The Zionist Movement

I find the anti Zionism obsession somewhat difficult to comprehend. Perhaps it is a language and translation barrier. Zion is the pure in heart. Every culture and every religion seeks some form of enlightenment. In Buddhism it’s Nirvana. For Zen it’s simply called enlightenment.

I once had a friend who said "In God we trust not Allah." Ever pause to think that the term Allah is Arabic for God? The great architect of the universe so to speak. The Koran makes reference to the Lord as does the Old and New Testaments of the Bible.

The Jews aren’t the only people that use the term Zion. Zionism is simply a quest among Judaism to create the perfect society where people live in harmony. Kind of like that Chinese painting of heaven and hell. The bottom half of the painting was the artist’s rendition of hell.

Everyone was sitting around a huge dinner table with a big feast before them. The problem was the only way the people could eat the food was with chopsticks longer than their arms. The dilemma was they had all this wonderful food in front of them but they were unable to eat it and were therefor starving and in agony.

The top half of the picture was heaven. The people there were gathered around the same table with the same eating utensils only everyone there was happy and fulfilled. They were feeding each other. That is Zion.

Zion does not mean oppression. Zion does not mean intolerance. Zion means sincerity and service. Pursuing Zion is a noble quest whether you be, Jewish, Muslim, Christian or Buddhist. Nevertheless, the Jewish people have a right to a home just like everyone else. Opposing that is just intolerance.

CUPW Out of Touch with Gaza

This is so typical. CUPW writes Harper calling for him to condemn Israel’s military action in Gaza but doesn’t say a word about Hamas firing rockets into Israel at will. It’s like their anti Semitic resolution against Israel following CUPE.

CUPW’s resolution is one step better than the CUPE resolution because it denounces terrorism but it is clear that their denouncing terrorism is only lip service. Justice goes both ways. I agree Israel shouldn’t be using white phosphorous on civilians and should not be shelling schools even if Hamas is hiding in them and using human shields but for Hamas to launch a campaign to send rockets into Israel after Israel pulled out of Gaza with the sole intent of destroying Israel politically is wrong.

Denouncing Israel’s military action without denouncing Hamas is wrong. It reminds me of CUPW's position on Cuba and how the former National President supported revolutionary Communism in Cuba. If that is not something from the twilight zone, I don’t know what is.

Unions are supposed to support human rights not oppress them. Lenin used the trade Union movement to get power and after the trade unions went on strike because he took over the party from the real labour leader he sent in the machine guns to fire on the striking trade unionists.

Michael Moore was right, Why are union leaders so stupid? http://www.michaelmoore.com/dogeatdogfilms/whyareu.html

The only consolation is that when CUPW over steps and comes out with a political recommendation the members vote the opposite.

Philistine and the Philistines

On a historical point of order I will point out that although Israel was not the original inhabitants of the Gaza strip, neither were the Palestinians. The original inhabitants of the Gaza strip were the Philistines. Remember the story of David and Goliath? Goliath was a giant fighting for the Philistines and David knocked him out with a slingshot and cut his head off with his own sword.

It is interesting but strange to note that the name Palestine is derived from the term Philistine. The Philistines were not Jewish or Muslim, they were uncircumcised and they were not religious. I’m not sure why Arab Muslims would want to name themselves after uncircumcised unbelievers.

Circumcision was a token of the covenant Abraham made with God and Muslims do practice that law. Surely there is an Arabic word for covenant that would better portray the fact that Muslims seek to follow God and be an example for the world to follow. Somehow the world just doesn’t see terrorism as godly.

Not to say that Israel has fulfilled her destiny of being an example to the world either. My point is that although Arabs have a right to live in Gaza, Arabs were not in Gaza before the Jews. Historically the Jews were in Judea before the Arabs and do have a valid claim on that land. Therefor Hamas’ campaign to drive Israel out of Judea is wrong.

Interesting to note that although the Philistines inhabited the five main cities in Gaza, the land was at the time owned by Egypt. Instead of having Gaza form an independent country, perhaps the land should be given to Egypt and the Palestinians could continue to live there as guests or immigrants. Just a thought.

