FailedMessiah.com

Neturei Karta Row Rocks London's Haredim

The London Jewish Chronicle reports:

HENDON ADATH synagogue was this week beginning the process of severing all its connections with its governing body, the Union of Orthodox Hebrew Congregations in Stamford Hill.

The North-West London synagogue had given the Union a 21-day deadline - which ran out on Wednesday - to dissociate itself through a public statement from the extremist, anti-Zionist Neturei Karta sect.

Hendon Adath had taken a stand against the Union inititally because - as revealed in the JC - its accounts showed it had given Neturei Karta more than £58,000 in grants.

More recently, Hendon's anger was rekindled by the sect's support for Hamas and Hizbollah and its appearance at two anti-Israel rallies, one of them on a Shabbat.

Zalmi Unsdorfer, a lifelong Hendon Adath member, said this week: "This is no longer about funds, or about Zionism or ideology. It amounts to a tacit acceptance by community [Union] rabbis of behaviour that they should have condemned as every bit as treif as a ham sandwich at a Kedassia function.

"Such condemnation should have been instinctive and not have to be forced upon learned rabbis under threat of secession or otherwise," added Mr Unsdorfer.

The decision means Hendon will no longer send representatives to Union meetings, allow Union notices to be displayed in its synagogues or take part in any Union-organized communal events. All Hendon's decisions on halachah and other religious matters will be decided by the synagogue's minister, Rabbi Pinchas Roberts. He, too, was under pressure this week to voice his opinion about the sect.

[Hat tip: moralclimate.]

Yossi Klein Halevi: Israel's Broken Heart

Yossi Klein Halevi is spot on in this analysis of Israel's defeat (yes, defeat, not victory) in this newest Lebanon War:

However hard Ehud Olmert tries to spin it, the U.N. ceasefire that began yesterday is a disaster for Israel and for the war on terrorism generally. With an unprecedented green light from Washington to do whatever necessary to uproot the Iranian front line against Israel, and with a level of national unity and willingness to sacrifice unseen here since the 1973 Yom Kippur War, our leaders squandered weeks restraining the army and fighting a pretend war. Only in the two days before the ceasefire was the army finally given the go-ahead to fight a real war.

But, by then, the U.N. resolution had codified the terms of Israel's defeat. …

This is a nation whose heart has been broken: by our failure to uproot the jihadist threat, which will return for another and far more deadly round…

At least some of the disasters of the past weeks were self-inflicted. We forfeited the public relations battle that was, in part, Israel's to lose. How is it possible that we failed to explain the justness of a war fought against a genocidal enemy who attacked us across our U.N.-sanctioned international border? It's hard to remember now, but we began this war with the sympathy of a large part of the international community. Some Arab leaders, for the first time in the history of the Middle East conflict, actually blamed other Arabs for initiating hostilities with Israel. That response came when Israel seemed determined to defeat Hezbollah; but, as the weeks dragged on and Hezbollah appeared to be winning, moderate Arabs adjusted accordingly. They didn't switch sides because we were fighting too assertively but because we weren't fighting assertively enough.…

None of Israel's wars was ever fought with greater micromanagement by a government, and no government was ever less qualified to manage a war as this one. …

A long list of reckonings awaits the Israeli public. There's the scandal of the government's abandonment of tens of thousands of poor Israelis who lacked the means to escape the north and were confined for weeks in public shelters, their needs largely tended to by volunteers.…

Olmert, Peretz, Livni and Company should resign, as should Halutz. Of course, none will do so. We can only hope a no confidence motion swiftly brings down this pathetic government, and that the government replacing it is wiser and far more competent than Kadima's Keystone Cops.

The Lebanon War's Best Parody

This is circulating (unattributed) via email. I don't know who did this, but it's very funny!

[Hat tip: Mendel Mosesson.]

Qumran Not Essene Monastery After All

The New York Times reports:

…[T]wo Israeli archaeologists who have excavated the site on and off for more than 10 years now assert that Qumran had nothing to do with the Essenes or a monastery or the scrolls. It had been a pottery factory.

The archaeologists, Yizhak Magen and Yuval Peleg of the Israel Antiquities Authority, reported in a book and a related magazine article that their extensive excavations turned up pottery kilns, whole vessels, production rejects and thousands of clay fragments. Derelict water reservoirs held thick deposits of fine potters’ clay.

Dr. Magen and Dr. Peleg said that, indeed, the elaborate water system at Qumran appeared to be designed to bring the clay-laced water into the site for the purposes of the pottery industry. No other site in the region has been found to have such a water system.

By the time the Romans destroyed Qumran in A.D. 68 in the Jewish revolt, the archaeologists concluded, the settlement had been a center of the pottery industry for at least a century. Before that, the site apparently was an outpost in a chain of fortresses along the Israelites’ eastern frontier.

“The association between Qumran, the caves and the scrolls is, thus, a hypothesis lacking any factual archaeological basis,” Dr. Magen said in an article in the current issue of Biblical Archaeology Review.…

KIRUV CLOWNS: Aish.com Launches Jewish 'Humor Site' As Missiles Land

Aish.com, always a bastion of good taste, has taken the term "kiruv clowns" to new heights by launching a Jewish humor site on a day when missiles are landing on Israeli soil, killing and injuring Israelis. In an explanation of the launch, Richard Rabkin, the site's editor, steals an old Yiddish joke and, without noting the joke's pedigree, updates it and uses it to defend the timing of the launch. Worse yet, the site is not particularly funny. Bangitout.com has little to fear.

Why Olmert Must Go Immediately

A couple of days ago, Ari Shavit wrote a blistering article in Ha'aretz calling for Olmert to step down immediately:

If Olmert runs away now from the war he initiated, he will not be able to remain prime minister for even one more day. Chutzpah has its limits. You cannot lead an entire nation to war promising victory, produce humiliating defeat and remain in power. You cannot bury 120 Israelis in cemeteries, keep a million Israelis in shelters for a month, wear down deterrent power, bring the next war very close, and then say - oops, I made a mistake. That was not the intention. Pass me a cigar, please. …

[T]he day Nasrallah comes out of his bunker and declares victory to the whole world, Olmert must not be in the prime minister's office. Post-war battered and bleeding Israel needs a new start and a new leader. It needs a real prime minister.

