Satan's Blog

Today is the third anniversary of this blog. It falls on the day "Devil Merchandising Inc." is cashing in on. Does that make my blog satanic? Do I have to sell my soul for more visitors? Or maybe I am Satan himself. I wish I were Satan. He has so much fun (well, if you like S&M).

Disclaimer: Satan©, The Devil© and 666™ and all related indicia are the property of God & Associates, Ltd.


Tags: Blogging, 666

America - a Burden on Israel?

There's an interesting op-ed piece by Akiva Eldar in Haaretz today. He basically says that the current relationship between the United States and Israel hurts both countries. I agree. The combination of the wrongheaded policies of George W. Bush and Ariel Sharon (and now Olmert) is a recipe for disaster:

Is America a strategic liability?
By Akiva Eldar

Generations of academics and commentators have made a living from dealing with the question of whether Israel represents a strategic asset or a burden to the United States. However, the question of whether the superpower is a strategic asset or burden to Israel seems almost fantastical. The Bush administration's wholesale support for Ariel Sharon's government and the warm welcome given to Prime Minister Ehud Olmert by the Congress prove that Israel can count on the White House and the Capitol. The president's road map will continue to protect us from the threat of negotiating with Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas, while the law that the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) pushed through Congress guarantees that PA Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh will not be a partner - even when it comes to cooperating to combat avian flu.

Fortunately, on the issue that is considered critical to Israel's existence - Iran's nuclear capabilities - the United States is likely to be an asset to Israel, but that is an exception, one in which the Americans refuse to be drawn into making another strategic mistake. It is an exception that does not prove the rule.

Dr. Haggai Ram of Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, author of "Reading Iran in Israel: The Self and the Other, Religion and Modernity," notes that during the presidency of Mohammed Khatami, there were increasing calls in Iran for a "just" and peaceful solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. According to Ram, after 9/11, and particularly after the invasion of Afghanistan, there was a "window of opportunity" for a rapprochement between the United States and Iran. Ram attributes the failure of contacts toward this end to Israeli efforts to present Iran as a dominant factor in the conflict and to internationalize the conflict in order to present it as an integral part of the "war against terror."

Flint Leverett, formerly a senior figure in the U.S. National Security Council and the State Department, disclosed to the Council on Foreign Relations - the director of which is appointed by the president - that in May 2003, in the wake of the invasion of Iraq, the Swiss ambassador in Tehran passed along an Iranian offer to negotiate with the United States on the nuclear issue. In addition, the document expressed Iran's willingness to adopt the Arab League's resolution to recognize Israel and stop supporting Palestinian terror organizations operating outside of the territories.

Leverett claims that the Bush administration ignored the latter offer, too, keeping instead to its policy of destroying the "axis of evil" and bringing about the "democratization of the Middle East." The end is well known: The "democratization," which conceals American economic interests and messianic tendencies, continues to undermine stability in the Middle East. The Muslim Brotherhood challenges moderate Arab regimes, and Iraq has brought the ills of Afghanistan into the heart of the Sunni world. Al-Qaida is making itself felt in Egypt, Jordan and Palestine. Iran has become a regional power that threatens the entire area, from the Persian Gulf to the western Mediterranean. And the United States, Israel's patron, is losing its powers of deterrence.

Even the conservative Middle East scholar Daniel Pipes, whose appointment to the U.S. Institute of Peace was forced by Bush on Congress, wrote in The New York Sun that the administration's policy in Iraq "makes it easier for the regime's enemies to garner support for their insurgency."

Natan Sharansky, whom Bush has called his "soul mate," argues that it was inappropriate for the United States to pressure the Palestinians into holding elections. In a recent op-ed in The Wall Street Journal, Sharansky wrote that Bush's misreading of the democratization process paved the way for the creation of a Hamas-run entity next to Israel.

When Deputy Prime Minister Shimon Peres, "the architect of the Oslo agreement," was asked why he was supporting the policy of Ariel Sharon, he shrugged his shoulders and responded: "How can I object to a policy that the president of the United States supports?" That "policy" of "there's no partner for peace" is what gave rise to the unilateralism that continues to chip away at what is left of the pragmatic Palestinian camp and to continue to reduce the chances of ending the occupation.

Yesterday was the 39th anniversary of that strategic burden. If our older brother was truly a strategic asset, he would have gotten us out of there long ago.

