shape the outcome in Syria using means that Obama has chosen never to deploy. For Putin, it’s clear where the weakness lies: in the White House.

It is nothing that many other commentators of the White House's wretched foreign policy didn't notice before, but coming from this source it's akin to an armed revolt against all that is held sacred by the powers that be (both the bastion of progressive thought - NYT and the White House in this case).

And the end of the article is no less amazing:

Yet the cost of the Doctrine of Restraint has been very high. How high we do not yet know, but the world is more dangerous than in recent memory. Obama’s skepticism about American power, his readiness to disengage from Europe and his catastrophic tiptoeing on Syria have left the Middle East in generational conflict and fracture, Europe unstable and Putin strutting the stage. Where this rudderless reality is likely to lead I will examine in my next column.

Wow is the only thing I can say. Wow...

Yes, and the promised next column was duly delivered. Another wow.

Will the wonders ever cease?

Take this, Matt Damon!

Just saw The Martian. If Matt Damon was alone on Mars, who was filming him that whole time? Clearly fake

— Sage Boggs (@sageboggs) October 11, 2015

Spot on.

Ayman Mohyeldin (MSNBC): from where we are lying...

The so called "Ayman Mohyeldin controversy" (not that I can see much of a controversy here - just a little SOB blandly distorting reality to suit his agenda) is described in this post quite well, including a bit from Mr Mohyeldin's past. Very much recommended.

So the liar was caught in flagrante delicto, a satisfactory event by itself. I would like to gloat about something from the recording, probably missed by most viewers. Notice the slip of the tongue that happens at about 1'30" into the recording:



"...we can clearly see from where we were lying... oops from where we were standing..."

I know I will be overdoing it a bit, but can you deny yourself such an innocent little pleasure?

Lying or Lie may refer to:

• Lie, a deliberate untruth
• Lying (position), a horizontal position

Yeah, just keep lying, Ayman.

Zionists torment the spirit of Ahmed Mansara, the 13 yrs old martyr

A new remarkable Zionist crime was outed, this time by the Israeli Physicians for Human Rights organization. Due to uniqueness of the occasion, I have to quote large swaths of the original text, so bear with me (and enjoy):

In response to the publication of the picture of 13-year-old Ahmed Manasra, the Israeli Physicians for Human Rights organization released a statement saying that the group takes a grave view of the release of a photo of Mansara, a minor, in the hospital at Hadassah University Medical Center at Ein Karem in Jerusalem.

On Wednesday evening Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas accused Israel of "executing" Ahmed, even though he was still alive, and the Prime Minister's Office on Thursday released photos of Mansara in the hospital. A senior Israeli official said the move was meant to refute Abbas' claim that Mansara was executed by Israeli soldiers.

“The fact that it is a photo of a minor in custody who was photographed without his parents’ permission” is a violation of juvenile law and privacy laws, the organization said. In addition, the picture was taken at a medical facility “apparently with the approval of its management,” the organization claimed, adding that this would be a violation of medical ethics requiring maintenance of the confidentiality of medical information and respect for the patient.

And to cap all this, a bit more:

“In addition, Physicians for Human Rights takes a grave view of the fact that the public has been briefed with details of [Mansara’s] condition while his parents are prevented from visiting him and have not been provided medical information on the condition of their son. Furthermore, one can see from the picture that Ahmed is bound to his bed, in violation of juvenile law, which bars [such] constraints on a minor,” the organization stated.

For the random future reader - a reminder re the youngster:

Ahmed and his relative, 17-year-old Mohammed Mansara, carried out a stabbing attack in the Jerusalem neighborhood of Pisgat Ze'ev on Monday.

I am not going to enter the fray as far as the legalese is concerned, just repeat what an astute watcher of Middle Eastern affairs, Dave McAvoy said:

Well according to Abbas he's dead. And the privacy laws and medical ethics in regards to releasing pictures of underage ghosts in captivity have yet to be made clear.

Indeed.

Hm... no, I can't resist: Ahmed, the dead terrorist - anyone?

Joseph’s Tomb is burning, to make Al Aqsa safe

Obviously, what other reason could have caused the "large group of Palestinians" to set fire to the compound containing Joseph’s Tomb in the West Bank city of Nablus?



The libel works, it's a fact. Since 1929. Like a Swiss watch.

Unbelieveable? Again? You better believe this. Too.

All that Jazeera is happy to tell:

Palestinians need 'UN protection force'

The Palestinians want the UN to consider deploying a protection force in occupied East Jerusalem to help quell violence, the Palestinian envoy to the United Nations has said.