As Israel bumbles forward under the unsteady had of Olmert & Co., now about 24 hours to the Un-sponsored ceasefire, Ynet reports the Arab world has awakened to a new possibility – the total defeat and destruction of Israel. And Hezbollah is declaring victory and has a message for us, as well:

[Ahmed Barakat, a member of Hizbullah's central council] further stated that none of the Hizbullah leadership was hurt and that the organization retains plenty of rockets and other 'surprises' for use the day after victory. He declared that the inventory would allow the organization to operate from afar and doesn't require proximity to the Israeli border.

Olmert's government is perhaps the greatest disaster to befall the Jewish people since the Shoah. Let us hope and pray that Olmert & Co. can somehow grow up in time to repair the damage they have done. If not, it is incumbent on the Knesset to force a no confidence motion and bring Olmert down. There is no time left to waste.

The Breakdown of Israel's Home Front Command and Welfare

Ha'aretz has a devastating article on the complete breakdown of welfare and emergency shelter services during this war:

The HFC found itself dealing with purely civilian matters: a pharmacy owner who closed his drug store and went south, a bus company that discontinued service, bank branches that closed and left people without money.

In the HFC, the view is that they can't serve as an alternative to the state or the local government. "Those that were weak beforehand did not get weak because of the war," says [Colonel Yuval] Kimhi [ the head of the HFC Policy and Development Department].

The quality of the treatment of the citizen under rocket fire, they were willing to admit in HFC, largely depends on the quality of the local authority in which he lives. The HFC does not think it is its job or the job of the government to "pamper" the citizen. They even think that it is their job to educate the citizenry not to be pampered. That is why they object to putting the evacuees up in hotels, for fear that they may "develop a habit." That is why they do not think it is necessary to send food to the shelters.

"The subject of the shortage of food came up in one of the assessments," says Captain Rami Peltz, the head of the HFC Population Behavior Department. "It was decided that as little food as possible should be actually brought to the people. They need to come and get the food themselves. The natural tendency is to pity the people without seeing the long-term implications of that treatment. If we bring food to people in the shelter, we are increasing their sense of helplessness. People will say: 'Feed me, chew for me.' It could continue even after the situation is over."

In other words, this is the Israeli version of Hurricane Katrina, with one major difference – private Israelis, haredi, National Religious, secular and everything in between, have done amazing work helping literally hundreds of thousands of refugees stay fed, clothed, housed and safe, while the government has done – by design – almost nothing.

Chief among the heros is haredi journalist turned philanthropist Dudi Zilbershlag, whose organization, Meir Panim, combined with other nonprofits – mostly secular ones – to form a united front to provide services. Ha'aretz details this and then adds this bone-chilling quote from Zilbershlag:

"The evacuation was done on a first come, first served basis," says Zilbershlag. "Everything was done by private organizations. Nochi Dankner [secular] gave 1,000 hotel accommodations, Gaydamak [secular] set up the tent city [at a cost of more than $500,000 per day], Rabbi Yitzhak David Grossman of Migdal Ha'emek evacuated thousands of people. None of the government ministries wanted to go near the matter. The matter of the refugees in the center of the country hasn't been dealt with at all and it is a huge subject. People have remained without money, without work. There are hair-raising stories."

Notable in his silence is former Finance Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, whose cuts devastated Israel's welfare system.

Olmert and his cast of under-qualifed, bumbling politicos must go. New elections cannot come soon enough.

Christopher Hitchens on God and Science

I agree with the faithful in one respect, and would myself say if I was a believer: We have no right to demand or to expect an explanation from the inventor, and our expectations of ever getting one, let alone of intuiting one, are quite vain. I propose a bargain: Let science get on with the job of explicating and elucidating evolution, and leave the godly to the task of justifying the supernatural. It is not a sign of progress that these days even the creationists are attempting to "evolve."

The division of intellectual labor needs to be restored.

Christopher Hitchens
The American Enterprise
April 2005

The problem, of course, is the Torah itself which, if read literally, calls for a 6000 year old universe, a global flood, Hebrew as man's first language, and many other scientifically untenable assertions. And haredi rabbinic leadership insists on this literal reading.

Can Torah and science be rectified? I don't think so. What does this mean for Judaism? Intellectually, the end of it. But religion is not at its heart a rational or intellectual enterprise. Judaism will survive, with or without the veneer of rationalism it had successfully cultivated for two thousand years. It will survive as any other religious group survives – on blind faith and emotion.

New Jewish Music Download Site

OySongs.com.

Frum and Brown

Miss Shona of Shona's Porch has started a forum for Jews who are both frum and black, African, etc. – Frum and Brown. A small and under served segment of our community has needed a voice for along time. Hopefully Frum and Brown will be that and more.

More Jewish Community Crime

This time, it's many counts of fraud and embezzlement. The alleged crooks? Modern Orthodox Jews, at least one of whom has fled the country, presumably for Israel. One of the crooks is a big ba'al hessed – treasurer of a large MO yeshiva day school, a big donor to OJ causes. The rot runs deep.

Chabad Against Madonna

Chabad's Russian Federation of Jewish Communities comes out against … Madonna.

Former Sharon Aide Uri Dan: "I have this to say to the government: If you do not bomb Hizbullah to kingdom come now, you will have lost the right to blame the allies of World War II for not bombing Auschwitz."

I have this to say to the government: If you do not bomb Hizbullah to kingdom come now, you will have lost the right to blame the allies of World War II for not bombing Auschwitz.

No True Hasid Would …

Rabbi Gil Student notes quoting Wikipedia:

No true Scotsman is a term coined by Antony Flew in his 1975 book Thinking About Thinking. It refers to an argument which takes this form:

Argument: "No Scotsman puts sugar on his porridge."
Reply: "But my uncle Angus likes sugar with his porridge."
Rebuttal: "Ah yes, but no true Scotsman puts sugar on his porridge."

This form of argument is a fallacy if the predicate ("putting sugar on porridge") is not actually contradictory for the accepted definition of the subject ("Scotsman"), or if the definition of the subject is silently adjusted after the fact to make the rebuttal work.

