tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-57868042011-12-15T04:46:13.548+02:00Confronting Judaism. Confronting Modernity. Confronting Ourselves.Hashouknoreply@blogger.comBlogger9711100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5786804.post-1158148497042320202006-09-13T14:47:00.000+03:002006-09-13T14:55:59.083+03:00

Gen. Udi Adam the senior field commander in the recent war in Lebanon has resigned. We will have more to say on this later, but finally, we have found a public persona in Israel with some honor. Will this cause a trickle up effect? I doubt it, but the the Israeli political scene works incrementally. One small step at a time.The calls, though have begun:From the Left: Following GOC Northern

Hashouknoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5786804.post-1157986040831038332006-09-11T17:46:00.000+03:002006-09-11T17:47:20.870+03:00

I was in a small trading room in Israel a bit before the market was set to close when the one trader with a TV on his computer screen told us that a plane had crashed into one of the towers of the World Trade Center. CNN was convinced this was an accident although we in this very Israeli trading room knew better and advised our clients to sell, sell, sell. Israelis know terror when it taps you

Hashouknoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5786804.post-1157896428781053692006-09-10T16:45:00.000+03:002006-09-10T16:57:16.560+03:00

PM Ehud Olmert is trying yet another tactic to buy off the Left. First he tried the 'give back the Golan to Syria' route, but that didn't work, now he is trying to revive the "roadmap".His desperation shows clearly in this quote (Hebrew) from Ma'ariv: "We need to formulate a new understanding that will lead to a diplomatic process as quickly as possible" (empahsis mine). Quick enough to make an

Hashouknoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5786804.post-1157894047434698702006-09-10T16:11:00.000+03:002006-09-10T16:14:07.456+03:00

Bibi, speaking at NUY (courtesy of the blog of blogs, Instapundit)."Repel the lies. I will not go back to those gas chambers. Not those physical ones, not those of the poisoned wells and slanders."

Hashouknoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5786804.post-1157723625721381942006-09-08T16:52:00.000+03:002006-09-08T16:53:45.750+03:00

For two nights this week (Tuesday and Wednesday) Israel TV Channel 10 has broadcast propaganda films by the Lebanese and Hezbollah regarding both the capture and murder of IDF soldiers six years ago and the long-time MIA, Ron Arad. The films portrayed the professionalism of the Hezbollah military wing and showed its leader, Hassan Nasrallah in a most humane light as a man who deals with the

Hashouknoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5786804.post-1157556738802431742006-09-06T18:29:00.000+03:002006-09-06T19:34:34.746+03:00

Its time for an ultimatum. No, not Israel's ultimatum for the return of its POW's.Now Lebanon is giving Israel an ultimatum to end the blockade. But Israel is in a much stronger position now than before the war, in a "fantasy" position according to Olmert.I guess the Lebanese don't understand our great deterrent with Olmert-Livni-Peretz in command.Lebanese Foreign Minister Fawzi Salloukh, said

Hashouknoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5786804.post-1157428373110090472006-09-05T06:49:00.000+03:002006-09-05T06:52:53.130+03:00

In professional sports there is no greater sign that a struggling manager or coach is in trouble than when the owner gives him a 'vote of confidence'. In politics, when a sitting prime minister insists "I will be prime minister for four years and even longer" you know his days are numbered.

Hashouknoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5786804.post-1157359741814073092006-09-04T11:44:00.000+03:002006-09-04T11:49:01.836+03:00

This quite depressing paragraph is from an Ha'aertz editorial. The essay deals with the prisoners and supports an exchange of prisoners. One can agree or disagree at this point with that position, but the devastating paragraph quoted below makes one wonder how much longer we can continue like this.In normal times, one would rely on Israel's government to act wisely and responsibly to gain the

Hashouknoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5786804.post-1157094091153658662006-09-01T09:59:00.000+03:002006-09-01T10:01:31.176+03:00

Is the political protest dieing out or about to start afresh? The rally last night in support of the three Israeli POW's will end up being worthless if it does not get translated into political action. Everyone is trying to be "civil" in the various protest movements so as not to be seen as wanting to blame individuals. But this is politics and individuals must take responsibility for their

Hashouknoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5786804.post-1156827981148749872006-08-29T08:01:00.000+03:002006-08-29T08:06:21.170+03:00

Prince Ehud tries to make fools of us all. Instead of appointing a committee with real investigative powers he wants a whitewash. Three seperate investigations when one comprehensive one is necessary. This is on surprise. Mr. "I'm responsible" has not taken responsibility for one thing in his short, but not short enough, administration. We saw it at Amona, we saw it when he appointed and kept

Hashouknoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5786804.post-1156769820886366982006-08-28T15:53:00.000+03:002006-08-28T15:57:00.906+03:00

Even Amir Peretz's media handler's have lost it:Defense minister refers to criticism against himself, defense establishment, says 'we must see cup as half full in terms of war in Lebanon. There were battles which soldiers emerged from as heroes and there will be many awards'

Hashouknoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5786804.post-1156757449274515032006-08-28T12:18:00.000+03:002006-08-28T12:30:49.300+03:00

Ari Shavit, again:...In 1973, the IDF emerged from the war with chief of staff David Elazar and Major Generals Yitzhak Hofi, Yisrael Tal and Arik Sharon threatening both Cairo and Damascus. In the end of the summer of 2006, the IDF is emerging from the fighting with the head of Northern Command Udi Adam, Deputy Chief of Staff Moshe Kaplinsky and Chief of Staff Dan Halutz not even posing a threat

Hashouknoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5786804.post-1156756083582607362006-08-28T12:06:00.000+03:002006-08-28T12:08:03.606+03:00

It is really fascinating how no matter the corruption, no matter the incompetence, ideology trumps all. For all the cries of ethics in government, the left (and not just the left, but they are in the forefront now) are not willing to rid the country of corruption and incompetence if it brings a "right wing" government in its place. Their motto should be, "my ideology, crooked or not". The

Hashouknoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5786804.post-1156753276001091692006-08-28T11:18:00.000+03:002006-08-28T11:21:16.023+03:00

According to Time magazine, the two Fox News reporters were kidnapped in order to make it harder for Israeli Cpl. Gilad Shalit, to be released. Palestinian security sources close to the negotiators told TIME that the two Fox Newsmen — reporter Steve Centanni, 60, from Washington, D.C., and New Zealand cameraman Olaf Wiig, 36 — were kidnapped from Gaza to embarrass Haniyeh's government. The

Hashouknoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5786804.post-1156687439340603382006-08-27T16:59:00.000+03:002006-08-27T17:03:59.363+03:00

It must be nice in his world.From YNET: His poll results are abysmal, protestors are practically beating down the door to his office but, despite all that, Prime Minister Ehud Olmert spoke proudly in a Sunday morning cabinet meeting of the accomplishments of the Lebanon war. According to him, prior to the war, its outcomes would have been considered a "fantasy". "If someone would have told me

Hashouknoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5786804.post-1156626995682772032006-08-27T00:10:00.000+03:002006-08-27T00:16:35.706+03:00

It is an odd time when I start agreeing with so many columnists from Ha'aretz. Not everything or everyone, mind you, but the essence of their remarks. Corruption as the essence of what has gone wrong is now too obvious for even Ha'aretz columnists to ignore in support of ideological purity. They tolerated the corruption of Sharon and then Olmert, thinking that they could get them to do the dirty

Hashouknoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5786804.post-1156508144950536102006-08-25T15:11:00.000+03:002006-08-25T15:15:44.973+03:00

As Israeli FM Tzippi Livni congratulates herself on having countries keep just some of their promises and tries to fill the holes in the agreement she negotiated, Chirac continues with his usual way: French President Jacques Chriac said Friday that he does not believe the expanded U.N. peacekeeping force in Lebanon needs 15,000 troops, and he called that figure "excessive."A U.N. resolution calls

Hashouknoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5786804.post-1156491370118262802006-08-25T10:32:00.000+03:002006-08-25T10:36:10.140+03:00

According to a poll published today in Yediot (YNET – English, fuller version in Hebrew): Yes, on resignation:Olmert – 63%Peretz – 74%Halutz – 54%Who ought to be Defense Minister:Peretz - 3%Mofaz – 25%Ami Ayalon – 20%Moshe (Bogie) Ayalon – 18% If elections were held today, the number of mandates for the following party (current number in parentheses):Kadima - 17 (

Hashouknoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5786804.post-1156399540562213052006-08-24T09:03:00.000+03:002006-08-24T09:05:40.586+03:00

If things start to heat up again in Lebanon with Syria being tempted to get directly involved the main question here in Israel is will Olmert have the guts to fire Amir Peretz as Defense Minister and form a national unity government and will the new Defense Minister have the power to replace Dan Halutz as Chief of Staff? That Olmert himself needs to be replaced goes without saying but that would

Hashouknoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5786804.post-1156349096001675402006-08-23T18:55:00.000+03:002006-08-23T19:04:56.333+03:00

The Olmert-Peretz-Livni troika are desperate to hang in there by appeasing whomever they can. Even the Ha'aretz editorial page doesn't think that Bashar Assad is a man worth negotiating with - but the political survival of the trioka trumps the national interest.They could do worse than reading this in the Lebanon Daily Star:The rise of President Bashar Assad to power in Syria in 2000, which

Hashouknoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5786804.post-1156103564563355632006-08-20T22:51:00.000+03:002006-08-20T22:52:44.583+03:00

We will be away for a few days. Back at the end of the week.

Hashouknoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5786804.post-1156050225474523992006-08-20T08:03:00.000+03:002006-08-20T08:03:45.503+03:00

The end of the current phase of the Lebanon war leaves Hezbollah in place, bleeding a little, but with an opportunity to consolidate their positions in Lebanon in general and in the south part of the country in particular. This is already leading, with help from their patrons to the creation of Iranistan. The question is not if Iranistan is coming into being but what will be the scope and size of

Hashouknoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5786804.post-1155916099316828552006-08-18T18:43:00.000+03:002006-08-18T18:48:19.346+03:00

Disturbing news of the results of a poll of Israeli-Arabs on Nasrallah and the war.From the (Lebanon) Daily Star:The monthly peace index published by Tel Aviv University's Tami Steinmetz Center for Peace Research found on July 31-August 1 that 68 percent of Arab citizens of Israel defined Israel's war in Lebanon as unjustified; 79 percent claimed that Israel's air attacks on Lebanon were

Hashouknoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5786804.post-1155903069063490342006-08-18T15:10:00.000+03:002006-08-18T15:11:09.096+03:00

One of the major problems with the Israeli political system is that it is built on a parliamentary system but operates as a local political machine. A serious scandal aside, no one expects a US President to resign over errors of policy or strategy. Certain cabinet members may be expected to tender their resignations but not the President. This is understandable since elections can't be brought

Hashouknoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5786804.post-1155902113412196172006-08-18T14:53:00.000+03:002006-08-18T15:19:39.116+03:00

With Hezbollah celebrating in Teheran and in the Arab world and with the Lebanese Army declaring openly that they won't fight their "brothers": With France sending a measly 400 troops to the UNIFIL force and Indonesia 1,000 (yes the same Indonesia that refused to play the Israeli women's volleyball team): With Amir Peretz talking about appeasing Syria now that appeasing their client hasen't

Hashouknoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5786804.post-1155816843351211522006-08-17T15:10:00.000+03:002006-08-17T15:14:03.373+03:00

An interesting article in YNET by journalist Ron ben Shai on his accompanyment of the paratroops who were airlifted into Lebanon just as the war was ending.I have translated the introduction - if you read Hebrew, read the whole thing here: This was supposed to be one of the largest IDF operations against Hezbollah in Lebanese soil. Ron ben Shai, who accompanies the paratroopers for 48 hours

Hashouknoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5786804.post-1155795102080184682006-08-17T09:07:00.000+03:002006-08-17T09:57:41.170+03:00

We have been stating for quite awhile that the crisis in Israel is a direct consequence of our tolerance of corruption. The Halutz affair and its arrogance, Peretz's near total ignorance of Israel's security situation (see the post below) and now Ari Shavit's expose in Ha'aretz on the continuing bribery investigation of Prime Minister Ehud Olmert:Here is the news: Aliza and Ehud Olmert will be

Hashouknoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5786804.post-1155794705514044762006-08-17T09:03:00.000+03:002006-08-17T09:05:05.536+03:00

From Ha'aretz:"Defense Minister: IDF didn't warn me of missile threat in the north"

Hashouknoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5786804.post-1155789487510910602006-08-17T07:36:00.000+03:002006-08-17T07:38:07.533+03:00

From the JPost:The president of Costa Rica, Oscar Arias, announced on Wednesday that his country would transfer its embassy from Jerusalem to Tel Aviv. "It is time to amend an historic mistake which harms our country in the international arena and prevents us from maintaining friendly ties with the Arab world and the culture of Islam," Arias, a former Nobel Peace Prize winner, said. Arias said

Hashouknoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5786804.post-1155759362736067862006-08-16T23:10:00.000+03:002006-08-16T23:16:02.756+03:00

Defense Minister Amir Peretz has decided to appoint his chief advisor during the war, former Chief of Staff Amnon Lipkin-Shahak, to head his ministry's investigation into the conduct of the war. Essentially, he is trying to make an end run around any official Commission of Inquiry in which he and his politician buddies would be investigated and try to lay blame on the soldiers and officers.Also,

Hashouknoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5786804.post-1155726473998884552006-08-16T14:00:00.000+03:002006-08-16T14:07:54.020+03:00

Syrian President Bashar Assad:Syrian President Bashar Assad congratulated Hezbollah yesterday for what he described as their success in "defeating Israel." Assad said that the members of the resistance used their "will, determination and faith" to counter Israeli arms, enabling them to defeat Israel."The resistance is necessary as much as it is natural and legitimate," he said. Assad said this

Hashouknoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5786804.post-1155724967057392832006-08-16T13:41:00.000+03:002006-08-16T17:30:04.466+03:00

There has been much talk over the amount of combat deaths coming from the religious Zionist community and the kibbutzim. There have also been a very large amount of deaths from the Russian/Ukrainian communities. A few nights ago this was discussed in a round-about way on Israel TV Channel when the head of the Takam Kibbutz movement and R. Yuval Sherlo represented their respective communities. In

Hashouknoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5786804.post-1155717936638925112006-08-16T11:37:00.000+03:002006-08-16T11:45:36.640+03:00

Tzipi Livni is a young inexperienced Foreign Minister who has made monumental mistakes during the past five or six weeks, but you can see she is a political old-timer. Raised in a politicians house you see that she knows how to take a disaster and try to turn it into political capital. We wrote about this yesterday with her promise to bring the POW's home with a "diplomatic effort" but now she

Hashouknoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5786804.post-1155716982497330792006-08-16T11:25:00.000+03:002006-08-16T11:29:42.533+03:00

The Halutz stock trading affair in which the Chief of Staff sold off his portfolio just as the war was starting is taking on some interesting twists. The ex-generals in the government and the indicted head of the Knesset Security and Foreign Affairs Committee (Tzachi Hanegbi) are defending the rights of a "private citizen" to manage his family's financial affairs. While that in itself is true, my

Hashouknoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5786804.post-1155663767512799122006-08-15T20:42:00.000+03:002006-08-15T20:42:47.536+03:00

While the results of the mismanaged and mishandled war are becoming clearer and clearer, while Syria is responding not with an invitation of calm but with further threats, Amir Peretz, still our Defense Minister, responds with a demand that we prepare, not for the next conflict, but for relinquishing the Golan to Syria. This absurd suggestion to "negotiate" (and negotiate is not really the word

Hashouknoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5786804.post-1155633438207193512006-08-15T12:15:00.000+03:002006-08-15T12:17:18.210+03:00

Olmert has had his corrupt activities whitewashed in the past as the press and judiciary hoped that he would be able to unilaterally withdraw from most of Judea and Samaria. Now that Olmert's clout has been all but destroyed and his policies have no chance of approval, let alone execution, there is no one left to protect him from his own corruption. Witness today's Ha'aretz editorial,

Hashouknoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5786804.post-1155632750368595172006-08-15T12:03:00.000+03:002006-08-15T12:05:50.390+03:00

He was defeatist over a year ago.This, from a speech by Ehud Olmert in front of the Israel Policy Forum on June 9, 2005:"We are tired of fighting, we are tired of being courageous, we are tired of winning, we are tired of defeating our enemies ..."

Hashouknoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5786804.post-1155631655269988982006-08-15T11:42:00.000+03:002006-08-15T11:47:35.290+03:00

The Olmert-Peretz-Livni who sold us the UN cease fire resolution will have to send a postcard to the new address for all problems on the north. According to Al-Hayyat (and reported in Ha'aretz), a "compromise agreement now being hammered out between Hezbollah and the Lebanese government would allow the Shi'ite guerillas to keep hidden weapons in south Lebanon".

Hashouknoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5786804.post-1155626921399647912006-08-15T10:20:00.000+03:002006-08-15T10:28:41.420+03:00

Ma'ariv reports exclusively (Hebrew) that Chief of Staff Dan Halutz sold his entire stock portfolio less than three hours after the soldiers were taken prisoner and katyushas were raining down on the north. In this amazing story, Halutz, the soldier most responsible for defending his country, found the time to call his broker at Bank Leumi and order his portfolio liquidated while his country was

Hashouknoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5786804.post-1155614241853222742006-08-15T06:54:00.000+03:002006-08-15T06:58:50.303+03:00

Has Israel's deterrent been harmed after the handling of this war?Just ask Bashir Assad:"Syrian President Bashar Assad said his country is prepared for any war that may break out with Israel , adding that he is convinced that the chances for peace have decreased and that 'the Golan Heights will be liberated by Syria'.”

Hashouknoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5786804.post-1155613741716781982006-08-15T06:45:00.000+03:002006-08-15T06:49:01.736+03:00

Whatever one thought of the Oslo Accords one of the main failings was Israel's refusal to take Palestinian violations of the agreement seriously. Now, in making a bad agreement worse, Israel has still not learned that lesson.From the AP:"Highlighting the fragility of the peace, Hezbollah guerrillas fired at least 10 Katyusha rockets that landed in southern Lebanon early Tuesday, the Israeli army

Hashouknoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5786804.post-1155572291924945782006-08-14T19:16:00.000+03:002006-08-14T19:18:12.556+03:00

According to a Globes-Smith poll as reported in YNET (Hebrew): Is the UN cease fire good for Israel?Yes – 6%No- 66%No, but Israel had no choice but to accept it – 28% On the Handling of the War:Poor rating for:Olmert – 62%Peretz – 65%Halutz – 44% Did Israel attain all or most of its war goals?Yes – 3%No – 58%

Hashouknoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5786804.post-1155569559231553692006-08-14T18:22:00.000+03:002006-08-14T18:32:39.256+03:00

Israel's Channel 10 news is reporting that an ever growing group of IDF reservists is circulating a letter of protest using SMS to get more and more reservists involved telling Olmert that a cease fire without return of the prisoners is unacceptable. They state that this goes against the whole ethos of the IDF which "does not leave its soldiers in the field". Apparently the protest started from

Hashouknoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5786804.post-1155547232448118612006-08-14T12:18:00.000+03:002006-08-14T12:20:32.470+03:00

The Lebanon Daily Star, that country's English language daily has had some interesting articles during the course of the war. It stands for Lebanon and has had little patience for Hezbollah and has blamed them for starting this conflict and being the "root cause" of the destruction in Lebanon over the past month. That is not to say that they have whitewashed Israel's role in that destruction,

Hashouknoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5786804.post-1155545798075774392006-08-14T11:52:00.000+03:002006-08-14T11:56:38.130+03:00

From the Wall Street Journal editorial (subscription required):"Ever since war broke out last month on the Israeli-Lebanese frontier, the Bush administration has said it wouldn't tolerate a return to the "status quo ante," in which Hezbollah behaved as a power unto itself within the Lebanese state. Yet after reading the text of the U.N. Security Council's cease-fire resolution adopted unanimously

Hashouknoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5786804.post-1155531652053030782006-08-14T07:59:00.000+03:002006-08-14T08:00:52.086+03:00

From the JPost:"At least 50 newborn babies in the West Bank and Gaza Strip have been named after Hizbullah leader Hassan Nasrallah over the past month, sources in the Palestinian Authority Health Ministry told The Jerusalem Post on Sunday. The move is an indication of his growing popularity of Nasrallah among Palestinians and Arabs in general, many of whom hail him for merely daring to stand up

Hashouknoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5786804.post-1155475950320406432006-08-13T16:28:00.000+03:002006-08-13T16:32:30.340+03:00

Tzipi Livni is quoted in YNET (Hebrew) as saying: "We couldn't have gotten anything more regarding the captured soldiers".Not from an incompetent rookie, you couldn't. When is the last cease fire agreement a country signed that does not deal with Prisoners of War?

Hashouknoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5786804.post-1155464304351696302006-08-13T13:15:00.000+03:002006-08-13T13:18:24.376+03:00

If one were to look at Israeli politics and policy over the past few years, one would be excused to asking the question: Are the personal interests of the Prime Minister the same as the Israeli national interest?With the apparent acceptance of the French UN cease fire resolution Ehud Olmert proves what many of us suspected from the start of the war – that he never intended to win it and was

Hashouknoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5786804.post-1155462893071359042006-08-13T12:52:00.000+03:002006-08-13T12:54:53.093+03:00

The Lebanese government has reportedly approved the French cease fire "with reservations" yet there has been no report as to what those "reservations" are.Why is the trioka not following through on this? Are they so desperate for a cease fire that they are again willing to ignore what the other party to the agreement really says?Ought we to replace our Israeli flags that adorn our porches with

Hashouknoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5786804.post-1155459190348005922006-08-13T11:50:00.000+03:002006-08-13T11:53:10.366+03:00

This from a very reliable source:There are two IDF lawyers in the headquarters of the Northern Command approving (or not) each order sent out by the Commander of the Northern Front to the officers in the field. Becoming a Western army, indeed.

Hashouknoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5786804.post-1155407121587896562006-08-12T21:20:00.000+03:002006-08-12T21:25:21.610+03:00

In spite of the fact that the IDF reached the Litani River in less than one day and is in a position to defeat Hezbollah, the troika have agreed to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory and agree to a surrender composed by the French diplomatic corps.11 soldiers were killed today in defense of the coward that runs the government and the fools that are supporting him.The government and the

Hashouknoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5786804.post-1155305721512994172006-08-11T17:10:00.000+03:002006-08-11T17:15:21.533+03:00

Defense Minister Amir Peretz called on the government to raise taxes on the residents of the central and southern parts of the country in order to pay for the war. Its nice to see this destructive man going back to his roots.

Hashouknoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5786804.post-1155299520189086842006-08-11T15:30:00.000+03:002006-08-11T15:32:00.220+03:00

There is an illness that seems to overtake foreign ministers once they take office. They understand their jobs as to prevent the use of force, at all costs rather than to represent and to defend their country's interests, at all costs. You see it most clearly in Tzipi Livni, Israel's rookie FM. She and her aids are quoted as saying that they needed to go to New York not in order to assure that

Hashouknoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5786804.post-1155290143164222142006-08-11T12:52:00.000+03:002006-08-11T12:55:43.183+03:00

Looking at some of the more popular and sophisticated American Jewish religious blogs you would hardly know that Israel was at war - let alone one of the most destructive wars in its history. Not all the blogs, mind you - but enough for it to be noticeable.

Hashouknoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5786804.post-1155279664775662652006-08-11T09:59:00.000+03:002006-08-11T10:01:04.796+03:00

In a front page essay in Ha'aretz Ari Shavit has this and more to say:"Ehud Olmert may decide to accept the French proposal for a cease-fire and unconditional surrender to Hezbollah. That is his privilege. Olmert is a prime minister whom journalists invented, journalists protected, and whose rule journalists preserved. Now the journalists are saying run away. That's legitimate. Unwise, but

Hashouknoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5786804.post-1155270686230620002006-08-11T07:25:00.000+03:002006-08-11T07:31:26.250+03:00

As the soldiers continue fighting against heavily fortified bunkers and reservists continue getting killed by anti-tank missiles the PM and the FM are shooting each other - although presumably not with rockets of missiles. While negotiations for Israel's surrender are going on in Turtle Bay Olmert nixed Tzipi Livni's trip to NY so as not to let her share in the "glory" of the impending disaster.

Hashouknoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5786804.post-1155236982725989192006-08-10T22:04:00.000+03:002006-08-10T22:09:42.896+03:00

Kfar Saba is burying yet another son tonight - the third in three days. Sgt. Gilad Zusman, z"l, 26, father of one and the son of our next door neighbor.

Hashouknoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5786804.post-1155231239877884992006-08-10T20:29:00.000+03:002006-08-10T20:34:00.080+03:00

According to Israel's Channel 2 news the upcoming cease fire agreement would leave South Lebanon under a UNIFIL force that would now have the madate to "use force". No mention of the disarming of Hezbollah but there is mention of dealing with Shebaa Farms.According to their report Olmert and Livni are willing to accept any cease fire offered, even a "minimalist" one.The entire country understands

Hashouknoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5786804.post-1155225092532460722006-08-10T18:48:00.000+03:002006-08-10T18:51:32.580+03:00

Kfar Saba buried its second son in three days, 27 year old Noam Goldman … The Meretz Party and Peace Now have both decided after 30 days of contemplation to be 'against the war' … For the second time in 60 years the Arab residents of Haifa have been encouraged to leave their city by an Arab leader … 750,000 trees have been burnt down in Israel due to rocket fire since the start of the war … The

Hashouknoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5786804.post-1155198409163661902006-08-10T11:26:00.000+03:002006-08-10T11:26:49.190+03:00

Tension at weddings is not abnormal, yet the tension at the wedding I was at last night was of a different kind. Lt. H, son of good friends of ours, George and J got married last night. He is an officer in the Paratrooper's Brigade of the IDF and finished a stint as Deputy Company Commander about to start a Company Commander's course when the war broke out up north. He was sent into Lebanon for

Hashouknoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5786804.post-1155134952546647542006-08-09T17:36:00.000+03:002006-08-09T17:49:12.683+03:00

1. Does the Lebanese government want Israel to delay the cease fire in order to give Israel more time to destroy as much as Hezbollah as possible and give Lebanon more leverage overHezbollah so as to prevent another civil war? (courtesy of the Channel 2 news afternoon anchor and Ehud Ya'ari).2. If the US did not go into Iraq and remove Saddam Hussein would he now be lofting his own missiles into

Hashouknoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5786804.post-1155129367781236842006-08-09T16:00:00.000+03:002006-08-09T17:36:20.466+03:00

It seems that we are in for another bloody day. The Israeli press is reporting in its own code that we should expect many casualties today -some are saying the bloodiest yet ... Former Gen. Giora Eiland stated on Israel radio today that "the IDF is fighting in the two most irrelevant sectors of the war", Beirut and along the border. The rocket launchers he said are between those two places ...

Hashouknoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5786804.post-1155122382221543482006-08-09T14:18:00.000+03:002006-08-09T14:19:42.243+03:00

Israel is a country in crisis. I don't write this in an apocalyptical sense in that the country is about to be destroyed, yet we are country in crisis. The radio and TV airwaves are filled with all sorts of people from all sorts or places who have shown that they have completely lost confidence in the leadership. The politicians may try to place the blame on the military and the general staff may

Hashouknoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5786804.post-1155064921724751592006-08-08T22:18:00.000+03:002006-08-08T22:25:59.136+03:00

At first I thought this was from "The Onion" "A few days ago a CNN anchor leveled the outrageous charge that Israel had the ability to shoot down the Katyusha rockets that have been killing scores of its citizens, but had chosen not to do so. Now the Pentagon reporter for the Washington Post, Thomas Ricks, has gone one step further. Appearing on CNN’s media program, Reliable Sources, Ricks told

Hashouknoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5786804.post-1155050475256344022006-08-08T18:16:00.000+03:002006-08-08T23:08:09.316+03:00

In what is the first leadership change of the war, Deputy Chief of Staff Moshe Kaplinsky was appointed the "Chief of Staff's representative" the northern command. Have they started to lay the blame for problems on the Northern Command? Is the first scapegoat which will clear the political echelon being led from the Temple? Is this former pilot Halutz realizing that he doesn't really understand

Hashouknoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5786804.post-1155042559874203712006-08-08T16:08:00.000+03:002006-08-08T16:09:19.893+03:00

Although I can't say for sure that this is true for all units I know for a fact that at for at least one Company of troops fighting and clearing buildings in Bint Jbail, their orders when entering a building was to hold fire until shot at. The result for one platoon in this Company? The first to enter the building was killed, 3 other wounded. Are these orders coming from the

Hashouknoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5786804.post-1155041214623867642006-08-08T15:45:00.000+03:002006-08-08T15:46:54.626+03:00

The current government has no less than 25 ministers which include 4 as ministers without portfolio and another 14 whose responsibilities include economic and social affairs. Each of these ministers have a staff of personal assistants as well as tens of civil servants whose job it is to report directly to them. Yet, not one of these ministers in any of the parties – including parties like

Hashouknoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5786804.post-1155041088410563072006-08-08T15:43:00.000+03:002006-08-08T15:44:48.426+03:00

One is not sure whether to laugh or to cry. The Prime Minister announces last night that although the government hasn't approved it, they are giving the IDF free reign to conduct this war and defeat Hezbollah militarily. The Defense Minister says that if the diplomatic effort fails then the military will have free reign to conduct this war and defeat Hezbollah militarily. The Foreign

Hashouknoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5786804.post-1154971427410576582006-08-07T20:23:00.000+03:002006-08-07T20:23:47.413+03:00

Everything in Israel is personal. There are no business relationships, no casual relationships – everything is personal. It makes for a tense and difficult life as every mistake, every wrong move is taken personally. But it makes for a deep feeling and a deep connection to everyting around you. Everything is personal. So is every soldier's life. The military cemetery in Kfar Saba, the town in

Hashouknoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5786804.post-1154971208152329402006-08-07T20:20:00.000+03:002006-08-07T20:22:46.963+03:00

Hashouknoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5786804.post-1154971169897321602006-08-07T20:19:00.001+03:002006-08-07T20:19:29.903+03:00

 

Hashouknoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5786804.post-1154971141532104342006-08-07T20:19:00.000+03:002006-08-07T20:19:01.536+03:00

 

Hashouknoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5786804.post-1154971113264895642006-08-07T20:18:00.000+03:002006-08-07T20:18:33.423+03:00

 

Hashouknoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5786804.post-1154966248434611622006-08-07T18:54:00.000+03:002006-08-07T18:57:28.616+03:00

I was about to head down to the funeral of Master Sgt. Ziv Belali, 28 of Kfar Saba when I saw a broadcast of a Netura Karta member speaking about the evils of Zionism on Al-Jazeera, in (Yiddish accented) but what appeared to be flawless Arabic.

Hashouknoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5786804.post-1154960236150503592006-08-07T17:15:00.000+03:002006-08-07T17:17:16.163+03:00

Although it is hard to compete in the diplomatic and media world with tears from children, this is the first time, I think, that one had to deal with the tears of a sitting Prime Minister (this is not a call for Olmert to cry although that would be a scary scene). Lebanese PM Sinora "had to interrupt his remarks several times to choke back tears and wipe his eyes" as he begged for help from Arab

Hashouknoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5786804.post-1154932151168410012006-08-07T09:27:00.000+03:002006-08-07T09:31:21.756+03:00

Ze'ev Schiff, dean of Israel's military correspondents in today's Ha'aretz:"There is no way to stop the ceaseless barrage of rockets which are being launched at the north without the Israel Defense Forces undertaking a prompt, more extensive aerial and ground operation designed to neutralize Hezbollah rockets situated south of the Litani River, perhaps even beyond.Otherwise, the war of attrition

Hashouknoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5786804.post-1154929961857761432006-08-07T08:51:00.000+03:002006-08-07T08:52:41.856+03:00

From YNET:"One of rockets which landed in Haifa Sunday evening hits historical building of Arab daily al-Ittihad. Newspaper editor blames Israel, 'which fights in service of Americans' ".

Hashouknoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5786804.post-1154929835364799782006-08-07T08:46:00.000+03:002006-08-07T10:24:48.756+03:00

The Jerusalem Post quotes a "senior military officer" as saying that they have given up on the "push to the Litani" because of diplomatic pressure while YNET (Hebrew) quotes a minister who is a member of the Security Cabinet as saying that Olmert is working full force for a diplomatic solution and that they are "waitng for the Security Council". The main question of course is has Olmert been a

Hashouknoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5786804.post-1154887709953327402006-08-06T21:03:00.000+03:002006-08-06T21:08:29.986+03:00

While the Israeli government praised the proposed draft of the cease fire agreement, some of us criticized it and the Lebanese government rejected it, the Iranians and Syrians via Hezbollah responded with more force:12 killed in rocket attack near Kiryat ShmonaHaifa: Woman killed in heavy rocket barrage, About 30 residents wounded, one in critical conditionSyrian FM: Ready to join Hizbullah ranks

Hashouknoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5786804.post-1154875096621204422006-08-06T17:35:00.000+03:002006-08-06T17:38:16.646+03:00

More leadership examples from the best that Olmert's Kadima Party has to offer.From YNET:"Harsh criticism was leveled at the Chairman of the Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee, Tzahi Hanegbi, who chose to go on vacation during the war, by members of the committee. It was noted that the committee is one of the most important in its role of overseeing the functioning of the political aparatus

Hashouknoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5786804.post-1154869350754036262006-08-06T15:49:00.000+03:002006-08-06T16:02:30.870+03:00

At a staging area near Kfar Giladi at least 10 reserve soldiers were killed by a Hezbollah rocket attack ... Fires are raging in the Naftali mountains above Qiryat Shemona and rockets also fell in the Krayot and Haifa ... While we have seen more aggressive activity in Judea and Samaria over the weekend, the Qassams are still being shot from Gaza ... The war continues and the mood of the nation

Hashouknoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5786804.post-1154810485048496332006-08-05T23:40:00.000+03:002006-08-06T00:15:37.163+03:00

The following are some of the problems with the US-French cease fire agreement for the war in Lebanon: 1. There is no explicit mention of disarming of Hezbollah. 2. There is moral equivalency between deaths caused by Israel and Hezbollah. 3. No explicit mention of the active participation of Iran and Syria. 4. While one paragraph calls for the "unconditional release of the abducted Israeli

Hashouknoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5786804.post-1154702928981607862006-08-04T17:47:00.000+03:002006-08-04T17:48:48.996+03:00

I was determined to be more optimistic today, as hard as that may be. We have experienced tactical errors by the commanders in the field and strategic, political and diplomatic negligence by the government so optimism has been hard. But just as we wrote at the start of this war, the field commanders are quick learners and change their tactics as needed. They have done so and are slowly but

Hashouknoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5786804.post-1154619573373551612006-08-03T18:37:00.000+03:002006-08-03T18:39:33.376+03:00

One has to wonder what needs to happen before a national unity government is formed. At the start of the war there was talk of it that was quickly squashed. Bibi at the Foriegn Ministry can only be an upgrade and almost anyone else at the Defense would be the same. Changing key people during a war is not a sign of weakness but a sign of maturity.

Hashouknoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5786804.post-1154619398250993632006-08-03T18:30:00.000+03:002006-08-03T18:36:44.363+03:00

After another tank has been hit by a Hezbollah anti-tank weapon and at least two of its soldiers killed, Ma'ariv (in Hebrew) is quoting an armored corps officer as complaining that an active tank-defense system was not installed for monetary reasons. It could be this system, made by the Israeli firm, Rafael. It cannot be an easy job deciding which defensive systems to buy and which not to buy,

Hashouknoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5786804.post-1154596173235819652006-08-03T12:08:00.000+03:002006-08-03T12:09:33.236+03:00

1. Is the military operation now starting in which about 10,000 troops will participate the same one the IDF has been preparing for the last 6 years? 2. If so, who is responsible for the delay in its implementation, the Prime Minister and Defense Minister? The Chief of Staff and the General Staff? The senior commanders in the Northern Command? 3. Is it true that Hezbollah cannot be beaten and

Hashouknoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5786804.post-1154596092091495512006-08-03T12:05:00.000+03:002006-08-03T12:08:12.120+03:00

Former IDF Chief of Staff Moshe "Bogie" Ayalon writes in today's Washington Post:"The rules of war boil down to one central principle: the need to distinguish combatants from noncombatants. Those who condemned Israel for what happened at Qana, rather than placing the blame for this unfortunate tragedy squarely on Hezbollah and its state sponsors, have rewarded those for whom this moral principle

Hashouknoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5786804.post-1154553061101170112006-08-03T00:09:00.000+03:002006-08-03T00:11:01.136+03:00

