Ashamed to be Israeli.

You can read about this story in the dead tree Ha'Aratez or elsewhere. The Knesset has decided to push ahead with legislation that makes it a crime punishable by up to 20 years for illegal infiltrators to cross into Israel. It also threatens anyone who helps them with up to the same amount of jail time.
This is aimed squarely at the refugess from Sudan and elsewhere who try and make it to the only democratic free state in the region. It's aimed at the people who run soup kitchens in Tel Aviv for penniless refugees, the people who help with the language , the people who care. The refugees who survive the experience and make it here will now be severely punished. Doesn't this all sound so familiar? A very clear message back through history. It was a crime to help all those Jews who fled Germany and other countries looking for safety. I'm ashamed to carry an Israeli ID and if this law passes I will find a Darfur refugee in Israel, buy him or her a meal and then turn myself into the police.

A Jewish State or a State for the Jews.

The regular MFA newsletter popped into my in box today and I read it with more interest than normal. Bibi was talking.

Those words with which I opened my speech "the Jewish state" are the same words which constitute the root of the conflict between us and our neighbors, and I am convinced that they also constitute the key to solving this conflict.

The root of the conflict was and remains the refusal to recognize the Jewish people's right to a state of its own in any borders whatsoever in the Land of Israel. Therefore, the key to peace lies in the clear, unequivocal Palestinian recognition of Israel as the state of the Jews.

Hmmm. I have a problem with the above. it's the bit about a "Jewish State" rather than " a state for the Jews". There is a very big difference as Bibi knows well. Perhaps it is timely to recall the Balfour declaration in it's entirety.

"His Majesty's government view with favour the establishment in Palestine of a national home for the Jewish people, and will use their best endeavors to facilitate the achievement of this object, it being clearly understood that nothing shall be done which may prejudice the civil and religious rights of existing non-Jewish communities in Palestine, or the rights and political status enjoyed by Jews in any other country."

See the difference? Mostly the first clause of the Balfour declaration gets quoted, not the second part. So Bibi asks the other inhabitants of Palestine as it was to forget all their hopes, aspirations, promises, treaties , agreements and just silently shuffle off someplace else. Not going to happen. Arab/Palestinian commentators have pointed out that Israel can turn itself into a nation for Seventh-day Adventist as far as they are concerned, The internal makeup of Israel is a matter for the people of Israel and nobody else.

Neglect

I've been neglecting my blog. This is why.

Keep it simple

According to Ha'Aretz, 56% of Israelis support settlement construction. The settlements mean no two state solution, no peace deal and impose a one state solution in which Muslims will eventually be the majority. That is, the end of a Jewish democratic state. Clear enough now?

Update: It appears that the survey was carried out by Ariel University and is unlikely to be accurate.

Ministers reject Yisrael Beiteinu's loyalty oath bill - Haaretz - Israel News

It died at the first hurdle. I agree with Avishay Braverman that time will bring sanity.

Love IEDs

I find it curious that the now rather large skillset existing in Iraq on how to make IEDs has morphed into social problems. Rejected suitors are planting IEDs outside the home of the female -- mainly to scare. To quote one detective "I don't know how to make a bomb from a soda can, lemonade bottle, petrol and an old phone but these guys do."

I just hope the problem stays there.

Israeli legislation raises issue of loyalty - Los Angeles Times

This won't pass the Knesset. At least I hope it won't. The recent smoke screen currently being bellowed out by the Government is another twist in the play to avoid hard decisions by confusing everybody. Bibi seems to have Iran firmly in mind right now and doesn't want distractions from anyone. Beside, outlawing the acknowledgment of the Nakba would mean building very big jails.

Sir Winston Peres - Gush Shalom - Israeli Peace Bloc

I normally don;t feature or quote Uri Avnery who I met once. You can read the original any time you like. Here I go though.
Like a traveling salesman offering a counterfeit product, Peres is now peddling the merchandise called Binyamin Netanyahu. He presents to the world a Netanyahu we have never known: a peacemaker, the epitome of truthfulness, a man with no other ambition than to go down in history as the founder of the State of Palestine. A Righteous Jew to outshine all Righteous Gentiles.

The use of the Shoah to describe current events is anathema to anyone who has read history. Unpleasant. History does not repeat itself but historians do. I you try and fit a model of the past into the present, save it for personal relationships, not world wide global changes. Iran was a good friend to Israel once and might be in the future. Germany has already toggled between both mind sets in the past and may well do in the future. Israel must be firmly fixed on the ISraeli-Palestinian problem and Iran can wait... at least for a while.

UK publishes 'persona non grata' list - Israel News, Ynetnews

I am so intrigued. Britain has published a list of persona non grata individuals for the first time. Just sniff the quality, savour the richness of humanity's weird bits, taste the rather smelly sock odour that hangs around it all. Lots of people have been prevented from entering the UK at various times in our long and distant past and even more have been given food and lodging under some restrictions. I note that a USA talk show host called Michael Savage is not welcome on the right side of the pond or Samir Kuntar or Mike Guzovsky who I have never heard of. On the plus side, Karl Marx was allowed to stay as long as he liked as were various other people over the ages that some sections of society might think objectionable. Stupid idea and whilst countries should retain the right to quietly refuse entry to some individuals it should be done very quietly. Like my now wife for example.

Independence Day

The Eggheads were in Bet Oren for Independence day. No fireworks, no flags and no bloody barbecues thankfully. The link above explains the event.

Israel

The flags are coming out again. The kids are selling ate the crossroads and people are decorating their houses. I resist as much as I can. I object to the large number of car flags that are supposed to represent patriotism which only end up in a landfill. I never flew the flag in England and I only did it here at the last World Cup when England was predictably beaten by Argentina. Both my flags were gently confiscated by admiring friends which has given me an idea for the next World Cup. Watch this space.