This is the exact defense the Rebbe used at about the same time after Lubavitch thugs harassed and threatened Rabbi Rifkin, the lone member of the then-newly-formed Chabad Va'ad HaRabbanim who refused to put an Israeli politician from the National Religious Party into cherem for failing to heed the Rebbe's (unasked for) instructions. The thugs broke Rabbi Rifkin's windows, made threatening and harassing phone calls in the middle of the night, spit on him while walking the streets of Crown Heights, and made this very elderly man's life a living hell.

Appeals to the Rebbe to call off his dogs went unheeded. After weeks of unabated harassment, Rabbi Rifkin's son-in-law wrote about the harassment in the Yiddish Forward and provided pictures of the swastikas painted on Rabbi Rifkin's house. The Yiddish press (with the exception of Chabad's mouthpiece, the Algemiener Journal) went wild and demanded answers from 770.

Argument: The Rebbe told the reporters that no Chabad chassid, no one who learns Chabad chasidus, would act that way.

Reply: The reporters pointed out the clear Chabad connection, including the Rebbe's long angry rants at public gatherings about the "one who would not sign" the excommunication order, and that the Rebbe's staff had posted the order with the missing signature all around 770 before those rants, so no one would be confused about which rabbi to harass.

Rebuttal: The Rebbe repeated his claim, adding to it that no true chasid would act that way.

This is a defense haredi leaders use today. No "truly frum yid" would cover up for a pedophile or defraud a bank or investors or cheat the government, etc., etc. But the facts are that fraud and other crimes are rampant in the haredi world. Today it may be more reasonable to claim "no truly frum yid" would file an honest tax return or refrain from committing welfare fraud than claiming the opposite.

And the fault of that rests solely on the rabbis and community leaders who have shown them the way.

Haredi Lawyer's Ponzi Scheme Back In Courts – Marvin Schick's Nephew Convicted Felon?

The Scotsman reports:

A federal appeals court ruled that Bank of America Corp. , HSBC Holdings Plc and Sterling Bancorp must defend against a lawsuit related to a lawyer's Ponzi scheme that defrauded Orthodox Jews and others out of millions of dollars.…

The case involved David Schick, a Brooklyn, New York, real estate lawyer who in the early 1990s convinced investors that he had devised a "no-risk" scheme to generate high returns by bidding on and subsequently selling pools of mortgages.

According to the appeals court, investors would advance funds to Schick, who would then claim to deposit them in escrow accounts at Fleet Bank, now part of Bank of America; Republic National Bank, now part of HSBC; and Sterling National Bank.

Instead, the court said Schick raided the accounts, stealing $82 million before his fraud was discovered.
Investors claimed that the banks were liable because they failed to report overdrafts on Schick's accounts to a state bar committee overseeing client funds, even though he repeatedly bounced checks.…

Schick, who was well known in New York's Orthodox Jewish community, in 1997 pleaded guilty to criminal charges in connection with his scheme.

Now 46, Schick is scheduled to be released from a federal prison in Otisville, New York, in November 2011, a spokesman for the U.S. Bureau of Prisons said.

I believe David Schick is Marvin Schick's nephew. Is he the son of the man who sparked the Boro Park riot?

"They Humiliated Me!"

Notice how the IDF's chief rabbi is much more worried about his honor than he is about the suffering of a family that just lost a brother in war. The Jerusalem Post reports:

IDF Chief Rabbi Brig.-Gen. Yisrael Weiss expressed astonishment over the way in which he was evicted from the funeral of slain reserve soldier Yehuda Greenfeld on Monday by the soldier's family, Army Radio reported Tuesday.

"The way in which it was done was not appropriate," Weiss explained in an interview. "They humiliated me. You can say to a person in the most humane and cultured way in the world, 'Please get out of here,' but to do this in front of a crowd of people - this is [tantamount to] murder."

On Monday, Greenfeld's sister blamed Rabbi Weiss for the eviction of Jews from Gush Katif and screamed at him to leave.

"You're driving people out of Gush Katif," she shouted. "I want you to leave my brother's funeral. I want you to get out of here."

And people wonder why rabbis are so often ignored.

IDF Talking Coup?

The Israel Insider has a shocking piece claiming Olmert botched the Lebanon war by ignoring long-standing IDF plans to fight it. Olmert was also allegedly given the "green light" by the US to attack Syria, which shelters and arms Hamas and Hezbolla. Olmert refused the offer:

The scenario was that Syria, no military match for Israel, would face a rapid defeat, forcing it to run to Iran, with which it has a defense pact, to come to aid.

Iran, which would be significantly contained by the defeat of its sole ally in the region, would have found itself maneuvered between a rock and a hard place. If it chose to honor its commitment to Syria, it would face a war with Israel and the US, both with military capabilities far superior to Iran's. If Teheran opted to default on its commitment to Damascus, it would be construed by the entire region, including the restless Iranian population, as a conspicuous show of weakness by the regime. Fascist regimes such as that of the ayatollahs cannot easily afford to show that kind of weakness.

But that is not all:

Some senior officers have been mentioning the C-word in private conversations. They have been saying that a coup d'etat might be the only way to prevent an outcome in Lebanon that could embolden the Arab world to join forces with Syria and Iran in an all out assault on Israel, given the fact that such a development would be spurred entirely by the Arab and Moslem world's perception of Israel's leadership as weak, craven and vacillating, and therefore ripe for intimidation.

The people of Israel won't support a coup, and the army is not likely to follow leaders who institute one. But one thing is manifestly clear, even if this report is completely false – Olmert must be democratically removed. This will happen, perhaps by next year.

[Hat tip: Brooklyn Cowboy.]

Israel's New Tent Cities

The Boston Globe reports:

Latifa, an Arab evacuee from the hard-hit northern Israeli town of Ma'alot , who declined to give her family name, stood in the door of her tent in Nitzanim and said she was grateful that she, her husband, and three children had been given shelter in the beach camp, just as Jews from the region were.
``The rockets do not discriminate between Arabs and Jews," she said, while adding that she is furious ``at the whole world that I am in this situation."

