170 posts tagged “israel”
Ari Bussel seems to be a Center-Left pro-Israel hawk. This means I agree with many of his pro-Israel writings but disagree with many of his solutions or conclusions.
Here is a brief profile blurb on the Conservative oriented Canadian Free Press:
Ari Bussel is a reporter and an activist on behalf of Israel, the Jewish Homeland. Ari left Beverly Hills and came to Israel 13 weeks to work in Israel Diplomacy’s Front from Israel. Ari runs a website web.me.com/bussel. Ari can be reached at aribussel@gmail.com.
Here is a profile from the Leftist oriented OpEdNews.com:
Ari Bussel is an activist with a deep passion and commitment to truth. His continuous fact-finding missions to the Middle East to secure truthful and factual information about the status of the situation are disseminated to a worldwide audience through his letters, journals and articles.
Bussel is a graduate of UCLA and Stanford. His area of expertise is Israel's Public Diplomacy.
Since October, 2008, Bussel has collaborated with award-winning investigative journalist and author Norma Zager in a series of essays "Postcards from Israel - Postcards from Home." (About OpEdNews.com)
With this in mind here is an interesting outlook by Ari Bussel sent to SlantRight.com entitled, “The Advancing Storm.” Bussel writes about Jewish Settlements in Judea and Samaria (aka West Bank or to Leftists as Occupied Territory), Settler’s Rights, Jewish Construction, Arab Construction and the how possible choices may lead to an all out war for Israel’s survival.
JRH 12/2/09
I just read an essay by Ari Bussel that I was pleasantly surprised to read. I really don’t know much about Mr. Bussel except from the occasional essays he sends to SlantRight.com for posting. I have to admit I don’t post all of Mr. Bussel’s sent essays.
I have kind of had the impression Ari Bussel is a Center Left kind of guy who is very pro-Israel. Once in awhile his hawkish nature shines through. That is not a complaint! The world needs more outspoken individuals willing to say the Arabs that call themselves Palestinians are full of bologna.
Most Leftists (AMAZINGLY among Israeli Leftists as well) are willing to fall into the delusion that a separate Muslim Arab State consisting of Jew-hating Arabs will bring peace to the Middle East. Hence there is a push in the West for a separate sovereign Palestine.
The so-called Palestinians sole goal in existence is to either deport Jews from their own homeland or to exterminate them in order to eliminate the existence of Israel.
My very un-Left-like and definitely politically incorrect stand is to deport the Arabs into the surrounding Arab nations that created the Arab refugees in the first place.
Ari Bussel does not sound off like that but he implies it by saying Israel needs to make some tough choices to survive. Bussel fails to provide choices and rather simply suggests Israel needs to make some rough decisions concerning the Arab minority within Israel.
You know what I think about those rough choices or decisions. I wonder what Bussel had in mind?
JRH 11/9/09
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Tough Choices
By Ari Bussel
Sent: Sun 11/8/2009 3:46 PM
Many are worried that, if left on its own, the Jewish state will at one point have a non-Jewish majority. Thus, they claim, by democratic process alone, Israel will become a country of all its citizens, i.e. cease to be a Jewish state. Recognizing what they call “the inevitable,” some call for the creation of two separate states.
I call them those of little faith. They surrender in advance, yielding to an idea that will bring only one solution: The Destruction of the Israeli (Jewish) State. Regrettably, many “centrists” in Israel have accepted the supposition and persuaded themselves this is the right course of action. They, it seems, have lost faith in themselves and in their right to exist.
The majority of Muslims in the area have a very high birth rate. Coupled with a supply of fresh water, availability of proper sewage, state-of-the-art medical attention and other provisions by the Jewish State, including monetary support, and an increasing life span, the Muslim-Arab population in Israel seems to have the upper hand in the race to populate the country.
In contrast, most Israeli families are similar to those in the United States. The single exception is the religious Jews who resemble, in that respect, the birth rate of the Muslims. They, however, are just a minority (for instance, the 300,000 residents of Judea and Samaria) and constraints – such as lack of physical dwelling places that applies only to them and not to their Muslim Arab neighbors – have an effect as well.