Israel uses White Phosphorous on Gaza

Dude, I saw these shells being used at night in Gaza on the Israel Defense Force web site: http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/middle_east/article5447590.ece
I was wondering what kind of shell exploded like fireworks. It appears that they are white phosphorous. Not good: http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/middle_east/article5470047.ece

"In the border village of Khouza, local witnesses said Israeli forces fired phosphorous shells at a row of houses, setting them on fire. One woman died and at least 100 others were injured in that attack, health officials said. The Israeli military denied the attack took place. "

http://news.sympatico.msn.ctv.ca/abc/home/contentposting.aspx?isfa=1&feedname=CTV-TOPSTORIES_V3&showbyline=True&date=true&newsitemid=CTVNews%2f20090111%2fisrael_gaza_090111

This is why we need foreign observers to determine who is lying. On this issue it clearly appears that Israel is lying. That does not make terrorism right or Hamas’ campaign to start shit as soon as Israel pulled out of Gaza right but it does mean that the use of white phosphorous on civilians should stop.

Israel’s Mistakes in Gaza

As I’ve said, it is my opinion that the world should unite against Hamas and any terrorist organization whose sole intent is to commit genocide by wiping any group of people off the face of the earth: http://www.worldnetdaily.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=45627 Nevertheless, I have also said that Israel has a tendency of getting carried away and I will cite what I see as several mistakes Israel has made the Gaza 2009 conflict.

Media ban. I can understand how they don’t want the media to get in the way of a military action. The media can be injured as well as release Intel before it should be released from a strategic war perspective.

However, censorship of the media during any war is also a concern for the people who want to know what is going on behind closed doors. Both sides are capable of lying in this dispute. It was very helpful to have the media show pictures of crazy woman running to were a bomb warning was given to die for the cause and pretend to be an innocent martyr. That was just plain deranged. It is also helpful to have the media there to find out if Israel is getting carried away.

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The use of white phosphorous: http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/middle_east/article5470047.ece

Allegations have been made that Israel has been using shells with white phosphorous on civilians, which causes serious burns. Israel denies this but medical reports have come in of victims with strange burns. It has been proposed that Israel has been using the phosphorous as a smoke screen not on civilians. Having the media there could confirm those reports.

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However, the photo above clearly shows blue shells marked M825A1, an American made white phosphorous ammunition. Is that what the Americans sold Sadam to use on Iran and then hang him for using? Couldn’t be.

Killing UN drivers:

http://www.theprovince.com/news/Canadians+Gaza/1157777/story.html

Come on now that is outrageous. I know the Americans are known for friendly fire during war because they simply like to blow shit up, but this is not the first time Israel has hit UN. Remember the Canadian at a peacekeeping post on the border in Lebanon? We expect better from Israel.

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Three schools have been hit with Israeli shells. Israel claims that Hamas was firing from one of the schools, which is entirely likely. These wackos will use children as human shields to protect themselves but also to increase civilian deaths and somehow blame that on Israel.

In any good guy versus bad guy drama, when the good guy chases the bad guy, the bad guy always grabs a woman or child as a hostage and says stop or I’ll shoot. The good guy then hesitates and waits for his opportunity to take out the bad guy while saving the hostage at the same time. The good guy doesn’t say oh yeah and then shoot the bad guy and the hostage. It just doesn’t work that way.

If the bad guy runs into a school full of children the good guy doesn’t blow the whole school up and say well we got the bad guy and it certainly doesn’t blow up three schools and say well we did get the bad guy hiding out in one of the schools. That is outrageous. Not to excuse the bad guy at all. I’m just saying that Israel needs to demonstrate a little compassion for all human life. Oh is that the impossible dream? My bad. Watch out for the next famine. Go go go Joseph. (Jacob had more than one child as well) Even Joseph and Judah used to fight with each other. Cheers.

The War in Gaza

Like I said there has been many new developments and lots to comment on. The first is the obvious. Hamas were firing rockets into Israel from Gaza non stop. Israel asked them to stop and they did not. Israel warned them if they didn’t stop they would kick their ass and they did not stop. Playing the victim after that is somewhat pathetic.