"He Took My Innocence" – Another Alleged Victim of Rabbi Yehuda Kolko Comes Forward

The New York Jewish Week tells the story of another alleged victim of Rabbi Yehuda Kolko and Yeshiva Torah Temimah:

… However, by the time he was a teenager, Tsatskis’ behavior was getting more out of control, so much so that a psychologist recommended that the teen undergo intensive therapy. While Tsatskis was in treatment, the truth of the abuse emerged, he said.

Although he felt a sense of relief, Tsatskis said he never fully recovered from the damage of having been abused by a figure of communal authority and personal importance.

“Once I realized that what he did was wrong, my whole life came tumbling down,” said Tsatskis, noting that his parents had a hard time knowing how to deal with their son’s situation.

Because of behavioral problems, Tsatskis bounced around five high schools in four years. Throughout his teen years, he began hanging out with the wrong crowd. His faith in Judaism was shattered.

“If this guy would do this to me and he represents Judaism, then something was really wrong,” said Tsatskis, who is no longer observant.…

In fact, Tsatskis said that he has never felt as good as he did when Rabbi Kolko was showering attention on him. “It was the ultimate high,” Tsatskis said. “I felt important, distinguished from the class.”

He said his pull to Rabbi Kolko has remained so great over the years that he has gone back to Brooklyn on several occasions to try and visit him in an effort to recapture that feeling of importance. However, Tsatskis said that Rabbi Kolko always seems distracted and uninterested in speaking with him.

“I would continuously go back to him and he would reject me,” Tsatskis said. “It’s sort of like a woman in an abusive relationship. Why does she go back? Because she feels special. I long for that special feeling.”

Over the years, Tsatskis said he tried to recapture the feeling through other relationships, but nothing came close to the feeling Rabbi Kolko gave him.

“Throughout my life I needed attention and he filled the gap,” Tsatskis said.

To this day, Tsatskis says he is still confused by what happened and why it made him feel the way he did. If he had the chance, he said he would like to ask Rabbi Kolko, “Why me? What was it about me? Why not any of the other 60 kids?”

The Jewish Week also notes that Kolko was recently seen escorting young boys from Camp Silver Lake (a haredi summer camp). The reaction of the camp's lawyer, Avi Moscowitz, is important:

Reached for comment Moscowitz told The Jewish Week that “[Rabbi Kolko] did not come on [the camp’s] behalf and wasn’t invited by us.”

Moscowitz maintained that the allegations against the yeshiva are “simply not true.” He added that he believes that the statute of limitations is such that the case should be dismissed.

Despite three alleged victims who have come forward on the record, and dozens more who have not yet publicly stepped forward but are known to attorneys and abuse advocates, haredi leadership is still claiming Kolko is innocent.

Note the claim is not that the allegations must be properly investigated and that the alleged victims must share the same presumption of truth or falsehood as Rabbi Kolko. The claim haredim are making is that Kolko is innocent. The alleged victims? The implication is they are lying or mentally ill.

Your response to this irresponsible behavior should be to immediately stop funding haredi institutions and rabbis. That is the only way to get these people to take abuse and other crimes seriously.

Starve the beast.

[Hat tip: JWB.]

NY Times Stages Lebanon Photos?

Gawker appears to have caught Taylor Hicks of the NYTimes staging anti-Israel photographs.

[Hat tip: C-Girl.]

Am Echad

Relatives and friends of Staff Sergeant Moshe Malko Ambao react during his funeral at the military cemetery in the city of Lod, Israel, Tuesday, Aug. 8, 2006. Ambao, 22, was one of three soldiers killed on Monday during fighting with with Hezbollah guerrillas in the village of Bint Jbail in south Lebanon. (AP Photo/Ariel Schalit)

[Hat tip: Neo-Conservaguy.]

Israel's Failure

Meirav Arlosoroff writes:

…This is an existential war and Israel should be fighting it as one. It is a war in which every possible military effort should be invested, exposing the country to the dangers of an all-out war - of soldiers being captured, of becoming embroiled in difficult battles, and of facing such perils as opening of a second front and incurring very large numbers of losses. Coping with these dangers is essential despite the fact that doing so does not guarantee achievements.

A war is not an insurance policy. Taking risks is not a sufficient condition for victory in such circumstances, but it is certainly a necessary condition - because only those who dare will succeed. Only those who are willing to dare can truly threaten the other side.

Israel cannot promise that the Hezbollah will pay an intolerable price for breaking the taboo by attacking the country's home front. It can promise to be willing to pay a very high price in order to make Hezbollah pay a far higher one. This promise could have been the basis for its deterrence.

Israel's willingness to fight to the death to protect its home front is the only way to make those considering attacking that front in the future think twice. To put it bluntly: Israel's willingness to absorb hundreds of losses can prevent the deaths of thousands, and perhaps even more, in the future. This is a cold and cruel arithmetic of blood, but it is the one that will be determined in this war. And it is doubtful whether Israel has fulfilled its part in it.

The problem has never been "land for peace" or "land for recognizable borders." The problem has always been Israel's lack of overwhelming deterrence in the aftermath and in the middle of treaties and negotiations.

Once the carrot of "peace" is dangled just barely out of reach of the Israeli mouth, Israel continues to pursue it like an addict in desperate search of his next rock of crack cocaine, ignoring the corrosive effects both the drug and its pursuit have on him.

Peace will come when Israel's neighbors realize there is no other option; it will endure when the alternative is more painful than peace with Israel and coexistence with Jews.

Accused Pedophile Rabbi Yehuda Kolko Stlll Working With Young Boys

Accused pedophile Rabbi Yehuda Kolko is still working with young boys. NY Magazine reports:

Rabbi Yehuda Kolko continues chaperoning kids. The Orthodox Brooklyn rabbi named in two sexual-abuse lawsuits was spotted on July 20 handing out tickets, driving a go-cart, and making arrangements with security at Lake Compounce, a family theme park in Connecticut that he’d rented out in the past when he worked for a prominent Flatbush yeshiva and its upstate summer camp. A first-grade teacher at Yeshiva Torah Temimah for four decades, Kolko stands accused in civil court of molesting three boys in the seventies and eighties; the charges are too old to make the criminal statute of limitations, but the school and its summer camp, Silver Lake, still suspended Kolko in May. “Everyone was shocked that he showed his face there,” says an eyewitness. “His sons were all around him, making sure no one started anything up.” The yeshiva’s attorney, Avi Moskowitz, maintains that Kolko has nothing to do with Camp Silver Lake and that he was not in charge of the July 20 event. “Obviously, the camp has no control over where he goes and what he does,” Moskowitz says. But sex-abuse plaintiff David Framowitz is confounded: “He’s walking around kids in bathing suits. Nothing has changed. All of those kids are potential victims, and everyone’s been warned.”

