AUTHOR:G.
DATE:7/20/2002 12:52:00 AM
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BODY: We love traveling

Its summer time and one Israel's national sports is going to vacation abroad. Everybody are keen to get out of the mad house for some fresh air. In Ma'ariv's poll (the same one from the previous post) 47% said that they or a member of their family is planning (or already did) to go on a vacation out of Israel. Some say that Israeli's Jewish genes are urging us to keep moving from place to place. After 2000 years of wondering around the world it is a habit hard to get rid off.

I myself love traveling. In the last 10 years I set foot in: Turkey (twice), Canada (twice), USA (twice), Poland, France, Egypt, England, Thailand, Singapore, New Zealand, Australia and Fiji. As for this summer I don't know yet if I'll fly somewhere, maybe just a short vacation in Europe, maybe Amsterdam. We'll see.

In the meanwhile a rather busy Israeli found time for a 3 days vacation in London. Israel's defense minister Benjamin "Fuad" Ben-Eliezer is currently in London having fun. He went on his short trip just a few hours after the double suicide bombing in Tel Aviv. I don't think there is anything wrong with his vacation. The man is swamped with work 24/7 he should be able to rest for a few days.

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AUTHOR:G.
DATE:7/20/2002 12:22:00 AM
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BODY: Split in half

50 percents of the Israelis say their in a good or very good mood, that's according to a recent poll of the daily newspaper Ma'ariv. The other 50 percents say they are in a very bad mood or not in a good mood. Interesting results in my opinion. I'm not sure in what kind of mood I am (it changes from time to time) but currently I can say I'm in a good mood.

According to the poll rightists, men, ultra orthodox Jews, religious Jews, high income and young people (18-24) tend to be in a good mood. Centrists, leftists, women, secular Jews, new immigrants ("olim hadashim"), Arabs, law income and over 55 y/o tend to be in a bad mood.

I'm sure that when Arafat started this conflict he didn't imagine that after almost two years of Palestinian terror 50 percent of the Israelis will be in a good mood. They won't break us.

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AUTHOR:G.
DATE:7/18/2002 06:36:00 PM
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BODY: No 72 virgins for you! Next!

Last night double suicide bombing in Tel Aviv was a colossal failure for the Palestinians, Only 3 people were killed, 2 of them not Israelis (one Romanian and one from East Asia), even the number of injured is relatively low: 30. I'm sorry if this cold analysis is somewhat disturbing but that's the way it goes - blood calculations.

I don't mean to diminish the lost of lives and the pain of the injured but the final numbers surely didn't satisfy the Palestinians. It's not easy to pool out a double suicide bombing in Tel Aviv, and when you plan such an attack you want to kill at least 20 or more Israelis - They know they failed last night.

I wonder If those two pathetic suicide bombers still get 72 virgins each or maybe there is a cut back in the amount of virgins they get. An interesting thing I've heard lately: Those 72 virgins are not usual virgins - they don't have a monthly period. This unique quality makes them "available" 365 days a year to "pleasure" the "shahid". See, that's what I like in Islam, they take care of all the tiny details, marvelous!

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AUTHOR:G.
DATE:7/17/2002 11:36:00 PM
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BODY: Two suicide bombers hit south Tel Aviv

Less then an hour ago 2 suicide bombers blew them selves up one after another in south Tel Aviv near the old central bus station. According to initial reports 5 people are dead (and 2 suicide bombers that were blown to pieces) and at least 37 people were injured, 7 in critical condition.

The area where the attack took place is one of the poorer areas of Tel Aviv and is mostly populated by foreign workers from Asia, East Europe and Africa. According to first pictures shown from the area it looks at least some of the injured and casualties are foreign workers. Israeli t.v broadcasts the emergency phone numbers in Hebrew and in English for non-Israelis.

Tonight is the beginning of the Jewish holy day commemorating the destruction of the temple and many restaurants an business are closed, so not to many Israelis are out in the streets.

For updates: Ha'aretz, Jerusalem Post

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AUTHOR:G.
DATE:7/17/2002 01:29:00 PM
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BODY: I can't think of an appropriate title for this post

I stared at the blank screen for a while before I started to write this post. I'm not really sure how to put in words my general feeling right now. I'm sorry to say that I wasn't shocked, nor angry when I heard yesterday about the terror attack near Immanuel. I was working out in the gym when someone said there was a terror attack. The televisions were switched to channel 2 breaking news coverage, a few people watched, the rest continued their work out, so did I. They kept playing music at the gym and after 20 minutes or so the televisions were switched to something more light, a movie or soap opera.

When I came back home I noticed that there was no change in the routine broadcasts on Israeli channels as if nothing had happened. Even in the 18:00 half an hour daily news magazine in channel 2 (only 3 hours after the attack) they found time to report other issues (that were not really important).