However, like I said, Israel has a history of getting carried away and we are beginning to see the same pattern repeat itself. The Province ran a heart wrenching article about a father who lost his sons during the recent Israeli shelling in Gaza. First I must genuinely say I am truly sorry for his loss. No words can describe the grief or replace that loss. Nevertheless, in his sorrow I would ask him and all the Palestinians to open their eyes and see the same thing from the other side.

Losing a child is a horrible thing. Losing a child in an act of war is heart wrenching. Yet I would ask of him the same thing I would ask of the Hamas who have been firing rockets into Israel indiscriminately for so long. If you realize losing a child is such a horrible thing, why would you fire rockets at Israel trying to make them feel that sorrow? All human life has value whether they be Muslim, Jew, Christian, Buddhist or Atheist and Allah has declared thou shalt not kill.

You cannot throw rocks at a lion every day and then play the victim when the lion turns around and eats your family. You were the one throwing rocks at a lion and Judah is a lion’s whelp. Now I am in no way condoning civilian deaths in times of war. I abhor it. Even though it is historically common. Germany bombed London civilians on a regular basis during the war. That is why everyone hid in the underground during air raids. The Americans nuked two Japanese cities of civilians. That was outrageous.

Personally I think intentionally targeting civilians during war is horrible. My concept of war is two armies going head to head on the battle field. Unfortunately that is rarely the case. Nevertheless, crying because Hamas is fighting with "home made rockets" while Israel is fighting with tanks and planes is ridiculous. Why were you firing home made rockets at the tanks and planes? Israel was pulling out and giving you more autonomy.

If Hamas refuses to stop firing rockets at Israel, Israel has a right to drive them back and create a buffer zone to push them out of range. However, Gaza being so small makes that task problematic. The obvious solution is stop firing rockets.

Lebanon steps up the plate and fires rockets at Israel. I see that as a support for Gaza not an instigation of violence. However, in so doing they must face the consequences and be ready for an Israeli counter attack. Firing rockets at Israel during a war is an act of war. Mind you it’s nice to see Lebanon fire rockets at someone else for a change. Usually they are firing them at each other. The Lebanese Muslims seem to have a problem with the democratic will of the Lebanese Christians and visa versa.

Now Israel claims it is bombing tunnels the Hamas use to smuggle in rockets from Egypt. Well that’s fair enough. Bombing tunnels terrorists use to smuggle weapons is fare game. However, Israel has made in my opinion three mistakes and I will address those next.

However, since Hamas does not want autonomy, it only wants to destroy Israel: http://www.worldnetdaily.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=45627

Perhaps the world should unite against Hamas and stop them from firing rockets so peace can exist.

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The Dark Side of Israel and Palestine

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GSPZjdEtfS4

Every person and every country has good and bad. Me mother always used to say "'There is so much good in the worst of us and so much bad in the best of us, that it ill behooves any of us to talk about the rest of us." However, the truth will set us free. Being honest about our weaknesses will help us over come them. Rage and denial never heals anything.

The politically incorrect stereotype is that Jews are misers with money. They say the same about us Scots. Most people who are good with money are. Unfortunately I’m only part Scottish. I’m not very good with money.

There is however, there is a line between being good with money and being dishonest in business. When I went to Israel many years ago I was but a wee lad. It was before credit cards were common and well before direct debit. I had money in a bank account and my parents would wire me my money along my travels around the world. Wiring money into Egypt was easy. Wiring money into Israel was not.

For some obscure reason Israel was one of the few countries the bank would not wire money to from Canada. I had no idea why. Well we persisted as I had run out of funds. I was working on a kibbutz to pay my room and board but needed money to move on so to speak. Each week I’d have a day off and phone the bank in Jerusalem. I would ask is my money there yet and they would say no. This went on week after week and I began to get frustrated.

Finally I did all my homework and had all the numbers ready to quote. I made the weekly call asking for my money and got the same answer sorry it’s not here. Then I said Oh really. Well this is the date it was sent from Canada and this is the date you received it and this is the transaction number. There was silence then the response. Oh yes, hear it is. It’s been waiting here for you all along. Why haven’t you come to pick it up? Instead of raging on her for lying to me I simply said fine, I’ll be right there and picked it up.