Apparently Kolko's "suspension" by Camp Silver Lake is fraudulent. Perhaps he is working 'without pay' or for another organization affiliated with the camp. He may even be on the camp's official payroll.

This all happens with the sanction of haredi rabbis – rabbis who need to be removed from public Jewish life immediately. The best way to achieve goal is to cut off all funds to all haredi institutions and rabbis until the offending rabbis are verifiably removed. Starve the beast.

Apocalypse Now? Bernard Lewis: It May Be The Time

Matt Drudge reports:

In a WALL STREET JOURNAL op-ed Tuesday, Princeton's Bernard Lewis writes: "There is a radical difference between the Islamic Republic of Iran and other governments with nuclear weapons. This difference is expressed in what can only be described as the apocalyptic worldview of Iran's present rulers."

"In Islam as in Judaism and Christianity, there are certain beliefs concerning the cosmic struggle at the end of time -- Gog and Magog, anti-Christ, Armageddon, and for Shiite Muslims, the long awaited return of the Hidden Imam, ending in the final victory of the forces of good over evil, however these may be defined."

President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad "and his followers clearly believe that this time is now, and that the terminal struggle has already begun and is indeed well advanced. It may even have a date, indicated by several references by the Iranian president to giving his final answer to the US about nuclear development by Aug. 22," which this year corresponds "to the 27th day of the month of Rajab of the year 1427. This, by tradition, is the night when many Muslims commemorate the night flight of the prophet Muhammad on the winged horse Buraq, first to 'the farthest mosque,' usually identified with Jerusalem, and then to heaven and back (c.f., Koran XVII.1).

"This might well be deemed an appropriate date for the apocalyptic ending of Israel and if necessary of the world. It is far from certain that Mr. Ahmadinejad plans any such cataclysmic events precisely for Aug. 22. But it would be wise to bear the possibility in mind."

Reuters Photographer Caught Faking More War Photos, Is Fired

Ynet reports more American bloggers have caught Reuters photographer Adnan Hajj faking war pictures that hurt Israel. In response Reuters has pulled the pictures and reportedly fired Hajj.

Worth 1,000,000 Words

[Received (unattributed) via an email from Ben.]

What The Meaning Of Haredi Is

David Kelsey has a thought provoking piece posted on Jewschool regarding the concerted effort to out anonymous blogger UnOrthodox Jew. Kelsey writes:

If you succeed in gaining traction and a significant following in the ultra-Orthodox world, [exposing haredi corruption] we [i.e., the haredi thugs, a.k.a. kanaim] will:

1) Place your picture all over the net, and make fun of how you look.

2) Fabricate in a suggestive manner unsavory details about your personal past.

3) Attack your motivations, and ignore the important issues you raise.

4) Declare you mentally insane. You must be. You are fighting against us.

5) Harass you at your business and place of work, and list your work and home telephone numbers in hopes of getting you fired and harassing you into silence.

6) Mock your wife.

7) Assert that you are not rich (even if by our own depiction, you clearly are), as this is perhaps the most damaging form of character assassination for a layman in the charedi world, where the many, many impoverished know their place.…

TORAH CODES REVEAL IDENTITY OF ANONYMOUS BLOGGER – UnOrthodox Jew "Is Gil Student"

NY SUN Now Free Online, Has Piece on Chabad Donor Jared Kushner

The NY Sun, the city's upstart, high brow competition to the New York Times edited by English Forward co-founder Seth Lipsky, can now be read online for free.

Today's Sun has a piece on Jared Kushner, the NYU Law student who last week purchased the New York Observer. The son of Modern Orthodox NJ real estate mogul Charles Kushner, currently serving time for various criminal convictions and undergoing treatment for substance abuse, Jared Kushner is the former president of Chabad at Harvard. I believe his father is a Chabad supporter and was at one time on the board of the Rabbinical College of America (Morristown, NJ).

The Observer is widely read in the media, publishing and arts communities.

Bloggers Catch Reuters With Doctored Anti-Israel Photo

Charles Johnson of LittleGreenFootballs and a crew of other American bloggers (including a blog of professional sports photographers!) have caught a Reuters photographer doctoring photos in PhotoShop to make Israel look bad. Reuters has pulled the lead photo from this series and apologized to editors for posting it, admitting the manipulation. The photographer, Adnan Hajj, is also the photographer who took many of the Kana "massacre" pictures.

LGF is very slow loading today because of all the increased traffic surrounding this story. But Ynet's media columnist has a good wrap up here: Reuters admits altering Beirut photo.

The War: An Opposing View

Amotz Asa-El has a very different view of this war than Ari Shavit. Asa-El sees Israeli victory with lots of drawbacks for Hezbolla. I don't buy it, but I certainly hope it is so.

[Hat tip: MentalBlog.]

Iran Arming Hezbolla With Surface-To-Air Missiles

The highly regarded Jane's Defense Weekly is reporting Iran has agreed to arm Hezbolla with surface-to-air missiles, which it has no real difficulty getting past the IDF. Olmert's strategy of containment is clearly not working.

Israel's Failure and the Future

Ari Shavit writes in a scathing, must read Ha'aretz article:

…Israel is a country surrounded by actual and potential enemies. The strength of those enemies is far greater than the strength of Hezbollah. If Israel is incapable of defending its sovereignty and its citizens against Hezbollah in the course of three long weeks, the impression is created that it has become a country that is not defendable. That impression is completely wrong. At the bottom, Israel is a strong country. In the Middle East, however, the very creation of an image of weakness means defeat. The meaning of such a defeat is a war soon. A war that will be harder and more terrible than the present war. Therefore, the last-minute attempt to reverse the situation and achieve a late victory at a heavy price in blood is correct and necessary. Precisely those who seek life, stability and perhaps even peace must be ready to pay the terrible price that is required so that the second Lebanon war will not end in an Israeli defeat.…

It is hard to imagine a Kadima government in the future. Olmert will probably be thrown out of office before this time next year.