One solution to the race to populate the country is to encourage Jewish Israelis to have more children. On a parallel plane, support by the Jewish State to Muslim Arabs (such as monthly child support and free healthcare) can be limited, making a family less comfortable than just having a new child every year. As long as someone else is paying, why not continue, worry-free?
I am also not worried about requiring every citizen an equal burden, equal responsibility under the law. Enforcing such expectation (for instance, dismantling illegal settlements, destroying structures built without permits, enforcing mandatory national service, etc.) should be applied equally, whatever the short-term price – including to Israeli Arabs.
Arabs may be up in arms, for they enjoy all the privileges of a citizen with few if any obligations. Israel is already a country of all its citizens, with members of the Muslim and other minorities becoming Supreme Court Justices, Members of the Knesset or Ministers in the Government. These minorities enjoy equal rights and opportunities, albeit not always equal obligations.
In this respect, the threat of an international outcry against Israel is less than significant; Israel is already accused of being an Apartheid State (e.g. President Carter, Judge Goldstone).
There are numerous court decisions requiring the demolition of balconies, additions to existing houses and other structures built without permit, all by Arabs. To put it bluntly, the authorities are afraid. None of the court decisions is therefore enforced for it is expected the IDF will be required to assist in order to do so. Thus, the IDF is used for other noble purposes.
Did I mention that Israel is first and before all a Jewish State?
It is time to make hard choices – a minority with national aspirations must have its wings cut, for it presents a clear and present danger to the entity-state. A minority recognizing it is part of an existing state, respecting its obligations as members of the state and enjoying the many benefits associated with such an “entitlement” or privilege, continues to be a viable and vibrant part of society.
Israel’s minority citizens would prefer always to be a minority in the Jewish State than part of a majority of an Arab State. They must decide and act accordingly.
It is thus up to Israel to make up its mind on the appropriate course of action. Lacking a clear course of progress by Israel, is there any wonder that others are dictating their Israel’s destiny? Without a pilot at the helm, how are we to arrive to our destination? How is the Jewish Homeland to survive?
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Say NO to Palestinian State
John R. Houk
© November 9, 2009
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Tough Choices
In the series “Postcards from Israel,” Ari Bussel and Norma Zager invite readers throughout the world to join them as they present reports from Israel as seen by two sets of eyes: Bussel’s on the ground, Zager’s counter-point from home. Israel and the United States are inter-related - the two countries we hold dearest to our hearts - and so is this “point - counter-point” presentation that has, since 2008, become part of our lives.
© Postcards from Home, November, 2009
Contact: aribussel@gmail.com
What!? Israel and Jews in general should confront the religion of Islam as being a pack of Jew-haters. How dare Bill Warner make such a suggestion? It is not politically correct of castigating an entire religion with followers in the billions, is it?
Actually Bill Warner is right on!
JRH 10/30/09
Jews had controlled the Temple Mount for over a thousand years prior to the Romans destroying it in 70 AD. Even after the Roman expulsion that turned into the last Jewish Diaspora a Jewish presence has been in Jerusalem and their homeland. Israel may have had different names given by foreigners (e.g. Romans changed the name into the Latin version of Palestine) yet still a remnant of a Jewish presence remained.
Muslims controlled the Temple Mount from 638 AD through the present (as of this writing – 2009). There was a brief interlude of Crusader Christian control from 1099 – 1187 AD. Still Jews resided in Jerusalem and even then the Wailing Wall was a place of holy reverence by Jews. The Wailing Wall (Western Wall or Kotel HaMaaravi) has a long history of access for the Jews except during periods of intolerance by both Christians and Muslims. Relevant to this age the Jews were forbidden access to the Wailing Wall from the time of Jordanian conquest in 1948 until Jordanian defeat in 1967.
If you are a Christian Right prophetic oriented or Evangelical Christian (like I am), then you are among a group of Christians that believe the Second Coming of Christ and the construction of a Third Temple are very relevant. Detractors of this belief call this group Christian Zionists.