I’m not sure if the banking industry in Israel is well known for it’s honesty in business. Don’t get me started on Larry Sliverstein. In my opinion that man is a devil. Nothing more, nothing less.
Israel got some bad press not long ago when their president had to step down over sexual harassment allegations. I’m not aware of the merits of the case. Sexual harassment could be a sarcastic comment, a slap on the ass or outright stalking and extortion. However, some allegations are false as well.

Like I said I don’t know about the merits of the case but I do know there is good and bad in everyone. We need to be honest about our mistakes or we will never over come them.
I will liken Palestine to Ireland. The IRA had good and bad. In the beginning Michael Collins helped raise up an army to fight for freedom. However, the first day I arrived in Dublin many years ago, the IRA had kidnapped a dentist and sent his fingers to his family in the mail with the ransom note. That was down right deranged. There was nothing noble or good in that.

Likewise, nobody likes to see the Palestinians oppressed. However the world view on terrorism is not very tolerant. In Ireland the IRA would gain public support when they hit military outlets and lose public support when they hit civilian targets. It was that simple.

Likewise when Palestinians endorse and support terrorism the world’s knee jerk reaction is kick their ass. Throwing candies in the air and celebrating when civilians die in terrorist attacks is just plain deranged.

I met a good man who was a Muslim Palestinian living in Palestine. He lived on what was called the Oasis of Peace. A multicultural community based on the freedom of religion where Jews and Palestinians coexisted in peace. He explained to me the problematic nature of the conflict.
Israel is by definition is a Jewish state. Although he lived in Israel he could never get an Israeli passport because he was a Palestinian. If he was allowed to become an Israeli citizen he would have to serve in the army which would be very problematic for both. That is why Israel avoids that problem by not making Palestinians citizens of Israel.

Although it solves the military service problem it creates other problems about democracy, autonomy and citizenship. The whole concept of Israel being a Jewish state was very strange for me. I understand what they are trying to accomplish but I’m used to a constitution or Charter of Rights where human rights and religious freedom is guaranteed. South of the 49 they get pretty outraged over taxation without representation. Don’t Palestinians working in Israel pay taxes?

Could Israel become a multicultural society were human rights and religious freedom is guaranteed by a constitution? Internationally I think the concept of forming a Muslim sate is just as problematic as forming a Jewish, Christian or a Buddhist state. How can Israel govern the land when nonJews cannot become citizens and serve in government? How can Israel let nonJews become citizens without creating a dilemma over military service? These questions I don’t know the answer to. All I know is forming a Muslim state is just as problematic as forming a Jewish state.

Perhaps some would gleam and suggest we form a Communist state to which I shudder. Lenin outlawed religion. In my opinion that is not a solution. It violates democracy and human rights. So what we have now is a dilemma and a mess but clearly the Oasis of Peace is a model to start from: http://nswas.org/

Israel’s Double Edge Sword

They say the truth is a double edge sword. I suppose that could have a few meanings. One meaning could be that it can cut others but if your not careful with it you can cut yourself. Israel, like everyone else, has been subject to the pride cycle. When we look at the rise and fall of Rome we see that pride (and corruption) cometh before the fall.

Dictators rise and fall. Oppression never lasts forever. Natural justice yearns for freedom. At one point in time, Israel were slaves in Egypt. Then came Moses who led his people on a long journey to freedom. Then came Jeremiah who warned Zedekiah about pride. They threw Jeremiah in prison for predicting Jerusalem would fall. Then God used Israel’s enemies to teach them a lesson.

Nebecanezzar conquered Israel and the survivors were carried away captive into Babylon. The pride cycle shows us that no matter how big and bad we think we are, any one of us can fall. Even the mighty Goliath. Recognizing the existence of a higher power can sometimes help us retain a certain amount of humility and avoid the trap of pride. Yet often religion is exploited and simply feeds the pride cycle.

