Friday, May 20, 2011

The Audacity of Idiocy


After hearing Obama’s Middle East speech yesterday, I read a comment that one of my Jewish friend’s posted. She said, “This is one of the worst days of my life. I feel sick.” Was she just being dramatic? Or were her strong feelings justified?

If you didn’t hear Obama’s speech, here it is in a nutshell: Blah, blah, blah, pre-1967 borders blah, blah, blah.

Those three words are what left my friend and so many others who love the Jews living in Israel, disgusted, angry, and feeling sick. Because pre-1967 borders can mean only one thing to Israel. Death.

Rewinding to pre-1967 borders would leave Israel 9 miles wide in one area. Did that register? Nine. Miles. Wide. Tell me this. Would you live in a town less than 10 miles away from a mass of people who had publically declared that they want to kill you and your children? (Psst, and they didn’t make that declaration just once and just recently. Let’s just call that declaration of hate and death a pre-1967 declaration.)

Rewinding to pre-1967 borders would leave Israel’s airport 3 miles away from a hotbed of Hamas devotees. (Psst, Hamas is a terrorist organization.) Tell me this. Would you take off from an airport less than 3 miles away from a mass of people who had publically declared that they want to kill you and your children and who had an arsenal of surface-to-air missiles?

Rewinding to pre-1967 borders would take away Israel’s strategic protective mountain ranges. U.S. 
Lieut. General Thomas Kelly, director of operations for the Joint Chiefs of
Staff during the Gulf War, once pointed out that Israel would be virtually
indefensible without those mountainous areas. He said, “I look out from those
heights and look onto the West Bank and say to myself, ‘If I’m the chief of
staff of the Israel Defense Forces, I cannot defend this land without that
terrain.'” It doesn’t take a Liet. General to know that.

Rewinding to pre-1967 borders could endanger Israel’s water supply. A significant portion
of Israel’s water originates in Judea-Samaria. A retreat to the 1967
borders would leave these crucial water sources under Arab control. Tell me this. Would you drink or let your children drink water from an area controlled by people who had publically declared that they want to kill you and your children?

Rewinding to pre-1967 borders would divide Jerusalem. The Temple Mount, the Western Wall, the Jewish Quarter and the Mount of Olives cemetery would all be turned over to the Arabs. Talk about a psychological and spiritual death. Have you seen the way Arabs treat Jewish holy sites? Have you seen what they did to Joseph’s tomb? Do you know that Arabs have a little national pastime of murdereing Jews at Jewish holy sites? Have you seen the footage of Palestinians rampaging the Temple Mount last week? It was a swath of irreverential destruction; physically and spiritually. Tell me this. How would you feel if the synagogue or church you went to or the cemetery your family was buried in was about to be given to a group of people who had publically declared that they want to kill you and your children?

For those who truly love Israel and its people, the thought of pre-1967 borders is one of the worst scenarios imaginable for Israel. Unless . . . unless the thought of a world leader suggesting this wakes up Israel. The only thing that calms my fears for Israel and my frustrations over the stupid, arrogant, audacity of Obama is to remember that Obama is only a pawn in Hashem’s hand.

“Why do nations gather, and regimes talk in vain? The kings of the earth take their stand against Hashem and his anointed [Israel]. But He who sits in heaven will laugh, and will mock them. Then in His anger and wrath He will terrify them. For Hashem annuls the counsel of nations, He thwarts the designs of peoples,” per Psalms 2 & 33.

G-d let Obama become president. He let those words come out of his mouth yesterday. Now the question is, how will the Jews respond? Will this be the straw? Will this be the turning point of Jews waking up and turning to the G-d of Israel for advice, for direction, for protection, instead of turning to the nations. I hope so. I pray so. Because the other alternative is unimaginably heartbreaking.

Friday, May 13, 2011

Nakba Day (Translated, Blame Israel for Arab Leaders Mistakes Day)


After speaking to an audience about the Jews being G-d’s chosen people (yes, people do need to be reminded of that little oft-dismissed fact), I was approached by an elderly Arab lady. “My relatives were kicked out of their land by the Jews,” she bluntly stated. “Oh really?” I started to say as my feathers were ruffled. But I admit that her age caused me to soften my heart and my response towards her. Even though, on the inside I thought, “You mean the Jews who were busy defending themselves against the multiple Arab countries who attacked them immediately after Israel’s statehood was declared?”

Yeah, those Jews. Those Jews became not only a surprise to the Arab’s plan of annihilation, but an obstacle to the plan. The Arabs had a tiny problem with the U.N. declaration of a Jewish homeland; they didn’t want any Jews in it. So they devised a battle plan. Kick the Jews out or better yet kill them all. The Arabs announced this plan. They told all the Arabs living in Israel to get the heck out of dodge. “There’s a battle a comin',” they warned, “so get out or risk being in the crossfire.” (Keep in mind this is a loose translation. Kinda like the Arab's loose translation of history.) “But no worries. The Jews are nothing. We will quickly destroy them and then, viola,’ you can return home and go on as if nothing happened, except for the killing of thousands of Jews.” That was the Arab plan. Step 1: leave for a while. Step 2: we’ll do a little “housecleaning” while you’re gone. Step: 3: come back to a Judenfrei homeland.

