AUTHOR:G.
DATE:9/20/2002 10:50:00 PM
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Yasser Arafat – A pain in the ass
Mad dog Yasser stuck in his miserable headquarters in Ramallah surrounded by Israeli soldiers is still in control of his people navigating them to doom. The man is old, weak and pathetic. The problem is that that he is the leader of the Palestinians. Arafat is consistent, since the outbreak of the violence almost 2 years ago till today the man didn’t ordered his people to stop the violence. Many Palestinians know that the road he led them to was a bad choice. There are all kind of new voices within the Palestinians that call for his replacement, but no Palestinian will force him to let go of power. Arafat was their only leader for decades, and even now when they know the man is a harming them they will not dare to replace him.
As long as Arafat is in control terror won’t stop. Among primitive societies (and a society who murder women because of honor issues – is a primitive society) a change must come from the top, the leader. The mass can’t generate a true change, as they are not familiar with democracy and the power of the people. All the small agreements that the Europeans are kindly trying to achieve with different terror groups won’t solve the main problem named Yasser Arafat.
The question is what will happen if Israel deport Arafat/ kill him. The killing option seems very bad. Such an act will knock down any chance for peaceful negotiating with the Palestinian for long long time. What will happen if Israel will hijack the bastard and drop him off in the middle of some Arab country desert? I’m afraid the noise that Arafat will do from his new whereabouts will block any chance for a new Palestinian leader to get legitimacy from his people. The flames will reach new heights.
We obviously can’t wait till the scumbag dies naturally, it might take 30 years. So what shall Israel do? I admit that I don’t have an answer for that.
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AUTHOR:G.
DATE:9/20/2002 10:07:00 PM
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Hag Succot Same'ach = Happy Succot holiday
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AUTHOR:G.
DATE:9/20/2002 09:48:00 PM
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Compulsive liars
Tal G. exposed yet another Palestinian lie, this time by Saeb Erekat. They just can’t tell the truth it’s amazing. Some people are so into lying all the time they can easily fool a polygraph test. I’m sure Arafat and is associates can do that easily.
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AUTHOR:G.
DATE:9/19/2002 02:11:00 PM
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At least 5 dead and 60 injured in a suicide bombing in Tel Aviv
Yesterday’s suicide bomber failed to go on a bus and killed only the cop who suspected him, today the evil mission was completed successfully.
The suicide bomber blew himself up in a packed bus traveling on Allenby near the corner of Rothschild, two of Tel Aviv’s main streets. I was driving through Allenby Street just yesterday.
Update: Pictures are much stronger than words. Some of these photos are explicit. The first ones are easier to watch, so you can stop when you feel that’s enough. (photos by AP and Reuters)
Police officers secure the area; An Israeli police officer pauses as he secures the area; An Israeli medical team moves a man who was injured; Israeli rescue personnel carry a victim; Medics remove a body from the gutted bus; An Israeli medical team moves a woman who was injured; A body lies on the ground near the front of the public bus.
Information: Ha’aretz; Jerusalem Post.
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AUTHOR:G.
DATE:9/19/2002 12:51:00 PM
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BODY:
Trust us, we know them
September 11 was the day that Western countries had to start paying real attention to the Arab-Muslim world. Americans and sober Europeans are beginning to understand the nature of that culture (Anyone can decide for himself if he likes/agrees with the Arab-Muslim ways or he doesn’t). Shocking or surprising data seems to flow and lighten parts of that culture that were not familiar to Westerners.
What seems surprising and new to a lot of people is obvious for Israelis. After all we are the only western country that is located in the middle of the vast Arab region. When you are living on an island you learn to know the sharks around you very fast. Israel has been dealing with Arabs and Muslims for good and for bad for decades, large part of the Jews living in Israel lived or are descendants of Jews who lived in Arab countries plus Israel is home to 1 million Arab citizens. Therefore we know their good and bad very well and no one is surprised from the “latest discoveries”.
Some of the arguments made by people who don’t know Arab mentality are so far away from the Middle East reality it’s ridicules. When Israel, who’s it’s own throat is on risk, rejects ideas that may work well in a conflict between, let’s say, Holland and Belgium but are unrealistic for the Middle East, then Israel is called stubborn and an obstacle in the way for peace. We’ve got used to it through the years.
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AUTHOR:G.
DATE:9/19/2002 02:48:00 AM
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Muslims in Europe
Nikita continues to bombard us with interesting information. If you want to learn more about Muslims in Europe read the comments section of this post: “The U.N. is a ridicules institution” (click the link or scroll down 9 posts).
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AUTHOR:G.
DATE:9/19/2002 02:26:00 AM
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The bitter end of War Now!