Some refer to Jews as God’s chosen people. However when you look at history that’s kind of like referring to the luck of the Irish. The potato famine, British occupation, the Northern Ireland conflict, if that’s luck then God help them. Personally I prefer the term covenanted people. Moses made a covenant with God to serve Him and God promised to help Moses if Moses kept his covenant. It was the same covenant God made with Abraham and renewed with Isaac and Jacob. After making that covenant Abraham and everyone who renewed that covenant became known as Israel which means God preserves. Yes Abraham, Isaac and Jacob did have other children who also have a claim on the land as well.

Moses warned the people that God did not give them the promised land because of their righteousness. He gave them the land because of the former inhabitant’s wickedness. Not the Palestinians. Before the Palestinians lived there. Those people were really bad. History also demonstrates that although Palestinians do have a right to live in Palestine they were not the first inhabitants of all that land. In most of the land, Israel was there before them. That is a historical fact.
My point is that Jews do not have exclusive claim on all the land in Palestine and neither do the Palestinians. The God of Israel, the Great Architect of the Universe, the Grand Geometrician, Allah Himself has decreed, "Thou shalt not vex the stranger that sojourneth with thee."

I have no doubt that Israel will one day be puffed up in pride and all the armies of the world will gather to destroy her and keep Jerusalem under siege for three and a half years. Nevertheless, right now Gaza is bombing Israel and refuses to stop. Israel has a right to create a buffer zone to put them out of range of the Hamas rockets. That is just.

Israeli ground troops enter Gaza

Before I dive in and make the post about the good and bad side of Israel I’m going to comment on today’s news of Israeli troops entering Gaza: http://news.sympatico.msn.ctv.ca/abc/home/contentposting.aspx?isfa=1&feedname=CTV-TOPSTORIES_V3&showbyline=True&date=true&newsitemid=CTVNews%2f20090103%2fisrael_gaza_090103

Israel pulled out of Gaza in an attempt to let Gaza have more autonomy. When it did that Hamas stepped up it’s campaign to continuously send rockets into Israel indiscriminately. True there were not a high number of casualties from the rocket attacks because their aim sucked. They would just fire them into civilian areas randomly. This created a continual sense of chaos and fear for Israelis in southern Israel because they would have to idea when or where a rocket would hit next. I’ve discussed the build up and the air strikes. Today the troops move in.

"According to Israeli defense officials, 10,000 troops had gathered at the edge of Gaza, including tanks and special operations units.

‘We will do all that is necessary to provide a different reality for southern Israel, which has been under constant attacks for the past eight years,’ Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni told Channel 2 TV.

According to CTV News correspondent Janis Mackey Frayer, the troops have entered the northern part of Gaza, backed by tanks and combat helicopters. She said they may attempt to secure an area along the border that is a known hotspot from which militants fire rockets.

‘The buffer zone between Israel and Gaza at the border has been widened on the Gaza side,’ Mackey Frayer told Newsnet. ‘Every time the army has made it a little bit wider to push back the potential for these rocket squads to be able to fire rockets. So what they're going to try to do is contain at least part of this area.’

She added that ‘the Israeli political establishment has been very clear in saying that they do not want to reoccupy the Gaza Strip’."

So there you have it. It cannot be any more simple than that. They are creating a buffer zone. Since Hamas refuses to stop launching rockets at them they are pushing them back out of range so that their rockets will not be able to hit them. There is nothing more simple and straight forward than that.

Don’t worry. I’m going to discuss Israel’s dark side next. Every person and every country has good and bad. I do not agree with everything Israel does. It’s just that this time the situation cannot be any clearer. On this occasion, I agree with them.

The Gaza Offensive

http://news.sympatico.msn.ctv.ca/abc/home/contentposting.aspx?isfa=1&feedname=CTV-TOPSTORIES_V3&showbyline=True&date=true&newsitemid=CTVNews%2f20081230%2fgaza_day5_081231

Talk about a mess. OK Hamas fires rockets into Israel from Gaza and won’t stop. Israel says stop or we’ll kick your ass. They continue. So Israel launches an air strike on Hamas targets in Gaza. So what does Hamas do? They keep firing rockets at civilians and keep playing the victim. That is bullshit.

