AUTHOR:G.
DATE:7/06/2002 10:05:00 PM
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BODY: European hypocrisy

Ha'aretz columnist Doron Rosenblum writes an hypothetical scenario of Islamic suicide bombers blowing themselves in London and Paris. In his article: "Who's sorry now? A scenario" Rosenblum points out how ridicules is the European hypocrisy, I couldn't agree with him more.



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AUTHOR:G.
DATE:7/05/2002 07:41:00 PM
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BODY: And I'm still saying: Go and celebrate

I'm glad that that no mega terror attacks took place during the 4th of July and I do not mean to diminish the terror attack in LAX and the lost of two lives.

I got this e-mail from a reader a short time after the first reports on the El Al shooting were broadcast:
"To those in Israel, one hour ago (11:30 am) a terrorist walked into the El Al TICKET COUNTER at LAX and shot people. SIX DEAD. "GO CELEBRATE" ... Right."

Well I'm still holding to my opinion: go celebrate that's right. Even if there were six and not two that died it doesn't change anything. Lets look at the broad picture: 2 people dead in a country of 260 million (if I recall right).

The problem with terror attack and what makes it an efficient weapon is that it scars you way out of proportions. Everybody knows that the risk tof getting hurt in road accident is much higher than the risk of being hurt in a terror attack (and it is still true in terror struck Israel), but no one stays off the roads.

The thought that another human being, just like you, is eager to kill you (though it's not "you" specifically) is instinctively very frightening. That is why you always have to rationalize your instincts in this case. This is what I do every day, every hour here in Israel, and this is what I suggest to my American friends as well.

So yes, go and celebrate and live your normal lives. I do not say to you to be insouciant, be aware, stay vigilant but take every thing in the right proportions and go on with your lives - don't let terrorism win.



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AUTHOR:G.
DATE:7/05/2002 07:13:00 PM
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BODY: The El Al shooting: A terror attack? No, just an Arab killing Israelis

I'm quite amazed that American/world media and officials in the states still haven't decided whether the shooting was a terror attack. the most idiotic phrase I read was in CNN.com: "Federal and local authorities say it is too early to determine whether terrorism is to blame for the attack." And another one from Reuters: "Israel said on Friday the naming of an Egyptian as the gunman who attacked its El Al airlines counter at Los Angeles International Airport strengthened its belief the shooting was a "terrorist attack"." (note the apostrophe - "terrorist attack").

Let me help who ever still wonders if it was a terror attack, it's very simple really.
The attacker: a Muslim, Arab Egyptian
The place: El Al (Israel's national air carrier) ticket counter.
The victims: Jews, Israelis

Anyone can draw the conclusion: a terror attack.

As for a link to a terror organization the FBI are looking for: well there may not be one. It is possible that the man was acting upon himself and was not sent by "the mighty Al Qaeda" - SO WHAT! The man shot to death 2 people . Another example for a narrow mind - FBI spokesman Matt McLaughlin: "There is no indication of any terrorism connection in this matter right now, but again we also can't discount that until we know more" - this one is one of the dumbest things I've heard. And hear is another good one: "A Bush administration source concurred with that statement, adding that nothing suggested it was anything other than a criminal act."

Stupidity (or maybe just politically correctness) at its best. I wonder If the attack happened in an American airline counter and the victims where American if the FBI conclusions and the media reports were different?

Update: Interesting commentary by William Quick of the Daily Pundit: "I still think the government is deliberately downplaying acts of terror in this country, not for fear of causing panic or provoking anti-Islamic sentiment, but because they are afraid of a groundswell of public opinion either forcing the hands of the government in the international arena, or of threatening the public's touching and naive faith that government can protect them from all bad things."




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AUTHOR:G.
DATE:7/04/2002 11:25:00 AM
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BODY: 4th of July

Happy 4th of July to my American readers. I hope everything will go well and the vague intelligence reports of possible terrorist attacks will turn out to be untrue

Last June-July I was in the States staying in L.A for a while. I celebrated 4th of July in Huntington Beach California. There were lots of people having fun and no one was afraid of terror attacks, a lot has changed since then. To my american readers I say: go and celebrate, don't stay at home and surrender to terror.



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AUTHOR:G.
DATE:7/03/2002 06:50:00 PM
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BODY: Ehud Barak speaks out

Barak, Israel's former prime minister had his first Israeli media interview since he left office almost two years ago. I watched the all interview last night on tv, it was very interesting. you can read a report on that interview in the Jerusalem Post.

Barak had some interesting things to say and there is no doubt he is a smart man. Did he make the right moves: unilateral withdrawal from south Lebanon and trying to bring the Palestinian - Israeli conflict to a sharp end at Camp David - I'm not sure, but I think they were good moves.