Well, you know the rest of the story. The Jews put a little hitch in the Arab plan. Through the might of Hashem, the Jews stood their ground against the Arab Goliath. So the Arabs retreated and abandoned their plans (at least until they could regroup and reload). But guess what else the Arabs abandoned? The thousands of Arabs they had instructed to leave. These so-called refugees received absolutely zero, zilch, notta, from the Arab countries who caused their flight in the first place. Keep that little factoid in mind every time you hear about the "Palestinian" refugees who have been sat squarely on Israel's lap of responsibility. Egypt. Syria. Iraq. Lebanon. Libya. None of these countries would allow the refugees into their countries. The only country who did was Jordan.

The Arab countries abandoned their own people. And to cover their own great mistake, they concocted the greatest story of our time: the Great Catastrophe, Nakba Day, ie blame Israel for the mess we created and refused to clean up. Hence, the faux-Palestinian myth was created. Granted, it took a little time to get the myth off the ground. But now the myth circles like a high-tech satellite beaming its dogma into millions of gullible minds. Let me remind you, though, who first resisted the lie. Arab voices from the past, who weren’t quite sure yet what they had to gain from the lie. It didn’t take long though, for most Arab leaders to realize that the lie would help lead to their initial goal. The destruction of Israel. But at first they said:

"There is no such thing as Palestine in history, absolutely not," Professor Philip Hitti, Arab historian.

"It is common knowledge that Palestine is nothing but Southern Syria," Saudi Arabia Representative at the United Nations, 1956.

"There are no differences between Jordanians, Palestinians, Syrians and Lebanese. We are all part of one nation. It is only for political reasons that we carefully underline our Palestinian identity . . . yes, the existence of a separate Palestinian identity serves only tactical purposes. The founding of a Palestinian state is a new tool in the continuing battle against Israel," Zuhair Muhsin, military commander of the PLO and member of the PLO Executive Council.

"You do not represent Palestine as much as we do. Never forget this one point: There is no such thing as a Palestinian people, there is no Palestinian entity, there is only Syria. You are an integral part of the Syrian people, Palestine is an integral part of Syria. Therefore it is we, the Syrian authorities, who are the true representatives of the Palestinian people," Syrian dictator Hafez Assad to the PLO leader Yassir Arafat.

"We are the government of Palestine, the army of Palestine and the refugees of Palestine," Prime Minister of Jordan, Hazza' al-Majali, 23 August 1959.

"Palestine and Transjordan are one," King Abdullah, Arab League meeting in Cairo, 12 April 1948.

"Palestine is Jordan and Jordan is Palestine; there is one people and one land, with one history and one and the same fate," Prince Hassan, brother of King Hussein, addressing the Jordanian National Assembly, 2 February 1970.

"Jordan is not just another Arab state with regard to Palestine, but rather, Jordan is Palestine and Palestine is Jordan in terms of territory, national identity, sufferings, hopes and aspirations," Jordanian Minister of Agriculture, 24 September 1980.

"The truth is that Jordan is Palestine and Palestine is Jordan," King Hussein 1981.

But, hey, what are facts when Arabs-bent-on-destroying-Israel have a better narrative to tell? Hence millions of Arabs have blamed their woes, and in turn have directed their murderous hatred towards Israel. And once again they will commemorate the Great Lie by celebrating Nakba Day, the Great Catastrophe, on Sunday.

I forgot to tell you what I said to the elderly Arab lady. I told her I was sorry. Sorry for her family’s pain. And I still am. Though I don’t like the lies, to say the least, that the Arabs tell about Israel and how those lies have lent to death and destruction, I am still sorry for the lost Arab homes and lives because of their leaders’ choices. So in that vain, I have one thing to say to the Arab leaders. Leave Israel alone. Get out of her way. Because you know what Israel has done and will continue to do, especially when she’s not busy having to fight you? Something you have never done well. Take care of your own people. Arabs living in Israel have more freedom and live better than they do in most Arab countries. So instead of trying to destroy Israel, why don’t you finally learn from her and let the Great Catastrophe turn into the Great Lesson.

Thursday, May 5, 2011

WWDD?

With all the opinions circulating regarding the death of bin Laden and whether the photos of the corpse should be released, I’ve thought a lot about King David this week and how he killed Goliath. What I’ve thought about most though, is the ending of the story.