I will agree that both Israel and the United States tend to over react. Take Pearl Harbor for example. Japan hits a military target and the US responds by nuking two cities of civilians. That was wacked. Especially when you realize that the oil embargo the US placed Japan under forced them to do something to stop the oil embargo. Then there’s the whole drama about how the US knew about the attack before it happened, left the old ships in the harbour while the new ships were out to sea during the attack. But we won’t get into that now. Much.

My point is that I will admit Israel and the United States tend to over react. You kill one of ours we kill a hundred of yours. That’s fair so they say. Then there’s the torture issue. I have no doubt that Israel will torture prisoners who are known terrorists to get information to save lives. I disagree with that practice. The US uses that argument to torture innocent people to get fake confessions for their false flag attacks to justify their oil wars. I really disagree with that.

I will agree that there are Jewish extremists just like there are Muslim extremists, born again Christian extremists and even Atheist extremists. The problem isn’t religion. The problem is self-determination and murder.

Let’s compare Gaza to Ireland. England conquered and oppressed Ireland and the Irish people objected. The Easter Rising was the height of the rebellion, which eventually paved the way for the creation of the free state. Before Ireland became a republic England let them form a free state as a stepping stone to becoming an independent republic.

Now let’s compare that to Gaza. Gaza is conquered by England and England gives the land to Israel so they can have a home of their own. Gaza objects. Israel pulls out and starts giving them more autonomy. So what do they do? They say we want more and start shooting rockets at Israeli citizens. If the Irish Free State started shooting rockets at England when given their new independence there is no way England would have let them form a republic.

Northern Ireland is problematic. 51% of the people there want to remain part of England. 49% do not. Compare that to Israel. The Jewish people living in Palestine want to be independent. If Gaza had their way they would be the oppressors and we would be in the same boat.

Palestinians have a right to live in Palestine. Jews have a right to live there as well. So do Armenians and Christians. Wiping one group off the face of the earth is just plain wrong. It’s that simple. And murdering innocent civilians in acts of terrorism is murder.

In Ireland the IRA would hit military targets. When they targeted civilians they lost public support. The bottom line is that Gaza needs to stop starting shit and then play the victim. It’s just plain pathetic and defies the public peace.

The thing I can’t figure out is if Israel sends in air strikes how and the hell can Hamas keep firing rockets? Gaza is pretty small. About the size of Vancouver Island only very densely populated. You’d think with all high tech equipment and spy satellites out there Israel would be able to blow up each new location Hamas fired rockets from. The problem arises when they fire rockets from civilian areas and then cry the victim about civilian casualties when Israel strikes where they were firing the rockets from. In essence they are using their own people as human shields. That is shameful. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/in_pictures/6166998.stm

Israel Strikes Back

http://news.sympatico.msn.ctv.ca/abc/home/contentposting.aspx?isfa=1&feedname=CTV-TOPSTORIES_V3&showbyline=True&date=true&newsitemid=CTVNews%2f20081227%2fgaza_airstrikes_081227

Israel strikes back after Hamas continues to launch rockets into Israel on Christmas eve and Hamas has the audacity to play the victim. The Israeli air strike was launched at 4:30 AM yet Hamas claims some of the air strikes were in areas where children had left school. Going to school at 4:30 AM?

"The Gaza Strip is one of the most densely-populated places on the plant." That is where they are firing the rockets from. They are firing rockets from densely populated areas into civilian areas. Israel strikes back and somehow they are the bad guys? Get real.

I certainly don’t agree with everything Israel does but stop the bullsh*t. Terrorism is wrong. Stop playing the victim. Don’t fire rockets from civilian areas into civilian areas. The more concessions Israel make the more are demanded of her.

Murderers from Gaza

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/12/25/world/middleeast/25mideast.html

Gaza continues to launch rockets into Israel Christmas Eve. That is murder. Nothing more nothing less. There is nothing holy about it. I will be the first person to admit the Palestinian situation is very problematic. How can we criticize Israel for building a wall to defend itself? Israel wants and deserves a home. So do the Palestinians. Murdering civilians is wrong. Creating a Jewish state is problematic. Basically it's a mess but history has demonstrated the more concessions Israel makes, the more are demanded of her.