Tags: Israel, United States, George Bush, Iran, Politics, International Relations

Presidential Race 2007 (Israel)

President Moshe Katsav's 7-year term will end in the summer of 2007. At that time, the 120-member Knesset will elect his successor. Talk of who that will be has already started. Three names have come up so far and I oppose all of them. One is former Knesset speaker Reuven Rivlin. I oppose him on account of him being a pure jackass. Another candidate, who says he will not run, is Shimon Peres. I think he's too old.

The third is Meir Israel Lau, former Chief Ashkenazi Rabbi of Israel. As a secular Israeli I think he was a great Chief Rabbi. He never made any covert political messages wrapped in theological coating and never had any scandals - unlike the two current chief rabbies (the Ashkenazi one is suspected of receiving bribes from a hotel; the Sephardic one's son kidnapped and tortured a guy who was courting his sister). After all, the office of chief rabbi is mainly for the ultra-orthodox, so I don't expect much of the office holders.

But I can't see him as the ceremonial head of Israel. He doesn't represent me. He has a very strict orthodox view on who is Jewish and on the question of state and religion. He opposes civil marriages and non-orthodox currents of Judaism (i.e. Reform and Conservative Judaism - or in other words, most of world Jewry). He does not recognize the children of Jewish fathers and non-Jewish mothers as Jews, even if they were raised Jewish all their lives. He also sees homosexuality as a perversion, and thinks Jews should be more religious. The Sephardic Chief Rabbi during Lau's term, Bakshi Doron, is much more liberal than him.

So who should it be? I'd be happy to see someone like Eli Amir or Amos Oz as president. An author from the center-right, like Eyal Meged, would be good too. Avishay Braverman would be great for the job as well, but I'd rather see him as prime minister.

Tags: Israel, Israeli Politics

Amir Peretz's Iron Grip

Amir Peretz is purging the Labor Party and Labor-controlled ministries of non-loyalists. He has just gotten the party's legal counsel, Barak supporter Eldad Yaniv, booted from his post. The deed was done during a meeting of the Secretariat, attended by 3 of its 5 members, without any prior notice that the issue would even be brought up for debate.

Last week, a Laborite ally of Peretz, Shmuel Abuab was appointed general director of the Education ministry, instead of Acting GD Amira Haim. I've heard unofficial reports that minister of Education Yuli Tamir, another ally of Peretz, actually wanted to keep Haim on as director, but Peretz shoved Abuab down her throat.

Tags: Amir Peretz, Labor Party, Israel, Israeli Politics

The Palestinian Right of Return

Laila El-Haddad, a Palestinian blogger, wrote a post last week titled "Either return..or return", where she basically says there's no other option other than the return of Palestinian refugees. Unfortunately, I have a feeling most Palestinians agree with her. An overwhelming majority of Israelis, myself included, would never let the refugees back into Israel, thus turning Israel into Palestine.

Yes, Israel has some responsibility for the creation of the refugee problem, but so do Arab countries. Over the last six decades, they have made sure the Palestinians would live in the worst conditions in refugee camps, and not be absorbed and given citizenship in the countries in which they currently reside. These countries wish to get rid of the Palestinians, but at the same time they want to still be able to use them to deflect criticism from themselves to the Evil Zionist Entity.

Israel can't recognize the right of return, not even a symbolic one. But as compromise, it can admit partial responsibility for the plight of refugees. It can compensate them and help resettle them in the Palestinian state, and those who decide to stay in their current countries should also be resettled and receive citizenship there (though the Arab states may not agree to that).

But the refugees cannot return to Israel proper. The Palestinians have been educated for the last 58 years to hate the "colonizing Jews". We can coexist wonderfully with the Palestinians who have been citizens of Israel since its establishment, but not with returning refugees. It would be like Kosovo here.

Would the Palestinians ever agree to compensation? I hope so, but I also doubt it. If they don't, this ain't gonna end soon.

Tags: Palestinians, Palestine, Israel, Middle East, Refugees

Brooklyn's Racial Race

An interesting Democratic primary will take place in New York City this September. Representative major R. Owens is retiring after 22 years in Congress and five Democrats are vying for his seat. Since the district is something like 90% Democratic - whoever wins the primary is expected to win in November.

Currently, four African-Americans are running for the seat: Chris Owens, the incumbent's son, State Sen. Carl Andrews, City Councilwoman Yvette Clark and State Assemblyman Nick Perry. The fifth candidate is white City Councilman David Yassky. Rep. Owens, who supports his son's bid, has attacked Yassky for even running in a voting rights district, which, as he sees it, should be represented by a black congressman. Many share this view.