Zionism was and is the Jewish movement that paved the way for the creation of a Jewish State after the butchery of the Holocaust that occurred during WWII. Although Zionist and Christian Zionists are considered epithets by those that consider the creation of Israel a mistake, I wear the Christian Zionist badge with honor.
Ironically Zionists and Christian Zionists do not always see things eye-to-eye. Zionism is Jewish and for good reason Jews look on Christianity with great disfavor. A lot of nations and various religions persecuted Jewish people of the Diaspora. People and nations calling themselves Christian are definitely part of this list of persecutors.
For clarity’s sake you have to know that Muslim people and nations of the past and present have also been huge persecutors of Jewish people. If any historical revisionist tells you otherwise it is merely Muslim apologetic propaganda.
The agenda that Christian Zionists and Zionists have in common is the creation and protection of the Jewish State of Israel. For Jews this is a place where gentile governments will no longer persecute Jewish individuals. The Jewish individuals are not necessarily practicing religious Jews. The range of Jews returning (Aliyah) to a Jewish homeland ranges from the Ultra-Orthodox to the complete Leftist atheist.
For Christian Zionists Israel’s modern creation in 1948 signaled a red alert; viz. the scenario of the New Testament promise of Christ coming for His own.
Nineteen years later in 1967 there seemed to be a verification of the prophetic when Israel preemptively attacked Jordan due to Arab provocations in the Six Day War and recaptured all of Jerusalem as well as Judea and Samaria (aka West Bank). Hence in 1967 Jerusalem became a united city under Israeli sovereignty and the Temple Mount within the control of the Israeli government.
Sadly, the hero general that recaptured land from Jordan left the administration of the Temple Mount to the Muslim Waqf. The Israeli government’s reasoning lay more with the guilt trip from the West when the reasoning should have the Jewish heritage indelibly linked to the Temple Mount.
The Muslim heritage over the Temple Mount and Jerusalem was more about Islamic imperialism which was not a pretty sight to see for the vanquished. Evidently the actual conquest of Jerusalem was bloodless due to Muslims trouncing the surrounding area first. For Jews and Christian sects not part of the Orthodox Church, Muslim conquest was viewed in a favorable light. Evidently having to face the status of a second class citizen with nearly zero rights plus a non-Muslim profile tax all for the purpose of humiliation was better than the treatment received by the Greek Orthodox Church of the Byzantine Empire.
The favorable time for Jews and Christians under Islamic oppression was during the Umayyad Caliphate. These guys were the last ruling Muslims to give a hoot about Jerusalem. The Umayyads built the Dome of the Rock between 688 and 691 AD which was roughly 50 years after Islamic hegemony over Jerusalem. Al Aqsa Mosque was completed on the Temple Mount around 710 AD. By the time of the last Umayyads in 750 AD Muslims could care less about Jerusalem and the Temple Mount. Interest only peeked momentarily among Muslims when Christian Crusaders re-conquered the Holy Land. The Crusaders lasted just under 200 years.
After the Crusaders were booted from the Holy Land whichever Muslim ruler had suzerainty over Jerusalem accomplished nothing to keep the city up. Jerusalem was barely an existing town with the combined majority of Jews and Christians eventually exceeding the Muslim population. Jerusalem began to rebuild when the Jewish population of the latter Ottoman and British Palestine Mandate experienced the phenomena of Zionism. As more Jews immigrated to Palestine (1948 – Israel) the land began to be reclaimed which brought prosperity to the area. Prosperity brought a Jerusalem renewal. And prosperity brought more Arabs looking for work as the result of Jewish ingenuity.
Again jumping to the Israeli reacquisition of all of Jerusalem and the Temple Mount we begin to see Jews and Christians to begin to look for the construction of a Third Temple. Although the Third Temple concept is immensely popular with Christian Zionists, the concept has somewhat divided Judaism.
In 1967 most of the Conservative and Ultra-Conservative Orthodox Jewish Rabbis felt it would be sacrilege for a Jew to possibly stumble upon a part of the Temple Mount in which the Holy of Holies was located.
