Gaza - as a bolt out of the blue?

Whatever you say about our politicians, their ability to play dumb*, coupled with their ability to point an accusing finger at somebody else are still up there with the best.

Recently, while desperately searching a way out of the Gaza stand-off, some of our ministers happened to find what looked to them a suitable scapegoat: out Chief of Staff, Lt. Gen. Gadi Eisenkot. The soldier's soldier was suddenly blamed in the situation:

...one unnamed minister was quoted as saying, “In the final analysis, Eisenkot’s policy on responding [to Gaza violence] has failed and allowed things to deteriorate.”

Amazing, but it is not all:

Ministers used the meeting to lambast the IDF chief for allowing an Israeli “loss of sovereignty” on the border, and what they called the military’s insufficient action against the balloon launchers.

The sheer gall and stupidity of these attacks is mind-boggling. Blaming your gun for not jumping up and shooting your enemy? The very same people who are responsible for IDF and should decide, after interminable months of border violence, what to do, are accusing IDF in inaction?

To the honor of our illustrious minister of defense, whom I never suspected of overflow of any honor at all, he stood up in defense (no pun intended) of CoS.

It’s ridiculous that cabinet members are blaming the chief of staff for a policy they laid out. This crosses a red line, and it hurts national security.

Liberman's response has probably been strong enough, because lately, due to the general impotence and lack of ideas, our ministers have found another, even better, scapegoat.

According to the lightning theory that emerged Thursday, the projectiles were armed, ready and aimed at Beersheba and Gush Dan in case of an outbreak of violence with Israel when lightning struck in the area and sent them on their way.

Five bolts of lightning struck in the Gaza area around between 3:10 and 3:20 a.m. that morning, according to maps produced by Dr. Barry Lynn of the Weather-It-Is company and the Israel Total Lightning Network, which tracks lightning strikes.

Four of them touched down out at sea, but one struck within the Gaza Strip.

So now it is not Hamas and even not the so handy Gadi Eizenkot. It is He who sends the bolts out of the blue. To save the ministers' faces, which are already so covered by the proverbial eggs that it is difficult to see them.

What can I say? If it looks like bullshit, if it sounds like bullshit, if it smells like bullshit - it is probably a politician...

(*) Or being dumb, choose your preferred option.

ROC vs priest Alexander Shramko and Facebook

ROC priest Alexander Shramko hasn't expected the bolt out the blue, I bet. He just wanted to document the epic arrival of Patriarch Kirill, the ROC chief, for a meeting of the Holy Synod of the Russian Orthodox Church in Minsk (Belarus). Well, he added a few sarcastic remarks about the manner of the Patriarch's arrival, his inattention to the public gathered to meet him, his seemingly excessive security detail. He posted a few pictures on his Facebook page, like these two (and more):

On October 16, the priest received a decree on his release from the post of cleric of the St. Michael's parish of Minsk. The document states that he is forbidden to serve, to wear the priestly cross, and to bless the believers. Such a decision is justified, in particular, by the publication of messages that "slander the Orthodox Church and sow hostility and hatred in the hearts of people." The ban will be valid for a year, after which the Minsk Diocese will consider the resumption of ministry. “They said that after a year, if you repent, change your attitude ... Probably, it means that I should stop writing, stop speaking,” said Shramko to Euroradio.

Decree attached:

The sensitivity of the most powerful religious institution of Russia (and beyond) is mindboggling, isn't it?

Don't you ever change, Russia. Stay classy!

This opus, written by a Facebook user Natalya Kuzmina* in 2017, isn't remarkable in its content. Only in the diligence and verbosity of its creator. Her Russian is quite poor, by the way. But she speaks for many, possibly for a lot over there.

Do not purchase sausage, grounded meat, cutlets, frankfurters. They are made of ritually slain children, which disappear in millions every year.
Blood is pumped out (sic!) from the kids, and meat is processed and arrives to the shops' counters.
Our children are being stolen during the year, and sacrificed for important holidays Purim, Hanukkah, Pesach.
[They] could use the adults as well, but the best are children, since they are clean and innocent.
Such sacrifice of innocence is identified with the virginal sacrifice of Christ.
The children are also taken away by Juvenilka**  and sold to Judeans for organs.
Read Psalter every day for your relatives. The strongest prayer in God's eyes comes from Psalter, especially the night one.
This information will soon be removed from the Internet possibly, forward it to people.

Somehow it doesn't look like vegan propaganda leaflet to me...

(*) Don't try to look her up, there is a myriad of people with the same name (Наталья Кузьмина) он Facebook. The name isn't rare.
(**) A slang moniker for the children social services.

Does Bibi swim? Ayatollahs want to know.

An Iranian Internet site, named Iran Front Page (later about it) published a new eruption of vitriol by yet another Iranian general:

A personal remark, which I hope will not be considered racist: I have found that I can't really tell the Iranian generals apart. They all look kinda the same to me. Although that one has a bit less hair... oh well, to the text:

Lieutenant Commander of Iran’s Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) has advised Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to practice swimming in the Mediterranean because he will soon have no choice but to flee into the sea.
Brigadier General Hossein Salami said in a Friday speech that the Zionist regime does not have any elements of a state and government, and it is not at the level of being a threat for Iran because the Lebanese resistance movement Hezbollah is enough to destroy it.

I am not sure what the good general means by "Zionist regime does not have any elements of a state and government" and what exactly elements seem to be missing. In my opinion the said regime has more than enough of these elements. Especially ones that stop innocent motorists on the highway and check their documents, their breath etc. Whatever.

General Salami was in a prime form during this interview, because he continued to produce additional pearls of wisdom. Apparently government-sanctioned pearls. But the point of Bibi swimming somehow caught my attention and held it. Enough to induce me to post this.

I've never learned whether Bibi can swim. Of course, this includes a more specific question: could Bibi swim good enough to get, say, from Eilat to Iran and to duke it out with general Salami. To settle the differences like real men are known to.

But I am sure Bibi has other ways and means to duke it out with general Salami. And it will be better for everyone if he doesn't use those. So let him swim instead. If it is OK with y'all.

Now about the source, the Iran Front Page. This is what they say about themselves on their "About" page:

The Iran Front Page news website or IFP News was established in 2014 after obtaining an official license from Iran’s Ministry of Culture and Islamic Guidance. It is one of the only private and independent Iranian news websites with English-speaking audiences.

So far so good - a loyal and approved publication, by all means. But then the last sentence on that same page:

By and large, IFP is trying to say that in Iran life goes on as normally as it can.

Mmm... ain't this interesting? You decide. But look at general Salami first.