Dreams Into Lightning 2

Israel Diary 2011

Reflections on my visit to Israel last November.

Veritas?

Sissy Willis:

We've been there forever, of course. As we wrote a few years back in "Bloggers are 'cracking, popping, drilling and peeling their victims open'":

Leftists have become soft and flabby in their thinking over the last 20, 30 or more years because their fellow travelers in the mainstream media — supposed to be keeping them honest — have been giving them a free ride, even as thinkers of the right, not enjoying such reflexive support, have been honing our debating and intellectual survival skills. That leaves the left soft and lazy and the right battle ready. Enter the bloggers, stage right. ...

Morning Report: 2012-05-25

Jason Abdo convicted. YNet: 'A federal jury has convicted an AWOL Muslim soldier of attempting to blow up a Texas restaurant full of American troops. The Waco jury convicted Pfc. Naser Jason Abdo of the most serious charge, attempting to use a weapon of mass destruction, which could land him in prison for life. ...'

The butler did it. The butler who serves in the apartments of Pope Benedict was arrested on Friday in connection with an investigation into leaks of confidential documents, a senior Vatican source said.

Rubik Rosenthal: Israel's Identity is European

Rubik Rosenthal at Ma'ariv, translated by Al-Monitor:

America is engrained in new Israel’s culture, in technology and economy, and in some of the new world’s art forms, like cinema, television and music. Europe, on the other hand, is in new Israel’s DNA. Zionism is a European movement, and the terms we use in our cultural and political discourse are European. Our distant and recent history are European. The waves of migrants to Israel from countries in the east were supposed to change this alignment, but this did not happen. The Arab states are considered political and military enemies, and there is no way to visit them. They did not create a real alternative to Europe’s cultural hegemony and this remains true to this day. ...

Remarks: I'm wondering how many Israelis would agree with Rosenthal's assessment, and how many would dispute it. I'll follow up if I find any reactions or responses to the article.

Morning Report: 2012-05-24

African unrest in Tel Aviv. Demonstrations Reuters: 'Fleeing poverty, fighting and authoritarian rule, some 60,000 Africans have crossed illegally into Israel through the relatively porous desert border with Egypt in recent years. That has jarred the Jewish state, with its already ethnically fraught citizen population of 7.8 million. Some Israelis warn of a gathering demographic and economic crisis while others say a country born after the Holocaust has a special responsibility to offer foreigners sanctuary. Tel Aviv Mayor Ron Huldai said some 15 percent of city residents were "illegal foreign workers" and the number was growing. Interior Ministry data show 82 percent of the African migrants are men, 15 percent women and the rest children. ...' Arutz Sheva:

Over 1,000 people took part Wednesday evening in a protest against Israel's growing illegal immigrant population. The protesters called on the government to send the infiltrators back to their countries of origin.

MK Danny Danon (Likud), who heads the Knesset Lobby to Prevent Infiltration, addressed the protesters and said: "The terrible situation that has formed here has only one solution and we need to talk about it and we must not be ashamed: expel them now!"

"The state of Israel is at war with an enemy state that has formed within Israel and has its capital in southern Tel Aviv," he stated.

Protesters who live in the working class neighborhoods that are flooded by the illegal immigrants spoke of harassment and physical attacks that have become a daily occurrence. Several cases of sexual assaults against Jewish women have been reported in recent months. ...

The protest in Tel Aviv against migrants led to 12 arrests; the suspects were released on bail. The Tel Aviv Magistrate's Court has extended the remand of a man suspected of recruiting teens and giving them weapons to target Africans during the recent demonstrations. Two protesters were arrested for an attempted attack on a foreign worker. Yitzhak Halevi, mayor of the border city of Eilat, called for immigration enforcement:

He called on the government to implement the decisions it has already made to deal with the matter.

Halevi said the security fence on the Egyptian border needs to be completed within a short time, and that the government needed to expedite the construction of a detention center for illegal aliens. He also called on the government to fine those who employe illegal aliens. ...

Prime Minister Netanyahu condemned the violence, adding: 'The migrant problem must be solved and we will solve it. We will complete the construction of the fence within a few months and soon we will begin sending the migrants back to their countries of origin.'

Mladic trial to resume. Reuters: 'The genocide trial of Bosnian Serb general Ratko Mladic is set to resume at the Yugoslavia war crimes tribunal on June 25 four weeks later than initially planned, The Hague-based court said on Thursday. Mladic, who was arrested in Serbia in May 2011 after 16 years on the run, is accused of genocide for his role in the siege of the Bosnian capital Sarajevo and for orchestrating the killing of 8,000 Muslim men and boys in Srebrenica in 1995; Europe's worst massacre since World War Two. ...'