As time has progressed couple with the Muslim Waqf doing all it can to rid the Temple Mount of archaeological evidence of the First and Second Temples, Orthodox and Ultra-Orthodox have began weakening on the position that Jews should not visit the Temple Mount. There is definitely a move among Jewish Rabbis for the building of the Third Temple in the midst of some Ultra-Orthodox hold-outs.
Indeed there is a Jewish organization in Israel called the Temple Institute which is dedicated to the preparation of the Third Temple. This means re-sanctifying a Levitical Priesthood, the proper construction of Temple furnishing and utensils and the preparation for Temple sacrifices. Zionists and Christian Zionists are looking for the “red heifer” to begin the first sacrifice.
Here is good old fashioned speculation from The Last Crusade blog implying the two Muslim Mosques on the Temple Mount are to be removed to make way for the Third Temple. Now that would really be a God-thing to pull that off with the U.S. and the West pressuring Israel to give up half of Jerusalem, Judea and Samaria.
JRH 10/16/09
Israpundit exposes the anti-Israel sentiment of Barack Hussein Obama by showing a post which if not approved by the Obama Administration would have been taken down. In essence the post equates Israeli policies toward Arabs as the same as the Nazi genocidal policies to cleanse the earth of Jews.
The post is at Organizing for America on December 29, 2008. The post is still there; however if anyone else picks up on the Israpundit exposé of BHO, I suspect will be taken down. The post was written by Lech Alex Bajan about a Professor Richard Falk of Princeton University.
The Bajan post is the typical “Palestinians” are blameless victims and the Israelis are brutal oppressors slant. It is the Arab story minus any mention of Arab history of violence, racism and hatred conducted against Jewish Israel just prior to Statehood and afterwards after 1948.
Here is Israpundit’s brief exposé.
JRH 10/5/09
Israpundit provides a historical perspective of the founding of the modern State of Israel. I believe it is doubtful you have read this perspective in Leftist influenced text books in High School or the collegiate level. The text book perspective is probably loaded with accusations of Jewish atrocities as the Zionist State of Israel emerged.
I am certain there are acts of violence perpetrated by the independent Jewish militias that eventually merged into the Israel Defense Force (IDF). The fight for independence and Israel’s desire for a sovereign State for Jews to live in which the government’s policy does not even have a hint of anti-Semitism undoubtedly led to some bad decisions. One has to wonder: How did the Jewish desire for a Jewish State for Jews differ from the Islamic hatred spread in propaganda by Grand Mufti Haj Amin al-Husseini calling for the extermination of Jews in the British Palestine Mandate. Jewish militias only began to utilize violence when it became obvious the Brits were determined to leave the Palestine Mandate. The Brit determination to leave was matched by the desire for the British Empire to have good standing with Middle Eastern Muslims. The Arab violence began as a result of al-Husseini Jew-hatred and the belief the Brits and America would befriend Arab nations to counter Soviet expansionist dreams at the end of WWII.
Anyway … further your Israeli historical education which Israpundit insinuates is the American plan for the Middle East – at the expense of Jews.
JRH 9/27/09
The Holocaust denier Mahmoud Ahmadinejad gave a Twelver Shi’ite sermon to the U.N. General Assembly. The sermon praised the oneness of God (no doubt Allah before the translator gave the English version), the human prophets from Adam to Mohammed (including Jesus as a mere human), truth, democracy, and every other principle that a kafir would laugh concerning the Iranian hypocrisy.
