Israeli Defense Force Hits the Blogosphere

If you're interested in getting some information about what's going on in Israel and Gaza--you know, beyond the Israel-bashing, "terrorists are victims" crap you get from the "mainstream" media--the Israeli Defense Force has now entered the Web 2.0 age.

The have a blog called IDF Spokesperson where you can catch some of the latest updates about the war against terrorism in the Middle East--specifically as it affects Israel.

The IDF also has a YouTube channel where you can view footage of some of the IDF precision strikes against terrorist strongholds. Unlike the terrorists who intentionally target innocent civilians, the IDF does everything it can to minimize noncombatant casualties.

An interesting post at the IDF blog yesterday points out the number of rockets and mortars fired against Israel since 2005.

In 2007 alone, there were more than 2,500!

Forget for a moment our peaceful relations with Canada and Mexico. Imagine 2,500 rocket and mortar attacks along the U.S. border in the last year.

Imagine rocket and mortar attacks along Washington State, Idaho, Montana, North Dakota, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan, Ohio, New York, Vermont, New Hampshire, Maine, California, Arizona, New Mexico, and Texas. Imagine the property damage, the fear, the injuries, and the lives lost to these attacks. Since the borders of these states are immensely larger than Israel's borders, imagine these 2,500 attacks spread along the border Vermont.

Or if it's easier to imagine, think of Cuba lobbing 2,500 mortars and rockets at Florida over the past year.

Would we stand idly by and twiddle our thumbs as many demand Israel do? Would we expect our leaders to negotiate with these attackers as many demand Israel do? Would we think of these attackers as "victims" and blame the targets of these attacks as many do Israel?

Or would we do as we did after 911--as any decent and self-respecting nation would do--and retaliate with decisive force to remove the threat and disinvite future attacks?

For too long the West has sought to restrain Israel from defending herself. We are Israel's chief ally; it's time we started acting like it. It's time we got out of their way and let them bring the majority of Middle East terrorism to an end--by boldly demonstrating that it will not be tolerated, and will be met with crippling retaliation.

That is the only way to deal with evil, fanatical forces who are determined to annihilate you. Too many innocent civilians have died in the name of "civility" and "talks" and "negotiations." The job of ending terrorism is long overdue.

The Message of Hanukkah

American Minute from William J. Federer

The first President to light the National Menorah, Jimmy Carter, speaking of hostages held by Islamic terrorists in Iran, 1979, said: "Commitments to be free are ever present in the hearts of all Americans because 50 of our fellow citizens are not free."

Ronald Reagan, the second President to give a HANUKKAH Message, 1983, remarked: "Whether we be Americans or Israelis, we are all children of Abraham, children of the same God. The bonds between our two peoples are growing stronger, and they must not and will never be broken."

In his 1991 HANUKKAH Message, George H.W. Bush stated: "When Judah Maccabee and his followers prepared to rededicate the Temple in Jerusalem, they found...only enough oil to light the menorah for one night. Miraculously, it lasted eight."

Bill Clinton, in his 1993 HANUKKAH Message, said: "The eternal lesson of HANUKKAH-that faith gives us the strength to work miracles and find light in times of darkness."

President George W. Bush said in his 2001 HANUKKAH Message: "For the first time in American history, the HANUKKAH menorah will be lit at the White House residence...America and Israel have been through much together...A better day is coming when this Festival will be celebrated in a world free from terror."

William J. Federer is a nationally recognized author, speaker, and president of Amerisearch, Inc, which is dedicated to researching our American heritage. The American Minute radio feature looks back at events in American history on the dates they occurred, is broadcast daily across the country and read by thousand on the internet.

Future of Israel may be decided Nov. 4

Thomas Cahill, in The Gifts of the Jews, proffers a story of awakening and seminal change in civilization brought about by the customs and theology of the Hebrews, based upon the one God Yaweh. Cahill comments, with only slight exaggeration that "We can hardly get up in the morning or cross the street without being Jewish." So revolutionary was the linear, beginning (creation) and end (judgement) cosmology of the Jews that the world was changed in ways that allowed the progression of civilization into the present time. (Here is a short review of The Gift of the Jews.)