ICC clears way to try four Kenyans for violence. Reuters: 'The International Criminal Court on Thursday cleared the way for the trial of four Kenyans accused of being behind the violence which erupted after the country's elections in December 2007. The four men, who include Uhuru Kenyatta, a former presidential hopeful and the son of Kenya's founding president, have denied the charges and claimed the court did not have the right to try them. More than 1,220 people died in the post-election violence. ...'

More on south Tel Aviv. For my pictures of Allenby Street in southern Tel Aviv, see here, here, and here.

Steyn: Free the Preening Metrosexual Slug John Edwards

The only thing more disgusting than John Edwards is what's being done to him.

And that's before we get to the affair, and the denial, followed by the admission of adultery but only while his wife's cancer was in remission, and then the admission of non-remission adultery but certainly not leading to any love child, and finally the admission of a non-remission adulterous love child, and the realization that the sainted, stricken Elizabeth was less the victim than a co-strategist in the massive Edwardsian fraud that was his 2008 presidential campaign, and a full participating partner in an even creepier political marriage than the Clintons'.

Oh, and while we're at it, I loathe the American media, whose peculiarly contemptible combination of partisanship, snobbery, and self-neutering of any basic journalistic instinct might easily have led (were it not for the candidacy of Barack Obama) to this preening metrosexual slug's becoming president of the United States.

All that said, his trial is a disgrace.

It should be a national scandal, except that no one this side of the old Politburo is as ruthless as the Democrats at airbrushing former eminences out of the group shot. So, in a critical election season, the Edwards prosecution will be buried at the foot of page 43, and never make the network news.

What's wrong with it? First, there is no crime, if that term is to have any agreed meaning. In Malaysia, the longtime prime minister Dr. Mahathir spent much of the last 15 years battering his political rival, Anwar Ibrahim, with one sodomy trial after another. We're subtler about these things here. ...

Morning Report: 2012-05-23

Mona Eltahawy takes on MSNBC. Jihad Watch cites Eltahawy's response to the "islamophobia" canard on the Melissa Harris-Perry show:

In response, Eltahawy was right on point: "It’s not me that makes Muslims look bad. It’s those atrocities that make Muslims look bad." I have made this point hundreds of times -- but the Islamic supremacists' "Islamophobia" fog machine is intent on obscuring it, with eager help from the Leftist mainstream media. ...

Follow the link for a transcript. And don't miss her article in Foreign Policy.

Kyrgyzstan signs transport agreement with NATO. Interfax reports: '"A signing ceremony of the agreement between the government of Kyrgyzstan and NATO on the ground transit (by trucks and railroad) of cargo for the International Security Assistance Force through the Kyrgyz territory took place within the framework of the NATO summit in Chicago on May 22," the Kyrgyz Foreign Ministry's press service told Interfax. ...'

Foreign Policy on Egyptian candidates. Kate Brooks at Foreign Policy:

Egypt has produced some good headlines over the few millennia of its existence: There's its rise as the center of Arab and Islamic culture, the building of the pyramids, and even, reportedly, a spat between a pharaoh and a hard-luck local tribe that produced some nasty plagues. But there's one story that has always eluded it: the drama of a competitive presidential election. On May 23, that all ends. ...

Go to the link for the rest, and a slide show.

Iran Protests Azerbaijan's "Insults to Islam"

Hindustani Times: 'Iran summoned the envoy of neighbouring Azerbaijan on Tuesday and recalled its own ambassador from Baku for consultations to protest what it describes as the Azeri government's "insults to the sanctities" of Islam. Over the past weeks, Iranian clerics have denounced Azerbaijan for hosting the upcoming Eurovision song festival and for allegedly permitting gay rallies, which are banned in Iran.

Baku, however, has never staged a gay pride parade. ...'

Morning Report: 2012-05-22

Guinea-Bisseau junta to turn power over to civilians, says spokesman. 'Six weeks after it toppled the government and derailed elections, Guinea-Bissau's military junta said on Tuesday it was handing power back to the West African state's civilian leaders. This follows a deal between the self-styled Military Command and the regional bloc ECOWAS that put in place transitional president Manuel Sherifo Nhamadjo, installed a 600-strong ECOWAS force and promised new elections in 12 months. ...'

Malawi's Joyce Banda to fight anti-gay legislation. Via Harry, the Scotsman reportsMALAWI’S president

Joyce Banda has declared she wants to repeal laws banning homosexual acts, going against a trend across Africa in which gays are increasingly being singled out for prosecution.