Bruce Hill shut down his blog War Now! for mysterious reasons (did someone say censorship?!). From his last 2 posts: “So long and thanks for all the fish. I am very sorry, but this blog can no longer continue. I will miss you all. If you want to send me a message, you can e-mail me.
In the meantime, my brother Murray and mate David Bisman will continue the struggle at a new blog, Silent Running, which is located in a completely diferent national jurisdiction. I may pop up there from time to time, who knows? Stranger things have happened. Anything those two totally separate individuals write in a blog utterly unconnected to me, in an entirely different country, cannot possibly come back to bite me in the bum. And I mean that in a very real, and legally binding sense."
Bruce had a fine blog, I hope he’ll be back one day.
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AUTHOR:G.
DATE:9/19/2002 01:38:00 AM
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Help anyone?
My up till this week excellent Extreme Tracking counter started faking two days ago. I’ve noticed I’m not the only blog with that problem. Does anyone know what can I do to fix it? Help will be appreciated.
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AUTHOR:G.
DATE:9/18/2002 06:55:00 PM
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This is whom we’re dealing with
Please read the following pole of Egyptians taken by Al-Ahram Weekly (via LGF):
QUESTION 1: How would you describe your feelings when you saw the destruction of New York's twin towers?
They deserved it: 52%
Sympathy for the victims: 35%
Afraid of the future: 24%
Admiration for the culprits: 28%
Anger at the culprits: 10%
QUESTION 2: Who do you think is responsible for the attacks?
Israeli intelligence/Mossad: 39%
We'll never know: 25%
Al-Qa'eda or other Islamic militants: 19%
Others: 19%
QUESTION 3: How do you view the American war on terror?
A means of asserting the US's global dominance: 68%
A war against Arabs and Muslims: 51%
A justified response to the attacks: 15%
QUESTION 4: How do you view the results of the American war on terror?
Descent into chaos and increasing violence: 93%
The end of democracy and human rights: 48%
Success in eradicating terrorism and a more peaceful world: 1%
QUESTION 5: How do you view the future of radical Islamists?
Their popularity will increase: 51%
They are becoming weak and isolated: 31%
11 September was their death blow: 11%
QUESTION 6: What do you feel should have been Arab and Islamic governments' position on the US war on terror?
Oppose: 63%
Support: 10%
Remain neutral: 22%
And this is Egypt we’re talking about, one of the more “moderate” Arab countries.
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AUTHOR:G.
DATE:9/18/2002 05:58:00 PM
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We’ve been expecting it
Bloodthirsty Palestinians went back into action today after a relative quiet period. One Israeli was murdered in a drive by shooting, another one was kidnapped and tortured to death and in the afternoon a suicide bomber blew himself up near a police car murdering at least one person and wounding several others. For desert the Palestinians murdered one of their own people for being an alleged Israeli informer.
Although this day of terror follows a long respite in Israeli fatalities sustained in Palestinian terror attacks, no one here is neither surprised nor outraged.
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AUTHOR:G.
DATE:9/18/2002 11:32:00 AM
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Since I’m not in a mood to write, here is a photo of the beautiful West Matukituki Valley located in the southern end of New Zealand’s Southern Alps near Wanaka. If you’re in the neighborhood the Rob Roy hike/trek/tramp is worthwhile. Have a nice day.
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AUTHOR:G.
DATE:9/16/2002 09:58:00 PM
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Someone didn’t do his homework in Atlanta
I was watching CNN (International) a few minutes before Yom Kippur started. They had an item about Israel and Yom Kippur, nothing unusual. The report from their Jerusalem correspondent was okay but then the news presenter in Atlanta explained to the viewers that the celebrations of Yom Kippur will go on for 24 hours (btw 25 but who counts). Now I’m no expert in English, and you are free to correct me, but I don’t think that “Celebrations” is the right way to describe Yom Kippur. No Jewish editors working for CNN International?
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AUTHOR:G.
DATE:9/16/2002 09:57:00 PM
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Yom Kippur
Yom Kippur is over and fasting wasn’t difficult as usual. I was a bit thirsty yesterday night after wandering in the streets with my friends and I was hungry near the end of the 25 hours fast. I don’t go to synagogue during the year but in Yom Kippur I do. Not that I attended all the prayers, just a symbolic participation at the beginning and in the end, it’s enough for me.
Yom Kippur is a time out from our regular life. In those 25 hours that almost every ordinary aspect of life stops we get the opportunity to rethink the paths we have chosen and the decisions we have made. At the end of Yom Kippur, after you though and decided what to change or not to change, you go back to your daily routine. I did my share of thinking.
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AUTHOR:G.
DATE:9/15/2002 04:06:00 PM
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Yom Kippur starts in a couple of hours, to those of you who will be fasting may you have an easy fast. See ya tomorrow.
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