The next day President Barack Hussein Obama gave his America can do better and siding with Arabs that Palestine has a right to exist as a sovereign nation. The pro-Palestine speech effectively is the first time an American President has called Israel an occupier of foreign land. BHO’s ignorance is displayed by the fact that the land had Jewish settlers before 1948, it is Biblically Jewish and the land was won as a result of a failed invasion of Israel by multiple Arab nations in 1967. The other Arab State was supposed to be Transjordan (Jordan) until the British set up the Hashemite Kingdom up as a sovereign nation before a Palestine Two-State creation was implemented in the British Mandate. The Jordanian effort in invading Israel in 1948 and 1967 was not to repatriate Arabs by destroying Israel. The Jordanian design was to get its piece of the pie in dividing destroyed Israel. Jordan partially achieved their goal in 1948 by stalemating Israel Defense Forces outside of what became known to Westerners as the West Bank. At this time Arabs left over from the old Palestine Mandate could have declared a separate Arab State in that West Bank. That did not happen! Jordan asserted sovereignty over the acquired Palestine Mandate land which included what became known as East Jerusalem.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu gave his U.N. speech on September 24. Netanyahu’s speech was not a reprisal of President BHO’s speech encouraging the usurpation of Jewish land under the appeasement delusion a Palestinian State will bring peace to the Middle East. Rather the Israeli Prime Minister used the world stage of the U.N. General Assembly to castigate Mahmoud Ahmadinejad’s Holocaust denial with photos and documents demonstrating that Ahmadinejad is an anti-Semite Shi’ite liar.
Read the International Christian Embassy Jerusalem (ICEJ) e-newsletter of Netanyahu verbally slapping Ahmadinejad like a red-headed stepchild.
JRH 9/26/09
I found a couple of essays on the geopolitical reality of the mythical rights of Arabs who call themselves Palestinians. Both are posted by Ted Belman of Israpundit yet the latter is a post of a reaction by Rev. Fumio Taku to Belman’s previous post.
The only reason refugees called Palestinians exist in Judea and Samaria (West Bank) and Gaza (Gazastan or Hamastan) is because those poor generations of poor Arab refugees were actually created by Arab invaders who needed a perpetual reason to stay in conflict with Israel.
If President Obama had any real concern about Justice he force the descendants of Arab invaders to matriculate the Arab refugees left behind back into those various nations of today’s Arab generations.
JRH 9/25/09
Here is an understand Islam moment thanks to Robert Spencer and The Middle East Quarterly. The subject is roughly, who does the Holy Land belong to: Jews or Muslims?
JRH 9/16/09
American Jews tend to support Israel’s continued existence. Ironically a significant amount of American Jews are also hooked up to the President Barack Hussein Obama contention to force Israel into the so-called Two-State Solution which is the creation of an Arab State called Palestine within Israel’s Judea and Samaria (West Bank) and the Gaza cesspool under Hamas hegemony.
The explanation for this American Jewish support for a Two-State Solution appears to lay in the Jewish political spectrum in America. This is to say that American Jews are overwhelmingly Leftist Democrats.
Norman Podhoretz senses that American Jews think Leftist politics before they think Jewish religion. Indeed over 70% of American Jews voted for President Barack Hussein Obama. American Jews still widely support the existence of Israel; however being good Leftists they are duped into the thought that a Palestinian State will bring peace to the Middle Eastern region.
Evidently Leftists do not believe the various Palestinian terrorist charters calling for the eradication of Israel to make room for an all encompassing Muslim-Palestinian State is not a serious threat. OR possibly Leftists just simple will look the other way as Middle Eastern Arabs and Muslims rise up yet again to join a newly formed Palestinian State in driving the Jews into the sea. OR possibly Leftists who support Israel’s existence believe the USA would not let an Arab invasion get that far.
The first two thoughts are delusional thinking. The last thought is based on a history of the U.S. supporting Israel at least since 1967. Unfortunately many Democrats and a significant amount of Arabiphiles among Republicans believe supporting Israel at all costs is unrealistic and no longer in America’s National Interest. Hence self-imposed politics may deter a Democratic Party Presidential Administration to provide aid to Israel in such an invasion with a weak public denunciation to cover a Democratic Party’s politically correct butt.
As you can surmise, I believe a Two-State Solution for the creation of a sovereign Palestinian State is a formula for an Arab invasion of Israel.
Read Podhoretz’s thoughts on why America’s Left Wing Jews are prepared to unwittingly throw Israel under the Muslim bus.
JRH 9/12/09