Now I wonder whether the following scenario is possible: Yassky wins the primary by a small margin, and another party, maybe the Working Families Party, nominates one of the black candidates (maybe Carl Andrews). And then the 11th congressional district will have its first competitive November election in decades. It's purely hypothetical, though. It just might be legally impossible.

Tags: New York, New York City, NYC, Brooklyn, Politics, Democrats, Elections

5.5 in 1,000 Children Autistic

A new nationwide study in the United States shows that 1 in 182 children is autistic, if my calculation is correct. That isn't that far from the disputed 1 in 166 statistic from a study in California a few years ago. What does it mean? I have no idea. It doesn't necessarily show a rise in autism cases, it may just show a rise in diagnosis. I have a feeling the Mercury poisoning theory might get a boost by these new numbers, though they are far from being any proof of the theory's validity.

Tags: Autism, mercury, Thimerosal

Ethnic Cleansing in the Knesset

Knesset Member Avigdor Lieberman of the right-wing Israel Beytenu (Israel Our Home) party called yesterday for the execution of Arab Knesset members who met with Hamas leaders. "The Second World War ended with the Nuremberg trials and the execution of the Nazi leadership. Not only them, but also those who collaborated with them. I hope that will also be the fate of the collaborators in this house [the Knesset]", he said.

Though I see meeting and expressing support for Hamas leaders as disloyalty to Israel, calling for the MKs' deaths is dangerous incitement and way beyond legitimate parliamentary debate.

Maybe the Arab MKs who met Hamas leaders should be kicked out of the Knesset, but so should Lieberman for criminal incitement.

Tags: Israel, Knesset, Politics, Israeli Politics, Hamas

Is Israel the Only Place for Jews?

Israeli author A. B. Yehoshua caused quite a stir at the American Jewish Committee's Centennial symposium, when he argued that the only way to be a Jew is to live in Israel. Yehoshua was very blunt. He said Jews outside Israel are playing with their identity, "Plug & Play Jews". He even went as far as to say American Jews would leave the States and move to China if it surpassed the US economically. Now that's anti-Semitic - the greedy disloyal Jews looking for the best place to make money.

This is an old, classical Zionist position, which was once necessary for the State of Israel back when it relied on immigration for its demographic survival as a Jewish state. I think his views are shared by a majority of Israelis, who truly don't understand how any Jew can stay in the diaspora. This is a narrowminded, provincial view. These people haven't seen thriving Jewish communities abroad. They don't know that non-Israeli Jews can have great lives, without having to constantly worry about antisemitism.

I think the Hebrew word for diaspora, Gola (from Galut, exile), should be thrown out the window. The Gola is very small now - since, as I see it, it is a place outside Israel where the local Jews feel they are in exile. Happy American, Canadian, British and other Jews who feel at home in their countries are not in the Gola. They are not in exile. Of course, this is a secular interpretation of the word. That isn't to say Israel should stop trying to bring new Jewish Olim to Israel, but it should do that by making Israel a better place to live in, not by rebuking those who stay abroad.

Tags: Israel, Zionism, Judaism, Jewish Diaspora

Happy Birthday Israel

Yom Atzmaut Sameach! Happy Independence Day, Israel!

For one day, forget about all the crap in this country. Focus on the positive. We're a strong country whose existence is not threatened anymore. We are a state with some of the best minds the world has ever seen in the fields of economics and technology (less so in the field of politics and diplomacy). We have some of the world's best authors - Amos Oz, A. B. Yehoshua, David Grossman and Eli Amir, just to name a few. Despite being a small country, we have lots of different landscapes - from the desert in the south to the green fields of the north. The people may not have British manners, but they're extremely friendly, always (well, usually) willing to help out a stranger on the street.

There's more good stuff, but I don't want to overdose on the patriotism.

Tags: Israel

Who Will Remember?

It is Holocaust Remembrance Day today. As I see the old survivors speaking at ceremonies and in documentaries, I can't help but think that in a few years there will be no more holocaust survivors. Who will act as witnesses at ceremonies and public discussions? As the people who remember the horrible experiences fade away, will the "public memory" fade as well?

We will never forget the holocaust, but it may become something more of a historical fact than an actual scar on humanity. Young Germans, Austrians, Poles and others already see it as distant history rather than something that has anything to do with them. I can't blame them. They aren't responsible for what their parents and grandparents did.