We have all seen how Hezbollah have used homes to store their rockets and their launchers but they have been even more ingenious in their engineering. I have heard for a very reliable source that over the past years they have been digging into mountains from the north - out of view of Israel – and built living quarters and storage for their rocket and missile launchers. These are usually also

Hashouknoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5786804.post-1154535636399957902006-08-02T19:18:00.000+03:002006-08-02T19:20:36.450+03:00

From the JPost:Originally from Philadelphia, Michael Levine, 21, had been living in Jerusalem for the past five months. He made aliya as a lone soldier when he was 18 and lived on Kibbutz Tirat Tzvi before enlisting in the army. "Michael was visiting his parents in the US when fighting erupted up north. He decided to cut his vacation short and come back to join his platoon," Tziki Aud, head of

Hashouknoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5786804.post-1154527081412225062006-08-02T16:51:00.000+03:002006-08-02T16:58:01.626+03:00

In an English language interview part of which was shown on Israel's Channel 2, Ehud Olmert stated that "Hezbollah's entire infrastructure has been destroyed, to which the Channel 2 anchor stated, "Hezbollah has fired 160 rockets today without an infrastructure.I accept the previous statement by Olmert that you can't measure the success of the war by the number of rockets fired into Israel, but

Hashouknoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5786804.post-1154513580099852652006-08-02T13:08:00.000+03:002006-08-02T13:14:40.753+03:00

Forget about the propriety of another unilateral withdrawal after the first two have blown up in our faces and forget about the fact that the entire world (except for the three senior ministers in the Israeli government) realizes that a victory will not be total, how is it that when the country is united in fighting a war the Prime Minister of all people brings up the most controversial and

Hashouknoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5786804.post-1154503548811965622006-08-02T10:25:00.000+03:002006-08-02T10:25:48.823+03:00

We have been very pessimistic about what is going on in Lebanon but we hope that our we are wrong. There was some encouraging news on the military front with a daring move to capture and kill senior Hezbollah commanders in their main base of operations – which just happened to be a hospital in Ba'albek. The use of a hospital as the main base of operations for a military leadership again exposes

Hashouknoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5786804.post-1154451719426578422006-08-01T20:01:00.000+03:002006-08-01T20:01:59.446+03:00

Olmert in his speech today at the Army's War College less than one hour ago: "The Mideast has changed due to the great victory of the State of Israel, of the IDF and of the people of Israel… Over a number of years we lived under this threat that was created by an unacceptable balance of terror between us and our northern neighbors. … This threat influenced our lives and our decision making

Hashouknoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5786804.post-1154433738542159442006-08-01T15:01:00.000+03:002006-08-01T15:02:18.553+03:00

In typical fashion, an Israeli politician is covering himself and laying blame for failure on those under him – this time Amir Peretz (in Hebrew YNET) is putting pre-emptive blame on the IDF by telling the soldiers that "there is a political process going on and every action that you do influences the (our) ability to attain political goals. The better you do your work the more substantial our

Hashouknoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5786804.post-1154417017802703632006-08-01T10:21:00.000+03:002006-08-01T10:23:37.823+03:00

Apologies to Ha'aretz and their editorial page (and to Kobi) who in their latest editorial have not only praised the continuance of the operation but were disappointed at the pace and scope of the war. Unfortunately, instead of pressing the government to return to their previous goals of destroying Hezbollah and attaining a clear victory, they are encouraging the government to use the few days

Hashouknoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5786804.post-1154410031461415642006-08-01T08:24:00.000+03:002006-08-01T08:27:11.473+03:00

Everyone should read this article by Bret Stephens in the WSJ. It makes arguments similar to those we have been making over the past few weeks.

Hashouknoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5786804.post-1154366862385019422006-07-31T20:24:00.000+03:002006-07-31T20:27:42.453+03:00

Israel Channel 2's Roni Daniel is reporting exclusively that there was a large explosion in the Quneitra area at the border between Israel and Syria in the Golan Heights. The report has two interpretations according to Daniel and Ehud Ya'ari:1. That Hezbollah did it to entice Israel to attack Syria.2. That with calls within Syria by religious and opposition leaders to open a front on the Golan,

Hashouknoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5786804.post-1154359203874234082006-07-31T18:18:00.000+03:002006-07-31T18:25:39.736+03:00

With the break in major air and rocket action in the north, the conversation has shifted to Syria and Iran on the one hand and Western Europe and the US on the other. In the Hebrew Debka file, they paint a logical but alarmist picture of Iranian control over the re-supply of Hezbollah with all sorts of arms. They tell of Iranian control of the whole effort and of free use of Syrian territory.

Hashouknoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5786804.post-1154325604315869922006-07-31T08:58:00.000+03:002006-07-31T09:00:04.326+03:00

A computer program produces the names for Israeli military operations. For AI enthusiasts they ought to check out how IDF programmers gave their programs a sense of humor. After first announcing that the operation was called "Fair Wage" – our "Defense" Minister is a long-time union hack, it later changed the name to Operation Change of Direction – obviously knowing in advance that Prime Minister

Hashouknoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5786804.post-1154282905599863522006-07-30T21:07:00.000+03:002006-07-30T21:08:25.630+03:00

When we re-started this blog we promised to give a bit of a personal look at the situation and I wanted to update readers. Lt. "C", George's son who is in an elite unit of the Paratroopers was supposed to start a Company Commander course the first Sunday of the war. It was delayed and C. forced his way into an active unit and was in Lebanon until Friday. He is to get married in about 10 days and

Hashouknoreply@blogger.com