Who will lead Israel? Shas or Avigdor Lieberman.

[Hat tip: Avrohom.]

War Blog

As I noted last week, Tzemach Atlas has been photo-blogging the war. Spend a few minutes to check it out.

Satmar Newspaper Runs Ad Comparing Cell Phones To Holocaust: "Auschwitz 5766" (2006)

The Jewish Week reports on the ad and the reaction. Steven I. Weiss has posted a scan of the ad that ran in Der Yid.

OU Petition To President Bush & Secretary Rice

The OU has a petition thanking President Bush and Secretary of State Condaleeza Rice for their support of Israel during these trying times. I urge you all to sign it.

I also want to take this opportunity to partially retract what I wrote here. Lebabnon could have been completely free of westerners and it would not have changed anything. Israel botched this war, plain and simple. It's military and intelligence agencies have failed at a level not seen since the Yom Kippur war, and its political leadership appears to lack the will to do what is necessary to win.

The next Prime Minister of Israel may very well be Avigdor Lieberman – or from Shas.

Yeshiva Students Take Vacations After All; Rabbi Elyashiv Calls On Israel To Seriously Consider Truce Offers

Ha'aretz quotes haredi leader Rabbi Yosef Shalom Elyashiv this way:

"[T]he decision makers must take into account the position of the world nations. They shouldn't ignore or take lightly the ideas raised by other nations. If the United States raises solutions that could bring about the end of the war and save Jewish lives, they should be heeded. No offer or idea should be dismissed offhand. We mustn't anger the nations of the world."

The same small article has this little tidbit of information:

The senior rabbis in the ultra-Orthodox community decided to allow the yeshiva students to take the "between times" vacation, which is equivalent to a semester break, despite the dangerous circumstances in Israel. 

However, the rabbis advised the students to refrain from taking trips during their vacation.

Always one to hedge his bets, Rabbi Elyashiv, in a "private conversation," (i.e., one with complete deniability), is reported to have said:

"If I could, I would lock the boys behind a heavy door during the present situation. The circumstances are tough. Jewish blood is being spilled like water. Is this a good time to take trips?"

Of course, Rabbi Elyashiv could forbid those trips, and the vast majority of haredi yeshiva students would listen to him. He could also forbid the entire vacation from learning and demand the yeshivas stay the course. But he and the other haredi rabbis did not do, despite earlier reports to the contrary.

Haredim vacation while Israel burns. Never forget that.

Federal Funds Meant To Protect Jewish Orgs Not Distributed – Dept of Homeland Security Ties Up Funds

That's right – The Jewish Week is reporting $25 million meant to help nonprofits, a large number of them Jewish nonprofits, step up their security has been sitting unused in Washington. Why? It seems bureaucrats at the Department of Homeland Security (of Hurricane Katrina infamy) refused to disburse the money unless there was a specific threat against a specific nonprofit.

While the actual amount each nonprofit would receive is nominal, the idea behind the money was to get these nonprofits security cameras, entry barriers and other simple security measures to help reduce the risk of attacks like the one that took place at Seattle's Jewish Federation last week.

I happen to believe the Jewish community could and should be doing much more on its own to secure its members and property, an effort that does not need to depend on government funds. That being said, the behavior of the Bush Administration with regard to this issue is counterproductive and should be condemned.

Bene Menashe Soldier Wounded In Lebanon

The JPost reports an IDF soldier originally from the Bene Menashe tribe has been wounded in Lebabnon:

During a clash with Hizbullah gunmen in Lebanon, St.-Sgt. Avi Hangshing heard a large explosion and hit the dirt for cover. As the two sides traded heavy fire, he gradually lost his hearing and his balance.

Released from the army for medical treatment last week, Hangshing said he still walked "like a drunk person."

The Lebanon skirmish might have been the most debilitating battle Hangshing has fought, but it was hardly his first. Before Hangshing could even join the IDF, he had to battle to be allowed into the country.

"I had to fight to come to Israel. Now I have to fight for the country," said the 22-year-old paratrooper, who was born in India.

Hangshing is one of a dozen or so combat soldiers of Bnei Menashe heritage who are currently serving in Lebanon and Gaza. They all have relatives - some have immediate family members - who are still in India and can't come to Israel because the government isn't giving them visas.

Some 7,000 Bnei Menashe live in India and claim they are a "Lost Tribe" with Jewish roots. In recent years they have returned to Judaism and are studying for conversion. Some 1,000 have already converted and been allowed to come here, but the government put a stay on converting the others until it has reviewed its policy toward the group.
Hangshing has four uncles, plus cousins, who have been waiting to make aliya ever since his immediate family did in 2000. Despite the fact that his relatives observe Halacha, Hangshing said, "As long as they are there, they're still lost."…

[Hat tip: Bernie the Happy Attorney.]

Emes and the Law

Does anyone have a tape of the Emes and the Law seminar held Monday in Brooklyn? If so, can you please share it with me? Thank you!

Mel Gibson's Holocaust Denial

Roger Friedman of FoxNews reports:

… Two years ago, Gibson gave an interview to former Republican speechwriter Peggy Noonan for Reader's Digest. Now the outtakes of that interview have been made available to this column.

His unpublished remarks, according to the Digest’s publisher, are shocking. Gibson actually ridiculed the historically acknowledged number of Jews killed by Hitler.

Of the Holocaust, Gibson told Noonan: “I mean when the war was over they said it was 12 million. Then it was six. Now it’s four. I mean it’s that kind of numbers game …”

Gibson told Noonan he thought the Holocaust actually happened, refuting his father’s belief that it didn’t occur at all. But Gibson equivocated, citing a friend who’d been in the Holocaust because “he worked in a concentration camp.”

The actor also said to Noonan: “The Second World War killed tens of millions of people. Some of them were Jews in concentration camps. Many people lost their lives. In the Ukraine, several million starved to death between 1932 and 1933. During the last century, 20 million people died in the Soviet Union.”…

This is Holocaust denial. Gibson admits that something happened (most deniers do, as well) but limits it to greatly reduced numbers and labor camps, where deaths, one could infer, may have occurred from disease or famine caused by general war shortages of food stuffs and medicine.