On the other hand, for most young Jews (at least in Israel), the holocaust is still a part of life. It isn't something that's always present, like an obsession, but it is part of their background. Our parents' and grandparents' lives were changed by it. We know survivors, we know people who have lost relatives. Unlike those who only hear tales of survival through documentaries, we have heard thousands of stories from people near and dear to us - an aunt who survived the camps, a neighbor raised by nuns until his mother could return to take him, those who fled in time but lost entire families, and many more. So we remember, but will our children? Will the next generations be interested in the stories retold by those who did not experience them?

But maybe we've already forgotten one of the most important lessons of the holocaust. The eve of Holocaust Remembrance Day (27 of Nisan, according to the Jewish calendar) coincides this year with Genocide Remembrance Day in Armenia (March 24). I find it symbolic: we should remember that genocide is global. The Holocaust was not the first attempt at ethnic cleansing, nor was it the last. It is happening right now in Darfur. Unfortunately, just like in the 1940's, nobody cares. Nobody will do a thing against it, including Israel.

President Moshe Katzav and Prime Minister Ehud Olmert used the memorial ceremony to warn the world against Iran's dreams of nuclear genocide. They should have called for intervention in Sudan.

Tags: Holocaust, Genocide, Darfur

Labor Down to 19 Knesset Members

Israel's central elections committee announced a correction today to the election results. Labor has 19 seats, not 20, while Ra'am-Ta'al, an Arab party, has 4 instead of 3. It's weird, but I'm happy Labor lost a seat even though I voted for them. The whole "social emergency Peretz government" concept pisses me off.

The original error was due to the fact that in one Arab town poll workers mistakenly listed hundreds of votes as being for Herut, a party advocating the "transfer for compensation" of Arabs, instead of Ra'am-Ta'al, which was right next to it on the voting tally form.

Tags: Israel, Israeli Politics, Politics, Israeli Elections, Labor Party

Prime Minister Amir Peretz?

After the 2003 elections, it took me about a year and a half until I was sorry I voted for Shinui. This time around, I'm feeling sorry about voting for Labor already. Amir Peretz is trying to get the right wing parties to support and join a government led by himself. There are so many reasons why this would be a disaster.

For one thing, all these parties have nothing in common other than the desire to keep Kadima out of government. Their views on just about every issue are so very different, which would make this a stalemate coalition. It will break up quickly, once its left-wing parties try something its right-wing parties oppose. That will either cause very early elections or the formation of a Kadima-led government after a few months of being stuck in the mud.

Also, though Kadima's election result was mediocre, winning 29 seats after earlier polls had shown them at the 30's and 40's. But it's still the largest party in parliament, almost doubling the number of members it had in the previous Knesset (the former Likud and Labor MKs who formed Kadima). On the other hand, Labor got just one more seat than they did in 2003. And back then, Amir Peretz ran with his small party Am Echad and got 3 seats, which later joined Labor with a combined 22 seats. So actually Labor lost 2 seats on March 28.

Another reason this is not a good idea is Amir Peretz himself. He is not a national leader, but a labor union leader. He would be a bad prime minister. Also, polls show very few people want him at the helm.

Tags: Israel, Israeli Politics, Politics, Israeli Elections, Labor Party, Kadima

Confessions of a Former Bibi Admirer

I was a little kid when I first saw him. He was on CNN, being interviewed as Israel's ambassador to the United Nations. He had such perfect American English. Bibi Netanyahu became one of my favorite TV personalities. Yes, that's what he was to me back then - a TV personality. With perfect English. To this day, I have a soft spot for Israelis with perfect American English and Americans with perfect Hebrew.

I had no ideas what his political views were at the time. I doubt I really had any of my own back then. But as I became politically aware, and Bibi became head of Likud and later prime minister, even the perfect English could not compensate for his politics and horrible leadership. I really dislike him now as a politician. I even dislike him as a TV personality.

That, by the way, is his biggest failure, since he always was more of a TV star than a leader.

Tags: Israel, Israeli Politics, Politics, Likud, Benjamin Netanyahu

Heads Will Roll

It's now time for the losing parties of the Israeli 2006 elections to consider getting rid of their leaders:

• The Labor Party should get rid of Amir Peretz and put Avishai Braverman at its helm. If that happens, I'll definitely vote for them again next time, except I'll pick them for their leader, nor despite of him.
• The Likud should get rid of Netanyahu. I think Silvan Shalom would be the best person to replace him. As a moderate, he can rebuild the party as a center-right, rather than radical-right, party. Still, no chance of them getting my vote next time.
• Meretz should get rid of Yossi Beilin. He's been a disaster and nobody likes him. Knesset Members Zehava Galon and Ran Cohen have announced they'll run against him. I don't like Galon, and I doubt she'd attract voters. Cohen is the better choice here.
• Kadima didn't lose, which means Olmert won't be replaced. Too bad. I'd rather see Tzipi Livni at the helm.