It seems there is some kind of "fatigue" among wide parts of Israeli society. When it is quiet and there are no terror attack you live your life knowing there will be another one soon but yet hoping there won't be. And then when it happens you instantly become somewhat of apathetic, your mental shields gets automatically activated. When you don't have any suggestions how to improve things you just stay quiet and "soak" what ever reality throws upon you.

People become fatalistic, what ever will be will be and there is nothing I can do to change/prevent it so I'd better just not think about it and let it disturb me. I know it's not a good way of thinking but that's the way my mind works in these hopeless days.

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AUTHOR:G.
DATE:7/16/2002 06:14:00 PM
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BODY: 8 dead, 16 injured in a terror attack near Immanuel

After almost 4 weeks of relative quiet the Palestinians succeeded to murder Israeli civilians. Ha'aretz reports: "According to initial reports, the bus was first hit by several roadside devices, and passengers were then fired on as they left the vehicle. Eyewitnesses said that the terrorists who fired on the bus were dressed in IDF uniforms and escaped in the direction of Nablus."

According to Magen David Adom eight people were in serious condition and eight sustained moderate injuries. Israeli Channel 2 reports that among the injured are a 2 year old baby, 2-3 teenagers and a pregnant woman.

More information: Jerusalem Post.

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AUTHOR:G.
DATE:7/16/2002 11:29:00 AM
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BODY: Oh these suicide bombers are such a nag!

I was watching t.v the other day and there was an Israeli reporter interviewing (in Hebrew) a Palestinian that was waiting at an IDF checkpoint somewhere in the West Bank. The Palestinian (that looked like an honest guy) complained about the roadblocks and curfews. "Because of car thieves and a few naggers you put 20,000 (he was referring to his own town) people under curfew?"

About the car thieves - Most of the stolen vehicles in Israel find their way into Palestinian areas, that's a known fact for a long time, but it never drove Israel to reoccupy the West Bank.

Now, I wonder what he meant by "naggers"? The word in Hebrew that he used was "nudnikim" and he seem to know his Hebrew quite well so I don't think he confused this word with another one he meant to use. So did he refer to Suicide bombers as "naggers"? That is the only explanation I can think of. Interesting way of thinking. He is probably saying: "oh man! another one blew up and killed 20 israelis, now we are stuck in our houses for a month. Damn! don't those Israelis understand that these suicide bombers are just a few naggers?"

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AUTHOR:G.
DATE:7/15/2002 03:03:00 PM
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BODY: Diane E. of Letter from Gotham is back from her vacation and she is sharp as always.

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AUTHOR:G.
DATE:7/15/2002 02:24:00 PM
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BODY: Securing their future

High ranking PA officials transferred tens of millions of dollars from PA accounts to private accounts in Europe to secure their future in the event of the PA collapsing. Israeli Newspaper Yediot Ahronot had the story yesterday.

Here is Imshin J's translation from Yediot:
“The U.S. has received a report from Israel that states that senior officials in the PA have lately been transferring tens of millions of dollars to bank accounts in Europe – to be at their disposal in the event of the PA collapsing.

High-ranking Israeli officials said yesterday that, “Lately, we’ve been identifying transfers of huge amounts of money by the heads of the PA, who are preparing for their future.”

[…] It is reported that, in the last few days, Yasser Arafat has transferred 5.1 million dollars of Saudi aid to the PA to his Paris bank account. The purpose: To finance the upkeep of his property and the needs of his wife, Suha, and his daughter, Zahwa.”

“The Jerusalem officials said that Abu Mazen, PLO no.2, transferred 70 million dollars of PA money to Europe, “funneling” it through the bank accounts of his billionaire businessman brother who operates in the Persian Gulf.

As an example of Palestinian extravagance, the Israeli official said that Arafat’s spokesman is paid a monthly salary of forty thousand dollars.”

Those are large amounts of money by any standard but they are absolutely enormous if you consider that 80% of the Palestinians leaving in Gaza Strip earns 2 dollars or less per day.

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AUTHOR:G.
DATE:7/14/2002 12:31:00 PM
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BODY: Mentally stuck in the middle ages

Harsh pictures: In this link (via Nikita) you can take a look on Palestinian brutal behavior. I've posted links to some of those pics in my blog in April when I had around 25 visitors a day.

This kind of brutality not against Israelis but against their own people is a good example of their true nature. The Arab mentality these days is at the same stage as European mentality was in the middle ages when people were stoned to death by angry mob.

Trying to negotiate a peace process by 21 century standards with people who are mentally stuck in the middle ages is almost impossible. Its very hard to rationalize with those people. In their defense I'll say that the Palestinians aren't the only ones who are lagging behind modern civilization, another 280 million Arabs are stuck behind too. This is why I don't expect too much of them.

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