Ms Banda, who assumed the presidency in April when her predecessor died, made the announcement yesterday in her first state of the nation address.

“Indecency and unnatural acts laws shall be repealed,” she said.

But repealing a law requires a parliamentary vote, and it is unclear how much political support Ms Banda has for sweeping changes in the impoverished and conservative nation. ...

One Libya or two? Michael Totten at Commentary:

The Libyan city of Benghazi, the “capital” of the east and the second largest city in the country, held a referendum this past weekend on whether or not to declare political autonomy. The results aren’t in yet, but it’s likely to pass.

Muammar Qaddafi knew if an uprising against him were to break out that it would start in Benghazi. His regime never had much support in the east. His family was from the west, which to the people of Benghazi practically made him a foreigner. ...

Read the rest at the link.

Shurat ha-Din's Darshan-Leitner to receive Moskowitz Prize. 'Attorney Nitsana Darshan- Leitner, director of civil rights nonprofit organization Shurat HaDin (The Israel Law Center), will receive the Moskowitz Prize for Zionism, awarded annually to three Israelis deemed to best personify modern Zionism in Israel, for her work in taking Israel’s fight against terrorism to the courtroom. ...'

NASA to Send a Man to Cleveland

No, really. Life imitates The Onion.

Faida Hamdi

You might not recognize the name, but you probably know what she's famous for. Now, Michael Totten gets her side of the story.

Morning Report: 2012-05-17

Court awards $322 million claim against Syria to family of US terror victim. Shurat haDin:

May 16, 2012: The United States district court for Washington D.C. has handed down a decision today in the amount of $332 million against the government of Syria for its role in an April 2006 terrorist attack perpetrated in Israel. The suicide bombing killed 11 civilians and injured scores of others. One of those murdered in the bombing was Daniel Wultz, an American student from Florida. His family brought the lawsuit against the Syrian Arab Republic and other parties alleging that Damascus had allowed the Palestine Islamic Jihad (PIJ), which carried out the attack, to be headquartered in the Syria and provided other material support to the terrorist group. The civil action demanded compensation and punitive damages against the Syrian government as well as numerous Syrian military and intelligence officials.

For several months prior to April 17, 2006, the PIJ planned and made preparations to murder and injure Jewish civilians by carrying out a suicide bombing in a crowded public location in Israel. On April 17, 2006, a Palestinian operative of the PIJ, Sami Salim Mohammed Hammed (“Hammed”) arrived at the Rosh Ha’ir restaurant near the Old Central Bus Station in Tel Aviv ...

Syrian National Council head Burhan Ghalioun to resign. 'The head of Syria's main opposition alliance, the Syrian National Council, has said he will resign amid growing criticism and rifts within the group. Burhan Ghalioun, who was re-elected as SNC leader on Tuesday, said he would step down once a replacement is found. ...'
US airstrike kills 2 al-Qaeda in Yemen. Long War Journal:

The US killed two al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula fighters in an airstrike in eastern Yemen today. The strike is the sixth by the US in the past week, and takes place as the Yemeni government is intensifying military operations against AQAP strongholds in the south.

Today's strike took place in the town of Shibam in eastern Hadramout province. Unmanned US drones, the Reapers or Predators, fired missiles at a vehicle as it was traveling in the eastern city, according to AFP. Two AQAP operatives were killed in the airstrike. The identities of those killed have not been disclosed. ...

Analysis: Iraq sliding towards new dictatorship. Toby Dodge at IISS sees troubling trends in Baghdad:

Maliki first took control of the Dawa Party by ousting his former boss, Ibrahim al-Jaafri, appointing himself secretary-general and filling the party ranks with loyalists. From 2007 he focused on the military, undermining the chain of command by expanding and taking control of the office of the commander in chief. He appointed a loyal general to oversee the ‘operations centres’ that coordinated security in troubled provinces. Finally, Maliki set up a separate institution for elite US-trained, special-operations troops so that he, rather than the Ministry of Defence, exercised control over them; this in essence created a praetorian guard. ...

Read the rest at the link.

Saudi Arabia and Turkey play friends. Meliha Benli Altunsik at Foreign Affairs reviews the ups and downs of Saudi/Turkish relations from the Iraq War to the Arab Spring, and the Iranian challenge.

US plan to strike Iran "ready". Yeah, I know, you're as tired of the speculation as I am. But the BBC reports that US ambassador to Israel Dan Shapiro said that a plan to attack Iran is "ready" in case diplomatic measures fail to stop Iran's nuclear program.