Riyad Mansour said on Wednesday that the proposal would be included in a draft resolution aimed at defusing weeks of clashes between Israel and the Palestinians.

Mansour said that the situation was "very explosive" and that the Security Council must find ways of "providing protection" to the Palestinians.

Nah... I really am at a loss for words.

Gideon Levy - Mr Israeli Conscience and the boundless morality thereof

On October 11, 2015, about two weeks into the knifing frenzy, borne on the winds of the Al-Aqsa libel, Gideon Levy, the senior editor of Haaretz and baron of deceit industry (so anointed by another journalist), issued another cry (yowl?) caused by his hurt conscience. The headline of that (opinion) piece is Israel's Lawless Death Penalty Without Trial Buoyed by Cheers of the Masses and its lede adds another wrinkle:

The people of Israel see these pictures and most of them are filled with delight and pleasure, as the media inflames their animal urges.

(Emphasis mine). I shall go fisking the body of the article a bit later, now to the main point.

For me the words emphasized above are a confirmation of what I think about Mr Levy: his moral narcissism has already reached the stage where he lives by a simple dichotomy: Gideon Levy on one side and the unwashed barbarians aka Jewish population of Israel - on the other. Them heathens that rejoice at the sight of Arab blood on the streets.

This dichotomy alienates Mr Levy not only from the good (or not so good) citizens of Israel but from his own family, as could be seen here as well. But he is relentless in his brand of narcissism (already adequately explained, by the way). And, judging by his behavior, finds some perverse enjoyment in it.

Now, after we have dispensed with the main point, let's go to the less exciting part: the fisking. But first, I just have to remark on a change in appearance of Gideon Levy that becomes more and more pronounced with years:

Notice how the face of our hero loses its symmetry. You can take a look at earlier pictures and see that it wasn't always that way. And I cannot restrain myself from quoting a sentence from "Master and Margarita" by Mikhail Bulgakov:

In a week I was there again and was received by a maid with eyes slanted toward her nose due to incessant lying.

I would loath to reject the evidence coming from one of the greatest writers ever breathing the Earth' atmosphere. So lying does cause deformation of the facial features. Beware, Mr Levy!

OK, now that I have that off my chest, we can start. And you know what: let's start with these bold letters in the lede. So Mr Levy says that most of us, Israeli Jews, are filled with delight at the bloody Arab carcasses in the streets. Only there is not a shred of proof supporting this statement. I can bring an anecdotal evidence of several tens of my friends - not a single one does rejoice. Since nor I nor Mr Levy can base our claims on any poll or research - how about calling Mr Levy's claim a lie and (just for brevity) forget the ululating of happiness by the Arab crowds that hail each new "martyr"? Just call your claim a lie, Mr Levy, and hold the reins of your moral narcissism for a while.

Now another, quite stupid, paragraph from the article:

The grotesque element was provided by the attack in Tel Aviv. A Palestinian with a tiny screwdriver, who had stabbed and very slightly injured a number of Israelis, was shot to death by an IDF officer. Second Lieutenant Daniel became the hero of the day. Entire pages in the media were written about him, hailing him as a “combatant in an air defense unit who did what is expected of a combatant.” The stabber’s body, which nobody bothered to cover, the tiny screwdriver beside it, is Daniel’s citation. “Heroism at the Kirya’s gate,” screamed the headlines. These are your heroes, Israel, taking out desperate youngsters with a screwdriver who could and should have been arrested.

According to his Wiki bio, Mr Levy served in IDF only as a reporter. Still, even as a reporter he must know the rules of engagement, followed by the army, police etc. - and not only in Israel, but quite universally: when a citizen's life is in danger, the shooting is aimed at the center mass of the perpetrator - to stop and, if it so happens, to kill. The armed defender just doesn't have the time for that luxury of shooting at the perp's limbs. Nowhere.

Now to the second, even more amazing in its stupidity, point: the size of that "tiny screwdriver". Not to mention the sad fact that even a "tiny screwdriver" could kill, what should the above mentioned armed defender do, confronted with the bloody scene of the attack, general panic and the necessity to act immediately? Ask the terrorist to take a short break for measurement of the screwdriver? Or go ahead and shoot, praying that the shot will be enough to stop the butchery? In short, another inane yowl from Mr Israeli Conscience.

Anyhow, here is a collection of knives and other instruments of freedom struggle, collected in Hebron quite recently (source) from the well known tourist ship Mavi Marmara.