Gibson was to make a Holocaust miniseries with ABC. That project was dropped by ABC earlier this week, in part because Gibson had not produced even one draft of a script in two years. With these now-released remarks to Noonan, we can see why producing that script has taken Gibson so long.

The Jewish right – led by Rabbi Daniel Lapin, Michael Medved and Dennis Prager** – needs to stop defending Gibson. If Mel does real work, if he cleans up his life and tackles his Jew-hatred and Holocaust denial head on (and in a way that does not enrich him), we should accept his teshuva on face value – but not until then. Right now, Gibson is an unrepentant antisemite and Holocaust denier. Enough said.

As for the Reader's Digest and Noonan, one must ask why these remarks were left unpublished until now. Were either or both trying to protect Gibson or the Passion? It would seem so, which throws the credibility of both into question, as well.

All in all, this has been a terrible week for the Religious Right, Jewish or Christian.

** These men all work for Salem Radio, the Evangelical-owned radio network.

Edah Haredit Will Not Pray For The IDF

The JPost has picked up on an earlier Ynet story about haredim canceling vacations in order to study more during the war, with the idea that the additional study and prayer helps the IDF. But the Post's Matthew Wagner fleshes out the story a bit more than Ynet, and notes this at the article's end:

Rabbi Moshe Sternbuch, head of the Edah Haredit's Rabbinical Court told The Jerusalem Post that it was an inopportune time to go on vacation. He called for all yeshiva students to continue to learn and pray.

Many yeshivot that belong to the Edah Haredit do not go on vacation after Tisha Be'av anyway.

Sternbuch declined to say whether a special prayer should be said for the success of IDF soldiers.

Shmuel Poppenheim, editor of the weekly Ha'edah, the mouthpiece of the Edah haredit, a virulently anti-Zionist group of haredim, many of whom continuing centuries-old haredi communities that preceded the establishment of the state of Israel, said that mass prayer vigils had been held for the past week.

"We say Psalms and special prayers for peace and for the protection of all Jews everywhere," said Poppenheim.

"But we do not pray for the IDF."

Poppenheim explained that theologically it was problematic to pray specifically for the success of "Zionist soldiers".

"We don't pray for the IDF because it causes a blurring of vision as if we were advocating a body that is not based on Torah ideals. People might get the wrong impression.

"But we do pray for the safety of every Jew including a Jewish soldier."

Of course, the IDF (made up of Jews and some non-Jews, by the way) is all that physically stands between Hamas, Hezbolla, Islamic Jihad, etc., and Poppenheim's pimply haredi butt. But no way no how will our dear haredi anti-Zionist brethren admit this, even now, even on Erev Tisha B'Av, even in a time of war.

The Post also notes this:

But these [rabbis and yeshiva heads] were also concerned that a mass exodus from the yeshivot to vacation sites at a time of war would result in a backlash of resentment among secular and modern religious Israelis who serve in the army.

"Imagine secular Israelis' reaction if a group of yeshiva students go for a hike some place up North and get stranded like they do every year, and the IDF is called in to bail them out," said one yeshiva head, quoted in the haredi weekly Bakehila.

"Image the desecration of God's name."

Also imagine the financial backlash.

The Post points out that Rabbi Ovadia Yosef was the first to call for cancelled vacations and increased study and prayer. That call seems to have been based entirely on the obligation of haredim to do what they can to (spiritually) support the IDF and residents of the north. There seems to have been no need to point out the hillul HaShem aspects of haredim vacationing while their same aged compatriots are fighting a dangerous and bloody war. Ashkenazi haredim seem to need the extra push.

Earlier discussion about London's (Ashkenazi) haredim and the war is here.

[Hat tip: The Beadle.]

SEEKING MONDROWITZ VICTIMS

I received the following email from Michael Lesher, the attorney who has been pushing the Mondrowitz case. It is posted with his permision:

SEEKING MONDROWITZ VICTIMS
 
My name is Michael Lesher. I'm the lawyer and writer who has been campaigning to revive the case against Avrohom Mondrowitz. Victims newly coming forward to me have enabled me to generate strong recent press on the story (New York Post, July 25; Village Voice, July 25; the front page of Forward, July 28). I am working hard to bring more media and political attention to this unpardonably stalled case. You can read about my work on my web site, www.MichaelLesher.com and can contact me through the site or by email.

Just a little background: I'm a published author (book and articles) and journalist as well as an attorney. For the last eight years, I've made the Mondrowitz case one of my obsessions; I spent over two years fighting FOIA battles to get government documents that proved the Brooklyn D.A. had quietly allowed the case to wither, I've tried to get to the bottom of Mondrowitz's claims to have rabbinic support, I've even corresponded briefly with him. But most important, I am now trying to gather victims of Mondrowitz who will help to build a public outcry to ignite this case.

I would greatly appreciate hearing from any victim of Mondrowitz who is interested in 1) making a statement to the D.A.'s office (the office will keep your identity secret if you wish; 2) speaking to reporters (again, your identity can be protected to the extent you choose); or 3) pointing me toward other victims who are willing to share their stories along the above lines. Anyone (victim or not) with knowledge of Mondrowitz's yeshiva, Bais Shalom, would also be most welcome. Finally, I would like to hear from anyone who has approached either D.A. officials or rabbonim about this case, and what happened. Again, I can be reached through my web site, www.MichaelLesher.com, or by email. No general comments by email, please.

Michael Lesher, Esq.
mlesher@att.net
 

I Missed An Important Anniversary

Menachem Butler notes the 350th anniversary of Spinoza's excommunication was last week. He links to this NY Times op-ed by Spinoza biographer Rebecca Goldstein discussing this. Spinoza has 348 years on me …

Wiesenthal Center Makes Good On Pledge To Deliver Aid

The Wiesenthal Center made good on a pledge made four days ago and sent Rabbi Marvin Hier to Israel to distribute almost $600,000 in aid. Hier has gone from town to town across the north, viewing damage and writing checks:

On Tuesday, the delegation viewed Katyusha damage in Safed, spoke to community members, and delivered a check to the Dekel nonprofit organization, which coordinates activities for 700 elderly people. Hier and his team also made a donation to the local community center's day care program and wrote a $36,000 check to Safed's Ziv Hospital to repair damage from a July 17 Katyusha rocket attack.