I’m always a little amused at the somewhat nonchalant way the famed Bible story ends. After David cut off Goliath’s head we’re told, “David took the head of the Philistine, and eventually brought it to Jerusalem.” What does one do with a severed head during the “eventually” time? After the killing of bin Laden, it hit me. Duh! David didn’t have the Internet, CNN, or the Jerusalem Post to spread his news. He had a severed head. It was proof that he had indeed killed Israel’s #1 enemy at the time. Apparently, David thought the people had a right to know, and probably even needed to know, that the story was true.

So is it too far of a stretch to ask, “What would David do,” today? Not just about releasing the photos of bin Laden’s corpse, but about everything. David was a righteous warrior who became a noble leader. He was also described by Samuel as, “a man after G-d’s own heart.” Imagine having a leader today who could be described that way.

King David was promised that someone from his lineage would once again rule Israel. It’s been a long time coming, to say the least. I’ve noticed a small rumbling among Jews lately. They’re publically asking, “Where is our promised leader?” “Who and when will someone like David come forth?” With the leadership in Israel, and the world at large, it’s no wonder that people are yearning for a David-like leader. Not a panderer. Not a poll-driven politician. Not an appeaser. A real leader. One like Jeremiah described as, “a righteous sprout from David; a king who will reign and prosper and will administer justice and righteousness in the land.”

What made David a man after G-d’s heart, which in turn made him a great leader, and will make his long awaited successor a great leader? In a nutshell, David loved the Torah. Psalms 119 describes how David felt about the Torah. It’s the Psalm that goes on and on, literally, about how perfect the Torah is and how praiseworthy it is to follow the Torah. David made his decisions based on Torah. It was his compass. Imagine a leader in Israel today, with global influence, basing his decisions on Torah. That would change the world. Which is good. Because the world needs changing.

With all the governmental talking heads, not to mention all the talking heads in the media, I’m beginning to believe the joke regarding what the first public words from David’s successor will be. “Shtok!” Which quite unceremoniously means to "shut-up."

Whatever the Moshiach’s first words are, the world will finally listen to the words of Torah. Though sometimes it seems like a fantasy in this day and age, the prophets of Israel foresaw a time when the entire world would depend on the laws of the Torah to guide them. Imagine that. Not only Israel but the entire world recognizing the Torah as THE bottom-line answer for everything. The world won’t look to the Pope. The world won’t look to the President of the United States. The world won’t look to the United Nations. It will look to David’s successor, who will be in the company of a few good men; i.e. the Sanhedrin.

The Moshiach and the Sanhedrin, which are the councilmen of Israel, can seem as far away in our collective consciousness as other ancient Bible stories. How we need their wisdom to invade our consciousness, though, not to mention to invade our modern-day problems.

Isaiah foresaw a time when the Sanhedrin would function once again in Israel, along with the coming Moshiach. What’s fascinating, though, is that this time, their council and judgments will be sought by the entire world. Isaiah said, “It will happen in the end of days: The mountain of the Temple of Hashem will be firmly established, and it will be exalted above the hills, and all the nations will go there. Many peoples will go and say, ‘Come let us go up to the Mountain of Hashem, to the Temple of the God of Jacob, and we will learn His ways and we will walk in His paths.’ For from Zion will the Torah come forth [from the Sanhedrin], and the word of Hashem from Jerusalem. He, [David’s successor] will judge among the nations, and will settle the arguments of many peoples. They shall beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks; nation will not lift sword against nation and they will no longer study warfare.”

Put that in your pipe and smoke it UN. Deal with that world leaders who dictate Israel’s every move. Take notice Israeli government who refuses to cut the puppet strings of attachment to other nations. The times they are a-changin.’

And since that change is destined to happen, the Israeli government might as well go ahead and start getting with Hashem’s program. Reconfigure. Become a prototype of Psalm 1. Be the praiseworthy men who don’t not walk in the counsel of the wicked, and don’t sit with the session of scorners.

Can Psalm 1 be any clearer? The counsel of the nations to Israel continues to lead to appeasement, which leads to the deaths of Jews. Is that not evil? And the UN can easily be called a “session of scorners” regarding its beliefs about Israel. If only Israel would permanently vacate its seat at the UN and instead build a seat, 71 seats precisely, for those who seek the Torah day and night.

The judgments of the forthcoming Davidic leader and the Sanhedrin will be the antithesis, the antidote, the bedrock of truth that will replace the lies and misplaced judgments of the UN and world governments. Indeed, per Isaiah 2, the Temple will become the one place the entire world will look to and ask, “What would David do?” Which in essence is asking, “What would Hashem do?” For David was a man after Hashem’s heart. And his successor along with the assembly of the Sanhedrin will all be men after Hashem’s heart. They will render judgments that will bring peace and security to Israel and healing to the nations. Imagine.

And to help you imagine, the following video is a production of the Temple Institute and Shmuel Balsam, architect. They are moving beyond the world of imagination, into the world of doing exactly what David wanted to do. Build the Temple.