Eurabia

Andrew Bostom:

Serendipitously, perhaps, in the midst of Geert Wilders’ visit to the U.S., warning of the consequences of Europe’s ongoing Islamization, today I came across a State Department memo from the U.S. embassy in Madrid, dated September 19, 1974 (1974 Madrid 05880), declassified June 30, 2005. This document reveals that the U.S. was fully aware of the advent of “Eurabia,” precisely as self-characterized in an official European socio-political journal bearing the title Eurabia.

Eurabia was the title of a journal published in the mid-1970s by the European Committee for the Coordination of Friendship Associations with the Arab World. ...

Go read the rest.

“We’re not really set up to cover the extreme Left.”

Charles C. W. Cooke, from NRO's Corner, asks the Southern Poverty Law Center about Occupy. He gets hesitation, evasion, and occasional moments of candor from the SPLC representative. Go read it.

Morning Report: 2012-05-03

ISAF captures Uzbek al-Qaeda-linked leader. Long War Journal: 'Coalition and Afghan special operations forces captured a leader of the al Qaeda-linked Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan during a raid today in northern Afghanistan. The IMU leader, who was involved with assassinations and suicide operations, is the second commander from the group to have been targeted in the district in the past three days. ...'

Profile of would-be bridge bomber Joshua Stafford. This Ain't Hell has the details on this winner. At age 23, his only interest is "smoking weed".

Egypt's frontronner Amr Moussa no friend of Israel. Al-Monitor: 'Cancellation of the gas agreement between Israel and Egypt is only a harbinger of things to come. If Amr Moussa will indeed be elected Egypt’s president, the experts anticipate additional escalation. Moussa, considered the leading candidate in the presidential race of our southern neighbor, earned his popularity in large due to his hard-line attitude toward Israel. It is no accident that Egypt’s hit parade includes the song “I hate Israel and love Amr Moussa” ...'

Five Days in a DEA Cell

Remember, they're doing this to protect us.

An engineering student stepped forward with his lawyer Tuesday to say he was left alone in a federal holding cell for five days with no food or water, apparently forgotten by the federal drug agents who detained him.

Daniel Chong, 24, a UC San Diego senior, said he was swept up in a Drug Enforcement Administration raid near campus and was taken to the Kearny Mesa facility. After questioning, he was told he would be released.

Then the DEA left him locked inside a five-by-10-foot windowless cell. ...

Morning Report: 2012-05-02

Taliban to start spring offensive. Long War Journal: 'The Taliban statement, which was released in English and other languages, said that the "Al Farooq Jihadi spring operation" offensive will begin on May 3, and will target foreign and Afghan security forces, Afghan political and government officials, the Afghan High Peace Council, and anti-Taliban militias. The statement is attributed to "The Leadership Council of Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan," which is better known as the Quetta Shura. ...' The statement coincided with an assault that missed President Obama's visit by just hours: 'A Taliban fighter detonated a car bomb at the main gate of the compound at about 6:15 a.m. local time. The four other fighters, wearing suicide vests and armed with assault rifles, hand grenades, and rocket-propelled grenades, then entered a parking area in the outer perimeter of the base, according to a report received by The Long War Journal. ...'

May Day thugs cause damage, attempt more. In San Francisco's Mission District, a group of protesters vandalized shops and cars on Valencia Street on the eve of May Day. Elsewhere, some individuals had more serious trouble in mind. From the Belmont Club:

WKYC has links to the actual criminal complaints filed against Connor Stevens, Brandon Baxter, Douglas Wright, Anthony Hayne and Joshua Stafford in connection with an alleged plot to blow up the Route 82 Brecksville-Northfield High Level Bridge and perhaps to subsequently attack targets in Chicago in connection with the coming NATO summit. ...

The complaints are worth reading to gain a glimpse into the more extreme fringes of Occupy, to whom some of the suspects belonged or even had leadership positions in. In that universe, the enemy is the Federal Reserve, the One Percent, Fusion Centers and other targets. Since these proved hard to attack it is alleged the suspects decided to focus on the measly bridge.

According to the criminal complaints, the suspects allegedly discussed ways of communicating secretly, spoofing their IP addresses, using untraceable electronic transfers and using peer-to-peer networks to avoid detection by the Man. However, they neglected to avoid the acquaintance of an FBI confidential human source ...

Go to the post for links, and Fernandez' reflections on the incident.

China and technology. Strategy Page reports the latest information on the PRC's efforts to steal and appropriate American technology, and how Beijing hopes to succeed where the old Soviet Union failed.

Finally

Newt calls it quits.