I quite certain that the withdrawal from Lebanon was a smart move. Israel was bleeding there for 20 years and Barak put an end to it. A lot of people in Israel don't agree with me on that point: Imshin J for example is calling the Lebanon withdrawal a "fiasco". "We all sighed with relief when we got our boys out of that hellhole, but the hurried, even hysterical withdrawal whetted the Palestinians appetites and gave us this war". I don't agree with her. I think that the Palestinians would have eventually started this war anyway. If we were still in Lebanon today and had to deal with two fronts it would have been almost impossible to cope with that situation.

Barak, In my opinion, was right with his other move as well: trying to end the dispute in Camp David once and for all. He stopped the stupidity: for 7 "Oslo" years Israel was giving assets to the Palestinian in return to vague and unclear promises from Arafat. Barak's move revealed Arafat's true ambitions and the giving away of assets for nothing was stopped. As for the war that broke: You can't prevent someone who eagerly wants to fight you from doing so, You can only deal with that.

A major problem of Barak was the "management" of the beginning of the clashes, his moves where not fierce enough and that encouraged the Palestinians to go on with their violence.

I voted for Barak in 1999 (I wasn't in Israel during the last Sharon-Barak elections, so I didn't vote) and I don't think I will vote for him if he'll run for office again. The problem that the current Israeli leaders are all not to "attractive": Sharon Is okay in handling the current situation but I'm not to sure he has good plans for The future. Labor's Defense Minister Ben Eliezer is not suited to be a PM, far from it actually.I also don't think highly of Labor's Haim Ramon and Avrum Burg who are PM "wanna be's" and the worst option is The return of Bibi Netanyahu, I just don't trust that man. Bibi is doing a fine work in explaining Israel overseas and I prefer he'll stick with that mission.

Any way I do recommend to read what Ehud Barak had to say Yesterday: here are some parts of the interview:

Palestinian Authority Chairman Yasser Arafat is a "serial liar" who is completely untrustworthy and has finished his "role in history."

"I fear that what has happened to much of the hard-core Left is that their identification with Arafat is so strong they echo his positions."

"I'm sure we must stop the campaign that exists among some of us to save Arafat. There are people in the State of Israel who extend their hands to the Europeans, the UN, and to certain players in the US in an attempt to save Arafat. That sounds simply absurd."

According to Barak, Arafat said: "Netanyahu talks big, but when he is pushed against the wall, he is weaker, makes concessions, and it is always possible to mobilize the world against him. Barak is strange, he doesn't give anything, is willing to talk about almost everything, and the world is always with him."

Even though Camp David didn't bring peace, Barak argued there were three irreversible results; the contours of a future agreement were laid out; Arafat's true face was revealed the source of Israel's unity today; and any support Israel has in the world today is because some world leaders realized Israel had offered the Palestinians a generous deal.

Barak also defended the IDF withdrawal from Lebanon, saying that had this not taken place, Israel, which would have been militarily extended in Lebanon, would never have been able to carry out a military action like Operation Defensive Shield.



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AUTHOR:G.
DATE:7/01/2002 10:39:00 PM
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BODY: Like they need excuses

JERUSALEM (AP) - "Hamas extremists promised Monday to avenge Israel's assassination of a senior West Bank bombmaker for the Islamic militant group who Israel said was responsible for the deaths of nearly 120 people.

In Gaza, Hamas spokesman Ismail Abu Shanab called Tahir's killing a "dirty crime." When asked if Hamas planned revenge, he said: "Our people cannot forget the blood of their heroes and their people killed."

Hamas sources in the West Bank, speaking on condition of anonymity, said revenge for Tahir's death is their top priority."

Come on! Hamas is threatening to revenge the killing of Taher, like they need excuses to blow suicide bombers and murder Israelis. They do it anyway so why not "chopping" as many of them as we can?

Israel puts out a clear message: "You murder Israelis - Your life are gonna end shortly"



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AUTHOR:G.
DATE:6/30/2002 11:05:00 PM
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BODY: Another one down

Well another mass murderer is off Israel's "most wanted" list. Muhaned Taher, was considered the most senior West Bank terrorist wanted by Israel. Taher assassinated this evening by IDF elite unit in Nablus. Taher was commander of the Hamas military wing in the Nablus area.

According to Israeli security forces Taher played a central role in several terror attacks, in which at least 107 Israelis were killed. Among them, Taher is suspected of being responsible for the suicide bombing of an Egged bus in Jerusalem about two weeks ago in which 19 Israelis were killed. Taher planned the attack, recruited the suicide bomber and sent him to blew himself and was in charge of the explosives lab were the bomb was made.

Taher was known as "the Engineer-4" for he was skilled in making explosives belts. To be called an engineer in the Hamas you don't need to study 4 years in the university, if you know how to attach a few wires - you a certify death engineer. Taher, engineer number 4, followed his predecessors and ended his life shorter than expected after meeting IDF troops.



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AUTHOR:G.
DATE:6/30/2002 05:01:00 PM
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BODY: Brasil PentaCampeao!!!

I want to congratulate my Brazilian friends: Renata Malkes and Iris Porto and I want to thank you Ronaldo for beating the Germans for all of us!!!