‘Are You Meshuga?’: Jewish Survival In A Crazy World (Part II)

Posted on: April 7th, 2009

Credo quia absurdum. "I believe because it is absurd." How, then, shall we Jews survive in such a distorted and meshugana world, both as individuals, and as the always-fragile Jewish State? In our collective form, shall we truly "Seek peace, and pursue it," when our enemies' brand of "sanity" lies relentlessly in genocide and war? Or should we just reluctantly resign ourselves to ceaseless conflict as the unavoidable expression of sanity in an undeniably insane world?

‘Are You Meshuga?’: Jewish Survival In A Crazy World (A Column in Two Parts)

Posted on: April 1st, 2009

Credo quia absurdum. "I believe because it is absurd." Here is a brief story to suitably "set our stage." During World War I, a Jew loses his way along the Austro-Hungarian frontier. Wandering through the woods late at night, he is abruptly stopped in his tracks by the screaming challenge of a nervous border-guard: "Halt, or I'll shoot." The Jew blinks uncomfortably into the beam of the searchlight and retorts with obvious annoyance: "What's the matter with you? Are you meshuga? Can't you see that this is a flesh-and-blood human being?"

Israel, Iran And The Diversion Of Death: Revisiting a Terrible ‘Fantasy’ (Second of Two Parts)

Posted on: March 25th, 2009

In many ways, Iran is now the Islamic terrorist writ large, the individual murderer in macrocosm. Although military analysts are certainly correct in pointing out that Iran is the major sponsor of Hamas and related Islamic terrorist groups (e.g., Hezbollah), it is as a direct threat to Israel that its terrors are most ominous.

Israel, Iran And The Diversion Of Death: Revisiting a Terrible ‘Fantasy’ (First of Two Parts)

Posted on: March 18th, 2009

Iran may be a state like no other. Founded upon the particular Islamic promise of conquering death - a promise bestowing ultimate power upon those who "submit" - it may ultimately do whatever it must to divert death in other directions. As an object for this existentially critical diversion, Israel, the Jewish State, is assuredly the perfect doctrinal choice.

Hillary Repeating Past Mistakes: The Ultimate – and Still Unforeseen – Dangers of a Palestinian State

Posted on: March 11th, 2009

In Washington, there has been little learned from lessons of the past.

Some Truly Basic Thoughts for the New Prime Minister – Or, How to Negotiate With Enemies Who May Prefer War to Peace

Posted on: March 4th, 2009

Israel has elected a new prime minister. From the start - and even before he begins to consider assorted specific issues for negotiation with other governments and organizations - he will have to determine whether any form of diplomacy is actually indicated. Although, on the surface, such advice may appear distinctly odd or foolish at best, there will be clear benefits to Israel of proceeding diplomatically only after first cultivating genuine understanding.

On Twisted Highways To “Palestine” Why The “Occupation” Is Still A Lie

Posted on: February 25th, 2009

President Barack Obama has already placed the Middle East at the very top of his foreign policy agenda. There is nothing inherently wrong with this ordering; quite the contrary.

Still Acting Against Itself: Yet Another Illegal Israeli Mass Terrorist Release

Posted on: February 18th, 2009

The multiple ironies are staggering. On December 15, 2008, just before mounting his indispensable and purposeful Gaza operation against Palestinian terrorism, Prime Minister Olmert had released 230 Palestinian terrorists. To be sure, these freed terrorists were supposedly Fatah, not Hamas, but Mr. Olmert's underlying strategic calculation was still unreasonable and wholly self-destructive.

For America’s Sake, President Barack Obama Should Oppose A Palestinian State

Posted on: February 11th, 2009

The George W. Bush years are now behind us. But Barack Obama, while still waging an American war on terror, will almost certainly remain committed to a so-called "Two-State Solution" in the Middle East.

Trying To Kill An Imperishable Beauty: The Grotesque Joy Of Jihadist Violence Against Israel

Posted on: February 4th, 2009

To be sure, it is time to call all things by their correct names. Just as Israel seeks to bring great beauty into the world, its sanguinary Islamist enemies thrive reciprocally upon violence and horror.

A Still-Nuclearizing Iran: Defending Israel At The Eleventh Hour

Posted on: January 28th, 2009

From the start, our "international community" has stood by disingenuously as Iran prepared its atomic engines.

The Much Deeper Meanings Of Wall Street’s Wild Ride

Posted on: January 21st, 2009

In figuring out the core weaknesses of our troubled financial markets, there is far more than meets the eye. On the surface, Wall Street's seemingly interminable wild ride is the obvious outcome of purely economic factors. Yet, at a deeper level, the problem of market weakness and volatility is not really fiscal, but human.

Barack Obama, Individual Sacredness And The Lamed-Vav

Posted on: January 7th, 2009

Our new president seemingly understands something of very great importance: The state of our union is intimately intertwined with the state of our world. Our fate as Americans will ultimately depend upon our willingness to identify more broadly and openly as citizens of the entire planet. Reciprocally, the fate of all others on earth will be impacted more or less by what happens next in American politics. But the final outcome of all such interdependence will be determined by what is ordinarily called "human nature."

The Meaning Of ‘Palestine’ For American Security, Israeli Survival And Regional Nuclear War

Posted on: December 31st, 2008

For a Palestinian state to be born, only a gravedigger could wield the forceps. Yet in one form or another, a new state of "Palestine" will likely be carved out of the still-living body of Israel. Supported by both outgoing President Bush and President-elect Obama, this 23rd Arab state would quickly seek extension, in judicious increments, beyond the West Bank (Judea/Samaria) and into the "green line" boundaries of Israel proper. This is hardly a controversial expectation, as even the official Palestinian Authority (PA) map of "moderate" Fatah now shows all of Israel as part of Palestine.

The Oslo Accords/Road Map Were Always A Deathtrap For Israel (Conclusion)

Posted on: December 24th, 2008

Regarding the Oslo accords and Israel's vulnerability to war, Israeli security has become increasingly dependent upon nuclear weapons and strategy.

The Oslo Accords/Road Map Were Always A Deathtrap For Israel (Part II)

Posted on: December 17th, 2008

The explicit application of codified restrictions of the laws of war to non-international armed conflicts dates back only as far as the four Geneva Conventions of 1949.

The Oslo Accords/Road Map Were Always A Deathtrap For Israel (Part I)

Posted on: December 10th, 2008

Some military and diplomatic failures should come as no surprise. One of these is surely the so-called "Peace Process" in the Middle East.

On Quashing Anti-Government Dissent In West Bank Communities: Perspectives Of National Law, International Law And Jewish Law (Conclusion)

Posted on: December 3rd, 2008

Jewish Law is democratic in the sense that it belongs to all of the people, a principle reflected in the Talmudic position that each individual can approach G-d in prayer without priestly intercessions.

On Quashing Anti-Government Dissent In West Bank Communities: Perspectives Of National Law, International Law And Jewish Law (Part Two of Three Parts)

Posted on: November 26th, 2008

In the Jewish tradition, the principle of a Higher Law is not only well established; it is the very foundation of all legal order.

On Quashing Anti-Government Dissent In West Bank Communities: Perspectives Of National Law, International Law And Jewish Law (Part One of Three Parts)

Posted on: November 19th, 2008

In recent months, Israel's Minister of Defense Ehud Barak, has issued several administrative expulsion orders.