Shouldn't we ask our Voice of Conscience to sort out the tools presented above according to their homicidal value and write a field guidance manual for the police, the army etc? If possible, with methodology of the measurement of these tools in field conditions.

The picture, by the way, is not very good, but I can see a box-cutter or two... how about these, dear Gideon? I know, I know, the boxes wouldn't cut themselves. Right-o. To the next quote:

The people of Israel see these pictures and most of them are filled with delight and pleasure, as the media inflames their animal urges.

Yeah, it is an already familiar one, to strengthen the point of the absolute moral superiority of our Voice of Conscience over the rest of us. So I will go to satisfy my animal urges by watching the evening news. Meanwhile you can watch below what happens when a Jewish shooter (a good guy, no doubt) tries to restrict himself only to the shots that he considers necessary at two important points of the struggle.

Yeah, and try to hold your delight, pleasure and them animal urges under control, please. Bye.

קשה לצפייה: כך נראה במצלמות האבטחה הפיגוע הרצחני בשכונת גאולה >> www.kikar.co.il Life in Jerusalem: innocent man walking in the street and murdered by terrorist.
Posted by ‎חדשות כיכר השבת‎ on Tuesday, October 13, 2015

A. Jay Adler's works in Footnote

A person I deeply respect said once that every Jew has a story to tell. She meant a story different from the others, I haste to qualify.

Our stories are vastly different in many cases indeed, although some - tangible and intangible - points of two different stories might be common. Another differentiating attribute of the stories is our ability to tell them. Mostly we are unable to, taking the stories with us wherever and whenever we go.

A. Jay Adler, though, in a small collection of his poetry and prose in Footnote: a Literary Journal of History, shows exceedingly well that he is more than able to tell his story. As he is doing in his superb blog the sad red earth.

Otherwise than saying that the reading was compelling and that I was engrossed* by everything offered by AJA in this, sadly limited, collection, I am not a literary critic and am not going to make a monkey of myself, especially not in a language that is not my mother tongue.

As for the common points of the stories: there are precious few between AJA's story and mine. I shall mention only the common name of our grandfather, which I have (in a way) inherited. Of course, I shall leave it to you, the reader, to find out - but first go and purchase Footnote: a Literary Journal of History. The expenditure will not set your finances back more than that you spend on a burger. And, knowing y'all, I can tell you that the journal will be much healthier and much more enriching than that other choice.

So what are you waiting for?

(*) And the reasons I am posting this two months or so after purchasing and reading the journal were out of my control, my absence from the blog being the witness to that.

The Al-Aqsa libel: that lie that always works

"Jews are coming to take over the Al-Aqsa mosque, to pray in it and to destroy it! Save the Al-Aqsa!".


I am not exactly keeping track of that insidious lie, but in my memory it keeps coming back every year, with predictable results. Busily promoted by Hamas and its flock of sister terror outfits, by Israeli own Islamists, such as the infamous Sheikh Raed Salah, head of the radical wing of the Islamic Movement in Israel, benevolently watched and coddled by PA President Mahmoud Abbas and fully supported by his Fatah goons, this libel kills people - both Israelis and Palestinians.

And every single time it works, producing admirable results in the media, such as this inane paragraph:

Palestinians have been angered by events at the al-Aqsa mosque compound in Jerusalem's Old City and fear Israel wants to change the religious status quo at Islam's third holiest shrine, revered by Muslims as the Noble Sanctuary and by Jews as the Temple Mount. Israel has said it has no intention to do so.

How can you beat that circular logic that doesn't need anything but itself? First create the rumor about the coming Zionist atrocity perpetrated on the defenseless mosque. Then throw in a gang of belligerent brainwashed youths, inflamed by your libelous lie. Then become angered "by events at the al-Aqsa mosque compound".

What could be better that this self-generating and self-perpetuating lie?

Well, possibly only this "balancing act" of nincompoopery:

For his part, Kerry said he shared his “deep concern” over the spiraling violence with Netanyahu and Abbas. Kerry “stressed the importance of upholding the status quo in word and deed at the al-Haram al-Sharif/Temple Mount and of preventing inflammatory rhetoric and actions that will increase tensions,” said a statement from his office.

And meanwhile some folks are busily protecting the peace in the said mosque:

U.S. State Department sees...

Actually, the full headline is US sees acts of terrorism in East Jerusalem.

I wonder... what with the amazing feats of the modern technology at hand, what with the NSA that is quickly becoming the boogeyman of the whole world... how come?