Tags: Israel, Israeli Politics, Politics, Israeli Elections, Labor Party, Kadima, Likud, Meretz

Pollard's Mossad Handler, Castro's Business Partner

US-Israeli relations may become awkward soon. The newest party in the Knesset, the Pensioners Party, is about to join Ehud Olmert's coalition. Rafi Eitan, their 79-year old leader, will become a cabinet minister. That will be a problem for the United States, where he's probably a persona-non-grata, for two reasons: he recruited Jonathan Pollard, who spied on the Pentagon for Israel, and he's gained quite a fortune from doing business in Cuba (Israel doesn't have an embargo on Cuba, just like most of the world other than the US).

When the United States is upset with Israel, it knows how to express its feelings. Last year, Amos Yaron left his post as general director of Israel's Defense Ministry after the United States refused to have any contact with him, cancelled a few deals with Israel and delayed others. The Pentagon held him responsible for selling American military technology to China. Eitan, Pollard's boss and Castro's friend, may get the same treatment.

Tags: Israel, Israeli Politics, Politics, Israeli Elections, Cuba, Jonathan Pollard

Exit Polls: Pensioners' Party Wins Big, Likud Crashes

Four exit polls from Israel's three main channels and Ynet are indicating a big surprise: Gill, the pension party that seemed to be hovering around the 2% threshold, got 6-8 seats. Now it's a mid-sized party, stronger than the well established Meretz. That's amazing. It seems to me that it's a form of protest vote.

Also: Likud is down to fourth place, below Avigdor Lieberman's Israel Our Home, and possibly maybe even fifth place, after Shas. Now Likud is almost a marginal party, Netanyahu is probably about to lose his leadership post, and Lieberman will become the new leader of the right wing.

I'm not surprised by numbers Labor and Kadima got in the exit poll. It's more or less what I expected. It's a bit of a disappointment for Kadima, but Labor is probably more or less content.

The most important thing is that the right wing cannot block a center-left government.

Meretz got 5 seats according to all exit polls. That means Zvia Greenfeld is not in the Knesset. I hope the real results will get her into parliament.

Tags: Israel, Israeli Politics, Politics, Israeli Elections, Labor Party, Kadima, Likud, Meretz

I Voted for Labor

That's it. The indecision is over. I chose the Labor Party. The polling place was fairly empty. I had to wait for one person who was ahead of me, but there was nobody in line behind me. As of 2 PM, only 31% of voters came to the polls, compared with 35%-36% at the same hour in 2003 and 2001. It's the lowest turnout ever, so far.

Israelis, wake up and go vote!

Tags: Israel, Israeli Politics, Politics, Israeli Elections, Labor Party

Country Counter

I just added a country counter to see where visitors are coming from. I wouldn't count on the numbers exactly since they may count the same visitor a few times, but the country distribution should be interesting.

Tag: blogging


Update (May 2, 2006): My free trial period is over. The counter is no more.

A Few Election Notes

1. I will probably vote for Labor, though I'm very unhappy with Amir Peretz. I'll vote for Laborites Braverman, Pines, Malchior, Vilnai and Tamir, despite their leader.

2. I also considered voting for the retirement/pensioners party, Gill. All of the last polls show Gill will get into the Knesset, but I don't trust the polls. I'm worried my vote may be wasted if I put their name in the envelope.

3. After tomorrow's exit polls, we'll be free of election polls for a while. However, we aren't done with this headache just yet. Now there will be at least one month of speculation in the media regarding what kind of coalition will be formed, including polls asking which coalition partners the public wants.

4. Hopefully, someone in the next Knesset will have enough brains to sponsor a bill to undo the ban on propaganda on TV and radio, outside of the specific time given to campaign ads. It's stupid that interviewers have to keep asking politicians to refrain from campaign messages, which is exactly what they are there for. The ban's intent is a good one - to give equal time to the smaller parties. But it doesn't work. Also, the one-hour concentration of campaign ads should be cancelled. Campaign ads should run during regular commercial breaks, with the same time limits on each party as exist today.

5. Goodbye, 16th Knesset. You were the worst one we've ever seen. The 17th Knesset, however flawed in may turn out to be, will certainly be of much better quality than the current one. 16th, you will not be missed!

Tags: Israel, Israeli Politics, Politics, Israeli Elections, Labor Party