The influence and importance of the Jews remains just as important to the world today. Western civilization would suffer immeasurably were Israel to fall to the forces that seek her destruction. That is why those who oppose the West also want to drive the Jews “into the sea.” I believe that the fate of Israel is the eventual fate of western civilization.

The following, from “The American Thinker,” asks Americans to consider the fate of Israel when we go to the polls to vote.

October 29, 2008
Open Letter to Americans Who Love Israel
Kyle-Anne Shiver
Will Americans really elect a president at such a perilous time, who seems to be clueless about foreign affairs, especially with regard to Israel and the Middle East? Barack Obama has made so many conflicting statements on these all-important matters that it behooves every American to think -- and think hard again -- before casting our ballots.

When I read "The Diary of Ann Frank" in the 4th grade, I could not help but believe that the German people had to be either truly evil or truly stupid to have allowed Adolf Hitler to obtain such complete power over them, primarily through free elections. Yet I've come to realize that the Germans were taken in by the same temptations that have always been such successful lures for men's souls. Money. Scapegoating wrong instead of accepting personal responsibility. Utopian fantasies. Collective redemption. All of these were present in the Nazi lure; all are present today in Obama's candidacy.

I've written an Open Letter to All Americans Who Love Israel, which can be read here:

Of all our allies, Israel is the most vulnerable. Are the Jews going to be once again the "canary in the coal mine"? I don't know, but it's certainly looking that way. And I know which side I'm on. Do you? Does your neighbor? Will American voters now do to the Jewish State, Israel, what the Germans did to European Jews?

Anti-Semitic American Textbooks

This is another reason I'm glad my wife and I are homeschooling our children.

The Jerusalem Post reports many U.S. textbooks contain gross errors about Jews and Israel.

the textbook The World relates that "Christianity was started by a young Palestinian named Jesus."

A young Palestinian? While there is some vague truth to that, the correct--by far--statement would be that "Christianity was started by a young Jew named Jesus."

"Textbooks include negative stereotypes of Jews, Judaism and Israel," the authors write. "For example, textbooks tend to discredit the ties between Jews and the land of Israel."

According to Tobin, "you're much more likely to learn about Jewish terrorism before the founding of Israel [in the textbooks] than about terrorism against Israel since that time."

Among the claims made about Israel in some of the textbooks are that Arab countries never initiated wars against Israel, Arab nations desire peace while Israel does not and that it was Israel that placed Palestinians in refugee camps in Arab lands, not Arab governments. No mention whatsoever was found relating to the hundreds of thousands of Jewish refugees from Arab countries who were forced out after the establishment of Israel.

In their treatment of Judaism, too, the textbooks showed a negative bias, according to the study. They often expressed a view that "Jews and Judaism are legalistic," and that "Jews care only about the letter of the law and ignore its spirit," the study found. The Jewish God is presented as "stern and warlike," and not compassionate, as is highlighted in other religions. In some instances, Jews are charged with deicide in the killing of Jesus.

Also notice the difference in how Judaism and Islam are referred to:

"Moral laws Moses claimed to have received from the Hebrew God Yahweh on Mount Sinai."

The same glossary describes the Koran as a "Holy Book of Islam containing revelations received by Muhammad from God" - without a conditional qualifier.

Sounds like a bunch of anti-Semites have been putting together America's text books.

Probably the same or similar group that is trying to rewrite history America's Christian heritage.

There is a full-fledged and pretty open war against Judeo-Christian values going on throughout the West and even here in America. And a lot of the same people who would like to erase Christianity would also like to erase Israel.

Something needs to be done about these pathetic schoolbooks.

Carter Snubbed by Israelis

Continuing embarassment and former president Jimmy Carter defended his plan to meet with Khaled Meshaal, the top leader of Hamas regarding the fate of Israel, saying "I think there's no doubt in anyone's mind that, if Israel is ever going to find peace with justice concerning the relationship with their next-door neighbors, the Palestinians, that Hamas will have to be included in the process." This is the equivalent of claiming that equal rights for blacks can be accomplished only by acknowledging and involving the Klu Klux Klan in the discussion. It is patently absurd.

So is it any wonder that Israel has decided to snub Carter during his visit to Israel on his way to Syria for talks with Hamas?