I mean that these days a Russian Duma member barely has time to lick his lips in anticipation of the next bribe political contribution, the Daesh (ISIL, ISIS, IS) foot soldier barely has time to take leave of his goat, the sparrow barely has time to fart - and all these activities are already duly recorded, sorted out and stored in the awesome NSA databanks.

And here - it takes the mighty State Department almost three weeks to reach that earth-shaking conclusion?

Consider me not impressed, folks.

Possibly confused? Yeah, this is it:

Move aside, BBC - here comes the Indie!

Enough grumbling about BBC's artistry with headlines, the competition is quite hot right now, and the righteous indignation of Israelis, hardly believing their eyes, should move to another British media outfit. But first things first. The story, as told by Israeli sources, is quite simple:

The perp succeeds to wound two (randomly chosen, of course) Jews and is shot by a policeman. Sounds simple and straightforward, doesn't it? You would think so, but Independent's folks have found another way to present the story:

Nice, ain't it? And makes the BBC's attempt at misrepresentation somewhat pale in comparison. The second version of the headline of the same story is also quite interesting:

Now we have two seemingly independent (no pun intended) events: "Israeli security forces" kill a boy and, besides, there was some stubbing in Jerusalem.

When you click through, though, another "surprise" awaits you at the headline of the article

Meaning, for an uninvolved and hardly interested enough to read the whole piece reader, that the bloodthirsty Israelis continue the unimpeded killing of Palestinians.

Doesn't it hurt to be so full of excrement, dear Independent?

Update: Y.Medad of My Right World noticed another telling wrinkle: the judicious use of the word "allegedly" by the (alleged) idiots:

do you read this alleged newspaper @Independent ? pic.twitter.com/QkW6l2TBMA

— ymedad (@ymedad) October 10, 2015

From Comical Ali to Saad Maan

I bet many of you still remember the inimitable Comical Ali aka Muhammad Saeed al-Sahhaf, who has either already departed for better pastures or is on the way there, according to the link. Which is a pity in a way, because the man has brought us quite a few hilarious moments, hitherto not reached by the best stand-up comedians.

The nowadays replacement that appears in the picture below is tellingly named Saad Maan. This Iraqi army spokesman's appearance reflects both his name and the general state of the Iraqi army and its affairs.

Not that the Iraqi army affairs were any better at the time of the Comical Ali.

But you know what I mean...

The breasts that feed the world culture and keep it going

Picasso, Chagall and Renoir - move aside, please. Here comes a new era of painting - new, exciting (I kid you not) and, hopefully, lead by female artists. I am talking about breasts painting, a technique discovered and lead by a Moscow artist, Irina Romanovskaya, whose brush boobs produced the unforgettable image of the fearless leader you can see and enjoy above. Here comes Irina:

As you can plainly see, Irina doesn't lack tools for this new art wave.

Ms Romanovskaya discloses a small part of her masterful technique in this clip (male readers, do not build up your perverted expectations, please):



Being a pioneer, Irina has a dream too:

I would want to give these paintings to Putin and Medvedev, but how would they react if they found out about the unconventional painting technique?

I should think that the two must be grateful, madam, so no worries on this account.

And here, as usual, some juvenile and condescending Western response to the genius of the lady:



No matter, silly laughs notwithstanding, I would like to ask Irina for a candid portrait of Stalin, in green if you please.

Of course, as a typical representative of the lesser gender, I feel somewhat discombobulated by my inability to join this new art wave. Most men* are not properly equipped for the task, so we better leave it to the ladies. However, we can experiment in another, somewhat related, domain. And here is a sample of Putin's portrait (only an initial draft), made using another, quite advanced, technique - by a male artist:

Notice that the author added some hair where it doesn't really exists on the subject's head. No doubt, this act stems from male solidarity...

I wonder, could the two techniques described here be combined and how would the amalgam of the two look? The future of art is undoubtedly bright. Oh, and exciting too, not to forget.

(*) The males who are well developed in the bosom area usually are not artistically talented or inclined, methinks. Oh well...

How to insult a "progressive"

Another good one by Pat Condell:



I would only add a proviso: the political discourse is a two way road, and the right wing dishes out its own share of insults and inability to listen to the other side. I would be hard put to quantify the difference.

Still, by and large, the lefties' deafness to counterarguments, the misunderstanding of the term "free speech" and readiness to dish out violence seem to be dominant in the Western world.

Too bad.

Via Texas Scribbler.

And that's all she wrote

Not really in a blogging mood. This is (partly) why:

Indeed, as an astute observer (Ollie Kent) once said:

19 holiday makers die in terrible fire aboard plane after New York building tragically collapses.

For more see Israellycool.