Hier said that rather than deciding beforehand where the money would go, the Wiesenthal representatives were distributing funds to organizations based on what they saw and heard in the field.

The quickness of this response is almost unheard of in Jewish communal circles. To raise the money, get to Israel and personally distribute the funds, all with in a few days is a very impressive response – one that helps real, suffering Israelis on the ground right now, when they need it. Kol HaKavod!

LA Rabbi Invites Mel Gibson To Speak On Yom Kippur

According to TMZ.com, a prominent LA rabbi has invited Mel Gibson to speak at his synagogue – on Yom Kippur. The rabbi could not be reached for comment because he is on vacation – in Spain. You can't make this stuff up, folks.

The rabbis letter to Gibson is posted here.

Michael Medved's Bizarre Support For Mel Gibson

Michael Medved is urging cooperation with Gibson, arguing it is in Jewish interest to get Gibson to "hide his antisemitism as he has successfully done for most of his career," and that it is not in our interest "to turn" Gibson into an "implacable enemy." [In a discussion with a caller at 2:38 CDT today.] In other words, because Gibson may hurt us later, it is to our advantage to grant him a fig leaf of respectability now.

Medved also argues (more successfully, in my view) Gibson's outburst was part of an attempt by Gibson to self destruct, a cry for help, perhaps, for his alcoholism.

He then argued Gibson has never during his entire career been outed for saying anything antisemitic. Of course, many will argue Gibson's choices between conflicting Gospel stories, and his exclusion of those stories that do not blame Jews for the crucifixion, is in itself antisemitic, and that antisemitism is much more widespread and long-lasting than any individual remark Gibson may or may not have made.

Medved's column on this is posted on his TownHall.com blog.

ABC Drops Gibson Holocaust Miniseries; Dennis Prager, Michael Medved, et al, Object, Urge Cooperation With Gibson

Mel Gibson's miniseries on the Holocaust has been dropped by ABC. Dennis Prager and others in the right wing Jewish community object to this, arguing Gibson's actions, "not what may be in his heart," are what is important, and that this Holocaust miniseries would undoubtedly be helpful to Jews, arguing we should accept the end (the miniseries) and forget about the means (Gibson) it will come from. In other words, they are arguing the end justifies the means.

But what about this miniseries? It was sold to ABC – and strongly hyped by Gibson supporters – during the heart of the controversy over Gibson's Passion of the Christ. Here is what ABC says about that miniseries today:

"Given that it has been nearly two years and we have yet to see the first draft of a script, we have decided to no longer pursue this project [Gibson's Holocaust miniseries]," ABC said in a one-sentence statement issued Monday.

In two years Gibson has not delivered. Perhaps he never intended to deliver. The good PR he got from announcing the deal may have been all he was looking for. Perhaps Dennis Prager, et al, should think about that.

Former Sienfeld actor Jason Alexander called Prager today to defend Gibson, saying Gibson is a decent guy and calling his antisemitic rant "mild." He also urged Jews to work with Gibson on his Jewish problem.

Mel Gibson Arresting Officer Jewish

From USA Today:

"I don't take pride in hurting Mr. Gibson," Deputy James Mee told The Associated Press during an interview outside his home.

"What I had hoped out of this is that he would think twice before he gets behind the wheel of a car and was drinking," added Mee, a 17-year veteran of the Sheriff's Department. "That would be my hope that this would accomplish that. I don't want to ruin his career. I don't want to defame him in any way or hurt him."

Mee also said he didn't take any of Gibson's remarks seriously.…

On Monday the Sheriff's Department sent its case to prosecutors, according to a law enforcement official who spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the case. According to the official, the report states that Gibson made anti-Semitic remarks and threatened a sheriff's deputy.

The report also says a tequila bottle was found in Gibson's car when he was pulled over on the Pacific Coast Highway.

An arrest report signed by Mee and posted on the celebrity news website TMZ quoted Gibson as saying, "The Jews are responsible for all the wars in the world," and asked the arresting officer, "Are you a Jew?"

Gibson, who released a lengthy statement Saturday apologizing for having said "despicable" things during his arrest, said he behaved "like a person completely out of control."

Mee, who is Jewish, would not comment specifically on what Gibson said.

"That stuff is booze talking," the deputy said.

But, as Judaism has long noted, as the alcohol goes in, the truth comes out.

Mel Gibson's New "Apology"

About an hour ago, Mel Gibson has issued a new apology for his antisemitic outburst last week. What follows is the full text of the apology:

"There is no excuse, nor should there be any tolerance, for anyone who thinks or expresses any kind of anti-Semitic remark. I want to apologise specifically to everyone in the Jewish community for the vitriolic and harmful words that I said to a law enforcement officer the night I was arrested on a DUI charge.

"I am a public person, and when I say something, either articulated and thought out, or blurted out in a moment of insanity, my words carry weight in the public arena. As a result, I must assume personal responsibility for my words and apologise directly to those who have been hurt and offended by those words.

"The tenets of what I profess to believe necessitate that I exercise charity and tolerance as a way of life. Every human being is God’s child, and if I wish to honour my God I have to honour his children. But please know from my heart that I am not an anti-Semite. I am not a bigot. Hatred of any kind goes against my faith.

"I’m not just asking for forgiveness. I would like to take it one step further, and meet with leaders in the Jewish community, with whom I can have a one-on-one discussion to discern the appropriate path for healing.

"I have begun an ongoing program of recovery and what I am now realising is that I cannot do it alone. I am in the process of understanding where those vicious words came from during that drunken display, and I am asking the Jewish community, whom I have personally offended, to help me on my journey through recovery.

"Again, I am reaching out to the Jewish community for its help. I know there will be many in that community who will want nothing to do with me, and that would be understandable. But I pray that that door is not forever closed.

"This is not about a film. Nor is it about artistic license. This is about real life and recognising the consequences hurtful words can have. It’s about existing in harmony in a world that seems to have gone mad."

I find this apology to be less than convincing. On the other hand, Dennis Prager not only accepts this apology, but claims Jews are halakhicly mandated to do so. Readers?